Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Rod - amazing photos from the "Bushcraft Forum", thank you.

A few questions & comments, if I may.....

1) What is a "fire piston"?

2) The ingenuity is astonishing. How do they learn these skills? I doubt any "civilised" society has an education sytem that could teach skills like that.

3) "Bushcraft Forum". Really? Jeez, the diversity of forums is just wonderful. I belong to an eclectic collection too, including aircraft, bird, train, transport, poker (obv), & a few others. The world of poker is so insular, but when we look outside, there is so much to learn. Does it "kick off" on these Forums, as it does on poker or football fora, & do they describe lesser skilled colleagues as "idiots", "morons", or whatever the Bushcraft equivelant of "fish" is? The lack of respect for others in poker appals me, but maybe it is everywhere?

Incredible photos, keep them coming, please.

[bobby1]

I have known Chomps for a good few years, including when he was a racing Post journo, & we do some financials together, but I never once knew he was a best-selling author.

Anyone else on here hiding their light under a bushel?

oops

blimey I didnt know that, good judge imo

[tikay]

I wanted to catch up on replies, some are outstanding from earlier this week, my apologies, but I need to post a few more of my "new camera" photos from last weekend, before I take a fresh batch tomorrow.

I have also got a bit behind on replies to PM's, sorry, will deffo catch up this weekend.

In case I forget, hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend.

[Rod Paradise]

Rod - amazing photos from the "Bushcraft Forum", thank you.

A few questions & comments, if I may.....

1) What is a "fire piston"?

2) The ingenuity is astonishing. How do they learn these skills? I doubt any "civilised" society has an education sytem that could teach skills like that.

3) "Bushcraft Forum". Really? Jeez, the diversity of forums is just wonderful. I belong to an eclectic collection too, including aircraft, bird, train, transport, poker (obv), & a few others. The world of poker is so insular, but when we look outside, there is so much to learn. Does it "kick off" on these Forums, as it does on poker or football fora, & do they describe lesser skilled colleagues as "idiots", "morons", or whatever the Bushcraft equivelant of "fish" is? The lack of respect for others in poker appals me, but maybe it is everywhere?

Incredible photos, keep them coming, please.

1) Fire piston = a Pipe closed at one end with a tight fitting cylinder that can slide into it, without letting out air. A bit of tinder is put at the end of the cylinder and the cylinder struck into the pipe. Causes a quick increase in air pressure with nowhere for the air to expand, so the end result is heat which lights the tinder. Origninally made with bamboo in the jungles of south asia - main advantage being you don't need to carry much dry tinder to get things going (couldn't make a bow drill easilly in a rainforest).

(BTW the 'chaga tinder' he talks of is the fungus called 'cramp balls' or king alfred's cakes here)

2) It's not as much the skill of making the living bridge, it being able to look forward long enough that the work you put in will help the future generations, with no reward personally that I admire.

3) The Bushcraft forum has a strict 'No politics or religion' rule, they're generally a very helpful bunch though. Once in a while it kicks off, but not as regularly as on here.

BTW I passed a link to the author - so he may happen along to see how his stuff was received.

[tikay]

This was my first two attempts @ "moody" photos.

Be kind, & just say "room for improvement", please.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[kinboshi]

Artistic.

[Simon Galloway]

Creative use of the camera.

[Geo the Sarge]

This was my first two attempts @ "moody" photos.

Be kind, & just say "room for improvement", please.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

I really like the first one, two obvious large structures framing to left and right but I'm strill drawn to the middle of the pic and the distant skyline.

Geo

[Karabiner]

There's reasonable chance of my not surviving tonight's outing with Matt and Stu.

In which case I hereby bequeath any unreturned books to you Tony.

[tikay]

Thanks Geo. Tomorrow, we shall see a quantum improvement.

As for the shameless comments of "creative" & "artistic", they are THE ultimate in insults. When I am doing commentary on the Show - remember, we must not be too critical of our Clients - I often use those phrases when I see a limp-fold from a 3xBB stack....."good creative fold, Sir".

[tikay]

There's reasonable chance of my not surviving tonight's outing with Matt and Stu.

In which case I hereby bequeath any unreturned books to you Tony.

Ooh, thanks Ralph.

I have some genuine Cuban cigars, someone got them in Havana for me recently. The big ones are "Churchills" & the smaller ones are "Romeo No 2", & both are "Romeo Y Julieta" brand. I even have a humidor (sp?) in which I keep them, & a proper cigar cutter thing.

Should Mr G-R come calling in the near future, they are all yours.

Can't say fairer than that.

[Chompy]

Oops

http://www.amazon.com/gp/forum/cd/discussion.html/ref=ntt_mus_ep_cd_tft_tp?ie=UTF8&cdForum=Fx3T731NQR8VG7X&cdThread=Tx2NADWXT7G3YJZ

 

Nearly 15 years since Greg Wood reviewed my masterpiece! Time flies by when you're the driver of a train.

A pithy, practical tome with a completely mythical running total imo. Put some hours into that first one alright and it sold out in about two months. Learned all sorts of stuff about rail movements and Briggs' boom watering systems. Riveting.

They printed more of the second one, about 10,000 I think, and I got a £1,000 advance (£1 a book). It didn't sell 1,000. Roffle. They still send me the sales figures occasionally. Up to about 720 odd. Think they want me to refund the other £280. Gl with that project.

[tikay]

Oops

http://www.amazon.com/gp/forum/cd/discussion.html/ref=ntt_mus_ep_cd_tft_tp?ie=UTF8&cdForum=Fx3T731NQR8VG7X&cdThread=Tx2NADWXT7G3YJZ

 

Nearly 15 years since Greg Wood reviewed my masterpiece! Time flies by when you're the driver of a train.

A pithy, practical tome with a completely mythical running total imo. Put some hours into that first one alright and it sold out in about two months. Learned all sorts of stuff about rail movements and Briggs' boom watering systems. Riveting.

They printed more of the second one, about 10,000 I think, and I got a £1,000 advance (£1 a book). It didn't sell 1,000. Roffle. They still send me the sales figures occasionally. Up to about 720 odd. Think they want me to refund the other £280. Gl with that project.

RAISE.

Yiu are making that up, for sure, 100%.

[tikay]

http://www.briggsirrigation.co.uk/irrigation-boom-mounted.php

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Really, Chomps, you should be proud to have penned, & had published, two books. The rest of us can but dream. I would give my right arm to have those writing skills.