I’ve been whatching a lot of how to videos and they use a lot of bamboo and was wondering what the uks best equivalent especially strength wise
Equivalent to bamboo
- Thread starter Nathan-and-delvok
- Start date
-
- Tags
- bamboo shelter building
Bamboo in its totality doesn't have a UK equivalent. Assuming you mean naturally growing in the UK.
What is it that you want to make?
Yew might be used for a replacement in spring applications. Ash, maybe. Bamboo isn't just strong because of its fibres, which are very strong, but also its hollow/node structure. Hazel makes straight rods.
What is it that you want to make?
Yew might be used for a replacement in spring applications. Ash, maybe. Bamboo isn't just strong because of its fibres, which are very strong, but also its hollow/node structure. Hazel makes straight rods.
Nothing grows into convenient containers in the UK. Elder stems start out hollow but by the time they are 3+ inches wide there's only a narrow line of pith up the middle. Some trees form hollow branches but lack the nodes to form ends to the container.
Some of my relatives owned a farm down in Kent and planted a couple small clumps of bamboo in their large back garden. The canes grew up to about 3/4 inch diameter and made very good garden canes. BUT, it was somewhat invasive! While it stayed in a clump, the clump grew in all directions, putting thick shoots up through the lawn, which did the mower no good at all! It was extremely hard to remove.
That was the only bamboo I have seen growing in the UK that I would think would be getting near large enough for craft use. Most of the stuff I have seen is pencil thin, ornamental, still wretched hard to control, spreads, grows through tarmac
Well so far most of my wish for use is from
Other than the aesthetics on build videos
Other than aesthetics of videos I've been watching they're great for tools around the den and can be cut longways be flattened out and used as floor boord and roofing, plus the ability to take running water from a to b also its container ability to mash thing up lik water or oil and glass for green dye, thats
Last edited:
I think something went a little haywire with that last post, you probably didn't mean to quote my post three times, and it looks like there is maybe a link or video missing.
Den? Not sure I know what you mean, neither the US meaning of a room with a sofa and TV, nor what I have heard in England as the things kids build to play in the woods, makes sense to me in this context. What sort of tools and what kind of place?
One of the pretty fundamental aspects of "bushcraft" is that one learns to use and care for the resources that the local environment provides. If you look at how traditional cultures work with their environments, you find that they don't all do the same things in the same ways. The northern pine forests have different resources and conditions to tropical forests, to temperate forest, to arid bushland, and so on. Bamboo as a construction material is not much part of bushcraft in Europe or North America because it doesn't grow naturally here in size or abundance.
If one intended to spend time in the jungles of SE Asia, I can see one might benefit from learning to process bamboo for flooring, construction and camp-furniture, but there isn't anything one can do about it in the UK. Those tropical/jungle projects use green bamboo, and even if you bought cane of the right diameter, it would be imported, expensive, and dry/seasoned and could not be used for the things green can can be used for.
If one is interested in bushcraft and in the UK, I think the way forward is to learn about the use and conservation of UK resources, rather than lusting after the conditions or resources available in other parts of the world. Not saying that one shouldn't ever learn about other places, just that it makes sense to start closer to home and then expand from that foundation.
I mention conservation because "bushcraft" as it is often practiced is at odds with leave-no-trace camping and responsible stewardship of the land. Bushcraft videos particularly show people going out and felling trees, building permanent camps, and cooking on fancy open fire rigs. Maybe that is fine where the person filming is located, maybe not, hard to know just by watching a video. There can definitely be legal and ethical reasons not to replicate the same activities in the UK.
bushcraftuk.com
Chris
Den? Not sure I know what you mean, neither the US meaning of a room with a sofa and TV, nor what I have heard in England as the things kids build to play in the woods, makes sense to me in this context. What sort of tools and what kind of place?
One of the pretty fundamental aspects of "bushcraft" is that one learns to use and care for the resources that the local environment provides. If you look at how traditional cultures work with their environments, you find that they don't all do the same things in the same ways. The northern pine forests have different resources and conditions to tropical forests, to temperate forest, to arid bushland, and so on. Bamboo as a construction material is not much part of bushcraft in Europe or North America because it doesn't grow naturally here in size or abundance.
If one intended to spend time in the jungles of SE Asia, I can see one might benefit from learning to process bamboo for flooring, construction and camp-furniture, but there isn't anything one can do about it in the UK. Those tropical/jungle projects use green bamboo, and even if you bought cane of the right diameter, it would be imported, expensive, and dry/seasoned and could not be used for the things green can can be used for.
If one is interested in bushcraft and in the UK, I think the way forward is to learn about the use and conservation of UK resources, rather than lusting after the conditions or resources available in other parts of the world. Not saying that one shouldn't ever learn about other places, just that it makes sense to start closer to home and then expand from that foundation.
I mention conservation because "bushcraft" as it is often practiced is at odds with leave-no-trace camping and responsible stewardship of the land. Bushcraft videos particularly show people going out and felling trees, building permanent camps, and cooking on fancy open fire rigs. Maybe that is fine where the person filming is located, maybe not, hard to know just by watching a video. There can definitely be legal and ethical reasons not to replicate the same activities in the UK.
Regulating bushcraft
We have so many restrictions concerning the way we act, enjoy and practice our skills in the wilderness. Before you say it, yes I totally understand why and I know we need them to protect the little wilderness we have. Some people think the way around all these laws is to license bushcraft or...
bushcraftuk.com
Chris
oddly i've seen old lengths of what was labelled "Elder" said to be used as medieval piping. hollow and 6-10 inches in dia. is this not true?
Nah Idk what happened there all I'll say is I'm new, I get its about my own environment that's why I'm looking for simlar to, like what would you board a floor with and if I were to try that method I'd then learn to proses something local lol, and I say den till I've built or done anything other than just returnI think something went a little haywire with that last post, you probably didn't mean to quote my post three times, and it looks like there is maybe a link or video missing.
Den? Not sure I know what you mean, neither the US meaning of a room with a sofa and TV, nor what I have heard in England as the things kids build to play in the woods, makes sense to me in this context. What sort of tools and what kind of place?
One of the pretty fundamental aspects of "bushcraft" is that one learns to use and care for the resources that the local environment provides. If you look at how traditional cultures work with their environments, you find that they don't all do the same things in the same ways. The northern pine forests have different resources and conditions to tropical forests, to temperate forest, to arid bushland, and so on. Bamboo as a construction material is not much part of bushcraft in Europe or North America because it doesn't grow naturally here in size or abundance.
If one intended to spend time in the jungles of SE Asia, I can see one might benefit from learning to process bamboo for flooring, construction and camp-furniture, but there isn't anything one can do about it in the UK. Those tropical/jungle projects use green bamboo, and even if you bought cane of the right diameter, it would be imported, expensive, and dry/seasoned and could not be used for the things green can can be used for.
If one is interested in bushcraft and in the UK, I think the way forward is to learn about the use and conservation of UK resources, rather than lusting after the conditions or resources available in other parts of the world. Not saying that one shouldn't ever learn about other places, just that it makes sense to start closer to home and then expand from that foundation.
I mention conservation because "bushcraft" as it is often practiced is at odds with leave-no-trace camping and responsible stewardship of the land. Bushcraft videos particularly show people going out and felling trees, building permanent camps, and cooking on fancy open fire rigs. Maybe that is fine where the person filming is located, maybe not, hard to know just by watching a video. There can definitely be legal and ethical reasons not to replicate the same activities in the UK.
Regulating bushcraft
We have so many restrictions concerning the way we act, enjoy and practice our skills in the wilderness. Before you say it, yes I totally understand why and I know we need them to protect the little wilderness we have. Some people think the way around all these laws is to license bushcraft or...
Chris
What does this floor need to do, where is it going, what is its purpose, how long is it to last?
This forum is a tremendous resource, but to get the most out it really helps to be specific and detailed when you ask questions. Same with all internet forums in my experience. For instance, you asked about an equivalent to bamboo in the Flora and Fauna area, which might imply interest in botanical details. The answer that "there isn't one" is accurate, but doesn't help you much.
If you wanted to know about flooring, a thread about camp flooring, or shelter flooring, or permanent camp flooring would be more likely to get more answers that would be more useful. If you wanted to know about camp furniture, or tools, well, those would be better each in a separate thread with a dedicated and targeted title, in a sub forum that is related to that subject.
Main reason for a floor in the UK is to stop high traffic areas getting muddy or to keep bedding off the ground. You could use stones, split wood, cut poles, over lapping conifer branches, a couple of inches of bracken. All depending on where you are, how long you are staying, how durable the floor needs to be, whether it needs to be fire resistant, will it be rained on or is sheltered, whether the underlying ground drains or not, and what other gear you are using, such as ground sheets or kip mats. Or are you trying to go full Neolithic and have no modern gear at all?
If it is just to keep your feet dry for a few days, sticks or dead poles laid on the ground will do. If you want permanent, you will need to keep any wood off the wet ground to prevent it rotting. If you want a surface to sit on, maybe to spread gear or small items over, you will want something smoother and a way to fill gaps. Thing is, it seems to me that that level of answer is pretty obvious and you probably want something more detailed, but without knowing more about what you are trying to do, we don't know where to concentrate effort in answering.
ATB
Chris
This forum is a tremendous resource, but to get the most out it really helps to be specific and detailed when you ask questions. Same with all internet forums in my experience. For instance, you asked about an equivalent to bamboo in the Flora and Fauna area, which might imply interest in botanical details. The answer that "there isn't one" is accurate, but doesn't help you much.
If you wanted to know about flooring, a thread about camp flooring, or shelter flooring, or permanent camp flooring would be more likely to get more answers that would be more useful. If you wanted to know about camp furniture, or tools, well, those would be better each in a separate thread with a dedicated and targeted title, in a sub forum that is related to that subject.
Main reason for a floor in the UK is to stop high traffic areas getting muddy or to keep bedding off the ground. You could use stones, split wood, cut poles, over lapping conifer branches, a couple of inches of bracken. All depending on where you are, how long you are staying, how durable the floor needs to be, whether it needs to be fire resistant, will it be rained on or is sheltered, whether the underlying ground drains or not, and what other gear you are using, such as ground sheets or kip mats. Or are you trying to go full Neolithic and have no modern gear at all?
If it is just to keep your feet dry for a few days, sticks or dead poles laid on the ground will do. If you want permanent, you will need to keep any wood off the wet ground to prevent it rotting. If you want a surface to sit on, maybe to spread gear or small items over, you will want something smoother and a way to fill gaps. Thing is, it seems to me that that level of answer is pretty obvious and you probably want something more detailed, but without knowing more about what you are trying to do, we don't know where to concentrate effort in answering.
ATB
Chris
Last edited:
Appoligies I'm new to here and forums, I'll do that, I do have a queriy on botanics but that'll be a new thread.
It would be long term dug out/hidden underground shelter, might event line my walls with roman style concrete, just thought something woody for the floor would be nce but smother to walk on than a bunch of near straight but not really lol, thanks for your help and advice
Similar threads
