Hobo Water Bucket-Free Project

Water Bucket made with tyvek type fabric. Its interesting to play with something free because there's no fear in cutting away. Notice the slots impact where the level of the water can be, regardless of how strong the fabric is.

Hobo Grill

A friend posted this photo to my facebook page. I thought it looked pretty cool. The can would hold charcol briskets or a small wood fire, I think. Notice the small holes punched down in photo three. You do need air flow.

Now, a grill, some dogs and does any hobo have a bit of Katsup?

One thing to remember, those flanges from cutting the can down would be sharp. Some of us hobos don't have health insurance. Take care cutting metal. That could make a nasty cut.

Problem with Plagerism-Warning-Rant

I was researching some ultralight backpacking sites last night and came across one with misinformation and surprisingly, a strange quote attributed to me.

I soon found myself reading other paragraphs and wondering why this web person copied and pasted important portions of my writings on ultralight philosophy yet attributed them to another author or took credit themselves.

I know, this happens on the World Wide Web and there are no police monitoring intellectual theft. Its a lazy author who doesn't take time to properly credit another's work or plain out steals it.

I'm not naming names. Some friends tell me to just ignore the jerk, others say no publicity is worse than bad publicity. The last thing I want to do is send his hits through the roof as people go check out what I'm ranting about.

All I want to say is, if you didn't write it, find out who did and give them their by-line.

Come on dude, be honest with your readership.

I've been at this a long time. Back when I started long distance hiking, ultralight extremists were rare. We had Ray Jardine as the Godfather. Then, a few others began to playing with concepts, like stripping the frames and belts off packs because our gear was so light we improvised those components, using socks to pad shoulder straps, sleeping on bubble wrap to see how it fared, using silnylon for rain gear and aluminum cans for cook pots, weighing every gram of fuel and designing sub-one pound shelters cause you really didn't need all that room just to sleep, trying everything under the sun for pot supports, testing everything imaginable to see how it burned in or on a soda can stove.

Nothing was immune to total heartless scrutiny. Rainmaker made me some gram weenie sandals out of shoe inserts. I used them on my AT thru hike. We cut down trowels. Hell, who needs a trowel? Use your hiking pole. Wait, they are holding up my shelter!
Nothing was sacred. Nothing is still. Except your integrity.

Quit stealing, all I'm saying!

People like Glen Van Peski , Triple Crowner Brian Robinson and his father,the Trail Dad were a few of the new names. There were gear contests at the zero kick off party on the Pacific Crest Trail, backpackers seeing what was being designed by real people doing it, not some company with enginers and fashion designers. We've been at this awhile. There's a mindset, an internal flaw if you will,  that allows us to test our bodies with minimal gear, bringing on pain and unreasonable ecstasy when something works. Yeah, most of you don't get it. You weren't meant to. After all, there's a reason why it's called Extreme.


So, the point of this rant is to say, quit stealing someone's work. Use it, spread the news, but give proper credit.
I'm one of those rare females that like the rugged minimalism of ultralight living. Don't act like you invented it. You know who you are!

Guns and Horses-I'll Do That

Here at the Man Camp I've met some fantastic people. I'm really impressed with the rugged guys out here in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. They have horses, guns, drive big rigs, know how to fix just about everything. They appreciate good cooking and are polite, most are handsome and well mannered. I practice my spanish with the bilingual guys and trade trash talk. Could it get any better? Yeah, it could. A very special guy promised to teach me all about guns and horses when it warms up this summer. I'll do that.

Its been a great winter so far. Plenty of snow for skiing and building forts.  But it's all about the Historic Renovation of the Yellow Hotel.

I've toured the Yellowstone Hotel during this process of renovation. These guys have quite a project underway. Last night I was up in the attic, saw 40 foot beams being threaded behind pipes and supports by two construction workers. I wear a pink hardhat from the Office every time I'm in the Hotel. Anything could happen. Its amazing the co ordination of effort by the drivers, sub contractors and construction dudes to make this happen.

The project superintendent explained to me that the work in the attic involves taking pressure and weight off the outside walls and direct some of that to the middle of the hotel. See, I thought it was all about bracing up the roof so it didn't collapse under the weight of all the snow. But, turns out  its about taking all that downward  pressure exerted on the exterior walls and redistributing it to the center of the great Hotel.

 

Thanks guys for showing me around. I've heard there's a secret haunted staircase and a basement. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

Third Floor Report

 

All is going very well here at Yellowstone Man Camp. I toured the hotel and talked to the painters who are stripping the window frames of all the old paint.

 

There are three methods being used: linseed oil and infrared heat, paint stripper which is applied, left to work, then scraped off, and another innovative procedure, apply the stripper base, cover with strips of plastic sheeting, let set overnight, then peel away paint and all. I'm so impressed with the skills.

 

Now, up on the third floor the sheet rock is being hung and check lists are posted. Each department marks it off, electricians,plumbers, carpenters, as their part is completed. We are ahead of schedule. I feel very fortunate to be part of this historic restoration of the hotel

 

Huge columns of steel are installed on the main floor. I've peered into the great holes in the floor. After writing Primal Cut, Book one of the Seasonal Killer Series, available at Amazon.com, I'm more curious than ever about the nooks and hidden crannies in this historic building.

Day on the Cat

I took the Cat out from Lake with one of our Man Camp Drivers on my days off. He is such an expert that the ride was flawless. He offered to stop so I could take as may photos as I wished. When he pulled over at Gibbon Falls, Rory accompanied me down the snow packed walkway to shoot a short film.

I took several trips on the Cat riding shot gun. It was amazing the amount of skill it took to load a trailer, installing skis, "battening down the hatches", circumventing snowmobilers, bison and snow coaches.

 

 

Rory checks the skis on the sled, making sure it is properly linked up with "shackels". Its about 6 a.m and we're headed to West Yellowstone to pick up another load of steel, four by fours, etc. I will spend the night at West and enjoy local music at Wild West.

 

 

 

 

The Cat must be refueled and a special bottle of Diesel Additive added to each 100 gallons (one tank, which is what it takes for one round trip). Rory is such a gentleman I enjoy riding around the park, getting a special view from about 12 feet up, way over the heads of bison that make my car look tiny.

 

 

Calculate Your Snow Needs

 

 

This is the top of Bob's Igloo. He used branches to help hold the roof in place, so it wouldn't collapse.

 

 

 

These logs were leaned against a steep section of the Lake enbankment. The sun warms this area and melts the snow. Eventually, I think the snow will ice up and can be counted on to break the wind. Wind coming off Yellowstone Lake is very cold.

 

I recently did a blog about the snow forts we're building up here at Man Camp in our spare time. The Chef built an actual igloo, I finished burying a picnic table, crawled into it and spent part of the night.

The photo to the left is a "cave" of blowdowns nestled close to a tall pine tree.


Its fun to mess around on days off, practicing skills. I soon learned how much effort it took to build an actual snow fort from the ground up.

I received this nice e-mail with a link to a page that talks about the weight of snow and provides and interactive tool for caluculating how much snow you need for the size house you intend to build.



Hey Brawny,

I'm Sally from the Movoto blog, a real estate site that talks about the fun side of housing. Since you wrote about the igloo that was built at Man Camp for survival skills I thought your readers would also enjoy our interactive snow fort–building tool. Just enter the size of the fort you want to build and the calculator will tell you how many ice blocks it will take to build it!

http://www.movoto.com/blog/novelty-real-estate/house-of-snow/

Have a great week!
Sally

--



My whole conclusion as a minimalist and survivalist is that if you've got some natural features, such as blowdowns, caves or steep banks along a water source, use them. You'll save alot of energy. You can add to your improvised shelter as needed, depending on how long you plan to be there.

Review of Primal Cut

The Superintendent of the Man Camp has just finished reading my new horror novel, Primal Cut. Just as I expected, he said he'd never look at me the same way again. I think its a compliment. He read it in one sitting, said he couldn't put it down and that I was "twisted sister."

The Foreman came in this morning talking about Primal Cut. Looks like it going to be a hit, way out there, though. Anyone with a weak stomach, beware.

Primal Cut is on sale for only 99 cents through the end of January at Amazon.com. You can download it to your PC with a free application from Kindle.


 I think as an artist, that's very cool. When a co-worker said, it must be like The Shinning, he said, way worse. I got a good laugh out of that. I changed the cover from this one...

 

 

 

 

to this one mainly because it seems like John Deerfield's face is on this snowy rock. Maybe he is following me now on my ski trips! He's a main character, the poltergeist who keeps things hopping here at Yellowstone Lake.


.

 

Let me know what you think of the book covers.

Illegal and Fatal Behavior-Warning-This is a Rant!

This is the fox that was rescued from the spindle at Man Camp a couple weeks ago. I took the footage of the rescue and posted it to YouTube etc.

Check out the December 19th post on this blog, thefemalesurvivalist to watch that video.
Everyone was so glad the little guy was freed. In fact, some here were so glad, they named it. Someone started feeding it, in spite of all warnings. I find the feeding of wildlife disgusting. It's a human attempt to domesticate and subjugate wild creatures. The little dude should be terrified and run for the hills! Literally.

 

If a person wants to know more about wild creatures in Yellowstone,  follow the link I included in this rant. It also details a fox that was fed, relocated several times and eventurally destroyed by the park service out of necessity. People just can't seem to get it through their civilized heads that wild creatures should not be fed, should not be encouraged to hang around as mascots. Don't we have enough worthy causes? Isn't there some homeless dog or cat you can adopt and feed until it is fat and totally dependent on your good will?

http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wildlife.htm



Ok, I promised this was going to be a RANT so, hit the back button if you don't like it.
Some think they are immune to the law, that others will find their behavior cute and very GRIZ Adams. If you are one of those, go out and take some footage, go hiking, get off the main road and take some adventures. Get out of the National Park where it is totally illegal to feed a wild animal.

This guy at man camp actually took footage and posted it to facebook showing himself feeding the fox a big meatball. I find it revolting. The fox should be totally discouraged from setting foot on our portches and decks. Instead, a very few are finding it cute...not all the guys, and I won't name names.

I love animals, especially wild animals and I know, as wild creatures, they could bite, scratch, flee, become ghosts in a vast wilderness. That's very cool. Capturing one on film is a highlight of a long hike. Its not easy, ususally they run before I get them focused in the little square on my digital camera. I know, I need a Zoom!
Thats as it should be. We have homes and zoos for damaged animals, animals who need and want human interaction, domesticated animals and stock.

Dogs are fantastic companions. They've been trained to help humans in so many ways. A variety of breeds are raised just for the specific qualities each breed has. Very domesticated. They enjoy our company. My family has dogs. My friends have dogs.

But, the fox was a wild creature. He should retain that desirable quality. Those who saved the creature's life by freeing it didn't mean for it to become the town dog. They never intended the fox to be fed and adopted by well meaning tender hearted humans...I wrote something else, but civility intervened and I back spaced and deleted .... ignorant fools...... The fox knew what to do before we came here. Left alone, maybe it will revert to his own ways.

One can only hope.