How much space for bushcraft?

[Tony]

I was thinking earlier today about how limited the space is for bushcraft activities and then I started wondering what people thought was enough space to do some bushcraft in. I'm lucky because I'm living at my in-laws at the mo and they're on 1/3 of an acre, so I can have a hammock up and a chute up, I can chop wood and have fires. The road is close by but it doesn't really affect me very much. I suppose I've got about 15x10 meters of space which is a fair size and I could cope even if it was a lot smaller. I think that for me the location would have more impact, if I'm overlooked by the neighbours, or if people could see into my garden it might curb my activities some....

So, how much space do you guys have (not space in the local woods) and what do you get up to in it? How do you get around any issues so that you can get on with what you enjoy doing?

 

[TheViking]

I've got around 2 hektars of space, most of it field and a fair deal of trees and bush. But in the corner I've made a camp, with a block of wood to split things on, etc. a fireplace and a sitting log. Our neighbors live 250 meters away and they're not even interested, so that's cool.

 

[innocent bystander]

None at all, so i head for the ridgeway. You can find a few small woods off the track, where no one bothers you - trouble is there ain't much in the way of water round there..

 

[Paganwolf]

I have plenty of woodland around me and i live next to a large fenland area which my back garden backs onto, ive just popped for a quick surf as im out the back sitting next to a fire and practising my hand drill in my garden, your world is as big as your imagination allows it to be, i was having a chat with some one who knows a guy with a flat who practises his bow drill on his balcony, nowt wrong with that in my book

 

[Wayne]

I have just got back from a meeting with a local landowner. Looks like i now have my own 10 acres to use which is part of a much larger forest. I am a happy bunny.

 

[leon-1]

I tend to use the garden, but it is not overly massive, but I don't live that far from the dart valley, so everynow and again I take a little wander along it, looking for tracks, edible plants basically anything.

Congratulations Wayne

 

[Celtic Dragon]

I have access to about an acre of horse paddock which I have shooting permission on. There is 1 big downside to it and it has no woods on it

 

[Steve1701D]

I live in a small town, so things are limited here. I have a decent sized yard, so I can dink around a little but.
I'm pretty lucky, too, as I can visit my parent's 11 acres (about half of that is hayfield), or I can visit any of several state owned properties within a few hours drive of me. Downside is the state grounds can get too crowded at times.

 

[spamel]

I learnt my bow drill on a balcony aswell!! Here abouts it is nothing but coniferous woodland with a bit of birch thrown in here and there. I often see lots of animals, I just saw a bird of prey being harrassed by a very brave crow! I live in a flat, so I don't have my own land to get on, but there is masses of woodland here.

Spamel

 

[RovingArcher]

Hmm, beings we live in a very cramped apartment/flat in a small complex (3 buildings), if I can't utilize the woods, I don't have but a sofa and computer chair for Bushcrafty stuff. The wife gets a tad upset when I look for ways to hang a shelter, then I figured out that I could use the canopy over the bed and gets even more upset when I start whittling on a hunk of wood while setting on the sofa watching the discovery science channel or the national geographic channel. Actually, I think she doesn't like my choice of viewing entertainment.

 

[spamel]

Whittling in the front room is totally acceptable in my opinion!!

The missus tried stabbing me to death with the daggers from her eyes, so I put the basha on the floor, and this catches all of the chippings, so now there is no need for stern looks.


That doesn't mean I don't still get them

I tried my first spoon out today whilst on a trip out, it tastes a bit woody still, even though it has dried for about a month. Any ideas why?

Spamel

 

[R-Bowskill]

No one can actually occupy more space than the vol;ume of their body, add a bit for moving your arms to pick things up and that's the answer.

Actually I'll be moving from my one bedroom flat to a house with a garden later this year so wiull be able to do more bushcraft cooking. I don't really want to kill my current landlady by burning the place down (honest).

 

[Womble]

I live in a 1st floor one bedroom (very crowded!) flat with no garden to speak of, but I've got some woods nearby, where I'm a member of the conservation society and have a tacit agreement that allows me to do some stuff (but no chopping) there. I've also got the grounds of my scout groups hut (a small amoun of grass, and by extension, the use of the Scout district site (quite extensive). So although I've nothing immediatly to hand, I've actually got quite a lot of options as to where I go.

 

[JimH]

I tried my first spoon out today whilst on a trip out, it tastes a bit woody still, even though it has dried for about a month. Any ideas why?

Spamel

'Cos it's made of wood

My living room carpet is full of woodshavings, and I have half an ash tree seasoning in my "Spare" (= full of tat) bedroom.

No garden, no garage, no room for <crossover> a birchbark canoe </crossover>

I must move house...

Jim.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Spamel, try rubbing cooking oil (ordinary sunflower oil will do) into the spoon. If you let it dry out completely it'll be sucking the spit out of your mouth into it's fibres as soon as you stick it in your gob. That's why it tastes woody. Let a few applications of food grade oil soak into the wood and that should cure the problem. The oil is simply replacing the sap that was once there, and it will also stop it from cracking if it gets too dry. I am assuming your spoon is made from sycamore though, some woods are unsuitable for spoon making as they leave an aftertaste that will never go away.

Eric

 

[Toddy]

We live on the very edge of the village next to the nature walk that grew up on the old mineral railway line, and this joins onto the woody verges that surround all of the buildings in the nearby small industrial estate. There's a burn that runs along side the the pathway about 10 metres from the gable wall of the house and I've got a fair sized garden that surrounds the house on three sides.
Sounds good, but it's busy, everybody and their auntie (and the baby too!) use the path and since I grew up around here everytime I go out to do something I get an audience. Gathering nettles for fibre last year I had 15 folk all out seeing what I was, "up to now". Collecting willow bark last week I ended up with a dozen teenagers hanging around. I have to pick the right time to get peace and quiet. 6am this morning was nice I'm only about 10 minutes walk from the castle policies and 20 from Strathclyde Park though.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[tomtom]

couple of hundred square miles with no one else in it should do!

 

[bothyman]

You could by a piece of your own

>> http://www.woodsforall.org/index.html

wonder if they mind folks using the trees to make Fires??

 

[gurthang]

I'm in halls at college so there is limited space, the cleaners must have a fit everytime they do my room what with the wood shavings, leaves, bark, fungus etc all over the place, Its just a matter of time before the wardens call to make enquiries about why there are mushrooms in my room.
luckily I'm at an Agricultural/Gamekeeping/outdoor ed kind of college so there are planty of woods near by that I can loose myself in.

 

[moko]

My play area is along the South Downs and pockets of woods spread along the base of the Downs, none of which I have permission to camp in. I dont make fires as it attracts to much attention - doing all my cooking on an MSR. I pitch camp late in the evening and practice low impact 'leave no trace' bushcraft.
I have never had a problem with landowners hopefully because they dont know I've been around. Not having a fire is the hardest compromise to make but at least I am out there. To be honest, it often feels more like I'm on an escape and evasion exercise rather than bushcraft. On the other hand, the quiet appraoch brings me closer to nature and thats what makes it work for me.
One day I'll try and get around to gaining permission from a landower, unless one of you kind souls could loan me 30+ acres of woodland to play in?