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My Maine bushcraft current gear list. I will do a separate post on bushcraft clothes soon. I hope you find this helpful and it inspires you to get outside in nature!

L.L. Bean Maine Game Warden Day Pack
I like the game warden day pack from L.L. Bean. I have the smaller size one and I use it for just about everything. With plenty of pockets, including a waterproof media pocket for camera gear and comfortable straps it’s a great day pack. I will say that it is a little too small if you were going to do multiple overnights and it was your only bag. But for a day trip or a one nighter it’s great!

Gransfors Bruk Scandinavian Axe
This forest axe from Gransfors Bruk in Sweden is a beautiful piece of craftmanship. I would even say it’s a “must have” for Maine bushcraft. It has taken some abuse over the years and still holding up well. Very well made and feels good in the hands. I would definitely buy this again in the future and looking to get one of their hatchets too! The head isn’t even offering to come loose on this. I love this axe! You will not be disappointed with this one!

Mini Binder Clip
You might be thinking this is a weird thing to have. And maybe you’re right. I keep one on each of my two ball caps. You know how Mountain House meals are around $10 a pop? Well, you can use Knorr sides the same way! They are lined with foil like a Mountain House and you can pour boiling water directly into the bag. And they are less than $2. But, they do not reseal to keep the heat and steam in the bag to reconstitute the dried food. That is what I use the mini binder clip for. Simply fold over the top of the Knorr packet a couple of times and secure with the binder clip. After a few minutes, you have a cheap, easy meal for your Maine bushcraft adventures! I will note that the rice sides turn out better than the pasta ones with this method

Cook Kit
Currently I have the Toaks 750ml titanium pot and BRS mini stove. I get this Gas One isobutane for the stove and the cans fit right inside the Toaks pot. I also use the Toaks titanium spork (not pictured). My only gripe would be that the lid does not sit tight on the pot, it just sits on the top and slides around when you move the pot around to adjust it in the fire. It’s kind of annoying to be honest. If any of you know of a better lightweight pot with a lid that actually fits let me know in the comments!
That being said, it is a good enough pot. If you are looking into getting one, I highly suggest getting one with a bail handle like this one. That makes it easy to heat water and cook food without dumping it into the fire by accident.

I also use this titanium plate, tin cup and my 11″ Mossy Oak knife. The plate is a recent addition. I used to just make a “plate” by splitting a small log in half with my axe. And while I still do that sometimes, it is also nice to have plate ready to go, or to even use as a cutting board of sorts.
The Mossy Oak knife is great for bushcraft use. I’m a believer in full tang knives, they are nice and rugged. This one has a good weight to it but is also inexpensive so no worries if I beat the snot out of it.
I can get by with using the Toaks pot for a cup, but if I have room I like to take a small tin cup too, that way I can sip a hot drink while I use the Toaks to cook in.

This nice spice kit is from an Etsy shop called The Palmetto Woodsman. I love it. Beautifully made and comes with empty glass vials that you fill with your favorite spices. I have Himalayan salt, black pepper, garlic powder and avocado oil in mine.

This 5/16″ ferro rod has been a good one. It throws plenty of sparks to get your smudge going. I have nothing bad to say about it. It does what it is supposed to.

I throw these two in my pack whenever I have room. I really enjoy my lightweight hiker’s hammock. It is nice to take along to set up on a day trip after paddling out across a lake or a jaunt in the woods. It is very comfortable! And the lightweight 10×10 tarp (pictured right) comes in handy for so many things. I take it to sit on in the snow, or as a rain shelter. Ice fishing I use it to put my gear on to keep it dry and/or my dog June lays on it so she stays dry too.

No adventure pack would be complete without a first aid kit and some 550 paracord! I bought the empty first aid case and tailored the contents to what I would need, and things to take care of the kids too. The one I have is no longer available, but I will link a similar one for you here. In the warmer months, I also keep some salt in it for blood suckers. I just take this kit out and throw it in the beach bag, or sometimes I just throw my whole pack right in the car/truck. And the paracord, of course endless uses. From putting up a shelter to fixing random things or tying something down, it’s always good to have.

Water filter. This is a must have. Nobody wants to get beaver fever! I prefer the Sawyer squeeze. Yes, it’s bigger than the Sawyer mini, but it is faster and not as cumbersome as the gravity system. I think the pouches it comes with are a bit of a pain to use. I like taking “Smart Water” bottles because the threads are the same as the filter, so they fit right together. For hunting, I take the LifeStraw. It’s small and you don’t need any bottles or bags. I hunt near water a lot and taking the LifeStraw makes more sense than trying to lug water around, taking up room and making noise.

I’ve been using this Crown Royal bag to keep all my food items together. When It’s time to make some grub, I just grab this bag out of my pack and I know I have what I need to get started all in one place. Way better than chasing that rogue onion around in the bottom of the pack, lol.

Storm proof matches, a compass and some duct tape.
I like the matches as a backup fire source, or when I’m in a hurry to get a smudge going, or just plain ol’ don’t want to use the ferro rod.
In my opinion, everyone should have a compass with them in the woods. I know there are apps and such that do that now, but don’t count on technology/cell phones for something that important. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use the technology, but have a compass at least as a backup and make sure you know how to use it.
Duct tape-so many uses. You can repair tents, tarps, raincoats, other gear, etc. One time I went out to a lake to film a video and forgot the plate that hooks my camera to the tripod. You cannot use the tripod without it. Guess what? I used duct tape and taped my camera to the tripod, lol. It worked! Just take a paper towel or toilet paper tube and wrap several layers of tape around it, trim it down, flatten it out and you’re good to go!

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