Hi Billy, Sorry to take so long to answer you. Just back from a stag doo up at Allantons (hanging out my **** m8)Like yourself I am a military man, but still serving with the Royal marine reserves. Now coming to the end of my military career and i am hoping to have more time on my hands ( with wifes permission of course) I dont no much myself about bushcraft & survival would like to pick up some skills and techniques on the basics as i f##king hated it in the military just starved for a week or so. froze like a smotter during the day ligth hours, waited for the night to arrive along with the rain , hail and what ever esle god could muster up for entertainment value and then got beasted all the way to the next R.v. and also not to mention not learning a f##k@@g thing apart from how to be miserable.
i have took my boys to chaterault country park for years and camp over night during their summer holidays. Its been a great place for themand myself but i hear the park rangers can be a bit funny with campers thou, never had any problems myself. just clean up after yourself and bob your uncle.
Give me a shout any time. i may take a couple of days to answer but i will get there.
regards
Nightmair
Ah, memories of starving like mad on dartmoor as well...although in my time some of the kinder hearted locals used to plant bags of pasta under rocks etc for us poor sods to find. I guess though the staff clamped down on that practice as time went on. Had to happen I suppose!
I was lucky enough in that my Uncle was an ex RM and as I was growing up, a gamekeeper through in Stirling, so I had some knowledge passed on from him before getting onto exercise. I could at least skin a rabbit etc without puncturing the guts or bringing mine back up. Happy times though. I still miss the military, although I know as time has passed I've forgoton some of the really poor parts and just kept the good parts filed away.
Regards Chatlerault, I've heard the same, but I've never had any problems at all. I think though thats maybe more to do with that I tend to favour the fringes of the park, and keep myself out the way as much as I can. I favour the low impact approach, as well as semi concealment. Nothing over the top, just some scrim net over the basha to break it up. I feel the guys who get short shrift are the football top wearing, staffordshire bull terrier owning buckfast drinking types whom the summer brings out and whom have been to go outdoors on a spending spree. Chuck a 200 watt boom box into the mix, add litter, and, well, I can see how the ranger lads get a bit miffed.
Good news about the woodland down there as well is that it's teeming with edible plants and fungi. Loads of the trees have Jews ear etc growing on them. I always take food, but if you want to be hardcore about it, you'd manage fine.
Let me know if you want to get together and have a chat abot kit etc, as I said, being a Newmains dweller as well, be silly not to, and I'm in the middle of spending some cash upgrading and replacing mine ready for the next 20 years of service.
Oh, and just incase you're concerned the username points to some knife wielding oddball (as wifey pointed out, it could be construed that way) I'm not, honest. As much as I like and appreciate edged tools, the blade part comes from the fact I was a chopper pilot in a previous life, so we're talking a different kind of 'blade here. No worrying tendancies.
Take care, and stay safe, and get two ibuprofen (arcoxia is better if you have it) down you for the hangover!
Billy.
