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Photo Photo: Andreas Praefcke, Public domain

Carving camp gear

Tent pegs, a pot hook, a spoon and a pot lifter, made with a knife and a bit of wood.

What you need

How

  1. Cut green wood a little bigger than the finished piece. Green wood carves far easier than dry.
  2. Sit down, brace your elbows on your knees, and work away from your body.
  3. For a tent peg, cut a stick as thick as your thumb, point one end, and cut a notch near the top for the line to sit in.
  4. For a pot hook, find a branch with a fork, cut one arm short to make the hook, and notch the long end to hang from a line.
  5. For a pot lifter, leave a short stub on a straight stick so it catches the bail of the pot.
  6. For a spoon, split a straight piece, draw the shape, rough it out with the knife, and hollow the bowl slowly with the tip.
  7. Let a spoon dry slowly in the shade for a few days so it does not crack.

Do and don't

Do
  • Keep the knife sharp. A dull blade needs force, and force is what slips.
  • Use a thumb push on the back of the blade for small, careful cuts.
  • Stop and rest when your hands get tired.
Don't
  • Do not carve toward your hand, your leg or your belly.
  • Do not carve with the wood braced on your thigh. The big artery runs along the inside.
  • Do not cut green wood from a tree that someone owns or a park protects.

Watch for

Danger
  • A knife that skips off a knot goes wherever your hand was pushing it. Slow down at knots.
  • A cut hand in the bush is a trip ender. Keep a first aid kit handy. See Cuts and infection.
  • Folding blades without a lock can close on your fingers.

Notes

A few pegs, a pot hook and a lifter save weight in the pack and make a camp work better.

Carving is also good time at the fire. A spoon takes an evening or two and lasts for years.

carvingknifewhittlingcampwood

Updated 2026-09-28

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