I found it. That special sound. The way the world is supposed to sound. The way Nature was intended to sound, to cure, and to comfort. The way the trees creak and their branches rustle. And that deeply consoling silence which settles like a peace in the heart and mind. Nature has it’s own sound when you venture far enough away from the activities of humans, and their cars, and cities, and planes. And once you’ve found it, it can be hypnotic.
I’ve only ever heard the sound of the natural silence a few times in my life, but every waking moment spent away from it, my heart and mind desires to hear its soft, sweet melody. Because there is a power to the natural world. It’s life and energy. It’s a sound like no other. And once you’ve heard it, you will never want to go back to what you’ve always known.
I was in a remote part of the Rockies when I heard it the first time. And I will never forget it.
Hiking deep into one of the least populated areas of the Rockies allowed me the ability to forge my own path, with only a rucksack, a walking stick and the clothes on my back, I ventured and survived. I walked for hours, staring at my compass from time to time, until the woods cleared and a valley appeared. Stuck between the walls of a box canyon, I setup camp at the edge of the craggy mountain and spent the best three days of my life with the sound of Nature.
I setup my tent before nightfall then I gathered twigs, small branches and fallen logs for a fire. I sliced the afternoon’s rain from their outer shells of the wood with my Krut knife, and before long, I had a fire roaring to life. I roasted hotdogs over the fire, watching the sun set over the mountain peaks jutting up all around me, and as the night settled, so did the silence. The birds were quiet in their nests and the amazing sound of true natural silence fell down upon the valley.
After tying up my food in a bear bag, and hoisting it high above the ground, I sat back and watched the stars. I breathed easy and unfocused my mind for a time, letting myself fade into the mediation. A deep and palpable peace filled me, and I simply existed, connected, and at peace. After hours of tending fire, I called it a night and went inside my tent. Within minutes, I fell asleep to the melody of the winds, with a last tendril of thought focused upon the cosmos at the forefront of my mind.
I was in a remote part of the Rockies when I heard it the first time. And I will never forget it.
Hiking deep into one of the least populated areas of the Rockies allowed me the ability to forge my own path, with only a rucksack, a walking stick and the clothes on my back, I ventured and survived. I walked for hours, staring at my compass from time to time, until the woods cleared and a valley appeared. Stuck between the walls of a box canyon, I setup camp at the edge of the craggy mountain and spent the best three days of my life with the sound of Nature.
I setup my tent before nightfall then I gathered twigs, small branches and fallen logs for a fire. I sliced the afternoon’s rain from their outer shells of the wood with my Krut knife, and before long, I had a fire roaring to life. I roasted hotdogs over the fire, watching the sun set over the mountain peaks jutting up all around me, and as the night settled, so did the silence. The birds were quiet in their nests and the amazing sound of true natural silence fell down upon the valley.
After tying up my food in a bear bag, and hoisting it high above the ground, I sat back and watched the stars. I breathed easy and unfocused my mind for a time, letting myself fade into the mediation. A deep and palpable peace filled me, and I simply existed, connected, and at peace. After hours of tending fire, I called it a night and went inside my tent. Within minutes, I fell asleep to the melody of the winds, with a last tendril of thought focused upon the cosmos at the forefront of my mind.
Krut - is an old soldier name, used around 200 years ago, and should be understood as Black powder. Sons of farmers took such names when they joined the Swedish Army around that time.
The fine folks over at Fallkniven provided me with their SK6 Krut knife. And it has been a lovely and welcome addition to my camping and wilderness gear. I may have never seen, or held a finer knife. And when I’m asked to review products on this blog, I always strive to play devil’s advocate, and search out the weaknesses and the shortcomings, but read this clearly… Fallkniven nailed it. There is no weakness to the SK6. It is both, beauty and beast.
If you are a serious adventurer, spending time in the real Nature; the wilderness. Then there may be no other singular item that is as important as a solid, strong knife, built to withstand the many trials and tribulations that Nature can throw at you. The SK6 is a special knife, and while it might be a bit pricier than alternative brands, this knife may save your life. It sure as hell as helped me to live and breathe another day.
The fine folks over at Fallkniven provided me with their SK6 Krut knife. And it has been a lovely and welcome addition to my camping and wilderness gear. I may have never seen, or held a finer knife. And when I’m asked to review products on this blog, I always strive to play devil’s advocate, and search out the weaknesses and the shortcomings, but read this clearly… Fallkniven nailed it. There is no weakness to the SK6. It is both, beauty and beast.
If you are a serious adventurer, spending time in the real Nature; the wilderness. Then there may be no other singular item that is as important as a solid, strong knife, built to withstand the many trials and tribulations that Nature can throw at you. The SK6 is a special knife, and while it might be a bit pricier than alternative brands, this knife may save your life. It sure as hell as helped me to live and breathe another day.
The blade is king. No, really. The SK6 Krut blade is extremely thick and well-forged, and comes as sharp as you could ever want it. I even tried shaving the hair on my arm with it – long story short, it works beyond my wildest dreams. In all seriousness, this blade is as high quality as I’ve ever seen.
The handle is made of curly birch and has a most beautiful color, grain and sheen to it. It’s almost as if the creators at Fallkniven started out with the goal of making art, rather than a survival blade. It’s smooth and fits my hand with an ergonomic sophistication.
The quality of a knife sheath often tends to be a secondary thought to a lot of knife makers, but not with the Krut. This knife comes with a very thick and sturdy black leather sheath. It is so strong, I can’t bend the bottom half where the blade is secured. The sheath is meant to last the life of the knife and that much is apparent. The sheath is complete with heavy duty hardware and buttons, a long opening for your belt and a thick string to tie around the thigh.
You will never see or hear me say this again about another knife. If I were to ever suggest a single item, forever, as being the best investment of any wilderness traveler, it is the Fallkniven Krut. (I promise I was not paid a dime in the writing of this post. Only my honest thoughts.)
If you would like to learn more about Fallkniven and their spectacular knives, click here.
Photos & Article written by © Brandon Scott
The handle is made of curly birch and has a most beautiful color, grain and sheen to it. It’s almost as if the creators at Fallkniven started out with the goal of making art, rather than a survival blade. It’s smooth and fits my hand with an ergonomic sophistication.
The quality of a knife sheath often tends to be a secondary thought to a lot of knife makers, but not with the Krut. This knife comes with a very thick and sturdy black leather sheath. It is so strong, I can’t bend the bottom half where the blade is secured. The sheath is meant to last the life of the knife and that much is apparent. The sheath is complete with heavy duty hardware and buttons, a long opening for your belt and a thick string to tie around the thigh.
You will never see or hear me say this again about another knife. If I were to ever suggest a single item, forever, as being the best investment of any wilderness traveler, it is the Fallkniven Krut. (I promise I was not paid a dime in the writing of this post. Only my honest thoughts.)
If you would like to learn more about Fallkniven and their spectacular knives, click here.
Photos & Article written by © Brandon Scott
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