What's your favourite trick, cheat or adaptation?
- Thread starter Wayland
- Start date
Can't believe I forgot this one.
If you have a fire, take some ash and water and add them to your greasy cooking pan.
A chemist could tell you that ash and water combine to make a mild alkali and a residue that contains gritty silica
Now since alkali and fat are the principal ingredients of soap this concoction will break down the fat in your pan and the “soap” will help to shift other stuff, especially as the silica helps to scour the pan too.
A handful of grass used to scrub this mixture around should clean your pan very effectively and quickly
when you have washed the pan pour the water and residue into the edge of the fireplace, this area will already have been affected by the alkali in the ash. It also reduces the heat in the ground under the fire and makes it easier to extinguish in the end.
Rinse with water and again pour it into the fireplace.
On the next rinse you can pour the water away elsewhere if you wish but not into the water source.
All too often I have seen people washing pans directly in streams or lakes only to pour the dirty water back into the clean source.
Always throw the water well back onto the land, this way the ground can filter out the organic materials, reducing contamination of your source water.
To be really safe, for a final rinse use clean drinking water, or boil the water in the pan.
If I have no ash from a fire, more often than not I scrape the pan clean with a plastic “chef aid” and leave it until I have a fire to clean it properly.
If you have a fire, take some ash and water and add them to your greasy cooking pan.
A chemist could tell you that ash and water combine to make a mild alkali and a residue that contains gritty silica
Now since alkali and fat are the principal ingredients of soap this concoction will break down the fat in your pan and the “soap” will help to shift other stuff, especially as the silica helps to scour the pan too.
A handful of grass used to scrub this mixture around should clean your pan very effectively and quickly
when you have washed the pan pour the water and residue into the edge of the fireplace, this area will already have been affected by the alkali in the ash. It also reduces the heat in the ground under the fire and makes it easier to extinguish in the end.
Rinse with water and again pour it into the fireplace.
On the next rinse you can pour the water away elsewhere if you wish but not into the water source.
All too often I have seen people washing pans directly in streams or lakes only to pour the dirty water back into the clean source.
Always throw the water well back onto the land, this way the ground can filter out the organic materials, reducing contamination of your source water.
To be really safe, for a final rinse use clean drinking water, or boil the water in the pan.
If I have no ash from a fire, more often than not I scrape the pan clean with a plastic “chef aid” and leave it until I have a fire to clean it properly.
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Get a kids crab line next time you're at the seaside, and you've got roughly 25 Yd's of extremely strong but thin twine for a quid or so. Re-wind it onto a pencil or short stick, takes up no space and comes in very handy for no end of uses.
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Drop a couple of 4" nails into your bergan and you have excellent hooks to tie line onto for drying wet gear storing or hanging kit off the deck. Easily hammered in with a rock and when removed no great lasting damage to the tree.
SWMBO went camping the other day & used the mesh bag the cookset is stored in to strain pasta
When I strain pasta at home, I use the hot water to preheat the bowls/plates
When I strain pasta at home, I use the hot water to preheat the bowls/plates
Great, I love it when this thread surfaces again.
I forgot to mention this one.
I carry a light pencil sharper in my tinder pouch for getting shavings from try twigs and of course an alloy tube for blowing air into a fire.
Together they weigh next to nothing but repay that weight many times over.
I forgot to mention this one.
I carry a light pencil sharper in my tinder pouch for getting shavings from try twigs and of course an alloy tube for blowing air into a fire.
Together they weigh next to nothing but repay that weight many times over.
Carry a carrier bag screwed up in your bag. When you are putting on waterproof trousers, put the carrier bag on your boot, then your boot in your waterproofs. Your foot will glide in like a glidey thing.
I have known this for years, one day, a few years ago, I met a group of elderly walkers on Combestone Tor on Dartmoor. I was explaining this trick, as they were in the process of donning their 'proofs. All the women immediately took note, and were trooed up in no time. The 4 or 5 gentlemen in the group refused to believe me, one of them even saying that at my age what did I know? Oh, how we laughed when he ripped the lining from inside his very expensive new trousers as it had caught on his boots!
I have known this for years, one day, a few years ago, I met a group of elderly walkers on Combestone Tor on Dartmoor. I was explaining this trick, as they were in the process of donning their 'proofs. All the women immediately took note, and were trooed up in no time. The 4 or 5 gentlemen in the group refused to believe me, one of them even saying that at my age what did I know? Oh, how we laughed when he ripped the lining from inside his very expensive new trousers as it had caught on his boots!
Whittler Kev
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
you can use an ash ring around your food area ie cool box or bag to stop ants, spiders, rats and any small mamals getting to your food and in the tropics to stop snakes getting in your camp. just go around your whole camp big time with a bigger ring. because they don't like getting ash on their feet, especially snakes don't like anything sticking to their skins, you never see a dog or a cat very close to a fire place. try putting some ash on dog or cats paws. and see. they hate you for life. cheers the interceptor boy.g sticking to their skins, you never see a dog or a cat very close to a fire place. try putting some ash on dog or cats paws. and see. they hate you for life. cheers the interceptor boy.
I am disapointed
You of all folk Garry ....... blow tubes are so much nicer if crafted from Elder ...I expected yours to be hand carved with glorious Nordic pictograms ...
What next - will you be using a Ti Spork that is also a hex wrench and bottle opener?
Its not my original idea and I'm sure I've posted it elsewhere on the forum.....
If you have a DC3 or DC4 sharpening stone, read on;
take the leather pouch, slit the stitching and turn it inside out - resewing it so the flesh side of the leather is exposed - rub a little abrasive paste onto one side - hey presto an instant strop for use after using the stone!
ATB
Ogri the trog
If you have a DC3 or DC4 sharpening stone, read on;
take the leather pouch, slit the stitching and turn it inside out - resewing it so the flesh side of the leather is exposed - rub a little abrasive paste onto one side - hey presto an instant strop for use after using the stone!
ATB
Ogri the trog
I am disapointed
You of all folk Garry ....... blow tubes are so much nicer if crafted from Elder ...I expected yours to be hand carved with glorious Nordic pictograms ...
What next - will you be using a Ti Spork that is also a hex wrench and bottle opener?
I made an elder one a while back but unfortunately it snapped in my bag. This one is carried in my tinder pouch which lives in my trouser cargo pocket so it gets quite a few bumps and bends. A bit of broken arrow shaft serves the purpose much better.
you could use a wood ash ring around your food ie, cool box or bag to stop ants. spider's, rats getting to your food. and in hot climates to stop snakes coming into your camp. because they like the wood ash sticking to their skins.
