Month: September 2016

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 39 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 39 – Wilderness Water Sources & Water Purification

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 39 – Wilderness Water Sources & Water Purification

Comments 6 comments

In this episode I answer a bunch of questions about water. What are the advantages of Millbank bags? Can you use a bandanna to filter water? Do Steripens work? How do you deal with herbicides and pesticides in water? Can you use activated charcoal to filter water? Is it safe to drink water from springs and wells? These are the jumping off points for a wide-ranging discussion about producing safe drinking water outdoors – close to home or further into the wilds…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 38 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 38 – Carbon Steel Knives & Flint, Boots, 3-Season Sleeping Bags, How To Know When You Know Enough, Plus My Take On A Survival Scenario

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 38 – Carbon Steel Knives & Flint, Boots, 3-Season Sleeping Bags, How To Know When You Know Enough, Plus My Take On A Survival Scenario

Comments 34 comments

Questions about boots for bushcraft, 3-season sleeping bag choices, carbon steel knives and flint for sparks, how to avoid shredding your knuckles while using a firesteel, long distance hiking, lightweight gear and bushcraft, how do I know when do you know enough for wilderness, and what would I do in a particular wilderness canoe expedition survival scenario.

packed lightweight sleeping equipment for camping
Lightweight Tarp and Bivvy Set-Up

Lightweight Tarp and Bivvy Set-Up

Comments 30 comments

In previous articles and videos I’ve discussed equipment choice and ways of lightening the load of your pack. In this article, with video, I look at one particular tarp and bivvy bag set-up which is light, compact and protective…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 37 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 37 – Sustainable Birch Bark Harvesting, Tarp or Tent, Shelter Bedding Materials, Camp Positioning, Heavy Tents and Outdoor Career Advice

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 37 – Sustainable Birch Bark Harvesting, Tarp or Tent, Shelter Bedding Materials, Camp Positioning, Heavy Tents and Outdoor Career Advice

Comments 14 comments

Shelter bedding, sustainable birch bark harvesting, martial arts and teaching bushcraft, higher or lower for optimal camp temperatures, cod liver oil tablets for survival packs, heavy tents, outdoor career advice and what’s best – tarp or tent?

white umbel of flowers againts a green backgrop
Approaching Apiaceae: A Practical Example Of Carrot Capture

Approaching Apiaceae: A Practical Example Of Carrot Capture

Comments 24 comments

These days we all have a camera in our pocket. Most of the time we carry a smart phone. Increasingly we use our phones to make notes for later. It’s very easy to take a photo of text in a museum or take photos of something we see out and about, to act later as memory joggers. It’s not necessarily anything to do with the art of photography. It’s memory extension, brain augmentation. So, what details of members of the carrot family Apiaceae should be recorded so you stand a good chance of identifying the species?…

Wild Wanderings 5 – Seasonal Shift

Wild Wanderings 5 – Seasonal Shift

Comments 21 comments

Raspberries, blackberries, rowan berries, hawthorn haws, sloes are in fruit and there a good many seeds around for eating and for other uses. Yet many lush green edible leaves are still to be had and some common plants still in flower. This time of year is one of transition as the seasonal shift takes us from late summer to early autumn. As always there a subtleties worth exploring…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 36 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 36 – Bow Drill Woods To Avoid, Edibility Of Beech Nuts, Looking After Teeth & Nails The Indigenous Way, Natural Meds or Charcoal For Stomach Upsets?

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 36 – Bow Drill Woods To Avoid, Edibility Of Beech Nuts, Looking After Teeth & Nails The Indigenous Way, Natural Meds or Charcoal For Stomach Upsets?

Comments 10 comments

In this episode, I answer questions about how we might look after our teeth and nails without modern tools, natural meds and charcoal for stomach upsets, the edibility of beech nuts, bow drill woods NOT to use, shorts in the bush (are they a good idea?), some curious rings around a tree, uses of Himalayan balsam and pot lifting – what on earth are we doing?