A few days ago I spent some hours tracking and following Badger trails in an area of woodland with which I am not at all familiar. Good reason, because without even entering the Wood it's easy to see that it is a veritable jungle of Ground Ivy and great mats of Brambles. After over an hour of high stepping like some flash Dressage Horse, I finally located a Badger Sett. Trying but failing to find a different way out of the Wood, I suddenly found myself confronted by an isolated clearing, another similar area also showed about 50 metres away. The instant " Camp Site" light came on...
The Wood is on level ground and from within, no landmarks or helpful navigation aids are visible, it's just a 'Tangle Wood' as I christened it. Knowing I would have great difficulty finding the sites again I walked out on a series of compass bearings.
Yesterday I took my tarp and bivvy for an overnight stay at the newly found site.
Pacing is next to impossible because of the ground cover in most places, so I worked on bearings and previously noted tree shapes. From the fallen Ash walk on bearing....
The Brambles of course self root, and so underfoot is basically natural trip wires. Falling with a loaded Bergan was not desirable.
Spiked by a big Bramble while trying to wrestle a foot free. Cuts kit always in left leg pocket, no problem.
Found it. Only about 20 x 20 metres in size but level, dry and practically clear of Brambles.
In addition to providing a convenient Admin area the tarp allows me to sleep as I prefer, under the mesh with the cover open. A chill night but condensation was not at all bad, although there was some as expected.
By rigging the guy ropes from the ventilation mesh opening at each end over a forked stick, it helps to keep them wide open and allow air flow,
Walking out on a recip bearing is important, 'cos I 'aint getting out through that...
A well earned brew.
On the menu later is Chicken Veg Curry and Garlic Naan Bread.
Hello! Who's this? Did I mention food?
The sun is setting on another beautiful Winter's day. The trees take on a golden light and there is not a breath of wind.
Bush Craft Chef in action..The silver screen is an ex Turkey roasting tray from Tesco...
The night was perfectly still and the sky blue black. I listened to the Tawny Owls in the surrounding trees gossiping and watched as Orion the Sky Giant marched upright across the sky to the South as he has done so for millions of years. Just ahead of him the Bull trundled West too, the bright star of Aldebaran glowing a reddish colour in the Taurus Constellation. Lower, down by the Giants foot, to the South East, Sirius blazed and sparkled making the surrounding stars look quite dull by comparison.
I lay awake watching through the mesh of the Bivvy as the World turned and the Constellations passed overhead.
Awake just after first light I broke camp and left, only a dry patch of ground marking my overnight stay.
About halfway out of Tangle Wood a silver sparkle in the Brambles caught my eye. The Pearl
like sheen from the inside of the shell had caught the morning light. I know it's some form of BiValve Sea Shell but a quick decko in the reference book tells me it could be any one of a number...a bit like Fungi, all pretending to be someone else....
I evicted the little plant to the soil of the Woodland and took the shell
home to clean it up.
Nearly home and I see new birth has occurred on the farm..Welcome to the World little one, on this lovely Winter day.
The Wood is on level ground and from within, no landmarks or helpful navigation aids are visible, it's just a 'Tangle Wood' as I christened it. Knowing I would have great difficulty finding the sites again I walked out on a series of compass bearings.
Yesterday I took my tarp and bivvy for an overnight stay at the newly found site.
Pacing is next to impossible because of the ground cover in most places, so I worked on bearings and previously noted tree shapes. From the fallen Ash walk on bearing....
The Brambles of course self root, and so underfoot is basically natural trip wires. Falling with a loaded Bergan was not desirable.
Spiked by a big Bramble while trying to wrestle a foot free. Cuts kit always in left leg pocket, no problem.
Found it. Only about 20 x 20 metres in size but level, dry and practically clear of Brambles.
In addition to providing a convenient Admin area the tarp allows me to sleep as I prefer, under the mesh with the cover open. A chill night but condensation was not at all bad, although there was some as expected.
By rigging the guy ropes from the ventilation mesh opening at each end over a forked stick, it helps to keep them wide open and allow air flow,
Walking out on a recip bearing is important, 'cos I 'aint getting out through that...
A well earned brew.
On the menu later is Chicken Veg Curry and Garlic Naan Bread.
Hello! Who's this? Did I mention food?
The sun is setting on another beautiful Winter's day. The trees take on a golden light and there is not a breath of wind.
Bush Craft Chef in action..The silver screen is an ex Turkey roasting tray from Tesco...
The night was perfectly still and the sky blue black. I listened to the Tawny Owls in the surrounding trees gossiping and watched as Orion the Sky Giant marched upright across the sky to the South as he has done so for millions of years. Just ahead of him the Bull trundled West too, the bright star of Aldebaran glowing a reddish colour in the Taurus Constellation. Lower, down by the Giants foot, to the South East, Sirius blazed and sparkled making the surrounding stars look quite dull by comparison.
I lay awake watching through the mesh of the Bivvy as the World turned and the Constellations passed overhead.
Awake just after first light I broke camp and left, only a dry patch of ground marking my overnight stay.
About halfway out of Tangle Wood a silver sparkle in the Brambles caught my eye. The Pearl
like sheen from the inside of the shell had caught the morning light. I know it's some form of BiValve Sea Shell but a quick decko in the reference book tells me it could be any one of a number...a bit like Fungi, all pretending to be someone else....
I evicted the little plant to the soil of the Woodland and took the shell
home to clean it up.
Nearly home and I see new birth has occurred on the farm..Welcome to the World little one, on this lovely Winter day.
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