@Brandon Ironside- ND Good stuff. What's the weight on your loaded MOLLE II?

I'm going to work on some campfire cooking lessons. Is that something y'all would be interested in or would that be a topic for cooking

@Mark Vandal They probably won't get to covering it over in the <#338763700750123009> channel so here seems good.

@Deleted User I just threw it on the scale weighed in at 30 pounds in summer configuration(No tent, no winter clothes, light summer sleeping bag. & no water). Your doing the Heathen Hike right? Whats your setup for that?

@Brandon Ironside- ND That's exactly the weight I shoot for, including shelter and bedroll but excluding my waterskin. I'll post my gear list here in a second.

Posted in the heathen hike channel

@Deleted User After seeing your Spyderco knife i figured you were a gear guy, your list looks really well thought out, I like the old school feel going with a waxed canvas backpack & wool gear, really nice.

Yeah brother I was 50/50 MOLLE though too. MOLLE was just coming in to the military as I was getting out and I've heard great things

@Deleted User The only potential downfall with them is the first generation black plastic frames. The guy i got mine from was in the national guard and had 3 broken black frames with his pack and after doing some research the black frames got fucked up in the molding process and are shit. The later tan and green frames you can get off ebay for 15 shipped and are bomb proof so look out for that if you get one. I remember you talking about the custom scales at the warrior dash thats super nice, almost so nice you dont want to use it haha.

Are they comfortable?

I know some infantry guys that say they hump north of 80 pounds with them. Ugh.

And that leatherwork makes mine look like child's play. I've been wanting to read more about how to form leather to stay like that, because then i would try some holsters but it looks like some expensive equipment is involved. Pretty big improvement over the ALICE in terms of better padded and placed shoulder and waist pads, and Seperate sleep carrier. The alice works pretty good and will do the job but the MOLLE packs are pretty comfortable for 65 bucks theres no comercial ruck that can compete at that price. Im guessing you used the ALICE when you were in?

Yeah we still had Alice. Not great. Here's the guy. He seems really cool and I bet he'd be willing to talk leatherwork with you

https://www.etsy.com/listing/260535832/spyderco-para-military-2-friction-sheath?&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgP3xnMa01QIVyIKzCh33sw49EAQYASABEgLcE_D_BwE

My pack weighs in right at 30 lbs as well

@Deleted User "Carefully molded using a method which was used centuries ago for making armor" My interest has been peaked, time to do some reading.

@Thomas Morrow 30 lb nationalism.

Lol it's a pretty reasonable weight if you're in decent shape

I always liked the Alice pack but the new rucksack with the built in wet weather bag always worked for me

and yeah being with the Infantry we would often have 60lb plus rucks

Alice packs do a really good job of distributing weight evenly

But I also really like the options molle gives you

@Mark Vandal Is there an easy way to tell if the potatoes are soft without having to open up the foil?

@Deleted User you can stick a fork through the foil. No harm.

I generally just unfold and inspect after 30 min.

Don't poke holes in the foil. You want it sealed tight. Just un wrap and a poke them if they aren't done re wrap it and stick it back in

@Mark Vandal you ever put cabbage in your tinfoil dinner?

I don't like cabbage. You can put anything you want in it tbh

Yeah my family always used ground beef, potatoes, cabbage, and onions

What are the best skills to start out practicing in order to get more acquainted with bushcraft? I know how to build a decent fire, but not much else. Preferably things that can be practiced in forest preserves/arboretums/public parks without going on a camping trip.

Water, shelter, food

@Gaius Mucius Scaevola knot tying, and knife sharpening are easy skills to practice at home.

@Mark Vandal iodine tabs are good in a pinch. Easy to stash in a go bag and super lightweight

@Mark Vandal Nice lesson! That was awesome.

@Joseph McCarthy - NJ those are a give in. Got a bunch in my bug out

But you'll run out at some point if it's long term survival

Which is where practical skills cone in handy

On the knife sharpening. Is there a particular degree that you try to maintain when sharpening. I was always told that somewhere around 33 degree angle was best. Is that true or is it just whatever feels best to you

I know you said to try to maintain the angle on the tool but I have not had much luck with that

@Deleted User There is alot to be said about knives angles that could be another guide, generally though yes for a double bevel 30-40 degrees will work fine. Here is the depths you can go into for angle info: https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Detailed-Discussion-on-Knife-Sharpening-Angles-W28.aspx

As far as holding a constant angle it can be tough but with practice and steady hands it's doable