Traditional Vs modern

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RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,575
121
Dalarna Sweden
Since when is Kephart the norm for traditional or even bushcrafting?
As far as I'm concerned he was just a camper, like practically everyone of us.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Since when is Kephart the norm for traditional or even bushcrafting?
As far as I'm concerned he was just a camper, like practically everyone of us.

LOL. Isn't that the definition of "the norm?" "Like practically everyone...?"
 

RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,575
121
Dalarna Sweden
In that case Kephart could be the norm for camper, yes.

I think this whole discussion should not be traditional vs. modern, but sustainable vs. wastefull or maybe natural vs. synthetic.
 

cbr6fs

Native
Mar 30, 2011
1,620
0
Athens, Greece
In that case Kephart could be the norm for camper, yes.

I think this whole discussion should not be traditional vs. modern, but sustainable vs. wastefull or maybe natural vs. synthetic.

Problem is though Ron many folks like myself don't really care about sustainability, or if they do only until it doesn't inconvenience them.

With regards to natural v synthetic, i would argue that the only thing natural to us human beings is the skin we were born with and the hair we grow.
 

grey-array

Full Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,067
4
The Netherlands
Not to sure what you mean by choosing things aesthetically.
Surely a rucksack will be on your back so how it looks will be of very little importance?
Same with clothes surely, if your wearing a jacket then your view of it is severely restricted?

I'm not criticising, purely curious as i'm pretty much the entire opposite, aesthetics mean absolutely nothing to me, to the point where whatever clothes are on the top of the pile in my cupboard are the ones i wear that day.



Cheers
Mark

Hey mark,

Thanks for asking, if I think of aesthetics I mainly focus on material, feel, and look.
Also one thing I keep in mind is sound, allot of the synthetic wear makes allot of noise, that annoys me, but also scares of allot of wildlife.
Thus I'm usually looking in the direction of leather and Canvas As I love the feel of those materials, I also like rugged and comforting feels like thick woolen or cotton sweaters.
I also am a great lover of most species of wood, I don't know why but it just speaks to me the feel the grain, its comforting for me in a strange sort of way.

Its for the same reasons I would love to build my own Woodenframed house some day, a dream I wish to someday fulfill.

Yours sincerely Ruud
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
....Its for the same reasons I would love to build my own Woodenframed house some day, a dream I wish to someday fulfill.

Yours sincerely Ruud

Ironicly wood framed houses are the standard over here. Even masonry homes are only an outer layer o masonry over the wood framing. Although steel framing is gaining ground as more termite resistant.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
They're definitely more earthquake resistant as they're more flexible. And generally better insulated.
 

Corso

Full Member
Aug 13, 2007
5,257
455
none
Since when is Kephart the norm for traditional or even bushcrafting?
As far as I'm concerned he was just a camper, like practically everyone of us.

dont think i suggested either however most of the kit he used could be considered traditional materials

wool,copper,brass,canvas etc. and yet he scoffed at traditional campers and their heavy loads....

I was just suggesting it was a matter of perspective

one persons traditional wouldn't be mine :)
 
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Elen Sentier

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The misconsception is that modern gear is far more superior than traditional gear, as it is always advertised as having many uses, hence saving space and weight.

But the idea of bushcraft is that you use skills you have learned to do certain jobs such as making fir with flint and other primitive methods that can be sourced from your surroundings, saving you even more weight.

I personally wrap my bedroll in my tarp (which happens to be a poncho, so doubles as waterproof clothing which also covers my gear I'm carrying on my shoulder.) I also put anything else I'm wanting to take out bushcrafting, in my bedroll and have this wrapped up, so everything is carried in one simple lump. I then double my length of paracord up a few times and tie it to each end of my bedroll and sling this on one shoulder.

I have also seen roycraft backpacks, which are simple backpacks which you can construct from your tarp or shelter to carry the rest of your gear, saving more weight.

What you said HG really did speak to me. I'd love to get to a state where I could go out with just a few things, like knife and cook-pot and what I stand up in , and be gifted all the rest by nature through what I'd learned. Definitely not there yet!

I use mostly modern gear for lightness, but I do use natural fibres as much as I can for clothing (being a wool-freak). And I'm quite inexperienced as yet so it's all a learning curve.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
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Florida
Not quite so hurricane or tornado resistant tho'.

Actually yes; provided you're not in the storm surge (the area where the waves come ashore and wash away the foundations) My current one has already suvived 5 hurricanes sinnce I've had it built. The one I grew up in (built in the 1930s before there were any building codes relating to hurricanes) is still standing after I've lost count of how many hurricanes (including Hurricane Camille)

However if you're in the storm surge Nothing is likely to withstand it as I said, the foundations wash out from under it. And as to a tornado, ordinary masonry doesn't withstand it either. Although a concrete dome or building into a hillside usually will.
 
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mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
Actually yes; provided you're not in the storm surge (the area where the waves come ashore and wash away the foundations) My current one has already suvived 5 hurricanes sinnce I've had it built. The one I grew up in (built in the 1930s before there were any building codes relating to hurricanes) is still standing after I've lost count of how many hurricanes (including Hurricane Camille)

More hurricane resistant than bricks and mortar? If so... How?
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
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Florida
More hurricane resistant than bricks and mortar? If so... How?

Didn't say "more" resistant. It's just that when discussing the merits of mortar vs wood frame against a tornado or storm surge, it's like arguing what's more resistant to a bullet? Soft silk? Or course canvas? The only real resistance is being where they don't hit or being underground.
 

mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
Didn't say "more" resistant. It's just that when discussing the merits of mortar vs wood frame against a tornado or storm surge, it's like arguing what's more resistant to a bullet? Soft silk? Or course canvas? The only real resistance is being where they don't hit or being underground.

I dunno, that's why I'm asking. It seems odd when we see tornado alley on the news with flimsy wood clad houses being torn to shreds...
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I dunno, that's why I'm asking. It seems odd when we see tornado alley on the news with flimsy wood clad houses being torn to shreds...

You see that because that's what the standard houses are here. The brick ones look the same after a tornado. A pile of rubble is a pile of rubble. It's just that after the bricks have been blown away all you see is the wood frame (or remnants) that was under the masonry. The first thing that occurs when a tornado strikes a structure is the roof being pulled up and off of it, then the structure collapses or itself is sucked up.

I remember the report from the SPs at Keesler AFB after Katrina. One of them reported back to the base commander in the shelter, "I have good news and bad news sir. Your cat survived." But as he handed him back his house keys he added, "But the bad news is I didn't need these to get in your house." All the military housing at that time was masonry and NONE of it survived the storm surge.
 
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cbr6fs

Native
Mar 30, 2011
1,620
0
Athens, Greece
They're definitely more earthquake resistant as they're more flexible. And generally better insulated.

Sorry mate i have to disagree there, no doubt certain designs of wooden houses are better than others.
Plus even a poor designed wooden house fairs better than most brick and mortar houses.
But generally wooden houses are absolutely useless in a earthquake, i've witnessed it for myself.

There are advantages to wooden houses and i do love the texture and feel in a nice wooden house, but as structural integrity goes even a poorly designed reinforced concrete house will fair better than a well designed wooden house.

[video=youtube;w59O_Z7z_6E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w59O_Z7z_6E[/video]


*edit
Although i did just find this one that seemed to stand up pretty well

[video=youtube;VHtrMq617gk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHtrMq617gk[/video]

given the choice though i'd still prefer to be in a steel reinforced house if a biggy hits.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Sorry mate i have to disagree there, no doubt certain designs of wooden houses are better than others.
Plus even a poor designed wooden house fairs better than most brick and mortar houses.
But generally wooden houses are absolutely useless in a earthquake, i've witnessed it for myself.

There are advantages to wooden houses and i do love the texture and feel in a nice wooden house, but as structural integrity goes even a poorly designed reinforced concrete house will fair better than a well designed wooden house.

Yes but "reinforced concrete" isn't really "masonry" is it. Bear in mind we don't get many earthquakes here in Florida. Rather I'm taking much of my info on that from california building codes that prohibit new masonry construcion if it isn't reinforced with resin impregnated materials. And they're requiring older "granfathered" buildings to slowly be brought into compliance.

No arguements that steel framed or reinforced buildings are superior (although modern steel reinforced concrete bridges also collapse in California) And also did you find any videos testing ordinary single story homes (multi stories aren't really the norm over here although they're not really "uncommon" either)

Also have to ask a question about the videos; Do any of those buildings have proper hurricane clips in the joints? Or Earthquake clips? Also did you find any tests of ordinary single story homes? Multi storied homes aren't really the norm over here (although I suppose they're not exactly rare)
 
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