All about the Muntjac

I had just got out of the car when I spotted a Muntjac in the field leading to the woods.

The Muntjac seemed oblivious as he munched on the new shoots coming through the ground and he was probably being warmed by the sun as it shone through the cold February air. He moved away slowly from me as I tried to stalk up to him. I managed to get behind him and stayed downwind enabling me to creep up to him within 20 yards.

I was only spotted after ten minutes and managed to capture it all on film.

The rest of the day paled into insignificance as I wandered around the woods. I saw 4 fallow deer at the end of my trek, which was quite pleasing because I hadn’t seen them for a while in these woods.

But this weekend, it was all about the Muntjac!

All about the Muntjac

I had just got out of the car when I spotted a Muntjac in the field leading to the woods.

The Muntjac seemed oblivious as he munched on the new shoots coming through the ground and he was probably being warmed by the sun as it shone through the cold February air. He moved away slowly from me as I tried to stalk up to him. I managed to get behind him and stayed downwind enabling me to creep up to him within 20 yards.

I was only spotted after ten minutes and managed to capture it all on film.

The rest of the day paled into insignificance as I wandered around the woods. I saw 4 fallow deer at the end of my trek, which was quite pleasing because I hadn’t seen them for a while in these woods.

But this weekend, it was all about the Muntjac!

Head to Head – Leatherman Juice CS4 v Victorinox Huntsman

An occasional series where I put some kit head to head “like wot it says in the title.”

I was asked to have a look at the Leatherman Juice CS4 by Mark at http://lakelandbushcraft.co.uk and thought it might be an idea to put it up against an old adversary - a Swiss Army Knife.

I chose the Victorinox Huntsman because of the size similarity, the similar number of accessories on each tool and the fact that both knife blades are sub 3 inches and non-locking. First of all, here are some specifications:

The Juice CS4 has a closed length of 82.5 mm (3.25 in) and weighs 155 grams (5.5 ounces). £75-£80 (Feb 2010)

• Needlenose Pliers.
• Straight Knife.
• Wire Cutters.
• Hard-Wire Cutters.
• Extra Small Screwdriver.
• Small Screwdriver.
• Medium/Large Screwdriver.
• Phillips Screwdriver.
• Lanyard Attachment.
• Can/Bottle opener.
• Corkscrew with assist.
• Scissors.
• Saw.
• Awl.

The Huntsman has a closed length of 91mm (3.5 in) and weighs 99 grams (3.5 ounces) £28 - £35 (Feb 2010)

• Large Blade
• Small Blade
• Corkscrew
• Can Opener
• Small Screwdriver
• Bottle Opener
• Large Screwdriver
• Wire Stripper
• Reamer, Puncher & Sewing Eye
• Hook
• Scissors
• Wood Saw
• Keyring
• Tweezers
• Toothpick

So, that’s have a look at some features:

The Chassis and scales

The Huntsman has plastic scales and is about one cm longer than the Juice. The Juice is slightly wider but the main difference is the weight with the Juice coming in quite a bit heavier. The Juice has anodised aluminium metal blue scales. I prefer the warmth of the plastic, especially as they are rounded making for a comfortable grip. It’s well known that you can make your own scales and replace the plastic ones. For general handling, pocketability and weight, the Huntsman is a winner here.

Build Quality

Both tools are good on build quality although I have found some of the accessories stick against each other on the Juice, but not to any excess. All accessories on both tools are non-locking but I like the positive “click” of the Juice as the accessories are snapped into place. I think the Leatherman has the edge here.

The main knife

The Juice’s blade is slightly thicker but not as wide. I’m not sure I like the hollow grind with secondary bevel of the Juice and although it seems solid enough, it just doesn’t feel as well built as the Huntsman; nevertheless, I carved a little tea-spoon with the Juice. My preference though is with the Huntsman.

Scissors

Both scissors are adequate but the Juice’s are longer. They also seems a little more robust and sharper. So the vote here goes to the Juice.

The awl/reamer

Both awls are more or less the same size but the Juice’s awl is strangely blunt. The Huntsman has a sharpened edge to the awl which is handy, acting as a reamer. I would vote for the Huntsman’s awl here.

The Saw

Both saws are excellent. The Huntsman’s saw has a bi-directional cutting stroke while the Juice cuts on the pull stroke. I like the effortless style of the pull-stroke so I will go for the Juice here.

Corkscrew, can and bottle opener

The Huntsman has a strange way of opening cans. You must push and cut instead of the expected pull and cut. The corkscrew and bottle opener are pretty standard. On the Juice, the can opener at least cuts the right way but isn’t really sharp or good enough to do the job. I’ve yet to sharpen it myself, which must make it at least functional. The corkscrew on the Juice isn’t as solid as the Huntsman but it is advertised to be used in conjunction with the bottle opener to pull the cork in a bottle of wine. The can opener is meant to act as a lever. A good idea in theory. In practice, it’s difficult to make it work although it does work after a fashion. This part of the contest goes to the Huntsman.

Screwdriver

There’s a screwdriver of sorts on the Huntsman (on top of the bottle opener) but I’m afraid it’s more than useless. The Juice has 4 separate screwdrivers including a Philips head. They are pretty powerful screwdrivers as well. An interesting feature of the flat head screwdrivers is that they are wedge shaped so you could possible file them down to make a small chisel. The Juice is way ahead here on points.

Pliers/wire cutters

The Juice’s piece-de-résistance. Even though the tool is relatively small, these are undoubtedly very powerful pincers! The Huntsman of course does not have this feature.

Other bits

The other bits are all on the Huntsman. There’s a toothpick, a small blade and tweezers. The small blade is a great little whittling knife and the tweezers are great for removing splinters. These are two big pluses for the Huntsman.

Conclusion

The Juice is more of a tool in the strict sense of the word i.e. it has pliers, wire cutters and screwdrivers. The Huntsman is more of a knife plus additional accessories. This gives you an idea of where you may wish to lean.

Of course price may well be a deciding factor. There’s a big difference between £75 and £30. Of course you can get cheaper versions of both the Juice and the Victorinox range and perhaps the Leatherman Squirt might be a better as a price comparison. It also depends on whether you want to use the Juice or Huntsman as a stand-alone EDC or use it with other kit you might take into the woods.

I had this dilemma when I had to choose between the two when I went to Namibia.  I decided that it was worth the extra weight to have a tool instead of another knife, so after taking that and all the above into consideration, I chose the Leatherman Juice.

Drop into Mark’s on-line store at http://Lakelandbushcraft.co.uk to see his full range of Leatherman's. Ask if it’s not there. Mark will always get it in for you.

Head to Head – Leatherman Juice CS4 v Victorinox Huntsman

An occasional series where I put some kit head to head “like wot it says in the title.”

I was asked to have a look at the Leatherman Juice CS4 by Mark at http://lakelandbushcraft.co.uk and thought it might be an idea to put it up against an old adversary - a Swiss Army Knife.

I chose the Victorinox Huntsman because of the size similarity, the similar number of accessories on each tool and the fact that both knife blades are sub 3 inches and non-locking. First of all, here are some specifications:

The Juice CS4 has a closed length of 82.5 mm (3.25 in) and weighs 155 grams (5.5 ounces). £75-£80 (Feb 2010)

• Needlenose Pliers.
• Straight Knife.
• Wire Cutters.
• Hard-Wire Cutters.
• Extra Small Screwdriver.
• Small Screwdriver.
• Medium/Large Screwdriver.
• Phillips Screwdriver.
• Lanyard Attachment.
• Can/Bottle opener.
• Corkscrew with assist.
• Scissors.
• Saw.
• Awl.

The Huntsman has a closed length of 91mm (3.5 in) and weighs 99 grams (3.5 ounces) £28 - £35 (Feb 2010)

• Large Blade
• Small Blade
• Corkscrew
• Can Opener
• Small Screwdriver
• Bottle Opener
• Large Screwdriver
• Wire Stripper
• Reamer, Puncher & Sewing Eye
• Hook
• Scissors
• Wood Saw
• Keyring
• Tweezers
• Toothpick

So, that’s have a look at some features:

The Chassis and scales

The Huntsman has plastic scales and is about one cm longer than the Juice. The Juice is slightly wider but the main difference is the weight with the Juice coming in quite a bit heavier. The Juice has anodised aluminium metal blue scales. I prefer the warmth of the plastic, especially as they are rounded making for a comfortable grip. It’s well known that you can make your own scales and replace the plastic ones. For general handling, pocketability and weight, the Huntsman is a winner here.

Build Quality

Both tools are good on build quality although I have found some of the accessories stick against each other on the Juice, but not to any excess. All accessories on both tools are non-locking but I like the positive “click” of the Juice as the accessories are snapped into place. I think the Leatherman has the edge here.

The main knife

The Juice’s blade is slightly thicker but not as wide. I’m not sure I like the hollow grind with secondary bevel of the Juice and although it seems solid enough, it just doesn’t feel as well built as the Huntsman; nevertheless, I carved a little tea-spoon with the Juice. My preference though is with the Huntsman.

Scissors

Both scissors are adequate but the Juice’s are longer. They also seems a little more robust and sharper. So the vote here goes to the Juice.

The awl/reamer

Both awls are more or less the same size but the Juice’s awl is strangely blunt. The Huntsman has a sharpened edge to the awl which is handy, acting as a reamer. I would vote for the Huntsman’s awl here.

The Saw

Both saws are excellent. The Huntsman’s saw has a bi-directional cutting stroke while the Juice cuts on the pull stroke. I like the effortless style of the pull-stroke so I will go for the Juice here.

Corkscrew, can and bottle opener

The Huntsman has a strange way of opening cans. You must push and cut instead of the expected pull and cut. The corkscrew and bottle opener are pretty standard. On the Juice, the can opener at least cuts the right way but isn’t really sharp or good enough to do the job. I’ve yet to sharpen it myself, which must make it at least functional. The corkscrew on the Juice isn’t as solid as the Huntsman but it is advertised to be used in conjunction with the bottle opener to pull the cork in a bottle of wine. The can opener is meant to act as a lever. A good idea in theory. In practice, it’s difficult to make it work although it does work after a fashion. This part of the contest goes to the Huntsman.

Screwdriver

There’s a screwdriver of sorts on the Huntsman (on top of the bottle opener) but I’m afraid it’s more than useless. The Juice has 4 separate screwdrivers including a Philips head. They are pretty powerful screwdrivers as well. An interesting feature of the flat head screwdrivers is that they are wedge shaped so you could possible file them down to make a small chisel. The Juice is way ahead here on points.

Pliers/wire cutters

The Juice’s piece-de-résistance. Even though the tool is relatively small, these are undoubtedly very powerful pincers! The Huntsman of course does not have this feature.

Other bits

The other bits are all on the Huntsman. There’s a toothpick, a small blade and tweezers. The small blade is a great little whittling knife and the tweezers are great for removing splinters. These are two big pluses for the Huntsman.

Conclusion

The Juice is more of a tool in the strict sense of the word i.e. it has pliers, wire cutters and screwdrivers. The Huntsman is more of a knife plus additional accessories. This gives you an idea of where you may wish to lean.

Of course price may well be a deciding factor. There’s a big difference between £75 and £30. Of course you can get cheaper versions of both the Juice and the Victorinox range and perhaps the Leatherman Squirt might be a better as a price comparison. It also depends on whether you want to use the Juice or Huntsman as a stand-alone EDC or use it with other kit you might take into the woods.

I had this dilemma when I had to choose between the two when I went to Namibia.  I decided that it was worth the extra weight to have a tool instead of another knife, so after taking that and all the above into consideration, I chose the Leatherman Juice.

Drop into Mark’s on-line store at http://Lakelandbushcraft.co.uk to see his full range of Leatherman's. Ask if it’s not there. Mark will always get it in for you.

Nasty old Noro

It started about 3am on Thursday. A not very pleasant experience of 6 hours sickness and diarrhoea. The longer term effects after that quick spell of nastiness was headaches, tiredness and aching limbs.

It making its way around the UK. There’s no cure but no lasting effects and, of course, with any thing like this you have to keep hydrated. If you need more information on the Norovirus, click here.

Despite feeling a little weak, I decided that a little woods therapy might be in order and I promised Les, Brett and John at Wildcrafts that I would help out; so I packed light and drove down the road to the site.

Not long after I arrived, Les showed the 8 army cadets how to skin a roe deer, and we soon had the carcass on the spit ready for the evening meal.

 

There was some success with this, but the damp conditions and damp wood weren't really conducive to a perfect meal, but there was certainly enough for a taster.

I travelled quite light (for once) and had the small tarp and DD scout hammock. My cooking kit was the crusader mug and that, basically, was it. Amazing what you can get down to if you really want to.

After watching Les and Brett skilfully guide the cadets through basic bushcraft skills, we sat back and relaxed by the fire as a battle raged around us, where the cadets had to patrol and literally fight for an ammo box of chocolate.

After a surprisingly comfortable night, despite an early biting northerly breeze, it was my turn to put the cadets through their paces with an introduction to tracking. They started to work well as a team to find the “escaped prisoner” in the allotted time-scale, despite the frustratingly ankle deep muddy conditions.

Despite this being a  short session it’s always gratifying to see people enjoy it. For the kids it’s like a grown up hide and seek and for the adults (who I noticed eagerly joined in) it was an eye-opener to discover that they could read tracks with a minimum of guidance. The mud did help and the badger and deer tracks stood out well, so we were able to look at the wildlife side as well.

I left the site at lunch-time more tired than when I left home, but it was still worth the effort to introduce a dozen or so more people to the world of tracking.

Thanks to Les, Brett and my mate John. Also to new faces, Simon and Bob (I think that was his name – sorry if it isn’t) and their brilliant camp-fire tales of biking-rally shenanigans! Hilarious.

Till next time.

Nasty old Noro

It started about 3am on Thursday. A not very pleasant experience of 6 hours sickness and diarrhoea. The longer term effects after that quick spell of nastiness was headaches, tiredness and aching limbs.

It making its way around the UK. There’s no cure but no lasting effects and, of course, with any thing like this you have to keep hydrated. If you need more information on the Norovirus, click here.

Despite feeling a little weak, I decided that a little woods therapy might be in order and I promised Les, Brett and John at Wildcrafts that I would help out; so I packed light and drove down the road to the site.

Not long after I arrived, Les showed the 8 army cadets how to skin a roe deer, and we soon had the carcass on the spit ready for the evening meal.

 

There was some success with this, but the damp conditions and damp wood weren't really conducive to a perfect meal, but there was certainly enough for a taster.

I travelled quite light (for once) and had the small tarp and DD scout hammock. My cooking kit was the crusader mug and that, basically, was it. Amazing what you can get down to if you really want to.

After watching Les and Brett skilfully guide the cadets through basic bushcraft skills, we sat back and relaxed by the fire as a battle raged around us, where the cadets had to patrol and literally fight for an ammo box of chocolate.

After a surprisingly comfortable night, despite an early biting northerly breeze, it was my turn to put the cadets through their paces with an introduction to tracking. They started to work well as a team to find the “escaped prisoner” in the allotted time-scale, despite the frustratingly ankle deep muddy conditions.

Despite this being a  short session it’s always gratifying to see people enjoy it. For the kids it’s like a grown up hide and seek and for the adults (who I noticed eagerly joined in) it was an eye-opener to discover that they could read tracks with a minimum of guidance. The mud did help and the badger and deer tracks stood out well, so we were able to look at the wildlife side as well.

I left the site at lunch-time more tired than when I left home, but it was still worth the effort to introduce a dozen or so more people to the world of tracking.

Thanks to Les, Brett and my mate John. Also to new faces, Simon and Bob (I think that was his name – sorry if it isn’t) and their brilliant camp-fire tales of biking-rally shenanigans! Hilarious.

Till next time.

Now That Was Cold One

I’m still thawing out. Even though there was little wind chill and compared to extreme colds in some more northern countries and perhaps Canada, it was still damned cold.

We had great difficulty getting the fire going on Friday night. A couple of feather sticks helped and we chopped the wood down into slithers, but it was still damp all the way through. Not only was it damp, but the damp had frozen through the wood. Any heat was taken away almost immediately and at best, for a long while at least, we had a miserable, smouldering mess. But it did pick up eventually.

With little daylight left, the tarp and hammock went up. After a bit of tea, a friendly social as more people turned up, a bit of start-gazing at the crisp, clear night sky, I turned in. I looked longingly at the Helesport tipi Rob had just erected.

It wasn’t a bad night. Only my toes suffered the cold. This was my own fault. I always takes off my socks and rub some talcum powder on to my feet and then put a pair of fresh socks on before turning in. This chore leaves the feet massaged with blood circulating and, above all, dry. I was too lazy and too cold, consequently I suffered.

The morning saw a layer of fine snow and a crackling cold temperature. When I went to bed it was minus 4C. It wasn’t that much warmer in the morning. Luckily the fire had been started and was looking good.

The coffee pot was on, the smell of bacon was in the air, and things were looking up.

Later, I wandered down into the valley, following some fallow tracks. The stream was in full flow and it was nice just to sit in the weak sunshine, listening to the water being pushed along the narrowing gaps between the fallen branches. Despite the cold, it was a beautiful day.

My feet were beginning to thaw as I climbed the hill back to the hut. I had seen no deer so I had to be content with watching the birds hurrying to try and beat the daylight to find enough to eat.

It was time to eat again and I planned not to make the same mistake as the previous evening and prepared not only the fresh socks and powder, but a NATO water bottle full of hot water to warm the bottom of the sleeping bag. I also closed down the usually open side of the tarp. I intended to be snug-as-a-bug.

We piled the fire high and sat around it in a huddle slowly roasting away. Amongst other things we discussed the merits of wool layering and keeping hydrated in the cold.

I was certainly warmer during the night and had the additional benefit of having non-frozen water to drink in the morning. The MSR dromedary had frozen solid. After a quick breakfast, it was time to pack away. My fingers suffered as I wrapped up the ice-cold cordage and it took me twice as long to pack everything away. On this occasion I was pretty glad to see the car as I walked around the bend and into the car park. Roll on spring!