Abrahm Butts: An Amazing Kid Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance

by Todd Walker

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is to you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t you love to watch a young person swim against the societal current of dependency?

I’d like to introduce Abrahm Butts to you as a shining example of what Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance is all about. His journey to preparedness and self-reliance breathes hope into a generation floating down a creek without a paddle.

Abrahm, a 15 year-old Boy Scout, graciously answered a few questions I sent. Thought you’d enjoy learning what drives him to be more self-reliant. Check out his skills-based YouTube channel, BSA Bushcraft, and, don’t forget to subscribe and encourage him to Keep Doing the Stuff!

Q: Tell us about how you got started Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance and your new YouTube channel, BSA Bushcraft.

I got started in the survival stuff by watching Man vs Wild, I watched all of Bear’s episodes very quickly! After that I came across Dual Survival. I seemed to like that show a bit more than Man vs Wild. I was watching the first episodes of Dual Survival and in the introduction to Dave Canterbury they said he had a YouTube channel (Wilderness Outfitters), so I looked him up and literally watched ALL of his videos. I have learned most of my “Bushcraft” knowledge from Dave. I had a crazy idea one day to start my own channel and I did it is called BSA Bushcraft.

Q: What is the top tip you’d give to kids and adults wanting to build wilderness survival skills and becoming more self-reliant?

The top tip I would give to someone who is wanting to get started into bushcraft is practice in a SAFE environment whether that is your backyard or your porch.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge(s) you face in developing skills?

The biggest struggle I have when developing a skill is that I expect to get it done in 1 hour, but it can take a good amount of to have the skill down. Take your time with that skill and don’t rush it, or try to do to many skills at once.

Q: What advise would you give to kids wanting to get started in woodcraft/bushcraft but have little or no experience?

The advice I would tell to kids that are wanting to start into bushcraft is make a stable kit with the 10C’s then take your time and take the skills one at a time.

Q: If you had to choose one kit item to survive a 72-hour wilderness survival scenario, what would it be and why? 

In a 72-hour wilderness scenario I would choose a knife over anything for the reasons that I can carve traps to catch food. If I have a high carbon knife, I can find a rock with a hardness of 7 or greater, then maybe find a piece of fungus, then I have a way to make a fire. The fire I have created with just that knife I can improvise containers that can withstand fire so I can boil my water, cook my food, keep warm and keep predators out of my camp. I can do all of that with just that one tool.

Q: What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you when filming video for your channel (blooper reel stuff)? 

The funniest thing that has happened to me when I was making a video was I could not stop laughing for some odd reason when I said YouTube 😉

Q: How has your bushcraft training effected your education and outlook for your future? 

I don’t let my bushcraft get in the way of my grades. My education comes before bushcraft. Since I have discovered bushcraft, I have had some great opportunity’s to help my future. Like Todd was kind enough to let me do this interview. The Pathfinder Instructors have invited me to some events with them. I even have a show on Around the Cabin in the making, thanks too Rich!

Q: What’s the best value-adding resource you’d recommend for building and honing self-reliance skills?

The best value adding resource in my opinion is the internet. You can learn so much from researching and watching videos.

Thank you Todd for this awesome opportunity! 

Thanks,

Abrahm

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If you’d like to encourage this young man on his journey, subscribe to his channel. Here’s a taste of the stuff he’s doing…

If you know of other kids pursuing self-reliance, please let me know. We’d like to encourage them to Keep Doing the Stuff!

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, YouTube and our Facebook page… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network on Pinterest, Google +, and Facebook.

P.P.S – If you find value in our blog, Dirt Road Girl and I would appreciate your vote on Top Prepper Sites! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding sites while you’re there…

Thanks for Sharing the Stuff!

Copyright: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. All links in articles must remain intact as originally posted in order to be republished. If you are interested a third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.

Camp Craft: How to Tie Square Lashing

by Todd Walker

With spring near, you’re hoping for a cure to cabin fever. Maybe a camping trip to your favorite spot is in order. Time to refresh your camp craft skills and awe your camping buddies with your rope and stick tying skills!

Lashing isn’t just for Boy Scouts and pirates. This skill comes in handy for gardeners, homesteaders, bushcrafters, and for that unlikely event when you need to build a raft to escape a cannibal infested island.

Traditional Square Lashing

Square lashing is used when securing spars (poles) that cross between 45º to 90º angles. It’s a super strong lashing still used in many parts of the world to build bamboo scaffolding. You probably won’t have the need for a 5 story construction platform, but you may want to build a few camp comforts like a table or wash station.

Lashing Lingo

These are commonly used terms when describing the art of lashing stuff together.

Wrap: A series of turns of cordage around two or more spars (poles) you’re binding together.

Frap: Turns of cordage on top and perpendicular to the previous wraps. Fraps go between the spars to pull the joint tight.

Spars: Poles to be lashed together.

Tag End: The short end of your cordage when tying knots and lashings. AKA ~ running end.

Working End: The long end of your cordage when tying knots and lashings. AKA ~ standing end.

Tongue Lashing: What you’ll receive from camping buddies if your lazy lashings on camp furniture fail. Take your time, use good materials, and tie it right.

Material List

Cordage: I use #36 Tarred Mariner’s Line (bank line) for 95% of lashing projects. Other options in order of my preference are:

• Natural fiber rope/twine – whipping should be applied to the ends to prevent unraveling.
• Paracord – I use red paracord in this demonstration as a visual aide. Melt the ends to stop fraying. It is my least favorite cordage for lashing.

Spars: Two wrist-size sticks; one vertical, one horizontal.

Cutting Tool: Scissors work… but not the most manly cutting tool at camp.

Tie One On

For practice, consider building a lashing station in the backyard. Set two posts in the ground. Lash a cross spar between the two posts about waist height. Stand another spar against the horizontal cross spar to practice on.

A rain-soaked lashing station in the backyard

Step 1: Determine Cordage Length

As a math teacher, here’s a simple equation to prevent cutting cordage too short or too long.

Cordage Equation: y = 3x

Y represents the total length of cordage needed. X is the variable representing the combined diameter of the two spars being lashed together. The number in front of the X, also called the coefficient (you didn’t really want to know that), represents 3 feet.  Let’s say the combined diameter of the two spars is 5 inches. Plug in 5 for x and multiply by 3 feet. You’ll need 15 feet of cordage.

Step 2: Starting Knot

Take one end of your cordage and secure it to the vertical spar using either a clove hitch or timber hitch. The starting knot will be beneath the horizontal cross spar. These two knots are easy to tie and untie without resorting to cutting with those cool camp scissors.

A clove hitch is basically two half hitches put together.

I prefer to start lashings with a timber hitch (my video below shows how to tie a quick one). For this blog post, I used a clove hitch with the red paracord. If you choose a clove hitch, leave a long tag end (3 to 6 inches) that will be twisted around the working end of the cordage as an added security measure on the knot.

Extra long tag end for demonstration purposes

Step 3: Begin Wrapping

With the tag end twisted around the working end of your cordage, (a) wrap it up and over the horizontal spar, (b) around the backside of the vertical spar, (c) back over the opposite side of the horizontal spar, (d) and back around the vertical spar where the clove hitch is secured.

This completes your first wrapping. The wraps should cross the spars at a 90º angle… this angle gives the Square Lashing its name.

This is the pattern for the wraps. Note: The working end of the cordage is in my left hand… only because my camera is in my right hand.

Continue this wrapping pattern until you have 3 or 4 complete wraps. I don’t count the first twisted wrap. It’s important that you keep the wraps as tight and parallel to one another as possible during the process. This not only aids the appearance of your lashing but also functions to  make the joint stronger with less friction on the cordage.

Note: Keeping slick paracord tight can be a challenge. Wrap a toggle stick in the working end of your rope to help pull the wraps and fraps tight.

Wraps completed and ready for frapping

Step 4: Begin Frapping

Take the working end of the cordage between the spars and over the previous wraps to create one frapping. Apply at least two fraps between the spars. Cinch the frapping tight with a toggle. Tarred bank line bites and holds on itself very well. That’s one reason it’s my goto cordage.

Toggle used to tighten frapping

Step 5: Ending Knot

With the wraps and fraps tight, you’re ready to terminate the lashing. Tie a clove hitch on the horizontal cross spar next to the wrapping. An easy shortcut is to tie two half hitches to form a clove hitch. This makes terminating slippery cordage much easier. Just be sure to wiggle and tighten each half hitch. For added security, tie a third half hitch beside the clove hitch.

Two half hitches

The previous half hitches forming a clove hitch

The finished square lashing…

The rear view

 

Sometimes it’s easier to just watch a video on lashing. Here’s a square lashing video using tarred bank line while building a camp table.

If you need to lash a tripod, check out this video:

Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network.

P.P.S – If you find value in our blog, Dirt Road Girl and I would appreciate your vote on Top Prepper Sites! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding sites while you’re there… 

Thanks for Sharing the Stuff!

Copyright: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. All links in articles must remain intact as originally posted in order to be republished. If you are interested a third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.

 

 

 

14 DiY Projects for Wilderness Self-Reliance

by Todd Walker

Utilize your Possum Mentality and make your own stuff. At the end of the day, your ingenuity will be rewarded with one-of-a-kind handcrafted items that will cause your haversack to swell with pride.

Turning your bushcraft buddies green with envy isn’t the goal, but you gotta admit, munching on pemmican you made while applying your diy fixin’ wax to your ax handle around the campfire is not only personally satisfying – but a open-source learning session.

Here’s 14 I’ve put together for you. What’s your best diy wilderness project?

A.) Simple Fixin’ Wax Recipe

B.) Lashing an Outdoor Cooking Tripod

Prefect!

C.) Turn a Wool Blanket into a Hunting Shirt

Wool blanket hunting shirt

D.) A Waterproof Fire Starter Hack that Guarantees Fire

Waxed jute twine

E.) Uncle Otha’s Fat Lighter’d Torch

Notice the dried chucks of pine resin to the right.

F.) Char Tins and Charred Material for Your Next Fire

Making char material to ensure future fires

G.) DiY Survival Sling Shot for Fishing and Hunting

Fishing and hunting options

H.) Bow Drill Bearing Block from a Fat Lighter’d Knot

You can never have enough fat wood in your kit!

I.) How-To Make Ranger Pace Count Beads

DRG’s bejeweled pace beads!

J.) How-To Re-Haft an Ax

Not bad for an “almost free” yard sale find!

K.) Turn a Cigar Sleeve into a Survival Fishing Kit

Fishing line taped

L.) Altoids Tin Lamp in Under 5 Minutes

Wick inserted

M.) Make Your Own Pemmican

Bread of the wilderness!

N.) A Bomb Proof Modification for the Pathfinder Cook Set

Adds an extra container to your kit

Trading theory for action by practicing Doing the Stuff skills for self-reliance is how we roll. So find your spot around the fire and share your best DiY bushcraft projects… the comment section is open!

Keep Doing the Stuff,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, and our Facebook page… and over on the Doing the Stuff Network on Pinterest, Google +, and Facebook.

P.P.S – If you find value in our blog, Dirt Road Girl and I would appreciate your vote on the Top Prepper Sites! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding Prepper sites while you’re there…

Thanks for sharing the stuff!

Copyright Information: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. All links in articles must remain intact as originally posted in order to be republished. If you are interested a rare third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.