2020-006 | ABOUT HUMILITY BEFORE NATURE

WISDOM TRAILS: Bushcraft teaches you to be part of the landscape instead of the landscape as part of your designs. Humility before nature instead of arrogance. Blending instead of standing out. Adapting instead of plodding on tunnel vision.

Bushcraft makes you an island of your own instead of "no man is an island". Improvising and prepping is the name of the game.

First seen on Facebook

December 17, 2017

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BUSHCRAFT, FOR OUTSIDERS, is destructive. Their prejudice about its methods are anchored on the Western concept of outdoors living, which is very popular now and then in syndicated survival TV programs and in hundreds of YouTube channels. I could not disagree more and I would not have to elucidate further why because bushcraft is not ready yet for politically-correct societies and will never become mainstream, no matter how people tried hard about it.

For most people, including this writer, it is a way of life, although mine is a special kind of existence since I lived in an urban setting and turned “wild” when ranging the mountains. I have this special relationship with the outdoors and I try to remove this gap between modern man and his environment through my advocacy of imparting knowledge of bushcraft and the importance of safety of the outdoors. Safety does not only favor man but also of nature from man.

What is the difference then between my bushcraft and that of the popular Western concept? Not much really except that I would rather tone down mine because I saw how people tried hard to build it up but are torn down quickly by those who cannot understand its principles. How would you go about to make it palatable? Simple. With HUMILITY. Not by bending against criticisms but understanding nature first, embracing it perfectly and then let the skeptics see the beauty of bushcraft in it. Do not overdo things. Keep it simple. 

In the first place, bushcraft is a cerebral activity. It uses more brains – creativity and epiphanies – than it uses brute force. The latter is just the by-product of the former. You have to agree with that and that is where you start. Since man has dominion over earth and all its living things, we are morally its steward. Obviously, man’s place is above these things, we tend to be arrogant in how we dispose with these and then we broadcast it everywhere, which does not sit well with those who are advocating for a healthy environment.

On the other hand, a humble steward would work his way around and find other solutions instead of focusing on a challenge in a conventional way, with blades flashing and talk for miles of its sharp character! Very predictable and not a bushcraft way, which we tell the world is “bushcraft” and we feel “proud” about our exploits. It would have been alright if we have enough resources or we are just one million people living in this planet we called home. 

If there is humility on our part, we could easily blend in among it; adapt within it; and improvise around it. BLEND. ADAPT. IMPROVISE. This is the only guiding principle I used in bushcraft and it does not need a lot of explanations if it becomes one of your core values. I arrived at this conclusion when I demonstrated “Survival Day” for my adherents in the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild; a sort of certification process for one who likes to practice bushcraft in an ethical manner. 

I looked inwards long and hard to create a different philosophy in bushcraft where it shall be acceptable to all and it is called ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. It is anchored more on the “blend, adapt and improvise” approach which is merely toning down excessiveness of this activity by leisure outdoorsmen and is, in itself, educational for the true traditionalists: the indigenous people, the homesteaders and the people who find the wilderness as their calling.

Ethical Bushcraft guarantees to leave so few traces of you as you enjoy leisure bushcraft activities in places below the treeline, in marshy jungles and rocky shorelines, where all the actions are. When you are on that level, you are an island of your own; a part of a landscape. In my part of the world, I now have adherents who are now into that and I feel so secure that it made our world a better place to live in.

 

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WARRIOR PILGRIMAGE BLOG, personified by this writer, is synonymous with the Outdoors, since Bushcraft and Survival is its niche. Safety and Security are its bedrock when it ventured into organizing outdoor events that involved people as in adventure/pilgrimage guideships and seminars; and explorations and expeditions.

 

Through tutorship, experience, folk knowledge and good old common sense, this writer was able to collect useful information which he is currently documenting in a book titled, ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. He shares some of this information and knowledge in his training sessions; in his social-media account; and in this blog.

2020-005 | OUTDOORS SAFETY & THE PLANT KINGDOM

OUTDOOR COMMON SENSE TIPS: Treat all vegetation as harmful. Looks could be deceiving. Do not take chances in touching it, much less ingest it, unless you KNOW the plant personally.

Never ever touch and cook wild mushrooms. They look almost the same found in grocery stores and supermarkets yet exhibit different characteristics.

First seen on Facebook

December 14, 2017

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MAN MAY HAVE DOMINION over the animals and plants of this planet but he has no complete control of all the plants that grew in his realm. What could be toxic here could be a delicacy in another part of the world. He might be a walking encyclopedia in a semi-arctic region but he would be a complete idiot in the tropics.

Science, however, have resolved that large gap but, scientific research and volumes of books related to the plant kingdom are confined only to the few and, mostly, within walls; and what information that may be shared to the public, comes out after the fact, when a person or a family succumb to the fatal ingestion of harmful plants.

Fortunately for us we now have the Internet. We could learn plants from the tips of our fingers and the information are almost endless. Would that make you an instant expert? Your guess is as good as mine. On the other hand, what little knowledge you got would be dangerous. Me, I just give plants a wide berth when walking on a trail, making sure I do not touch the one that have caused so much grief to people.     

The one I am talking here is the stinging tree (first photo) or what we know locally as "alingatong" or “lipa”. As long as the leaves are found as high as your head, you are safe. Watch out instead for the younger trees which grow level to your face, arms and legs. They sting when brushed and the more you rub the more torment you would receive. This last for 3 to 4 days without medical intervention.

During the flowering season, pollen and tiny fibers float from the treetops and branches down to the ground in slow motion. Zillions of these stay almost suspended in the air and carried off by wind higher or lower or sideways. These tiny particles causes allergenic reaction to one who has asthmatic spells and, sometimes, causes irritation to the skin which ran for days.

One of the most notorious plants to have this characteristic is the cowhage (second photo), or more locally known as “aninipay” or “nipay”. Its tiny fibers adhering to the flowers and fruit causes so much irritation. Folk tales suggest that because it is so light you could spot a beam of light over the “nipay” towards a person and it would ride that beam of light and inflict harm. Of course, it is unverified tale and made for entertainment only.

We may have other plants that are so toxic but it would not harm you for as long as you do not break a leaf or branch and smear your skin with its sap or ingest a part of it. We also do not know some plants are toxic and that is why we treat everyone as harmful. We do not experiment just because it looked like the ones demonstrated in YouTube or you saw a picture printed in a book.

Although not a plant, but still a member of the plant kingdom, mushrooms ARE to be left alone. They almost looked the same with just a little difference in their parts or color pigments. The safest mushrooms are still those found in supermarkets and groceries. Let a real living person, especially a grower, show you how. As much as possible, never discuss mushrooms if you are not an expert.

Learning how edible plants looked like is best learned from a garden and on the public markets. Bring these to the kitchen and learn how to process and cook these in many ways. Seasonal edibles are always found in markets. If you visit a place, look for this kind and you would learn something; much better than those online instructional.     

Skin irritations are best treated by washing the affected part and apply Caladryl© or calamine ointment. Do not apply alcohol, oil or skin lotion! If you do not have an ointment, alternative treatment but not a treatment actually, is smearing it with petroleum jelly. It helps to cool the affected skin and lessen the swelling.

 

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WARRIOR PILGRIMAGE BLOG, personified by this writer, is synonymous with the Outdoors, since Bushcraft and Survival is its niche. Safety and Security are its bedrock when it ventured into organizing outdoor events that involved people as in adventure/pilgrimage guideships and seminars; and explorations and expeditions.

Through tutorship, experience, folk knowledge and good old common sense, this writer were able to collect useful information which he is currently documenting in a book titled, ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. He shares some of this information and knowledge in his training sessions; in his social-media account; and in this blog.

Photo Nr 3 from Mushroon Info

Photo Nr 4 from Adrenaline Romance

2020-004 | TAPAK NUWANG SPORTS SANDAL

LAST YEAR, I RECEIVED a pair of free TAPAK Nuwang Sports Sandals in my home. Its arrival and purpose was to use it to my heart’s content; make a series of field tests and then give my opinions about its performance in social media; and make an impartial product review in this blog. “Nuwang”, by the way, is Ilocano word for the swamp buffalo, or more popularly known as the carabao; the Philippines’ favorite farm animal known more for its strength and its staying power.

It has a minimalist-style webbing of printed-orange motif as the thong, or strap, which you could adjust for fit at only one point. Once you slip your foot in, you just pull the webbing end through a small PVC ladder lock and secure it with another lock.  What I noticed about it was its weight. It was neither too heavy nor too light; considering that the outsoles are constructed of repurposed and upcycled rubber tires! Truly an inspiration and a product of Filipino ingenuity.

The first thing I did is slip it through the thong found at the heel. It is like fitting a shoe only you need to catch the other end of the thong with the slot between big toe and second toe. Once secured, cinch it tight, but not too tight. Then I walked it around my neighborhood and the downtown areas of Cebu City. I have to adjust my feet to get used to it because it has a different system. Most often, the smallest toes would be found beyond the edges and I need to adapt how it works for me. A little adjustment in my gait.

I wore it in my personal errands, rain or shine, intending to wear it down. I learned to walk it on dirt trails, sandy beaches and wade atop it in waist-high seawater. Exposed it to a full day of sunlight at its wettest conditions, with the intention of warping the rubber and undermine the adhesive that paired the insoles and outsoles. It had seen a lot of mileage, especially during the long lockdowns where I walked the empty streets because there were no public transportation running.

I did not use this in long hikes nor used this for running. Its minimalist design is not my idea of the ultimate in outdoors safety. I still stuck with the age-old principle of the proper footwear for the proper activity even though I know people wear this same type of sandals for their leisure activities in pictures. I would not recommend in such even though I know the TAPAK Nuwang is tough enough to withstand the force applied by weight and speed and uneven surface.

I find the minimalist thong system design very complicated to unravel and cinch in places where you are deemed to remove your footwear several times when entering areas far apart from each other. I experienced it where I have to do the removal and the wearing of the TAPAK Nuwang as I went to the outhouse, the restaurant and back to my cottage several times a day for four days. I thought I have only the home to do this thing. I was wrong.

Its toughest test was to wade in a mangrove area on a low tide. Mud would suck the soles, testing the hold of the thongs, while saltwater would naturally undermine the cracks of the sandwiched soles where the adhesives hold your year-old sandals together. For almost an hour I struggled to keep the TAPAK Nuwang to my feet, even though the slippery mud would interfere in my footing on the sandal itself. It was torture for any footwear immersed in watery mud that long but it held.

Should I rate the TAPAK Nuwang on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 as Poor and 5 as Excellent; I would rate it by its different characteristics like Comfort, Make, Function, Weight, Design, Material, Cost and User Friendly; before I could give the final satisfaction rating average. Here is how I do it and please follow me down:

• The TAPAK Nuwang is a sandal with an unconventional design, based on its minimalist form. Comfortability of wearing is supreme when doing a light walk although you have to adjust your gait to right sandal to the axis of your feet. Comfort is maximum at 4;

• For a locally-made sandal with a material originally of upcycled vehicle tire, the construction looked, felt and performed solid. Make is rated maximum at 5;

• Minimum requirements of a sandal is that it should keep your walking as comfortable as possible, protect your feet and does not fail. The TAPAK Nuwang have complied with that and this resulted to satisfactory functionality. Function is max at 4.5;

• Weight is the most obtrusive feature why people think twice of wearing a sports sandal. Weight is just about right which I rated at 4.5;

• This is not an original design but the manufacturer tweaked and added their own, for copyright considerations, like the upcycled tire tread. The design of the thong that held the feet is not the best though but aesthetically, it is. Design is good at 4;

• The choice of upcycled tires as the outsoles is a winner when choosing products that considers your carbon footprint. Materials used are satisfactory and could even better those expensive and imported brands. Material is fine at 4.5;

• At P550 per pair? Do I need to explain the price? Cost is best at 5;

• This is where the TAPAK Nuwang is not at its best moment. The minimalist thong design lets you to sit down so you could reach in unravelling and cinching the thong and remove or wear the sandal. It is never easy if you happen to do this more than what you expect it to be. User Friendly is 3.

Overall, the TAPAK Nuwang Sports Sandal has a Satisfaction Rating Average of 4.31, which is surprisingly high, considering that it is a local product. Personally, this is an excellent sandal to acquire and walk on with style among the suburbs and the frontcountry, notwithstanding its minimalist-thong system.

Tapak Outdoor and Sporting Goods, the maker and distributor of the TAPAK Nuwang, is an independent manufacturer built around 100 percent Filipino capital with address at Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Their products are all made in the country’s shoe-making capital of Marikina using local labor. You may call or send a message through their Facebook Page or a personal message to to Mr. Russell Pelingo and Mr. Russell Eustaquio for orders and inquiries.

The TAPAK Nuwang is sold at a retail price of P550/pair, with sizes ranging from 5 to 10. Strap colors are black, gray, orange, blue, brown, olive green, multi-colored tan, multi-colored green and multi-colored blue. They also have the TAPAK Nuwang Sea Games 2019 Edition in blue and red which sells for P350/pair. Then they have the TAPAK Aspin, in different strap colors sold at P550/pair. All their products are tested in different locations, environments and activities. They are also into production of trucker caps, cycling caps and neck warmers carrying the TAPAK name; and other sports equipment.