The Ice Explorer

Posted on May 8, 2013 by pathfindertom

Recently, on a trip to Iceland, I hooked up with my good friend “Addi” and went on a vehicle trek in his truck called “Ice Explorer”. Rather than me trying to talk about the trip you can visit  the FB Page for the Ice Explorer at ; https://www.facebook.com/thomas.d.moore.12?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/ICE-Explorer/139520176072693?fref=ts And check out Addis’ web page at; www.8×8.1s .
See you on the trail!

Tomahawk – Scouts Out!

Yate Alba,and sail boat Polaris in Chile

Posted on May 8, 2013 by pathfindertom

I was in Chile a few months ago and decided to take a boat journy to the south part of this pretty country. I hooked up with Captain Alessandro Dezerega of the Yacht Alba, and his frined Captain Tomas Montt of the Sail boat Polaris.
it was a great trip, I was assigned a birth in the bow of the Alba and we set sail in the early hours of the morning. The sound of the waves breaking on the bow woke me up , so, I wandered around the boat for a while and was invited to the bridge by Captain Alec for a cup of coffee. From the bridge I could see a very beautiful scene coming into the light of dawn. Chile is perhaps the prettiest place I have ever seen.

Captain Tomas met us about 12 hours later with the polaris and we tied up together, to swap lies , have dinner and generally have a good time.

You can reach the Captain of the Alba at ; www.yatealba.cl, and Im sure Alec will know how to get in touch with Tomas. Both Boats are beautiful and comfortable. The cook on the Alba made some of the tastiest gourmet meals I have ever eaten. There was plenty of booze, coffee, and company. All in all , it was a good trip and one that I would like to do again.

Tomahawk – Scouts Out!

John Fairfax – RIP

Posted on May 11, 2013 by pathfindertom

I was deeply saddened to hear that Adventurer John Fairfax has died. Im not much for hero worship but this cat was pretty cool in the things he did and the way he thought. We shared similar ideas; such as Disliking children, loving money and Whore houses.
He will be missed.
http://gawker.com/5886695/john-fairfax-loved-hookers-ten-juicy-stories-omitted-from-his-nyt-obit
If you have never heard of John please take the time to learn about his adventures , and perhaps raise a glass of whatever you have, to one of the most colorful explorers to tramp the globe.
Tomahawk – Scouts Out!
 John Fairfax (rower)From Wikipedia,
John Fairfax (21 May 1937 – 8 February 2012) was a British ocean rower and adventurer who, in 1969, became the first person to row solo across an ocean. He subsequently went on to become the first to row the Pacific Ocean (with Sylvia Cook) in 1971/2.
Early life [edit]Fairfax was born 21 May 1937 in Italy to an English father and Bulgarian mother.[1] As a child he was expelled from the Italian Boy Scouts for opening fire, with a revolver, on a hut containing other Scouts.[2] Soon after, he and his mother moved to Argentina where, aged thirteen, he left home to live in the jungle “like Tarzan”, surviving by hunting and bartering skins with local peasants.[2] Also as a teenager, he read of Frank Samuelsen and George Harbo’s famous row across the Atlantic Ocean (then the only ocean to have been rowed) and knew that someday he would row across the Atlantic.
At the age of 20 Fairfax attempted “suicide-by-jaguar”. He was later apprenticed to a pirate and also briefly managed a mink farm.[3]
Travels in Americas [edit]In 1959 he flew to New York and drove across America to San Francisco. When he ran out of money, Fairfax decided to return to his mother in Argentina by bike. He got as far as Guatemala and then hitchhiked on to Panama. After a brief spell as a sailor on a Colombian boat he returned to Panama where he fell in with pirates and ended up spending three years smuggling guns, whiskey and cigarettes. After a dramatic escape from the pirates and the authorities, he returned to Argentina on horseback.
Back in Argentina he first read of Chay Blyth and John Ridgway’s successful row across the Atlantic and realised that if he wanted to be the first person to row solo across the Atlantic he would have to do it soon.
Atlantic crossing [edit]After returning to England it took Fairfax two years to prepare for the row. On 19 July 1969 he became the first person to row solo across an ocean when he arrived in Florida having set off from the Canary Islands. The self-righting and self-bailing boat “Britannia”, now located in the National Maritime Museum Cornwall[4] was designed by Uffa Fox.[2] The row took 180 days. Upon completion of his row he received a message of congratulations from the crew of Apollo 11 who had walked on the moon the day after he had completed his voyage. In their letter the crew stated:
“Yours, however, was the accomplishment of one resourceful individual, while ours depended upon the help of thousands of dedicated workers in the United States and all over the world. As fellow explorers, we salute you on this great occasion.”[2]
Pacific crossing [edit]Two years later in 1971 he set off with Sylvia Cook from San Francisco in an attempt to row across the Pacific Ocean. Cook had replied to a personal ad that Fairfax had put in The Times when looking for support for his first row.[2] The pair arrived at Hayman Island in Australia 361 days later, in the process becoming the first people to row across the Pacific, and Cook becoming the first woman to row across an ocean.
Later life [edit]He was featured on This Is Your Life in January 1970.
He and his wife moved to Las Vegas in 1992 after a hurricane hit Florida.[5]
Fairfax died on 8 February 2012, at the age of 74 in Henderson, Nevada.[6]

Sese Hammocks from the Philippines

Posted on June 18, 2013 by pathfindertom

I just want to tell you all about the hammocks my good friends Alf and Arvin Sese make in the Philippines. Now, as some of you may recall , I have been using either a hennessey hammock or a Warbonnet in my travels around the world.
Recently , while traveling in the Philippines I met the Sese brothers in Mainla to purchase some of the quality knives they make and sell there. Anyhoo, long story short….Alf had 2 of his hand made hammocks in the trunk of his car for me to look at. I was instantly impressed by the quality of craftsmanship and materials on both of the model hammocks. I purchased the most heavy duty of the 2 from Alf (see pic) and am currently using it while instructing at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School in Masardis, maine www.jackmtn.com .
if you are interested in one of the Quality hammocks or knives the Sese brothers make & sell you can contact them directly on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/177563835718142/?fref=ts
I will list the specs of the hammocks I have below;

Specs of the hammock are as follows:
Fly sheet size: 10′x10′ (square)
material: 210D (PU coated)
color: ranger green
Hammock size: Asymetrical
material: nylon camo pattern (uncoated)
Nylon webbing: 2 lengths of 3/4″ wide x 10yrds long
flat webbing
Repairable ridge line, #8 full-length coil zippers on
each side, removable overhead ridge line
pouches, full netting that can be opened on both
sides.

See you on the trail!

Tomahawk – Scouts Out!

Pics from my recent visit to the Jack Mountain Bushcraft school

As most of you know I am an instructor at the Jack Mountain school in Masardis , Maine in the summer and Fall. I usually post a few pics from there annually. This year is no different.
Here are a few pics from this visit for you to enjoy. if anyone is interested in attending one of the many programs the JMBS offers, please check out our website at www.jackmtn.com
See you on the trail!

Tomahawk – Scouts Out!

A few pics from the Philippines

Posted on June 18, 2013 by pathfindertom

I recently spent 2 weeks in the Philippines traveling around and visiting friends in Manila, Palawan and Cebu. It was a good time. I flew my lady friend Vanessa over from Cambodia to spend 5 days with me and we toured Manila and spent a lot of time exploring Intramouros, the old walled city in Manila – it was pretty and cool.

Here are a few pics of said journey.

Tomahawk – Scouts out!