Posts tagged diy
I've seen small radar reflectors for sale. Should I carry one when kayaking? What else can I do such that boats can use their radar to be aware of my location when they can't see me due to poor v...
I own a 1988 Malibu Skier, and one of the things I've been thinking about upgrading on it is the fuel gauge. Specifically, I want to be able to have some kind of digital reading of how much fuel I ...
Penny stoves are usually built from two soda cans and they look like this, Image source with some variations between the builder and so on. The basic idea is you have the bottoms of two soda ca...
For packaging dehydrated foods for backpacking, the two options that I can think of are mylar bags and vacuum-sealed bags. What are the pros and cons of each method?
Does anybody know a good type of suitable glue to repair a delaminated sole on (modern) cross country ski boots with plastic soles (Rottefella NNN in particular). The delaminated part is in the fro...
At significant risk of tin foil hat jokes, I’ve read compelling evidence that a homemade hat incorporating angled and crumpled aluminum foil may slightly increase a kayaker’s visibility on radar — ...
I like to use a pot which is 8.9 cm wide (3.5 inches) - because anything bigger would be a waste of space and weight for my needs. It's identical to a Toaks 750ml titanium pot. Most of the stove s...
What is the thread size on the waste tank drain? I can’t find a female connector to dump at a RV dump (step on 3” cap). Looking to build my own. The research I have done indicates a Buttress thread...
I've been looking into making an oilcloth tarp. All the sources I have read so far seem to consider linseed oil the only oil to use, and I'm wondering why that is. So, what, if anything, is it abo...
The are two main types of fly fishing flies, wet (sink underneath) and dry (float on top). If one were trying to learn how to how tie the flies yourself instead of buying them, would one type be e...
An example of the earthen material I have in mind, this video shows some daub prepared for a wattle-and-daub house at timestamp 7:45: https://youtu.be/wPWLlVVVDN0 Cob, cobb or clom (in Wales) i...
Sometimes natural building techniques just aren't suited for a certain environment. For example, an exposed cob oven in vermont vs. a stone oven would turn out very differently, the cob falling apa...
Climber's life rely heavily on equipment. Having all the necessary equipment for simplest of climbs is a must. But, if at all I forget to bring the chalk powder along, what other alternatives I hav...
Cedar is a great example of a log that makes a good log cabin foundation. Solid and naturally rot resistant. Are there other species' logs suitable as foundations in northeast USA? Rocks can also b...
I'm exploring primitive shelter building in northern cool temperate climates. I mean primitive as a compliment: the prime, first, original, indigenous, low-tech/base-tech. Things like the Haudenosa...
What are uses for red spruce (picea rubens) by humans in wilderness settings (e.g. in primitive technologies, bushcraft, wilderness survival, low-tech rural livelihoods, frontier homesteading)? Whi...
Use Climbing rope double up as braided as 1.5" Gym Climbing rope. What type, diameter rope, No of Strands? Found these sample videos but curious to know what would be the best way to do this? h...
I'm collecting ideas on this topic. I'm using a DIY alcohol stove made of a soda can. I have seen a guy refilling the same stove using this, but he doesn't explain where he found it, or how he bui...
We have lots of tent pole segments and I'd like to repair one of our poles but the cord is stuck on the inside of the tip. I had to just cut the cord just so I can work with the tip alone. Any tip...
I was looking at youtube videos and I want a pack basket for backpacking. I don't want to weave one myself, and ones that are made by a professional can be $200. I saw some videos where people made...
This question was prompted by the advice to "follow the existing angles" in this answer on sharpening ice screws. I have heard the same advice when it comes to resharpening knives. Of course, there...
This tent appears to need just 2 diagonal poles. How do I figure out what length diagonal poles I need for an 8 foot x 10 foot (footprint) tent, taking into account the radius of curvature?
Is there a way to upgrade a bag to have hip belts? If so what should I look for in identifying a good product to fill this niche? Something like this but a hip belt I would prefer not to have to...
Context: Rope, aka cordage, is useful in many bushcraft projects. Cordage can be useful to hang things up, and it is particularly valuable in constructing tools (e.g. bow drills for fire making, m...
I have a 1963 12ft StarCraft boat, and one of my corner caps needs a replacement. I'd like to find one, either new or used. Does it affect the stability of the boat, or is it only for looks?
Bee hotels or houses are supposed to allow solitary bees the chance to lay eggs - however there seems to be some controversy, that they only attract pests? Considering the decline of bees globally...
I have a light gore-tex jacket. The pocket zip has detached from shell. The jacket is not ripped. Does anyone know how to "repair" it? Are there agencies in US who can do it for me?
I'm interested in building a small Lincoln-log style cabin (more like a shed, <200 square feet) in hardiness zone 4/5 of northeast USA. Available timbers are mostly red spruce, some eastern heml...
I'm a snowboarder. In preparation for a skitour trip, I was on the lookout for splitboards. But it turns out that even renting them can be a bit of a hassle and/or is quite expensive. As availabil...
A lot of people swear on their shooting sacks as their training target. They take a potato bag or something else and put foil rests etc. in it. I really want to try things out but I'm unable to...
And what are the associated risks?
I have some obsidian and I know that it can be made into knives and other sharp objects such as arrowheads. Historically this was done for a long time in the United States before there were steel b...
I have a multi-tool and I want to disassemble it – not for any repairing just to take it apart and take the blade for other uses – but it has no screws. How can I disassemble it? (See image below)
I have been trekking nearly for a decade now and all those years I have never had a tent with me. It was roughly a couple of years ago, I bought my first tent. :-) I had always relied on natural ca...
Does anyone have experience trying to resole climbing shoes using products like the Five Ten resole kits? If so, how involved was the process and how did it turn out? I'm trying to decide whether...
A month ago while hiking my 60 liter bag packs main Shoulder strap got broken at the very first hour of 4 day high altitude trek in a dense forest. I have tied a knot in that area and because of th...
I'm trekking up the Kilimanjaro and planned on using my sleeping bag which is rated for -10 / +10 with an extreme at -17 degree Celsius. I read that temperatures may plunge down to -25° at the very...
Water resistant down has interesting properties which make it appealing for outdoor applications. However, it is not widely available and seems to be only offered in certain fill powers. How is th...
Tyvek is labeled as "water resistant" and not "water proof", but I'd really love to know how much is the fabric resistant to water in practice. Some people built tarps or even tents out of it, but...
Whenever I had the chance to print a map on A3-sized sheets (11.69 x 16.53 inches) I usually just needed two sheets of that size for my whole planned trip, and most of the time it was fine enough t...
I'm considering a MYOG gravity filter project but I'm not sure where to find out if Sil Net™ can hold up under long term submersion and won't leak toxins into the water. Is it safe? Do you have ...
I own several down jackets but my favorite and warmest doesn't have the best colors. It's black which is great but shoulder area is orange. It's an LL Bean jacket. Is it possible I can dye and ch...
I have a waterproof/breathable rain jacket which has a few holes in it (caused by a minor bicycle crash, in case that information is relevant). They are not too big, about 5mm across. How can I pa...
Say I want to carve a spoon from wood that I find, are there any trees I shouldn't use due to their toxicity? Are any that are particularly easy to carve or hardy?
I have an idea to attach a small spinning reel abu silver max 5, to an ugly stik 7'6" medium light casting reel (which I already own), to fish sub 10 gram lures and live bait. Anyone see a major p...
I recently got a Marmot Aeros 3P tent for Christmas, but haven't been able to find anyone currently selling the footprint that goes with it. So how could I go about making one?
Numerous customers who bought the manufacturer-made tent footprint for the 'Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2' tent reported on Amazon that the tent footprint is poorly made and NOT AT ALL a good purchase....
I want to build a simple DIY foot pump based camping sink. I can't seem to understand what kind of foot pump should I be buying. I don't know what is the exact term for this kind of foot pump: ht...
I am trying to make my own wrecking ball since buying one is expensive and making one is also more fun. My idea was to use 2 cricket balls that I have and tie monkey fist knots around them and fin...
