The cotton fiber strands run parallel while having compressed “ribs” that create a convenient square shape with a straight edge. Having a straight edge is desirable for a controlled flame.

I modified the can’s lid and bent the edges down to create a small “table” inside the can to press against the wick to hold it in place.

Something else that I found helpful is how to lite the wick. Once a wick is dipped in oil it can be difficult to lite. If the edge can be squeezed to shed excess oil, wood ash or charcoal carbon can be applied as a catalyst to recieve the ignition flame more quickly.

Once lit, I enjoyed the flame for a couple of hours before needing to adjust the wick.

Being curious about shelf fungus I
collected a local shelf fungus and cut it open but was disappointed to find no “trama layer” referred to as amadou because it wasn’t the right kind of fungus. Upon further research I learned that fomes formentarious grows on dead birch and beach trees that resemble a horse’s hoof and there are scant finds outside of my area.

I did learn that he bottom layer of shelf polypore funguses known as hymenium contain minute tube-like structures that can have a capillary effect and a narrow slice can be used for a wick in a slush lamp so I decided to try it out.

I used an empty sardine can for my vessel and poured in vegetable oil for fuel. I cut a slice of the bottom layer of my fungus and initially soaked it briefly in the oil. When I removed it, I wiped off the excess oil then lit the flat bottom edge until it took flame to prime it for use.

As with any wick, the exposed length of the wick determines the size of the flame. Excessive length will produce a large flame but will also exhibit much smoke and soot.

I’ve used slush lamps mainly for light but I wanted to see if I couuld cook, much like a Inuit qulliq stove so I positioned a metal cup containing some shallow water above the flame. The wick stayed lit for over a half hour but it only managed a pre-boil. It was enough though for a delicious instant oatmeal meal.

Many years ago I decided to fry some eggs on a stone and used oil on the stone surface. In this case I tried to keep in mind a simpler approach by dusting the surface with flour instead of using oil. I rolled the dough out in thin sheets beforehand and began to cook them one by one, learning stone cooking techniques with each piece.

To have too low a temperature takes a long time and the bread dries out and becomes brittle. A high temperature with shorter cook time is needed for best results. Once the dough is placed over the hot spot of the stone you can see how it creates air pockets or “bubbles” on the dough’s upper surface. You can check for small brown spots on the dough’s contact surface to see when it’s ready to flip over onto the other side. Whereas I am used to cooking over coals when using a stick or grill, active flames under the stone is what is needed to create the proper temperature on top.

The trick is to cut the shortening into the flour before adding the water, then kneed the dough for about 5 minutes and let it rest for 20 minutes while the baking powder makes them rise. This makes 8 large tortillas if you roll them out as thin as possible.

I want to thank my friend Gregory for sharing his grandmother’s recipe and I hope that you can experience this fun method of cooking some day as well!

I was sent a PDF copy to review before it was published. For me, reading is a laborious task and I’ve always been a visually oriented person, having a career as a corporate photopgrapher, videographer, and web master, but once I started to read this book I was captivated from the start. The author, Ronald B. Housel, has an easy-to-read writing style that got me hooked from the start and his passion for his craft held my interest throughout it’s 14 chapters.

And what a diversity of topics! It is a very complete work from a very experienced hunter that not only inspires want-to-be turkey hunters to pursue this field but also has many helpful insights for those seasoned hunters that want to continue honing their skills. The recipes are mouth-watering and the candid stories at the end had me rolling with laughter. I would recommend this book to any hunter who is contemplating or actively engaged in the pursuit of the elusive wild turkey.

You can learn more about The Black Ghosts of Autumn and the author Ronald B. Housel on Facebook.

I also sent photos to my mentors who confirmed their identification, but because they didn’t actually see the Blewits in person I decided to do a spore print over night. When I do a spore print I cut off the cap and place it gill-side down on top of a sheet of paper that has a black side and white side, that way the spores will be revealed whether they are light or dark in color. Blewits leave a light pinkish/beige print vs. a toxic look-a-like mushroom that produces a dark brown print. As seen in the photo the spore print confirmed that they were Blewits.

Blewits are compared in texture to button mushrooms that you might find in grocery stores. They need to be thoroughly cooked before consumption and their color tends to fade as they are cooked. I fried some up and added them to an omelet… they were delicious! I am so pleased to add blewits to my edibles knowledge and experience. This Fall is a great time to keep a look-out for them, and be sure to pass them by a local expert for positive identification.

Recently I wondered if the sticks could be used to cook with or at least used to boil water in an emergency. I had kept the package in a sealable plastic bag however I believe the years of summer heat and the humid climate have effected it as evidenced by the box that seemed slightly saturated with the parafin base and when I struck the tip on the back of the package it would not light.

I decided to boil some water in my stainless steel Sierra cup and filled it with water. I placed it on a BBQ bracket to use as a trivit which allowed the fire starter to be placed underneath. I lit the Strike-A-Fire with a lighter and watched the ensuing flame as it slowly spread along it’s length. It took about 5 minutes to bring the water to a simmer… too hot to drink right away. I withdrew the cup, then the bracket, then placed a can briefly over the fire starter. It was hard to completely extinguish as small embers kept smoldering. I placed the remains in a used Altoid tin and it finally went out.

That gave me the idea that a Strike-A-Fire stick could be cut in half lengthwise to store inside a tin. When needed the tin could be opened and used as a hearth upon which the stick could be lit. So, round 2 was successful with tinder to spare.

In the end, I have to acknowledge that the Strike-A-Fire fire starters were not intended to be used the way that I tested it but it’s nice to know that they can be used that way in an emergency situation. The striking portion does not last indefinitely but the stick portion works fine once lit. It does have a sooty flame so it puts carbon on the bottom of the cooking vessel but I took it down to the nearby creek and rubbed it in the sand which cleaned it nicely.

There are other clean burning fuels available that I prefer to cook with but by trying this proof-of-concept I am happy to have learned the Strike-A-Fire’s capabilities and I put them back into my car’s emergency kit for the future.

I always enjoy sharing my passion with others and having the fathers accompany these young boys was a throw-back to home-schooling my own sons. The boys ranged from approximately 12-8 years old and holding a class for two and a half hours went quite well with participation by all. The class was joined by some TIP staff and one of their fathers so it spanned several generations.

After discussing the priorities of survival I began to construct a campfire showing the progression of tinder-to-kindling-to-fuel. As I batoned some wood to create kindling the boys were able to practice using ferro rods to light cattail fluff. After some coals were established I used two cans of different sizes to clam-shell over a yam and let it bake. Then I passed around some edible flora that I had collected earlier in the morning for hands-on inspection and tasting.

We spent some time learning different ways to create fire by using solar, electrical, and percussion methods. Everyone had a chance to try flint and steel firecraft and I demonstrated how to make “Quickie Charcloth” with which to catch a spark. We had numerous victories of making fire!

As the class was held in the late afternoon I was able to stay for dinner at the famous “Nacho Mama” cafe which is the TIP dining area. The meals there are always great and varied. It was a great time with wonderful folks and made my father’s day weekend that much more special.

One of the “nuisance” plants that I usually dread in the woods is the briar, also know as bull briar, cat briar, or smilax. It is actually a bush that grows like a vine, having tendrils to aid it in climbing adjacent plants or structures. The long vine-line limbs are armored with thorns and readily snag on clothes and scratch skin. The mature leaves remind me of plantain leaves that have veins running the length of the leaf.

A friend recently informed me that the tips, tendrils, and shoots of Spring are edible and can be eaten raw on the spot or can be harvested to cook back at camp or at home. Since then I have learned that the roots contain starch and are edible as well. The tips and shoots are similar to asparagus in nature when picking them… the most edible parts can be easily snapped off by hand. If it is resistant, move farther out to the end until it snaps off easily.

 
My friend also said that they are best “sauteed with a bit of salt, butter and garlic…not to cook so much as just to warm up…and don’t drown the flavor…tastes like raw peanuts or bean sprouts”. Indeed, they tasted good, but don’t over cook as they with lose their tenderness.

So now I have a more positive regard for briars, knowing that in Spring they bring goodness!

I figured that this was an opportunity to live on the wild side so I picked some up and did the taste test. In the interest of pursuing survival techniques I have eaten several types of bugs for my own discovery and for survival edibles class instruction so eating a few termites was no big deal. Honestly, they are so small that there’s not much to taste. For any serious nutrition it would take quite a volume to collect for consumption.

In other countries termites have been valued for their nutrition and medicinal properties. There are larger species than those that I saw and they can build enormous mounds above ground. In my neck of the woods you can find termites in and under logs that lie on the ground. Pine seems to be the favored wood. They prefer warmth and are more likely to be found in sun-lit areas of the forest floor. In my case the termites were collected under mulch debris but some logs can be split open with hatchets or machetes and tapped on the side to cause the termites to fall out onto a tray or collective surface.

Termites are rich in vitamin A, C, fat and protein. It is said that one third of the worlds population include insects in their diet so our aversion to eating bugs is largely a mindset. Termites can be cooked in a variety of ways: fried, steamed, roasted or boiled. Of course, if you’re on the go, you can just eat them raw.

Next time that you’re walking in the woods, turn over branches and logs that are laying on the ground or explore a tree stump. You may find that these little critters are prevalent and plentiful, and if you dare, pluck one up and give it a taste test!

To prepare for shelling it’s best to spread them out on a tray for drying. If using the sun it may take a few days while covering them at night to keep off the dew. This can also be done in an oven at it’s lowest temperature for several hours. White oak acorns take longer to dry than black oak acorns. Drying acorns helps to separate the nut inside from it’s outer shell and makes the shelling process easier.

Acorns contain tannic and gallic acids that are toxic and are counter nutritional and causes to acorns to be bitter so they must be removed by soaking in water to leach them out. To start this process the acorn must be shelled and can be opened different ways. They can be slit open by using a hand pruning shear or set on a rock with the head end down and the pointed end up, then lightly strike it with a rock just hard enough to crack the outer shell. Acorns can be ground either the traditional way with a rock or by using a food processor. The finer the particles the better for more efficient leaching. Once the acorn nut has been ground it is placed in a cloth and soaked in water for a few days that is changed a few times each day. Some folks prefer to boil them with a couple changes of water but the cold water method is more effective at reducing bitterness. You can occasionally taste the acorn meal for bitterness/blandness to determine when the leaching process is complete, then it can be dried and re-ground finer if desired.

I prefer to combine acorn meal 50/50 with corn meal with which to make paddies or flat cakes. A common recipe is to take 1 cup of acorn meal, 1 cup of corn meal, 1/4 cup honey, 1T melted butter or oil and add a pinch of salt. Add just enough water to make a medium paste. Although some people like to make patties by hand, I have had more success with taking a spoon full of the dough, placing it on the cooking surface, and using the spoon to smooth it out until it’s flat and round, much like you would spread tomato sauce on pizza dough. To cook you can use an ungreased pan on the stove or a heated rock over coals.

The patty will take a few minutes to cook. Watch the outer edges for cracking then lift an edge to check for doness then flip it over to cook the other side. The goal is to have a slightly browned cake when done.

When I first made acorn cakes as a homeschool project with my sons I was amazed at how substantial they were, very satisfying and quite a treat. The process takes time with some effort but is a rewarding experience and very nutritional.