Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett

Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett

I just started reading the excellent "Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" a book by David Grann which follows the footsteps of Lt. Colonel Percival Harrison and his search for the fabled lost city. Fawcett was a distinguished British artillery officer, an accomplished archaeologist and possibly the greatest South American explorer of all time, another truly great adventurer with a truly great family motto. His disappearance in 1925 during an expedition to find "Z" is one of the true mysteries in exploration, inspiring countless others to trace his steps, many to their own demise.

“Nec Aspira Terrent. – “Difficulties be Damned” ”

— Fawcett Family Motto

World's Fair Knot

I have to say, they don't run contests like they used to. I just learnt about Dupont Corps' "Great Knot Search" contest. A panel of outdoor writers went through nearly 500 entries, looking for the best new, easy to tie, all-purpose fishing knot. They settled on Gary L. Martin of Lafayette, Indiana's design. Martin named the knot after the 1982 Knoxsville Worlds Fair where he unveiled and demonstrated it to the world for the first time.

How to tie a Worlds Fair Knot

Here's how its done. A clip from the always excellent Video Fishing Knots. I absolutely love this, I wonder if I've got enough pull to launch a "best new knot" contest. I doubt it.

Tips from the Archive #005

Tree Bark to Find North

A good tip from Berndt Berglund's "Wilderness Survival."  There are hundreds of ways of finding north but this is the first I'd heard of this method.

Tip 005 – Using a tree stump to find north.

“If you find a stump, it’s easy to tell north by looking at the annual growth rings. Annual rings are formed by living cells just inside the bark of a tree. These cells serve as a transportation system from the roots to all parts of the tree. To protect this delicate system, the tree protects the cells from the cooler northerly winds by growing a thicker layer of bark on north and north-east sides of the tree. These facts have been known by woodsmen in many parts of the world. A recent study by one of our leading universities proved this fact beyond doubt.”

— Berndt Burgland - Wilderness Survival, 1947

This book was intended as a guide to North America so I'm not sure this counts for the rest of the world, but it's still interesting.

The Hiker's Bible 1973 Gear List

The Hiker's Bible by Robert Elman 1974

This great book by Robert Elman contains a few different lists for different occasions. Lots for 'him and her' and 'how to divide up equipment.' The most concise and relevant for here is one Elman has sourced from a Sears Hillary catalogue for "longer backpacking trips."

“Pack and frame 4 lbs. Down sleeping bag 4 lbs. Nylon tent 7 lbs. 8oz . Canteen 1 lb. Stuff bag 6 oz. Short foam pad 1 lb. 4 oz. 1 compass 4 oz. Knife 8 oz. Flashlight 8 oz. Nylon cord (40’) 6 oz. Maps 6 oz. First-aid kit 6 oz. Cooking grill 1 lb. 8 oz. Mess kit 1 lb. 3 oz. Fork-and-spoon kit 6 oz. Can opener 1 oz. Dishcloth 2 oz. Plastic bags 2 oz. Nylon poncho 1 lb. Extra set of underwear 12 oz. 2 extra pairs of lightweight socks 4 oz. 2 extra pairs of heavy socks 8 oz. Toilet kit (including towel, soap shaving equipment, insect repellent, mirror, toilet tissue, etc) 1 lb. 12 oz.

Total weight 28 lb. 2 oz.

If you were to add a one-pound trail ax, a stove weighing about 1¼ pounds, a nylon tent fly, a set of thermal underwear, a jacket and even a pair of walking shorts, the burden would still only come to 35 pounds, and eight pounds of food would bring it to 43. That’s going reasonably light without roughing it.”

— Robert Elman - The Hiker's Bible, 1974

Nice list, although I'm not sure 43 pounds would still be classed as "reasonably light."

Belstaff Dalesman

Belstaff Dalesman

After several years of looking I have finally found a Belstaff Dalesman. This is quite a sentimental piece for me; it was the top my father used to wear when I was growing up and is one of my favorite pieces of vintage outdoor gear. The Dalesman is a smock style, pullover jacket made of super heavyweight cotton; it has an awesome colour pallet, a huge map pocket across the front and an amazing vintage vibe.

Although originally famed for their motorbike jackets (and now their filmstar leather jackets) Belstaff did make a line of outdoor gear in the 1980's. This included the Dalesman, the Derwent and  Sir Chris Bonnington's signature jacket. I have found scant information about the Belstaff outdoor range and have tried to get in touch with them a few times, but as yet I have not got a response. If anyone has any information about this gear I would love to get the story straight.

Ol rocking the Dalesman

I found the jacket on eBay and probably payed far too much for it but some sometimes you just have to.

Campfire Beef Bourguignon

Campfire Gastronomy

I'm often asked about campfire meals I make, I consider myself quite a freestylecook,as such I don't really write things down. I'm not qualified by any means, but I worked in kitchens throughout school and college and consider myself pretty confident in the kitchen. This is the first time I have ever consciously made notes and honed a recipe to share.

Camp Fire Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is one of my favorite slow cooked meals, I think its pretty perfect for permanent camp or cabin cookery. Simple and delicious. Something you can throw on a fire and leave. This recipe is loosely based on Larousse Gastronomique's traditional dish.

Ingredients

• 2lbs (just under 1kg) braising beef (rump)
• 6 Rashers of thick-cut fatty bacon
• 3  large onions
• 3 cups (750ml) red wine (nothing too expensive but something you would drink)
• 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
• 2 Garlic cloves crushed
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Flour (for dusting and thickening)
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

To start you will need some decent coals so make sure you build your fire big with suitable wood and let it burn down to cooking coals. This meal is slow cooked over a few hours so be sure to have a large stock of wood so coals can be replenished.

1. Roughly cut the beef into large chunks and dust with seasoned flour and put you dutch oven on the coals to pre-heat.
2. Cut the bacon into large strips and fry in your dutch oven
3. Add the beef, two of the onions sliced roughly and the garlic and brown them all
4. Add the wine and stock , the herbs and season well
5. Cover and gently simmer for at least two hours; until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce has thickened. Give it a try and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
6. Once you think it is ready slice and fry the remaining onion and add it to the pot, continue cooking for another 20 minutes
7. Serve with camp bread (either bannock, damper or flatbread.)

The dish came out very well. Tender meat with a thick delicious sauce. It was also incredibly easy. I hope, this inspires some of you to try something new on the campfire.

Clyde Ormond - Clothespin Bass Plug

Homemade fishing gear

Is there anything more satisfying than catching a fish? How about catching a fish on a homemade lure. I've never really ventured into the world of homemade fishing gear but, as with a lot of my posts, I came across a great article in an outdoor book and had to give it a try. In Clyde Ormond's fantastic "Complete Book of Outdoor Lore" he devotes a whole chapter to makeshift lures. The most intriguing and coolest looking being the clothespin bass plug.

Clothespin Bass Plug

“(1) Start with an old fashioned clothespin. (2) Flatten the top of the knob and burn a small dent at partition center with hot wire to keep hook from slipping. Tie hook between prongs with monofilament, bringing it from top and bottom and knotting it along the side. Then loop it around the neck. (3) and tie on top of plug. Burn eyes into the head. Plug should be charred along top to simulate shading, and “scales” can be added by chipping lightly with a knife blade (4).”

— Clyde Ormond - Complete Book of Outdoor Lore, 1969

Ormond is one of my favorite outdoor authors, I find myself re-visiting his books time and time again. His instructions are a little vague but I managed to fashion something that looked pretty similar. I burnt the top and the eyes, tried to get as much contrast my scrapping the pin to reveal new wood. I also spent a long time fashioning the scales and did a little nimble knot work. It could be tidier but I am rather proud of it.

My Finished Clothespin Bass Plug

It swam very well, I was casting from a canoe and it bobbed along beautifully. I also trawled it behind for a time. I feel the bass where I fish in Maine are a little whiley and the further afield I get the better success I might have. It was still a real pleasure fishing with homemade gear, especially one so whacky looking. Rest assured there will be pictures if I have any success with it.

Tea Chronicles Pt.8 – Berry-Leaf Tea

Berry-Leaf Tea

This tea comes from one of the most celebrated foraging books of all time, Euell Gibbons' "Stalking Wild Asparagus". This classic book first printed in 1962 is far, far more than an edible plants field guide. It is a witty, insightful book that teaches the reader about foraging through Gibbons' stories and exploits. Essential reading. Gibbons has dedicated a whole section to what he calls "Wildwood Teas" (lots of rich Tea Chronicles picking here) which is where we find his recipe for blackberry, raspberry and strawberry leaf tea .

“The leaves of these three familiar fruits have long been dried and used for tea and in home remedies. Gather the leaves while the plant is in flower and dry them as directed with other tea materials. One word of warning: be sure the leaves are thoroughly dry before you use them as tea for, as they wilt,they develop a poison which is driven off or altered in composition as the get thoroughly dry. There have been cases of livestock being poisoned by wilted berry leaves, but when these leaves are contained in fully dry, cured hay they cause no ill effects.

Berry-leaf Tea is probably the most effective home remedy for diarrhea but, aside from its medicinal uses, it is also a pleasant beverage and wholesome in reasonable quantities.It contains tannin (as does Oriental tea) and has a pleasant aroma; the flavor differs slightly according to which species is used but all of them make an acceptable substitute for tea.”

— Euell Gibbons - Stalking Wild Asparagus, 1962

I had only just read this chapter when I was invited to a friends house who's garden was overflowing with raspberry bushes. I tried to pick the greenest and freshest looking leaves. Once home I laid them out, on newspaper, in the sun on the kitchen table.

Raspberry Leaves Drying

I left them for a full two weeks to make sure they were completely dry (Gibbons' word of warning concerned me a little.) The colour was still really impressive even on the dried leaves. I steeped a half dozen crushed leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes and gave it a try. I then added another 6 leaves and left it for 5 minutes more.

The tea was light, even after leaving to mash (steep) for a considerable time and adding additional leaves. I couldn't eek much flavor from it at all. The taste that I did get was a vegetal and slightly herbal flavor. There were some tannins. Not unpleasant, just not much of anything. I have read so much about berry leaf tea I can't help thinking I've done something wrong. I shall persevere with this one, so there may be an update to this post as soon as I can get hold of larger quantities or leaves. Does anyone have any tips for berry leaf tea?

Gibbons' book is, in my opinion, essential reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in foraging, botany, the outdoors or even for anyone that likes a good book. It is still in print and easy to find. I hope to be trying more of his recipes in soon.

Tips from the Archive #004

Dutch Oven Cooking Temperature

This one is a goody,  especially for the outdoor gourmet. It comes from Viv Moon's Outdoor cookbook. This is my go-to outdoor cookery guide. This particular tip is great for anyone trying to master the dutch oven.

Tip 004 – Dutch Oven Temperature

“There are various methods around that some camp cooks use to judge how hot the camp oven is, the old, but tried paper testing method being a fairly good gauge.

Paper Test–put a piece of paper such as brown paper bag (not newspaper) inside your preheated camp oven. Within a few minutes it turns:

Dark brown–oven is very hot 240-300˚C [465-570˚F]
Light brown–oven is hot 220-230˚C [425-440˚F]
Yellow–oven is moderate 180-190˚C [355-375˚F]
Pale–oven is slow 120˚C [250˚F]”

— Viv Moon - Viv Moon's Outdoor Cookbook, 2002

Hope this helps.

VHD T-Shirt

Vintage Hiking Depot. T-shirt

These just in, fresh from the screen. Introducing, the Vintage Hiking Depot. t-shirt. Proudly printed right here in Portland, Maine by Max at Inner Sense Printing. Screened on Gildan grey, heavyweight t-shirts. These have a double hit of plastisol on the front in 'VHD Cream' and a single hit for the inside detail.

These were created with love, all proceeds go back into the VHD. If you're interested in supporting the VHD these t-shirts can be yours for $20 + $5 postage and packaging within the USA. If you are overseas this might be a little more so email me for a final price.

If you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt please visit my store here