The weather was showing signs of Spring over the weekend - rain , hail, icy winds - but also some nice warm sun!
I got to the woods nice and early on the Friday and started setting up.
First I started with the new "Foot-rope" for the chute shelter. The original sisal rope had started rotting so it was replaced with an old and condemned climbing rope and then I raised a newly donated, silicone proofed chute. As I fixed it up I found that the mice had got to it before it got to us and that it was a little large (too deep by a row of panels) but nothing that a little field tailoring could not fix once the owner (Roly - thanks mate
) had given the OK.
Once the chute was up I had a spot of lunch, gathered firewood and set up my pitch with my home made cotton tarp. The sisal ridgeline for this was looking a bit iffy so I swapped that out for a synthetic "utility" rope (which over the course of the weekend proved VERY stretchy!)
A session of photography for a forthcoming article on Tarpology followed ...
I then lay down to ease of my aching back!
Naturally, it was while I was horizontal that a new member of our group turned up...
We had a bit of a chat and I set about getting the fire lit - and failed! I was starting to look even more of a failure at Bushcrafting than I do normally!
With Fedupfrog's BBQ lighter fluid we got the fire smouldering and brews were brewed and I gave him a tour of our woods (were we saw a fox) before FUF set up his pitch.
Not much more than chatting, cooking and eating happened after that and before an early night, during which the Badgers visited the site.
Next morning I got up and lit the fire without issue ( FUF was still in bed and did not see it) and the we resumed cooking, eating and chatting. Due to the Siberian Gale we dug out the parasilk windbreak and fitted that under the weather side of the tarp and before long the other members of the group arrived (once all the work was done!) and the chatting etc etc resumed with new vigor....
In the afternoon we went for a bimble around some of the rest of the square mile of woods and fields we can play in before gathering more firewood and getting back to the site.
A bit of furniture building, wood carving, fire wood prep, cooking, chatting and eating followed before another earlyish night was called.
During the night it rained a little but everyone stayed dry...ish.
Sunday morning saw more cooking eating and chatting before camp was broken and a new highline for the tarp was fitted, the old one starting to look iffy...
As we returned to the carpark there were loads of birds of prey to be seen including several Red Kites and a stack of eight Buzzards - then it was mount up and drive home.
It was great to meet FedupFrog and catch up with old friends - roll on the next meet!
I got to the woods nice and early on the Friday and started setting up.
First I started with the new "Foot-rope" for the chute shelter. The original sisal rope had started rotting so it was replaced with an old and condemned climbing rope and then I raised a newly donated, silicone proofed chute. As I fixed it up I found that the mice had got to it before it got to us and that it was a little large (too deep by a row of panels) but nothing that a little field tailoring could not fix once the owner (Roly - thanks mate
) had given the OK.Once the chute was up I had a spot of lunch, gathered firewood and set up my pitch with my home made cotton tarp. The sisal ridgeline for this was looking a bit iffy so I swapped that out for a synthetic "utility" rope (which over the course of the weekend proved VERY stretchy!)
A session of photography for a forthcoming article on Tarpology followed ...
I then lay down to ease of my aching back!
Naturally, it was while I was horizontal that a new member of our group turned up...
We had a bit of a chat and I set about getting the fire lit - and failed! I was starting to look even more of a failure at Bushcrafting than I do normally!
With Fedupfrog's BBQ lighter fluid we got the fire smouldering and brews were brewed and I gave him a tour of our woods (were we saw a fox) before FUF set up his pitch.
Not much more than chatting, cooking and eating happened after that and before an early night, during which the Badgers visited the site.
Next morning I got up and lit the fire without issue ( FUF was still in bed and did not see it) and the we resumed cooking, eating and chatting. Due to the Siberian Gale we dug out the parasilk windbreak and fitted that under the weather side of the tarp and before long the other members of the group arrived (once all the work was done!) and the chatting etc etc resumed with new vigor....
In the afternoon we went for a bimble around some of the rest of the square mile of woods and fields we can play in before gathering more firewood and getting back to the site.
A bit of furniture building, wood carving, fire wood prep, cooking, chatting and eating followed before another earlyish night was called.
During the night it rained a little but everyone stayed dry...ish.
Sunday morning saw more cooking eating and chatting before camp was broken and a new highline for the tarp was fitted, the old one starting to look iffy...
As we returned to the carpark there were loads of birds of prey to be seen including several Red Kites and a stack of eight Buzzards - then it was mount up and drive home.
It was great to meet FedupFrog and catch up with old friends - roll on the next meet!
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