Fire Prep - Swamp Rat Rodent 9

[Tinelement]

I love camping in the snow.

Just got back from a winter backpacking overnighter. What a great weekend.

My wife got me a Swamp Rat Rodent 9 this year for my birthday, bless her heart! I have been using an Esee 5 for my pack "survival" knife and absolutely love it, but was looking for something a bit larger for the bigger chopping duties. After plenty of research I landed on the Rodent 9. #1 reason was the 1/4" blade thickness.

This weekend was her maiden voyage. We fell 3 trees, the Rodent 9 processed all of them, like butter. [mop]

Couldn't be happier!!

Check out the stack of fire wood........


9xxBZDyYYYU

[ray1970]

Dang it. Now I need to do a little research. I've been thinking about a Junglass.

[Tinelement]

Shootersfab (in the white) has the Junglas. Awesome knife! Since he already had one, and we do a lot of these adventures together, I figured I try the Swamp Rat out. I'm glad I did. That extra weight with the 1/4" blade is very noticeable when you make contact after a swing. It's more to carry around, although it's not much. I also think you get a little better splitter with the 1/4" blade, wedges the wood open farther.

[Irving]

Great timing on this post. Just tonight I was messing with my stone grinding wheel and decided I need to make a large knife out of the old lawnmower blade I have laying around in my garage.

[beast556]

I'm gonna get an esee 5 soon. Any of you guys know of any one localy selling esee knives???

[rbeau30]

I need to test out my gear in winter. I want to do this but with only my get home bag.

[kidicarus13]

I'm gonna get an esee 5 soon. Any of you guys know of any one localy selling esee knives???

Rapid Fire Bunker

[spleify]

Awesome vid Neal. Thanks for sharing!

[Tinelement]

I need to test out my gear in winter. I want to do this but with only my get home bag.

I want to do that also! I went pretty light. 42 lbs including the clothes I wore. We did a snow cave, no tents.

We are going to start a vid on the complete trip this week. :)

[mcjhr]

Great vid! Nice soundtrack too. Was that the Sven saw?

[Irving]

Awesome video by the way. Very well put together.

[rbeau30]

I want to do that also! I went pretty light. 42 lbs including the clothes I wore. We did a snow cave, no tents.

We are going to start a vid on the complete trip this week. :)

I Subbed so I can see it when it comes out. Maybe I can learn something before it is me out in the cold.

[Tinelement]

I was just putting the Rodent away and thought I would snap a few pictures.

Rodent 9, Mashed Cat sheath, Esee Molle back and pouch.....

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/tinelement/Gun%20Stuff/43F0DAD8-8346-4FBA-9981-D8970A2C83EE.jpg (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/tinelement/media/Gun%20Stuff/43F0DAD8-8346-4FBA-9981-D8970A2C83EE.jpg.html)

Fire kit. About 15' paracord, matches, flint and steel, fire disk.....

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/tinelement/Gun%20Stuff/25B41A10-85AB-410E-AA75-E090F0210B13.jpg (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/tinelement/media/Gun%20Stuff/25B41A10-85AB-410E-AA75-E090F0210B13.jpg.html)

And with the Esee 5 for comparison since it was brought up..... (Esee pouch contains roughly the same stuff)

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/tinelement/Gun%20Stuff/D4A7C4FD-E9A3-4904-9A13-06D963A266BF.jpg (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/tinelement/media/Gun%20Stuff/D4A7C4FD-E9A3-4904-9A13-06D963A266BF.jpg.html)

[blacklabel]

Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup

[rbeau30]

Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup


this

[Irving]

Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup

+2. I considered making an ultra light BOB out of a machete inside of a shotgun scabbard with molle webbing. With the Molle on there, you can have one small bag for fire starting, a trauma kit, and maybe an emergency blanket or something. Seemed like it would be awkward to carry though, so I like TinElement's set-up a little better.

[Tinelement]

The Esee rides along daily on my GHB. Think I covered that over in the survival threads, although that was probably 2 yrs ago, it's always changing. Although it is tore down now, cause some of it comes backpacking, I should do a current review on it......

[hunterhawk]

That sounds and looks fun! I would have liked to have seen the hotel you stayed on though too! Looks like a fun! I need to do stuff like this but my buddies are too city for stuff like that! Good stuff and nice knife!

[sellersm]

Nice vid! What's your secret sauce for the homemade fire disk? Or is that in a thread somewhere?

What saw was that?

[Tinelement]

Nice vid! What's your secret sauce for the homemade fire disk? Or is that in a thread somewhere?

What saw was that?

They are the round make-up discs dipped on candle wax. I know there is a thread over in survival. Irving will probably know, think he did some out of tampons. Haha!

Saw was a cheap-o $5 from Jax. It's lasted since about April. So $ well spent.

[Irving]

I just looked through 17 of the oldest pages in the Survival forum and couldn't find the tampon/fire disk thread. Must have been lost in the great crash.

[sellersm]

I just looked through 17 of the oldest pages in the Survival forum and couldn't find the tampon/fire disk thread. Must have been lost in the great crash.

Bummer.

[Irving]

I think you just melt candle wax, dip the makeup pad into the wax, remove and let harden/dry. The wax will be water repellent and act as your fuel source. When ready to use, break the pad in half to expose the dry, uncoated cotton (to catch your spark), and you are in business.

I basically did the same thing with a box of non-applicator tampons and candle wax (red). I still have the ones I made and still have about 60 tampons floating around my house, garage, boo kit, BOB, and car. Protip: if you let the wax get too hot, it turns very liquid and will just soak into the makeup pad/tampon. You only need it to get just hotter than liquid form so it is still thick enough to not be absorbed by the cotton.

[Tinelement]

I think you just melt candle wax, dip the makeup pad into the wax, remove and let harden/dry. The wax will be water repellent and act as your fuel source. When ready to use, break the pad in half to expose the dry, uncoated cotton (to catch your spark), and you are in business.

I basically did the same thing with a box of non-applicator tampons and candle wax (red). I still have the ones I made and still have about 60 tampons floating around my house, garage, boo kit, BOB, and car. Protip: if you let the wax get too hot, it turns very liquid and will just soak into the makeup pad/tampon. You only need it to get just hotter than liquid form so it is still thick enough to not be absorbed by the cotton.

Fact!! I messed up plenty.

Quick Youtube search.........

__X9jL0zuEs

[Irving]

I want to say the optimum temp is something like 130 degrees, but I'm not sure on that. Jerry knows.

[rbeau30]

Fact!! I messed up plenty.

Quick Youtube search.........

__X9jL0zuEs


Those candle warmers are awesome! They make a candle last forever. If you like the smell of a particular candle and don't want to burn it away.

Plus if you are a little squeemish about having an open flame in the house, I know some people who are. [panic]

[coloshooter]

Looks like a great trip, I've been looking at the esee 3. There is an archery store on i76 and Sheridan that Cary's some the esee knives.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

Very cool video Tin. I miss snow camping. I have the ESEE Junglass and I love it. I think the two a cousins. Beefy, very beefy.

[polski]

Dryer/belly button lint and wax in a cardboard egg shell make good fire starters.

[Tinelement]

If you got 15 mins, whole video is up here...
https://www.ar-15.co/threads/82625-Hike-Pack-Camp-Ski-Ride-etc/page8

[race4hills]

Look up a youtube channel called NorwegianBushcraft, he has 2 vids on making fire starter pads. One of them he mixed a lamp oil with the wax and seams to work better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3FDeZZVjQ

[Tinelement]

Had the Swamp Rat out in the snow again this weekend. Made quick work of a couple trees. I am still impressed every time I take this thing out. Such a beast at splitting.

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/tinelement/Mountains/339D6384-6E17-4C20-AD20-078905DF916C.jpg (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/tinelement/media/Mountains/339D6384-6E17-4C20-AD20-078905DF916C.jpg.html)

Had some others out also. On the table is:

Swamp Rat Rodent 9
Esee Jungals
Esee 5
Esee Laser Strike

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa351/tinelement/Mountains/2069FA15-E77A-4E67-8869-0906FCCEE9F0.jpg (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/tinelement/media/Mountains/2069FA15-E77A-4E67-8869-0906FCCEE9F0.jpg.html)

[StagLefty]

^ good collection

[Ah Pook]

I was camping, with the second ex, a couple of years ago. One of the few times I batoned wood, this knife came out. Blew through some dead 3" aspen. The 2nd ex exclaimed "I want that knife!". Well, If you hadn't become the 2nd ex...

Yes, dogs and knives outlast relationships. [Shy]

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL686/2648371/6918264/400922191.jpg

[wyome]

I pray the SHTF does not HTF in the winter

[hunterhawk]

Im impressed with the hammock camping in the winter and out playing with knives! but i agree with wyome that wouldnt be as fun!

[Ah Pook]

Im impressed with the hammock camping in the winter and out playing with knives! but i agree with wyome that wouldnt be as fun!
Maybe in AZ?

CO winter hammock camping does not excite me. [Coffee]

[Tinelement]

Winter backpacking is just like anything else, if you have the right equipment life is easy. I actually prefer it. There is a different kind of quiet back there in the winter, gives me that extra peace to recharge the batteries, and there are normally no other people. I've heard you also receive double punches on the man card. Haha!

[wyome]

Damn, he just mancard challenged all of us

[buffalobo]

Winter backpacking is just like anything else, if you have the right equipment life is easy. I actually prefer it. There is a different kind of quiet back there in the winter, gives me that extra peace to recharge the batteries, and there are normally no other people. I've heard you also receive double punches on the man card. Haha!
This^^^, and it was easier 20 yrs ago.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[hurley842002]

Winter backpacking is just like anything else, if you have the right equipment life is easy. I actually prefer it. There is a different kind of quiet back there in the winter, gives me that extra peace to recharge the batteries, and there are normally no other people. I've heard you also receive double punches on the man card. Haha!

I've always wanted to winter camp, unfortunately I didn't get around to it before the kids came along, now I need to wait until they get a bit older.

[brutal]

Lurking the thread.

We used to take the kids up to Kenosha pass every year, hike in and build Quinzies and prep, then go sledding during the afternoon and spend the night.

Always told them to stomp down their quinzee area first before piling up snow. Sure enough, they didn't one time and had to sleep 5 of them in a little quinzee built around a stump they found after they dug it out.

[Tinelement]

I've always wanted to winter camp, unfortunately I didn't get around to it before the kids came along, now I need to wait until they get a bit older.

That's not a good excuse Hurley.!

These trips are for the adult dads to get out and do man shit. Haha.

I'll probably give my boy a shot at the snow this spring, late April/May when the temperatures are a warmer. He'll be 6 by then.

[hurley842002]

That's not a good excuse Hurley.!

These trips are for the adult dads to get out and do man shit. Haha.

I'll probably give my boy a shot at the snow this spring, late April/May when the temperatures are a warmer. He'll be 6 by then.

Lol! They are 2.5 and 1, I think I push the limits taking them out for day trips as it is lol.

[Irving]

I always wanted to try building an igloo out in Pawnee, but I don't know if it snows enough.

Like this, but with way cooler music.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QHsTRfionk

[Ianski]

Great video Tin, made me miss being in the woods even more!