Treasured by foodies for its spongy texture and earthy flavor, the morel is the Holy Grail for springtime mushroom hunters. Since these delicate little fungi have successfully resisted commercial cultivation for centuries, morels can only be found in the wild throughout North America and Europe. 

Morel hunters often take to the woods late in March through May to find the prized mushroom. They begin to appear when daytime highs are in the low 60s, and the lows are above 40 degrees.

The morel is one of North America’s easier wild mushrooms to identify due to its distinguished honeycomb-shaped cap. Morels grow between two and four inches tall. The erect caps range in color from pale cream to nearly black. The stem is white to pale cream.

The morel has a variety of regional nicknames depending on the region: Dryland Fish, Hickory Chicken, Molly Moocher, or Miracle. 

Black morels (Morchella elata) are often the first morels to appear on south-facing slopes in the spring. They typically pop up in large colonies around ash trees, coniferous forests, and recently burned areas. They are recognized by their dark brown, or almost black, cap.

Yellow, or common, morels (Morchella esculenta) appear next in the springtime woodlands. These yellow-capped mushrooms are often found under deciduous trees such as ash, aspen, elm, and oak. They are also frequently spotted at the bottom of standing dead trees. 

The last to appear is the late morel (Morchella deliciosa). These elusive morels also have yellow caps and are smaller than the common morel. They are also the hardest to find.

Once harvested, the morels are carried in a mesh bag so their spores can scatter throughout the woods to increase future crops.

Morels contain thermolabile toxins. They must always be cooked to inactivate the toxin before eating. 

While some morel hunters only give the mushroom a quick cleaning to remove dirt, others prefer to soak the morel in water for two to three hours to wash out any insects living inside.

Morels, rich in iron and Vitamin D, are easy to prepare for the dinner table. A quick sauté in butter and lightly seasoned with cracked black pepper and salt results in an instant gourmet meal.

Mushroom hunters should also be careful to avoid collecting “false morels.” These morel doppelgangers can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and loss of muscular coordination, including the cardiac muscle. 

False morels are distinguished by their reddish-brown or yellow caps. Their caps also tend to hang to one side, making the mushroom look somewhat disfigured. The false morel has a brain-like texture instead of the true morel’s well-defined pitting. 

As with all fungi, it’s always best to start consuming small amounts to minimize potential allergic reactions. The morels should also be thoroughly washed and free from decay. 

And, when in doubt, leave it out!

The post Foraging For Morel Mushrooms appeared first on Danger Ranger Bear.

Around the age of 19 and just before the Y2K craze, I learned of the website of my friend Doug Ritter. He published “Equipped to Survive”, a non-profit organization dedicated to testing survival gear. On his website, he provided lists of various kits as well as his evaluation of them. This website was and is a great resource for building emergency kits and providing guidance for those who don’t know where to start.

As a young man, I started building pocket emergency kits based on many of the recommendations from Doug’s site. For convenient packing, I started by carrying some items in a small Ziplock bag and later swapped it for a military decontamination container and then an Altoids tin. 

Ever since those early days of building emergency kits, I have been on the hunt for good containers to house micro-sized items. I look at emergency kit building as an exercise in problem-solving and I’ll either compile the items I need and find a kit or work from a container backwards filling it.

That is exactly what I did with a couple of Prometheus Design Werx Ti-SST capsules sent to me earlier this month. These capsules are milled from 6AL-4V titanium and have a watertight o-ring to keep the contents of your tube dry. PDW offers the Ti-SST in two sizes and they can be joined together using the optional Ti-Coupler.

1980s “Survival Knife” Kit
If you grew up in the 1980s and watched First Blood, you know the role the hollow-handle survival knife had on the knife industry. It makes sense to pay homage to this style of knife by building out a survival kit for this one. In the movie knife handle and so many handles from that era, wooden strike-anywhere matches could be found in small quantities. Funny thing, the bottom of these containers is actually textured to strike those there. Keep in mind, unlike a ferro rod that provides thousands of scrapes/sparks, a few matches of the same overall diameter provided one potential fire per head.

Other items in those early knife kits included fish hooks, a fishing line, sinkers, and needle and thread. Some of these early kits included a small scalpel blade, a wire saw, and some safety pins to boot. These kits were assembled with a focus on fire and food.

Fishing Kit
With a strong titanium housing and MK2 pineapple grenade texture, the Ti-SST capsules make a great container for a compact fishing kit. A strong braided fishing line is wrapped around the outside of the kit and the capsule is used as the reel. Fish hooks can be attached to Rite-in-Rain paper and secured in place with packaging tape.

Snap swivels, split shot sinkers, and other bait fishing tackle can be carried inside. Perhaps the best artificial fly to carry inside the capsule is a simple wooly bugger. This fly mimics a nymph and many other subsurface aquatics. It will work well on panfish, bass,  and trout. Dry flies and bass popper flys are also great additions to this type of kit.

Fire Kit
If you’re looking to load out for the primary purpose of building fire, there are a few ways you can equip a Ti-SST. Used in conjunction with a PDW Ti Ferro rod, the Ti-SST can be used to house tinder only. With a knot of paracord placed at the bottom and plenty of Vaseline-soaked cotton balls are jammed inside with the other end of the paracord left at the top of the container. When tinder is needed, the cordage is pulled and the tinder is dispensed.

A second type of fire kit is made by using the Ti-SST as a water-resistant option for a larger ferro rod and tinder tabs as a buffer. Waxed jute twine can also be used to fill the gaps between the rod and the interior dimensions of the tube. Ferro rods don’t fare well against salt water and the water-resistant housing is perfect to preserve the integrity of your firestarter.

Personal Docs
There are plenty of times when survival comes down to having the right gear for the wrong scenario. Then there are times when money can buy you out of a sticky situation. The Ti-SST can be used for cash storage as well as copies of sensitive documents like licenses, permits, and important contacts. You never know when you will need to prove your identification if you lose your wallet or purse.

Additionally, you can keep micro SD cards in either size of the Ti-SST along with an “escape and evasion” kit if you are feeling like Jason Bourne. Your identity and the documents associated with it are extremely important. Storing them in a container like this leaves little to chance. You can also use it as a pill container and place a copy of your prescription inside when traveling.

The quality of the container is just as important as the quality of the kit components. These kit descriptions are not set in stone and your best course of action is to personalize one to your needs.

The post Kitting Out a Survival Capsule appeared first on Danger Ranger Bear.

Danger Ranger Bear here. I wanted to spend a few minutes sharing some thoughts with you about how we can get along better when it comes to sharing food in the backcountry.

Let’s start with the mindset that when you’re in the outdoors, you’re in my neighborhood. I’m not intruding in your campsite, you’re intruding in my home. As a guest, you need to have some manners and common sense, right?

The first thing you have to understand is that I’m not a stupid brute. My intelligence and cognitive abilities rate right up there with chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. My eyesight is as good as yours, but my nose can pick up odors from about a mile away. 

And you know what kind of odor I’m talking about? 

Food. 

Your yummy campfire bacon or that oh-so-delicious organic and gluten-free granola you stashed in your pack. I get a sniff of that in the wind and I figure that’s my invitation to dinner. For campground and particular backcountry bears, you humans are our Uber Eats.

And that’s when we’re going to have some problems. 

For example, my uncle in Yosemite Valley loves Boy Scouts. Not to eat, but they always bring the best treats. One night, he had a severe case of the munchies and caught a whiff of granola in the Scout’s camp. The young lads were sleeping so he didn’t want to bother them, but he wanted those honey-soaked oats in the worst way. He ambled into the campsite and found the source of the granola scent…inside a tent.

My uncle didn’t want to disturb anybody, and he was never good with zippers, so he made his own entrance into the tent. He climbed over a terrified kid in his sleeping bag and helped himself to the backpack with the granola hidden inside. 

True story!

When we help ourselves to the food you brought us — whether you meant to or not — we get labeled as “problem” bears. We’re not the problem, you are. 

But that doesn’t seem to matter because once we get that label attached to us, we’re considered a safety issue. And safety issues tend to get a death sentence when one of your kind comes out to shoot us. 

Not cool.

Bears shouldn’t die because you can’t secure your food or trash. 

To keep everyone happy and safe, I’m going to give you tips on how to store your food and other goodies when you’re in the backcountry.

Seriously, our noses are seven times better than a dog’s. We will smell every tasty morsel you bring with you. 

That’s why every scrap of food goes into storage. This includes snacks, cooking utensils, trash, canned goods, cosmetics, sunscreen, bug spray, toiletries, bottles, and even your toothbrush and toothpaste. 

Wait, toiletries are food? 

Not to you, but they are to me. C’mon broseph…think like a bear. 

If you think storing everything in a cooler in your car is going to stop us, you might want to think again. My bear buddies in Yosemite National Park are total rock stars when it comes to thievery. There are specific trails, campsites, and parking lots we love to hit. They are the perfect Stop ‘n Rob convenience store for bear heists. 

We’ll twist and push door handles, pull off windows, and once we’re in, we’ll turn into a fur-covered rototiller and shred your rear seat to get to the candy bar in the trunk. 

Through experience, we have learned to target minivans and Honda and Toyota sedans. We like pop-out windows, and the little cars are easier to open up than a Hummer.

A favorite standby is the bear bag hang. You put your “food” into sealable bags and hang that bag from a tree, making sure the bag is at least 10 feet off the ground and four feet from a tree trunk. 

In recent years, however, hanging bags have become less effective in areas where bears and humans have had more interactions, and we bears had time to learn your tricks. We figured out that if we saw a bag in the air and a rope tied to a tree — that’s one-stop shopping. We’ll bite the line and down comes your bag full of lovely high-calorie treats.

Many parks and backcountry areas won’t let you hang bear bags now and require you to use bear canisters instead. Bear canisters are heavy-duty polycarbonate jars with a lid that opens like a kid-proof medicine bottle: Press in the lid to bypass the security tab, and you can spin the top off.

Even humans still have a hard time opening these canisters so you figured we bears couldn’t possibly open them.

A quick side note: Bear canisters are usually tested by zoo bears. I’m not kidding! These bears are given a canister with food and a certain amount of time to open it. If the zoo bear can’t open the container, it’s deemed safe for use in the wild.

But you have to ask yourself: What do zoo bears know? We wild bears hunt for a living. We’re always hungry and curious. 

My third cousin out in the Adirondacks — you call her Yellow-Yellow for the tags in her ears — figured out how to open these lids. She uses her teeth to depress the safety tab and turns the lid. To her, bear canisters are pop-top candy jars.

In response, the bear canister manufacturer added a second tab to the lid. 

It didn’t take long for Yellow-Yellow to defeat that system too. And soon, other bears in her community knew how to open the new canisters. 

Another food storage option in bear country is a metal bear box. Many campgrounds in bear country now require you to store your food in these designated steel cabinets and will often provide them in campsites where bears and humans are likely to cross paths.

I haven’t heard of any of us defeating the bear box…yet.

Now that you know where to store your food, I’m going to give you some bonus tips. As with everything in life, it’s the little things that can add up to become big things if you aren’t careful.

Remember that we have incredible noses, right? 

Use a strainer to catch food particles from your dishwater. We can smell those too. Pack those tasty little nuggets with your garbage and scatter the dishwater at least 100 yards downwind from your tent.

When it comes time to set up your campsite, use the Bear-muda Triangle layout. One point of the triangle is your cooking area, the second is the food storage area, and the third is your tent. Every point should be at least 100 yards from the other two points. Make sure your tent is upwind of both the food storage and cooking points.

Your clothes are also scent magnets. Have a separate set of clothes to cook and sleep in. When you’re done making food for the day, put your cooking clothes in the bear canister too. 

I hope these tips have been of some help to you and that you enjoy your time in bear country. With some common sense and understanding, I think we can coexist, and both enjoy the great outdoors.

Enjoy your time in bear country!

-Danger Ranger Bear

P.S.  One last bit of advice: make sure you follow the rules and recommendations for food storage when you’re visiting national parks or national scenic areas. Each has its own set of guidelines and regulations, and you can get zapped with a hefty fine if you’re caught breaking them. 

The post Bear-Proofing for the Backcountry appeared first on Danger Ranger Bear.

Temperatures are dropping, and snow is blanketing many of our favorite trails and backcountry getaways. For the hardy outdoors adventurer, winter is one of the best times of the year to enjoy nature. There are fewer people and new sights and sounds to explore. Whether you’re an experienced mountaineer or are just heading out for your first camping trip in the snow, winter outdoor adventures mean coping with hypothermia’s icy grip. 

Despite the fact that winter is an excellent time to appreciate the extra dollars you put into high-quality clothing systems to protect you from the elements, it can also be a painful reminder of how poorly the human body has adapted to the cold. 

Unlike the Inuit, who have successfully adapted to living in the Arctic region (thanks to a gene variant that only Inuit populations possess), the rest of the world has to design clothing and structures that prevent the cold from constantly sucking heat from their bodies.

Let’s start with the body’s “happy” core temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As you expose your body to temperatures below that number, your internal furnace generates heat to keep pace with the heat lost to the air or water.  

Suppose your clothing’s wicking and insulation game is weak, or you don’t have enough fuel (calories) to keep the furnace burning. In that case, the environment will suck out more heat than you can create or maintain. 

Your core temperature will drop. 

And once it dips below 95 degrees, you’ve now entered the world of hypothermia. 

Depending on the temperature and how fast your body loses heat, hypothermia can be fatal in as little as one hour.

The hypothermia symptoms you experience are tied to your core body temperature and become progressively more severe as that temperature plummets. 

Mild hyperthermia is knocking on your door when your body’s core temperature drops between 95-89 degrees. You start shivering and begin to experience a slight decrease in mental alertness. 

Shivering is your brain’s first emergency response to generate heat from within. The blood vessels in your extremities constrict to redistribute warm blood to the vital organs, and the muscles contract and expand in rapid bursts. This twitching produces heat which helps raise body temperature. Your jaw muscles may even start to shiver and make your teeth chatter.

Movement, like running, “aggressive,” hiking, or jumping in place, are also effective at increasing your body’s heat production. This heat can be maintained with high-quality clothing and layering systems that wick away sweat while creating a warm and dry microclimate next to the skin.

While shivering and exercise can boost heat production, they also increase energy consumption by nearly five times your resting metabolic rate. That means you need to have a steady source of fuel (calories) for your internal furnace to burn. 

Once hypothermia starts, you’re racing against the clock to get your core temperature back to normal.

If your shelter, clothing, and body can’t keep up with the temperature loss, your body moves into the next stage, known as moderate hypothermia. When your core temperature falls between 89-82 degrees, shivering takes on epic proportions, walking is impaired, and your speech becomes slurred. You become extremely confused. 

In the lower end of this core temperature range, some people suddenly feel warm and start undressing, which speeds up the heat loss and often leads to death. The closer you get to 82 degrees, the part of the brain stem that drives your autonomous process will tell you to burrow. People in this state will dig or crawl under enclosed spaces like rock overhangs or fallen trees. Scientists believe this primitive behavior is driven by the same brain chemistry experienced by hibernating animals.

Continuing the temperature decline, a core temp between 82-75 degrees equates to severe hypothermia. At this point, your body has stopped trying to generate heat. Shivering stops and your pupils may become fixed and dilated.

You may look like you’re dead, but you’re not. You are, however, on the fast track to becoming a human popsicle.

There are no discernible signs of life when your body temperature falls below 75 degrees. 

But that doesn’t mean the game is over.

At least one human has survived a body temperature of 56.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This lucky gal is Swedish skier Anna Bågenholm who fell into a frozen stream. She was trapped under a layer of ice for 80 minutes. Although she found an air pocket so she could breathe under the ice, her heart stopped 40 minutes into her unplanned dip in the water.

Fortunately, she was rescued and attended to by physicians experienced with hypothermic victims. They know that patients should be “warmed up before you declare them dead.” More than 100 doctors and nurses worked for nine hours to slowly warm her and save her life.  

After 10 days, Bågenholm woke up and was paralyzed from the neck down. 

She has since made an almost complete recovery two decades later with only limited nerve damage in her hands and feet. 

What’s the best way to treat hypothermia when adventuring outside?

Don’tDon’t get it in the first place.

While that sounds simplistic, it’s not. Hypothermia can be challenging to reverse when alone in the backcountry, so prevention is your greatest asset.

Wet skin or clothing increases heat loss by convection and evaporation. Wearing proper outdoor gear is critical to surviving winter weather. Wear non-cotton mittens, hats, and have a well-built layering system for clothing that wicks moisture away from the skin and protects you against wind, rain, sleet, or snow. This layer should be breathable while still saving you from the elements. 

Also, be sure to eat enough food. Calories fuel your body’s furnace. Use simple carbohydrates for quick energy boosts and fats for longer-term energy stores.

Avoid consuming alcohol when heading out to play in winter weather. While booze may make your body feel warm on the inside and make you think you’re more brilliant and far more charming than you really are, it actually does the opposite. Alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, resulting in faster heat loss from the skin’s surface. Plus, your body’s natural shivering response is inhibited. 

If hypothermia does strike, seek shelter immediately to prevent additional heat loss. If possible, remove any wet clothing and provide external heat from a stove or contact another warm body. Skin-to-skin contact can help rewarm, so strip down and get cozy inside a sleeping bag. Consuming warm, not hot, drinks (non-alcoholic) can also help. 

Many hypothermic victims die, however, from improper rescue attempts. If the body is rewarmed too quickly, the constricted capillaries reopen nearly at once, causing a sharp decrease in blood pressure. The smallest of movements can send the victim’s heart muscle into spasm. 

This is thought to have happened to Danish fishermen in 1980 who were rescued after spending 90 minutes in the North Sea. The men went below decks on the rescue ship to have a hot drink. All 16 dropped dead.

Rapid loss of body heat is one of the biggest sources of accidents and injuries in the backcountry. The time to begin your cold-weather preparation is at home, long before you feel that first chill start to creep over your body.

Make sure you take the correct safety precautions and know how to recognize the symptoms of hypothermia. Being armed with this knowledge can save your life or your family’s. 

The post The Warning Signs of Hypothermia appeared first on Danger Ranger Bear.

The California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus) Hunt.

This card must be filled out prior to entering the water, and then when you’re finished with your dive, you must fill in the number of lobster retained. At the end of the season, this card gets mailed to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, so they can compile the data to more accurately manage the fishery.

A lobster gauge is also required to measure your catch, as the carapace length can only be larger 3 1/4 inches, for the lobster to be retained or called a “keeper”. The gauge is fairly easy to use. You simply place it over the carapace (which is the front section of the lobster), and if it does NOT fit into the gauge, it’s of legal size and may be kept.

Lobster can only be taken by hand. No nets, hooks or other devices may be used, besides that wouldn’t be very sporting. For all the regulations and more specific season dates, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Following the law and being an ethical hunter means the lobster population can continue to thrive and be enjoyed into the future.

Tanks may be used, but my friends and I freedive for them. This means we can’t access the deeper “bugs”, but we’re all experienced divers, who have good breath holds, and can stay down at depth for extended periods of time. This is a skill developed over years doing it and the experience of being in the water all the time. All divers should always follow basic safety precautions such as diving with a buddy, knowing the area you are going to dive and the old axiom: plan your dive and dive your plan. The more comfortable you become with the ocean environment, the more efficient of a hunter you’ll become.

Good luck and dive safe!

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“Location, location, location.” It’s the expression commonly used in real estate. Where and how your new home is situated is paramount. Location, and all the factors associated with it, really is everything. Location matters not only the realm of real estate but also in campsite selection. When you venture outside and into the great outdoors, you carry your home with you in the form of a portable shelter. Where you place it will determine your level of comfort, security, and enjoyment. It’s easy to simply drop where you stop and and call it a night after completely exhausting yourself or to satisfy someone in your party but taking the time to carefully select your site will make a world of difference. The following guidelines will optimize your campsite and improve your outdoor experience.

Safety: 

My training in Sayoc Kali has made my security and that of my loved ones a routine consideration. There are still risks in the woods, situational awareness should be a universal concept and it means always being in tune with your surroundings. When I look for a campsite, I want to ensure that risks are minimized. For instance avoiding steep canyons if there’s a chance of flash floods. 

This also means selecting sites away from trails made by humans and animals alike. This will maintain your privacy and you won’t find a bobcat on his way to drink in the middle of the night stopping to give your sleeping bag a sniff. When you go camping, don’t forget to bring your common sense. Be aware of your surroundings, where the quick exits are, and what attractions could bring both animals and humans alike to the area. 

Not all problems come from 2 and 4 legged animals. Some hazards are as simple as having “widowmakers” hanging overhead. Leafy branches can hide your camp and offer shade but precariously-hanging dead branches are not. You should also be able to identify harmful plants like poison oak and stinging nettles. 

Finally, I like my camp to have an unobstructed vantage point if possible. Besides having a great view you can be prepared if visitors drop by. Many outdoorsmen fall into false sense of security while camping, believing that while they are on vacation nothing bad could happen to them. The reality is, bad things happen to good people who don’t want to see it coming or don’t know it is coming. Your safety should always be a concern, period. 

Resources:

It’s logical to want a campsite with sufficient resources. Water is needed for hydration, cleaning dishes, pots, and pans, and for extinguishing fires. Be mindful that running water creates white noise and will limit your ability to hear anyone or anything coming your way. Wood is needed for your campfire and for any crafts you plan on building. Look for sites with ample dead standing trees to harvest.  Plants and animals are extremely important for long-term survival situations if you want to stay fed. Something not often mentioned in discussions about campsites is where you gather your resources from. The temptation is present to find a site with ample resources nearby and in camp but you should harvest wood and edibles from outside of camp. Should you suffer an injury in camp or in a survival situation, you will have materials closer at hand to pull from. Keep in mind, the resources you find attractive could also be attractive to dangerous game or others. Select your location wisely. 

Wind and Orientation:

The environment is always working against you. In the summer, sunlight can burn you. In the winter, snow can bury and freeze you. Rain, anytime of year is a force to be reckoned with. Knowing which direction the wind will enter your camp from is essential. A smoky fire can be blown into your shelter, wind can send rain drops into the opening of your lean-to, animals can pick up your scent and your camp can become a pity party. This includes burying human scat far from camp and establishing a dedicated latrine area to avoid contamination and the spread of bad bacterial. 

  You need to know the direction of the prevailing wind and where you can find the best refuge from it. Some land features will amplify the wind, acting like a funnel, and other features will block it. If you are overlanding you vehicle can make a great wind block, just be prepared for it to change when the temperatures drop.

Depending on the time of day, the weather can change as the sun hits the land or when it is replaced by the moon. Speaking of sunlight, how you orient the opening of your shelter will determine if you will catch the first rays of light of the day or the last before nightfall. I personally like waking up with the sun and generally face my shelters in an easterly direction. The wind can also impact the mosquito factor. While mosquitos are found near standing water, the wind that comes off of larger bodies of water can be a constant mosquito deterrent if you camp along the banks. 

Other Factors: 

Location is important to campsite selection but there are other factors that can impact your decision. Ease of access in and out may be important for those members of your party with limited mobility. Ease of access can also be considered if you are using a vehicle and have to park, tie up, dock, or land it nearby. Your camp should be well suited for both people and equipment. 

Flat campsites matter less for those who choose hammocks as they self-level but tent and tarp campers should always consider the pitch of the land. Depending on the camp location, that pitch can mean rolling over onto your camping buddies in the middle of the night or having water runoff come into your camp. Dropping down to a knee can help you better gauge how level your camp is. While you’re down there, look for exposed roots and rocks that can make your peaceful slumber a bumpy night. 

There are some sites you will stumble upon that will draw you into them. Natural beauty including scenic vistas, wide open areas, running water, and rugged terrain, all have magnetism and you will be tempted to settle for a spot for the sensation it gives you. Factor in all the aforementioned advice and weigh your options. Perhaps the visual appeal of the land is worth taking some calculated and safe risks. That decision will be up to you.  

When you contemplate where you set up camp, don’t forget it is temporary. You eventually want to leave that site and if you follow Leave-No-Trace ethics, you ideally wouldn’t  want anyone to know you were ever there. This means nothing left behind including tracks, signs, and impressions. For most, this is an impossibility. Ideally, you should not leave behind any sign to attract others to your secret or optimal site and cleaning up after yourself is not hard.  

It’s easy to lose track of life’s priorities in nature. Our health and well-being is positively affected by unplugging from social media and tapping into the land and we can get wrapped up in all the beauty around us. We should always hope for the best but plan for the worst and part of that planning includes where you set up your camp for the night.  We go to the woods to recharge and relax but we should never let our guard completely down. The great outdoors is a fantastic teacher but you don’t want it to teach your final lesson in life. 

Live Wild Wise and Free !

The post Campsite Selection appeared first on Danger Ranger Bear.

Obsidian is a type of volcanic glass that is formed when lava with high a silicon content is rapidly cooled, usually by contact with water. Obsidian is usually black or dark grey in appearance but can take on other colors due to the presence of trace mineral impurities.

The lack of a traditional crystalline structure found in other types of rock gives obsidian its characteristic flaking that forms very sharp edges called conchoidal fractures. These fractures and their sharp edges made obsidian a highly useful and sought after tool since the Paleolithic era and used by early man around the world.

The Raw Materials: A Large Deposit of Volcanic Glass at Oregon’s Newberry Caldera

In North America Native Americans living near former eruption sites would have found the obsidian laying on the ground with naturally formed edges which they used as simple cutting tools.

Over time the Indians learned to shape the volcanic glass into the forms needed to produce various tools- a process called knapping. An Indian with access to an obsidian deposit could carry a small set off tools for flaking the volcanic glass and create a useful assortment of implements such as knives, scrappers and arrow heads. The sharp and effective arrow heads made from obsidian allowed the Indians to take much larger prey and made life easier than previous blunt tipped wooden arrows that were only effective on very small game such as squirrels and rabbits.

Due to obsidian’s link to volcanos, it is primary found west of the Mississippi. This scarcity lead the Indians who had access to obsidian to create an industry dedicated to the harvesting, shaping and trading of obsidian among the various distant tribes. By examining the debris at some sites archaeologists have suggested that assembly lines were used to shape tens of thousands of obsidian tools for trading purposes. Tools formed by Indians living near present day Yellowstone have been found as far away as Illinois and the Gulf of Mexico. Excavation in Europe have found obsidian tools were part of vast ancient trade routes that were a precursor the the silk road.

In the same way California tribes would form rough blanks of the tools which were then easier to transport and would be then finished off by the end user sometimes a thousand miles away.

This Obsidian knife with bone handle would have been a  prized possession of our Ancestors

Obsidian tools weren’t just used for hunting, recently researchers have found that specific tools were made for the purpose of tattooing. Over 3,000 years ago people living in the Solomon Island chain used charcoal from fires and ochre to create their tattoos by making tiny incisions with the obsidian and rubbing the pigment into the cuts.

In the present day, some doctors advocate the use of obsidian scalpels which are still sharper than modern steel. When viewed under the intense magnification of an electron microscope, a steel scalpel’s blade is actually jagged and thicker than its obsidian counterpart which maintains a straight smooth edge that is a mere 3 nanometers in thickness.

Electron Micrograph of an Obsidian Scalpel on the Left Compared to Steel on the Right

The obsidian blade edge is so sharp that incisions made by it create less damage and heal more quickly as the wound forms less inflammatory cells and granulation. This is quite a feat considering all of the advances in technology since man first began to use obsidian over 12,000 years ago.

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When I was a child, my father made me my first slingshot. It was underpowered by most standards since it was constructed of rubber bands linked together but to me it was awesome. I shot little pebbles with it in the backyard and it created a monster inside me. As years went on, this monster continued to use slingshots but sought out more powerful models and better projectiles. To this day, I have to feed this monster and practice on a regular basis or it gets hangry. You see, slingshots are always fun and they are fun for all ages. 

Some of you may have never used one before and this article will serve as a primer for getting started. You’ll find carrying one in your back pocket like Denis the Menace or in your pack will be worthwhile as plinking opportunities present themself all the time. Beyond the entertainment or sporting aspect of shooting slingshots, you’ll find they are an excellent hunting tool should the need arise. No matter what filter you view slingshots with, they are awesome. Here’s what you need to know.

Safety
 

My father always harped on safety when I was just a kid using my slingshots in the backyard. Hell, even to this day, whenever I see him I get the typical “dad speech” on what I do and how not to get hurt along the way. 

Slingshots are relatively safe but there are some basic considerations you should keep in mind. Like a firearm, you want to mind your backstop. Make sure you know where your shot will travel and how far it can travel. 

Another issue is ricochet. Shooting at targets that will bounce your shot back at you is not wise. Therefore don’t shoot at trees or the broad side of a barn. Another issue is slingshot band breakage.

The eye protection you should have put on to protect from ricochets serves double duty. A simple pair of safety glasses from the hardware store is all you need. Last but not least, don’t shoot at any people or animals. You could hurt them, or worse, make them mad and then the fur will fly.

Gear Choice
 

My first slingshot was a forked branch from a tree in the backyard and some rubber bands. Over the years, I upgraded to tubular band slingshots and eventually to flat bands. You can make your own slingshot or you can purchase a commercially made version. Make sure you match your slingshot to your level. 

While the tendency is there to buy the biggest and baddest, a simple slingshot with appropriate draw weight (how easy/hard it is to pull the bands back) will give you the fundamentals.

While I learned to shoot with pebbles, I’d recommend investing in quality ammunition and learning how to reuse it with an appropriate backstop (more on this later.) Stainless steel ball bearings, lead shot, marbles, and clay are all popular.

One thing to consider, you can always shoot any size and weight ammo out of any draw-weight band but there is a perfect match between the band and the ammo used. Too heavy of a projectile and too light a band is not preferable just as too light a projectile and too heavy a band. DON’T LITTER- ALWAYS PICK UP YOUR AMMO WHEN YOU ARE DONE.

If you can, do some research and look to see what the manufacturer recommends for the slingshot you purchase. When you get your slingshot squared away, think of how you will need to maintain it should a band break. Purchasing spare bands is a wise idea and will ensure your target practice will continue on in the field should a mishap occur. Last but not least, a decent ammo pouch makes sense.
 

A Good Target/Backstop

One of the great aspects of the slingshot is the wide variety of targets that can be used. From the homemade shooting gallery to the arbitrary and solitary leaf hanging from a branch that stands out from the terrain, you have so many options for targets.

Old soda cans, plastic “army men”, plastic cups, paper plates, potential targets are endless. Fill up some dixie cups with colored water or paint for a reactive target. 

With a small length of string and some creativity, you can create swinging targets to add movement to your shooting gallery.

Whatever you use as targets, make sure you know where your shot goes if you miss or if the ammunition passes through the target with a surplus of velocity.

A simple backstop can be made with a wool blanket or small section of carpet draped over the inside of a cardboard box. The benefit of setting up a backstop is the ability to reuse your ammunition once you collect it from where it will pool up.

Technique

Ideally, you will want to have someone versed in using a slingshot to guide you through the use of one. However, you may be a lone wolf or be the first in your group of friends to show interest in this pastime. If this sounds like you, you’ll first need to know which eye is dominant.

Extend your hands in front of you and form a small triangle with your thumbs and forefingers, look through the triangle at a distant object with both eyes open. Close one eye. If you can still see the object with the open eye, that’s your dominant eye. This will translate into how you hold a slingshot. 

If you are right handed, you will hold the slingshot handle with your left hand (shooting hand) and pull the band back with your right. If you are lefty, you will hold the slingshot with your right hand and pull the band back with your left.
 

A few pointers to achieve greater accuracy. Place your slingshot ammunition in the same spot on the pouch each time. Make sure you have the bands attached equal distance apart and ensure there is the same length of band on each side of the pouch going back to the arms (fork) of the slingshot. 

When you draw the bands back, keep the shooting hand wrist locked strong and prevent the slingshot from canting or pulling backward. Also, pull the slingshot pouch to the same location each time. This is often referred to as your anchor point.

For me, I draw the band underneath my eye at the corner of my mouthwith my thumbnail. I tend to turn my wrist slightly to look down my slingshot bands as a sighting device. The key to good accuracy is consistency.

If you can create more consistencies and eliminate more inconsistencies, you’ll be able to fine tune and adjust your accuracy. This is why using pebbles as ammo is problematic since they are highly inconsistent. 

Challenge Yourself
 

Slingshots can be fun and they can be challenging. You can use yourself as the ultimate metric. Challenge yourself. How accurate can you be? Test your skills attempting to make 5 out of 5 shots. How quickly can you shoot 5 shots? Another test is “long range”. As you find hits at 10 yards simple, push it back another 5 yards then 5 more and keep going. When you find the art of the slingshot soothing and want to raise the stress level, teach a friend to use one and go head to head against targets downrange. 

There is nothing like the stress of working against another human being to induce it. Eventually, learn to make your own slingshot in the field with just a spare slingshot band, forked tree branch, saw, and some cordage. Learn to shoot double banded slingshots or try to shoot with your non-dominant hand. 

Throw a target in the air and hit it with your slingshot before it hits the ground. Help disperse dandelion seeds or punch holes in the cans you find on trails. If you couldn’t tell, there is no shortage of what you can do with a little creativity. 

Keep in mind, slingshots are also used for hunting all around the globe if you ever decided to go down that path. You have so many options and possibilities. Make sure to pack one on your next adventure and as always, Live Wild, Wise and Free !

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Whenever I’m out camping or hiking on a cool day, I always bring along a small selection of easy to make warm beverage packets and a small camp stove. Having a hot beverage available is great while taking a break on the trail and can be a real morale booster during unexpected changes in weather. What do I bring along with me? When out backpacking, hiking, weight and beverage selection is a factor so I try and keep that in mind. Here’s a list of my go to camp stove and beverage choices:

Camp Stove: Small Solo Stove and Pot (found at most outdoors stores and online).

What I like about this stove and pot combo is weight, weighing at just under 1.5lbs. It’s easy to pack space wise and what’s better- I do not have to pack a fuel canister. The Solo Stove uses natural fuel as it’s heat source. I use wood shavings as the ignitor and broken sticks to get the stove going. I can have a cup of boiling water in about 5 to 10 minutes.

*Danger Warning: Always make sure what ever area you will be using your stove, or fire source in general, it’s in an area that’s approved for such. And most importantly is to make sure you always put out your campfire or stove in a proper manner. And let your stove cool down before repacking it.

Beverage packets: In my pack I like to carry a small selection of coffees, teas, and one or two packets of apple cider or hot cocoa. Starbucks has come out with a nice selection of instant coffee Via packets, peppermint mocha being my favorite. Teas I prefer to bring something with mint because not only is it soothing on your senses but also will help sooth a sour stomach. Then I’ll add some local sourced honey using a Versa Bear for some natural sweetness. If I’m in the mood, or have my cubs with me, I make sure to have some hot cocoa or apple cider. Sometimes either just hits the spot!

These are my go to camp stove and warm beverage choices and as you can see, having a delicious hot drink is easy to have while out on the trail without carrying much extra weight or dealing with complicated kit.

Thank you and enjoy the trails!

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In this article, we are going to discuss one of the oldest fire-starting sources that dates back into the 1500’s, perhaps even further. During its history fatwood was often used as a lamp or torch wick source due to its water-resistant properties. Also during this time period another use for fatwood was found when creating pine tar. Pine tar is the result when fatwood is heated and pressurized extracting the sticky substance that was used as a natural water repellent/sealant, making soap, a few medicinal uses, and in the sport of baseball. 

What is fatwood, how is it created, and are there any benefits to keeping some stashed in your campfire kit? 

Fatwood comes from the heartwood, knots, and roots of a coniferous tree species that include Cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauris, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yew trees. The most common type of coniferous tree found in North America that is likely to produce fatwood is the Pine tree. 

As a coniferous tree species goes into a decomposing state a natural protection process begins. The tree’s sap starts as a viscous liquid, (containing terpene a component to make turpentine), then begins to thicken into a sticky resin as it travels into the heartwood, knots, and root system of the dying, cut, or fallen tree. 

After this process is complete (about 2-3 years) the end result is fatwood. Benefits to keeping fatwood in your campfire kit are its water-resistant properties due to the resin within the wood, it can be harvested and stored for long periods of time, it will ignite even in damp conditions, and fatwood can ignite damp firewood due to its higher burning temperature. 

Now that we know a little about what fatwood is, how it’s made, and a few benefits to keeping fatwood in your campfire kit, how do you locate and harvest it? If I am planning on visiting an area where Pine trees are present I’ll bring my fatwood hunting tool kit. 

During my search, I am looking for downed pine trees, often identified by their light grey coloration and vertical wood grain that goes from the bottom to the top of the tree. Along the downed pine tree the most common locations of fatwood are within the knots, within the stump where the tree has been cut or fell during natural causes, and within the root system depending on the level of decay of the tree. 

To test these areas for the presence of fatwood I will tap the area using either my axe or knife. What I’m listening for is a difference in tone of the wood as it’s tapped. The dead areas of the tree will produce a soft hollow type sound where the areas that the fatwood is present you will get a denser type knocking sound. 

Once I have located an area that fatwood is most likely present, to confirm I will take either my axe or knife and begin to shave the sides of the broken branch closest to the trunk of the tree, close to where the tree has been cut/split, or around the exposed root system. 

What I’m looking for beneath the thin skin layer of dead wood is fatwood that will be yellow and amber in color. Another way to confirm that you have struck fatwood is by the turpentine, or heavy pine, type of scent it will produce once shaved. 

When I have confirmed fatwood is present I begin to clear the dead wood around the area to be harvested using my axe. Once the area of dead wood is cleared I will either harvest the complete piece of fatwood on site or use my hand saw remove larger pieces to be processed later. Now that the fatwood has been harvested the next step is to cut it into sticks using an axe, folding saw, and/or fixed blade knife. 

Here’s a short step by step how I process larger pieces of fatwood into sticks:

1. Using a hand saw cut flat surfaces on either end of the pine knot or stump section.
2. If cutting a larger section I will begin using my axe to divide the pine knot into about a 1” in diameter pieces.
3. Take your fixed blade knife and divide the 1” diameter pieces into ½” sticks using the batoning method.
4. Now the processed fatwood is ready for use.

So how do you use fatwood to start a campfire?

Here’s a few ways to get that fire going using your folding or fixed blade knife, ferro rod, and perhaps a lighter or match:

1. Fatwood chips- Using your knife shave off some chips of the fatwood, bundle them into a small pile, strike your ferro rod into the pile of fatwood chips. 
2. Fatwood feather sticks- Take one of your fatwood sticks and using your knife carve small curls starting from about 3-4” above the bottom, then ignite the feathered section using a ferro rod or lighter.
3. Fatwood shavings- Using the back of your knife’s blade (if it has sharp edges) or the base of the cutting edge, keeping your blade at a 75-90deg angle, start shaving the fatwood till you have created a small pile, then strike the base of the shaving pile with using your ferro rod to ignite, or use a lighter/match.
4. Once the fatwood has been ignited start adding small sticks/kindling to build up your campfire, finally adding fire wood to get your fire ready to keep you warm.

Thank you for taking the time reading this article on one of the best natural campfire starting sources. I wish you luck on your search for fatwood! 

And lastly I’d like to mention…. if you’re camping in an area with a fire ring it’s a nice gesture leaving a couple fatwood sticks for the next camper. 

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