River Cane - An amazing resource

River Cane

Along most of the waterways in my area, you can almost always find a patch of River Cane growing. I have seen small canebrakes with 1-inch pieces growing all the way up to some very large patches with some plants reaching 2-3” diameters. River Cane is one of my favorite plants because there are so many uses for it in the bushcraft world.

Technically speaking, River Cane is a grass. It is in the Bamboo family of woody grasses. Cherokee Indians used it for nearly everything. I’ve even heard it called Cherokee Plastic before. There are a ton of uses for the plant and I wanted to go over a few that I have used, and some that I have not.

Fire making

There are a lot of fire possibilities with River Cane. My personal preference is to take a knife and scrape a bunch of small shavings off the sides of the stalks. I do this by holding my blade at a 90-degree angle to the stalk and just rub back and forth. This creates what looks like a feather stick but with much more material. Even a green stalk can provide suitable shavings for tinder. These shavings are very flammable and will take a spark from a ferro rod quite easily. I usually gather a bunch of the shavings and then I will crush the stalk and break it into smaller pieces for kindling. It burns up very fast so be sure you have plenty of materials ready to burn. Cane is also used with fire saws and fire plows, but I have never attempted either of these, although they are on my list to try.

Construction

The larger stalks of cane are incredibly strong, and I use them whenever they are available for shelter building. Larger diameter pieces are used for posts and cross-members and the smaller pieces I will usually split in half and weave them in and around the upright posts. This is extremely useful if you want to add clay to your walls because the cane will give you a solid foundation to apply the clay. The clay will mold and dry around the split stalks and when it dries it is an extremely tough wall. I have made tripods for cooking, tables, chairs and even raised beds in a shelter with River Cane. The flexible nature of the stalks makes a very comfortable bed with a little preparation and attention to detail.

You can also split the larger pieces in half and make a very waterproof roof with the pieces. Simply split them in two, lay the first layer down on the roof with the split side facing upwards and then put another layer down with the split facing down. This creates a roof that will shed any rain that falls very easily.

You can even run the split pieces along the bottom edge to act as a gutter and funnel the rain water into containers.

Food Procurement

Cane can be used to make arrows and atlatl darts that are remarkably strong. With a little practice it is relatively easy to straighten the stalks enough for straight flight of both. It is also very useful in spring snares due to the strong flexible nature of it. A length of stalk can also be split on the ends, sharpened and then fire hardened to create a fish or small game spear. Simply wrap some cordage tightly around the cane about 3 to 4 inches from the end to prevent the split from traveling farther. I usually split the end into 4 pieces and wedge small sticks in to keep them spread apart. I made one last year and attached a piece of surgical tubing to it to make a Hawaiian Sling of sorts for spearing fish. It worked great for me. It could also be used as a frog gig. You can even make a knife sharp enough to skin an animal from River Cane. Split off a piece the length you want and shape it into a blade. A little fire hardening and you have a makeshift knife that will do most cutting or slicing tasks you might have around camp. Fish traps are another favorite of mine with cane. I split the pieces into thirds and weave vines or small roots through to create a funnel trap. Bird traps are also very easy with cane. The generally straight nature of the stalks lends itself to almost any application. I’m sure there are many more uses for cane to get food, but I wanted to list some of the ones I have tried personally. Blowguns are another popular weapon to make with cane, but I have not tried that yet.

Camp craft with cane is almost never ending. You can split the pieces into several small sections and make some incredibly strong baskets. Cherokee used to make baskets with it and color them with natural dyes. If you ever get the chance to visit a museum of Cherokee crafts, expect your mind to be blown with the beautiful craftsmanship of their wares. Chairs, benches and beds can all be made with cane and I have made some strong tables in camp with it as well. The sections can be cut just below the nodes to make containers or cups for holding water. There are even ways to boil water or cook food in cane although I have never done it. The only limit to what you can do with cane is your imagination. So next time you walk up on a patch of River Cane, grab a few stalks and see what you can do with it!