To make the Cotton wool fire starters you will need.
Cotton wool of some kind (we've used make up remover pads)
Tea light candles
Matches or a lighter
A heatproof bowl
Light your tealight candles until the wax is melted and place the cotton wool pads in the heatproof bowl.
Poor the melted wax over both sides of the cotton wool buds ensuring they're fully coated in wax.
Now you have the perfect light weight fire starter. When you're ready to start a fire tear the cotton open to expose the fibres' and light it
*always use fire responsibly
You will need your back pack and an adequately sized garbage bag.
What you will need, a piece of wood, spoon carving or hook knife, carving knife, hatchet or axe, sandpaper and something to protect your creation with like coconut, flax or orange oil
There is a bit of an art in seeing a spoon in a branch, try to find a straight length with no knots or branches poking out, the straighter the grain the better.
Using your hatchet and split the length of wood in two down the middle. Try for a good clean cut. Sometimes placing the axe on top of the piece and striking it with another piece of wood helps control the split.
Take the piece with the straightest grain and draw on a design. I like this part, i have a small sketch book full of spoon drawings some functional, some beautiful and some useless.
With the hatchet and carefully rough out your blank, using considered blows up the sides to remove material from the handle and back of the bowl until you are satisfied with the shape.
Store the hatchet and pick up the hook knife and ‘scoop’ out the bowl, there are a few very effective techniques for doing this, the potato peeler is a great one an ordinary grip but drawing your blade towards you and working with the grain to get nice clean cuts.
Once the bowl has been carved out you can now shape up the spoon with your regular knife .This is my favourite part, get yourself comfortable. I usually prop myself up against the window sit in my chair or perch on the end of my bench. I also like to have a cup of tea nearby. Again there are different techniques to use, i like to tuck the spoon into my chest and carve towards me, using a reverse grip when shaping the handle. Then, using a regular grip on the knife i place my opposing thumbs on the back of my blade and push off to create a very controlled cut for the bowl.
Once you are happy and if the wood is green (fresh and wet) leave it to dry before sanding. If its seasoned grab some sandpaper and a little elbow grease, working up the grades from rough to smooth, once you are happy with the texture you can seal it with oil this protects the spoon, i like to use coconut,flax or orange oil or even beeswax.
by Henry Neville Wood
2016
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How can one small plastic spray bottle be so helpful?
Easy just buy a small spray bottle from any hardware store or two dollar shop, fill it with either dishwashing liquid or body wash & water, give it a swirl and there you have it… a portable dish washer and shower.
Have you ever lost the shitty little metal stand in a packet of mosquito coils? Have you ever struggled to find a stick or a fork or anything to hold your mosquito coil up with out success? Well next time just make sure you have the most historically famous, handy and multi purposed tool on earth......"The Swiss Army Knife"
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Sick of paying expensive prices for hi tech camping and hiking gear. Here's a way to save pennies and have fun at the same time.
You'll just need to buy a regular frisbee from any sports store, for around $5 (AUD), and an chinese soup spoon from your local kitchen supply store. The spoon is really cheap light weight and ergonomic and the frisbee acts both as a plate/bowl and when you throw it around it becomes the perfect boredom killer.
If you have ever forgotten a head torch when your sleeping in a tent or wanted to create the atmosphere of having down lights in your tent roof this is a tip for you. All you need is a caribeena (or string) and a light of some description.
With a coloured plastic transparent drink bottle, caribeena and glow sticks you can drastically change the mood or vibe of any tent or campervan.
note: The more glow sticks the better the mood
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