Tag Archives: survival

THRIVEtoys

Thrive Camillus Fixed Blade Knife

Gallery Leave a comment

Check out this old Camillus military-issue fixed-blade knife that was recently renovated in true Thrive style.  Google is pretty sure that this is a Camillus CM-5684B, a relic of the Vietnam era (Source 1, and 2).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It was a parting gift for a friend who was moving, and preparing to take on a great challenge.  Some serious Dremel action buffed off the phosphate coating and rust, and brought the high carbon steel to a mirror shine (note the second knife in it’s raw state for reference).  A bit of leather conditioner and black polish coaxed the sheath and handle back into service, and a length of cord with red beads retrofitted the leg tie.  Finally, a Lansky sharpening kit returned a surgeon’s edge to the beast.

The engraving reads, “FIRE UP – GET DIRTY – SCARE YOURSELF – BLEED” on one side of the blade.  The other side reads, “Do more than just survive…  THRIVE.”

It is more of a show piece now, but still a very capable tool if need be.

Do you possess any cool old toys like this one?  Shoot me some info in the comment box, or at thriveoutdoors@yahoo.com.  You could be featured in a future THRIVEtoys article!

Like blades?  You might also enjoy reading about the Bolo in, “So You Want to be John Rambo, Part I” and “Part II.”

-TO

THRIVEtech, THRIVEtoys

10 Things to Wipe Your Butt With in the Woods

25 Comments

UPDATE:  MARCH 2020…  In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve begun to see how misinformation and media hype can cause unnecessary panic…  e.g. Stores are completely sold out of toilet paper!

tp empty shelves
Photo credit: Sam Finney. From krcw.com. 

So, to ensure we don’t take ourselves too seriously, please consider the following 10 options if you missed out on the initial “Hamsterkauf” of paper products.

And then, to ensure you are taking this pandemic seriously enough, please take a look at this well-written article on Medium that helped me understand what we were up against and why it matters- even to young, healthy people.

Stay sanitary and keep your distance, my friends

-JWa

This post spawned from a lively discussion during a weekend climbing trip to the Katsu-dake crags in Okinawa, Japan.  I must say that I have had many similar conversations, but this discussion, in particular, was quite in-depth.  A special thanks to the Okinawan climbing community for the inspiration!  I’m sure you are proud.

Disclaimer:  Some of the items listed are not necessarily “Eco-friendly.”  You are not a child.  If you use an unorthodox wiping material, then pack it out in a ziplock or poop-tube in accordance with local procedures.  No one wants to come across a nasty old sock with remnants of you all over it.

Impro
Photo by Justin Watters

Toilet paper, and my personal camping favorite- the baby wipe, are like the comfort food of sanitary products.  We get so used to using them in our day-to-day life that it is nearly impossible to imagine what to do without them. Here are the facts:  1) You have to eat food to keep your energy level up.  2) Your body processes that food, and must dispose of the waste.  3) It is not healthy or comfortable to “hold it” until you find some porcelain.  4) If you hang out in nature long enough you will eventually find yourself unprepared and without the standard-issue material to clean up afterward.

So…  Just what should you do?  What can you use to wipe your butt in the woods?  The most important thing to remember is not to panic.  Take a breath, turn your “woods-eyes” on, and you will probably find something that will work just as well, if not better than the real thing.  The second most important thing is to think of this before you settle into that  perfect little tree-well, not during.  Here’s 10 solid alternatives, listed in no discernible order: Continue reading 10 Things to Wipe Your Butt With in the Woods →

THRIVEtech

So, you want to be John Rambo? Part II

9 Comments

Welcome to our first THRIVEtech post!  I left you hangin’ with So, You Want to be John Rambo?  Part I back in May.  Sorry for the wait; The paradox of having a blog like this is that you have to be outside to create the tales, but inside to turn them into electrons for you to enjoy.  If you haven’t checked out Part I yet, now is a perfect time!  It will “set the stage.”  –Queue eery foggy fade in…

Where I left off, my crew is at the Jungle Environment Survival Training camp near Subic Bay, Philippines being shown some jungle-ninja skills by one of the best around.  That night, we eagerly make plans to meet in the foggy morning light to make the trek into camp a cool one.  We gather at the front gate of the JEST compound and begin shifting gear around, tightening boots, and making wagers on the first deadly creature encounter… Continue reading So, you want to be John Rambo? Part II →

THRIVEtales

So, You Want to be John Rambo? Part I

10 Comments

“What the hell was that noise?”  -the foggy thought my brain conjures up after being jarred awake inside a cramped net hammock suspended 30” above the jungle floor.  It’s not the screeching, hacking, screaming sounds emitted by myriad birds high in the canopy that worries me, nor is it the incessant hum from the cloud of malaria vectors bouncing off the netting, inches from my skin.  The sound that wakes me so abruptly is the soft crunching of jungle duff very near my humble shelter site.  Horrific images of man-eating jungle cats stalk through my psyche.  I am forced to recall a lesson learned earlier in the day:  Everything in the jungle is trying to kill you…  Luckily, my imagination is much more active than the jungle cat on this night.  I am relieved as one of my comrades mumbles something through my bug net as he stumbles back from nature’s call.  Needless to say, my first night in the jungle is not a restful one. Continue reading So, You Want to be John Rambo? Part I →