1000 uses for cattails: A forum exercise

[Joezilla]

I'll start with a less than obvious one (ergo, leaving more obvious for you to find and create):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid's_cross

And some horrible pictures of myself demonstrating.

To do this, normally you want to work with cattails about a week old. The fresh ones I used in the picture were just to give you an idea.

If you haven't done it before, don't be afraid to post it anyway. We can all grow and learn with the different uses of this wonderful plant! Go, dig!

 

[dipbait]

you made a boomerang?

 

[Diomedes Industries]

My father and I used to use smaller cat tails as practice arrows when I was a kid. A little duct tape as 'fletching' and a .22 LR shell as a blunt tip. Very accurate and fun.

TF

 

[hung-solo]

not bad man... you plan on lugging that thing around near your camp/cook fire to help keep the spooks and goblins out? i noticed the stack of beer bottles in the back. i assume you really are of irish decent lol

btw, is that a jug of stomp or the lesser of value, water?

 

[j williams]

Ill pic an easy one..

Food.

Spring- shoots. Yummy.
Winter- roots

The Cattail is edible in one way or another year round. Either the shoots, roots, seeds etc....

Its pretty much everywhere in the country too.

 

[dipbait]

The fluff can be a good spark catcher.

 

[Md 25v]

Fire- The fluff makes great tinder

Food- The bottoms are very similar to celery but they are loaded with carbs

Cordage- The leaves have lots of strong fibers that, if prepared well, make really strong cordage.

 

[j williams]

You can also weave the things into shelter walls, mats baskets etc....

The goo in between the leaves IIRC is a good ointment for pain relief....

 

[hung-solo]

so you can eat the roots of a catail in the winter? or is it just the bottom section that sits along the water line and below? please clarify

 

[hollowdweller]

How about marinated Cat Tail Hearts as a pizza topping?

The pizza was made with whole wheat bannock mix wrapped in aluminum foil and then cooked over a fire grate:thumbup:

 

[j williams]

The roots. Dig em up, and scrub em clean. A messy job.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

The fluff makes good insulation, also a good dryin'/absorbant agent if ya get wet,

 

[hushnel]

The cat tail cotton can be used as insulation, padding and as bandages.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Clothing (hats)

Baskets

Slow match ( a 6 inch female flower head will smoulder for about 2 hours in still air - also used as an insect smudge.

Hand drill for friction fire.

_____________________________________

From my hike notes:

MALE FLOWER HEAD
-FOOD - in late spring, boiled and eaten like "corn-on-the-cob"
-FOOD - in early summer, pollen -can be mixed with flour to make
cookies, pancakes, muffins, biscuits, etc.
-Paiutes used pollen by itself to make ashcakes.

FEMALE FLOWER HEAD
-FOOD - in late spring, "corn-on-the-cob"
-FOOD - late summer through winter, roasted seeds (up to
125,000/head)
-MEDICINE - used as a wound dressing
-used as a pillow and mattress stuffing
-used as insulation - between clothes layers
- stuffed in footwear
- made into sleeping bags
-used as diapers
-used as tinder, slow match, and insect smudge
-used as a torch (oil, pitch, or tallow)

FLOWER STALK
-arrow shaft
-trap part
-hand drill

LEAVES
-water indicator
-FOOD - 'Cossack Asparagus' (early spring)
-MEDICINE - styptic, anaesthetic, antibiotic, antiseptic (sticky
juice between young leaves)
-insulation in the form of sleeping mats
-shelter covering - mats
-willow/cattail mats
-clothing - hats, visors, etc.
-baskets
-cordage
-lining for 'steam pit' cooking
-lining for storage pits

Doc

 

[mikeal]

From what I've read, the roots can't be eaten until they are processed. Has anyone tried them one way or another?

To process the roots, it said to cut them in half lengthwise and scrape the insides out with the back of a spoon into a container of water. Let the particulate settle and pour the water off. Add water, let settle again and pour off. Repeat until water pours off clear. Fry the mush into pancakes.

I either got this from a survival book or in "A Land Remembered."

 

[Md 25v]

From what I've read, the roots can't be eaten until they are processed. Has anyone tried them one way or another?

You can eat them raw, no problem. Use your knife and shave off the outside after you rinse them. Taste like starchy celery.

 

[Allen Newberry]

I mixed a bunch of pollen up with some pancake mix and made some pancakes once. I can recall them being brightly colored.

 

[Fubarski]

If the ground underneath is dry, you can tie the tops together to make a tent-like shelter, and use cut stalks for floor insulation. Will keep rain/snow off to a decent degree.

 

[bikermikearchery]

boats
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_egypt/reed_boat.htm
http://www.hobotraveler.com/travel-journal/making-a-reed-boat-on-lake-awasa-ethiopia.html

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

They are also awesome to use on horseback when jousting- they explode wonderfully! Of course you have to have horses good enough that they will charge at each other with some jackasses swinging 6' long cattails at each other. Never underestimate the importance of stress relief.

They can also be woven into makeshift shoes if you loose yours (have not done this since I was a kid either). I have found them to be the fastest material to use for this around here.