Time to get off the farm..

For a little bushcraft hike in Algonquin Park that is...

Things have been a bit stressful of late. Business is still slow but it is starting to move a bit. With the warmer weather here and the threat of the imminent "Bug Invasion" scheduled a couple of weeks from now, I decided it's time to get out!

I contacted a couple of long-time hiking friends of mine and started making plans for a trip out to Algonquin Park. Turns out Pierre and I are the only ones going to be able to take off on a friday to make it a two nite trip. And this weekend is the only time he can go. (Sorry SpotTheCamper. I figured it would be a little short notice!)

As far as kit is concerned, I plan to stay as close to a "Nessmuk" list as I can with a few personal favorites. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend. Even so, I will be bringing some extra warm clothes. The nights are still quite cool around here. I am also planning to make the weekend a bit of a "No Matter What" kind of a trip refered to by American Bushman. I have also made some new leather gear that I want to test. Will need to do a little water-proofing to protect the leather before the weekend gets here. Will post some pictures when I get a moment. I have decided to go with a modern s. bag and bivi instead of wool. We may do a lot of walking and I want a play around with the wool closer to home first.

Well.... need to get back to work. Will post more on kit and food for the trip before I go...

Thanks, Decado.

Why I moved away from the city...

If you have been following my blog over the last 4 or 5 months you will probably already know about my family and I moving away from the Toronto, Ontario area out to the country. Actually about 2 and a half hours north east of the Toronto area.

Many people have asked us why we would want to move so far away from in all.... All being things like, traffic, high cost of living, traffic, no place to put snow in the winter time, winter traffic, crowds, "on the way to work" traffic, over-crowded stores during peak shopping times, "on the way home" traffic, (ok, I hate traffic!) and of course, NOISE. Well I know I am not much of a writer, so I am going to let some pictures speak a thousand words for me. Please note. If you are a bushcrafter and love the outdoors during all seasons you will understand why these pictures spoke to me so strongly.

If you are not the type of person that likes winter in any of its forms, you would probably be saying something like "Yeah but look at all that snow! Think of all the shoveling you would have to do!"

Oh. I think I have that covered!

It's a bushcraft shovel! No! Really! See the camouflage?

Thanks, Decado.

Sort of like bushcraft...

So. Been busy of late, trying to define a new direction in my life. Looking at going back to school for a bit.... re-focusing my career direction so to speak. Getting better connected with my kids. Trying to make my wife's life more available to her to pursue things that have been on the back-burner for her since child-birth. Even went out to do a little bushcraft/winter survival practice in the woods. (it rained of course)

Then last night just before dinner it hit me! I should do something bushcrafty! But what? Then it hit me again! This time I asked it to stop so I could continue my thought.

Turns out with Mungo's post about fish.... I remembered the lake trout I had in the freezer that I caught last summer. Well what is more bushcrafty than cooking up something you caught with your bare hands? (bare hands and a fishing pole that is) But if I was to do this right I would have to do it as bushcrafty as possible!

First I went out into the backyard and started gathering fuel for a fire. Then I realized that I did not have a fire permit and my neighbors would probably be calling the fire department before I even had the fish near the fire. Well.... I could use the BBQ. That is kind of bushcrafty.... right?

Then I went to get my cook set so that I could get this fish a' cooking! Then I realized that all my cookset stuff was either sitting in storage or still out in my car packed and dirty from the trip I did a couple weekends ago! And its such a long walk out to the car in the cold.... hrmmm. Well... I could use tin-foil! That is kind of bushcrafty.... right?

Before I could begin to cook this delicious morsel, it would need garnishes and seasonings! Then I realized that I live in Canada and that there will probably still be snow on the ground until late June! Hence the lack of fresh plant life for harvesting. Well.... I could use some salt and things from my wife's well-stocked spice drawer! That is kind of bushcrafty.... right?

As the fish is cooking away in a somewhat bushcrafty way, and I work on putting together my family's supper (kids are under 6 years and won't touch the fish even if it had batter around it) . I wait in anticipation. I look forward to eating this meal with my hand-carved fork. But I have not had a chance to finish it yet. Oh! What about my hand-carved spoon! Oh wait, I have not treated it yet. It's not done either. Well maybe I could just be all tough and manly and just eat it with my fingers.... he he.... YEAH.... oh wait. If I do that the dog will not leave me or my fingers alone for the whole night. Well I suppose I could use some chop-sticks! They are made of wood, right? That is kind of bushcrafty.... right?

Well, the fish tasted great! I loved it!

*SIGH* When the hell is spring going to be here anyway?

Decado

Pictures say a thousand words...

Here are some of the pictures from our Bushcraft & Wilderness Survival Course with Mors Kochanski at Jack Mountain Bushcraft in New Hampshire.

Me and the Mors!

I think I will let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.

Thanks for reading (or looking, in this case...)

Decado.

Meet my new Bushcraft Partner...

Hey everyone! Meet my new Camping Companion!

This is Henry Ronin. He is an Australian Shepherd. I wanted to call him Ronin and my talented wife wanted Henry so we made a comprimise. As you can see he is already making himself more comfortable in the bush... well... the wife's garden anyway. Now I just need to teach him to carve himself a spoon!

Thanks,

Wood Stoves and Jerky and Puppies. Oh my!

You know. Since I started doing this whole blog thing about my passion that is Bushcraft, I have developed a theory.

The theory is such: The moment you decide to be a blogger you begin to feel an obligation to post relevant information to all those blog readers out there about that which is the theme of your blog (if you have one). Once you take that step, the path is clear, the horizon is infinity and your joy is boundless! And then the "Hundred little gods" in the world throw every possible distraction they can find at you. From household needs to new additions, to work related drudge, to the ever popular "Dad! Will you play cars with me PLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEE!"


*Sigh*

Don't you people know I have a blog to write!?! And not just any blog but a Bushcraft Blog!?!
This is why you will always find at least a couple of posts in the history of a blog's life where you can read the words "Sorry", and "Haven't posted in a while" and my personal favorite, "Been a bit busy lately..." Oh well. Life is like that isn't it?

Ok. Onwards and upwards as they say:

Guess who just got a puppy! Yeah. I know. Like I don't have enough on my plate with a full time job, 2 part time contracts, 2 kids, a wife (a beautiful one at that!), a morgage and the bushcraft affliction as Pablo stated... But think of the future faithful companion and cool hiking buddy! Right Mungo? Sorry. Not a Beagle but an Australian Sheppard. Wonder if my wife is trying to tell me she wants someone a bit smarter around the house she can work with... (or actually see once in a while) Pictures of the cute toe-biter to come.

Got my stove (basically) finished friday nite. Will be posting pictures and an explaination when I get back from the Mors Kochanski Course next weekend at Jack Mountain Bushcraft in New Hampshire. I had started looking at my kit last week. You know.... when it was nice a warm and sunny out? And the evenings were cool and comfortable? Yeah. Suggestion: Don't pack for a camp in November when its still nice out in October! Part of the brain kept thinking it was going to be nice and warm out.... HA! After waking up Sunday to see roofs and cars covered in frost! Time to re-think my kit and find the long underwear! I wanted to post my bushcraft kit list here but... review above theory. Will have to do that when I get back from the course. Actually might be good to post the list with comments on what I actually needed and used! You know what they say about "hindsight"?

One other thing I managed to get done this weekend was.. BEEF JERKY! Man I love my beef jerky. I have never really like the packaged stuff. Mostly because I find them over seasoned and you never really know if the flavor is because the meat is starting to go bad (which was commonly done in the medeval times) or that they don't want anyone to find out where the meat actually came from! Since I prefer to "DIY" it, and making it myself makes it alot cheaper, I decided to make up a batch of what I call "Cooking Jerky". It's lightly seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, soya sauce and garlic. (No. that is not a typo) I will be putting a post up with pictures and a couple of idea/trick that I use soon.


Well, I better get back to that "Life" thing.

Thanks for reading,