Trail Clearing - Creek hike/MYPARANG Duku 10

Hiking a flooded creek system in northern NSW with the Malaysian-made MYPARANG Duku Chandong 10, a great traditionally-styled 5160 bush blade, plus some talk of snakes, weeds, fires, and floods.

[@marksmith9295]

Thats was a great walk Kurt...for you and all viewers! You demonstrated a plethora of envionmental and situational awareness. I worked in environmental protection for over 30 years but still always learning something. Brought back memories of slashing my way through alders with a machete along an old fur trading route river in northern Canada a few decades ago.

[@kurts64]

Gday Mark, that's great to hear mate! There's definitely always something new to learn, and the more you learn the more you appreciate what a hugely complex web the whole thing is. It's very humbling, most days at work I get suprised at something. Working in the field in Canada would be unreal, Canada has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. Jim Baird (and his brother Ted) has some crazy videos on YT canoeing and portageing along those old trade river routes! The Mackenzie in particular looks incredible 👍👍🪓

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Exactly what I needed this morning, buddy. I’ve been kinda down in the dumps because I have to stay off my feet and you can only read and write for so many hours of the day. Thanks for taking us out in the bush with you.

[@kurts64]

Glad you enjoyed it mate, hope u get all healed up soon. That "stuck" feeling can be frustrating to deal with. No worries, thanks for coming!👍👍

[@940joey2]

Awesome video Kurt !!! Love that spot man looks beautiful !!!

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate! Hopefully get back up into that country again soon!👍

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

I took my daughter to a creek and taught her how to skip rocks! She didn’t find it as entertaining as I did 😂

[@kurts64]

😆😆You got her out there though!

[@Joey-L]

Loved that backcountry. Thanks for taking us along. And nothing makes you feel like a kid again like skipping rocks !

[@kurts64]

Cheers Joey, no worries! Yep, we all need to find more time to skip rocks!😆👍

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Good one Kurt 😎👍 Love that little creek. We are so lucky to have those right on our door step. Cheers for the creek therapy, mate much appreciated 👍👍

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, knew you'd recognise that spot! Gunna finish that loop hike soon hopefully 👍👍

[@taztaz6539]

Love watching your videos cos they show how peaceful and at one nature is with itself The fact that you're out there not destroying nature but helping it to tidy itself up a bit 😊

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, that's awesome! No better place to be than out bush just watching it do it's thing. I work alot in bush restoration and weed control so even on a day off I can't help myself haha

[@ellietaylorsversion4411]

Awesome video!! 🙂

[@bundufundi]

Some gnarly undergrowth there, mate but another really beautiful spot! I like the look of those parangs, the longer version would definitely be handy.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, tis a beaut part of the world. The parang does work well and is very manoeuvrable. The longer one does look the goods, and there's a few other shapes too. Very cool!

[@aussieaxedude154]

Looks like an awesome spot dude good place to spend the day that's for sure. I dig the look of the parang looks like a handy little tool made the chopping look easy. Keep them coming mate.

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watchin man, is a beaut spot. The little parang is becoming a favourite for this kind of stuff, light enough to carry but big enough to get the job done. No worries!👍👍

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Couldn’t agree more about being on your own and safety nets.

[@kurts64]

Yep. Carrying all the gear is good, but I love that feeling of awareness you get when you realise "if I stuff this up, it's on me to fix it."

[@brettbrown9814]

Very enjoyable video Kurt! Some beautiful spots and excellent filming. Loved the commentary!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! Was an unplanned vid, wasn't sure how it would turn out, but was fun to make. The chopper's been gettin some hard use the last few months now, it's awesome!

[@Brian2bears]

Mr. Kurt, I enjoyed the raspberries, the "deadly dozen" over there are often on my mind when watching...do you carry anti-venom? May sound a silly...my biggest threat is a rattlesnake....

[@kurts64]

@@Brian2bears gday mate, I looked into getting antivenoms a few years back. At the time I was working and camping out bush for several weeks at a time in pretty remote places, but from what I found out, apparently it's not allowed for private use/sale and has to be administered by hospitals etc. I would definitely not wanna get bit by a rattlesnake! See the fangs on those things!😮

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

Some first person shooter style bush wracking 😂 great video sir. Very enjoyable

[@kurts64]

Haha C.O.D 50- Bushmans Revenge! 🤣🤣 thanks mate👍

[@sellies1592]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!

[@123colinfrost]

Nice bushwalk Kurt. I had no idea we had a native raspberry!

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate. The native raspberry goes well as a trackside snack, probably up there with lillypilly as one of the better bush tuckers. Cheers!👍👍🪓

[@joshkelloggKCR]

Someday I would like to make it down to there to do a canoe race on the Murray River. Listening to you talk about the snakes has me wondering if that is such a good idea lol.

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, canoeing or house-boating down the Murray sounds bloody great. I won't mention how many species are down there 🤔🤣 cheers for watching mate!👍👍

[@WillieMakeit]

Damn your birds sound cool. I have the mini duku and love it. I'm getting the Duku for trail cleaning and use the mini Diku for chopping and what would be axe and baton wotk. Thanks for the walk really enjoyed your creek

[@kurts64]

@@WillieMakeit gday mate, yeah they're a versatile bit of gear, mines still going strong on pretty much ever hike through thick country. Cheers👍👍

[@williefick]

Thats the place where we should build our loghouse. Snakes? Good eating.

[@kurts64]

🤣🤣A cabin out by that creek would be awesome! Yep snakes go OK, I've had red belly before, just don't overcook em or they feel like rubber

[@peterfletcher8411]

Gidday Kurt, A nice watch that was. Lantana really is a shit plant. Didnt think it had any redeeming features. I didnt know it was good for bow drill fires. Prob have to scrape off all those annoying little spikes. I used to live up in the 'Coffs Region'. Outdoorsman's Paradise up there. That little Parang did a good job of Trailblazing. Hope you didnt pick up any ticks from that 'Bush Bash'. I have a couple old Machetes that belonged to my Father that I want to restore. BTW, Your vids,(and a few other Y.tubers), have been instrumental in inspiring me to pick up the axe and have a go....both restoring (though I am no expert), and chopping/splitting. I really enjoy to bring back an unloved axe and turn it into a good thing. Thanks again mate.👍🙂

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, cheers! Lantanas only other redeeming feature is that it's fun to smash through with a sharp bit of steel! No ticks that day, did get a couple of jumping ant bites though haha. For bow drills, just scrape off the spines with the back of a blade, and split a 1 inch thick section for the hearthboard and handhold bit. Glad your getting into the restorations, good luck with your dads machetes, they're fun to work on. As always, cheers for the kind words mate!👍👍

[@ethicalaxe]

What a gorgeous little creek. Some of my favorite times as a child were at creeks. Even before I realized how much I enjoyed nature. This was a fun adventure. That was an interesting machete you were using. I really enjoy my 18 inch tramontina. Something about swinging a machete makes a man look fancy haha. Keeping yourself safe almost looks like a distinguished swordsman. Not many talk about machete safety but you can plainly see how careful you are being while it also being natural for you.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, always good fun exploring country like this. A tramontina 16 or 18 is one of the handiest bush tools ever designed I reckon. Love your thoughts on machete use, it can feel a bit like sword fighting at times!

[@ethicalaxe]

I am excited to watch this one!

[@kurts64]

Cool! It's a bit different from what I'd usually show, but I thought "why not?"

[@chimmy4244]

Awesome looking place there. I'm deathly afraid of snakes not sure if I could handle walking around where there's poisonous ones! I've been known to scream and run away from garder snakes lol!

[@kurts64]

Cheers Chimmy, don't worry mate I'm not a huge fan of em either! I've had way too many close calls to trust the little buggers haha

[@notfoolediknowthetruth3101]

I bought two , two years ago. REVIEW; the first had a perfect secure grip and feel in the hand. The second needed a bit of sanding, it doesn't feel the same shape. No hotspots or abrasion on the hand. Good steel, sharpen able in the field. Maintains a good edge. Carbon steel, it will rust without oil, needs to be maintained, oiled and dry. Both were sharp but not keen, so used a 1000 and 3000 stone and leather strop to polish the whole grind The throat is not sharp, it takes work to remove a lot of steel one inch to be able to whittle with it. For chopping branches, spruce boughs, corn stalks etc it's excellent, light with forward weight, easy on the wrist, efficient. For 2-3" x 4-6" camping firewood it's efficient. Can baton the blade for bigger 3-4" x 6-8" lengths. For logs, it takes a good bite and progress can be made. On the flat, the curved blade has to strike accurately as it actually only contacts a one inch length on the cutting board. For fine splitting kindling and feather sticks the convex grind is not so efficient unless you scandi grind sharpen near the throat area. The sheath sucks. Rattles, swings around, not a secure velcro strap. I switched it for a condor bushcraft parang sheath and it is rock solid snug. This I keep in my main B.O.B. accompanied with a Puma Skinner 4" Blade, Scandi grind, rust proof, German steel. This is my go to of choice for SHTF bug out, hiking /camping. * Add a Silky Outback folding saw, making one compact lightweight bundle with vast potential.

[@kurts64]

Great comment! I'd agree with all this except: I don't mind the sheath on mine, for what it is. Mine holds snug with no rattles, and I like that it's little maintenance. The Condor one would be nicer than the nylon though, and I have considered making a custom leather sheath for it. I chose not to sharpen the whole throat. I considered it, and noticed that other parangs the grind does come further back towards the handle, but I was OK with just bringing the grind a centimetre or so further back. I even considered adding some light jimping to the throat area but decided against it. The grip on my one is a nice shape, but at times can be a bit slippery. Overall I love it, it's still attached to this little backpack and still gets used alot for this kind of work. It's not so much a tool for slashing tracks through light vegetation (where a longer machete would be better), but as you said, more suited to clipping small branches, hacking/ light chopping, and handles the odd finer task better than a machete. Cheers for the comment, and checking out the vid👍👍🪓

[@notfoolediknowthetruth3101]

@@kurts64 great reply. To clarify one point: by "rattle" I mean if you shake the sheath the blade moves around in the sheath. I do not mean it makes audible noise, especially when walking with attached to belt. I'll change my word to "sloppy" fit in the sheath. As to your "slippery" grip, best I can think of is a light pass with 80 grit sandpaper in a cross cross pattern and seal with linseed oil

[@MrFreeman0179]

​@@notfoolediknowthetruth3101 Which Condor sheath did you buy exactly? Kydex, Nylon, or leather?

[@notfoolediknowthetruth3101]

@@MrFreeman0179 kydex

[@notfoolediknowthetruth3101]

@@MrFreeman0179 it's a nylon sheath..

[@impermanenthuman8427]

What are your views on the best equivalent of the North American ‘tomahawk’ or ‘belt axe’ that early US hunters/trappers etc all seem to have used as their survival ‘chopping’ tool light enough to carry on them for long distances but heavy enough to do the job of processing game, busting branches into kindling/tinder etc but best suited to temperate aussie bush and processing hard dry knotty dead fall without chipping to pieces or rolling the edge over in minutes? The idea of a tomahawk with the robust grind makes sense but then the more durable the edge the heavier I’d imagine the tool needs to be? Your using a Parang there, use heavy axes for felled trees etc but what about a lighter tool like a tomahawk/Kukri/hatchet/machete to be paired with smaller carving tools like a knife etc for finer work? Any suggestions? Cheers

[@kurts64]

@impermanenthuman8427 hey mate, I love tomahawks and belt hatchets! They're not the right tool for clearing thick brush like this, but as a camp tool/carver/firewood processesor/hammer theyre awesome. Hatchets are probably more used here in Aus for wood splitting than a tomahawk due to their thicker bit being less sticky in splitting hard woods. I often debate which tool to take while on foot, hatchet or machete. More often in my area I'd take a machete. If I'm in a vehicle I have multiples of all of em 😁 A durable edge angle for hatchets and tomahawks would be around 22- 25 degrees. This is fine enough to cut well but still stand up to a bit of abuse. Some good worker-grade kit would be a Stihl or Hultafors hatchet, Cold Steel tomahawks, and Tramontina machetes, especially the 14inch bolo and 16 inch Latin. Mora carving knives are good too. Cheers mate! 👍🪓🪓

[@impermanenthuman8427]

@@kurts64 Great suggestions! Apparently council tool brand are pretty good too? But pricier so as you say I’m more likely to actually use a Stihl or hultafors thanks again champion 👍🏻

[@mattoster0994]

Hey mate great vid just wondering though are you doin a chopping vid with the new husky A2400?

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, cheers, I do actually have a few short clips of chopping with the husky in the computer and wanted to get a bit more before putting it together, but beyween rain and work its been a bit tricky to get anymore chopping time! I'm definitely falling behind lol

[@mattoster0994]

All good mate take ya time as your vids are awesome an ya not wrong about the rain I'm bloody over it as i work outside it would be nice to see the sun for a change lookin forward to the vid✌

[@impermanenthuman8427]

What’s your experience with getting ticks in you? How common are bites and any good sources to learn how to prevent and deal with removing them?

[@kurts64]

@impermanenthuman8427 gday mate. This is the sort of stuff I do for work, hundreds of days a year, so I get hundreds of ticks in a year. My most for a day was around 120 tiny grass ticks, but an average day during tick season might number about a dozen. Out of these dozen, maybe half will bite and latch on before I can get to them. Most bites clear up in a couple of days. In about 15 years doing this work, I've had maybe 20 bites that have given trouble and one bad one that took me off work for a month and weak for a few months after that (tick typhus, or tick fever, I can't remember the name). Over time, you get pretty decent at feeling them before they bite. To remove, I use my fingers, leatherman pliers, or tweezers from the first aid kit or Victorinox. Make sure to get the entire tick out, don't leave any bits still in the bite. Bug repellent with DEET or tea-tree oil in it works pretty well as a deterrent, as does tea-tree or eucalyptus oil on bites. If on the odd occasion anything gets infected, it's worth seeing a doctor. All that aside, be aware of em, but don't let em deter you from gettin out there! 🪓🪓

[@impermanenthuman8427]

@@kurts64 Wow so they really are serious concern! Theoretically I’ve read that they really only climb up to about 50cm on foliage to ‘quest’ and wait for an animal to latch on to, and that if you spray permethrin on your boots pants and shirt, tuck your pants into socks and shirt into pants that will prevent 95% of them getting in you. Some swear they climb higher and drop onto people and some swear they jump but again theoretically they don’t do either but will climb up the body to get to easier areas to bite into. But in summer who wants to have pants tucked into boots and shirt tucked in! It’s way too hot so yea bug repellent makes more sense in practice. I’ve got a tick tweezer and I’ll just check for them every day as best I can I guess. When you say to put eucalyptus on the bite after removing the tick, is that to stop regular infections? Or can it kill the bacterial diseases that the ticks carry? I’m far more concerned about ticks than snakes or spiders personally, in my limited experience they want nothing to do with humans, but ticks actually want us and can cause pretty serious disease as you have found. Thanks for the awesome suggestions 👍🏻

[@taztaz6539]

You're right too when you say too many people rely on other people to get them out of the mess they've created for themselves - self reliance is not taught to anyone anymore cos the state wants to be there to hold your hand from cradle to grave

[@Codi_Clapper]

Love it! Enjoyed all the knowledge about the different species and history of the area. Did you ever work in forestry? I’m impressed with the things you pointed out like the scientific names and the impact of fire and invasives on the land. Good stuff! That parang is a very attractive blade. Gotta have some sort of chopping on such a nice day haha. Though you can always push through the vegetation for sake of time, it makes more sense to have fun and make a little trail when you’re out for your own enjoyment. Lately I’ve been leaning towards carrying a billhook over a machete, but something short and thick like that parang might do equally well. I’m gonna have to try a video like this. Do you have a gopro for most of the filming?

[@KevinsDisobedience]

He works in forestry. Very knowledgeable.

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, glad you enjoyed it! This kinda stuff is alot of what I do for work, natural area restoration, vegetation surveys, weed control etc. I love it, but Wasn't real sure how it would go on film! This one was just a spur-of-the-moment vid just shot on handheld on my phone, I wouldn't mind looking into a GoPro rig when I get the chance. A billhook would be ideal for this kind of travel too.

[@kurts64]

@@KevinsDisobedience cheers Kevin!

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

Far to many venomous snakes for my liking! Haha

[@kurts64]

😆😆yeah creepy little buggers! Funny thing is, I dodged em around this wild creek, miles from anywhere, but 2 days later nearly got "brown snaked" working near a local banana farm! One step to the left and I would been cactus 🤣

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

I’m 8 days late! 😢

[@kurts64]

But you made it! 😆😆

[@ethicalaxe]

I never thought about how elevated heart rate would spread snake venom faster. There's an intelligence people gain from living in harsh environments with dangers like that which is noteworthy.

[@ed4043]

It's not heart rate as such. It's the activity and movement. The venom spreads through the lymphatic system.

[@KillingerUSA]

Second?

[@ed4043]

Is it time for a machete sharpening asmr :p

[@kurts64]

Gday Ed, haha we could do that! How'd you go re-hanging that Plumb axe?

[@ed4043]

@@kurts64 howdy, I replied in the other vid, but it didn't come up for some reason. It's going great. I got the engineered handle. Very nice. Then found out my local rural supplies sells cattle dogs. So I have one of those as a backup as well. It's had its first real sharpening since new and is a beast. I found out more about the head. It's a plumb/Cooper bevelled tasmanian, I think 4.5lb from memory. The sticker came off years ago. Not sure if its special. But it's meant to be used I figure. Really enjoying this kind of exercise. I feel much more positive about things as a result. Body still gets sore, but in a satisfying way. I was also thinking of getting a agodor tassie for the dry stuff I have laying around. As you know, its rock hard, and hard on edges. Rather than flog the nice edge on the plumb, I'll keep that for the green stuff. It's as much about being active for me as anything else. I've looked on gumtree, ebay etc. But most decent big old tassie heads are very expensive. So maybe a new agodor tassie is a good option?

[@kurts64]

@@ed4043 gday, glad u got the plumb together, especially with an EFA handle, that would be a weapon of an axe! Can't hurt to have the cattle dog as a backup too. A bevelled plumb is a pretty speccy axe in my opinion! Not a bad idea to grab something else if you wanna tackle dead wood too. A new agdor would probably be better for dead wood than an old one as they're a bit thinner from the factory than the vintage, if you decided you didn't need the weight of the tassie you could look at the HB 3.5lb Montreal, or 3.5lb Yankee patterns too. Put around a 20° on any and your in business. I have a 2.5 Montreal and it goes great for smaller deadwood up to 5 or 6 inches. Let me know how you go!

[@ed4043]

@@kurts64 I had thought about the montreal, i do really like it. Im just not sure if it's what i need the most for now. I'm a noob and 6'7" and 130kg. I don't really need lighter, I need something that will take torture on dead ironbark, yellow stringybark and spotty....... and to allow me to improve my sharpening skills. Maybe the Monty can be my third one further down the line :p Thanks again for your advice.

[@kurts64]

@@ed4043 for that kind of timber I'd say the tassies the one for you! Go for it mate!🪓👍