So - having posted the "DIY Challenge" I decided I would have a go....
Friday I was Solo and set up camp - I used my base camp site at Clynfyw with some furniture that lives on site.
First of all was the group shelter - designed by me but made by Kathmandu Trekking 15 years ago
Then there was my stretcher bed the fabric (MOD Basha) sewn together with para cord.
On this I laid my Waxed cotton covered blanket as insulation
and on top of this went my blanket sleeping bag with its Thai silk liner.
My Waxed cotton utility sheet (waterproof/basha/groundshhet) as a top windproof layer.
The bed was then protected by my custom 4x3m canvas tarp that I ordered from Bilmo - my design spec - his manufacture
Spare clothing was mainly linen and wool items I originally made for my bits of work at Castell Henlys Iron Age for. The hood is because my sleeping bag has no real integral hood...
I wore the laced front sweater a lot over the weekend....
I carried my gear up in my canvas and leather rucksack and canvas totes and a waxed cotton sea bag while useful bits were on my belt.
Hand carved whistle, hand made pouch, !st Aid, medi kit, hygiene kit in home made stuff sacks, flint and steel and sulfur matches in leather pouches and the camera in a leather belt pouch.
I wore a canvas cap, cambric shirt, ripstop cotton gilet, linen trousers, wool booties and Iron age shoes, with my Ventile-esque SAS smock in reserve.
My stove was a Red Bull meths stove and a 3 hinge trivet all spoons and the cup were hand made and the pot grab made from wool I spun but which my wife knitted. The frying pan was a sweetie tin lid and a bit of broom handle... the billies were originally coffee storage tins.
While I lit the fire with flint and steel, Sulfur matches and home made wax and sawdust fireblocks.
My knives were made by me entirely - one by stock removal, one forged.
My lighting was a home made candle stick set
backed up with modern torches (no input from me on them...)
Coffee, sugar , flour all in home made pouches and the hatched was a found head revived from terminal rust while the cordage was spun up from garden twine...
Spare cup, bowl, waterbottle and mending kit all of my own making.
Friday lunch was tomato and pepper bannock with dried tomatoes, dried peppers and beef jerky - all prepared by me
And all in the woods was loverly and Springlike
In the afternoon I set to making stuff - charcloth, a besom broom, a tripod to hang gear on, a set of gluts and some lightweight mauls for splitting wood and a couple of pot hooks.
In the evening I read a book and drank some Sloe Brandy by candle light and then retired.
On Sat morning I did some bramble bashing, cut loads of firewood, made birch twig bundles for burning, put in a new pothanger rail over the fire before a lunch identical to Friday's, got in more water and then was joined by Mark.
After that not much work got done as we had a lot of catching up to do.... and a bit of birdwatching!
Sat night came too soon as did Sun Morning - with rain
We chatted and whittled (Mark made 2 spoons) antil noon when we dropped camp and wound our ways home....
A great time and one that proved that buying the latest kit is not really neccesary - the only commercial kit I used were a pot grab, one torch, my hygiene kit, my glasses, my camera ... and my underpants!
I am currently working on a lightweight 4x3 basha and have plans to make some ripstop cotton "combat" pants type trousers but I really need to work on some more modern shoes ... the flat leather soles gave no grip to speak of and the lack of a heel left my calf muscles stretched and aching... and I need to find someone to knit me some socks to my specs.
I may start pattern cutting for a set of underpants....
Friday I was Solo and set up camp - I used my base camp site at Clynfyw with some furniture that lives on site.
First of all was the group shelter - designed by me but made by Kathmandu Trekking 15 years ago
Then there was my stretcher bed the fabric (MOD Basha) sewn together with para cord.
On this I laid my Waxed cotton covered blanket as insulation
and on top of this went my blanket sleeping bag with its Thai silk liner.
My Waxed cotton utility sheet (waterproof/basha/groundshhet) as a top windproof layer.
The bed was then protected by my custom 4x3m canvas tarp that I ordered from Bilmo - my design spec - his manufacture
Spare clothing was mainly linen and wool items I originally made for my bits of work at Castell Henlys Iron Age for. The hood is because my sleeping bag has no real integral hood...
I wore the laced front sweater a lot over the weekend....
I carried my gear up in my canvas and leather rucksack and canvas totes and a waxed cotton sea bag while useful bits were on my belt.
Hand carved whistle, hand made pouch, !st Aid, medi kit, hygiene kit in home made stuff sacks, flint and steel and sulfur matches in leather pouches and the camera in a leather belt pouch.
I wore a canvas cap, cambric shirt, ripstop cotton gilet, linen trousers, wool booties and Iron age shoes, with my Ventile-esque SAS smock in reserve.
My stove was a Red Bull meths stove and a 3 hinge trivet all spoons and the cup were hand made and the pot grab made from wool I spun but which my wife knitted. The frying pan was a sweetie tin lid and a bit of broom handle... the billies were originally coffee storage tins.
While I lit the fire with flint and steel, Sulfur matches and home made wax and sawdust fireblocks.
My knives were made by me entirely - one by stock removal, one forged.
My lighting was a home made candle stick set
backed up with modern torches (no input from me on them...)
Coffee, sugar , flour all in home made pouches and the hatched was a found head revived from terminal rust while the cordage was spun up from garden twine...
Spare cup, bowl, waterbottle and mending kit all of my own making.
Friday lunch was tomato and pepper bannock with dried tomatoes, dried peppers and beef jerky - all prepared by me
And all in the woods was loverly and Springlike
In the afternoon I set to making stuff - charcloth, a besom broom, a tripod to hang gear on, a set of gluts and some lightweight mauls for splitting wood and a couple of pot hooks.
In the evening I read a book and drank some Sloe Brandy by candle light and then retired.
On Sat morning I did some bramble bashing, cut loads of firewood, made birch twig bundles for burning, put in a new pothanger rail over the fire before a lunch identical to Friday's, got in more water and then was joined by Mark.
After that not much work got done as we had a lot of catching up to do.... and a bit of birdwatching!
Sat night came too soon as did Sun Morning - with rain
We chatted and whittled (Mark made 2 spoons) antil noon when we dropped camp and wound our ways home....
A great time and one that proved that buying the latest kit is not really neccesary - the only commercial kit I used were a pot grab, one torch, my hygiene kit, my glasses, my camera ... and my underpants!
I am currently working on a lightweight 4x3 basha and have plans to make some ripstop cotton "combat" pants type trousers but I really need to work on some more modern shoes ... the flat leather soles gave no grip to speak of and the lack of a heel left my calf muscles stretched and aching... and I need to find someone to knit me some socks to my specs.
I may start pattern cutting for a set of underpants....
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