Add some bright markings to camouflage gear

I use my hunting gear a lot… depend on it to do service also for camping, fishing, and around the house or cabin. Many items are camouflage these days, so if you drop something, it may require and hands- and- knees searching. I know that camouflage sells; it lends a sexy, outdoorsy image to all kinds of products. Addition of bright markings on your camo gear can avoid some of these frustrating searches through the leaves. Mark hard -surfaced items such as knives and flashlights with a bright spot of paint, tape, or nail polish. On fabric items like glove or head nets, I often staple a short tag of orange flagging… the staple is easy to remove; keep it small enough so it won’t get in the way or flutter in the breeze.

Anemometry for the archer

I often hang a piece of thread from my bow, to detect air currents. This is unnecessary for obvious breezes. On still mornings, however, only a slight thermal draft can carry your scent to old mossy- horns and give your position away. I use a white or bright- colored thread and keep an eye out for it to sway with moving air. We’ve all seen the feather decorations on Indians’ bows and lances. I’d stake a bet that those were not just statements of vanity, but served utilitarian purposes, by drifting and swaying in air currents.

Upgraded belt quiver

I stiffened and padded my belt quiver by inserting a rolled piece of closed- cell craft foam which doesn’t absorb water. An inverted spray- can cap protects the end from puncture by arrow points. I like the light weight, quietness, and good camouflage of the cloth quiver, and it can be lashed to my backpack.

Solar shower

Ya learn sumpthin’ every day if you’re not careful! I have had several of those solar showers over the years and they worked OK for backcountry cleanups. My current one has a transparent side and the inner backing is black- colored. It also has a thermometer- thingy. This one is small, a single- use size. Just fill it with water, lay it out in the sunshine, and in a few minutes you have a luke- warm shower. Cold breezes are a definite drawback in this activity, as you alternate between warm water, cold breeze, warm water, and cold breeze again. One doesn’t dawdle in this kind of shower; perhaps that is how they justify such a small, lightweight tank size. Anyway, I went through the routine, hung the sun- heated water, opened the spray valve… and it nearly scalded me! I expected the usual luke- warm water and didn’t know it could even get that hot. So, I was wet, the breeze was cold, the water was hot. I hadn’t brought extra water to add and it would take too long to temper down by itself. I just had to make- do, so I suffered in the breeze, used the hot water sparingly, and hurried as best I could. Lessons learned: the water can get too hot; that thermometer was not just a marketing gimmick, it was there for a purpose; next time I will check the temperature.

Tree seat

Tree seats work well for my archery stand- hunting. These gizmos cinch up to a tree and a padded platform folds down for comfortable seating at ground level. The height can be adjusted as needed and the tree trunk gives a backdrop to break up the human outline. Although I can draw my bow from kneeling or squatting positions, standing and sitting offer better stability. Also, long waits and holding still are much easier from the seated position. It is easy to rise upright from a sitting position. Truth be known, I’m getting too old to be kneeling or sitting on the cold, wet ground. Tree seats are lightweight and can be hand- carried. They are also readily carried in a backpack or strapped to its outside. Lately, I have been transporting my tree seat in a military surplus bag with a shoulder strap. For very little additional weight, the bag keeps the attachment straps from hanging loose and helps quiet their metal buckles.

Spider switch

Those banana spiders in my woods have gotten bigger by this time of year, their webs are larger, stretch over more area, they’re yellow and more sticky, now. I hate walking into those things, especially in the dark. Now, I like spiders as much as anyone and I wish to live and let- live. However, I come unglued at the seams when I am standing out in the woods, in the pitch dark, with sticky spider silk across my face and a big, ugly spider crawling up my neck. I often carry a “spider switch” before me or hold up my bow to catch the web before it gets to me. I don’t want to harm the poor spider; it’s just out there trying to make a living. After a few passes over the trail, the spiders stop building webs there. I fear they may starve or be unable to make enough silk for webs, but I prefer to think they just moved elsewhere.

GORP container

I’ve been packing my day’s GORP supply in a plastic peanut butter jar. I have found that it is easier to unscrew the lid and “sip” from the jar than to worry with zip- top bags and dirty hands.

By the way, I couldn’t find the M & M’s so I substituted dark chocolate chips, this time. They taste great and don’t warm up to a runny mess like milk chocolate. However, they still melt in your hand before they get to your mouth. Next time I will be persistent and find the M & M’s.

KISS: keeping arrow points tight

Here is an archery tip to keep those screw- in points from loosening on your arrows. I wrestled with this problem for years, tried the lock washers and the little plastic rings marketed specifically to remedy this problem. Then, I ran across this idea somewhere: it's a simple solution and rarely mentioned; maybe it is so obvious and widely used that I was the only one left out. Simply rub a little bowstring wax on the point's threaded shank and screw it into the arrow shaft. That sticky beeswax will keep the point from rattling loose.

KISS: Simplifying the bow setup

I have been mindful of a “Keep- It- Simple- Stupid” philosophy in recent years, and it seems particularly salient to me since my retirement. Hunting bows have become finely tuned pieces of high- tech equipment. I guess I’m unsophisticated, or maybe just too lazy to maintain such precision equipment. My own compound bow is relative simple; it doesn’t deliver the sizzling arrow speeds or have lighted sight pins, custom arrow launcher, overdraw, stabilizer, etc. It’s a very mundane 20^th century model, without the added bells and whistles, although it handles and shoots well enough. However, this year, my compound has remained relegated to the closet and I’m hunting with my old recurve. I have made a few modifications, that further simplify my setup.

First, I have taken the bow quiver off and gone back to a tube quiver carried on my belt, shoulder, or backpack.

Next, I have reverted to feather fletching on the arrows, instead of plastic vanes. I fear that I may regret this move in rainy weather. Those vanes shed water, but feathers soak it up. I have, at times, protected the feathers with a plastic bag over the quiver.

This change to feathers allowed me to remove the arrow rest and revert to shooting off the arrow shelf, providing a more natural feel and handling, and I have found satisfaction in this old- fashioned approach.

I have kept the brush buttons and the camouflage taping on the limbs.

A final addition, the no- glove accessory, is new to me. These have been around for years, always looked like a good idea, and I had heard they were popular for bow fishing. They consist of rubber cylinders that thread onto the bowstring and are positioned above and below the arrow at the appropriate nock point. The rubber provides enough padding, so a glove or tab is unnecessary for shooting. Some claim that arrow speed is diminished, but I believe my setup could still drive an arrow completely through a deer. I have been very satisfied with the no- glove approach by virtue of it eliminating a vital component that can be lost or can be forgotten at home; it stays right there on the bow. I recall arriving at a hunt once, without my glove, and wondering all morning whether I could cleanly release an arrow with cold, bare bingers on the string. I have noticed another significant advantage, the elimination of string pinch. With my short bow, I have always suffered sore fingers where the sharp angle of the drawn bowstring pressed the fingers into the arrow nock. Leaving off the glove has left more space and completely eliminated those sore spots where my fingers contact the arrow nock.

Water- treatment options

Water filtration systems have become popular for back- country water purification. I have read of them, but not tried them for my own use. They are a bit heavy, pricey, and high- tech for me, and I have breeched a lot of microbial filters in my research and industry work, so I’m skeptical.

The iodine- based Potable Aqua tablets are convenient and readily available, but the iodine taste is objectionable to me, especially at 2- tablets per liter dosing recommended on the label. Some state that one tablet per liter is sufficient for clear water, but the taste is still an issue for me. Vitamin C is said to neutralize the iodine taste, but my experiments with Tang drink mix did not make it much better.

I tried the Micropur brand of chlorine dioxide tablets, and it tasted like drinking from a swimming pool. I like it better than the iodine treatment, however. Treatment time takes 4 hours, rather than the half- hour of the iodine product. I noticed that the product continued to improve somewhat, over time.

Red Cross- recommended water treatment is to boil, filter, and treat the questionable water supply with bleach, adding 16 drops per gallon or 4 drops per quart. REI states on their website, that 2 drops per liter is enough for clear water, but notes that encysted protozoa may be resistant to both chlorine and iodine treatments. I have used hypochlorite (bleach) treatment for industrial water supplies. It is cheap and easy, and one can become acclimated to the taste.

Bottom line is, if one is thirsty enough, it’s all good. I chemically- treat or boil surface waters, to be safe. It is important to keep up hydration for good health and peak performance. Hot beverages, soups and sauces are convenient and tasty ways to get fluid into your system, and are easily worked into a camper's menu.