A few weeks back, I cued up a trip to Nightcap National Park, about an hour from home.  I set up a simple shelter and tested out some gear...  Nightcap was a great destination, and camping in the rainforest was a dream come true for a frustrated explorer.  Read more in my main write up... 


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 Found this the other day:



I'm going to restore it...give it a new handle and re-profile edge.  Its actually a very sound head, it just needs some cleaning up.  Its a hefty weight, nearly 2.8kgs.  It'll make a very effective felling axe.  Stay tuned for the end result...


GB















 

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This one is a gift for a friend.

 

See more pics here from the Knife Gallery...


GB

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Stumbled on this recently and was blown away.  View it in HD mode if you can.  Sit back for three minutes and fall into another world of images. (The video has restrictions on size when I embed it, check his website for a larger version)

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk6_hdRtJOE


This guy also has some simply stunning work on the Aurora Borealis.  Follow his links above.


GB
 

 


 

 

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You may remember a few posts back I flagged an up and coming forum for bushcraft, based right here in Australia... well its finally a reality and is in full swing!  Its going to be a very important site I can tell, so get in to it, sign up and be a part of what will become a very large community of like-minded people.  There's sections for bushtucker, edged tools, gear... there's something for everyone...  



See the site here.

GB



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For those in the know, Mora has a very distinct place in the world of bushcraft.  Recommended, tested and used the world over, these simple and practical knives are a very useful tool and superb value for money to boot.  I recently purchased the Mora Scout and is available in five different colours.  Here's mine (in red):



Blade: 100mm
Handle: Plastic
Sheath: Plastic/Rubber
 
Mora of Sweden have long and rich heritage in the knife making business...too long to go into in detail, read about it all o...
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Lightweight, affordable, easy to use and well designed. Thats the sum of this great little stove I bought the other week, there's not much more to it than that...  



Splash in a bit of meths to the centre of the stove and simply using a match or lighter, ignite the fuel.   Give it a few seconds and the power of physics means the gases expand in the gape between the fuel holder and the outer wall and the pressurised vapours escape in a jet like form through the holes in the top... all very cleve...
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We had slid and stumbled and fallen and scrambled and shuffled and grasped and scratched our way what seemed like all afternoon.  We'd sniffed the cold air till our noses ran; there were twigs in our socks and scratches on our hands, but it was worth it.  The steep bank we had just negotiated levelled just enough to reveal the treasure we had unwittingly stumbled upon.  It might as well have been Shangri La itself, we didn't care it was probably listed on any map you buy in a supermarket, it ...
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Saw these Antarctic Beech trees earlier today at Springbrook National Park.  I had some work on the outskirts of the park and couldn't resist a quick look in....excuse the (not so) great quality of the pictures...was stuck only with a phone.



These Antarctic Beech (Nothofungas moorei) are ancient remnants of the long lost continent Gondwana.  Preferring cooler climbs they are isolated to a very limited population in southern NSW and here in the Gold Coast Hinterland.  They can grow up to 50m in...
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So here's another awesome tinder, this time a natural choice…  Thistle grows wild in the fields and paddocks over here, and as it seeds it produces a fine cotton like fluff that is the bees knees for tinder.  Here's a look at it in the field as it grows:

 

 

Once its picked, its best to loosen the fibres a bit before you try a spark.  Of course a match makes light work of it, but with a good firesteel you get a great result anyway.  You can read about firesteels here.

Check out this youtub...

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There's definitely something satisfying about old tools…I found an old selection of files hiding away and have been keen to use them properly for some time- only none had handles…and no handles for some time it seems:

 

My rehandling efforts  were rough and ready, carved plainly out of some sections of Camphur Laurel.  Some of the file tangs were heated and simply burned into the handles, others were drilled first and then glued.  I like the feel of the rough surface, it adds to the rus...

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So its clear I've hardly been on top of this blog of late...things certainly have a habit of occupying time and space...like moving house or having two boys under the age of two... or just living for that matter!  BUT, I've since organised new internet connections and am now fully connected to the world at large at sizzling ADSL2 speeds.  Excellent.  My time and space is slowly being realigned with the rhythms of a new house (and workshop space) and now, for the betterment of all, some rather...
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Buried in the greenhouse at the bottom of the Garden was treasure.  Real life, buried in a bag, treasure.  The short and somewhat simple treasure hunt had lead me to the muggy, funny smelling greenhouse; promises of a 'really cool' present from my Dad had gotten me this far.  I was twelve years old.  Or eleven.  Young enough to still appreciate hidden presents and prospective treasure.

The hot soil gave way and wrapped tightly in a plastic bag was a small package; it felt like a book, and gr...

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Fire is Important, this we all know, but check this latest discovery for an awesome tinder choice:

   

Its lint from the Tumble dryer.  Empty the catcher and hey presto, dry, ultra flammable tinder.  Drop a few sparks from a firesteel an away it goes.  This stuff really works!  Its not a natural material as such, but its worth it to always have a reliable tinder.  Check out the Gear section of the site for a more in-depth look at the firesteel and this awesome tinder...
 
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Its been too long since the last post... Christmas, New Year, alot of rain... and two kids under two make things more of a challenge!  Having said that things have been progressing; the latest project finally found completion recently in the shape of a new knife for my wife Leah.  Check the Knife Gallery page here for a more detailed look, but see below for a quick glimpse:
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Having been in contact with Ray Mears' blog for some time now, they've just added my knife to their blog feed!!  I had created this handle a couple months back and decided to send in a pic for the team at Ray Mears to see. The blade I used for the knife is only available through the website so its only fitting I let them see what I did with it...here's the knife:




Ray Mears has been and will always be the god-father of what has become known around the world as bushcraft and for me is a personal...
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I have a friend.  He has a knife.  I offer to make a new sheath for said knife.  Friend replies "Yes".  I make sheath for said knife for said friend.  Friend is satisfied and I post pics on my blog...  

 
 
 

   
 
 See here for a look at how I made this sheath from scratch...and a more in-depth write up...!











 
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Hi all,
Just a quick update for GrayBear and to tell you about some exciting new developments that are, well, developing!  

I virtually stumbled over this website recently, actually finding about 6 months ago when it was in its infancy, but having connected with its founder, its been confirmed that its going live in the coming months!  As new as it is, I know this forum will really pick up pace and become a place that will equip, inspire and encourage anyone interested in Bushcraft and the wild...
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Welcome to the GrayBear blog!  With much anticipation I write this first ever blog post here at GrayBear, and what a spectacular way to begin what will hopefully be a great collection of inspiration and interest...  This blog will always try to bring something fresh and new and hopefully inspire you to get out and encounter some of the things included in the blog... oh and some nice photos.

With that out of the way, let me introduce you to sunrise at Mt Warning on the far NSW Coast:


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