Autumnkraft

The barrels are covered in a brown leatherette In the modern world, optics are now more affordable than ever before. There are plenty of manufacturers offering good quality binoculars at affordable prices. Of course there are high end brands that still produce the very best optical tools such as Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss. All of the current manufactures of binoculars offer a wide range of optics. When I first got into bushcraft, I wanted to find a binocular that well built, had a wide field of view and was affordable. I opted to buy from the second hand market and came across the Chinon Countryman 7x35 binocular. This particular model of binocular is special as it has a extra wide angle view of 11 degrees.  The objective lenses are coated When buying binoculars of this vintage, it's important to ensure that you purchase from a reputable seller. These Chinon binoculars probably date from the mid 70s. That's a long time of being moved about and the potential for binoculars to ha...

Morakniv Classic No.2  Morakniv have been making knives for over 400 years. They're very popular with lots of bushcrafters around the world for various reasons. Mora knives are high quality for the price point. They're cheap and they're built to last. They're often recommended to beginners, but that doesn't mean that more experienced bushcrafters do not use these knives, they do. All Morakniv knives are made in Sweden. Birch handle  The Mora classic No.2 is a traditional Swedish carpenters and woodworkers knife. It is practically a "Puukko" style knife, which is popular across all the Nordic countries. The knife is balanced perfectly with a rat tail tang, which makes it perfect for delicate work that is often required in bushcraft. The birch handle is barrel shaped and comfortable in the hand. If you have big hands, you will not be disappointed with the handle of this knife.  The steel is European C100 steel. This is a high carbon steel with the heat treat...

  Canvas wax that has been applied, but needs melting in Making your own canvas wax is a great skill to learn. It's also cheaper than buying it from the shops as well. Firstly, you're going to need a few materials: Paraffin wax  Beeswax A mould A tin can A cooking container Leather work gloves Canvas wax fresh from the mould The ratio for creating the wax is 9 parts paraffin wax to 1 part beeswax. For example, if the mould I am using holds 100 grams, I am going to measure out 90 grams of paraffin wax and 10 grams of beeswax. Once you have created your blend of paraffin wax and beeswax, place the mix into the tin can. Once you have completed this step, you can take your cooking container and fill it up with water and place your tin can with the wax mixture inside. Now place the container on a heat source and bring the water to a rolling boil. This technique is called the double boiler and is safe way of melting your wax without setting it on fire. Once the water is at a boil, t...

Carrying a sewing kit in your bushcraft pack is essential when on longer trips in the wild. You never know when you might need to do some field repairs. You might obtain a small tear in your tarp; a sewing needle and some thread will fix that. You can even repair leatherwork with your sewing kit. In this blog post, I'm going to be showcasing the items that I carry in my kit and the context behind carrying these particular items. Sewing kit There are several items that I like to carry in my sewing kit. I have assembled a kit that is suitable for a variety of situations that I may encounter throughout the year. When creating a sewing kit, the first thing to think about is: what materials am I likely going to have to repair? You might have a waxed cotton canvas tarp that obtains a tear or perhaps the wool jumper you're wearing develops a hole in the elbow. Each of these scenarios require a different approach in needle and thread choice. This requires a well thought out...

  Romanian army canvas rucksack Rucksacks are an important piece of kit when practicing bushcraft. It's used to hold your tools and other items needed out in the wild. The pack needs to be comfortable and durable. There are hundreds of choices on the market today for a bushcraft packs. Some of these are suitable for bushcraft, whilst others are not. There are plenty of modern hiking backpacks that have a large carry capacity, whilst some do use these packs for bushcraft, in my opinion these are not suitable and are far too large for the needs of a sensible bushcraft kit. 30 to 35 litres is a perfect sized pack for bushcraft. It will hold plenty of gear and food for several nights camping. The Romanian pack is in it's element in the snow The Romanian army canvas rucksack is my current choice of pack for bushcraft. The cotton canvas is well made and durable. The canvas is roughly around 16oz. The leather straps are buckles are sewn in well with leather patches on the inside for a...

The Feuerhand Baby Special 276 attached to my pack A Brief Rundown  The Feuerhand Baby Special 276 has been produced for over 100 years. A testament to it's design and robust durability. Feuerhand are a German company and the lanterns are still made there to this day. The lantern has a simple design and with a full tank of lamp oil, it can burn for roughly 20 hours.  The lantern has five main components that play a part in the operation of the lamp. These include the fuel tank, glass, burner, wick and the chimney.  The design uses each of these parts to create a long burn time and a flame that is well protected from the elements. The lantern uses a cold blast system to sustain the flame. Cold air is taken through the top of the chimney and taken down the two pipes on the side. This air then travels to the burner which provides oxygen needed for combustion. The hot air exits through the chimney. This process provides a bright warm light that has a consistent output. The la...

  The Lodge 6.5inch Skillet Wildlife Series  Cooking in the wild is an amazing experience. It connects us to our ancestors, who more than likely had vast experience in cooking outdoors in the wilderness. You simply cannot beat connecting with nature and cooking some fantastic food. There are many cooking utensils that we have become accustomed to over the centuries; one of these tools being the skillet or frying pan. When I was looking for a skillet to add to my cooking kit, I was looking for a couple of things. Firstly, it had to be from a reputable brand that produced high-quality products. Secondly, it needed to be made of cast iron. Thirdly, it needed to be small enough to pack away nicely and to cut down on the weight of larger cast iron skillets. I spent some time looking at the offerings from several brands; There are several American made brands that produce fantastic cast iron cookware (Petromax in Germany also make good cast iron). Ideally, we want a nice smooth surf...