Scoutcraft DIY

This post is about how to make a pot cozy for backpacking.  The point of a pot cozy is to insulate your cooking pot so the food will keep cooking even after you take it off the stove.  This saves on fuel, which is better for the environment and your wallet.  Also, you don't want to run out of fuel on a trek.  Using a pot cozy is also easier.  You can let your dinner sit and cook without having to watch it or worry about burning it.   Reflectix is a type of insulation that works well for this purpose.  It is basically mylar (think space blanket) bubble wrap.  A roll of Reflectix at the hardware store can be expensive. The thriftiest way to get your hands on some Reflectix is to buy a car windshield sunshade at your local auto parts store or big box store.  You can find them in the $7 range.   Cut a piece that matches the height of your pot x the circumference.  Cut it so the border on the sunshade will make a nice border on...

 This post is about how to make backwoods K cup coffee brewer.  I wanted a way to make coffee with a K cup when there is no Keurig machine or electricity available.  There are commercial devices available for this, but they are bulky and expensive.  I wanted something simple and compact and this is what I came up with.   I got a 1-1/2" - 3" schedule 40 PVC coupling from Lowes.  A K cup fits in this perfectly snug.  The brand is Charlotte pipe.  I don't know if this will work with other brands.  If you want to try this, bring a K cup with you to the hardware store.   Carefully cut a little square in the bottom of the K cup.  If you cut too deep, you might cut into the filter and end up with grounds in your coffee.  Then make a cut in the top.  Put it in the coupler and place onto your cup.  Fill it with boiling water.  It holds slightly over a cup of water.  Let it drain into your cup.  I timed...

Remember the old Scout mess kit?  There are a lot of better options these days, but one thing I liked about that kit was that the cup was exactly 1 cup and had marks at 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, etc.  If you wanted to make up a batch of Bisquick, there was always a measuring cup handy, because each Scout had one. Those days are gone, but I still wanted to have a measuring cup for camp cooking.  I found that the cup that comes with my laundry detergent is exactly 1/2 cup. I used my home measuring cup to fill it to 1/3 cup and make a mark with a Sharpie.  Then I filled it to 1/4 cup and made another mark.  I used an engraver to make marks for 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cup.  If you don't have an engraver, you should get one.  They are essential for marking all your camping gear and valuables. I used vinegar to get the detergent taste and smell out of the cup.  Tide has changed its cup a little since I made mine, so you may have to modify these instructions a bit, or...

I made a folding buck saw out of some oak flooring strips salvaged from a construction dumpster.  I only had to buy the blade, 2 bolts and 2 nuts. Sure, you can buy a bow saw for $10 that will cut as good as this one, but this one folds up, looks cooler, and has an awesome old school vibe.  The inspiration for this project was an article on Paul Kirtley's blog, titled " How to Make a Folding Bucksaw ." Materials: scraps of hardwood flooring 24" Fiskars bow saw blade 2 1/4 x 1" stainless bolts 2 1/4" stainless lock nuts about 5' of paracord The first thing I did was run the flooring strips through the table saw to remove the tongue and groove.  Then I ran them through a planer to remove the grooves on the bottom.  This left them at 5/8" thickness.  They were originally 3/4" thick. The windlass (stick for tightening paracord) is 3/8" thick and 7" long.  I ripped it to thickness on the table saw.  It is 1.25" wid...

I recently discovered a new pioneering technique used by Scouts in Italy.  It is called CatDrill and it uses holes drilled in small poles secured with cordage.  It is an ingenious technique that uses an overhand knot to lock each end.  It uses a lot less rope or cord than the pioneering techniques we are used to in the US.  Check out the CatDrill website .  ScoutmasterCG did an article on CatDrill 5 years ago, so I am late to the party. Here is an example of a CatDrill joint (image borrowed from CatDrill website). I decided to reinvent the Scout stave dishwashing rack that I learned to make from from the Scout Pioneering website .  This time, I'm going to make it using the CatDrill technique rather than traditional lashings.  Our Troop has built the dishwashing rack on numerous outings.  One problem they have is getting all the staves oriented just right so that the basins are held securely.  By pre-drilling holes where the stav...

I came up with another take on the Scotch eye auger that I made about 9 posts ago.  Auger bits come in different shaft diameters.  Those made by Irwin are 7/16".  The Harbor Freight ones are supposed to be 3/8" but are more like 11/32.  I wanted to have one "eye" that I could use with any auger bit, but still use the bit in a power drill if I want.  So I got a 1/2" to 3/8" socket adapter and welded it to a piece of 1" pipe.  Now, by selecting different sockets, I can use any auger bit.  This should even work with the tapered square end bits used with a brace and bit.  I bought a 3.5" double threaded 1" pipe from Lowe's and a set of socket adapters from Harbor Freight.  This cost me about $5.  I cut the threaded ends off of the pipe.  You can use an angle grinder / cutting disc for this but a chop saw is even better. Then I ground a curve into the end of the socket adapter with a die grinder.  Again, an angle grinder...

In a previous post titled " Rope Maker ", I made a rope making machine per the specs in the Pioneering MB pamphlet, but bolted it to a trailer hitch for stability.  That arrangement was kind of clunky, and expensive for anybody who doesn't have extra trailer hitches lying around.  So I came up with a different solution.  I mounted the rope maker to a 2x2x20" piece of wood and drilled a 5/8" hole in it for the hitch pin. First I took some 2x4 scraps and cut them 20" long, then ripped them to 1x2". Then I glued them together and clamped them up overnight.  If I had it to do over again, I would have cut them slightly oversized, then trimmed them to 2x2" after the glue-up. Then I marked the location for the hitch pin hole at 2-3/4" and centered on both sides.  I measured 3 hitches that I had in my garage.  2 of them had the hole centered at 2-3/4" from the end and the third was at 2.5",  so I went with 2-3/4".  I d...