Archive for April, 2009
A Review of a Mountain Junky Bamboo Technical T-Shirt
April 26th, 2009 | 
Author: 
Over the past few weeks I have been testing one of Mountain Junky’s technical bamboo T shirts. Yes, that’s right Bamboo! The shirt is made from a material with a mix of 95% bamboo fibre and 5% spandex.
So, what’s so special about a material made of bamboo? What makes this material superior to cotton and manmade fibres for this type of clothing, you may ask. Well, if you have ever tried one of the many manmade base layer articles of clothing on the market you will know only too well that after just a couple of days they gain an aroma. Or to be a little more basic, they begin to stink. This can be a problem if you find yourself with no washing facilities, no spare change of clothes or of course you may be in an environment in which the last thing you want to be doing is taking clothing off to get changed.
The Cuckoo
Here’s a little rhyme my Grandfather told me. It certainly seems to hold true…
The Cuckoo comes in April,
Sings his song in May,
In the middle of June he whistles his tune,
And then he flies away.
Survivorman! A Trip to the Woods with the Bare Minimum of Kit – Part 2
It was Saturday morning. It had been raining since I had woken up but, miracle of miracles it had actually stopped. The clouds had cleared and it was starting to look like it might be quite a reasonable day weather wise. I had taken the chance to get a decent breakfast inside me before I ventured outside and started on my survival adventure. A bowl of cereal was followed by a full English breakfast, followed by toast and several cups of tea. I can assure you this isn’t the norm but hey, give me a break. I didn’t know when or where the next meal was coming from.
The Call of the Wild – A Bushcraft Poem
Have you gazed on naked grandeur where there’s nothing else to gaze on,
Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore,
Big mountains heaved to heaven, which the blinding sunsets blazon,
Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar?
Have you swept the visioned valley with the green stream streaking through it,
Searched the Vastness for a something you have lost?
Have you strung your soul to silence? Then for God’s sake go and do it;
Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.
Survivorman! A Trip to the Woods with the Bare Minimum of Kit – Part 1
One Sunday a few months ago, back in December 2008 I had been out for a walk in my local woods with my dogs. The weather was foul, wind, driving rain and the temperature was pretty low. There was mud and water everywhere and I was pretty glad to get back home. I dried the dogs and got them sorted, changed out of my sopping wet clothes, made myself a cup of tea, collapsed into my comfy armchair and sat there, listening to the rain lashing against the window pane. What on earth was I going to do for the rest of this Sunday afternoon?
Water! Its Importance to us in Bushcraft, Survival and Everyday Life – Part 1
Water – when Tony asked me to pen a piece about water I pondered the content – how should I start it?
“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!”? Nope waters to important a subject for so predicable and dull a start – so how about this …………
Without an adequate supply of safe drinking water you will die in one to three days – give or take a few days due to climate and activity ect ……….would that be a good start??
Ears pricked?
No one wants to die right?
Please Support Our Service Men & Women On Red Fridays
Although this is nothing to do with Bushcraft, Survival or Outdoors pursuits of any kind I thought that I should nclude this information on the Bushcraft Stuff blog site. I believe that Red On Fridays is a very good idea. It costs nothing either in time nor money yet is so very important in this day and age. Please read the following and once finished I sincerely hope you will join me and many others this coming Friday (and every following Friday) by wearing a red item of clothing to give morale support to our Servicemen and let them know that they are not forgotten and you are still proud to be British.
A Kit List Suitable for a Bushcraft Weekend
Since starting this blog I’ve had several requests from people asking me to publish a kit list that I use, which would be suitable for a weekend away.
What follows is by no means a definitive list. The items I carry vary depending on the location I am visiting, the season and what other equipment people in the group I am going with are carrying, if of course it is not a solo trip. For example if seven people were going is it really necessary for all seven of us to take an axe?
Information on the Osprey or Fish Eagle
Last year, while canoeing on the lakes in the Dalsland Nordmarken area of Sweden I was very privileged to observe a pair of nesting Osprey. They were located on a very small rocky island and were nesting in one of the few trees situated on that rocky outcrop. When passing the island in our canoe the Osprey became quite agitated and would give out a screeching call. One even took to flight while the other guarded the nest. It swooped and harried us until it was quite sure that we were on our way and had no intention of stepping foot on their island. I was so impressed with this large majestic bird that I decided to find out a few facts about this highly adapted member of the raptor family.
How Jerky got Its Name
Do you know where the word Jerky (as in jerked beef) originated?
Just over a hundred years ago the women of the Comanche Indians used to butcher the buffalo that had been hunted and killed by the Comanche men. They then sliced the meat as thinly as possible and hung it to dry in the sun. They lit fires, not to cook the meat but to produce smoke to keep away the flies and other insects. This dried buffalo meat was called charqui. Over time the word was Anglicized to the word we know today, jerky.