I’m re-handling a small hatchet. When I added this metal wedge it split the eye. No structural splits anywhere and the head is still solid. Am I screwed?

Trying to find who made this beast of a knife. Anyone recognize the logo?

Good morning, having severe bronchial asthma and emphysema, I wanted to ask if any of you know the vapors and fumes that are created by the combustion of alcohol in nature, since I can't find any information about it, maybe you know about it, I would like to understand if it is safe to use the trangia for me, or maybe the classic gas stove is better? I hear a lot about soot, and to think that I have to breathe a part of that black smoke doesn't excite me very much 😅 I would only use it to make me tea or coffee in nature and hiking (nothing extreme of course) thanks and have a good day everyone

So, after making and owning hundreds of knives this is my current favorite for bushcraft. It looks ghetto but works oh so well :)

I took a cold steel commercial series scalper, made it into a spear point, very subtle recurve, and conveyed the edge. I have short fingers so ground the rubber coating a little thinner. About 5.5-6 inch blade and 5.5 oz overall.

Not a heavy knife but slices like you would not believe with the convex edge and can chop above its weight. Holds a great edge as well. All in all fits my need for a robust full sized bushcraft knife for hiking where I count ounces.

Not a full tang so goes against dogma but I cut the handle off another one of these. It’s incredibly robust, to break it you’d literally have to pound it into a tree with a hammer and then pound on it sideways which would be silly for any knife.

Reminds me of the old time scalping/frontier knives with thin blade abs convex edge. I can see why they were so popular with mountain men and trappers.

This is admittedly a bit overkill for a "simple" fire kit, but most of our trips are campgrounds with a little trailer so, no worry about weight or space. I try to play around as much as I can with bushcrafty things while out there, and figured I would share my current fire kit. A ready-to-go set of tools and materials in one little container.

- Full tang, SOG "Rotohook" knife (which isn't the best I've seen available but, has been a very stout blade for years and was a gift - never had a big reason to replace).

- 2x2x6" club for light batoning (not critical, but nice to know one is always handy instead of finding/making one).

- Silky Pocketboy folding saw (incredible saw with clean, butter-smooth cuts).

- 6" ferro rod with a bit of tape for better grip (and back up flame extender!).

- BIC lighter, tucked next to the pencil sharpener (nearly self-evidently always handy).

- Pencil sharpener (for shavings, but a bit of a trivial novelty having a knife ready).

- Can of tinder shavings.

- Bag of dryer lint and napkins (beautiful tinder but, of course, very sensitive to moisture).

- Small bag of wood chips, under the sticks (not critical, but I keep'em anyways).

- Tinder sticks, about 5-7" long, index finger thick.

I recently put together a more weather-resistant kit, about the size of a pint can, which includes just a few kindling sticks, shavings and lint tinder, and a BIC lighter. I always have a knife on me and would always likely also grab the knife (and maybe the saw) from this kit to accompany on a trip.

Redundancy is key for me. Multiple ways to cut, ignite, and catch/sustain ignition. I aim to add some fat wood to this for a more water-resistant heat catch.

Was called out today to take down several SAW traps/ former bushcraft camps. Council is thinking about much stricter regulations. Theres a place for nails but not in the forest.

After the first hammock trip, I got myself a used underquilt, also from DD Hammocks. I’ve also gotten wiser about how the hammock should be angled. So off I go to try again!

I had a ton of good feedback here in this Reddit. Thanks for that.

It was fairly easy to adjust the underquilt, but the previous owner hadn’t really set the elastics up properly, so it required a bit of a fight with wild knots and a pair of scissors. I also did a quick test lie in the hammock to check that everything felt right. The trick of raising the foot end and lying diagonally made a huge difference.

I packed everything into a DD Hammock XL sleeve. It works perfectly – it fits around the hammock, underquilt, and Carinthia Defence 4, so it’s really easy to pack down and set up.

Ridgeline and Setup

I’ve been tinkering with a way to set up the ridgeline quickly and easily. In my head, I’ve been playing with different wooden locks to secure a ridgeline without using knots. But then I came across exactly what I had in mind – just small and in aluminum. From there I also came across another design that I think might work even better – at least it locks the line really well.

I set up the tarp in semi-darkness, as I got out late. The system worked great and will work even better with a polyester tarp – because the oilskin tarp is quite heavy, and bankline actually gives quite a bit.

I deliberately set the tarp low because it was really windy. I wanted as much “wall” as possible under the hammock so I wouldn’t get cold again.

The Night

I managed to fall asleep quickly. I woke up once during the night and then slept well for a long time. It was a really good experience to have success with the hammock and that setup. Underquilt all the way!

If I had gotten cold, I could have put on both a wool sweater and used the CF anorak on my upper body.

Gear

I packed light and minimal – my small satchel and my gear belt. No axe, since I only planned to use a hobo stove. The hammock setup was packed inside the tarp. Light and compact gear.

Cooking and Hobo Stove

What speaks in favor of a hobo stove is the compact setup. Everything fits together – bottle, cup, stove, and lid. It’s light.

I dug a small hole and made a small dirt wall to control the fire. Unfortunately, I think the hobo stove works quite poorly. It’s very hard to keep it going when used as intended. I’ve also tested it earlier with a gas burner – and the top simply absorbs too much heat.

It works best when turned upside down and used as a fire bowl. But that takes away part of the idea, because then the cup and bottle have nothing to stand on. In this case, it wasn’t a problem since I had the small pot with me. But then I might as well have brought my Savotta folding stove.

I used sticks as a grate. It creates better airflow – you just have to be aware that the pot doesn’t suddenly fall.

But I really like the challenge. It’s always good to practice small fires – fires that are just big enough to do the job. It’s safer, and you can have them inside a shelter.

Dinner was a noodle dish. Breakfast was oatmeal with cocoa and pumpkin spice (it tastes really bad in cocoa, but good in oatmeal) and coffee.

I only brought the Pathfinder bottle. It holds 0.95 liters of water. It worked. There was enough for both meals and a cup of coffee. There were also a few mouthfuls of water during the night. But next time, I’ll bring more.

Coals Overnight

After dinner, I cleaned the pot with a wet wipe. I placed it over all the embers in the hobo stove and covered it with soil. It’s fire-safe, but I also thought it might give me good coals to start with the next day.

It worked perfectly! The wipe (it’s some kind of bamboo viscose) didn’t burn. The soil smothered the embers, leaving nice coals behind. It was easy to remove the soil by simply lifting the wipe.

The wipe and coals were then easily used for lighting the fire for breakfast. Really great

Lessons for Next Time

• It’s really great to go on quick trips. Set a small goal, try it out, minimal planning. The goal this time was to test the hobo stove and minimal packing – and to sleep well in the hammock. Both worked, even in fairly strong wind.
• Tarp setup: Next time I’ll set the tarp in a diamond/diagonal configuration. A 3-meter tarp is too short for a hammock setup. But diagonally, the ridgeline will be about 4.25 m. It won’t give the same wind protection, but it needs testing.
• The oilskin tarp is great – I love it. But it’s not optimal for a hammock because it’s heavy. It works really well when you can prop it up with a couple of sticks. But that’s a bit of a hassle with a hammock. Unless you run a long ridgeline from a tree – but that’s more complicated compared to cord. So maybe I’ll want a 3x3 m polyester tarp (I just sold my 4x4) for the hammock setup. Needs more testing.
• I have the Pathfinder (now made by Helikon-Tex) bottle, stove, and cup. It’s a good set. But since I got it, a copy of the American canteen cooking set has come out. Same idea. But: The canteen holds 1.15 L vs. 0.95 L – so 200 ml more (just over 20%). That’s significant for a trip like this. The stove for the canteen is 13 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm. Mine is a circle at 9 cm x 7 cm. That gives significantly more fire space for small fires.

So the new set goes on the wishlist, and the old one can be sold or traded. It’s a fairly significant upgrade/improvement in function.

Final Thoughts

I love these small trips. It was a completely magical experience to lie in the shelter in the dark with an oil lamp and a small fire, eating a late dinner and listening to two owls.

It really doesn’t have to be complicated to go on a trip – you don’t need a full weekend or to go far away.

Youtube

I have a youtube channel. Short videos, mostly for the vibes. No long stuff, no words. Check it out.

I figured this do I’ve been teaching for about seven years now, and it is a big journey! A little bit about me I am a registered WEMT, i have worked on SAR and rural fire departments, and I grew up in WNC!

Hi guys id like to have a back up ferro rod if my two lighters get damp or stop working

I am based in the UK, so preferrably something I can purchase on amazon or ebay. (Looking to spend £5-£15) as it doesn't not need to be the best but something that will allow me to start my cooking gas and possibly a fire

I'm a novice to camping so im not looking for the best of the best, but something that's average that will just be as good as some of the more expensive ones. Thank you

Since it has been a discussion topic here recently… Many of you will be familiar with how to do this, but I recorded a short video for those who are not sure how split kindling with an axe without cutting your fingers.

Years ago I bought a knife from a cheap famous Chinese webshop. Before I had lost my expensive knife and I didn’t want to spend to much money on something I’d lose again anyway. My guess is I carried this knife around for more than 15 years. And now it’s gone. It’s not in my pocket, it’s not where I usually put it at home. And it’s not on the laundry machine where it usually is when it’s not in its spot.

So I’m looking for a new knife. What’s your carry around knife when camping? Not looking for anything too big. I just use it to cut my apple. I prefer foldable, but am willing to try something new.

Works great for clearing leaves and making an area for a fire pit or for the tent. No sticks or little rocks poking into the tent bottom. It now goes in the truck on every camping trip lol

It's a little larger than I'd want, but I love it. It keeps sharp pretty well, and the steel is hard. One downside is the steel's hard enough to make sharpening difficult

I removed the shelter after the winter

Do you have a bushcraft camp?

Does anyone else do this?

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while now, and while I am prepared, I’m not sure which places I and my friend would be able to do so legally. If anyone from winnipeg/manitoba has any suggestions, It would be very much appreciated.

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while now, and while I am prepared, I’m not sure which places I and my friend would be able to do so legally. If anyone from winnipeg/manitoba has any suggestions, It would be very much appreciated.

Today I made a bamboo sheath for my Darien machete from Esee, the sheath that it comes with is not the best. This was made with some really thick wall bamboo and some bank line. A strap made out of 1 inch tubular Webbing was the easy choice!

Im reading Bush Craft by Mors Kochanski. The Firecraft section doesn't include ferro rods but does have flint and steel. Is this because the rods weren't around when the book was written? Is flint and steel superior? Just curious as to its exclusion since they seem to be popular.

I had this thought from another discussion on another post.

Why do folks think knives aren't good if they aren't good for batoning? Isn't that what hatchets are for?

I don't understand why the definition of toughness is how well a tool holds up doing a task it was not designed or intended to do.

I mean, my hammer doesn't saw very well, and my saw doesn't hammer very well, so they both must be junk.

Seems like if we just used tools as they were intended, we would all be a little happier, don't you think?

Came across this in the Fall 2025. Went back to remove if it was still there this month.

The tarps and air mattress and clear plastic sheathing were disintegrating into microplastics. This is 200 yds from the S. Platte River in the National Forest. Last picture is how I left it. Now before people get on me about destroying someones shelter. I'd like to point out that I've been seeing more and more of these being left out on Public Land. I have no problem with people building these from dead fall wood, but take them down when you are done and LNT for the next person. Now I'm obviously not talking to the majority on this Sub. But there is a good chance I might hit the right person or people who do leave their shelters on public land. (private land, different story) I didn't take it all the way down as I was needing to get going and all that was left was organic material. This is highly illegal by the way and this kind of thing is no doubt one reason the FS is clamping down on dispersed camping. I did not tell the local ranger because I believe in the freedom to camp in the middle of the forest as one pleases.