Indoor Bushcraft Projects

I know we've got a bunch of threads on here that could be included in this but, since I'm expecting to be cooped up for a couple of months, I've started collected ideas for bushcraft projects I can work on indoors at home. If you've got any, please add them to the list!

Pot Cozies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO92ndwx5UA

Stove Wind Screen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-S5FZMb8ww&list=PL8Wyd4FLwA56j7oDpo4H_LiYVTV2fXQT8

Wool/Leather Possibles Pouches: http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=43874#p906299

Alcohol Stove: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGG-wQJLYbw

Tarp Shelter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QatcuLnqnhQ&list=UUzyFU1lpzHXx9PO5bppICMg&index=32

Axe Sheath: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ApjIamqPQ

Tent Stove: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LgArTl_B...re=results_main

Knots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeiEaHlh7uI

There are all kinds of paracord "crafts" that can be made.

How about trying to perform common camp tasks with one hand? You do not want to find out the hard way.

Sheath from PVC


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3oV2rrymUo

Great idea, Eugene. Thanks!

Be there, done it. (Broke my right shoulder three summers ago and my arm was immobilized for three months.) It's a great skill to practice. You'd be amazed at much you depend on the second hand and arm, especially if they are your dominant side.

Nice! Thanks Chisel!

Indoor and bushcraft are two words that hardly go together.

Use a bow drill to light your fireplace maybe? or just go outside in your yard and do something.

After looking at quivers on Amazon last night we just got a cheapy. Mrs says she will just watch for materials at the thrift store and make her own.

Im sure she make make what costs a hundred bucks for a couple dollars of leather scraps or what have you.

A little OT,but if you are new to archery,Excaliber recurve crossbows in our case,drop me a line,I will let you know what you need to get to get set up,some things are must haves and they dont make it clear you cant get going without them,and Im just a newbie learning the hard way.Good info on setting up is just not readily avialable. IE,you buy the scope and scope rings,nobody mentions you have to buy a ramp to mount those to.

Mostly true, but there's a lot of bushcraft prep we can do indoors.

Like... making waxed cotton balls, waxed jute, candle making....

Or.... making a leather pucker pouch to carry bannock mix...

Or... making a poncho out of a wool blanket...

Or... learning to sharpen knives...

You could work on some of your navigation skills. For example, a book I have & like, Wilderness Navigation, has a bunch of practice problems in the back. Also, as I learned from comms on another thread, there are Navigation Challenge Books available that would help hone your skills in this area (I still haven't picked any up for myself, unfortunately).

Thanks Dennis!

Not exactly indoor bushcraft, but this off-beat and very interesting "thought exercise" appeared in my morning newspaper. It may just offer an interesting angle, considering that you may possibly be cooped up and sleep-deprived for a while.

The headline: Do you have a ‘Can-do’ attitude, passable English and sanity? Want to go to Mars?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/01/09/...-to-go-to-mars/

A surprising amount of this stuff -- personal attributes and group dynamics -- has some application to everything from Scout camps to disaster situations.

muslin cloth stuff sacks: http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=OEiLGXwfj7Y

We could have used a couple of these this past weekend!

canteen cup lids: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SK4RG2YYgaw

I have made several alcohol stoves. So far I made one cat can stove out of a tuna can that was to side to fit my cup on, and one pop can stove that just did not go together very well. I also made one of the penny type alcohol stoves but the PITA way you have to prime it turned me off to it even though it seemed to work OK.

I have a smaller can that may work as a cat stove. It is about the right size, but it is thicker steel so I will have to drill it instead of using a paper punch.

I also want to make another of the double walled can stoves, but do a better job of it. They seem to be the best of the DIY alcohol stoves over all.

ILBob,
Alcohol stoves are like tater chips, Can't make just one.

THINKING !!!

I do spend some of my waiting times "thinking" ... and there is lot to think about like :

- "What if" scenarios, what to do if this or that happened ? Sometimes something that REALLY happened but did not turn into a disaster.
- Unfinsihed projects , how to proceed ?
- Planning next trips in the future, and what next to try in those trips ???

... just a few examples ...

In addition, it's good time to check your stored preps and their expiration dates ..etc.

Also, it's good time for reading

I made another cat can stove yesterday out of a smaller can. It is small enough to fit under one of my steel or SS cups.

I tested it inside. Seemed to work OK. A little smelly as the plastic liner on the inside of the can burned off.

I will take it with me on the next hike and try it out. I made myself a wind screen to bring with me as well. Just AL foil.

I need to get a decent fuel bottle though. using an old coke bottle is not the best option.

I like this style of stove as it is simpler to make than other alcohol stoves.

How did the cat taste after being cooked on that stove?

I threw this together from scraps in the garage

Eugene,is that PVC?

Yep. A left over piece and some wood in the garage and we now have an arrow stand like at the cub scout camp.

Thats kinda neat. Beats jabbing all the arrows into the dirt like I have been doing.

How about putting some (more) lists together (if you haven't already):

Lists of edible plants in your area (include internet photos, preparation details and seasons)
- This is a very big job !

Trips you would like to do (or re-do)
- Day trips
- Weekend
- Longer trips
- on water
- in the snow
- on foot
- etc

Who would you like to invite on those trips

A list of outdoor BC projects – I’m sure you will find lots while you’re stuck indoors !

Wood carving projects are good :
- I’ve carved a few owls and mushrooms lately
- A walking stick / staff

You mentioned knife sharpening, this is really good, ditto axe

Cordage making from natural fibres
- Search for “Reverse Twist”

Well done,wife loves it!

Practice, practice, practice!

Tarp Knots Part 1 - YouTube
Tarp Knots Part 2 - YouTube

Pot stands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUtwk1LvL_Q

Just saw this how to on using a ferro rod one-handed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYldMZDxrV4

It's the first day of March Break. it's cold outside for the baby and the 9 yo just came down with the chicken pox. So.... we're making char cloth on the stove. Our second attempt is cooling now.

Lessons so far:

1. It'll make the house stink a bit even with the extractor fan on.

2. Use 100% cotton, not a 60/40 cotton poly blend. That stuff melts.

3. The hinge holes on an Altoids tin can be big enough to not only let smoke vent, but let in enough oxygen to cause the cotton to burn rather than char.

Char Cloth Making Results

Cut up pieces of cotton ready to char in a shiny new Altoids tin:



Aloids tin on the gas range:



60/40 cotton/poly blend means melty bits:



100% cotton works best, but brown not black means it's not quite cooked enough:



Just about perfect:



It took a spark from a ferro rod right away:

I guy I knew who made his own char cloth threw 100% cotton flannel or that blue and white pillow ticking into a coffee can. Then crimped down the opening and folded it over - like a brown paper lunch bag. I think he set the oven on 200 degrees and let it bake. I cannot remember how long he left it in there. I can contact him and find out if you want.

My $.02

if you can find a naturally occurring chert or flint outcropping, or pick up pieces along the edges of waterway... identifying them to your Scouts might set up a fun project... have a fire building challenge... a fire the way the natives did prior to a ferro rod... there are some large chert deposits, that have now been taken over by an oyster bed, just off shore where I grew up... and as Scouts we were on the lookout for the shiny black or gray pieces...using a piece of char cloth, and the back spine of a carbon steel pocketknife was one of the "extra" skills our Scoutmaster worked with us on... I was lucky to have a couple of dedicated gentlemen in that position...if I remember correctly, we used a shoe polish can with a tiny hole in the top to make and transport the char cloth...the pocket knife and stone in our pocket...probably not politically correct today...

That's the plan, Les. Using quartz/chert will be new for me too. I've always wanted to try it. Almost went to the science store yesterday and bought a piece, to tell the truth. It just seems wrong to buy quartz when it's pretty plentiful around here. The weather will let up soon enough and we'll be able to hit the trails. It'll be way more fun to experiment with finding in nature.

I'd love some tips on using the oven, MoBob. This is my first try using an Altoid's indoors. I started with the oven but was stumped by temp and time So skipped it and went for the stove I stead. You could likely cook way more in the oven if you used a container bigger than an Altoids tin.

Mine are mostly learning, & planning outings

So, is char cloth just for fun? I ask that in all sincerity. I could see improvising it if there were few other options, but if I'm packing my stuff in I could think of things that are a lot better tinder than that. Again, just curious.

As with all bushcrafty stuff, it's a learning opportunity for both of us. A ferro rod or lighter + cotton ball is my default fire starting method but options are good to understand. Char cloth (or other charred material) is something you can improvise in the field to extend one fire into many. Add in learning to identify and use natural flint/quartz/chert/etc. and steel, and you've just upped your self reliance factor.

Understanding the theory is one thing, but I need hands-on experience to really learn something, especially if it's something I want to be able to rely on in a high pressure situation. Read/hear it, watch it and then try it and try it again. My son learns best the same way.

It might only need heat + fuel + oxygen, but fire starting is something that can have many variables. Even perfect practice doesn't mean perfect next time. The more practice the better!

Ah, a good idea from that perspective. At any rate I was just wondering.

It's a known good solution. It was relied on historically. See, for example, http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/33298. Most better solutions are more modern.

I think its main drawback is that it needs to be kept dry. There are modern tinders that don't. And of course cigarette lighters that have the benefit of being easier to use one-handed.

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.



.

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.