tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351350802024-03-24T09:56:07.556-04:00geocaching, hiking, & general outdoors stuffThis is a blog about my general outdoor activities, and anything else I feel like writing about. My intention is to share my knowledge of the outdoors with others, and to learn from others' experiences as well. Feel free to post comments & suggestions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-90619061317732753842024-03-24T09:55:00.003-04:002024-03-24T09:55:23.163-04:00So, its 2024.....<p> Once again, this blog is being updated irregularly. As my interests change, and my free time is precious, I usually forget I even started this, over a decade ago.</p><p>So, what are my plans, what have I done, and what am I doing? Interesting question.....</p><p>2024 actually has a lot. In my personal life, I will be getting married in June. We will also be taking a trip to Mexico in the fall. My parents, though are still with me, by the grace of God, are getting older, and are experiencing the health issues we will all have as we age. So, their mortality weighs heavily on my mind, almost every day.</p><p>As to my outdoors and preparedness, I am beginning a new workout regimen. Sadly, this country is going to shit. This election season may be a challenge to our country. I don't expect a full breakdown of society-but, I DO foresee the targeting of conservatives, more than has been going on in the past decade or so. As such, my preparedness plan is as follows:</p><p>Get fit again.</p><p>Establish a good comms system, independent of the current mainstream media(ham radio, GMRS, etc).</p><p>Become proficient again in my firearms.</p><p>Have my minuteman gear ready to go.</p><p>Establish alternate locations to "lie low" if things get TRULY bad.</p><p>And, of course, anything else that comes to mind.</p><p>So, over the course of the next few months, I will be writing articles on my fitness progress, my comms plan, etc.</p><p>I am not sure I even have any readers left. Someday, this will, of course, be archived, and, who knows. Maybe it will encourage at least one person to prepare for the worst. I don't think, in my heart of hearts, that it will EVER come to that.</p><p>But, neither did Rome.....</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-88156572563624559292023-05-19T11:46:00.002-04:002023-05-19T11:46:42.348-04:00Yet again, another irregular update!<p> As much as I want to keep up on this, I don't. I dont have any excuses: I just never seem to come back to this blog. But, as social media, and media in general, is becoming more and more biased and, quite honestly, hateful, a return to the old school way of blogging, just may be what I am looking for.</p><p>So, some updates to my life:</p><p>Still riding motorcycles</p><p>Still a semi active freemason</p><p>Started teaching myself mandolin (sidelined due to work)</p><p>Got my General class ham license (active in that arena)</p><p>Have a live in girlfriend</p><p>Bought a Toyota Tacoma in 2021</p><p>Into overlanding (car camping, as we old timers call it)</p><p>And, thats about it for general updates. Now, on to fleshing some of this out:</p><p>During the chinese flu times, I opted to pick up learning another instrument. Mostly, for myself. I started learning mandolin, but have since put it down-again, due to work constraints (See a pattern here???).</p><p>I also bought a new, in 2021, Tacoma, as my GF also enjoys camping, and this is a near perfect platform for us. Did a minor lift on it (2.3"). and some bigger tires (31.5"), nothing that I would need to alter anything else for. We did do some camping last year, but not as much as we wanted. </p><p>I also got my tech, then general, ham radio license in 2021. I did it largely for preparations. Since I did that though, I have gotten hugely involved in POTA (Parks On The Air). Essentially, this is setting up a radio, out in the field. Its kind of like practice emergency communications. It is fun, and I try to get out as often as I can in regards to it.</p><p>My GF moved in the beginning of this year, and that has been going well so far. Nothing really to report there. </p><p>Work has been crazy this year, and is limiting my free time altogether-never mind my adventure time!!</p><p>We DID get the opportunity to go to Gettysburg a couple weeks ago. What an experience!! To know what those men went through, back then....to see, and walk, the fields they fought, and died on...I cannot describe in words how I felt. I honestly think that Americans in High School would be far better served, going here, and learning about this part of our history, than going to DC, where its so divided, you lose all respect for ANY person associated with DC. HIGHLY recommended as a trip.</p><p>So, thats my current update. I will not promise to update this REGULARLY, but I will update it!</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-33227233673371659752021-12-26T16:03:00.001-05:002021-12-26T16:03:33.554-05:00Resurrecting the blog!!!<p> Well, its been quite a few years since I have been here. Since my last post, I have changed careers, been married, divorced, traveled overseas, bought a few motorcycles, bought a truck, learned new instruments, and, well, generally lived a life. </p><p>As we are now going in to 2022, I am going to TRY to maintain this blog. I have been absent doing a lot of outdoor things. I no longer geocache-it became commercialized. I want to get into hunting. I do a lot of overlanding and, provided I get my film skills up to snuff, will link a youtube channel here at some point. I know that there are only a few followers, and, for that, I am thankful. Seems that blogs are no longer in vogue-but I want to keep a record of my adventures again, at least, for me. So, the plan is, to blog what I can, video what I can, and generally get outdoors. This will also be a travel blog too, as I do a LOT of motorcycle stuff as well.</p><p>So, here is to 2022!!! </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-83545480676725203572015-12-27T09:17:00.002-05:002015-12-27T09:17:50.041-05:00End of 2015, start of a new yearWell, this past year conspired against me. I rarely had an opportunity to get outside. 2015 was a hard year; wife left me, we have been down 2 people at work, causing a LOT of overtime, I made a decision to leave my pipe band that I have been with for 8 years now.<br />
All of these things have pointed me to an inward journey. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my life, what I want out of it, where I should be, etc. I spent a lot of time, I guess, seeking a certain spirituality. But, as I normally obtain this while spending time outside, this forced me to, I suppose, examine myself internally-whereas, my time spent it the woods, I sort of achieve a state of non-thinking, akin (at least to me) to meditation.<br />
I have never been a particularly religious man. Largely because, although I agree with the fundamental tenets of almost all religions, I simply could not accept the dogma of organized religions. There was something about it that simply rubbed me the wrong way. That, although they purport to be the words of their respective Gods-they are, in fact, human interpretations of these ideas and concepts. Which, of course, is an OPINION-not a fact. That has always struck me as wrong.<br />
Take, for instance, the 10 commandments. One doesnt NEED to be instructed by their religion that stealing, murder, etc, are wrong. There are millions of people in this world who have no exposure to these 10 Commandments, and have followed them.<br />
Are there many, many lessons, in, for instance, Christianity, that are good? Of course. I am not coming down on Christianity, nor ANY religion. In fact, even though I have no desire to be part of that, I will STRONGLY defend someone else's faith. Because, after all-who is the one being wrong, when one person chooses to live by the code of their religion, and another person chooses to make fun of and belittle that person for their beliefs?<br />
Anyway, as I was in this sort of soul searching mode, I came across the writings of Thomas Paine. Specifically, his references to Deism. I decided to look into that. After some reading on this, I found that this sort of resembles how I feel. Let me explain:<br />
Deism, to reduce it down to its fundamentals, is a belief in a higher power, but that higher power has little to no influence over our lives. Call it a supreme being, God, whatever. This supreme being is responsible for the universe, and all its constructs (or, the creation of it), and is not a conscious pseudo-person. More of a force, one could say. Honestly, the interpretation is a personal thing. But, the concept is that EVERYTHING around us is the result of a higher complex intelligent design-how you choose to define that is totally up to you. It is NOT atheism, which is a lack of belief. It is simply an acknowledgement of a supreme being, without the hindrances of "revealed" religions. If you are interested, feel free to look it up. Anyway, this allows me to segue into my next topic:<br />
Freemasonry. This is something that I, like most Americans, are marginally aware of, but never really gave second thoughts to. Again, during my soul searching, I found that to make myself truly happy, I enjoy being a positive force in my community. During a motorcycle ride this summer, a family friend casually mentioned Freemasonry to me. I decided to look into that.<br />
There is a LOT of false information out there. Like, far more than actual, truthful stuff. It takes a while to separate the chaff from the wheat. But, once you get a feel for who is who, you can dig a little further. My journey with this fraternity will begin on January 11, 2016, about 2 weeks from today. No, there is no world conspiracy regarding them. No, there is no New World Order they control. Masons work within their communities, being very charitable, and trying to make their fellow men better, by simply acting like moral, upstanding men. Something that, I think, is largely lost this day and age. If this is a journey you are interested in, and, I would strongly encourage men to at least look into it, I suggest going to a local Lodge, introducing yourself, and ask to speak to one of the Brothers. There is a LOT of misinformation on the internet out there, and, if you are just beginning your research, you MAY stray down the wrong path. Two sources I recommend, is a book by Chris Hodapp called Freemasons for Dummies, and the website www.masonicinfo.org. Both of these are well vetted, and great sources.<br />
Well, that is where I am, as of today. 2016 should be interesting, to say the least. Several things will happen, as a guarantee: I will become a Freemason. I will become divorced. I will continue on my personal journey. I will become a better person this coming year, than I was last year. I would like to say I will get outside more, but, to be honest, I dont know. I WANT to-it is my church-but, that really depends on my work schedule. I want to hunt. To hike. To bushbum. To fish. With luck, I will get to do at least some of that. We will see.<br />
Until then, happy new year, and may this year bring you everything you desire.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-54730839304217803182015-04-20T09:45:00.003-04:002015-04-20T09:45:59.109-04:00First woods walk without snow!!Yesterday, after work, I went out for a walk in my local town forest. My original intent was to get some Tenkara fishing in, but it turned into simply a cross country walk (read: no trail) through the woods, in a giant loop.<br />
Not really too much to report, other than listening to spring peepers, some turkey hen clucks, watching some wood ducks, and seeing both deer and bear sign.<br />
As it was 70 out, I went out with just my sandals on. Mind you, my initial thoughts were to walk to a local stream, and simply fished. But, I kinda got sidetracked. So, what I DID do, was decide to see how well my <a href="http://www.lunasandals.com/" target="_blank">luna sandals</a> would hold up in early spring new england woods. Well, I put a little over a mile on them (according to my phone pedometer, about 6000 steps) , and the verdict is, they held up fine. Of course, with open sandals, in the woods, you deal with things like thorns, dirt, sticks, etc, getting between your foot and the sandal-but thats as simple as shaking it out. One thing I did notice, is I slow down-far more careful about foot placement. Although, was never concerned about the dampness of the ground. I crossed several streams (and walked through 2 swamps) with them, and they held up fine. So, anyway, here are a few pics I took:<br />
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There is still snow in the woods!!! Not much, just little patches that are in cool, shaded areas.<br />
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A TRUE New England sign of spring is the blooming of skunk cabbage!<br />
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<span id="goog_1144007414"></span><span id="goog_1144007415"></span>When walking through the woods, in sandals, your feet WILL get dirty. And wet. And muddy. But, at least you dont have to deal with wet socks!!!<br />
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Also, cleaning them up is a breeze. Find a stream, insert dirty feet-problem solved!<br />
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New England woods look sparse before all the foliage. It makes for fairly easy walking during the shoulder seasons, as the ground is clear, and its FAR easier to choose a walking path. Even without trails!!<br />
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I found this while wandering. Something was searching for grubs!!! I had ran into a bear about a mile from here, as the crow flies, digging for grubs last fall. Looking at this rotten log, and the destruction, I'd hazard a guess this is from a bear.<br />
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Just a random, cool tree. Nothing special, it just caught my eye.<br />
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These little seed pods are all around the pine trees. I have seen them all my life, but am unsure what trees they come from. Any help would be appreciated in identifying them. The woods are predominantly pine. I would hazard a guess they are from birch trees? But am not sure.<br />
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The area I hiked was once a training area for the Army-specifically, training during WW2 and VietNam. There are still signs of old foxholes, and, in some areas, even whole trenches, that you can come across just wandering around.<br />
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This is an old trench line, mostly filled in with debris now.<br />
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The local river, which was my original goal-but, I took to wandering aimlessly instead :)<br />
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There is a lot of history with the Nashua River, here in Massachusetts. One largely of industrial waste, and the cleanup project that continues to today. Its the greatest environmental success story in New England, and maybe in the entire country. The Nashua was so polluted, the river changed colors regularly, depending on the dyes used by clothing mills and newspaper printers-we used to play games, as kids, guessing which color it would be. Today, its been cleaned up, fish and amphibians once again inhabit the waterways. Egrets, ducks, herons, turtles, frogs, and several species of fish have returned. As a result, predatory animals now inhabit the area too-fox, river otter (their hole seen below), and several varieties of hawks and owls now hunt the shores and waters of the Nashua. Even the fresh water clams have returned!<br />
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Anyway, that was my little trip for the afternoon. A well needed walk in the woods! I hope you enjoyed the journey!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-43605605007569835672015-04-17T10:04:00.000-04:002015-04-17T10:04:50.977-04:00Been busySorry, I have been busy with work. To keep it short, we are very shorthanded at work, so I have been taking overtime, and I have had some personal issues going on, so, life has been a little hectic. All that being said....<br />
We have FINALLY broken off the yoke of winter! And, what a rough one it was! We had record snowfall this winter, record low temps-and, it lasted a good 4 months! But, warmer days are upon us, so, more outdoors time for me!<br />
I wonder if you have ever heard of geocaching. Geocaching is a sort of hide & seek game, where people hide things out in the world, and, through the <a href="http://www.geocahing.com/" target="_blank">geocaching website</a>, you can plug in the coordinates to these, find them, and log them. I have been doing this since 2002. I stopped, for years, but, recently, have gotten back into it. I discovered a challenge on the site, called the "Massachusetts 351 challenge". What it is, is that you must find at least 1 cache in each of the 351 towns in this state to complete it. There is nothing other than bragging rights, but, it definitely gets you outside!<br />
Yesterday, I knocked out 12 towns. I am trying to do it county by county, to make it a little easier. I'm currently working on Worcester county, and have 4 towns left, which I will get on my next outing.<br />
I managed to take some pictures yesterday, while I was out, and will post them up at the end of this blog.<br />
I hope to get out more this year, and get some more blogs in. Right now, I'm trying to figure out myself, as I'm going through a lot of personal stuff. So, I will post as I can. For now, enjoy these pics of my recent outings!<br />
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More to follow, as my phone doesnt seem to want to cooperate this morning!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-62663398734256678152015-01-25T10:13:00.003-05:002015-01-25T10:13:34.799-05:00A companion for my solo (stoves)I was recently on a thread in a <a href="http://www.bushcraftusa.com/" target="_blank">bushcraft</a> forum, and there was some discussion regarding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas" target="_blank">wood gasifier backpacking stoves</a> and, if people bring backup stoves, in the event they cannot find fuel, there are burn bans, or, in some cases, you just want to light a stove and boil some water. So, me, being curious, and always looking for new stoves (we all have our addictions!), I started poking into potential backup stoves for my Solo. I came across the <a href="http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/companion-burner-for-woodgaz-and-bushbuddy.php" target="_blank">Zelph companion stove</a> for the Solo/Bushbuddy wood gas stove. Well, intrigued, I sent a couple of messaged through the Bushcraft forum, and he responded, saying that he will send some goodies along as well as the stove.<br />
So, in typical fashion, each day, coming home from work, I looked for the package. It finally arrived! I opened it, and, to my surprise, he sent me, not one stover-which I paid for-but 4 additional ones, to toy around with! This is what I received:<br />
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The top right one, is the one I ordered. The other four, are different sized ones, as well as two models of another stove he sells. Talk about customer service! Before I go any further, let me just say that, if you're looking for a quick, reliable, spill free stove, go to <a href="http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/" target="_blank">Zelph's</a> site and order one. You will not be disappointed!<br />
Now, in typical fashion, I wanted to test this stove out. I ran out, last night, and got some Methyl fuel antifreeze (generic brand). I wanted to do a test burn, to get an idea of how well this burned in a control environment. So, I did one in my kitchen, during a snowstorm (snowstorm outside, of course).<br />
I used the following:<br />
a generic bottle of gas line anti freeze, methyl alcohol<br />
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a measuring cup for the fuel, measuring out 1 oz<br />
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the Zelph companion stove<br />
The <a href="http://www.solostove.com/" target="_blank">Solo Stove</a><br />
The <a href="http://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-pot-900-1/" target="_blank">Solo Stove 900 Pot</a><br />
2 cups (.4l) of cold tap water<br />
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My GS5 as a timer, and camera<br />
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First, I wanted to make sure that the companion stove would actually store inside the Solo stove. I checked, and it did:<br />
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From there, I lit the stove, set it all up, and began timing it:<br />
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Then, the wait began. I wanted to test 3 different results: time to boil, time of useful flame (where its still licking the bottom of the pot), and time to burnout (where the flame is completely out). I came up with the following:<br />
Time to boil, 05:44.10<br />
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Time of useful flame, unfortunately, I missed, as I was also eating dinner (multitasking), but estimate it to be about 10:30.<br />
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Time to burnout was 12:46.39. I took this pic (I turned the lights off, so I could actually witness the flames) right before it burned out:<br />
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So, in my controlled environment, this companion stove is well within the realm of useful gear to carry. I will do some real world testing with it, but, my initial feelings are that, yes, this will be carried, yes, it will be used for morning coffee, and, yes, it was a great investment on my end.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-33134732352430015972015-01-22T11:36:00.003-05:002015-01-22T11:36:20.840-05:00New WarBonnet RidgeRunner test hang, and initial thoughtsAs you may know, I havent been a tent camper since about 2006. I was introduced to hammock camping about that time. I went through a couple of decent hammock setups, before I finally settled upon a WarBonnet BlackBird in about 2008. That faithful hammock served me for a great 6 years. I have camped in all kinds of weather-summer heat, -7 winter, wind, rain, you name it. Never once had an issue.<div>
Then, I discovered the RidgeRunner. This is a different style hammock, a bridge hammock. The WBBB is a gathered end. I tried one out a couple weeks ago, and decided it was time for a change. I sold my WBBB on hammock forums (within 20 minutes), and immediately purchased a WBRR. Today, I got the chance to hang it in my back yard, to become a little familiar with it. So, here are my initial thoughts.</div>
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First, I am not a gram counter. There was a time when I tried ultralight camping, but, it just isnt me. I like to sleep comfortable. So, I dont mind a few extra ounces . This hammock does have aluminum spreader poles, which add to the weight. The entire setup weighs in the vicinity of 40 oz-which comes out to 2.5 lbs. Now, add a tarp, you're probably looking at about 3.5 lbs for your sleeping setup. For me, thats acceptable. Some, that may be too heavy. But, the advantage over this, in my opinion (hammocks in general), is that you have flexibility of setup. You can pitch a tarp tight to the weather, pitch one side up, so that you have a porch, or even choose not to pitch one at all. Additionally, a hammock can be pitched anywhere where you can hang it. No need for flat ground, no removing rocks that you are sleeping on-in other words, more convenient.</div>
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Pitching the WBRR is even easier than the WBBB. With the WBBB, you need to hang it correctly, based upon tension of the ridgeline. Now, after years of practice, this becomes second nature. But, there is a bit of a learning curve to get it right. The WBRR, there is no ridgeline. You simply hang the tree straps, snug it up, and you're done. Its really that simple! The whole process takes about a minute. Seriously. </div>
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For bottom insulation, I use a pad. I have a Big Agnes Q core inflatable insulated pad. The WBRR has 2 layers of fabric. Designed specifically for pads. Simply flip the hammock over, insert the pad, flip it back, and you're done. Simple.</div>
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The bugnet unzips on 3 sides, with only the foot side sewn in. This allows you to stow it away, when bugs arent an issue. When its being used, the bugnet has elastic string, and mitten clips, at each end-the head and foot. To use, you simply clip the head end onto the anchor point around the tree, and the foot end to the buckles. Done. When in the hammock, the bugnet is pulled well off your body, allowing plenty of room.</div>
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Getting into the hammock was a little different than what I am used to. You grab behind you, plant your butt in, then pivot into the hammock. Not hard to do. It does feel a little tippy at first-but, I think thats just because I am not used to it yet. I moved around quite a bit in it, and had no issues. I dont feel like I will roll out of it. </div>
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Inside, there is plenty of room, the bugnet is well off the body. I dont feel squished, pinched, or anything. I only laid in it for a few minutes, but I doubt I will have any issues sleeping in it. There are saddle bags inside the hammock, which hold little items like a book, headlamp, etc. There is also a small storage area at the head, where you could also store small items.</div>
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All in all, this is a fantastic product and, my initial feelings are that I will be very satisfied with it. I will, of course, need a few nights in the hammock before I can make a long term decision, but, I thoroughly enjoyed my WBBB, and fully expect to get years of satisfied camping with the WBRR.</div>
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I took a few pics of the initial setup. Here are the few I took.</div>
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Initial setup, no spreader bars, no bugnet yet</div>
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Set up with spreader bars, bugnet, and my pad, which you cannot see.</div>
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View from inside, without the bugnet. As you can see, the view is great. There is no obstruction at all.</div>
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View with bugnet installed. As you can see, the clearance is amazing. The bugnet doesnt come close to the body at all-the foot end is the lowest point of the net.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-10937378699480883362015-01-17T10:11:00.000-05:002015-01-17T10:11:07.807-05:00New HammockSo, in case you are new to this blog, or were otherwise unaware, I am NOT a ground dweller. I discovered hammock camping early in 2006. I bought my first "real" camping hammock from DD hammocks, which are manufactured in England. It was OK, but a little finicky with setup. And, the bug net came ripped. The cost to ship it back and replace it was more than the hammock, so DD simply refunded me the money.<br />
From there, I went to <a href="http://www.hennessyhammock.com/" target="_blank">Hennsey Hammock Expedition Asym</a>, and purchased a Supershelter from them, which provided under insulation. I also had modifications made, so that the mosquito screen could be zipped-allowing me side access (the HH models, at that time, had a bottom access into the hammock). This model served me well for 2 years.<br />
Then, I discovered <a href="http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/" target="_blank">Warbonnet</a> hammocks. My first foray was the venerable WarBonnet BlackBird. I purchased this in about 2008 or so, when they were still new. He was making them out of his garage at that time. This was a revolutionary gathered end hammock, with a shelf, a footbox-and a cult like following (that, by the way, still exists today). It was the end-all be-all for hammocks. And, I was an EXTREMELY satisfied customer! That hammock served me quite well, up until last weekend.<br />
As per my previous post, you saw I was hammock camping. I had the opportunity to try the Warbonnet RidgeRunner, which is a bridge style hammock (I will explain the differences below). Well, I was sold on it. I wanted one. I got home, put my WBBB and the accompanying underquilt up for sale. I got it sold within 20 minutes. I immediately ordered a RidgeRunner. The site states that orders for these (I got a double layer) wouldnt be fulfilled until February, due to a backup for material. Well, a day later, I got notification it shipped-and got it this past week. Talk about fast shipping!<br />
So, I look forward to spending many nights out in this, my latest acquisition from Brandon. I have his Superfly tarp, so I, too, and a cultist for them. But, the quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, are what sold me initially-and keeps me a customer. So, look for my initial impressions coming soon, and some trip reports later this year!<br />
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Ok, as I previously stated, there are, essentially, 2 different types of hammocks-both have many people singing the praises of each-its like a Ford vs Chevy debate. Nothing wrong with either-just depends on your taste!<br />
A gathered end hammock is, essentially, exactly as it sounds. The ends are gathered, and tied, and the suspension is rigged from there. Gathered end hammocks normally require a diagonal lay, to lay flat. Some hammocks make this easier than others. The ideal way to lay in them is to imagine a line running from the head to the foot of the hammock, dividing it in half, the long way. To lay as flat as possible, your head would be on one side, your feet on the other, thus, laying diagonally. Some hammocks work better doing this than others-and, in my opinion, Warbonnet has nailed this process down.<br />
A bridge hammock is a little different. I am new to this type, but familiar with the design, overall. a bridge is, in essence, a rectangular piece of fabric, which has its suspension coming from the 4 ends-not gathered in a knot like a gathered end hammock is. The 4 corners are normally spread apart via some sort of spreader bar-be it tent poles, hiking poles, etc. The result is somewhat like a suspension bridge. This method results in a flatter lay, and, for people like me, a flat side lay too. The trade off is usually in weight. These types are typically heavier, due to the use of spreader bars.<br />
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The choice between the two is solely dependent on the end user. Some swear by gathered end, some by bridge. This is my first foray into the bridge hammock, and, I no longer have a backup, so, I'm hoping I made the right choice!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-5017478325407345992015-01-14T09:55:00.000-05:002015-01-14T09:55:04.480-05:00A weekend winter freezing hang!This past weekend, my hammock camping group, NEHHA (New England Hammock Hangers Association) had their annual winter hang. We have a get together several times a year, but, the one most of us look forward to, is the winter hang. Being in New England, you cant always predict the weather. We have had snow, rain, 60 degree weather, and, this weekend, sub zero (literally) temps. My sleeping gear was as follows:<br />
Warbonnet Blackbird hammock<br />
Warbonnet Superfly tarp<br />
CCF sleeping pad<br />
Reflectix pad (for additional warmth)<br />
Wiggy's FTRSS sleeping bag system, rated to -20.<br />
I also sleep with a medium weight long underwear system, for heat management.<br />
So, first, lets discuss the comfort range of the sleeping system. Was I warm? Well, thats kind of debateable. I wasnt uncomfortably cold. BUT, here's the deal. The FTRSS system consists of 2 sleeping bags: a +20 bag, which is the inner bag, and a +35 bag, which comprises the outer bag, when they are zipped together. Each bag has 2 sets of zippers: and inner one, that closes that bag, and an outer one, that mates with the other bag. Now, here is where the issue arises. When the bags are on their own, the oversized draft tubes work fantastic. They block the air coming through the zipper, and dont allow you to inadvertently come into contact with the (cold) zipper. However, when the bags are mated, the draft tube is JUST big enough to cover the zipper, with minimal overlap. Now, here is something that isnt taken into account: Sleeping in a traditional tent, one can reasonably assume that you are flat. In a hammock, you arent. You will, even in the BEST hammocks, lie in a somewhat U shaped position. Combine that with a lack of leverage when moving (in a hammock, when you move, you more slide to a new position, sometimes contorting yourself, rather than just move), and you can compromise this tenuous defense against the outside temps. In short-you end up byassing the draft tube, and touch the zipper. Which is COLD. So, even though the bags are rated to -20, when combined-this takes into account that you are a ground dweller. And, as such, dont resort to contortions and poor adjustments. My ratings for this bag? It got down to -7 one night, and I was comfortable, except for that issue. So, I would say that I would rate this ideally at a -10 system.<br />
Its important to note that I was NOT cold anywhere else, except along the zipper line. My bottom insulation was fine. But, on to the trip.<br />
So, the first day, I arrived about 2, and set up my gear. I wasnt the first, by any means, but I did want to get there before dark. I got set up (I took my time), and then proceeded to hang out with friends, new and old, by the fire. Coincidentally, the fire is kept going pretty much all weekend, as its our only source of heat for the weekend. We spent the afternoon catching up, welcoming new members, and shooting the breeze. Before long, it was dinner time!<br />
About food: we have pretty much come to a perfect solution. As our camp is a drive in, and no need to walk any real distance, we do pot luck for meals. We generally do dinner, and breakfasts, and leave lunch and snacks up to the individuals. You will NEVER leave hungry. The first night, we had soup, a crockpot chicken stew, and some hot sausage with onions. All done over either the fire, or camp stoves. We ate like vikings!<br />
Then, later that night, we had a special treat. My friend Joe is an amateur astronomer. He brought his telescope for all of us to look through. So, we spent some time looking at stars, galaxies, and planets. Where we are, there is no light pollution, and the sky was clear, so we had a great view. After that, we all pretty much went to bed.<br />
Waking up in -2 weather, is rough. I had a rough night, as I did, what came to be called, the "zipper dance", which I alluded to earlier. So, I was up, and cold. I quickly got dressed, then sat by the fire. Once warmed, I was fine. Then, the breakfast feed was on. Again, a communal feeding, with enough food to feed twice as many people as were there-but, we ate it all!<br />
After breakfast, we pretty much were on our own. I went for a nice hike around the pond. The frozen pond was a nice, WARM contrast compared to the relative cool woods. The sun reflecting off the snow was nice. When the wind blew though, that disappeared instantly-the wind chill was in the -20s. I had on an anorak, with a fur ruff, which was a godsend. With a wind chill like that, your sinuses freeze up, causing pain. The ruff creates a nice little micro environment right in front of your face-essentially a warm air cushion.<br />
So, that evening, we had some venison stew that was AWESOME. We also had some cowboy stew, that was venison and boar meat, that was ALSO awesome. Basically, we ate like kings, again. We also tried to make a Swedish Torch (by "we", I mean Tim), but, it failed. I think that this was due to wood selection more than lack of trying. We used hemlock, which is a fantastic hardwood-but doesnt make a good fire log, as it smoulders, not burns. We also had a raffle, which has become traditional for our hangs. We had plenty of awesome donations from local vendors, and all proceeds went to the local Boy Scouts. We raised over $500 that night for them! We then went back to camp (we used a building for the raffle) where we ate, told stories, and went to bed.<br />
Night 2, I had my sleeping system largely worked out. It was a better night, even though the night lows were colder, at -7. I heard coyotes calling across the pond, and, at one point, was woken up by a barred owl screeching. Normally, I detest being woken up. But, theres something about being outside, and hearing nature do its thing, that has NEVER bothered me!<br />
Next morning, got up. Had another amazing breakfast, then began to break camp. I said my goodbyes, and drove home. Most people at work think I am crazy for opting to sleep out in negative temps. I dont even try to explain it anymore. If your heart is in the woods, its simply a calling. You learn to dress, you adapt, and deal. Its really that simple. I had a weekend of cameraderie, good food, plenty of laughs-and even tried out a new hammock, that I then ordered as soon as I got home. Yes, I'm selling my WBBB, which I have had since 2008. But, I tried a bridge style hammock ,and feel that, with this type, I can alleviate the zipper issue, due to the way the lie is in the hammock. So, I will be doing a test night within the next month, with a new hammock, to try it out! Look for a blog post regarding the Warbonnet RidgeRunner coming soon!<br />
Last, as usual, I will leave you with some pics from the weekend!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-29399886813923251172014-11-30T08:49:00.004-05:002014-11-30T08:49:58.309-05:00Pre hunt scoutingI went out yesterday. to do some scouting in the area I will be hunting next week (shotgun season opens December 1st, I'll be hunting black powder though). I went with my nephew Joey, and my friend Joe. We got about 6" of snow, so it made tracking a little easier-moving through it, not so much. We started where I THOUGHT the trail was-but, the trail, a single track that is unmarked (not blazed), that is easy to follow when there isnt any snow-all but disappeared with the snow, and the trees bent over touching the ground. ANY side trail was difficult to locate, never mind walk through. Unmarked (illegal) single tracks, even more so! But, we found it, eventually. We also found PLENTY of deer tracks. Looking at what we saw, there were at least 2 bucks, and several does, some much smaller, possibly fawns or yearlings? I dont know-but, the area I scouted before, yielded more tracks, so I'm satisfied that my chosen area is at least used.<br />
We also came across what appear to be moose tracks. I will attach them here, but, they were LARGE. They were bigger than an adult sized fist. The area that I am hunting, I played in as a child. I never once remember seeing a moose, or tracks, out there at all. But, these could only be moose, or cow. Now, that being said-there are farms, close by, and cows have been known to escape. But, cows dont wander through thick mountain laurel, brambles, and thick underbrush. We are pretty certain it was moose.<br />
Anyway, thats just an update. I will be out hunting this Thursday and Friday, my first time ever. So, expect an update next weekend! PS-the last pic, is simply the area we were. The main trail is used by dog walkers, snowshoers, cross country skiers, and snowmobilers. Just wanted to illustrate the woods, in their current condition :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-63545976407351666492014-11-19T13:24:00.000-05:002014-11-19T13:24:11.959-05:00A day out scoutingI had the opportunity the other day, to get out and do a little scouting, for the upcoming shotgun/black powder season. The weather was, well, miserable. It was raining, and 35F. A perfect day to be in the woods, right?<br />
Actually, it wasnt bad. I put on all wool clothing-I had on wool swedish army pants, a polypro long john top, a thrift store 100% wool flannel shirt, an LL Bean wool vest, and a wool fedora. On my feet, wool socks and my unlined Bean Boots. I had a small haversack with me, with what I will take hunting-some food, a small wood burning stove, things like that.<br />
All in all, it was a great way to spend the afternoon-even with the weather. Found some deer beds, saw a ton of tracks-got an idea where I want to stalk. Two more weeks!<br />
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As an aside, I created a video of my lunch time. Hope you enjoy!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-13997841905184248262014-11-18T06:52:00.001-05:002014-11-18T06:52:57.995-05:00Lunch time by the stream<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nxFy-HU-g8I" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-81700202561993442342014-11-02T19:11:00.000-05:002014-11-02T19:11:22.325-05:00Do bears shit in the woods?I don't know, but I almost did!<br />
I decided yesterday that, it being a blustery, rainy afternoon, and my only day off this week, I wanted to go do some Tenkara fishing (which, I just realized, I havent done an article on-one will be forthcoming!). Instead of going to my usual fly fishing spot, I decided to hit up a local river, only a couple minutes away, in a wildlife refuge area. All I carried was my fishing rod, my fly necklace, and a pocketknife. Oh, and a phone.<br />
So, I was bushwhacking down to the river's edge. The first 50 yards or so are through blackberry brambles. Lots of fun. I had a pair of firehose pants on, and a waxed cotton jacket, so I pushed through, but it wasnt easy. I must've sounded like a pack of horses going through that!<br />
Anyway, I get into the "open" woods. Open for New England woods, anyway. Light underbrush, some random brambles, lots of blowdowns. You know, woods. Everything was soaking wet. Well, except me :).<br />
So, I am just walking along, minding my business, trying to pick a path through the woods, to get to the river. I look ahead, about 50 yards or so, and see a giant burl off the side of a tree. Of course, me being me, I decided to investigate.<br />
I get to within 20 yards of the burl-when it stands up on its hind legs! What looked to be a burl, was the hind quarters of a mature black bear! Well, when he figured me out, he did what bears do-turned tail and took off! The bear was tearing up dead wood for grubs, when I startled him.<br />
This was my first encounter with a black bear in the wild-despite spending YEARS traipsing through the woods. I feel like I was truly blessed with seeing him. It was awesome. I only wish I had taken pics. Had I recognized it for a bear, I would have been MUCH quieter and had my camera out. But, honestly-who stalks burls????Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-45750239837154367172014-10-23T23:00:00.001-04:002014-10-23T23:00:20.386-04:00Coffee in the rainOk, I made my first official video. It was shot using my Galaxy S5. I wanted to do a video showing the Solo Stove in use, during the rain. Its been raining the past couple days here, so I figured it would be a good time to go out and play around. The weather was about 50 F, drizzling when I started, then turned to a mist. When I left, it started raining. Its been raining on and off for 2 days now, so everything was soaked. Still got the water going fine though.<br />
Anyway, enjoy the video!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-31756681159760220702014-10-18T13:06:00.001-04:002014-10-18T13:06:12.559-04:00Fall foliage hike in New EnglandYesterday was my only day off this week and, as it was a nice day, I went for a little 5 mile hike. The area I went to is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leominster_State_Forest" target="_blank">Leominster State Forest.</a> I grew up in the area, and have been in these woods many, many times, and always enjoy wandering here. There are miles of trails, most marked, quite a few not. Its a popular mountain bike riding area too. <br />
The day was cool, but sunny. Cool, being about 60, with a steady wind. Later in the day, storm clouds rolled in, but, although threatening rain, nothing came of it. <br />
A couple things I did notice, was that, one, per usual, in New England, there is such a variety of vibrant colors this time of year, its breathtaking. Many times, I stopped, just to admire it. And, because of the unseasonably warm weather recently, the tree frogs were out. I don't ever recall hearing them this late in the year. Doesn't mean they aren't out-I just don't remember :).<br />
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So, enough chatter. On to the pictures!!! This outing is picture heavy, so, if you are on a mobile phone, keep that in mind:<br />
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First up, my pack for the day: its an Italian mountain ruck. Its ideal for day trips, as there isn't a lot of room to pack things, so you limit what you pack. I also prefer wearing a brimmed hat, at most times, for shade. Summer, I wear a <a href="http://realdealbrazil.com/?s=google&c=tarp_hat&gclid=Cj0KEQjwn4iiBRDFh76wlfCVuYABEiQAwWJ1IsYcwglmjLgWq8up297OI2djW8ue6KoQQDsl32BxDRwaAsok8P8HAQ" target="_blank">Real Deal Brazil tarp hat.</a> I wanted something a little heavier for the cooler weather, so I have a Woolrich crushable felt hat. This also has the advantage of deflecting the barrage of dropping acorns this time of year :).<br />
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I also put some REAL trail miles on my <a href="http://www.arrowmoc.com/" target="_blank">Arrow Moccasins</a>. I absolutely love these things. Although, I do find that, after a long day, my knees hurt-because these lack any kind of cushioning. It will be some time until I develop the muscles there, as I have spent a lifetime in regular shoes. But, so far, these things are far more comfortable than any hiking boots I've ever worn:<br />
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As we had recent rains (Thursday we had a deluge), that broke up an almost 2 week long dry spell, I came across several mushrooms. I don't know my mushrooms at all, so I just took some pics. Some on the ground, a couple on a log I thought was pretty cool:<br />
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The stone marker separating the town borders (erected in 1908):<br />
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My lunch spot, overlooking Rocky Pond:<br />
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My requisite stove shots. What can I say? The more I use this <a href="http://www.solostove.com/" target="_blank">Solo Stove</a> the more I love it. The wood you see here is all that was needed to boil water for coffee. It was, literally, a single stick.<br />
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This tree is called the Haunted Tree. Why? Who knows. Local legend was that they hung someone there. But, this tree isn't old enough to have been around when this legend allegedly occurred (sometime in the late 1700s to 1800s). But, that's the story that goes with it (there is also a geocache located within the tree):<br />
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There was also a paper wasp nest hanging right over one of the trails. I didn't see any wasps going in or out, but, I wasn't about to tap it to see if it was occupied:<br />
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And, some gratuitous beautiful foliage shots:<br />
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Last, a short vid (I got the date wrong. oh well) of the tree frogs, near Rocky Pond:<br />
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So, that was my little day trip. Hope you enjoyed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-70529377339742447712014-10-11T22:02:00.002-04:002014-10-11T22:02:37.537-04:00Swedish Anorak Mods, Part 5: fur ruffSo, this is the biggest, best part of the mods, in my opinion. I purchased a coyote tail from a vendor in Canada, that had a cloth piece sewn the length of the tail, with the purpose being that this is used specifically for a ruff. This makes it MUCH easier to sew onto the hood, as I'm not sewing through hide, nor am I attempting to sew the fur directly to the hood. Its just a simple fabric to fabric mate, which I sewed by hand, using a locking stitch. So, here is the hood, the fur ruff, and the ruff pinned in place prior to sewing:<br />
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From there, I simply started on one end, and sewed all the way up & around to the other end. Again, the simple lock stitch did the trick:<br />
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The only thing you need to be careful of, is not to sew the inner cloth tape that closes the hood. As you can see, I sewed it right to the edge of the hood. The ruff can be flipped inside the hood, to create more dead air space to warm up, keeping the warm air close to your face, or, flip out (sort of) to give you better visibility. Here is the final product, and, well, me, with it on:<br />
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So, that ends the mods I did to this anorak. Now, I simply wait, until Old Man Winter shows up. The Farmers Almanac is predicting a cold winter this year, so I expect to get plenty of use out of this. As I do, I will blog about how well (or, poorly, if thats the case) it performs.<br />
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I hope this helps others looking to do some mods on their swedish anoraks. I tried to be as thorough as possible, and take pics that I thought would help. Of course, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here, and I will answer them for you. Thanks!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-44274068457747626542014-10-11T21:47:00.000-04:002014-10-11T21:47:08.535-04:00Swedish Anorak Mods Part 4, adding decorative trimOk, this one was easy. The trim adds nothing functionally, but gives it a nice, traditional look. For now, I just added it to the bottom of the anorak. I haven't decided if I'm going to add it elsewhere, but, if I do, it will be around the cuffs, and maybe along side the neck opening. But, for now, its just around the bottom.<br />
This is pretty easy to do. I did it in 2 strips, to make it more manageable, but you could just as easily do it with 1 longer one. I have a handi stitcher, which worked well for this, and it took me all of 15 minutes. So, as this was a simple one, here it is, finished:<br />
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In the top pic, you can see the overlap. I havent trimmed it up yet, but I will. The bottom pic, you can see the center seam I did with the handi stitcher. All it really needs is that one stitch to hold it in place. Again, this was an easy, simple mod, for decoration.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-24898686435321218132014-10-11T21:38:00.000-04:002014-10-11T21:38:19.661-04:00Swedish Anorak Mods Part 3, cuff modifications.The next mod I did was to remove the button from the cuff, use the epaulets that I removed earlier, and use those on the cuffs, with velcro, to allow for a more flexible opening. I can cinch it down, so they will fit inside my mitts, or keep them loose, and over a lighter pair of gloves, depending on the weather and work. Again, as a disclaimer, these ideas arent mine, but I wanted one blog, showing all the mods done, to make it a little easier to find for others. So, on to the mods!<br />
First thing I did, was remove the epaulets (keep in mind, not ALL of these anoraks have epaulets: check with the seller first, to see if they are there. If not, a simple strip of material can be subsituted):<br />
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Next, you want to remove the cuff buttons. Once those are removed, you will want to sew the epaulets over where the button you just removed was. The part that you cut (the straight part) will be sewn to this part of the cuff, with the epaulet button hole end (the arrow shaped tip of the material) pointed towards the wrist opening. Pin it in place, then sew it to that side of the cuff ONLY:<br />
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I overlapped about 1/2 inch, and did a simple lock stitch for it. On the inside, I sewed through only 1 layer of the epaulet, so that the seam isnt seen from the outside:<br />
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The next step, I cut velcro strips, about an inch wide and 4 inches long for the loop (fuzzy) part, and approximately a 2x2 inch strip for the hook part. The hook part is then sewn into the epaulet, as such:<br />
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I then sewed the other strip, beginning at the cuff opening, onto the cuff itself:<br />
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The velcro I used has a sticky (EXTREMELY sticky) backing. This made it extremely difficult to sew through by hand. So, in the interest of not breaking a needle, and saving my fingers, I just sewed the ends of them. Eventually, I will sew the long sides, but, for now, this will do.<br />
Now, you have a fully adjustable cuff, that can be opened, and even rolled back, for venting, or closed up tight and slid under the gauntlet of your mittens. Hope you found this useful!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-38710592330308516822014-10-10T09:04:00.000-04:002014-10-10T09:04:01.780-04:00Swedish Anorak Mods, part 2-the wire hood stiffenerThis one was a simple one. The canvas that these anoraks are made from is fairly stiff. However, with even a slight wind, it will collapse the material against your face, limiting visibility, and reducing the wind breaking efficiency of the hood itself. To limit this, most people add a wire stiffener to the outside rim of the hood. Any stiff wire can be used: hobby wire, gardening wire-I used a wire coat hanger, as its what I had on hand. The method is really very, very simple, and takes less than 2 minutes to accomplish.<br />
First, identify the channel where the wire will pass through. With these, there is a hood tie located in the channel, so its dead simple:<br />
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The next step, you need to identify the seam where the cloth hood pulls are sewn into the channel, to prevent them from coming out accidentally. You will need to either partially, or fully, remove this seam, so you can pass the wire through:</div>
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Next, cut off the part of the hanger that is hooked, and where it wraps upon itself:<br />
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Next, straighten it out, by hand, and, what I did, is to put some tape on the end of it, to keep it from poking through the material:<br />
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Once the wire is straight, and the end is taped off, simply feed it through the opening for the hood pulls:<br />
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Now, all you need to do is feed it all the way through to the other side. You will notice that there is a little pocket of material below where the hood pulls come through. Get the end of the wire into that pocket, nice & snug. What I did, was, I didn't trim the wire until it was seated firmly in there. Then, I cut it to length, taped the other end off, and popped it into the hood seam, so that the other taped end sat in that pocket. This method worked very well-the most laborious and time consuming part was actually cutting the coat hanger down :). The finished product will have a nice, stiff brim, that will not close up on you:<br />
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And, that's all it takes! Very simple mod, easy to do, but makes a world of difference with the hood.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-27911623714771108722014-10-10T08:44:00.001-04:002014-10-10T08:44:31.790-04:00Swedish Anorak mods, part 1-reducing the hood volumeI had some time to do a few of the mods. In the interest of time, I will only cover a couple of mods in each post, and do one post on just the fur ruff (which arrived yesterday, from Canada!). This blog will be on the hood mods-putting a wire stiffener in, and a hood volume reducer.<br />
I will begin with the volume reducer. First, let me explain. The hoods on these are LARGE. They are designed to be worn with (or without) a helmet, and/or bulky headwear. So, in order to accommodate that, the hoods are voluminous. For those of us who don't wear helmets though, this creates a bit of an issue, as there is a LOT of material, and that extra space flaps around in the wind, or the hood closes up on you. Either way, something needed to be done to make it better suited for civilian use.<br />
Disclaimer: none of these mods are my own ideas. I picked them all up reading about them elsewhere. That being said, I didn't follow any instructions on HOW to do them-I just knew what I wanted to do, looked at some pictures, and went to town. I have zero experience as a tailor, as you will see by my stitching. I either stitched by hand, using a simple thread and needle (the thread I used was heavy gauge nylon thread, a very dark green, because its all I have), or a handi-stitcher, which is a cool little machine for hemming, or, in my case, adding trim.<br />
The first thing I did was remove both of the epaulets from each shoulder, and the crotch strap, as well as all the associated buttons. I also sewed up the ends of the tabs where they were cut (I did this with white cotton thread-the thread broke under tension, which is why I switched to the darker nylon stuff after):<br />
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I then took the button from the crotch strap, located the center rear of the hood, on the outside, above the seam, pinned it, then sewed it in place:</div>
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I now took the crotch strap, and pinned it roughly in the center of the hood, where the sewn in peak points down. I did this to get a rough idea of where it would sit (you will see that the crotch strap has 2 button holes-ideal for what I am doing with it):</div>
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From here, I sewed it into place, using what I think is some sort of lock stitch. You can kind of see the peak I was referring to, which is where I sewed this piece on:<br />
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So, the hood now has 3 volume settings. No button, it is HUGE-wearing a ski helmet with the hood over it, there is still tons of volume in it. On the first setting, its ideal to get a large tunnel in front of your face which, when the fur ruff is attached, will create a warm environment immediately in front of your face. This however has a someone limiting visibility dilemma, which is easily rectified by using the topmost button hole, which reduces the volume of the hood to a VERY manageable size:<br />
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So, that's it for the hood volume reducing mode. Next post will be adding the wire as a hood stiffener.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-6409082390458696442014-10-09T10:34:00.001-04:002014-10-09T10:34:34.466-04:00The unicorn of winter gear: a Swedish Anorak!If you, like me, have been looking EVERYWHERE for one of those infamous Swedish anoraks, that were very popular just a few short years ago, but have become as rare as unicorn tears lately, fear not! I happened to stumble upon an Etsy store that managed to get their hands on a few. They are located out of Sweden. They can be found at this site: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/184516388/swedish-army-classic-snow-anorak-1908?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=swedish+anorak&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery" target="_blank">Swedish anorak</a>. The communication from this shop was outstanding. Shipping time, from notification to arrival, was 1 week, exactly. The anorak was rolled up, packed in heavy shipping paper, tied together with cotton twine, labeled. It arrived just fine. The model I got was a new, unissued, anorak, with the epaulets. Here are a couple pics, front & back:<br />
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There are several modifications I will be doing to it:<br />
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<li>Removing the crotch tab-for me, it serves no purpose, and I can repurpose both the tab and the button.</li>
<li>Remove the inner waist cinch strap. There really isn't a need for this, as the anorak will be a windbreaker and, if I need it cinched tight, I can simply tie something around my waist. And, the cinch strap being located INSIDE the anorak makes it impractical.</li>
<li>Removing the epaulets. These will be repurposed for my cuffs. The epaulets themselves serve no purpose, as I will not be putting any rank tabs on :)</li>
<li>Adding a hood stiffener, to keep the hood face open</li>
<li>Adding a hood tab in the back, to reduce the volume of the hood.</li>
<li>Adding Velcro for the cuffs, so they will be more adjustable.</li>
<li>Adding a fur ruff. I have a coyote tail on order.</li>
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Another idea I'm toying with is to add a central chest pocket. I haven't decided if I'm going to do this yet or not. As I don't have a sewing machine, it would have to be sewn by hand-and I suck at sewing. <br />
Anyway, I will update with each project separately, as I finish them.<br />
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Lastly, if you've been looking for one of these, just follow that link, above. He only has a few. Make sure you contact him PRIOR TO ordering. Let him know you saw it here, and he may waive the shipping-which will save you $30!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-37754787956225509882014-10-07T11:07:00.000-04:002014-10-07T11:07:12.850-04:00A day out with friends, old an newThis past Sunday, we had a local bushcraft meet at a state park. There are several held throughout the year, but my schedule rotates, so I don't get to attend all of them. I did, however, get to attend this one, and its my 3rd or 4th since joining the online Bushcraft forum (<a href="http://www.bushcraftusa.com/">www.bushcraftusa.com</a>). It was a great day-not too warm, sunny, essentially, perfect weather. There was, as usual, a TON of food there, some of the more noteable dishes were "tiger chicken", a sweet, teriyaki style chicken grilled over coals, venison stew-more need to be said???, homemade meatloaf, various homemade breads, some desserts cooked either over coals, or in a "hobo oven". We also had a trade blanket, where people could bring things they wish to sell or trade, and had quite a few homemade goods, as well as some nice sharps. I myself bought a lovely firesteel, that I will post a pic of later (I didn't take one of it yet, sorry). <br />
We also held several classes: one on figure 4 deadfalls, one on making a Roycroft pack, one on day pack items, and a couple on fishing-I demonstrated Tenkara fishing, and a fellow forumite demonstrated European style fishing. <br />
All in all, it was a fantastic day out with friends. Ate well, shared knowledge, gained knowledge, bought gear, sold gear, and generally had a great time.<br />
And, here are some pics of the day:<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-41270947241337189022014-09-19T10:45:00.001-04:002014-09-19T10:45:08.266-04:00Playing with fire!!Yesterday I went out for, what I THOUGHT, was going to be a short 2 mile hike, 1 in, 1 out, to play around with a couple stoves. I recently picked up a Svea123R off Ebay for $35. The person selling it said that it was an incomplete set, as it didn't come with the cleaning needle. If you aren't familiar with this type of stove, there were 2 models: the original 123, which was sold with a cleaning needle tool, and the 123R, which replaced it sometime in the 70s, I believe, and had the integral needle. The easiest way to identify the two models is that the older one has a control key that looks like a standard key, and the newer model has a control key with cutouts of the bolts that hold the stove together, so that it doubles as a maintenance tool. Also, on the older model stove, the control stem angles down at 45 degrees, and the newer one comes straight out.<br />
Looking at it online, I assumed this person didn't know the difference, as, even a USED 123R goes for about $50. So, anyway, I took a chance, thinking that, even if the needle WAS broken, I could by the part, and still save money. <br />
Well, come to find out, it was, in fact, the newer model and, sure as hell, the needle worked! So, I picked up a fantastic stove, for a fantastic price! <br />
Anyway, so, I decided yesterday that I wanted to go try it out. I hiked into my local woods about a mile. A place I have been many, many times before. A nice place by a local pond, with a fantastic lunch view. I took a couple pics of my stoves in action, and will attach them below. I still prefer my solo wood gasifier stove, as, in New England, I am never without fuel. The Svea will accompany me on winter trips though, for sure. <br />
So, as to the hike. I STARTED to go back the way I came. Then, I came across a trail I'd never been on before. So, I figured, what the hell, lets see where this goes. Then, another trail. I'm not quite sure how big the town forest is, square acreage wise, but I know that there are 27 miles of trails in the forest that wind back & forth, connecting one with another. Needless to say, by the time I figured out exactly where I was, I figured I was about the farthest away I possibly could be from my jeep, about 2 miles straight line. 3 miles by trail. I had about 2 hours of daylight left, and figured I'd be cutting it close. So, I set to it. And, obviously, made it. I also wanted to give my (fairly) new moccasins a good trial in the woods. Not a 7 mile trial, but, initially, a 2 mile, give or take. Well, after 7 miles, I can attest that the moccasins held up just fine. My feet, on the other hand, are still in tenderfoot mode. They were SORE-largely because they simply aren't used to that long of a walk, without any sort of unnatural support. My guess is, over time, my feet will adjust. It will just take some time. Anyway, I managed to take a couple of pictures while I was out-stove shots, gear, and a couple of interesting trees and burls on my wanderings.<br />
First shot is the Svea123R. The pot is a Solo Stove pot, which has nice markings on the side-stamped-showing ounces:<br />
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Next up is my usual Solo stove, doing its thing:</div>
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Next up, obligatory pipe and coffee shot (this is a Dr Grabow pipe-I call it my Wanderer pipe):</div>
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An interesting burl I saw on my walk (notice the termite dust):</div>
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A cluster of mushrooms I haven't identified (I know nothing about mushrooms):</div>
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FINALLY the road home!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35135080.post-52282415696382553442014-09-13T09:21:00.001-04:002014-09-13T09:21:36.680-04:00An evening on the NissitissitJust a quick post. Yesterday afternoon, I decided to go out for a little fly fishing at a local river that I frequent. Its one of the local hot spots for native brookies, and, when they stock upriver, other species as well. I got there about 5, as the evening sun was setting. First thing I noticed was that the river was VERY silty. This is vastly different from the last time I was here, a couple months ago. Not sure where this is depositing from, but the normally rocky bottom had a fair amount of sediment. Second, there is a bridge that is fished heavily, as the water is (normally) deep & fast there, and there is shelter, all ideal for trout. However, there is now a debris dam directly under the bridge. I was unable to discern whether this was naturally occurring (from drift farther upstream), or if it was beaver activity in the area. Beavers are prevalent along this corridor, but, I didn't spot a lodge anywhere nearby. This could be the cause of the sediment buildup on the upstream part though. State law prohibits tearing these down, if it is a dam. This river is fairly well used though, and the Squanatissit chapter of Trout Unlimited undoubtedly knows of it, and, hopefully, are looking into ways of removing it, if its a beaver dam. If its simply debris, a weekend out removing it will restore the normal flow.<br />
Anyway, I seized on the opportunity to fish the downside of the dam, as I figured there'd be a couple of brookies hanging out. And, I was right! I was using my Cabelas 8.5' 5 weight rod, and a #14 caddis. I managed to catch 2 brookies, both of about 6" or so, and managed to get a pic of 1:<br />
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As usual, I let the little guy go. I watched the sun set over the river, and called it a day. Even though I was only out for an hour, it was certainly worth it. A fitting close to the end of my weekend (which rotates weekly). <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0