Hello

[Steff]

My name is Steff, I am originally from Germany (Bavaria to be precise) but have been living in the UK since 2004, working as a gardener. I found this forum during my search for equipment for a canoe trip to Sweden in June, just 4 days, with a German friend who has about as much knowledge about bushcraft as I have, very very little. I have always loved camping but did it mostly on motorcycle trips through Europe or on trips through the US, travelling by car and using their fantastic campsites rather than wild camping. I sometimes camp here in the UK, when I am on walking holidays with my dog, but again, always using campsites. So I am spoilt when it comes to carrying equipment, and doing the whole bushcraft side of it. I have been talking to a neighbour at my workplace who is a great bushcraft person and who has already given me equipment for fire starting, and lots of advice (today I tried to start a fire with a bow, for example). My boyfriend is also quite good at bushcraft theory and tools but not the biggest outdoor person (hiking, canoeing etc.) per se. I have been watching lots of youtube videos recently, one of my favourites is Reallybigmonkey1, I like the way he explains things.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hello and welcome!

Where are you going to be paddling in Sweden?

 

[Broch]

Welcome to the forum Steff

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Steff]

Hello and welcome!

Where are you going to be paddling in Sweden?

Thanks for the welcome! I will be paddling in Dalsland, starting in Ed, up the lake Stora Le for 3 or 4 days. I will meet my friend in Kiel, take the ferry to Gothenburg and then the train to Ed, so no car so have to carry everything. We want to hire a canoe from a rent place (waiting for email confirmation, for ages now), and I was told the owner does pick people up so you don't have to paddle back to Ed. I have only done the British Canoeing 1 star course so far, and that years ago, so not experienced in that respect either. But the neighbour at work who is a fab bushcraft person (he used to teach it) used to be a canoe trainer as well and will hopefully show me a bit more before I leave.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Hi Steff, welcome and enjoy.

 

[Mesquite]

Hello and welcome to the forum Steff

 

[Erbswurst]

Well, there are a few guys in Franken who make the best waterproof bags in the world. One can either put such an Ortlieb bag inside the rucksack as a rucksack liner or put the rucksack into the dry bag.

I prefere to use a rucksack liner and also dry bags for the side pouches of course.

I would choose a double wall tent for that trip. Scandinavic midges seem to be a mixture of Bavarian midges and NATO helicopters, but they usually don't start in order to defend you.
I also had midges free experiences in Sweden but if you get them they are no fun! Leather shorts are definitely the wrong equipment over there in some cases.

Swimming Rucksack?

I currently think about rucksack packing options and as I tend to work with absolutely waterproof dry bags anyway, I think about creating a swimming rucksack. Would anybody tell me please which maximum total weight a 100 litres rucksack may have if I want to avoid that it sinks? Let's say I...

bushcraftuk.com

Recommended EDUCATIONAL FILMS about the propper classical way of BUSHCRAFT and SURVIVAL

Please let's collect in this thread educational films and videos about how to do bushcrafty things CORRECTLY. There are so many idiotic videos in the internet, that in my opinion it is really necessary that we point out what is really worth to look at. We should collect films here, which help...

bushcraftuk.com

Educational Videos about Orientation and Navigation with Map and Compass

Please let's collect in this thread the best educational videos about orientation and land navigation with map and compass. Thank you for keeping this thread clean from other comments, unless you find real faults that are shown in the videos that others did link to here.

bushcraftuk.com

 

[C_Claycomb]

Thanks for the welcome! I will be paddling in Dalsland, starting in Ed, up the lake Stora Le for 3 or 4 days. I will meet my friend in Kiel, take the ferry to Gothenburg and then the train to Ed, so no car so have to carry everything. We want to hire a canoe from a rent place (waiting for email confirmation, for ages now), and I was told the owner does pick people up so you don't have to paddle back to Ed. I have only done the British Canoeing 1 star course so far, and that years ago, so not experienced in that respect either. But the neighbour at work who is a fab bushcraft person (he used to teach it) used to be a canoe trainer as well and will hopefully show me a bit more before I leave.

Stora Le is exactly where I have been paddling on three occasions. They were all five day trips. I have posted about them and shared photos. You will have fun.

Stora Le, Sweden, September 2010

Eight of us visited Stora Le for a week's canoeing during at the start of September. The weather was fine, except for contrary winds which blew consistently across the lake for nearly the entire period, so depriving us of the chance to rig sail. img_5099 by Last Scratch, on Flickr First day on...

bushcraftuk.com

Another canoe trip on Stora Le, Sweden

Thought I would post a few pictures of the trip I just got back from on Stora Le. This is the third time I have been there, but the previous trips were in 2009 and 2010, where has the time gone?!? The 2009 trip was in April, just a couple of weeks after the last of the ice left the lake and we...

bushcraftuk.com

 

[Steff]

Well, there are a few guys in Franken who make the best waterproof bags in the world. One can either put such an Ortlieb bag inside the rucksack as a rucksack liner or put the rucksack into the dry bag.

I prefere to use a rucksack liner and also dry bags for the side pouches of course.

I would choose a double wall tent for that trip. Scandinavic midges seem to be a mixture of Bavarian midges and NATO helicopters, but they usually don't start in order to defend you.
I also had midges free experiences in Sweden but if you get them they are no fun! Leather shorts are definitely the wrong equipment over there in some cases.

Swimming Rucksack?

I currently think about rucksack packing options and as I tend to work with absolutely waterproof dry bags anyway, I think about creating a swimming rucksack. Would anybody tell me please which maximum total weight a 100 litres rucksack may have if I want to avoid that it sinks? Let's say I...

bushcraftuk.com

Recommended EDUCATIONAL FILMS about the propper classical way of BUSHCRAFT and SURVIVAL

Please let's collect in this thread educational films and videos about how to do bushcrafty things CORRECTLY. There are so many idiotic videos in the internet, that in my opinion it is really necessary that we point out what is really worth to look at. We should collect films here, which help...

bushcraftuk.com

Educational Videos about Orientation and Navigation with Map and Compass

Please let's collect in this thread the best educational videos about orientation and land navigation with map and compass. Thank you for keeping this thread clean from other comments, unless you find real faults that are shown in the videos that others did link to here.

bushcraftuk.com

Thanks Erbswurst, I have looked into Rucksacks recently and got interested in the KarrimorSF Predator 30 or 45 to which one can attach pouches as needed, one website (scramblekit.uk) recommending the Ortlieb pouches in their very favourable Predator 30 review. My 21-year old Vaude tent is a bit on its last leg (and a bit too big to carry around anyway) so I bought a cheap Eurohike Tamar II tent the other day, for 50 quid, as the reviews were quite good considering the price, and I am running out of money. I would have prefered Marmot or MSR but can't afford it at this time.

 

[Steff]

Stora Le is exactly where I have been paddling on three occasions. They were all five day trips. I have posted about them and shared photos. You will have fun.

Stora Le, Sweden, September 2010

Eight of us visited Stora Le for a week's canoeing during at the start of September. The weather was fine, except for contrary winds which blew consistently across the lake for nearly the entire period, so depriving us of the chance to rig sail. img_5099 by Last Scratch, on Flickr First day on...

bushcraftuk.com

Another canoe trip on Stora Le, Sweden

Thought I would post a few pictures of the trip I just got back from on Stora Le. This is the third time I have been there, but the previous trips were in 2009 and 2010, where has the time gone?!? The 2009 trip was in April, just a couple of weeks after the last of the ice left the lake and we...

bushcraftuk.com

Thanks, I will definitely read your posts about your experience on Stora Le! Really looking forward to the trip!

 

[SaraR]

Thanks for the welcome! I will be paddling in Dalsland, starting in Ed, up the lake Stora Le for 3 or 4 days. I will meet my friend in Kiel, take the ferry to Gothenburg and then the train to Ed, so no car so have to carry everything. We want to hire a canoe from a rent place (waiting for email confirmation, for ages now), and I was told the owner does pick people up so you don't have to paddle back to Ed. I have only done the British Canoeing 1 star course so far, and that years ago, so not experienced in that respect either. But the neighbour at work who is a fab bushcraft person (he used to teach it) used to be a canoe trainer as well and will hopefully show me a bit more before I leave.

Dalsland is lovely! Not called Sweden in minature for nothing.

 

[Erbswurst]

Attention!
In his video above Kirtley seems to be unsure about the size of his Ortlieb bag.
I looked it up on the Ortlieb homepage.
I think Kirtley's Ortlieb bag is a
Ortlieb Dry-Bag PD 350
59 litres
480g
height 70 cm
diameter 31 cm
nowadays available in grey + black
The dimensions of the Karrimor SF Sabre 45 that I found in the internet are 60x28x20 cm.
As the liner has to be a bit larger than the rucksack to fit into the last corner that would be the optimal fit.

KarrimorSF offers own liner bags that are especially interesting for the side pouches if you plan to throw the rucksack into a canoe. But I doubt that they reach the quality of the German made Ortlieb bags.

I think a plain olive green KarrimorSF Sabre 45 with side pouches is the best option for longer tours if it fits your back. That's with side pouches approximately 65 litres capacity and that's a good size for a general purpose rucksack.

(Apart from the more expensive Savotta Jääkäri L with Särmä TST all purpose (side) pouches XL or the much larger Berghaus Atlas 4)

But if you have to count with a lower budget I highly recommend to have a look here:

Holländischer Kampfrucksack 60+20 "klein", tarn B | 543645-30-000

Der holländische Kampfrucksack mit Seitentaschen ist hervorragend ausgestattet, robust und hochwertig. Die NSN: 8465-17-124-2311 orientiert sich am Lowe Alpine Rucksack Sting. Hersteller ist Arwey, Belgien. Deckel mit RV-Tasche außen und RV-T…

www.raeer.com

The Lowe Alpine/Arwy Sting has an adjustable back length and I think it's nowhere offered cheaper than in Hildesheim. It's offered used here of course. But in civil use there is surely still a lot of lifetime in it.

That's a very robust rucksack, not the lightest option for trekking but for other journeys surely worth a thought. And I guess you are relatively well trained if you work as a gardener, isn't it? Most gardeners that I met could easily go for hiking with this rucksack so far they don't put too much heavy stuff into it.

It exists also in a black version from the Dutch navy. These Sting rucksacks can be bought exclusively as military surplus or private second hand.

Lowe Alpine Sting 55+20 als nieuw !

Lowe Alpine Sting 55+20

www.dumpcompany.com

 

[Steff]

I think a plain olive green KarrimorSF Sabre 45 with side pouches is the best option for longer tours if it fits your back. That's with side pouches approximately 65 litres capacity and that's a good size for a general purpose rucksack.

(Apart from the more expensive Savotta Jääkäri L with Särmä TST all purpose (side) pouches XL or the much larger Berghaus Atlas 4)

But if you have to count with a lower budget I highly recommend to have a look here:

Holländischer Kampfrucksack 60+20 "klein", tarn B | 543645-30-000

Der holländische Kampfrucksack mit Seitentaschen ist hervorragend ausgestattet, robust und hochwertig. Die NSN: 8465-17-124-2311 orientiert sich am Lowe Alpine Rucksack Sting. Hersteller ist Arwey, Belgien. Deckel mit RV-Tasche außen und RV-T…

www.raeer.com

The Lowe Alpine/Arwy Sting has an adjustable back length and I think it's nowhere offered cheaper than in Hildesheim. It's offered used here of course. But in civil use there is surely still a lot of lifetime in it.

That's a very robust rucksack, not the lightest option for trekking but for other journeys surely worth a thought. And I guess you are relatively well trained if you work as a gardener, isn't it? Most gardeners that I met could easily go for hiking with this rucksack so far they don't put too much heavy stuff into it.

It exists also in a black version from the Dutch navy. These Sting rucksack can be bought exclusively as military surplus or private second hand.

Lowe Alpine Sting 55+20 als nieuw !

Lowe Alpine Sting 55+20

www.dumpcompany.com

Thanks for all the ideas, you just caught me looking through older threads about Rucksacks, and I am going crazy, so much choice! I am slightly concerned about the military style Rucksacks the more I think about it, as I presume they are all made for taller men instead of a 164 cm woman. I am not worried about the weight of the Rucksack but about the backlength and the position of hip belt (if there is one). The military ones all look great and I would like to buy one but am worried that I might regret it. And as money is a bit short I can't risk to buy the wrong one for my size and built.

 

[Erbswurst]

Should you consider buying the Sting from Räer I recommend to think first what you need to buy also to get your equipment together.
Also in a lot of other cases Räer has the best offers and one should order all in one rush. In your special case with German address to avoid taxes and shipping costs. You can go with another sport bag to Kiel and pick up your new equipment there. Your friend surely also can handwash all that in his bathroom. That saves you the work on top!



Some other stuff you better can buy from British military surplus shops and civil clothing you can find for good prices from Decathlon. Especially the Solognac hunting clothing is very good.

 

[Steff]

Should you consider buying the Sting from Räer I recommend to think first what you need to buy also to get your equipment together.
Also in a lot of other cases Räer has the best offers and one should order all in one rush. In your special case with German address to avoid taxes and shipping costs. You can go with another sport bag to Kiel and pick up your new equipment there. Your friend surely also can handwash all that in his bathroom. That saves you the work on top!



Some other stuff you better can buy from British military surplus shops and civil clothing you can find for good prices from Decathlon. Especially the Solognac hunting clothing is very good.

Thanks! I am sure you will hear from me over the next few weeks, with LOTS of questions...

 

[Erbswurst]

A pure canoe rucksack is the Ortlieb Explorer 59 litres. It's no good idea for hiking tours or longer train journeys etc.

X-Plorer

Der X-Plorer beweist stets, dass er seinen Namen zu recht trägt. Er kommt zum Canyoning, Klettern oder Höhlenforschen mit.

www.ortlieb.com

Another very interesting option is the Ortlieb Gear Pack 40 litres. Thats more robust than the Explorer.
Unfortunately not offered in a larger version.

Gear-Pack

Does your agenda include stand-up paddleboarding today, caving tomorrow, canyoneering the day after and snowshoeing and XC-skiing as soon as the snow flies? Then you’ll need equipment that is just as versatile as you are!

www.ortlieb.com

One can get a complete modern outdoor equipment in there, but in this case it's needed to choose the stuff very well and it will become relatively expensive in the end. Compact equipment is more expensive than military surplus.

People who think about throwing a chain saw into the rucksack from time to time are surely better served with the used Dutch Sting rucksack from Räer.
It isn't sensible to buy a special equipment for every short tour. If you do that the costs will devellop significantly.

 

[Steff]

A pure canoe rucksack is the Ortlieb Explorer 59 litres. It's no good idea for hiking tours or longer train journeys etc.

X-Plorer

Der X-Plorer beweist stets, dass er seinen Namen zu recht trägt. Er kommt zum Canyoning, Klettern oder Höhlenforschen mit.

www.ortlieb.com

Another very interesting option is the Ortlieb Gear Pack 40 litres. Thats more robust than the Explorer.
Unfortunately not offered in a larger version.

Gear-Pack

Does your agenda include stand-up paddleboarding today, caving tomorrow, canyoneering the day after and snowshoeing and XC-skiing as soon as the snow flies? Then you’ll need equipment that is just as versatile as you are!

www.ortlieb.com

One can get a complete modern outdoor equipment in there, but in this case it's needed to choose the stuff very well and it will become relatively expensive in the end. Compact equipment is more expensive than military surplus.

People who think about throwing a chain saw into the rucksack from time to time are surely better served with the used Dutch Sting rucksack from Räer.
It isn't sensible to buy a special equipment for every short tour. If you do that the costs will devellop significantly.

I will do more research and look into your suggestions, thanks. I definitely want an allrounder. Mostly used for day hiking with the dog, hiking and camping with the dog for a few days, or walking from hut to hut in the Bavarian or Austrian alps (no proper climbing).

 

[C_Claycomb]

Thanks for all the ideas, you just caught me looking through older threads about Rucksacks, and I am going crazy, so much choice! I am slightly concerned about the military style Rucksacks the more I think about it, as I presume they are all made for taller men instead of a 164 cm woman. I am not worried about the weight of the Rucksack but about the backlength and the position of hip belt (if there is one). The military ones all look great and I would like to buy one but am worried that I might regret it. And as money is a bit short I can't risk to buy the wrong one for my size and built.

A very reasonable concern.
My first pack was a SnugPak Rocket Pack, military style 40 litre, purchased without getting to try first. I am around the 5’8” mark and the pack was far to short in the back, designed to work for soldiers wearing webbing gear and extra stuff around the waist. Second pack was a PRI Sabre 45 which wasn’t a great match. Too big for a day hike and too small for multi day expedition and the suspension didn’t fit me. Third pack was another PRI, the Sabre 60-100. The back was too long on that and it weighed a ton even empty.
If you can find a military surplus type store to visit that might be good, have a chance to try some packs, feel weight and material.

 

[Steff]

A very reasonable concern.
My first pack was a SnugPak Rocket Pack, military style 40 litre, purchased without getting to try first. I am around the 5’8” mark and the pack was far to short in the back, designed to work for soldiers wearing webbing gear and extra stuff around the waist. Second pack was a PRI Sabre 45 which wasn’t a great match. Too big for a day hike and too small for multi day expedition and the suspension didn’t fit me. Third pack was another PRI, the Sabre 60-100. The back was too long on that and it weighed a ton even empty.
If you can find a military surplus type store to visit that might be good, have a chance to try some packs, feel weight and material.

Thank you, I will try to find one. I seem to remember that there was an Army surplus in Oxford which closed some time ago, unfortunately.