With all the modern materials turning up we are starting to forget the old and reliable way of dressing for outdoor life. Techniques which our ancestors used in everyday life while working in the forest, hunting and harvesting are in many ways far more efficient and reliable than the clothes used nowadays. The three layer system The three layers are the base layer , used to wick moisture (sweat) from the skin, it is worn closest to the body. The mid layer which is your insulation. And the outer shell , which protects you from the weather. They all serve very important roles in your heat regulation. The genius thing about the three layer system is that you can remove just one layer to regulate heat and adjust for the weather. On a warm but rainy day you can skip the mid layer and just use the base layer and the shell. On a calm but cold day you may just need the base and mid layer for maximum ventilation. Also, when you are moving fast by biking or using some vehicle it's g...

Here are six youtube channels which stand out above the rest, through rich content and an original view on bushcraft. These are the channels which teach beyond just the basic skills. Have some recommendations yourself? Let us know in the comments! Survival Lilly Lilly is an Austrian bushcrafter survivalist with lots of knowledge on both primitive and modern bushcraft and survival.  Her channel covers everything from urban survival to advanced techniques on making hand drill fire . Unlike many other bushcraft channels she's actually in the forest making her videos under real circumstances. You can see her jumping in ice cold water with her only set of clothes and then making a fire to dry them. Shes building advanced primitive shelters and she shows more than 10 ways of making fire . Everything is shown with very simple and easy-to-follow instructions. Shes very inspiring and I hope that she can inspire more people out there, and especially other girls to take up the...

The speedy stitcher is a handy little sewing machine you can bring on trips and have at home for handicraft projects. It has saved me countless times on trips when backpack seams or shoe seams has broken. The seam it makes is identical to a sewing machine's. Except instead of using a bobbin you thread the lower thread yourself by hand. The handle has a nice shape which makes it easy to press the needle through really thick materials. To see how it works, take a look at this video by Youtube user Sask Hunting The speedy stitcher ships with two needles, one straight and one slightly bent in the top. They have a cutting point to sew well in leather. Along the needle is a track for the thread, which makes it stay in place on one side, and make a loop on the other when you pull it back. The thread, which is usually waxed cotton, linen, hemp or polyester is stored inside the wooden part of the stitcher. When you buy thread, make sure it's not the kind of super sticky waxed ...

You may be familiar with rivets, but have you used Chicago screws? Here we take a look at different kinds of rivets and Chicago screws and compare them. Rivets are used in exposed areas such as the shoulder straps on backpacks and the buck tie attachment on a belt, where just sewing isn't enough. It's no wonder that Duluth pack uses them on their very tough backpacks . Rivets The basic principle of a rivet is that it consists of two parts, a post and a cap. The post is the long part which goes through the material. The cap is put on the post from the other side of the material. The ideal length of the post is less than 1/8" (3 mm) longer than the thickness of the material. Exactly how long depends on the type of rivet you are using. Usually you can find instructions on the product's page. The diameter of the cap and the head on the post should be as small as possible without slipping through the hole in the leather. If it's too big it will cause too much ...

Lets compare the heat retention of a food thermos vs. a beverage thermos. As you probably know a sphere is the geometrical shape which has the least surface area to volume ratio. A food thermos is typically lower and wider than a beverage thermos, making it closer in shape to a sphere. Meaning, if it has the same volume as a beverage thermos it has less surface area. And less surface means less heat loss. But it's not that simple with a thermos. Since the cap is less insulated than the walls, and a food thermos has a bigger (and thinner) cap than a beverage thermos. Meaning the food thermos has more area which is less insulated than the beverage thermos. For this experiment I got the most durable thermoses I could find, one Thermos Stainless King 16 oz. Food Thermos and one Thermos Stainless King 16 oz. Beverage Thermos . (Also available in bigger sizes .) According to the manufacturer they both keep the content hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Let's see if tha...

Probably the most durable water bottle on the market right now. Made only of natural materials. And with the possibility to get engraved with your own text . The bottle itself is made of stainless steel and the cap is a combination of stainless steel, bamboo and silicone. It's available in 27 oz and 18 oz sizes. I hear some people being concerned about it giving a taste of metal to the water. This is not true, unless you keep the water in the bottle for a really long period of time, it stays fresh for at least 18 hours. And even then, I much prefer that slight metallic taste to the taste and toxins of a plastic bottle. The best part is you can store hot liquids without worry of toxins. And in an emergency you can even use it as a pot to boil water inside. Just make sure to keep the cap off, or it might explode. The engravings on the bottle are etched with laser to keep it paint-free and to last longer despite heavy usage. And as I mentioned you can get your own engravi...

There are a few key features a good compass for outdoor life should have. But surprisingly there are very few compasses which has all of these. These are some necessary features to look for when buying one: A dial with degrees as well as orienting lines for taking out a compass bearing. Scales and rulers for measuring distances on the map. A mirror , which you use to walk in exactly the direction the needle is pointing. This mirror obviously has many other advantages, like when you are applying your contact lenses or signaling in an emergency. Adjustable declination correction. This is where most compasses fail. Magnetic declination is created because the magnetic north and the geographical north are not in the exact same location. Some maps have declination lines to make up for this misgiving. But far from all of them. If you have a compass with adjustable declination correction you can use any map, anywhere in the world and it will still give you correct directions. A ...

Over 3800 knots in the most comprehensive book on knot tying, with clear illustrations describing each knot. If there is one book on knots you need to have, it's The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley . Written as early as 1944 but still as useful as back then. I'm a big fan of knot tying, I can sit for hours learning new knots for different uses. There are a lot of good books out there. But they are all out-shined by the Ashley Book of Knots. It has an amazing 3854 knots, everything from how you tie a kite to advanced decorational knots all with simple and easy-to-understand drawings, sorted in categories to make it easy to find the knot you need. But what really puts this book in a whole different league is the fact that the history and use for almost every knot is briefly explained. Very simple and clear drawings make the knots easy to understand. Ashley also teaches us the names of different types of knots and their parts. Like the difference between a ...