Swedish Torch
June 28th, 2011 | 
Author: 
Whilst in Sweden studying under Preben Mortenson he showed us the method of making a Swedish torch with a chainsaw. I don’t know about you but I never carry a chainsaw in my daysack. So I when I came upon a different method of making a Swedish torch on Youtube I thought I’d give it a go. You will need straight dead standing branches a couple of inches in diameter and green whippy sticks. Make two small hoops with the whippy sticks, think Christmas wreath here. Now cut the branches all the same length bar one which is half size. Next arrange the branches so the hoops fit over them. The half size one goes in the centre of the bundle, this aids airflow. Getting it to stand can be tricky so I made a wooden stake and pushed that into the ground and pushed the centre of the torch on to it. Stuff the top with twigs and birch bark and light it up. It’s a method for a quick brew or cook up on wet ground or if you don’t want to leave a mess.
How to tell the difference between a spruce, pine and fir.
Telling the difference between spruce, pine and fir can be tricky. There is however a quick and simple way to tell these three conifers apart.
Simply look at the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. If a twig has needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely say it’s a pine. If the twig carries its needles singly, it’s a good bet you’ve got a fir or a spruce. Now pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. If it feels flat and doesn’t roll easily, it’s a fir. If the needle has four sides and, rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce.
How to Start a Fire with an Opinel Knife and a Rock
Here is an informative and entertaining video which was recently sent in by ROBwithaB showing you how to strike a spark and light a fire using an Opinel folding knife and a piece of quartz.
Rob has a ‘unique’ style of presentation but, he certainly gets the message across loud and clear. I hope you enjoy.
I’m Scared of it All = A Bushcraft Poem
I’m scared of it all, God’s truth! so I am;
It’s too big and brutal for me.
My nerve’s on the raw and I don’t give a damn
For all the “hoorah” that I see.
I’m pinned between subway and overhead train,
Where automobillies swoop down:
Oh, I want to go back to the timber again –
I’m scared of the terrible town.
15 items of kit or less, challenge
Hi folks,over on one of the Bushcraft forums a couple of the members put up a challenge,15 items or less for 2 nights,so i have just completed the 2 night challenge,and a long review.
I thought you might like a look at my effort.
Well i went with just 4 items.
Kit list.
1-wool blanket
2-knife
3-ferro rod
4-jogging pants.
Acorn Coffee
Acorn coffee is a very old traditional recipe for a coffee like drink. Acorns contain a lot of tannin, Although the tannin in the acorns gives them their coffee like taste you do need to process the acorns to remove quite a large amount of tannin. If you don’t do this your acorn coffee will taste very bitter and if you drink too much will make you ill.
The Law of the Yukon – A Bushcraft Poem
This is the law of the Yukon,
and ever she makes it plain:
Send not your foolish and feeble;
send me your strong and your sane –
Strong for the red rage of battle;
sane for I harry them sore;
Send me men girt for the combat,
men who are grit to the core;
Swift as the panther in triumph,
fierce as the bear in defeat,
Sired of a bulldog parent,
steeled in the furnace heat.
Dorset Woodland Blades Bushkey Tool Review
I recently purchased a Bushkey Tool from Duncan of Dorset Woodland Blades and I thought I’d share my initial thoughts and findings with you.
So, first things first. What is a Bushkey Tool? Well, it’s a little multipurpose tool about an inch and a half long when folded and two inches long when opened. It looks like a small key fob when it’s closed. It has several applications built into it, which include
1. can opener.
2. flat head screwdriver.
3. ferro rod scraper.
4. bottle opener.
5. posi and cross head drive.
6. flint striker.
Kendal Mint Cake
It is believed that Kendal mint cake was first developed in 1869 by Joseph Wiper, who began producing it in his small factory based in Kendal, Cumbria. England. It is thought that the discovery was a mistake, and that Wiper was in fact attempting to make clear ‘glacier’ mints. Wiper founded Wipers Mint Cake. Kendal Mint Cake has become well known to mountaineers and explorers for its high energy content although its one downfall is its weight which can limit how much Kendal Mint Cake can be carried. There are currently three companies that still produce Kendal Mint Cake in Kendal. Romney’s, Wilson’s and Quiggin’s.
The actual recipe for Kendal Mint Cake is a closely guarded secret but below is a recipe which will allow you to try for yourself.
Horace Kephart 1862-1931
Kephart was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Iowa. He was the director of the St. Louis Mercantile Library in St. Louis Misouri from 1890 to 1903. In these years Kephart also wrote about camping and hunting trips.1 Earlier, Kephart had also worked as a librarian atYale University and spent significant time in Italy as an employee of a wealthy American book collector.
In 1904, Kephart’s family (wife Laura and their six children) moved to Ithaca, New York, but Laura and Horace never divorced or legally separated. Horace Kephart found his way to western North Carolina, where he lived in the Hazel Creek section of what would later become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park: