I've had a week and i'm still not packed :yikes:
looks like we're in for a cool weekend! :super:
looks like we're in for a cool weekend! :super:
East Anglia Group! - Archive
- Thread starter RAPPLEBY2000
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Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
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Got back OK and had a good time.
Tessa was impressed and say's thanks to everyone who was there, made sure she's got the BCUK website address, special thanks to Fenlander for showing her how to use a bow drill fireset and everyone who put up with her questions.
It was good to put faces and charicters to some of the names from postings, learn a bit more and make some new friends. Now I'm looking forward to the next one when there will be more wild food to collect and eat, Also will know a bit more what to expect and all that.
Next time might borrow a friends car and bring some ash staves from a friends land so I can teach bowmaking plus some clay for doing pots.
Tessa was impressed and say's thanks to everyone who was there, made sure she's got the BCUK website address, special thanks to Fenlander for showing her how to use a bow drill fireset and everyone who put up with her questions.
It was good to put faces and charicters to some of the names from postings, learn a bit more and make some new friends. Now I'm looking forward to the next one when there will be more wild food to collect and eat, Also will know a bit more what to expect and all that.
Next time might borrow a friends car and bring some ash staves from a friends land so I can teach bowmaking plus some clay for doing pots.
Thankyou to everyone, I had a great weekend! It was good to finally put faces to the names! A big thankyou to RAPPLEBY2000 for conceiving the whole idea, Fenlander for finding the site (and not burning himself to much), R-Bowskill for making that fantastic willow bow (Bow making sounds great for the next meet!), Desperate Dan for transporting me out there and of coarse Tessa for not walking into Kevin's Guy lines :biggthump :You_Rock_
I will offer my apologises for my lack of health (wimp I hear you all cry!) 
I will definently be at the next camp, in the meantime Ranger Bob and I often go out and spend the day in Kings Forest and Thetford Forest, so if anyone is interested in a day of exploration especially in Kings Forest which has large deciduous areas, just let Ranger Bob or myself know.
I will definently be at the next camp, in the meantime Ranger Bob and I often go out and spend the day in Kings Forest and Thetford Forest, so if anyone is interested in a day of exploration especially in Kings Forest which has large deciduous areas, just let Ranger Bob or myself know.
Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed the weekend!
We have just finished the first ever East Anglia Meet-up, it went really well!
Those present were:
Myself RAPPLEBY2000,
Fenlander
R-Bowskill
Tess friend of R-bowskill
Ranger Bob
and we had a fleeting meet up with Desperate Dan though he was ill!
We didn't exactly have nice weather, Saturday bashas and Bivis were flapping everywhere, and hammocks / tarps (Bashas) were shelter of choice.
Saturday was spent trying out new kit, putting up shelters and hammocks collecting wood and generally getting used to the site. Later Fenlander gave us several good demos on how to start a friction fire with a bow drill, R-Bowskill made hunting darts and R-Bowskill and I made weird whizzing humming things as seen on Crocodile Dundee.
Bannock breads of various types were made and some cleaves were found by Tess and boiled up (she also found several guy lines!), spoons were carved; personal Bow drill sets were found made and tried.
All day it was very windy in the Thetford area, not a Bush hat day or it was if you used staples, as the night drew closer small branches were falling from nearby healthy poplar trees and twigs were falling on us from the pine area we were in.
After burning Bannock and fingers we all headed for the warmth of our shelters only to find the wind getting much worse along with a heavy rain storm, swaying hammocks was one problem!
In the morning, Ranger Bob assembled a truly inspirational wood-burning stove made from cut metal sheet from an old filing cabinet, after burning more Bannock and witnessing a snow shower, we all went for a forage in the local woods and marsh area. Pickings were, as youd expect a little sparse this time of year but food found and tried were:
Burdock root, Cleaves, and nettle.
Ranger bob also showed us a wooden bowl he had carved from birch, and due to the earlier finger burning incident R-Bowskill set about making a Bushcraft wooden pan holder and succeeded!
The hinged pan holder inspired a masterclass of engineering that involved a DIY furnace to heat a nail to burn a pivot hole, using a nearby copper pipe and some hosepipe.
R-Bowskill suggested we try forging some copper and emptied a small bag of minerals into the furnace we worked for some time taking it in turns to get dizzy from breathing into the fire, a copper pipe placed in the fire did melt, unfortunately we never found the result of the minerals but we did melt copper (900 degrees Celsius so Im told) pretty hot in camp fire terms!
Before returning to came we Found a willow with nice branches and took them back to create a Bow (with re-curve) and a stave (which is still in my car). Ranger Bob showed us a bowl he was making.
We all had a Great Time and are eagerly looking forward to the next Meet-up, which we are starting to plan for April.
Im afraid the picture I took were ruined and consequently there are none to show what we got up to but there were other pictures taken so they will get here eventually.
:You_Rock_
We have just finished the first ever East Anglia Meet-up, it went really well!
Those present were:
Myself RAPPLEBY2000,
Fenlander
R-Bowskill
Tess friend of R-bowskill
Ranger Bob
and we had a fleeting meet up with Desperate Dan though he was ill!
We didn't exactly have nice weather, Saturday bashas and Bivis were flapping everywhere, and hammocks / tarps (Bashas) were shelter of choice.
Saturday was spent trying out new kit, putting up shelters and hammocks collecting wood and generally getting used to the site. Later Fenlander gave us several good demos on how to start a friction fire with a bow drill, R-Bowskill made hunting darts and R-Bowskill and I made weird whizzing humming things as seen on Crocodile Dundee.
Bannock breads of various types were made and some cleaves were found by Tess and boiled up (she also found several guy lines!), spoons were carved; personal Bow drill sets were found made and tried.
All day it was very windy in the Thetford area, not a Bush hat day or it was if you used staples, as the night drew closer small branches were falling from nearby healthy poplar trees and twigs were falling on us from the pine area we were in.
After burning Bannock and fingers we all headed for the warmth of our shelters only to find the wind getting much worse along with a heavy rain storm, swaying hammocks was one problem!
In the morning, Ranger Bob assembled a truly inspirational wood-burning stove made from cut metal sheet from an old filing cabinet, after burning more Bannock and witnessing a snow shower, we all went for a forage in the local woods and marsh area. Pickings were, as youd expect a little sparse this time of year but food found and tried were:
Burdock root, Cleaves, and nettle.
Ranger bob also showed us a wooden bowl he had carved from birch, and due to the earlier finger burning incident R-Bowskill set about making a Bushcraft wooden pan holder and succeeded!
The hinged pan holder inspired a masterclass of engineering that involved a DIY furnace to heat a nail to burn a pivot hole, using a nearby copper pipe and some hosepipe.
R-Bowskill suggested we try forging some copper and emptied a small bag of minerals into the furnace we worked for some time taking it in turns to get dizzy from breathing into the fire, a copper pipe placed in the fire did melt, unfortunately we never found the result of the minerals but we did melt copper (900 degrees Celsius so Im told) pretty hot in camp fire terms!
Before returning to came we Found a willow with nice branches and took them back to create a Bow (with re-curve) and a stave (which is still in my car). Ranger Bob showed us a bowl he was making.
We all had a Great Time and are eagerly looking forward to the next Meet-up, which we are starting to plan for April.
Im afraid the picture I took were ruined and consequently there are none to show what we got up to but there were other pictures taken so they will get here eventually.
:You_Rock_
Paganwolf
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sounds like you had a great weekend guys! if you can do it comfortably in winter in mankey british weather conditions you can do it anytime 
cant wait to see the pics :super:
cant wait to see the pics :super:
Wimp, wimp!Desperate Dan said:(wimp I hear you all cry!)
): Great write up RAPPLEBY2000! :biggthump
Sounds excellent. I will have to make the next one. My DIY did get done though so more excuse to come next time.
Bill
Bill
Great summary of the weekend guys....keep practicing with those bow-drills!
Lessons leant this weekend:
metal gets hot in the fire
pine resin works well on burns
Rappleby has a good eye for a bargain
Roasted Burdock root tastes good (cheers Bob :uu: )
as do Cleavers boiled
R-bowskill has great...well bow-skill :super: very impressive
and as for Tessa "mind my guy-lines :rolmao:
Dan.....enough said
Cheers everyone and here's to the next meet!!!
Dan and Bob...i am up for a day in Kings Forest.
Lessons leant this weekend:
metal gets hot in the fire
pine resin works well on burns
Rappleby has a good eye for a bargain
Roasted Burdock root tastes good (cheers Bob :uu: )
as do Cleavers boiled
R-bowskill has great...well bow-skill :super: very impressive
and as for Tessa "mind my guy-lines :rolmao:
Dan.....enough said
Cheers everyone and here's to the next meet!!!
Dan and Bob...i am up for a day in Kings Forest.
Fenlander we'll probably look to go out early next week if that is good for you, if not pm one of us and we'll sort out a date.
I am on leave next week, so i should be available. I am in the Peak district at the end of the week doing some survival stuff though! Hope the colds getting better?Desperate Dan said:
Just about, i'm free from Tues on to Saturday, so i'll get hold of James and see what he's doing, but i imagine when ever is best for you
If there's anyone else watching who wants to join just let us know. We generally do alot of walking and exploring the woodland, plus try a bit of tracking and try out any bits of kit we have. The more the merrier. 
Let me know once you make a decision.Desperate Dan said:If there's anyone else watching who wants to join just let us know. We generally do alot of walking and exploring the woodland, plus try a bit of tracking and try out any bits of kit we have. The more the merrier.
Decision has been made, half ten tuesday morning at Kings Forest carpark for anyone interested. If so please pm myself or Bob so we know who to expect, and we'll give you directions if you need them. ack:
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