Big List of Bushcraft, Outdoors, Hiking & Nature related sites

Please keep an eye out for great posts on the following outdoors sites. If you are not included in this list, my apologies - I will try to create a newer list with those links on my blogroll which are not included below!
  • 18th Century Historical Trekking,1700-1760 Period of interest 1680-1760. Historical trekking, living history, experimental archaeology, period living skills, primitive wilderness survival skills and much more.
  • A Passion for Nature WinterWoman is Jennifer Schlick, a teacher-naturalist living and working in Western New York and program director at an Audubon Center.
  • AktoMan Going back to my routes to find new experiences in the wild places. This photographer supreme is based in Scotland.
  • Alan Sloman's Big Walk Fifty something beardy bloke with a problem belly meeting the length of Britain over four months. Hiking stories and photographs of Great Britain.
  • Algonquin Adventures Barry Bridgeford's stories, trip-logs, canoeing stories and photographs from Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada.
  • American Bushman Excellent bushcraft, outdoors skills, knives, hunting, tutorials and equipment reviews.
  • As The Crow Flies Hiking stories, and life in a mountain cabin, kit reviews and much more.
  • Bens Backwoods Bushcraft , Survival, Homesteading, and simple living articles and information - the blog of Ben, who owns the store from which I bought some of my bushcraft equipment.
  • Berserker's Bushcraft Berserker likes to read, write, hunt, hike, backpack, listen to music, worship God, and sit under trees. He loves good gear, things that go BANG, things that are sharp, good tobacco, good beer (think Guinness) and good coffee/tea.
  • Berserker's Gearpage Berserker focuses on gear reviews in his second blog.
  • Billco's Outdoors Billco and his wife love the outdoors. They fish, hunt arrowheads, hike, and garden. They live on a small lake in Alabama and have a couple thousand acres out our back door to hike. Since moving back here from the Alabama coast, they have gotten very interested in hunting Indian relics. They showcase some amazing arrowhead finds.
  • Bushcraft and life Ferrol has kit reviews, outdoors and bushcraft tutorials and describes some of his adventures in detailed ways.
  • Bushcraft in the UK Brilliant collection of video tutorials, covering everything from basketry to bushcraft tutorials.
  • Campfires and the arts of bushcraft Collection of Campfire and camping related discussions and images hosted on Flickr.
  • Chris Townsend Outdoors Chris is a writer and photographer with a passion for wilderness and mountains. I have several of his brilliant books, and I keep them on my top shelf, beside my Kochanski books etc... Highly recommended!
  • Decado Bushcraft Decado is a true student of bushcraft. He has learned from Mors Kochanski, and recently bought a 70 acre wooded plot of land in Ontario, Canada. He presents bushcraft tutorials, and talks about homesteading on a small farm with his family.
  • Dynamite Skills Sassmouth took the standard class at Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School and since then has tried to spend as much of his free time as possible learning and practicing wilderness survival skills.
  • Fred's Hunting and Fishing Blog Fred was raised by his grandparents from the age of 7 until the age of 18 in a small little village in northern Ontario, just along the Moose River - a place called Moose Factory from 1952 to 1963. He started fishing at the age of 7 and hunting at the age of 10 and writes about hs experiences as a hunter, fisherman and wildlife afficianado.
  • Gallimaufree Noddy (as his friends call him) has been involved in survivalism for more than 30 years and has honed a number of survival skills. He has helped with search and rescue teams, but his desire to learn all he could about surviving didn’t crystallize until the Murrah Bombing in Oklahoma City. He was there that day, on the north side of the building away from the blast. He wasn’t hurt in it - just slightly damaged hearing that didn’t become evident until weeks later.
  • Gear Talk with Jason Klass Jason's thought journal on backpacking gear design and homemade gear projects. It documents his ongoing discoveries and ideas about all things backpacking.
  • GearFlogger Outdoors gear reviews galore.
  • Going Prepared Going Prepared is about having fun in the outdoors, without the “I need to escape from this place immediately” mentality. This site is not about survival. This site is about always being prepared enough to never make it to the survival stage.
  • Guide Spot Shawn's blog discusses guide trips, bushcraft, and outdoors adventures.
  • Hiking Nature Hiking and Nature photography.
  • Hunter Angler Gardener Cook The writer is especially interested in those meats and veggies that people don’t eat much any more, like venison or cardoons. He has nothing against good grass-fed beef or a head of lettuce, it’s just that others are doing just fine writing about those foods.
  • Jim Brandenburg Jim Brandenburg traveled the globe as a photographer with National Geographic Magazine for over 30 years. His photographs have won a multitude of national and international awards.
  • Jon's Bushcraft Jon has lived in the countryside all his life with acres of land to roam free in. His site contains terrific tutorials on bushcraft and woodcraft, illustrated with effective photography.
  • Jon's Exmoor Bushcraft Blog Jon writes about his life on Exmoor as he start a tracking, bushcraft and survival school. He has had a life long interest in wildlife and spent many years working in conservation and now is starting up a tracking and bushcraft school on Exmoor.
  • Les Stroud's Blog ~ Survivorman Best known as star of the three time Gemini nominated hit TV series Survivorman, Les Stroud continues to forge new pathways as a prolific, creative force. In 2000 Stroud took a few small cameras out into the wilderness of Northern Ontario, Canada and spent a week surviving alone without food, water, equipment or camera crew.
  • LightBackpacking.com Bruce is a a 58-year-old public relations consultant living on the rugged north coast of California, not far from the Lost Coast. He is in his 11th year of backpacking and try to get in the wilderness four to five times each year from March to November, and has hiked in most of the major wilderness areas in California.
  • Living Primitively Torjus is now finally living primitively to an ever increasing degree in the wilds of Norway. His equipment isn’t yet 100% primitive and his diet is more or less paleodiet (making exceptions in certain social situations), but isn’t all provided by himself just yet. His story is fascinating.
  • markinthepark.com Mark's blog site is designed to give readers of the main website, “Mark’s Algonquin Park Sampler”, up-to date information on the progression of trip-log writing, quick photo galleries and slideshows of recent trips in Algonquin Park, in Ontario, Canada.
  • Marvelous in nature Seabrooke is a writer, illustrator, photographer, and generally a wearer of many hats. She can be found wandering the woods of the Frontenac Axis north of Kingston in eastern Ontario, Canada.
  • Midwest Bushcraft Norseman is an outdoor educator and natural resource manager located in the Loess Hills of Iowa. He teaches bushcraft/woodcraft skills to people of all ages and walks of life. He provides bushcraft tutorials and more.
  • Modern Hiker Modern Hiker highlights the best trails of all difficulty levels around Southern California, with in-depth reviews, photos, GPS tracks, videos, and all the information you could possibly want. It also strives to keep on top of the latest outdoor gear and gadget news, software and web programs, local politics and developments, and the latest murmurings from the Hiking Blogosphere.
  • Moose Hill Journal Outdoors thoughts and observations from, on, about, around or inspired by a small town in Massachusetts, USA.
  • Mungo Says Bah! Mungo began writing and showing my photographs on Mungo Says Bah! a few years ago and very soon began to focus on writing about camping, bushcraft, flora, nature and primitive skills. His camera has faithfully captured many of these plants and landscapes around him - and his memory has packed in so many more scenes and reflections and thoughts.
  • Nehawka Primitive Skills Mark has been interested in primitive skills ever since he read Larry Dean Olsen's book, Outdoor Survival Skills, decades ago. The past 10 years, or so, he has been striving to learn the skills... flintkapping, hide working, friction fires, edible & medicinal plants, etc. Having gained some proficiency, he has been demonstrating and teaching at historical events and gatherings. It is a never ending journey.
  • Northview Diary Life on a family dairy farm in the wilds of Upstate New York, USA.
  • Old Jimbo Survival Old Jimbo's brilliant predjudiced and opinionated ideas on survival stuff. Tons of very inspiring tutorials and great photographs.
  • Outdoor Bloggers Summit The Outdoor Bloggers Summit has a mission to support conservation efforts and positively portray the value of outdoor pursuits, and encourage and support the efforts of existing outdoor bloggers.
  • Owen's Ancestral Skills and Primitive Tech. Blog Owen has been doing ancestral skills for about 5 or so years now in the state of Virginia, in the USA. He enjoys flint knapping, brain tanning, using stone tools, friction firemaking, scout skills, tracking, mud, woodsmoke, and many other primitive/ancestral skills.
  • Pablo's Woodlife: Wildlife, Tracking and Bushcraft This site follows Pablo's excellent adventures into nature, tracking and bushcraft as he tries to get as close to the natural environment as he can without being unduly uncomfortable. He is an enthusiast willing to share his adventures of trying to be at home in the British woodland.
  • Paddle Making (and other canoe stuff) Murat's well-researched blog documents his hobby of making custom canoe & kayak paddles. Still a work in progress, he hopes to document various construction techniques, styles, and artwork.
  • Pike fishing in Scotland. Gordon lives in North East Scotland, and his brilliant blog is about pike/trout fishing in Scotland, gardening in Scotland, and general stuff about Scotland.
  • Poems along the path Michael's collection of haiku (poems about Nature), senryu (poems about human nature) and free verse chronicling my life in all its imperfect, idealistic, egotistical, selfless, boring, compelling, agonizing, ecstatic, messy glory. He passed away last year of a chronic bone disease.
  • Primitivepoint This blog is all about ancient and tribal smithing - with ancient wisdom fueling modern fires.
  • Ravenlore Bushcraft and Wilderness Skills Wayland's bushcraft, photography, living history blog has information on food, travel, bushcraft and ancient projecs, and a lot of other excellent information.
  • Robin Wood Robin is an internationally respected turner, using a foot-powered lathe to make traditional bowls and plates. He also makes wooden spoons and teach the craft of carving with axes and knives. In addition he makes sculptural countryside furniture; benches, picnic tables, fences and bridges, from green oak.
  • Ron's Primitive Skills Ron's site is all about bushcraft, wilderness survival and primitive skills such as basketry, flint knapping, trapping, working with wood, bone, antler & stone, leather, wild plants, hunting & fishing, tools and more.
  • Rowangarth Farm Decado and Fiona's family homesteading blog invites you in with the question "Ever dreamed of moving to the country to live a simpler, more sustainable life? Well, my family and I did it. This is our story."
  • Southern Rockies Nature Blog Nature, culture, dogs, environmental news, and writing with a Southern Rockies perspective.
  • Stealth Survival Stealth Survival contains tons of information about survivalism, shelter, protection, food, supplies, equipment and more.
  • Stuart's bushcraft blog Stuart's site has bushcraft information and musings on teaching.
  • Tales from the Wood - The Diary of a Badger Watching Man The badger watching man lives with his wife and three chickens, in a small village about 50 miles north of London - a few houses, lots of fields, and a fair amount of mature woodland. He is fascinated by the wildlife that surrounds us all, even in this relatively crowded country. There’s a whole rich world out there that most people don’t even suspect exists. He feels privileged that he has managed to get a little closer to it.
  • The Backyard Bushman Brian is a 33 year old husband and father of two. One of his main missions in life is to teach his kids to love nature and the earth. He believes that one day their generation may be called upon to save the earth. He tries to achieve this by hauling them as far away from civilization every chance he gets.
  • The Badger Hole Il Bruche likes to collect, modify and make knives. He prefers custom knives that are functional and beautiful. He does custom rehandling on a limited basis as well as custom sheathes and prefers a natural rustic look that is solidly constructed and compliments the knife it carries.
  • The House & other Arctic musings Clare recently retired from the RCMP after 24 years of service in Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan, The Northwest Territories and Nunavut. He moved to Arctic Bay in 1999 and met hi wife Leah here. They married in August 2001, adopted Travis in 2002 and Hilary in 2006 and built built Kiggavik Bed and Breakfast and began operations in April of 2006. He has some terrific stories about living in the great Canadian north.
  • The Moose Dung Gazette Tim has been called "America's greatest naturalist" and is one of North America's most experienced survival, bushcraft and outdoor living instructors. A full-time guide and survival instructor since founding Jack Mountain Bushcraft in 1999, he and his family split their time between Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and Masardis, Maine. As of fall, 2008, Tim has led 12 field-based, semester-length, college level, residential bushcraft and outdoor living courses.
  • The Ohio Nature Blog Tom works as an ecologist and is fortunate to travel throughout Ohio in search of plants and animals. At home, their house is only a two minute walk from the Olentangy River which is rich in both flora and fauna. On his blog you will find his photographs, pictures, and artwork of Ohio's nature and wildlife.
  • The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles Albert describes his blog as chronicling one of the last bastions of sporting men. The kind of men that drink, swear, and occasionaly settle their differences with their fists. It is also the tales of the last outpost of chivalry, civil behavior, and honor.
  • The Suburban Bushwacker The Suburban Bushwacker loves to be outdoors, cooking and eating wild food. Terrific photos and bushcraft and knife tutorials and discussions.
  • Two-Heel Drive Two-Heel Drive is a blog for hikers, campers, backpackers and nature cravers in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • UpNorthica The many contributor's of the site are passionate about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), Minnesota’s northwoods, Lake Superior’s North Shore, hiking, camping, and all things outdoorsy.
  • whitespider1066.com Darren's site is about the outdoors, bushcraft, gear and adventures.
  • Wild Tracking Pathfinder served in the British Army for 22 years... and was taught some of his Survival Skills at The International Long Range and Reconnaissance Patrol School" in Germany. While working for Raleigh International in Belize he gained experience in Jungle Survival from Winston a renowned survival expert and has trained with Thomas Schorr-kon from Trackways and Tom Brown Jr at the Tracker School. He received a British Empire Medal from the Queen for establishing a Nature Reserve in Germany called the Zachariassee.
  • Woods Walker NW Woods Walker NW contains photo essays of outdoors pursuits.
Cheers,

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Matt's Solo Canoe Trip In Progress, Using a SPOT Satellite Messenger

My friend Matt is currently on a 10 day solo camping and canoeing trip in Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario.


Last year prior to a two week solo trip he too, we had been chatting about what he might do in case he got in trouble. Since there isn't phone service in the vast majority of the Algonquin region, he ended up buying a SPOT Satellite Messenger.



There are 4 buttons on this satellite device (which is about the size of a BlackBerry device):
  1. An OK Button.
    When you press the OK button, SPOT acquires your location from the GPS network and routes it through the SPOT satellite network. Your contacts receive either an SMS text message on their mobile phone with your message and coordinates, or an email with your message and a link to Google Maps™ showing your location.
  2. A HELP Button.
    Once activated, SPOT acquires your location from the GPS network and routes it along with the HELP message through the SPOT satellite network every five minutes for one hour or until canceled. Your contacts will receive an SMS text message including coordinates, or an email with a link to Google Maps™ showing your location.
    I guess this is one step up from 'I'm okay' but not severe enough to alert the emergency and Search and Rescue groups as described next. They say it is for a non-life-threatening incident like 'Ran out of gas' or 'Bicycle tire punctured' or 'Snowmobile stuck'.
  3. A Track Progress Button
    Matt didn't spend the extra for this option, but it would allow the user to send out 'cookie-crumb' messages every 10 minutes, so that friends and family could track the person's progress live via Google Maps. This would be great so you could do a trip log later. But even still, you can simply hit the 'OK' button every so often (unlimited allowance) and this would do the same thing. It just means you'd need to manually put together all the GPS locations later.
  4. A 911 Button.
    Once activated, SPOT will acquire its exact coordinates from the GPS network, and send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until cancelled. The Emergency Response Center notifies the appropriate emergency responders based on your location and personal information – which may include local police, highway patrol, the Coast Guard, the Canadian consulate, or other emergency response or search and rescue teams – as well as notifying your emergency contact person(s) about the receipt of a distress signal. Note: not to be pressed for fun, or if you are bored and lonely in the middle of the wilderness and just want to hear the sound of someone else's voice.
Coverage is nearly world-wide:
"SPOT works around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa, and North-Eastern Asia and hundreds or thousands of miles offshore of these areas."


He is taking it a little easier this go around. Last year he changed campsites virtually every or every other night. I think this time he's making camp at three sites, and using them as bases for day trips. He's up in the north east section - in North Tea Lake, Manitou Lake and thereabouts.

I'm a little bit jealous... I'll bet he's having an amazing time!

Cheers,

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...
You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

A Year Ago on Mungo Says Bah

Plunging deeply into the vast archive of nearly 500 posts on MungoSaysBah.com, I offer a pick of my posts from last July:
  • Yoyar's Brave Chili Dehydration Experiment
    My friend Yoyar has decided to go on a 14 day solo canoe loop through the north west corridors of Algonquin Provincial Park. It would seem that he has rediscovered the camping bug (his recent bout with a suspected cryptosporidium infection that followed our last camping trip notwithstanding). Since food is a significant portion of pack weight and volume, he thought it would be good to bring dehydrated food along with him. After watching a series of videos on YouTube by Tinny on dehydrating and camp cooking, he decided to plunge right into it.
  • Desperately Cleaning my MSR Dragonfly Stove & Then Realizing I'd Plugged It Into the Fuel Bottle Wrong To Begin With
    I put myself to the task of totally cleaning my MSR Dragonfly Stove. It had stopped working recently, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I would pump the cannister, light it and an orange flame would sputter and spit for a few seconds before extinguishing. Nothing I did was helping. I assumed that since I had stored white gas (Naptha) in it over the last 2 winters that the fuel had gummed up and clogged up the fine passageways within the intricate stove mechanism. So I laid it all out on a sheet in the backgarden, and set to work.
  • Chipmunks and Charcloth
    While camping in Algonquin Provincial Park recently, I needed to make some charcloth. Charcloth is what I use to catch sparks from my steel fire striker, so that I can build a campfire.
  • Weekend Bunnies, Achlorophyllous Plants and a Polypore
    On the weekend I went for a long walk with the little one. At one point I detoured through a section of the valley, and in short order came across two incredible plants. Both of them are achlorophyllous (i.e. without cholorphyll) and so cannot photosynthesize to make their own nutrients. I also came across an unusual polyporus.
Cheers, Mungo Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do... You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Teaching My Little Boy About Plants and Flowers

I intend to teach my little boy about plants and flowers early. On the weekend, we went to a family gathering and we played in the park for a little while. I showed him how to pick clover flowers and he found that really exciting. He giggled and giggled and gave clover flowers to as many folks as he could.

We also found a Heal-All (Prunella vulgaris) growing low in the grass, which I later munched on so he couldn't see me eating plants from the ground. He is too young to learn the difference between plants.

Life is good.

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Chris Townsend Video, Books and Blog

I am a huge fan of Chris Townsend, hiker extraordinaire.

I have a couple of his books, which are in my top 5 outdoors books list - the ones you'd want if you were stranded after a small aircraft crash landing in the mountains somewhere north in Canada.

Here he is in a video describing which gear he would take with him on his upcoming 12,000 mile (no, that is not a typo) Pacific Northwest Trail hike.



You can preview his book "The advanced backpacker: a handbook of year-round, long-distance hiking" here:


Finally, you can follow his online column at The Great Outdoors magazine and read his blog 'Chris Townsend Outdoors' which he supplements with some terrific photography.

Cheers,

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Roundup of Recent @mungobah Twitter Posts

Please see below for a daily roundup of my Twitter posts from @MungoBah:
Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do... You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Preparedness: Get Ready for a Power Blackout

Yesterday we experienced a blackout that affected many parts of Toronto, that started off with a transformer fire in the west end. A quarter million households lost power. In light of yesterday's blackout in many parts of Toronto (where we live), I thought I would update and share some information I posted about some time ago.

In the August 2003 black out, we lived in a condominium. My wife and I made our separate ways back home from work. The first thing I did was fill the bathtub with water to keep a supply at hand, and then I grabbed all the candles and pulled out the battery powered radio. The weather was hot, and the evening went by nicely.

We have a 72 hour emergency kit. I came across a pamphlet entitled 'Power Outages: What To Do' (PDF document 167kb) on the 'Get Prepared' Government of Canada web site. I have copied the most pertinent parts of it below.
INTRODUCTION
Most power outages will be over almost as soon as they begin, but some can last much longer – up to days or even weeks. Power outages are often caused by freezing rain, sleet storms and/or high winds which damage power lines and equipment. Cold snaps or heat waves can also overload the electric power system.

During a power outage, you may be left without heating/air conditioning, lighting, hot water, or even running water. If you only have a cordless phone, you will also be left without phone service. If you do not have a battery-powered or crank radio, you may have no way of monitoring news broadcasts. In other words, you could be facing major challenges.

You can greatly lessen the impact of a power outage by taking the time to prepare in advance. You and your family should be prepared to cope on your own during a power outage for at least 72 hours. This involves three basic steps:
1) Finding out on what to do before, during, and after a power outage.
2) Making a family emergency plan, so that everyone knows what to do, and where to go if you need to leave your home.
3) Getting an emergency kit, so that you and your family can be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours during a power outage.

• You can install a non-electric standby stove or heater. Choose heating units that are not dependent on an electric motor, electric fan, or some other electric device to function. It is important to adequately vent the stove or heater with the type of chimney flue specified for it. Never connect two heating units to the same chimney flue at the same time.
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace, have the chimney cleaned every fall in preparation for use and to eliminate creosote build-up which could ignite and cause a chimney fire.
• If the standby heating unit will use the normal house oil or gas supply, have it connected with shut-off valves by a certified tradesperson.
• Before considering the use of an emergency generator during a power outage, check with furnace, appliance and lighting fixture dealers or manufacturers regarding power requirements and proper operating procedures.

People with disabilities or others requiring assistance Consider how you may be affected in a power outage, including:
• Your evacuation route — without elevator service (if applicable)
• Planning for a backup power supply for essential medical equipment
• Keeping a flashlight and a cell phone handy to signal for help
• Establishing a self-help network to assist and check on you during an emergency
• Enrolling in a medical alert program that will signal for help if you are immobilized
• Keeping a list of facilities that provide life-sustaining equipment or treatment
• Keeping a list of medical conditions and treatment
• If you live in an apartment, advise the property management that you may need assistance staying in your apartment or that you must be evacuated if there is a power outage. This will allow the property manager to plan and make the necessary arrangements on your behalf.

DURING A POWER OUTAGE
• First, check whether the power outage is limited to your home. If your neighbours’ power is still on, check your own circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If the problem is not a breaker or a fuse, check the service wires leading to the house. If they are obviously damaged or on the ground, stay at least 10 meters back and notify your electric supply authority. Keep the number along with other emergency numbers near your telephone.
• If your neighbours’ power is also out, notify your electric supply authority.
• Turn off all tools, appliances and electronic equipment, and turn the thermostat(s) for the home heating system down to minimum to prevent damage from a power surge when power is restored. Also, power can be restored more easily when there is not a heavy load on the electrical system.
• Turn off all lights, except one inside and one outside, so that both you and hydro crews outside know that power has been restored.
• Don’t open your freezer or fridge unless it is absolutely necessary. A full freezer will keep food frozen for 24 to 36 hours if the door remains closed.
• Never use charcoal or gas barbecues, camping heating equipment, or home generators indoors. They give off carbon monoxide. Because you can’t smell or see it, carbon monoxide can cause health problems and is life-threatening.
• Use proper candle holders. Never leave lit candles unattended and keep out of reach of children. Always extinguish candles before going to bed. Listen to your battery-powered or wind-up radio for information on the outage and advice from authorities.

Tips

• Make sure your home has a working carbon monoxide detector. If it is hard-wired to the house’s electrical supply, ensure it has a battery-powered back-up.
• Protect sensitive electrical appliances such as TVs, computer, and DVD players with a surge-protecting powerbar.

MAKE AN EMERGENCY PLAN
Every Canadian household needs an emergency plan. It will help you and your family to know what to do in case of an emergency. Remember, your family may not be together when the power goes out.

Start by discussing what could happen and what you should do at home, at school or at work if an emergency happens. To be prepared, make a list of what needs to be done ahead of time. Store important family documents, such as birth certificates, passports, wills, financial documents, insurance policies, etc. in waterproof container(s). Identify an appropriate out-of-town contact that can act as a central point of contact in an emergency. Write down and exercise your plan with the entire family at least once a year. Make sure everybody has a copy and keeps it close at hand. For more information on making an emergency plan, call 1 800 O-Canada or visit www.GetPrepared.ca to download or complete an emergency plan online.

In an emergency you will need some basic supplies. You may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.

You may have some of the items already, such as a flashlight, battery-operated radio, food, and water. The key is to make sure they are organized and easy to find. Would you be able to find your flashlight in the dark? Make sure your kit is easy to carry. Keep it in a backpack, duffel bag or suitcase with wheels, in an easy-to-reach, accessible place, such as your front hall closet. Make sure everyone in the household knows where the emergency kit is.

Basic emergency kit
• Water – at least two litres of water per person per day. Include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order
• Food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
• Manual can opener
• Wind-up or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries)
• Wind-up or battery-powered radio (and extra batteries)
• First aid kit
• Special items such as prescription medications, infant formula and equipment for people with disabilities
• Extra keys to your car and house
• Cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travellers cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
• A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
Tip: You may want to ensure you have a land-line and corded phone in your home, as most cordless phones will not work during a power outage.
Recommended additional items
• Candles and matches or lighter (Do not leave candles unattended. Place candles in sturdy containers and put them out before going to sleep)
• A change of clothing and footwear for each household member
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member
• A whistle (in case you need to attract attention)
• Garbage bags for personal sanitation
• Toilet paper and other personal care supplies
• Safety gloves
• Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, fasteners, work gloves)
• Small fuel-driven stove and fuel (follow manufacturer’s directions and store properly)
• Two extra litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning.
You can also purchase a pre-packaged emergency kit from the Canadian Red Cross at www.redcross.ca, from the St. John Ambulance/ Salvation Army at www.sja.ca or from retailers across Canada. Visit www.GetPrepared.ca for a list of retailers by province and territory.
Cheers,

Mungo
Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...
You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Daily Digest of @mungobah Twitter Posts

Please see below for a daily roundup of my Twitter posts from @MungoBah:
  • Mors Kochanski Courses ow.ly/20Kj8
  • Aurora Fire Starter By Solo Scientific ow.ly/21tEw
  • Aurora Firestarter Review ow.ly/21tEX
  • RT @frank_in_oz: Could you camp overnight carrying everything in a 20 litre day pack? Great comp and prizes.. ow.ly/21t62
  • RT @dcpathfinder: I posted 2 photos on Facebook in the album "Rapelling Class T" fb.me/zXeDGsYm
  • Perkele´s Blog: Log laavu update ow.ly/21vbg
  • TEOTWAWKI Blog: Pocket Dump! ow.ly/21vbx
  • WildernessSKIllsresearchcenter ow.ly/21vc0
  • Making A Pocket Burner ow.ly/21vcg
  • Rowangarth Farm: Madcap Monday - Summer Solstice edition ow.ly/21vcE
  • Hiking in Finland: Interview: Tom Hennessy from Hennessy Hammocks ow.ly/21vcL
  • A Woodsrunner's Diary: Making Stone Tools part 2. ow.ly/21vcT
  • A Woodsrunner's Diary: Making Stone Tools. ow.ly/21vd1
  • June at the cabin – Part 6 « Lap(Fen)lander's Natural Lore Blog ow.ly/21vdn
  • Hiking in Finland: The Week In Review ow.ly/21vdH
  • Monday Morning Stroll Through The Wet Woods « Wandering Owl Outside ow.ly/21vdO
  • Spreading Some "Link Love"!!! « Wandering Owl Outside ow.ly/21vea
  • flowing waters: Trout fishing - Finally ow.ly/21veL
  • Irrigation Syringe ow.ly/21vfv
  • Fat of the Land: Morel Madness ow.ly/21vfL
  • Nielsen Brown Outdoors: Packing for a long trip. ow.ly/21vgi
  • Gear Talk with Jason Klass: How to Choose an Alcohol Stove: Part 3: DIY or Buy ow.ly/21vgz
  • Timbuk2 ow.ly/21vgW
  • Rowangarth Farm: Natural baked goodness: whole wheat cinnamon buns ow.ly/21vho
  • June at the cabin – Part 4 « Lap(Fen)lander's Natural Lore Blog ow.ly/21vhA
  • June at the cabin – Part 3 « Lap(Fen)lander's Natural Lore Blog ow.ly/21vi4
  • Philosophizing with a Hammer: Grub lists ow.ly/21vix
  • Step-by-step: Making Cordage From Tree Bark (Part 2) « Skills For Wild Lives – ow.ly/21viM

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

That's a Heck of a Blog Roll

I just noticed tonight that I have a heck of a blog roll happenin' on the right hand side of this blog. I've culled it a bit to remove dead links and such, but that leaves me with 96 blogs. Not all are bushcraft and outdoors related, but all are really worth looking at.

Please drop by the sites that look interesting to you... I have repeated them in the post here so as to make them a bit more accessible, and ordered them by the most recent posting (i.e. the top link was updated most recently).
Cheers,

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Mungo's Marvellous Morels: A Fun Guy with Fungi

On Sunday, as I was returning on a path through the woods towards my car (after a hike at Whitchurch Conservation Area north of Toronto), I was looking at the various plants scattered along the pathway - ferns, and wood sorrel, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpits. And then suddenly, as though I had recognized an old friend, I saw a mushroom standing amongst the leaf litter.


I knew instantly that it was a Morel, although I've never seen one in real life before. It is such a recognizable mushroom, much like a giant puffball is unmistakable.


I leaned down and inspected it - it looked healthy and new.


Later I read that it was a Morchella esculenta.


Morchella esculenta is also commonly known as morel, yellow morel, common morel, true morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel.


The Genus Morchella (Morel)'s name is etymologically derived from morchel, an old German word for mushroom, while morel itself is derived from the Latin maurus meaning brown.

Roger's Mushrooms has these details about Morchella esculenta (use the search box and type in Morchella esculenta - it is 1 of the 7 search results that are presented on the page):
  • Morchella esculenta
  • location: North America, Europe
  • edibility: Choice
  • fungus colour: Brown
  • normal size: 5-15cm
  • cap type: Other
  • flesh: Flesh granular or brittle, Other
  • spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
  • habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
  • Habitat in open scrub or woodland or on waste ground. Season late spring. Uncommon. Edible – excellent. Distribution, America and Europe.

Some have never been lucky enough to have found a Morel, despite relying on expert mushroom hunters, and searching high and low.


I guess I was lucky!


I spent the next 10 minutes skulking around the woods and bush by the trail, and found just one more Morel.


I carefully tucked them both into my loose jacket pocket and brought them home.


I cut them open, and gently rinsed them under cold water - I didn't want to get them waterlogged, so I was brief.


I then diced them up into equal sized pieces, so that each piece was fairly flat. This way all of the pieces would contact the frying pan evenly. I have learned that you really need to always cook wild mushrooms - and so I did.


I heated up a frying pan, put in some olive oil, and a small amount of unsalted butter.


I dropped in the Morel pieces, sprinkled them with a little bit of coarse salt, and some black pepper.


They cooked down in size quickly, and after about 3 minutes or so of tossing them in the frying pan, I took the pan off of the heat.


I cut a couple of slices of my homemade bread, and laid them out in a shallow bowl.


Then I ladled the cooked mushrooms onto the bread - and stared at it. I was feeling awfully good about this.


I took a few photographs, relishing the thought of devouring this.


The smell was wonderful - not at all like typical field or button mushrooms. The taste was difficult for me to describe. The mouthfeel of the Morels was like very tender Calimari. The flavour was a mix of very mild beef filet mignon, combined with chicken breast, and of course, butter and olive oil.


It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was delectable. I intend to hunt for these again and hopefully I'll find far more than just two. I suspect having a whole bunch will help me clarify my description of the flavour - I do this in the name of blogging only, of course.

Cheers,

Mungo

Are you subscribed to the Mungo Says Bah! RSS feed yet? If not - you know what to do...

You can also follow my tweets at @MungoBah

Most Popular Posts