Recent content by joe o

Did a week last year. Here's the blog entry about my findings http://joeoleary1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/a-week-in-wilds-part-2-living-from-land_29.html and here's a bit more about the challenge itself http://joeoleary1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-week-in-wilds-part-1.html Cheers Joe

Definitely agree with Woodspirit here. The knife comment does seem to be creating a mist of rage that is obscuring the real intention of the post which was 'how far can I go with regards to shedding unnecesary kit but still spend the whole night outdoors?' Boatman - my childhood was filled with...

By the way, even full time hunter gatherer and 5,000 year old celebrity corpse Otzi had a few bits and bobs in his pockets to ease his situation. I believe he also had a knife... Joe

It's pretty clear you want to see how you get on sleeping outside without kit, taking it right back to the bare minimum - to test yourself? Maybe to 're-boot' and take stock of what's really needed and what's just excess guff? Everyone feels differently about what's essential, kit wise. You have...

Hmmm, I can completely understand what would be driving you to see how little you actually need to carry but don't let that ideal overshadow the fact that YOU are responsible for your own safety if things didn't go to plan. What you're proposing relies quite heavily on weather conditions...

Echoing some of what has already been said, don't be in a rush to do this. An apprenticeship of sorts should really be the only route into teaching and doing the subject justice. An apprenticeship doesn't necessarily mean attaching yourself to another existing set up. If you already have...

No worries about the loooong reply - it's a question I've asked myself plenty of times. There comes a point where you have to analyze why you want to find the answer... Thanks for the link by the way (I look younger in that pic, might need to change it or I'll get done by trading standards)...

Hi Cactus Elf, Just clicked on a thread I had stored in my favourites and saw this one, which I've now trawled through with interest. As a bushcraft instructor I often find myself talking about this mythical 'survival situation' that, quite frankly none of us are ever likely to experience...

Thanks Biker and Toddy, I'm not taking it to heart - more surprised than anything else. Someone else updates my website for me so I didn't even have time to sort a reciprical link before moderators were swooping in and editing my replies to peoples questions. Forum visitors have been very...

I see your point there Sandbender. The notion that those of us who run courses are coining it in is most definitely wrong however. For full time instructors the financial rewards are very small, the risks are huge. Quality of life and continued learning are the upside. Never having a holiday or...

Wow! I've been told off. Apparently BCUK doesn't appreciate input from folk such as myself (full time instructor, author, busy school) unless I pay extra for the privilege of being able to tell you all who I am. Hope you enjoyed the long term shelter pics and I truly hope some of you will be...

Hi Bushcraftsman, Thanks for your kind words (and everyone else). The thatching is holding up pretty well as the rafters and brashwood layer underneath provide a sound base. It's also quite a thick thatch layer (about a foot deep). A couple of places have become a bit exposed where the ridge...

Hi Robbi, The door took a whole day to make and I suppose if we'd have had a continuous run at it the rest would have taken ten days - two weeks of work for two people. In reality (as you can see from the pics) the build was strung out over a much longer time, doing bits here and there whenever...

Hello all, Just thought you might be interested in this new gallery on our website showing a step by step pictorial of an experimental long term shelter build. I wanted to see how far we could go with a minimal set of hand tools (all kit that could be packed and carried easily - axe, knife...

Hi Paul, Was good to meet you. Correction on the above - Karl Lee doesn't do any demonstrating for us. John Lord used to but Antony Whitlock has risen up through the flint knapping ranks, completing a Masters in it as well as working on the experimental archeaology departments research team at...