2011 has provided us with some odd weather here in the UK, with dry, mild days continuing all the way into December. However, anyone getting up early for work this past week could tell you that the cold weather is definitely creeping in - icy windscreens, gritters on the roads, and the sight of a postman in trousers instead of shorts are all tell-tale signs!

Ray Mears and the Woodlore Team have hand-picked a list of Recommended Kit and Clothing for Winter, to help keep you safe and warm this festive season. With the last few years bringing a healthy dusting of snow across the land (often followed by abandoned cars, closed shops and twisted ankles galore), now is a better time than any to get yourself prepared.

So don’t let the weather get the better of you – get out there and make the most of it.

<< Read Part 3 <<

Part 4:

Tightening the hammock:

On the other side, do the same, but without the two outer tension ropes. After you take the two ropes through the first bar, weave them through the edge meshes of the hammock and insert them through the second bar. Hang your hammock between two fixed points now and go in it. Make sure you distribute your weight as evenly as possible when you first enter the hammock. Before entering, it is wise to check the hammock if the mesh and mazes are even, and adjust them when necessary. When I worked with paracord I found that the knots were able to slide and move because of the slipperiness of the cord.

The hammock will now stretch out. Depending on the material you have chosen you will probably have to repeat it a couple of times. I use a Timber Hitch on one end and a Waggoner’s Hitch on the other. This last knot is described in Ray’s Essential Bushcraft book on page 168, and is ideal to put some tension to your hammock. Tighten the hammock again and again and put your full weight on your project until you feel the hammock is not getting any longer.

At this time be careful not to fall out of your hammock because the outer tension ropes are not in use at this time. When they are in use these ropes will greatly improve your ability to stay in your hammock. When you think your hammock has been stretched enough it is time to put the outer tensioning ropes to work. Connect the loose ends of those outer tensioning ropes with each other with a simple Reef Knot.    

By tightening or loosening those outer ropes you are able to switch between different models of your hammock.  Tightening those ropes will result in a model consisting of a bathtub, while loosening those ropes will result in a hammock like an ironing board. Now, check the rest of your hammock and remove any pieces of rope which are too long.

The finished Hammock:

Figure 14 - The Finished Hammock

Woodlore would like to thank John van Zanen for all of his hard work in putting this extensive guide together. You can expect more from this contributor in the future…

To everyone out there who has used this guide to make your own hammock, please let us know how you got on, and send us a photo to show where your hammock ended up!

<< Read Part 2 <<

Part 3:

Now that you have finished the hard work of making all those knots, you are ready for the finishing and final constructing of your hammock. At this time you will probably be able to make a Sheet Bend knot blindfolded. I have several hammocks knotted using sisal rope, but sisal really is murder on your hands. In the past I have worked with sisal until my hands were sore and blistering. So it was about time to try to make a hammock of green paracord. This makes life more easier. There is always a great sense of relief when you finally finish the net of the hammock. A milestone so to speak.

Now, cut 20 pieces of rope of 220 centimetres; these ropes you will be doubled and will be attached to the ends of the mesh of your hammock, acting as guy wires. Use two double wires for the middle two guy wires. This is because most of the force will be put to those wires. Figure 8 shows the mesh you need to take to attach the wires to. 

Figure 8 - Lines & Mesh

You attach the wires to the meshes with the Cow Hitch, or Girth Hitch; figure 9 shows how it is done:

Figure 9 - Cow Hitch

Now take the two strips of wood of about 70 cm, drill holes of 8 mm as shown in Figure 10:

Figure 10 - The Two Pieces of Wood

Smoothen the edges of the holes. Cut the strips of wood to length after you have drilled the holes so you can make sure that the outside holes are not too near to the edge of the strips.

For the construction of my hammock, I used two pieces of hazel. First I flattened the pieces with the Small Forest Axe and the Mora Training Knife that were handed to me at the Camp Craft course and drilled the holes according to the pattern. After drying the two pieces of wood I charred them with a gas burner and removed the charred wood by rubbing with a wire brush. This way the wood darkens without having to paint it and it gives the wood a nice old finish. Just make sure you work with the grain of the wood when you brush with the wire brush.

There are also two thick edge ropes needed of 480 cm. These outer tension wires are made from 4 pieces of rope woven together to a sennit. (See Figure 11) But you can also use some 7 mm rope instead of a sennit.

Figure 11 - Sennit

Now take one of the two strips of wood and run the wires and the outer tension wires through the bar. Make a bundle of the wires of your hammock well in the middle. Take this bundle to the two outer tension ropes. Make a sort of loop of the bundle and make a multiple Sheet Bend. (See Figure 12)

Figure 12 - Multiple Sheet Bend

You can also fix the wires and ropes using a steel ring. This will add some extra weight but it will give it a nice finish. That’s a trade-off you will have to make. If you decide to use two rings, use a Buntline Hitch to fix the ropes to the rings. (See Figure 13) Don’t buy your rings too small, as I did, because there will be a lot of knots on that ring and you will need the space.

Figure 13 - Buntline Hitch

>> Read Part 4 >>

<< Read Part 1 <<

Part 2:

Make a small Bowline Knot in the first piece of rope and put the loop around the nail in cross B. Zigzag the rope loosely around the nails of the first and second row. When you reach the last nail in the first row, put the rope around the last nail in the third row and turn to the last nail of the second row to make your first knot (see Figure 3A & 3B).

Figure 3A - The Start

Figure 3B - The First Knot

The knot that you make is the Sheet Bend. It’s a nice flat knot that contributes to the comfort of your hammock. Figure 4 shows how to make this knot as you work from right to left; Figure 5 shows the example when you work from left to right.

Figure 4 - Right to Left

Figure 5 - Left to Right

Remove the rope from the board:

If you have reached the last knot on the board (that is, the first nail of the second row) remove the work from the board. Pay close attention to the fact that the knots and loops sit properly and do not capsize or turn over (see Figure 6).

If you have finished the last meshes, put a nail in cross C (or D) and then end up as you started with a Bowline knot.

How to determine the length of your hammock:

The length of your hammock is equal to your body length plus 50 cm. Measure yourself, but take into account the fact that a freshly knotted hammock may stretch quite a bit. One maze of the mesh of the hammock is about 14 centimetres.

Example: my body length is 173 centimetres, add 50 centimetres this comes to about 220 centimetres. Divided into lots of 14 centimetres, this makes about 16 meshes. Therefore, the hammock described here is 16 meshes long.

>> Read Part 3 >>

Over the coming weeks, we will be releasing a four-part guide on how to make your very own hammock using para cord. This excellent step-by-step tutorial was very kindly supplied by Woodlorean John van Zanen of the Netherlands; thank you!

We’ve split the guide into four different sections, allowing you to have a go at each stage before the next set of instructions is released. Today we have Part 1; we hope you enjoy this guide and would love to hear from anyone that gives it a go.

Part 1:

It is always very rewarding to make your own kit. When I finished the Camp Craft course at Woodlore I decided to make a hammock. I learnt making a hammock using this technique when I was a boy scout and it was quite a long time ago since I had made my last one. But when you are living in a fixed camp a hammock is a useful item. It not only gives you a place to sleep at night but also a place to sit during the day and it adds comfort to the times you spend outdoors.

This is an easy technique and you don’t have to be a knots expert to try to make this sort of hammock. So during the construction of my latest project this summer I took some pictures while I was working and translated the instructions they gave me as a boy scout into English. I hope this guide will inspire my fellow Woodloreans to make their own project. Good luck.

What do you need?

• Sisal rope, two wire, about 1 kilo (when using paracord you will need about 230 meters depending on the length of the hammock)
• Two pieces of wood from 2.6 cm by 1.8 cm by 70 cm long (or just two pieces of wood from nature)
• Two steel rings (optional)
• A shelf or board of about 24 to 110 cm
• Sixty-six nails of 6.5 cm
• Stick or broomstick of about 120 cm
• Tape

Preparing your work board:

Draw the pattern in figure 1 on the shelf and hit the nails into the board at the spots marked with the dots. Remove the heads from the nails with a pair of pliers. Also, drive a nail in the board at the site of cross B. The nails have to stick about 4 cm out of the board. Be careful for nails that protrude below the shelf! Treat the top of the nails with a file and sandpaper and remove the sharp edges to save your hands and your rope.

Figure 1A - The Pattern

Figure 1B - The Work Board

Start with the knots:

Now that the work board is done, get the (sisal) rope. The rope is usually divided into pieces 3 to 5 meters long. When you start, put some adhesive tape at the working end of your rope to prevent fraying and for convenience during the making of the knots. I myself have a habit of working with longer pieces (15 to 20 meters) because you finally have fewer “welds” or knots in your rope. It will take longer before a knot is finished because of the length of the rope, but at the end I find the result more attractive. See what you like. If you would like to use longer pieces it is a smart thing to hank the ropes like Ray does with his hootchie guy lines. Tips for that you will find on page 154 of Ray’s book Essential Bushcraft.

Connecting loose pieces of rope:

To join two pieces of rope, the simplest way is to use the Fishermans Knot (see Figure 2):

Figure 2 - The Fishermans Knot

>> Read Part 2 >>

Rogelio, a fellow Woodlorean from Spain, e-mailed us previously with some pictures of his hand-made crooked knife handle, which we posted on our blog. Recently, he got in touch with us again, this time with an excellent article on how to make a DIY meth-burning stove from just a tin can. We’ve posted the full guide below, complete with step-by-step pictures, for you all to see. Thanks Rogelio!

Hello Woodloreans,

I have just returned from a friend’s house with whom I have been making my own meth alcohol burner to fit in my pocket stove from tin cans, and after seeing how well it actually works, I thought it would be nice to share with you some pictures on its making.

To start with, you need the bottom ends from two tin cans and a rectangular strip that will fit into them (this must be cut slightly higher than the other pieces, you’ll see why later). If you use cans made from stainless metals it’ll last longer.

Step 1

You now cut halfway through the width of the strip on both ends (and attach them together) so that it will stay in a circular shape, and then cut off the remaining bits. Now insert it in the slit of one of the cans.

Step 2

In order to make one can fit into the other, you must bend inside one of them around all of its circumference (I twisted it through using pliers). Ideally, it should be the strip placed in between them that stops the cans after pushing them together.

Step 3

Cut out the centre bit of one of them until its neat and tidy, and then punch small holes around its outside as shown (I used a fine nail and a hammer for this).

Step 4

Having done two burners, I found that the one to the right works best, and I suspect it is because the bottom can fits outside the top one, allowing some vapours to escape from the other side of the holes and therefore encouraging the flames to go through them.

I also made a lid for my crusader cup out of tin to reduce boiling time: 

Step 5

 The metal bars at the top are not only to hold the lid from, but also add weight and solidness. I glued them to begin with but ended up stitching them with fine wire at the middle and ends.

Step 6

I was stunned to see that the set took half a litre of water to rolling boil in under six minutes, however at this time temperatures in Spain are very high indeed, so I suppose it will take longer in winter. I find in those circumstances, it will help to place a small candle under the stove to heat the alcohol.

Rogelio's tin can meth burner in use

I also noticed that trangia burners have fibres inside them to help alcohol rise to holes, but I struggled to find any adequate material. However it works all right without them.

The finished set

I would sincerely appreciate any suggestions as to how I could improve the burner or any comments/questions that you would like to make about it. I would also encourage anyone who hasn’t got a burner to give it a try: it is a cheap, easy method and, most importantly, works well!

Kindest regards,

Rogelio Luque Lora

2011 has been a particularly bad year for ticks all over the UK.  They can be active all year round in long grass, bracken, heather, woodland and hedgerows, especially where deer and livestock are present.  Ticks can carry organisms which may cause Lyme disease, so it is very important to keep an eye out for them.

Tick saliva contains various bio-chemicals that act as anaesthetics (which numb the bite area), anti-inflammatories (which prevent swelling), anticoagulants (which stop the blood from clotting), and cement to hold the tick firmly in place. They can feed for up to seven days without causing irritation. The barbs on the tick’s hypostome also keep the tick anchored in place while it feeds. It is during the introduction of saliva, and any regurgitation that may occur during the feeding, that infectious organisms can enter the body of the host, causing disease.

A tick found on one of our instructors

It is therefore important to prevent ticks feeding from us. To do this, we recommend that you wear gaiters or long trousers tucked into your socks when walking in long grass. To deter ticks, it’s a good idea to use insect repellent, such as Mosi-guard or Ultrathon, and to check yourself regularly.  As the old saying goes - prevention is better than cure!

If, when checking yourself you find a tick, it is best to act quickly.  The tick needs to be removed with either a pair of tweezers or a tick removing tool. Be careful not to squeeze the body, and aim to remove the tick whole.  It is best to wipe the area afterwards with antisceptic wipes.  If you experience any symptoms of Lyme disease, seek further advice and treatment from your doctor.

We have contacted our friends at BADA-UK (borreliosis & associated diseases awareness UK), a charity who spread the word about ticks and tick-borne diseases in the UK and Ireland.  Ray Mears became their patron a couple of years ago after he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, to help spread awareness.  We have received from BADA-UK up-to-date information to provide to our clients on courses they attend with us, as well as some fantastic tick removing tools, which are available to buy from BADA-UK.

If the name Hywel Evans rings a bell, it may be because you saw the fantastic pictures of his hand-finished Julius Pettersson Knife that we posted on our blog earlier this year. Well, Hywel has been busy again, putting his new knife to use in carving his very own Kuksa cup.

The Kuksa, or Guksi as it is otherwise known, is a traditional style of drinking cup originating from the Sami people of Northern Europe, which is carved from wood. Here’s how Hywel made his:

Hi guys, just thought I would send you the making of my Kuksa cup for the Woodlore blog. I started off by cutting a large birch burl off a tree I found with a 5 ft cross-cut saw, the only real tool in my opinion that can cut such a large burl off a tree without using a chain saw. I trimmed down the outer bark with a small hatchet and soaked the burl in water for a while to remove some of the sap in the wood, making the drying process faster. I then drew around a cup on the flat side to produce a cylindrical outline:

The first step

I then cut the excess pieces off with a bow saw and further trimmed with the hatchet:

Hywel's in-progress cup and Gransfors Outdoor Axe

Using my knife I then carved the cup into shape, with burl wood there are often hidden faults in the wood, so I did change the style slightly as I went along, remembering to always leave more wood than I needed. The carving was done quickly while the wood was still green because it is a lot easier to carve:

Hywel carving the Kuksa with his Julius Pettersson knife

The Kuksa was then boiled in salt water to dry it out before being sanded and oiled:

Being boiled in salt water

And finally, inlayed with reindeer antler:

Woodlore customer Paul Savoie kindly sent in the following article and photos:

Dear Woodlore,

Over the past two years I have purchased most of Ray’s DVDs from a local Canadian supplier; I noted that Ray always seems to have his NATO Crusader Cup with him. Shown below are a few photos illustrating some of the modifications I have made to the BCB Crusader Kit. I found the “clip-on” BCB Crusader Cup Hanger to be a rather precarious arrangement and an accident waiting to happen when handling boiling water over an open fire.

I made a new hanger using 3 mm (1/8 inch) diameter 304 grade stainless steel wire with corresponding modifications to the Crusader Cup and lid. The notches on the cup’s rim/lip keeps the wire hanger upright and very secure (see photos below):

Similar modifications were made to more securely attach the BCB supplied hanger:

I suspect the BCB hanger was designed to be more multi-functional (e.g. can be reshaped by hand to make a finger splint, wrap a broken tent pole or other gear repairs etc.). I believe the same hanger can also be found in some of their pocket-sized survival kits. I prefer my wire hanger since it is less prone to bending, hangs better from any branch or hook, it is easier for me to make the corresponding modifications to cup/lid, and takes up less room in my kit.

From my perspective the holes or slots on the side of the cup are not an issue since the cup will never be filled to that level and drinking or pouring liquids is done from either end of the cup, and not where the hangers are attached. Either modification is very secure and works quite well. I consider these minor modifications a refinement of an outstanding piece of kit.

I expect I am not the first one to think of this but thought Ray, and perhaps your Woodlore team/clients, may be interested.

P.S. The slots for the BCB hanger need to be cut a little lower than illustrated below, to allow the lid to fully seat onto the rim of the cup. I corrected my error when I drilled the holes a little lower for the wire hanger!

Paul J. Savoie Ontario, Canada

Richard Spencer, a Woodlore customer from Australia, kindly sent in the following post:

Dear Woodlore Team,

Having received the Fire Stick Rods from you, I had a bit of fun making handles for them:

Richard Spencer's Fire Stick, complete with gumnut handle

I used spent gumnuts. These things lie in their countless millions on the ground, in the woods and on the side of the roads where the gumnut trees grow. You’ve probably heard of them. They’re light, they float and they’re very tough yet easy to work with few tools. I used one tiny flat file and a bit of sandpaper to make this handle. There’s a small brass picture hook for a lanyard.

The gumnuts contain seeds which drop out, leaving these tough, smooth shells, which just beg to be used for other things.

They can be stuffed with cotton wool and after a few drops of aromatic oil, they’ll keep the car smelling fresh. If you soak them in paraffin then fill them up with melted candle wax, they make great firelighters.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Spencer