As promised, this is how I make my pot hangers. They are simple and functional, take a minimum of time and effort to make and get binned at the end of the trip to rot down on the forest floor. Sometimes, If I find a good camping spot, I will hang it in a tree for next time.
The idea is to move away from complicated knife usage that may greaten the chances of cutting yourself, Ray likes his hangers cut with a knife, or that's what I gather from his books, I just think it is too much faffing about, this way is much easier.
Look for a forked branch. Try to use dead wood as I have here, it was dead standing and I cut it down for ease of photography. The fork on this worked fine, but if you can get more of a right angle shaped v, that is best as it doesn't interfere with removing the lid of the billy (that my missus has hidden somewhere, you'll see that later on!)
Looking now at this picture, I should have cut the lower branch off as it would have been straight, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference, it held an empty billy at its highest and lowest setting, so it worked as far as I'm concerned. If they are gonna be unstable, it will be with an empty billy, a full one is heavier and stops it all falling apart!
Cut the branch off that you don't want to keep, go for the straighter of the two, but it isn't too important.
Take the saw and cut into the branch at about 45 degrees towards the centre line. Don't go past the centre too far as it will weaken the pot hanger. The last thing you want is dinner being spoiled and the fire going out at the same time!
So far, all cuts have been made with a folding saw. Now, take your knife and widen the hook by shaving off the wood before the opening. Take it a little at a time, it is easier than trying to cut a big lump off, but the cut will act like a stop and the wood will split off until you get down to the level of the saw cut.
Once you have completed all of the cuts, and then widened them out with your knife, point the hooks off by removing a little piece of each side of the hooks. This isn't necessary, but sometimes the hooks feather at the edge a little due to the saw.
Next, fill your billy with water, hang it on the end of your pot hanger support, and away you go!
Here are a few I made earlier!!
And here is a Defender of the Realm, playing cricket when he should be working!
The idea is to move away from complicated knife usage that may greaten the chances of cutting yourself, Ray likes his hangers cut with a knife, or that's what I gather from his books, I just think it is too much faffing about, this way is much easier.
Look for a forked branch. Try to use dead wood as I have here, it was dead standing and I cut it down for ease of photography. The fork on this worked fine, but if you can get more of a right angle shaped v, that is best as it doesn't interfere with removing the lid of the billy (that my missus has hidden somewhere, you'll see that later on!)
Looking now at this picture, I should have cut the lower branch off as it would have been straight, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference, it held an empty billy at its highest and lowest setting, so it worked as far as I'm concerned. If they are gonna be unstable, it will be with an empty billy, a full one is heavier and stops it all falling apart!
Cut the branch off that you don't want to keep, go for the straighter of the two, but it isn't too important.
Take the saw and cut into the branch at about 45 degrees towards the centre line. Don't go past the centre too far as it will weaken the pot hanger. The last thing you want is dinner being spoiled and the fire going out at the same time!
So far, all cuts have been made with a folding saw. Now, take your knife and widen the hook by shaving off the wood before the opening. Take it a little at a time, it is easier than trying to cut a big lump off, but the cut will act like a stop and the wood will split off until you get down to the level of the saw cut.
Once you have completed all of the cuts, and then widened them out with your knife, point the hooks off by removing a little piece of each side of the hooks. This isn't necessary, but sometimes the hooks feather at the edge a little due to the saw.
Next, fill your billy with water, hang it on the end of your pot hanger support, and away you go!
Here are a few I made earlier!!
And here is a Defender of the Realm, playing cricket when he should be working!
