SHIFTS AND EXPEDIENTS OF CAMP LIFE TRAVEL & EXPLORATION

This is a Gutenberg file that some of you may find of some interest.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46446/46446-h/46446-h.htm#Page_535

Debarking Dead Trees, Shelter Roofing, Cordage Material & Bush Tucker B...

Debarked standing tree using a steel hatchet. This could have been done by a white woodsman or an Aboriginal.

At least two sheets of bark were removed from this standing tree using a stone axe, more than likely done by an Aboriginal.

The government's attacks on the vulnerable and needy are cruel. You ALL need to read this.

Is the government of Malcolm Turnbull just totally inept or is it actually cruel?

You have to wonder given its fiscal attacks on some of the most vulnerable and needy members of our society.

It's not just that the government proposed cutting the dole to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or that it expects women to surrender paid parental leave entitlements and family benefits to pay for better childcare, but now it is proposing to abolish federal funding of women's refuges. Seriously.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/is-malcolm-turnbulls-government-just-inept-or-actually-cruel-20170216-gueox6.html?login_token=tp5K8v0aLiwpaLXz2FOjzzPHahkoJzA3EGj_ZNdledO7erJpFXGClc1ck0oE7TSofzPy0Q-bxR4GHPD2LQLIcg&expiry=1487377207&single_use_token=I4Vlyw1RbPBbP6qa_xU0wrpex-7kJbU6P6bu82Ga6OPHP3HDVSlZK7lBKAZ8AQpeGB72EM2Ku36bFe801_WV2A

Survival & Long Term Wilderness Living Chores. What will you be doing?

My wife says that if there are any modern gadgets that will make wilderness living more comfortable or survival more likely, then she would like to have them. My problem with most modern gadgets is that they don't in my opinion add to ones comfort, & they are not sustainable for the most part. Two types of people disagree with my way of thinking; those that have already invested in a multitude of modern gadgets & are not about to do it any other way, & those that are really not interested in long term wilderness survival, they are more into camping & pretending they are surviving.
I will agree that some modern gadgets could be useful in a "lost" situation, but long term, no, I don't think so. Fuel stoves for instance, even home made so called "hobo stoves" that burn wood. How much do these weigh? How much room to they take up in your pack? Do you seriously think that these are a priority? Is there nothing else that you would rather be carrying in there place?
If they are only carrying modern firearms, how long do you think the ammunition will last if it is used for defence & hunting? How much ammo can they carry to make it worthwhile? What if the firearm malfunctions? How many spare parts are they going to carry for their compound bows? What if they drop & break their ferocerium rods? By using & carrying all these gadgets, what primitive skills have they learnt ready for the time when this modern gear starts to break down?

http://www.gizfever.com/multifunctional-survival-tools-p-798.html;

http://survivalfrog.com/products/biolite-campstove-with-free-survival-grab-bag;

http://hiconsumption.com/2013/05/17-essential-camping-gadgets-for-the-great-outdoors/;

http://zombie.wikia.com/wiki/Non-Firearm_Projectiles

Battery powered torches for letting raiders know where you are! Solar panels for recharging heavy batteries, radios, hiking boots, compound bows. I wish I could remember now all the gadgets that have been recommended on various forums, but I dare say you can think of more yourself.

So when they get to where you are going in the wilderness with these various gadgets, what do you think they will be doing? What daily chores will they have? Water collection, collecting firewood, checking the trap line, hunting, ranging for security, on watch duty for security, cooking meals, boiling water for purification, dehairing animal hides, brain tanning animal skins, making clothing, making moccasins, fishing, foraging for food & tinder plants, smoking animal skins, digging toilet holes, preparing & tending gardens, perhaps constructing shelters or defenses, collecting Goonagurra for making matting & arrow shafts, making reed mats, bow making, arrow making, attending militia drill, can you think of more?
So tell me, where do these gadgets come into helping with these chores? How do they make life more comfortable? How do they help you survive? And whilst we are at it, are they sustainable? How long will they last?
Anyway, just something for people to think about.

Advantages of A Flintlock Muzzle-loader.

1)   Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent caliber firearm.

2)  The smoothbore is very versatile, being able to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of these (can also use minies).

3)  The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern equivalent sized gun.

4)  You can vary the load if needs be.

5)  The smoothbore will digest other projectiles besides lead.

6)  Lead can be retrieved from downed game & remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.

7)  You can make your own gunpowder.

8)  You can use the lock to make fire without the need for gunpowder.

9)  You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder fire lighting if needs be.

10)        IF the lock should malfunction (these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.

11) If you do not have any spare parts & the lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock & continue using it.

12)        You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too long.

13)         Wadding for ball or shot is available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.

14)       Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.

15)        Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader registered in your name regardless of caliber (only NSW is looking at this legislation at present).

16)       A .32 caliber flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small & medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks.

17)        Damage from a .62 caliber-.75 caliber pistol or long arm is in the extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.

18)         By using buck & ball you are unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one target.

19)        There is less kick-back to a muzzle-loading gun.

20)       Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW Australia.

Woodsrunner’s Skills.

New England Colonial Living History Group 1680-1760.

This is a list of basic skills in which we expect an 18^th century woodsman or woods-woman to have some experience with in our group. There is no time limit set, learn in your own time & if we can help just ask.
Keith.

·      Flint & steel fire lighting

·      Wet weather fire lighting

·      Fire-bow fire lighting

·      Flintlock fire lighting

·      Flintlock use, service & repair

·      Marksmanship with either gun or bow.

·      Field dressing & butchering game

·      Blade sharpening

·      Tomahawk throwing

·      Making rawhide

·      Brain tanning

·      Primitive shelter construction

·      How to stay warm in winter with only one blanket

·      Cordage manufacture

·      Moccasin construction and repair

·      Sewing

·      Axe and tomahawk helve making

·      Fishing

·      Hunting

·      Evasion

·      Tracking

·      Reading sign

·      Woods lore

·      Navigation

·      Primitive trap construction & trapping

·      Open fire cooking

·      Fireplace construction

·      Clothing manufacture

·      Drying meat & other foods

·      Knowledge of plant tinders & preparation

·      Knowledge of native foods & preparation

·      Knowledge of native plants in the area and their uses for other than tinder and food.

·      Scouting/Ranging.

·      Basic first aid.

·      Finding and treating water.

·      General leather work.

If or When TSHTF. Part Six. Going Bush. Gardening & Construction Tools.

Gardening and Construction Tools.

When moving out bush with a view to long term living you need to have some idea in your head as to the type of area you are looking for. You will need permanent water if possible, a creek or a river. This may also supply reeds for shelter construction & other items. A cave would make a great shelter or even a rock shelter, but if these are not available at your water source then you will have to construct shelters.

These types of tools are generally bulky & heavy, but they can also double as weapons if you have people to carry them. Helves, handles & stails can be removed from the heads & the heads can be carried in a pack if this is easier than carrying the complete tool. Think carefully about the tools you will need. In a long term wilderness living situation you will need to produce gardens & construct shelters.

Here is a list of tools that I have collected for this purpose:

·    Felling axe

·    Small shovel

·    Small mattock/pick

·    Sickle or sword

·    Hoe

·    Auger

·    Gimlet

·    Pruning saw

This is what we call Cattail Pond. It is large & deep & is fed from a header stream. Cattails/Cumbungi provide food & materials for roofing, mat making, mulch for gardens & arrow shafts.

This is a small mattock/pick head made to be used with a short helve for one handed use. But you can make & fit a longer helve (handle).

Full sized 18th century style garden hoe.

Large auger for cutting holes & hammering in wooden pegs for securing beams together or just installing pegs.

An original 18th or 19th century pick.

Pruning saw. These are very efficient for cutting off tree limbs & for construction work. Easily carried if you construct a sheath, or just wrap & place in a pack.

18th century sickle for cutting reeds.

This is a small shovel head that I can easily carry in my pack & make & fit a handle when I reach my destination.

My hunting sword. A weapon & a useful tool for cutting reeds.

Left to right: My felling axe with a light head & a straight helve; two fascine knives or bill hooks; an adze; my half-axe which I occasionally carry tied to my pack, & my tomahawk which I carry in my belt at all times.

These are a small auger & gimlet that I made from two brace bits.

Above you can see how I hammered the ends with a ball peen hammer to secure the bits in the handles that I made.

Two original gimlets. In the 18th century these were used to make holes for nails so that the nails would not split the wood. Later they were still in use for making holes for wood screws. These can also be used to make holes for wooden pegs or for inserting wire for repairs or construction.

Seeds

You will need to take seeds with you so now is probably a good time to be collecting them. If they go out of date before use, replace them. You should have some idea of the area you will be travelling to, so purchase seeds for that climate. Following is a list of what we grow in the New England area:

·    Pumpkin/squash

·    Zucchini marrow

·    Silverbeet

·    Chard

·    Sunflowers

·    Corn

·    Potatoes

·    Tomatoes

·    Jerusalem Artichokes

You will never starve if you are growing Jerusalem Artichokes. These are a root crop which last through winter & continue to grow when warmer weather comes. They are related to the sunflower .

Jerusalem Artichoke tubers

This image showing my half-axe secured to my blanket roll by simply sliding the helve under the ties. I can carry the large auger in the same manner.