Been Busy

I have been busy these last couple weeks, fishing, shooting my new bow, working on the never-ending boat project and generally spending my time outdoors as much as I can.

In the next few days I'll be posting about the:

-Western States Traditional Rendezvous
-Centaur longbow review
-Bluegill fishing, along with a fantastic recipe
-Boat update
-Bowfishing for carp
-Axe sheath

So I hope you tune in, I plan to get it all done before school starts back up next week.

Thanks for reading!

Swan Falls

My Dad and I went on an impromptu fishing trip to the nearby Swan Falls dam area on the Snake River in search of a new fishing area. Although it was only one hour fifteen minutes away, neither of us had been there before and what a day to explore! Hardly a cloud in the sky, nice and warm at 70*, and a nice breeze every once in a while.

We got skunked though, due in large part because of the high water and not having any knowledge of where to go. The reservoir is a long, skinny and (relatively) not very deep body of water. We choose to fish the slack water just downstream from the dam. The banks are mostly choked with brush so back casting was mostly non existant and the channel became very deep very quickly so our options were limited. We decided to call it a day with no bluegill, no bass, no trout, and no carp in our creels. We figure the river portion would be much more fishable in August and plan to be back.

The drive in to the area took us through farmland, high desert (populated by a huge population of whistle pigs/ gophers), and all of the sudden the desert floor opens up into this massive gaping slash. The road down into the floor of the canyon hugs the wall and is, simply put, spectacular.

We saw loads of hawks, a vulture, this bluebelly skink lizard, a couple carp jumping, rabbits, marmots, whistle pigs, ravens, and redwing blackbirds.

In between homework

... and finals I have been exploring a couple things. Having been motivated by other blogs I have dug up a couple websites on Otzi the iceman. One is on clothing and equipment and the other is the actual Otzi museum.

I also "found" a couple schools with interesting classes. Scouting, bowmaking, flintknapping, traditional living and others are found at Practical Primitive. Slightly more geared to the military is onPoint Tactical, but they still have several courses that look like a hoot!

Next week is finals week, then I have three weeks off. I have several posts in the planning stage, as well as some fun adventures outdoors, but I most likely won't be getting anythiing posted until then (so have no fear, rumors of my death will be very premature).

Thanks for reading.

Camelback funk

I don't remember where I picked up this gem but I have been using it for more than year now and it seems to work really well.

After I use my camelback (or other hydration bladder) I clean it out and throw in a couple plastic practice golf balls. They effectively spread the plastic apart and allow it to dry properly. I picked up the golf balls from the dollar store and happened to have them before I saw the tip.

Backpacking wok.... 鑊

Many moons ago I bought a backpacking wok off the big auction site. It was terrific! The curved sides made cleaning easy, and could cook or boil anything in it that I wanted to.

The only downsides were a little more weight and not having a stable base to set it on. I solved the instability by placing three fist sized rocks on the ground and using those as a tripod of sorts.

If memory serves me right it was between 10 and 12 inches in diameter.

I ended up giving it away to a friendly backpacker I met in Joshua Tree National Park.

I have done some searching, but I can't seem to find something similar enough to justify giving it a try.

Anyone know where I can find one? It must have a long handle, not two short ones.

Bowfishing boat

I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on the "carp-e diem" bowfishing-flyfishing boat this last month, but it is coming along slowly and surely.

Several times I have had to solve problems simply because the plans I have are pretty simple, in many cases just the flat measurements.

The gunnels and chines were made of laminated slats of the 1/4 plywood instead of hardwood. That has taken quite a bit more time than if I had made them from hardwood, simply because I have to custom make each part four times.

Quite obviously I am still lacking one critical aspect of any good ship. The floor of the boat, a "deck" in proper sailor speak.

Once I get the deck installed in the next week or so all I will have left is the seat and the "knees" in the corners.

I am still debating on what finish I am going to use. I am leaning on chalking all the joints and an epoxy lacquer deck finish. I don't anticipate having the boat in the water for any longer than a day at a time, so I shouldn't need to go overboard on the finish.

"Survival Knife"

I am sure that like a lot of you I have always been intrigued by the whole "survival knife" concept. Ever since the original Rambo movie the hollow handle survival knife hasn't been hard to find. Unfortunately, in a "survival" situation, these knives would not last. I remember pretty vividly the summer festival when my parents finally gave in to my wants and let me purchase one of those made in China-plastic handle-with the saw back survival knives. With the compass on the top, loaded with three matches, some fishing line, hooks, sinkers and the saw inside the handle, it had the sharpener on the front of the pleather sheath. I went for the black instead of the camo...

I also remember in sharp detail the day I was cutting with it and it broke. Two pretty much worthless pieces. A blade with nothing to hold onto and a handle with no reason to be held.

But the concept has stayed with me. I am a four inch blade kind of guy, but a while back I bought a Cold Steel Bushman knife, well over my usual limit for blades I am interested in. But, at about $20, the price is nice. I bought it on that big auction site, sight unseen. I had only seen pictures of one side of the knife and I thought the handle could be sealed, but it ends up, it is just rolled. This isn't really a biggie, since I can still stuff gear inside the handle. I also had a Spec-Ops "navigator" sheath. It has a large pocket on the front... just right for some more "survival" gear.

Priorities during a survival situation are shelter, warmth, water and way down on the list is food. I think my kit covers all the bases.

Rope, snare wire, lighter, matches and a small ferro rod-magnesium stick combo, tinfoil (usefull for cooking, heat reflection, boiling water), a smaller knife for small work, a whistle, compass and flashlight combo (although I do not think a flashlight is "survival gear"), a small fishing kit, a feew safety pins, some rubber bands, a chunk of fire lighting wood-wax, and a ziplock bag for carrying water.

It all weighs about one pound.

Do I carry it into the woods with me? No. But it is an interesting concept, and one I enjoyed putting together just for a nastalgic ride.

New bow!

Holy smokes! The nicest looking bow that I have ever laid eyes on arrived at my doorstep today! I have coveted a Centaur longbow for several years now, ever since I first met Jim Neaves, bowyer extraordinaire, several years ago at a Traditional Expo West. Especially in traditional archery/ bowhunting circles, different types of bows, woods and bowyers speak to different folks and Jim's bows have spoken to me ever since I first shot one. I am going to save the actual review until I can get out for an evening of shooting, but I thought I'd tease you a little with the specs and a couple pictures.

58"AMO, 60#@26", very nice, dark cocobollo riser, extremely cool juniper limbs with a bamboo core. Stipped grip with a 6 point elk shed, a Centaur first.

Books!

I thought I'd share what I am reading right now (besides my nursing textbooks). Typically I am reading four or five books at a time and have a few on the bedside table waiting for me to finish something else.

On a recent trip to the library I picked up two books. Jimmy Buffet's "A Pirate Looks at Fifty" and Bob Simpson's 1988 book "Wilderness is Where You Find It." For those of you who don't know, Jimmy Buffet is way more than a sit-in-a-hammock-on-a-beach-and-drink-a-margarita kind of guy. He is an AVID fly fisherman. Besides that I wanted to read a little about some one's sailing adventures in the Caribbean.

Bob Simpson I had never heard of but the display at the end of the book shelf had it sitting there, and while I wouldn't recommend judging a book by its cover, seeing a trio of backpackers on this cover made me judge it to be something I am interested in. Unfortunately it is a lot of horsepacking and not much else, but I am enjoying the read.

And I don't have it yet, but I am thinking I found the next addition to my personal library. Mike Mitten ("herdbull" over on tradgang) wrote a book called "One With The Wilderness, Passions of a Solo Bowhunter" and this cover looks absolutely amazing! Right up my alley! So I will be writing up a review once I get my hands on this one.

Gaucho Fire Drill

I found yet another method of fire by friction. This one seems pretty unique to me, I don't recall ever seeing it in any of my scouting-survival-bushcraft-outdoors type of books.

Worth giving a try.... I think it might work very well with a nice socket and a more traditional type of fire board/ hearth on the ground.

The picture appears to show the "gaucho" standing upright and leaning into a tree. I would imagine that you just twirl the drill...

I'll take some pictures and report how well it works if I get "round to it."