tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22108452275533776522012-01-01T15:29:09.730Zsam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-92052970474716611542011-10-09T17:37:00.000+01:002011-10-09T17:37:45.147+01:00

More photos from the weekend's excursion. A couple of boletes and a small hole that a mouse (didn't get enough of a look to see if it was a wood or house mouse) disappeared down. I also saw a squirrel but didn't get a photo of him as he ran off up a tree so quickly.

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-12572221659703687272011-10-09T17:32:00.000+01:002011-10-09T17:32:47.045+01:00

A long way from any ponds or lakes is the last place you'd expect to find a small green hopping thing. I'm guessing it was a juvenile toad. It was no more than an inch long and fantastically well camouflaged. I spent a few minutes following him and taking photos. Sadly, a tiny dark toad, on dark leaves, under a leaf canopy, is not the easiest thing to take photos of!

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-30512411217830570342011-10-06T22:52:00.000+01:002011-10-06T22:52:50.468+01:00

I recently came across this programme (two 45 minute episodes), part of the Discovery channels "Curiosity" thread. Aside from the use of "caveman" in the title, a rather inexact and infantile term, and a rather awful quiz on the website the programmes is well worth a look. Casting Thankfully, the producers avoided the usual trap of picking cast members based upon their inability to get along and

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-60400882123003142192011-05-03T16:22:00.000+01:002011-05-03T16:22:44.817+01:00

I've been reading a lot recently about archaeology. I've always thought that archaeology, along with anthropology, provides a lot of inspiration and ideas for bushcraft. Of course, for use in a flint and steel, the ability to get a sharp edge is pretty important. Further to that, simply knowing where to look for the right type of stone and how to get a sharp edge can be great additions to your

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-30535788266516118392011-03-28T10:23:00.001+01:002011-03-28T10:23:26.316+01:00

It's the same question every March, has spring come yet? What that boils down to is usually snow fall - going back over 4 years of living in this area of Poland I can see that we usually get one snow fall after the "official" start of spring on March 21st. Old Observations It's actually very interesting looking back over old posts and observations, you can quickly see weather patterns emerge. It

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-11942230141126488582011-02-23T14:04:00.001Z2011-02-23T14:05:05.810Z

If you pick up just about any survival/outdoors type book you will generally find the following line or something similar "If you could choose only 1 item for your kit it would have to be a knife" Now this is something I have been thinking about for a few months now and I have been seriously wondering about this. I live in Eastern Europe where although the population is sparse by British

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-10535620760534576002011-01-02T12:31:00.000Z2011-01-02T12:31:26.126Z

Following on from yesterday's track pictures and mystery, and the resultant discussion on Twitter, I have had a play with Picasa. What I've done is turned up the "shadow" on various photos and if that didn't work I used the auto-contrast tool. Now the photos look a lot less natural but the tracks should be easier to see. Single Track First up there is a zingle track with the animal heading from

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-16344475881337483562011-01-01T16:32:00.000Z2011-01-01T16:32:35.084Z

A Happy New Year Tradition It's something of a tradition for me to go out to the woods for a walk on New Year's Day and there's usually a good amount of snow about to add to the fun. As well as the traditional reason I'm also in the process of trying to lose a bit of weight this year so any extra activity is certainly going to help in that respect. Paths and Rabbits The woods were fairly busy

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-48391215353055170442010-10-03T19:07:00.003+01:002010-10-04T08:07:00.719+01:00

The start of autumn is always a great time to be out wandering around. There are conkers and acorns to collect, the greenery starts to die back revealing a bit more of the woods and the temperatures are more conducive to walking - added to which there's the fun of mushroom hunting. The Night Before One of the things which always surprises me is how insects adapt to the change in temperature.

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-32974927832687845522010-06-23T11:20:00.000+01:002010-06-23T11:20:51.682+01:00

A regular question on various bushcraft communities and forums concerns which are the best bushcraft books, as I've got about 70-80 related books and probably around 5-6 GB of files and e-books there's a fair bit to pick from. Below are my top 5 for someone with a general interest, each one designed to offer something different and with the intention of there being minimal overlap and a different

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-54617392558611004492010-06-13T12:23:00.000+01:002010-06-13T12:23:53.708+01:00

One of my favourite bloggers, Torjus Gaaren, has been blogging again recently at his Living Primitively page. Along with American Bushman and Pablo's Woodlife his was one of the first bushcraft blogs that I read back in 2006. His blog contains a variety of material on his prmitive lifestyle hunting and gathering in Norway. Although I'm not a practicioner of primitive skills that has not stopped

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-91183594501131516592010-06-03T19:49:00.003+01:002010-06-03T20:06:38.730+01:00

Summer is coming, at least in theory although with the rain and storms here you wouldn't know it. Summer means more woods time for many of us and more creature activity as well. Sadly, not all creatures are equally welcome.Pablo, of Woodlife fame, has launched a campaign raising awareness of ticks and tickborne diseases. For more information than you can shake a stick at you should head on over

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-10848381495011264402010-03-31T19:03:00.004+01:002010-10-04T10:45:26.030+01:00

I have a student who is involved in orienteering and adventure racing, he's experienced and successful in his sport and has a well organised approach to it. Check out the website at team360.pl for more details. By virtue of taking the line of speed over comfort and short term advantage over long term use he represents the opposite end of the curve to the average bushcrafter. It is a pretty common

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-32306763867495149062010-02-09T18:55:00.004Z2010-02-09T19:58:47.197Z

Having talked about families of birds briefly in my last post I thought a more thorough look into the topic could be beneficial here. All lifeforms on Earth have been categorised using a special system, aside from giving biology students something to study for tests, this system also makes it easier for us to recognise what type of plant or animal we're looking at.Binomial SystemThings are

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-14846046087657364502010-02-08T19:32:00.004Z2010-02-08T20:09:16.250Z

Last Thursday my wife and I went for a walk through Lazienki Park. It may not seem the most exciting of places but as the paths are quite strictly marked and there are lots of undisturbed snow areas around them then you can still track quite well.Situational TracksSometimes it doesn't take a lot of expertise to find what animal made a track. The only animal whose tracks tend to look like a one

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-54411197675776176662010-02-04T17:13:00.006Z2010-02-04T20:54:22.002Z

Want the ultimate in outdoor water bottles? Super light weight yet nigh on unbreakable? Able to purify water without chemicals or messy filters? Then choose the Bush-Bottle 1000, capable of holding 1000ml of pure refreshment and endorsed by various wilderness gurus! Not just trendy, also environmentally friendly?Too Good to be True?Not everything in bushcraft needs to be expensive - something of

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-42431531585618509772010-01-23T20:17:00.000Z2010-01-23T20:25:49.955Z

As much as it is the big things we discuss when we're talking about bushcraft or survival, the little 1% items do add up to making a big difference.   Typically these are things which make up the contents of my pockets; my every day carry items (E.D.C.). These items are not all a big deal but as with so many things, “the devil is in the details” From the Soles of My Feet It's an old truism that

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-58699978782817542192010-01-12T16:40:00.002Z2010-01-12T17:04:36.946Z

For the last 3 and a bit years I've had a blog of some description to document my outdoors activities. However, as a bit of a traditionalist and someone who spends ample time at work with a pen in my hand I have always been keen on a more physical record.IdeasI know that Pablo has been doing the same thing for a couple of years and his posts are a good start on the subject. I've had a moleskines

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-20364493686984909232010-01-09T10:44:00.003Z2010-01-09T11:06:08.768Z

Thursday morning I got out into the forest again for a decent length walk, there wasn't any wind there the temperature was only about -6 centigrade and there had been a lot of snow fall the night before.Rabbit TracksDespite the fact there was 6" on snow off the paths there was a lot of good tracking to be done - probably my greatest tracking achievements! I found a set of rabbit tracks in their

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-89248875109804432702009-12-13T20:18:00.003Z2009-12-13T20:56:09.507Z

Written by Tony Nester this book is a realistic guide to developing the skills needed to become a hunter gatherer in the modern world. Although the author is based in Arizona (something of a hotbed of primitive technologists) the book gives ideas that are applicable to different climates and countries.Although the book is subtitled "a practical guide for living off the land" I would say it is

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-44624317866012568522009-10-06T15:32:00.002+01:002009-10-06T16:32:46.544+01:00

After coming across yet another article on making a survival kit out of an Altoids or tobacco tin I've finally had enough. It's not that the article is bad or even that the idea is bad, it's just that the thought process involved is too general.Building some sort of survival kit is not a difficult task but it does involve a following a logical train of thought.Step 1 - Don't do Dumb ThingsI'm not

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-89436204579511025912009-09-11T21:49:00.003+01:002009-09-11T22:02:13.224+01:00

Last Saturday we had a family walk towards Holywell and stopped along the way to pick up some berries. We got a good number of blackberries although there were others out and about looking for them, the berries went nicely after tea on Monday.There were tons of elder berries in their huge umbrella like stalks about and easy to collect as well as a few sparse hops flowers. We saw lots of chub in

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-13031490705306916672009-08-13T21:50:00.000+01:002009-08-13T22:02:21.381+01:00

As promised, here is the third and final article on ways of measuring in woodcraft that are a not based on lasers, tapes or any gadgets. In this article we'll be using the maths teacher's best friend - the triangle - and looking at how its special properties can be useful in the woods.An Old "Indian" TrickThe first use of the triangle is an old, possibly native American, trick for measuring the

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-8277763968921130532009-08-10T21:54:00.004+01:002009-08-11T21:41:36.589+01:00

If you have followed either Ray Mears' or Bruce Parry's programmes on TV over the last decade or so you'll see a strong link between trying to understand the lifestyle of a people in a different part of the world and the hobby of bushcraft.Beyond Bushcraft BooksAlthough there is a wealth of bushcraft and survival literature out there after you've read a few books you find a great deal of

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-11535628414988916792009-07-13T11:29:00.004+01:002009-07-13T11:51:26.997+01:00

On Saturday my Wife and I went to the British Museum in London. I was really looking forward to seeing some of their prehistoric collection after watching Ray Mears episode on stone age Britain several times. Does Britain Have any History?The museum itself is huge and divided into sections based upon geographic region. Within each sections rooms are either themed or put in chronological order.

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-52009600623328552862009-06-13T14:17:00.003+01:002009-06-13T15:07:45.685+01:00

I was up early and wanted to make something warm for breakfast for the pair of us. No eggs, no milk and not a lot of promise in the fridge so it would need to be something simple.Having read far to many classic camping cookbooks the idea of pancakes came to mind. These are also known as flapjacks in North America and not an awful lot different to Scotch, or drop, pancakes.How To...?Having read

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-55087016701158711432009-06-12T17:25:00.000+01:002009-06-12T17:31:24.447+01:00

In this post we'll be looking at another way of measuring distances using the body, this time longer distances. The post will be focused upon the 2 basic measurements we can take as we walk; the step and the pace.The StepFirst we have the step, the measurement from the heel of the right foot to the heel of the left foot (or vice versa) when taking one step forward. This measurement is not widely

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-47622780763225863602009-06-05T21:01:00.000+01:002009-06-05T21:04:07.781+01:00

A look through survival literature reveals a real plethora of containers used for containing the kit. In this post we'll be looking at some common containers and discussing what their relative merits are as well as which are most suitable for what task. Survival TinsBy far the most common container recommended is the tobacco tin as recommended by Lofty Wiseman. You often read that the tin can be

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-11848282148009994872009-06-01T21:26:00.004+01:002009-06-01T22:14:33.371+01:00

It is sometimes useful to be able to measure something in the woods, be it the height of a tree, the thickness of a stick of how far you've walked.In this 1st section we're going to look at using the human body as a measuring tool, especially for crafting projects, and we're going to start with a few history lessons.Da Vinci and the Vitruvian ManDa Vinci's love of nature and his exploits in many

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2210845227553377652.post-64927094983008520422009-05-06T15:04:00.008+01:002009-05-13T11:34:02.480+01:00

If you're wondering what each tag on this blog stands for, or simply looking for a different way of browsing things then this post is for you. It will guide you through what the tags are, what you can find under each of them and where to find it!Classic: These posts are about the "Golden Age" of woodcraft. From Nessmuk through Kephart and Baden Powell all the way up to Ellsworth Jaeger. This is

sam_acwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10309069824997740570noreply@blogger.com6