TONIGHT at 9PM EST: New Dual Survival episode comes to Rocky Mountain Bushcraft's home turf

On tonight's new Dual Survival episode, Cody and Joe will be trying to survive right smack in the middle of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft territory- the mountains of Colorado! The episode, titled "Rocky Mountain High," is described on Discovery Channel's episode guide as:

"Stranded at over 9,000 feet above sea level in the snow-covered Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Cody and Joe battle temperatures of negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit in an effort to fight off hypothermia, and stay alive long enough to get spotted by passing aircraft."

I will be very curious to see what they do to survive. The biggest enemy in the Colorado Rockies is wind. In many areas of the high country, windstorms of 30-60mph can rage for weeks on end, and gusts can be very extreme. 

The town that's closest to us clocked an incredible 109mph wind gust last year, and 110mph the year prior, just to give you an idea. Longs Peak, where I just did a winter backpacking trip, has recorded wind gusts of 200mph at the summit. 

This wind is dangerous and will cause hypothermia quickly. It also makes shelter construction more difficult, since it can easily blow down a shelter that's not extremely well constructed. It can also blow away cold weather survival gear like your cap and mitts if you take them off and forget to anchor them down.

I'm also curious to see if they use fatwood to start an emergency fire like we outlined in our "Wilderness Survival: An easy way to find Fatwood in the Rockies and Beyond...." article, or utilize a Space Tarp, which in my experience has kept me warm in temperatures down to -30 F, when combined with a small fire and some pine boughs for ground insulation to sit on.

Either way, it should be an interesting show!

Longs Peak trip quick update

Just a quick update- I am working on a full trip report and it should be up within the next few days. I have been juggling this report in between several major write-ups, so there will be lots of juicy new articles coming soon!

Cheers!

Jason

Wilderness Survival: Use a sharp rock, broken glass or seashell to strike your firesteel in an emergency situation

If you've lost the steel striker for your firesteel and need to start a fire, don't panic. Just look on the ground for a piece of common, silica-based rock, such as quartzite (generally the easiest to find), quartz, chalcedony, obsidian, agate, chert, or jasper and use it to strike your firesteel instead. You can also use broken glass or ceramic pottery in the same manner (be sure to protect your hands if possible).

If you're by the ocean, look for dead seashells. Here is a video from one of our readers, who was inspired by this article to try a dead clam shell (special thanks to Cattledog for this video). It works amazingly well!

Tip for using a rock

You might get lucky and find a rock that is already sharp, or, you might have to break it up with a larger rock to get a piece with a sharp edge. This same principle would also apply to unbroken glass or ceramic.

The piece of quartzite shown in the photo at the beginning of this article was broken by a bigger rock to get pieces with a sharp edge.

Once you have a sharp piece, just use it like you would use a steel striker to ignite your tinder:

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Backpacking trip up Longs Peak tomorrow

Come tomorrow morning, I'm going to attempt to backpack to the boulder field near the top of Longs Peak. It will be a strenuous trip, especially considering the amount of heavy winter gear I will need to carry (6 miles uphill on snow, carrying roughly 60-80 pounds), so I'm not sure if I will make it all the way, but I'm definitely going to try! I'm going to take my camera and a cool new toy- a pair of Pivothead video sunglasses, so I will be sure to record as much of the trip as possible.

According to the weather forecast, windchill temperatures could be as low as -25 degrees F, which will be perfect for testing out a North Face Inferno -40 Degree Down Sleeping Bag I'm reviewing. I expect the trip to take roughly 3 days, less if I have to turn back because of low visibility/blowing snow.

I am making the trip alone, which can be dangerous this time of year, but it is a well patrolled trail, and I will have plenty of cold weather gear with me. Every year, an average of two people die attempting to hike, backpack, or summit Longs Peak, so it can definitely be an extreme environment, but that's what also makes it a great place to test gear. Plus, it's just an extraordinarily beautiful place to backpack.

UPDATE: You can check out the full trip report here

Using a seashell to strike a firesteel

One of our readers, who lives on the coast of Florida, got inspired by our "Tips & Tricks: Use a sharp rock to strike your firesteel" post and decided to see if seashells would work in a similar manner. To my amazement, he found that an old clam shell was enough to strike a firesteel. Check out this video he made (thanks Cattledog):

Cold Steel releases Bushman Bowie with Secure-Ex Sheath and Firesteel

For 2013, Cold Steel's popular Bushman Bowie knife will come with a new Secure-EX Sheath, along with an attached firesteel. Cold Steel also squared the spine so that it can act as a striker for the firesteel, similar to the spines on the Mora Fireknife and Mora Black Carbon Bushcraft knives. Retail price is $37.49

Specifications:

Blade Length: 7"

Overall Length: 12 1/4"

Steel: SK-5 High Carbon 

Weight: 10.1 oz 

Blade Thickness: 2.5 mm 

Handle: Hollow: 

Sheath: NEW Secure-Ex® Sheath With Ferrocerium Fire Steel

For more info visit: http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/95BBUSS/BOWIE_BUSHMAN_W_SURVIVAL_SHEATH.aspx

REVIEW: Boeshield T9- The Ultimate Axe and Machete protectant?

Several months ago, an acquaintance of mine asked if I'd ever heard of Boeshield T9. He spends a lot of time sailing, and told me that T9 was highly respected by sailors for keeping steel components rust-free in salt water environments. Knowing that I review axes, he suggested that it might be good for protecting them as well. Intrigued, I went online and did a little research.

As it turns out, Boeshield was originally developed by Boeing Airlines to protect jet engine components from rust under extreme conditions. Eventually, it was released to the consumer market, where the marine industry found it to be superior in protecting steel components from salt-water corrosion.

It also found its way into the hands of wood workers and gun enthusiasts, who used it as a lubricant and protectant to keep carbon steel tools and firearms rust-free. Check out Wood Magazine's "Rust Busters" article to see a good test of Boeshield T9.

In our "Rub Candle Wax on your Axes and Machetes" article, we discussed the highly effective practice of using candle wax to protect your bushcraft tools.  What makes Boeshield so effective is that it's a paraffin wax-based lubricant, so it functions in much the same way as candle wax yet penetrates deeper and more effectively.

I've tried just about every axe protectant I could think of, including motor oil, gun oil, mineral oil, pretroleum jelly, various types of automotive grease, etc. All of these will rapidly rub off of your axe head and onto the things in and around your backpack - no fun.

Once Boeshield has fully dried (usually in 4-8 hours during warmer months, 1-2 days during winter), it leaves a durable, waxy finish that won't easily easily rub off inside your pack. T9 comes standard in a 4 ounce spray can, but it also comes in a more packable 1 ounce squeeze bottle, which is a nice, lightweight option to have on longer treks.

CONCLUSION

I've been using T9 on all of my axes and machetes over the last two months, and it's simply the best lube/protectant I've ever tried. Zero problems with rust, and I don't have to worry now when I throw an axe in my trunk that everything in it's vicinity will get covered in oil or grease. Based on my experience, T9 does appear to be the ultimate protectant for axes and machetes.

5 out of 5 stars (Highly Recommended)

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

1961 documentary showing how Native Americans made sinew-backed hunting bows

This is an excellent video showing how Native Americans in California crafted sinew-backed hunting bows, using nothing more than primitive tools. At the time this was filmed, the tribesman shown was the last living descendent to have have learned this skill under the old masters. 

When I was growing up, I was fascinated with bows of all kinds. I made many of my own, some successful, some that weren't, including a couple that literally snapped in half on the first pull! This is a subject that I definitely want to write more about in the future.

PART I

PART II

Hultafors\Hults Bruks Classic Double Bit Axe

Thought I would start the morning off with a little bit of "axe porn." Hultafors' Classic Double Bit Axe made by Hults Bruks of Sweden. Enjoy!

(click to enlarge)

 

 

Photos by Jason Schwartz/Rocky Mountain Bushcraft ©2013

Wilderness Survival: How to survive during a Blizzard

I've criticized Bear Grylls in the past for being overly-sensationalistic in his approach to wilderness survival, but this is actually an excellent video on how to survive a blizzard. I also noticed that Bear is using a Kestrel Weather Instrument in this video. I wonder if he's been checking out our reviews!?