Happy New Year, Marrow Bones, Camping Equipment, Stevie Wonder

Alright then - let me tell you about the swag I got for the holidays!

Spring got me a a promissory note for gift-certificates to Bass Pro Shops and/or Lee Valley Tools - that way I can decide what I want. I also got from her "Bushcraft by Mors Kochinski" (a complete surprise, I had no idea, I was not directly involved in choosing this classic book that I wanted for a long time, nothing to do with that at all, really. Honestly).

So we made it up to Bass Pro this week and I got the following:

• 20 oz Nalgene bottle (to replace the one I melted the cap to in the dishwasher). Note: If you are washing your Nalgene™ bottle, ensure that the separated cap does not risk falling onto and melting into the element in the dishwasher, as it did with me).
• Campsuds™ - I feel guilty using regular soaps/detergents in the backcountry, so I'd rather use this stuff. For dishes, self, toes, ears, dogs, cups, and other mucky objects.
• A second MSR fuel bottle - since I invested in a white-fuel stove and lantern, I wanted to make sure I had reserve fuel for my next trip. More for the lantern than the stove, but the stove does come in handy when I want to quickly boil up some water or rice etc...
• Diamond knife sharpener. My carbide sharpener is pretty good, but this new one is aggressive and I can use a beach stone etc... to smooth out the polish if needed.
• I have yet to get a Hook Knife and a package of WetFire™ Cubes (both from LeeValley.com with my gift certificate). Good tinder, especially on a rainy day.

Spring is happy with her plinkah-plonkah, and we got a stand for it so she can do a Stevie Wonder imitation. And Monty got a set of beef marrow bones which we roasted and gave to him one by one over the week. Happy New Year everyone!

Down By The Seaside

Years ago I was taken on a whirlwind tour of Cheshire by my uncle. He'd been in the army for years, strange cold-war postings near Norway and all that - or so the legend I've constructed goes. We explored the Mersey River mudflats, and found a corroded magazine containing live cartridges - from a Messerschmidt 109 fighter plane. The Germans had flown over and strafed and attacked ships on the Mersey a few years back - and anyway we brought the magazine back to my uncle's shed, and detonated the cordite left over. Amazing - live rounds after decades of immersion in mud. We then had a curry lunch heated over an outdoor stove somewhere on a river bank. He told me then that the best spice is hunger. I always remember that when I go camping.



Years ago again the family was at the seaside somewhere in England. Receding tides exposed sand and seaweed and shells - Cockles and Mussels alive alive-o. I have sporadic memories of England - ponds and shops and greenery and daffodils and the smell of diesel fuel and the feel of coins and the taste of cereal and tea had with the newspapers and small living rooms with electric fireplaces and a people ill at ease. At least, these are my memories. Double-decker buses and three-wheel cars - my gran had one I think. She later had a mini that sat in a shed at the end of the road behind her house with a brick wall encircling the back garden. I played in the meadow out back behind the road.



I walked Monty at Cherry Beach last evening, it was dark and drizzling and filled with gusty winds blowing off the lake. After cursing my firesteel and having a hard time finding tinder that would catch, I got a smoky fire going, and soon the smoke left and I sat on the beach with a fire in the darkness. Walking there amongst the trees and through the grasses and vegetation I smelled England again. It was a transitory smell, it flickered on and I was there again and then it went away, replaced by old memories.



Down by the seaside,
See the boats go sailing.
Can the people hear,
What the little fish are saying.

People turned away.
People turned away.

Down in the city streets,
See all the folk go racing.
No time left,
To pass the time of day.

People turned away.
People turned away.
So far away, so far away.

Do you still do the twist,
Do you find you remember things that well.
Some folks twistin' every day,
Though sometimes it's awful hard to tell.

Out in the country,
Hear the people singing.
Singing about their progress,
Knowing where they're going.

People turned away.
People turned away.

Sing loud for the sunshine,
Pray hard for the rain.
And show your love for lady nature,
And she will come back again.

People turned away.
People turned away.
Now they know where they're going.

Videos of Monty our Beagle

Time for more Monty.


Playing with Kibble.



Playing with Garfield.

Axe, Paracord, Tarp, Palm

Today was cool, windy and bright. The pooch and I went for a stroll along the pier and enjoyed the sunshine in the morning - no-one was around, most folks were likely sleeping in, perhaps in their hammocks. Speaking of hammocks, not sure if I would use a hammock when camping but if I did, I would tie it to a tree thusly.

Here is an article about Gransfors Bruks Axes - this is what I am asking for for Christmas. If I get the axe for Christmas, I intend to put it into action on a nice standing dead tree in a nice old stand of trees.

I sold an old, unused Palm IIIc on eBay the other day, and also my old HP laser printer. I am going to list a bunch of other electronic stuff I've got sitting around in boxes here in the office. I also bought 45 feet of green MIL-C-5040 Type III paracord (for camping) and two 20-litre dry bags from Mountain Equipment Co-op (for canoeing and camping). It was really inexpensive, and I suppose the trick is just to explore and eventually you'll come up with a deal.



I'll be picking up the bags and getting the cord in the mail soon enough. Paracord is good for anything from tarp setup to camp setup to an emergency fishing line (flexible outer sheath contains 7 nylon inner strands), to snares and more.



I'll likely use it for setting up the tarp and makeshift construction in the camp. The dry bags will help me organize my stuff in the canoe and backsack and - equally important - keep food and equipment dry. I can even hang them in the trees as a bear bag to keep critters away. Last year I awoke to the sound of nibbling - a racoon had scaled 10 feet and was putting holes in my garbage bag tied on to a branch. This will be a little sturdier, and I can free-hang it.



You know - I'd like a tarp. I use a big blue Canadian Tire tarp now, and it is huge, bulky and not so good. I'd love a proper one. Perhaps for my birthday next June...

Mungo Wants to Cut Down Trees with a Small Forest Axe

In case anyone is reading this, and is interested in buying me a nice Christmas present... I would like a Gränsfors Bruks Small Forest Axe from Lee Valley Tools.





It has a 3-1/4" face, a 1-1/2 lb head, and a 19" handle. Same size as the Hunters Axe but a more traditional pattern and poll. The blade is thin. The handle is long enough to allow powerful chopping but not too long so it will fit into a rucksack. Practical for splitting wood for the fire or cutting small-diameter limbwood for starter fuel. It comes with a grain-leather sheath.



It is $89.00 and their store is 2 blocks from where I work.

See a really nice PDF poster on Gränsfors Bruks' wares.

Build a Log Cabin, Alone in the Wilderness

I have for many years dreamed of building a log cabin. From time to time I watch a video I burned to DVD - Alone In The Wilderness. It is a documentary about Richard Proenneke, who built his own cabin in the wilderness near Twin Lakes starting in 1968, in what is now Lake Clark National Park & Preserve in Alaska.

Alone in the wilderness, lost in the jungle, the boy is searching, searching!
The swelling waters, the far-away mountains, and the unending path;
Exhausted and in despair, he knows not where to go,
He only hears the evening cicadas singing in the maple-woods.

The Ten Oxherding Pictures, I. by Kaku-an

Select your logs. Straight, 8 to 10 inches in diameter, 16 foot logs, with minimal tapering.

Fell them in early winter as cool temperatures allow for slower drying periods, which reduces cracking and splitting, plus it is easier to haul the logs out of the woods over snowy terrain.

Season your logs - air-dry the logs for one to two years-the longer the better. Logs should be stacked off the ground with stickers-smaller diameter logs-placed between the courses. This allows for maximum airflow around the logs and promotes more even drying. You should also partially peel off the bark using a draw knife before the logs are stacked. This will increase their drying rate and cause only minimal cracking and splitting. However, before building begins, you must remove the remaining bark completely. It is a natural habitat for many different kinds of pests.

Many pioneer cabins were built without foundations because they were constructed in haste or meant to be temporary shelter. But a proper foundation is definitely required. Stone foundations traditional, but block and concrete walls are as good, or better, and they require less work.



If you don't want a full basement, you must excavate at least below the frost line, install footings and construct a wall up to 20 in. above grade level. You must also install piers within the foundation walls to support the floor girder. Also, install anchor bolts along the top of the walls to attach the sill. Begin floor construction by hewing or cutting flat the bottom of the sill logs. Then bore holes in the sill logs to accommodate the anchor bolts and install sill sealer or a termite shield according to the local building code. The corner joints are made by bottom notching the logs. Next, hew flat the top of the girder and install it over the support piers. Join it to the sill with a mortise and tenon joint. Drive 60d nails through the top of the tenon and into the mortise to complete the joint.

In a similar manner, hew or cut flat the top of the joists and install them between the girder and sill logs so they are flush with the top of the girder. Install the subflooring perpendicular to the direction of the joists. Now you're ready to start on the walls.

Many different types of notches can be used to join the logs, but a good choice for the beginning log builder is the technique shown here: the scribe, fit, round-notch method. It features semicircular notches cut in the bottom of the logs to fit over adjacent logs. Also, a V-shaped groove is cut down the length of each log bottom so the entire length can sit flush on the log below.

Although this method is slower than others, the corner joints are self-draining-water running down the outside of the house hits the log tops and runs off, instead of being trapped in the notch. The V-grooves also eliminate air drafts between the logs. The joints between courses do not need chinking, so you can avoid one of the most chronic maintenance problems of log homes: repairing cracked chinking.



Cutting the corner notches is a fivestep procedure:

1. First, roll the log into position and sight along its length to make sure any crown is pointing to the outside of the wall. Try not to use logs that have more than a
   1-in. crown per 16 feet of length. Then secure the log with a log dog as shown in the drawing.
   
2. Scribe the shape of the lower, log onto the uncut log using compass dividers with a pencil or marking crayon inserted in one leg. Rough-cut the notch with a chain saw, then finish it with a shallowsweep, long-handled gouge.
   
3. Reposition the log, allowing the notch to seat. Then scribe the full length of the underside of the log running the blank leg of the dividers along the top of the lower log. Scribe both sides of the log to yield the two lines which define the V-groove.
   
4. Cut the V-groove with a chain saw to a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 in. Remove the waste, then roll the log back into
   position and rescribe the corner notch as well as the log end extending past the notch. (By cutting the V groove, there is now some space between the scribed log and the one below.) Cut the notch to the new scribe line and cut the tail end of the log using a gutter adze. This tool yields a concave groove that is tighter and more attractive at the exposed log ends.
   
5. Reposition the log, then pick up one end and drop it into place. This is called "thumping" and it will leave compression marks on the parts of the log that still need trimming. Make any necessary adjustments, then pack fiberglass insulation into the groove and roll the log into place. The fiberglass will act as a sort of "internal chinking."
   

With the notching complete, bore a 2-in. dia. hole about 8 in. in from each corner and insert an alignment peg. The peg should be loose fitting, recessed about 1-1/2 in. below the top of the hole, and extend about halfway into the log below. Install these pegs every 8 ft. in the length of a log and within 1 ft. of each window and door opening.



As you move up the walls, alternate each successive log so that their smaller, tapered ends are not all on one end of the wall. Once the logs reach waist height, cut out the door opening. Brace the logs on both sides.

Of course, if your cabin is larger than the one shown here, you'll have several interior partitions. These can either be made with logs notched into the outside walls or with framed walls later on. Notching the logs is preferred because it yields the same interior finish on all walls and strengthens the structure.

When the logs reach the top of your planned window and door openings, brace the walls and cut out all the openings at once. Then cut a groove, as shown, in the log ends on both sides for a permanent stiffening spline. Cut and insert the spline and then add at least two more logs over the openings. The top wall log is called the plate log and it should be pegged at least every 4 ft.



The roof on the cabin shown is a combination of purlin and rafter construction to give an idea of what's involved with both. Normally, you would use only one. The purlins are set into notches cut in the gable ends; the rafters are notched into the plate log and ridge log.

Once purlins or rafters are installed, apply roofing boards for the roof sheathing. Next, apply 15-lb. roofing felt and either asphalt shingles or cedar shingles.

Finally, pre-assemble all window and door jambs, install them in the openings, and add the windows and doors. Allow 3/8-in. clearance for each vertical foot of opening above the jambs for the logs to settle. The spaces around the jambs should be chinked with okum (hemp and pine tar).

Wash the logs with detergent to remove any dirt, and then with a solution of two parts household bleach to one part water to lift out any stains. Rinse the logs thoroughly with water and let them dry for a week. Then apply a mixture of one part linseed oil to five parts turpentine to the outside of the logs. This treatment should be repeated every five years.

(Note: This article has been updated and originally derived from a Popular Mechanics issue - December, 1983)

Urban Combat Exercises

I took the pooch out for his morning stroll out to the pier this morning, and as I got closer to the base of the pier, along the marina walkway, I spied eight Canadian soldiers dressed in full camo in combat stance, all but one holding an assault rifle, held quite threateningly.



The eighth soldier, a tall, mean looking guy was clutching some kind of squad weapon, a light-machine gun with tripod (correction - bipod - actually this is what I saw anyway but brain made me write tripod). I gently removed my hands from my jacket pockets as I awkwardly walked through them and turned onto the pier. Monty held back about 50 feet, looking quite terrified of the soldiers. He finally charged through them, tail under his legs, hackles raised, eyes wild with worry. He then ran up to me and hid under my legs.



Smart beagle, I'd say. This is not something you see every day in downtown Toronto. 10 minutes later they extracted themselves in an orderly, watchful manner and seemed to vanish into the buildings and alleys nearby.



Shortly afterwards, Monty met a 3 1/2 month old West Highland Terrier wearing boots. They communed for a while and we made our way home.

How to Make a Bushcraft Fish Hook

This afternoon I went for a walk to Cherry Beach with Monty my trusty beagle.





There was a fine rain, but nothing to worry about - a dozen retiring swans drifted across the bay, and a few shuffling people with their boisterous dogs made the trek along the beach. I sat on a bench at the end of the point looking out across the bay, out beyond the islands into the expansive lake and let Monty wander about in the underbrush to visit smells and dogs and leaves.

Out came my Laguiole pocket knife and snap went a dead branch from a tree beside the bench (mine doesn't have a Damascus steel blade like the one below however. I wish.).



I began to whittle away, and soon I had the makings of a fish-hook. I had started with a perfectly straight length, and after in-cutting the curve to reveal the v-shaped base, I added a curve to the shaft to balance it out - two-inches of wood. The hook was next - this would need to be a length of bone or metal attached with pitch or cordage to against the flat base, pointing upwards at an angle toward the top of the shaft. I wandered along the beach and found a length of electrical copper wire, stripped the sheath off of it, induced metal fatigue in it until I had a one inch strip. I ground this against a large flat stone until I had a sharp, shiny copper point.



Carefully placing both the copper point and the wooden body in my jacket pocket, I retrieved a stick, half an arm's length from the beach. The willow bushes growing in the sand hold fast in part because of their extensive surface root network. Poking a few inches down in to the sand yielded a straight impediment. I scraped the stick along this line until a root appeared. I cut it into a 2 foot length, coiled it, and sat on a bench. Similar to spruce roots, willow roots work well as bushcraft cordage. Quickly I removed the 'bark' from the root, and again a sheath of fiber until the core remained. I split the core gently, ensuring that I peeled back the thicker side more radically until it balanced out, and soon I had a one foot length of flexible, strong cord. Had I boiled it the root in ashes it might have set the strength, but alas I had no fire and was not in the mood for one. I gently wrapped the base and the copper point with the root until I had a perfectly capable fish hook. Next would be some attachment point or hole for the line, which I didn't get around to. I suppose I might have melted some spruce resin and added powdered charcoal for a firm glue, and maybe fire-hardened the base.

All I needed was some line, some bait, a pole, a lake that was not contaminated as Lake Ontario and patience. But I had little patience left, the cold rain was hurting my exposed hands, and Monty was looking a little bedraggled.



I took apart the contraption, as I had not set it firmly, pocketed the fishhook base and the copper point, got Monty into the car and drove home.

Car Camping Canoe Camping Dream Camping

Car Camping:

Maybe 14 years ago I first went camping by myself, but it was drive-in camping in Algonquin, and I had my car and people uncomfortably near to my lot. It was okay, but boring - with people around and everything I needed at hand or in a cooler, and no-one to share it with - I got restless and left a day or two early. I think I got drunk and slept quite well. I did this a few times but found it a lonely occupation. Solo winter drive-in camping wasn't much different, even though there were very few people around. I had a few nice moments, like the time I walked out on the frozen lake, leaving a footprint trail across the snow-covered skating rink - no one was there and I found a small glassy patch of ice through which I saw a fish, and through which a fish saw me.



The next summer I went to the same camp spot, and after an evening keeping a raccoon at bay, and deciding to put my food all in the cooler and then in the tent, I sat at the picnic table and had a few lonely beers. Hours later as the glow in my propane lantern waned and as I had grown suitably drunk, I retired to my tent and passed out. An hour or two later I was awoken by the baritone yet staccato ruffing sound of a beer snuffling at my tent. I ran out of the tent, jumped on the picnic table and watched a black bear race off in to the woods. I had violated the golden rule - do not bring food into your tent in bear territory. Easily the dumbest thing I've ever done while camping (while not camping, I have done exceedingly dumber things, but that's another story or two).




Canoe Camping:

But all that was awkward and felt somehow inauthentic. The first solo canoe camping trip I took into the backcountry was anxiety-ridden. I canoed into Algonquin Park a few hours and found an island site soon after stopping at a first site and spotting bear scratches in the soil and moss by the water's edge - I'd literally jumped back in my canoe and paddled away. Soon I had arrived on an island, which I figured would be devoid of bears and other such carnivores. And it proved to be. The lake was mine, as no-one had made camp during the week I was up there. But as I fell asleep the incessant clicking of a bark beetle (or so I figure now) kept me wondering if there was a bear out there tapping against a tree with his bear-claws, plotting ways to attack and eat me. I don't know - all I know was that I stayed awake and terrified until first light came. But after a few trips on my own into the backcountry I guess I worked out my mental kinks and came to find each trip singularly refreshing and helped me grow. The quiet that the woods afforded me, the gentle lapping of the lake water, the smell of smoke and the sight of a camp fire was therapeutic and soon I found each camping trip left me more and more calm. Work was easier on my return, relationships were easier, life was easier on my return. I found myself day-dreaming about camping and when life got tough I went to my happy-place as it were. My happy-place was a camping trip.



Dream Camping:

I dream of taking a month or two off and camping in the Rocky Mountains, or in the Temagami region of Ontario. A canoe, a backpack, an axe and a saw - now that would be heaven on earth. We'll see.

Thoughts of Peace: The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind

My mental world is populated with all sorts of things that I will call thoughts: thoughts about people, quandaries, histories, plans, fears, anticipations, products, body, food, work, family, trivia, geography, biology and building materials.













These thoughts are a barrier to my Buddha nature.









I am learning to let these thoughts go, by observing them and quietly watching them move through my mental skies like clouds.

It humbles me to think that people are both buddha and also a seething bowl of squirming thoughts and desires like my thought world is. Six billion people. And that's just people. But animals other than humans are less cognitively-developed (if developed is the right word) as humans, and I suspect it is this self-awareness and development that is our both our glory and our point of divergence from peace.


I have had thoughts of bicameralism in my head since Dr. Tory Hoff taught me in university about Julian Jaynes' book 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind'.



I see Vipassana meditation as being an antidote to this breakdown and an effective method to incorporate elements of the unconscious into the superego and then back a step into the ego. Introspection, consciousness, self-awareness.

Thich Nhat Hanh spoke to my heart in 1992 when I read his book 'Peace Is Every Step: the Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life'.


I don't have that book anymore, I gave it to a visitor from New Mexico who said in return I was welcome to drop by any time.


Today I am going to read a little.

Camping and Halloween

This weather has been amazing for the last week - perfect camping weather. But I have been busy writing proposals in response to RFPs for work. Writing those proposals (about 65 pages each) have reminded me of writing essays for university, with the initial scramble to organize content, then getting lost in the content, then staring at it hopelessly and wondering what the hell has been written on the pages, then a burst of clarity as the content seems almost all written, then a sense that nothing is in the right order, then after a bit of formatting and ordering, the whole goddamn piece comes together and all is well.

My evening walks on the marina though give me pause for reflection. So while that's been a lot of fun in a weird way, camping is much more fun, and with this nice weather - well - I'd rather be camping.

Given that I didn't get a chance to go camping a few weekends ago, and given that I have taken to ruminating about camping, and given that I'd like to provide something of interest to my hundreds of thousands of readers, what follows is a description of some of my core camping equipment - the rest are little things that don't need a product description (e.g. fork, cord, socks) - it isn't complete, but I'll complete it along with way.

Oh, and by the way, here's the pumpkin we carved tonight.



MSR DragonFly Stove
Loud, adjustable flame, runs on naptha white-fuel, lightweight, awesome. Boiling time for 1 liter of water, 3 1/2 minutes. Love it.

Cooking Pot & Lid
Cheap aluminum pot and lid, holds 1 liter of water. Blackened on the base from soot, excellent heat conduction. Lid useful. I think I'd like to get a pot grabber.

Folding Frying Pan
non-stick folding frying pan. Excellent for bacon and eggs, a luxury cooking piece, but folds down, and easy to store. Useful but not vital. I try to bring it in case I catch a fish and want to fry it up.

Nalgene Bottle
This terrific invention is good obviously for storing water in a spill-proof way, but I think the fact that it does not hold on to stain or odours makes a big difference over conventional plastic. Also, on a cold night, you can fill it with boiling water and use it as a hot water bottle.

Stainless steel mug
For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea. For tea.

Camping Mattress
Primarily I use this for insulation. But it sure helps protect you from bumps and stones and sore hips. This mattress rolls up small, and when you take it out of the storage bag, and undo the valve, the foam structure within expands and draws air into the mattress. Fill the last bit of it with a few well placed puffs of air and seal the valve, and you have a guaranteed warm and comfortable night ahead of you. Heat conduction is a very important principle to keep in mind while in the bush - water conducts heat away from your body 27 times faster than does dry air. The cool earth saps your warmth less so, but still significantly. This is why if you don't have a sleeping bag, at the very least lay down a bed of spruce boughs for insulation.

Sleeping bag
Barring a bed of spruce boughs, my sleeping bag is a mummy-style bag - the hood easily holds a pillow (I always bring an empty pillow case and stuff it with cloths or leaves for a pillow), and it is rated down to -20 Celsius. I've slept in it at that temperature and the only part of me that was cold was my nose. Do not be tempted to stuff your face down into the sleeping bag though - condensation from your breath will moisten the bag and reduce its insulation qualities and make your night miserable. Make sure not to lay it too close to the fire too, sparks will make holes in the synthetic fabric. Mine contains synthethic insulation - down is more expensive and heavier. As long as your sleeping bag is dry, I'm fine with synthetic. I don't need to wear clothes inside it as it is warm, but you can buy a cotton liner for washing.

Compression sack
This is an awesome piece of equipment, ensuring that your sleeping bag is squished down as small as possible for transportation. Remember to store your sleeping bag at home unpacked, preferably hanging in a basement (dry basement), or in a closet. That way you don't risk reducing the insulation qualities of your bag.

Tent
I bought my dome tent at a house-sale in Parkdale one night a few years ago. A couple was going to go to BC and live on an island and were selling their old gear and I picked this 2 person tent up for $40. 2 Folding fibreglass rods assemble as the main structure, and a third provides form to the fly which affixes to the top of the dome. The fly adds a layer of insulating space above the tent, which in turn increases insulation, decreases condensation and makes the structure water resistant. Some really cool tents like some from Hilleberg tents in Sweden have the fly layer part of the main structure. I want one of these:



Compass
It is a good idea to know how to use a compass for camping. Otherwise a compass isn't much use. Basically, use it as a reliable indicator of direction. Stop, observe the needle point to North, and rotate the circular section until the North on it matches the North the needle is pointing too. With the pointy bit, take a bearing on a distant object in the direction you would like to go. Note this object, perhaps on a piece of paper or map. A tree, a ridge, a river bank. Walk to it. Wash and repeat. This way you navigate a series of straight lines, and keep on track. During a clear evening, note the direction of the north star. That helps at night if you are out on a lake. Saved me one evening years ago out on a lake in the fog - I could see above the fog into the sky, but not around me.

Firesteel
This is my primary method of starting a fire. I do not - on stubborn and likely misplaced principle - carry matches with me. I tried making a fire bow on my last solo trip. I used pine for the shaft and baseboard. This was a bad combination. I had everything working but the resin seems to have made the going tough. I'll try next time and keep y'all updated. A classic flint and steel works well as long as you bring char cloth or have tinder fungus prepared (boiled in a solution of ashes for saltpeter and dried out). I'd like to try that too.

More below - but I'll write up some details when I have more energy.

Fishing rod, gear, license
Hatchet
Sharpener
Headlamp
Radio
Lantern
Sheath Knife
Folding Knife
Bucksaw
Stuff bag
Chair
Tarp

I saw these things.