After a long (too long) hiatus from significant outdoor activities like hiking, camping, green woodworking, etc I am finally getting around to building up my gear and time spent outdoors. I upgraded my hiking gear last fall - modern, lightweight stuff. And it's great for covering lots of ground. It didn't really meet my needs for shorter duration, rugged gear for bushcrafting and working on general woodcraft skills. Don't get me wrong, I like my modern gear and I'm hanging on to it, but I'm hesitant to load my axe up in my back - the concentrated weight and metal edges would probably make it slide right through.
I've found a pack that should work - British mil surplus Bergen from Sportsmans Guide. It's roomy - 100-120 liters, very rugged, and fairly cheap. I think it will happily swallow an axe, tarp or two, blanket and/or sleeping bag, cook pots, carving knife, and whatever else I require. It's a very rugged material that seems like it'll happily shrug off dirt and grit as well.
I've also (finally) acquired a Mora knife. I've used folding knives for years, and generally I like them, but for some tasks a good fixed blade does seem to be a better choice. The Mora Clipper has been a great starting point - comfortable handle, affordable, great for woodwork. Finally found an axe too - I've had various axes over the years, and used them more when I was younger. I've been looking for something around 18-20 inches long - long enough to use two-handed if I need to, but light enough to work as a one-handed axe for trimming and shaping. The Wetterlings 19" axe has fit the bill quite well. The fit and finish may not quite be up to Grunsfors standards, but I can't drop the money on a GB axe. At 1/2 the price of a comparable GB, the Wetterlings is certainly a great axe for a little money.
I'll be updating this in the future, I just wanted to document my starting point. Hopefully will be spending some nights in the woods soon, right now I'm still practicing in the back yard. I have been able to start a fire with a firesteel and carve a couple of spoons.
And, for anybody else who's not overburdened with cash - you don't have to go out and buy a lot of gear. You can make or adapt good, inexpensive gear. A good knife is a good investment - a Mora will set you back less than $20 including shipping for most models.
I'll probably do an article on "urban bushcrafting" soon. I'm currently living in the middle of a small city, I can't just sling my pack over my shoulder and head out. I have been able to practice my carving and fire-making skills though by collecting wind-fall branches. I've got a few more ideas, I'll cover them in a later post.
One final note - I bought the knife and axe from Ben's Backwoods and I was very impressed. The prices were good and everything shipped quickly. Check them out.
