So this Sunday saw 5 intrepid members of the BCUK Kent group donned packs and head off into the East Kent Wilderness to check out a potential permission, hoping it's suitable to use for overnighters and extended trips in the future.
In attendance were Birchwood, JPL (+ Wife), Quixoticgeek, and Graham (Still trying to persuade to join the forum).
The day was a beautiful warm spring day, and the woods were simply glorious. The bluebells were just starting their display, the hazel were in leaf, it was a pleasure to be there.
With packs on backs, we set off into the woods, taking the lesser used path down towards where there was a stream marked on the map. Just short of the stream, we broke from the path and found a suitable site to make camp in the shelter of two trees that had come down in storms, one of which was still trying very hard to be alive, with a single upright a good 10"+ in diameter off the main fallen trunk.
With a site found, we made a small fire using a few bits of dead standing in the area, not a big fire, just enough to make a brew. Fire set, we variously set about a few activities, JPL and myself made char cloth, Birchwood experimented with the tool bargains she'd picked up at a car boot sale that morning. With the char cloth charing away nicely, and with the coffee/tea drunk, 4 of us decided to explore the wood in more detail, Birchwood kindly stayed in camp tending the fire and looking after the biscuits (to stop the squirrels running off with them, honest...)
Out walk was just over an hour and at a guess in the region of 4-5km, en route we found an honesty box with some eggs in it, Quixoticgeek picked up half a dozen to try cooking in the embers of the fire. The area is simply beautiful, tho in some places the rhododendrons are encroaching.
Upon our return Quixoticgeek decided to bomb the campsite with exploding eggs... The theory was to cook hard boiled eggs in the embers of the campfire. Alas they all exploded rather a lot. The bits that were salvaged from the shrapnel tasted good by all reports, and noone had any lasting injuries...
Some of us cooked up their lunch, including a communal pot of "Chicken Hotpot" from a long life pouch made by Sainsburies (In their free from range) It wasn't the most appetising looking meal, but tasted ok. Would no doubt be better after a long days hiking...
As the day started to taper off, and the temperature drop, we watered the fire, stacked some firewood for the next trip, and tried to leave as little trace as we could, before exiting to the waiting wagons and trips home.
All in all it seems everyone enjoyed a relaxing day out in beautiful woods.
Pictures to follow.
------------------
On a personal note, it was an interesting exercise for me, cooking lunch in the fire using my crusader cup, I discovered the weaknesses in the system, and reaffirmed my desire to purchase a new pair of billy cans to use instead, I also came to the decision that I need to get myself a small cup to drink from separate to the water boiling vessel. Days like this are there to shake down kit like this, better to learn it here, than half way along the cape wrath trail...
Julia
In attendance were Birchwood, JPL (+ Wife), Quixoticgeek, and Graham (Still trying to persuade to join the forum).
The day was a beautiful warm spring day, and the woods were simply glorious. The bluebells were just starting their display, the hazel were in leaf, it was a pleasure to be there.
With packs on backs, we set off into the woods, taking the lesser used path down towards where there was a stream marked on the map. Just short of the stream, we broke from the path and found a suitable site to make camp in the shelter of two trees that had come down in storms, one of which was still trying very hard to be alive, with a single upright a good 10"+ in diameter off the main fallen trunk.
With a site found, we made a small fire using a few bits of dead standing in the area, not a big fire, just enough to make a brew. Fire set, we variously set about a few activities, JPL and myself made char cloth, Birchwood experimented with the tool bargains she'd picked up at a car boot sale that morning. With the char cloth charing away nicely, and with the coffee/tea drunk, 4 of us decided to explore the wood in more detail, Birchwood kindly stayed in camp tending the fire and looking after the biscuits (to stop the squirrels running off with them, honest...)
Out walk was just over an hour and at a guess in the region of 4-5km, en route we found an honesty box with some eggs in it, Quixoticgeek picked up half a dozen to try cooking in the embers of the fire. The area is simply beautiful, tho in some places the rhododendrons are encroaching.
Upon our return Quixoticgeek decided to bomb the campsite with exploding eggs... The theory was to cook hard boiled eggs in the embers of the campfire. Alas they all exploded rather a lot. The bits that were salvaged from the shrapnel tasted good by all reports, and noone had any lasting injuries...
Some of us cooked up their lunch, including a communal pot of "Chicken Hotpot" from a long life pouch made by Sainsburies (In their free from range) It wasn't the most appetising looking meal, but tasted ok. Would no doubt be better after a long days hiking...
As the day started to taper off, and the temperature drop, we watered the fire, stacked some firewood for the next trip, and tried to leave as little trace as we could, before exiting to the waiting wagons and trips home.
All in all it seems everyone enjoyed a relaxing day out in beautiful woods.
Pictures to follow.
------------------
On a personal note, it was an interesting exercise for me, cooking lunch in the fire using my crusader cup, I discovered the weaknesses in the system, and reaffirmed my desire to purchase a new pair of billy cans to use instead, I also came to the decision that I need to get myself a small cup to drink from separate to the water boiling vessel. Days like this are there to shake down kit like this, better to learn it here, than half way along the cape wrath trail...
Julia
