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Spent a night in the woods, built a wee hut and did some foraging, had a jolly good time! Now it has been raining for over a day, solid, so I can't get out. :(

I used to live in Cambridgeshire. When I was a kid we used to do bushcrafty things in Gamlingay Wood, which is between Eltisley and Potton. Nearby Gransden wood is also good. Both are nature reserves, mostly coppices but quite ancient. Fires are not allowed and permission should be saught...

True ... I suppose I see a distinction between mountaineering and bushcraft. While I agree that bushcraft is all about being able to live well while only carrying a minimum of gear, I seem to be almost masochistic in the mountains and go for a much more spartan experience. :) I tend to live by...

I think that's the beauty of the Alpine style, the fact that it can be adapted to so many different disciplines. In the Alps I would carry a really lightweight stove and titanium mug for heating water, and would also need a down jacket, but might not need a sleeping bag or bivvy bag (I'd use a...

Brilliant--these are the best nights out are they not, the ones that stay with you for long after the event.

I find it is often helpful to adopt the Alpine philosophy. It took me a while to get used to. As an ex-Scout, the motto 'Be Prepared' seems to go with taking equipment to cover every eventuality, but that is entirely against the Alpine technique, which can be applied to all environments...

Very nice! A clever idea too, yet so simple.

Basic flint knapping is fairly straightforward but there is an element of technique involved ... once you learn the principles it gets easier. :) My problem always seems to be finding decently-sized flint nodules in the first place in order to get the right sized flakes. Either that, or...

Haha I wouldn't be surprised! Luckily I will be staying high for most of the time so should be out of the midgies' domain, but I'll have to descend to the valleys every so often to get food ... oh well, hopefully DEET 50 will save me, if it doesn't dissolve my skin that is!! :)

These are still under construction as I haven't had a chance to make any birch tar yet--so the axehead and knife blade aren't fixed to their hafts. All of the tools were made entirely using stone age technology. Firstly a small hafted knife. It's more like a scraper than a knife really. I...

Interesting thread. I agree with everything posted so far to a degree--I think my own view is an amalgamation of all of them. When I was a child in the Cubs, we were taught many bushcraft skills and I remember the amazing feeling that came from sitting around a campfire that you had lit using...

Oh dear, next month I'm off to spend three weeks backpacking in Scotland without a tent, looks like I'm doomed!!

Hello :) I still reckon Drysmian is a brilliant name for it ... might be possible to make something more applicable out of OE words though.

Hmm I think I will experiment with the charcoal/resin idea when I get the chance. I will also try making birch tar as well because it seems more convenient to use (even if it is more difficult to make). Whichever I end up using, I will need a fair amount because I've started making a flint axe...

Thanks for that. I think my problem with pine resin is that I tend to harvest it runny. If I find the solid nodules and melt them it might solve this problem!

Does anyone know if the small wild boar population in Suffolk is still in existance? I haven't seen one for over two years now and it would be a shame if they've died out. I first saw one about four years ago, a large adult male. Since then we have seen at least three different individuals...

I don't have any skins at the moment but I'm hoping to try and make some earthenware vessels ... might be a disastrous experiment but we'll see! :) I'm definitely going to take a billy along in case the pottery idea fails.

I had thought of trying something similar ... my thoughts are that this might be quite wasteful though. You don't seem to get a lot of tar for a certain volume of bark and depending on soil type, it might drain away of get clogged with sand, rendering it useless. Maybe a fire pit lined with...

What would you say is the best form of natural glue, from the perspective of fixing flint implements to shafts (spears, arrows and axes)? I suppose I'm after a good 'all-rounder' which is both easy to produce and strong. In the past I have used pine resin mixed with shredded birch bark for...

Another method I sometimes use, but only really applicable to high-altitude mountain environments, is the 'Eiger pitch'. This is probably the most uncomfortable form of camping but requires virtually no gear. Most climbing teams will carry a bothy bag which has multiple purposes, but is mostly...