For me personally this is a tough choice, both have their ups and downs, the garberg is better for batoning and carving while venture is better for slicing and hunting. But overall id choose the venture pro
Been testing how usable a phone's LED flash actually is as a signal light compared to a real signal mirror or a dedicated strobe. Some notes:
The rule of 3 (3 flashes, pause, repeat) is easy to keep consistent with a phone since you can automate the timing instead of counting in your head while cold and tired, which is when you actually need this.
Battery draw is basically nothing for a flashing pattern over a few hours, way less than I expected, since the LED itself is the power draw, not the CPU.
Line of sight is still the hard limit, same as any handheld light. A phone flash is roughly comparable to a small keychain flashlight in output, so don't expect signal-mirror range in daylight. At night against a dark treeline it's a different story.
Morse SOS specifically (... --- ...) reads as intentional distress to anyone who recognizes the pattern, versus a random blinking light which people tend to dismiss as a bug or a phone notification.
I ended up building this into the app I'm working on (automated SOS/Morse via camera flash, works with screen off) mostly because I kept forgetting the correct timing myself in the field. Curious what others use for night signaling, chemical light stick, dedicated strobe, mirror, or just voice/whistle and skip light entirely?
I’m trying to get into Bushcraft and I want to reliable and affordable option for knives
Yeah so, someone clearly didn't maintain their knife since last summer. Any advice on how to repair it? And how to maintain afterward to prevent this from happening again?
Hey bushcrafters - been a while since I've done any bushcraft or posted here, but I just wanted to share today's spontaneous, small project because why the Helle not!?
Anyways,
My wife loves string lights - so while pruning a balsam poplar in the back yard I decided to craft a little bird's beak hanger in one of the branches for her to hang a lantern from. First time using my Helle Viking for a craft, and it worked quite well!
Edit* meant to also include a bit of a wax about how bushcraft has enriched my life outside of camping and stuff, and I also wanted to ask you guys about your little "everyday" bushcrafting projects and so on?
Its super awesome seeing some of the amazing things this community posts about from shelters to carvings etc., but im also just wondering about the small wins folks get on the daily - with compliments to bushcraft practice.
Stories are most welcome and encouraged!
Looking for specialized books on bushcraft. Topics I'm primarily interested in are, weather forecasting, shelter building, flint knapping, foraging, outdoor cooking, navigation, tracking, and bow making. I welcome other books that are similar as well. Bonus points if you can point me in the direction of courses that specialize in these areas. Try to avoid recommending the usual suspects like, 98.6 Degrees, When All Hell Breaks Loose, Bushcraft: Mors Kochanski, Woodcraft and Camping: George W. Sears, SAS survival, and all other generalized books similar. Please don't recommend anything to do with Dave Canterbury it will be discounted.
I wax my canvas garments usually with a 4:1 beeswax/BLO bar that I rub into the fabric using a heat gun. It works great on canvas. I just waxed a poncho made from an old cotton/lyocel bedsheet and it worked great but I am concerned about durability. I have wondered if it would be best to go buy a light weight canvas or a cotton mix fabric from the actual fabric store rather than trying to find high thread count bedsheets. I am just wondering what the opinions are of folks who might have tried different materials and what you ultimately prefer. Points for affordability and weight.
I'm not far off thatching, and in my area I've got cat-tails, yukka and regular grass. It's outta deadwood, and there's not much strength in the foundation. I've already had to splint a broken limb.
I'd coat the interior with mud, but maybe it'll be too heavy. Maybe next time. When it's thatched I'll dig the floor down for more space, and build a chimney.
I'm new, obviously, but I'm not half-hearted. It'll take weeks to gather enough material, the area's sparse of everything usable. I'd love some links to your huts, to compare. I'm in Australia.
I rec'd a Plash Palatka in the mail and without thinking I put it in the wash with the Alpineflag jacket. It was on cold with some soap and then rinsed with Vinegar, it was NOT put in the dryer but line dried. All in all how fucked am I? It appears to be a pretty old one as there are no metal pieces and the buttons are wooden. I heard that they can shrink or something if they get wet, but its also outdoors so I figured I prolly fucked up the waterproofing at minimum but my question is, should I treat it like wool and soak it/hang that to dry to re-stretch or am I just gonna have to assume its just perma- shrunk possibly?
Whats your to to bushcrafting fixed blade??
Anyone else carry a haversack? I made this one from buffalo leather and raccoon. I typically wear a backpack when I'm hunting. But doing some wilderness exploration,or small game hunting, you just can't beat carrying a haversack.
Hi, does anyone else use old surplus water bottles or canteens? I picked up two old ones for myself (a Swedish M31 and a Soviet VDV canteen). both are made of aluminum
I use a Swedish stainless steel mess kit because I prefer not to cook in aluminum.
I really love the vintage look and design of these bottles.
I was wondering if it might be possible to apply some kind of coating to them—perhaps anodizing? Has anyone tried that?
What suggestions or good advice would you give, considering I plan to keep and use these? For instance, how could I coat the insides? Of course, the safest option would be to just throw them away, but I’m just foolish enough to be in love with vintage items.
I don't go hiking very often—maybe 3–4 times a year on trips lasting about 2–3 days.
Ive been looking into shoe gaiters and was wondering if making my own gaiters with oilskin cloth would be worth the time? Has anyone made their own gaiters before?
Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a very special project that just came off my chopping block. I recently started a passion project called ISTORD, where I try to combine my local Istrian roots with a rugged Viking spirit. This piece is officially dedicated to my biggest fan—my daughter—for our upcoming bushcraft and camping adventures.
I deeply respect wood as a material, and this project is extra special because the oak was actually cut down by my neighbor while he was clearing his family land. I'm so happy that instead of it being wasted or burned, I get to give this piece of wood a completely new life and purpose.
Working with this raw piece of local Istrian oak was incredibly tough with just hand tools, but after a lot of axe and knife work, the clean shape finally started to show.
On the handle, I carved the Triquetra (the Viking trinity knot) as a symbol of family, eternity, and protection while we are out in the woods.
The best part? My daughter wanted to be a part of the process, so she stained and darkened the blade using strong coffee to her exact liking. We finished it up by burnishing the wood to close the pores and sealed everything with a coat of natural oil. I absolutely love the heavy contrast she created between the dark blade and the lighter oak handle.
It’s safe, rugged, and ready for the wild. Would love to hear what you guys think!
I do a lot of from scratch cooking (I'm a chef) while out on trail and on the road. I do travel full time and spend 8-10 months out of the year camping.
I do a lot of catch and cook over the fire and on a bushbuddy stove. The plate is also advertised as skillet anyone use this before? The grill seems to be quite expensive, I am all for paying top dollar for quality gear but this seems a bit much. I have seen similar products go for much less. Alton is based in Australia so maybe there's a tariffs included in the price?
Let me know your experiences, and tell me if you have a better alternative. Thanks!
Link to the website: https://altongoods.com/
Hello! Just looking for some advice for someone who’s really keen to start being more of an outdoors man and more self sufficient.
I’m 32 and been camping a few times and really enjoyed it, I’m not sure how to go from that to someone who is able to hunt, fish, survive and build my own shelters out in nature. I understand this isn’t an overnight thing and required years of getting out there and doing it.
Sorry if this comes across as a stupid question, I just feel overwhelmed with what I should do first and where to start, is there any books you guys would recommend or YouTube channels?
Thanks in advance! 👍🏻
My first ever puukko I found a Mullberry branch on the ground and decided to carve it, blade wasn't made by me but everything else was, it's hidden tang and I think the wood naturally spalted from being on the ground so long but it was just perfect to be strong enough and not rotting to compromise the strength of the wood be nice please it's my first knife! Also I kept it traditional with no bolster and the finish is just 180 grit with beeswax finish.
I allready own the Mora Bushcraft wich is the small one at the bottom but im thinking of getting the Pathfinder becouse of the Size
