I survived my camping trip!

Sad to say, my overnighter yesterday into today was the first time I've been out this summer! Although it didn't go as smoothly as it could have, overall I had a good time. I don't usually see my work schedule til Thurs or Fri, so short of requesting a specific time off I can't plan too far ahead. But there's a state park about 20 miles away that I really like. Not remote and unspoiled, but it's a pretty area and close enough for impromptu trips. I decided to take an overnight trip just to get out of the city for awhile.

First off, I didn't realize how hot it was- about 90 degrees with 90% humidity! And I wore a black T-shirt, carrying a black long sleeve in my pack in case it got cold at night. Luckily I had a white T from a liquor rep in the back seat of my car. Dressed a bit more appropriately for the weather, I sat up camp and started to get my fire ready.

Recently I traded a Knives of Alaska Elk Hunter to my Dad for an Ontario SP8 machette. I sharpened it up before the trip, keeping the edge pretty thick but getting it shaving sharp. I was eager to see how well it would baton wood. Not having been in the woods for awhile I foolishly tried to split a slender peice by swinging instead of hammering- big mistake! The razor edge cleaved deeply into my index finger with a spray of blood! It was a real gusher.

Luckily one area I never skimp on is the FAK. To me that's good weight, and I'll gladly hump that if I have to. There was so much blood spurting that I couldn't really tell just how big the cut was. It was then that I was glad that I'd chosen a Maxpedition F.I.G.H.T. bag for my kit; it was easy to rip it off (my brand new Maxpedition Kodiak) bag one handed. I wasn't really panicked at all, but I was a bit...concerned. Using a plastic bottle that had a small pinhole in the bottom I squeezed it hard and used the stream to irrigate the cut. Funny thing is I was p.o.'d that the bottle leaked and almost threw it away! Good thing I didn't. At any rate I ripped open a 4" x 4" Hemcon to patch up the cut. Yeah, they're pretty danged spendy but at that moment I wasn't in the mood to consider the price! I cut it into a few chunks and slapped one on. Even though I've used Hemcons before it's alway astonishing just how quickly they stop bleeding cold.

At any rate, suitably patched up I went back to my firewood. No matter how much I bled on it, it ain't gonna baton itself! After my initial miscue the rest of the job went smoothly. I'll say the Ontario is an awesome chopper! I think it would be a bit less work if it had a full flat grind, though. The thickness of the bevel made it stick a bit more than necessary. But on the other hand that thickness helped it baton pretty effectively.

With three nice piles of wood (1 large, 1 split to about 2" x 3" and 1 split into fine kindling) I was ready to get some fire up and running. Having played with my toys from Firesteel.com I was pretty confident I wouldn't need matches, but at the last minute I chicked out and tucked one box of matches and lighter into my pack. As it turns out they weren't needed- my GobSpark Armegeddon & a cotton ball had my fire going on the first strike.

Unfortunately, just as the fire really started cranking the sky began to darken. The rumbling of thunder was getting closer. It became obvious I was gonna get wet, and soon. It wasn't much but I did have one of those $.99 disposable ponchos with me. It was pretty thin but unlike a can liner it did have a hood. With a hunk of paracord as a belt I stayed pretty dry. And with a ripping fire already going I tossed a few big chunks on as a roof and the deluge didn't hurt my fire. There was enough notice to cover my wood piles with 55 gal drum liners. And I almost didn't bring them, lucky for me I threw 'em in.

Overall I had a good time. I was unlucky to get a bad cut & get drenched but fortunate to be pretty well prepared for it. And some of those preparations are things I'd have never thought of if not for sites like ST, ETS, etc. The paracord was very handy: I made a clothesline to dry a few things by the fire, I used it to make a shoulder strap for my water bottles and FAK as I headed down to get water to clean my cut, and it made a decent belt to keep my cheapo poncho from blowing off. If not for ZombieSquad I'd have probably not have the Maxpedition gear, and if not for EMT Life I wouldn't have had the Hemcon bandages.

Aside from having a good time I also got some good ideas on how to better rearrange the items in my FAK to make it easier to find just what I need quickly. For instance, if the Celox granules had been in the flap I'd have used a package of that instead of breaking out the "big gun" Hemcons. Also I should have filled all my water containers before I started fire prep- if I'd have done so I would have irrigated the cut 15 minutes sooner. Still, it was a good experience and I had a good time.

Awsome glad you had a good time.

Lee

Wow good thing you had the necessary resources. It's rained(stormed) a lot around here when we've been camping this year.

For the life of me, I just don't "get" batoning. I am glad you were able to apply satisfactory first aid - that is useful experience.

I have lit hundreds of fires using natural materials, in varying conditions ranging from dire to benign, and I have never had to "baton" anything. Most of this was some time ago, when a campfire was the only realistic source for heat and cooking. Nowadays I carry either an alcohol or canister stove - no more weight than a machete

Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.

You had some experience and survived.
Now go get some more :-)

If your plan was to test survival gear, then it sounds like you may need to rethink your gear. A machete is too big (and dangerous) a blade for a survival kit, and a 99 cent plastic poncho is simply not a sufficient shelter - I'd rather use the 55 gallon liners. I do think shelter is the most overlooked aspect of a survival kit. Fishing is the most overlooked aspect (some humor intended here).

You may want to reread the recommendations in Doug's ETS Gear section.

Unless you've had days and days of rain and everything is soaking wet, you really shouldn't need to be splitting wood - at least not in U.S. forests. They have plenty of tiny wood to start and maintain fires, especially if you're not at a heavily used campground, where the woods are already picked over.

That cut on your finger could have cost you your life if you'd been in a real emergency.

If you plan was to camp - for fun, well, then you were seriously SERIOUSLY under-geared.

Okay, my brief writeup was just that- a quick overview, not the whole of my experience! First off I had full blown shelter, I just didn't describe that. The poncho was just a luxury (on that day, that is). Without it I'd have stayed inside where it was dry. I fully agree that poncho isn't what you'd want on a 2 week hike in the boonies. While I probably neglected to mention it, I also had a 9' x 12' x .8 mil dropclothe in my pack and 8 55 gal contractor garbage bags (recall, I used two to cover my wood). So my primary shelter would have had to fail or burn down, then my dropclothe would have to be lost, then a half dozen bags would have had to fail, and I'd have had to have my car stolen- if all those things would have occured I'd have been completely without shelter!

Next, I had several knives on me: my Ontario SP8 machette, a Knives of Alaska Alpha Wolf, a KOA Bear Cub, an SOG Twitch II and my Kershaw Scallion. I also have a small gardening shovel. I mentioned the SP8 mostly because I just got it from my Dad and wanted to try it out. For the love of God, NO- it wouldn't ever be my only survival knife. With it's totally flat end it has little other purpose than to chop.

As to the chopping- yeah, one instant of carelessness can have serious consequences. Having used razor sharp blades for 20+ years as a chef I know better. But accidents happen usually when you're doing someting routine. The actual batonning part is relatively safe; the knife isn't being swung at all, and you carefully place the edge on the log. What ever possessed me to swing at that little peice of kindling like I was splitting a stalk of celery I'll never know! Again, I know better, or at least I better know better! Luckily I've had a lot of experience dealing with very bad cuts and I had good supplies.

Batonning...I realize that's pretty controversial to some. Could I have managed a fire without it? Yeah. You can't gather wood legally in the park, you have to bring it or buy it there. At the entrance to the park they sell nice dried wood cut to length and randomly split. Never an ideal mix of sizes but usuable to be sure. Processing the wood certainly made it easier to get a good fire, at the expense of lots of preparation. If I'd have been out in the deep woods where the wood may not be completely dry I might have to split it to get to the center. In this case I wanted to test the performance of the knife.

In no way was this a test of survival gear; it was just a recreational outing in a park. True, had I amputated a digit it could have quickly turned into a survival situation, though!

Glad you were equipped. Its good to get experience so long as one isn't in above their head.

Botonning is fine if you realize that most of it is just for fun and gaining the experience. Many do see it as a last resort if wood is really soaked, so from that viewpoint it is a useful skill ... and you might agree its safer than chopping.

Sounds like you had lots of fun and even more of an experience - more than you planned on :-)

sounds like you worked your way thru all the problems and stuck with it rather than hopping in the car and heading home!!..great!!
the willingness to keep going thru the hassles is mark of a good camper,that's the only way to find out how things,and you, work in a pinch.

Sorry, can't help it, gotta say it.
"WELL, THAT'LL TEACH YA!"

BTW, it might be called a "machette" but it's really not. It's a flat 10" blade, .25" thick. It batons wood very effectively:



I sharpened mine to the point that it was better at whittling than my Kershaw. The sawteeth on the back are sharp enough that they make it pretty tough to hold onto it via the spine, though. My feelings are mixed; it does a great job chopping and with heavy tasks but you can see by the shape that it has some serious limitations.

Heaven help me, I'm really thinking about a Busse Bushwacker Mistress!

IMO everyone doesn't need to buy equipment suitable for settling the northwest territories. Yes, a more substantial poncho would be my choice but a $.99 disposable unit can be quite useful. Good ones will see you through a sudden storm, perhaps two if your gentle with it. And a $.99 plastic poncho is a hell of a lot better than standing in the rain with nothing at all.

A bonus is that a $.99 unit is cheap enough to stock in considerable numbers and to hand out with no expectation of them being returned. They are also expendable. Use a few times and toss them. Not great for the landfill but not something you would use many of outside a mass casualty disaster.

Being disposable means that if they are contaminated by chemical fallout from an industrial accident, or other slime or toxic mess, you can save trouble by disposing of it instead off having to decontaminate it. It can make a lot of sense to wear a light disposable unit over a more substantial rain-suit and let the cheap stuff take the bulk of the insult.

I was really pleased with the $.99 poncho, truth be told. With a bit of paracord as a belt it kept me snug as a bug in a rug. And thin though it was I could have used it for days if needs be. Especially since my FAK had about 8-10' of Gorilla tape re-rolled. As you say, Art, if this were a survival situation it's not like I'd have been leading the Donner Party- it just would have had to keep me going til I got rescued.

BTW, another interesting "survival lesson" to be learned- the presence of a lot of blood doesn't mean anything. My cut bled copiously but it waqsn't nearly so bad as it initially seemed. Long experience has shown me that I'm a bleeder. No, not a hemophiliac but I do bleed more than the average person. Many people freak out at the sight of blood but I've cut my fingertip off twice and had several to-the-bone cuts in the kitchen. So while I understand and respect the risk of infection and such I also know that the presence of a lot of blood doesn't mean you're gonna keel over in a few minutes. STOP! Relax. Think. Don't freak out and run around, just calmly go to your FAK (you do keep one nearby, don't you?) and treat the injury. Don't dink around, but you do have time.

Phaedrus, you bring up a good point about the cut. Infection is the NUMBER ONE concern when faced with a survival situation. Bleeding and pain are just cues to the affected area . The situation you were in allowed you easy access to medical help, if needed. And, as it was just an overnight, infection likely wouldnt set in until the following day. Thats why its IMPERATIVE to be as careful as possible, and not take risks, when doing this stuff real-world. You illustrated that for all of us .

I gotta ask though-how do you cut the SAME fingertip off TWICE???

EDIT: Please read this as lighthearted. Thats the way it is intended. I am happy that it was a minor cut, and not something worse. At least you may get a cool scar to tell tales around!

Most of the times I've cut myself is when you happen to be doing normal activities. Probaly the worst cut was after sharpening a knife. I thought I'd clean the blade and sliced my finger.
Even at work I sliced my hand the other day. Nothing big but it bled for a while. Sometimes in my line of work it's just part of the job.
Some of the wood we've purchased in the SP's around here has been a litle on the wet side. One thing I've tried this year is some corugated cardboard that is sort of shredded but intack. We had it in a box as packing material. Not the smallest but when car camping you have a little more room. I thought I'd give it try. One of those things about trying to be resourceful.

I carry and prefer to use a military weight poncho.

It's much stronger than the "emergency poncho."
Better for emergency shelter (I carry some paracord and small aluminum tent stakes for the purpose), for carrying out injured party members, won't be shredded by bushwhacking.

Poncho is good for hiking because it breathes a lot better than a waterproof parka. Not great for all-day rains but for passing Rocky Mountain rain or showers it works well.

I've tried to use a waterproof parka, but I found myself sweating so much that I was just as wet on the inside as if I wasn't wearing it. I'm a poncho guy.

I use an Exped Bivy Poncho - mostly for the length (I'm quite tall), but a side benefit is that it has all sorts of snap-up and tarp options.

I find using the hood to be too warm too. I'd rather wear my Tilley synthetic fabric hat - it keeps rain off my glasses too.

I recommend Campmor's Cascade II nylon ponchos to Scouts and leaders in my son's troop. They are reasonably priced (though not 99 cents), well made, and come in several sizes, including an extra long-backed version for covering backpacks.

They also have nylon loops in the corners to allow them to be used as tarps. Slick.

It was about 15 years apart. The first time I was a young pup just starting out on the line. The second time I was in a hurry and just let my focus wander a bit. Considering how much time I spend with a knife in my hand it's a wonder I don't get cut more. In part it's simply that my technique has improved over the years. Even so, no matter how careful you are you will make a mistake. It's just how are brains are wired.

The time I get cut the most when I'm sharpening. Really that makes sense; I'm handling the knives a lot and they're the sharpest they'll ever be when I take them off the final stone. Testing the edge is a danger point but I'd say wiping off the swarf and cleaing up is probably the most hazardous time. I rarely get a bad one this way, it's usually just a lot of nicks.

I'm mindful of infection, both at home and in the field. I try to always irrigate the wound and keep it covered. A lot of the time I'll use a triple antiobiotic cream but lately I've been wondering if that's not worse in the long run than just using water.

I made a snide comment before but there is a serious point to this,
Machetes and axes are wicked cutters and in our grandfather's times a small cut could be fatal (gangrene, septicemia blood poisoning, no antibiotics) and with newer strains of drug resistant bugs things are headed that way again.

It is really easy to forget and put yourself into the line of a cutting edge, especially with machetes and short handled axes.

An old saying is cut towards you chum and not your thumb. That applies quite well to smaller blades but with a machete you have to count the full swing if you miss, as well as remembering not to hold the kindling in your fingers as you try to split it.

I have often seen people swinging tools in such a way that the blade would be biting a leg or foot if they ever missed the cut they were aiming for.

Chicken,

That is why earlier in this thread I had suggested reading (rereading) Doug Ritter's section on Gear & Equipment. I was specifically referring to his recommendations on axes:

"To the horror of many old time traditional outdoorsmen, I tend to avoid recommending hatchets and axes. It is so easy to seriously injure or cripple yourself using these tools that the risks outweigh the benefits, in my opinion. This is especially a problem if you are tired, cold or otherwise not in particularly great shape, not an unlikely possibility for any survivor. An axe or hatchet is not very forgiving of poor or sloppy technique, as many a person, experienced and not, has learned the hard and painful way. For the inexperienced survivor there isn't the time to learn how to safely use these tools, which have been known to bite even those with plenty of years handling them. A saw is simply safer."

These are wise wise words.

I think a saw and a knife are more useful than an axe a lot of the time, at least for survival applications.

I actually agree with Doug's comments as pointed out by Ken and with your comments Phaedrus.

They are dangerous tools and do require respect as well as experience to be used safely.

I have seen what an axe does to a foot. It is almost as bad as what a chainsaw does. (not my feet, thank you)
Seeing a couple of axe cuts is one reason I dislike seeing all these short handled axes being sold these days.
Handles in cruiser length are not safe for felling or splitting axes just because if you miss then the axe head is going straight for your lower leg.

It is also true that you don't need axes or machetes most of the time.
If I had to choose between packing a small swede saw into a kit or an axe, then I would likely choose the light thin bladed swede saw instead of the axe or a machete

Yet there are times and places where axes and the big knife machetes do belong.
Even the cruiser axe has a place and I used to use one quite a bit.

If you do carry an axe, Ray Mears tutorial on the axe should be required viewing.

+1 on ponchos.

I've got my old US Army one, and it does really well. I like the fact that I can snap it together lengthwise (making a tube) and crawl in for an emergency shelter if need be. Being a hiker, the $0.99 ones make me uneasy because I've seen them shred too many times when people are going through brush.

I too have found rain suits to be just too warm. In winter or serious weather they're better, but for hiking in decent weather, the poncho is the way to go, and it'll cover your gear as well as you.

Good reminders on safety with sharps. Thanks for the post.

HJ

Thanks for sharing.

I think it was in Hood's woods or some video I learned to cut the 55 gal bag along the bottom scene from the corner just a bit. That way, only your face is exposed to the elements. Don't bother cutting arm holes since you want to keep as waterproof as possible.

My contractor grade bags are less than .99 and I like their multitude of uses. I always have two.