Fad items of Bushcraft

[TeeDee]

Ikea drainer hobo stoves... Svord peasants, Bannock in a bag, Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, Bushcraft being on the TV, Company's everywhere teaching bushcraft, Spoon carving, WIld foods, People actually going out and practicing bushcraft... Wild camps... questions about bushcraft, Interest in actual bushcraft, Stories of peoples travels and adventures.... I could go on....and on...

Agreed, not all commercial per se... but all seemingly fads when looking back.

I think what I mean by 'fad' item i something that appeared on the scene, was quickly coveted and then incorporated into 'bushcraft lore' by the mob ( no disrespect to the Mob - I'm one of them... ) and then we don't hear much more about them.

The first Fad Item I can think of in my experience of bushcraft world was the Swandrii Green wool shirt. Not saying they are not a good bit of kit but I don't see many where them now ( or maybe I'm just not mixing in those Circles )

As an analogy - if this was Kids Toys we'd be talking Tamigothca ( sp??? ) , fidget spinners , and those terrible little folding Two wheeled scooters that could easily take your shin bone clean off.

 

[Toddy]

Have we had hand chain saws yet?

No, and I came across one of mine just the other day.
Lethal damned thing, like a spring with jaggy steel teeth.

 

[Chris]

I think what I mean by 'fad' item i something that appeared on the scene, was quickly coveted and then incorporated into 'bushcraft lore' by the mob ( no disrespect to the Mob - I'm one of them... ) and then we don't hear much more about them.

The first Fad Item I can think of in my experience of bushcraft world was the Swandrii Green wool shirt. Not saying they are not a good bit of kit but I don't see many where them now ( or maybe I'm just not mixing in those Circles )

As an analogy - if this was Kids Toys we'd be talking Tamigothca ( sp??? ) , fidget spinners , and those terrible little folding Two wheeled scooters that could easily take your shin bone clean off.

I like my Swandrii, which is annoying because it is now huge on me. In a way a nice problem to have, but also an expensive one.

 

[HillBill]

I think what I mean by 'fad' item i something that appeared on the scene, was quickly coveted and then incorporated into 'bushcraft lore' by the mob ( no disrespect to the Mob - I'm one of them... ) and then we don't hear much more about them.

Like Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, Ikea Hobo Stoves, Svord Peasants... foraging...etc? Think about it. They all just came and went in a similar time scale.

 

[TeeDee]

Like Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, Ikea Hobo Stoves, Svord Peasants... foraging...etc? Think about it. They all just came and went in a similar time scale.

Think I will have to disagree with you Bill on your inclusion of Ray and Bear - regardless if one likes or loathes either of them as characters or educators both haven't been flash in the pan types to my mind.

Both have had various lengthy ( over a decade ) TV presence , merchandising , book deals , and are known characters/faces even outside of bushcraft type circles to the gen pop public.

Say Ray or Bears to a general members of the public and I think they will know how you are talking about. Say the name Lars,Cody or Mors and I thin you'll get blank looks.


So for me I can't include them as a fad. They are still relevant - its more Bushcraft that has waned judging from the lack of renewed activity or progs on TV.


But Hobo Stoves ( IKEA fav.) , Svord peasants - Yes totally agree to those.

 

[Toddy]

I still use my hobo stove Mostly just for the fun of it right enough

 

[Aristotle]

Not sure I agree there, I can see how new tech is lighter, and gear/brands robbery aside, I prefer a more robust approach for example my haversack is an old 37 pattern small pack. I've used it the past 30 years plus and it predates that by a good 20 odd years. No synchetic pack alive would still be going after 50 years hard use.

Same goes with a lot of surplus gear... But it's courses for horses, personally if it ain't broke I ain't gonna fix it, and my wallet thanks me for it too.

Synthetics are good for some things.

Having damaged various pairs with crampons etc. I do prefer canvas gaiters for resilience and ease of repair though.

 

[HillBill]

Think I will have to disagree with you Bill on your inclusion of Ray and Bear - regardless if one likes or loathes either of them as characters or educators both haven't been flash in the pan types to my mind.

Both have had various lengthy ( over a decade ) TV presence , merchandising , book deals , and are known characters/faces even outside of bushcraft type circles to the gen pop public.

Say Ray or Bears to a general members of the public and I think they will know how you are talking about. Say the name Lars,Cody or Mors and I thin you'll get blank looks.


So for me I can't include them as a fad. They are still relevant - its more Bushcraft that has waned judging from the lack of renewed activity or progs on TV.


But Hobo Stoves ( IKEA fav.) , Svord peasants - Yes totally agree to those.

I was more referring to the popularity or Ray and Bear, and the pull they had to draw people in to our passions and privileges. (Remember... Mother nature has many suitors... , and she probably prefers the push to the pull as well )

I enjoyed both, but as their TV stuff faded into obscurity, so did interest in the subjects they were adept at teaching. Survival is far more active than bushcraft these days... so i guess Teddy Bear chose the more consistent route, despite the mocking he got from the bushcraft side of things.

Most of the lads i know dont know much if any about any of them. There more likely to 'erect' a lavvu in bed on a morning than they are of knowing how to put one up in the woods if the instruction book hit 'em round the head.

 

[Pattree]

I still use my hobo stove Mostly just for the fun of it right enough

That’s what Bushcraft is for.
That’s why we are willing to try out things that look like fun even though we suspect that they won’t work before we buy them.

I can only think that a lot of stuff is launched without enough market research.

 

[Aristotle]

The Svord Peasant *Mini* is a great knife. Mine gets a lot of use. The full size one not very much.

 

[forrestdweller]

LED torches. Hideous things, with their blue or white light.

Maglites were fine, a pleasant light the colour of a candle flame. How often do you really need 3 billion lumens?

well... i chucked my mini mag away due to the fact that i had twice to replace the socket due to the same failure...
i DO however agree that nowadays LED torches are (often) overbright "fuel guzzlers" with too many settings!


my personal fad are ferro rods: bought one (from a swedish company daring to steal the old name of another tool for them), tried it found it ABSOLUTELY unreliable, chucked it and stick strictly to flint and steel, magnifying glass or bowdrill since 2011!!!

 

[CrispyDuck]

I’m reading through this thread like it’s kit bingo…
Expensive, heavy canvas tarp that will outlive me… tick!
Billion lumen torch with 10 different settings… tick!
IKEA hobo stove… tick!
Trangea kit… tick!
Polish Lavvu… tick! (With a mod… extra tick!)
Expensive draw queen knife… tick!
Spoon carving kit… tick!
Ferro rod… tick!

Add a UCO candle lantern, GB axe and nesting 1l bottle with billy can set and I’m a walking Bushcraft cliché

 

[Toddy]

I forgot about the UCO's. I have a box of those...well one's an UCO the others are brass knock-offs from before the Chinese really flooded us.

 

[FerlasDave]

Knife steel always seems to be a fad. There’s always a latest steel that outperforms the last!

 

[Chris]

Fallkniven DC4. Everyone raves about them but the CC4 is better.

 

[HillBill]

Knife steel always seems to be a fad. There’s always a latest steel that outperforms the last!

And yet, the layman can't tell much difference because hes not cutting through rope a thousand times or hammering through nails and chains. Yet always seems willing to give the maker much more money and a harder time because a video on youtube said so.

 

[Laurentius]

I forgot about the UCO's. I have a box of those...well one's an UCO the others are brass knock-offs from before the Chinese really flooded us.

Oh yeah forgot about the UCO's extra tick if you have the (rubbish) paraffin insert.

 

[Toddy]

I never tried one of those. Having said that though, my fire poi are made of kevlar tape folded over and over into a block and then a bolt was put through...would kevlar stuffed inside help in the paraffin insert ?

 

[Aristotle]

And yet, the layman can't tell much difference because hes not cutting through rope a thousand times or hammering through nails and chains. Yet always seems willing to give the maker much more money and a harder time because a video on youtube said so.

It becomes more than a little academic

 

[John Fenna]

As gear tester for several magazines, I got to play with a lot of kit of the "fad" type for free and still use a lot of it...
Swanni shirt - even my home made wool shirts mirror this style (but better cut )
GB SFA - love it but generally use a French tomahawk as I can use that for throwing as well
Cold Steel Spetznatz shovel - great shovel ... and can be used for throwing fun ... think big boys games of darts
Hobo stove - still sometimes use mine on short camps or days out in winter
Trangia burner - I use one in my Crusader cook system instead of gel
Ferro rod - very occasional use - I much prefer my flint and steel - but it is good kit (but why not carry a lighter instead?)
Canvas Tarp - I still regularly give my home made canvas and waxed cotton tarps a bit of use, normally on camps where I use and wear nothing that is not home made
Laplander - still my "go to" folding saw: practical, reliable and reasonably effective but mainly a fraction of the cost (when I got it) of an alternative
Canvas bags and packs - tough and cheap, easy to make and repair, I love em and make a fair few

What I do not have is any fancy brand name trousers - cost to fit and function come nowhere near my home made or even "OG" brand combats
I do have an Arktis waterproof smock (I normally avoid synthetic breathable jackets) which is a very fine garment. I only got it because I cannot afford the Ventile to make a new smock to replace my current home made Ventile smock which is now on its last legs and not fit to be seen in polite company (bit still OK for Bushy meet-ups )