Lithic Labs » Bushcraft

Canoe Trip Video

John — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:44:37 +0000

There was some interest regarding the Adirondack canoe trip I took last week. So, I pieced together some video and posted it on YouTube. You can watch the embedded version below or view it here at the source. It is mostly scenery and some wildlife, but I did include a brief bushcraft component as well. Enjoy!

Adirondack Canoe Trip

John — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:01:50 +0000

I did a canoe trip last week in the Adirondack Mountain region of Upstate New York. Although the nature of my trip was mostly exploratory, I did manage to practice a little bushcraft while out in the field. I was primarily interested in seeing if I could access the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area through the Cedar River starting at a man-made impoundment referred to as the Cedar River Flow. Although I didn’t manage to make it to my intended destination due to shallow water and numerous rocks, I did end up camping on the Cedar River to enjoy a few peaceful days of R & R (with the exception of a pontoon-equipted helicopter that landed very close to my campsite – I wish I knew what that was all about).

Anyway, while exploring the near-by woods, I found some birch bark at the base of an old paper birch tree that was suitable for fashioning some makeshift baskets. I made two baskets like the one pictured here but I accidently stepped on one of them, crushing it beyond repair. I don’t know what name is used to describe this style of basket, but I know it is a common basket-type often seen in the numerous crafts and outdoor-related books available today. I know it is illustrated in Mors Kochanski’s book Bushcraft, along with several others styles. They’re very easy to make and work great for whatever you may need to hold. If made without splitting the bark, this style of container will even hold liquids (even if you accidently do split the bark, you can still seal up the breach with pine pitch or some other resinous material to keep it from leaking). Mine were crudely fastened together with split sticks but they can also be made more aesthetically pleasing to the eye by using root lashing and a wooden rim around the opening. Either way, they are fun to make and it is a handy skill to have.

Grape Juice

John — Sat, 01 May 2010 16:45:54 +0000

You can collect fresh, drinkable water from grape vines. I don’t remember where I first learned about this; I think it may have been on one of the forums. This trick only works in the spring & summer when the sap is running. If you take a grape vine in your hand and cut through it, it will begin to drip sap. If you fold the vine over into a container to catch the sap you can accumulate a good quantity of drinkable water in a relatively short period of time. All North American species of wild grape should work and are potable. For this demo, I cut a thumb-thick vine at about chest height and folded it over into my container. The sap started to flow immediately and it just about filled a 1 liter Nalgene bottle in about 1 hour. You can then drink it straight as it is. It tastes just like water and requires no treatment. Bear in mind that there are other plants that can be mistaken for wild grape so be sure to accurately identify any plant that you intend to utilize for consumption and always cross-reference with a reputable field guide.

Aspen Bark Basket

John — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:58:30 +0000

I did a little camping this weekend. The weather was nice and I got to work on some crafts. The onset of warmer weather here means that the bark peeling season is upon us. So, one of the things I chose to work on was this little basket made from the bark of the quaking aspen tree. There are many books that describe this particular basket style, but specifically I used Mors Kochanski’s book Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills & Wilderness Survival to walk me through the project. I usually shy away from making bark containers like this because I have a tendency to cause runs in the bark that often result in a ruined product. But I took my time and things worked out well. I never understood the idea behind adding a rim to the opening of the basket until mine dried out and started to warp. I had always thought the rim was for decoration but now I see its intended function is to prevent the mouth from warping as the bark begins to lose moisture. So I ended up adding the willow rim a few days later. I soaked the basket in water to make it pliable enough to receive the willow. I am hoping I used a stout enough piece to hold the shape when things dry out again. I was lazy with the lashing and used unpeeled spruce roots and there was enough extra lashing material left over to use for the handle. All I need now to make the basket complete is something to put in it.

Slingshot Fun

John — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:32:43 +0000

I have been reading Tony Nester’s latest book, The Modern Hunter-Gatherer. On the front cover of this book is a sort of collage showing various outdoor-related tools and miscellany. One of the items shown is a slingshot. Tony discusses using the slingshot as a practical means for acquiring game in the field. As a kid growing up, I never had the opportunity to use a slingshot, so after reading this particular section of the book, the inner child in me screamed out “I want a slingshot.” So, I had to listen and started collecting the materials needed to put one together. Within a short period of time I had fashioned my very own bean shooter. They’re relatively easy to make and are very fun to use. I will admit that I am a terrible shot and wouldn’t be able to put meat on the table with it just yet. But that is fine with me because it gives me an excuse to go out and have some fun with it. Up until recently, the biggest problem I’ve had with it was difficulty finding suitable ammunition on account of the snow cover. But now that things are thawing out, the rocks in my driveway are more easily accessible.

If you have ever considered packing a slingshot in your survival kit (or at least the surgical tubing to fabricate one in the bush), be sure to get a copy of Tony’s book, as it covers some helpful suggestions for use and practice. And if you are interested in learning more about slingshots and their capabilities, here are a few links worth checking out:

Mr. Bean Shooter Man (YouTube Link)

Slingshot Channel

Natural Fishing Hooks

John — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:21:15 +0000

I’ve been reading Hilary Stewart’s book Indian Fishing which is an excellent resource that describes in detail the fishing techniques used by the native peoples who inhabited the west coast of North America. I was inspired by the artistic quality and craftsmanship expressed by these people in the making of the tools they used on a day-to-day basis. I was so impressed that I wanted to try to replicate something from the book. I opted for the salmon trolling hook that you see here thinking it wouldn’t be too difficult to put together. I had originally lashed the bone barb into place with waxed nylon (artificial sinew) but I wanted to make it more authentic so I ended up replacing that with split spruce roots. I was concerned that the root lashing wouldn’t bind the barb as tightly as the nylon thread did; however, I must confess that it holds it in place more firmly than the synthetic thread did. Perhaps this is due to the residual pitch left in the roots making them a little sticky. All in all, I am very happy with my new hook. What I want to do next is put together about 60 feet of natural twisted cord and then test the hook and line combination out in one of the local farm ponds. I’m hoping I might be able to land a bass with it.

Tanning Furs

John — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:17:58 +0000

I’ve tanned a few deer hides in my day, but this is my first time trying to tan fur. Considering that it was my first attempt, I decided to make it easier on myself by working something small. I had a little red squirrel in my freezer that I’d been saving for just such a project. Typically, I like to read up on things before I dive in, so I went to braintan.com where they have some good articles that cover fur tanning. They primarily tend to focus on the production of brain tanned buckskin, but there are also numerous articles covering other aspects of traditional tanning as well. They also sell a great book and video companion that details the entire process and makes it very easy for the first-time tanner to succeed at making buckskin.

So, on to the fur tanning:

I decided to case-skin the squirrel hide and work it that way. No real reason here, I just went with it. For convenience sake, I used the egg yolk from one chicken egg and mixed it with some warm water as a substitute for the brain solution. I wanted to do this in a simple fashion, so I didn’t use any tools for the majority of the process (e.x., fleshing tool, cable, etc.). I scraped as much of the flesh from the hide with my fingernail then allowed it to dry a little. Next, I rubbed the egg yolk solution onto the flesh side of the hide and let it partially dry again. Before it dried out completely, I applied another coat of egg. I repeated this process until the egg yolk solution was used up – about four applications in total. Then I just worked the hide in my hands, stretching it back and forth for about an hour, until it was dry. I have to tell you that it didn’t come out perfect. A large area on the lower half of the back came out rather papery. But, with the exception of this and the head/face area, the rest of the fur came out nice and soft. I haven’t smoked it yet because I’m considering adding more yolk solution to the stiff spots and working it some more. I often hear folks say you can case out certain critters and use their hide as an improvised glove or sock. But this squirrel was way too small to cover the four fingers of my hand. Next time I try tanning a squirrel hide, I think I’ll open-skin it and work it that way. I believe I’ll be able to work it much more easily and more thoroughly and possibly be able to do more with it as an open fur. We’ll have to see…..

Woodchuck in Sour Cream

Kettle Hooks

John — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:40:11 +0000

This is just the coolest thing. I learned about this from Fredde over at SwedishBushcraft. If you haven’t seen this guys work, do yourself a favor and check out his YouTube site. Not only is his take on bushcraft interesting and original, but his craftsmanship is superb and the way he uses a knife is an absolute joy to watch. And these hooks are just one example of some of the cool stuff you’ll see from him. You’ll get more from his video and the associated comments than I can explain here so be sure to check it out if you’re at all interested in making this for yourself. As you may be able to see in the photo, mine isn’t nearly as refined as Fredde’s, but it works. I can’t say that for my first two attempts – they barely held together.

Camp Vise

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:54:59 +0000

The camp vise is illustrated in the book Wilderness Survival by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer. The authors suggest that this tool can be used to hold and work small objects that may be too difficult to do so with the fingers alone. Little detail is provided for the construction or use of the vise, however the concept is simple enough that it is hardly necessary. It consists of a split stick that tapers on one end with a small pivot stick inserted between the two split pieces and lashed into place. A wedge shaped stick is then inserted between the splits on the opposite end causing the tapered ends to close down on the intended work piece. With a knife and some cord, this tool can be made in a matter of minutes. I can see how it may be useful for sharpening a piece of bone when abrading against a rock or even as a clothes pin for drying a pair of wet socks. How would you use it? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Twisted Withy Stick

John — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:44:42 +0000

Withys may not sound very exciting to most, but I’ve just had a breakthrough with them so I’m a little excited and thought I’d share what I’ve learned. First of all, I want to say that I originally learned about these from one of Ray Mears videos (again). But I’ve also seen them mentioned in Hilary Stewart’s book Cedar. If you are not familiar with the withy, it is simply a sapling or thin branch that you twist which causes the wood fibers within to separate making it pliable enough to be used for binding. Ever since learning about them, I would try to make one every time I went out into the field. But I never really had any success. I would start twisting, the fibers would start to separate, then eventually…SNAP! The fibers would break rendering my withy useless. The trick, as I learned today, is to maintain some tension on the shoot so the wood fibers don’t have a chance to kink. If a kink develops and you continue to twist you’ll likely hear a snap too. In the beginning, I was blaming everything but myself (e.x., brittle tree/shrub species or seasonal variations, etc.). But in the end, it all boiled down to technique. So, in my excitement, I put together a little tripod fastened with a withy and a built-in kettle hook to celebrate.