Bivvy Bags finally arrived! Got 2 brand spanking bags too, in DPM, which was a surprise, was expecting Olive green but can't complain. They are new Gore-tex bags as well. 7ft long too approx so I can shove kit to the bottom. Just need to try it out now. Rang the place up to be kind and say thanks for sending them but complained about the torn gear, "grade 1" my arse!!
Right no plans what so ever for the weekend just looking forward to some reading. Hey maybe some climbing too. Will see.
ferrol
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Gear and books have arrived!
Was kinda taken back, my books arrived I ordered AND the gear I was waiting for also arrived, minus the bivvy bags but it has been promised for next week. Am quite impressed with the water proofs, all Gore-tex and they fit OK too. Sleeping system is also impressive, looks comfy as chuff, can't wait to test it, its supposed to sleep down to -20 degree's C so will see, first frost I'll be outside testing.. heh
Books are "Collins gem: Food for Free " and "Call of the wild" by Guy Grieve.
Had a flick through both, and am looking forward to reading both of them. One reference the other handbook.
Had to stay late at work though to patch a server, so was late home. But am happy, have gear and some books to read. :-)
ferrol
Books are "Collins gem: Food for Free " and "Call of the wild" by Guy Grieve.
Had a flick through both, and am looking forward to reading both of them. One reference the other handbook.
Had to stay late at work though to patch a server, so was late home. But am happy, have gear and some books to read. :-)
ferrol
Monday, November 27, 2006
Weekend of fun
Right had some things to do over the weekend, one of which was head down to London to see a friend and go climbing either indoor or outdoor depending on weather of course.
It wanged it down Sunday so indoors at the castle it was. Not a bad place to go 3 floors of climbing walls and bouldering sections too. Good routes, and cheap food too. What more can you ask for?
Saturday I got some time to make some nettle cordage from local nettle sources (ie rough land), Made about a meter out of 3 or 4 nettles. Its quite an easy procedure just use the stem only, so strips leaves then crush the stem, after which open the now crushed flat stem and bend it pith up so it snaps, peel pith out and you are left with flat fibres. These you roll and twine into longer cords, easy really. (Will add a picture later.) Not an exact description really of how to do it, more an overview.
Enjoyed doing both, took my mind off things, been thinking alot about my issue of late, been hard for me of late.
Gear wise: Ended up calling the supplier for the gear I ordered as I noticed the money was taken from my account, turns out that they hadn't even shipped it, waiting for Bivvy bags to come on later this week. Useless. Told them to ship what they had. Gah!
It wanged it down Sunday so indoors at the castle it was. Not a bad place to go 3 floors of climbing walls and bouldering sections too. Good routes, and cheap food too. What more can you ask for?
Saturday I got some time to make some nettle cordage from local nettle sources (ie rough land), Made about a meter out of 3 or 4 nettles. Its quite an easy procedure just use the stem only, so strips leaves then crush the stem, after which open the now crushed flat stem and bend it pith up so it snaps, peel pith out and you are left with flat fibres. These you roll and twine into longer cords, easy really. (Will add a picture later.) Not an exact description really of how to do it, more an overview.
Enjoyed doing both, took my mind off things, been thinking alot about my issue of late, been hard for me of late.
Gear wise: Ended up calling the supplier for the gear I ordered as I noticed the money was taken from my account, turns out that they hadn't even shipped it, waiting for Bivvy bags to come on later this week. Useless. Told them to ship what they had. Gah!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Crap Pheasant.. bleerrch!
Bagged 2 Pheasants on a farmers market near where I live, got em both for 1.90 each. Which wasn't bad I thought. Wanted to learn to pluck draw and cook a wild game bird, so thought I'd dive into the deep end, which you will no doubt learn over time is what I do best heh.
The Pheasant themselves were hung for 1 week so plenty of flavour (apparently) I plucked one and gutted it too, you wouldn't beleive how bad it smelt. Am guessing those people that eat it on a regular basis don't actually prepare it from scratch, if the did I'm sure as hell they would eat it less.
OK got a wine casorole recipe to try out on it, I cut it up then browned it in a pan then into a dish with veg and wine as the sauce. An hour and half later out of the oven it came and straight onto a plate with baby potato's. It tasted like crap. The wine flavour was over powering and the Pheasant was tasty, but I swear I could still smell the stink from the drawing stage.
Next one is getting roasted in the oven, wrapped in bacon to keep the moisture in.
Am still waiting for the gear I ordered as well as 2 books too from Amazon. Breifly I ordered 2 Gore-tex Bivvy bags, water proof jacket n trousers (Gore-tex also), some Light weight trousers, a ponch/basha type thing and a sleep system too. Which I was informed can be used down to -20 degrees C. Will arrive either this week (Tomorrow) or next sometime. So waiting again.
Weekend things, is try a cattail root, and use the head as a natural tinder. Am actually thinking of writing a paper on fire lighting, for my reference but you never know may publish it so to speak.
Right bed for me am tired now.
ferrol
The Pheasant themselves were hung for 1 week so plenty of flavour (apparently) I plucked one and gutted it too, you wouldn't beleive how bad it smelt. Am guessing those people that eat it on a regular basis don't actually prepare it from scratch, if the did I'm sure as hell they would eat it less.
OK got a wine casorole recipe to try out on it, I cut it up then browned it in a pan then into a dish with veg and wine as the sauce. An hour and half later out of the oven it came and straight onto a plate with baby potato's. It tasted like crap. The wine flavour was over powering and the Pheasant was tasty, but I swear I could still smell the stink from the drawing stage.
Next one is getting roasted in the oven, wrapped in bacon to keep the moisture in.
Am still waiting for the gear I ordered as well as 2 books too from Amazon. Breifly I ordered 2 Gore-tex Bivvy bags, water proof jacket n trousers (Gore-tex also), some Light weight trousers, a ponch/basha type thing and a sleep system too. Which I was informed can be used down to -20 degrees C. Will arrive either this week (Tomorrow) or next sometime. So waiting again.
Weekend things, is try a cattail root, and use the head as a natural tinder. Am actually thinking of writing a paper on fire lighting, for my reference but you never know may publish it so to speak.
Right bed for me am tired now.
ferrol
Mushroom anyone?
Well on one of the lunch time walks with my friend Rob, it was raining but its not often I enjoy a walk of that type, think sometimes a little discomfort helps put things into perspective, its a nice circular walk which is surprising considering its a bit of an industrial estate where I work, but with a brisk 10 minute walk you can be in nice fresh peaceful woodland. I try and do it a few times a week, sometimes I manage, other times... well I try and do it. Clears my head.
Right on the way back I spotted some mushrooms growing in the grass, normally I hate mushrooms, can't stand them in the slightest. Never have, but I keep promising myself that I would actually one day force myself to eat one and then get used to the flavour. Well anyway I picked one and took it back for identification, problem being I have no idea what it was. Guides say if you don't know leave it alone. So some rather intense googling later .. I still have no idea what it is!! Autumn is the time of year for mushrooms, a real harvest for thoughs that know what they are after and really do enjoy them. Well here, what do you think it is?
OK, smells alright considering, found on grass land next to a bush, possibly Hawthorne? They were singular in a row. Width is about 9 cm.
Answers on a postcard please!
ferrol
Right on the way back I spotted some mushrooms growing in the grass, normally I hate mushrooms, can't stand them in the slightest. Never have, but I keep promising myself that I would actually one day force myself to eat one and then get used to the flavour. Well anyway I picked one and took it back for identification, problem being I have no idea what it was. Guides say if you don't know leave it alone. So some rather intense googling later .. I still have no idea what it is!! Autumn is the time of year for mushrooms, a real harvest for thoughs that know what they are after and really do enjoy them. Well here, what do you think it is?
OK, smells alright considering, found on grass land next to a bush, possibly Hawthorne? They were singular in a row. Width is about 9 cm.
Answers on a postcard please!
ferrol
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Up to date
Right Ok so far, bushcraft wise:
Have a booked a course bushcraft/survival course witha school along with a load of other friends for next year June. Looking forward to that very much. Hopefully, by then though I'll have taught myself plenty of the skills I need to survive with just my knife and maybe a firesteel. Tooks some time to get it all booked with everyone changing minds and checking dates.
Also ordered a load of Surplus Army gear, same bunch that are going on teh course, goodness knows we will turn up looking like a bunch of Army rejects, but the gear is supposed blend in and not be a bright coloured eye sore in the green landscape. If you were walking through some woods, Which would you prefer, seeing nice gentle blending colours or bright bold colours anouncing their presence? I know which I'd prefer.
Anyway took me ages to get an order together including one bloke who saw a rather nice sword, the dealer wouldn't sell it to me anyway. (no surprise there) Well ordered a bivvy bag, sleep system, some waterproofs and some nice pair of lightweights as well. I won't mind messing this gear up as much as my more er.. "better" (expensive ;-) ) gear.
Right been playing with cordage with nettles, which turns out to be pretty easy and a nice relaxing job. Its not that strong but will do in tying things up. Also practising starting fires with birch bark n firesteel, well getting a flame anyway, have yet to get a proper fire going. Be easy though. heh
Things to do:
o Carve my spoon project.
o Learn to use a firebow to full flame.
o Clean, dress a rabbit then make rabbit stew.
o Get me a Billy can type cooking pot.
o Be happy.
Have a booked a course bushcraft/survival course witha school along with a load of other friends for next year June. Looking forward to that very much. Hopefully, by then though I'll have taught myself plenty of the skills I need to survive with just my knife and maybe a firesteel. Tooks some time to get it all booked with everyone changing minds and checking dates.
Also ordered a load of Surplus Army gear, same bunch that are going on teh course, goodness knows we will turn up looking like a bunch of Army rejects, but the gear is supposed blend in and not be a bright coloured eye sore in the green landscape. If you were walking through some woods, Which would you prefer, seeing nice gentle blending colours or bright bold colours anouncing their presence? I know which I'd prefer.
Anyway took me ages to get an order together including one bloke who saw a rather nice sword, the dealer wouldn't sell it to me anyway. (no surprise there) Well ordered a bivvy bag, sleep system, some waterproofs and some nice pair of lightweights as well. I won't mind messing this gear up as much as my more er.. "better" (expensive ;-) ) gear.
Right been playing with cordage with nettles, which turns out to be pretty easy and a nice relaxing job. Its not that strong but will do in tying things up. Also practising starting fires with birch bark n firesteel, well getting a flame anyway, have yet to get a proper fire going. Be easy though. heh
Things to do:
o Carve my spoon project.
o Learn to use a firebow to full flame.
o Clean, dress a rabbit then make rabbit stew.
o Get me a Billy can type cooking pot.
o Be happy.
Beginnings and Endings
OK first Blog ever so wondering how long this will keep going. If anyone reads it.
Right, beginnings and endings in my life ATM, a very sad time, my life is currently pushing me towards bushcraft and learning to live off the land as it were. I do crave the simple life away from everything, all the strains and stresses of modern life, and me saying that as I work in IT and pretty much mess with computers day in day out. But I would pack it all in and go somewhere with a much simpler way of life. Always dream of just droppnig off the face of the Earth and living off the land in a forest somewhere. *sigh
Let me tell you about myself a little, am 30 years of age, but sometimes feel 403! I enjoy the outdoors very much, I backpack (when time permits) or solo backpack when I can, I am an archer (field), a climber, a walker/scrambler, pretty much anything to do with the outdoors I'll do.
Am at a junction in my life where what I do and how I do them matters alot, mid life crisis? No idea. But I know I've made choices that will affect things majorly in my life.
Thats all I'll say about myself for now.
Right Bushcraft! OK this blog will prob just be mostly bushcraft things what I learn and how I learn em. not sure if this blog supports pictures, I imagine it does, just haven't found it yet.
OK on with the fun!
Thanks for reading.
ferrol
Right, beginnings and endings in my life ATM, a very sad time, my life is currently pushing me towards bushcraft and learning to live off the land as it were. I do crave the simple life away from everything, all the strains and stresses of modern life, and me saying that as I work in IT and pretty much mess with computers day in day out. But I would pack it all in and go somewhere with a much simpler way of life. Always dream of just droppnig off the face of the Earth and living off the land in a forest somewhere. *sigh
Let me tell you about myself a little, am 30 years of age, but sometimes feel 403! I enjoy the outdoors very much, I backpack (when time permits) or solo backpack when I can, I am an archer (field), a climber, a walker/scrambler, pretty much anything to do with the outdoors I'll do.
Am at a junction in my life where what I do and how I do them matters alot, mid life crisis? No idea. But I know I've made choices that will affect things majorly in my life.
Thats all I'll say about myself for now.
Right Bushcraft! OK this blog will prob just be mostly bushcraft things what I learn and how I learn em. not sure if this blog supports pictures, I imagine it does, just haven't found it yet.
OK on with the fun!
Thanks for reading.
ferrol
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)