Extras, Extras, Read All about Them: The Last 5 C’s of Survivability

For the last two weeks we have been discussion the theories behind packing and the first 5 C’s by Dave Canterbury. Both those blogs can be found respectfully: Here and Here

This week as promised we will be continuing with the last of the 5 C’s and other items I keep in my bag.

So let’s start with C of Compass.

  

In this I include a compass, binoculars and a combo of both of them. I decided to use all three just to try them out and see which one works the best.

The next C is the C of Candle. These items are:

  

Also remember the candle from earlier. To that I add a headlamp and hand flash light.

Next is is two C’s. The C’s of Cargo Tape and Canvas Needle. Plus extra items. These are:

The Cargo tape is Gorilla Brand tape recommended by Dave. The Canvas needles are just a set of heavy gauge needles. To this I add, Neosporin, fishing bait, and a turkey call. This is kind of like my junk drawer for the pack.

Now in this next picture I am sure it is hard to see, but in here is a full set of clothes I could use for

hunting, warmth, and spare. These are:

3 cotton bandanas in the left corner, a pair of AWESOME wool socks, sunglasses (for my blue eyes while hunting), camo face paint (for hunting and boredom??), work gloves (so many uses), ball shorts, camo hat and camo shirt, pants, and sweater. These will help maintain my micro climate in bad conditions.

Also the 3 cotton bandanas are the last of the C’s, Cotton. These items can be used from cleaning your self and purifying water, to in emergency char cloth and bandages.

Now, with another idea of Dave’s with the 5×5 of tool maintenance I include the following:

 

Shown here is a puck stone, a 4 inch Wal-Mart stone, 4-in-1 file and rasp, a smith dual, coarse and fine, sharpener, a 9 inch sharpening stone, an orange handled carbide sharpener with guard, Camillus sharpener that does so much I can’t even describe it all plus my diamond rod.

Now the rasp and file plus the puck are for basically my axe and really I would only need the dual sharpener plus that diamond rod for my knife and maybe my saw. Finally a toothbrush to clean my pots pans or other tools to keep them well maintained. Yes somewhat of a luxury item, however it’s so cheap and easy to carry it couldn’t hurt.

Next with my hunting/ food gathering kit I have this 110 Conibear. I want to get some snares and maybe a sling shot but for now this is it.

Next how about food. Don’t expect a French style meal, however I wouldn’t go out without it. You’ll find in my food stores:

6 packs of beef ramen and a pack of beef jerky. This stuff will basically stay here and I won’t have to worry about it going bad. I would also like to add a summer sausage to this. But wait until you find a sale. Each bag contains 2 meals. So including the beef jerky you have 12 fulfilling meals.

Finally my items I still don’t know why I carry. Is:

On the list of item for the basic bushcraft class at the pathfinder school, these are on the list. Now I could’ve bought the wrong thing, but these haven’t ever been needed during any test and for now just take up space. Still trying to convince myself that they can go but, no luck.

Like I have said in my earlier blogs, you will learn what works and what can work with modification, and what just doesn’t work. I believe it is better to pack the stuff that you can use and leave out stuff that doesn’t make sense to you.

So next week we will wrap up this group of blogs about my pack and pack mentality. Next week's blog will be about where everything goes and my ideas about where everything goes.  As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.

Tools of the Trade: A Pack Built by the First 5 C’s of Survivability

Last week, I went over the idea and theories into how to build a pack. For last week’s blog click here. Now this isn’t my EDC, every day carry, pack. This one usually just stays in my car. However, it is the best example of an overnight wood bag that I can make at this moment. I am still testing this pack, since last year, to see what I will use and what I won’t. So let’s get to it. This is my pack:

I received this years ago as birthday gift. Until bushcraft I never really had any uses for it. Now as I mentioned above, I had this pack complete stuffed with these items down here:

Now as I said, this was my pack last year. I believe that you should try and clean out what didn’t work or you won’t be able to use (don’t need snowshoes in the summer) and only keep items that have worked for you or still need testing.

So breaking this pack is easiest by going of the 10 C’s of survivability. First on the list is cutting tools:

In the top left is my old hickory butcher knife. You can google this item to learn more about it. But it meets all the requirement for a knife that Dave Canterbury would use. It’s got a 6 inch blade or larger, full tang, high carbon steel, 90 degree spine, be able to strike with flint, and have a non-coated blade. It is in a leather sheath that I have used to strop the knife with. To the far right I have a camp hatchet with a 2 pound head and wooden handle. The mask is homemade. Curled underneath it is a fold saw. In the center from top to bottom is a 10 item multi-tool, a SAK hunter, and a knock off SAK. To the left of them is a wood gouge. Next to it is a survival
knife with a Ferro rod.

Finally to the left of that is my wife’s multi-tool and 4 inch pocket knife (I have actually shaved with her knife)

Now while all of these items could be used, there is some redundancy with them. So I use the rule by David Canterbury: the 5 by 5 rule. The rule is that you only need five different cutting tools to do 90% of your working task. The factors to take into consideration is which type of environment you will be in for what you will need. His example is if you were in a swamp or marsh a machete would be more useful than an axe. With this in mind, since I am surrounded by the eastern woodlands I pack for that. So of the tools above I will be packing the knife, hatchet, folding saw, gouge, and SAK hunter.

Next is my combustion devices, which I keep in a char tin:

 Inside here is a lighter, Ferro rod, 6x magnifying lens, flint, candle, and some char-cloth all contained in my char tin. Now these items all contribute to fire. Now with following the 5×5 rule I have 5 ways to make fire under different conditions. So with the lighter, instant fire; it’s the best way and easiest way to build a fire even with awful materials. With my Ferro rod, using the spine of my knife I scrape the rod removing sparking material and causing sparks. These sparks burn hotter than flint and steel sparks, which allows it to catch tinder or char cloth really fast and easy. The magnifying lens is a renewable fire starting resource. Unless it is a cloudy day. With both the lighter and Ferro rod there is a finite amount of use.

However, with the lens as long as you have the sun you can start a fire. Flint is an old and reliable resource to for fire building. You only need a striking steel or your knife to make sparks. Lastly the candle. Now during event this candle has helped me extend the length of my fire from my lighter to get wet tinder to catch up. I even recently saw a video where Dave said the same idea I had, so I guess I can’t be that wrong. I suggest giving it a shot. Now those are the 5×5 tools. Others could’ve been a fire piston or reusable match. I will being trying these out later. The char-cloth and char-tin are really just components of building a fire and the next fire. So I don’t call them tools.

Here are my items for Cover Element: 

It is very simple and that is something I need to work on. However you could do a lot worse than a tent and emergency blanket. On top of this, but not in this list for reasons, I also have an extra complete outfit. These clothes are camo for hunting and thick for winter or colder conditions. They will help keep my micro climate up while the fire will help my macro climate of the campsite.

Containers are without a doubt just as important as your knife, unless you wish to make clay pots all the time. From cooking to storing cooked food to drinking water most bushcraft wouldn’t be possible. Now in this picture I have all of my containers and cooking kit. The reason they are shown together is that 90% of these items are the same.

So I have 3 water containers. Two have black paint that prevents them from being covered in the residue from campfires. The bowl in the back is my go to for boiling. Using the vice grips as a pot handle I am able to boil more
water. Also a camp mess kit with a plate, frying pan, camp pot, two cups one metal, one plastic, seasoning kit, a canvas water bowl, lighter, can opener, matches, paper for emergency tinder, spoon-knife SAK style eating utensils. I choose to keep two metal water bottles available to boil water. The bigger one is 32 oz. and can be handy when needing to measure water purification chemicals. Also both bowls, vice grips, and the mess kit. Along with my other metal cup and spice kit, I’m ready to make any meal.

Going along with cordage I have a few options, they are:

To the left is a pound of #36 bank line, the olive green and blue silver cords is 550 para-cord. Next to that is wax coated thread, and finally camo color utility rope. Dave swears by bank line, but I haven’t gotten to use it yet.

Now these next items could be considered luxury items and not needed, however since I’m still trying to increase my fire skill I consider these crutches only needed until they aren’t needed. They are:

A balloon pump or bike pump and some aluminum foil. The foil can help keep the bottom of the fire dry in wet conditions, be used to wrap and cook food items, or even use it as a reflective blanket to help keep warm. The pump is more a single function item. I use it to keep the embers hot and instead of my own breathe. As I get better I can lose these items.

With that, this concludes the first 5 C’s in my pack. Next week we will explore the last 5 C’s and other luxury items in my pack. As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.

"Keep Those Fires Burning" challenge

To celebrate the incoming spring season, I have decided to issue to anyone and everyone who reads this to participate in the first ever "Keep Those Fires Burning" challenge. The challenge is simple. Keep a fire burning from winter to spring. The idea for this is to instill the importance of maintaining a fire during cold nights during a survival situation. The other is to kick off spring with a fire. A common statement spread thorough-out the bushcraft and survival world is, "Without practice, you will lose the skill you've learned." Kicking off spring by building a fire testing parts of your kit. Sounds like just some good ole bushcraft fun to me.

So how to participate in the challenge. First is to have a fire started by 11:50 the night of March the 19th, this is will be the last minutes of winter. Make sure it is a decent campfire you can be proud of. Next, take a picture and post it on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #keepthosefiresburning, Bonus points if you live stream the event, which yours truly will be doing. After midnight take another picture and throw up the hashtag #anotherlogforyou. It's that easy. Just make a fire, take a picture, and post it with the hashtag #keepthosefiresburning before midnight. Then after midnight post another picture of the fire still burning with the hashtag #anotherlogforyou. Bonus points for doing it live. Tweet it @BPackBushCraft if you like or tag @BPackBushcraft on Facebook.

Looking forward to anyone who is up to the challenge. As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.

Just got 2000 followers

I have been doing this for a few years now, so its always a special day when I find out that I've hit a milestone. Not only am I out to learn about bushcraft and other heritage skills, I want to inform and inspire others to do the same. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I can pass on some of that knowledge to someone else. So to all of those who are following me on any of my platforms, thank you for helping me keep the flame burning. 

Speaking of flames, there will be a blog later this week. Definitely check back for that. As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.

Let’s Unpack the Pack: Breaking Down the Ideas Behind Pack-Mentality and the 10 C’s by Dave Canterbury

So to begin this, I followed Dave Canterbury’s 10 C’s of survivability. Which are:

1. Cutting tool
2. Cover Element
3. Combustion devices
4. Containers
5. Cordage

Now these 5 above are known as The 5 C’s or First 5 C’s of Survivability. These items as Dave says in his book Bush Craft 101,

“Within these five base elements are all the tools and knowledge you need to be prepared for emergencies as well as to become independent of the trappings of the urban jungle. These items are the hardest to reproduce from natural materials, take the largest amount of skill to reproduce, and control the conditions that most directly affect your body’s core temperature.” 

Page 19 of Bush Craft 101 by Dave Canterbury

Now as I understand it’s the first five are the most important item to survival, and the next are the most important items to being rescued or returning back home.

The Second set of The 5 C’s are:

6. Candle
7. Cotton
8. Compass
9. Cargo Tape
10. Canvas Needle.

These items in the second group are considered needed for an extent stay in the woods. I keep them in my pack anyway, just because they don’t take up much room.

Something that needs to be said is that not all the items on this list are literal. Cutting tool could be a knife, machete, hatchet, axe, saw, or even all of them. Cover element could be as simple as an emergency blanket or as complex as a tent and hammock system. Or even both. Some in cases like the Candle, just means a light source. For my candle I have a candle, a flashlight, and a head lamp. In a lot of Dave’s videos he is quoted with saying, “Two is one and one is none.” Meaning always have one backup or more in case one is broken or misplaced. Also familiarize yourself with a natural way to do these tasks in case EVERYTHING is lost.

There is a YouTube channel called, Primitive Technology, I’m pretty sure they also have a WordPress page, but anyway, in the first video this guy makes an entire dwelling with nothing but a pair of shorts on. He uses a rock and makes it a stone hand axe and away he goes. What I want you to take away here is Dave’s “pack-mentality”: stay with the 5 or 10 C’s and practice your skill with them, but also practice what Primitive Technology teaches us. Practice using yourself as your only tool, because someday it might just be.

Now, with the first 5 C’s and the Last 5 C’s your pack should be fairly complete. Other items I like to add are the following:

• Snares
• MREs
• Hunting wool clothes
• Aluminum foil
• Sharpening devices
• Med Kit
• Journal
• Binoculars
• Fishing kit
• Animal calls
• Water purification tablets or drops.
• Folding bow with some arrows
• Shotgun with a 209 primer and shot and caps
• Spice Kit
• Work gloves
• Small balloon pump

 Now, of course not every last item between all of these are in my pack at one time. Some I don’t even own yet. But the general idea when making a pack by the 10 C’s is every item must serve 3 or more purposes or it is a luxury item. This isn’t a bad thing to have some of these items, sometimes because of money or availability we just can’t get the perfect items. I definitely don’t have a perfect pack and I’d doubt Dave Canterbury would even say he has a perfect pack. What matters is that you can cover the basics as best as you can, because something is better than nothing.

I have noticed something about how my pack is made. The better I am at a skill or the more I understand a concept, the less I pack for it, ergo I have a hatchet, a 6 inch blade, and a folding saw for processing wood. A skill I do very well in. However, when it comes to sharpening my knives, I pack a puck stone, a 4 inch Walmart stone, 4-in-1 file and rasp, a smith dual, coarse and fine sharpener, a 9 inch sharping stone, an orange handled carbide sharpener with guard, Camillus sharpener that does so much I can’t even describe it all. This skill still eludes. I don’t think packing your bag with extra stuff you don’t understand is a bad thing, especially at first, but as you grow as a bushcrafter and gain more experiences. You will learn what you want and what you need. Next week’s blog will be about my actually pack and the items in that pertain to the first 5 C’s. As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.

So... Here's what happened

If you would like to skip the rant, probably a good idea, and just get an idea for this blog, skip to the paragraph before the last. If you are Masochistic, please by all means read the entire first post. Thanks for Reading.

About 3 years ago in January I got overcharged 6 dollars for a pack of bacon. Technically it was two packs of bacon for 12.98 instead of the price 1.98. What happened was as I walked through my local grocery store’s meat department, I spotted a pack of slab bacon for 0.99. I thought to myself, “That’s an amazing deal for bacon,” I’ll try it. As I was checking out the girl scanned it with my other items and it came out to be 6.99. I told her that the price was 0.99. She sent someone back and of ‘course they said, “No sir, the price is 6.99” I went back to check myself, not trusting a bloodshot eyed teenager with a pot leaf tattoo on his hand, and found the 0.99 price with a poorly drawn 6 over the 0.

Huh… that’s new. I turned to look at the boy, BTW with a black sharpie in his shirt pocket and said, “You just did that.” He turned red as a beet and responded with, “Nun-uh.” REALLY, this is who I am getting my food from. I ask for a manager and the manager came out. He saw the “NEW” price, coughs, and turns to me. “Well, the price is 6.99 sir. I don’t know what you want me to do.” Now at this point I gave up. No more would I trust these people to feed me and my family. With a middle finger and a long list of clever obscenity I left.

But, after about a day, I need to figure a way to get food. I went to a different grocery store and got my food for the week. I knew that for now I’d have to continue going here. “But,” I began to think, “What would I do if something happened and I couldn’t get any food?” I looked in my pantry. I had a couple of box of popcorn, Jell-O, some soup mixes, some cans of vegetables, fish, beans, peanut butter and other crap that was long since forgotten. I decided that I wanted something to change. That summer of 2014 I grew a garden and got one pot of beans and figured it be awhile 'till I could be self-sufficient, or self-reliant.

That’s when I learned about bushcraft.

One September day of 2014 I was youtubing (hope that’s a word) for videos about gardening and hunting. For years I would visit my papaw’s farm and I knew a little bit about the growing and hunting. I was watching a video on “Twang n Bang” Awesome Folding Survival Bow! Primal Gear Unlimited’s CFSB. This guy is super awesome if you have never seen him, check out his videos. Now after the video I got a related link for this video. Arrow Making for the Common Man from Dave Canterbury’s channel, “wildernessoutfitters” I could not stop. Video after video was so amazing and intriguing that I got super hyped. I felt that everything in my whole life had kind of led me to this place of bushcraft. Being both outdoors and being self-reliant.

Summer of 2015 I got my pack together and decided to test my gear. While building a fire for me is still kind of challenging, that’s what I did all summer at least twice a week. After about the 2nd week I didn’t have to use lighter fluid anymore, and I was able to keep my fire going for more than 45 minutes. Last Saturday, February 18th of 2017, as winter finally start to leave, I started to test my pack again. I got my fire kit, containing a Ferro-rod, char-cloth, lens, lighter, and candle in my tall char-can, and tried out my new 4 brick rocket stove. I got it lit with my char-cloth and a few small sticks that my little boy collected with me. We made a fire. I remembered, how much I enjoyed this and just like my little pile of sticks, I caught the fire again.

Now, you are probably wondering to yourself, “Why have I read 726 words by this guy?”  Well, this is why I’m writing. This is not just my journal, but also my story and experiences while bushcrafting. While I may not be able to help everyone, maybe I’ll be able to help someone else as they begin working on this. That would be enough. I want to try and post ideas, tests, modifications, and finally conclusions. I will try to keep my focus on bushcraft, but I may include some homesteading and prepping stuff. Please feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.