Hello UK, Finland Calling
- Thread starter susi
- Start date
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Good Evening from the land of the midnight sun (and months of darkness in the virtual winter, but no bugger tells you about that)
Looking forward to making a contribution to the forum.
susi
Welcome to the forum Susi. Hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us do
Good to have you on bushcraft uk and thanks for introducing yourself, tell us a bit more 
Enjoy the site
Enjoy the site
Good to have you on bushcraft uk and thanks for introducing yourself, tell us a bit more
Well thank You, Mesquite and Leon for the warm and rapid welcome!
I'm a mix of English/Finnish, live in Central Finland and am lucky enough to have relatively unspoilt nature on my doorstep.
On the off-chance that anyone needs help/info or advice about this neck of the forest, fire your questions my way
)
Welcome Susi. The international members are a great asset to the forum so you are doubly welcome. The only Finnish words I know are 'puukko' and 'sisu' - so I guess you could say that the Finns are renowned for their steel.
How bad are your biting insects in the summer?
How bad are your biting insects in the summer?
Two more for you:
kirves = axe
hirvi = moose
karhu = bear
and of course susi = wolf
Re the insects, it depends quite a lot where you are in the country and which type of forest you're in and a bit on the weather.
As an example, here in central Finland, the mosquitos aren't too bad right now, a good repellent (50% DEET) on exposed skin will do the job in 95% of situations.
In contrast, we were a week up in Kainuu (just into the northern reindeer herding area) earlier in the summer, and we needed the head veils for trekking.
On top of the mosquitos, there are many varieties of gadfly/horsefly, the females of which happily bite a chunk of flesh from you - these can be quite painful. And later in the year we will have the moose fly, which lands on you and sheds it's wings - last year one cheekily tried to set up home in my chest hair! I only felt something was wrong when he sprinted across my nipple.
Taking a daily anti-histamine tablet (loratadine or similar) also helps and we tend to carry an "adder pack" when we are out and about. This is a pack of 3 strong hydrocortisone tablets, intended for an adder bite, but equally useful if you are stung by bees or hornets.
robin wood
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
OK I think I will cross Northern Finland off my places to visit list.
Not a fan of the little biters. Welcome to the forum.OK I think I will cross Northern Finland off my places to visit list.
Thanks for the welcome
Yes, when the mozzy population is at its peak, you wouldn't want to sleep out in a basha
If bitten, the thing is never to scratch, no matter how bad it feels, and a scorching sauna is a good remedy at the end of a trip I have a Finnish friend who tells me that the Finnish cure for just about everything is either the sauna or vodka. In severe cases they use both.
Thanks for the Finnish words. I'm quite interested in Finnish culture and have even read the Kalevala, though not, of course, in the original language.
Thanks for the Finnish words. I'm quite interested in Finnish culture and have even read the Kalevala, though not, of course, in the original language.
Ah yes, ask him what happens if you have an illness and either koskenkorva (a Finnish clear spirit, similar to vodka), tar or sauna don't cure you
You're my hero if you've ploughed through the whole Kalevala
Lönrot was a wise man. Just wandered around remote villages for a couple of years, taking onboard the local brew, listening to a few stories, and leaving a few of his own. Top chap
But any questions on Finnish culture, fire them my way.
By the way, where is your friend from? I'm in Laukaa.
Welcome!Finland must be one of the best places too live in the world if your into bushcraft stuff.So wecome again mate and have a sit by the camp fire they is a place for you.
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Hello and welcome.
Until I read your translations I thought you were a butch female...
Sounds like you live in a nice part of the world, I envy you!
Simon
Until I read your translations I thought you were a butch female...
, not a wolf!
Sounds like you live in a nice part of the world, I envy you!
Simon
Yup, too many in my opinion.
It's quite a hot topic for some and there are many opinions as to whether they should be protected or not (they are). They are of course part of nature and have their own purpose in the food chain, but hey, so did lots of other animals that were persecuted for being a pest.
I know one lady who has a nearby adder nest where they hibernate during the winter. Every spring she spends some time hanging around outside the nest with a stick, waiting for them to emerge (they are slow and sleepy until the weather warms). Without this annual cull, her garden would be quite over run with adders, not what you need when kids are out playing. Strictly speaking she is breaking the law, but is it justified?
My friend's mum was bitten a couple of years ago and her whole arm went black. Another friend's husband was running naked through long grass, from the sauna to jump into the lake, and was bitten on the ankle. Just two small holes, no poison.
I could write endlessly about adders, but I dont want to bore you, although by far the most worrying story I heard was that someone was sleeping overnight in the forest, he woke in the morning to find an adder happily curled up in the warmth of his armpit. Yuck.
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