Bushcraft on a budget

[wizard]

Great post! It is so true that you can enjoy bushcraft without all the super hightech gear and keep costs to a managable level. It is too bad I am such a gear nut and have no sensible oversight to my spending habits!
Since I semi-retired recently, I make 20% less and now have a 3 day weekend every week to enjoy life! So, that alone is making me spend less money on gear. Of course, I hate to admit it but I have so many things, I have to really search for new gear to buy. I need to lighten up on the load and the spending!
I remember when I was in the army, I had little besides what I was issued and I did just fine in the bush! I do recall a few occasions though when I wished I had a more comfortable pack or a better cooker or something!
Cheers!

 

[sam_acw]

I'm aware that this might be a case of "teaching your grandmother to suck eggs" but I thought it might be useful to some of those starting out.

To make a billy can or boiler you simply need a can, a length of wire, something pointy and sharp (I used the awl on my SAK) and something to bend the wire (depends on how thick it is)

Carefully drill 2 holes opposite each other and then bend the wire through the holes to make a bail.
Here are the before and after photos:


I recommend just sticking it all on the fire to burn off any gunk or unsavouriness and then boiling a first load of water as a test.

I even managed to find a handful of links for you all
Can Boilers in the American Civil War link
Waltzing Matilda - Billy Cans
and from Leon's blog Birch tap and billy

 

[david1]

in my youth I was a tree surgeon

anyway on way to work we sometimes stopped in the greasy spoon cafe for breakfast.

Just ask them for a tin the beans come in its about a gallon in size. enough to make tea for 10 people over the fire. you then need a fraybentos steak pie tin for a lid. oh and eat the pie after cooking it in the embers.

because the tins were free we used to lose them sqaush them all the time dont think we ever wore one out.

billy tea best cup of tea you will ever have


David

 

[pataviking]

nice article. and in your inexpensive pack remeber the duct tape. it will patch tarp, tent, clothing, shoes, taers/cut in your backpack. on the farm back in the day once in awhile a cow would step on a calf's leg and break it so I would fashion a splint from duct tape and strips of PVC sewer pipe and old T-shirt/ rag material to prevent blisters from the pipe strip braces and keep the tape from pulling off skin and hair. sometime you got to do what you got to do.
Pat

 

[Zammo]

Thanks to this thread I was able to suggest two backpacks (the Highlander ones) to a friend, who has to kit her son out for a camping trip for his school. Aparrently they told him that he must have at least more than a 50L pack and all his class mates were buying really expensive ones from specialist camping stores, his mum was on a budget so was helpful of the suggestions.

:You_Rock_

 

[Zodiak]

Nice thread, I am going to nick that and pass it onto my explorer scouts :You_Rock_

One thing I will be changing thorugh I am afraid is the advice about bottles, many people seem to advise against re-using old fizzy bottles due to the chemicals they give off, but you can get great 1ltr bottles from Wilkinson at £2 which are made of metal and have done me for two summers now.

They also do stainless food containers for 99p which are abit thin can be used as billies so long as you don't leave them.

Asda occasionaly do 100 tea lights for £1, which is stonking value

 

[sam_acw]

I have to point out that you ought remember poundland!
I got 2 reflective blankets for £1
Catering supplies or baking things may make good food containers - e.g. stainless steel bowls.

 

[John Fenna]

Charity shops must not be ruled out!
I have 2 stainless steel billies made from S/S containers and steel knitting needles found in charity shops for less than £2 all up, and they even have lids. OK one of the billies has "Sugar" embossed on the side but that is just for making sweet tea and desert in.....
I often see boots in good nick going for pennies, waterproofs, fleeces, wool pullovers, blankets - loads of kit!
And you know that your money is going to make someones life richer, rather than making a rich man richer!
I spend more time in charity shops than outdoor shops.

John

 

[SimonM]

If you want to save money & weight on a simple meths stove make you own out of 3 empty coke cans and some aluminium tape. I recently bought a role of tape for £1 and it is long enough to make hundreds of stoves.

The stoves work on the same principle of the Trangia stoves and work quite well - I have made three now for use in school (Science teacher !)

Follow the link for detailed instructions:

http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsistove.shtml

 

[big_swede]

And you know that your money is going to make someones life richer, rather than making a rich man richer!

Ahh, good quote, will save that one in me good quotes file. Totally agree with the charity shop argument.

 

[Thijzzz]

Excellent thread!

My 2 cents

- Sharpening stones
The standard 2 sided dark grey/light grey sharpening stones from the €5-bins in the DIY shop are not very good. But the white/orange Skandia stone is just €1-2 more (, I'm Dutch) but much much better.

- Japanese water stones: can be bought cheaper at a "toko", a traditional Chinese or Indonesian shop. No idea if you have these in the UK.

- Scarf: in dumpstores you often can get the green version of the Arafat scarf. Depending on how many times you fold them, they can me mildly warming up to really insulating. Good value for € 5-10. Buy the biggest you can get.

- Carabine hooks are always handy. Attach lines to tarp, hang things on...other things, etc. Don't buy the expensive gadget ones from the outdoor shop, go to a toy or souvenir shop and buy the cheap keyring ones.

...mmmm, wanted to type something else but lost. Will type on later.

edit: Got it. Ask a steel worker/polisher to get you a scrap bit of rustfree sheet metal and have him polish it till shiny - presto, an unbreakable and unscratchable mirror. For pennies.

Thijs