Kit : Winter Load out

Bimble : Woodland Bimble and Alpkit BruKit

Kit : UK EDC

My every day carry is pretty minimal compared to others I have seen, if I was to carry as much as some other do I would quickly become annoyed with the bulk.  The EDC I carry day to day has been chosen to suit my needs and has been kept as slim lined as possible so that I hardly notice I am carry it. 

My life seems to be built around lots of small routines, as such my EDC is just an extension of this as all the items I carry go in the same pockets each time and when not in use they are stored in a box in my house. 

Left Front Pocket
Wallet (containing cards and cash) - Handmade wallet by Fenner Crafts

Right Front Pocket
Sony Z1 Xperia Compact
Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Rear Left Pocket
Notepad

Rear Right Pocket
Ziploc bag containing plastic bag, plasters, a length of cord, safety pin and duct tape wrapped around a fresnel lens

On my  Belt
Leatherman Wave

Fenix LD15 Torch

Watch Pocket
Fisher Space Pen
Clipper Lighter

Keyring

Car and House Keys
Work Fobs
Short Length of Paracord
Victorinox Keyring Pen Knife

Kit : Bushcraft Fire Kit

Fire lighting has been one of my favourite skill to learn in bushcrafting. To me fire lighting comes in to different forms, firstly being the no fuss fire or sure fire and for this I carry a lighter and some home-made tinder tabs (made from rolled up make-up removal pads wrapped in cotton to hold its shape and dipped into wax to waterproof them)

These tabs can be cut open to reveal some of the cotton material and the wax acts as a flame extender. If I want a fire without any fuss this is what I use to get it going.  These tabs can be ignited by a lighter or a ferro rod and burn for about five minutes. 

The second form of fire lighting is using traditional methods, when I have more time to relax and can take time to start a fire I enjoy using a flint and steel striker kit. 

The kit contains the striker and flint along with a tin of char cloth and some coal extenders (birch  polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) and cramp balls/King Alfred's Cake (Daldinia concentrica) When out in the woods I collect material to make a tinder bundle to ignite into flame. If the materials are damp I attempted to dry these by storing them in my pockets, hopefully by the time I will need them they will be dry.  Failing the natural tinder bundle the kit also contains a small amount of jute twine to make a tinder bundle.

Fire by friction is another method of fire lighting that is practised but I rarely use this method to get a fire going. I find this a great skill to have so I attempt to  get a flame by friction a few times a year. Currently my fire kit contains some cordage for the bow, however my aim is to successfully start a fire using some natural cordage made when in the woods. 

I also carry a lens to allow fire by sunlight, rarely used but nice to have. the lens is stored in some rubber inner tube which give me another method of surefire with the lighter.

When out in the woods I always have a second lighter and a ferro rod on my personal.

Kit Contents

Pouch - Maxpedition M-2 Waistpack

Outside Pocket Contents

• Small tin (contents : Wax covered cotton tinder tabs)
• Lighter

Inner Pocket Contents

• Birch bark
• Lens
• Large tin (contents : flint and steel striker, charcloth in small tin, jute twine, slow match, birch polypore, crampballs)
• Small ferro rod