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Got to give MM his due props, no matter what impression he might give. The impression he gives to me though is of a guy trying to make his mark in a field through lots of hard work, while navigating through a minefield of personalities, all of whom are clamoring for attention and giving their opinions. His comparison of the sighting report process to putting a microphone/recorder on a random street corner and then expecting to get something useful from that information is pretty spot-on. Ask any BFF moderator about that, I'm sure. I remember very well that one of the first searches I ever did on my first desktop I ever owned was, "Was the Patterson Film a Hoax"? This led me straight to the BFRO database and I haven't stopped reading the reports yet. Some of us here might have not even been born, or were too young to even be aware of it at the time, but the ability to compile and organize these sightings, and to make them accessible at the click of a button, was a paradigm shift of gargantuan proportions. I give much of the credit for that to Moneymaker. Well, him and Al Gore of course.

Multicam hat plus Bigfoot patch 511 tactical. Bigfoot has been lifting rocks and arm wrestling! The poor logger in the red plaid! 🤣 (Sorry, had to share!)

I decided to build an IR camera rig to film at night. I have an older Canon XF200 that has an IR mode. It also has a 1/4 20 threaded hole in the handle. This threaded hole gave the perfect spot to mount a homemade light rig. I bought an inexpensive ball head from flea bay. I used to 1” scope rings and two Weaver bases on the angle aluminum I got from my local tractor supply. The rings worked perfectly on my two IR lights. The ball head allows me to keep the beam in frame over various distances. This should allow me to film at least a few hundred yards. Not my best work but still functional.

These are Foxpro but many others make them as well. Wicked Lights, Sniper Hog Lights, Coyote Light, Streamlight and others

I would prefer simple honesty to wild goose chases in the woods. Don't produce bogus reports to carry some sort of narrative. Just say we don't share reports…

It has two CF card slots. I use 64 and 128 gig cards in it.

Thanks! I am planning on media blasting the aluminum then painting it. My media blaster is buried in the shop. I need to dig it out.

Hi, my names Den, I am from the UK so not much activity on the BF front but we do have Big Cats, Cryptozoology has been a big part of my life for the past 40 years having found a book in Foyles book shop in Soho London about the Patterson Gimlin sighting. I am also a keen UFOlogist, have collected record for about 50 years, I have a database of nearly all the reports of the UK and a large number from around the world. I really look forward to some interesting chat and facts about BF. Den

Yeah, I believe that. Sad, indeed. So we're probably seeing most of the good reports.

Good job!

Impressive, indeed! The only thing I would change would be to paint the aluminum angle stock flat black. Good job! I cant wait to see how it performs.

The 'old days'? Still available on ebay; metal with screw lids, various colors and plain aluminum. 35mm canisters are available. Sometimes 70mm metal with lid show up as surplus.

Regarding fire starters ... yeah, the mini bic lighters are great. I do recommend testing them now and then. I had one kinda compressed inside something and I think it must have pushed the button just far enough .. it was out of gas. Not a big fan of the magnesium rod that you shave shavings off of .. they work great but present an opportunity for getting cut especially if your hands are cold. Plus if you consider how many piles of shavings, thus fires, you can make, they're clearly heavier than needed for 1-2 days use. The cotton balls smeared in petroleum jelly are good. Sometimes I'll add smokeless gun powder ... dunno if it helps or just makes me happy. Another item for the arsenal is 0000 (4-ought) steel wool .. burns even damp. Also some wind-proof / waterproof matches. One thing I miss from old days is the 35mm film canisters ... they'd hold all manner of useful stuff in a very compact package.

I love talking about what I carry! I love gear We usually are waayyy out in the woods, so I carry a full kit. Things I wear: a bushcraft knife (BPS Knives, carbon steel full tang knife), a Garmin InReach Mini, a Bic lighter, 6 Bigfoot Bushcraft fire plugs, some sort of pocketknife, a ferro rod, appropriate clothing and footwear for the season, a hat for the season, a sturdy leather belt, at least one hiking pole and my Beretta gun. I am working on getting a chest rig. I'll keep a minimum kit in it, that will always be on me, if we step out of the truck for a short walk and don't want to carry everything. It will have the Heatsheet, paracord, matches, an empty water bladder and water purification tabs, a mini flashlight and a 500-calorie Payday bar. I carry it all in a 2-lb Outdoor Vitals Shadowlight pack, which I love! Fire: Tinder kit with a few waxy fire starters, a few more BB fire plugs, waterproof Uco matches, some charcloth. In a mylar scent-free bag. Water: A Sawyer Squeeze filter and extra bladder, a Lifestraw water bottle OR a plastic bottle of water that fits the Squeeze, some water purification tabs. In a mylar scent-free bag. Shelter: A Coalcracker Bushcraft 10x10 silpoly tarp, 4 hanks of paracord, a SOL Heatsheet for a ground cloth and merino wool socks. In winter, I add a SOL bivy bag, puffy jacket, silk balaclava and vegetable plastic sacks from the grocery store, a silpoly rain poncho and sometimes rain pants and mittens; in summer just an additional long-sleeve merino Smartwool shirt. I have a Nemo 2P tent, but I'm determined to learn to use tarps. If I'm in a campground, I'll use the tent (or if I KNOW it's extra buggy where we're going) and a sleeping pad for my old bones. In a dry bag, except for the tarp, which has its own silpoly bag. First Aid: First aid/CPR/AED certification, advil/tylenol/aspirin, poison oak wipes, lip balm, bug repellent in summer, sunscreen, hand lotion (I have ezcema), a tiny eye drop bottle, alcohol pads, antibiotic cream, a limited selection of bandages and pads and leukotape. In a mylar scent-free bag. Cook Kit: Titanium mug & spork, MSR pocket Rocket & fuel cannister OR an Esbit stove & tabs, 2 Stowaway Gourmet meals (the best), a big 500-calorie Payday bar, a bouillon cube, 4 packets of coffee, I cocoa packet, another Bic lighter, a mini towel and my lunch for the day. If I'm fishing, I bring a tiny packet of salt, pepper, oil and a lemon pepper mix. Sometimes I bring my Kuska wooden mug and my teapot, both of which I love and don't mind carrying. The food is in a mylar scent-free bag and all is inside a dry bag. The teapot has its own bag. Poop Kit: Toilet paper, a few wipes and a ziplock, hand sanitizer, soap sheets from REI, in a mylar scent-free bag, a titanium trowel, and a Kula Cloth on my pack. Electronics: A FLIR camera, phone, audio recorders, a headlamp, extra batteries, all the cords and an Anker Powercore battery. In summer, I'll add a rolling solar panel. I have a tiny button light on the outside of my pack. In a dry bag. Misc: Snacks! The smallest Silky saw, a hank of rope sometimes, a tiny notebook and pencil, red bandana, a small candle, a 5-inch piece of a hacksaw, reading glasses, signal mirror, paper maps or screenshots of where we are going, a compass, my fishing license, my wallet and a REI foam seat pad. Sometimes I bring my Helinox One chair and my hatchet if we'll be close to the truck or very far away from it. Sometimes I bring a fishing pole and a tiny bit of gear. I always bring one or two pretty stones as a gift for the bigfoots if we get any interactions or find anything that says to us "they were here". In NorthWind's truck aka when I don't drive, I bring a carry-on with a full change of clothing, more food and first aid supplies, a solar light and a small battery lantern, a battery/winding radio, a small grill, leather work gloves, an emergency tarp and more paracord, a toothbrush, hair ties and whatever I've tucked into the nooks and crannies. And in winter, either a sleeping bag or a wool blanket. In my truck, which is old as dirt, I also carry an extensive first aid kit, another hatchet and sharpening stones, a saw, shovel, extra gas and water and fishing poles and gear and 2 wool blankets and 2 sleeping bags. Did I forget anything? Now you know what I'm carrying in all my videos.

I separately select items based on my particular needs which can be different than others. The most important are those items which will prevent death from occuring prioritized based on time or the nature of the calamity. Here's my "Dirty Dozen": 1) A way to get help - PLB and Satellite messenger (the latter might not be needed if you are in cell service) to call in the cavalry 2) A way to stop the bleeding - 2 Combat gauze and an Israeli bandage 3) A way to get/stay warm - 2 or 3mil painters tarp and space blanket - see Dave Canterbury video below for how to build shelter 4) A way to get/stay dry - Goretex/eVent jacket and pants and the same tarp 5) A way to make fire - 2 Bic lighters, a ferro rod, tinder 6) A way to have potable water - 2 filters 7) A way to see - 2 flashlights (small) and spare batteries 8) Two knives (neck and bushcraft) 9) Backpacker's Buck saw 10) Map and compass 11) Paracord 12) Power bank Edited - Dave Canterbury's Pathfinder's school is located in Ohio and thus he designed this course for Eastern Woodlands. The concept is universal and will work anywhere where you are cold and could potentially become hypothermic. He has fantastic videos regarding survival techniques. I considered traveling to Ohio to take one of his courses but couldn't work it out in my schedule. Here is the calender of courses offered this year: https://www.selfrelianceoutfitters.com/pages/pathfinder-survival-school-calendar