Begginer in need of direction !

[d3v]

Hello everyone. I've just bought my cold steel recon scout blade, an ALICE pack, a tarp, some para cord, a flint, snare wire, fishing kit and a sleeping bag and I want to test myself outdoors living completely off the land for 7 days and nights with train return fair just in case I can't manage (unlikely).

Firstly I am in dire need of a suitable location ideally in the midlands area but within the borders of wales and scotland to avoid the ridiculous train fair costs. The location must be completely devoid of human activity for at least a square mile, have abundant edible plant life, thriving game animals, and have fast moving water sources for drinking water.

Secondly, after searching google all day without joy, I am in need of some sort of guide to english edible plant life. Free information ideally, as I have already spent stupid amounts on the kit. A web page URL would be ideal!


Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[spamel]

Good luck finding this place you are after, I think you may be hard pressed. What you want to do sounds like it could be fun, but take a look at the two guys who went into the alaskan wilderness for a month. They didn't last much longer than a week and realised their knowledge base was a lot lower than they first thought. Their plan was to learn it as they go, it's just not feasible to do that. Also, bear in mind that to fish you will need to abide by the Law with regards licensing and technique (no hand lines on inland waters, rods only) and to set snares you will need land owners permission. Uprooting any plants will also need to be cleared by the land owner, and some plants are not to be uprooted at all. There are lots of hurdles in your way unfortunately, but good luck with it.

 

[Dan1982]

Firstly welcome aboard. Secondly, get a first aid kit!! Thirdly, make sure you are competant in all the basic skills before you go off on your own.

There will be lots of other advice to follow!

Good luck.

Dan

 

[drewdunnrespect]

As the above is all very good avdivce the only piece i can give you is remember it can allways get worse in even the most horrible situation so lessons learned before hand are a god send

 

[d3v]

thanks everyone but it's my choice to take the risks anyway i'm taking a MRE or two, plus train fair home if it all goes to ****.


If you could address the two original questions i'd be most grateful, cheers.

 

[British Red]

Firstly I am in dire need of a suitable location ideally in the midlands area but within the borders of wales and scotland to avoid the ridiculous train fair costs. The location must be completely devoid of human activity for at least a square mile, have abundant edible plant life, thriving game animals, and have fast moving water sources for drinking water.

Simple - no chance at all unless you are good friends with a private landowner who will give you permission to use their land. It illegal to do what you want otherwise and there are no "square miles" of land "in the midlands area" which are "devoid of human activity" that have "abundant edible plant life,etc.etc.". None, zero, zilch, nada. There are some private estates and farms but you need permission to use them. They are also not "devoid of human activity"

Secondly, after searching google all day without joy, I am in need of some sort of guide to english edible plant life. Free information ideally, as I have already spent stupid amounts on the kit. A web page URL would be ideal!


Any help would be great, thanks!

www.pfaf.org/

Red

 

[d3v]

thanks for the flora link.

looking at google maps i see a few massive woodland areas like the peak district in the midlands, the yorkshire dales and moors. what are those areas like for bushcraft?

also i am willing to travel to a place in scotland or wales but i'd have to wait a while before i can afford to, which is no problem because it will give me more time to learn.
i worked on a game farm in wrexham wales for ages and the area looked perfect for bushcraft. teeming with rabbits. surely places like that are ideal?

 

[Sniper]

You have bags of enthusiasm and that's a good thing but you suggest in your post a lack of edible plant knowledge and that's a bad thing. I hope you realise that a simple error in identifying a plant on your part could have fatal consequences for you. If I may suggest, and please take this in the spirit that it is given, do a few days out first, taking a few raw staples like pasta or rice instead of MREs,to supplement what you can forage or snare, also my advice for this type of venture would be a coastal area, plenty of shellfish etc. I think this would give you a better sense of "doability" for a longer trip later.
There are many people on here who have vast amounts of experience and to listen to their advice and suggestions will save you a lot of uneeded hardship and possible injury or worse. Yes it is you choice so make it a wise one.
I wish you luck...I think you'll need it.

 

[SimonM]

thanks everyone but it's my choice to take the risks anyway i'm taking a MRE or two, plus train fair home if it all goes to ****.


If you could address the two original questions i'd be most grateful, cheers.

By your own admission, you are a beginner at this sort of thing. People on this forum generally care about what happens to each other so if they expressed concern it was for the right reasons.

With that in mind, may I suggest that you attend a course or two before you undertake such a large task.

I fully understand that you do not want to feel as if you are being treated like a baby ... after all we all enjoy getting out on our own, with all the risks that go with our chosen hobby

If you do go, may I suggest that you:

• Tell someone where you are going & when you will be back
• Arrange to speak to someone via phone on a regular basis, and arrange a procedure for if you do not ring.

Have fun,

Simon

 

[d3v]

sigh

i am only a beginner in the sense that i haven't camped out exclusively for performing bushcraft. i have had experience with fox tracking and snaring, as well as 3 day and night camping when in the cadets years back. In fact only last month I roughed in for a night in my local forest practicing shelter building and fire shield construction. all i had was an old kitchen knife, a grill from the oven, some sausages, and and a thermal blanket. all i wanna do now is take it to the next level. I have the mentality and nature for this craft so learning is quick for me and learning as I go has always seemed natural and easy.


no offense everyone but why so heavy with the nanny ranting? and why the incessant respect and abiding of freedom and culture-eroding laws such as not being allowed to camp wildly on our own land, regardless of it being owned or not. If I want to camp, make fire, and kill game on a small one man scale for a weekend in a corner of a wood I will bloody well do so.

i'm a grown adult who takes responsibility for my own risks and decisions. accept it.
i want you all to see me as someone who really dosn't give a damn about land owning laws unless they are for a clearly acceptable reason/cause such as not camping on agricultural/game plots... or.... or.... ummm, what else? Absurdity.

 

[bartjeuh200]

One of my first real "survival" experience was a night i spent in the ardennes here in Belgium. I went out with the clothes i had on, a firesteel, a cooking pot, a knife, an axe;
a survivalkit consisting of a spare knife, a lighter, an aluminium rescueblanket, a whistle and a mirror. And basic navigation gear; a map of the surrounding area and a compass.
I had (then) little to no knowledge of edible plants and just some firelightingskills i.e. making feathersticks.

I went out, it was early februari, and left home at about 07:00. I arrived at the spot where i wanted to be at around noon, hadn't eaten the whole time. Built a "shelter" which proved to be way insufficiënt. Didn't nearly collect as much firewood as i should have, consequently my fire died down in the ùmiddle of the night. I woke up some time in the night feeling a bit dissoriented and shivery. So i spent that night walking over 15 miles to get warm.

My point is, i don't know how experienced you are, but things are probably not going to go according to plan . I'm definitly not saying you shouldn't do it. On the contrary . For me it was an experience i will never forget, and will repeat some time this year, to test some of my newly acquired skills.

I hope you have a blast and wish you all the best. Or should you struggle and rough it like i did, hope you learn from your mistakes and get more eager than ever to study bushcraft. .

 

[Sniper]

and why the incessant respect and abiding of freedom and culture-eroding laws such as not being allowed to camp wildly on our own land, regardless of it being owned or not. If I want to camp, make fire, and kill game on a small one man scale for a weekend in a corner of a wood I will bloody well do so.

i'm a grown adult who takes responsibility for my own risks and decisions. accept it.
i want you all to see me as someone who really dosn't give a damn about land owning laws unless they are for a clearly acceptable reason/cause such as not camping on agricultural/game plots... or.... or.... ummm, what else? Absurdity.[/QUOTE]

Then it wouldn't matter if a few of us turn up and set up camp in your sitting room, chop up your furniture for firewood which we will build in the centre of your sitting room and plough up your garden looking for edibles. That's what your saying in essence to landowners. An attitude of I'll do as I please and to heck with everybody else is not a good one to adopt, here or anywhere, it alienates people who are trying to help answer your question with good advice and good common sense. If you treat it with disdain, why would they not ignore any further queries or questions you may have, treating you in the same way as you have treated them.

 

[d3v]

oh now that sounds like fun! actually your experience does taint a few of my daydreaming thoughts of everything going to plan as long as I do it by the book, lol.

I am well prepared for a similar predicament. that's why I'm bringing MRE's and money.

And I do keep hearing central europe is best for bushcraft survival but I want plenty of practice locally before i spend big bucks to travel further afield hence this thread!

 

[redneck]

Firstly I wouldn't try for 7 nights unless I had a lot of knowledge!! I'd keep it down to 2 to start with and bring a good field guide with you! ( and first aid kit)..I admire your enthusiasm but take your time, expand your knowledge and test yourself as you go along....I think I'm moderately( no expert by any means) used to spending a day in the bush but I was out with my son today and we had big problems starting a fire in the pouring rain ( No meths or cotton and vaseline or firelighters, just a firesteel birch bark and twigs) we did eventually get one going so that we could have a brew but I wouldn't try for a full week..slow and steady to start with.

 

[spamel]

If somebody said they were gonna climb Snowdon and had no experience and yet insisted they were gonna do it in high heels and lacy under wear, I'd also advise them not to. It's their life at the end of the day, but it is the Mountain Rescue who have to haul the dead body off the mountain that i would feel bad about. I wouldn't care one bit for somebody who ignored advise meant to keep them out of trouble or the likelihood of death.

So, go for it. If you end up with a day in court to explain why you committed trespass and caused criminal damage on somebodys' land by uprooting plants and lighting a fire, then don't come bleating to us. We've tried to explain, you wish to ignore the advice, so why ask in the first place?

Is it just me, or have there been a few awkward posts made by a number of people in the last few days?

 

[British Red]

sigh

i am only a beginner in the sense that i haven't camped out exclusively for performing bushcraft. i have had experience with fox tracking and snaring, as well as 3 day and night camping when in the cadets years back. In fact only last month I roughed in for a night in my local forest practicing shelter building and fire shield construction. all i had was an old kitchen knife, a grill from the oven, some sausages, and and a thermal blanket. all i wanna do now is take it to the next level. I have the mentality and nature for this craft so learning is quick for me and learning as I go has always seemed natural and easy.


no offense everyone but why so heavy with the nanny ranting? and why the incessant respect and abiding of freedom and culture-eroding laws such as not being allowed to camp wildly on our own land, regardless of it being owned or not. If I want to camp, make fire, and kill game on a small one man scale for a weekend in a corner of a wood I will bloody well do so.

i'm a grown adult who takes responsibility for my own risks and decisions. accept it.
i want you all to see me as someone who really dosn't give a damn about land owning laws unless they are for a clearly acceptable reason/cause such as not camping on agricultural/game plots... or.... or.... ummm, what else? Absurdity.

Whatever you beliefs of the current laws, they are just that - the law. Asking people to offer advice on land you can trespass on and take game from without landowners permission (theft at best) would render them,as well as you in a precarious legal position.

Its just not a sensible thing to do or ask

Red

 

[Dan1982]

is it a full moon??

 

[d3v]

@ Spamel
it's you. and don't insult my intelligence with suggesting a non-climbing, simple camping trip could involve mountain rescue service.
and tresspassing is not illegal in england or wales but you are obliged to leave if caught by the farmer.

So, go for it. If you end up with a day in court to explain why you committed trespass and caused criminal damage on somebodys' land by uprooting plants and lighting a fire, then don't come bleating to us. We've tried to explain, you wish to ignore the advice, so why ask in the first place?

You for real? When did I ask to be bombarded with unreasonable and unrealistic potential consequential scenarios and ramifications to wild camping?
A direct response to my original two questions along with the warnings as a secondary side-not would of been the correct way to behave and not this crap.

i had no idea people can actually get so brainwashed by the nanny state.


@British Red
.... ohh please... yet more ridiculously unlikely scenarios being taken right out of proportion. And "THEFT"? God this has to be a joke.



I'm ****** off I've already had to argue after just joining.

 

[spamel]

What the problem is is you are stepping onto a public forum and discussing the fact that you will go poaching, trespassing and cause criminal damage with impunity. This isn't discussed on these forums, read the rules. I shall bring this thread to the attention of thre Moderators as I'm sick of this sort of thing coming up in the last few days. Do what you want in your own time, but on here you abide by the rules as laid down by the owner of this site. If you can't conform, leave.

 

[Ogri the trog]

D3V,
While many members here harbour private wishes to live off the land, we also realise the need to abide by the laws of that land. It is only through following detailed codes of ethics that we are ever likely to see increased access to persue our chosen hobby. With this in mind I must ask you to keep such comments as made earlier to yourself. This forum is privately owned and the team of administrators and moderators cannot condone the actions of trespass, poaching and fire-setting that you seem happy to promote.
We are all happy to share our experiences and skills, in the knowledge that they in turn, will be used in a responsible manner. Please do us the honour of passing on that responsibility to those who you influence in the future.

Ogri the trog