How to Make a Tyvek Stuff Sack

A few posts back it was suggested to me that I can make a tyvek stuff sack from my cook kit using US Postal Service tyvek envelopes. So, I went to the post office, grabbed a bunch, and figured I would give it a try. The only thing is, my tent was in a much bigger need for a stuff sack than my pot. Since I have removed a bunch of elements from my tent, it has been impossible to find a well fitting stuff sack.

For the project I needed a few components. Obviously I needed some tyvek envelopes from the post office. You can also buy tyvek sheets in many hardware stores if you are interested. I also got a spray bottle of 3M Hi-Strength 90 adhesive. That covered the main part of the construction. To finish it off, I also needed some parachord for a drawstring and one of those draw string closure buttons things.

I began by cutting apart the envelopes to get smooth sheets of tyvek. For this stuff sack I needed two envelopes to make the walls because the tent is relatively long. I glued the two together using a one inch overlap.

Then it was time to determine the diameter of the stuff sack. I rolled up my tent, and tried to fond a round object that would match the diameter of the rolled up tent. A cooking pot was perfect. I used it to trace out a circle on a third envelope and cut it out, leaving about an inch all around that I would fold and glue.

In order to make the walls of the stuff sack, I took the tyvek sheet, and wrapped it around the pot which I used to measure the diameter. I then marked the overlap. I trimmed the tyvek and glued it together using a one inch overlap. When gluing it, I left the side that would eventually be on the outside of the stuff sack, on the inside. That way the seems would not show when I glue the bottom piece on.

Now came the hard part-gluing the bottom portion to the walls. I started by cutting the portion of the bottom piece which I left for gluing into sections, and then folding them up.

Then, I positioned the cylinder/walls within this circle, and one piece at a time, I started gluing the tabs onto the walls. I used a roll of tape on the inside of the cylinder to provide a point against which I could put pressure while the glue set.

The next step was to create the closure. I placed the rolled up tent inside the stuff sack, and measured how high it needed to be. I marked the line, and then trimmed the walls several inches higher. I then folded over the wall all the way around twice, and glued the fold.

Once all the glue was dry, I crumpled the stuff sack. Tyvek feels like plastic, but the more you fold and crumple it, the more it starts to feel like fabric. I then inverted the stuff sack.

The last part of the project, which you also see in the above picture was to insert the draw string. I cut a small opening to the folded up area on top. I did it where the original seem connecting the two pieces is located because that is the strongest area. I then threaded the parachord through.

Above you see the end result. I am happy with the outcome. We’ll see how long it lasts. These are just my crude efforts. With some practice, I’m sure you guys can get a much more refined product.

DIY Backpack Rifle Sling Attachment

You guys may remember a turkey hunt I went on a few months back. There I complained about the shotgun sling I was using. The problem was that I was using a regular over the shoulder swing. While that was adequate when walking on level ground, one I started going up and down hills, and through the brush, it started to become a serious problem. Every time I would try to use my arms or lean forward, the shotgun would swing around.

When I returned, I started looking at different sling options. Unfortunately, none of them struck me as particularly impressive; certainly not enough for me to pay money for them. The best designs I saw attached the gun to the backpack itself, but even those looked like they would allow the gun to swing around when traveling over rough terrain. Kifaru has a sling that attaches one end to the backpack and then passes the rifle under your arm for stability. That was the best option I saw, but I didn’t want to have the rifle impede my arm movement.

Anyway, I was heading into the woods the following week, and I decided to put something together. I pretty much looked for a way to attach the shotgun to my backpack, much like I would a pair of snowshoes. It wouldn’t be a quick release attachment, but it is something I was willing to put up with. The result worked well enough for me, and I have been using it for some time now.

The main problem with attaching a rifle or shotgun to a backpack is the length of the gun. Most full size shotguns and rifles will be fairly long. This prevents them from being strapped to the backpack the same way you would with snowshoes, trekking poles, etc. Typically, the way you would strap any heavy item to the side of a backpack is to place the end of the item in the side pocket at the bottom of the pack, and then use the straps on the side of the pack to tighten down the item. If I did that with the shotgun you see above, it would be sticking several feet above my head, making traveling through the forest very difficult.

The solution was to attach the lower end of the gun to a point below the backpack. That way it would be better centered on the side of the pack. I accomplished that just by using a piece from the over the shoulder sling I was using earlier.

The sling attaches to the rifle or shotgun using two swivels that connect to the bolts at the front and back of the gun. What I did was to use the swivel and portion of the sling that attaches to the stock of the gun, and then instead of using the rest of the sling, I just attached it to the frame of the pack. On my backpack, near the area between the hip belt and the back of the pack, there is some exposed frame. I just looped the nylon webbing through there and threaded it back through the buckle, which attached it very securely. The webbing can be adjusted using the buckle to lower or raise the swivel mount.

To attach the gun, just clip on the swivel.

Then secure the gun to the pack using the straps on the side of the backpack. To remove the gun, undo the pack straps and unclip the swivel. It is not something you can do while the pack is on your back, but takes only a few seconds after the pack has been removed.

This attachment holds the gun securely in place and keeps it out of your way while walking through various terrain. I’m sure I will find a better method in the future, but it has been working well for me so far.

Using Trekking Poles to Pitch The GoLite Shangri-La 3

Recently I have decided to start using trekking poles, mostly because of issues I am having with my knees. I have resisted them for a long time because I don’t always need them, and I certainly do not need the extra weight. I was not happy about the concept of bringing extra weigh that might end up being strapped to my pack for most of the trip. So, when I decided to get trekking poles, I knew that I would have to offset the weight somewhere else. That way even if I didn’t use them in their primary role as poles, and just carried them strapped to my pack the whole trip, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

The traditional place where one would offset the weight of the trekking poles is to get rid of the some of the tent supports. That is easy to do with some shelters like the MLD Trailstar, that can simply utilize a single trekking pole for pitching. The shelter I use however, the GoLite Shangri-La 3 is more complicated. It is a larger shelter, with a height of 62 inches, and requires a longer center pole than what a single trekking pole can provide. I knew from the beginning that in order to use my trekking poles to pitch the shelter, I would have to somehow connect them.

The poles I chose for the task are the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork. I bought the 2012 model, but the current 2013 model should do just as well.

 

The poles weigh exactly 16 oz, and can extend to 130 cm each. The poles use a flip lock mechanism which allows you to collapse the poles while at the same time holding them securely in place when extended.

My approach to using the trekking poles as a center pole for my shelter required that they have sections that can be separated. There are many models which can do that, this is just the one I chose because it had positive reviews. My thinking was to take the two poles, remove the lower section from each pole, and then use a connector piece to attach the poles to each other.

In the above picture you see all of the components of my system, ready for assembly. I have removed the two lower sections from the poles (right), which leaves each pole with two sections (left). On the log between the two parts of the poles you see a small piece of white plastic. Initially I intended to get a replacement lower section for a Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork pole and cut a piece of it to use as a connector, but I found a piece of pen which worked just as well.

To assemble the pieces, I just place the connector in the end of one of the poles, and close the lock.

I then insert the other end of the connector into the other pole and close the lock. Here I have fitted the two poles so that they come completely together, but that is not necessary.

Once the poles are connected, you can use the locks between the remaining sections to adjust the height of the combined pole.

 

 

The set up seems to work very well. I have not had any issue of the poles slipping, and they appear to be strong enough for the job. This past weekend I used the poles for my shelter, and in the morning there was absolutely no sagging or any other problems.

In terms of weight, as I mentioned above, the poles weigh 16 oz. The aluminum center pole that comes with the Shangri-La 3 weighs 11.2 oz. With the added weight of the connector piece, by replacing the center pole of the shelter with my trekking poles, I am adding a total of 4 oz to my pack weight. While not perfect, I think it is a good compromise. In effect, I am getting a set of trekking poles for just 4 oz. So far both the poles and the shelter set up have been working very well.

Wilderness Navigation: Obtaining Free Topographic Maps Part 2

A while back I did a post about how I obtain free topographic maps. You can see the post here. At that time a few of my readers made me aware of another source of free topo maps called Gmap4. Since that time I have been using the Gmap4 site to plan my trips, but I have never posted about it because until recently I was not able to figure out how to print maps from it. While I was able to locate the maps that I want, whenever I tried to print them out, I would just get a blank page. Unfortunately, the site does not have its own print function, so you have to use the browser’s print option. I’ve tried several browsers, but they have all printed out nothing but blank pages for me.

A few months ago I figured out a way around the problem. Last week Section Hiker did a post about Gmap4, where he went into great detail about the site and the different functions. Since I am not a big GPS user, most of those functions do not matter to me, but it did remind me to write this post and explain how I print out the maps in case anyone else is having the same issue as me.

To use the site just go to Gmap4 at http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html Once you are on the main page, click on “Start Gmap4”.

This will take you to the world map page. Once there you can use the map two different ways. You can either zoom and move it around until you find your desired location, or you can just use the search function from the “Menu”.

This will open a search bar where you can type in your desired location. It doesn’t have to be an actual address. You can type in the name of a mountain, a lake, etc. In this case I will search for “Friday Mountain, NY”.

 

Click any of the options next to the search bar such as “List” or “Search”. and you will be taken to your location, or the site will display a list of available matches.

Once you have found your location, there are many different things you can do, such as creating a plotting a route, creating a .gpx file for your GPS unit, or you can change the type of map being displayed. The one you see above is the “t1” map, but you can also use the “t2” map which will give you the same “My Topo” maps I talked about in the last first map tutorial on finding free maps. For more details on the options as they relate to GPS use, you can look at the Section Hiker post.

Another feature which I have found very useful is the ability to obtain directions to any location on the map. Let’s say that you have found the location on Friday Mountain, and you want to get directions to a particular location on a nearby road, in this case “Denning Road”. All you have to do is move the pointer near the location to which you want directions and right click on it. A window showing the GPS coordinates will appear, and on the bottom it will have an option to get direction to or from that location.

Now that you have found your desired area of the map, and have found directions to the location, it is time to print out your map. This is where I originally had a problem with the website. The way i got around it is the same way I was able to obtain the pictures for this post.

To print, look at your keyboard. Above the arrows, near your right hand, at the very top of the keyboard (or someplace else depending on your keyboard configurations) there is a “Print Screen” button. With the window featuring the map opened, press the button. This will create a copy of the full screen image. Then, open the Paint program on your computer. Select “Paste”. The map image will now appear in your image software. You can now save or print the map using that software.

Well, that is as far as my knowledge of technology has taken me, and these are the features that I use. It is a great site an it is free to use. Much thanks to the developer.

How to Modify a Plastic Mora Sheath; Guest Post by WI_Woodsman

A while back a noticed a post by one of the Blades and Bushcraft members, WI_Woodsman on how he modified his “crappy” Mora sheath. I though it was a great project, and eventually asked him for permission to re-post it here. Luckily he agreed. The project shows a redesign of a Mora #1 or #2 plastic sheath, so that you knife can actually stay in the sheath rather than coming loose all the time. Here is the post:

Well it eventually happened! A while back the belt attachment finally wore off my Mora Classic #1. Honestly, it's the only complaint I've ever had with the early Mora knives. It seem as though the Swedes are either prone to hanging their Mora's from a button or they have incredibly thin belts. Over the years I've forced my belts through the flimsy plastic attachment until it at last ripped off... Inevitable as this may have been it has given me an opportunity to improve on an otherwise flawed design. I could have just thrown away the sheath but as much as I hate that sheath I grew attached to it, I just couldn't simply discard it! So the following is my solution.

First I cut a piece of leather to attach the new belt loop to as well as.

I cut it to size an stitched it up tight, I left the knife in so it would contour and provide friction to the handle as well.

Then I cut off the excess leather.

Using a punch I put two holes for the strap.

I cut another strip of leather and dyed it black to match the rest of the sheath and laced it through the holes. (Sorry 'bout the random stuff in the back ground...)

Then I twist the the grain side in.

I then cut the straps to size and make a slit in one strap and trim the other side at an angle to make it easer to pull it through the slit.

(OK, I hope the pictures and description of the attachment makes sense) Place the slit over the other strap.

Wrap the angled tap around the slotted tab once.

(Here's where that angle tab makes this process easier...) Now I pull that angle tab through the slot. Use a pare of needle nose pliers to really YANK that angle tab through the slot. (You can see the marks left by my Leatherman on my tabs.)

No problems! Only solutions! My Mora Classic fixed and better than it was originally I'm looking forward to using it for many, many more years to come.

Thanks for checking out my this little project, I hope it helps you or gives you a better idea. I'd be interested to see your Mora sheath mod!

Traditional Finish Log House Construction

This is a video showing the construction of a log cabin using traditional Finnish techniques. While it is not in English, it is well worth watching as it demonstrates numerous techniques.

The skill level of the builders is amazing. It is also interesting to see them use axes with traditional Finnish design.

Wood Trekker Social Media – Google Reader Replacement Update

If you have been using Google Reader to follow your favorite blogs, you probably know by now that Google Reader is being shut down by the end of this month.

A few months back I wrote a post explaining how you can move all of your content to a number of different readers that are available. You can see the post here.

After writing the post, several people commented that there is a much easier way to follow blogs, using a service called Feedly. I gave it a try, and indeed, it is a much better and a much easier option than anything else I have been able to find.

To use the service, simply log onto Feedly using your Google Reader account, and it will automatically import all of the blogs that you have been following. If you don’t want to import any blogs, you can use whatever account you wand and add blogs manually. The program is intuitive and easy to use, but just to make things easier, here are some tips.

Once you are logged in, you can open your menu of options by moving the pointer over the small rectangle in the upper left hand corner.

When the menu opens, you have a number of options. To add a blog, click on the “Add Content” button.

That will open a box into which you can copy and paste the URL of the blog you wish to follow. When done, just press the “Add” button.

I use Chrome as my browser, and Feedly actually has an add on for the browser, which makes things even easier. It places a small button on the lower right hand corner of the screen, which when pressed open a mini menu which allows you to add blogs to your Feedly.

Anyway, this is just another option I wanted to point out to you guys in case you are currently using Google Reader and are not sure what to do when the service is terminated at the end of the month. I’ve also added a Feedly box on the side on my blog to make it easier for you to use.

Ultralight Backpacking Rifle – The Ruta Locura Pack Rifle Kit (PRK)

This is going to be a general post regarding one of the ultralight backpacking rifle options that I mentioned in an earlier post. It should serve as a general overview of the Ruta Locura Pack Rifle Kit (PRK), and to show the assembly process of the gun, at least the way I did it along with my modifications to the final product. This is not a complete review of the product, only general impressions. I have not been using the rifle for long enough and under enough different conditions as to offer a complete in dept review of its performance.

The Pack Rifle Kit (PRK), as the name indicates, is not actually a complete rifle. It is a conversion kit designed to reduce the weight of a standard Keystone Arms Crickett youth rifle. Rutal Locura produces two variants of the kit. The first is a tube stock version, which reduces the weight of the gun to 15 oz. The second version, and the one which I will be looking at here uses a skeletonized stock instead of the tube stock, reducing the weight of the gun to 19 oz (19.8 as measured on my scale).

Since the receiver and bolt are the ones from a Crickett rifle, the firing characteristics and operation are the same as that of the Crickett. The final product is a single action, single shot, bolt action rifle, chambered in .22LR. The replacement stock increases the length of pull (the distance from the trigger to the butt of the stock) to 14 inches. The overall length of the finished rifle is 32 inches. The kit allows easy disassembly of the completed rifle, whereby the stock can be removed using a single wing nut. As mentioned above, the skeletonized version of the PRK weighs 19 oz (19.8 as measured) in its completed form. The barrel is made of a carbon fiber outer with a steel insert. The stock of the skeletonized kit is made from plastic and carbon fiber.

My setup, as seen in the above picture, including the scope, comes in at exactly 1.5 lb. The PRK is not cheap. It costs $250.00. That is a good amount of money, especially considering that you are not getting an actual gun. Together with the cost of a Crickett rifle, the total cost of the gun will be in the $350.00 range. While not cheap, it is not more than its competitor, the Pack Rifle, which sells for $450.00. 

The Components

In the picture below, you can see all of the components of the kit required for final assembly. Of course, you have to start out with a Crickett rifle. The one I have is a new model (without the safety lock), but the older ones work just as well with the kit, and in fact, so do the old Chipmunk rifles. The components that actually come with the Skeletonized Pack Rifle Kit are the stock, the replacement barrel, and the wing nut/bolt which holds the stock to the receiver in the final product. That’s it!

For comparison purposes, in the chart below I have divided the different components as shared ones, those belonging to the stock Crickett, and those belonging to the PRK, and shown the corresponding weights.

	Crickett	Shared	PRK
Stock	1 lb 0.3 oz (16.3 oz)		6.9 oz
Receiver, Bolt and Trigger Assembly		8.5 oz
Barrel	1 lb 3.6 oz (19.6 oz)		4.2 oz
Barrel Screw		Less than 0.1 oz
Barrel Retaining Lug	Less than 0.1 oz		0.2 oz
Total Weight	2 lb 12.4 oz (44.4 oz)		19.8 oz

Where you see a weight of “Less than 0.1 oz” it means I was not able to register any weight on my scale.

Assembly Stage 1 – Putting Together the Components

Please remember that what you see here is simply the steps that I took. I do not work for Ruta Locura, and my methods should not be followed without knowing what you are doing. Do this at your own risk. If you are not sure how to install the kit, take it to a licensed gun smith.

Stage 1 of the assembly is to put together the components from the kit. Completion of this stage will give you the final product that the Skeletonized Pack Rifle Kit provides. Stage 2 and Stage 3 will show modifications and additions that I have made to the product in order to get the rifle you see in the first picture. For now, let’s continue with Stage 1.

The assembly of the PRK begins with the disassembly of the Crickett rifle.

Begin by removing the stock from the Crickett rifle. It is held to the receiver with just a single flathead screw, which can be found on the bottom of the stock.

When the screw is removed, simply pull the stock away from the rest of the gun. There are no other components holding it together.

Next, remove the bolt from the receiver. You don’t technically need to do this, but there is no reason to cause unnecessary damage to the bolt while working on the gun. To remove the bolt, simply draw it back as far as it will go. Then fully press the trigger. That will release the bolt and allow you to pull it all the way out while holding down the trigger.

With the bolt removed, it is time to remove the barrel. The barrel is held to the receiver with a 1/8 allen head screw and a roll pin. First, remove the allen head screw, which is located within the same threaded tube where the screw holding the stock to the receiver was held. Just place a 1/8 inch allen wrench inside the hole, and loosen the screw.

 

With the screw removed, it is time to take out the roll pin. This is the part of the assembly that had worried me the most. The instructions tell you to use a hole punch to drive out the pin, but I did not have one. I just used a small screw driver. A few taps with the hammer, pushed it right out without much of a problem.

Completely remove the roll pin, and pull out the barrel. I found it easiest when I held the barrel with a towel, and turned it while pulling. The end result should be the completely disassembled Crickett rifle.

Now that we have all of the component parts, it is time to substitute in the Pak Rifle Kit elements. As you can see, it is a fairly direct substitution. The bolt, receiver, and trigger mechanism stay the same; the barrel is replaced with the PRK barrel using the same allen head screw that held the original barrel, without the use of the roll pin; and the stock is replaced with the PRK stock using a wing nut/bolt instead of of the flathead screw that held on the original stock.

The final product of the Stage 1 assembly, and what the Skeletonized Pack Rifle Kit is intended to produce looks like this:

Now, a few points.

The PRK rifle uses the same sights as the Crickett, so you have to remove the front sights from the original barrel and place them on the new one. That is used by removing and then reusing on the new barrel a single 3/32 inch allen head screw.

Installing the replacement barrel can be a little tricky because you are not using the roll pin. The barrel is held in place just by the original allen head screw, which is supposed to go into an indentation on the new barrel. To align it properly, I first matched the indentations with the screw. I then inserted the bolt into the receiver, and pushed the barrel in until it was flush against the bolt. That is how I knew it was in at the right dept.

The reason why the PRK uses a wing nut/bolt instead of the original screw to hold the stock in place is that this allows you to quickly disassemble the rifle for transport. Just by removing the wing nut, you can take off the entire stock, reducing the packed length of the rifle to 20 inches.

All of the work you see done in this post was performed on my coffee table using a screwdriver, a set of allen wrenches, a hammer, and a small screwdriver/hole punch.

Ruta Locura provides some assembly instructions on their website, which you can see here as Page 1 and Page 2. While the instructions are specifically for the Tube Stock PRK, they are virtually the same ones as for the Skeletonized PRK.

Assembly Stage 2 – Modifications

The above picture shows you exactly and completely, what you get with the Skelotinized Pack Rifle Kit from Ruta Locura. Of course, I needed to make some small modifications to the design in order to make it exactly to my liking.

The first modification was to install a trigger guard. This is a single action rifle, meaning you have to manually cock the firing pin after a round is chambered, but still, I do not feel comfortable without a trigger guard. The solution was simple. That evening I was eating some beans from a can, and when I was finished, I cut out a piece of the can, folded over the edges so it was not sharp, bent it into shape using a pair of pliers, and epoxied it to the stock using Gorilla Glue.

After some cleaning up, the result was a rifle with a simple trigger guard that weighs 0.1 oz.

The second modification was even simpler. I just replaced the wing nut/bolt which holds the stock in place with the original flat head screw which performed the same function. The exchange worked well. The reason why I switched back to the original screw is that I have no intention of taking the rifle apart, so there was no need for a wing nut which would catch onto things.

 

The last modification can be seen in the above picture as well. At the risk of having a senator pass a law against the gun, I decided to pain the stock black so it matches the rest of the components. I did it using a can of spray paint I got at the hardware store. The material from which the stock is made has a porous surface, which held to the paint well, and I believe the paint will offer protection from the elements.

The above picture shows the completed product at Stage 2 of the assembly process.

Assembly Stage 3 – Additions

The last stage of the project was to add a scope to the rifle. Why a scope? Well, for one, I am not a good shot, so I need all the help I can get, but also, this is a single shot rifle. There is no quick reload here. Therefore, the more you can improve the probability of getting a hit on the first shot, the better.

So, I started looking for a scope that will work for this application. The first piece I needed to get was the scope mount for the rifle. Keystone Arms makes a scope mount for their Crickett rifles, and since the receiver has not been altered in any way, it works perfectly with the Pack Rifle Kit. The scope mount with the three screws that come with it weigh a combined 0.7 oz.

Keystone Arms also makes a 4 power scope for the Crickett, but it was too heavy for my liking. The scope comes in at over 11 oz, which is a lot considering the whole rifle weighs 19 oz. I looked around for a bit, and decided to get the Barska 4x20 Rimfire Scope (AC10730). As the name indicates, it is a fixed 4 power scope with a 20mm objective lens. The scope is listed as having a weight of 4.8 oz, but as measured it was 3.5 oz. I have no idea why there was such a big difference.

To install the scope, first install the scope mount. The process is very easy. You need to loosen the side screw that controls the elevation of the rear sight, and then remove the top screw which holds the rear peep sight on the bracket. Then remove the two place holding screws on the front part of the receiver.

Then, simply use the three screws provided with the scope mount bracket, to install it onto the receiver.

Once that is done, the scope just attaches to it with the clips that it comes with. You simply tighten them onto the mounting bracket. 

The final product is a ultralight backpacking rifle in single shot .22LR with a 4 power scope that weighs 1.5 lb. Now, the scope is not the greatest. The clarity leaves something to be desired. Also, because of the light weight of all of the components, there is noticeable recoil, which actually loosened the scope the first time I shot the rifle. Make sure the scope is well tightened. For comparison purposes, here you can see it next to my Savage Arms 93R17 rifle with a 3-9x40 scope, which weighs in at 7 lb.

Granted, the 93R17 is a much more accurate rifle, with a much better scope and a 5 round magazine, so performance wise there is no comparison, but after holding the Pack Rifle Kit rifle, and barely noticing that it is in your hands, it is hard to go back to a standard rifle.

The rifle may at first glance appear to be a toy, but in terms of fit and feel, it functions just like any other rifle with a 16 inch barrel and a stock with a full length of pull. At first I was worried that I would have difficulty aligning the rifle properly, but it has been working very well for me and has proven to be quite comfortable. 

Accuracy is what you would expect from a Crickett rifle with a 4 power scope. I have seen people take 200 yard shots with a standard Crickett with a scope, although the reality is that 100 yards would be the limit for most shooters. I doubt I will ever use it for shots over 30 yards, so if you want details on performance past that, I’m sure there is plenty of detailed information on the performance of the Crickett rifle.

In terms of down sides, there are two, and they are both a result of the kit using the Crickett rifle for components. The first issue I have is that there is no feed ramp. As a result, you can not just toss a round into the breach, and push in the bolt. You have to insert the round precisely into the chamber before closing the bolt. It is not a huge deal, but it slows down reloading times. The second issue is that it is a single action rifle. You have to manually cock the firing pin after chambering the round. Again, not a huge issue, but I would have preferred a double action rifle. In short, I wish the kit was based on the Savage Rascal rather than the Keystone Arms Crickett. Again, those are minor gripes, and the Crickett is a well proven platform that has been around for a long time.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the final product after the modifications and addition of the scope. It is hard to beat an ultralight backpacking rifle with a scope, that comes in at 1.5 lb. In all likelihood, this is the rifle that will most often find itself strapped to my pack for small game hunting. It opens up a whole world of possibilities, where you can hunt opportunistically during a wide range of trips. It is so light that you almost don’t have to justify bringing it along. If you happen to run across some small game, then great. If not, then who cares. It is only 1.5 lb. It’s hard to beat that kind of freedom.