hello all

[Scribe]

Hi all
My name's Eddie I live in Cumbria I am just starting to get into bush craft all be it watching vids on YouTube at the moment am currently slowly getting some kit together which is one of the reasons am here i have a few questions on what kit is needed. I am interested in getting into some woodland and camping/shelters.

I do have some question around Tools and kit. I'm left handed so my first question is does this matter do they make tools for lefty's?
I'm currently looking to spending between £100-£150 on a knife but its a mine field with so many knifes on offer is there one that is best suited to get going.

Any help info is greatly received
Many thanks

 

[Ch@rlie]

Welcome to the group, Im sure those in the know will answer your questions

 

[Broch]

Welcome to the forum Eddie

There are loads of people on here that will give you advice on kit and, especially, sharps - a lot of it is subjective to be honest.

My advice, is get out to a meet, or on a course, or just a camp with a couple of experienced people, and try things out before you spend loads of money.

 

[Mesquite]

Hello and welcome to the forum Eddie

 

[JonathanD]

Hi Eddie and welcome.

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hi all
My name's Eddie I live in Cumbria I am just starting to get into bush craft all be it watching vids on YouTube at the moment am currently slowly getting some kit together which is one of the reasons am here i have a few questions on what kit is needed. I am interested in getting into some woodland and camping/shelters.

I do have some question around Tools and kit. I'm left handed so my first question is does this matter do they make tools for lefty's?
I'm currently looking to spending between £100-£150 on a knife but its a mine field with so many knifes on offer is there one that is best suited to get going.

Any help info is greatly received
Many thanks

Hello and welcome.

Bushcraft and related activities attract a higher percentage of left handed people compared to the general population average. Most tools are either ambidextrous, or can be found in left handed versions, although these can be harder to source. The complaints I hear most is about knives coming with only right handed sheaths, and certain folding knife locks being more awkward to use left handed.

The universal advice on knives is, if you don’t know what you need, buy a Mora Companion and use that until you figure out what will suit you.

ATB
Chris

 

[crosslandkelly]

Hi Eddie, welcome and enjoy.

 

[Elsenham 177]

Hi and welcome

 

[Erbswurst]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I tried to write down here a list with affordable high quality equipment that works well together as a whole system and will forgive usual beginners faults.

Rucksack Dutch army Sting, used, or similar

Sleeping bag
Used Dutch or British army copy of the Carinthia Defence 4 or better the original new or something similar
Bivvy bag, used British, Dutch M 90 or German army version in good condition
Army closed cell foam roll mat, used.
Military poncho, used German, Austrian, Dutch or US army version in good condition instead of a larger tarp
Cordage
2x 3 metres to tension it as lean to shelter, and 1,50 metre to make a tripod.

Fleece jacket Solognac Fleece Recycled 500 or similar
in a dry bag as pillow too,
together with
Spare underwear 1X
Briefs and T-shirt, cotton.
Woolen spare socks 1X
Swimming briefs 1X

Toilet paper in a zipp lock freezer bag
Wash kit
Folding tooth brush, tooth cream, biodegradable soap in a small bottle and disposable razor (Wilkinson's) wrapped into a small microfleece towel and stored in a zipp lock freezer bag. Plastic signal mirror for shaving.

Food
In an olive green dry bag that you can hang mouse proof into a tree or in the
Mess Kit used from the German, Austrian, Finnish, Swedish, Russian or Rumanian army
(Or Lixada 750 ml stainless steel mug with bail and butterfly handles and nesting Nalgene type bottle)

Esbit stove used from the German army (or British army folding stove, especially if you choose a British army bottle with BCB stainless steel Crusader mug.)
Spoon stainless steel from the flea market
Candle In a zipp lock freezer bag, a few drips of wax can be used as a fire starter
Matches and 2 x Bic cigarette lighters
Head lamp Petzl e+lite


ON THE MAN:

Mountain boots Schladminger 100
Woolen Socks relatively thick
Underwear
Trousers or shorts, polyester-cotton blend, Solognac Steppe 300 or Shorts 100 or similar
Handkerchief , cotton
Several times folded usable as pot holder and pre filter before water purification by boiling.
Purse
House keys
Matches or Bic lighter
Belt Solognac 100 or similar
Knife, Hultafors GK, Mora Companion HD, Opinel No8 Carbone or similar
Canteen with mug and belt pouch
from any NATO army used
T-shirt
Shirt
Buttoned long sleeved shirt with two pockets and flaps over it. For example Austrian army, heavy version KAZ 75 used.
Compass Suunto Clipper or M-9 or whatever you have
Topographical map
1:50 000

 

[Erbswurst]

The currently best deal for a sleep system seems to be this here. It's surely sensible to buy all 4 items in one rush, liner, both sleeping bags and bivvy bag.

Strikeforce Army Supplies UK | Bath and Somerset genuine issue military clothing and army surplus |

 

[Erbswurst]

One of the best real survival knives on the world market is the stainless steel version of the Morakniv Garberg.
The simple plastic sheath is designed to work for right or left handed people.

You could start with that and if you want look later for a lefty leather sheath for it.
But the question is, if you will really wear it all the day at the belt. If not, the plastic sheath is absolutely fine.

Other very interesting knives in your price range are offered by Brisa and Casström.
They look nicer but aren't better than the Garberg. The Garberg has the charme of a German made screw driver. It's nothing more than one of the best all purpose knives and survival tools in the world, but it is meant as a tool and not as a piece of art. And because they make it like others produce screw drivers you can get it pretty cheap. It's a mass produced high quality tool.

It's idiot and disaster proof though, and in my opinion the right, pardon, I meant left, choice for a beginner.

I personally prefere idiot proof equipment because I am very experienced. I know what all could happen. And I wouldn't swap my stainless Garberg against any other knife unless I would plan to sell it and buy from the win another Garberg and something else like a large box of chocolate.

But well, Casström and Brisa make very good knives too and they look very nice.

Unless you have permission by a forest owner to use them on his ground you really don't need a saw or hatchet.

Usually we recommend the Fiskars X7 and the Bacho Lapplander folding saw. The Agawa Boreal 21 is surely a good choice if you don't want to use a simple bow saw from the next hardware shop, which would also work very well but isn't so easy to carry around of course. You can also make a folding bow saw yourself, what's a very nice project.

But don't get me wrong! If you want to try such tools, I recommend you these above. But I mainly recommend you to buy only the Garberg and to learn to use that properly first.
Unless I go with a group I don't carry more than the Garberg and a Swiss Army knife.
Have a look at the Victorinox Compact, Climber and Farmer X Alox!
They all have the nail scissors attached.
I rather recommend the Compact. The Climber is very similar but a bit cheaper.
Both have attached what's really needed. Thicker and heavier ones are less practical.

But the Farmer X Alox might be a good idea regarding the British law. That's enough for a day hike and legal to carry everywhere. That's a ultra compact survival tool on it's own.

 

[Scribe]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I tried to write down here a list with affordable high quality equipment that works well together as a whole system and will forgive usual beginners faults.

Rucksack Dutch army Sting, used, or similar

Sleeping bag
Used Dutch or British army copy of the Carinthia Defence 4 or better the original new or something similar
Bivvy bag, used British, Dutch M 90 or German army version in good condition
Army closed cell foam roll mat, used.
Military poncho, used German, Austrian, Dutch or US army version in good condition instead of a larger tarp
Cordage
2x 3 metres to tension it as lean to shelter, and 1,50 metre to make a tripod.

Fleece jacket Solognac Fleece Recycled 500 or similar
in a dry bag as pillow too,
together with
Spare underwear 1X
Briefs and T-shirt, cotton.
Woolen spare socks 1X
Swimming briefs 1X

Toilet paper in a zipp lock freezer bag
Wash kit
Folding tooth brush, tooth cream, biodegradable soap in a small bottle and disposable razor (Wilkinson's) wrapped into a small microfleece towel and stored in a zipp lock freezer bag. Plastic signal mirror for shaving.

Food
In an olive green dry bag that you can hang mouse proof into a tree or in the
Mess Kit used from the German, Austrian, Finnish, Swedish, Russian or Rumanian army
(Or Lixada 750 ml stainless steel mug with bail and butterfly handles and nesting Nalgene type bottle)

Esbit stove used from the German army (or British army folding stove, especially if you choose a British army bottle with BCB stainless steel Crusader mug.)
Spoon stainless steel from the flea market
Candle In a zipp lock freezer bag, a few drips of wax can be used as a fire starter
Matches and 2 x Bic cigarette lighters
Head lamp Petzl e+lite


ON THE MAN:

Mountain boots Schladminger 100
Woolen Socks relatively thick
Underwear
Trousers or shorts, polyester-cotton blend, Solognac Steppe 300 or Shorts 100 or similar
Handkerchief , cotton
Several times folded usable as pot holder and pre filter before water purification by boiling.
Purse
House keys
Matches or Bic lighter
Belt Solognac 100 or similar
Knife, Hultafors GK, Mora Companion HD, Opinel No8 Carbone or similar
Canteen with mug and belt pouch
from any NATO army used
T-shirt
Shirt
Buttoned long sleeved shirt with two pockets and flaps over it. For example Austrian army, heavy version KAZ 75 used.
Compass Suunto Clipper or M-9 or whatever you have
Topographical map
1:50 000

Thank you very much for this info and taking the time to help a newbie out

 

[Scribe]

One of the best real survival knives on the world market is the stainless steel version of the Morakniv Garberg.
The simple plastic sheath is designed to work for right or left handed people.

You could start with that and if you want look later for a lefty leather sheath for it.
But the question is, if you will really wear it all the day at the belt. If not, the plastic sheath is absolutely fine.

Other very interesting knives in your price range are offered by Brisa and Casström.
They look nicer but aren't better than the Garberg. The Garberg has the charme of a German made screw driver. It's nothing more than one of the best all purpose knives and survival tools in the world, but it is meant as a tool and not as a piece of art. And because they make it like others produce screw drivers you can get it pretty cheap. It's a mass produced high quality tool.

It's idiot and disaster proof though, and in my opinion the right, pardon, I meant left, choice for a beginner.

I personally prefere idiot proof equipment because I am very experienced. I know what all could happen. And I wouldn't swap my stainless Garberg against any other knife unless I would plan to sell it and buy from the win another Garberg and something else like a large box of chocolate.

But well, Casström and Brisa make very good knives too and they look very nice.

Unless you have permission by a forest owner to use them on his ground you really don't need a saw or hatchet.

Usually we recommend the Fiskars X7 and the Bacho Lapplander folding saw. The Agawa Boreal 21 is surely a good choice if you don't want to use a simple bow saw from the next hardware shop, which would also work very well but isn't so easy to carry around of course. You can also make a folding bow saw yourself, what's a very nice project.

But don't get me wrong! If you want to try such tools, I recommend you these above. But I mainly recommend you to buy only the Garberg and to learn to use that properly first.
Unless I go with a group I don't carry more than the Garberg and a Swiss Army knife.
Have a look at the Victorinox Compact, Climber and Farmer X Alox!
They all have the nail scissors attached.
I rather recommend the Compact. The Climber is very similar but a bit cheaper.
Both have attached what's really needed. Thicker and heavier ones are less practical.

But the Farmer X Alox might be a good idea regarding the British law. That's enough for a day hike and legal to carry everywhere. That's a ultra compact survival tool on it's own.

Thank you for the info, Deffo gives me things to think about id prefer something that does the job rather than looks nice

 

[demented dale]

https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/index.asp?function=search . The knife range I was suggesting is by a swedish company called mora. try this x

 

[TeeDee]

Hello and welcome.

Bushcraft and related activities attract a higher percentage of left handed people compared to the general population average. Most tools are either ambidextrous, or can be found in left handed versions, although these can be harder to source. The complaints I hear most is about knives coming with only right handed sheaths, and certain folding knife locks being more awkward to use left handed.

The universal advice on knives is, if you don’t know what you need, buy a Mora Companion and use that until you figure out what will suit you.

ATB
Chris

Hi Chris - Mind me asking where you are quoting/referencing that from? I'm interested. Cheers.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hi TeeDee,
It has been my own observation. Broadly speaking, I have three circles of friends/acquaintances, those I work with, those I went to university with and those I meet through bushcraft. There is almost no reason overlap. Outside of Bushcraft I would say the national average of 12-13% holds true to my observation. At the bushmoots it it definitely seems more. When we were discussing the sheath design for the BCUK/Spyderco knife, it was just shy of half the 12 people in the discussion.

I will grant that this is not scientific and could be mere chance, but I am willing to stick to it until I see evidence to the contrary

 

[Erbswurst]

@C_Claycomb

Are you able to set up such a poll thing to ask the members here if they are right or left handed?

I find that pretty interesting!

 

[Broch]

@C_Claycomb

Are you able to set up such a poll thing to ask the members here if they are right or left handed?

I find that pretty interesting!

Der....

Are you left handed, right handed, mixed or ambidextrous?

My possibly biased observation has been that there are quit a lot of left handed folk interested in bushcraft, relative to the national average. I am wondering if this is so. Poll explanation, left or right is self explanatory, ambidextrous for doing whatever task equally well with either...

bushcraftuk.com

 

[demented dale]

Hi all
My name's Eddie I live in Cumbria I am just starting to get into bush craft all be it watching vids on YouTube at the moment am currently slowly getting some kit together which is one of the reasons am here i have a few questions on what kit is needed. I am interested in getting into some woodland and camping/shelters.

I do have some question around Tools and kit. I'm left handed so my first question is does this matter do they make tools for lefty's?
I'm currently looking to spending between £100-£150 on a knife but its a mine field with so many knifes on offer is there one that is best suited to get going.

Any help info is greatly received
Many thanks

You can get a belting knife for much much less (£40). Go to the Bush craft store online and look at Morikniv range. The Mora companion is a great start but email them your needs and they will help. Take your time. Ask questions. You are right. There is so much out there. Good luck x
ps I m left handed too. Never had any problems or even thought about it.