There are endless discussions as to what makes a good knife. Everyone has their opinion, and some people seem to be willing to defend theirs for hours. I’ve found that knives are kind of like dogs – everyone thinks that their dog is the greatest, and no matter how bad or poorly behaved it is [...]
Becoming competent at lighting fires with a hand drill or bow drill takes time, sweat and blisters. But it can be done. There’s a difference between trying to get a coal and trying to master the techniques. Decide what your goals are before you proceed. If you want to get a coal, then drill until [...]
If you work as a guide or teach wilderness survival for any length of time, someone, or more often lots of people, are going to ask your opinion of those individuals who have elevated themselves to celebrity status in this type of work. I duck these questions and avoid these types of conversations, if only [...]
The Earth Skills Semester Program starts next week, and I’ve been busy getting prepared. This morning I put a coat of varnish on four canoe paddles, set up a new composting bin, and laid out where several new shelters will go. I’ve also rewritten our nature knowledge curriculum and have included common species of plants, [...]
I was in western Massachusetts this past weekend working with Frank Grindrod and a group of youngsters for a shelter-building class. They were focusing on debris shelters, building them during the day and sleeping in them that night. It was a warm, overcast day, with the sky foretelling the coming rain. With this type of [...]
We’ve got our new blog up and running, but it will take a few days to get it set up and customized.
Right after I left on my recent trip to Alaska our site was hacked and all 140 of my blog posts, stretching back several years were deleted. As such I’m looking into alternative methods of blogging since the previous software package obviously wasn’t secure enough. As soon as I get something up and running I’ll [...]
Yesterday I did some weeding in the vegetable garden and enjoyed mid-July in New Hampshire by picking and eating raspberries, blueberries, and juneberries I’ve got growing. Today I’m off to Valdez, Alaska, where for two weeks I’ll be working as a consultant for a Discovery Channel tv show on survival. It’s been about five years [...]
Today is the first day of our bushcraft day camp pilot program. I’ve worked exclusively with college students and adults in the past, so it’s sure to be exciting. Today we’ll be focusing on the five stages of fire, fire ecology and several ignition strategies. We’ll also study the edible and medicinal wild plants of [...]
I’ve always enjoyed fishing. I fished every inch of the small New Hampshire town where I grew up, as well as surrounding areas that were within biking distance. When my friends began getting their driver’s licenses, I was incredibly excited because now all of the rivers and lakes around the state were within reach. It [...]
Yesterday I sent out our final email newsletter. We ran it for a number of years, but with the growth of spam and the associated hassles we’re going to focus on this blog and the associated RSS feed. If people want to read what we’re up to we’re only a click away.
Our town has a big July 4th celebration every year with a parade, a brass band by the town docks, and fireworks at dusk. Our family participated in all of the festivities and had a great time. There is a small bookstore in town and my wife and I know the owner and some of [...]
Yesterday morning I was able to get away for a few hours of canoeing and fishing on the Bearcamp river. I was up and out the door early and spent a few pleasant hours poling upstream from where I put in, then drifting and fishing my way back down. When I got home I finished [...]
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