Been bushcrafting this weekend....? ? ?

[bambodoggy]

Hey All,

I've been enjoying the nice weather as I'm sure most of you have and I don't think my dog's ever been so well walked. We went tracking in the local woods too...only having paws the size of my hands Samson had a habit of walking all over the prints I was studying!!!!

While I was out I collected a few bits and bobs and using the ideas I learned in Sweden on the Vildmark course I had a bash at the following:

This is a pot hanger, simple to make and looks good too, it's hard to find a branch where the shoots go out in opposite directions to hang up so here's how to make one.

The two ends are angled and the peg in the middle opens the two sticks so that the ends bite in and hold together....works really well.

Then I had a bash at some birchbark work....

Made a match case:

I was quite pleased with this for southern UK birch bark.

and I then got a little more adventurous and had a bash at a coffee container:

All the bark is held together by how it's constructed with just a little Pine Resin and Charcoal glue

I also put some leather thonging round my walking staff so I have plenty to use for bow drilling:

Finally got round to drilling one of the Elk's tooth from the skull I found with Tenbears in Sweden and put it on my Kuksa:

And lastly, having bought a lovely soft Reindear skin in Norway I wanted to see if I could silicon it myself....so I practiced on a little Meirkat (or however you spell it) skin I had laying around from when I made a pair of slippers.

I used normal bathroom clear sealant as you can see and it worked really well...so I'll be doing the Reindear skin next

So.....what did everyone else get up to this weekend? ? ?

Bam.

 

[Marts]

I was looking after my 8 year old sister so taught her how to lay a fire and start it with birch bark and a knife and firesteel. Then we practiced playing my tin whistle (she's much better than me) until one of the neighbours put a for sale sign up outside. I'm not saying it was related but....

Nice match case BTW - I was watching RM do it on the bushcaft DVD and was a bit dissapointed that he used glue from a tube. Resin sounds much better.

 

[raskusdrotti]

Hi Bam!

I spent most of the weekend exploring a local woods i haven't been to before (don't know why as it's about a five minute walk away)
I was really happy to find a nine metre fallen birch with some decent looking bark on it!
I also found lots of fallen wood that was a good size and shape for carving - so i'll be back with my saw no doubt

Nobody goes there either - so i had the place to myself

Neil

 

[stotRE]

Spent the weekend teaching my wife map reading in Thetford forest.
We didn't see another soul all weekend until we returned to the carpark?
We spent saturday evening watching deer and foxes play fighting,

 

[Ahjno]

Sweet!! I really like that coffee container Bam! Very creative with those letters on it
Had a good look at that pot hanger ... why 2 pieces of wood? Ok as you said: "(..)it's hard to find a branch where the shoots go out in opposite directions to hang up (...)" - you lost me ...
Why don't use a simple stick and cut it as in RM's Bushcraft (Ok, there are several ways to Rome) ... And: doesn't the wedge fall into your soup?

Nice garden BTW

 

[jamesdevine]

Spent Saturday buying a birthday present for my wife and getting the last few pieces for our first camping trip next weeked.

She picked up a wonderful 40ltr Berghuas pack which really comfortable and have been given to permision to use for time to time if need it.

Hope the weather hold up until next weekend would make things alot easier.

James

 

[Roving Rich]

Well I discovered the joys of getting very heavy objects into the back of a landrover, and how such a big vehicle can have soooo little legroom ! aswell as emtying the contents of my bank account into the fuel tank.
Then sunday was spent teaching 30 Girl Guides the joys of open canoeing.
Cheers
Rich

 

[bambodoggy]

Hi Bam!

I spent most of the weekend exploring a local woods i haven't been to before (don't know why as it's about a five minute walk away)
I was really happy to find a nine metre fallen birch with some decent looking bark on it!
I also found lots of fallen wood that was a good size and shape for carving - so i'll be back with my saw no doubt

Nobody goes there either - so i had the place to myself

Neil

Cool as Matey....lucky you! The woods I go to is open to everyone so theres lots of dog walkers and a little bit of litter but I have so much MoD land here to I can walk for miles without seeing anyone.

Where abouts in Hampshire are you? I'm on the Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire boarder.

Bam.

 

[bambodoggy]

Sweet!! I really like that coffee container Bam! Very creative with those letters on it
Had a good look at that pot hanger ... why 2 pieces of wood? Ok as you said: "(..)it's hard to find a branch where the shoots go out in opposite directions to hang up (...)" - you lost me ...
Why don't use a simple stick and cut it as in RM's Bushcraft (Ok, there are several ways to Rome) ... And: doesn't the wedge fall into your soup?

Nice garden BTW

Thanks Mate, I'm dead chuffed with the coffee container too..lol

As for the pot hanger...as you say, it's just another way of doing something and kills a bit of time. The wedge stays in place perfectly and holds the other two sticks apart... have a go at making one You can hang anything on it...not just pots!
Wifey does the garden...I cut the lawn

Stu... that sounds like a great way to use a weekend, I love Thetford Forest, I went to college up near there so used to play there a lot

 

[tenbears10]

Very nice Bam you flash bugger. Letters on the coffee tub How think was the bark do you think you will get 40 years of use out of it?

 

[bambodoggy]

Very nice Bam you flash bugger. Letters on the coffee tub How think was the bark do you think you will get 40 years of use out of it?

Thicker than I expected of southern uk bark actually Matey...but not as thick as the stuff we collected in Sweden...oh and I must have cut out countless "E" and "F"'s before I got one that didn't pull apart on the last cut!!!!!

As for the fourty year test.... I'll let you know in about 2045 lol

If you are coming over in a couple of weeks to crash up at my local woods with Shinobi and Squidders (I haven't actually asked either of them yet!!! ) then I'll show you were to collect some.

 

[raskusdrotti]

Where abouts in Hampshire are you? I'm on the Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire boarder.

I'm in between Portsmouth & Southampton - wishing i had access to miles of MOD land!!

I'll just have to come with you

Neil

 

[bambodoggy]

I'll just have to come with you

and you'd be most welcome Mate

 

[Gary]

Excellent stuff Phil - can I copy the pictures to Preben --- show him he's created a monster!! lol!

What did you do with the swedish bark?

 

[bambodoggy]

Excellent stuff Phil - can I copy the pictures to Preben --- show him he's created a monster!! lol!

What did you do with the swedish bark?

Really? I'd be honoured if you sent them to him (Cheshire Cat grin is back!). My joints aren't anywhere near as good as his but I've been studying the photos I took of his containers and will be having a go at that...

Here's what the joints on the coffee container look like and one with both together to show a bit of scale:

I still have the Swedish bark all rolled up safely... once I've made a few more bits and bobs from the bark I can collect myself to get my practice in then I'lll make something really nice (hopefully) out of the better quality Swedish stuff

 

[Gary]

Cool as mate.

Preben will be cuffed you tried mate - and I will tell him I'll copy him a picture of the ones made from Swedish bark too - so no pressure!

 

[tomtom]

bam how does the hide preform now you have treated it? is it still nice a flexi?

good work all round by the way!

 

[bambodoggy]

bam how does the hide preform now you have treated it? is it still nice a flexi?

good work all round by the way!

Cheers Tom

I only did it yesterday and the tube says it takes up to 72hours to dry but apart from being very slightly tacky still, the skin is tip top... because it's silicon sealant it flexes with the skin and as I chose the clear stuff you'd hardly know it was there......but when used on the ground as a sleeping or sitting mat it's going to be much more waterproof and so suitable for the British weather! lol
I got the idea off the Silicon reindear skins Gary sells and as I'd bought mine from Norway untreated (tanned and everything just not siliconed) I thought I'd give it a go. This little skin was the tester and it's worked so well that I'll be doign the big reindear skin next.
Me and some mates are planning (or trying to plan) an 1800's weekend in the woods when everything you have with you has to be from that eara....so no thermarests or foam kipmats...hence the reindear skin

(You should see the leather loin cloth I'm working on!!!!!!!! )