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Double Trunk Trees For Kindling Prep

Ken — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 19:44:14 +0000

While out in the woods, keep an eye out for double trunk trees, they are a huge asset for breaking down gathered tree limbs collected for fire wood. The narrow space between the tree trunks provide a wedge effect for holding branches while allowing leveraged torque to break them down into smaller pieces for a campfire or for camp craft.

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.

Two Man Handsaw

Ken — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:31:10 +0000

Have you ever had to saw firewood using a carpenter’s handsaw? “Laborious” describes this best. It doesn’t take long for your arm to fade. A friend from Sweden showed me a different way to use a hand saw that can make the task easier and faster by making the saw usable by two people at the same time.

Today’s typical handsaw has a hole at the top corner of the blade toe. This hole is provided to hang the saw on a nail or hook for vertical storage on a wall. This technique uses this hole as a point to fasten a cord or wire that in turn is fastened midway onto a stick or bar that is used as a two-handed handle for a second person. This allows the second person to “pull” the blade in rhythm with the “push” of the primary saw operator. When using this technique it is best to put the stronger person in the primary push position and the weaker person in the pull position, but laborers of equal strength can choose either side and switch occasionally to lessen fatigue.

So next time you find yourself in this sawing situation, remember this trick, draft a friend, and “git-er-done”.

Uplands Reach Conference Center Class

Ken — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:32:11 +0000

I was invited to teach a class at the Rugged Spirituality event at Uplands Reach Conference Center today. I arrived a little early and was welcomed by the group as they were preparing breakfast in the camping area. They were making omelets in plastic bags by combining 2 eggs, cheese, cooked sausage and tater tots. Once all the air has been expelled from the bag, it is sealed and suspended in a pot of boiling water until cooked. The first person to begin cooking had selected just eggs and cheese and accomplished a textbook omelet. The next campers loaded up the bags with the works and it took quite awhile to cook it’s contents. It turned out that the sausages and tater tots where still frozen and inhibited the quick cook time. This reminded me of my cooler cooking experience. When preparing food, it’s best to add room temp contents for faster cooking.

After breakfast we began discussing survival basics such as the rule of 3s and survival priorities. Then we discussed edible plants, finding direction and shelters. Of course, we ended up with firecraft and we discussed the fire making categories of friction, percussion, optical and electrical. I used a broken headlamp to start a fire by the solar method. Then I showed how to use fine steel wool with a 9 volt battery to start a fire and everyone had a chance to try it for themselves. Then I showed how to use steel wool instead of charcloth to catch a spark using flint and steel, and in the end I demonstrated fire by friction using the bow and spindle method.

Recently I acquired some basswood and it is now my new best friend for fire by friction. In the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to guide several folks in accomplishing their first successful fire by friction by bow and spindle. It is such a delight to see the joy of their success. Such was the case this morning where 4 guys made their first bow and spindle fires and a young lad made his first flint and steel fire.

The program director, Matthew McNiel showed me a fire piston that he had made out of inexpensive hardware, so now it’s on my “to-do” list to accomplish. As we concluded our time, Matthew began to envision next year’s programs in which I may be able to participate. It was a great day with prospects of a great future.