Pooping in the Bush - How to look after number one while going number two

  On a recent camping trip with my friend Tom from Larrikin Outdoor Adventures I was faced with a problem I hadn't previously encountered in the bush, I was forced to poop without the aide of a toilet. This might sound like a non-issue to most seasoned bushmen, but this was something that I hadn't yet been forced to think of and has made me completely change my approach to bush camping. Luckily for me I always carry at least one roll of toilet paper in my pack, although Tom had several in his ute. This forced me to think about how I would combat the problem in the future and thought that I should pen my issues and use this as a reference point, should this problem arise for either myself or anybody else in the future.

  Always bring toilet paper, even when only going for a day trip. I carry at least one roll in the back of my car and another in my pack. As a general rule, I aim to carry at least one roll, per person, per day. This may seem excessive, but for those who have issues with bowel movements, it is essential.
  One must also consider that on most bush trips, the food being consumed is not typical of what one would consume in the home. It tends to be far more processed, with far less fibre than a typical home cooked meal.
  One would hope that it would not happen, but there is also the chance that water of questionable quality would be consumed. This would lead to far more frequent bowel movements, although it is worth mentioning that the effects of drinking questionable water are not normally seen until around seventy-two hours after consumption.

It doesn't matter the brand of paper, just wipe your business end

   Either pack or improvise an entrenching tool, no matter what kind of trip is being undertaken. This can vary from anything such as a folding shovel, a small garden trowel, a larger shovel, a garden spade or even something as simple as a stick that is found in the field. The hole should be approximately fifteen to thirty centimetres deep, depending on the size of one's bowel motions and the number of people on the trip. Though I would recommend, for obvious reasons, that each person dig their own individual holes.

  Pick a spot prior to getting the urge to go. This was a lesson that I learned the hard way. It is best to choose a tree that is a least one hundred metres away from camp, that does not have any limbs that are likely to fall on an unsuspecting camper underneath it and if need be, a tree that is large enough to offer some degree of privacy.
  The last thing an individual wants to be worrying about, is trying not to defecate in one's pants while looking for a suitable spot, then digging an appropriate sized hole. Or even worse, doing one's business and having to bury it after the fact

  Clean yourself up after the fact. I know this should go without saying, but some people really do forget to clean themselves up after using the toilet. Whilst you may not have the correct provisions available to wash your hands, it is always worth packing hand sanitiser in either your first-aid kit or hygiene kit, washing your hands in the river or stream, or if the weather is suitable, going for a swim in the river or stream to clean yourself up.
  It is through poor hygiene practices that we spread bacteria and allow diseases to thrive. Anybody who has ever had a case of gastroenteritis can attest to just how debilitating, uncomfortable and helpless one feels when vomiting while defecating pure liquid.

One wants to aim have a type four, but this may vary depending on the individual

  Ensure good bowel and gut health before leaving. This is more of a precursor to the trip than anything, but it becomes even more apparent when in the bush. After three separate bouts of diverticulitis, it is something that has become more apparent to me as I have gotten older.
  If an individual does not have regular, well-formed stools before beginning a trip, the entire trip is one of pain, discomfort and anxiety over where, and when, one will need to use their bowels. once more I will reiterate that this comes from first hand experience.



  Hopefully the information provided here is of some use to somebody reading. These are lessons I have learned so far in my travels, though I am sure that there will be many more along the way. Stay safe, stay clean and have fun out there.

Cutting Tools - What and Why

For those who have spent any serious time in the bush, a cutting tool is an essential part of gear and most people carry more than one. Whilst there are several different kinds of cutting tools, and some can serve many purposes that others do, I will speak generally about folding knives, fixed blade knives, machetes as well axes and hatchets.

Folding knives I see as more of an unnecessary redundancy item. I usually carry one in my pocket while hiking simply because they're lightweight, they don't take up much room and can be very handy if there is no other option available. They can range in both quality and price range from a seven dollar no-name brand folding knife available at places like K-Mart, to my personal favourite, the Opinel Number Eight which is available for around twenty-five dollars. There are even very high-end folders available from brands such as Kershaw, CR-KT or Spyderco that can cost up to around three hundred and fifty dollars or more.
  I tend to favour cheaper folders, as I see them as a back-up knife for use when I don't have a fixed blade or for finer carving tasks when I'm only carrying a large blade on my hip. It is worth mentioning that before deciding to carry a folding knife for EDC(Everyday Carry), check the legalities of carrying a folding knife with your local law enforcement.

Fixed blade knives should be a staple of any hiker's kit. Whether they are carried on the hip, in the pack, on the side of the pack or around the neck; they are a must for anybody travelling out for an overnight hike, a multi-day trip or even just a simple day hike. A good quality knife can aid in anything from shelter building, fire making and food preparation to building traps and skinning game.
  They are my go-to tool for every trip I make, regardless of duration, location or style of outing that I take.
  They are as varied in size as they are in price and quality. I have owned knives worth hundreds of dollars that were utterly useless and own knives for which I have only paid a handful of dollars.

  My go-to fixed blade that I currently have in my collection is my Muela Kangaroo. A blade of Spanish origin that encompasses a set of twin Bowie knives. One of which is a large chopper that serves most camp related tasks and has even served the purpose of a small machete on several occasions, the other a much smaller blade that is mainly used for finer carving tasks and menial camp chores such as cutting rope.

The Muela Kangaroo and it's leather sheathe. An affordable, tough, all-round camp blade.

Machetes are a lighter and more versatile alternative to a camp axe or hatchet. Whilst most aren't very good at chopping many of the hardwoods we have here in Australia, they are instrumental in cutting brush, small twigs and even chopping kindling. Some machetes, depending on durability, can even be used for splitting wood, though it is not recommended.

  I have many machetes in my collection and rotate them in and out of my pack depending on the trip, but I always have at least one small machete in my pack on any given trip, especially if I'm not carrying an axe. As a rule, I try not to spend too much on a machete, as I do not see them as a necessity to a kit. The purposes for which I tend to use them can be filled by either a large belt knife or a small axe.

My parang. A large chopper, light for a machete and fits snugly on the side of any pack.

Small axes and hatchets are a staple of any bushcraft kit that I carry. They are used for one main purpose, cutting wood. Whilst hatchets are not appropriate for felling large trees, they work incredibly well for cutting and splitting small logs, cutting and splitting kindling and if necessary, finer tasks such as feather sticking. Though it is worth noting that many finer tasks are best done with a much smaller blade than a hatchet.

  The price point of most hatchets is relatively cheap compared with many of the other cutting tools previously mentioned. Whilst a cheap, good quality hatchet is able to be purchased for as little as twenty dollars from somewhere like Aldi, a top quality hatchet such as a Fiskars is likely to only cost around seventy-five dollars. Whilst you can spend much more by purchasing a high-end brand such as a Gransfors bruks hatchet, this is still likely to cost less than two hundred dollars.

The hatchet I got from Aldi. My daughter picked it up and put it in the trolley, I couldn't say no.

Large felling axes are by far the largest, heaviest and in my opinion, most useless cutting tool one can carry. They are almost impossible to carry on the side of the pack as they are simply too bulky and heavy, they do not serve a use as far as camp chores go purely because it is illegal to fell trees in most National Parks in Victoria, so is therefore better used when carried in a vehicle for car camping.
 
  Even if it is used from a vehicle, it is still quite cumbersome, takes up a comparatively large amount of space for a single use tool and I feel it is somewhat redundant, especially if one decides to use a chainsaw instead. It lacks the ability to be packed away in a compact and discreet manner that the machete or hatchet has, yet also lacks the efficiency of the chainsaw. Whilst I acknowledge their usefulness within the home, especially if one does not wish to use a power tool, their inefficiency is based on the felling axe as a camp tool.

  The price point is also another point of inefficiency as they tend to be priced far above their smaller counterparts, especially when looking at more high end axes. Whilst I do have one in my house for general backyard use, I do not spend advise spending a great deal of money on a felling axe.



  I do advise that these opinions are my own and based on my own experiences. Some people may prefer not to carry a folding knife at all, others may only carry a fixed blade, some may favour a machete over an axe, some may feel that the chopping efficiency of the large felling axe makes it worth carrying the extra weight. In the end, the only person that can make that choice is the individual, which is the biggest reason why everybody's kit differs so widely.

A series of different blades in my collection. I've carried each of these at some point.

Gear Review: The Wildo Camp-a-Box and Wildo Kasa Cup

  Last October, I was lucky enough to enter and win a competition through the lovely people at Adventure Outfitters. They were giving away a Wildo Camp-a-Box to six people and I was lucky enough to be chosen in the draw. It is worth pointing out that the initial prize only included the Camp-a-Box; the spork, Kasa cup and ferrocerium rod that I received were all additions that were included by Adventure Outfitters purely out of their own generosity. I knew when as soon as I opened the package that regardless of whether or not I liked the product, the company were obviously run by very generous people and have been nothing but professional to deal with.

  I initially entered the competition thinking that I wouldn't even get a second thought, as I had not won anything like this before. When the announcement was made via the Adventure Outfitters Facebook page, I was equal parts surprised as I was excited.

  I will be reviewing every piece of gear that I received, with the exception of the ferrocerium rod, as this is now comfortably sitting in my fire kit and has worked to amazing effect, as would be expected of any decent ferrocerium rod.

 The gear in it's entirety just after it arrived

Camp-a-box: This is exactly how it sounds, a plastic, rectangular, two piece box used as an eating surface. Both parts of the box can be used for eating from, however only one side has a space to hold the box whilst eating.
  It is useful for eating both cooked an uncooked food, as a storage container, as well as cold soaking any food overnight for consumption the following day. It is tough, durable, packs down well and is very light to carry.

Baked potatoes in the Wildo Camp-a-box with the Wildo spork.

My only criticism lies in the design, and that is simply because it is plastic and cannot be cooked in. I want to point out that this is simply a personal preference of mine, to have something that is either steel or aluminium. Wildo have not advertised it as something it isn't, neither have Adventure Outfitters and this is simply a personal preference on my part.

Spork: I actually found the spork to be better quality that the steel and titanium eating tools that I already own, so much so that it replaced the spork that I was using and now takes it's place as a regular part of my kit.
The only part of the spork that I found no use for were the serrations on the side, as I always carry a functional knife when I'm expecting to be in the bush, even if the knife in question is only a small neck knife. The fork and spoon, however, work very well together and function exactly as designed, for it's intended purpose.
  The plastic design was not such a hindrance on this item, however, as it was this very fact that made it easier to carry, easier to use and easier to pack up. The sides, even those with the serrations, were far less sharp than their titanium counterparts that I have used and carried in the past.

Folding cup: This was one item that I actually had the lowest expectations of, as my first impressions were that it seemed small, fragile, difficult to hold and an all round useless item - I was completely wrong save for the fact that it is indeed small.
  The fact that it is small allows it to be more easily packed up and transported, it is far from being fragile as I gave this cup quite a bit of punishment during the gear testing video I made, expecting it to just fall apart, and it still came out as good as new. It wasn't difficult to hold while drinking as the entire bottom half of the cup is very thick and conducts virtually no heat which I felt made it far from being useless.
It also packs down so small that it allows me to carry it in the Camp-a-box itself, along with the spork with no extra weight or space being added to the pack.

Kasa cup: Easily my favourite part of the kit that I received and easily the most useful. I absolutely loved the ergonomic design of the handle, the sheer size of the cup itself as well as the weight and ease of carrying. I even fitted a lanyard to the handle so that it could be strapped to the outside of my pack and aide in easier handling when in use.
It's a versatile piece of gear that can be used both for eating and drinking from, such as trips when there is a communal stew pot or when a large amount of tea is made in a large billy. It can be use in conjunction with, or instead of the camp-a-box as it performs all of the same functions as the camp-a-box and is around the same size. I personally carry it strapped to the outside of my pack from the aforementioned lanyard and use it for things such as coffee and tea when in the bush.

Pine-needle tea in the Wildo Kasa cup

  As a whole, Adventure Outfitters have been amazing to deal with for both their generosity in gifting me all of this wonderful gear as well as their patience in waiting for me to put this gear review together. I would like to thank them as they have truly gone above and beyond my expectations of any company I've had the pleasure of dealing with. Their gear is well and truly top quality and they have been nothing short of honest and patient. Once more, I would like to extend my most sincere thanks and I hope to see you in the bush.

Spending the Day Filming for the ABC and My Ten Minutes in the Spotlight

  As some of you may or may not be aware, last October I was lucky enough to spend a day filming for a TV segment called The Link, which aired on the ABC. I had been contacted by man named Andy about wanting to do an interview in regards to my blog and he asked if he could give me a call.

  I will admit, at first I assumed that he was somebody from a local news office wanting another online interview like the interview I did with Vice in November of 2016, the day before the US election.
When I spoke with him on the phone, he told me who he was and that he wanted to film a segment for The 7:30 Report later in the week.

  We had a brief chat and Andy mentioned that he would specifically like to talk to me in regards to Survivalism and how the sub-culture is portrayed here in Australia. I advised him of my work schedule, what the weather was likely to be and we agreed that he would come to my house on a Wednesday afternoon in early October.
  The days leading up were a blur, and whilst I still went to work and went about my everyday life, I was preoccupied and nervous about the prospect of being on national television with my friends, family, co-workers and even the residents that I care for being able to see such a close-up view of my personal and family life.
  I spoke with Andy several times during this time, setting up the time when he would arrive at my house, the gear that I needed to have ready, even where on the porch he wanted us to stand when he arrived. I should also mention that I didn't actually give him my address until the day of filming since neither of us actually thought about it until Andy was on his way.
  I spoke with Andy the morning that filming was due to take place and he advised me that he was on his way. My wife and I had ensured that the house was clean enough, or at least as clean as you can get it with two small children around, we spent the morning picking out our respective outfits for both ourselves and the children as well as making sure we had both had our morning coffees.

  Andy arrived at our house at approximately 9:30am, along with a camera-man named Patrick. I had spoken with Andy on the phone prior to his and Patrick's arrival and we had worked out roughly how the morning was going to go. We spent roughly an hour and a half sitting on kitchen chairs and chatting in my hallway. To be completely honest, I felt incredibly nervous and it took me at least a good half an hour to really become comfortable and forget that I was on camera. I found the most uncomfortable part was constantly being hooked up to a microphone.

  After the single interview was finished, which in itself was incredibly exhausting, we headed out to Enfield State Park. This location was chosen both for it's varied terrain and it's close proximity to my house. Most of our time there was spent in and around the Surface Point Picnic Area, filming drone shots of Andy and I walking through the sparse bushland, filming a gear load-out at the picnic bench as well as filming shots of us setting up and sitting under a shelter chatting. My only regret of that portion of the day was the fact that I had forgotten to include some items in my gear load-out such as my water purification kit, my Swiss army knife and some extra food items; all of which I keep in the side pockets of my pack.

Whilst it looks like we're just relaxing and having a chat, I was so tired and cranky by this point. 

  We then headed back to my place to interview my wife and have some lunch. She had been uneasy about the whole thing for the entire week leading up to filming and had told me numerous times that she felt uncomfortable about the idea of being on camera and I assured her that she didn't have to even be on television if she didn't want to. The scenes were filmed in our living room and my wife spoke while I ate a late lunch courtesy of the people at Kebabman. Andy and I had spoken between takes about our mutual love of kebabs and Halal snackpacks and he was kind enough to pick up a kebab for me to have for lunch.

  It was at the point that we had thought that filming was wrapped up, that Andy suggested we film the scenes of me punching the heavy bag. I wasn't entirely keen on the idea, as I was unsure how this would come across in the context of the rest of what we filmed; coupled with my own insecurities about my body image. We ended up doing it anyway as I thought that we had best have the footage and not need it, rather than wishing that we'd done it after the fact. As a consequence of it being that last part filmed for the day, yet one of the first pieces of footage shown, I feel like I look tired and worn out during the small snippets of footage shown. I will admit that I probably only see it this way because I know how I was feeling at this point.

  Filming finished at approximately 3:30pm when Andy and Patrick left my house to go back to their respective offices in their respective cities. I was left exhausted, but at the same time I felt a sense of accomplishment at having completed the day's filming as well as a sense of anticipation at what the finished product would be like. I feel that it is worth mentioning that Andy contacted me the following day and offered to withhold my surname on national TV, advising that whilst my name is out there in the media, my kids' names and details weren't. This was a very thoughtful gesture and something that both my wife and kids appreciated.

  When Friday night rolled around, I was at work on an afternoon shift so I didn't get the chance to see the program when it aired. I did catch it online after I finished, though. I have to admit that it was somewhat of a surreal experience to see myself on a mainstream media outlet. Whilst I have a YouTube channel where I talk to the camera, share my walks and sometimes share my views on everyday life, it is completely different when somebody else is in charge of both the camera and the editing process. Overall, I was very happy with the finished product and the reaction from the survival community was incredibly positive. I went back to work after the airing on Sunday and it took all of maybe an hour for somebody to say to me, "Was that you I saw on TV the other night?". I did finally catch the segment on TV, as my wife recorded it for us to watch later.

  I would like to extend a big thank you to both Andy and Patrick for being incredibly patient with me for the entire day, as well ensuring that the finished product was something that did the survival community some service. I want to give a special shout out to Stan Grant, as nobody in my life has ever referred to me as an "Aussie man". Overall the experience was incredibly positive, it gave an honest, candid view into survivalism, or at least what I consider to be survivalism here on the Victorian Goldfields and I hope that I get the opportunity to do more media in the future.

If you would like to watch the video, it can be found on the Facebook page for the 7:30 report here.