Bucks Bushcraft group woods weekend.

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swyn

Life Member
Nov 24, 2004
1,159
227
Eastwards!
We had a very busy week-end building a three person group shelter using Ash and Hazel framing tied with natural cordage. This was then covered with a thick layer of Spruce brash. It needed to be thick as the East wind found it's way into any opening. The sleeping areas were also covered with 9'' of springy brash too.

Cooking was the usual excelent cuisine refined to Muntjac, dumplings and vegetables.

The highlight of this week-end was our experiment in creating a Hangi. This entailed gathering as much information as possible as none of our group had done this from scratch before and we wanted it to be a success.

As the carcass was being dressed and the shelter was being built I set about digging the pit. This was approx 3'x3'x18'' and a fire was created in this. Using the strong wind to my advantage and a couple of pieces of tin sheeting, carefully cut from the now rare 'tin' tree I was able to direct the wind into the bottom of the pit and create a furnace! Local rocks and all manner of firewood was put into this to form a large fire that burned fiercely for three hours bringing all the rocks to red hot colour.

The rocks were then shovelled out to enable a wire basket (similar to a shopping basket) to sit on and be surrounded by hot rocks.
The meat was wrapped in calico (WASHED). The wire basket was lined with baking foil and a litre of apple juice poured into this receptacle. The two calico bundles were dipped in this and soaked with the apple juice, placed in position and wrapped by the remaining foil.

Two hessian sacks were soaked in water and placed over the rocks and basket and the whole lot was then covered with soil and left for four hours.

The resulting feast was probably the best and certainly the tenderest any of us had ever eaten. All in all a success! :D :D

I did not have the camera so Look out for Silverbacks post to see the pictures.

Cheers folks for a busy and enjoyable week-end.
Swyn.
 
swyn said:
We had a very busy week-end building a three person group shelter using Ash and Hazel framing tied with natural cordage. This was then covered with a thick layer of Spruce brash. It needed to be thick as the East wind found it's way into any opening. The sleeping areas were also covered with 9'' of springy brash too.

Cooking was the usual excelent cuisine refined to Muntjac, dumplings and vegetables.

The highlight of this week-end was our experiment in creating a Hangi. This entailed gathering as much information as possible as none of our group had done this from scratch before and we wanted it to be a success.

As the carcass was being dressed and the shelter was being built I set about digging the pit. This was approx 3'x3'x18'' and a fire was created in this. Using the strong wind to my advantage and a couple of pieces of tin sheeting, carefully cut from the now rare 'tin' tree I was able to direct the wind into the bottom of the pit and create a furnace! Local rocks and all manner of firewood was put into this to form a large fire that burned fiercely for three hours bringing all the rocks to red hot colour.

The rocks were then shovelled out to enable a wire basket (similar to a shopping basket) to sit on and be surrounded by hot rocks.
The meat was wrapped in calico (WASHED). The wire basket was lined with baking foil and a litre of apple juice poured into this receptacle. The two calico bundles were dipped in this and soaked with the apple juice, placed in position and wrapped by the remaining foil.

Two hessian sacks were soaked in water and placed over the rocks and basket and the whole lot was then covered with soil and left for four hours.

The resulting feast was probably the best and certainly the tenderest any of us had ever eaten. All in all a success! :D :D

I did not have the camera so Look out for Silverbacks post to see the pictures.

Cheers folks for a busy and enjoyable week-end.
Swyn.

That's a great post Swyn and has made me more unhappy that I had to miss it due to a bad back and hamstrings.

I've been sat on the sofa most of the weekend not being able to move to far and I thought of you lot having fun often.


I'm really glad you guys had a great time and look forward to learning from your experiences and seeing the pictures ;)

Phil.
 

Silverback

Full Member
Sep 29, 2006
978
15
England
A truly excellent weekend with two really successful projects completed. A big thanks once again to Swyn for the superb facilities and supplies for the Hangi (Sorry I missed you this morning Swyn you were still in the land of nod when I reluctantly had to head for home :( )

These meets seem to get better and better and I always return having learnt so much whilst at the same time feeling like I have also managed to contribute. Please refer to Swyns comprehensive post when viewing the following photos and I can confirm that the Group shelter was as cosy as it looks and the Hangi was incredible :eek:

The shelter frame was held together using only natural materials in this case Spruce root which is incredibly strong and very flexible

Sprucerootbinding.jpg


BenderFrame.jpg


Bender.jpg


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Building shelters is hungry and thirsty work so...........
 

Silverback

Full Member
Sep 29, 2006
978
15
England
A whole Muntjac carcass provided the meat. The saddle and a haunch were set aside for the Hangi and the remainder de-boned and cubed. All off cuts bones etc. Were set to boil nice and slow throughout the day, the stock of which was then strained off and used for a stew with potatoes and dumplings

Dave29thMarch2007010.jpg


MuntySkin.jpg


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Swyn virtually single handedly prepared the Hangi and to say it was a success is really an understatement. The meat literally fell off the bones when unwrapped and the taste was indescribable - you will just have to come along to a Bucks meet and find out for yourself ;)

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Saddle.jpg


A big thanks to Jason, Rods Elder and Younger and Swyn for another cherishable memory with good mates gettin out there and doin it!
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
Fantastic, nice one chaps.....I had to go and help out with a cubs meet (whatever its called) with Bushwacker Bob, otherwise, I would of been there....
We did do a hangi though, and the kids tried some wild veg, and the nettle tea went down better than expected.....
 

Rod

On a new journey
Here are a few more pics...

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The chat L-R (Silverback's back, Jason Sears, Sandsnakes (Rod the Elder)

dave_the_hunter.jpg


Silverback and 'dinner'

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Sandsnakes checking his hair ;)

chez_nous.jpg


Inside our little shelter. 3 cosy sleeping platforms with deep-fill bough mattresses. Plenty of room to store kit and have a small central fire.

jason_in_shelter.jpg


Jason's moving in. Nice one mate you did good!

Oh and one last thing.....


Silverback - you forgot something ;)

daves_bain.jpg


It was a fantastic weekend. Great company/food/times - cheers lads :You_Rock_
 

Silverback

Full Member
Sep 29, 2006
978
15
England
Rod said:
Oh and one last thing.....


Silverback - you forgot something ;)

daves_bain.jpg
:lmao: Oh so I did, completely slipped my mind ;) . Who ended up with it? I need to sort you and J out with a key ring mate so can you let me have your addy via pm and J's if you have it and I will get em sent off?
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
983
13
68
West London
Look at the shelter and you will see the Jarod anchors. Look at the partly build shelter at the bottom of the main angled staves. Back shot of Jason in Doby hat and shelter, right hand side.

A swedish inovation read about by Rod-the-elder and perfected by Jason-of-the-goldie-locks ( :naughty: ). Its for use in areas with high wind, makes the thing as solid as a rock, simple too!


Sandsnakes

Had a great time even though I was there for only the day....ps... anyone seen my saw? :dunno: :aargh4: :aargh4: :11doh:
 

Aaron

Need to contact Admin...
Dec 28, 2003
570
0
42
Oxford/Gloucs border
Gutted I missed this one fellas - they always seem to cooincide my college weekends. Looks like you had good fun - hope I can make the next one. :You_Rock_
 

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