Bushcraft alone - North Yorkshire?

[DMc Outdoors]

Hi everyone,
I’ve had a keen interest in bushcraft for just over a year now and have been going on regular trips to Galloway forest park with a good friend of mine to practice and enjoy the great outdoors, I’m looking to head out on my first solo overnight trip as my mate can’t make it and I simply just can’t wait until March to get back out there. I was wondering about maybe heading somewhere closer to home in North Yorkshire for my first trip although I’m struggling with the fact that I won’t be able to have a campfire and this is a massive part of the experience for me. Any advice re going solo and also the fire issue?

 

[Madriverrob]

I wild camp regularly on the North Yorkshire Coast , always have a small controlled fire

 

[bopdude]

And if you're close enough to Newcastle then there's Brockwell Woods, controlled wild camping £8 a night no toilet's etc but do allow fires.

 

[crosslandkelly]

A small fire box can work.

 

[Woody girl]

A small fire box can work.

Beat me to it!. I was about to suggest the same.
I have two. One is a homemade ikea cutlery drainer type. I use a sandwich baking tin to stop it burning the ground too much and it packs a fair bit of heat. Does need constant tending though due to burning only small stuff.
A proper small folding firepit is something I'd like to get soon for myself.

 

[DMc Outdoors]

Thanks guys, I’ve had a look at bush boxes etc, could be a decent option for me although I’m still in 2 minds because nothing beats a well placed ground fire ‍

 

[Janne]

A 'real' fire gives huge atmosphere to the outdoor experience. But sometimes ( dry weather, dry ground) a bit risky. Have you thought about an alcohol burner, or even the modern gas cartridge systems? Good to have at home as a backup. Also sometimes when the ground and fuel is soaking wet.

( not what you asked about, but you are new in this hobby...)

 

[Madriverrob]

A small fire box can work.

Can’t beat a Firebox .....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ScottE]

+1 vote for a firebox or bushbox, twig stoves are perfect for solo cooking/bush tv/personal space heaters, even in grim conditions a fire is a cinch because they draw like little chimneys and retain some heat.

 

[DMc Outdoors]

The fire boxes look great, I have a very small version of one but would like a larger one

 

[ScottE]

The fire boxes look great, I have a very small version of one but would like a larger one

From lots of experience of twig stoves....bigger is better, more fuel+more air = more draw = more heat and less smoke

 

[MikeeMiracle]

Firebox / Bushbox etc are great for ambience but not so much for providing heat to warm you. Having said that they are still fun, when I don't need fire for heat I like to keep a fire going in a wood stove like these for the fun / ambience / cooking purposes.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hey chaps, please remember that wild camping is not permitted in England except in certain places where it is either tolerated or the land owner has given permission. Camping and having fires without permission is not to be encouraged on this forum. I have had to delete two posts.

I know this sucks, both as law and forum rules, when you are starting.

Fires are at odds with "leave no trace" and even people who are interested in bushcraft and should know better can do stupid, careless and selfish things when it comes to camp fires. There have been years at the summer Moot when people have left deep fire scars burned into the earth where none had been before, no attempt to clean up, some sites where the fires still smolder, others where wood that was too big and didn't burn fully has been left scattered about.

If a fire is the main focus of your camping, then you should work to find a place that allows you to do that, with permission, or a shore line. People who want to hunt or shoot have to work to get permission to do those things and it is possible to get permission to camp with a fire, as many others have done.

These are worth a read.
https://www.trespass.com/advice/wild-camping-legal/
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/how-to-find-a-place-to-practice-bushcraft-skills-in-the-uk/

Particularly this one, which also goes into the legal issues of having a knife or axe while camping on land where you do not have permission.
https://originaloutdoors.co.uk/articles/uk-wild-camping-laws-explained/

Regards

Chris

 

[DMc Outdoors]

Thanks for everyone’s input. And apologies if I broke the rules

 

[ScottE]

Stoves save fire scars too
And if setup well with a screen and reflector do provide surprising amounts of heat.
I’ve used mine for hours and warmed a tarp and bivi setup by using a reflector behind the stove.
This guy does it differently but same principle.

 

[Woody girl]

Hey chaps, please remember that wild camping is not permitted in England except in certain places where it is either tolerated or the land owner has given permission. Camping and having fires without permission is not to be encouraged on this forum. I have had to delete two posts.

I know this sucks, both as law and forum rules, when you are starting.

Fires are at odds with "leave no trace" and even people who are interested in bushcraft and should know better can do stupid, careless and selfish things when it comes to camp fires. There have been years at the summer Moot when people have left deep fire scars burned into the earth where none had been before, no attempt to clean up, some sites where the fires still smolder, others where wood that was too big and didn't burn fully has been left scattered about.

If a fire is the main focus of your camping, then you should work to find a place that allows you to do that, with permission, or a shore line. People who want to hunt or shoot have to work to get permission to do those things and it is possible to get permission to camp with a fire, as many others have done.

These are worth a read.
https://www.trespass.com/advice/wild-camping-legal/
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/how-to-find-a-place-to-practice-bushcraft-skills-in-the-uk/

Particularly this one, which also goes into the legal issues of having a knife or axe while camping on land where you do not have permission.
https://originaloutdoors.co.uk/articles/uk-wild-camping-laws-explained/

Regards

Chris

Yes a good point. That is why I use the pan underneath my ikea burner to collect the ashes and stop any scarring of the soil underneath. I've also put some legs made of bolts to lift it up a bit higher from the ground which as well as stopping it burning the ground, improves air flow.
Leave no trace is important. Practice completely erasing any trace of a fire In your own garden before you light one in the wild.
If anyone can tell you had a fire in that spot you need more practise