ESTABLISHED 2010 - Beyond The Campfire was created to encourage readers to explore the great outdoors and to observe it close up. Get out and take a hike, go fishing or canoeing, or simply stretch out on a blanket under a summer sky...and take your camera along. We'll talk about combining outdoor activities with photography. We'll look at everything from improving your understanding of the basics of photography to more advanced techniques including things like how to see photographically and capturing the light. We'll explore the night sky, location shoots, using off camera speedlights along with nature and landscape. Grab your camera...strap on your hiking boots...and join me. I think you will enjoy the adventure.

Thursday, February 17, 2022

BTC Bushcraft: Cedar Stool/Table - DIY Bow Saw - Camp Cooking Tongs - Sharpening Knife/Axe

 Cedar is a marvelously hardy wood and when a large cedar tree fell in the wooded area behind my place after a storm a few years ago it must have sat there for a good number of years before I paid much attention to it. It had fallen across the deer trail path blocking the way so one day I took my chain saw out there to clean up the path for easier walking. A few cuts later and I realized just how hardy that tree was. It's branches had kept the main trunk off the ground so it remained mostly dry and the years had seasoned it. Cedar is probably the most aromatic of all trees and this one still retained its distinctive woodsy aroma. For the past couple of years I have continued to cut small pieces ( and a few larger ones ) from the trunk. It seems none the worse for wear. A few of the larger pieces I cut into round slabs and used them as bushcraft projects making small campfire tables that can also double as a stool.


In this video you will see how I used ordinary tools to build these. I also used the collapsible DIY bow saw I recently made and you can see how it assembles and is used. I've made a couple of bushcraft spoons recently along with a spatula, but I wanted to make a set of camp cooking tongs. You'll see how I managed to do that in this video as well.


I've learned the hard way how dangerous a dull knife, or any cutting tool, can be. Sharpening a knife to a razors edge can be time consuming and there are differing ways to accomplish this. Seems everyone has their own tried and true, and some not so effective, methods to sharpen a knife. Through trial and error I've learned what works for me and in this video you will see how I manage this process.


Hope you enjoy this short bushcraft video. It was a lot of fun making it and doing all the crafty things in the process.



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