We have to go to the dollar store today to get supplies for a school project, so we're going to hit the baking aisle and get supplies to make a couple of these wind screens, to use with our new penny stove. Such a simple and cheap idea!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0-S5FZMb8ww

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FKgG6rlR-gI&feature=related

We're also going to make one of these: (Kenny is quickly becoming one of my son's favorites, btw)

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=-oQ0nXhkN_I


This is our first attempt at a penny stove. We also made a snuffing plate from the bottom of a third can. We're going to add some fiberglass to the next one, as well as sanding the edges and using sealing the seem.

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=257538#Post257538

Allow me to suggest something re: kids and fire. I get a little paranoid at times and better be safe than sorry.

I suggest that your kid keeps his full canteen or nalgene bottle around him when he experiments with small fires. A fire extinguisher should be nearby when the flame is a bigger one.

I thought this was a good one-handed fire starting video from sargefaria:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=g-high-u&v=NVsS0K7jv9c

Well I am waiting for spring to arrive (and by the looks of things, it wont'! It snowed Friday, snowed yesterday, and is snowing again today. This on top of a record amount of snow we already have and temps that are 15*C below norm.) So even though I am getting in some extra snowshoe practice, my kayak and golf clubs and running shoes are begging me to take them out. I just tell them to wait another MONTH or more! Blech!

Indoor stuff
- I am doing some playing around with my old and new equipment and I am working on a review of Dave Canterbury's Pocket Hunter Kit c/w arrows (mixed opinion so far).
- I am touching up my knives and sorting gear out.
- I noticed I was low on repackaged duct tape so I re-wrapped approx. 20' lengths of duct tape onto some business cards and several feet onto pencil stubs.
- I have a couple of wood stoves that I need to do some burning comparisons on including a bush buddy so I am starting to collect enough natural material to do so.
- I booked a course on outdoor navigation and started to plan my spring vacation even with the weather we are having.
- I sourced out some "bank line" that Dave Canterbury keeps raving about. You know what, nobody actually calls it bank line. Its tarred nylon seine twine that is sold in marine shops. I couldn't find a Canadian source but the cheapest US source was Memphis Net & Twine. So I ordered #12 and #36 spools of the stuff, it should arrive in the next couple of days.
- I uploaded a few more map overlays into my GPSr (its like loading google earth as an overlay!)

Outdoor stuff
- Experimenting with different clothing layering. So far, my merino wool base layer is winning over synthetic base layers and my lightweight fleece sweater seems to have shrunk (or I've put on weight?)
- Bought snowshoes as my birthday present to myself in January (Atlas 11x30s) and have been trying them on various types of terrain. Yesterday I fell for the first time and had to figure out how to get back up in waist deep snow! All the while my brain was hearing the little ditty "help, I've fallen and I can't get up." I really need to switch to snow baskets for my hiking poles!
- Tried to get some pics of some white tail deer on the trail but by the time I got the camera out they had mostly moved on.
- Changed the oil in the vehicle, gave it a wash and filled the tank. Mechanic says I have a leak in the transfer case so I am doing some investigative searching to figure out what this might cost me to fix.

Cabin fever sucks, Roar. It sounds like you've got a perfect combination going of enjoying Winter and prepping for the Spring. All great stuff. Thanks for sharing! Sorry about the deer slipping out on their photo op. I hate that!

I look forward to those reviews! I don't often shop online but here a few things in the Pathfinder School store that tempt me. Is this what you're trying?: http://stores.thepathfinderschoolllc.com...ter/Categories.

Thanks for the bank line tip. I want to try it but haven't been able to find it. Now I know why. Thanks!

I've become a big fan of merino wool. I've had merino wool socks for a while and I got my first merino wool sweater and long sleeved shirt in the late summer. I love it! It's soft and snuggly but has amazing thermal properties , it's durable and it doesn't get the stinks. I'm on a mission to get merino long underwear, hopefully on a winter clear-out sale. Merino is pricey but it's worth it.

Talk to me about snow baskets. I just bought my first trekking poles and they came with removable snow baskets but I don't understand their purpose.

If you ever go snowshoeing or must trudge wearing boots through deep snow or snowdrifts you'll understand. Last time we had big snowstorms ("Snowmageddon" in 2010) I got a lot of use out of my poles with snowbaskets - especially at street corners where the snowplows had piled it high.



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Wool socks are basically the only thing I wear - merino, smart wool and regular wool. Merino wool tees and long sleeve and now long underwear.

Bank line or seine twine is about 1/2 the cost from Memphis as it is from Pathfinder. Either way I have to pay shipping and customs fees.

The link you sent didn't work, but yes I believe that is what I bought. Years ago I gave up my target bow because I just never could get accurate (left eyed, right handed) so I thought I would try the sling bow concept. I didn't realize so much had changed in 20 years of archery!

Snow baskets on hiking poles basically turn them into ski poles. I think the baskets are about 4" diameter instead of the 1 1/2" diameter hiking baskets.
BD powder basket vs. BD hiking basket

My kiddo has decided that he wants to watch a survival/bushcraft video every night before bed. He picked this tonight and a new project has been born:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_JXWILHMdf0

We made a penny stove, snuffer and wind screen/pot stabilizer/wood stove over the March Break and now he wants to do more diy projects. This one looks pretty simple, not to mention inexpensive.

Cool on Hobo stove,someone just mentioned recently she made one in Girl Scouts.

Hmm, that's one of the differences between the US and Canada. Up here, we just call it Scouts and the troops are co-ed. Just saying.