The Woodsman's Journal Online: July 2023

Sunday, July 30, 2023

“The Anatomy of a Match©”

Last week we talked about what a marvelous invention the ordinary match is and how it is equal to Tesla’s AC generator and motor, as a civilization changer, but how are matches made and what makes one match a safety match and the other a strike-anywhere matches?

To make strike-anywhere or strike-on-box safety matches you need the following components:

1) A gritty substance such as ground glass, to increase friction.

2) A low kindling temperature substance, such as red phosphorus or phosphorous sesquisulfide. Heat from friction changes the red phosphorus or phosphorous sesquisulfide into white phosphorus, which is extremely flammable, and instantly reacts with oxygen in the air, causing it to ignite.

3) An oxidizing substance, like potassium chlorate, zinc oxide, or manganese dioxide, helps the match to burn by decomposing to provide more oxygen. The heat from the white phosphorus oxidizing sets off the decomposition of potassium chlorate to give oxygen.

4) An easily oxidizable substance that ignites at a low temperature, such as sulfur compound, like lead hyposulfite, iron sulfide (also known as pyrite, or “fool’s gold”), or antimony trisulfide. The extra oxygen helps the sulfur compounds ignite and burn, which ignites the wood and paraffin.

5) Paraffin to help sustain the flame.

6) Glue to bind all the other ingredients together, except the paraffin. The glue that binds the matchhead together is animal glue and is mostly made of a protein collagen extracted by boiling bones, hides or horns. For the mixture of ignition, friction agents, and oxidizing and oxidizable substances in the matchhead to work effectively, they must be in close contact and uniformly distributed throughout the animal glue. The glue also contains the various starches, resins, and dyes that are part of the match.

How you divide up these components, between matchstick and striking surface is what determines if it is a strike-anywhere or strike-on-box safety match.

Strike-on-box safety matches

Besides animal glue, the tip of the strike-on-box safety matchhead is made up of a gritty substance to increase friction, an oxidizing substance, an oxidizable substance and various starches, resins, and dyes.

The on-the-box-striking-surface that is used to ignite the match is made of a substance with a low kindling temperature and an oxidizable substance.

Strike-anywhere matches

Besides animal glue, the tip of the strike-anywhere matchhead is made up of a gritty substance to increase friction, a small amount, about 3%, of a low kindling temperature substance, an oxidizing substance, an oxidizable substance and various starches, resins, and dyes.

The tip or “bird’s eye” of the strike-anywhere match is made up of a gritty substance to increase friction, a larger amount, about 24%, of a low kindling temperature substance, an oxidizing substance, an oxidizable substance and various starches, resins, and dyes. .

Putting the match on the stick

Wooden matchsticks are made of white pine or aspen wood and have an ignition temperature which varies widely depending on the species of wood, its size, moisture content, etc., and is usually between 400^o to 500^o (204^o to 260^o C). The common matchstick is first dipped in a dilute aqueous solution of ammonium phosphate, a fire retardant chemical, which slows the burning rate of the wood and prevents after-glow. The matchsticks are then taken through a drying chamber and while still hot are dipped into molten paraffin wax. The first application of matchhead material is applied to the matchstick and then the matches are sent back through a drying chamber.

If the matches are going to be strike-anywhere matches, then the next step is the application of the ignition material onto the tip of the matchhead.

At this point both types of matches are often dipped in formaldehyde to render the glue in the matchhead material more resistant to moisture and then the matches are dried for the final time and boxed up.

Putting the match in the book

Book matches are both similar and different from their close cousins the strike-on-box safety match. They are made from a specially made cardboard, cut into strips 1-⁷/₈ inches (4.75 cm) wide, with tear-off splints 1-³/₈ inches (3.5 cm) cut into it. The cardboard is then dipped in molten paraffin, dipped into strike-on-the box safety matchhead material, dried, and stapled into covers, the bottom of which is covered in a striking surface material.

And now we know how that most marvelous invention, the match is made, and what makes one match a safety match and the other a strike-anywhere match. So next time you light one, take a second to consider what an awesome invention it truly is.

Don’t forget to come back next week to check out the next article.

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site. I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Notes

Sources

American Gas Journal; “Lesson 101...Combustion”, January 2, 1926, Volume 124, No. 1, American Gas Journal, page 7, https://books.google.com/books?id=BZtijHmlkH0C&pg=PA7&dq=how+fast+do+matches+ignite&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXs5mPm5yAAxUrEFkFHas8Bbo4UBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=how%20fast%20do%20matches%20ignite&f=false, accessed July 22, 2023

Caldwell, Otis W., Ph. D.; and Meier, W. H.D., Ph. D.; Open Doors to Science with Experiments, [Ginn and Company, New York, 1926], page 106 to 111, https://books.google.com/books?id=spQNAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA111&dq=%22strike+anywhere+match%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiAzJemg4D9AhVyEFkFHS-ZCj44PBDoAXoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=%22strike%20anywhere%20match%22&f=false, accessed July ‎18, ‎2023

Greer, Carlotta C., and Bennett, J. Cora; Chemistry for Boys and Girls, [Allyn and Bacon, New York, 1925], page 693, https://books.google.com/books?id=fO1EAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA692&dq=%22strike-anywhere+match%22+chemistry&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSis7I5YT9AhXWMlkFHQkXB54Q6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22strike-anywhere%20match%22%20chemistry&f=false, accessed July 22, 2023

Hough, Walter; Fire-Making Apparatus in the United States National Museum, [Government Printing Office, Washington D. C., 1890], page 542 to 578, https://books.google.com/books?id=eIpGAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=how+long+to+create+a+fire+with+%22flint+and+steel%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQn5mS15mAAxW3EVkFHQu-DckQ6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=how%20long%20to%20create%20a%20fire%20with%20%22flint%20and%20steel%22&f=false, accessed July 18, 2023

Snyder, William H., Sc. D.; General Science, [Allyn and Bacon, New York, 1925], page 83 to 88, https://books.google.com/books?id=cttEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA88&dq=%22strike+anywhere+match%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH5sXigID9AhWFF1kFHdWZD8A4HhDoAXoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=%22strike%20anywhere%20match%22&f=false, accessed July ‎18, ‎2023

U.S. Department of Commerce, “Matches”, [National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C. 1949], https://books.google.com/books?id=o7Ilez_u5eYC&pg=PA2&dq=%22strike+anywhere+match%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH5sXigID9AhWFF1kFHdWZD8A4HhDoAXoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=%22strike%20anywhere%20match%22&f=false, accessed July 16, 2023

Wikimedia, “Burning match”, by Осадчая Екатерина, December 9, 2014, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_match.jpg, accessed July 16, 2023

Wikimedia; “A lit match stick”, May 22, 2012, by Jith JR, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Match_stick,_lit_a_match,_match_box,_fire.JPG, accessed July 25, 2023

Sunday, July 23, 2023

“That Most Marvelous Invention, the Match©”

Have you ever stopped to consider what a technological marvel the common match is? Probably not, matches are taken for granted, you just use it, throw it away, never think about it again!

Anthropologists consider humans to be obligatory fire-users, meaning we can’t survive for long without it, and “individuals who do not use fire will quickly suffer adverse effects or even die”¹. Humans evolved in the tropics, and we need the heat that fires provide to keep us from freezing to death. Also, humans need fire to make our food more digestible and easier to chew, scholars believe that the controlled use of fire by Homo Erectus began at least one million years ago, and just like modern humans, the jaws of H. erectus had evolved (or devolved, depending on your point of view) to become smaller with fewer molars².

For most of the human existence, fire was made using mechanical means, such as friction from rubbing or spinning a straight stick into a wooden base, to create embers, or by percussion, striking a piece of flint against steel or pyrite, to create sparks. These methods of creating fire were used until comparatively modern times, particularly flint and steel, which is still used as means of ignition with modern pocket lighters. Both methods are very efficient and are worthy of study and practice by modern people.

The !Kung San of the Kalahari Desert can create a fire by spinning a straight stick into a wooden base (Figure 22 above) in about 90 seconds, they can also create a fire with flint and steel in about 20 seconds³, and the Samoans of Polynesia could use a fire plow (Figure 21 above) to create a fire in 40 seconds⁴. However, once the ember or spark is created it must be transferred to the tinder and carefully blown into a full flame.

Friction matches ignite from the frictional heat of being drawn across a striker or rough, dry surface, and the entire operation of selecting a match, closing the container, striking it into a full flame, and lighting the tinder, takes just seconds. And since matches, if they are about 1-¾ (4.5 cm) long and just over ¹/₁₆ inch (2 mm) square, will burn after being struck for about 30 seconds, you can see what a marvelous invention the match is, and why it was such a boon to human civilization.

Matches are a relatively recent invention. And everyone knows that there are two general types, book and “strike-on-box” safety matches, and “strike-anywhere”, or “bird’s-eye” matches. The difference between the types of matches is where the ignition material is, on the tip of the match or on the striking surface.

The history of the match

The effort to produce fire by other than mechanical means began in 1669, with the discovery of phosphorus, by Brandt. However, strangely enough, the first friction matches to be manufactured and sold commercially did not contain any phosphorus. John Walker, a scientist invented the first commercially sold matches on May 26, 1826, which he called “Friction Lights”, which were wooden sticks coated with sulfur and tipped with a paste mixture of antimony sulfide, potassium chlorate, and glue. The sulfur, which is easily ignited, provided the heat to ignite the wood. Walker discovered by accident that once the chemicals were dry, he could start a fire by striking the stick anywhere, although the matches were commonly ignited by drawing the match through tightly folded sandpaper. This formula is similar to the formula used today to make safety and book matches, but not “strike-anywhere” matches, which use a type of phosphorus, as a means of ignition.

In 1831 Charles Sauria replaced the antimony sulfide in John Walkers formula, with white (then called yellow) phosphorus to

create the “Lucifer” formula. Lucifers were both a boon and a bane. They were a huge boon to householders and anyone attempting to light a fire, however since white phosphorus is poisonous, they were a bane, a deadly health hazard, to matchmakers. White phosphorus vapors cause necrosis of the jaw, commonly called “Matchmaker’s leprosy”, or “Phossy Jaw”. Phossy jaw was a terrible disease that caused abscesses to develop in the mouth and jaws, and as the suffers jawbone rotted away, it led to facial disfigurement, blood poisoning, malnutrition, and even sometimes fatal brain damage. Additionally, the gums of sufferers developed an eerie greenish white glow-in the dark condition.

On November 15, 1898, Henri Sévene and Emile David Cahen were granted a United States patent, No. 614,350, for the use of phosphorus sesquisulfide in the place of the white phosphorus that was a necessary part of the manufacturing of strike-anywhere matches. White phosphorus matches were gradually banned in most countries and in 1913 white phosphorus was banned as a component of strike-anywhere matches in the United States.

In 1844, Gustav Pasch of Sweden discovered that amorphous or red phosphorus, which does not produce disease causing vapors, would ignite matches. Red phosphorus is still used in the manufacture of safety, or “strike-on-box”, and book matches today.

So, now we know a little more about that most marvelous invention, the match! And hopefully someday, it will no longer be taken for granted, but instead take its rightful place next to other civilization altering inventions, inventions like Tesla’s electric generator.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Notes

¹ “A technology – in this case pyrotechnology – becomes obligatory when it facilitates activities that are otherwise difficult or impossible to accomplish, and when it has considerable and immediate fitness consequences. This means that human individuals who do not use fire will quickly suffer adverse effects or even die”.

From “Minds on Fire: Cognitive Aspects of Early Firemaking and the Possible Inventors of Firemaking Kits”, by Marlize Lombard and Peter Gärdenfors

² “Homo erectus, our ancient ancestor”, by Lisa Hendry

³ The !Kung San: Men, Women and Work in a Foraging Society, Richard Borshay Lee

⁴ Fire-Making Apparatus in the United States National Museum, by Walter Hough, 1890, page 571.

Sources

Lee, Richard Borshay; The !Kung San: Men, Women and Work in a Foraging Society, [Cambridge University Press, London, 1979], https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1043US1043&q=%22flint+and+steel%22+seconds&tbm=bks&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4uv-kl5uAAxXsMVkFHWZiDNEQ0pQJegQIVhAB&biw=1680&bih=907&dpr=1, accessed July 16, 2023

Hendry, Lisa; “Homo erectus, our ancient ancestor”, Natural History Museum, [© The Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London], https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/homo-erectus-our-ancient-ancestor.html#:~:text=erectus%20had%20smaller%2C%20more%20primitive,lower%20jaw%20lacked%20a%20chin., accessed July 22, 23

Lombard, Marlize and Gärdenfors, Peter; “Minds on Fire: Cognitive Aspects of Early Firemaking and the Possible Inventors of Firemaking Kits”, Cambridge Archaeological Journal, [Cambridge University Press, October 29, 2022]

U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission; Fire in Your Life, [U.S, U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, Washington D.C. ] https://books.google.com/books?id=FWF-B9UVSAsC&pg=PA10&dq=%22strike+anywhere+match%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiV1PKc___8AhVCGFkFHX1jBbQQ6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage&q=%22strike%20anywhere%20match%22&f=false, accessed July 16, 2023

Wikimedia; “Burning Match”, by Heidas, December 19, 2004, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Match, accessed July 16, 2023

Wikimedia; “Archival drawing from 19th century of phossy jaw by Mutter”, January 2, 1896, via Gizmodo, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phossy_jaw.jpg, accessed July 22, 2023

Wikimedia, “Burning match”, by Осадчая Екатерина, December 9, 2014, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_match.jpg, accessed July 16, 2023

Sunday, July 16, 2023

“You Can Hear the Bastards Buzzin’...©”

Actual size of Alaskan Moosekito!

Do you know what the most dangerous creature in the wilds of North America and most of the rest of the world is? It isn’t Lions, tigers and bears”. Lions killed about 250 people in 2022, elephants and hippos kill 500 each, crocodiles about 1,000, snakes 100,000, dogs 30,00, tigers 50 and bears just one¹, all of them wannabes, anemic imitators of the true champion. So, do you know who the champ is?

Here is a hint, “There's a dozen on my cousin, I can hear them bastards buzzin’...”²

And the judges all agree, “...the winner and still champion of the world”, is ... the mosquito!

Depending on which source you consult, somewhere between one to ten million people die yearly of mosquito borne diseases, diseases such as malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, dengue, and encephalitis. And nearly half of the world’s population live in areas where malaria carrying mosquitoes thrive³.

Malaria was common in the United States into the 20th century and most of the continental United States has anopheles mosquitoes, particularly Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles quadrimaculatus, the mosquitos which can spread malaria. And as recent news reports show, mosquitoes capable of carrying and transmitting malaria still inhabit most parts of the United States and approximately 2,000 cases malaria, mostly related to travel to or from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are diagnosed in the United States each year, and approximately 300 people experience severe symptoms, with 5 to 10 people dying from malaria yearly.

The mosquito

Mosquitoes belong to the group of insects known as diptera, and diptera, which means “two wings”, and this is the characteristic that distinguishes flies from other types of insects. The name mosquito, in Spanish means “little fly”. The hair-like scales on its body and the proboscis, it’s stinger, or long tubular mouthparts for sucking up fluids, is what distinguishes a mosquito from other types of flies.

Many types of mosquitoes live in continental North America, but these only six spread pathogens (viruses and parasites) that can make people sick. Mosquitoes that bother people, but do not spread pathogens are considered nuisance mosquitoes.

The six types of mosquitoes found in North America that can spread pathogens are...

The Yellow Fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the Western Malaria mosquito, the Asian, tiger or forest mosquito, Aedes albopictus Anopheles freeborni, the Common Malaria mosquito, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, the Northern House mosquito, Culex pipiens, the Southern House mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, and the Western Encephalitis mosquito, Culex tarsalis.

The Yellow Fever Mosquito was the first mosquito suspected of spreading disease to humans and historically spread Yellow fever, although today it is more often associated with Dengue fever.

The Common Malaria mosquito, found throughout the eastern United States, often in large numbers in the southeastern states, notably along the Gulf of Mexico.

The Northern House mosquito is a major carrier of pathogens worldwide, and in North America, this mosquito is found in the northern United States and southern Canada, in areas above 39° north latitude, throughout urban, suburban, and rural areas. The closely related Southern House mosquito is more commonly found in the southern half of the United States at latitudes below 36° north, as is the yellow fever mosquito.

The Western Encephalitis mosquito is an opportunistic, highly aggressive day-biter, which readily enters buildings seeking blood meals. The Western Malaria mosquito is found in the western United States and Canada.

The Asian mosquito is a mosquito native to the tropical and subtropical parts of Southeast Asia and first appeared in Texas in 1985.

The life cycle of the mosquito

A female mosquito’s life is often measured in weeks or months, but male mosquitos live only about a week. Male mosquitoes do not bite, feeding instead on nectar and other plant juices. Only female mosquitoes bite because a blood meal is needed for egg laying.

Mosquitoes hatch from eggs, and some species lay egg rafts on areas that are already covered in water and others lay single eggs on areas that will soon be covered in water.

The eggs hatch into “wrigglers”, or “wigglers”, because they wiggle violently when disturbed. These worm-like larvae live just beneath the water’s surface, breathing through tubes on the tail end of their bodies. Most mosquito larvae eat microorganisms and therefore require water containing organic material, such as leaves or sewage, to serve as food for microorganisms that will then be consumed by the developing mosquito larvae.

In less than a week, wrigglers can grow and change into comma-shaped pupae. While larvae are commonly called “wigglers”, mosquito pupae are known as “tumblers” because they tumble through the water when disturbed. The pupal stage continues to breathe through a snorkel, but don’t feed. Within three days, the pupa transforms into an adult mosquito.

Fight the Bite

Female mosquitoes can be particular about what blood they consume, and each species has its own preferences. Most mosquitoes bite birds and mammals, although some feed on the blood of reptiles and amphibians.

Various clues enable mosquitoes to zero in on people and other animals they seek to bite. They can detect carbon dioxide exhaled by their hosts many feet away. Mosquitoes also sense body chemicals, such as lactic acid in perspiration.

As a mosquito homes in on its target, it looks for the movement of dark objects. Once it finds a meal, it lands, inserts its proboscis and probes for blood vessels beneath the skin. When it finds one, it injects saliva into the wound, and the saliva, which contains an anticoagulant, guarantees a steady, smooth flow of blood.

Unfortunately, the mosquito’s saliva also may contain pathogens such as malaria parasites or encephalitis virus. This is how mosquitoes transmit disease.

Also, the mosquito’s saliva is what causes the swelling and itching at the site of the bite, which results from an allergic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva. People have different reactions to mosquito bites, some showing very little sign of being bitten, while others exhibit substantial redness, swelling and itching.

Some people taste better to mosquitoes than others. One person sleeping in a mosquito-infested spot may wake up with dozens of mosquito bites, while the person sleeping next to them has none.

Mosquitoes can fly long distances; some more than 20 miles from the water source that produced them. Mosquitoes typically fly into the wind to help detect their next meal, but they don’t fly very fast, only about 4 miles an hour, so fewer

mosquitoes are out and about on windy days.

What to do

So, what should you do when travelling through the wilderness to avoid mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases?

Outdoors, clothes, such as long sleeved shirts and long pants, are the first line of defense against mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors so wear light colors or khaki. Spray you clothes with permethrin to keep the mosquitoes from landing on you. For more on permethrin, read “Why Permethrin?...Mosquitos, Ticks and Flies…Oh My! ©”, HERE, or watch “Why Permethrin?...Mosquitos, Ticks and Flies…Oh My!”, HERE.

Your next line of defense is mosquito repellents. There are different repellents on the market, and all provide, or say they provide, some degree of protection against mosquitoes. However, certain repellents provide better protection than others. For years, DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) has been the gold standard by which repellents are measured, and is the most widely used insect repellent, today. The smell of DEET is highly offensive to mosquitos who avoid the scent. It can be found in concentrations ranging from 10% to 100%. The website SectionHiker⁴ notes that the main difference between the different concentrations is how long they remain effective. They reported that a concentration of 30% will repel mosquitos and ticks for about 6-8 hours, while a concentration of 100% will last 8-10 hours before it needs to be reapplied. For more on DEET, read “A Question About DEET, Does It Have A Shelf Life?©”, HERE.

Picaridin has been shown to provide a similar degree of protection to DEET, without the odor and stickiness.

If you are travelling through the wilderness, try avoiding areas where mosquitoes breed and, if possible, don’t camp near them.

So now you now, stay safe, wear repellent and remember the mosquito is still them number one killer in the world.

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “The Anatomy of a Match©”, where we will talk about that life changing and wonderful device, the match, which revolutionized how we live, to camp and stay warm and safe.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Notes

¹ Dr. Horst Stipp, Statista, “Deadliest animals worldwide by annual number of human deaths as of 2022*”

² From “There's a Skeeter on My Peter (Knock it Off)”, a well-known humorous song sung to the tune of “If You're Happy and You Know It” or “She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain”. The earliest printed example of this song is found in the book “Parodology” (1927) where the melody is listed as an adaptation of the tune “Little Bit of Love”. The earliest recorded version of this song is on LP “The Unexpurgated Folk Songs Of Men”, (1960), by Mark McCormack

From “There's a Skeeter on My Peter”, by Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.

³ Illinois Department of Public Health, “Mosquitoes and Disease”

⁴ SectionHiker, “What’s the Difference Between 100% DEET and 30% DEET Insect Repellant?”, HERE.

Sources

Abdullah A. Alomar, Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena, Derrick K. Mathias; “Culex Pipiens”, September 2020, ©University of Florida, https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/culex_pipiens.html, accessed June 4, 2023

Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias; “There's a Skeeter on My Peter”, https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1846750, accessed June 4, 2023

Bishopp, F. C.; Domestic Mosquitos, Leaflet No. 186, U.S. Department of Agriculture, https://books.google.com/books?id=bdOPyM_chJkC&pg=PA5&dq=mosquito+illustration&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiMhZmev6r_AhWTGjQIHdjkBh0Q6AF6BAgLEAI#v=onepage&q=mosquito%20illustration&f=false, accessed June 4, 2023

CDC; “Mosquitos”, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/index.html, May 23, 2023

Harbin, E. O.; Paradology: Songs for Fun and Fellowship - a Collection of Stunt and Pep Songs for Camps, Parties, Worship and Pep Occasions, [1927], Number 39, page 16

Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health “Mosquitoes and Disease”, [© 2023 State of Illinois, Springfield, IL], https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/structural-pest-control/mosquitoes-disease.html, Accessed July 11, 2023

Stipp, Dr. Horst; Statista, “Deadliest animals worldwide by annual number of human deaths as of 2022*”, https://www.statista.com/statistics/448169/deadliest-creatures-in-the-world-by-number-of-human-deaths/, accessed July 11, 2023

Werner, Philip; “What’s the Difference Between 100% DEET and 30% DEET Insect Repellant?”, SectionHiker, February 28, 2023, https://sectionhiker.com/whats-the-difference-between-100-deet-and-30-deet-insect-repellant/, accessed July 15, 2023

About Me

I live near Buffalo, New York and have more than 25 years of experience in the outdoors. I enjoy being in the wilderness, paddling a canoe or exploring the woods, when I am not researching survival, woodcraft, camping skills or life on the Old Northwest Frontier of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I am a published author and I have been a guide for Birchbark Expeditions and an Outdoor Skills trainer for the Boy Scouts since 2014. I am also a martial artist, having studied several different combat arts over the past 30 years. Currently, I am the author of The Woodsman’s Journal Online and BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.

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Sunday, July 30, 2023

“The Anatomy of a Match©”

Sunday, July 23, 2023

“That Most Marvelous Invention, the Match©”

Sunday, July 16, 2023

“You Can Hear the Bastards Buzzin’...©”

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