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By Blake Benson, May 24, 2010

Sharpening knives can be a great way to get some mental space from the world. It’s also a great way to drive yourself crazy if you need to get it done in a hurry. To that end, there are numerous ways to sharpen blades quickly, even the large blade of a Bowie knife. The products used to do this encompass both grinding tools and guides. Both are important to making sure that you improve, rather than ruin, your blade.

Rod Systems Work Well: While rod systems certainly do use stones, they are very different from your traditional bench stone. What do rod systems offer? To sum it up in a single word – guidance. Rod systems use a rod connected to a whetstone, which runs through a hole in a metal guide. Your Bowie knife is attached to the metal framework. This ensures that your knife is stable throughout the entire process, and that you do not create uneven edges. Why does this matter?

Some of the sharpeners that work best for Bowie knives are made out of composite substances. These may include ceramics or silicates. Generally, they are pressed into a small stone that can easily be carried in a pocket or a pack. These stones are usually a bit harder on the blade than are natural stones, and will pull away more steel with each pass. Be sure to use gentle pressure when sharpening on these stones.

Guides for Bench Stones: If you prefer to use a bench stone, you can still alleviate much of the problem with getting the right angle for your blade. Guides attach to the spine of the blade, and you then run the knife across the whetstone. This can be an excellent way to sharpen a knife without having to worry that you will have uneven edges on your blade. Of course, like many other systems, there are drawbacks to using guides such as these.

Your Bowie knife can definitely be sharpened in the field using these devices, but a good sharpening is usually done on a bench stone. Simply because the stone is mounted to the bench, it’s easier to make sure that you’re getting the right angle and pressure on the blade. You should practice, however, sharpening large blades on small stones, as you may well have to do so at some point when you’re in the field.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knives store featuring combat knives.

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By Wayne Torres, March 10, 2010

If you’re an avid snowmobiler, than you may also have or will do so during a winter camping trip.

During cold nights, sleeping in a tent for a few nights can be a rigorous task with the risks of frostbite or hypothermia to contend with.

It is cold enough to endure the frigid temperatures that go along with snowmobiling during the daytime hours, but the evening hours provide another level of frigidity and cold weather without the warmth of the sun to balance out the cold.

There are some precautions and measures that adventurous lovers of the outdoors can take to protect themselves during winter camping to fully enjoy their experience, though.

Camping in the winter wilderness can be an exciting and adrenaline-producing experience. Planning is the most important aspect of enjoying a winter camping adventure, though.

Doing research about the areas you plan to visit and the winter seasonal conditions in those regions should be foremost in your planning so you can bring the appropriate equipment to stay safe.

There are several important factors that you should be aware of for your upcoming camping trip. Average snow activity, planned routes, as well as the experience of your fellow campers are just some of them.

If you plan to camp overnight in a winter camping excursion, you need to be able to make the necessary preparations for your entire group including any small children with minimal experience that may make the trip with you.

Keep in mind that camping during the winter months will take a toll on your body and cause it to lose body heat in abundance. This is why good planning from the very beginning is essential.

Thermal clothing is an absolute must when you are sleeping outdoors in such frigid temperatures. They’re not just for snowmobiling during the day.

You may also want to use the layering method which is exactly as it sounds. Wear several layers of clothing to better insulate your body.

The great advantage of layering is the ease that it provides you when you need to remove clothing if your body overheats. A sweating body tends to dehydrate faster than a dry body.

Finally, no overnight camping trip would be complete without an ample amount of food for everybody in the group. A popular treat among campers is smores, but campers should also include foods that provide a better degree of nourishment.

Since appetites lessen during cold weather, the food you take with you should be appealing so you are sure to get enough nutrition to keep you moving throughout the day.

The diet of a winter camper should include a lot of dry foods with high nutritional value such as oatmeal, granola, and cheese.

Camping and snowmobiling can lead to a great time for all groups but it will take some careful packing and planning. Do so and you can enjoy it many times over.

This article was written and provided by Wayne Torres; if you got a kick out of it or found in interesting, you can visit Wayne at Watch the Inbetweeners Streaming Online and Watch the Sopranos Streaming Online.