tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81426378717446843472024-03-19T05:33:38.748-04:00Northeast VoyageurBudget Bushcrafting, Woodcraft, DIY Outdoors and MoreNortheast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-53198901930041112472012-12-24T09:37:00.000-05:002012-12-24T09:50:20.324-05:00My Homemade Hammock Setup<style type="text/css">#toc, .toc, .mw-warning { border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 5px; font-size: 95%; }#toc h2, .toc h2 { display: inline; border: medium none; padding: 0pt; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold; }#toc #toctitle, .toc #toctitle, #toc .toctitle, .toc .toctitle { text-align: center; }#toc ul, .toc ul { list-style-type: none; list-style-image: none; margin-left: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt; text-align: left; }#toc ul ul, .toc ul ul { margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 2em; }#toc .toctoggle, .toc .toctoggle { font-size: 94%; }body { font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L'; text-indent: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; widows: 2; }table { }td { border-collapse: collapse; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; }p, h1, h2, h3, li { color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Nimbus Roman No9 L'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; }</style>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hello Everyone,</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD__CWofkHi64xYvefc-1uTzpn392OPQB0PfR4alpZFaIyOHB2QN2Cv71uIv8Zrb-AtsCHtEe5O016wZZzPfYGbyIFHYBTNtVtuqk1qMsVtWSSPjCBCxnmmdGs9eMeAcEs3ngMYIlzAaM/s1600/Setup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD__CWofkHi64xYvefc-1uTzpn392OPQB0PfR4alpZFaIyOHB2QN2Cv71uIv8Zrb-AtsCHtEe5O016wZZzPfYGbyIFHYBTNtVtuqk1qMsVtWSSPjCBCxnmmdGs9eMeAcEs3ngMYIlzAaM/s320/Setup1.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought I’d take a few minutes and write up a quick post about my hammock setup I use when I’m out in the woods. It’s a pretty basic setup, just a hammock, tarp and bug netting. The hammock is four yards of rip-stop nylon with an overhand knot tied on each end. It attaches to the trees with two 1“ thick tie downs with the hooks removed from the ends. That way I can run the tie down around the tree, through the loop and pull it tight. I then just tie it off to the hammock. Tied properly, it has never slipped or fallen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The tarp is a homemade 10‘x10‘ tarp made out of some sort of nylon material I bought on clearance. It gets strung up above the hammock on a ridge line and staked down on the sides. The bug netting is just a military surplus cot net that is tied off to the ridge line and around the tie downs loosely. this allows easy access into the hammock and closes it up around you when your in. That’s it, it takes about fifteen minutes to setup, add a blanket and an inflatable pillow and you have an very comfortable place to sleep. Sleeping in a hammock is great but it does require some practice to get it setup to your liking. As always, before you're in the woods try your setup at home and get all the bugs worked out of it, it will make for a much more pleasant experience in camp. If anyone has any questions...let me know!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for reading and I hope our paths will someday cross in the woods,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Chris (N.E.V.)</span></div>
Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-66435391830477003982012-10-17T16:58:00.000-04:002012-10-17T16:58:45.435-04:00Some Thoughts on Emergency Blankets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChCnwG_YCkwhPI9Ov7JOJ_3PS76OTRpckwnNVTqSeZCt_6RjSXaJFkEcJaVASoXJ7XA3vhvzwA-QQ5qO40c5XhSWGFDhD7-8S8TNJoHs3OuceBf677s_WlqHDI42xvrWFQPLPTRUxylU/s1600/Blankets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChCnwG_YCkwhPI9Ov7JOJ_3PS76OTRpckwnNVTqSeZCt_6RjSXaJFkEcJaVASoXJ7XA3vhvzwA-QQ5qO40c5XhSWGFDhD7-8S8TNJoHs3OuceBf677s_WlqHDI42xvrWFQPLPTRUxylU/s320/Blankets.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was talking to my brother the other day and the subject of emergency blankets came up. I have always encouraged people to have one or two inexpensive space blankets tucked away in their kit.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I also encouraged people to test their kit before they head out to the woods. The inexpensive space blankets that you can buy almost anywhere for just a dollar or two are a good thing to have for emergencies but they do have their limitations.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Their first limitation is their size, if you've ever unfolded one and tried it out you'll find they are not really made for anyone larger than a hobbit. Their second limitation is how noisy they are. I ran into a situation a couple of years ago when we were camping at a canoe in only campsite in the Adirondacks. It was the middle of the night and one of my daughters threw up in her sleeping bag. After getting her cleaned up and the soiled bag hung up, I gave her my sleeping bag and grabbed the emergency space blanket I always have in my kit, unfolded it and attempted to wrap up in it. It was a chilly north woods September night and I proceeded to choose between a warm upper body or a warm lower body. My wife who was sharing the tent with me said it sounded like I was sleeping in a potato chip bag. A much different outcome from when I tested one at home. I was finally able to get a warm nights sleep after my wife helped cover me with the space blanket, a couple of beach towels, a jacket and my tarp. It was not fun.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My wife, being the absolute most wonderful wife in the world, surprised me on Christmas morning that year with the SOL brand 2 Person Emergency Blanket and the SOL brand Emergency Bivy. They are more expensive but are both exceptional products and well worth the cost. after checking them both out I added the bivy to my woods kit and the blanket to my car kit.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I still carry an inexpensive space blanket in my kit because even though they have limitations they do work and they have other uses such as heat reflectors, signaling devices, etc. But I now carry the emergency bivy also. If you choose to carry just the cheaper space blankets, I'd suggest carrying two and enough duct tape to connect them for use as a blanket.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Let me know in the comments if you have any other thoughts or ideas.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for reading,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chris (N.E.V.)</span>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-20180196998017900992012-08-25T07:40:00.000-04:002012-08-25T07:40:12.182-04:00Pennsylvania Elk Country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVg9dLSNzYxU2zRrv9Ww5BN74GUI_bVvhNqfEUdMkElAYyjqwaL5rWzWq6qFBDqnyZJS0KeYKSoQwJuzMd2Ju79jFlr-kdpYd3J9fyZkH5kivuD7TRmUrwmPqqoR3RixwlW4oupRxe3s/s1600/P4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVg9dLSNzYxU2zRrv9Ww5BN74GUI_bVvhNqfEUdMkElAYyjqwaL5rWzWq6qFBDqnyZJS0KeYKSoQwJuzMd2Ju79jFlr-kdpYd3J9fyZkH5kivuD7TRmUrwmPqqoR3RixwlW4oupRxe3s/s200/P4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A couple of weeks ago we took a trip to Elk Country in Pennsylvania. Living in the Northeast doesn't give us a lot of opportunity to see Elk in their natural habitat. Luckily there's a 127 mile drive through some of Pennsylvania's most beautiful country that has numerous viewing stations where they were reintroduced to the state back in the early 1900's. They now have a pretty sizable Elk population and chances are good that when you take this route, you'll see some of these impressive animals. Our first stop at a viewing area was a bust, the second one we were able to watch a huge bull elk in the distance with binoculars, but too far away to get good pictures. While riding down to the Elk Visitor's Center we came pretty much face to face with another very big bull elk who was on the side of the road only a few yards from us, just a little intimidating when you're on a motorcycle. It goes without saying to use caution and pay attention when driving this route. Unfortunately we were not able to get the camera out in time to get a picture and when we turned around and returned to the spot, he was already gone. Although we didn't get any Elk pictures, Here's a few pics are from our travels that day. Hope you enjoy them. We'll be returning to this area soon to do some camping and exploring on foot. It is beautiful country.<br />
Thanks,<br />
Chris (N.E.V.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from one of the wildlife watching areas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64-FvxvrP3Fy30fmoELowWXyYMoYy7yFy38y99iiGV_TcFldWBZVlQ_WmCYAKYxseMRvw0J31PWdvmZdo0wJdnvALQ18kWQN6-3FAiMD3LUUBASoTdeC9LXcQpHO_9VuGwlBLmqKptJk/s1600/P2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64-FvxvrP3Fy30fmoELowWXyYMoYy7yFy38y99iiGV_TcFldWBZVlQ_WmCYAKYxseMRvw0J31PWdvmZdo0wJdnvALQ18kWQN6-3FAiMD3LUUBASoTdeC9LXcQpHO_9VuGwlBLmqKptJk/s400/P2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk Tracks in the Dirt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaJGggvDqI8WaaT_aeFcbzSp0Q1Eho4w9EKwk0_iSijyXkor2QAilo86ExGR2LrWD-nECalrAOI0vVht7aSZru5NlM7E1e48B9m29LLogCqxtvaeJ8aKwZ9_yT5RQzhTtQNvX1ofI8EI/s1600/P3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaJGggvDqI8WaaT_aeFcbzSp0Q1Eho4w9EKwk0_iSijyXkor2QAilo86ExGR2LrWD-nECalrAOI0vVht7aSZru5NlM7E1e48B9m29LLogCqxtvaeJ8aKwZ9_yT5RQzhTtQNvX1ofI8EI/s400/P3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Pennsylvania Elk habitat</td></tr>
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Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-28951265302869331392012-07-18T22:52:00.000-04:002012-07-18T22:52:48.485-04:00Into The Woods - available for Kindle and Nook!Hello everyone,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-l-AdsB84gaswKoB32BHB7pv4FYABwxqExsxIvxMQPjpjNgsciOugcef2g_tRzEWm4u65HGcbuHsru26TIBG5yxjURkIhJbBmwuJeJH_pBezpjcZpUSAJEbNgpLuyoZN3q1gtHtOrzWs/s1600/CoverBN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-l-AdsB84gaswKoB32BHB7pv4FYABwxqExsxIvxMQPjpjNgsciOugcef2g_tRzEWm4u65HGcbuHsru26TIBG5yxjURkIhJbBmwuJeJH_pBezpjcZpUSAJEbNgpLuyoZN3q1gtHtOrzWs/s200/CoverBN.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>I've published another bushcraft themed short story for both Kindle and Nook. It's called "Into The Woods". It's available for purchase for $0.99 from the links on the upper right corner of this page. Here's a short excerpt...I hope you enjoy it.<br />
Thanks,<br />
Chris (N.E.V.)<br />
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<b>Into The Woods (Excerpt)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Copyright 2012 Christopher M. Charlier</b></div><br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> It didn't end like he expected, in fact, life for most everyone else went on as it always had. There was no meteor strike or power grid failure. No rioting in the streets. Life just went on without him. It wasn't the end of the world as we know it, it was the end of the world as he knew it. It happened so fast, it was almost unbelievable, he had moved to a new town a few months ago, he had a good job, a decent apartment and some money in the bank. And all at once it was gone. His job, his apartment, all gone in a matter of days.</b></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b> It started with the flood, it rained for three days straight, not just rained but poured rain. After the second day, while Daniel was at work, the river overflowed and filled his apartment with thick muddy water. He didn't even know there was a problem until the power went out. They sent everyone home, Daniel didn't have a car, he always took the bus to and from work but because of the flooding, no buses were running. A coworker dropped him off as close as he could get him to home. Daniel could see his apartment building, the water was up to the middle of the second floor, his apartment was on the first. </b></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br />
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</b></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-74137864403624261392012-07-06T19:37:00.000-04:002012-07-06T19:37:04.670-04:00Views of The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIx5Mg8aaTk0WzTHonFdt2IVtrm5WQPEcsZ6Sdad-QIbpNJWIrUhJ0LqgwGNW445tr0rlzKYszY3w5y9zFa80YC6zHv5_fC27wFEBqs3zsQ1yUimYrNLFuoSmmXX_x9MKenFQ7IaR2Zk/s1600/PC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIx5Mg8aaTk0WzTHonFdt2IVtrm5WQPEcsZ6Sdad-QIbpNJWIrUhJ0LqgwGNW445tr0rlzKYszY3w5y9zFa80YC6zHv5_fC27wFEBqs3zsQ1yUimYrNLFuoSmmXX_x9MKenFQ7IaR2Zk/s200/PC5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A week or so ago, my wife and I decided to combine two of our favorite past times, the outdoors and motorcycling. We took a ride down to Leonard Harrison State Park just outside of Wellsboro, PA.<br />
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The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon is actually the Pine Creek Gorge, and some of the best views are from Leonard Harrison.<br />
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It's also nearby where George Washington Sears (Better known as "Nessmuk") lived. There's a sign in the parking area about him.<br />
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Here's a few other pictures my wife took, click on any of them to see them full size...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUjZVfwdLNSPtiVgDOgqq5Ry8w25i3X4sJ0FREUtl6z-Fam5H2PhvwKp-8bdpjmfjsyedM5aTFTJTjclpdtPXPBj4Mq577hKpHuqntZSirY9iSfPa-evQrBkmHVWTzb4WTEiHmgIFW1U/s1600/PC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUjZVfwdLNSPtiVgDOgqq5Ry8w25i3X4sJ0FREUtl6z-Fam5H2PhvwKp-8bdpjmfjsyedM5aTFTJTjclpdtPXPBj4Mq577hKpHuqntZSirY9iSfPa-evQrBkmHVWTzb4WTEiHmgIFW1U/s320/PC2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB2lg97_Bv1iAtfneQRj_DRUVol82IxBlfZBp8YmF17sGOUaC1g1Cg0q4KU0EmBKbHWgzhJ5vgGkiBgH3rHTdwcCfueI-cjrf-Poq7ovZctWRgSO0Dcyfx8AMJB_UXvOyQLGuThQjjQ8/s1600/PC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB2lg97_Bv1iAtfneQRj_DRUVol82IxBlfZBp8YmF17sGOUaC1g1Cg0q4KU0EmBKbHWgzhJ5vgGkiBgH3rHTdwcCfueI-cjrf-Poq7ovZctWRgSO0Dcyfx8AMJB_UXvOyQLGuThQjjQ8/s320/PC1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Google will you all the information you need if you want to learn more about the PA Grand Canyon, It's a beautiful area with a whole lot to do.<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
Chris (N.E.V.)Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-20297739597834485182012-05-21T20:44:00.000-04:002012-05-21T20:44:45.101-04:00Video - Super Cheap CooksetHello all,<br />
Here's a video I shot on one of my recent trips to the woods on a day hike. It features what I call my Super Cheap Cook set. The sound is a little bit off but I have recently purchased a new camera and hope to post more videos in the near future.<br />
Thanks for watching,<br />
Chris (N.E.V.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwgEVLGED91VNaZlIscOmW7pI9qVlUSX7QbcSgdZPAcTdIEKev3cevrjorVo07aFIZFnOblpmUoBkxSCZCftQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-60449603753280444782012-04-12T20:37:00.000-04:002012-04-12T20:37:00.489-04:00Guest Post - The MAlice Pack<b>Hello all,</b><br />
<b>Here's a guest post from my good friend Tim.. I hope you enjoy it.</b><br />
<b>Thanks,</b><br />
<b>Chris (N.E.V.)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
ALICE. Even the name sounds comfortable. Like ordering your usual at the hometown diner on a Tuesday morning in November. ALICE. All purpose Lightweight Individual Carry Equipment. Some say she was named Alice so the troops could call her unsavory things. I disagree.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4q3TfmXGtM1gWJjeNxv2C41G9efhcY3qMhw7M-0zQQfnIQnYdWoSON4gJBHaM3w4-JWqb9ws-ziVfW5BgeGXzPaHy9RbBP4_SPquhCE_lDGZs6TUQfHLXSoa7epuBY2-G8aIhXvareZo/s1600/LoadedResized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4q3TfmXGtM1gWJjeNxv2C41G9efhcY3qMhw7M-0zQQfnIQnYdWoSON4gJBHaM3w4-JWqb9ws-ziVfW5BgeGXzPaHy9RbBP4_SPquhCE_lDGZs6TUQfHLXSoa7epuBY2-G8aIhXvareZo/s200/LoadedResized.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>The Alice pack was designed in 1967 and is still in limited use with the US military today. The Molle pack has definitely stolen Alice's thunder in recent years. I am still a huge fan of ALICE gear. It can be had for a fairly small investment. It can be upgraded and modified cheaply. Best of all, if you ruin your Alice, there are plenty of surplus outlets that are happy to send you another. In other words, they're everywhere.<br />
I purchased a large Alice pack with frame, kidney pad, and straps recently. I bought this system with the naive expectation that I would be using it in it's stock form forever. Not true. I don't believe I have ever left anything that I have purchased in Its stock form- even my 1996 Geo Tracker - but that is a different, and much more embarrassing, post altogether.<br />
I took my first trip with Alice and N.E.V. in August of last year. She was good to me. Not great, just good.<br />
I am a six foot four inch guy who doesn't mind weight on my shoulders. I definitely felt Alice. She felt top heavy and not so good on the shoulders even though i had a kidney pad and tried to pack her so the load would be felt on my lower back. Having used other non-military backpacks before, all I wanted was a sternum strap. This was not an option. (ok, sure, EVERYTHING's an option when you have paracord, but it wasn't a pre-installed option.) The kidney pad was quite inadequate for a guy of my size. I knew the kidney pad was the first place to look for a comfort upgrade so I went go out on a limb and ordered a much larger Molle kidney pad for Alice.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGsYagePhXKP0lpYCmQD0AjWGp3hnC_XUGXq_1fOdmO7TwNCVLkYzlWw93IyMQYK3YT_4qPs9s_sqDdClo0R-PskOdIzwM1oaoUqZ-fiiZ393usX8dKKNUWvoXG626efEDzUtrWCyimU/s1600/KidneyBeltResized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGsYagePhXKP0lpYCmQD0AjWGp3hnC_XUGXq_1fOdmO7TwNCVLkYzlWw93IyMQYK3YT_4qPs9s_sqDdClo0R-PskOdIzwM1oaoUqZ-fiiZ393usX8dKKNUWvoXG626efEDzUtrWCyimU/s200/KidneyBeltResized.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> Ok. Again, it's honesty time. I ordered this off eBay from a good seller with a badly described Molle kidney pad. His description made it sound more like a patrol belt. The pictures did not clearly show me, and the price was great. I bought it with that intention. Turns out it was a backpack kidney pad. It was serendipity. I installed it on my large Alice and loved it. It was so much more supportive than the original. All I had to do was remove the original, use the 2 straps per side on the Molle unit, and strap them to the Alice frame, as seen here in this picture.<br />
Piece of cake right?<br />
I then started looking into Molle shoulder straps, as I found the smaller Alice units to allow the frame to dig into my back at the top. I ordered a set of Molle straps from eBay, on purpose this time. I figured there has to be a way to make them work. They're only straps. Besides, they are one unit where the Alice is two small pads. The Molle unit allows sufficient coverage over the metal frame on the Alice.<br />
After receiving them I removed the old straps from my frame and put these on like so:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsAHi6yd7-zpI2hIG_IoJbP-84nYKN2yS2765-6cbtdd8WI2kTc17MazzIjrjI9mkvNeRVcrUa_mp_rep2enwWnmjoZFHtHszlK5BYnKILpie6nBEpdDzkl7nzqgNOfHp82G_z-jDb7U/s1600/StrapsResized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsAHi6yd7-zpI2hIG_IoJbP-84nYKN2yS2765-6cbtdd8WI2kTc17MazzIjrjI9mkvNeRVcrUa_mp_rep2enwWnmjoZFHtHszlK5BYnKILpie6nBEpdDzkl7nzqgNOfHp82G_z-jDb7U/s200/StrapsResized.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
The MAlice pack is born. It's like giving a piggy back ride to a unicorn. yes. It's that much better. I will need to modify the straps for the main flap so it's a quick release.. I don't like the stock design.<br />
There's nothing new under the sun. I am definitely not saying I'm the first guy to do this. I know I am not. This is just a quick description of how I went about modifying my Alice to work for me. I hope this write up helps you if you are so inclined to go out into the woods with some ex-enlisted equipment. <br />
<br />
Happy trails!<br />
TimNortheast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-5522365018896445142012-04-03T18:30:00.001-04:002012-04-03T18:32:33.014-04:00Campfire Stories - Now Available for Kindle and Nook!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1fskTsrLdyCeHxac87-9Zp4xU8Q3s0-8bJbls4YPW9ll5WoXaKhjjW1oTqitpeYIrsl82GgI73NOJtckVabJua70EY1W38vWB37GN9O3AZj2w5AMe191BXYSA02mx0QiahifX-pM8n4/s1600/Cover+Final+800x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1fskTsrLdyCeHxac87-9Zp4xU8Q3s0-8bJbls4YPW9ll5WoXaKhjjW1oTqitpeYIrsl82GgI73NOJtckVabJua70EY1W38vWB37GN9O3AZj2w5AMe191BXYSA02mx0QiahifX-pM8n4/s200/Cover+Final+800x600.jpg" width="153" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello all,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I've been on rest and relaxation, I have finished up my second eBook. It's called "Campfire Stories". It's <span style="background-color: white;">Six spooky short stories for everyone to enjoy! Especially good around the Campfire! It's available for $0.99 from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes and Noble for Nook. Just click the links on t</span></span>he upper right side of the main page or the following links.<br />
Thanks,<br />
Chris (N.E.V.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.de</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.fr</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.it/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.it</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.es/dp/B007QU2CNU" target="_blank">Amazon.es</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1109871743?ean=2940014190268" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble Nook</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-4490304718584851262012-03-29T21:35:00.000-04:002012-03-29T21:35:42.340-04:00Happy to be Here<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello All,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I just wanted to post a quick note and let everybody know what's happening here at Northeast Voyageur. This is a bit difficult for me to talk about so please bear with me. A couple of weeks ago, while at work, I experienced some chest, shoulder and arm pain. Less than an hour later I was having a severe heart attack and getting a helicopter ride to the closest cardiac care facility.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One of my arteries was 100% blocked. During the procedure to clear the artery I went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. It was a close call and I owe my life to the medical professionals who treated me.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One thing the experience has made me realize is that it can happen to anyone. I am 41 years old, in good shape and have been exercising regularly and eating healthy for months. I had quit smoking, junk food and soda last year and had lost over 20 lbs. In short, I was doing everything possible to prevent this sort of thing from happening.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Through the miracle of modern medicine, a healthy diet and a cardiac rehab program I should be as good as new in a short while. Until then, I am limited in the amount of time I can spend in the outdoors. For now I am spending time with my family and finishing up some writing which I will hopefully publish soon. Until I get back out and about, I have asked a few friends to do guests posts for me. I hope you enjoy them.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As soon as I am recovered, both my wife and I have plans to take a wilderness first aid course and update our CPR certifications. I encourage everyone to do the same.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thank you all, I'll see you soon and I hope that someday our paths will cross in the woods.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chris (N.E.V.)</span>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-34494098559040636722012-03-11T21:38:00.001-04:002012-03-11T21:39:42.513-04:00A few of my favorite Trail Food Recipes<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here's some of my favorite trail food recipes. They are all easy to make and portable. No refrigeration is needed but I keep all my food in a cool place and out of the hot sun. We'll start with some homemade energy bars.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>Homemade Energy Bars</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><br />
</u></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Ingredients</u></span><br />
<b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Peanut Butter</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNWQWLG4NgdqVHjvRgQMYmkyaXjf6ChUGGzIx-6QKbgaF2u7Rh_l-UUaSwq4tLFw7p72Uzij_azoDhlMhtZ7IkVKZ9sALtnkpfYH9YcWnNGYPiyVF9KYGVi6h1G_0rF4kbGN8AfuTqTk/s1600/EnergyBar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNWQWLG4NgdqVHjvRgQMYmkyaXjf6ChUGGzIx-6QKbgaF2u7Rh_l-UUaSwq4tLFw7p72Uzij_azoDhlMhtZ7IkVKZ9sALtnkpfYH9YcWnNGYPiyVF9KYGVi6h1G_0rF4kbGN8AfuTqTk/s320/EnergyBar.jpg" width="320" /></b></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Honey</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Oatmeal</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Put equal parts Peanut Butter and Honey in a bowl and microwave for a minute until they easily mix together. (Please be careful as this mixture can become extremely hot) mix them together adding Oatmeal until it becomes very hard to stir. Press into a cake pan lined with wax paper and refrigerate for an hour or more. Once it has setup in the fridge, cut into bars and individually package in zip close bags.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I like them plain but you can also add a handful of peanuts or trail mix, sprinkle them with some coconut. Dropping some chocolate chips over top of them and pressing them in the bars before cooling them works really well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Bannock</u></b></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bannock is a traditional camp bread, because it uses no yeast it can be a bit heavy but I really like it that way. Here's the ingredients I use.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>1 cup of Flour</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPmxrWVN4iqrxgOP27rwEjITE-QMmovC1Fc2nSxr7XQivOtkW4etlfhQcucDSUomg9lCZfZViejlpV-0q4U1EfYscptIQmvMhgKp2ehv1GkA8vvPjsumifwkkNu5gFk3fyIddXxWCedA/s1600/Bannock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPmxrWVN4iqrxgOP27rwEjITE-QMmovC1Fc2nSxr7XQivOtkW4etlfhQcucDSUomg9lCZfZViejlpV-0q4U1EfYscptIQmvMhgKp2ehv1GkA8vvPjsumifwkkNu5gFk3fyIddXxWCedA/s320/Bannock.jpg" width="320" /></b></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>1/4 teaspoon of baking powder</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>A pinch of salt</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mix all the dry ingredients together and add water as needed I keep it in a plastic peanut butter jar and mix it up with water when needed in a small plastic bowl or sandwich bag. It can be pan fried with a small amount of oil or butter or if mixed very stiff, cooked over an open fire on a couple of green maple sticks. Adding sugar a teaspoon at a time sweetens it up. You can add some extra flavor by mixing in a package instant cup of soup or some powdered bullion. It can also be used as a breading for freshly caught fish. A handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries picked along the trail and mixed in make an excellent breakfast. I like cutting up an apple and adding it for breakfast in camp.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Hardtack</u></b></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hardtack has been around a long time. It is basically a very hard, very dry, very simple bread. You too can enjoy the same kind of meal our forefathers cursed at. Here's the simple recipe.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>2 cups flour</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiIn3wJb5JbDCumn-cpWfWKzM2G3rM_8teVvI25EJXJnKTeMvZDewxUb8aumU0qsvEETvukfPKGzFjgBXLQ9DgCv1Vu1WB_THb-AVAHUo9I7fyCYOjD90GIuFBUjcEu9GNqgTpqKkRpY/s1600/HardTack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiIn3wJb5JbDCumn-cpWfWKzM2G3rM_8teVvI25EJXJnKTeMvZDewxUb8aumU0qsvEETvukfPKGzFjgBXLQ9DgCv1Vu1WB_THb-AVAHUo9I7fyCYOjD90GIuFBUjcEu9GNqgTpqKkRpY/s320/HardTack.jpg" width="320" /></b></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>1 teaspoon salt</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mix that together with very little water and knead into a thick dough. Roll out the dough about a half and inch thick and cut into 2x4 inch squares. Poke each square four or five times all the way through with a fork and place on a dry cookie sheet. I then bake mine at around 350 degrees or until the edges start to brown. The important thing is to be sure all the moisture is baked out and they are completely dry. When you're done you should have something that resembles a warm, flat rock. Now I know that doesn't sound all that appealing but try dropping one or two into a pot of soup or camp stew and letting it soften up for a few minutes and "Taa Daa!" instant gourmet pot pie. Ok... Maybe not gourmet but certainly good. You can always do as our civil war soldier ancestors did and soak it for a few minutes in your morning coffee to soften it up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There you have it. Three of my favorite trail and camp foods. I hope you give them a try. Until next time, enjoy your time outdoors.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">N.E.V.</span>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-48309149708341383012012-02-22T21:39:00.000-05:002012-02-22T21:39:03.177-05:00Six Days - A Short Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybJvVso5B9ZBl0D0h6jUF9d49mhkXFQWayxP_f4KeQCbIlqwfOqp0MQhC4ur0YH1ayb6ptuZQJJoPTx7fBz2ap4DS18ApxP4QeN0ocdB5ma-Ji9NnY6cdEVFQbo8k7yAkXxHlEUxWbm4/s1600/CoverFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybJvVso5B9ZBl0D0h6jUF9d49mhkXFQWayxP_f4KeQCbIlqwfOqp0MQhC4ur0YH1ayb6ptuZQJJoPTx7fBz2ap4DS18ApxP4QeN0ocdB5ma-Ji9NnY6cdEVFQbo8k7yAkXxHlEUxWbm4/s200/CoverFinal.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>Hello all,<br />
I'm happy to announce my first short story available for sale in eBook form for both Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Nobles Nook. It's called Six Days, and is part one of what will be a fictional series of stories based on Bushcraft and the Outdoors. Here's the description and the introduction to preview.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"One man, alone in the woods. Follow Johnny Mac as he tests himself and his outdoor skills on a six day trip."</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It was an unexpected rain. The sky decided to change it's mind from sunny and bright to dark and wet without much warning. Johnny Mac had noticed the change in the air and had just enough time to grab some rope and the cheap plastic tarp from his pack and throw up a quick lean-to. He was dry for now but it looked like the rain wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Crap" he said out loud to no one but himself, "Looks like it's gonna be awhile”.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;">He'd made a point of talking to himself at least once or twice a day. He hadn't seen or heard another person for six days and talking out loud to no one in particular seemed to break up the subtle but constant noise around him.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had often read of people finding solitude and silence in the forest but to Johnny it was far from silent. The woods around him were constantly in motion, the paper like sound of wind blowing through the trees, bird songs, small creatures scurrying about unseen, the rhythmic crunch of the forest floor underneath his boots. It was as full of sounds as any town or city he had ever been in, but softer and without the unpleasantness of those places.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Six days ago he had a friend drop him off on the side of the road that ran through a six thousand acre state forest. His intention was to test himself, he had been studying and practicing for almost a year now. Almost a year of building fires in his backyard fireplace, setting up tarps in the pouring rain and trying out every bushcraft and woodcraft skill he could find. He spent his weekends hanging between two trees in a home made hammock trying to find the perfect combination of comfort and portability. He tested equipment for both durability and multi-functionality. His pack had everything he needed to spend days out by himself and weighed just a bit over ten pounds. He had decided it was time, time to test himself, his skills and his equipment. He had been planning this trip all summer. Six days alone in the woods, no campsites, no trails. He would take his pack and just enough food to get him through.</span></span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He knew he was ready."</span></b></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;"><br />
</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.05in;"><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;">It's priced at $.99 and available worldwide at the following links. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u></u></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank">Amazon.com </a></b></span></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b></b></u></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank"></a></u></span></b></u></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="display: inline !important;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank"><span style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><u></u></span></a></u></b></u></span></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank"><span style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><u>Amazon.co.uk </u></span></a></u></b></u></span></span></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.de/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon.de </span></a></u></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"></u></b></u></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank">Amazon.fr </a></u></b></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"></u></b></u></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.es/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank">Amazon.es</a> </u></b></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"></u></b></u></span></div><div style="display: inline !important;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><u style="text-indent: 0.05in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.it/dp/B007BDZDGU" target="_blank">Amazon.it </a></u></b></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.05in;"><u><b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-days-cm-charlier/1108938969?ean=2940013963467&itm=3&usri=six+days" target="_blank">Nook</a></b></u></span></div></div></div><div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.05in;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.05in;">Thanks,</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.05in;"><span style="color: #222222;">N.E.V.</span></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-55373919926552317312012-02-13T22:25:00.000-05:002012-02-13T22:25:41.341-05:00Become a Local Adventurer<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here in the Northeast were in the middle of winter and so far it has been very mild. Unfortunately, things have been very busy for me at work and I haven't been able to get outdoors or post on here as often as I would like to. But just the other day I was visiting the website of a rather famous TV Survival guy and saw he was a member of an explorers club. I checked out the clubs website and thought it was pretty cool. There was information on visiting exotic, far away places that looked very exciting. I realized that there were many places around me that I still haven't explored. It got me thinking about how we are all explorers and adventurers to a certain extent and that we all should all start locally. We should start with our own backyards, especially in the current economic climate. How many of us have driven hundreds of miles to go hiking or camping but haven't thought about the state lands right next door? What about nature centers and hiking paths? A short drive from my house is the Finger Lakes Trail System comprised of 958 miles of hiking trails and sadly, I've only hiked short pieces of it a couple of times. I'm making a resolution to spend more of my outdoor time and money locally this year. Here's a challenge for everyone, find a place to get outdoors close to home, hike it, bike it, climb it, canoe it or whatever then find another and then another.. Let your friends know about it, take them along, start your own unofficial "Explorer's Club" and share your experiences with others. Let's spread the word about the places around us.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for reading and I hope we all discover something new!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">N.E.V.</span>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-21348287818445451182012-01-11T21:42:00.000-05:002012-01-11T21:42:52.727-05:00Quick Camp Tip - The Pointed Stick "Multi-Tool"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLJOd3VLRPJD3TSGeLPVaU2gNV_J82nh77pJCPBK0RI6Eilp6H31Z07Iu_WuBipnLqFayZK48UF8tnDN4LsoYkxKeRvFzl5etzyWDaStbvCE5Ed8lJIDOdWd-6-pZ2s3uzmBwgYRlw8g/s1600/stick2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLJOd3VLRPJD3TSGeLPVaU2gNV_J82nh77pJCPBK0RI6Eilp6H31Z07Iu_WuBipnLqFayZK48UF8tnDN4LsoYkxKeRvFzl5etzyWDaStbvCE5Ed8lJIDOdWd-6-pZ2s3uzmBwgYRlw8g/s320/stick2.jpg" width="108" /></a></div>OK..I know it sounds pretty dumb, but a simple pointed hardwood stick about can be very useful thing around camp. I've used one to do everything from dishes to camp take down. I usually find a stick about 6 to 8 inches long and 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter of Maple, Oak or some other hardwood, put a smooth blunt point on one end, flatten the other and add a notch on the flat side. The pointed end can be used to loosen tight knots in rope and cordage, clean burned food from the corners of pans, anything around camp you need something pointy for. The flattened end is a great pan and plate scraper, and the notch is for lifting hot lids from your pots and pans. I know it sounds funny, but give it a shot the next time you're in camp and see how it works, you'll be surprised how many things you can use it for, and because you can make one in a few minutes, it's one less thing you have to carry in.<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-3468310070161443552012-01-01T14:01:00.000-05:002012-01-01T14:01:30.379-05:00Happy New Year and Thank You!Hello Everyone,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZV6mh0XCaY/TwCtB-M8ipI/AAAAAAAAARk/L4k6U5Qpj_o/s1600/MossLake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZV6mh0XCaY/TwCtB-M8ipI/AAAAAAAAARk/L4k6U5Qpj_o/s320/MossLake2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> I just wanted to put up a quick post, wish everyone a happy new year and thank you for reading. As of today we have had over 11,000 page views and I couldn't be happier. When I started this blog in 2010, I was looking for someplace to share information with others who love the outdoors and it has surpassed all my expectations. I hope everyone has a great 2012 and spends as much time outdoors as possible. We'll have some more changes coming up for www.northeastvoyageur.com this year and I would love to hear from you. Please email me at the address on the right of this page or leave a comment on this post if there is something you'd like to see on here. And again, Thank You all for reading and I hope our paths may someday cross in the woods.<br />
Thanks,<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-1545024713008331912011-12-03T19:08:00.000-05:002011-12-03T19:08:01.941-05:00Thanksgiving Geocache Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Every Thanksgiving weekend, after enjoying a wonderful dinner, it's become a tradition to go Geocaching with my wife's family in Ohio. It's really a great way to spend some quality time with the family while enjoying the fresh air and great company. This year we all went to Malabar Farm State Park, A working farm which also happens to be an Ohio state Park and a really neat place . Here's the link for more info <a href="http://www.malabarfarm.org/">http://www.malabarfarm.org</a>. I took a few pictures of the beautiful fall landscape as we walked some of the trails and thought I'd share them, here they are in no particular order .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2dLNplVb2WKEfd8Jev3bJbGVxV9JeM2z6KwvmSfGFnJdh6G3PAPF5_ShG0NChpUaJ2IeCGJUONwEeRWmsFRKl-vEc5TDxuPaLWdkuWKK0ZZFbAzIHNaltDmckFhgryAAAHxh11kGsYc/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2dLNplVb2WKEfd8Jev3bJbGVxV9JeM2z6KwvmSfGFnJdh6G3PAPF5_ShG0NChpUaJ2IeCGJUONwEeRWmsFRKl-vEc5TDxuPaLWdkuWKK0ZZFbAzIHNaltDmckFhgryAAAHxh11kGsYc/s400/006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small creek<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5h7_fbOuycv0fRQlJiaHM9BoK690Ljn_rKdBvjw5UsFVtdEHE04g_ux1aR6CLtyWyxIZMzWUkZmYQ7Vwqlcr1RDdfkM0xZ4Lf0oMWPE74mLMAvNPl84jrc6O1GOCJYsfwZN3A4XXpg4/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5h7_fbOuycv0fRQlJiaHM9BoK690Ljn_rKdBvjw5UsFVtdEHE04g_ux1aR6CLtyWyxIZMzWUkZmYQ7Vwqlcr1RDdfkM0xZ4Lf0oMWPE74mLMAvNPl84jrc6O1GOCJYsfwZN3A4XXpg4/s400/001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tangle of downed trees<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis86iM-sGJLuj5eK_qMd42awtgw2a3qtxy4sbGQtDCrMKt7zwDf8n4iYcAavxufsJ5MliI8vwLD2HOSxQL95gCyHNWmsVf5GVBK2DdWLryRiiPHsrXUr1yoTuCS_HdGIe85yhTcEiRAGg/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis86iM-sGJLuj5eK_qMd42awtgw2a3qtxy4sbGQtDCrMKt7zwDf8n4iYcAavxufsJ5MliI8vwLD2HOSxQL95gCyHNWmsVf5GVBK2DdWLryRiiPHsrXUr1yoTuCS_HdGIe85yhTcEiRAGg/s400/002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful blue November sky<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKki2XyWZewXb6pkgWyCoSCUERtJMbiTjEYySfpRFFHFCqEaGLHZEqpj8Ta-rxTlYrZRQGbLjWJd4scwttC22cL06WzzILrk0sNS3qfXVLpXuNrN0XH93qHpIJoDoSXYBoMNUt4fZ8CCA/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKki2XyWZewXb6pkgWyCoSCUERtJMbiTjEYySfpRFFHFCqEaGLHZEqpj8Ta-rxTlYrZRQGbLjWJd4scwttC22cL06WzzILrk0sNS3qfXVLpXuNrN0XH93qHpIJoDoSXYBoMNUt4fZ8CCA/s400/003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall woods</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBh7WTnLXx2_1D0Q9rIpP600_3EOBhYVMon1p3F5oH8di6HkZUwNOZjvBTfvJ9SmkB59a87yEfEFHjD_aQyiCKpUYHMUST9sHkEJWatVYoHv_5ZadP0Uk8DWhLfCttfq5696AvynYV4w/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBh7WTnLXx2_1D0Q9rIpP600_3EOBhYVMon1p3F5oH8di6HkZUwNOZjvBTfvJ9SmkB59a87yEfEFHjD_aQyiCKpUYHMUST9sHkEJWatVYoHv_5ZadP0Uk8DWhLfCttfq5696AvynYV4w/s400/004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge Beech Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2_5p8SsZ_f54ICbMLR-pzqPK-4ucz-u_xyWPdcGZ9s-0H7O-5TXCyY4Zmy3M8YYV1Jtllzm__1Po_1Mdz0wbbP8Yx_c6T0FLMB0zJlge1Fh6bdgNlSsYUAv2Zh5FTb8mbQVBrOLr4yI/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2_5p8SsZ_f54ICbMLR-pzqPK-4ucz-u_xyWPdcGZ9s-0H7O-5TXCyY4Zmy3M8YYV1Jtllzm__1Po_1Mdz0wbbP8Yx_c6T0FLMB0zJlge1Fh6bdgNlSsYUAv2Zh5FTb8mbQVBrOLr4yI/s400/007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf filled creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCetuvLNCiAZEsajQXCuscLYUVWjl6-fMBY15Qp0GIhvRUM6VEErcVu5x-HnYKspMMQ9sn5ViSYRTjPa1ygZpREJkxfOQgE6wxK775ZfReZkS7zcj7yk6Wp0tHKSpGpqSTIyMOI3AUMc/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCetuvLNCiAZEsajQXCuscLYUVWjl6-fMBY15Qp0GIhvRUM6VEErcVu5x-HnYKspMMQ9sn5ViSYRTjPa1ygZpREJkxfOQgE6wxK775ZfReZkS7zcj7yk6Wp0tHKSpGpqSTIyMOI3AUMc/s400/008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Formation<br />
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</tbody></table>We enjoy Geocaching, it's a great way to get outdoors, and if you have kids, it's a great way to get them involved in hiking and learning basic navigational skills while having a lot of fun. You don't need expensive GPS units, we use our cheap Garmin we bought for the car and it works great. For more information on Geocaching and to look up geocaches in your area, check out <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/">http://www.geocaching.com</a> . Thanks for taking a look at the pictures, I hope all your days outdoors are great one's.<div>Thanks,</div><div>N.E.V.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-8141506145798043342011-11-20T21:08:00.000-05:002011-11-20T21:08:59.485-05:00A Fall walk through the woods.My wife and I decided to take a hike last weekend. We headed up to one of our local nature centers and just wandered around the trails for a couple of hours. I decided to take a few pictures of the things I look for while walking through the woods. Hope you enjoy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2n0MyqUYsz62ShXraY57kmR4wZi71Q3lfUY4dYup9Vtc_3te6IOVASbjaNac7Kkh24LnnJn1HNjuWcOt1N5dzVV0iLjJP9pVRNWfXo9y0KlRTV-YBuxnXXaLDQSETY5wl3G67zUxOqg/s1600/Pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2n0MyqUYsz62ShXraY57kmR4wZi71Q3lfUY4dYup9Vtc_3te6IOVASbjaNac7Kkh24LnnJn1HNjuWcOt1N5dzVV0iLjJP9pVRNWfXo9y0KlRTV-YBuxnXXaLDQSETY5wl3G67zUxOqg/s320/Pic1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This picture is pretty typical of the woods around where I live. Mostly mixed hardwoods and softwoods, all about the same age, a clear sign of logging in the past. I see very few old growth trees in my area of upstate New York.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q6h-IsaQs05Hq8zffskrGmy5ISwPOxH9wzT0p4n1qucWmjDmXMm6x4S1_AVhXRtgmtczgf4JksCvvnIeoAMkLQtlGuOJ7DNXOmRA2_Y4Tkyf0zm9AbMYFDMSWFY6YjcBmpra1zpiLsw/s1600/Pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q6h-IsaQs05Hq8zffskrGmy5ISwPOxH9wzT0p4n1qucWmjDmXMm6x4S1_AVhXRtgmtczgf4JksCvvnIeoAMkLQtlGuOJ7DNXOmRA2_Y4Tkyf0zm9AbMYFDMSWFY6YjcBmpra1zpiLsw/s320/Pic2.jpg" width="239" /></a>The White or Paper Birch is abundant around here. Which is a good thing as it is a very useful tree. It's bark is one of the best natural fire starters, can be made into containers and of course, be used as paper. It's sap is used much like Maple for Birch syrup and it's wood makes excellent campfire wood. This is one of a stand of 20 or 30 Birch in the same area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9loMZEdmRFFnGIvW04N09WKDduf3612Xq58kccViYv5Yxfc6D58HojGqSaWkOFBmMuEKDkAGsyFI3JJCmORWknPVkyaDHFBJ_CB82CqJPM4-5tL-Ew2pQfOKdNY2Cd7S86_RIijbQYhM/s1600/Pic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9loMZEdmRFFnGIvW04N09WKDduf3612Xq58kccViYv5Yxfc6D58HojGqSaWkOFBmMuEKDkAGsyFI3JJCmORWknPVkyaDHFBJ_CB82CqJPM4-5tL-Ew2pQfOKdNY2Cd7S86_RIijbQYhM/s320/Pic3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here's a pile of downed White Birch along the trail, which would be an excellent place to harvest bark and wood. On State lands here in New York, you can only use downed and dead trees for firewood. You cannot harvest or damage live trees without the proper permits.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVSIQcIoV7L50IA68nYFZMDwosgDcsWrSU45xChGfrz2TAPD1nbvQiueuEhJ7jK1_OYUUQplx8rDPS3TEjkXbbkRBxlAkiwsFKj9lb_XIS-BbZy3zaD-qn2tmwtn83fnm03YcY81To2M/s1600/Pic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVSIQcIoV7L50IA68nYFZMDwosgDcsWrSU45xChGfrz2TAPD1nbvQiueuEhJ7jK1_OYUUQplx8rDPS3TEjkXbbkRBxlAkiwsFKj9lb_XIS-BbZy3zaD-qn2tmwtn83fnm03YcY81To2M/s320/Pic4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When hiking in the fall or winter, a quick look down on the ground can identify what kind of trees are around you. The majority of leaves in this picture are Oak with just a few other hardwood leaves mixed in, telling me the area of the forest I am currently in is primarily Oaks. This is especially useful knowledge when gathering wood for a campfire, it's a pretty good bet that most of the wood laying around will be oak and should make a good fire.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx6d3PBl4kUJVdcP4OkKoPqofVj6ScMuMj01vwXM8Qx2GyiSL63QZjD8oQa45PrPznGfrWhuW-k70WPphL0NKmwvZ2sVi5VWE-ae4P518DX64hyoGsmF8ugjp7vttyr3M9Fg2QFHfCKk/s1600/Pic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx6d3PBl4kUJVdcP4OkKoPqofVj6ScMuMj01vwXM8Qx2GyiSL63QZjD8oQa45PrPznGfrWhuW-k70WPphL0NKmwvZ2sVi5VWE-ae4P518DX64hyoGsmF8ugjp7vttyr3M9Fg2QFHfCKk/s320/Pic5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This stream not only looks beautiful as it meanders between the trees, it would also be an excellent water source once treated or boiled. I always try to make a mental note of water sources when I'm out in the woods.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnnczsOTVHPKkx-JPvtJ9tnYaHdlu5NTZxmznmsbeTvS30Jh3Z12AfcgdUwWfip7LrpOTcC0WQSfEzhAKVQuD197edm9w3jCpWzjtKIYmwir9ADnrcoLBtzOSRpJVH8U-_vj4aReZpos/s1600/Pic6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnnczsOTVHPKkx-JPvtJ9tnYaHdlu5NTZxmznmsbeTvS30Jh3Z12AfcgdUwWfip7LrpOTcC0WQSfEzhAKVQuD197edm9w3jCpWzjtKIYmwir9ADnrcoLBtzOSRpJVH8U-_vj4aReZpos/s320/Pic6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One of the things I love about the area I live in is the diversity found in the woods. Within a 2 or 3 mile hike, you can go from being surrounded by Oaks, Birch and Maples to being in a dense stand of Pine and Hemlock like in this picture. All of these pictures were taken in an area of 250 acres on a hike of a couple of hours.<br />
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Thanks for Reading, I hope you enjoy your time in the woods!<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-86799265611875557172011-11-06T12:41:00.000-05:002011-11-06T12:41:26.177-05:00My Favorite Free Outdoor E-Books from Project GutenbergOne of my favorite pastimes is reading books by those who went into the wilderness before us. I think I've read "Woodcraft and Camping" by George Washington Sears about twenty times. The great thing about that book and many others, is that they are available free online. I thought I'd do a quick post and link some of my favorite outdoor books available on <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a>. If you haven't heard of Project Gutenberg yet, it is the largest collection of free electronic books available anywhere and has been around for a long time. It's a great resource if you own an e-reader!<br />
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Here's the links to some of my Favorites....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34607"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Woodcraft and Camping</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34607">by George Washington Sears</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaY2mRc_8NPn4q2ciQGPEM_JRV9JDut3ziFPu-6ih4_2uo9hxt9eiOf-iDgDxptu5ao7aFVZXsNeJ8m300gUWaLLTOCvLN6syAYizDr1gbF5CpdZYcQfzDNAsm1xGrLIvvul4s75fuJBk/s200/Woodcraft+and+Camping.png" width="190" /></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17575"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How to Camp Out</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17575">by John Mead Gould</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YxebnnCLy6sFmtUUv-77va2RdgutvvhOrQN7bD5feWWMaZJM4rUoHYGFxcE_fUoDHIRIIhOHOUL3L-_2uRbTp8IAz0uQ5wRzft38se5Tq5ag4oH1GQ2s9yCwZRSvTxjssaJtjxtZmSI/s1600/Howtocampout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YxebnnCLy6sFmtUUv-77va2RdgutvvhOrQN7bD5feWWMaZJM4rUoHYGFxcE_fUoDHIRIIhOHOUL3L-_2uRbTp8IAz0uQ5wRzft38se5Tq5ag4oH1GQ2s9yCwZRSvTxjssaJtjxtZmSI/s1600/Howtocampout.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34773"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Woodcraft</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34773">by E.H Kreps</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7tiugWIxPYrSLdUrpGfUUWRhjEANNEm4Mlzs5VST6zcZklVUhbgcUeR65MgqGIxkV6xQGe4IrA7dGX1vyy3LO8hYRoU_DYiAgYJpNNMUpr7eH_5guxDBztqCMCTDxT_2Qjsce96xqTY/s1600/Woodcraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7tiugWIxPYrSLdUrpGfUUWRhjEANNEm4Mlzs5VST6zcZklVUhbgcUeR65MgqGIxkV6xQGe4IrA7dGX1vyy3LO8hYRoU_DYiAgYJpNNMUpr7eH_5guxDBztqCMCTDxT_2Qjsce96xqTY/s200/Woodcraft.jpg" width="163" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32950"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Camp and Trail</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32950">by Stewart Edward White</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc3CXkznR0fhgicIpsdI9rM1DDEh41zbSkW1DV5qFjurHd6eK22aWxKryP0brHAMypu1l9jrb5DUPKWUHtzLzuaiLHE1GtnESi5Z7TTB1riiD30raFQqZGP9bwDYrDMQW5jqT216Mxzc/s1600/campandtrail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc3CXkznR0fhgicIpsdI9rM1DDEh41zbSkW1DV5qFjurHd6eK22aWxKryP0brHAMypu1l9jrb5DUPKWUHtzLzuaiLHE1GtnESi5Z7TTB1riiD30raFQqZGP9bwDYrDMQW5jqT216Mxzc/s200/campandtrail.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope you enjoy them as much as I do... </div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for Reading,</div><div style="text-align: left;">N.E.V.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-26503325128237943692011-10-29T19:21:00.000-04:002011-10-29T19:21:52.982-04:00What If ?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8j7HKjJ2ef7CAngyWshMIEbX1NuTUgUy6nL6Wl_jfH994yCQEfGVjuTY7iHxtRZU3r7phfOiEKxjuivu2vc4ZAwe34ja9_rLDNTDop31G6vrul8cJmSyvPW_a2wcQMXVQMWmcJ5vdnk/s1600/View1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8j7HKjJ2ef7CAngyWshMIEbX1NuTUgUy6nL6Wl_jfH994yCQEfGVjuTY7iHxtRZU3r7phfOiEKxjuivu2vc4ZAwe34ja9_rLDNTDop31G6vrul8cJmSyvPW_a2wcQMXVQMWmcJ5vdnk/s320/View1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What if ?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">My job sometimes requires me to spend a couple hours a day in my car. One of the things I like to do </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">as I'm driving</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> is think about "What If's". </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Things such as </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"What if I am forced to spend an unexpected night in the woods with only what I have in my pockets?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> or </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"What if I'm in the woods and need to purify water but have no container to boil it in?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">. It gets me thinking in creative ways and identifies skills I need to acquire. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I also try to think of "What if's" when I have free time in camp, for example, I'll look around and think to myself "What if I had to build a shelter right now?.... Where and how would I build it and what's around that I could use?". On a hike I may ask myself "What if a thunderstorm rolled in right now?" or "What if I wanted to setup camp right here... Where's the best spot for my tent?". If the answer to my question is "I don't know." or "I'm not sure." then I know I need to do some research and improve my skills.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">While driving up to the Adirondacks this summer, "What if I only had one match left and had to start a fire?" popped into my head. I started thinking about what tinder to use, where to find the driest kindling and how to build the fire. When we got to camp a couple of hours later, I was determined to start the evening campfire with one match. By following the plan I had been thinking about earlier, I had a nice fire going using a single match in just a few minutes. Then I got to thinking "What if I was out of matches and had to use the magnesium fire starter in my kit?". So the next day, using the same tinder, kindling and design, I started the fire with my mag bar, something I haven't used in awhile and needed some practice with.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> What I ended up with before the weekend was over, was a self taught refresher course in an essential outdoor skill... fire making. Something I had taken for granted and needed to revisit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> So give it a shot, the next time you've got some free time in the car, start thinking "What if...?"... You might learn something you forgot you knew... Just like I did!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hmmmm.... "What if I needed to start a fire, didn't have any matches and it was raining out?".....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for reading,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">N.E.V.</span></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-39828661171418936072011-10-13T12:06:00.000-04:002011-10-13T12:06:02.301-04:00Cool Stuff Review - Discover Wilderness Survival Playing Cards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3iV9NPS_nQjl0jly9iNSLSmM_5PWORrWvmbXyi04xNFuReWrzOyvAfZQaGgA9-YlJ9viga3p9RcqMA2BOXFbGDI7lLfPTiETAZs0x0K2EJu2tiHBFD9Ho3Lv_OkffzXkWnAakuz7U2s/s1600/Cards1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3iV9NPS_nQjl0jly9iNSLSmM_5PWORrWvmbXyi04xNFuReWrzOyvAfZQaGgA9-YlJ9viga3p9RcqMA2BOXFbGDI7lLfPTiETAZs0x0K2EJu2tiHBFD9Ho3Lv_OkffzXkWnAakuz7U2s/s320/Cards1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>On our last trip to the Adirondacks, we stopped at a couple of souvenir shops so I could pick up a window sticker for my car. Sitting there on a shelf in one of them was something called "Discover Wilderness Survival" Playing cards! Since I almost always have a deck of cards in my kit, and I believe that anything I carry should be multipurpose, I decided to spend the $6.00 and check them out. I wasn't sure exactly how you could fit a wilderness survival manual on a deck of playing cards but when I opened them up I was pleasantly surprised at the content. Each card has a different survival strategy on it, with titles such as "Survival Basics", "Signaling for rescue in the wilderness", "River Safety" and even... "How to wrestle free from an Alligator"!!! Certainly fun to read! All in all I was impressed with the amount of data on the cards, the print is small and I would have liked to see more diagrams and pictures, but the information looks good. I didn't see anything new or any bad advice, just good basic survival information. I was also very happy to see they are printed in the U.S.A. When I checked out the manufacturer Sea to Sky Photography at <a href="http://www.seatoskyphoto.com/">http://www.seatoskyphoto.com/</a> I saw that they have a whole line of photo playing cards with Birds, Animals, Marine Life, etc. I just may have to check a few more of them out. <br />
So I'll be swapping out the ratty old deck of cards in my kit with these because here in the Northeast, you never know when you may have to wrestle free from an alligator!<br />
Thanks for reading and enjoy the outdoors,<br />
N.E.V.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6mBJ0NSholzHw8wkPzvDQdM6cVip6hpRoCOOlnLoR4tAHx6MJboUoyy6suJPOfiLaPW5QiWrzUyvKMjzei44sOA7E075fGzJlQnFAlYRdVqq78m3Gn-6MQJIyVhsg88UCTb1wXsDVWY/s1600/Cards2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6mBJ0NSholzHw8wkPzvDQdM6cVip6hpRoCOOlnLoR4tAHx6MJboUoyy6suJPOfiLaPW5QiWrzUyvKMjzei44sOA7E075fGzJlQnFAlYRdVqq78m3Gn-6MQJIyVhsg88UCTb1wXsDVWY/s400/Cards2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-88169119509188737312011-10-07T23:26:00.000-04:002011-10-07T23:26:43.751-04:005 Questions with Craig Cole from The Outdoor Podcast.Welcome to the start of a new semi-regular feature here on NortheastVoyageur.com called “5 Questions”. When I find someone who is doing something new, different or interesting that I think should be shared with others, I'll email them 5 questions and (with their permission of course) post their answers on here with links to get more info. Craig Cole is the creator of The Outdoor Podcast, a podcast I discovered a few months ago and now listen to on a regular basis. His enthusiasm for the outdoors is inspiring. I emailed Craig, introduced myself and asked if I could interview him for this blog. He graciously accepted and will be our first featured interview. So without any further adieu...<br />
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<b><u>5 Questions with Craig Cole from The Outdoor Podcast.</u></b><br />
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<b>Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to start the outdoorpodcast.com?</b><br />
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I grew up in West Virginia and have enjoyed various outdoor activities since I was a kid. In fact, my family has lived in West Virginia for so long, that we lost our family origins. I figure my family lived in West Virginia for so long that it was no longer an issue as to where we came from originally. So far, I've gone back to six generations all living in West Virginia. I started camping and hiking as a kid and as I've gotten older I've continued to build upon this outdoor foundation with various outdoor interests.<br />
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In the summer of 2010, I traded my Blackberry for an Android and started researching podcasts based on my interests. The first podcast that I found was The Survival Podcast and really enjoyed it. I quickly became disappointed in finding outdoor related podcast because most of them were no longer being updated. I decided to follow Jack Spirko's advice to follow my passions and start a podcast based on all my outdoor interests.<br />
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<b>What kind of feedback are you getting from the listeners of your podcast?</b><br />
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I've been totally blown away by the feedback that I have received so far. The feedback so far has been very encouraging and positive, with the majority of it being questions that people have for me to give them outdoor advice.<br />
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<b>You often talk about getting families involved in outdoor pursuits, what is one piece of advice you'd give a family who is thinking about getting outdoors?</b><br />
<br />
The biggest piece of advice that I can give to families is to just get out and do something in the outdoors and make sure you take the kids along with you. Right now our society is jammed pack with stress and busyness and there is no better way to relieve yourself of stress than to get outdoors.<br />
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<b>Canoeing is obviously one of your passions in the outdoors, what advice would you give to someone who is interested in, but hasn't started canoeing yet?</b><br />
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My wife and I absolutely love canoeing and learning to canoe was one of the best decisions we've made as a couple. The way I got started in canoeing was by reading articles on canoeing and learning the different paddling strokes. Then we decided to rent a canoe for a few hours on a local river to see if it was something that we would enjoy. By the end of the day we ended up buying a brand new canoe. Now we have YouTube that makes learning to canoe that much easier. If you've never canoed before, it's definitely best to rent a canoe for your first trip, just to make sure it's an activity that you'll enjoy.<br />
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<b>Finally, do you have a favorite outdoor tip or trick that you use on a regular basis you'd like to share?</b><br />
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The best tip that I can offer is to make sure you are prepared for anything. I've been stuck in mud on top of a mountain by myself, been caught in crazy thunder and rainstorms and had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere on a rutted out trail. By making sure you carry at least a 10 piece kit with you every time you are in the outdoors, you will be better equipped to handle a bad situation.<br />
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Craigs' podcast is available on iTunes and from his website at <a href="http://www.outdoorpodcast.com/">www.outdoorpodcast.com</a>. Please take a few minutes and check it out.<br />
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Thanks,<br />
<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-83351836268144258802011-10-02T17:26:00.000-04:002011-10-02T17:26:05.073-04:00Basic Leatherwork - Part 2Here's part 2 of doing some basic leatherwork. This time we'll make a simple sheath to hold a pocketknife. The knife I picked was a Opinel but the basic design could be modified to fit folding knives, flashlights, etc. <br />
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We'll start by laying out everything we need. Since I'm extremely cheap and like to make as many of my own tools as I can, You can see my 4 prong "Leather Punch" was formally a heavy duty fork purchased at the Salvation Army for 25 cents. I just flattened it out, sharpened up the tips and wrapped some tape around the end. It allows you to punch 4 holes at once and helps to keep your stitches straight.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ6Uk1R5m8CzjEP1rCCCzUAusHCcbxnAkPAPBeQCR2l9erz0UxEkShFyZJpW70sTsZIVdEhWoHFENrDulWHY53Tv-vOUZakuoMywzrnxX5sWazZEmhbQF4oNxCNFoqGo2kOy0-5_h2lQ/s1600/S1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQ6Uk1R5m8CzjEP1rCCCzUAusHCcbxnAkPAPBeQCR2l9erz0UxEkShFyZJpW70sTsZIVdEhWoHFENrDulWHY53Tv-vOUZakuoMywzrnxX5sWazZEmhbQF4oNxCNFoqGo2kOy0-5_h2lQ/s400/S1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The leather were starting with is approx. 3 and 1/2 times the length of the knife. Here we fold it into and "S" shape and put a clothespin on it to hold it together. This forms the pocket for the knife and the loop for the belt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_J7WIer2bvypEAroKKdi_mtTHcDXaJsawnk_GDXIBvC0mhfafkNZnbcp1gbQvocCmP7GaSIXV2ilkZ4bxI5e_X2hb1tWdNfCEOZS67eY1CptEx1qGM_8DQdVpuBNUdGt0ff7K-5fVE7E/s1600/S2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_J7WIer2bvypEAroKKdi_mtTHcDXaJsawnk_GDXIBvC0mhfafkNZnbcp1gbQvocCmP7GaSIXV2ilkZ4bxI5e_X2hb1tWdNfCEOZS67eY1CptEx1qGM_8DQdVpuBNUdGt0ff7K-5fVE7E/s320/S2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the sideview.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrIaWTxxhyphenhyphen1AkQDD56aDhdZ8AA6wuhh8kleqwfyCjqC-8QZa8CidTGBUnxBC-tk9qvr7oU0SotomGXsYIfiW5PlSjTB6lce8t-09foV4Ob_S4Nv8pS1h8bXtc7RBl84W4Srp6jnhhxIw/s1600/S3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrIaWTxxhyphenhyphen1AkQDD56aDhdZ8AA6wuhh8kleqwfyCjqC-8QZa8CidTGBUnxBC-tk9qvr7oU0SotomGXsYIfiW5PlSjTB6lce8t-09foV4Ob_S4Nv8pS1h8bXtc7RBl84W4Srp6jnhhxIw/s320/S3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now we'll mark where the leather overlaps itself, this is so we know where to put our stitching.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHGLSoUsHC10VpZJgD-Qm1YxE6L203-CS1eWhKXpShUNMkiMKeipOPhG-YmZ6xyfXcYv2S-yTBRHvc1Kycl3gDnRovveslLsU2-6KsxbiX7bP_fXmVQ3nhGhyROQbUjzSIdRnjtw1pc/s1600/S4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHGLSoUsHC10VpZJgD-Qm1YxE6L203-CS1eWhKXpShUNMkiMKeipOPhG-YmZ6xyfXcYv2S-yTBRHvc1Kycl3gDnRovveslLsU2-6KsxbiX7bP_fXmVQ3nhGhyROQbUjzSIdRnjtw1pc/s320/S4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now we'll lay out our leather strap and and mark the lines.. Make 2 lines with either chalk or a pencil where you want the stitching to go. You can either punch the stitch holes by hand with an awl or use our homemade stitching punch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now we start stitching, start by sewing one way, then reverse and start sewing the other direction which will double up the stitches. When you finish, don't worry about knotting it, just go back through a few previous stitches, pull it tight and cut it off. It won't unravel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2Rc074Bj7GEUwfQzCfVjDCKI9d-WvjWTC2RDiRV5SqrD4AAW_CmwlYejCgQTo1b-osQ6YRMwm_389xyQtduPO54YPQy17cdN8DMSRtCMprx8fVb1VYXSNliG2VMGkVDYnN9B3Zhi4sE/s1600/S8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2Rc074Bj7GEUwfQzCfVjDCKI9d-WvjWTC2RDiRV5SqrD4AAW_CmwlYejCgQTo1b-osQ6YRMwm_389xyQtduPO54YPQy17cdN8DMSRtCMprx8fVb1VYXSNliG2VMGkVDYnN9B3Zhi4sE/s320/S8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVBxn8xKURfIjTt71dySlmVZfgrQtsykzMaCFkb9n7nvDly62SxzyrEuzRK8UFmBNj9KvpTuwe5hPQebEJqxRkqGjrlI1KmAvNdYVBRhc-tgF2yF6ga_Em-evLXDFK1TP8uO731NozQw/s1600/S9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVBxn8xKURfIjTt71dySlmVZfgrQtsykzMaCFkb9n7nvDly62SxzyrEuzRK8UFmBNj9KvpTuwe5hPQebEJqxRkqGjrlI1KmAvNdYVBRhc-tgF2yF6ga_Em-evLXDFK1TP8uO731NozQw/s320/S9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's both sides of our sheath after the stitching is done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eShMrhdJrVHq1cmISfuE3l7uXPAhyphenhyphenjQZ6AXWEogmM8WjdjnPS0mzOrrIpH1QhaNdEQm2rWj8iOjlAh4Bh06v9aOL3QedcKraPcU_oXz9aPbxl270A1vwtxwALiJ9xdWjYwMl8kaBrlY/s1600/S10a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eShMrhdJrVHq1cmISfuE3l7uXPAhyphenhyphenjQZ6AXWEogmM8WjdjnPS0mzOrrIpH1QhaNdEQm2rWj8iOjlAh4Bh06v9aOL3QedcKraPcU_oXz9aPbxl270A1vwtxwALiJ9xdWjYwMl8kaBrlY/s320/S10a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now we'll mold the sheath to fit the knife, Just like the previous tutorial, we soak the leather for a few minutes in warm water. This time we'll take the knife, wrap it up in some plastic wrap to protect it and put it in the sheath. It should fit tightly. Set it aside and let it dry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcEjUG8CJ7o8wpCSYSWqIQjD-Z29gbp9bjJn8NlrcXJFyOtkZOoWFs2JspgbGXkIbjQYBYLbLCiCdhNwqyZw4X9EzLeXNg7WiuLNZRFi8PIxdoMwdql3gvbHcPQUBGSjhde54-Y-eyaw/s1600/S12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcEjUG8CJ7o8wpCSYSWqIQjD-Z29gbp9bjJn8NlrcXJFyOtkZOoWFs2JspgbGXkIbjQYBYLbLCiCdhNwqyZw4X9EzLeXNg7WiuLNZRFi8PIxdoMwdql3gvbHcPQUBGSjhde54-Y-eyaw/s320/S12.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYGdS-Bzv_CeGkL86LoRW-4CpkyFyiXU8LyDVWu2r2j55AWK3ZuGbnaG84CuwFxV4enh3Nrr8s9fDp-mzOKE0ZhEG1OqOygw1TSKXI_FjLw2IMUCJev9hAK4YPK8b2aOYnj9cGuo4bXQ/s1600/S13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYGdS-Bzv_CeGkL86LoRW-4CpkyFyiXU8LyDVWu2r2j55AWK3ZuGbnaG84CuwFxV4enh3Nrr8s9fDp-mzOKE0ZhEG1OqOygw1TSKXI_FjLw2IMUCJev9hAK4YPK8b2aOYnj9cGuo4bXQ/s320/S13.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After it dries, remove the plastic wrap from the knife and Taa Daaa.... You now have a homemade sheath that is custom fit to your knife. If you like a more finished professional look, you can round the edges with some sandpaper and rub a candle along them to wax the edges. I like the homemade look so I'll leave this one as it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSnZ3i017dHUJq9073JmMXL8IdIWBoiKbmM4f9pPsDO3JPeVvWM8pqv9ycpDTXlN4mGFQAkEOdWPYewwt-hDqrO7lRTtHWDmDjgEgJz0CxUjexHPr0-yBJCudSXwjbGECdPMugRGuVIY/s1600/S14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSnZ3i017dHUJq9073JmMXL8IdIWBoiKbmM4f9pPsDO3JPeVvWM8pqv9ycpDTXlN4mGFQAkEOdWPYewwt-hDqrO7lRTtHWDmDjgEgJz0CxUjexHPr0-yBJCudSXwjbGECdPMugRGuVIY/s320/S14.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Professional leather workers would probably laugh at some of these techniques, But who cares.. We've just made ourselves something useful that will last a long time. Give it a shot and let me know how and what you decide to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks for reading,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">N.E.V.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-37546517959140661782011-09-28T20:33:00.000-04:002011-09-28T20:33:38.517-04:00Quick Camp Tip - A Camp Hanger<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwz_AzjW4FY6xfKl-5a4RQbzw76uH5kcfSARSjOyEw8Hno2-7Rtkf3wkYJQjolMd0hrXXBP4hDNLroiR8UP2hM8GNisXJnxw7kZhgqlZgfTijKlFsgBH_9FJCCWZHcNqGyX71OEvMyimo/s1600/Hanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwz_AzjW4FY6xfKl-5a4RQbzw76uH5kcfSARSjOyEw8Hno2-7Rtkf3wkYJQjolMd0hrXXBP4hDNLroiR8UP2hM8GNisXJnxw7kZhgqlZgfTijKlFsgBH_9FJCCWZHcNqGyX71OEvMyimo/s320/Hanger.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I setup camp, I like to keep my gear up off the ground as much as possible. I don't think we should be driving nails in or breaking branches of of trees just to have a place to hang a jacket or pack. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One of the first things I do when I setup camp is find a couple of sturdy forked sticks laying on the ground and make a couple of gear hangers. I just cut the forked part of the sticks off and split them down the middle. Securely lash the "Hanger" to a nearby tree about chest height and presto... Instant hanger for anything you want off the ground. I usually end up hanging my pack first to make it easier to get everything else out to setup camp. With practice you can have a couple of hangers ready in a few minutes. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When you head out, just untie the hanger and toss the rope in your pack with no damage to the tree. Give it a shot and let me know how It works for you.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for reading,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">N.E.V.</span>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-47884820409956967132011-09-11T11:45:00.000-04:002011-09-11T11:45:45.716-04:00Basic Leatherwork - Part 1<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I thought I'd do a couple of leatherwork tutorials, it's something that I haven't really touched on before and thought it'd be fun. I am by no means an expert working with leather, I can and do make a variety of items such as sheaths, bags, etc. This first project is an easy one, a simple laced together bag that takes minimal tools and time.<br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYplCbBPJ7B2WiGpzlipZWaZuINgxBLmgJ5Ojwamzw157oBCFXYwX5v0yLaI4QriMAq2n6Uif0Xifgi4uWrNKH4TLEVEPptm2-OW2RNkg0pJiC5JRgp-CRncXsRs5i78RiJXsW_p0wRgI/s1600/Step1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYplCbBPJ7B2WiGpzlipZWaZuINgxBLmgJ5Ojwamzw157oBCFXYwX5v0yLaI4QriMAq2n6Uif0Xifgi4uWrNKH4TLEVEPptm2-OW2RNkg0pJiC5JRgp-CRncXsRs5i78RiJXsW_p0wRgI/s320/Step1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We'll start by grabbing a scrap of leather and a couple of leather laces, the only tools I'll use are a leather punch, some heavy duty scissors and a pair of needle nose pliers.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUs1U9L5RQkIQAdYP6MUBo1IYB32WXuGE-Sr5Nr4c6-6KP-1FpMJ5spwI1DdE2PmmGfT3b77MExdJpNPQQCpwYi94El2h72sDyLSC9e23ow36rlE0orVQFi77G5ttaAIpYjxpqVvRmdQ/s1600/Step2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUs1U9L5RQkIQAdYP6MUBo1IYB32WXuGE-Sr5Nr4c6-6KP-1FpMJ5spwI1DdE2PmmGfT3b77MExdJpNPQQCpwYi94El2h72sDyLSC9e23ow36rlE0orVQFi77G5ttaAIpYjxpqVvRmdQ/s320/Step2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Draw out the shape of both sides of the bag on the back side of the leather.</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLyPNhmDgQASvStbCA3ueigx52JPu_ZuLM3bQDQCZKto-dbgSE41kyx856unU8p1-kuEiW_8tK4tR2YY2MsvLsqBvsFVs_vg0w1uiiiteLsqmdYtRyNQJOtRURe67AGOYj3bSwbqeYmU/s1600/Step3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLyPNhmDgQASvStbCA3ueigx52JPu_ZuLM3bQDQCZKto-dbgSE41kyx856unU8p1-kuEiW_8tK4tR2YY2MsvLsqBvsFVs_vg0w1uiiiteLsqmdYtRyNQJOtRURe67AGOYj3bSwbqeYmU/s320/Step3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Cut it out just outside of the pencil lines, it doesn't have to be perfect, just close.</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nyWY-95ZT42PTegFZgsSbi-Su1zFoZeh0R13OtOr5vWm6iaMn37byaj5WNfOMxvlvw2td2wHfE5QIU8F3ORtOr8gDOlG0Cjk6pvlr0rSz-UVsGY-bKMuJjnq1rmPl_cOLzxQiIPTD38/s1600/step7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nyWY-95ZT42PTegFZgsSbi-Su1zFoZeh0R13OtOr5vWm6iaMn37byaj5WNfOMxvlvw2td2wHfE5QIU8F3ORtOr8gDOlG0Cjk6pvlr0rSz-UVsGY-bKMuJjnq1rmPl_cOLzxQiIPTD38/s320/step7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Holes punched in both sides.</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP_snVbjVO50IXoKrRHLpZufcztBsS_kfrbwVb2U_IBpqJH1GJCP8Ey50Y7ae0fRLwHFb0pDDYKwE-vdsbMHDndWRkoURNRG2eSWlxlkPsKkdb0OPDwqMjQ4tdb4y9U9ngdrG00qP0Nw/s1600/Step8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP_snVbjVO50IXoKrRHLpZufcztBsS_kfrbwVb2U_IBpqJH1GJCP8Ey50Y7ae0fRLwHFb0pDDYKwE-vdsbMHDndWRkoURNRG2eSWlxlkPsKkdb0OPDwqMjQ4tdb4y9U9ngdrG00qP0Nw/s320/Step8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On this bag I started lacing on the second hole down, I'll leave the top holes for the strap. Knot one end of your lace and start lacing. Tightening the lacing every so often.</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETHi70SOCyVi8SDr9LSVYtqFrT-XJIljGm4fw0CVJ_GPMSmz21qrhZC0reIP4k4eElXK6Uq-c0No-fUabo9o9tEZTpUlXBiDgnprHVm72b6T4BOtcT-g8hGMV5Dlgqt45Cpksyl9gVz0/s1600/Step9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETHi70SOCyVi8SDr9LSVYtqFrT-XJIljGm4fw0CVJ_GPMSmz21qrhZC0reIP4k4eElXK6Uq-c0No-fUabo9o9tEZTpUlXBiDgnprHVm72b6T4BOtcT-g8hGMV5Dlgqt45Cpksyl9gVz0/s320/Step9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here's the bag laced up and with the strap attached, I slid the strap through the top two holes and knotted both ends. My lacing wasn't long enough to lace around the entire bag in one piece so I used two, knotted them at the center bottom and left them long for some fringe. If your lacing is long enough, you won't have to do this.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7F_U1828dqe-S1OoST8mLoD2nE-65Q9d9jJRntWVu2oCc4QrCYe-zHkYfiMMcRSx4E4n4rbmjlPPxWS_J-5oDTNd2DBydMZEZ2hbhyphenhyphenjbysyCzOluDMQrauoZJ00aUVffpUO-4J-oUHpM/s1600/Step10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7F_U1828dqe-S1OoST8mLoD2nE-65Q9d9jJRntWVu2oCc4QrCYe-zHkYfiMMcRSx4E4n4rbmjlPPxWS_J-5oDTNd2DBydMZEZ2hbhyphenhyphenjbysyCzOluDMQrauoZJ00aUVffpUO-4J-oUHpM/s320/Step10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Now we have a flat laced bag, here's the part that gives it some shape and makes it easier to get things in and out of it. Take your new bag and run it under some warm water, making sure it gets soaked. Go out to your driveway, creek or whatever you have and pack the bag full of small gravel or clean sand. Work the gravel or sand in tightly and you'll notice the leather start to stretch.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Find a warm place to hang it up until it dries.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCRgl5D4raxaJ2EAWzTKBzQexR0HzKOPjk7kBUa97-PaSWcwg_HvhnC174TDOPKEq4r-g7jR1JplwNqkymch8nsMgryMp4D3-i2zSqli46FrTxHHN4MkdpEOqfNA_26gnERkUDkYpJ9U/s1600/Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCRgl5D4raxaJ2EAWzTKBzQexR0HzKOPjk7kBUa97-PaSWcwg_HvhnC174TDOPKEq4r-g7jR1JplwNqkymch8nsMgryMp4D3-i2zSqli46FrTxHHN4MkdpEOqfNA_26gnERkUDkYpJ9U/s400/Finished.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After the bag is dry, dump out the gravel or sand, it should hold it's shape now. Treat the bag with some neatsfoot oil or beeswax and your done.</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's it, a simple leather project that can be completed in less than an hour (not counting drying time). Next time in Part 2, we'll go over some simple stitching and make an open sheath for a pocketknife or flashlight.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for reading, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> N.E.V.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div>Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-15544962679904879822011-08-22T20:59:00.003-04:002011-08-24T10:44:07.966-04:00New Section Added - The Photo GalleryHello Everyone,<br />
I just added a new tab at the top of the page for a new section called "The Photo Gallery". I've put some Pics in there from our most recent trips to the Adirondacks. I'll be adding pictures periodically in there now, instead of the Home page. Hope you enjoy looking at them.<br />
Thanks for checking it out.<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142637871744684347.post-66812092491254952692011-08-21T12:57:00.000-04:002011-08-21T12:57:15.399-04:00Welcome to www.northeastvoyageur.comHello everyone,<br />
Just a quick update... I finally purchased www.northeastvoyageur.com for this site. If you have any links pointing to www.northeastvoyageur.blogspot.com they will still work and will automatically redirect to the new site. It may take a couple of days for everything to "catch up" on the internet, so if northeastvoyageur.com is not available right away, the old blogspot address will still work. I will be making some changes over the next few days with new email, features, etc. so keep checking back. I do appreciate everyone taking the time to check out this blog.<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
N.E.V.Northeast Voyageurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626796270008479249noreply@blogger.com0