My Old Hickory Bushcraft Knives

Old Hickory Knives for Bushcraft

   

      Hey guys, I just wanted to show you a couple of my Old Hickory brand knives that I use in the field, along with the sheaths that I made for them.

     

     The larger of the two started out as an Old Hickory butcher's knife with an 8 inch blade length. I wanted a slightly shorter blade, so I took a hacksaw and file to it. The blade measures 4 inches long now, which I feel is just about right for a general purpose bushcraft knife. It has an overall length of 8.5 inches. I also filed the tip down a bit, creating a profile similar to a tanto blade. I like it, but I wish I would have went with a drop point profile.

    

      I removed the wooden scales, and replaced them with a jute twine wrap. I soaked the jute twine in epoxy prior to wrapping, and once it was fully dry, I sanded it down to make it smoother. The result is one of the most comfortable knife handles I have used.

    

      Overall, even though I am a bit disappointed by the tanto point, this modified Old Hickory knife remains one of my favorite bushcraft knives. The carbon steel is easy to sharpen to a shaving sharp edge, even in the field. The size and comfortable handle make camp chores less of a, well, chore.  I would definitely recommend an Old Hickory knife for bushcraft use.

Both of my Old Hickory Knives, in the homemade sheaths. Victorinox Classic for scale.

     The next knife, is an Old Hickory brand paring knife, similar to the one pictured below. It has a 3.75 inch blade length, and an overall length of 7 inches. I did nothing to this knife, other than sharpening it to a hair splitting convex grind. It fits perfect in my hand, and has proved most useful for cleaning fish and small game.

Old Hickory knives unsheathed. Victorinox Classic for scale.

     Now on to the sheaths. This was my first attempt at leather working, so while it may not be the prettiest, I like it. The leather came from an old boot, which had decorative studs which I incorporated into the sheath design. I used 15 pound test fishing line as thread, and both sheaths have held up quite well.

     All in all, I'm quite satisfied with how everything turned out. Both of these knives are very useful in the field, and the carbon steel used can take quite an edge. I am now eyeballing Old Hickory sets to have some more knives to modify.

      If you would like to try these Old Hickory knives out for yourself, Amazon sells them for a pretty reasonable price. Links are below.

  

Budget Rain Jacket

      A good weatherproof layer is essential in the outdoors, no matter the forecast, as it can break the wind, or the weather can change quickly. Summer rain showers come quickly, especially in mountainous areas. There are a lot of high dollar rain shells, but, as you've undoubtedly noticed from my other posts, I prefer quality, budget options. I have found 3 rain shells, all of which are affordable, and I'm sure you'll find one that meets your needs. This is by no means a detailed breakdown of each rain shell. I just wanted to bring a few budget options to your attention.





Marmot Precip

• $86
• Breathable
• Packable
• Waterproof
• Taped Seams
• Packs into it's own pocket
• Pit zips for ventilation

Columbia Watertight II

• $51
• 100% Nylon
• Waterproof
• Breathable
• Side pockets
• Packable

Frogg Togg's Action Pro Jacket

• $35
• Comes in camo
• Completely waterproof
• Less breathable than the other jackets
• Bulkier to pack, and heavier
• Cheapest of the three

     All of these rain jackets are affordable, but have their limitations. Any one of them should suit most needs, but if not, there are still other options for a rain jacket on a budget. You don't have to spend a small fortune on gear. If you look around, I'm sure you could find a rain jacket on your budget, no matter if you're fishing, hunting, or camping.

Equinox Egret 8x10 Tarp - Initial Impressions

Equinox Egret 8x10 Tarp

     Today, I took the plunge and bought an actual backpacking tarp. Up until now, I've gotten by with an 8x10 cheap, poly tarp from the hardware store. It worked fine, and still works great, duct tape patches and all. I did, however, get tires of lugging this huge, heavy tarp around. It tips the scales at around 3 pounds, and takes up a little more volume than two standard Nalgene bottles. I needed something smaller.

     I looked at all my options, and based on weight, packability, and most importantly cost, I decided on the 8x10 Egret tarp by Equinox. This tarp weighs only 1 pound, 11 ounces and packs down to a tube shape smaller than a Nalgene bottle. This will be a joy to carry. It has grommets on each corner, and along each side, spaced every three feet apart. It is made of silnylon, and coated with a waterproof coating.

     Overall, I am impressed with the tarp, and can't wait to get out and use it. From the reviews that I have read, this tarp is very durable, so we'll see. The tarp seems very sturdy and durable, and based on my initial inspection, I would definitely recommend this to someone. It retails for around $44, which makes it a very affordable backpacker tarp.

     I will report back with pics of the tarp, setup as a shelter for my next overnighter, along with a report on how the tarp functioned.

   Thanks for reading guys! And if you enjoyed my writing, check out my new books:

 Budget Bushcraft & Camping And Others

ILBE Lid Converted to Butt Pack

      Hey guys, as squirrel season has been well under way, I figured I should show you what, and  how, I carry some of my hunting and bushcraft gear. 

     I use a lid from my ILBE rucksack, in combination with an old, thick leather belt to turn the ILBE lid into a butt sack, also known as a hip pack. The belt also functions too hold a my handgun, a spare magazine, my knife, and a compass.

     This is a very light weight option, to carry the items I would need for a dayhike, practicing some bushcraft skills, or just an afternoon hunt,. It also carries very well, and close to the body. This is a great benefit when maneuvering through the woods. With it wearing so comfortably, I am even able to sit down while wearing it. The pack acts like a pad, and make a pretty comfortable seat. The belt ensures that I always have these items on my person, so I can tackle a survival situation. Take a look. What would you change? What would you add? Would you have the items you needed too ensure survival, no matter what?

The entire belt and butt pack set up.

Contents of belt kit from left to right:

 Extra magazine for my handgun

 Buck 119 in leather sheath. Front view

 Buck 119 back view

Buck 119 unsheathed

Brunton compass, connected to the belt via a carabiner and paracord

ILBE Ruck Sack Lid. I added two MOLLE fasteners to turn this into a butt pack/

Back view. Fully packed/

Top left, to right:

Blue bag: Food sack, contains snacks and such.

50'' of paracord

Simple yellow poncho

First Aid Kit, in a SPEC OPS Brand pouch

1 pack of Hot Hands hand warmers

Crown royal bag with my alcohol stove kit

Bottom left, to right:

1 Liter of water

Fire kit

Homemade pouch for shotgun shells

Grenade pouch with personal survival kit type items

Showing just how thin this packs down to.

My usual carry. KelTec PF9.

     So guys, that's what I usually carry with me if I'm out hunting, or fishing, or just doing some bushcraft stuff. What do ya'll think? I think I'll survive.

     Thanks for reading guys! And if you enjoyed my writing, check out my new book:

 Budget Bushcraft & Camping.


 

Preparedness Tip Saturday

    This tip is very helpful in preparing for power outages. Refill clean soda bottles with water and keep them in your freezer. Not only will this lower your electric bill, but in the event of a power outage, the bottles will keep the temperature of your freezer down for longer. Also, if needed, the bottles can be thawed and the water used for drinking or hygiene. I would recommend boiling the water before using it as drinking water. 

ILBE Rucksack Dump

     Today, I just wanted to quickly show y'all what my pack looks like when it's fully packed. This was for a single overnight trip, with temps in the mid 20 degree range.

ILBE Packing List

Top row, Left to right:
1. Kelty Cosmic 20 Synthetic sleeping bag, inside of stuff sack. 

2. 2 closed cell foam pads rolled up, tied with a bit of string.

Gear in my ILBE rucksack for a winter overnighter.

Next row, Left to right: 

1. ILBE Pack lid. It contains my first aid kit, my Coast headlamp, homemade alcohol stove, and other tools.

2. Condor Water Bottle Carrier.
It contains a fire kit, a few emergency supplies, a buddy burner, Olicamp cup, homemade 1 quart Billy can, and 40 oz stainless steel water bottle.

4. Yellow poncho. It's a standard poncho. It works.

5. Molle Frag Grenade Pouch. It contains assorted survival supplies.

Bottom, Far left:

1. USMC ILBE Rucksack

Bottom, Right side:

1. Blue sack: My food bag. Contains all of my food, utensils, etc.

2. White sack: Homemade tyvek stuff sack, with a cheap 6x8 tarp inside.

3. Large red bag: Clothes bag. This contains all of the spare clothes that I might need. It always has extra socks, a warm hat, gloves, and thermals.

4. Green sack: Shelter kit. This is a stuff sack containing a 5'X6' ground cloth, 6 tent pegs, a ridgeline, and enough paracord to pitch my tarp shelter.

5. Small red bag: Personal hygiene kit. Contains toothbrush, babywipes, etc.

Not shown: Water. I took 1 gallon with me on this particular trip. That's 8 pounds right there. I have to get a water filter.

Pocket and belt contents. I had a knife, compass, and a few other things on my person. I will go into more detail on those items soon.

So, what do y'all carry for an overnighter? 

Thanks for reading guys! And if you enjoyed my writing, check out my new book:

Budget Bushcraft & Camping 

EDC Pockets: Kershaw Skyline Review

EDC Pockets: Kershaw Skyline Review

Here's a review I did a while ago on the Kershaw Skyline. I can't stress enough how great this knife is.