If anybody has found great ideas for bushcrafting, ax/knife care, fire stuff, camping, compasses, optics and general woodlore – why not share? Cold weather is coming! 
Let's get the heck outside!
Been watching too many outdoors videos;
a Dakota fire pit is happening (this time!) in the next overnighter. 
Anyways.
Got out the tent to re-scotchgard and found a broken shock cord. Frowned. Those things are always breaking, whether from use, misuse or age. Hate 'em. Gotta be a better way ...
Had this tarred twinage that bushcraft people use. I yanked out all the rest of the shock cords and rethreaded the tent's poles with the twine. Did have to drill a little hole in the plastic cup-leg that catches the end of the poles, so the twine's tip could pass through. The tarred twine, No18, being non-elastic (and 600x stronger) doesn't retract, hence the little hole. It's a bit longer and stiff enough to push through. Knots keep it all together. Any other tent may be the same or different, but if anyone else hates shock cords too, it seems to be working. At least now, if I have to set up in rainy car headlights, the @#%&! shock cord won't bust!
And in an emergency, I guess, there's 25' of strong cordage in there ...
What else works?
AA
Let's get the heck outside!Been watching too many outdoors videos;
a Dakota fire pit is happening (this time!) in the next overnighter. Anyways.Got out the tent to re-scotchgard and found a broken shock cord. Frowned. Those things are always breaking, whether from use, misuse or age. Hate 'em. Gotta be a better way ...
Had this tarred twinage that bushcraft people use. I yanked out all the rest of the shock cords and rethreaded the tent's poles with the twine. Did have to drill a little hole in the plastic cup-leg that catches the end of the poles, so the twine's tip could pass through. The tarred twine, No18, being non-elastic (and 600x stronger) doesn't retract, hence the little hole. It's a bit longer and stiff enough to push through. Knots keep it all together. Any other tent may be the same or different, but if anyone else hates shock cords too, it seems to be working. At least now, if I have to set up in rainy car headlights, the @#%&! shock cord won't bust!
And in an emergency, I guess, there's 25' of strong cordage in there ...What else works?
AA
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What's better than commando bands?
But any small object - a camo Zippo etc - dropped in the woods ... well. The orange is a good idea.
You can tell when you melt a freshly cut end... It keeps burning! 
Dave Canterbury's second book, Advanced Bushcraft, is so good, I finished it, flipped it around and started through a second time ... recommend.
