8 fire

FIRE          
            Man's greatest discovery is something you'll have to rediscover all on your own to keep warm when you're out it the woods.

           Fire has many uses which will aid in survival.

It supplies warmth, cooks, sterilizes water, the smoke creates rescue signals, warms and dries clothes and other materials, and can overall help supply hope and comfort when you’re bare in the woods.

            If you’re without matches, it’s going to be difficult to start a fire, let alone keeping it continuous. Here are some methods to start a fire without matches.

            Maybe you've read Lord of the flies lately, and know of the Lens method. This method uses a lens to enhance and focus the sun on a specific spot. This heat on the item causes it to burn, leading to your fire

What you'll need-Lens
(Glasses, magnifying glass, binoculars, camera lens)
-Sun

(Crucial to this procedure. Don't bank of fire from this method on an overcast day)
-Kindling
(Leaves and other forest debris like bark and twigs which will catch on fire easily)
-Tinder
(Thicker sticks and think logs which take more time for the fire to chew through)

            1)Create a nest of leaves and debris.

This bundle of sticks, twigs, dry leaves, bark, and other dry forest material will be the kindling, which initial easily flammable material which your lens will be focused on to ignite. Material MUST be dry. Do not put anything damp in your nest. You do not want your spark being smothered.

2)Set up tinder
       To keep the fire burning, you’ll need tinder (thicker sticks which will take longer to burn) around the perimeter of your fire. Grab thicker sticks, and place them around your fire in a tee-pee shape. Balance them so one end of your sticks are on the ground, and the other ends are reaching upward and balancing on each other. 
***Make sure to keep space between the sticks! Oxygen needs to stay at the fire to keep it going. Have a few gaps between sticks do you can also reach at the kindling!

3)Harness your lens for fire

-Find the space where tinder is openly available from kindling
-Hold lens approximately 30 cm from tinder.
-A concentrated light will come from the lens if you angle it correctly; maneuver this spot to focus on your tinder.
-Hold till in ignites. Keep oxygen flowing through by blowing the fire regularly.

This should start a fire in no time!

If you do not have a lens, you’ll have to go basic. Rubbing sticks together, basic.

The Fire plough is a long, but useful method when all you have is wood..

What you’ll need
-Soft log, cut in half so one side is open to the inside.
-Sturdy stick
-Kindling
-Tinder

               1)      Follow steps one and two of the lens method.
               You’ll need kindling to start your fire, and tinder to keep it going for all methods

               2)  Position the soft log, rest your knees on the one end to keep a sturdy hold.

               3) Cut a small thin line in the long, inner side of the log, going with the grain.
               If you don't have a knife, try to use a sharp rock.

               4) Place a small piece of kindling at the very end of your log

              The best (most flammable piece you have)

               5)Place the end bottom end of the stick into the groove in the wood.

              6) Quickly push the end back and forth down the thin line in the wood.
              The temperature will rise, and the heated wood particles will fall onto the kindling and ignite it


This may take a little longer. Make sure log and stick are dry!

Sources:
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/how-to-start-a-fire2.htm
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/survival/fire/2006/10/seven-ways-light-fire-without-match?photo=1#node-1000014415

       

7 Shelter

           If you're intelligent, you would've packed a proper tent. If you're misfortunate, your proper tent is missing, mangled, or useless. No matter the reason, you don't have shelter, and you're going to need it!

            Although the summer nights are compelling, and it's always a treasure to sleep under the stars, having a shelter ready is your best bet to surviving a little more comfortably. Why? Well a shelter is your best bet to defend yourself against the elements. Anything with walls and a roof will help keep the rain, wind, and snow out.

                     

            If you’re stranded somewhere without any place to stay, begin your shelter construction immediately. When night falls, it’s going to be difficult (and somewhat terrifying) to have to scavenge for sticks and supplies for your shelter, and you don’t want to get lost.

  There are many ways to construct a shelter! But here are some methods for when you’re out in the woods.

               1) Evaluate your area and setting!

               If it is windy, find a deeper spot in the earth (like a ditch) to build your shelter. Some    
               recommend digging a small hole (just larger than your waist) in the ground to keep you warm             
               and further from the wind. But if it looks like rain, stay away from deep areas. You don’t
               want your place to flood!

               -Find a large object.

               This will be a one wall, or support for your shelter, and (if you've found something large             
               enough) it can be a solid spot to stop anything from entering. This object can differ in your             
               environment. But in my kind of camping, it’s large rocks, trees, up rooted trees, and
               boulders. Use whatever you feel is sturdy, and reliable enough to build your shelter on.
               Most shelters rely on leaning and wedging sticks through sturdy objects and building around
               them! If you haven't found a large object, find something sturdy and reasonably sized (a             
               stump is prefect, or a tree with a branch which you can wedge your stick through). Smaller
               objects will not replace walls, but they will be the balancing items for the center stick (spine of
               your shelter)

               -Next, begin collecting wood and sticks.

              These will become the other walls for your structures if you’ve found something to lean them             
               against.  Search for varying sizes.

               -Lean your sticks against your object to build the walls.
               I recommend beginning with large, thick branches or sticks. This will give your walls more 
               weight, and more reliable if the wind comes in and tries to knock 'em over. If possible, find a 
               spot to wedge your strongest stick to act as the spine of your shelter's skeleton; this will reduce 
               its chances of falling or breaking.

               -Find leaves, debris, and other clumping items.

               Leaves and cedar foliage, and twigs are the luckiest to find. Pack this debris on your walls. 
               This will insulate your shelter. The thicker your insulation, the better hidden you are from the 
               elements and animals.

               Your small shelter should be looking about ready now. This concept looks easy, but it is a balancing act between sticks, and may take practice. There are many, many different ways to build a fort. Methods differ depending on what your resources are, make the plan work for you.

               1)Change your skeleton
               Try to find two trees relatively close together. Close enough you can either tie a rope to both  
               trees, or wedge a long stick in between a limb on both of them.

               2) Make this line of connection as straight as possible.
               This will be the spine.
               
               3)Find sticks large enough to lean on the spine and insulate!

WARNINGS
-Keep your fire at least 6 feet away from your fort! This will avoid sparks possibly igniting your new pad.
-keep close to your shelter. You don't want to get lost (especially in the dark). This will also save your energy.
-Build your shelter on the downward side of cliff or hill. This will better protect you from the elements.
-Avoid ditches if possible, if the rain (or a flash flood) comes in you don't want to get washed out.
-Watch out for splinters! Ouch. They could easily get infected in your environment.
-Be wary of bugs. If you're on the ground, odds are they're with your. Wear bug spray (if you have it) and as much clothing as possible!

SOURCEShttp://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-build-a-shelter-in-a-forest
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/how-to-build-a-shelter2.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Survival-Shelter-in-a-Wooded-Area 

6 Winter camping

            The groundhog saw its shadow just over a month ago, so it's a sign that winter is heading on its way out. But just before it's gone, maybe take a chance to go winter camping. I know what you're thinking.... But trust me, odds are you're going to stay warm, and you won't die in the ice. Please, don't let the snow scare you away from the woods. Find uses for it! Winter camping supplies the opportunity to engage in your favorite winter activities like snowshoeing, cross country or downhill skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, and snowy hikes!
            Since winter camping isn’t as popular, it’s so peaceful in the quiet woods, and you can camp where ever you want! This kind of camping is a challenge, so it’s definitely rewarding when you’re finished!

How to do it?

Clothing
            Winter camping is similar to summer camping, but with a lot more clothes on!
 Since you’re going to be out in the snow you are going to need lots of layers to keep you warm!
Bring many pairs of socks, sweaters, long johns, warm pants (forget jeans, but remember pajamas), gloves, hats, scarves, snow pants, water proof coats, wind breakers and anything else that’s going to keep your body covered, warm, and dry!

Gear
 Tent
            Since you’re used to summer camping, odds are you have a nice tent. This tent can work in the snow, but you’re going to need to weight it down, as the pegs usually used for this are not effective in the snow. Find anything to use as the anchor!

 Sleeping Bag
            Your sleeping bag is made for summer camping. To ‘winterfy’ it, you’ll need to use the same methods as your clothing: layer!!!! Use liners and bag covers to keep yourself warm, and the elements off of it!
            In the summer you may use sleeping pads to keep you comfortable, but in the winter it’s just used to keep you warm and further away from the snow (even though the snow is more comfortable). Use at least two!

Boots and other gear!
            Don’t bother going if you don’t have proper foot wear. You need heavy duty boots which are going to keep you dry and can snug into your snow pants.
            Snow shoes are a necessity when walking through heavy snow. If you only have boots, you’re going to be trudging, and stumbling if your foot sinks deep into the snow with every step. Snow shoes will keep you on top of everything.
            Cross country skis are the most convenient in my opinion! They’ll keep you on top of the snow, and get you where you want to go the quickest! You’ll need a lot of gear though; Ski boots, pegs, and the actual skis themselves, are required to operate them properly.
            Along with backpacks, think of using toboggans with rope to pack your stuff in. You can tie the rope around a safe part of your body and have it trail behind you. Be sure your supplies are secure!

Food and Water
            Pack warm food and liquids, this will keep you warm, and high calories will give you energy to explore! Drink a lot of liquids (warm and cold) this will keep you hydrated, but keep in mind that if you’re drinking too much, you’re going to have to ‘go’ a lot. Keep moderation in mind.

How to get there.
            Always know your area and trail! Camping close to shelters or public areas is wise if there’s an emergency. Just make sure you know how to get there from your camping spot (and vice versa). To keep warm you’ll be engaging in a lot of exploration activity, so know your trails!!!! Have maps of your area so you do not get lost!!!




Warnings!
- Know weather conditions! Always be prepared for the elements you’re going to face. Use common sense and avoid camping if storms are on the way.
 -Bring maps, and a g.p.s. The woods look different in the snow, and it’s much harder to get out if you’re lost in the snow.

Sources
http://www.clubtread.com/articledetail.aspx?id=49

the old cedars

5 Into The Wild

Temagami

            In an earlier post I had mentioned Temagami, a gorgeous piece of crown land. It is not patrolled like public camping sites or provincial parks. You’re alone with whatever and whomever you take with you. Daniel Trask, a man from Waterloo, Ontario fell in love with Temagami, just as I had. In high school he was said to be an expert partier and socialist, and continued on later to bar-tending and construction work. It was against his parents’ wishes, and completely out of the blue when he left to Temagami, he had been there before, but this was the first time he’d venture alone. According to an article I’ve read from Explore Magazine all he left behind was a note saying “So I go to Temagami not knowing where I’m going”. He was gone for ten weeks before returning, and apparently he had transformed to a reserved, intense 28-year-old.He had become an expertise camper, and just before the winter came he decided to venture into the woods one last time.

            Daniel Trask was officially considered missing on November the 3^rd, 2011. It was known he was in Temagami, as his car was still parked in the area. Many search parties were sent out to find him, but he was never spotted and he left no traces to be found. It wasn’t until May 18^th, 2012, that pair of men’s large snow pants were found, inside out. It was confirmed they were Trask’s. It is assumed that he might have slipped into the freezing water, and to avoid hypothermia, he took off his freezing clothing as quickly as he could, leaving his soaked lime-green snow pants inside out. Since then his body has still not been found, and I assume it never will be.

Daniel Trask
1983-2011

 This story is heart breaking and frightening all at the same time. 

A great reminder of Mother Nature's power over even the greatest and most ambitious campers.