Rolf Devinci

With the arrival of winter snows I finally got the opportunity to try out the snowshoes I picked up last Fall. New to the sport I chose a soccer field to get used to the shoes and the gait.   It ended up being surprisingly easy once I got the bindings ratcheted to the proper fit. I actually didn't even need to adjust my stride at all. The benefit of modern shoe design.   Opted to head into the adjacent woods to try out the shoes on undulating wooded terrain. That was fun and the shoes were quite stable traversing through the brush and deeper snow drifts. Climbing was the hardest part and would have been easier had I used the poles.     Had a blast and I am definitely digging the mobility of snowshoes in snow covered woodlands. I love the woods in winter and having snowshoes will definitely make winter hiking far more enjoyable.        

Having completed the basics of the build with the addition of the arm straps and cushioning it meant the project was nearing a conclusion. It was decision time. Do I simply stay with unpainted fabric on the shield or do I add paint? I also needed to consider what heraldry design to add. Heraldry in the 12th century was at its simplistic early stages with basic geometric designs on the field. My surcoat is black and red so that will play a part in my decision. To test the painting option I covered the grey belly of the shield with a black semi gloss.It looks better than the picture attests to but I should have left it a lighter color. With the belly completed I added a date appropriate ordinary- a simple red chevron trimmed with gold. The color choice was primarily based upon my surcoat but the chevron was choice. In heraldry the chevron was associated with a roof, of building something for protection or faithful service. Gold represents generosity , red th...

Looking for a winter project to occupy the evenings I decided to make a heater shield as part of a 12th century knight/man at arms kit I am assembling. The heater shield evolved in the late 12th century from the Norman kite shield.It was smaller but more manageable for cavalry and armored infantry whose limbs were now covered in chain mail and early medieval plate armor. Having researched the dimensions of historical shields I opted for a 3-1 ratio; 21 inches across the top, 7 inches straight down the sides at which point I used a 21 inch ruler to pivot out the sweeping curve to the bottom point. First step was to create a paper version to use as a template to outline the shield on a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood. Update.... Finished cutting out the shield and sanded round the edges Measured and plotted the projected arm cushioning on the back of the shield in preparation to add the arm and hand strapping. After priming the back of the shield I sewed a padded gamb...

Spent the morning hiking through the woods. Turns out it began to snow- the first real snowfall of the winter. I love the woods in winter made all the better by snow cover. Hopefully it is a precursor of snowy days to come as I have purchased snowshoes and would love an opportunity to use them. Happy New Year!  

The benefits of tea made from the Camellia Sinensis plant have been touted for millennia across many cultures over the globe. The four varieties; black, green, white and oolong contain healthy polypherols and phytochemicals that offer us serious health benefits. I have always enjoyed black teas and have experimented with other varieties but recently increased my tea consumption after developing a taste for chai in 2012. It opened the proverbial "door" to the wonderful opportunities found within the tea garden. The benefits are many....the antioxidants and catechins in tea counter free radicals thus resisting cancers and DNA damage. Tea is hydrating but also acts as a milder stimulant than coffee and does improve endurance. It is linked to improved cardiovascular health and improved metabolic response to weight control. It is linked to improved diabetes management. Most recently it has been recognized as being potentially important in preventing neurological diseases...

Ghee,better known as clarified butter here in the West, has been on my project list for some time. Since sourcing organic butters from grassfed cows here in the North is difficult and expensive I opted to buy ready made ghee. Stumbled upon the Purity Farms product on I-Herb at a decent price. The shipping was reasonable and the ghee arrived well packaged from the US in a couple days. I am a butter eater so trying ghee has always been on my radar both for the concentrated flavor and health benefits touted by Ayurveda. Ghee is butter that has been heated until the water, milk proteins and impurities have been removed leaving a pure healthy fat. Looking forward to incorporating ghee into my diet using it in cooking due to its high smoke point, over vegetables and in my tea(po cha) and coffee following Himalayan tradition and the more recent Bulletproof coffee so popular in paleo and primal nutrition.

For no reason other than putting theory to practice I decided to build a quick survival shelter. Armed with some cordage, a kukri and my Condor bushlore knife I began to create a basic survival shelter out of deadfall materials, a few alders and some pine/spruce branches. Having found a suitable spot under a group of fir trees that offered a level soft bed of needles and moss I orientated the shelter facing Southeast so I get morning and afternoon sunshine through the trees. A basic 45 degree lean-to design I created the initial frame intending to cover it with wood and branches to create a "debris" shelter. Using a heavy duty drop sheet I modified my plan and create a waterproof design for the coming winter. A tarp would be a more durable choice but the drop sheet was larger, clear and cheap. Once the frame was covered with the drop sheet I added boughs followed by an assortment of debris; deadfall branches, sticks, leaves and pine needles. The end result ...