Archive
The Wild10 Blog Archive
Every published story, filterable by category and by the editor who wrote it.
Showing 18 of 46 stories.
Bushcraft
How to Customize an Axe or Hatchet: Handles, Edges, and Sheaths That Earn Their Weight
A stock axe is a starting point. Rehanging, re-profiling the bit, tuning the grip, and building a better sheath turn a factory head into a tool that fits your hands and your woods.
By Theo Hartigan · · 10 min
Bushcraft
Build a Bombproof Tarp Shelter in Under 10 Minutes: Five Configurations
Learn how to pitch a reliable tarp shelter quickly, using five versatile configurations for various terrains and weather. This guide focuses on practical, field-tested methods to ensure a secure and dry night in the backcountry, even when conditions turn sour.
By Theo Hartigan · · 11 min
Bushcraft
Knife Grinds Explained: Flat, Hollow, Convex, Scandi, Chisel and Serrated
The grind of a blade — how it tapers from spine to edge — decides how the knife cuts more than the steel does. Here is every grind, what it looks like, and what it is good for.
By Theo Hartigan · · 10 min
Bushcraft
How to Sharpen Every Knife Grind: Whetstone, Diamond Plate, Strop and Rod
Convex grinds get a strop. Scandi grinds get a flat stone. Serrations get a round file. Here is the right tool and technique for every grind, plus the exact sharpeners to buy from Amazon.
By Theo Hartigan · · 11 min
Bushcraft
Axe Handle Finishes Compared: Linseed, Tung, Beeswax, and Bare Wood
Every finish trades grip for protection. Here's how raw linseed, tung oil, beeswax, and no finish at all actually behave on a hickory handle over a full season.
By Theo Hartigan · · 5 min
Bushcraft
Make a Leather Overstrike Guard That Actually Saves Your Handle
A stitched leather collar takes an hour to make and can add years to an axe handle. Here's how to size, cut, and lace one so it stays put.
By Theo Hartigan · · 6 min
Bushcraft
Five Fixes for a Loose Axe Head (Ranked From Best to Worst)
A wobbling head isn't just annoying — it's dangerous. Here are the five ways people try to fix one, and which are actually worth doing.
By Theo Hartigan · · 5 min
Bushcraft
Store Your Axe So It Lasts Decades
Rust, dry-out, and slow warping kill more axes than hard use ever will. A few simple storage habits keep a good axe working for generations.
By Theo Hartigan · · 5 min
Bushcraft
Axe, Hatchet, or Folding Saw? Choosing the Right Wood-Processing Tool
Wood-processing tools overlap, but they are not interchangeable. A folding saw cuts across grain efficiently, an axe chops and splits with leverage, and a hatchet offers compact one-handed utility at the cost of reach and margin. The right
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Bushcraft for Beginners: Build Skills Before You Buy More Gear
Bushcraft begins with a simple promise: learn to meet ordinary needs outdoors with skill, judgment, and a modest kit. It is not a shopping contest, a costume, or a race to build a log cabin before lunch. Beginners improve fastest when they
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Backcountry Water: Finding, Carrying, and Treating It Safely
Clear water can contain organisms that are invisible, inconvenient, and utterly unimpressed by confidence. A sound water plan covers four separate jobs: estimating need, locating sources, carrying enough between them, and using a treatment
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Foraging Without Guesswork: A Conservative Bushcraft Approach
Foraging can deepen ecological knowledge, but it is a poor place for improvisation. Some toxic plants and fungi resemble edible species, allergies and contamination complicate identification, and harvest rules vary. The safe approach is spe
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Bushcraft Knots and Cordage: The Small Set That Solves Most Camp Problems
A person who knows five knots well is usually better equipped than someone who vaguely remembers twenty-seven. Bushcraft cordage should create secure anchors, adjustable tension, reliable loops, and controlled joins. The real skill is selec
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
How to Build an Efficient Bushcraft Camp Without Building a Fortress
An efficient bushcraft camp reduces movement, protects critical gear, keeps hazards separated, and can be dismantled without leaving a small archaeological site. The goal is not to reproduce a homestead during a weekend. It is to arrange sh
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Bushcraft Shelter Basics: Tarp, Lean-To, or Debris Hut?
A shelter is successful when it controls the hazards that matter: precipitation, wind, ground heat loss, falling material, insects, and poor drainage. The most impressive structure is not automatically the best. In many real situations, a s
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Firecraft in Wet Weather: A Reliable System for Rainy Camps
Wet-weather firecraft is not about producing a heroic shower of sparks. It is a preparation problem. Success comes from protecting dry material, locating usable fuel inside wet wood, building enough surface area, and maintaining heat until
By Theo Hartigan · · 3 min
Bushcraft
Improve Bushcraft Knife Safety With a Practical Training Plan
Learn bushcraft knife safety mistakes through a practical sequence, common failure points, a controlled field drill, gear notes, and the safety checks that should happen before a real bushcraft trip.
By Theo Hartigan · · 6 min
Bushcraft
A Field Guide to Low-Impact Pot Hanger
Learn camp pot hanger through a practical sequence, common failure points, a controlled field drill, gear notes, and the safety checks that should happen before a real bushcraft trip.
By Theo Hartigan · · 6 min
