going feral

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Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
44
Britannia!
Does noone agree the easiest method of collecting food is from travelling the coastlines? Even Mr.Mears would advise a stubborn society dodger to stick close to a steady food source. The fresh water issue will probably lead to some kidney failure but the food is abundant.(unless you create a decent filtration/distilation method to rid the salt)

This would work best as a colony..a few land buy-ins and alot of vegetable crop planning, and well building for fresh water.

I'd love to hear about a colony like this that isn't come weird christian/sex cult..
 

789987

Settler
Aug 8, 2010
554
0
here
Does noone agree the easiest method of collecting food is from travelling the coastlines? Even Mr.Mears would advise a stubborn society dodger to stick close to a steady food source. The fresh water issue will probably lead to some kidney failure but the food is abundant.(unless you create a decent filtration/distilation method to rid the salt)

This would work best as a colony..a few land buy-ins and alot of vegetable crop planning, and well building for fresh water.

I'd love to hear about a colony like this that isn't come weird christian/sex cult..

i want to hear about one that is a sex cult. in a sunny location. with lots of fresh sea food.
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
it gets the job done quickly and efficently, i use a traditional leuku.

i'm not questioning the speed or efficiency of the tool, i'm just wondering what exactly the job is that's getting done. in the post of yours that i was replying to originally you stated:

if you cant get permission or your on the move make sure your discrete about it, ive had a couple of occasions where land owners and even police have had somthing to say about my wild shrafting. choose a secluded location with no trails within idealy 100 yards, dog walkers will usualy stick to the paths but you do get the occasional one who will venture off the path.
some of them dont take too kindly to the presence of a camp and may call the authoritys.

i have found the most usefull tool to have in this situation is a large knife.

my original question stands, how is a big knife useful in this situation?

stuart
 

Siberianfury

Native
Jan 1, 1970
1,534
6
mendip hills, somerset
i'm not questioning the speed or efficiency of the tool, i'm just wondering what exactly the job is that's getting done. in the post of yours that i was replying to originally you stated:



my original question stands, how is a big knife useful in this situation?

stuart

in the situation where dog walkers or landowners come along or in a usage situation.

usage literaly everything, especialy cutting poles, building, clearing brush, wood processing. i also carry a puukko, basicly a sammi combi.

in the dogwalkers situation i tend to keep the knife out of site and talk to people politley and calmly :)
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
in the situation where dog walkers or landowners come along or in a usage situation.

usage literaly everything, especialy cutting poles, building, clearing brush, wood processing. i also carry a puukko, basicly a sammi combi.

in the dogwalkers situation i tend to keep the knife out of site and talk to people politley and calmly :)

i'm even more baffled by this post than i was by the previous one so i'm going to leave it alone now

stuart
 

Xunil

Settler
Jan 21, 2006
671
3
55
North East UK
www.bladesmith.co.uk
Er, no!

...

I don't think there is much in the way of major investment in Knoydart, Argyll or Sutherland.

Rob

I think you misunderstand - anyone who invests the time and effort to maintain and fence their land (or the land they are tenanting) to look after crops and livestock has made a significant investment.

Burning the heather to promote growth and new habitat for game birds is a lot of hot, dirty and sweaty work.

So is raising said game birds and keeping pests in control to ensure a healthy return.

Lambing time - 'nuf said.

Ploughing, sewing, fertilising, harvesting, etc, etc and so on and so forth.

My point was and is that pretty much everywhere is owned and worked in one form or another by someone and a dim view is traditionally taken (and rightly so) of anyone who adopts the 'help myself' attitude. Much of Scotland only looks the way it does because it was planted to be that way.

It is easy to misinterpret 'significant investment' to simply mean a cash injection which, in this case, is not how it was meant, and since you mentioned it there is a lot of deer stalking and salmon/trout fishing in the Knoydart and surrounding areas, all of which generate much needed income for the area and all of which require a deal of looking after for paying customers to enjoy.
 
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mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
in the situation where dog walkers or landowners come along or in a usage situation.

usage literaly everything, especialy cutting poles, building, clearing brush, wood processing. i also carry a puukko, basicly a sammi combi.

in the dogwalkers situation i tend to keep the knife out of site and talk to people politley and calmly :)

I read "wood processing" as "word processing"... picture the scene. :p
 

789987

Settler
Aug 8, 2010
554
0
here
I think you misunderstand - anyone who invests the time and effort to maintain and fence their land (or the land they are tenanting) to look after crops and livestock has made a significant investment.

Burning the heather to promote growth and new habitat for game birds is a lot of hot, dirty and sweaty work.

So is raising said game birds and keeping pests in control to ensure a healthy return.

Lambing time - 'nuf said.

Ploughing, sewing, fertilising, harvesting, etc, etc and so on and so forth.

My point was and is that pretty much everywhere is owned and worked in one form or another by someone and a dim view is traditionally taken (and rightly so) of anyone who adopts the 'help myself' attitude. Much of Scotland only looks the way it does because it was planted to be that way.

It is easy to misinterpret 'significant investment' to simply mean a cash injection which, in this case, is not how it was meant, and since you mentioned it there is a lot of deer stalking and salmon/trout fishing in the Knoydart and surrounding areas, all of which generate much needed income for the area and all of which require a deal of looking after for paying customers to enjoy.

or because all the forests were cut down to make warships and other endeavours.

bottom line - sure theres people that own it but they own vast vast estates and people have the right to wander over it. now fair enough if theyre killing and eating salmon, trout or deer or anything else that is considered an established sporting endeavour that people pay to indulge in- theyre going to get pulled.

if however theyre picking stuff off a hedge or taking a few rabbits - no harm no foul. least thats the way i'd look at it.
 

locum76

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 9, 2005
2,772
9
47
Kirkliston
I think you misunderstand - anyone who invests the time and effort to maintain and fence their land (or the land they are tenanting) to look after crops and livestock has made a significant investment.

Burning the heather to promote growth and new habitat for game birds is a lot of hot, dirty and sweaty work.

So is raising said game birds and keeping pests in control to ensure a healthy return.

Lambing time - 'nuf said.

Ploughing, sewing, fertilising, harvesting, etc, etc and so on and so forth.

My point was and is that pretty much everywhere is owned and worked in one form or another by someone and a dim view is traditionally taken (and rightly so) of anyone who adopts the 'help myself' attitude. Much of Scotland only looks the way it does because it was planted to be that way.

It is easy to misinterpret 'significant investment' to simply mean a cash injection which, in this case, is not how it was meant, and since you mentioned it there is a lot of deer stalking and salmon/trout fishing in the Knoydart and surrounding areas, all of which generate much needed income for the area and all of which require a deal of looking after for paying customers to enjoy.

There's still enough space for a small number of folk to live a feral lifestyle there though - whether the farmers and hooray Henrys like it or not.

If the OP wants to give it a go then so be it. I doubt anybody in the North West would bat an eyelid, especially if he's keen to stay within the law and tread lightly.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
Tell you what, you explain to the victims of the criminals what constitutes " some minor law breaking...........motivated by some major law breaking" and I'll lighten up. Fair enough?

Thats not a lifestyle to be emulated. Its scum on the run. For those poor people who were the victims of the minor or major crimes, I suspect its not something they would want to see others practice.

You might find minor and major criminals something to "lighten up" about. I don't.

Red
 

Siberianfury

Native
Jan 1, 1970
1,534
6
mendip hills, somerset
might be minor law breaking (which is of course very wrong) but i see living feral as victimless law breaking, as long as the person doing so doesnt trash up the landscape and steal hi fi systems to poach ducks with then its victimless
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
44
Britannia!
Tell you what, you explain to the victims of the criminals what constitutes " some minor law breaking...........motivated by some major law breaking" and I'll lighten up. Fair enough?

Thats not a lifestyle to be emulated. Its scum on the run. For those poor people who were the victims of the minor or major crimes, I suspect its not something they would want to see others practice.

You might find minor and major criminals something to "lighten up" about. I don't.

Red

When something is genuinely worked for and earned I can completely agree that free loaders need pointing in the other direction but, as some of the best land has been passed down by super rich 'royal' types to just be looked at and left neglected/restricted to those who wish to use it with respect, then I'm up for taking a stroll and having a forage for food. But the idea of toffs being born into imense riches and land that they will never allow time for appreciation or use will always p*ss nature enthusiasts off to no end, and I don't think taking what isn't truley theirs is such a bad thing aslong as you treat it with repsect.
 
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Xunil

Settler
Jan 21, 2006
671
3
55
North East UK
www.bladesmith.co.uk
The class argument doesn't stand - many landowners are not wealthy by definition, never mind being in possession of "imense riches".

Victimless crime is another one I can't easily get a handle on, and I'm concerned at how acceptable some people think this is.

Let's all separate what we wish the world was like (fantasy/fiction) from what the world is actually like (fact).

You either operate within or without the boundaries of the law. It's not open to negotiation or democratic vote, and it really is that simple.

I don't want speeding tickets to give me points on my license or increased insurance premiums. I can easily avoid that outcome by choosing the option to adhere to the speed limits. Simple stuff really.

One of the greatest challenges faced by anyone wanting to go off the grid is finding a location where they won't get strung up for poaching or property damage at the very least.

What happens if permission is requested and subsequently denied ?

Unless you exit stage right double time you have already alerted the landowner to your presence, so he/she/their staff will be on the lookout for you should you decide to stay on anyway. They will also be phoning the local police and their neighbours to warn them of your presence.

It's the same natural reaction I would have if person(s) unknown was in my back garden.

Breaking the law is breaking the law. You can't justify or defend it by taking the "it's only breaking the law a little bit", or "it's not as bad as..." stance.

I can think of any number of scenarios where a keeper or estate worker could potentially be in very hot water for not detecting and/or alerting people to your presence on the estate. Intent for your activities to be victimless does not guarantee that they will be.

I own some land in the UK and in Canada I consider myself privileged in doing so. I worked bloody hard to be able to afford it and I would take exception to anyone making use of it or its resources without my express permission. Some of the land that has been handed down through generations is, in fact, among the best maintained countryside we have, and none of us has the remotest 'right' to go and make use of it as we see fit.

I guess this boils down, quite simply, to where you draw your line in the sand. I don't always agree with our laws but we'd be stuffed without them, so I adhere to them.

"It's just a few rabbits/pigeons/etc" holds no water at all, and neither does the assumption that you can do what you like on someone else's property.

At the risk of repeating myself, the biggest challenge in going off the grid is not finding food, shelter, water et al. The biggest challenge is finding somewhere where you can do it legally.
 

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