went for a little hike today.i was gonna do some bush 'wackin to a little hidden pond i found on a satellite map and scout it for deer sign but it was just way too thick and it was getting dark.there is no doubt in my mind i would've gotten lost for hours had i attempted it.

it got dark quick which isnt a problem as i usually end up out there in the dark.when i hit the trail it was overcast but nice.

right before dark i decided to get off the trail,start a fire and cook the stake i brought.i'm not kidding,the second i took my pack off it started raining hard and for the record i think GORE-TEX is crap.i have a USGI GORE-TEX coat and the rain soaked right through it.

i got a fire started all the same and cooked and ate my stake in the pouring rain.the forest was thick and blocked a decent amount of the rain.i wasnt soaked but i was definitely wet.

here's my pack.kifaru x-ray with some MOLLE pouches,leatherman and a GB 20" hatchet attached to it.i love this pack.



here's the blades i brought.i always bring a few to test them against each other.the only way to really get a feel for a blade is in real time and i bring a few at a time to speed up the process and test them side by side.

left to right:
YK,HRLM,BREEDEN PSKK 2,ZT 3O1 & BATTLERAT on top


the BREEDEN is 3/32in thick,O1 tool steel,8in over all,4in blade w/ orange G10 & white liners.great bushcraft knife and i learned first hand that
BRYON BREEDENS customer service is just as good as anyones.i had a small problem with the first one he sent me.i contacted him,sent it back,he made and sent me a new one but he also sent me the old one too.i really get 2 blades for the price of one.no questions asked & no BS.he even paid for the shipping for me to return it.KILLER CUSTOMER SERVICE.

this pic sucks but its where i was,just off the trail in the middle of the forest.it wasnt even that dark when i took the pic


here's my little cooking fire that i got going from scratch in the pouring rain.no primitive fire making skills tonight in the rain.just a good 'ole fashioned BIC.


and here's my little grill called the GRILLI-PUT that i cooked my stake on.its self containing and packs up inside its self for storage.


i hiked all the way out in the dark and it poured the entire time.its about as rural as it can get in NY out here.there are way more dirt roads than paved roads out here.

the stake was great.medium well.

Very well done.

Looks like a great time! I love that little Grilli-Put. I need to get one of those!

Well, if you have to be in the woods in the rain, and least you had a steak to eat while you're there. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> That grill company has a website if you Google it...

Bad2theBone,






It is always good to eat Steak!

In the woods,at home,in the garage,at a neighbors,a local restaurant and so on! I LOVE to eat Steak. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


Although truth be told mine have been ground for about two years now. Maybe someday soon I'll try a Steak and remember what they taste like all over again!

Nice pictures! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Peace.

He overcooked the steak though <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I ended up ordering the grill from Campmor though Target appears to carry them as well.

... actually, he said medium rare.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/loopy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
ahahah! I crack myself up.

great pics, it looks pretty scary there actually.
I couldn't do that, thats for sure. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

but man... no pics of the steak?!

it is sort of spooky.

i dont know why but it just is.it is a labyrinth of dirt roads that just never end and there are no houses.a trail called "THE FINGER LAKES TRAIL" {FLT} runs through it all.the trail runs across the entire state and it also connects to the Appalachian Trail

there are bears here but they arent a threat.i have found sign 20 yards from my tent.

being in deep inside a secluded forest at night is spooky for me but i never let it stop me.

the bottom line is that you are totally on your own if you run into some weirdo,an aggressive animal or if you get hurt somehow.

i've got so many sharp and pointy things on me i am practically a INFI,SR1010,SR77 cross breed porcupine.

i saw one of them too here a while ago.fat little guy climbing up a tree.my dog thought he wanted a piece of that.

Looks like a nice trip, N1! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I've got one of those Grill-Put things, but I haven't used it yet. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I usually like to cook my steaks right on the coals... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Great pics ,it is spooky at night in the bush. I often go snowmobiling at night in the bush and when it is really cold and dark it feels like you are on the moon.
It is not bad while riding but if you stop and shut down all the engines it sure gets spooky fast. The snow makes it quite easy to see though even with moonlight.

The smell of a 2 stroke engine in cold air is one of those smells that makes my memory circuits kick in really hard.

Sat maps rule. We finally got some decent ones of our area. I am going to try to take some photos so when you go on Google earth for my area you can click on them and see what the place really looks like.

i'm with you on the engine in cold air thing and your right about being able to see at night in the snow.one thing about winter at night is the silence,at least here.during the rest of the year there's a lot of noise.a squirrel cruising along over dried leaves probably makes more noise than any other animal.

sometimes when i'm walking at night with my flashlight i'll shut it off for a second and try walking in the pitch dark.man am i glad i have a light and extra batts. with me then.

i also use satellite maps for all the areas i hike,camp and hunt.they are invaluable in so many different ways,especially for hunting.

i use "google earth" and "terra server usa".i can get road maps,toppo maps and aerial/satellite pics from above.

all in all the only problem i've ever had in the woods has been with dogs.people let their dogs off the leash thinking their the only people out there and the dogs run up ahead of them and then bumps into me with no owner to control it.

i've run into extremely mean and aggressive german shephards,pitbulls and mutts.havnt been bit yet.i know not to run from a dog but sometimes instinct takes over.

about 3 years ago i was cornered by a german shepherd and pitbull together.the german shepherd was so mean i didnt even care about the pit although he was growling also.i had a 6in blade in my hand,behind my back and thought i was about to have too fight for my life.eventually the owner came and called them off.i had just kept backing up and trying to stay calm.second meanest dogs i've ever seen and one of the most intense moments i can remember.i thought for sure when they charged me they where going to attack me but they stopped right in front of me and kept growling and backing me up.

one of these days i'm gonna end up seriously hurting or even killing one of these dogs i'm afraid.one old lady had two pits on the trail and they where trying to get to me and she couldnt control them and wasnt even paying attention and i told her i would kill those dogs if they attacked me so she better pay attention to them.

i've seen what they can do to flesh and i cant afford reconstructive surgery or too be out of work.i love dogs but some are just a threat and i think some people underestimate them.i also bring my 8yr old out their with me too.i've told him that if anything ever happens to get behind me and stay quiet and still.i've probably had 6 bad run ins with dogs in the last 5 years on the trails.

Hey Northern1, thats some great stuff. Sharp and I love cooking in the woods, though we typically use chicken. Just in the spirit of friendly criticism, you may wish to clear off the ground around you fire, just in case. I know it was raining, but its a good habit to get into. I didn't do this until Horn Dog alerted me of the issue, so I'm just passing on the love

i dont expect anyone to believe me but the only way that ground would light would be to throw gas on it and even then it would not spread past that.again,i understand the whole "what if" thought but it just aint happening.i wish because it would make my fire starting chores a lot easier.

people who say you can always find dry tinder from cedar or birch bark have never tried it here.the same weather patterns that bring over 100 inches of snow in two days in the winter also drop a lot of rain in the summer unfortunately.

maybe if i planned on leaving it untended i would clear around it just for the hell of it but i was huddled right over it the whole time,trying to keep the rain drops off the meat.

while it really doesnt mean anything concerning fire safety,there have been plenty of years where our precipitation was only second to the pacific north wests and not by much at all.

chicken is great over a fire also and is something i cook out there a lot too.lately i've been craving steak and its killing my wallet.

hot dogs are probably the most economically sensible meat for hiking/camping

and, since they're already cooked, they're also the safest. I haven't tried some yet, but i ought to. Anyone know if certain woods are poisonous to use as cooking skewers? Maybe I'll just pack in some bamboo ones

Anyway N1, didn't mean any offense by getting on your case. From the pictures i figured that there was little/no chance of anything unintended catching fire. In fact, its mostly for the benefit of those without your excellent skills that i point such things out. All about teaching and learning round these parts, eh?

no offense taken kid.

i've never heard of any problems regarding cooking skews.

i have heard something about the smoke from fat wood but i've inhaled worse than that on purpose...lol.

i'm sure the jungles of south america have some plants to look out for.

if i had any skills at anything i doubt they would be excellent but i appreciate the compliment.

dude,are you sayingg you've never tried a hot dog???

they are pre-cooked but i would never eat one that way.i like'em cooked black and crispy.

Great pictures Norther1!

For your leaky GORE-TEX, try washing it using NIKWAX. It really helps. I get mine from Amazon.

I wouldn't worry about any "white" wood as far as food contact. Maple is used quite a bit for cutting boards and bowls if you want a "known good" specimen. Ash, oak, birch, poplar, any of them are probably okay. Red oak might be iffy, whatever makes it smell like that can't be great for you. I wouldn't use an everygreen wood, their sap has various interesting (read: toxic) chemicals that prevent them from freezing.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

to be frank,i wouldnt worry about any of it personally.

if there was anything out there that was that bad we would already know of it.can there be something that technically isnt good for you....sure but in reality how much harm can it do?

honestly when i cook i have never given a thought as to what type of wood i burn or use few skewers and never really will,except like i said i wouldnt want to use poison ivy as a skewer even though i'm not allergic to it

You're a patient man N1. Those dogs are serious killers! If all turns to poo & those dogs attack I'm sure you will fix them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> . Between your rifle & your knives, you're well & truly covered mate <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> .

It's hearsay, but a friend of a friend cooked something on skewers of either poison oak or poison ivy (I don’t remember which), and suffered for it. I don't think you want to get near the smoke when either of them are burning, let alone let them near your food.

That's actually true.


My comment about not using evergreen woods for food preparation is just paranoia perhaps, but it's so easy to avoid... *shrug*

No pics of the stake!?