Cool Backwoods Living Skills

To make starting with a ferro rod easier, scrape the inner side of the bark with you knife into a small pile and ignite the powder with your ferro rod, or if you are old school, flint and steel.

 

Standing deadwood is always better. Also forget about birch that has been laying on the ground. Even though the bark will look like the log is there, the wood can be rotted through. Even standing birch can get this way, so watch out for widow-makers.

 

agreed..

I used to teach land navigation/competitive orienteering in Army..
In 'Nam, I taught map & compass refresher courses to incoming lieutenants..

watch is great tool

don't forget the old stick pointed at Polaris before sleeping (put it in two locations in case one gets kicked)

lay cross stick at 90 deg

in morning, you st least have a general idea of NSEW

good old stick in ground and watch shadow ain't bad either