Recommended EDUCATIONAL FILMS about the propper classical way of BUSHCRAFT and SURVIVAL

[Erbswurst]

Traditional German Boy Scout Tent
Tortuga KOHTE

I prefere to put shorter and lighter poles (like the wooden pegs made in the forest every evening) inside the Kohte, they are standing next to the stone circle around the fire in the middle of the tent and are pressing the spreading cross up. That is more stable and allows thinner and shorter poles that can be easier found and faster made.
Both options are usual in german boy scout circles.

The best variations of that tent are the small version ( diameter 4,10 metres) with 20 cm earth stripe (thats is wind proof) and especially the larger "Wanderkohte" (diameter 5m) in the lighter 290g/m2 black Tencate pure cotton fabric.
Here you can see the differences in the sizes:

Little different set up of the larger Wanderkohte.
In the small pegs in this video I wouldn't trust if using this large tent, I have cordage loops in the eyelets and use far stronger wooden or steel pegs:

Four usual NATO ponchos are usefull as ground sheeds, two persons can sleep on each, so up to 8 persons will fit in this tents. In heavy rain you can throw another poncho over the smoke hole, what usually isn't necessary if the fire is burning.

German boy scouts usually hang a 6 litres pot under the cross over the fire by using a cooking chaine with ring in the top and an open hook in the lower end, that goes through the handle and upwards where you can adjust the height of the pot. Working gloves should be used for that. 600g hatchet and small bow saw are highly recommended in this case for processing fire wood in the right sizes and to make poles and pegs and to get the large wooden pegs into the ground.

Because you can light a well sized fire inside this tent it is very comfortable in most conditions.

Because it is of course relatively heavy that tent can be used by groups with 4 to 8 members.
4 persons easily can carry the 4 sections.

For spring, autumn and winter times the Kohte is the best option for small groups who are hiking in the woods, in my opinion.

 

[Erbswurst]

Kröte
One part of the Kohte as one man tent

One of the tent parts can be set up as a one man tent, here the small version:

Especially for this one man tent construction the larger size of the Kohte, the Tortuga WANDERKOHTE is highly recommended for adult tall persons!
That two men tent here is 120 cm high and surely long enough for everybody.

The parts of the Wanderkohte, connected with them selves, are large enough to use them as a bivvy bag. That works surprisingly well. You need a military poncho as ground sheed, that is covered by the cotton "bivvy bag" like a roof, so the poncho will not collect rain water under the sleeping bag. At your feet you fold the fabric a bit under your self.

In expected rain we set up a tent, of course, but if we don't expect rain, we often just roll ourselves in such kind of bivvy bags.

Of course the cotton fabric isn't as waterproof as a modern Goretex bivvy bag. But in light and shorter rain it works pretty well.

 

[Erbswurst]

Lok
(Lokomotive)

Two parts of the Kohte, connected with the buttons of the usual bottom line, give you the two persons tent Lok.
As you see, it is very aerodynamic (1 metre high) and fully enclosed. That is the mountain use version of that tent system.

Because the Kröte of the Wanderkohte is large enough as a two men tent, the Wanderkohte has no buttons at the bottom line. But of course you can also put two of that larger tent sheeds together as a Lok.

 

[Erbswurst]

Jurte (Yurt)

With 6 tent sheeds of a small size Kohte (with buttons at the bottom line) german boy scouts usually construct a tent for round about 30 persons in the middle of the camp to come together.
The side walls are made with 12 square tent sheeds "Quadratische Zeltbahn" 165 x165 cm ( which had been in use in the German army in WW1).

The Jurte is the main reason, why the smaller Kohte exists, the original size of the Kohte was the size of the larger Wanderkohte.
When they created the Jurte, Germany was full off old military square tent sheeds, so they used them for the Jurte.

I recommend to everybody who will not construct a Jurte and who wants to go for hiking in the woods with the Kohte with minimum 4 and up to 8 persons to choose the larger Wanderkohte!

That's simply the better size!

The Swiss Army tent sheed (Schweizer Armee Blache) is technically identic with the old German square tent sheeds (Deutsche quadratische Heeres Zeltbahn M 1892, 165 x 165 cm).

 

[Erbswurst]

Jurtenburg / Jurtendom

The smaller Kohte with buttons at the bottom line allows a lot of different bigger tent constructions made from parts of (smaller) Kohte and the old German Quadratische Heeres Zeltbahn (165 x 165 cm square tent sheeds) which was in use in the German army during WW1. Simpler made civil versions of the old square tent sheeds are still available made by Tortuga.

 

[Erbswurst]

Bushcraft Town ???

That here are german boy scout tents and (in this case a bit larger) bushcraft camps!



That are videos about larger meetings.
Of course usually one group is hiking with only one tent for a couple of weeks, but sometimes they organise larger camps.
In every of this tents will burn a well sized fire in the evenings: The german boy scout tent "Kohte" is the only portable real lavvu I know.
A real lavvu is a tent with an open fire in the middle, in my opinion.

We use that kind of tents since 1929.
Similar tents which had been constructed exclusively with square tent sheeds we use far longer of course.

 

[Robson Valley]

A winter camp in my part of the Canadian Rockies takes experience and practice, if you are so inclined.
Maybe you use our 300+ km groomed XC trails around my village and stay in one of the free cabins.
Maybe you know a trapper and gain permission to use a line shack for a night.

Otherwise, we don't spend nights out in the winter just for fun. It is too easy to die.
Without a reason, we don't do winter camping. -20C and colder isn't a thrill.

However.

I do believe that learning to do a lot in shirty inclement weather, optimizing a camp,
is a spectrum of skills of great value. Very cold, very windy and very wet will kill you.
Learn how to stop that. Practice, practice, practice.

Maybe it isn't you. Maybe you have to stop to assist some one injured. Show time, kids.

 

[Erbswurst]

In my opinion winter camping starts to become really unpleasant if it's colder than -5*C. Lower than this, one needs a really good sleeping bag and good clothing and I think a lot of experiance around 0*C too.

That's why I informed in this thread about modern two bag military sleep systems. Equipped with that, camping in really cold conditions becomes far easier.

Just one thick winter bag isn't so good in my experiance, because it's often too hot.
And if you open it for ventilation it becomes too cold.

In a two bag system one can leave the outer bag a bit open and the inner bag closed and adjust like that the optimal inner temperature.

Carinthia Tropen and especially Snugpak Special Forces 1 are phantasticly well made very compact 2 or 3 season sleeping bags which should be recommended to everybody who needs a new summer sleeping bag.
Because after this small investment one already owns half of one of the best winter sleep systems in the world.
And different to a used inside broken military surplus one you can get them factory new! And they are optimised to be combined with theyr bivvy bags on top.

I don't see any reasons to recommend to beginners in Europe other stuff than one of this.

 

[Robson Valley]

How many of you have a snowknife? Genuine Inuit style snow knife? I need to make a new one.
I expect to get drifts in my back yard running 3-6' high. Good and hard.
We could fool with building igloolik.

My neighbor builds a form from half a dozen freight pallets (new, clean and fresh here) with a tarp cover.
3-4' snow on top and it's quite well insulated for his kids.

Practice, practice, practice.

 

[Erbswurst]

I would invest in an ice cream cake knife, but not in a snow knife.

If we have good luck, we can create a snow shelter with usual snow shovel from the shed and entrenching tool.

Long, long times ago...

Around Berlin it becomes most years a few weeks long pretty cold, -15 *C often happen, -20 or -25*C we do not get every winter. So here a winter sleep system is nice to have.

But my gaiters I used last time, ahhhh, ohhh, ahhhh, I think 1990 in Austria.

But to be honest, I own also high military boots and I use them.

 

[henchy3rd]

Try will lord prehistoric survival on YouTube.

 

[henchy3rd]

Try Will lords prehistoric survival on you tube. Educational & informative.

 

[Lacedaemonius]

It's not a film I'm going to suggest but a channel on Youtube, ' Joe Robinet '
not as long winded as some other people I've seen, he also doesn't go over the top with sponsors and plugging gear/equipment for personal monetary gains.

 

[Billy-o]

In my opinion winter camping starts to become really unpleasant if it's colder than -5*C. Lower than this, one needs a really good sleeping bag and good clothing and I think a lot of experiance around 0*C too.

Oh no, Erbs .... around freezing you have to be so anal about not touching snow surfaces when settling down. When it colder, snow stays fluffy and powdery and brushes off.

 

[Erbswurst]

Yes, that's right!
Around freezing can be pretty uncomfortable too, especially if it's not Autumn but Spring.

 

[Erbswurst]

How to ignite a fire in damp conditions:

 

[Le Loup]

Deleted By Author with apologies.
Keith.

 

[forrestdweller]

It's not a film I'm going to suggest but a channel on Youtube, ' Joe Robinet '
not as long winded as some other people I've seen, he also doesn't go over the top with sponsors and plugging gear/equipment for personal monetary gains.

iirc he chickened out after a day or so while on season2 of "alone"..., claiming to have lost his ferro rod...
another participant lost his rod when it rolled into the fire but he kept going, using bowdrill for fire starting....

 

[Le Loup]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEOMSZJETfj3GnoyONuvCQ

 

[TeeDee]

A note about this heading:
Do bare in mind that Bushcraft is NOT the same as survival. Most (but not all) so called Bushcrafters are not concerned with sustainability, much of their modern equipment (gadgets) are not sustainable.
Keith.

Seems to be a fairly asinine comment unless you've carried out a all encompassing personal census that I'm not aware of. You are taking a stance of as an individual speaking for TWO whole communities ( if one wishes to recognise a difference ).

I know you have your own individual way of doing things ( and all power to you in that regard ) particular to yourself but please don't feel so emboldened to put yourself on a pedestal where you think you can judge others.