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Sign in to chatA working edge from a coarse and medium stone will out-cut a polished edge you are afraid to use. Feel for the burr across the whole edge before you flip. That single habit fixed my sharpening.
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Sign in or create an accountA lighter, a headlamp, and a contractor bag have saved more of my bad nights than any survival tin. Simple beats clever when you are cold and tired. What is your always-carry?
Filter for clear water, chemical for backup and silty sources after settling, boil when I have a fire going anyway. Redundancy is worth the few ounces. What is your decision tree?
Standing dead wood only, split down to dry heartwood, fine feather sticks, and a birch bark or fatwood starter. A folding saw matters more than a fancy knife here. Practice this when it is actually raining.
Dogbane in the fall makes cord strong enough to actually use. It took maybe thirty failed attempts before my reverse wrap stopped falling apart. Slow work but deeply satisfying.
Four inch, full tang, scandi grind. It batons, carves, and dresses game well enough, and it sharpens on a river rock if I have to. Anyone going smaller than that on purpose?
Hold the rod still and pull the striker back instead of stabbing at the tinder. Scattering your tinder bundle at the moment of ignition is the classic beginner failure. Ten minutes of practice fixes it.
