I built my little pile of sticks, with some dry palmetto leaf tender on the bottom and some vaseline coated cotton balls placed at the base on the upwind side.

I got it going with my official wilderness survival kit.


Then it was time for meal prep....but a crazy notion came to me. Instead of just eating the pepper and cooking a hotdog, maybe something more exotic, like a kabob sandwich.





Delicious! I split the franks with my Mountain Man. Ever wonder what 52100 steel looks like after a bit of kitchen use? Like this!

The BDLE and MM performed well in slicing and bushcraft. The cotton ball trick really worked on the damp wood. My little EOD bag was able to carry my poncho, a cutting board, the fire starting stuff, the food, and a canteen. The rest of the gear fit into my Cabella's Safari vest. It turned out to be a beautiful day after all.

But I still say a big camp knife or machete is the way to go. I'll need to sweet talk that female at the office a little more, so I can carry my new Swamp Rat M9LE and HCLE combo next time. And just for good measure, the Scrap Muk. I'll be back!