The photograph survival gear was taken in 1908 and shows a tipi of the Asparoke people in Montana.
A woman has gathered firewood, which she is bringing back to the tipi. Without the use of an axe, gathering sufficient wood must have required constant work.
Heads up, this is going to be a rant. If you don't like such things, avert your eyes.
Classic Camping is a term that has gained popularity recently. A main driving force behind it has been two men, Steve Watts and Dave Wescott. Both men are very accomplished in the field of primitive technology, and have been teaching on the subject for many years. Their expertise in the field covers everything from Neolithic technology, to early 20th century technology and skills.
So, what is Classic Camping? Since the definition of the term comes largely from Watts and Wescott, we have to look to their writings for the definition. According to an interview given by Steve Watts, Classic Camping, encompasses the camping methods and style of the late 1800s through the 1920s. It involves the use of iron tools, canvas tents, and wool clothing. As Mr. Watts explains, it is the time period when the woodsmanship skills of the past intersected with the technology of the early 20th century. In particular, it is the act of leisure camping. It is the point in our history where woodsmanship skills and camping stopped being necessary tools for explorers, hunters, soldiers, and loggers, but rather become a recreational activity for city folk with free time and money to buy a Ford to take them to the camp site.
Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1920. "Dr. A.A. Foster and family of Dallas, Texas, in auto tourist camp."
While Watts and Wescott use a lot of phrases such as "Modern camping is what you do to get some place, classic camping is what you do when you get some place", and it being the "true way to camp", the reality is much simpler and less full of flowery language. Classic Camping is RV/car camping early 20th century style. It usually involved huge amounts of heavy equipment, designed for comfort, not for travel. Camp was typically set up right next to the car, with a canvas tent in which "you could stand in to put on your pants", cast iron pots, table, chairs, etc. The focus was to sit around the camp fire, cook large quantities of food, and I suspect partake in some good quality liquor.
The above picture is from last year's Woodsmoke Classic Camping (and sadly, bushcraft) gathering.
Sounds like a good bit of fun. Granted, it is far removed from my practices in the woods, but to each his own. If that is what gives one enjoyment, why not? I certainly do it from time to time myself.
Well, for one, there is the annoying remarks about how this was the "golden age" of camping, or how this was "true camping". I must admit, I find the assertions annoying, as I would hardly call the practice the "golden age" of anything. That's not the main issue however. I am sure I also make similar annoying remarks about my chosen style of camping.
What really bothers me, and the reason why I think you should care is that some people, including Steve Watts and Dave Wescott have been pushing to connect their concept of Classic Camping with woodsmanship and bushcraft. I have to say, the notion of equating Classic Camping with woodsmanship and buschraft, or for that matter even implying a connection greatly upsets me. It upsets me camping gear because I am very interested in woodsmanship and bushcraft, and in my evaluation, Classic Camping has nothing to do with either.
If you want to hang out in a huge canvas tent in the parking lot, and cook large amounts of food in a dutch oven so you and your friends can hang out by the fire and tell stories, that great; but don't pretend like this is woodsmanship or bushcraft. It is not. It wasn't in 1900, and it isn't now. All that Classic Camping represents is a bunch of city folk from the early 1900s with disposable income, hanging out by the side of the road on the weekend cooking barbeque and pretending to be woodsman. I am quite sure that the actual woodsmen of the time, you know… the ones that actually were in the backwoods hunting, trapping, exploring and logging had very few good things to say about the city car campers that descended on the woods in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Or perhaps they weren't upset at all because those woodsmen were actually in the woods and never managed to run into the parking lots where all this "classic camping" was taking place.
The above picture is from last year's Woodsmoke Classic Camping gathering.
Bushcraft has suffered enough in the past few years. It has gone from being the pursuit of learning of wilderness skills, to a backyard barbeque by fashionably, yet retro dressed people. The implication that bushcraft has turned into nothing more than car camping does not need to be reinforced by outright making it so. Nor does the term "woodsmanship", which many have started using in recent years to distance themselves from the car wreck that bushcraft has turned into, needs to get dragged into this. Let's be honest, setting up a canvas tent in the parking lot and lighting the barbeque is as much woodsmanship as hooking up the RV to the sewer system. Now, don't get me wrong, there are many things one can learn at a Classic Camping gathering. The skills demonstrated there however are tangential and not directly connected to Classic Camping itself. They are remnants of what woodsmanship used to be before people decided that they want to play woodsmen without enduring any of the hardships of actually being in the woods.
All of this is even more troubling because of the commercial interests that have aligned behind it. For those not familiar, Steve Watts and Dave Wescott run the Woodsmoke gathering, one of the largest in the country, which in turn is backed by Bushcraft USA, the largest bushcfraft forum/store. The result is a focused and directed push to equate classic camping, bushcraft, and woodsmanship into a perfect money making, gear selling, $300 per person bargain basement priced ticket, ego fluffing amalgamation that can then be spoon fed to every armchair "woodsman" in the country. It almost brought tears to my eyes last year watching poor Tim Smith trying to give a tortured explanation about how the terms are connected.
Now, I am fully aware that I am powerless to stop any of this from continuing. I just beg those involved, please, please, just leave one term untouched, so that those of us who actually go into the woods, and try to live off of equipment and resources we carry under our own power, can use with some degree of pride. You can have bushcraft. The term has already become a parody, but do you have to take "woodsmanship" as well? It's not going to make the barbeque in the parking lot any more woodsy. All it will do is force the rest of us to have to come up with yet another term which you will then try to co-opt in order to make your paying membership feel like "real" woodsmen.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying any style of camping. If that gives one the greatest satisfaction, then it is an activity equally worthy of survival gear pursuit as any other. However, we don't need to pretend that Classic Camping is bushcraft or woodsmenship, let alone "true" woodsmanship. It is not. it never was, and as long as there are people who actually go into the woods and spend time there, it never will be.
Alright, rant over. Back to scheduled programming.
Some time ago I decided to get somewhat more serious about fishing and started looking for a good ultralight fishing kit. Now, for years I have had an ultralight fishing kit that comprised of a line spooled around a plastic bottle with some lures inside. My goal this time, in order to go with my "getting serious about it" theme was to find an ultralight fishing set up that was an actual full fishing kit, complete with a full size rod, reel, tackle, etc.
After some searching, I found equipment that was to my liking. I figured I would share it with you here. For this post I will be focusing on my spin fishing kit. Also, it should be mentioned that this fishing kit is designed for fresh water fishing in small bodies of water. My primary fishing is in streams or small lakes I encounter when backpacking. If you are going after large fish, you will need something more robust.
The rod survival gear is St Croix Triumph TRS60LF4 Travel Spinning Rod. It is 6 feet in length, and I opted for the fast action graphite version. It comes apart into 4 pieces for easy transport. When disassembled, it is 18 inches in length. The full rod weighs 3.2 oz as measured (even though it is listed as 3.5 oz). The rod is designed for up to 8 lb test line and cost me $100.00. Honestly, I didn't look too much. 3.2 oz seemed very reasonable to me for a rod. I am sure you can find lighter products out there if you looked more.
The rod case is one that I made myself. It weighs 1.5 oz, and you can see the tutorial here.
The reel is an Okuma Ultralight UL-10 spinning reel. It was the lightest reel I was able to find, and when I purchased it online I was worried that it would be a toy, but I was pleasantly surprised. It really feels like an actual reel. It has three ball bearings, and can handle line from 2 to 6 lb. I spooled some 4 lb line on it, of which the reel can hold 115 yards. The reel weighs 5.4 oz, and 5.8 oz with the line spooled on. It cost me only $18.00.
The tackle is limited, not in number of pieces, but in that it is focused on small freshwater fish. Depending on what you are after, and how blessed you have been with luck, your tackle will vary. Mine is contained in a small box. It is comprised of several hooks, split shot, swivels, survival gear snaps, and a decent assortment of lures. I also have several floats and flies for some different techniques with which I am not good at all. The total weight of the tackle is 2.8 oz. The cost will depend on what pieces you have.
In all honesty, I am a horrible fisherman, so any advise I give you here will most likely be wrong. That being said, the lures I use the most are spinners and plugs.
That's the entirety of my ultralight spin fishing kit. The tackle and reel are stored in a small bag and are kept in my pack. The rod in the case is strapped to the side of my pack.
The total weight of my ultralight spin fishing kit is 13.6 oz with the bag which holds the tackle and reel.
That's right Ray Mears fans. He has designed and released a backpack. It is called the Leaf Cutter Rucksack, and is being offered in limited numbers.
The pack has some interesting details, and certainly looks like the packs Ray Mears likes to carry on his shows. It seems very similar to offerings by Snugpack and Karrimor.
Specifications:
For starters, the pack is huge! It's been a long time since I have carried a 90 L pack. Honestly, for anything short of extremely cold weather, unless I am out in the woods without resupply for over a month, I have no idea what I would put in it. That being said, I'm sure it will suit some people. survival gear For such a large pack, made of thick material, it is surprisingly light at 4 lb. It is hard to explain how that is possible, unless the weight has been sacrificed when it comes to the frame. Similar size packs by companies like Gregory weigh in at about 7 lb, but they have elaborate weight bearing systems. That would be a must in my book for such a large pack. There is little detail offered about the suspension system on the Leaf Cutter pack. From the pictures at least, there doesn't seem survival kits to be any adjustment mechanism for the shoulder straps and hip belt like you would see on other commercial packs.
The design itself is a bit strange. Again, seems very similar to products such as the Snugpack Rocket Pack, which have their own following, but are rare to see on the general market. The almost square design of the pack results from the huge side pockets, and there appears to be a strangely designed front zipper pocket.
While the front pocket would serve well for crampons, I have no idea where one would attach snowshoes for example, an ice axe, or a rifle. Personally, I also like my packs tall and narrow, so that I have freedom of movement in my arms. Over tough terrain, I find that to be essential. The side pockets are not removable, so little can be done to alter the square shape of the pack, nor do there seem to be effective compression straps to accommodate varying loads.
It is hard to say much more than just general preliminary observations, but I think that if you like Ray Mears, and his products, you will probably love the pack. It is exactly the type of pack you see him hauling around on his shows. If you are not a huge Ray Mears fan, it probably wouldn't suit your needs. It offers huge volume for little weight, although probably at the expense of a robust suspension system. The price is very competitive.
I'm not at all a fan of the design, so I would have to pass, but I am sure it will suit others' needs perfectly. If it is something that you have been looking for, they are available now. Get them while they last. I'm sure they will be a collectable in the near future.
