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Showing posts from December, 2016

Bushbox Pocket Stove

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Recently purchased a Bushbox stove from Canadian Outdoor Equipment. Made in Germany by Bushcraft Essentials it is a multi fuel pocket stove that is both light and small. Perfect for the backpack, bushcraft bag, jacket pocket or quiver. It assembles quickly with tabs that interlock and form a solid stable platform, complete with ash tray and two cross supports that offers a flush or elevated cup position.  It also comes with a cotton bag to keep all the parts together and keep your pocket or pack soot free. Picked it up for $49.99 CDN which was a very competitive price point compared to some of the other pocket stoves available. Seems to be well constructed so the next step will be to test its functionality. These are perfect accessories for anyone enjoying the outdoors who want the ability to spark up a heating source quickly and easily using twigs and other ground debris.

Winter Project - Wikiup Debris Shelter

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Decided to replace my current lean-to shelter on the archery range in the local woods with something a little more functional. A place that would store my (stuffed) feed bag arrow targets but also offer more versatility for usage and comfort. The lean-to was a project I completed a few years ago and has held up remarkably well to the elements. Unfortunately it is too small for anything other than storage - I can lay under it but cannot sit within it. I was looking to create something I could use as a base camp (so to speak) for snowshoeing so needed a (wind) shelter I could place a camp chair within along with some additional stowage. I considered an A frame but was limited in available flat ground space so opted to go with a Wikiup debris hut using a teepee styled design. It would fit nicely on the spot between two trees where the existing shelter lies and offers an entrance facing the rising/midday sun with the rear wall facing the Northwest. Four poles for stability with

D3 Supplements and the K2 Connection? Food for Thought

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Prelude - I do supplement with vitamin D3 on advice from my health care practitioner. I question taking supplements without at least doing some homework and found this research. Important at best or interesting at least. The synergies of nutrition. Vitamin D has been promoted of late by research into the benefits of supplementing with the "sunshine" vitamin for good health, especially for us folks in the northern climates. In fact our government has officially increased the daily requirements for D3. Continuing research on vitamin D and its impact on health has recently raised questions on the need to ensure individuals who supplement also make sure they are not deficient in vitamin K2. Vitamin K has been treated as a poor cousin in the vitamin world assuming most folks get enough through leafy greens and other food sources. The issue is vitamin K is not as clear cut as science once thought it to be. The key K vitamin required to assist in more than blood clotting is