Belt Axe

A good belt axe is a good friend to have with you.Not only will it help you build a shelter,harvest materials of all types and be a good backup weapon it can also do all the basic things a knife can do.The belt axe here is what is known or refered to as a hammer poll belt axe.It has a hammer poll on one side and a cresent shaped blade on the opposite side.This is a great belt axe made by Jim Hoffman.It has a four inch cutting edge and a 13 inch handle.The hammer poll is great for cracking nuts and knapping a new edge on a gun flint.If I could only take one tool it would be this belt axe.

Belt Knife

You should never go into the woods without a good belt knife.Here is a pic of my belt knife.It has a 7 inch blade and the boxwood handle is carved in the image of a pig.The knife was made by Kyle Wiilyard of Old Dominion Forge.Kyle is a master of his craft and can temper a blade better than Lucifer hisself.Folding knives are nice to have but should never be your primary blade.A good belt knife need not be fancy but it does need to have good blade and a secure handle.Jon "Smitty" Smith of Wisconson makes very good copies of French and English trade knives.I have two of Smittys knives and i prize them for thier quality and function.

Packs

I thought you might like to see my take on a civilian pack.I made this pack from hair on buffalo hide and tow linen.I built it along the lines of both a market wallet.It has a single strap that adjusts with a brass buckle.In the photo of it closed you can see how a blanket fits when the pack is folded and buckled.I carry eveything that I need on a scout in it.These arent the best pics but it will have to do for now.I will get photos of how I carry it and its contents.The nice thing about it is at the end of the day you can take everything out of it and stuff it with leaves and make a nice pad for sleeping on or to use as a pillow.

A friend from Tenn.saw the pic on here and wanted to know a bit about the gun in my photo.The gun is flintlock dutch influenced American fusil.It is a very light and reliable gun.It has a 38 inch .60 caliber smoothbore barrel and the forestock is cut back for a bayonet.It is named Mary Becker after Connies mother.It has the fastedt lock I have ever seen.Its my main trekking gun.

Shelter First

If you are going to go to the woods on a scout you will need some form of a shelter at night.A shelter could be just a blanket,leanto or a rock house.Im lucky I have a rock house to go to.You can pack in a oilcloth to make a water tight leanto or you can build a leanto with the material at hand.Rock houses are nice since you dont have to carry them in.You must be careful in rock houses.Make sure there are no snakes or vermin and look for objects that might fall and squish you.Here are some pics of the rock house I used last year when a group of us went on a scout in February.

Shelter First

If you are going to spend the night in the woods in uncertain weather you should have some sort of shelter be it canvas leanto,brush leanto or a rock house.Im fortunate that I have a rock house to go to.

Getting soaking wet and getting sick isnt fun when you have to be to work on Monday.Ya need to be carefull with rock houses.You need to check it for snakes and vermin and rocks that might fall from the roof and squish you.Here are some pics of the rock house I use.

Heres Pit

Feb 15

Well I was supposed to go on a scout this weekend but Hungry(the guy that set up the scout)fell on the ice and broke a rib.I suppose some of you might be interested in where I scout.The Hoosier National Forest has vast amounts of woodland where folks can hunt and camp.I wont disclose the exact spot but its in Perry County Indiana.
I tend to go solo now since I had a injury that slows me down from going at other peoples pace.Solo scouting/trekking can be real rewarding.It also has its drawbacks.You have to do everything yourself and entertain yourself.You need to be twice as carefull cause on mis step and bang your in dp doo doo.Im going to get my loving wife to upload some photos of my gear so we can see some examples of what I take on a scout.