IWG week 7 & 8 - Excursion to Russia (Introduction)

It has been a long time since last posting. It was not my intention to keep this blog not updated for such a long time, but because of this excursion to Russian wilderness, I have been very busy and simply did not have time to do any thing on blog.

The excursion  took place in Paanajärvi National park area in from 23rd of September - 3rd of October. But for me the excursion as started already from beginning of August because I have volunteered to take part in the Planning Group.

IWG has several small and large trips included in the course as part of skill training. The small ones are duration of about few day and large ones are about week to two. As usual, the large trips takes more planning, so the course members are assigned to at least one trip to form a Planning group.

Food planning sheet

The Russian trip was the one of the biggest excursion we have and is not in Finland, There was stressful mount of planning needed to be done.

Briefly what included in the planning:
Destination study
Correcting materials (Maps, contact information, background of destination...)
Risk assessment
Document arrangements (Permissions and visa)
Rout planing
Time table of trip
Daily time table
Guide assignment (will talk about this later...)
Gear planning
Food planning
 and so on and on and on....



The point is to practice the situation of as if I would have business of organizing the trip like this. Try to plan everything so that the trip goes smooth and fun.

On the planning process, One tool I found very use full was "how to plan the food". Planing of food has been a little bit of problem for me for quite some time. I use to plan it by experience and what would be nice to eat and carry, means pick up the things whatever way I feel like.
It is OK that way, if the trip is few days and I am alone. But it gets problematic when taking longer trip or need to plan food for several stomachs.
The tool is simple as to calculate how much calories would I need in a day when trekking. Then come up with then menu that fills the need. But there is a problem on actually doing this, which is also need to take in account the weight of food, nutritious value and balance. so, I came up with a excel sheet which automatically calculate those. With this, all I need to do is input the serving wight, Cal/100g and nutritious value. Once all data are in, just juggle around to come up with menu to get daily menu plan, the excel sheet will automatically generate the shopping list and approximate packing weight :)

All food I have took for the trip. each item is laveled 

As a result, I have got very satisfactory food plan for this excursion.  Every day, I have had just enough food which is not board me and kept my energy level well. Also it helped rationing the  food well that I had exact mount of food consumed as planed and not needed to carry anything back home, except the emergency food part.







Even thaw, I say it was satisfactory, there are few items I would like to add to next rip.
- butter
- ginger or some kind of flavoring
- salty snacks (i.e. beef jerky)
- more rice in the menu
- more self made dry food. (I had self made dried pork and rice this time.)

Here is the list of food I have planed for this trip. Some items, I swap it with alternative on the last minute because of availability or weight issue, but more or less the list is what I took with me.

Total (g)	Shopping list
720	Elovena Pikapuuro 2 boxes
180	AXA Glorious premium musli 1 pack
735	Butter cracker 98 pieces
800	Fazer Hazelnuts chocolate  4 packs
880	Rainbow Pähkinäcocktail 5 packs
696	Expedition meal Thai Chicken with rice 6 packs
336	Lammin kuppi Tomatti-basilika 12 packes or  4 box
200	Makaroni 200g
350	Fresh Pork ulko file 1050g
300	900 g of cooked rice
446	Expedition meal Pasta Mediterranean 4 packs
336	Lammin kuppi Kantarelli 16 packes or  5 box
632	Blå band Carbonara 4 packs

Flora and Fauna 5/day - Day 12

LA: Pleurozium schreberi

EN: Red-stemmed feather moss

FI: seinäsammal

JP: N/A

Location: Kuru

Surrounding: Spruce forest. Moist ground.

Note: often mistaken with sphagnum because it grows in same type of condition and often next to each other. But the stem of this moss is distinctive red color and stiff.

(2013/August/22)

LA: Dicranum

EN: Fork moss (family)

FI: kynsisammalet (sukuna)

JP: カモジゴケ類

Location: Kuru

Surrounding: Needle leave forest. Moist ground.

Note: The stem looks similar to Red-stemmed feather moss, but the leaves are very different. the tip resembles fork or blown by wind. other English common name is “Wind-Blown Mosses”.

(2013/August/22)

LA: Ptilium crista-castrensis

EN: Ostrich-plume feather moss

FI: Sulkasammal

JP: N/A

Location: Kuru

Surrounding: mixed forest. Moist ground.

Note: Easy to ID, and remember the name as EN name has describing the characteristic of the moss well.

(2013/August/22)

LA: Hylocomium splendens

EN: Glittering feather moss

FI: Kerrossammal

JP: イワダレゴケ

Location: Kuru

Surrounding: Shadowy and moist ground.

Note: The leaves are opening horizontally wide and forming layers.

Has antibacterial property and used for storing vegetables.  

(2013/August/22)

IWG week 3 & 4 - Cooking Week

The week 3 was little slow week. I say slow, but still there was lots of study works needed to be done.

Starting with flora and fauna study then we have had meadow clearing work then game bird counting on the end of week 3. the works was done using traditional tools like sickle and bill hooks. and the works was done to protect rear species of flora in he area.

第3週目は比較的ゆっくりめでした。ゆっくりとは言っても、それなりに宿題などでいそがしいわけですが・・・

先ずは植物の学習、そして週中には絶滅危惧種保護のボランティア活動として、草原の草刈に参加。伝統的な大鎌を使っての作業、そして週の最終日は狩猟対象鳥の生息状況調査を行いました。

It was my first time using tool like this and was very difficult tool to use. on the end of the day, my back was screaming...

はじめて使う大鎌。想像以上に難しく、作業終了時には体中の筋肉が悲鳴上げてましたｗ

The game counting was part of our navigation practice. need to navigate through forest as straight line as possible and hope to see some game birds takes off, so we can count the population. I took the first lead on first 2 km to navigate and happy to say, I managed to go very straight. When got to the first target spot, we are dead on. 

狩猟対象鳥の生息状況調査。地図上に書かれた一辺４㌔の三角のルートを、出来るだけ正確に歩き、飛び出した鳥の数を数える作業です。ナヴィゲーションの練習を兼ねるので、一番先にナヴィゲーションのリードを取らさせていただきました。

結果、最初の目標２キロのリード交代地点まで、ドンピシャのナビゲーションに成功！かなりうれしかったです。 

道なき道をひたすら直進する一行。湖は迂回してよいとのことでしたｗ

Week 4 was a super busy week. basically we all cook as much different food as possible and eat them all!:) but of cause, it was guided by teacher and we have had wonder full guest instructor for this week. His name is Turkka Aaltonen. He is the most respected survival and wild food instructor in Finland There cant be any better instructor for this week's topic.

he is like wilderness encyclopedia and I had hard time keeping up to pick up all the knowledge he had to share with us. It was a most intense learning week and I lucky to spend as much time as I could to talk, ask, share of our knowledge.
We will have one more week with him in later time, and I am very much looking forward to it.

第４週目はとてつもなく忙しい週でした。やったことといえば出来るだけ多くのレシピを料理し、食う！なのですが、講師の指導の下に行うとただ単に作って食えばよいわけではなくなります。しかもこの週はゲスト講師、ＴｕｒｋｋａＡａｌｔｏｎｅｎさんによるもの。たぶん名前知らない方のほうが多いと思いますが、この方、フィンランドを代表するサバイバルとワイルドフードのインストラクターでして、簡単に言ってしまうと「フィンランドのレイミアーズ」、もしくは「フィンランドのモール・コハンスキ」。彼の言うことなすことすべてが貴重な知識ですので気が抜けません。一週間、三歩下がってベッタリと後を追いかけて学習、吸収してきました。
ラッキーなことに、Ｔｕｒｋｋａさんは日本の里山カルチャーに興味を持っていられるようで、休憩時間になるたびに二人座してじっくりと、お互いの知識交換をする機会にも恵まれました。勿論、全く話したり無いですｗ
彼の授業は冬前にもう一度あるので今から楽しみです。

Week 4 started with how to process sheep.
第四週は羊の解体方法の学習で始まりました。

Skinning. Everyone tries at least once.
スキニング、全員一度は挑戦します。

Parting the sections. I managed to cut through ribs.
そして部位分け。アバラの切断をやらせていただきました。

Surprisingly, not much blood.
地抜きが出来てるおかげで、出血はとても少なかったです。

Build a smoke tipi, using parachute.
パラシュートを使ってウォークイン燻器を建てました。

Pork slices, hanged to smoke.
豚肉を燻製中

one of many ways learned to cook fish.
様々な魚料理を習う。大マスを焚き火でグリル中

  

you probably have seen this style.
これは有名な方法ですね。

Learning to use Dutch oven.
ダッチオーブンも習いました。

Week 5, I will have some GPS lesson, FA1 causes, and the first test of Navigation. the test is part of becoming Guide, so wish me luck!
 第５週はＧＰＳの使い方、ファーストエイド１の授業、そしてついにやってきます、ナビゲーション実技試験。プロガイド資格取得試験の一部ですので気を抜かぬようリラックスしてがんばらねば！

IWG week 2 - Forest Week

Week 1 at IWG was quite rush. getting familiar with school and surroundings, study and planning for the Forest week, which was on week 2.
One thing I promised to shear in here was the book for studying Floras and Faunas.
I have picked up 3 books from school library.

 

Wild Flowers (ISBN 0-7513-1024-7) Good clear detailed photos. not only Finnish flora, but contains all I need to study.

Trees of Britain & Northern Europe (ISBN 0-00-219213-6) Good illustration and has good mount of information you need to ID trees.

Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe (ISBN 0-00-219994-7) This book covers all I want to ID. Color Photo is used and have good information, but detail of mushroom is not seen well on some, and quite many have common names are missing. Book is easy to use and small enough to carry in pocket or bag.


IWGの一週めはどたばたで、学校とその周辺のオリエンテーション、実際の授業そして第2週目の計画であっという間に過ぎました。
植物の学習に使っている本を上に紹介しておきます。興味のある方は探してみてください。

一週目のまとめビデオ(Video is only in JPN. I am talking about the summery of week 1 and pack contents for week 2 )

Then The week 2 was spent in forest. learning basic camp skill with open shelter, fire making, use of cutting tools. The school teaches traditional skill, so the policy is "NO Tent!". well, that is the reason I am happy attending this school :)
The major part of week was spent learning how to navigate on off the trail with map and compass. It was really lots to learn there and had good practice to better my navigation skill.
Have posted some videos from the camp. The first one is only in JPN but hope you enjoy! (second part has ENG sub!)

2週目はフォレスト・ウィーク。森で寝泊りし、キャンプの基本、刃物の扱い方、焚き火の基本、ナビゲーションの基本を学びました。この学校が教えるのはトラディショナル・スキル。ですので基本的にテントは禁止、オープンシェルターを推奨しています。
フォレスト・ウィークで最も重要だったのはナビゲーション。トレールを使わず、地図とコンパスのみで森を歩きぬく練習をほぼ毎日のように行いました。様子はビデオにまとめてありますのどうぞ！

Gear Update

So the first day of IWG is getting real close as starting on next Monday, I am very excited and also bit nervous.

As for the preparation, somethings are done, some are not... I guess I just need to the lest along the way. but as for the update needed on the gears, I have got the final bit of update / modification completed, so that will be the topic of this post.



3 items have been added or modified.
 - Shelter
 - Large back pack.
 - Cook kit

 - 1. Shelter.
This is not a new addition but is a modification.
The shelter of my choice at this moment is a 3m x 3m tarp from DD hammocks. I really like this versatility and size.
The modification made was on cordage which used with the tarp.

I like using 550 cord as a ridge line so no change on that part, but have changed the color of it from olive to orange. the reason for this is from now on, I will have many trips, but with group of people. so to avoid someone choking or hanging from neck on my ridge line, I choose some standing out color.

Same thing on the guy line. I am keeping the same 2mm dymeema cord, but attached the orange 550 cord as a flag, so it will stands out better.

- 2. Large back pack.

This is a new addition to my gears. It is a Swedish army LK 70 rucksack. I have looked for and tried quite many rucksacks, but honestly, nothing felt right except the one rucksack from Fjallraven. But the price was out of my budget. Then the Weekend Woodsman has recommended me on checking this LK 70. Thanks to Varusteleka for having the product and good returning policy, I too chance and ordered without trying it on.

The pack capacity is 70l, cotton canvas, outer flame. according to the shop page, This was designed by Haglöfs sometime back in the 60's for the Swedish army. 

When I got the product, I was hoping that the condition was little bit better. But is still very much serviceable condition and when I tried it, I felt as good as trying that Fjallraven rucksack. 

loaded up 25kg for test. It was lightest 25kg load. 

If you ignore that it is old and need some fixing, this pack is as good as any latest model you find from sports shop selection. In someway, This one is even better because after 50 years, it still functions perfectly.

but some miner fixing was needed to make this better.  First fixing was inner closer pull. As can see, it was quite damaged and the cord is starting to ripping the closer. so have packed it with leather, reinforcing the cord hole with eyelet.

next modification was adding modern design. the chest strap. this makes huge difference in comfort but back in the day, this simple wonder was not invented yet, so need to add.
transplanting some material from Finnish gas mask bag to make webbing to hold the strap in place.

next work was on the canvas. Using linseed - beeswax mix on it to improve the water resistant.

Left side - without wax / Right side - with wax
It makes clear difference.

Once all the modification was done, time to put all back on frame.... then I have realized the awkwardness strapping. Originally the buckle of this part is placed out side the pack. but then the buckle gets on the way so cannot make tight strapping. change that so the buckle is now inside the pack, makes it very nice tight strapping. also this made the pack more stable on frame.

- 3. Cook kit.
This is also not new addition. but I have had this quite long time and probably one of the most used cook kit I have, so decided to update it with better contraction.

First I have changed the closing gimmick. befor, it did not have one :) Now, it has got nice snappy hook. along with this change, I have changed the handle longer and with stronger.

It is a nesting pot set made from kids kitchen toy set from IKEA. The cook kit includes 2 posts and the cooking stove. I was using alcohol stove, but changed that to esbit fuel, and modified the steaming pot in to a stove.

With this set up, I do not wast the space with liquid fuel bottle and stove. this new stove nests in nicely without wasting space. Also it works as wood burning stove so I can save the fuel.

Here is a video where I am testing this stove with esbit fuel, boiling water to make coffee.

Flora and Fauna 5/day - Day 11

LA: Suillus luteus
EN: Slippery Jack
FI: Voitatti
JP: ヌメリイグチ
Location: Tampere
Surrounding: Needle leaf tree forest. Moist ground. covered by canopy, but still have enough sun light. 
Note: ID by pileus. top is slimy and the back is butter like yellow, look like sponge. Excellent edible mushroom.

LA: Lycopodiaceae annotinum
EN: Stiff Ground-pine
FI: Riidenlieko
JP: ヌメリイグチ
Location: Tampere
Surrounding: Needle leaf tree forest. Moist ground. well covered by canopy.
Note: Clusters large and easy to spot. one in the picture has no flower on tip, but it makes one look like pine-corn. this can be used for fire lighting (by flame) as it contains oil.

LA: Juniperus communis
EN: Juniper
FI: Kataja
JP: セイヨウネズ
Location: Tampere
Surrounding: Needle leaf tree forest. Moist ground. Covered by canopy.
Note: In Finland, commonly, this tree does not grow high. About 2m height is highest have seen. Commonly about hip to chest height. The wood is very tough and aromatic. used for small wood crafting and fuming. wood is also used for smoke cooking because of aromatic property. Berries are also used for as herb for cooking meet and has medicinal use as well.

LA: Convallaria majalis
EN: Lily-of-the-Valley
FI: Kielo
JP: スズラン
Location: Tampere
Surrounding: Open field with good sun light but little shadowy. 
Note: Makes large cluster and easy to spot by flower and berry. ID by the orientation of flower or berries and leaves. Entire plant is toxic. 
by the way, this flora is the flower of the town where I grew up. 

LA: Stellaria
EN: Chickweeds
FI: Tähtimöt
JP: ハコベ
Location: Tampere
Surrounding: Open field with good sun light. Moist ground.
Note: Stellaria, Chickweeds, Tähtimöt, ハコベ is a common name of Stellaria familly. There are several exists in Finland and the one in the picture is Stellaria media. Small plant but easy to spot as it grows fast in cluster and covers the ground like ground ivy.  I found that usually this is the plant grows first after soil is exposed on vegetable garden. Edible like salad. Japan has spring tradition of cooking this plant in rice porridge.

この夏作った数本 - Few knives made this summer

この夏は意外とナイフなど色々作る事が出来ました。自分用、試作品、注文そして販売用。購入してくださった方々、本当にありがとうございます。
今後の参考にもなるかな？と思いますので、この夏作った物を簡単に紹介します。

Seems I have made variety of knives this summer. For me, for prototype, order and for sale. So, I would like to introduce the ones I made this summer, for the future reference.



*Spec: N/Aと表示されているのは、完成後に計り忘れたものです。

*Spec: N/A means, I forgot to  measurement.

切り出し小刀（左利き用）
Kiridashi-kogatana (left handed)
Spec: N/A

IWGナイフ
IWG Knife
Spec: Blade Length 230mm /  Blade width 30mm / Blade thickness 6mm

マキリ風ネックナイフ（ネックナイフですがベルトキャリー用に作りました）

Makiri neck knife (Necker, but made to carri on belt.)

Spec: N/A

このナイフを作るのは二回目ですが、今回はベルト用に根付を付けました。ブロンズ板から鏨で透かし彫りです。

Making this knife is a 2nd time, but I have added new type of work as a belt hanging system. it is called Netuke. Raven is curved out by chisel.

洋式髭剃り
Straight razor
Spec: Blade Length 38mm (cutting edge) / Scale length 103mm
バネ鋼のブレードに鹿の角のスケールです。
spring steel blade with Japanese deer antler scale.  

長期のトレッキングなどに持っていったら便利かな？と思い作りました。
I thought would be nice to have something like this for long wilderness trip.

左から＞水筒、カービングナイフ、スプーンナイフ、プーッコ
Form left: Water bottle, carving knife, Spoon knife, Puukko

高炭素鋼ブレードとリンゴハンドル
High carbon steel blade with apple wood handle.
販売用に作り、即売しました。ありがとうございます。
Made this for sale and sold. Thank you.

Spec: Blade Length 55.8mm /  Handel length 105mm / Blade thickness 2.5mm
高炭素鋼ブレードとリンゴハンドル。シースは鹿骨を使い、サーメ風に仕上げました。
High carbon steel blade with apple wood handle. Sheath is made from deer bone and made in to saami style.
ナイフとシースは良いのですが、皮紐が気に入らないので、販売用に作りましたが自分用にする予定です。
The knife and sheath are fine, but I am not happy with the lanyard. Made this for sale but I am thinking on keeping this one.

Spec: Blade Length 95mm /  Handel length 100mm / Blade thickness 3.9mm
高炭素工ブレードと白樺ハンドル。
High carbon steel blade with birch wood handle.
販売用に作り、即売しました。ありがとうございます。
Made this for sale and sold. Thank you.

とてもシンプルなプーッコで、私が一番好きなタイプです。ヒルトとポンメルはアルミ。第二次大戦の前・中の頃のプーッコに良く使われた素材です。この時代の物は、トンミ・プーッコにみられるようなポンメルもあり、薄い菱形の突起が多くみられますので、その様に再現してみました。
Very simple puukko and my favorite style. Using aluminium on hilt and pommel. Puukko made around WW2 time, often uses aluminium. Also he diamond shape end or/and pommel, so I have incorporated that style.

レザー水筒
Leather water bottle.
Capacity: 850 ml
レザークラフトの幅を広げたくて作ってみました。
Wanted to expand what I can do with leather.

紹介しなかった物も数点ありますが、この夏完成させたクラフト品の紹介でした。
So, here are not all, but most of my craft work done in this summer.