I'm very excited... my own bit of woodland :-)

[Shingsowa]

I'm quite excited. Just got back from a meeting with a landowner about using his small mixed woodland for 'shcrafting adventures. All went well and now i have permission to sleep, build shelters, light fires, collect water from the running stream (that the EA have tested several times), dig latrines, the whole works! Others allowed, moots are no problem, secure parking etc etc.

I'm very excited. Can you tell?

And all within 15 minutes drive from my house

 

[Retired Member southey]

Congratulations dude!! Great find and good effort, have fun chap,

So then, where will you be this weekend?

 

[Muddy Boots]

Well done matey that is fantastic - enjoy.

 

[Shewie]

Great news, it's a great feeling knowing it's all legit and above board

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Good for you. It's great when you get full permission to use somewhere. Gives you peace of mind while you're there.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

if only i still lived in Blaenau Ffestiniog, But sounds good - well done

 

[lannyman8]

lucky bugger.....

 

[ged]

So when's the first moot?

 

[Shingsowa]

Thanks guys, I was a little over-excited earlier, but i'm still smiling even now

Once i've settled in i'll post details for a moot, hopefully sometime before Xmas. I can't get to 'try it otu' until the middle of next week, i'm working with a group in the Rhinogs tomorrow, then got a full day of meetings on Sunday :-(

I'll be searching the forums for tips on latrine design now!

 

[Kerne]

Well done, Sir! Nice to know there are still people out there willing to let us go out and play.

 

[SimonD]

Soooooooooooooooooo jealous, that is awesome mate! Congrats.

 

[telwebb]

How brilliant is that? Envy doesn't come into it - green doesn't come that dense! I live in hope....

 

[ganstey]

Fantastic!

 

[spiritwalker]

woo thats close to my house :-D

 

[Shingsowa]

Spent a bit of time up there today, tidying up the odd bit of litter and finding a safe-ish path down to the stream so i can refill water without breaking my neck...

Has anybody got any links to some designs on latrines? Just an idea...

 

[spiritwalker]

although the idea of a group latrine may be what your thinking....
its possibly best to dig small ones as required.
The reason is a group latrine is normally a big pit where you toss saw dust in to cover etc with a makeshift log seat over the top.
But the microbes required to break down poo only live in the top 6 inches of soil so if possible its best to dig a wee hole and bury it approx 6 inches paper should be bagged or burnt. If you go for the group one its best not to let people urinate in it as its the combination of urine and poo that makes pungent smells that attract flies etc. Also you want the latrine away from your water source i would say around 100 yards or so.

 

[bushcraftbob]

The holy grail! Congratulations.

 

[bearbait]

There's a book called "How to 5h1t in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art" by Kathleen Meyer for around a fiver @ Amazon. (I did try a link to it for you but due to the (possibly justified) forum's in-built naughty word censorship it swapped the intended and correct verb for four asterisks - which, of course, broke the hyperlink. I'm afraid you'll have to search for it yourself, as long as you remember to spell the naughty word proppa!) The book may give you some ideas.

Enjoy your new woodland. It's not just the specific bushcrafting aspect but the special feeling of knowing and getting to know a piece of ground well throughout the seasons: where the best sloes are; where the blackberries ripen first; finding and following the tracks of the shyer creatures in the early morning dew; watching the owl watching you; where the frost or snow lingers; where the first sun strikes at different times of the year. And perhaps even improving biodiversity in a small way by adding bird or bat boxes (obviously with the owner's permission!). Or maybe a bit of coppicing? Have fun...

 

[shaggystu]

congratulations on the woods mate, let us know when we'll all be visiting!

the book that bearbait mentioned "the one by kathleen meyer about doing it like the bears do" is full of good advice, and a surprisingly good read. PM me your address if you want to borrow it.

cheers

stuart

 

[Shingsowa]

I know the book you mean, i've browsed it a couple of times but never gotten around to buying. I'll make the effort now!

I've used long-drops in Africa but they were all high-altitude so the bacteria/smell was less of an issue!

I'll keep the thread updated with my progress...