Beautiful Bee's

There are around 250 species of Bee's in the UK, now I know very little about them except that they are quite beautiful and very difficult to photograph, here a couple of pictures, if you know what species they are, do let me know..

1.

2.

3.

all taken on the same knapweed plant..

Possibles Pouch Contents - 21st Century Style

I guess we all have a possibles pouch of sorts, even if it's just whats in the contents of our pockets, but I tend to carry one in each bag I use, be it 24hr up to weekly bags, each has a little 1litre dry bag containing items I may need.. Just like the pioneers who carried, shot, a knife, firemaking equipment or even a pipe and tobacco in theirs, each pouch tends to be a reflection of the person who put it together..

and here it is, all contents safe and sound and protected from water, it packs down to about 6x5x4 inches, I think that's pretty tidy!

and here's the contents of this one, as I say each one may differ slightly but this is a pretty standard kit. I like to pack with the idea that each item has multiple uses

1. the dry bag itself, aside from containing everything also acts as a water carrier, forage bag

2. a plastic ziplock bag for water or burn dressings or a container

3. some water disinfecting tablets

4. an electrolite drink mix

5. a lighter

6. a cotton bandana, for filtering, making charcloth , wound dressing etc

7. a carbon steel knife, for cutting also for throwing sparks

8. a small torch/flashlight

9. a roll of duct tape, for repairs, wounds, and it also burns very well

10. a pair of tweezers for removing splinters, ticks etc

11. a small multitool, a myriad of uses!

12. a folding spoon or sometimes a masala spoon

13. a needle and strong linen thread, for repairs, cordage, snares, fishing line etc.

14. a folding cup, drinking vessel, container

15. a tin opener, can be utilised as a cutting tool or made into an arrowhead

16. a tube of superglue, for repairs (I've actually had to use this to fix a crown! It's still going strong!!)

17. A tin of vaseline (I use my own maxiwax instead, it's edible, burns well, lubricates and waterproofs, can make a candle from it!) Use the tin for char cloth

18. safety pins, lots of little uses, even making into fish hooks.

this nearly covers the 5 C's of survivability, the only thing missing is shelter, but I usually have a tarp or even good waterproofs, or if needs must I can build a shelter..

Above and Beyond Discount Code Offer !

Buzzard has teamed up with the award winning online retailer Above and Beyond to bring you a very special offer!

This great retailer has won the Great Outdoor Award 2013 for online retailer of the year, and now with Buzzard Bushcraft we can offer you an even more enticing incentive to place your order with these guys!

Craig and his team of outdoor enthusiasts has offered the Buzzard Bushcraft readership a whopping 12% off the RRP of any product on their website!!!

Although some products already have a 5% or more discount, using the special Buzzard code will bring this up to 12% !!

Place a big order and this could end up saving you a bundle.

How it works... Contact us here at Buzzard Bushcraft at the email address at the top of  the page just beneath our header and we will send the Discount code back to you by email..Then simply go to the Above and Beyond website and place your order using the code and the discount will be taken from your total!

Brilliant, eh?

This is only available through Buzzard Bushcraft in conjunction with Above and Beyond..

check out their website here

www.aboveandbeyond.co.uk

Introducing ROBwithaB.

We were contacted recently by some friends in South Africa and asked to share some of Rob's videos with you. I must admit they are a little quirky, but at a time when I see Bushcrafters and Survivalists taking themselves all too seriously it's nice to watch a video that's informative but leaves you smiling at the end of it.

Remember, our passion is about learning but it should also be enjoyable, nothing wrong with Laughing while Learning!!

Check out some of his other videos too, he's sure to put a smile on your face!

(The video doesn't appear on some mobile devices, so here's a link to it direct on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ngw2rXWL5s )

Lord Farquhar Firesteel

I recently got a firesteel on BCUK from Mozzy, who goes by the username Lord Farquhar on a number of bushie/knife forums..here's a few pics and a quick trial of the steel

as you can see it's a big steel and I have largish hands taking a size 9/10 in gloves so this is a biggish lump of metal easily taking all four fingers

and in hand, as I say, quite large and feels a little unwieldy because of the size, an inch or so smaller may have fitted a three finger grip more easily

and how does it spark? Well quite decently, not as ferocious as some I have in my collection but it throws decent enough sparks to light char cloth and as you can see here, some amadou.

It was made of water quenched O1 steel and does a decent enough job.

I know Mozzy usually makes Knife blades (I have a few myself) and this maybe a departure for him, but it works well and I'm sure we'll see a few more from his stable soon.

Lauri 120 Blade Hawthorn Handle Knife

Got the knife making bug again so thought I'd make one with another Lauri blade, I used a piece of Hawthorn that I cut myself and let dry for the handle.

all the bits ready to go, the hawthorn has had the outer bark stripped but the cambium layer left on to prevent it drying out too fast indoors, it can be prone to splitting.

the hole was drilled then sawed out to make it wide enough to accept the tang of the blade

all the bits assembled and glued, the brass end cap placed then peened to prevent it coming loose

you can see the end cap better in this shot

ok, obviously a step on! All sanded down and handle shaped and blade rubbed to give a satin finish.. you can see how creamy white hawthorn tends to be.

and with it's new set of clothes!

and a buzzard Logo..

Hawthorn is a fairy wood and is said to possess great powers, Talismans were often made from this wood and given to a loved one to protect them when they were apart from each other, it keeps the memory of your lover always close to mind and protects them from harm, it's also a wood that attracts the attention of the little people so it's best to always ask before taking the wood in the first place!

So if anyone ever gives you a token made from hawthorn, treasure it, it's got power.

New Dual Survival Host.. Matt Graham

For those of you who don't already know Matt Graham is the new host of Dual Survival after Cody was let go. This new guy is the same one you may have seen in Dude you're Screwed or Survive That if you're in the UK.

He's renowned as an athlete and has a proven record in primitive skills and wilderness living skills with his forte being the Atlatl.

I've already seen a few of his DS shows and to be honest I'm yet to be convinced, he seems a decent guy , he comes across as very laid back and easy going, very nature aware and Gaia orientated.. a stark contrast to the bumbling idiot that is Teti.. 

In my opinion I think DS has run it's course and needs to be scrapped, we should be getting more excited about the TV program Dave Canterbury is making and producing himself and which will be airing on his you tube channel soon..