Adventures

March 31st 2021

I made a homemade roof rack out of 1/2 inch black pipe and green treated 4 x 6 wood blocks. I hold the black pipe to the roof with a ratchet tie down. The hooks go on the end of the black pipe and the strap goes through the car with the doors open. I simply shut the car door on the strap after I reach the desired tension to hold the pipe and blocks on the roof. They install quickly and seem to stay in place fairly well.

March 28th 2021

Today was a project day. I finished putting a hitch on the Fusion I recently purchased. I will need it to pull a trailer and for my kayak and bike attachments. I waterproofed my ground tarp today. I also conditioned my swag by wetting the canvas.

March 26th 2021

I left for the shack right after work. It is going to rain tonight, but I will just make this a quick turn around. Here is a quick video from inside the shack this evening. The dust really showed up in the camera light.

March 24th 2021

I put together a three season sleep system using a canvas tarp and a wool blanket. This system pre-dates the sleeping bag and is still used by some hard core hikers/campers. I show a method of wrapping the bedroll for maximum warmth and protection against the elements when used without a tent. This bedroll was used by cowboys and was issued to soldiers in the civil war. Wool holds heat very well even when soaking wet. The canvas is much more resistant to tears and cuts than conventional sleeping bags when hiking through thick brush. I don't need to cover the sleeping bag or carry another bag to keep it dry. They are heavy but not crazy bulky...especially if used as a swag without a tent. I will waterproof it this week.

March 20th 2021

A beautiful morning, if not a bit windy. I took a daytrip to the 40. I've been wanting to try my mud pattens in the swamp. They work as I hoped and will replace the bulkier snow shoes for at least 3 seasons. The rope bindings are nothing short of brilliant. I should not be surprised as they have been used for hundreds of years much as I am using them today. The more I do this stuff, the more I realize that the old school solutions for camping, hiking, and bushcraft, often beat the newer, expensive technologies. This week I am putting together a bedroll very similar to what was issued to the federal soldiers in the civil war. The bedroll was also seen or referenced in many "cowboy" movies. My last picture is of the fire ring I built today. I chose a campground on the high ground. It is on the southeast side of the island. It should be protected from the south and west summer winds. The firepit is in the center of four trees. I can build a tarp lean-to in the ideal postion depending on the wind.

March 19th 2021

It's going to be a beautiful night and....surprise, surprise....I'm going to the woods. It is warm enough to sleep in the bottom bunk tonight. I'll be there till fall now. I keep it about 50 to 60 in the winter because I have a good redcamp bag and don't really care to have it any warmer. It is significantly warmer when I choose to sleep in the top bunk (physics and all).

March 16th 2021

I got a chance to try the mud pattens today. Some areas were just mud with little vegetation. Other areas were closer to what the 40 acres should be like. They worked well. More importantly, the binding knots worked very well. They did not come off or loosen up. A snow shoe or patten that comes off in the swamp means lots of trouble. I have a short video of some of my trial. What you're seeing is very similar to how mud flats have been navigated for hundreds of years. Having the toes off the front of the boards is traditional and helps break the mud suction when each foot is lifted. I found the bindings to be more comfortable than they look as well. I am glad to have found an alternative to lugging snow shoes around.

March 14th 2021

I will have to use something to increase my floatation as I walk across the swamp in both the summer and winter. I have been using snow shoes, but they will not be practical in July. They are also bulky to pack in and not ideal for what I am doing. I read about pattens on line and saw some good videos on making and using them. These are documented and have been used for centuries to cross mud flats. They fit easily in my day pack when they are not in use and I am anxious to try them. I sealed them with clear polyurethane and purchased good poly rope for the binding. The binding knots have been used since the early pattens and are very effective. I try to show how they are traditionally tied in the video.

March 13th 2021

A stunning morning for half way through March. I woke up this morning at the shack. I have a picture of the new knive processing some firewood. I cut up a pallet with a chainsaw before I left work yesterday. I cut up some of those boards. I will admit, this knife processes the wood into smaller pieces better than an axe or my smaller knives. It has an 1/8 inch full tang blade that is heavier per length than other machetes. The weight helps with splitting wood.

March 13th going to the 40 2021

I have a video that I took on the way in to my property this morning. This is about 1/4 mile in from the trailhead. The unamed lake in this video feeds a creek that eventually fills the pond on my property. I show the lake and creek. I also have a still shot of the unamed lake and the trail where the conifers start.

March 13th on the 40 2021

I have two videos from the 40. The first one explains my goals for the day. The second video shows the trail location to access the creek and pond.

March 12th 2021

I headed for the shack after work tonight. It is a gorgeous evening. My goal is to start making my 40 acres more usable. I need to clear a path from the creek to the camping high ground. I also need a path from the campsite to the pond. I will work on both items tomorrow. I have a new machete hybrid knife that I will be trying this weekend. It is the Camillus Carnivore X.

March 8th 2021

I picked up this traditional pup tent for a more compact backpack option this summer. I had to set it up. It is just as I remember :-)

March 7th 2021

It was a beautiful day today. It reached over 60. Amy and I took a long bike ride in Eden Prairie ending with a margarita and tall beer at a local Mexican joint.

March 5th 2021

Amy and I took a day trip to Stillwater today. It is a beautiful city in both winter and summer. Here are a couple of pictures from our trip.

March 4th 2021

Amy and I took a day trip to the shack today. We brought a couple of revolvers and two rifles. Her favorite was the CVA black poweder rifle, but she said she liked them all. Here is a couple of videos of her shooting both black powder guns. She did really well with the 44 revolver.

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