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For me, it depends on the job I need to do. 1mm Opinel (with the secondary bevel buffed out) for slicing... 2mm Scandi (Mora) for light cutting and woodworking/carving 3mm F1 or Howling Rat for heavier stuff that can damage a blade 5mm Camp Tramp for saplings and such "light chopping"...

Natural : - very smooth and hard river stone (either flat or rounded for convex edges) Transformed/non-natural : - steel wire (it's a steel after all) - the spine of another knife as a steel - wet/dry sandpaper (that's what I use all the time) - Any roundish rod made of something hard...

FeralSheryl, Yup... the blackberries are early over here as well. I saw the first ones around july 8th... I'm in the south of France, and that was on a south exposed slope with lots of sun. Still, I thought that was very early. I gathered some in late september last year. Sometimes...

I used to lose all of my knives... and a girlfriend of mine told me to give my new knife a name. This was supposed to make me think of my knife and never lose it anymore. I must admit I was quite skeptical, but tried nevertheless, just for the fun of it. I named the blade "Bob". Bob and...

I personally do not like to be mistaken for a soldier or a SAS/rambo wannabe. I do like to wear sudbued colors, however. I have a few OD items (swannie, poncho, etc.), but by mixing them with other colors (brown, black, tan, grey), civilian looking gear, and a wide brimmed hat (brown), I still...

There is something I HATE with my wave : I often pinch the skin from the inside of my hand with it. Whenever the pliers slip or whatever, the skin gets stuck. OUCH !!! Maybe it's just me... Anyone had that kind of problem with the wave too ? Cheers, David

In summer, I often just make a pile of debris and wrap myself in my poncho and/or in an old wool blanket. Setup time : about 39 secs. Comfy enough to sleep. In winter, I like a sleeping bag mainly because it's warmer. A good sleeping bag is to clothes what mitts are to gloves. That being...

I don't care if it's new or old. I just want my gear to do it's job well. For me, Gore-Tex is not breathable enough. In slightly cold weather and light rain, the Swannie does it for me (old gear). In a heavy shower, I dig out a Ferrino poncho with a reflective inner side (modern gear)...

Well... Why would you carry a hatchet ? I carry a big blade both for survival and bushcraft teaching, mainly because it can chop and split wood for the fire. Many woods are dry inside and wet outside. They burn better once split. A big knife will also do any task I throw at it, from...

I did that with an old ka-bar, but with a slightly convex edge (using the foam & sandpaper trick). It cuts better and the edge is not as tough as it used to be... this was predictable ;) The thinner the edge, the sharper it gets. The thicker the angle, the tougher... I found, though...

Hi, Some like them. I personally think they are a method secretly developed by some sadist to get the G.I.'s pain tolerance capacities at a higher realm.... This thing was digging in my the back of my ribs, shoulders, and all... I hated it so much I gave it to my worst ennemy (professor...

Ok, soapbox mode here... I think it's stupid and dangerous to avoid good pieces of gear and good techniques because they are not old fashioned enough. End of soapbox mode. I know how to make flint tools, but I still carry (at least) a good quality blade in the field. I know how to...

Worst thing I ate in the bush was fish. Not any kind of fish, though... "Survival" outing. I was around 12 or 13 I guess. Near a river. I had found an old rusty iron can to use as a billy. Then I saw a whole cloud of mini, mini salmons. You know, about 2-3 inches long salmons... I...

LOL -- I said "IF" :D I'm working with a pro illustrator for my book, and he does like you say : sketch freehand, add black ink (still on paper) and then scan & clean up the mess... He's a pencil semi-god, and he wised up long ago about Wacoms... ;) I think it's worth considering for us...

Ok :) Great idea for creating a loop, Hubba. The fun part with this cord & stone anchoring system is that you can place waterproof anchor points anywhere you want on your tarp. Instead of a rectangular pyramid, you can easily create yourself a complex dome, or an asymetric new age habitat...

Arctic Hobo, Thanks for clearing up my mess :) -- This is exactly what I had in mind. Hoodoo, Great campsites... I really like the "stretcher bed"... great idea. Good way to stay off the wet, cold ground ! I'll have to try that one some time. How do you attach the...

That is great. Nice and simple... The greatest part is that with only one open side, you stay clear from wind and rain being pushed in... Great shelter. Three thoughts, though... 1) the fire place is a bit close to the tarp, no ? :) -- 2) With such setups, you better sleep out...

I filed (with a round file) a special serration on the back mine for the fire steel. Works very well. Cheers, David

Hey Simon, I didn't know that trick with plantain :) I'll try that :) Thanks ! I always chose the newest, thinnest, freshest leaves and diced them very small. I then mixed it with other goodies (typically dandelions leaves since those two often grow side by side). One of my...

Hi there, I live (and teach survival) in France. Many good info already. I'll just add my two cents if you don't mind... 1) regarding hunting : 99% of hunting here is performed with dogs. When in the bush, stay far away from the barks and bells, and you'll be fine. Hunters have a...