Survival Lore

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Survival Lore Hi, I’m Bill Cox, a Pennsylvania-born bushcrafter and wilderness survivalist inspired by pioneers like Kephart, Kochanski, and Angier.

I blend traditional skills with modern survival tech and share my knowledge, stories, and adventures here.

A pilot bread can, some baling wire, and a Dozier KS7. Add a little work and you’ve got a pot to cook some ramen. One of...
10/11/2026

A pilot bread can, some baling wire, and a Dozier KS7. Add a little work and you’ve got a pot to cook some ramen.

One of my last Bushclass lessons over on BushcraftUSA was making a metal cooking implement. I turned a Future Essentials pilot bread can into a cooking pot using only my KS7 and some baling wire even cut the wire with the knife. Then I put it to work making ramen over the fire on my Purcell Trench grill.

That wrapped up the lesson work before my five required outings, and I’ve already got one of those in the books!

I think I posted my first completed lesson back around 2012, so you could say I’ve been taking the scenic route. 😂 I never got around to finishing back then, but recently decided it was time to see it through.

That’s one thing I appreciate about Bushclass, a reason to get outside, practice the basics, and actually make something with the tools you carry.

P.S. No knives were hurt in the making of this meal. They’re tools use them, have some fun, and learn what they can handle.

Not too shabby for a hollow-ground knife. 😉

I carry a pocket knife but a good fixed blade on my belt brings a few things I appreciate, a comfortable grip, easy acce...
10/09/2026

I carry a pocket knife but a good fixed blade on my belt brings a few things I appreciate, a comfortable grip, easy access, and a simple, solid tool that’s ready to work and a practical belt knife gets used well beyond a camping trip.

There’s no hinge or locking mechanism to collect debris or maintain, and a well designed sheath keeps the edge covered and the knife secure and within reach. Paired with a handle that fits your hand, that makes a useful setup for repeated cutting.

One of the biggest benefits, though, is familiarity. Use the same knife regularly and you learn how it cuts, where it excels, and what its limits are. That experience carries into the woods with you.

It doesn’t need to be a huge blade. A manageable knife with a comfortable handle, useful edge geometry, and a good sheath can handle an awful lot.

For me, a belt knife is an everyday working tool and knowing how to use it matters just as much as having it along.

Do you carry a fixed blade every day, or save yours for the woods?

10/08/2026

If you ask me to recommend one bushcraft book, this is the one I’m handing you.

Mors Kochanski’s Bushcraft or his earlier Northern Bushcraft, is my favorite book to recommend to anyone wanting to build their woods skills.

What makes it stand out to me is the emphasis on understanding your tools, your surroundings, and the fundamentals. There’s a lot of value in learning why something works, then taking that knowledge into the woods and putting it into practice.

You don’t have to master everything at once. Read a section, practice a skill, and come back to it. That’s how a book becomes more than something sitting on your shelf.

In this reel, I share a little about why this one gets my recommendation so often.

Have you read it? What’s the one outdoor book you always recommend?

A few woods essentials and a healthy dose of orange. Easy to spot, harder to leave behind.
10/08/2026

A few woods essentials and a healthy dose of orange. Easy to spot, harder to leave behind.

10/08/2026

A sit pad has a place in my kit for more than a comfortable spot to take a break.

My Tuff Possum Gear Sit Pad gives me a layer between myself and the ground, and its bright orange side can double as a signal panel and in pinch be used in concert with cordage to splint something. Simple gear with more than one use is always welcome in my haversack.

This clip is from “My Haversack Kit — The Gear I Carry & Why,” now on YouTube at Survival Lore.

Do you carry a sit pad, or just find a log and make yourself comfortable?

These Maxpedition pocket organizers still have a place in my kit. The Fatty holds some fire making equipment, the Skinny...
10/08/2026

These Maxpedition pocket organizers still have a place in my kit. The Fatty holds some fire making equipment, the Skinny is set up for signaling, and the Beefy carries a compact survival kit.

What keeps me using them is the organization. The elastic loops keep small items secure, the pockets give me room to separate equipment, and everything has a consistent place. I can open a pouch and see what I have instead of digging through a pile of loose gear.

That matters when daylight is fading and you need your lighter, flashlight, or whistle. Getting familiar with where you keep things is part of getting familiar with your equipment.

I also like being able to move a complete pouch between packs without gathering up every individual item again. It’s a simple system, and it works for me.

I’ve got a new video up on YouTube taking a closer look at all three organizers and why I still use them. Link in bio if you’d like to watch.

Do you organize your gear into separate pouches, or prefer to use the pockets in your pack?

SurvivalLore

Been using this Bushcrafter from Circle Z for a little while now, and the more I use it, the more I like it. AEB-L has q...
10/07/2026

Been using this Bushcrafter from Circle Z for a little while now, and the more I use it, the more I like it. AEB-L has quickly become one of my favorite blade steels, and this knife is a big part of the reason why.

Les Stroud has had a lasting influence on how I look at wilderness survival and what I share through Survival Lore.Watch...
10/07/2026

Les Stroud has had a lasting influence on how I look at wilderness survival and what I share through Survival Lore.

Watching Survivorman helped fuel my desire to get outside, practice, and understand how these skills work when you actually need them. I’ve always appreciated his grounded approach, the patience, resourcefulness, and willingness to show how difficult even simple tasks can become. That perspective has stayed with me in my own time in the woods and in how I teach others.

Pictured here is his excellent book, Will to Live Dispatches from the Edge of Survival, alongside one of my favorite survival knives, the Survivorman machete. A good book and a well used blade represent two parts of this pursuit that mean a lot to me: learning from the experience of others and getting out there to build experience of your own.

There are plenty of people who have influenced my path over the years. Les certainly deserves a place among them.

Did Survivorman help spark your interest in wilderness survival, too?

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