If you have a project you’re working on that requires fabric, have a look at the Harts Fabric website. We dropped in to their store in Santa Cruz, California, and were impressed by the plaid, cotton twills, the ripstop nylon, and the selection of duck canvas on hand.
They were very helpful and have a large selection of well-priced off cuts. This is a great resource for outdoor fabrics. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and have an interested in seeing huge, circular blades slicing through big redwood logs, head up to historic Sturgeon’s Mill this weekend, west of Sebastopol for their open house. They run the mill four times per summer. This is their first session of the year.
Here’s a post I wrote about it a couple of years ago, including some video of the mill in action.
In case you haven’t heard, Overland Expo 2013 will be taking place this weekend at Mormon Lake Lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The 3-day event draws attendees from around the world who come to camp, check out exhibits from over 140 vendors, watch films, make connections, and take classes which run the gambit from driver training (4×4 and motorcycle), maintenance, planning and logistics, to safety & communication. The list is quiet comprehensive, and even includes region-specific roundtable table discussions on sub-Saharan Africa, or Mexico, for example.
Last year’s event drew over 5,000 people. Camping opens on Thursday May 16, and the event proper runs Friday to Sunday. Pack-up and head-out is on Monday.
Here are some quick links:
The event details
The schedule of classes
The FAQ
Have fun!
If you ever find yourself in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, I highly recommend checking out the Museum at Campbell River. It features exhibits that cover history of the area from native tribes to whites settling and the subsequent logging, fishing, and tourism industries. The exhibit is very well designed and displayed.
Native ceremonial masks were lit on the wall of one darkened room. We barely had time to take them in before a voice spoke up to tell their story. Natalie jumped and grabbed my arm. After we both relaxed a bit, we listened to The Treasures of Siwidi, a story of the supernatural exploits of an ancestor of the Kwakwaka’wakw people.
The rest of the museum was equally well done with room-sized recreations of logging shacks and old hotels, interesting displays explaining fishing techniques, and so on. As I said, highly recommended.
More photos below. Read the rest of this entry »
All photos: Jonathan Ridgeon
Are you looking for a winter project, maybe something you can use come spring? Well, how about this canvas, skin-on-frame canoe build from Jon’s Bushcraft? It’s about 14.7 feet long, 3 feet wide, and big enough for two.
The canoe is made mainly from hand-sawn ash. The ribs are steam-bent hazel. A little bit of oak trim along the gunnels, and some cane for the seats, round out the project. A skin of 9.5 oz canvas, stretched and painted, keeps the water out. There aren’t any plans for this canoe. You just build it by eye.
When I followed up with Jon, he said the project required 3 or 4 months worth of weekends, and about £180 (~$285 at today’s rates) in of materials. Most of the cost is in the ash and the canvas. The hazel for the ribs, which he collected from a nearby woodland, was free.
He reports that the canoe feels light on the water, turns well, and that the canvas is pretty sturdy. Of the three canoes he’s built, he’s never had a puncture. Still, he recommends to only paddle on calm lakes and streams.
If you paddle solo, especially in a breeze, the bow can be tricky to control (as with any canoe). The solution I like is to fill a 3 or 4 gallon dry bag with water and place it in the bow. The extra weight, far forward, will keep canoe on a steady course no matter what the breeze.
Start now and by the time the warm weather hits, you’ll be taking your first test paddle. The results are beautiful.
More photos after the jump.
Link trail: Jon’s Bushcraft, 3rd SOF Canadian-style Canoe Read the rest of this entry »
