Living 'Wild' for 2-3 months, ideas? tips? etc

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johnboy

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 2, 2003
2,258
5
Hamilton NZ
www.facebook.com
I thought it was, 'Works At Home', :eek:

Oh well, we live and learn :)

cheers,
M

Aye we all have our vernacular. Reading some of you scots folk postings is like reading an episode of oor Wullie. :)


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spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
There's a word for people who only eat raw food... dead. Our digestive system can't process it sufficiently well to survive long term.

As others have said, this is most likely a wind up - if not, we'll probably be reading about it on the news before too long
 

Klenchblaize

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 25, 2005
2,610
135
65
Greensand Ridge
"I have no fishing or hunting skills."
Prior to reading the above I was going to suggest a wee book called the “Second Meadow” by Archie Hill but given it was an air rifle that kept him well fed I guess you’ll need something a little more BG hard core than quotes from Robert Frost and Richard Jeffries!

Good luck and remember the SALT.

Cheers

K



 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
You do know that the Scots are taming down their language for the forum ? Well, we're trying to............ just ask any of those folks who've come north to our meet ups :D

Oor Wullie indeed :rolleyes: he and The Broons have been horrible for years now :sigh:

Back to the OP; You say you're going to live in a tent for at least a couple of months, that you are confident of your shelter building skills.
Modern tents need care, they will need proofed, and unless you buy expensive, intended for open mountain stuff, then the damage from UV will shred it if it's in constant use. The cheap 'festival' tents just won't hack it.

If you don't drive, and to an island anyway that would be expensive in ferry charges, then you're limited to what you can carry. You need warm clothing, sleeping, dry coverage. You need some way of making fire, you need to find some way of sterilising your water, if there are sheep on the land there's the e-coli issue, and that's not something to be blithely ignored. It kills folks and especially those who are undernourished.
You need other people to help supply you with foods you can't acquire in sufficient quantity for yourself in the area and in the time you have to prepare. The post office shop perhaps ? if they'll sell you potatoes, oatmeal, cheese/butter and the sugar you crave ? Forage for the rest and you'll get by. Tight though.

Fishing, hunting, etc., are all skills and not to be under-rated. It takes time and effort to become proficient. It also takes a more than determined mindset to not only process the meat, but to keep your camp clean enough not to end up with even more health issues to compromise your success.

You said that this was family land, I'm curious, one 2-3 acre field ? That's the size of a couple of football pitches. Not big enough for folks not to notice you and your dog (who will need feeding too), so where's the rest of the family ? land ?

My last comment would be to ask if you have found out just how the locals would view your idea ? Because they are the ones who will have to deal with any fall out from your attempt, and it's their home, their normal lives, that you are talking of upsetting if things go wrong.

Toddy
 

Dreadhead

Bushcrafter through and through
fair play for romantisizing about it but reality is much different as folks have said. a 29 year old man tried this a few months ago in the Rannoch area on the mainland where the conditions are fairer than where you will be with plenty of firewood and i beleive he had a bothy for shelter. he had some skills and was very self motivated. he was dead after 3 weeks. there are various bbc reports about it. so really think hard as people have said. you MUST bring enough food because when you get hungry its going tae get harder and harder tae think straight and catch anything and morale will go down.

if its inevitable and you wont be put off then id read through this forum post to post for first aid, nutrition, hunting, firemaking, and all round preparedness advice. dont watch bear grylls or ray mears and think its easy. take the time tae prepare and consider things fully. what happens when the food runs out?

Hamish
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
Haha Toddy I just replied to you but I cant see it, hope it posted.
treebloke ' if you are serious' ha yes I am deadly serious. Like I said there is a post office not that far away im sure in emergency if I gave them change they would let me ring somebody. I have a gorilla charger so would take that and get a cheap mobile that fits it.
I thought of building a tall shelter and using a solar shower if i get desperate, using a bucket and emptying it into a wheelie bin or something for the toilet. Was thinking about soap etc though, not sure how im going to work that one without polluting or damaging the grass.

Im not going to be stupid and not take back up money, phone etc, just want to not use them unless I really have to do.

No, you do not empty your poo into some ones bin, what a stupid thing to even think about, what preparations have you made already, or have you just wistfully typed this out after a bit of google fun looking at pictures of stags in the glen and waterfalls,
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
Hahahaha sorry, Im just geting vus waiting for the UPS guy, keep a good diary though, then you can make a film like that guy McCandles, he did this too and had a rip roaring tim..............AH! sorry I see what I've done there, he didn't have skills or knowledge either and died, DOH!
 

Ahjno

Vice-Adminral
Admin
Aug 9, 2004
6,861
51
Rotterdam (NL)
www.bushcraftuk.com
Hello everyone,

I am going to have to live in a tent for a couple of months, maybe longer. I am trying to make a list of things I need to know, get ready before hand/purchase etc. I dont have much money so would rather keep as basic as possible say £100 at the most for everything.
The climate is the western scottish isles, so very wet, windy, minimal trees, midges.
There is a managed wood nearby but i dont know if its public or not and I dont have any permission as of yet to go and collect anything from it.
The beach is 2-5mile walk away. I am staying on families land on a 2-3 acre field with no trees and has a deep slope down to a very boggy area and beyond that a river(Not owned by landowners) that has a 7 foot drop and is very rapid.
Im hoping to take a dog with me for protection and for company,possibly some chickens for eggs and I have seeds and plants but obviously will take time to grow and only going to account for a small amount of food.other than that will have to forage for everything else.
I have no fishing or hunting skills so anything that would make that easier. Who do I ask about what im allowed to hunt/fish in the area, the council? the environment agency? the local hunting club if there is one, which i think will be hard to find as quite remote area.
There are plenty of sheep so might steal a few to put in my tent to keep me warm:D Im seriously thinking that using their poop in a log maker if i could get it dry enough might be of some use? If not thought i could collect driftwood but its whether there is enough. Do I really need a fire in the UK in may-june, i have followed a raw diet many times, just not a 100% wild raw diet, maybe alot of kelp. stocking up on things like honey,nuts as I usually do quite well filling myself with wild greens its sugar that i constantly crave.

I realise im slightly naive doing this and being young female people I have told are already telling me im being silly, wont last long etc so wanting to ask people who have done similar things, did they wish they had taken anything, practiced anything in particular before they went ahead and did it?
I dont drive and there is only an air ambulance so need first aid things also, there are locals and post office is not that far away if I got desperate but dont want to bother anyone unless my arm is literally hanging off. Also I want to try and live as wild as possible, with no money, unless an emergency I dont really want to have much contact with the outside world.

Im hoping to do this in 6-8 weeks time

Looking at the fact you don't have any experience in what you're planning to do and the time frame you'll be off I'd strongly advice to reconsider this adventure. Do some courses, get some experience under the belt, practice skills. It's too late learning bowdrill firemaking if the situation is dire and you're out of other fire making stuff. Fire is essential: purifies your water, gives warmth and makes food more palatable and differs the structure in such a way you get more energy from the food you've found.

And if you still want to get on with this adventure - drop me a line. I'm more than willing to visit the Scottish Isles and keep an eye on you. I'll bring my Fjellduken Jerven bag, food and a phone, so at least we can share body warmth and prevent you from dying of hypothermia or what not.
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
Looking at the fact you don't have any experience in what you're planning to do and the time frame you'll be off I'd strongly advice to reconsider this adventure. Do some courses, get some experience under the belt, practice skills. It's too late learning bowdrill firemaking if the situation is dire and you're out of other fire making stuff. Fire is essential: purifies your water, gives warmth and makes food more palatable and differs the structure in such a way you get more energy from the food you've found.

And if you still want to get on with this adventure - drop me a line. I'm more than willing to visit the Scottish Isles and keep an eye on you. I'll bring my Fjellduken Jerven bag, food and a phone, so at least we can share body warmth and prevent you from dying of hypothermia or what not.

DUUUDE! you haven't even seen a picture yet!
 

Bushwhacker

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
3,882
8
Dorset
And if you still want to get on with this adventure - drop me a line. I'm more than willing to visit the Scottish Isles and keep an eye on you. I'll bring my Fjellduken Jerven bag, food and a phone, so at least we can share body warmth and prevent you from dying of hypothermia or what not.

I'd ask for a photo first I were you. Full body shot with today's newspaper, not a face shot from 10 years ago.
 

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