Bushcraft at work

Kimber45guy

Kimber45guy

Scout
Bushclass I
Joined
Aug 12, 2011
Messages
824
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Location
South Carolina
So I was on a little dirt road today at work when I noticed a little pine stump.

My work ethic said keep driving but my bush sense said stop and look! It's just a few minutes and won't keep you from anything important!

My bush sense was right. I broke this little stump off:

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In the center you can see that purple/reddish tinted turpentine scented goodness:

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Fatwood! Just a little score I thought I'd share.
 
Good eye ! and i'll bet you were not even late for your next stop. :)
 
GreyOne said:
Good eye ! and i'll bet you were not even late for your next stop. :)
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Well not late per se. lol but ken is right it is addictive. We have a few "hiding spots" where we can go at work for breaks or whatever and I always find myself grabbing a twig and making notches with my pocketknife or the like. I'm always looking for natural tinder and such too.

I know I'm not the only one! :27:
 
bushcraft at work - how do you do it?

I don't know about everyone else, but I am usually stuck in an office. Not a high-end,high maintenance place, but an office none the less. I've always been outdoors. my first jobs were a park ranger and then an inspector on construction sites dealing with soil conservation (am now in the state office that oversees the field people).

So to remind myself of my 'roots' i try to keep and use a few things around me-

the ubiquitous and mandatory paracord bracelet (handmade of course)
SOG Vulcan folder in right front pocket
Leatherman multi too and small flashlight in my laptop backpack (chosen in lieu of a traditional briefcase)
change of clothes for my lunch hour walk along the river - fleece hoodie, Stormy Kromer hat, leather gloves
Fridays are casual days so out come the Timberland leather boots, jeans and comfy shirt Ah! life is good

And always, I keep a mindset of self reliance and appreciation of nature (not a worship of it but a great love for it) close at hand.

So I am wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation, and if so, what do you do to keep that bushcraft state of mind?

Looking forward to your ideas!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!
 
My job is supposed to be 60% field work 30% office time(I'm a supervising paramedic). But in reality due to our low call volume I am in the office most of the time. My desk has a hand carved pencil holder and my letter opener is one I made from a deer leg and a sheed I found. My back pack/EDC bag has a small kit in it and I seam to use the bank line out of it quite often at work.
 
I'm a Medic/FF split between the ambulance and engine. I always carry one of my trusty pocket knives and my great granddads homemade leather note pad. Just a couple of small items that I keep on me. And I always have some form of gear in my personal truck I can full with if I have any down time.
 
I work in an operating room at a hospital. No way for me to include bushcraft into my day at work at all. For me it is always a day off or not at all.
 
I am an investigator and spend much of my time in the field I like to take my light my fire sporks, drink out of thermos and canteens that I keep in the car and love inclement weather where I have to practice or actually use common sense skills like today had to go out in the ice storm we had car got to a point where it was just spinning took my hammer out of my tool bag beat on the ice for a little bit then took my e tool and scraped until i could allow my car to roll back and get some traction to get started again. Made it to my destination and back in about an hour . I live about 2-3 miles away from destination.
 
I'm a truck driver so that means lots of hours behind the wheel. I'm also trying to get out of trucking by transitioning into the photography industry...Now add in home and family duties and that equals very little time for playing in the woods. I try to get out for a trail walk once a week, but it can be hard.

Truthfully Bushcraft USA and my other "studies" help keep me in that bushy state of mind :-)
 
I carry a Fenix E11 flashlight, some chocolate brown earth-tone BDU's , bear spray (OC), mesh backpack, Bates Delta Force boots. I wish I was a park ranger but I am a correction officer. The inmates have their own thing going on as well:
  • Cordage for fishing lines and clothes lines that they braid out of old shirts
  • small hobo fires for heating up soup when we are not on the runs
  • hand forged knives, of course for cutting sausage!
  • Signal mirrors. (I thing just to see me coming)
  • They even hand craft there own cuff keys, which by the way is frowned upon.
Jail house bushcrafting I guess!
 
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I do live in a highly developed area,I make fireboarrds and such That I use away from the apt.house,but they still want me to scrap them,No
 
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I use the Light my Fire sporks, regular and titanium at work. Stoic and Brunton titanium as well. Peel apples and such with the bk14. Wear outdoorsy clothes, eat spam cheese and crackers during breaks, or homemade bannock, other "weird" stuff. Cook on "alternative heat sources" too.
 
brutane said:
I work in an operating room at a hospital. No way for me to include bushcraft into my day at work at all. For me it is always a day off or not at all.
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But you are improving you field first aid skills everyday! I bet you have a mean first aid kit!
 
hike500 said:
But you are improving you field first aid skills everyday! I bet you have a mean first aid kit!
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I never think of it like that, but you are completely correct that I do get to use my first aid skills daily. My first aid kit would probably disappoint. It contains a few band aids for little stuff, a big trauma dressing for really big stuff, a small roll of duct tape, some petroleum jelly in a small tube, and a couple of over the counter meds. If it can't be handled with this stuff or things I can improvise from my other kit or nature, it wold most likely require more stuff than I am willing to carry in my pack due to weight.

I do however have quite the trauma kit in my vehicle since I still actively do volunteer EMS/rescue.
 
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Well, until the powers that control my network at work inflicted their own "mandatory" desktop on us, I used to deal with my office captivity by using some of my favorite outdoor pictures as a desktop/background on my workstation PC. (Now I get useful information, like "Sexual Harassment is Wrong", "Last October was Information Awareness Month, so make sure you pull your access card when you leave", and "Don't waste paper, print on both sides". (Your tax dollars are hard at work folks.)

Brass cigarette lighter and SAK in my pocket.

BCUSA browsing during lunch.
 
I am a library director, which isn't very bushcrafty, but at least I get to buy bushcraft books so other people can learn some new skills. Most of my knives get their turn opening boxes, though ;)
 
I do ten hours five days in an office. Luckily, I am the only one in this office and I am almost always honing my knot skills, surfing BCUSA, YouTube and other sites. My actual work equates to an average of 3hrs a day, plenty of free time. When I am planning a trip I will bring my gear to the office and load my pack, make repairs to gear and sharpen my knives. This year I am trying my hand at making some sheaths and modding knives for my nephews, alot of this I can do at 'work'.
I also keep a notebook on my desktop that I keep notes in, bushcraft ideas, books to read, gear to try and various gear lists. I also have plenty of time for reading.

Rip
 
hike500 said:
But you are improving you field first aid skills everyday! I bet you have a mean first aid kit!
Click to expand...

Yep - you are keeping it in your head, which is where all of us should really focus. cool toys are great of course, but without knowledge honed to a razor's edge through constant practice (like med prep), toys are just that.
 
I'm truly blessed in my job because I work with the outdoor program here at the college. I'm out with our students at least once each week for a day trip and get to do a bunch of overnights as well. Typically I'm only "at work" 4 days per week with the rest of the time being outside either for work or on my own.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper
 
I work in a call center as a tech for Directv. I get very little time away from my desk, but you will always find my mongo on the desk with complete kit. As a result I am the only one on my team that is always prepared and I'm the one people come to when they need first aid or even a pen LOL. Just a few days ago, while at my desk I made a couple alcohol stoves, from my empty monster cans, which became gifts to my fellow team mates.
 
I'm a country boy but work in a cubicle. Would love to find a job where I could work outside in the woods. But till that day I'm stuck wearing business causal. Given the cold weather and to make up for the lack of practicality my forced wardrobe gives me I have a backpack with a change of cloths. In it I also have a pair of long johns, water proof gloves, a wool ski mask, and a pair of wool socks. This is just in the unfortunate case that I find myself stranded somewhere on a back road when trying to make it back home. I always carry a pocket knife on me and have a magnesium fire starter on my keychain. My vehicle also has a few other items so I can make a makeshift camp till help arrives.
 
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