Thunderbird Atlatl will be back in Vermont September for an atlatl and dart making workshop at the Chimney Point Historic Site in Addison, Vt. The workshop will be Friday, September 22, from noon to 5 p.m. On Saturday, the 22nd annual Norteastern Open Atlatl Championship will be held. To register for the workshop or to be involved in the competition, please call the museum at 802-759-2412 for information.
28th Annual Stone Tool Craftsman Show
Thunderbird Atlatl will be at the 28th annual Stone Tool Craftsman Show this weekend. Come visit us. We will be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday through 2 p.m.
The show is open Friday, Aug. 25; Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27. It is open until 5 Friday and Saturday.
New tutorial videos for our Atlatl Kits
We have recently added new tutorial videos where Bob Berg explains how to put together our most popular atlatl kits: the Catatonk, Catatonk Hunter, Kanakadea and Nanticoke. (All of our kits are available to purchase in the Shop.)
Now you can follow along step-by-step as Bob shows you how to put your atlatl kit together.
You can find the videos (with accompanying text instructions) under the “Kit Tutorials” heading to the left. They’re also right here:
Catatonk Atlatl Kit & Catatonk Hunter Atlatl Kit
How to set up a One Tarp Tent (with a door and a floor)
And now for something completely different!
Bob Berg demonstrates how to make a simple tent (with a door and a floor) with just one tarp, one piece of rope, one pole, and four stakes. Total cost: About $15. Total time: 5-10 minutes. Save time and money the next time you go camping!
Materials needed:
-Tarp (12’x16′)
-10′ Rope
-8′ Pole
-4+ Stakes
-Hammer or a rock to pound in the stakes
*NOTE: The tarp’s dimensions must be a ratio of 4:3. If you would like to build a bigger or smaller tent, just scale all the dimensions appropriately. (eg: 15′ x 20′ tarp, with a 10′ pole and a 12-15′ rope).*
Atlatl Weights as a Counter Balance (Video)
What’s the purpose of an atlatl weight? Here’s a video of Bob Berg discussing his theory on why atlatl weights (boat stones) are a counterbalance for heavy darts. Bob doesn’t believe that weights are for adding more “power” or “speed” to your atlatl throw, as many have theorized, but actually to make holding a loaded dart more comfortable and balanced while hunting. Bob also explains why bannerstones are not atlatl weights.