While small branches might be broken by hand or braced perhaps against you knee, there comes a point where extra effort for stubborn or larger pieces is needed. Leverage is the key and a double trunk provides the means.

In a more domestic application, bent metal rods or pipes can be straightened. Years ago I did maintenance work at some apartments and occasionally a tenant would back into a chain link fence and bend the top pipe rail. I would remove it and use a double trunk tree on the premises to straighten it out before replacing it.

You may find multiple tree trunks instead of doubles that would be suitable and in some cases narrow “Y” shaped branches, but tree trunks are the strongest and doubles are the most efficient.

The purpose of fuzz sticks is to reduce kindling into tinder, from sticks into shavings for easier ignition by flame. This can make a significant difference when building a campfire.

A sharp knife is the key to success. There are basically two approaches… pushing the blade into the wood that we call “carving” – or – holding the blade in a fixed position while pulling the wood into the knife’s edge. Both methods have merit and basically boil down to which method gives you more control. Of course I recommend that the blade faces away from you.

Making fuzz sticks is a good skill to pursue and can be a critical element when resources are limited when creating a campfire. Feel free to share your experiences and advice for success.

There is a basic safety rule to not use wet rocks in or around a fire because a hot fire will cause the moisture within the rock to expand, thus causing the rock to explode. When selecting rocks be sure that they are dry and preferably non-pourous. Although I collected rocks along a creek I selected ones that were not in the water and elevated off the ground where possible.

There is an old saying “the White Man builds a large fire and needs to step away from it’s heat, whereas the Native Man builds a small fire that he can hover over to keep warm”. With this in mind I decided to build a small fireplace with small fires having the advantage of using less fuel and less materials for construction.

I began by selecting an advantageous site to construct the fireplace. I chose a spot behind a large tree on the leeward side so that the tree would help to provide shelter from inclement weather. It needed to be set out a bit from the tree so as not to harm it. I made a hearth floor of flat stones to somewhat protect the roots from the heat but also to keep the fire elevated off of the ground so if it rained the coals wouldn’t get wet from the soil.

Next, I placed flat supporting rocks on edge in a pattern similar to the outline of a baseball home plate, meaning, two stones were placed in a “V” at the rear with two parallel stones for the sides. I placed a flat stone on the top, leaving open space over the “V” area for the smoke to vent. This I hoped would create a draw for smoke when I pushed the firewood and coals toward the back. Behind that I placed a flat stone as a shield to the tree but also leaned it forward over the “V” beneath it to protect it from rain.

After my fireplace was constructed I momentarily removed the flat top rock to more easily assemble the tinder and sticks to start the fire and once the flame was established replaced it.

Years ago I wanted to fry eggs on a slab of rock but it was heated it too fast and it cracked so this time when I used one to cover the fireplace I initially made a small short term fire that would dry out any moisture that might be present. It was successful in not cracking and I was able the following day to cook some bannock on it.

It rained that night and I wondered how the fireplace would fare. Would it be wet in the morning? Nope! Although there were puddles present in the surrounding ground the ashes were dry inside!

As always, be careful on your site selection and what materials that you select to build with. An initial small fire to dry out any moisture is a good idea before you make a hotter and longer burning fire.

My very first hammock was made out of a single bamboo pole. It was quite comfortable and a viable hammock if that resource is available. However, I have always wanted to take a conventional approach to improvising a hammock by using a tarp or similar material. The two things that I had to consider was the length and width of the fabric and how to suspend it.

Rather than tying a rope on either end of the hammock material I decided to tie the material onto a single suspended rope, using the rope as a ridgeline. I was more likely to have a long length of rope on hand and it also provided a set distance to control the slope of the material that was hung from it. I also believe it puts less tension on the fabric.

I used a half inch braided rope and tied two alpine knots that are stable in use yet fairly easy to untie. I pulled a portion of the ridgeline down through each loop and lifted it to the side so I could thread the material through the second loop from beneath and over the side of the alpine loop above it. This created a cinching knot that tightened when tension was applied on the suspended rope and held the fabric in place (see photo).

I first tried a fitted queen sized sheet and because of the stretchable corners I tied the strait center portion at the ends of the sheet into a knot and discovered that approach didn’t work. It created an uncomfortable narrow strip of support down the middle and was unusable as a hammock. That let me know that the entire width at the end of a fabric sheet was needed for proper support and should be gathered and tied in order to give even support.

Then I used a queen sized flat sheet and folded it in half lengthwise for proper width. I accordion-folded it at each end which I then tied into a knot. The resulting support area worked okay but the eighty-inch length was too short, however, when hung close to the ground a person could sit in it and straddle the fabric and use it to sleep in while their feet rested on the ground.

Next, I used a regular poly tarp. It was 9′ x7.5′. I folded it lengthwise to make an appropriate width and gathered the ends together. Manufactured tarps are generally made with a hem around it’s perimeter. When accordion folded it becomes thicker at the edge and doesn’t require a knot to be tied when held by the cinch knot in the ridgeline. Again, it was too short but would probably work fine if it was longer.

I finally used a scrap piece of Tyvek building material left over from a construction project. It was four foot wide and I cut it down from a twenty foot length to eleven feet. I was able to gather each end and tie them in a knot. I tied the two ridgeline knots about 9′ apart to suspend the tyvek tarp. This was the ideal formula. In reality the tyvek hammock was a little more comfortable than two of my commercial hammocks because it did not have decorative accent strips on the sides that tend to form ridges and was smoother to lie in.

As all hammock users know, lying on the bias means a more level lay as seen in the first photo. This was a fun project in which I learned a lot. Next time that you pass a new construction site you might inquire about having some of the Tyvek scraps because they are so useful as when used as tarps for ground cloths, overhead cover, or as in this case a wonderful hammock.

Many hammock enthusiasts are familiar with “whoopie slings”. They take an end of a braided cord such as Amsteel and insert it into the side of the cord further down and direct it into the hollow core of the cord for several inches and then redirect it back out again. This is known as a spliced choker. The cord’s length can be changed by adjusting the size of the loop that is created using this method. You might be familiar with a Chinese finger trap toy that uses the same principal of constriction. The compression of the outer sheath caused when a load is applied to the primary line holds the woven portion of the cord in place.

Similarly my fellow instructor’s cordage loop operates on a compression basis as well but instead of being routed down the core of the cord it takes a serpentine path that waves back and forth through the main line. As illustrated in the photo it has several cinch points. You may also notice that the end of the cord has been fused using a flame but formed into a point. This point acts as a needle for weaving the cord’s end back and forth through the primary strand. I call it a serpentine compression weave.

Whereas making a spliced choker often requires tools, the serpentine compression weave is accomplished very simply by using the built-in “needle” and only requires a way to fuse the pointed end. This would be an easy campsite project using braided synthetic cordage and can be used in a variety of ways.

Primitive living skills that I enjoy apply to bushcraft wonderfully but cordage can be a challenge due to the resources available. It can take time to process and there’s the question of durability for it’s use. For expedience sake I would practice with commercial cordage which is readily available and reliable.

There are basically two types of cordage on the market: natural fiber and synthetic strand. If you visit a hardware store or shopping isle you can find twine and rope made of cotton, sisal, jute, manila or hemp. These are natural fibers with low stretch and grippy surfaces. The other cordage will be synthetic fiber made of materials such as polyester, polypropylene, and nylon. This cordage will be stronger and more durable but somewhat slippery. You will find their construction will fall in the categories of twisted, solid braid, or diamond braid. The diamond braid is a weaved sheath around a linear fiber core and is less durable than a solid braid.

I usually preferred cordage used for small engine starting cord or drapery valence cord for bow & spindle practice for it’s durability but recently I came across this much less expensive tie-down rope that costs three cents a foot and wanted to share this bargain with other firecrafters and outdoor enthusiasts. Cordage is always good to have in your camping gear, vehicle emergency kit, Bug-Out-Bag, or household. By buying a variety of cordage you can become familiar with their properties and which one is appropriate for your applications.