WARRIOR REVIEW: Silangan Rev20 Tent

THIS IS THE TENT THAT took the Philippine outdoors community by storm in 2014. Presenting the Rev20 by Silangan Outdoor Equipment. How did I know that? Well, every camper in that year wanted a Rev20 and it had been talked about everywhere in social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and appeared in personal blogs. It became viral. Sort of.

Why? Because it performed like a branded tent and it is affordable. Really?

Curiosity got me interested on the Silangan Rev20 too. In late 2015, I got my own set. It is in red color. Too corporate. I cannot be choosy with colors that suit me. You cannot find a Rev20 in store shelves nor a just-completed set displayed in the factory for as long as 24 hours. Once people knew of its existence, it would be gone in a puff. Trust me. I snatched it the moment I knew one existed.

 

The Rev20 is packed tight inside its compression bag. Aluminum poles, along with metal pegs, are placed together inside in separate special pouches. I would use it when I have the time but foreign guests in my survival class did the honor in January 2016. I have not seen how it is set up nor generous of time to test it myself but it went well with my guests without any supervision at all from me, who was supposed to know his equipment well.

I got the chance to set up, use, habituate and sleep in my Rev20 for three days and two nights of August 2016 when I visited Guintarcan Island, in Northern Cebu. I now know that there are two components of the Rev20: the outer shell and the inner chamber. The main articulated pole would act as the backbone of the outer shell while the six pegs would secure that to the ground so it would stand rigid.

What about the other two short poles that are lumped together inside the pole bag? Are these replacement parts? My guests were quite puzzled when they found two extras. I would find out that soon once I proceed to integrate the inner chamber with the outer shell myself.

The Rev20 is so designed for camping in unfavorable weather conditions. In higher elevations, weather is unpredictable. Most conventional tents are erected first, with rain fly attached next, before you can place yourself and bag inside. When it is raining or when rain is fast approaching, you will be stressed out. You will have to prioritize a dry tent, leaving you and your bag at the mercy of the elements.

With the Rev20, you can set up the outer shell first, which is already rainproofed material, and squeeze through the door with your bag, completely shielding you from rain and wind chill as you work on the ground sheet and then attaching the PVC hooks of inner chamber to the rings found under the roof of the outer shell. There are two sets of three anchor points that are found on the roof and six anchor points on the ground. A vestibule would keep that bag out of the way as you pick yourself inside to stabilize your sleeping area.

The Rev20 is a three-season tent. It could stand a storm and a pouring rain. The aluminum pole, sections all linked together by a flexible cord, is strong enough to hurdle strong gusts of wind. The outer shell fabric is rain fly material that functions on equal footing against any of your favorite and very popular imported tents. The inner chamber’s footprint acts like a dry bath tub. It is also waterproofed material.

I have used, tested and slept inside a Rev20 on those adverse conditions on one stormy night of October 2016. We camped on a high bank beside the Cotcot River, on the side of Mulao, Liloan. It rained hard that night. The river rose and seemed to lip over the riverbank where I erected my tent. Everyone transferred to higher ground. I stayed. I was dry, except for moisture caused by condensation, and blissfully warm. In the morning, I found a remnant of a once-wide pool beside the Rev20.

As the Rev20 is very efficient in keeping you warm and dry, it has also its downside, although very tolerable. During warmer days, when tent is exposed to sunlight, or of stale nights without breeze, it is really uncomfortable to stay in there. You could alleviate that by rolling the door wide open so cool breeze could enter your sleeping chamber. The bug net, however, would protect you from mosquitoes, flies, hornets and crawling insects.

Now, what about those extra short aluminum poles? Found inside at each end of the outer shell are two sets of two tight sleeves which most likely could have been designed to accommodate those two extra poles. When I forced the poles inside each end – voila! – the Rev20 looked much better, unlike the time when my guests used it. The poles act as a frame to keep the outer shell from touching the inner fabric where toes and head are found. It would be challenging when installing it in darkness. Use a light then.

Because I was satisfied with the performance and the better design of my first Rev20, I acquired another one in December 2016. It is in yellow color. I do not care. All I want is function and comfort. I was able to snatch this when I learned of its availability. My apologies to those who tried hard to acquire a Rev20. I am not hoarding. I am investing for my outdoor classes where I am expected to accept guests who travel light.

The Silangan Rev20 weighs at 1.4 kilos, to include the poles and pegs. One person could sleep comfortably inside. It is 78” in length (72” inside), 40” at its widest and 33” ceiling space. A couple could sleep in there but it would be cramped. Currently, the maker is upgrading the Rev20 into the Rev20 + II. Aside from the Rev20 and Rev20 + II, Silangan Outdoor Equipment has other tent models like the Eis8, Amiel5, Dawn26 and the Santi13.

Should I rate the Rev20 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 as Poor and 5 as Excellent, I probably would have rated it, like some people would on most tents, by its different characteristics like Comfort, Space, Function, Weight, Design, Material, Cost and Camper Friendly, before I could give the final satisfaction rating average. Here is how I do it and please follow me down:

•         The Rev20 is a one-person tent. When you sleep in it through by what it was designed for, you get all the space you need and the comfort. Comfort is maximum at 5.

•         For a small tent, it still has a vestibule, which is kind of an extra. Even without that, you still got space for your things but the vestibule made the Rev20 a winner. Space is rated maximum at 5.

•         Minimum requirements of a shelter is that it should keep you dry in stormy weather and should protect you from the elements. The Rev20 have complied with that and this result to comfort. Space is an extra and made Rev20 very desirable. Function is max at 5.

•         Weight is the most obtrusive feature why people think twice of bringing a tent. Tents are heavy hardware and weight could make or unmake a major climb. For a one-person tent, the 1.4 kilos that Rev20 packed are tolerable. Weight caused it a notch down though at 4.

•         This is not an original design but the manufacturer tweaked and added their own for copyright considerations, much like the Israelis tweaking an American warbird to a better clone. The design made the Rev20 viral in 2014. Design is good at 5.

•         Choice of material for the Rev20 is very important. Silangan Outdoor Equipment source only the best for their tents and, where available, they sell as much as they make. Material is first class and are the same with what you saw on expensive brands. Material is fine at 5.

•         At P3,600, do I need to explain the price? Cost is best at 5.

•         This is where the Rev20 is not at its best moment. The single pole setup means that it could not stand on its own. You need metal pegs to keep it erect. That would have been fine but stand alone tents are much desired by most people. The tunnel pockets for the two extra poles found at each end are just too tight. In darkness, on all your fours, that would be taxing. Camper Friendly is 3.

Overall, the Silangan Rev20 Single-Person Tent has a Satisfaction Rating Average of 4.65, which is surprisingly high, considering that it is a local product. Personally, this is an excellent tent to acquire and camp with, notwithstanding its two extra poles. Or you could do without it and you could increase your satisfaction by a tenth.

 

Silangan Outdoor Equipment is an independent manufacturer built around 100 percent Filipino capital with office address at Green Meadows Subdivision, Tabunok, City of Talisay, Cebu, Philippines. Their products are all made in Cebu using local labor. You may call or send an SMS to Mr. Jay Servano at 977-216-6606 for orders and inquiries. You may also contact them on their page in Facebook.

All their products are tested in different locations, environments and activities. They accept suggestions and improvements and also accepts product customization according to the needs of the customer. They are also into production of outdoor apparels, sleeping bags, hammocks, fly sheets, dry bags, backpacks, purses, pouches, digital printing, embroideries and corporate giveaways.

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THE TRAILHAWK JOURNEYS: Sumilon Island Survival Training

MY COUNTRY, THE PHILIPPINES, is composed of many islands and it is in both the “ring of fire” and the “typhoon belt”. Our own eastern seaboard is facing the Pacific Ocean and is susceptible to rising sea water during climatic changes and during catastrophes, which could induce tidal waves and storm surges. The same with our western, southern and northern coastlines.

A strong earthquake from across the Pacific and from any direction would generate a tsunami, like in Southern Mindanao in 1977. A Category 5 cyclone, meanwhile, could overwhelm large coastal cities and communities typified by Typhoon Mike (Ruping) in 1990 and by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. In fact, these same calamities have struck many years ago and memories of its magnitude cannot be appreciated anymore by this present generation.

Coastal and island communities found in between inland seas, bays and straits are also not safe anymore. Islands are now experiencing unprecedented great floods, frequent landslides and massive erosion which we could very well attribute to large-scale deforestation, unabated quarrying and strip mining. We also have a long history of man-made disasters, ship collisions and faulty maritime navigation and a world war which is still in our memories.

Let us talk about the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Communities living along foreshore areas and to as far as 1,200 meters inland were swept away by gigantic storm surges with an untold destruction, the likes of which was never before seen nor felt in our lifetime.  Unbelief and shock were written on the faces of every survivor. For the first few days, there was no outside help nor contact. Communications and transportation infrastructures were severely damaged, further isolating surviving communities.

 

Food and water ran low after two days and survivors resort to pillaging stores and those they thought were stocking vital supplies to feed for their survival. Law and order broke down as the stench of the dead began to add to the desperate situation. Government control was totally absent and everyone, including the dead, were left to fend for themselves on the streets. Anarchy ruled as armed mobs appeared everywhere even infringing inside the sanctity of private homes.

It was a hopeless situation for all other survivors who lived in desperate moments day by day. Slowly, the national government with its limited resources brought stability to some of the affected areas. The situation became normal only after six months as international humanitarian organizations poured in billions of dollars worth of aid, food and housing to give solace and normalcy to the lives of the affected communities.

The post-typhoon mayhem on the eastern coasts of Leyte was unexpected. Filipinos are known for their tenacity and resiliency when it comes to coping with disasters and other life-threatening moments. In such situations, they would retrieve and utilize their primitive-living skills which they learned from the older generations. During those desperate moments, everyone acted like feral animals. Human decency and respect broke down.

People seemed to have lost their will to think and resorted on primeval instinct. This could have been avoided if they have listened to government exhortations to abandon their homes before the storm came. Casualties would have been mitigated or avoided. Productive skills like people relations, community mobilization and communal survival would have lurched positively from the aftermath of the deadliest storm of the century.

 

It is situations like these that spurred me to give up the privilege of owning a knowledge that had been bequeathed me by my first teacher – my grandfather – and share it to people, communities, organizations, government agencies and corporations. Even before these calamities came, I was already teaching people bushcraft and survival. I have taught just enough and then people realized that they have to go back to the basics.

This survival training is prepared and designed for use in a post-disaster scenario like storm surges and tsunamis, even consequences from a maritime accident. This course aims to develop the participants of the basics of survival in island and foreshore setting of sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, limited water resources and sparse vegetation, without disregarding the proper procedures that would ensure the chances of survival of an individual.

Preparation for any survival situation should be given premium by anybody, regardless if the individual is an experienced one or not. As much as we would like the serenity and aesthetic joy and the privacy of an island surrounded by an emerald sea, the fact is that islands present its own hazards coupled by unpredictable weather conditions which could spawn a calm sea into a roaring monster in just a few minutes.

I always emphasized that a person can be an island on his own contrary to the general idea. I would always encourage that every individual should be self-sufficient and could sustain his ability to survive alone when facing real survival situations. He should be able to fend for himself during the most trying times and, in the absence of equipment, compensate this with knowledge. Knowledge of survival skills enhances one’s standing in a group of survivors and, through his guidance, a community could arise from despair.

My training is designed for island visitors, backpackers, tourists, resort workers, residents and water sport enthusiasts and would complement experience, skill, safety and good common sense. Its main purpose is to educate and to give an idea about what to expect when faced with a situation of survival on an island and foreshore environment and, consequently, prepare a person for the worst conditions.

Bluewater Resorts, a Filipino company operating the world-renowned Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort in Lapulapu City, the Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort in Bohol and the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort in Oslob, Cebu – all “green” resorts – took a good step forward by encouraging their resort officers and staff to actively participate in a three-day BASIC ISLAND SURVIVAL COURSE this writer had offered for May 23, 24 and 25, 2017 at Camp Bermejo of the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort.

Camp Bermejo is named after Fr. Julian Bermejo, a Spanish priest who was the architect of the construction of a series of watchtowers in Southern Cebu that fended off Moro raids early in the 19th Century. One of these surviving towers is found on the eastern part of Sumilon Island. Its stone masonry withstood the test of time as well as a few hardwood buttresses. Gone is the wooden platform that would have supported the defenders and their instruments of warfare.

Beside the old Spanish structure is a round concrete tower that supported a navigation light. It is about 75 feet tall. It is not a lighthouse. Vegetation dominating the interior of the island is a forest of white leadtree (Local name: ipil-ipil), introduced many years ago as sanctuary for birds and to prevent erosion. Along the edges of the island are bare rocks and pocket forests of indigenous coastal hardwood varieties and mangroves.

A network of paths was established by Bluewater management to access the interior and Camp Bermejo and along the fringes to approach isolated beaches and hidden nooks. The campsite, the lecture area and the kitchen are located near the man-made structures of Camp Bermejo. Seven Bluewater staff attended this training, which is geared for traditional outdoor and casual setting.

Introduction to Survival was the first chapter of the first day, May 23, and it is where the survivor’s mindset were explained thoroughly, along with the hierarchy of needs and of survival nutrition. Next was Water Sanitation and Hydration which is very important since islands and foreshore areas always bore the brunt of abrupt changes of weather from uncomfortable warmth to lashing sea sprays and wind chills. These places rarely host natural springs and fresh water sources.

Knife Care and Safety came next after lunch and siesta; and the participants learned our country’s knife law, ethics, safety carry and use, sharpening and proper storage. Then they get to test their dexterity with a knife through the practical chapter of Survival Tool Making where they carved spoons and drinking jugs from bamboo. Lectures ended at dusk. Participants helped each other out to cook their dinner. The campfire became the social hub of the yarns and storytelling episode which ended at around nine.

Second day, May 24, was a test for the participants and also was the most exciting. They fasted that day. Their concentration were challenged by hunger, thirst, humidity, drowsiness, annoying insects and the warm sun. First part of the morning was the chapter on Notches. It was another practical session with a knife but aided this time by a batoning stick. Five different notches had to be carved from a stick with the last one needed to hold another object like a rock or metal.

After that, everybody relaxed to listen to the section on Foraging and Plant Identification. They were shown photos of harmful plants and samples of simple traps and snares. Then we proceed to Fire, Tinder and Campfire Safety. On this episode, the participants were taught how to identify and chose the best firewood and kindling, manufacture tinder and test their skills on the ferro rod and the flint and steel. Later, they witnessed how fire is made through the bow drill.

Last lecture for the day is Food Preservation and Cooking. Their appetite for food which were denied them became possible by cooking rice in improvised bamboo pots. When that done, they proceed with Nocturnal Hunting. They caught five big land crabs with bare hands and sticks. They now have food to pair with their rice. However, we decide to release the crabs and eat food provided by Bluewater Sumilon. They had proven their worth and the campfire was now more lively.

Third day, May 25, the participants packed their things and, once finished, they sat around and listened to the lecture on Customizing the 72-Hour Bag. Different kits and items are shown to them of what it looked like and how does one design it to the type of environment and activity one is engaged in. Then came Traditional Navigation. Floating on seas, constellations, the sun and moon matter very much. Last one for the day was Outdoors Common Sense. It talked about protection, safety, wildlife encounters and well-planned travels.

The day wrapped up with giveaways courtesy of Mr. Jose Neo of the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. A Seseblade Sinalung was raffled out and it went to a lucky Bluewater staff. This blogger is thankful for Mr. Erik Monsanto of Bluewater Resorts for making possible this training in a protected marine sanctuary of Sumilon. My thanks also goes out to Mr. Neo and Camp Red; and to my patrons whose names I carried and endorsed: Seseblades, Silangan Outdoor Equipment, KnifeMaker, Derek’s Classic Blade Exchange, Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos, Pacing’s House of Barbecue and Tingguian Tribe.

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BONIFACIO DAY SPECIAL BUSHCRAFT CAMP 2015

THE BUSHCRAFT CAMP that had made Cebu and its home-grown Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild notable in outdoors circle, especially on occasions marking Independence Day, is returning to its old haunt at Camp Damazo. This time, it will mark November 30, 2015 as the culmination of its three-day activity, with which date commemorate the death of our national hero, Andres Bonifacio, for which activity is named after him: the BONIFACIO DAY SPECIAL BUSHCRAFT CAMP.

Camp Damazo have molded the first local bushcrafters from 2011 to 2013 after participating in the Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp. It is a special place for these enthusiasts of primitive-living skills belonging to the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. It is located somewhere among the small pockets of forest and jungles of the Babag Mountain Range in Cebu City. It is an hour's walk from the nearest trailhead but finding the route to there is knowledge confined only among our circle.

Fortunately, this would be the route that seventeen participants would discover today (November 28) when they would immerse themselves in the world of bushcraft. I walk the lead starting from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish to our first rest at the dreaded “Heartbreak Ridge” in a very warm morning. I am carrying a South Korean military duffel bag that is filled full of the things I and the rest need for this bushcraft camp, including 28 event t-shirts. Of the seventeen, five are minors.

Coming along are six individuals, personally handpicked as camp staff. Jhurds Neo, president of Camp Red and alumni of the 2012 edition of the PIBC, would sit as the camp ramrod – the administrator. Aljew Frasco (2013), the vice president, would assist as instructor, together with Mark Lepon (2015). Eli Bryn Tambiga (2012), the club secretary, would serve as camp hawkeye – photographer - and would share the task of camp medic with Christopher Ngosiok (2015). Ernie Salomon (2011) would take charge of the kitchen as the camp fixer.

The ridge almost took the fight off of me as I am forced to halt on places where I have not known to do in previous trips. In my struggle to carry the heavy duffel, I have to make a lot of stops and I had wasted time. The heat was unwavering and it added to my miseries. I was able to recover slightly on the shady areas going to the Portal, which was rolling terrain. I had been carrying a plastic bag full of the robust bread that is a specialty of Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos and Native Delicacy but I am forced to pass it to Christopher after the Portal.

Once I am out of the shade, the struggle returned on the concrete road yet, I know, up ahead would be shady Lensa Trail and all downhill until Creek Alpha. We take a trail that wind around a mountain and stop by Creek Bravo to harvest a green pole of water bamboo before proceeding to Camp Damazo which is uphill. I stop at the top where the ridge starts ascending higher and higher to Camp Damazo. This time, I surrender my task to leading the party to Ernie.

I idled on my uncomfortable seat and rose only when I found the last man coming. Camp Damazo have recovered well from its usage in 2012 and 2013. The main campground will not be used by the participants. They will, instead, camp on a recently-discovered flat terrain just below the trail and is suited best for tents. The old camp, however, will be allocated to the camp staff who, I believe, would most be setting up simple shelters and hammocks.

As I arrive, everybody are busy setting up their shelters; the participants on the lower campground while the camp staff are on the upper part. Ernie had already started the cooking fire and is ably assisted by volunteers Mirasol Lepon (2015), Jonathan Apurado (2015) and Jingaling Campomanes (2015). Jhurds, meanwhile, are bringing Mark and more volunteers – Nyor Pino (2015), Fritz Bustamante (2015) and Nelson Tan (2015), downhill towards the designated latrine areas, to cover it with laminated nylon sheets.

All the camp staff availed of a late lunch – typically an Iberian habit – at 15:30. At 16:00, I immediately opened the lectures with Introduction to Bushcraft, which I intentionally made short owing for the time lost hiking to here which, unfortunately, I was responsible for. After 15 minutes, I proceed to the longer chapter on Ethical Bushcraft. Since bushcraft is beginning to get noticed by many people as a better leisure weekend activity, it would be good to teach them better outdoor ethics and being discrete on their choice of campsites.

Not all could understand what bushcraft really is, especially if you are just imitating survival reality TV shows without knowing its full wisdom, while some cannot appreciate its methods borne out by their prejudiced view of what they perceive on survival TV. Bushcraft can be very destructive if you do not have the privilege of someone teaching you its proper ways. As a parting shot for the first day lectures, it is very important that they know this: that “bushcraft can never mix with mainstream outdoor activities”.

Ernie immediately started the preparation for supper. All the participants likewise prepared theirs on the same cooking fire under the watch of Ernie and his small crew. Dinner came at at 19:00 amid a sky threatening to burst into a storm. The Campfire Yarns and Storytelling has its fine moment until the skies cannot hold it anymore and hurled thunder and lightning and rain. Lots and lots of rain but a hardy few endured under a narrow flysheet canopy. Some continue on their duty as Nightwatch.

I work my way in the rainy darkness among a cobweb of guylines to my dry Silangan hammock protected by an Apexus canopy sheet. I slept well until Eli woke me up at 04:00 to start my watch duty. Coffee is bottomless as I feed the fire with wood. After an hour of composing my thoughts in silence, Camp Damazo begins to come alive from the grips of its cold stupor. There will only be a light breakfast for this second day – November 29 – and I see to it that all will fast for the rest of the day. This is done so the participants could relate what it would be like during survival in a wilderness setting.

There had been sightings of a palm civet (Local name: melu) in the early hours of morning and it is good that it had showed nerve despite our presence. I am quite glad that it thrived even though it is hunted by unscrupulous poachers. As long as I am here, it can never be threatened. At 08:00, the chapter on Knife Care and Safety is being discussed by Aljew. He showed all how a knife, if improperly handled, would cause harm and he gave a bonus by demonstrating different notching techniques.

The next lecture is Firecraft and Aljew still held the reins. The discussion steered from tinder selection to firewood to the different methods of starting a fire. The boredom that grasped the participants is now replaced by avid interest to witness the real thing, perhaps the opportunity to produce a fire by themselves. True to form, Aljew performed the bowdrill, spinning smoke and heat until dust embers spurred a flame on a nest of dry tinder. The participants tried their luck but spindles broke free from its cord.

Another friction method – the bamboo fire-saw, is provided by the tandem of Mark and Fritz, which both achieved in an effortless and fast-paced manner. A lone participant overcame awkwardness and, after pairing with Mark, produced fire. Then everyone tried their hand on every dry bamboo ready for the scorching and satisfaction are written in each of their grinning faces. That goes also to the ladies and the kids!

Excitement had drowned out their starvation as noontime passed without being noticed. Fire-making ate too much of time and I am again in the circle of a natural amphitheater discussing about Shelters starting at 14:00, and continue on to another topic about Foraging and Plant ID. For the satisfaction of the participants, different snares and traps are already set by the camp staff so they may understand the complexities of catching food in the wilderness. Plant ID focused more on the harmful ones which all learn from pictures and from actual plants.

I am also now on the throes of hunger but there are now but a few more hours only before we feast during dinner. Going there, I have to talk about Survival Tool Making and proceed to give some practical exercises that the participants would fulfill and, consequently, create a bond with the knife to improve their dexterity. Their creativity on the bamboo begets a spoon, sometimes with a fork, a chopstick when it gets too complicated, a drinking jug and, finally, a cook pot.

The pot cannot be used if you have nothing to cook inside. Last topic is Outdoor Cooking. This is where you are taught how to preserve meat and your other food. This is also a time to understand the different methods of the fireplace where you will cook your food. Ultimately, rice will be cooked inside the bamboo pot but it is cooked differently from the standard fare.

The participants are grouped in fives and the first to accomplish the task of cooking the rice, gets the first chance to engage in Nocturnal Hunting. Since it had rained last night, Creek Charlie nearby will be brisk and it would be a sociable place among fresh-water crabs. Then edible tree snails will come from their hiding places to feed on moss among tree trunks and branches. Both creatures will be ripe for the picking and you end the imposed fasting by cooking these as your dinner.

The children and the teens among them, probed the darkness of the forest with LED lights, without fear, accompanied by their adult companions. I stationed myself as a safety marshal at the farthest end of the forest while others posted themselves on the creeks and along the peripheries of the hunting ground. It was the best time to hunt the tree snails and they expertly left alone the exotic African variety. Likewise, they deftly catch river crabs beyond the reach of claws.

The snails and the crabs are then dumped infront of Ernie. He knows how to make these fresh catch and obscure gastronomic fantasy into a delightful reality. By 20:00, the participants and the camp staff proceed to consume their only real meal of the day. Strong spirits help conversations and laughter crackled in the night. The place becomes alive again and the Campfire Yarns and Storytelling is doing an encore but this time it is more lively. It is a strange celebration set amidst a remote forest of a mountain.

I am spent and I report to my sleeping quarter so early at 22:00 and I never fully witnessed the bond that kept these kindred spirits awake until the coming of the first shafts of light. I am glad that I am not doing night duty. Perhaps my spot had been taken by the arrival of volunteers Justin Apurado (2014) and Locel Navarro (2015) yesterday. Today marks the appearance of another PIBC alumni Fulbert Navarro (2012) to give support and morale.

This is the final day and today (November 30) is the main reason why the Bonifacio Day Special Bushcraft Camp is being held. This is the day of remembrance of Andres Bonifacio, one of the country’s greatest heroes, who died 118 years ago today at the hands of a rival faction. I will honor him today by extolling his virtues, then raising the Philippine colors high on a pole and sing the national anthem - Lupang Hinirang. Afterwards, we renew our patriotic vow by reciting the Panunumpa sa Watawat.

Then the most awaited sideshow of this bushcraft camp which is now a tradition – the Knife Porn – is unleashed. Balanced above pieces of bamboo are the prized blades that the participants, camp staff and volunteers have used for three days. High-end brands lay alongside local ones, carbon steel knives with stainless-steel ones, fixed blades with folding knives, and multi-tool sets snatch their own spots. Perfect time to catch this with pictures.

That was the last program and, slowly, everybody break camp. It has been a pleasure for me to camp and sleep again at Camp Damazo after more than two years. The fireplace is now a permanent landmark and it shall stay as it is to remind people that it is the only place to introduce fire here, even with those having stoves. A cairn marks its place and it adds character to Camp Damazo, truly a place for rugged outdoorsmen who would appreciate its presence.

We leave our camp of three days at 11:00 and pass by the camp’s very reliable water source. After crossing two streams the ascent to the road starts. We cross that when we arrive at the rim and begin hiking the last stretch to Lanipao. By 13:00, we were now splashing in the spring-fed pools of the Lanipao Rainforest Spring Resort. This is the same place that the participants of PIBC MMXII and PIBC MMXIII bathed in after three days in a very humid Camp Damazo.

A meal of hot free-rein chicken soup and grilled pork, courtesy of the camp staff, gets everyone filled up. Training certificates are being distributed along with the raffling of giveaway items. VGOOD moringa juice were provided free to every participant, camp staff and volunteers, courtesy of fellow participant Ed Eduria. After getting refreshed, we leave at 15:30 bound for Napo on foot to catch motorcycles-for-hire Guadalupe.

The Bonifacio Day Special Bushcraft Camp officially ended at 17:00 of November 30, 2016. All able staff and volunteers and alumni of previous PIBCs like Glenn Pestaño (2011) and Boy Toledo (2011) proceed to Cafe Angelica, another of my refreshment area, located at the back of KIA Motors, in Gorordo Avenue, to savor sub-zero beer. The Bonifacio Day event was the first of its kind and the first to accept minors (Jacob – 14, Cleos – 14, Shawn – 14, Michaela – 11 and Maverick – 9), and I will study it if it would be feasible to hold it yearly.

Keep those fingers crossed. XO

 

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