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One of the things I enjoyed about my safaris was observing bush engineering. In no particular order: 1. The cutting of old inner tubes to use as bungie cords to secure equipment to the landcruiser 2. Cutting a spare piece of wiring and making a loop and putting it across the battery terminals to use as a cigarette lighter. I don't smoke but I thought it was inetresting. 3. My PH cutting off some bark from a particualr type of tree, stripping the inside rolling it into three long threads and braiding it into twine to make an emergency shoe lace 4. Some other type of small bush where the tiny branches always form a three prong configuration was used as make shift forks when they got left out of the cool box for lunch. 5. Instead of push starting the landcruiser when the battery suddently died, we jacked up the backend wrapped those big braided straps around the tire and started it using the tire and strap like a giant pull start. 6. When the very bottom of streambed was washed out making about a three foot wide ditch that couldn't be crossed, grab the axes chop down several small trees lay them in the bottom of the stream bed. Grab the shovels fill it in with rocks and gravel and off you go. Who else has bush engineering stories? Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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One of Us |
1. A tracker using a long blade of grass to "band aid" his badly cut finger. 2. Using snare wires to and mopane timbers to build machans and ladders. 3. Inner tube rubber wrapped on a gun barrel to eliminate the full moon shining off the barrel sticking out of the leopard blind. 4. Cutting "handles" into the skin of buffalo and other large animals to hoist them into the truck. 5. Any number of improvised methods to reattach the sole of a shoe to the upper. 6. Tying of hair bracelets. 7. Use of sand or dirt for sharpending of knives, axes, pangas. 8. Amazing accuracy of trackers with axes, knives, etc. Never a wasted swing. 9. Tractor tire sandals. 10. African GPS. Dropping a branch in the road to mark the waypoint. As they say, inner tubes and wire keep Africa going. Will J. Parks, III | |||
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The most amazing thing I saw was using a wood fire and awl to flare a broken brake line. The job was good enough that the brake line held well and worked the rest of the trip. I was also amazed when we broke a rear half shaft on a land rover. They had a spare one on board and changed it in less than an hour. BigB | |||
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Two knives are more important than one pair of pliers. The owner later stripped treebark and made a nice handle to skin and butcher my elephant. | |||
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One of Us |
That is a way cool knife! | |||
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One of Us |
1. A cigarette lighter that was an old plastic 35mm film cannister filled with cotton that was lit by striking a piece of quartz across a small piece of old file. 2. Inner tube used for 101 creative things, including tie down straps, winch locks, shooting stick wraps, etc. I think Africa would actually fall apart if all the inner tube was pulled out. 3. Removing the head light from the Cruiser and wiring it to the battery of the Cruiser to use for a spotlight. 4. Chi-Com Crocs modified with tire tread soles and ankle straps. 5. Stripping the bark from trees to use for rope to tie together blinds, to bundle hides, etc. 6. Snare wires wound together to use to hang baits. 7. Sharpening knifes on other knifes, rocks, basically anything hard. 8. Axes made from broken Cruiser springs. Mike | |||
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One of Us |
I recognize several of these items as being in Mr. Charlton's repertoire... | |||
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One of Us |
The Chi-Com Crocs were a dead giveaway. This season he is hunting in Alan Shearing's old Tevas, although he did buy a new hat. Mike | |||
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I thought all axes were made from broken cruiser springs. I didn't count that one becuase I assumed there were no real axes in Africa...LoL Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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One of Us |
Zimbabwe front end repair! We made it about 15 miles back to camp with this repair. Through a lot of nasty gullies and sugar sand river beds. Cool road signs. I'll bet a lot of you have seen these. | |||
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One of Us |
1. Letting most of the air out of the tires to get the cruiser across sand rivers. 2. Using news paper to roll home made cigarettes. 3. Attaching a pulley to the front of the bed of the cruiser and running a cable to a tree and the other end to a buff, kudu etc. Then simply drive foreward and animal loads itself in the back of the cruiser. 465H&H | |||
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One of Us |
I will add one more to my list: Using a belt (off your waist) to replace a fan belt that broke. Mike | |||
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One of Us |
Mike, Now that is impressive. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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One of Us |
We were in a VW van driving around in Kruger at the end of our first safari in South Africa. The fan belt broke and it was late afternoon in the park. I had safari jacket that had a waist belt on it. The waist belt became a temporary fan belt. That said, it was very much a start and stop effort. We would tie the belt on, drive a little ways and then have to stop and do it again. We did, however, get to the entrance of the park before dark. Mike | |||
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One of Us |
Sounds like we need to send them some balingwire. | |||
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Using a twisted up kudu skin as a tow strap to pull a vehicle . . . and it worked. Will J. Parks, III | |||
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465, What were you rolling in that news print?????
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One of Us |
bangee????????? | |||
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Administrator |
We actually had a tracker who had a book, borrowed from the Bulawayu library - I saw the stamp!? He was using the pages for his smokes! | |||
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One of Us |
sounds like a mining camp no paper is safe against tobacco makes me glad I don't smoke | |||
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One of Us |
Good Topic. I always enjoy the PH and trackers who don't have the benefit of a rear winch on the crusier. What do they do? They dig two deep trenches in the dirt just long enough to back the rear tires into. That lowers the cab by 12-18" allowing them to physically lift half the buffalo or eland into the back of the Toyota. | |||
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One of Us |
I think that the most creative people in the world live in Africa! They can make anything out of nothing! | |||
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One of Us |
I ran out of cigartettes once on safari and smoked one of the trackers roll your owns. Two puffs were all I could take. Only took the second puff to make sure it was really that bad. 465H&H | |||
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