Triangular bandages, the medics EDC multitool

The humble triangular bandage seems to be absent in many modern first aid kits but I would argue every IFAK should have at least one due to its versitility 

Most people know of its ability to provide support to injuries as a sling

But it can also be a wound dressing and simple narrow or broad bandages that can also be used to immobilise limbs by securing to splints

By forming a donut shape to allow bandaging over for protruding objects in a wound

Bandaging awkward areas such as the head and hands

As its a simple cotton triangular cloth it also can be worn as a bandana, used to cover a water bottle when filling from a water source, hobo bag and cut into pieces for making char cloth etc etc

You can see some of these uses in this video

So make sure you have one in your IFAK and maybe consider carrying one in your EDC even if only as a hankerchief

Take care

Roo

  

DIY Backpacking Alcohol Can Stove

When hiking keeping weight to a minimum is key and money might be tight so making an ultra lightweight alcohol stove from empty drinks cans could be the way to go as they're often found discarded on your travels so are completely free and your helping tidy the environment when you repurpose them this way, win-win!

These can be made quickly and easily with a simple multitool from your EDC or you can use commonly found items such as scissors and pliers

You do need to be careful with the edges of the can as they will be very sharp so wear suitable gloves, you can see my video on how I made this one here

As ever I'd love to hear what you think so please leave your comments in the box below or contact me directly

Take care

Roo 

DIY Beer Can Oil Candle

Power cuts used to be common when I was a kid and altough the national grid is more reliable today they can happen at anytime, this is a handy way to make an emergency light source if you don't have any lamps or candles (your home should of course have candles and lamps too!)

Get an empty beer or soda can and cut it in half with a knife or scissors and cut a strip of cotton cloth to act as a wick, you can also used paper towels as a wick if that's easier

Then pour some regular cooking oil into the bottom half, it doesn't matter what oil you use the only difference will be what scent the flame gives off as it burns the oil, place the top half over the bottom and put your improvised wick through the ringpull hole

Now dip the wick down into the oil as far as you can before pulling up and trimming at the point where its soaked with oil and light as you would any other candle

You can see this in my top five emergency hacks for beer cans video on my YouTube channel here;

Let me know what you think in the comments section, what other uses would you suggest?

As ever thanks for your time!

Take care

Roo

Top 5 Folding Camping Stoves 2019

The range of folding stoves for camping is quite varied, these handy lightweight stoves can use a variety of fuels but are mostly used for self contained fires where a open campfire may not be practical

This is my top five favourite stoves currently available;


5. Bushcraft Essentials Bushbox

Measuring 9.0cm x 9.0cm x 11.5cm at just 270g this was the forerunner for most folding camping stoves that followed the sides interlock to provide a surprisingly stable base

Pots can be supported by the trivets or by sliding wire tent pegs through the holes around the top

Due to the interlocking sides construction they've made kit so that two or more can me connected in parallel which is really cool

4. Lixada pocket folding stove

This handy little pocket stove is much easier to set up as three sides are fixed together with hinges that wrap around the ash grate and locked into place with a simple pin that slides into the fourth corner


11.6cm x 12.7cm x 16.2cm high






3. Toogoo opensided

This open sided stove makes an excellent travel BBQ and is super easy to refuel as it has an open sided front 

15.0cm x 19.0cm x 18.5cm high with a generous 6.0cm ground clearance under the ash plate






2. Pskook bushbox

This fully hinged firebox sets up in seconds as most of the parts are already connected to eachother

Able to hold much more fuel this stove is a genuine replacement for a campfire both for cooking and heat when camping

The door opens to reveal a generous opening for refueling and is hinged so that sticks want to slide down into the firebox rather than fall out

This is my pick for best value stove of 2019 and I recently did an unboxing video here;

14.0cm x 14.0cm x 21.0cm high this extra space means you don't need to refuel as often as the previous smaller stoves






1. Bushcraft Essentials Bushbox XL

The undisputed king of the folding camping stoves thanks to its versatility, its the most expensive stove in the list but that is down to the extensive engineering that has gone into producing it that allows this stove to perform many tasks excellently

YouTube is full of videos showing the numerous uses of this stove and for several years has been seen as the benchmark go to portable stove

12.5cm x 12.5cm x 19.0cm was for a long time the most generous folding camping stove but has now been exceeded by the PSKOOK

Still retains its crown as the best stove due to the multifunction trivets and the various slots that accommodate them 







So that's my top five let me know what you think or if you have any others you would recommend in the comments below 👍

Take care

Roo

DIY backyard blacksmith hand forged ash rake for outbacker stove

A while ago I made a DIY forge for £5 here I use it to make an ash rake tool for my outbacker portable woodburner for camping

I used a fencing pin which many building sites will give you for free if you ask or can be purchased from builders merchants for about £1 and 1kg of charcoal so total cost was less than £2 and took about half an hour

Its not the prettiest as you'd expect using rolled steel bar but it will do the job

As ever I'd love to hear what you guys thought so please leave a comment or a thumbs up and if you liked and maybe you'd consider subscribing

Take care

Roo

#backyard #blacksmith #project

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Camping Tick List

The Sun is out and many people will be heading outdoors for camping trips or other activities but its a good idea to do a little preparation first...

Almost anywhere in the countryside you're liable to be in close proximity to small but nasty little creatures called ticks

These little relatives of spiders are bloodsuckers that like to climb tall grass and other vegetation in order to cling onto any passing mammal that brushes past them for a free meal

And unfortunately they can transmit a bacterial disease called "Lyme" from the bacteria that lives in their stomachs

Symptoms are similar to flu;

• Fever
• Headaches
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Fatigue

Some people have claimed to suffer for many years after being infected if they didn't get early treatment...

Once they find a victim they like climb into a nice warm spot like the groin or armpit where they will not be disturbed as they eat

There are chemical products that can deter ticks and as they only climb up simple steps like tucking trousers into socks can also help prevent bites

A common symptom of a tick bite is the "bullseye" rash shown here of a red swelling surrounded by an outer ring shaped rash sometimes these can take weeks to develop long after the tick has gone so if you have something like this visit your doctor as soon as possible

Many first aid kits will include tweezers which can be used to removed the tick but this is very difficult as their jaws are jagged like a saw blade to give them a strong grip on their victim

Often the body can be crushed leaving the head embedded in the wound prone to infection or even when being gentle run the large risk of squeezing the little beastie causing it to vomit its stomach contents, including the aforementioned bacteria into the wound 

But you can buy very inexpensive little plastic tick removal tool similar to a prybar for pulling nails that fit around the ticks head allowing you to twist and lift it out which greatly reduce this risk

For anyone going outdoors I would recommend having one of these in your first aid kit particularly parents or pet owners like dog walkers, and as I said they like to climb into areas difficult to see a small mirror is also advisable

Not all tick bites will result in bacterial infection but in all cases its advisable to see a medical professional for assessment

Have fun outdoors whatever you're planning, but be prepared for you and your loved ones...

Take care

Roo

Prepper Glossary

Common terms from bushcraft and prepping;

A-frame

A structure formed by two angled sides that meet at the top, such as a shelter with two walls

azimuth

Navigational term for the angle of a bearing from a general direction, normally North

bail

Handle on a pot for hanging over a fire

baton

A stick used for beating a blade when splitting wood known as battoning

bearing

Direction of travel when navigating with a compass

bergen 

Alternative British name for a rucksack

bezel

Rotating dial divided into degrees to calculate a bearing on a compass

birds nest

Collection of dry material as tinder for firestarting that resembles a birds nest

bivvy or bivi

short term for bivouac to describe a shelter when camping can be a simple bag that can enclose a person to a small tent

bow drill

Firestarting method by generating friction in order to create heat to produce a smouldering ember

bug in

Stay put and ride out any emergency situation

bug out

Evacuate an area, prepacked equipment bags for this are called Bug Out Bags (B.O.B.) Bug Out Location (B.O.L.) Bug Out Vehicle (B.O.V) 

burner

Camping stove that produces a contained flame

bushcraft

The knowledge and skills to use natural surroundings for survival in the wilderness

cache

Hidden emergency stores 

charcloth

Cotton cloth that has been heated almost to the point of combustion to create a extremely dry tinder

crane

Structure for suspending things, such as pots over an open fire for cooking, made from notched sticks

Dakota fire pit

Two holes in the earth, one used as a fire pit connected by a tunnel to allow airflow to the base of the fire

deadfall

Dead wood that has fallen to the ground, deadstanding refers to dead wood that has remained standing or fallen against something so that it doesn't lie on the ground

debris shelter

Emergency cover created by layering sticks to form a low enclosed space covered with four to six inches of leaves and twigs for insulation and weatherproofing

fatwood

Wood with a high resin content which readily takes a spark and burns very strongly

feather stick

Sticks that have been shaved to create several close fitting fine curls to increase the surface area for firestarting

fell

Process to cut down a tree, where possible avoid cutting living trees

ferrocerium, ferro, firesteel

Metal alloy used to generate sparks for firestarting

fire lay

Pattern of layinf down wood to build a campfire

fly or flying tarp

Suspending a over the ground but not touching it, often used to create open sided shleters as cover for hammocks

grind

The cross section of a cutting tools cutting edge

haversack

Small bag usually carried by a sholuder strap

I.N.C.H. bag

I'm Not Coming Home bag, a prepacked bag where you do not intend to return home

jackknife

Knife with a moveable blade that folds into the handle when not in use, often called pocket knife or if it has several folding tools a multi tool

kindling

Dry material that easily ignites for campfires

kuksa

Traditional wooden cup

lean-to

Single walled angled structure grounded at its base and supported at the head

M.R.E.

Meal Ready to Eat

notch

Shape cut into wood to form structures, hangers or handles

paracord

Strong multiuse cordage, based on parachute cordage

pitch

Place to camp

prep

Abbreviation of preparation, a plan or prepared item for a given situation, to prep is prepping, a person who preps is a prepper  

resin

Sap from trees, multiple uses depending on the tree species

ridgeline

Elevated line for setting up shelters or the observable peaks of hills forming the horizon

Roycroft frame or pack

Load carrying triangular frame made from lashed together sticks

S.H.T.F.

Something 💩 Hits The Fan, an impending or recent bad situation

tarp

Abbreviated tarpaulin also used for any sheeting to form a ground sheet or shelter

T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I.

The End Of The World As We Know It, lifechanging apocalyptic occurance on global scale such as an extinction level asteroid strike  

tinder

Fine flammable material in firestarting

toggle

Stick loosely connected to something as an attachment or locking point  

whetstone

Hard stone used to grind the cutting egde of tools to sharpen them

widowmaker

Dead tree temporarily supported but liable to collapse without notice







This list is by no means exhaustive in order to keep it managable but will be periodically updated so if you have any additions you would like to see entered please comment below and explain your reasoning

Take care

Roo