Letters

~from~

Readers

Dear friends,

With the recent addition of the "Contact Eric" email feature to this website, I've been pleasantly surprised by the steady flow of wonderful letters containing, suggestions, ideas, questions, personal stories not to mention a great many words of encouragement.

I'd like to thank everyone for taking time out of their personal schedules to write. For those folks who have been in touch, please know that your letter is very important to me and that you'll be hearing from me soon!

Eric

07/16/05

Eric,

Thanks for putting out such a great site. I have long been intrigued by and practiced turn of the century woodscraft and have been greatly appreciative of your efforts. As I split my time between the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and the far Western Aleutians of Alaska I have long hours both in and out of the woods.

Thanks for introducing me to the Gransfors Bruks product line as I have a new best friend in camping gear.

I loved your article on old style packs and couldn't agree with you more. After destroying several nylon packs I concluded that they were good for one thing- ensuring you bought another one next year. My wife gave me a Duluth rucksack a couple of years ago and if anything it gets better with use.

Thanks for such a great site- I've read many articles while the Bering storms lash our island and they keep me dreaming of the woods back home and my adventures there.

Thanks,

Mike

Thanks for the kind words.

It's nice to hear that your Gransfors Buks axe is working out well for you.

If you haven't noticed already, axe-use has taken the backseat (has anyone seen a magazine dedicated to axes?) to knives. Maybe so but I still feel they have their place in the outdoors. I (we) certainly wouldn't carry one if they didn't!

I have few doubts that my tin cloth pack will outlast most of my nylon packs. I think I'd rather put up with a few discomforts than to worry about tearing my pack every time I decide to leave the trail to bust through brush. We'll see.

Eric

07/10/05

Eric,

As always, your latest update to your site was fantastic!

It'd be great if you produced a few videos of your own, as someone else suggested, that chronicled your travels and woodscraft skills. Maybe it's something you might consider doing in the future..

Thanks again for the great site!

Charles

07/09/05

Eric,

Thank you for a wonderful website.

It is nice to read about guns and hiking/camping at the same time. I love them both. There is nothing like being in the wilderness with a fine rifle.

I found your web site while looking for a holster for my Redhawk. I use it for a backup gun and in some circumstances have found it easier to get into action than the rifle. I have had a few close calls with bears on Kodiak Island.

I have spent time in the High Desert of California; Angeles Forest to be exact.

About ten years ago I trained trail horses out there in the desert. I rode them until they where well broke then loaded my saddle bags, my bed roll, and a rifle on the horse then we would disappear into the canyons for three or four days. I took a K-bar, some canned stew, a blanket, water, and alfalfa cubes. When we (me and the horse) came back out of the desert he was ready to go anywhere. He would do anything you wanted him to do except wash the dishes. Louis L'amour writes about walking the Trails of the Lonesome Gods and tossing a rock on the piles along the trail. I have done that. I have a lot of fond memories of that time in my life.

I have spent time in the Rockies around Missoula. I have also spent time in Alaska and once met a Kodiak bear in some tall grass on the island. When we both realized the other was there we where no more than six feet apart .This bear was standing on all fours and was looking me in the eye. I stand six feet two inches tall. He turned around and ran up the side of a hill and I didn’t stick around either. I was also treed on two different occasions by moose. With my experience I am more afraid of moose than of the bear but then that is just me.

I am not quite thirty two and have done a lot of living and want to do some more. I live in Oklahoma and have not been out of the state in about five years. I have tried to settle down but I still get what I call The Fever for those wild places.

I have a great deal to share with you, but I can not think of it all now. I will be in touch again soon.

Thanks,

Nathan

07/09/05

Eric,

I'm glad you now have a contact point, I've wanted to talk to you for years.

I implemented many of your gear items into mine and really want to say thanks; the trail tube is great, I had to buy all 4 and the wicker basket they come in; my wife found good use for the basket by putting all my arrows in it.

I bought the Lewis and Clark pack from Frost River last year, its huge but a really well made piece of gear, the mortar tube will fit inside it horizontally or lashed to the outside.

I am planning on getting a smaller Frost pack that could be draped over a pack frame and then tie a bundle below that on the shelf, may not be worth the effort, the reason for a frame would be for packing out an elk or deer, but the boned out meat in the large pack sack utilizing the tump line might just be the best; it worked for the voyagers that way with furs, we'll wait and see.

Your adventures are awesome, I'd love to do an extended solo trip, I do go up to Wyoming one or two times a year and do day trips away from the family and friends from base camp; a log cabin and our campfire tent, otherwise I camp and roam around our farm here in Missouri or short trips, practicing skills and hunting, fishing,trapping and foraging. We bought our place from a Cherokee indian who had planted or encouraged all manner of medicinal and wild edibles, I encourage the practice to everyone.

Thank you for such a wonderful site!

..Jeff

07/09/05

Eric,

I have written you once before. Thank you for your reply.

I think you might enjoy my brief essay on the value of a wool blanket. The title of the essay is "Why Wool is Worth the Weight". It can be found here. I will also be publishing my list.

Hoping to experiment/hike soon.

Mike Nevin

Sacramento,CA

07/09/05

Eric,

I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us through your website. Your stories have been an inspiration to me and have sparked ideas that led to some of my own adventures. And although I don't get out in the woods as much as I'd like to, I can always escape there for a little while by logging onto your site.

Thanks again,

Mike

07/09/05

Eric,

Just a thought on your trail tube concept.

I took your idea and went to a Home-Depot and got some 5 inch flexable downspout (the corregated plastic stuff). I cut this stuff into 3 foot sections, bought the end caps and there you go. End caps help with keeping water out on those sections you want to keep stuff dry.

I wrapped 3 of these with para-cord. Long dry objects fill the void between the tubes. One pound coffee cans slide right into these tubes. A couple of old alice back straps or just rope completes the rig.

Keep up with the site. Enjoy reading and seeing that there are others out there that are not lost.

Jerald

Hey Eric,

I like your site and enjoy reading your stories and reviews of gear.

I'm 18 and I'm really interested in bushcraft and nature. Me and my brother made a shelter and made a wood stove for it like that one you made in one of your stories.

Keep it up,

Jonathan

Hi Eric,

I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you how inspiring your site and wanderings have been.

I grew up in Southern CA, and seeing some of your pictures has brought back many memories of happy boy scout outings and school trips to Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy (still one of my most favorite places on earth) It has also caused me to rethink a lot of the gear I keep around for camping trips with my kids and (if my wife will ever let me go off on my own for a few days) myself. I enjoy going over maps of the Sierra's looking for some of the spots that you might have visited.

Looking forward to reading about more of your trips.

Mike Goodrich

Hey Eric,

I found your site by accident about a year ago when I was recovering from a severe Motorcycle wreck which left me with 17 fractures and nerve damage in my left arm. I love your site and enjoy reading about your experiences. My goal is to start doing some backpacking as soon as possible even if I only have one funtional arm, things can be overcome.

Thanks for being inspirational to me.

Monte

Eric,

Wow what a wonderful site.

I live in the Ozark mountain region of Northwest Arkansas and spend a great deal of time exploring like you do. I enjoy trying out new gear and using the old tools I acquire along the way.

Your site is very informative and I look forward to telling you about some of my adventures. I will now begin taking my camera along with me to document my time in the forests.

Hope to chat soon and thanks for the web site.

Tom

Eric,

My name is Zach Cremeans and I'm 14 years old. I live in southern Ohio.

I wanted to let you know that your website has been one of my prime resources of information. I really enjoy reading of your adventures.

I practically live in the woods. My house is located in a Wilderness Area, and I'm always out in the woods somewhere.

Just wanted to let you know that you have changed my life!

Zach

I liked your article on the tool roll. The mention of ammunition, .22RF in this case, brings to mind a question.

In some future article, could you elaborate on "ammunition management" as you practice it. The expression comes from Gunsite and the only other place I've read anything about carrying ammunition (how much and where) was in L.L.Bean's book written around 1940. I realize circumstances differ but perhaps you could let us know how much ammunition you generally carry for different firearms (under different conditions) and how you carry it.

Thanks again.

Kenneth Q.

Hello Eric,

I read your letter as I am a frequent visitor of your site. I am most glad that my letter helped you.

It's funny you should mention Shawkshank Redemption. It's one of my personal favorites, and luckily it was on cable this past weekend. I really love that movie. Not a fan of Tim Robbins "wife", but hey he's still a great actor along with Morgan Freeman. Anyway after I read your letter and saw the movie several times I said to myself what Red said "Get busy living or get busy dying."

You see I analyzed my situation. My affliction is one of fear. Agoraphobia. If you are not familiar with the term look it up. It's hard to explain in under 500 words, really. So, there I was analyzing it. I said to myself "What exactly is stopping me from doing something outdoors that'd be great?" the answer is "fear." Just plain old worry and fear. It's a silly thing, you know fear.

So on the 6th of March I said to myself "Get busy living or get busy dying, Joe." So I am going to get busy living. There's a Wildlife Refuge several miles from my home. I've visited it many times as a child for field trips. The full extent of the trails that the public are allowed to use is 3 miles there, and 3 miles back. There's various trails around ponds that alone are 1 1/2 miles, but to the end of the longest trail and back is a total of 6 miles. I know it must not seem like much to you, but it's a start for me. I'm planning a long day trip into the Wildlife Refuge (Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge. You'd like it.) sometime soon. I was going to take my bicycle on the trail, but I found that it had a bad case of dry rot on the tires. So I am going to go on foot and take my telescopic backpackers rod and reel with me and do some fishing. Make take a few pictures.

I have it all planned out. I even had a friend find aerial photographs of the public area of the park for me, and a topographical map.

I'm scared. I'm worried. I'm not a driver, so I'd be dropped off by a parent and be alone. To be metaphoric for a moment this is my "river of shit" to crawl through just like Andy Dufrane did. I hope to come out of this clean like he did.

- Joe G.

Eric,

I think the improvements you've made to your website are wonderful.

The articles are informative, the Q&A section is terrific, and your online journal is an inspiration.

I think Joe G. summed it up best:

"By reading your stories and looking at the pictures you have taken it's allowed me somewhat of an escape to the outdoors inside my mind, and for that I thank you."

I share in Joe's gratitude for your website, and wish you only the best in your travels. Keep up the great work!

Charles

...you're doing a good job, keep up the work,,it will all come,,,,

Allan "Bow" Beauchamp.

First, I wanted to thank you for providing this method of contacting you, if only to compliment you. Secondly, I wanted say that I am also interested in what you could say is basically camping and backpacking as it was in 1900, not that it changed much in the 50 years after that. The article about the canvas pack from Frost River did it. I haven't bought anything from them but I've been in that neck of the woods and have visited the Duluth Pack Store.

It is also quite rare anymore for anyone to discuss hiking and camping in the same place they talk about guns, so I know we are on the right track here. I think you (we!) are no more than 45 years out of date.

I live in Northern Virginia and there seems to be a big climate difference between here and where you usually go. There are an awful lot of trees around here. Can't see a thing for them sometime!

Thanks for you thoughtful and enjoyable website.

Kenneth Q

Dear Eric,

First of all I would like to thank you for creating a website documenting your adventures. I'd also like to thank you for providing me with inspiration.

I'm 19 and I have been sick for the better part of a decade and I've always loved the outdoors, but because of my illness I don't get the chance to go romp about in the woods alone. By reading your stories and looking at the pictures you have taken it's allowed me somewhat of an escape to the outdoors inside my mind, and for that I thank you.

Everyday my illness dies a little and one day I hope to be able to do the things you do. Like hiking into the mountains discovering a century old camp site used by turn of the century miners or cattle ranchers that hasn't been disturbed for ages.

Anyway thank you once again. Perhaps one day I will come across a cowboy camp and find something special.

Joe G.

Eric,

I just want to let you know you have a good web page.

I enjoy reading it often. You should think about making videos. You know a lot of stuff.

Keep up the good work.

Terry