5 went mad in Fyresdal! BCUK 1st Norway trip
- Thread starter Rod
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
I'm sorry that it seems like dommyracer isn't coming with us. Since he is something like 5 months overdue on the payment, I'm leaving his place open.
If anyone would like to fill his place on such short order please answer to this thread.
Regards
Torjus
If anyone would like to fill his place on such short order please answer to this thread.
Regards
Torjus
It's going to be a great trip. I'll do all I can from the UK end to help you get up to speed if you want to come.
Suggested kit list - sound about right?
Vitals
Passport
Tickets
Next of Kin details
EHC card + travel insurance (EHC is the new E111 card for “cheaper” NHS-style cover)
Personal medical equipment (inhaler, insulin etc..)
Wallet (with this you can hopefully buy anything you have forgotten!)
Backpack
Sleeping
Sleeping bag (with or without liner)
Roll Mat/Thermarest
Bivi Bag (optional)
Base-layers
Long-johns/boxers *2 (or more?)
T-shirt/baselayer *2 (or more?)
Mid-layer(s) (something warm)
Extremities
Socks *2 (or more!)
Mittens + spare
Hat (+ balaclava?)
Boots (+liner?)
Outer Layers
Thermally insulating jacket (with or without waterproofing)
Winter trousers
Waterproof trousers
Waterproof top/jacket
Gaiters
Equipment
Head torch + 2 extra sets of batteries
Personal cutlery (spork etc.)
Mug
Plate
Water container
Knife
Minimal First Aid Kit
Toothbrush + paste
Washing items (soap/shaver etc...)
Towel
Chap-stick (for lips)
Hand-gel (don't take wet-wipes, they will go like card apparently!)
Ski goggles (optional – not for UV protection, but from dusty snow if the wind picks up?)
Tea/coffee etc.
Tissues (fire lighting, runny nose & the other use!)
“Day” Backpack (optional)
Bags to seal the “used” gear in for the flight home (optional)
Something to wear on the flight home
Thermos
Axe
Backup matches (for the day it all goes wrong – probably best we all bring some!)
Food
Food & drink as required, I am working on having ~2,000 calories in addition to whatever Torjus provides.
Communal Gear
First-Aid-Kit
Spare laces/ string (I'll take ~20 metres)
Maps of the local area (to be purchased in Norway?)
Compass *(I've got one, someone else please bring one!)
Saw (I'll bring one, someone else please bring another)
Shovel (apparently being supplied by Torjus)
Candles (for that homely feeling)
Snares?
Vitals
Passport
Tickets
Next of Kin details
EHC card + travel insurance (EHC is the new E111 card for “cheaper” NHS-style cover)
Personal medical equipment (inhaler, insulin etc..)
Wallet (with this you can hopefully buy anything you have forgotten!)
Backpack
Sleeping
Sleeping bag (with or without liner)
Roll Mat/Thermarest
Bivi Bag (optional)
Base-layers
Long-johns/boxers *2 (or more?)
T-shirt/baselayer *2 (or more?)
Mid-layer(s) (something warm)
Extremities
Socks *2 (or more!)
Mittens + spare
Hat (+ balaclava?)
Boots (+liner?)
Outer Layers
Thermally insulating jacket (with or without waterproofing)
Winter trousers
Waterproof trousers
Waterproof top/jacket
Gaiters
Equipment
Head torch + 2 extra sets of batteries
Personal cutlery (spork etc.)
Mug
Plate
Water container
Knife
Minimal First Aid Kit
Toothbrush + paste
Washing items (soap/shaver etc...)
Towel
Chap-stick (for lips)
Hand-gel (don't take wet-wipes, they will go like card apparently!)
Ski goggles (optional – not for UV protection, but from dusty snow if the wind picks up?)
Tea/coffee etc.
Tissues (fire lighting, runny nose & the other use!)
“Day” Backpack (optional)
Bags to seal the “used” gear in for the flight home (optional)
Something to wear on the flight home
Thermos
Axe
Backup matches (for the day it all goes wrong – probably best we all bring some!)
Food
Food & drink as required, I am working on having ~2,000 calories in addition to whatever Torjus provides.
Communal Gear
First-Aid-Kit
Spare laces/ string (I'll take ~20 metres)
Maps of the local area (to be purchased in Norway?)
Compass *(I've got one, someone else please bring one!)
Saw (I'll bring one, someone else please bring another)
Shovel (apparently being supplied by Torjus)
Candles (for that homely feeling)
Snares?
Torjus - this calculation only works if you didn't read that bit - I'm relying on just as much food as the last group got
Added a few notes in red
Suggested kit list - sound about right?
Vitals
Passport
Tickets
Next of Kin details
EHC card + travel insurance (EHC is the new E111 card for cheaper NHS-style cover)
Personal medical equipment (inhaler, insulin etc..)
Wallet (with this you can hopefully buy anything you have forgotten!)
Backpack
Sleeping
Sleeping bag (with or without liner)
Roll Mat/Thermarest + repair kit - my thermarest got punctured by a spark on the first day
Bivi Bag (optional) - BREATHABLE - mine wasn't and my doss-bag got soaked on the outside
Base-layers
Long-johns/boxers *2 (or more?)
T-shirt/baselayer *2 (or more?)
Mid-layer(s) (something warm)
Extremities
Socks *2 (or more!)
Mittens + spare + waterproof outers
Hat (+ balaclava?)
Boots (+liner?)
Outer Layers
Thermally insulating jacket (with or without waterproofing)
Winter trousers
Waterproof trousers
Waterproof top/jacket
Gaiters
Equipment
Head torch + 2 extra sets of batteries yep!
Personal cutlery (spork etc.)
Mug
Water container - nalgene bottle -doubles as hot water bottle
Thermos flask - fill it before bed for a hot drink in the morning before you get out of your sleeping bag - then refill it to save time brewing up during the day
Knife
Minimal First Aid Kit
Toothbrush + paste
Washing items (soap/shaver etc...)
Towel
Chap-stick (for lips)
Hand-gel (don't take wet-wipes, they will go like card apparently!)
Ski goggles (optional not for UV protection, but from dusty snow if the wind picks up?)
Tea/coffee etc.
Tissues (fire lighting, runny nose & the other use!)
Day Backpack (optional) also usefull as a carry-on bag to boost your weight limit - watch the size though
Bags to seal the used gear in for the flight home (optional)
Something to wear on the flight home
Food
Food & drink as required, I am working on having ~2,000 calories in addition to whatever Torjus provides.
Communal Gear
Axe - 1 each preferrably - lots of wood needs to be chopped - also useful for cutting spruce boughs
First-Aid-Kit
Spare laces/ string (I'll take ~5 metres) - if making snowshoes take at least 20m
Backup matches (for the day it all goes wrong probably best we all bring some!) -lots of matches - lighters don't work too well
Maps of the local area (to be purchased in Norway?) PM me and i'll email a Jpeg you can print at A4 size
Compass *(I've got one, someone else please bring one!)
Saw (I'll bring one, someone else please bring another)
Shovel (apparently being supplied by Torjus)
Candles (for that homely feeling)
thats it - if they get shirty at the airport then ill ditch it but if i stick in the hold noone will be any the wiser.
Thanks for the map BTW
Guys i have colour printed 5 of bikethings maps and laminated them ready for the trip - 1 each + spare - you will all have a compass i assume
Cheers
Nick
stick some in the freezer for a couple of hours - then try and light it - i struggled to get it going at +5 degrees here!! (freezers are typically -18 degrees)
it would pay you to gather some thin birchbark here, dry it in the airing cupboard, and take it with you in a zipplock baggy - saves hunting through the spruce trees for the occassional birch
- especially down by the lake !!!also, always keep your loo roll and some alcohol gel on you at all times in a pocket - you may not be at camp when you need it... and a squirt of handgel on a couple of sheets of tissue make a useful firelighter
pack n go stuff from http://www.be-well.co.uk/products_pacandgo.php
tasded all right too with little side effects
I take it all back - put a sachet in the freezer overnight, along with a lid of a tin can..
took it out this lunchtime - first thing I noticed was it wasn't frozen solid as i'd expected - good start.
I then put a small dollop on the tin lid (to simulate gear that had been in that environment al day) and tried to light it - no luck with a firesteel (no change there then
) but a match and a lighter worked fine.The only thing I couldn't simulate was the subzero atmosphere (my kitchen was around 15 degrees), but from this simple testing it looks like it'll work..
HTH
Steve
Thats comforting to know. I had intended to carry a few sachets just in case firestarting gained a level of urgency beyond the normal challenges.
After your initial post I resolved to carry a few in an inside pocket to keep the temperature of the up but I think that that was a useful excersise despite that.
Now all I need to do is get them there
Thanks
Nick
After your initial post I resolved to carry a few in an inside pocket to keep the temperature of the up but I think that that was a useful excersise despite that.
Now all I need to do is get them there
Thanks
Nick
it's edible (allegedly) - pack it with your food ? 
vaseline and cotton wool works well too
keep an eye out for peeling birch bark while you're walking around on the mountain - grab it whenever you see it and kep it in an inside jacket pocket to dry it out
vaseline and cotton wool works well too
keep an eye out for peeling birch bark while you're walking around on the mountain - grab it whenever you see it and kep it in an inside jacket pocket to dry it out
Hi guys,
Just thought I'd chuck my 2 penneth worth in as one of Torjus's summer guinea pigs from a couple of summers ago and we had a great time. Wish I was in a position to head over again!
Obviously can't comment about cold conditions but here are my recommendations. I hope Torjus won't mind me saying that he's not exactly interested in gourmet cooking on the hill. It's all about easy calories so rice, spuds, chunks of meat and maybe some cupasoups for flavour was the order of the day when we were up there. Oh, and plenty of trout
I can assume that the conditions will make things a lot less comfortable, but I assume to counteract there will be less hiking!
When we cooked, it was usually a case of just chucking whatever we found in our packs in a pan, and Torjus had brought a bag of rice and some meat he's got from the Farm which bulked it out. There wasn't much left at the end of the trip, except plenty of teabags cause we hadn't brewed up that often. Think we managed to put together a chili on the last night though, which was at least edible...
1) Marzipan. Super cheap after christmas, doesn't seem to melt when hot, and full of calories. I think it's great and it was my little comfort after a hard day's slog up the hills. Bit more palatable than kendal mint cake in my opinion too...
2) Sausage, perhaps chorizo - you know the ones with the really big lumps of fat in it and a bit of spice. Not only great to eat raw but if you chop it up into bits and chuck it in a pan then it adds a good dimension to the food. I think I took 3 of these!!
3) Butter Plenty of it. Big lumps of it! It's yummy! And you're not going to have to worry about it melting, are you? If you're really hungry you'll probably enjoy a big lump of it straight or you can chuck lumps of it in whatever you're cooking and it will taste amazing, whatever it is. Ask Gary Rhodes. Same for cheese.
4) Plenty of rice and dry beans (make sure you don't need to soak them!). Beans are surprisingly interesting when you're hungry, cold and tired. Even lentils!
5) It is possible to get dried veg but if you're worried about vitamins just take vitamin pills. I found dried veg to be very bland and not so great to eat.
6) Nuts. Nuts are good. Cashews can add a nice element to a meal too. A bit of crunch to the usual campfire slop.
As for clothing, I'd stick with the one dry set one wet set rule. Anything else can be discarded for more food! Nobody's going to care if you're a bit smelly and you'll be sure not to go hungry
Remember too that Torjus approaches this thing we call Bushcraft from a Primitive techniques point of view so expect that kind of philosophy up on the hill. I found it pretty refreshing - v. little talk about whether the Swanndri shirt is better than the icebreaker or which shiny torch/knife/stove is the best.
He is also half man-half mountain goat so unless you're very fit and from the top of a mountain you'll struggle to keep up. Don't let it get you down though. He's a really good bloke but he'll push you because he's trying to teach. That means you go out of your comfort zone quite often. Think of it as character building!
I hope you guys have a really good time. Oh one more tip from personal experience - Mrs G doesn't really approve of the drink so if you're going to take them a little something as thanks for the hospitality, whisky isn't the best..:rolleyes
Oh - Agile - I didn't see bowl in your list? I'd recommend one of Asda's steel balti dishes. Very versatile and easy to keep clean. Can even use it as a frying pan.
Look forward to hearing how it goes!
Neil
Just thought I'd chuck my 2 penneth worth in as one of Torjus's summer guinea pigs from a couple of summers ago and we had a great time. Wish I was in a position to head over again!
Obviously can't comment about cold conditions but here are my recommendations. I hope Torjus won't mind me saying that he's not exactly interested in gourmet cooking on the hill. It's all about easy calories so rice, spuds, chunks of meat and maybe some cupasoups for flavour was the order of the day when we were up there. Oh, and plenty of trout
I can assume that the conditions will make things a lot less comfortable, but I assume to counteract there will be less hiking!
When we cooked, it was usually a case of just chucking whatever we found in our packs in a pan, and Torjus had brought a bag of rice and some meat he's got from the Farm which bulked it out. There wasn't much left at the end of the trip, except plenty of teabags cause we hadn't brewed up that often. Think we managed to put together a chili on the last night though, which was at least edible...
1) Marzipan. Super cheap after christmas, doesn't seem to melt when hot, and full of calories. I think it's great and it was my little comfort after a hard day's slog up the hills. Bit more palatable than kendal mint cake in my opinion too...
2) Sausage, perhaps chorizo - you know the ones with the really big lumps of fat in it and a bit of spice. Not only great to eat raw but if you chop it up into bits and chuck it in a pan then it adds a good dimension to the food. I think I took 3 of these!!
3) Butter Plenty of it. Big lumps of it! It's yummy! And you're not going to have to worry about it melting, are you? If you're really hungry you'll probably enjoy a big lump of it straight or you can chuck lumps of it in whatever you're cooking and it will taste amazing, whatever it is. Ask Gary Rhodes. Same for cheese.
4) Plenty of rice and dry beans (make sure you don't need to soak them!). Beans are surprisingly interesting when you're hungry, cold and tired. Even lentils!
5) It is possible to get dried veg but if you're worried about vitamins just take vitamin pills. I found dried veg to be very bland and not so great to eat.
6) Nuts. Nuts are good. Cashews can add a nice element to a meal too. A bit of crunch to the usual campfire slop.
As for clothing, I'd stick with the one dry set one wet set rule. Anything else can be discarded for more food! Nobody's going to care if you're a bit smelly and you'll be sure not to go hungry
Remember too that Torjus approaches this thing we call Bushcraft from a Primitive techniques point of view so expect that kind of philosophy up on the hill. I found it pretty refreshing - v. little talk about whether the Swanndri shirt is better than the icebreaker or which shiny torch/knife/stove is the best.
He is also half man-half mountain goat so unless you're very fit and from the top of a mountain you'll struggle to keep up. Don't let it get you down though. He's a really good bloke but he'll push you because he's trying to teach. That means you go out of your comfort zone quite often. Think of it as character building!
I hope you guys have a really good time. Oh one more tip from personal experience - Mrs G doesn't really approve of the drink so if you're going to take them a little something as thanks for the hospitality, whisky isn't the best..:rolleyes
Oh - Agile - I didn't see bowl in your list? I'd recommend one of Asda's steel balti dishes. Very versatile and easy to keep clean. Can even use it as a frying pan.
Look forward to hearing how it goes!
Neil
Cheers mate - I'll try and get something if I can fit it in my pack. I believe we are stopping in a small shopping centre on the way up - perhaps that is the ideal place?
I've got two of those 2500 calorie packs, some kendall mint cake (what's wrong with that - I love the stuff!) some awesome flapjacks, two packs of peanut brittle (peanuts and sugar), peanuts with sesame seeds and sugar, 5 "body-building bars" (lol - trawling through those websites really was amusing!) (they are the vitamins for the week, and contain loads of calories too!). Add to this a pack of barley (nicer than rice!). I'll try and rummage some other items together as well, as I imagine we are going to get rather hungry...
Any thoughts?
Ag
Matthew.Passmore
Settler
I'd love to go at some time, for the flight do you have to put your rucksack in something or can it just go in the cargo hold with knives and all as it is?