Living Primitively » Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com We are a group of people who are passionate about the old skills of living in and with nature. We don´t live in the same area, but instead work in different environments and have different approaches to what we do. With this site we´d like to share our passion with the larger world and connect with like minded people. Posting might be infrequent, because our lifestyle doesn´t involve internet access at all times. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:00:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Lynx track http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/lynx-track/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/lynx-track/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:02:44 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1080 Less than 24 hours old large male lynx tracks from yesterday. No time to hunt unfortunately.

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]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/lynx-track/feed/ 2 A Quick Update http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/a-quick-update/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/a-quick-update/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:18:42 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1074 Thomas has great lessons to teach all of us. I don’t know of anyone, in any trade, business, hobby or whatever that is as dedicated as he is to the old ways (maybe I know a couple of TV slaves who are almost equally dedicated…).

So, after I’ve been scraping a large stack of skins for weeks I am soon to leave to Trondheim and work again. As usually I have put myself into work that has kept me away from what I really wanted to do… There hasn’t been time for as much trapping as I imagined. A few realisations I have come to:
- Business ambitions (getting out of the endless circle of freedom and wage-slavery, is the reason why I have it) and commitments keep me from doing what I want.
- Buying things requires money, like this reindeer skin order also ties me down. Being extremely cheap and adaptable will give me more learning experiences, more free time and less periodically timeconsuming chores like the one I do now.
- Although reindeer skins are very warm, there are other more waterproof solutions (it can be very wet here at times) out there. Birch, elm, juniper and willow bark is all locally available. This area has a high species diversity, with no naturally dominating species (f.i. all the four native deer species can be found in this valley from time to time), thus it makes sense to mix and match from various animal species and use plants to a greater degree. This area is truely a generalist’s dream, which is why I love it so.

Yeah, and one thing. I need to start working more methodically. Fewer materials available, narrows down the options, which is good for someone who would like to try everything… Like me…

PS! In addition to the skins I have finished a number of craft projects. I might make an update to show those later.

]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/02/a-quick-update/feed/ 0 Handdrill Video http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/handdrill-video/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/handdrill-video/#comments Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:05:52 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1063 Been practising filming and editing as I want to make some more interesting videos at a later date. Don’t laugh at the bad acting performance, ok? hehe

]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/handdrill-video/feed/ 7 Angle http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/angle/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/angle/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:25:06 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1060 Lavvo is overdue for repair so I move in at least for a few days to ease the job with the skins.

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]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/angle/feed/ 0 Legs and stuff http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/legs-and-stuff/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/legs-and-stuff/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:56:46 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1056 I skin the toes of the reindeer along with the legskins now. More work, but more skin too. Makeshift ice scoop on other pic.

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]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/legs-and-stuff/feed/ 1 Primitive ice chisel http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/primitive-ice-chisel/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/primitive-ice-chisel/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:07:24 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1052 Finally an ice spud design that works reasonably well: The hard base of a reindeer antler.

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]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/primitive-ice-chisel/feed/ 0 In the News http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/in-the-news-2/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/in-the-news-2/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:09:11 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1050 One of the county newspapers had an article about me yesterday. I can not vouch for the truth in all of it as it has been spiced up a bit…

http://www.ta.no/nyheter/vest-telemark/article5453215.ece

]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/in-the-news-2/feed/ 0 Stages of production http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/stages-of-production/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/stages-of-production/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:06:18 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1046 Firewood drying and beaverbone lures.

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]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/stages-of-production/feed/ 0 Camp http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/camp/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/camp/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:06:36 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/?p=1041 Sent from SonimXP3.20_5.0.0 using Sonimail.

]]> http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/camp/feed/ 1 Out again http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/out-again/ http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/out-again/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:21:49 +0000 Torjus Gaaren http://livingprimitively.com/2011/01/out-again/ It’s taken a while to build up motivation to get back out again this time. Also, I have spent almost all day, every day reading and planning my new forest garden. But now I have set up camp at my farm. It is good to get an intimate feel of the site and also start using some of the trees for things I need, since so much needs to be cleared anyway.

A delivery of 20 reindeerskins (with legskins) is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, so then I’ll be rather busy with scraping skins.

The snow is currently quite deep and plus degrees over the last days has made it a bit wet wet. I hope that changes soon!

Got hold of an expedition telephone, with insane battery capacity, writing the blog through it is possible, but not very quick… I will update with some photos when I have something I want to share, even if I don’t write anything.

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