Advice Please

[DaveBromley]

Hi Guys

I wonder if you could give me some advice? It's my Birthday on Sunday and will be getting money from most people (thats what my mrs has told them) just wondering what kit should i buy first? i have practically nothing and want to start hammock/wild camping.

everything seems a bit chicken and egg i.e good rucksack or hammock? cant carry the hammock without a ruck and no point in ruck if not staying overnight! you see my dilema?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks Dave

 

[JonathanD]

Lets see how much cash you get, you may be able to get both.

 

[Ph34r]

If you are just starting out, then maybe an expensive rucksack is not the best idea? I would recommend getting a tarp, rucksack, hammock,knife (mora?) and parachord.

 

[Trev]

Hi ,
" practically nothing " covers a lot of ground , It also depends on how long your trips will be . For 1-2 days I'd use a £7 swiss surplus rucksack (or similar) and make sure I had half decent boots / clothes / sleeping gear .

 

[DaveBromley]

Thanks guys

someone just PM'd this to me

"Do what i did when i was starting out, ask what kit people have that they are willing to donate to someone looking to get into bushcraft. and if you offer to pay for postage
I got an old burgen, mora knife, folding saw, pattern 58 sleeping bag, mug and a few other bits and bobs.
I dont think i have much i could give you as i have passed most of what i dont use on, but i will have a look if you want.
its worth a punt., people are very friendly."

IF anyone does have anything that they can donate i would gladly pay postage (I feel really cheeky asking but we all have to start somewhere)
and would be eternally grateful

Thanks Dave

 

[lannyman8]

i would say day sack which is a bit smaller a folding saw maybe from aldi this time of year about £5 daysack about £20-40 a mora clippa £8-10 fire steel £5-10 a good sturdy water bottle £5-10 and the top bit of kit a small axe or hachet £45-55.

the stuff i take with me even on day trips is:-

axe
knife
water bottle
fire steel
folding saw
pocket folding knife
tinder and bits and bobs all put into my daysack if its warm or stashed in my jacket when its colder or wet (big shooting jacket with about 1000 pockets...lol)

i started with a mora which i traded for some tinder fungus........

 

[DaveBromley]

i would say day sack which is a bit smaller a folding saw maybe from aldi this time of year about £5 daysack about £20-40 a mora clippa £8-10 fire steel £5-10 a good sturdy water bottle £5-10 and the top bit of kit a small axe or hachet £45-55.

the stuff i take with me even on day trips is:-

axe
knife
water bottle
fire steel
folding saw
pocket folding knife
tinder and bits and bobs all put into my daysack if its warm or stashed in my jacket when its colder or wet (big shooting jacket with about 1000 pockets...lol)

i started with a mora which i traded for some tinder fungus........

Thats great i have been looking at a swedish 40L pack on ebayit only about £15 posted, but its hard as i'm in and out of work at the moment. a sign of the times unfortunately, nevermind its bound to pick up eventually

Thanks Dave

 

[lannyman8]

i normaly use my shooting jacket as i say has loads of pockets is waterproof and has one huge pouch at the back (normaly with a bunny or 2 in it..lol)

i like to keep kit to a min but make sure i have a back up for everything ie a lighter and emergency stove (army hexamin stove i got a load of them) i always carry 2 knifes just in case i have a bond moment and forget to pick 1 up or lose it in the leaf litter ect. i use a fixed blade nearly always on my hip, and a locking folder in my pocket. my fero rod is always tied to my trousers unless in use and goes straight back asap.

the thing to remember is to enjoy what you do no matter what kit you can afford or use, weather it be a £20 water bottle or an old coke bottle.

some of the best times i have had have been in the peeing rain at 2 am after slotting a rabit or 2 soaking from the waist down boot in all, getting into the wood and getting a fire on in the dry under a tree and just beeing at 1 with the surroundings, knowing there was no one around and i was safe and sound and tottaly chilled by the fire getting dry waiting for my food to cook.

realy good times, i miss it alot as i have moved 3 times since....... lol work eh........

anyway enjoy it while you can

 

[DaveBromley]

Thanks Lannyman

Thats pretty much the memories i have from childhood with my dad (poacher/woodsman), I went out with a mate of mine abut 3 or 4 months ago hill walking and the silence was litterally deafening to the point i was getting choked just sitting there. That's when i started getting into bushcraft again, like you said it's that feeling of oneness that just makes you appreciate every drop of life.

Thanks Dave

 

[Eric_Methven]

PM inbound Dave.

 

[Retired Member southey]

pm on route.

 

[Lupis]

Maybe look at a cheap tent rather than tarp/hammock? It'll give you more options for wild camping as you don't need trees. Of course if you are only going to be camping where there are trees please ignore.

 

[DaveBromley]

PM inbound Dave.

pm on route.

Thanks Guys

 

[spiritwalker]

wouldn't spend money on a hatchet in the Uk no real need, folding saw and knife will see you proud until you have more cash then you can decide if its a must have. Personally i have an axe but i am sorry i bought it now (i just use it for splitting logs at home for the woodburner) my mora knife with a baton works well in the woods and folding saw does the rest.

I would second the tent option too much cheaper way of getting out there until you have more funds for a hammock, or a tarp bivi set up. Tents can be had for less than £30 or you could get a polish army tent (wicked piece of kit).

High on my agenda for starting out would be.
sleeping bag (good quality)
tent (light and small, at the end of the day its just a bed cover) or a tarp and bivi bag (army surplus are your friends here)
Sleeping mat (self inflating thermorest or multimat)
Knife (as suggested the mora sub £10 one is perfect or perhaps a swiss army knife you may already have)
cooking set (many options cheapest apart from a hobo stove would be a tommy cooker hexi blocks and mess tins or billy cans over a fire depending on your fuel preference. You can even get trangia clones for a tenner or swiss army stove)
water bottle and mug (black nato type with metal cup is ideal)
small first aid kit (make your own up instead of buying one, that way you can put in it stuff you know how to use already)
backpacks have already been covered

basically with a few good quality bits of kit as the basics you can add remove stuff as the funds become available you could even borrow stuff from the house supplies to make do... the key is to improvise but i think making sure your comfortable goes along way into enjoying it all.

if you browse about you can see car boot sales and cheap shops such as wilky's aldi and poundland sell very useable gear too.

 

[spiritwalker]

someone posted a link to videos on youtube do a search for bushcraft on a budget its american but gives you some pointers on what you can get cheaply being skint doesnt have to stop you getting outdoors people cant see what bling gear you have when you camping alone in the woods

 

[jamin]

i have just got this which may be of help. http://www.ddhammocks.com/products/rucksacks/pack-full i got it with the travle hammock tho. it is super and the bag is good as well. ot fits a weekends stuff in it. which goes to show you dont need £100 rucksack to carry your stuff.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I think my advice would be to look at what you want to acheive, then what do you need,if anything, to acheive your goal. work up a list of the minimum kit to stay out over a couple of nights, think of the bare essentials, water, food, fire, shelter and how your going to get you and your kit about.
so mabey a tent,
a pot to boil water. check out you local super market for pressed steel coffe/suger tins with lids,pop some holes in the side add wire and you've got a billy can
a means of boiling water, hexemin cookers are VV cheap, effective and fool proof.
a way to carry water, again super market some times have cheap aliminum sigg style water bottles for a couple of pounds.or use squash bottles.
for food, just take easy things for your first couple of times, anything that uses hot water to make,
for a ruk you just go with what you can find in your price range, if your not takeling the Kyber pass on foot, don't worry to much about highend packs(not untill the kit bug bites anyway).
as for sharps, I started with a sak just because i wasn't into carving and stuff so didn't concider a bigger knife/saw/axe.
but as my interest grew, i got into the more knifey bits, as has been said all you would need is a mora and have a look around your local garden centr for a small pruning saw, secatares are V usefull to. I hope i havn't typed a load of piffle. have fun mate.

 

[DaveBromley]

I was reading on another thread about poundland gear i might have to pay a visit, i was looking on the website and it looks like they are doing bog standart square mess tins for a quid!!! cant be bad

Dave

 

[DaveBromley]

I'm itching to get out there now can't wait lol, it's like being a kid at Christmas!!

Thanks Dave

 

[persistent king]

Ive only just got into it mate and i have spent very little,

My tent was £25, mat £5 sleeping bag£15, small stove £15 (but love the hobo stove cant wait to make one ) pan set £15 and back pack to carry it all in £20.

I think its all about learning as you go along . i have a realy rubbish knife but it does the job.

Im happy with my kit at the min, and it keeps me dry and warm.