Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category
How to Make a Fish Trap
June 29th, 2010 | 
Author: 
The goal when you use any fish trap is to catch fish. You want to make a fish trap that the fish can swim into but not out of. Part of the trick is the bait, but a big part of the success of any fish trap is its design. Here’s a simple fish trap you can put in a river to catch a load of fresh fish.
There are numerous methods to make a fish trap and all sorts of materials can be used. Below is how to make a fish trap using wire mesh. More traditional fish traps can be made using natural materials such as willow. A small fish trap can even be made out of an old plastic drinks bottle.
how to apply your homemade Greenland wax
I have treated my Swedish quilted trousers and my gas mask bag so far.
I love my gasmask bag its great for day trips but it is unbelievably not waterproof – in fact in a massive down pour water leaked in (a lot) and the leather base meant it pooled in the bottom of the bag. To rectify this i treated it with wax as below.
Homemade Greenland Wax
Ok some of you may already do this or may know of it but some of you may not know how to make greenland wax, or if you prefer, waterproofing wax. To buy waterproofing wax its around 7 quid for a small block which is quite a lot. its easy to make so save money this way! The paraffin was £1 for 400g and the beeswax £1 for 50g and this is enough to make a lot of greenland style wax – i have a massive block now and am probably not ever going to use it all!
How to make a Hobo Stove from Tin Cans
After success making pop can meth’s stoves I thought I would try a Wood burner and the Wood Gas ones also looked interesting to try.
Food cans lend themselves very nicely and I am sure this isn’t original etc
A shopping trip to the supermarket, shopping by Can size and type I came back with cans for 2 sizes of stove this is the smaller version the larger will have to wait till I bring myself to Eat the dog food.
This stove is made from 2 Sainsbury’s Basics Sweet corn cans and one Sainsbury’s Italian chopped tomato can. Cost is under £1 even if you chuck the Food contents
The sweet corn cans have locking stacking ends i.e. the bottom is crimped to fit into the top so are secure when stacked and one of the reasons I chose them as it securely locates the top pot stand /wind break on the burner unit.
The tomato can has a ring pull so when removed it has a nice clean edge and a lip to add strength
The Arapuca Bird Trap – A Bushcraft Video
Here’s a short video showing you how to construct a simple bird trap. Please bear in mind that trapping birds is illegal in the United Kingdom (there are a few exceptions but, they are regulated and a license will be required. Pest control etc). This article is for reference only. However, it is worth having this knowledge in case you find yourself in a situation in which this knowledge may help you to feed yourself and in effect improve your chances of survival.
A Bushcraft Smock for Less – The Swedish Windproof Smock
I think Smocks are a really practical piece of clothing for bushcrafters. If you choose one made out of suitable material, they can give good protection from the wind and even light showers. They can help protect your mid layer clothing from dirt, thorns, brambles, twigs and sparks from the fire etc. and here’s the best bit… you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good one.
A Smock as I understand it is a piece of clothing worn as an outer layer which unlike a jacket does not have a full length zip running down the front of it. To put it on it must be pulled over the head. Most Smocks are made of a windproof material and have an integral hood although they are not necessarily waterproof. In general smocks will have several large cargo pockets, ideal for carrying those essential bits and bobs. I always find that the longer I spend out the more pieces of kit end up in my pockets. Pocket knife, paracord, sharpening stone, Spork, compass the list goes on and on.