bushcraft on the cheap

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ady05

Forager
Jan 8, 2007
193
0
50
kings lynn, norfolk
hi guys
i have a 12 year old nephew who is now getting into bushcraft he is not very well off (single parent) yesterday he came to my house with a £2 tea caddy that we converted into a small billy can the kid seemed over the moon with this so i was wondering what other items could be done on the cheap to help people out like him
:D :D :D :D
 

Longstrider

Settler
Sep 6, 2005
990
12
59
South Northants
I think it's fantastic that you are helping the kid "get into" an interest that will give him a love of the outdoors. The billy sounds an ideal first project too.
Other ideas of cheaper options that spring to my mind are..

Frosts Mora for his knife. (At 12 years old I'd guess he's responsible enough to have one if supervised)
B+Q (Or any of the big DIY "sheds" ) plastic "tarp" for a shelter.
Firesteel "blank" for about half the price of one witha plastic handle already fitted.
Ex-Army backpack as well as any number of other suitable items from the Govt Surplus Store. They really can be wonderful places to rummage through for all sorts of kit at knock-down prices.
 

AndyW

Nomad
Nov 12, 2006
400
0
50
Essex
I've seen a number of things around the web regarding making stoves. These are all meths burners made from things like coke cans or pet food tins.

A quick Google should turn them up.

HTH, Andy
 

Zodiak

Settler
Mar 6, 2006
664
8
Kent UK
What about making a meths burner for his billy?

http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html

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

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

You can make a pretty good stove stand from a coffee tin with a couple of metal tent pegs 3" apart pushed in just under the rim from side to side. You need to make some holes top and bottom, for which an old type triangular hole beer can opener is ideal. All three together and you are close to a trangia.

What about making a match holder? Do you have any old plumbing fittings he could use?

Wilnkinson are a good source of cheap but good bits, first aid kit for £1, sigg clone drinking bottle £1.99 and meths for £1. Tesco were doing pretty good aluminium quartz torches for £1.99 last summer, I dont know if they still do them.

Tesco were selling shower curtains for 99p the other week, a bit poncy but would probably make a reasonable tarp or if he has afew more quid then have look at http://www.tarpaflex.co.uk/acatalog/ARMY_CAMOUFLAGE_TARPAULINS.html a decent sized one will be just over £6 but double that for P&P, however our local camp shop does them for £8. I know DPM is sometimes seen as naff, but I think its better for this than blue.

My son just reminded me that he picked up huge sheets of polythene for his scouts from the rubbish bins at B&Q for free, they were originally packaging but he managed to make a handful of useable tarps.

Industrial strength bubble wrap makes a good sleep mat until the bubbles burst.

The other essential is a knife, I have seen small SAKs for £2 recently in a garage and they had opinels in the local flea market for £1, OK so they had some promotional material on them but 10 mins with sandpaper and some oil would soon fix that.

Other good DIY sites
http://www.scoutscan.com/scouts/homemade.html
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
 

kb31

Forager
Jun 24, 2006
152
2
by the lakes
hi my first home made tin
i was about 12 then i got sas survival handbook -or my dad got it for me
the flint bit out of a clipper lighter£1 would light cotton wool then a candle lofty's way
it was my first flint n steel but
i should have kept the lighter :)
 

Tadpole

Full Member
Nov 12, 2005
2,842
21
59
Bristol
ady05 said:
hi guys
i have a 12 year old nephew who is now getting into bushcraft he is not very well off (single parent) yesterday he came to my house with a £2 tea caddy that we converted into a small billy can the kid seemed over the moon with this so i was wondering what other items could be done on the cheap to help people out like him
:D :D :D :D



The axe in this picture cost £5.00 +£2 p+p from eBay
The two knives are both Mora's, a clipper and a beech handled K103, both are under a tenner.
The wood “stove” is cutlery drainer from Ikea and was £2.10 (at full pelt it will boil 1.5lt in just over 10 minutes)
The sheath on the axe I made myself from leather given to me by someone on this site. The sheath in the foreground is one I have just finished. (See my journal) Made from scrap pine and leather, again given to me by another member on this site.
The black leather pouch in the front, was my granddads, he gave it to me when I was 10 or so. I keep my matches and my lighter, some tinder, a firelighting fungus, and some small hunks of fatwood in it. Even on a wet and winday day I'm able to make a brew.
With the billy can I plan to make next from a coffee can from TKmaxx, and a coat hanger, a tarp I got online for £6+£3p+p. and a canvas bag I found in a charity shop. I’m all set for a day’s bushcrafting.
If I take my sleeping bag (ex army 98 pattern good down to minus 2 degrees C or lower if I use my silk liner, both also from ebay) I’m set up for a weekend. Eat from the billy with a spoon carved on the spot. What more does a newbie bushcrafter want?
 

ady05

Forager
Jan 8, 2007
193
0
50
kings lynn, norfolk
:You_Rock_ guys there are some great ideas here which are much appreciated and no doubt we will be trying some of them shortly

thanks once again


:D :D :D
 

eskimo

Need to contact Admin...
Dec 1, 2006
250
1
Humberside
ady05 - If your interested PM me, I have a few items surplus which I will post for your nephew at no cost. I too was brought up in a single parent family so know how tight money can be. Hope you don't think I am been rude (It's just better than going in the bin).

Items are:
1 x Genuine SA Trianga
1 x DPM Utility Pouch
1 x Plastic Mug (Unused)
1 x KFS Set (Unused)

I will also have a look to see if I can find anything else.
 

andy_pevy

Tenderfoot
May 5, 2006
87
0
65
Sandhurst
ady05 said:
:You_Rock_ guys there are some great ideas here which are much appreciated and no doubt we will be trying some of them shortly

thanks once again


:D :D :D

I have an Ikea utility knife that he can have. It looks like a plastic handled Mora and has a carbon blade and plastic sheath.

PM me and I will get it in the post to you.

Andy Pevy
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE