I decided that I would have a whole day to myself, do a bit of walking and a bit of winter readiness. My aim for today was to have a look at a new wood, which I recently discovered and now have very limited permission for and to have a go at a different method of fire lighting. As you shall see, some of it went well and, well..... take a look!
It has been raining most of the night and all this early morning so I headed out wrapped up in my waterproofs with my pack on. The weather said it would dry out but I'm not one to take chances. On the way I found this apple tree.
http://imgur.com/NXVCwz6
After having a little nibble I discovered that they were really good eating apples so I nabbed two fist sized ones and was on my way...
http://imgur.com/xo2i4Ol
Having forgotten my coffee I picked some rose hips for later. After nearly two hours of walking (the wood is a bit out of the way!) I got to the wood. It borders both sides of a slow moving knee deep stream and is barely touched by the land owner which is nice. I found a decent place to set up so I rigged up my tarp as usual.
http://imgur.com/mxldtd9
I have used a fire flash for some time now, but always directly into either shredded birch bark or something similar and I wanted to have a go at something different. The last time I was out I collected materials for a tinder box. I managed to get some Horses hoof fungus which I cut into for the fiberous layer. I dried it out on a radiator for a few days. I also collected some peeling bark which I found in the woods. I don't know what it is called but it looked like a shredding vine?? I pulled off the thin long bits. Last but not least I put in some thin peeling birch bark to complete my tinder box. I am yet to purchase a traditonal flint and steel so I used my fire flash sparingly to get the spark.
http://imgur.com/iQaqE4Y
It took a few goes but I eventually got my fungus to take a spark. I needed to rough it up a bit at the edges as when clean cut it wouldnt take a spark.
http://imgur.com/W3i7RgG
I gently blew on it to get a little coal and added it to the vine type bark. I ended up starting again as I forgot to rough up the vine type bark and it wouldn't take by itself. So, after a long and gentle second attempt, I got a flame. I quickly threw on the birch bark and then added kindling to get my fire going.
http://imgur.com/JM9Jdos
I put my pot on for a brew and processed the rose hips. It took an eternity to do but if anyone knows a quick way let me know! I just cut them in half and scraped out the hairy seeds! Im wandering if I should just use the bletted ones as I could very easily squeeze the seeds out hairs and all??
http://imgur.com/cLvTsEs
All sounds ok so far right? Heres a tip.......
Concentrate when your splitting wood with an axe!
http://imgur.com/7N7sMSZ
I made a real school boy error. I wasnt holding the wood correctly and the axe slipped off on a downward stroke, striking my left index finger. The picture does'nt look too bad but it went in about 4mm. I thank my lucky stars for two things: firstly, my axe is very sharp or the cut would of been messy and secondly, it was a deflected blow so the full weight of the axe head didn't carry through! Such a silly thing to do, and could of been much worse. I was cursing myself for ages, while sorting it out but I took the picture so that you guys can see my mistakes to. I consider myself experienced with cutting tools but it only takes a split second of not concentrating.... Good job I always carry my cuts kit!
Panic over I made myself some bannock. I brought some bacon to, just to cheer me up!
http://imgur.com/k0wa3B9
Its my usual mix, flour, baking powder, milk powder and brown sugar. I slowly add water until it looks like this
http://imgur.com/u79fdEH
Then I put it in the coals like a tiny oven and wait until I smell bread! yum yum! Not this time though! It looked all nice and crispy after a while so I ripped it open ready to make my bacon sandwich! but the inside was still raw! Ruined! I ate the bacon anyway....
Today was a bit up and down, but not every day is perfect eh? plus I got to have a good look at my new spot, which has some interesting deer tracks, a fox den and lots of pheasant.......
One last thing, being a bit new to edible fungi, whats this??
http://imgur.com/WJxCgkP
http://imgur.com/kdFgqzt
http://imgur.com/aNkSvD2
Cheers!
It has been raining most of the night and all this early morning so I headed out wrapped up in my waterproofs with my pack on. The weather said it would dry out but I'm not one to take chances. On the way I found this apple tree.
http://imgur.com/NXVCwz6
After having a little nibble I discovered that they were really good eating apples so I nabbed two fist sized ones and was on my way...
http://imgur.com/xo2i4Ol
Having forgotten my coffee I picked some rose hips for later. After nearly two hours of walking (the wood is a bit out of the way!) I got to the wood. It borders both sides of a slow moving knee deep stream and is barely touched by the land owner which is nice. I found a decent place to set up so I rigged up my tarp as usual.
http://imgur.com/mxldtd9
I have used a fire flash for some time now, but always directly into either shredded birch bark or something similar and I wanted to have a go at something different. The last time I was out I collected materials for a tinder box. I managed to get some Horses hoof fungus which I cut into for the fiberous layer. I dried it out on a radiator for a few days. I also collected some peeling bark which I found in the woods. I don't know what it is called but it looked like a shredding vine?? I pulled off the thin long bits. Last but not least I put in some thin peeling birch bark to complete my tinder box. I am yet to purchase a traditonal flint and steel so I used my fire flash sparingly to get the spark.
http://imgur.com/iQaqE4Y
It took a few goes but I eventually got my fungus to take a spark. I needed to rough it up a bit at the edges as when clean cut it wouldnt take a spark.
http://imgur.com/W3i7RgG
I gently blew on it to get a little coal and added it to the vine type bark. I ended up starting again as I forgot to rough up the vine type bark and it wouldn't take by itself. So, after a long and gentle second attempt, I got a flame. I quickly threw on the birch bark and then added kindling to get my fire going.
http://imgur.com/JM9Jdos
I put my pot on for a brew and processed the rose hips. It took an eternity to do but if anyone knows a quick way let me know! I just cut them in half and scraped out the hairy seeds! Im wandering if I should just use the bletted ones as I could very easily squeeze the seeds out hairs and all??
http://imgur.com/cLvTsEs
All sounds ok so far right? Heres a tip.......
Concentrate when your splitting wood with an axe!
http://imgur.com/7N7sMSZ
I made a real school boy error. I wasnt holding the wood correctly and the axe slipped off on a downward stroke, striking my left index finger. The picture does'nt look too bad but it went in about 4mm. I thank my lucky stars for two things: firstly, my axe is very sharp or the cut would of been messy and secondly, it was a deflected blow so the full weight of the axe head didn't carry through! Such a silly thing to do, and could of been much worse. I was cursing myself for ages, while sorting it out but I took the picture so that you guys can see my mistakes to. I consider myself experienced with cutting tools but it only takes a split second of not concentrating.... Good job I always carry my cuts kit!
Panic over I made myself some bannock. I brought some bacon to, just to cheer me up!
http://imgur.com/k0wa3B9
Its my usual mix, flour, baking powder, milk powder and brown sugar. I slowly add water until it looks like this
http://imgur.com/u79fdEH
Then I put it in the coals like a tiny oven and wait until I smell bread! yum yum! Not this time though! It looked all nice and crispy after a while so I ripped it open ready to make my bacon sandwich! but the inside was still raw! Ruined! I ate the bacon anyway....
Today was a bit up and down, but not every day is perfect eh? plus I got to have a good look at my new spot, which has some interesting deer tracks, a fox den and lots of pheasant.......
One last thing, being a bit new to edible fungi, whats this??
http://imgur.com/WJxCgkP
http://imgur.com/kdFgqzt
http://imgur.com/aNkSvD2
Cheers!
and that's why we carry our faks 
