The Efficacious Gentleman

Take the first steps in to making your own perfumes in this "how to" introduction. Recipe for 400g of Eu de Toilette: 340g denatured alcohol 13.65g lavender essential oil (EO) 4.2g lime EO 3.15g lemon EO 15.6g musk perfume oil 15.6g tobacco leaf perfume oil 7.8g pine needle EO As mentioned in the video, "perfumes" are usually classified by how much scent there is in the final product: 1%-3% Aftershave 2%-6% Eu de Cologne 5%-15% Eu de Toilette 10%-20% Eu de Parfum More information can be found on the Basenotes website (https://basenotes.com/) And looking to recreate your favourite perfume? Check out the directory on Basenotes to see what it is made up of (https://basenotes.com/dir/search/)

A how to video for making a simple but very effective deodorant, including the reasons for the recipe used. Recipe itself: magnesium hydroxide 27g Babassu oil 48,5g Cetyl alcohol 12g Polysorbate 80 12g Fragrance 0.5g Link to the Soapmaking Forum (SMF) thread I made, with a link to an even deeper dive in to the basis for the recipe: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/deodorant-help.85540/ Enjoy making and using this, and let me know how it goes Music: Credit Line: Library of Congress, National Jukebox. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-259767/

Join me in making this very simple recipe - Earl Grey Hair Tonic. A classic from the 1800s, this gives light hold and is great for hair care. Recipe (700g): 87.5g (12.5%) Bay rum Aftershave 35g (5%) Citric Acid (dry) 87.5g (12.5%) Glycerine 483g (69%) Black Tea (Earl Grey) 7g (1%) Tea Tree oil In the brackets are the percentages, so that you can make an amount that suits your needs. I hope you have fun making it, and please do let me know how it goes.

In this video we look at how to make feather sticks - sticks with curled shavings of wood attached which can be used to help start a campfire. I talk a bit about feather sticks and why they are important, and then show some examples of making one, as well as lighting it on fire using a ferro rod. My feather stick doesn't look great when compared to some, but that's really not the point - it lights from the sparks of the ferro rod and would have made a fire if I had wanted to do so, which is what we need feather sticks to do. When you are practicing making your feather sticks, bear in mind that the aim is to be able to get a fire going - if your feather stick can do that, it's a good feather stick no matter how it looks! Remember to be safe when making a fire - this was a controlled environment and everything burning was dumped in to my fire pit when I was finished

A short video about my first time sleeping overnight in a hammock. Was local to me in a wee thicket in case it was a nightmare and I wanted to head home during the night!

Some dry weather gave me the chance for my first solo overnight camp. Took the canvas lavvu and a tent stove as it was going to be a chilly night. Cooked up a steak and had a great time. Please do give feedback - on the camping and on the video itself. My reason for doing this is to improve, and for that I am very much open for advice.