Input on putting together a first kit bag

[hughlle1]

Hi all, straight to the point, I know nothing about bushcraft, but am highly experienced with online checkouts

I've always wanted to get outdoors more, and having watched some Ray Mears with the missus, I started spending

First, the context.

I know my partner has done D of E, and has some of her own kit, so other than for items which make logistical sense to carry 2 of if needed (e.g mess tins or spoons) then this is largely a kit that will support me. She can chose and carry her own kit based (of course i will supervise so that she has the right stuff unlike when i gave her free reign over the camping gear for amsterdam in november and i nearly froze to death..). Due to my commitments for the next few years, I don't foresee myself going out for more than 2 nights at a time, and due to money, will most likely be the land surrounding London (finding a wild camp or obtaining permission is a whole other topic). While i like the idea of minimalist bushcraft, if i've space in my bag for a "cheat" then i will take it, e.g a stove vs making a fire. If i need to supply any more information on the context, just let me know. This kit will also be used for camping.

Anyway, as it stands, this is what i've purchased so far (some useful, others because why not ). Some items are also cheap and to be replaced based on experience, others i went whole hog (if i state it is cheap below, then this is an item open to change)


Vango talas 200 (i am aware that with BIG bags, it would be more like a 1 man tent but i can create workarounds)
Highlander Voyager Ultra Compact Lite Sleeping Bag (I am aware that for colder weather i'll need something more robust)
A large Army basha
Cheap compass
Hamilton khaki field watch
Cheap pocket first aid kit (one of those cheap green boxes, probably better suited to the house than outdoors, we shall see)
Cheap hexi-stove and fuel
2 mess tins
1 drinking bottle (and intend to buy a second army style cup/bottle combo)
Folding trowel
Cheap Nato fishing kit (and a river fishing lure kit)
Cheap pocket hamock (mostly for kit, will probably buy a durable one with bug screen)
German cuttlery sets
Assortment of carabiners
Assortment of 550 paracord (already crocheted 100ft into a quick release doughnut, boy did my fingers ache after that). 500ft total
New Highlander Forces 25 Litre and a berghaus 20 litre rucksacks (no big adventures possible so starting off with the smallest i can get away with)
TBS Boar (carbon steel) with diamond stone and swedish firesteel (plus a gerber firesteel)
Benchmade osborne 940
Bahco laplander folding saw
Box of maya tinder sticks
Assortment of swiss army knives for fine whittling
Walking shoes (boots will come when i decide that the terrain i'm on calls for them, i felt shoes were better for general day walks)
LRI FMW Photon Freedom LED Keychain Micro-Light
Set of 3 waterproof roll and clip bags

I'm sure i missed some bits and pieces.

Clothing, bathroom and kitchen i can sort out myself.

What i have identified as missing:

bivvy bag
main torch
small water proof bags for organising kit e.g washbag, medical bag, tool bag etc (not sure what these would be called when googling)
waterproof bag liner
axe (maybe, not sure if worth spending £80 when i read and hear many people saying they just use the folding saw)
and my mind has given up on me. I blame this stupid cold.
collapsible bucket/kitchen sink
a bag for foraged goods
undecided as to whether i get a sleeping mat.

I guess my initial priorities are just obtaining stuff for day treks, overnight stuff comes later

Shucks, it might just be easier to see a list of what i should have instead of reeling off a list of what i do have.

Sorry to be so long winded
Hugh

 

[ged]

Why not just go for it? You'll soon start finding out what you're short of.
You'd manage with what you've got already plus almost any LED torch - a head torch is always my first choice, and then a few backups, one of which will always be another head torch.

An ex-issue bivvy bag is thirty quid. And very often my idea of heaven.
The waterproof bags can be 'dry bags' or they can be something less technical (and less expensive).
Forget the axe, at least for now.
You can lie on your coat but I'd suggest at least shelling out a fiver on a CCF roll mat.

If you nip along to one of the meets (see the meets section) then if it turns out that there's something you despearately need that you've forgotten, then it's likely someone there will have one you can borrow. Or something.
Of course if there's nobody there who's got one, then you probably won't be needing it.

 

[hughlle1]

Thanks for the response ged. Common sense would suggest just see what happens, however as it stands, i probably won't actually get out and about until near christmas (other than going to find some wood for whittling at home) because of my workload and commitments, so at this point in time i'm just shopping in advancso have the time to consider my kit from a theoretical point of view. No doubt after a first outing or two i'll find half my kit is not needed always how it works for me

Right now i'm just trying to find some of these small pouches for organisation, but amazon doesn't like my search terms

 

[mick91]

Out of curiosity why both tent and bivi? Other than that you're golden you actually take way more kit than I do. Perhaps splitting wedges if you don't want an axe

 

[ged]

... Right now i'm just trying to find some of these small pouches for organisation, but amazon doesn't like my search terms

SWMBO makes lots of drawstring bags, various sizes, mostly from scraps of fabric from 'real' projects. Very handy, I use them for all sorts of things.
Anything from ones the size of a phone for, er, my phone, to ones the size of a pillowcase for stowing a sleeping bag uncompressed when not in use.
Just a bag with a string in the hem of the opening which can close it up when you pull it through the hem. If you want to get technical you can put a toggle on it:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/cord-toggles
(No affiliation, not a recommendation, just the first hit on my search for cord toggles)

Amazon lists them as shoe bags, laundry bags (hideous price!), ...

 

[hughlle1]

Cheers ged (my partners grandmother used to own a furniture/upholstering shop so no doubt she could make me something)

I found the search term i needed. Ditty bags (those prices on amazon though, £18 for a single 4" x 7" bag )

 

[crosslandkelly]

In the words of Mr Fenna,

"Something to sleep in, something to sleep under, something to sleep on.
Something to cook in, something to cook on, something to cook.
Something to wear, something to keep that lot dry if it rains.
Something to drink from, something to drink.
Something to keep me clean.
Some tools to make the above easier.
Luxury ... something to bring a smile to my face"




And something to carry it all in.

 

[Post Tenebras Lux]

With carabiners, if you want them to be load bearing beyond anything other than light things on your pack, don't go cheap. Get climbing ones. Last thing you want to do is buy a cheap carabiner and expect it to hold under hundreds of pounds of stress.

 

[Dr Toerag]

Little cotton bags for organisation. Not waterproof, but you can get different colours to help know what is where. They are cheap, too:
https://thecleverbaggers.co.uk/natural-cotton-wine-bottle-drawstring-gift-bag

 

[Mozzi]

Dear god man some mistakes there!

Firstly, DONT skimp on a first aid kit. ever. as soon as you NEED it (beyond a plaster for a cut) you'll be screwed. I'll list some items to get, chuck them in a medium tuppawear box and try and get a bright colourled one, or stick a load of printer labels over it so its highly visible.

Plasters (pick a brand you trust)
Antihistamins.
Savlon.
saline solution.
Cord for tourniquete (preferably sterile stuff)
Bandages of varying sizes
paracetamol
ibuprofen
scizzors
suchers ( buy online from a veteran supplies shop, same brand used for humans)
small vial of either the strongest vodka you can get or a diluted alcohol intended for disinfectant wound washing
Antiseptic wipes
scizzors (small brand new pair in boots, ONLY for first aid)
tick remover
high strength insect repellent
latex or nitrile type gloves (keeps hand wounds out the elements and also incase a need arises to treat others, or your hands are dirty when treating yourself)
tweezers
Lots of other stuff I have missed out, look it up online, it may seem pedantic but I've stitched out friends 10 miles from a car, sliced fingers to the bone, one friend managed to pretty much char his finger etc. its a bit like a fire alarm, you hope with all your heart its never needed, but you have it incase.



Secondly, get a fixed blade knife, a mora heavy duty companion. cant be beat for the price.

A tip, if like me, you carry but don't often rely on a compass, then take two, especially in unfamiliar terrain, because undoubtably like all equipment it can fail. silva is a good brand.

For a torch, get a small mag-lite solitaire and keep it on the outside of your pack for in emergencys, other than that pay no more than 20 quid for a decent head torch and take spare batteries. I've used 5 quid when bought with batteries, to 400 quid mining and heavy duty professional wear head torches and can confidently say 99% of the time unless its for a specific far away task a cheap is fine.


Wouldn't bother with the nato fishing kit, you cant keep what you catch in rivers apart from trout and salmon in a specific season and even then, its probably more hassle than its worth unless you're an experienced angler.

don't spend 80 quid on a granfors axe, no real need for it for what you describe, a well sharpened b&q job will see you alright, or a cheaper brand like hultafors.

no choice, get a sleeping mat. the snug pack one is good and takes up far less room than a foam one.

although I own and occasionally use fat wood, around sussex (where you plan to meet others) and specifically that broadstone pitch, there is plenty of birch bark to collect, ask one of the lads to show you they're a friendly bunch.


But seriously, when it comes to potentially saving a limb, or technology assisted navigation, "cheap" is a fools way to go! don't get yourself in the situation

 

[dewi]

Have to agree on the first aid kit, but also Ged is absolutely spot on... you're got the kit... get out there.

You can sit there mulling over the kit you have, but say you go out for two days.... take a couple of litres of bottled water... you won't die. You may get hungry if you can't cook whatever you've taken food wise, but as long as you're dry (tarp) and warm at night (sleeping bag)... and you're off the ground (mat)... you're out in the woods, enjoying what nature has to offer.

I hammock... but I always (and I do mean always) carry a tent with me just in case... I permanently have a parachute in the back of the car (for whatever reason) and I have a kelly kettle to boil water. Two days, a weekend... starvation isn't possible and with a couple of litres of water, you won't die of thirst.

Try out the kit you have... you'll soon learn what is missing.

 

[Tonyuk]

Get out there and good luck!

More than likely you'll end up binning kit rather than adding it.

Tonyuk

 

[hughlle1]

Dear god man some mistakes there!

Firstly, DONT skimp on a first aid kit. ever. as soon as you NEED it (beyond a plaster for a cut) you'll be screwed. I'll list some items to get, chuck them in a medium tuppawear box and try and get a bright colourled one, or stick a load of printer labels over it so its highly visible.

Plasters (pick a brand you trust)
Antihistamins.
Savlon.
saline solution.
Cord for tourniquete (preferably sterile stuff)
Bandages of varying sizes
paracetamol
ibuprofen
scizzors
suchers ( buy online from a veteran supplies shop, same brand used for humans)
small vial of either the strongest vodka you can get or a diluted alcohol intended for disinfectant wound washing
Antiseptic wipes
scizzors (small brand new pair in boots, ONLY for first aid)
tick remover
high strength insect repellent
latex or nitrile type gloves (keeps hand wounds out the elements and also incase a need arises to treat others, or your hands are dirty when treating yourself)
tweezers
Lots of other stuff I have missed out, look it up online, it may seem pedantic but I've stitched out friends 10 miles from a car, sliced fingers to the bone, one friend managed to pretty much char his finger etc. its a bit like a fire alarm, you hope with all your heart its never needed, but you have it incase.



Secondly, get a fixed blade knife, a mora heavy duty companion. cant be beat for the price.

A tip, if like me, you carry but don't often rely on a compass, then take two, especially in unfamiliar terrain, because undoubtably like all equipment it can fail. silva is a good brand.

For a torch, get a small mag-lite solitaire and keep it on the outside of your pack for in emergencys, other than that pay no more than 20 quid for a decent head torch and take spare batteries. I've used 5 quid when bought with batteries, to 400 quid mining and heavy duty professional wear head torches and can confidently say 99% of the time unless its for a specific far away task a cheap is fine.


Wouldn't bother with the nato fishing kit, you cant keep what you catch in rivers apart from trout and salmon in a specific season and even then, its probably more hassle than its worth unless you're an experienced angler.

don't spend 80 quid on a granfors axe, no real need for it for what you describe, a well sharpened b&q job will see you alright, or a cheaper brand like hultafors.

no choice, get a sleeping mat. the snug pack one is good and takes up far less room than a foam one.

although I own and occasionally use fat wood, around sussex (where you plan to meet others) and specifically that broadstone pitch, there is plenty of birch bark to collect, ask one of the lads to show you they're a friendly bunch.


But seriously, when it comes to potentially saving a limb, or technology assisted navigation, "cheap" is a fools way to go! don't get yourself in the situation

As I say, that's to be replaced. I wouldn't use something like that for any serious excursion, simply a day walk. And it will be controvertial but I do not use first aid, ever. I've cut my arms to the bone dozens of times and I never even bandaged it. Broke my wrist, went salmon fishing the next day instead of go I g to a doctor. I'd certainly have a comprehensive kit if go I g out with anyone else though.

As to a fixed blade knife, that's what my tbs boar is for.

I've o e of these dependable led key chain lights, and then probably plan to buy a regular torch with a head strap as I like to use torches in my hand as well. As to maglights, I've had dozens over my life, and I think they're utterly overrated. Just an opinion though.

As to fishing, we seem to have different info. This is from the government for coarse fishing, and has been backed up by my father, an angler. His advice was to aim for pike.

(can't paste on my phone, just Google coarse fishing keep fish)

Thanks for the input though. When on my own, I wish to get to a position where I have no need for sleeping mats or this and that. We shall see. I've never been conventional. I've never used mats in the past, including 10 tors etc, and it never bothered me.

Have booked myself a place at a Sussex bcuk meet up at the end of the month

 

[Tonyuk]

As to fishing, we seem to have different info. This is from the government for coarse fishing, and has been backed up by my father, an angler. His advice was to aim for pike.

A good fish but watch the bones!

Tonyuk

 

[Post Tenebras Lux]

Like others said as well, you'll only know by getting out there.

I think that's the truest test. You'll realise you're doing jobs or could do jobs that require x, y or z and you'll probably realise in the run of things you may not use a, b or c.

A good example of this most people have exposure to is MCQBushcraft's videos. His kit evolves as his experience and knowledge does and I think we can all agree Mike knows his stuff. It just goes to show that whatever stage you're at, there's probably always concessions or additions that may be made to your kit but until you're out there relying on it we won't know.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I know my partner has done D of E, and has some of her own kit, so other than for items which make logistical sense to carry 2 of if needed (e.g mess tins or spoons) then this is largely a kit that will support me. She can chose and carry her own kit based (of course i will supervise so that she has the right stuff unlike when i gave her free reign over the camping gear for amsterdam in november and i nearly froze to death..). Due to my commitments for the next few years, I don't foresee myself going out for more than 2 nights at a time, and due to money, will most likely be the land surrounding London (finding a wild camp or obtaining permission is a whole other topic). While i like the idea of minimalist bushcraft, if i've space in my bag for a "cheat" then i will take it, e.g a stove vs making a fire. If i need to supply any more information on the context, just let me know. This kit will also be used for camping.

Don't forget you can get to Kent from London in under an hour, you're not limited to the M25...

Anyway, as it stands, this is what i've purchased so far (some useful, others because why not ). Some items are also cheap and to be replaced based on experience, others i went whole hog (if i state it is cheap below, then this is an item open to change)


Vango talas 200 (i am aware that with BIG bags, it would be more like a 1 man tent but i can create workarounds)
Highlander Voyager Ultra Compact Lite Sleeping Bag (I am aware that for colder weather i'll need something more robust)
A large Army basha
Cheap compass

Stick that on your fridge, and get a proper compass. A cheap one is more trouble than it's worth. Get something from Silva or Sunto.

Hamilton khaki field watch
Cheap pocket first aid kit (one of those cheap green boxes, probably better suited to the house than outdoors, we shall see)

DO NOT SKIMP ON YOUR FIRST AID KIT.

I repeat

DO NOT SKIMP ON YOUR FIRST AID KIT.

Have a look in the first aid and hygiene section for inspiration.

Cheap hexi-stove and fuel
2 mess tins
1 drinking bottle (and intend to buy a second army style cup/bottle combo)
Folding trowel

Stick that lot back on ebay. Hexi stoves are a lovely idea, but you're going to find you grow out of it fast. Ditto the mess tins. Look at the trangia range, a mini trangia is enough for 1, and enough for 2 if you add a larger pot. Drinking bottles just reuse a coke bottle or similar (note coke bottles are more durable than most PET bottles).

The folding trowel will probably fold up on you the moment you try to dig a hole in anything more than soft earth, meaning you'll need a first aid kit. Stick it back on ebay, and get the coughlans potty trowel, it's currently £2.50 in Cotswolds.

Cheap Nato fishing kit (and a river fishing lure kit)
Cheap pocket hamock (mostly for kit, will probably buy a durable one with bug screen)
German cuttlery sets
Assortment of carabiners
Assortment of 550 paracord (already crocheted 100ft into a quick release doughnut, boy did my fingers ache after that). 500ft total

In the UK, fishing without a rod is illegal, no ifs, no buts. Most fresh waters you can't keep what you catch anyway.

What are you planning with 500' of paracord? That's a lot to take. What are you planning with all the carabinas?

New Highlander Forces 25 Litre and a berghaus 20 litre rucksacks (no big adventures possible so starting off with the smallest i can get away with)
TBS Boar (carbon steel) with diamond stone and swedish firesteel (plus a gerber firesteel)
Benchmade osborne 940
Bahco laplander folding saw
Box of maya tinder sticks
Assortment of swiss army knives for fine whittling
Walking shoes (boots will come when i decide that the terrain i'm on calls for them, i felt shoes were better for general day walks)
LRI FMW Photon Freedom LED Keychain Micro-Light
Set of 3 waterproof roll and clip bags

I think you'll find you struggle with a 25L pack, you may want to play with something in the 30-40L range (My current recommendation is the Exped Lightning range). Shoes will be fine for most things as long as you keep your pack light.

I'm sure i missed some bits and pieces.

Clothing, bathroom and kitchen i can sort out myself.

What i have identified as missing:

bivvy bag
main torch
small water proof bags for organising kit e.g washbag, medical bag, tool bag etc (not sure what these would be called when googling)
waterproof bag liner
axe (maybe, not sure if worth spending £80 when i read and hear many people saying they just use the folding saw)
and my mind has given up on me. I blame this stupid cold.
collapsible bucket/kitchen sink
a bag for foraged goods
undecided as to whether i get a sleeping mat.

Not taking a sleeping mat would be an astounding act of foolhardyness. You can have the warmest sleeping bag, but without a sleep mat you'll be cold in all bar summer. If you want something cheap, get a closed cell foam one. If you want something good, get an Exped synmat.

The bivvi bag of choice is the Alpkit hunka. But I have to ask, why are you wanting a tent and a bivvi bag? Using a bivvi bag in a tent is Not A Good Idea™. While you're on the Alpkit site, you can grab a Gamma head torch, and a pile of their airlok dry bags, solving most of you list there.

For foraging bag, have a look at the Maxpedition rolly polly dump bags. Hang it on your belt, folded out the way, and then when you want to put the blackberries in, just unfold it.

I guess my initial priorities are just obtaining stuff for day treks, overnight stuff comes later

Shucks, it might just be easier to see a list of what i should have instead of reeling off a list of what i do have.

Good luck, do post some trip reports when you get back!

J

 

[Quixoticgeek]

A good example of this most people have exposure to is MCQBushcraft's videos. His kit evolves as his experience and knowledge does and I think we can all agree Mike knows his stuff. It just goes to show that whatever stage you're at, there's probably always concessions or additions that may be made to your kit but until you're out there relying on it we won't know.

He certainly does, and his videos are very good, both in quality of information and production value.

That said, don't just follow blindly think it through carefully. For example, do you need to get a 30 quid stainless steel bottle so you can boil water in it, when you can reuse an empty coke bottle and buy a sawyer mini filter ? Especially when you have a mug you can boil water in anyway...

J

 

[hughlle1]

Don't forget you can get to Kent from London in under an hour, you're not limited to the M25...



Stick that on your fridge, and get a proper compass. A cheap one is more trouble than it's worth. Get something from Silva or Sunto.



DO NOT SKIMP ON YOUR FIRST AID KIT.

I repeat

DO NOT SKIMP ON YOUR FIRST AID KIT.

Have a look in the first aid and hygiene section for inspiration.



Stick that lot back on ebay. Hexi stoves are a lovely idea, but you're going to find you grow out of it fast. Ditto the mess tins. Look at the trangia range, a mini trangia is enough for 1, and enough for 2 if you add a larger pot. Drinking bottles just reuse a coke bottle or similar (note coke bottles are more durable than most PET bottles).

The folding trowel will probably fold up on you the moment you try to dig a hole in anything more than soft earth, meaning you'll need a first aid kit. Stick it back on ebay, and get the coughlans potty trowel, it's currently £2.50 in Cotswolds.



In the UK, fishing without a rod is illegal, no ifs, no buts. Most fresh waters you can't keep what you catch anyway.

What are you planning with 500' of paracord? That's a lot to take. What are you planning with all the carabinas?



I think you'll find you struggle with a 25L pack, you may want to play with something in the 30-40L range (My current recommendation is the Exped Lightning range). Shoes will be fine for most things as long as you keep your pack light.



Not taking a sleeping mat would be an astounding act of foolhardyness. You can have the warmest sleeping bag, but without a sleep mat you'll be cold in all bar summer. If you want something cheap, get a closed cell foam one. If you want something good, get an Exped synmat.

The bivvi bag of choice is the Alpkit hunka. But I have to ask, why are you wanting a tent and a bivvi bag? Using a bivvi bag in a tent is Not A Good Idea™. While you're on the Alpkit site, you can grab a Gamma head torch, and a pile of their airlok dry bags, solving most of you list there.

For foraging bag, have a look at the Maxpedition rolly polly dump bags. Hang it on your belt, folded out the way, and then when you want to put the blackberries in, just unfold it.



Good luck, do post some trip reports when you get back!

J

Thanks for the tips. As to a mat, we shall see, it would of course be season and location dependant, but I much prefer the idea of using foliage. Not to mention I am someone who likes to be cold, not warm. I live in an uninsulated brick room without any heating and sleep in the buff under a 3 tog duvet. I'm not conventional. Never disinfected a wound in my life. But if course, if I decide I do need or want a sleeping mat, I will of course buy one.

As to the tent, as I say this kit is also going to be used for conventional camping in city campsites so I have a tent for when luxuary is required, and a bivvy tarp and hammock for when I just go out and have some fun (also plan to buy a proper hammock as well as the pocket one)

@quixotic geek, I've not decided on purifying method yet, but ideally it will be anything that doesn't involve boiling even if it is costly.

 

[brambles]

suchers ( buy online from a veteran supplies shop, same brand used for humans)

I don't often comment on spelling in posts online but for the sake of clarity, did you by any chance mean "Sutures ( buy online from a veterinarian supplies shop, same brand used for humans)" ?

 

[Mozzi]

Right, spoke to 3 friends today who are all EA bailiffs in the south east, whist common BYELAWS which are outdated say you can take certain numbers of certain species, the length of the fish corresponding to species on all the lists I've seen are harding going to give you much more sustenance than the bait you use to catch them. This is backed up by me, someone who works in the coarse fishing industry, from a family with a fishing heritage we can trace back beyond photos. as well as countless friends who also fish.

Now the reason I say bylaws is, you cant take anything from canals or lakes, without permission, which you won't get, and most if not all the sections of river in the south east are privately owned / run by fishing clubs, which again won't allow you to keep fish. if you stumble upon a section of river, you won't yourself know at that moment if its owned or not, so even fishing in these areas is against the rules. plus if another angler using the river stumbles upon you with fish kept for the table, its likely the police will be called or you'll find yourself in need of that first aid kit. coarse anglers in the uk are VERY caring and defensive of their quarries welfare. also, to catch a pike on a nato fishing kit designed pretty much to be used from a life boat at sea for passing shoal fish? not gonna happen. a tricky species to catch. and trust me they'll bite through most lines, you'd need wire trace.

IF you want to learn how to take fish from freshwater for the table, you're welcome to join me and I'll take you to one of various streams I have permission to take trout from. I can show you a responsible, successful way to do so within half a day. in-field knowledge isn't something you can pick up on the internet or buy from a shop.


As for the first aid kit, its not controversial, and I apologise if I offend you with my follow up remark, its simply idiotic. if you're telling me you've cut your arms to the bone multiple times, and never bothered to clean the wound, then thats even more idiotic. and if you're telling me you then went bank side (presumably wading for salmon fishing) with a mobility effecting injury then Im sorry but thats pretty much polished off the idiotic reference as far as it will go.

Not carrying sufficient first aid to treat either yourself or others is appalling, especially as you've yet to get roots in the hobby and reliable experience. say you get an arterial bleed, and because you lacked the supplies to support yourself you fall unconscious, and other people have to put themselves as risk to find / help you? granted it'll do **** all for a femoral sever but its the principal. now, god forbid this would ever happen, but what if you lost your life due to an accident? say falling whilst salmon fishing, breaking your ankle, then being in the scenario of mid river, two broken joints? you aren't getting out of that one on your own. but some poor bugger would no doubt try and help you, risking himself, or some poor civil servant might have to drag out a body.

This may seem extreme but I guarantee you not only would you be ostracised from the bushcraft community for being such a liability, but you're also putting yourself at great risk. yes my rant can seem pedantic but I firmly believe we all have a communal responsibility to look out for each other, and if I ignored such brazenness I'd have guilt if something happened.


As for no sleeping mat, your choice. but lots of people on here have a lot of experience and a hell of a lot of them use the sleeping mats.


Also, why the TBS boar? with the greatest of respect to Andrew who manages the store, and who I count as a friend, its wasted money. for not much more you could get hand crafted. the boar is made en mass by a european cuttler. the mora they sell are more than sufficient?

Just to reinforce a point, you could have got a sleeping mat, mora, decent first aid kit AND change for that one knife don't get me wrong its a nice knife but totally OTT for you at this stage.


As for the sussex meet, as I say they're a good bunch, but please don't spout your "unconventional" tout at them as you won't be invited back. also just a hint, when you added your name to the list you probably should of asked. they won't pick up on it, but courtesy is key to keeping decent people close.

Speak to Jack when there, I'll tell him to look out for you, he's an instructor and can reinforce what Im saying, and also be in person to address anything I've missed.


Cheers