Okay, although I can not find the posts at the moment, I could almost swear I have seen atleast two people imply that they have done what they call "one-knife" camping on more than one occasion so if it's you please speak up. No armchair quarterbacking please... real experience. I have some questions that require knowledgeable answers and I am having trouble finding the information I need and I don't have the money or the vacation time required to take primitive skills course at this time (not that I have found any good ones anyway). Basically for a long time now I have been camping with less and less gear each time I go, and now I am almost to this point but to get past the point I am currently at I have a few questions that require knowledgeable answers. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> We can do it privately via PM or email if you wish or we can exchange information in this thread to share with anyone else that may be interested.

Before you ask... where I'm at right now is:

Clothing appropriate for the coldest possible weather that would be encountered (within reason).
Large sheet of plastic (which only gets used when I get caught in the rain).
Metal tin (for boiling water).
Medium-sized fixed blade knife (4" blade).
Mainstay rations (1 per day).
Book of matches (windproof/waterproof).

So far I have not done this for more than 72 hours since (as previously mentioned) I'm a little low on vacation time until the 1st of the year.

At the moment my questions are these:

How many days in a row do you camp on average or what have been your longest and shortest trips?
Do you purify your water and if so, how?
Do you procure and prepare food and if so, how?
Do you dress appropriately for the weather or do you over or under dress?

When it comes right down to it.

A pack of cancer sticks a lighter, clothes for weather, boots and raincoat and I am good for 72 hrs minimum. IMHO the 72 hrs kit theory is bit flawed as I believe its the 73rd hr and beyond that could be troublesome for some.

Flip

How many days in a row do you camp on average or what have been your longest and shortest trips?
48 hrs to one week

Do you purify your water and if so, how?
Boiling. I usually try to hike, camp, kayak <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> close by the water. I have two Neglegen (SP) bottles that I keep around and they are full when I start my trek. When I'm done with one and there is a fire I will fill it up. If there is none I will use Aqua tabs from my psk. Exception to this rule is when I go ocean kayaking. I bring most of my water than.

Do you procure and prepare food and if so, how?
Mostly MREs, Dry hard crackers with jar of PB. I tried fishing and was able to catch some but I don't have a licence (no point of buying one for just few weekends so maybe next year) so I hate beaing just another poacher.

Do you dress appropriately for the weather or do you over or under dress?
Depends on the season. First of all everything is done in layers. In the winter time or when it's cold I will put extra stuff on which I can take off. But I don't overdue it to the point that sweat is trickling down my back. Summer is different since I sweat like crazy I try keeping everything light but I will throw rain jacket and fleece there just in case. I find that wrapping my feet in a fleece at night keeps me very comfortable.

Still can't do one knife only. I mean I can see it happening but I take my Wave and either SOG fixed blade or Microtech folder.

I've tried it twice for a weekend at a time. I took all my gear, but tried to limit myself as much as possible. The second time all I used is my knife, a BSA hotspark, and some tin foil. The weather was good so it was fine, though I think if the weather took a turn it wouldn't have been as fun. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I cant take any other gear. It's just too tempting to be lazy and use it. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> What I do instead is leave it at home and then in the interest of being safe while I train myself, I choose a campsite near the trailhead and on a heavily traveled trail and of course in an area that I am extremely familiar with.

When I say one knife only I really mean it and getting to that point seems tuff. I suppose I could lose the sheet of plastic easy enough right now. I would just have to spend more time constructing my shelter so I am prepared for rain if it should come on unexpectedly. I suppose I could also find a way to procure food (probably plant food only considering the short duration of my trips) and then lose the mainstay rations... again more time and energy consumed. Im not going to go without food though since I am just training my skills and having fun. I have gone a day with no food before so I'm not worried about whether or not I could handle it psycologically or not. The matches I could ditch and start a fire with a hand drill as long as its dry and I'm lucky but this is very time consuming and if its wet then I have problems because my hand drill skills arent that good (yet). <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. I could put a paracord lanyard on my knife and use it for a bow drill (with which I can create fire quite reliably in dry conditions) but then that would be cheating! Unfortunatly I'm not skilled enough (yet) at constucting natural cordage to make a cord strong enough for a bow drill.

I guess my bigest problem is the water container. I have to be able to boil my water. There is no way to get around that one because the water where I camp simply isn't clean enough. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Without some type of man made container like foil or a soup can or something similar I am really at a loss on this one. Fashioning clay pots is certainly out of the question as is carving a wooden bowl since I would probably be dehydrated before I finished them. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> This is the one that really stumps me. How can I boil water with nothing more than a camp fire and a knife. For the purposes of this exercise I also refrain from using my clothing as well, so I'm not boiling water in a boot (yuk) or using a shoelace or piece of torn tshirt for bow drill cordage either. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Ideas?

If the soil isn't to permeable just dig a hole, fill with water and drop heated stones in until it boils.

One problem I have with building natural shelters is that I have too much respect for the environment to go messing it up if I don't have to. I feel that we are intruders on nature, rather than there to conquer it. In a survival situation, of course, I'll do what I have to, but how do I practice that?

Brain,


Why only a knife?

What are you afraid of?

What do you want to ultimately accomplish with the one knife?

it's (almost) the ultimate test of you skills. It's more for people who are more than just in to prepareness and survival. It's the field or bushcraft kind of thing.