How to Make a Quick Bushcraft Trail Fork

January 31, 2012 By Creek 5 Comments

When I go on an overnight camp/hike I enjoy the ‘camping’ more than the ‘hiking’. I always look forward to picking a site, setting up camp, and getting a fire going so I can relax. I hate pushing a hike up until dusk looking for a site. I prefer to choose a site well before dark so that I can get everything in order and work on what I call ‘camp-craft’. I always work on little projects once I’ve set up camp. Whether it’s building a tri-pod to hang a cook pot or carving a spear, I like a good camp-site project. I like to improvise when it comes to some camp tools as well – source from nature what I can when it makes sense. Not only does this give me something to do, but it also allows me to carry in less gear – which is always a plus.

One such little project is what I call the Trail Fork and it can be made in less than 1 minute.

I rarely eat Ramen Noodles at home but when it comes to a camping trip they are one of the first things I grab. They are cheap, easy to prepare and delicious. And, they are best eaten with a fork. To improvise a quick fork from nature, look to the trees. Typically, I look for Pine or Maple. Pine and Maple branches consistently grow in the fork-shaped pattern we are looking for and both trees are non-poisonous. In this post example, I am using White Pine. I prefer Pine because of the aroma and slight flavor in the finished fork. It adds a very natural element to any camp meal. Below are 2 branches with about 6-8 nice forks hidden in-side. Instead of Where’s Waldo, let’s play Where’s the Fork?

I know that you already see where I’m headed with this. You are looking for the areas where the branch splits off into 2-4 branches.

Often, you will find this useful arrangement multiple times on just one branch if you need forks for a group.

Just a few quick slices with your knife and the forks begin to take shape.

Cut at 45 degree angles so the ends are already nice and sharp.

You can use them ‘AS IS’ or spend another 15 seconds and trim off the outer bark.

These trail forks are prefect for Ramen Noodles and also work great for stirring small pots of soups and stews.

Next time you’re eating a meal at camp take a moment and give it a try. Do you have any camp-craft projects that are simple and easy to do? If so, share one with a comment below.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Creek Stewart is the Owner and Lead Instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor - a leading Survival and Preparedness Training Facility located on 21-acres in Central Indiana. For more information on Survival Courses and Clinics offered at WHO, click HERE. Creek is also author of the new book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit. His book is currently available for preorder on AMAZON.COM for only $11.20 - LIMITED TIME ONLY. If you enjoy Creek's Blog Posts, you will also enjoy his new book. You can contact Creek directly at creek@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, Featured, General Survival, Wild Edibles & Recipes

The 1 Hour Custom Kydex Knife Sheath – IN YOUR KITCHEN

December 6, 2011 By Creek 11 Comments

We’ve all been there… you like the knife but hate the sheath. Or, you lost a sheath. Or, you’ve made your own knife that now needs a sheath. If you are an outdoors man, at some point in your life you are going to have a knife but no sheath. Without a sheath you can’t really carry the knife which means that you can really use it in the field. It might as well stay in your kitchen to cut up tomatoes. What a waste.

If your knife is “sheathless” you pretty much have 4 choices:

Find a sheath from another knife that fits well enough to make due (this never turns out well)
Make a leather sheath yourself (easier said than done – this is a true skill and requires several leather working tools)
Hire someone to make a custom knife sheath (Get ready to pay out some big bucks)
Make your own custom kydex sheath. (Affordable and fairly simple with no expensive tools)

Option # 4 – MAKE YOUR OWN KYDEX SHEATH – is the subject of this post.

Some of the most expensive knives on the market come with Kydex sheaths – Tom Brown Tracker & Becker BK2 for example.

Becker BK2 Companion Knife

Kydex is an extremely durable and functional sheath material. It also just happens to be very inexpensive and easy to work and mold with simple tools you probably already have at home. This was the first Kydex sheath I ever made and it took me only about 1 hour.

Kydex is a thermoplastic material that can be heated up and molded while hot and soft. Once cooled it retains it’s rigid and almost indestructible texture and properties. It is extremely popular for knife sheaths and gun holsters. It is water resistant and is pretty much hassle free. Bottom line – it’s functional.

Interested in your own Kydex Sheath Build? Read on….

I recently bought a Gerber BIG ROCK camp knife. It’s a really great fixed blade knife. I wanted a descent knife to keep in my Bronco and this one fit the bill – and it was only $39. The only problem – I just didn’t like the sheath. So, I decided to make a custom sheath using Kydex I ordered from http://www.knifekits.com.

To make a kydex sheath you really only need 7 ingredients:

A section of Kydex sheeting
Some rivets and rivet punch
A Belt fastener (for carrying your knife on a belt)
An oven or toaster oven
A drill with some bits
Hobby saw or Band Saw
A foam press for pressure molding the heated/soft kydex around your knife (homemade)

By the way – I’ve seen many people making custom kydex sheaths and holsters for knives, guns, flashlights, etc… on the side for part-time income. It can be a great hobby for gifts or a side business. Everyone has their own skill-sets. You never know, you may become a Kydex Craftsman.

STEP # 1: Get some Kydex and supplies

I ordered everything ala-cart from www.knifekits.com but if I had it to do over again I would have ordered this kit for $10.95: KYDEX KNIFE KIT

It includes the following:

(1) 12×12 piece of .060 KYDEX material (cell/smooth finish).
(1) Ball chain 20 lb pull (breaking strength) This chain is common on neck style knives.
(10) #8 – 8 black rivets. Requires a .25 inch hole in the sheath for fastening.
(1) 2″ Belt Size Capable, Matching Color Custom Pre-formed CKK Design Kydex Belt Loop (w/fastening hardware)(Vertical/Horizontal carry) Universal Mounting Design

2 items not included that you will need are a RIVET PUNCH and a foam press (I show you how to make your own later).

STEP 2: Determine sheath size

Once you have everything rounded up and about an hour to invest, it’s time to determine your sheath size. This doesn’t have to be exact because you can trim it down later. Error on the side of too big. Make sure the piece you cut is wide enough to cover your blade when folded over – I made mine wider to include space for a fire steel. Also make sure it is long enough to cover the blade and about 1 inch up the handle.

Mark the kydex with a pencil and score it with a knife or razor. Then you can break it fairly easily.

I had plenty left over for another project later…

STEP # 3: Make your press

In order to form the heated kydex sheet around your blade (or other object) you need to press the heated and pliable kydex sheet in a foam press. You can buy these but they are pricey. If you really get into making these it would be a good investment. I made one out of an old foam thermarest seat and used a vice to apply the necessary pressure.

As you can see I cut 2 equal sections out of the seat and simply glued them to 2 scrap pieces of 1/2″ press board. Your foam needs to be at least 1.5″ thick. Have your vice nearby and ready to go.

STEP # 4: Heat your kydex sheet in the oven

I tossed my cut kydex sheet onto a baking pan and put it in the oven at 300 degrees and checked it every few minutes. It took about 10 minutes to get nice and soft and pliable. USE GLOVES. Once it was pliable, I took it out and folded it over my knife blade…

STEP # 5: PRESS the kydex around the knife

I folded mine from side to side but I suppose you could do it from end to end as well. I wanted to create a pocket on one side, though, for a fire steel. DON’T WORRY – if you screw this up all you have to do is toss the kydex back in the oven and it goes back to it’s original shape. I had to do this part 4 or 5 times to get it right. You also have to work fairly quickly because as the kydex cools it hardens. This all has to be done while it is nice and pliable in order to work properly.

Quickly, I sandwiched the knife and kydex wrap between my foam lined board and winched it down in the vice as tight as I could get it. WAIT 10 minutes. (This, too, I did several times.)

STEP # 6: Draw out your final sheath shape with a pencil

It took me a few tries but eventually I ended up with this rough shape out of the press. I decided to incorporate a fire steel which was a little tricky. It would have gone quicker if I just stuck with the basic sheath. Notice the kydex comes up over the handle about 1/2 to 1″. This is important because it’s this section that holds your knife in the sheath once you are finished.

Once you take the knife out of the press, it’s time to draw on your final sheath design.

I just took a pencil and roughed out a quick shape and also marked where I wanted my rivets as well.

STEP # 7: Cut out the sheath shape

Using a hobby saw or band saw, cut out your sheath shape.

Then, drill your holes to match your rivet size. Make sure your knife goes in and out well. I held shut the sheath tight and tested taking the knife in and out to make sure it would work properly before punching my rivets.

STEP # 8: Attach your belt attachment and punch your rivets

Finally, punch your rivets and attach your belt attachment. The belt attachment typically goes in place of two of your rivet holes and screws in with set screws. It’s pretty simple. As you can see I used a Tek-Lok Belt Attachment. In retrospect it is a little bulky but very functional.

STEP # 9: Sand the edges and make final adjustments

Your finishing steps are to sand the edges. I did this with a 4″ grinder to save time. I also had to trim down the part where the handle went to make it easier to take the blade out. Below are a few pics of the final product.

CONCLUSION

Custom molding kydex takes some practice and patience but with a little bit of both you can quickly become proficient with making custom sheaths and holsters for a variety of applications. And, once you have the initial set of tools (rivet punch and foam press), the kydex sheets are really cheap.

So for all of you do-it-yourselfers out there, if you haven’t yet tried working with kydex I think it will be a fun project to take on this winter.

Let me know if you have any specific questions that I haven’t covered here – I will do my best to help you based on my limited experience with kydex.

All the best-

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival

How To Make Pine Resin Glue

March 11, 2011 By Creek 16 Comments

The Pine Tree is an amazingly useful tree to any bushcrafter or survivalist. First of all, the entire tree is edible…the bark, the needles, the pine cones, etc… The roots can be used as cordage. You can make pine needle tea which is rich in vitamins. You can also use the limbs as building materials and the pine boughs as bedding. Pine sap also makes excellent fuel for camp lamps and fire starting. The subject of this post, however, is how to use PINE SAP to make an all natural and very durable glue.

Pine resin glue can be used for all kinds of applications – at home or in the wild. I’ve used Pine Resin Glue to make fish-hooks, frog gigs and all kinds of other useful tools. I’ve also used Pine Resin Glue at home for every day projects. In this post, we will use Pine Resin Glue to secure Ferrocerium Rod Fire Steel Blanks inside of pre-drilled deer antler handles.

Pine resin can be found on almost EVERY pine tree. You can typically find it where the pine tree has been wounded by either insects or a broken limb. The sap will seep from the wound. You can sometimes find it dried in clumps and nodules all around the tree.

Pine Sap Leaking From Wound On Pine Tree

The only other ingredient besides the Pine Sap that you need to make Pine Resin Glue is charcoal. Just plain old charcoal right out of a campfire will work just fine. Below is a photo if some pine resin nodules I collected along with a small amount of charcoal from a camp fire.

Charcoal Chunks & Dried Pine Resin Pieces

The first step to making Pine Sap Glue is to melt down the pine sap. I placed the sap clusters in an Altoids Candy Tin and put it on my hot fireplace.

Melting Pine Resin Clusters on Fireplace

While the pine resin is melting down, crush up your charcoal pieces into a fine powder. I am simply using a stick. You could easily do this in the bush on a flat rock or on a piece of bark.

Crush Charcoal Into Fine Powder

The formula I’ve always used for making this glue is 1 part charcoal to 3 parts pine resin. You will have to experiment with what works best for you. Too much charcoal and your glue will be brittle, too little charcoal and your glue will not be durable enough. After the pine sap has melted down, mix in the crushed charcoal.

Mix Crushed Charcoal Into Melted Pine Sap

As your sap cools, it will harden. Thoroughly stir in the charcoal before it cools too much.

Mix In Charcoal Really Well Before The Melted Sap Cools

Your glue is complete and ready to use. Once the glue has cooled, you will need to heat it back up in order to use it again. At this point, you have a few options. You can leave the glue in the tin or whatever container you mixed it in. Or, as the sap cools, you can form it on the stick – which is the way I like to keep Pine Resin Glue.

Pine Resin Glue Hardened on Stick

To use the glue simply heat it up over a flame and apply it to whatever you need. In this case, I am putting some on the end of the Ferro rods that I will be inserting into the pre-drilled deer antlers.

Carving Away Excess Pine Sap Glue

After carving away the excess glue, these Ferro Rods are ready to use in the field and will provide years of excellent service. I love the idea of making and using Pine Sap Glue from scratch with all natural materials and then using it to build a tool that I will take out with me in the woods and use over and over and over again. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

3 Completed Ferro Rods With Mora 840 MG and a "Glue Stick"

Ferro Rod on Coyote Fur

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. I’ve also posted a video below of the entire process from harvesting the sap to building the ferro rods. Enjoy!

Cheers-

Creek

Pine Resin also makes an excellent fire-starter. For an informative post written by survivalist JJ Johnson about this subject visit http://www.realitysurvival.com/pine-pitch-firestarter/.

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival, Willowhaven Videos Tagged With: natural made glue, pine resin glue, pine sap glue, survival glue

How to Carve a BushCraft Wooden Spoon: Step by Step

March 7, 2011 By Creek 4 Comments

BushCrafting and Spoon carving have a deep history together. Carving wooden utensils and bowls is a classic bushcraft project. Below is a step-by-step pictorial that will help you get through your first Spoon Carving project. Below the photos is a video that will help as well.

Let me know if you have any questions at all! Cheers, Creek

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit. His book is currently available for preorder on AMAZON.COM for only $11.20 - LIMITED TIME ONLY. If you enjoy Creek's Blog Posts, you will also enjoy his new book. You can contact Creek directly at creek@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival Tagged With: mora hook knife, mora spoon knife, spoon carving

Build Your Own Every Day Carry (EDC) Survival Tin: Featuring the RSK Mk5 Knife

February 13, 2011 By Creek 5 Comments

Building and designing your own personal survival kit can be a very rewarding project – especially if you ever actually have to use it. Since the beginning of time, man has been designing Survival Kits of all types, shapes and sizes. Sure, you can go to any sporting goods store and pick up your basic survival kit…but there’s just nothing like taking the time to build and customize a kit that is tailored specifically to your life and your needs. You can’t just BUY that. This kit takes thought and time and quite frankly can only come from your head. There are suggested guidelines…but ultimately no right and wrong answers. It’s YOUR kit.

Start small. Building an expansive 72 Hour Bug Out Bag Survival Kit can take many hours and can be expensive. A popular challenge within the survival community is to build a small and thorough Survival Kit using an ALTOIDS CANDY TIN. It’s so popular and includes so many survival lessons that we actually offer an afternoon training course here at the WHO School dedicated to building a Candy Tin Survival Kit called SURVIVAL TIN CHALLENGE. Building a kit of this type is a really fun project with some very valuable rewards. First, it’s fairly inexpensive to build a small kit like this. Second, it puts you in the survival mind-set and forces you to think creatively about how and what to pack in the kit. The size of the kit alone helps get your priorities straight real fast. Small survival kits are perfect for Every Day Carry (EDC). I always have a small EDC survival kit in the glove box of my Bronco. They are great for tossing in a drawer at work or for carrying in a backpack or jacket pocket. They are small & lightweight and it just makes sense to have one on hand.

Altoids Tin Survival Kit

The point of this post is 2 fold. 1st, I’d like to give you a recommended ‘ingredient list’ of sorts for building your own candy tin survival kit and show you a sample of one I have built here at Willow Haven Outdoor. 2nd, I’d like to introduce to you a very functional knife released by CRKT Knives called the RSK Mk5 that was designed specifically for use in small candy tin survival kits.

In any survival situation a good cutting tool is critical. A nice functional knife can go a long way in getting your survival tasks accomplished more effectively and efficiently. A good cutting tool has always been a big sacrifice with building a small candy tin survival kit. Traditionally, we have used small exacto knife blades or razor blades. While these are very sharp cutting tools, they lack in durability to say the least. Then enters the RSK Mk5.

The RSK Mk5 Survival Tin Knife

RSK Mk5 Packed in a Survival Tin

The RSK Mk5 was designed to fit into mini survival tins like an Altoids Tin. It even comes packaged in a survival tin when you buy it. This knife has a Kydex Sheath and a very functional lanyard that acts as an extension of the handle for stability when using the knife for more rigorous tasks. The overall length is 2 1/4″ and the blade length is 1 3/4″. It’s small but mighty and makes a PERFECT additional to a Survival Tin Project. Thus, the base of my Candy Tin Survival Kit is the RSK Mk5. For about $20 or so, it is worth the investment. However, you can always substitute a razor blade or a couple exacto blades for cutting tools. Either way, the first item in your Candy Tin needs to be a cutting tool. Now… let’s get started…

Below is a step by step photo gallery and ‘ingredients list’ for a sample Candy Tin Survival Kit. I would expect that the contents of your own kit will vary depending upon your priorities and lifestyle. That’s OK.

2 Waterproof matches, 1 Cotton Firestarter, 20″ Trip Wire, 1 Pencil, 10 ft Duct Tape, 1 Fire Sparker

1 Needle, 2 Safety Pins, 4 Iodine Tablets, 1 Water Proof Bag, 1 Paperclip, 1 Compass, 1 Fire Block, 1 Spool Thread

1 RSK Mk5 Knife w/ Lanyard & Sheath

1 Salt Pack, 1 Sugar Pack, 2 Pain Reliever Pills, 1 Antibiotic Ointment

3 Adhesive Bandages, 1 Alcohol Prep Pad, 2 Sheets Waterproof Notepaper

Candy Survival Kit: Unpacked

Altoids Tin Survival Kit

RSK Mk5 Packed in a Survival Tin

The RSK Mk5 Survival Tin Knife

Below are my general thoughts about the main contents of the kit:

Fire Starting:
I like to pack at least 2 methods for starting a fire. In this small kit I packed 2 waterproof matches (dipped in nail polish) and taped a match strike strip on the underside of the lid. I also packed a small flint fire striker and 2 different types of tinder – 1 cotton based and 1 wax/fiber based.

Cutting Tool:
Buy the RSK Mk5 Knife or use a razor blade or small exacto blades. I much prefer the RSK Mk5. For it’s size, it is a very solid and reliable knife. It’s perfect for cutting feather sticks and many other typical camp/survival/bushcraft chores.

Signaling:
In my opinion you can use the candy tin itself for signaling. It’s not quite as shiny as a mirror but should do just fine. Just buff up the inside silver a bit and you’re ready to go. Toothpaste or chocolate with work perfect to buff it so a glossy shine.

Whistle:
I intentionally did not pack a whistle. I can whistle nearly just as loud using my fingers. If you can’t, then pack a whistle. I will do a future video about how to whistle – survival style.

Compass:
This is important. Pack a button compass. You should be able to find one of these on a cheap keychain or something. They are hard to find by themselves so typically you will have to buy something else and pry it off.

Duct Tape:
Very useful survival tool for cordage or random repairs. You can tear it into strips to add length.

Needle & Thread:
Use these for clothing or gear repair. Pack a strong nylon thread – it can double as fishing line, snares or other cordage needs.

Wire:
You can use this for snares and many other fixes/needs

Safety Pins:
Can be used as a emergency suture (ouch) or for temporary clothing/gear mends

Fishing Hooks:
Self explanatory – you can a pack a few sizes for birds/fish, etc…

Flashlight:
A compact button LED light works great. These are bright and pretty cheap. They also last a LONG time. Some people prefer to pack small candles.

Water Purification:
You can boil water in the tin itself. I prefer to pack 4 Iodine tablets. It takes 2 tabs to purify 1 liter so 4 tabs can purify 2 liters of water.

Medical Supplies:
Adhesive bandages are small and easy to pack. I also packed 2 pain reliever pills and1 dose of an antibiotic cream. The alcohol prep pad is for disinfecting a cut/wound.

Note Paper & Pencil:
You never know when you need to leave a note. I bought a pad of waterproof paper at an Army/Navy Surplus for a few bucks.

Random Items:
Salt Pack – take with water to fight dehydration.
Sugar Pack – take for quick energy
Paper Clip – use a binding/button/etc…
Tootsie Roll – quick energy
Medication – Pack necessary medication

The Tin Container Itself:
- Use to make Char Cloth
- Use as a drinking/cooking/boiling container
- Use as a signal mirror

There are certainly countless other items to consider packing in a mini survival kit. I’m still surprised from time to time with great ideas from my students. As long as the key survival bases are covered, your creativity is the limit. So my challenge to you is this:

Go spend $2 on a box of Altoids or $20 on an RSK Mk5 Knife and put together a Mini Survival Tin that works for your lifestyle. Then… share it with someone else.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and see your pics. If you have any questions, feel free to post…

Cheers-

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, Featured, General Survival

BUSHCRAFT Camp Chair – FREE PATTERN

February 3, 2011 By Creek 1 Comment

I am always trying to come up with solutions to common frustrations within the Bushcraft and Camping arena. One of the most common frustrations is having a comfortable seat once you’ve settled in for the night while camping in the back country. I’ve tried packing a small collapsible camp chair but the ones I’ve found have been too bulky and haven’t really fit into my minimalist mentality. And, none of them seem to be multi-functional…which is a requirement of almost everything I pack.

So…I’ve been experimenting with camp chair solutions over the years and I’ve finally found one that I am happy with. I call it the WillowHaven Stöl. Stöl is swedish for Stool. If you’ve been looking for a great BushCraft project – this might be the one for you. Below are step-by-step instructions for how to make your own. A FREE PATTERN pdf download is at the end. It’s bigger than a normal 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper but you might be able to print multiple sheets and tape them together. If projects aren’t your thing but you really love the chair concept, I offer them for sale in the WHO store. You can buy the pattern, the cut leather to sew yourself or the completed chair with or without the WillowHavenOutdoor Logo. Below are step-by-step photos with some commentary:

Step 1: Trace your pattern on 1/8″ thick Saddle Grade Leather

Step 2: Here is the Traced Chair pattern on Leather

Step 3: Cut it out using any Utility Knife

Step 4: I pre-punched the holes for sewing using a Thonging Leather Chisel

Step 5 (OPTIONAL): I applied a Vinyl Decal to prevent the dye from staining the leather where my logo is.

Step 6: I applied a walnut leather stain because I liked the color. Notice the Vinyl Decal is still there – which blocks the dye.

Step 7: I removed the Vinyl Decal to reveal the unstained logo.

Step 8: Dried & Ready to begin sewing.

Step 9: Sewing through the punched holes using a thick wax leather working thread and a Speedy Stitcher Sewing Tool

Step 10: Sewing complete – trim all loose thread.

Step 11: Under side view

Step 12: Showing the under side pockets created by Sewing

Step 13: Set Up and Ready to Enjoy!

I love this chair design for several reasons. First, all you have to carry with you into the bush is the leather chair top and some paracord. The chair top weighs virtually nothing. Once in the bush just collect three sturdy sticks about the length of your arm and use a sheer lashing to lash them together. That’s all there is to it. I’ve used the chair as a plate before and when I go camping with friends I’ve used it as a Camp Frisbee as well – it actually works pretty well.

Below is a video of me setting up the chair and showing how I make the tripod base. Here is the link to download the FREE PDF PATTERN for the chair top. You can right click and SAVE AS if you wish. If you have any trouble downloading it just email me at creek@willowhavenoutdoor.com and I will send you one.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this design. Let me know if you have any questions about making your own!

Here’s the video:

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About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival Tagged With: bushcraft camp chair

Ice Fishing Bushcraft Style

February 1, 2011 By Creek 1 Comment

Bushcraft Ice Fishing Set

Outdoor activities in the dead of winter can be hard to come by. However, one of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday winter afternoon is to go out Ice Fishing. One of the main reasons I enjoy ice fishing so much is that it is just so dang simple. I use just a couple of simple tools and always have a blast. I’ve put together a simple Bushcraft Ice Fishing Set and I thought I would share that with you today.

I like for the ice to be at least 5 inches thick before I venture out onto any pond too far. Once I know the ice is safe, I make my hole in the ice using 1 of 2 methods. Either I use my Mora Ice Auger to drill out a perfect 6 inch hole or I will go old school and just hack out a hole using my Wetterlings Camp Axe. Either way takes only a few minutes… Then comes my first Bushcraft Ice Fishing Tool….

Bushcraft Ice Fishing Ice Scoop

This home made gourd scoop helps to get all of the ice chunks out of the hole so that I have a nice clean hole to fish through. It’s a simple tool, but necessary. I’ve also used this gourd as a bowl and cup in the off season. Wonderful multi-use product and it is a fun project as well.

Ice Fishing Deer Antler Reel

This deer antler reel is really the meat and potatoes of the ice fishing operation. I have 1 hole drilled in the end of a piece of deer antler. I have both the leather wrist strap and the ice line tied through this hole. For storage and travel, I just simply wrap the ice line around the antler and secure the fish hook to the leather wrap. Reeling in a fish is as easy as wrapping the ice line around the antler. It’s not rocket science but it works like a charm. I love the simplicity of it.

Marttiini Bushcraft Knife w/ Leather Sheath

To finish out my Ice Fishing Set, I always bring a great knife. In this case, the Marttiini Lynx Lumberjack. This is one of my all-time favorite Bushcraft Knives. Marttiini knives are made in Finland and are rich in history. This particular knife comes in an awesome quality leather sheath which I have added a leather lanyard for neck carry. I will be posting a video soon in which I use this knife to clean the Blue Gill that I caught in the video below. I have several of these in stock here at WHO. I need to get them on-line (note to self – put the Marttiini knives on-line).

Ice Fishing Tools

If I don’t feel like hunting for live bait on site, I will bring in a bait jar of wax worms and these always work great. I mostly catch Blue Gill (which I love) and will occasionally catch a monster Crappie. In the video below you will see that I caught 3 Blue Gill with this Bushcraft Ice Fishing Set.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments – hope you were able to take something away from this post…

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, Fishing & Coastal Survival, General Survival Tagged With: bush craft fishing, ice fishing, survival fishing

Mora Knife Modifications

January 10, 2011 By Creek 4 Comments

As most of you know, we are big fans of Mora Knives here at Willow Haven Outdoor. One thing we like to do here while hanging out at the camp or after training courses is to do some show-n-tell about each others knives. Often, this leads to everyone telling how they’ve modified or personalized their knife to better suit their own needs. With that said, I’d like to share with you a personal Mora Knife Project that I finished some time back. The knife I used was the Mora Clipper 840 MG. 840 indicates that it’s the Carbon Steel Blade and MG indicates Military Green. This knife also comes in the code 860 MG and the only difference is that the 860 MG has the Stainless Steel Blade. All of the mods seen below are to the sheath. I didn’t make any changes to the knife itself.

First, I’ll start with a before and after picture and then I’ll break down what I did.

Mora Knife Sheath Modification - Before & After

The entire mod system I used is based around velcro. The first quick mod is that I added a small velcro closure around the grip for added “peace of mind”. This velcro strap helps to hold the knife in the sheath even with some pretty crazy activity. I also added 2 36″ pieces of 550 Paracord for the lanyard. Everyone already knows how versatile this stuff is so I won’t elaborate.

Mora Knife Modifications - Velcro Strap Security

The fire steel is also held in with velcro. I used a 3/4″ piece of adhesive backed velcro (hook side) and wrapped it around the 1st section of the fire steel rod. A larger (loop side) velcro wraps all the way around the sheath and around the fire steel with the hook velcro and secures it in place. The hook side velcro holds the fire steel in place and it comes out really nice with a quick jerk. It is definitely not going to accidentally fall out.

Mora Knife Modification - Fire Steel

Mora Knife Modification - Fire Steel Picture #2

Then, on the back side & sandwiched between the 2 layers of velcro I’ve cached 10 feet of 30 lb. test fishing wire. This can be used in all kinds of ways; fishing line, snares, cordage, first aid, etc… It’s very well protected between the velcro layers and adds no bulk whatsoever. I could probably put more there actually.

Mora Knife Modifications: Fishing Wire Cache

Under the fishing line is actually 1 more layer of 1.5″ Velcro. As I remove this layer you will notice that I have cached 2 fishing hooks (1 small, 1 large) and a small artificial piece of bait. Sandwiched under the velcro you would have no idea these are here and they weigh virtually nothing.

Mora Knife Modifications: Fishing Hooks & Bait

Lastly, once all the layers are peeled back you will see the final layer. This layer of ‘loop side’ velcro is adhesive backed and I have wrapped it directly around the mora sheath. Trust me, once this adhesive sets it’s not going anywhere.

Mora Knife Mods: The Full Kit

This layering system is a great way to quickly add and remove pieces from your Mora Kit. You can tear it down and put it back together again in just a few seconds. No tape, etc… I’ve had this kit soaking wet and it dries really quick – no issues there. Everything is really light weight and durable. You can add a couple more layers and some other choice ‘ingredients’ really quickly. Your creativity is the limit. We keep a lot of velcro around here so I bought the velcro in bulk from a distributor so if anyone wants some let me know and I’d be happy to sell you some for a great price + shipping. Or, you can probably pick some up at a local hardware or craft store.

I’d love to see your Mora Mods or Kit. Post them here or in the forum.

Click the links here if you are interested in purchasing the Mora Clipper 860 MG or the Mora Clipper 840 MG.

Until next time-
Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival, Survival Knives, Blades & Cutting Tools Tagged With: mora knife modifications

Grow Your Own Luffa Sponge

December 15, 2010 By Creek Leave a Comment

The common thread of survivalists and individuals like myself who study and use primitive skills is that they like the idea of self sufficiency. Whether in simple everyday tasks or in an actual life or death survival situation, we bushcrafter types strive to be self-sufficient; relying on our skills and preparation to get us through any situation.

I personally really enjoy trying to be self-sufficient. I like the idea of providing for myself. I like the idea of hunting and growing some of my own food. I like the idea of burning wood for heat rather than using gas or electric. I like the idea of using a well for water rather than hooking up to public utilities. I like catching a fish from a fresh water stream and having a shore-side lunch instead of going to the nearest fast food joint. I really enjoy gathering wild edibles for a side dish or fresh salad. And, I like making things from natural grown or gathered elements. From time to time I like to share what I consider are cool bushcraft projects.

Fall is the time of HARVEST. This project is definitely a unique and fun HARVEST time project.

Natural Luffa Sponge

Does the above picture look familiar? We’ve all seen these in the market at some time in our life or maybe you’ve even used one. They are called Luffa Sponges. It’s funny, I actually grew up thinking this was a dried out creature from the ocean. That couldn’t be farther from the truth!

The Luffa Sponge is actually the dried inside membrane of a gourd. Yes, that’s right – it looks like a big zucchini actually. The plant (called the ORN LUFFA) is a vining melon that produces 12-24″ edible gourds that can be harvested early (about 2″ long) as a tasty vegetable or left to mature and then harvested for the inside “Luffa Sponge”. Are you as amazed at this as I was when I first learned it?

Mature Orn Luffa

What’s more self sufficient than growing your own bath sponges or kitchen sink sponges? It’s easy.

Step 1: Get yourself some Orn Luffa seeds. Below are 2 links on-line to buy them. You only have to buy seeds ONCE you know. Keep some seeds from your crop each year to provide next years bounty.

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/gourds/gourd-orn-luffa-prod000721.html?catId=2019&trail=
http://www.tradewindsfruitstore.com/servlet/the-326/Luffa–dsh–Luffa-cylindrica/Detail

Step 2: Plant the seeds in spring or early summer. They require full sun and approx 90 days for a mature harvest.

Step 3: Harvest the sponges after the 1st hard frost when the vine is dead and brown.

Step 4: Peel off the outer skin, cut the ends off and squish (called milking) out all the seeds and pulp from the middle of the membrane.

Step 5: Hang to dry.

That’s it! And now you have a whole crop of Luffa Sponges to last all year. You can wash luffas in the washer or you can soak them in some bleach water for cleaning.

Hope you enjoy. The ORN LUFFA is not my favorite gourd, however. There is another gourd variety that holds a special place in the history of our ancestors and was used to perform very important tasks… I’ll post about this in a future entry. Until then…

Like what you see?? Click here to subscribe to the WillowHavenOutdoor.com Feed by Email. I’ve got some really exciting posts in the pipe-line that you don’t want to miss out on… Thanks! Creek

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, General Survival Tagged With: dried gourd, luffa sponge

Peach Seed Survival Fishing Hook

December 9, 2010 By Creek Leave a Comment

As a student of the primitive skills from yesteryear, I am always amazed at how our ancestors (and even some tribal cultures in the present day) utilize even the most basic of resources that we in the modern world cast aside as trash. I always try to challenge myself to use ever part of whatever resource I might have the opportunity to hunt or gather. With animals, I use more than just the meat for food. I utilize the hide for the leather, the brain for tanning, the bones and/or antlers for tools, the stomach for a container, etc… and the list goes on and on. I continually challenge myself with this mentality.

Recently, in late autumn, I enjoyed a perfectly ripe peach. After I finished I was amazed at the size of the seed inside. I’ve seen 100′s of peach seeds in my life but I don’t think I’ve ever really taken the time to really inspect one. They are really quite the marvel and look like something from another planet indeed. They are hard too – actually harder than almost any other natural wood-like thing I’ve ever seen.

Peach Seed

As I admired this seed I noticed the bottom of it was shaped kind of like a fish hook and I began to wonder how my primitive ancestors might have used such an odd little object. With that, I took out my knife and began to slowly carve the fish hook that I envisioned. Wow, carving the seed was no easy task. With many of the wooden primitive fish hooks I have carved in the past the main problem was always that they broke very easily. This was not the case with this hook. It was almost like carving rock. Using stone tools with this task would have been very time consuming.

Peach Seed Fish Hook

After carving the hook and a tying notch, I braided some milkweed fibers and fashioned a very solid fishing line that I can pull on with all my strength and it won’t break. There is no doubt I could catch a fish with this hook and line.

Peach Seen Primitive Fish Hook in Leather Medicine Bag

This makes a great indoor winter project. Hope you enjoy! Would love to see your pics if you try it.

Thanks.
Creek

Like what you see?? Click here to subscribe to the WillowHavenOutdoor.com Feed by Email. I’ve got some really exciting posts in the pipe-line that you don’t want to miss out on… Thanks! Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Bushcrafting Projects, Fishing & Coastal Survival, General Survival

What are STUDENTS saying?

Willowhaven Outdoors and their training facility is my premeir choice for survival training. The 22+ acre facility offers a multitude of terrain and environments to learn, practice and perfect your bushcraft and survival skills. The abandoned home is unique to the property where disaster foraging and survival skills are further honed. Creeks experience and passion is evident in the way that he instructs. He ensures that every participant understands the material/ skill and is able to leave with the knowledge and ability to repeat what they learned. Thanks to Creek and the great group at Willowhaven, I am confident that I am now prepared to provide for my family in any survival situation.

B. Anderson, Texas

How to Make a Quick Bushcraft Trail Fork

One such little project is what I call the Trail Fork and it can be made in less than 1 minute.

The 1 Hour Custom Kydex Knife Sheath – IN YOUR KITCHEN

Option # 4 – MAKE YOUR OWN KYDEX SHEATH – is the subject of this post.

STEP # 1: Get some Kydex and supplies

STEP 2: Determine sheath size

STEP # 3: Make your press

STEP # 4: Heat your kydex sheet in the oven

STEP # 5: PRESS the kydex around the knife

STEP # 6: Draw out your final sheath shape with a pencil

STEP # 7: Cut out the sheath shape

STEP # 8: Attach your belt attachment and punch your rivets

STEP # 9: Sand the edges and make final adjustments

CONCLUSION

How To Make Pine Resin Glue

How to Carve a BushCraft Wooden Spoon: Step by Step

Build Your Own Every Day Carry (EDC) Survival Tin: Featuring the RSK Mk5 Knife

BUSHCRAFT Camp Chair – FREE PATTERN

Ice Fishing Bushcraft Style

Mora Knife Modifications

Grow Your Own Luffa Sponge

Peach Seed Survival Fishing Hook

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