Woods Wander / Gear & Food Testing

 Couple hours in the woods north of Porteau Cove BC 🇨🇦. 

My goals were exercise, buddy check on an old hobo staying in the woods for a couple weeks, and to test out my homemade firestarters and homemade dehydrated hiking meals. 

The area has always been a dumping ground ground for stolen vehicles and garbage - lots more added since I was here two weeks ago

Found a huge cougar paw print in the mud

Wandered up to the bluffs to see to the views and Howe Sound. Found a nice blob of pine pitch and a chunk of fat wood for firestarting. 

Carried on wandering thru the woods, checked in on Old Bill. He was packing up his shelter and getting ready to ride his bicycle and cargo trailer into Squamish for supplies and to relocate to woods near there. Out of respect for his desire for privacy and need to be left alone, I'll not post details. Suffice to say , he was grateful to see me and appreciated the food (coffee, oats, rice, dried beans. Chocolate, and various other supplies I brought him). 

After chatting for a bit , I moved on thru the woods and found a spot to have a brew up & lunch. Set up my Basha (tarp) for practice and to have a spot to duck under due to the occasions snow sleet that was coming down 

Tested out my homemade fire starters - blue mechanic shop towels soaked in wax versus cotton balls soaked in wax. The blue shop towels burned with a much larger hotter fiercer flame than the cotton balls, but they didn't last as long (4 minutes vs 6 minutes ) . Still, the blue shop towels pack flat and can be carried in cargo pants pockets.....and they burn much hotter - which equals faster fire starting. 

Used my waxed cotton balls in my MKettle Ghillie Kettle to boil water to rehydrate my homemade dehydrated brown rice, 6 bean, 2 lentil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, curry , cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, tomato mix. It was very enjoyable 

Had a great hot lunch , spent time practicing bush skills, made hot chocolate and then packed up camp and headed back to the truck, as a major winter snow / sleet dump was starting and the Howe Sound winds were picking up. 

Great day. 

RUM

 Those who know me, know I love dark rum, especially from Cuba or the West Indies. Scored a bottle of Havana Club "Reserva" Anejo dark rum tonight on sale at the local liquor store. Can't wait to pour a glass and sample it. I've had the regular Havana Club dark rum, but never the Reserva. Looking forward to a tasting. 

 

West Manning Dayhike

Dayhike with a friend and his dog. Guided them to see an old mine and some abandoned old cabins from the 40's and 60's. Severe damage to the trail - the bridge was washed out buy the massive rainstorms late last year. Hundreds of trees had been washed down the river, resulting in the bridge being torn out. That didn't stop us. We crossed the river anyways. 

Photos in random order

#hiking #tomahawk #loadbearingwebbing #outdoors