Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[spike60]

Let me update where I'm at in "scrounge heaven" behind my store. Saved the bigun' for last. Nice to have a job that is actually fitting for a large saw: Husky 2100CD with a 30" bar. The last few cuts were 32-34 inches, so even with that saw, some over bucking was necessary. That saw really ate it up too. Coolest thing is that as I worked my way back, the tree began to lift so all cuts were off the ground. Second pic is one that I've already posted, but just putting it here for a before and after look. That's a Jonsered 625 sitting on that same ash tree for reference. And there's still a couple of huge oaks to go; one at least as big as the ash. Got an awful lot of wood from back there; all courtesy of hurricane Sandy.

 

[JB Weld]

Here in AR, the burning season is winding down. Mrs Weld looked at me the other day and asked, "Where are we going to get our firewood for next year?" Like a true scrounger I replied, "I will go out, find it, and cut it."

We still have a bunch of wood on the ground from last Aprils tornado, so my scrounging is pretty set. I did pick up a new Scrounging vehicle, a Suzuki Carry. It is a project vehicle, but I should have it running soon. It is about 4' wide and 10' long. The bed is about 4'x6' 4x4 and AC! It is rated to haul 7oo#. I need to mount me a couple of chainsaw scabbards on the back.

 

[Ambull01]

FWIW:
"To Protect Your Heart, Your Sodium to Potassium Ratio Is More Important Than Your Overall Salt Intake"
"Keep in mind that if you have weak adrenals, you will lose sodium and need to eat more natural salt to compensate."
[prolonged stress weakens adrenals - people vary in their ability to withstand stress over time]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/25/sodium-potassium-ratio.aspx

No scrounging, just meetings and sedentary work for me today :-(

Yeah, I've been reading a lot of articles that claim that. This is my question on it though. Supposedly high sodium, low potassium diets are mainly processed and fast food. Some of the main venues for these types of foods are restaurants, fast food establishments, etc. Some of the main foods are bread, pastries, etc. How can we say it's not from eating a ton of carbs? Then we've also been trained to think dietary fat is bad ju ju so we want everything lean. Dietary fat slows down the absorption of carbs/glucose. This is why there's that stupid heart healthy sign on oatmeal containers. There's fiber in it which also slows down the absorption of carbs so they can call it healthy.

 

[KenJax Tree]

I drink lots of water and eat bananas

 

[Oldman47]

Youth is wasted on the young

Water soluble Electrolytes are essential for everyone and there is a delicate balance between sodium and potassium that under extreme stress, the body can lose in significant quantities, putting all muscle function (including the heart) in jeopardy. The health of the Kidneys and Adrenal glands and often times a persons age, will determine how you hold onto your water soluble minerals and why one person can manage heat exhaustion better than another.

When I work hard in hot weather I take along a 3 gallon container of ice and purified water. My local well water has plenty of calcium and magnesium in it but I use an RO to remove most of it for drinking water. My clue that it is time to go home and cool off is when I pour my last glass of that ice water. I do consume that entire 3 gallons without ever feeling a need to urinate but my sweat is just as salty as everyone elses so I know I am losing some minerals all day. I eat a hearty meal for dinner and that includes all of the minerals that my food provides. Next day I am out doing the same darned thing again with zero ill effects. I also do not suffer from things like kidney stones because my kidneys do not need to process excess minerals. I am no spring chicken so maybe when I turn 85 I will need some mineral supplements but at a mere 67 years it is not needed IMO. My wife takes multivitamins and has a routine that includes at least 10 separate pills every day. I take none but expect my diet to supply all that my body needs. People have lived on this planet for well over 500,000 years and only in the last century have these artificial dietary additions been available. I will rely on the evolution that worked to get us here rather than various advertiser's claims. These days I can eat foods at any time that were seasonal at best in the past, so I already have a leg up on my ancestors nutritionally.

 

[Oldman47]

What usually cramps up when riding? I would assume your legs. I've only had one major muscle cramp so far. It was in boot camp lying in my bunk. Flexed my leg and calf muscle seized up. Hurt like hell. What is your remedy for a muscle cramp? I always heard massage and/or stretching. If that's the case, it seems to back up the conclusion that it's not due to dehydration/heat/electrolytes. At least to me lol.

I'm not really an endurance guy so don't know much about protein and energy. Only long endurance based activity I do is ruck marches. Ruck marches just make you embrace the suck.

When I get a muscle cramp, and I do get them, I try to place the specific muscle under stress and then gradually relax it. It works first time every time for me. As a youngster I got terrible cramps in my calf muscles so I would go up on my toes to really make that muscle work hard and then slowly relax back into a flat foot position. Worked every time for me.

 

[Ambull01]

When I work hard in hot weather I take along a 3 gallon container of ice and purified water. My local well water has plenty of calcium and magnesium in it but I use an RO to remove most of it for drinking water. My clue that it is time to go home and cool off is when I pour may last glass of that ice water. I do consume that entire 3 gallons without ever feeling a need to urinate but my sweat is just as salty as everyone elses so I know I am losing some minerals all day. I eat a hearty meal for dinner and that includes all of the minerals that my food provides. Next day I am out doing the same darned thing again with zero ill effects. I also do not suffer from things like kidney stones because my kidneys do not need to process excess minerals. I am no spring chicken so maybe when I turn 85 I will need some mineral supplements but at a mere 67 years it is not needed IMO. My wife takes multivitamins and has a routine that includes at least 10 separate pills every day. I take none but expect my diet to supply all that my body needs. People have lived on this planet for well over 500,000 years and only in the last century have these artificial dietary additions been available. I will rely on the evolution that worked to get us here rather than various advertiser's claims. These days I can eat foods at any time that were seasonal at best in the past, so I already have a leg up on my ancestors nutritionally.

Amen. I know we should take advantage of scientific breakthroughs but jeez it seems like we've lost our ability to function properly without drinking some fancy overpriced latest greatest concoction. Eat healthy (by not following the food pyramid/My Plate thingy) and drink water. That's all you really need unless you're subjecting yourself to really extreme physical conditioning. The whole multivitamin benefit is doubted as well. I just marvel at the freaking fantastic marketing campaign/mind **** we have been fed. Gatorade may be the champ so far.

When I get a muscle cramp, and I do get them, I try to place the specific muscle under stress and then gradually relax it. It works first time every time for me. As a youngster I got terrible cramps in my calf muscles so I would go up on my toes to really make that muscle work hard and then slowly relax back into a flat foot position. Worked every time for me.

I don't know how you guys can stand the pain to stretch. Thought my calf muscle was going to explode. One minute I'm lying in my bunk happy as hell for getting through another day and relishing the absence of screaming drill instructors and the next I'm sitting on the cold concrete floor. All I did was flex my leg and calf went ape ****. So painful I somehow popped out of the super tight tucked in sheet and blanket.

 

[dancan]

wudpirat , that Vicars cross is good stuff , 650ml bottle so 2 of them work just fine
svk , great days work ! I'll have a Holsten festbock for you
Spike60 , nice firewood there , I'll have a Heineken for you
Ambull , plenty of beer , never a cramp

 

[stihly dan]

I've only had one major muscle cramp so far

Is that even possable? I seem to only get cramps in summer, something there? Worst cramp ever is a tongue cramp, hurts like a mother.

 

[svk]

Moved wood until 7:15. I am beat beyond belief. Should have drank more water because I've got a decent headache going. If that dies down I'll crack a beer.

Stomach is full of ramen, sauna is heating, and Indiana Jones is on the TV.

 

[dancan]

Hmmm , well maybe a tongue cramp ...... If that counts LOL
svk , sauna , ice cold beer and some peppermint schnapps ,,,,, right some good

 

[Marshy]

Moved wood until 7:15. I am beat beyond belief. Should have drank more water because I've got a decent headache going. If that dies down I'll crack a beer.

Stomach is full of ramen, sauna is heating, and Indiana Jones is on the TV.

Nice to know someone in this thread is still scrounging. Welp, I received my 285 today, so now I can update my sig. I'm taking it tomorrow after work to cut up a sugar maple that the wind ble the top out of. It needs a little tune up because it came from Utah at ~4000' elevation, I'm at <400ft. Maybe I'll have a clip of this big dog dropping the trunk on that maple. Then everyone can flame me for a sh*tty cut or something.

 

[Marshy]

Hmmm , well maybe a tongue cramp ...... If that counts LOL
svk , sauna , ice cold beer and some peppermint schnapps ,,,,, right some good

Pass the Wild Turkey Honey instead please.

 

[dancan]

Marshy , we like videos so make sure it's a good one LOL

 

[Marshy]

Let me update where I'm at in "scrounge heaven" behind my store. Saved the bigun' for last. Nice to have a job that is actually fitting for a large saw: Husky 2100CD with a 30" bar. The last few cuts were 32-34 inches, so even with that saw, some over bucking was necessary. That saw really ate it up too. Coolest thing is that as I worked my way back, the tree began to lift so all cuts were off the ground. Second pic is one that I've already posted, but just putting it here for a before and after look. That's a Jonsered 625 sitting on that same ash tree for reference. And there's still a couple of huge oaks to go; one at least as big as the ash. Got an awful lot of wood from back there; all courtesy of hurricane Sandy.

Daaaaaymn! Now that's a tree. All going for firewood?

 

[dancan]

Pass the Wild Turkey Honey instead please.

Nah , you need that cool sharp hit when you take a deep breath that the schnapps give you in a steamy hot sauna after a day of scrounging , the beer is just for fluid replenishment

 

[dancan]

I dropped off a pair of chainsaw boots and a forestry helmet this evening , the kid had an ear to ear grin , I told him he had to be safe if he was going to learn how to run a saw and cut up my next years firewood LOL

 

[svk]

All that cutting with an L65?

Yes. As of December she was only pulling 130 pounds of compression so doesn't have the grunt of yesteryear. Minor scoring on ex side of piston since last inspected in fall of 13'. But I did a lot of cutting last year.

I've located/scrounged up all of the parts to convert to a L77 once spring cutting is over.

 

[nomad_archer]

I love seeing a Fiskars in woodchips!!!

Re Cramping: Usually the calf or thigh. The thigh ones can be really bad, they just freeze you up. I thought my leg was going to burst one time, it was early in the season and I tried to stay with the group. They can last several minutes, and it seems longer. Sometimes, you just have to stop for a while & let it pass, usually take in some fluids and slow down. Can be really bad if you have not unclipped from your peddles.

Good lord leg cramps are the worst. I have only had one thigh cramp. It woke me up from a deep sleep and I felt like my knee was being torn apart. I couldn't believe how much that hurt.

Amen. I know we should take advantage of scientific breakthroughs but jeez it seems like we've lost our ability to function properly without drinking some fancy overpriced latest greatest concoction. Eat healthy (by not following the food pyramid/My Plate thingy) and drink water. That's all you really need unless you're subjecting yourself to really extreme physical conditioning. The whole multivitamin benefit is doubted as well. I just marvel at the freaking fantastic marketing campaign/mind **** we have been fed. Gatorade may be the champ so far.

I started skipping the multivitamin because you pee out the majority of it and they are overpriced. I still use supplements but I get them on the clearance rack at the local gnc. I do pre-workout, post workout and protein shakes. I feel they work or at least help but I all of the above came off the clearance rack as I would never in a million years pay full price for this stuff. It helps but is not absolutely necessary. Since I cant scrounge yet and don't have any good leads, I did scrounge 3 5lb tubs of protien powder at the GNC on clearance for $24.99 each. Which is 50% the best price I was able to find.

 

[spike60]

Daaaaaymn! Now that's a tree. All going for firewood?

Yes, it did. I told a couple guys about it, but neither of them really showed any interest.

Had to rip or split those huge blocks into 4 or more pieces to get them in the truck. The kid who works for us took a couple pick up loads of it as they were running out of wood and needed something that could be burned right away. So in that sense it was put to good use.