The Fabled "Bear Knife"

Every woodsman worth their salt carries a bear knife.  Not a knife specific for killing bears, mind you, but a large multipurpose knife that can, if the moment presents itself, be used to slay a bear.  Jeremiah Johnson had one,  Davy Crocket as well, so don't tell me that you don't want to carry one when you are out in the woods and hear something rustling in the brush!!!

All humor aside, the knife that I have dubbed, "The Bear Knife" has proven itself time and again for me in the back country.  It is my Cold Steel Bushman Bowie Knife and it is the best and most useful multipurpose knife that I have ever had!

When I say "Multipurpose" I'm sure that you immediately think of a swiss army knife.  In all reality, a swiss army knife should not even be called a knife, due to the fact that the blade provided is only two inches long, non-serrated, unlocking, and will most likely break when you try to use it.  I would say it falls in the category of "multitool."  To quote the legend that is Crocodile Dundee, "That ain't a knife.....this is a knife!"

Before I purchased the now bowie model of the Cold Steel Bushman, I had the original, and what a knife it was! My Dad and I bought a pair of them from the local gun show and ever since I have carried it (or a version of it) while packing.  The company Cold Steel had not been highly recognized for its quality work yet and for 15 dollars I walked away with an awesome tool.

The qualities of the Bushman are numerous.  It is made from carbon steel and coated with non-reflective black paint.  The handle of the knife is also a part of the blade, since it is made from one solid piece of metal that is forged, the handle twisted away from the blade and bent to resemble a grip.  The center of the handle is hollow, making giving it another use.  A spear head.  It can be fastened to the top of a stick simply by jamming it onto the top!  It has a nice heft to it and can double as a machete if being used in thick brush, since the blade is approximately 7 inches in length. It can also be used for digging due to its wide blade, along with the everyday uses that a knife can be put to.  The carbon steel holds its edge like no other knife out there!

The feeling I get when I'm packing my Bushman is one of security and pride.  I have the biggest knife of anyone out here, and other than the gun toting maniacs,  I am the most prepared for an encounter like that of Anthony hopkins in the film, The Edge.  Imagine if he had had a Bushman!  He wouldn't have had to set all those traps and blacken the points of all those spears.  He could have simply said, "here I am bear,  come and get me!"

However, when I'm out in the woods I always carry a backup knife (my CRKT M-16 Special Forces, thanks dad!) and also a multitool. It seems like a little much but I'm definitely prepared for anything.  I think that I am going to start learning how to shoot a bow and then I will have another addition to my arsenal.  A bow can be allot of fun and also a great tool for hunting/fishing.  Since I am in the movie quoting business during this post I can't help but think of that scene from that movie with the banjo where the guy shoots the hillbilly who has a shot gun through the chest with a bow.  Come on! Give me a break!  I had a long day at work and can't think of the name of it.  Oh.... Deliverance.  That was it.  A bow would be a great addition to the "Bear knife."  You can't ever be over prepared for a trip into the wilderness!

Hammock Vs. Tent

So I have been debating the Ultralight backpacking frame of mind and after my last hike have decided that I need to rehash my philosophy of backpacking.  How to cut weight quickly and limit the amount of gear that I carry.

I think the first place to start is with my tent.  I have a Coleman Exponent Inyo 2 and it is super light and easy to set up and maintain.  I have had it since high school, a gift from my dad who upgraded to a larger ten.  It weighs in around three lbs and works well as a 3 season shelter.  I have even used it in the snow but was pretty chilly due to the wind chill factor.

The tent is great but I would like to cut down my total weight and if I started using a hammock I think that the benefits would outweigh the downfalls.  A hammock is light weight (around two lbs) and it eliminates the need for a sleeping pad which would decrease my pack weight by another two lbs (the weight of my Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Pad).

The problem with the hammock is that it is free standing and there is no insulation between you and the ground, so the wind factor would play a big part in its performance as far as warmth is concerned.  The other issue is..... where can my damn dog sleep?  He isn't hairy enough to sleep on his own outside so I would have to bring a shelter for him too (add two + lbs).

I think the best way to switch to a hammock is to get 1. a new lighter sleeping bag, one for the summer (20 degree) and one for the winter (5 degree) and 2. get or make a small tarp shelter for my dog that can be set up under my hammock.  This would take care of the temperature issue and also lighten my load since I have a heavy 4 lb sleeping bag at the moment, and also give my dog a place to rest his head.

So now I need to buy a hammock rig, new sleeping bag, and also materials for a dog shelter.  Ahhhhh! Why is camping so expensive.  I wish sometimes that I could sell all my stuff at my house, buy great camp gear, and move permanently into the back country, subsisting on trout and the local wildlife until I die old and happy.

But, since I have a wife and family the best thing to do is prioritize.

1.  Buy a new lighter sleeping bag
2. Buy a hammock rig
3.  Buy/make a dog shelter

When all is said and done I think that I will be ahead about 2 lbs and decrease the overall size of my load as well, leaving room for more booze and reading material.  Both things that you can never have enough of while on the trail.

The next piece of gear to scrutinize when converting to a light weight setup is my mess kit.  I currently use a cheap coleman single burner stove, not the one you are think of, the really cheap one!  That screws onto the propane container which weighs around two lbs! In total my stove and fuel probably weighs around three lbs.  Mu pot setup is also heavy, but I have decreased the weight considerably by only bringing the largest pot and the pan, eliminating the smaller pot. I also bring a aluminim mug for hot beverages, but it seems a bit unnecessary. i recently purchased a plastic spork/spatula combo that is great and light.  I think that switching to a small alcohol stove and getting titanium cookware and a titanium double-walled mug with lid will solve my weight problem.

Rubbing Alcohol is cheap and easy to doll out and ration once you have tested the burn time, so I won't have to bring so much fuel or be stuck with a given amount.  Titanium is really light, lasts forever, and if you blacken the bottoms of the pots, conducts heat just as well as a pre-blackened heavier metal pot.  I plan to use stove top paint to blacken my new titanium pots when I get them.  This way my mess kit will all fit into the larger pot, including fuel, pan, mug w lid, and utensils.  I may even have room for some other items like coffee and condiments/spices.  I think that this will unburden me by another two or even three lbs.

1.  get alcohol stove
2. get titanium pot and pan
3. get titanium double walled mug with lid

Next on the list is clothes.  I have no backpack-specific clothes, being that I was raised to make due with wha you have.  I use thermals that are two sizes two small for me for crying out loud! Just because I'm cheap.  My outfit on any given trip (minus winter expeditions) consists of cargo shorts, t-shirt, thermals top and bottom, Injinji Socks (since I switch to barefooting it), Vibram KSO's, beanie, Elastic baseball cap, and a wind breaker.  I generally don't need rain gear but would like some, and I also would like new thermals, light weight hiking shorts, a fleece lined wind breaker, and gaiters for winter wear.  These are a   start and from there I can slowly get other clothing more specific to the seasons.  this will take a bunch of weight off of my pack and keep me warmer and more comfortable.

Enough planning for today,  there is always tomorrow.  Shows how much I get out there!!!



Alcohol

Barefoot Shoes

So, after my most recent hike my fairly new fivefinger KSO's had already torn a seam on the top of the left big toe.  I returned them and since Vibram has a 90 day return policy I got a new pair.  In general they are great and in the three weeks that I had the first pair I hiked a total of probably 30 miles in rough and rocky conditions.  The sole looked brand new still and the only issue was that torn seam.

I have been debating which pair to get next based on my experience so far and I think that I will probably invest in the somewhat new Trek Sport, which combines the thicker sole of the KSO Trek and the top mesh of the original KSO.  Thus, better breathability and flexibility with a tougher and more padded sole that will allow me to traverse more rocky terrain.  In theory.

There are not many reviews out there on any Vibram Fivefingers, and I haven't stumbled upon one yet that discusses their use in the kind of terrain or application that I have used them in.  They definitely connect you to the earth and allow you to experience it the way we should experience it.  With wonder and at a slower pace that allows us to take in all of Gods creation one step at a time.

My friend Mike bought some Bikilas this week and is going to use them for running and the gym.  The should work out well in that capacity, but he will have to get another pair of KSO's or Trek's to be able to hike in.   The sole on them is not thick enough to last.

The great thing about the sole of the original KSO is that it is simple but gives great traction on boulders and rocky terrain.  The razor sipping gives the traction, even in wet conditions.  It is also thin enough that you feel everything (and I mean everything!), from pointy sharp rocks and boulders to soft sand and grass underfoot.  Its just like walking barefoot only you don't need to worry (too much)  about cutting your feet on anything.  Really Great!

The Trek Sport or Trek has a thicker sole and will not give as good a sensation when walking through different terrain, but they will protect my feet, again in theory, from getting bruised when on the trail for a longer period of time or when burdened by a thirty to forty pound pack.  You can really feel the extra weight in your feet when packing and the chance of nailing my heel on a sharp bit of rock is increased because I'm not moving as fast and thus not using the shoe the way it was designed.  Heel toe instead of front pad only as designed.

The greatest sensation I have experienced in my KSO's was in a grassy meadow high in the Yosemite back country. The grass was about knee high and I had just hiked six miles the day before in hard rocky terrain.  It felt amazing.  The cool crunchy grass under my toes was awesome.  I wanted to stay there forever, but had to get back to camp to do some fishing to feed my belly.  Which turned out to be unsuccessful anyway.

The next test will be how do they stand up in colder climates.  I plan to go on a few trips this fall and winter and even late spring and I am interested to see how they can keep up with snow and rainy conditions.  My feet were not cold on my maiden voyage, though the temperatures were at a low in the high thirties at night.  I think with Injinji toe socks they will be fine in cooler weather but rain will not be so great I feel.  When walking through moist dirt or grass the shoes absorb water through the toe cracks and into the toe sockets, making my feet cold and wet.  If in rain they will be constantly wet.  I have thought that the KSO Flow will be better for these types of applications, but have not had the funds to try them or any other model out yet.  Hopefully I will win the lottery and be able to by a pair of each model!

Well, we will see what happens next. I'll write again next time I feel the need to discuss a trip or a dilemma which pertains to a piece of gear.  Until next time.

Andy out. ( I wish I was out.....in the woods :-(

I have been wanting to do this for a while.  Start my own backpacking/hiking blog.  I guess there is not a better time than now!

I have been backpacking since I was 7 years old,  and since then have seen much of this great country.  I started with my father and grew into my own during college as a full fledged backpacker.  I won't bore you with the details of this ascent, but will get right into my most recent hike and the events therein.  

I recently decided, with a little persuasion from my friend Mike (thanks buddy) that going barefoot was the way to go, and that the only way to transition to this prehistoric mode of transportation was to jump on the band wagon of one of the biggest up coming fads.  Barefoot shoes.  I bought my shoes (pictured below) and set out to test them in some of the most rugged terrain that I have experienced, Yosemite National Wilderness.  

The big debate amongst most people who aspire to be barefoot hikers is the idea that your feet can't hack it in the granite strewn and otherwise rugged landscape.  I set out to prove them wrong but along the way had some difficulties and some triumphs.

Late August, 2010

It was a hot and muggy 100 degree plus day in southern California when my companion and myself started the six+ hour drive from LA to Ten Lakes Trailhead Yosemite.  I had packed light.  Sparing room for only the essentials:

• Emergency Kit
• Cook Pot
• Stove
• Bear Knife (Sorry Mike!!)
• Sleeping Pad
• Fishing Pole and gear
• Fleece sleeping bag liner
• Clothes: Long underwear, wind breaker, T-Shirt, Toe Socks, barefoot shoes 
• Tent
• Tarp
• Treking Poles
• Cards
• And of course a large bottle of Sake
• Map and Compass
• Food
• Water Purification system
• Water bladder
• Flashlight

The weather was warm but as we made our way into the higher elevations it was apparent that temperatures would dip into the high thirties at night.  

We got a late start and didn't get on the trail until just past five in the evening.  Marco had never been on a backpacking trip in his life and I wasn't sure how he would hack it, the hike being a 6 1/2 mile climb with an elevation gain of nearly 3000 ft.  

As we ascended the trail, Marco began to take off, and it was all I could do to keep up.  After two miles of traveling we took a break at the crossroads where another trail headed back the direction we had come. (See Pic) Up to this point the trail had been mostly pine needles and soft dirt and so my feet had not troubled me in my barefoot shoes.  

Usually I have knee problems when hiking but my knee brace was keeping everything together and I was feeling good.  As we continued up the mountain the air was full of the ominous and beautiful quiet that is embedded in the very soul of places like this.  

We got to a meadow and from there I saw that the trail was beginning to gain in elevation drastically.  

We stopped for a quick photo op but the light was fading and we new that there was at least a few miles more to go.  In order to make it before dusk we would have to finish the hike around 8:00 and that meant that we would have to hike the 6 1/2 miles in a total time of just under 2 1/2 hours.  That meant averaging 3 mph, give or take for the steeper bits.  We set our minds to hiking and tried not to focus on the drastic scenery that surrounded us.  

We reached the top of the hill around 7:30 PM and took one last picture before the sun went down.  

I was feeling good still but the arch in my foot was beginning to get sore and the front pad of my foot was a little tender from the granite bits of rock that lay strewn across nearly every inch of the trail now.  

Down the other side we went and into the Ten Lakes Basin.  

We had a few close calls on the way down in the dusk.  Marco slipped and nearly tweaked his foot that he recently injured in a way that I'll not mention due to its simplistic and somewhat laughable nature.  I slipped a few times but was able to make it down unscathed.  

At 8 PM we finally reached the bottom of the lake basin and started to round the biggest lake, searching with maglight and headlamp for the any semi-flat location near the lake to set up.  We passed some hikers who were set up and ready to bed down for the night and they directed us southeast around the lake to a secluded spot that turned out to be, in the light of day, the most picturesque location that we could have stumbled upon.  But I get ahead of myself.

I have always despised setting up camp in the dark.  you never know what you are getting into until everything is out of your pack and you are already too tired to look for a better spot.  With flashlight and headlamp we divided and conquered.  Marco set to building up a fire ring around a jutting outcrop of rock at the forefront of our campsite.  I set up the tent and got out the cookware which we set up on my canvas drop cloth, now bearing the scars of many uses, and Mikes mishandled red-hot cookware.  Another story.  For another time.  

I started the fire, meaning to use my indispensable Magnesium fire starter and flint to do the dirty work.  I go tired of scraping of shards of Magnesium so I resorted to the ever effective lighter.  I had a blaze going in a minute or so and began to rustle up some grub.  While Marco retrieved more firewood, of which there seemed to be a limited supply due to our limited visibility,  I got out the one piece of equipment with which I have never had any experience.  The bear canister.  

The rangers who issued us our hiking permit had made it ever so clear that the bear canister was the most important piece of equipment that any backpacker would or could need.  They spent twenty minutes telling me stories of bear attacks on hikers who were not prepared.  I, being from the northern U.S. have not had much experience with bears and have always used a simple food sack and rope to free myself from the risk of bear invasion.  They assured me that this was now illegal and would not be effective.  "Stash anything you have that resembles or smells like food in it.  Even your toothpaste."  

I got out dinner, which consisted of italian sausages, bell peppers, and asian noodles.  Or cup-o-noodles, to those of you who think me boastful in my backpack cook capabilities.  I always like to have fresh food with a fresh meat source for the first night because I easily tire of the old bags of dehydrated food and actually like the cooking experience in the outdoors.  I started to cook on my cheap but effective single burner stove, which runs off a normal propane canister but lasts forever.  It cost me ten bucks and has lasted for years.  Sure, it won't boil water in 1.5 minutes, but it works good enough for the money.  

Marco kept killing the fire so I had to re-stoke it and get it burning again. As I stirred the sausages and grub, my obnoxiously good hearing, which makes up for my poor vision, brought to my attention an onlooker who was somewhere within ten feet of my back and has stepped on a twig. I alerted Marco and he turned with his flashlight.  

"There's two green eyes over there," he commented, backing up from the imminent threat.  I assured him that we were safe and that if it was a bear,  it probably would leave us alone if we made ourselves bigger and made a racket.  We got our treking poles, and of course our bear knives, because one can never pass up the opportunity to skewer a bear at knifepoint.  

Anyway, the eyes did not reappear, but our fear of them stayed, and we ate quickly and as the fire died, we kept jumping at every sound.  I have never feared sleeping in the woods but I was a little skeptical of sleeping in bear infested woods, a point of which the rangers had assured me was plausible.  

I heard it again!

Quick I flashed my light over to the tree line and saw......... a cowering little deer.  Dumb!  I would later find out that our camp was right next to a stream and meadow, both drawing points for the local wild life.  

We finished up and went to bed.  Stomachs full and looking forward to the morning light.  

Halfway through the night I woke freezing to death due to the fact that I had been showing off my ingenuity and ability to pack light.  I had left my sleeping bag and replaced it with a fleece liner which my wife had sewn for me to use as an extra layer when packing in the snow.  Re-inflating your sleeping pad during the night due to deflation on account of the elevation is not a pleasant experience when crammed inside a two (should be one) man tent the size of a large sleeping bag.  

I woke with the light and Marco kept on snoring.  He swears by sleep aids and slept to nearly nine, missing the beautiful sunrise over the lake.  I explored our area a bit, found deer prints and pellets near and around our camp site.  

I refilled our water containers from a nearby pond and rebuilt the fire, which had died to embers but not gone out entirely in the night.  Coffee is a number one priority and so I started a pot.  Once Marco woke from his snoring slumber we took a little hike around the lake and met a few fellow woodsmen fishing by the lake.  (See pics)

The Lake

Marco and I at the crack of 10 am

From the left

Awesome Rock Islands

We decided to cook a little breakfast, eggs and cheese.  After, we went for a hike, started to go to one of the higher lakes, but decided against more ascent.  

The grass felt great on my feet!

We gathered firewood along the way and had also gathered large pile after breakfast in order to negate the night before where we were forced to search for firewood the entire time we were out and about.  

We walked the perimeter of the lake and then decided to do a little fishing.  The wind was picking up and we had seen several fishermen who were having luck.  5 hours later along with countless lure changes we called it quits and decided that we didn't really want fresh trout all that much.  We retired to our campsite and took solace in our bottles of Sake and a good dinner of dehydrated food.  I ate an entire two person ration and was stuffed to bursting.  We built up the fire, hoping for no more green eyed visitors as it grew darker.  I figure it must have been a big cat of some kind, lynx or mountain lion.  Bear are rarely found above nine thousand feet.  

Nevertheless we didn't have any visitors.  We played cards and drank and were merry.  Until we heard the sound of someone puking their guts out which carried over the lake fairly well.  I went to investigate in the waning light and found a couple who had been in the area for three days and were due to leave.  The woman was dead sick and they were foreigners, and didn't speak great english.  I offered my help and left them to their misery when they declined.  I walked up to another group of campers at their campsite later and asked if they new about the situation.  "Sure isn't bacteria in the water.  They told us she was into something." Meaning drugs.  I felt no pity once I heard that and the last thing I wanted to do was hike out in the middle of the night carrying a puke scented woman.  

We finished up the night enjoying the stars (or lack there of due to the clouds)  and hit the sack,  sad that we would have to climb out in the morning.  Before retiring I got all of Marco's spare clothes and put them on, and also indulged in a sleeping pill. 

I slept like a baby.

New rule.  Always bring sleeping pills on backpacking trips.  

The next morning we busted camp and hike back up the side of the valley wall.  What a scenic vista!

Good bye Ten Lakes!

Things to remember for next time:  

• Barefoot shoes are great!  But not on Granite. Ouch!
• Get a lighter sleeping back.  Fleece just doesn't cut it.
• Bear Canisters are great, but bulky and a pain to lug around. Is it worth it?  Yes
• Deer sound alot like bear when you are setting up camp in the dark.
• Buy a better head lamp.  Extra batteries too.  
• Sleeping pills!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Read up on Small fish lures 

A great time all around.  Wouldn't change a thing.  Maybe two or three though!  Thanks Marco. Good times buddy.