list to learn

[British Red]

Leon,

On this one, I'm not going to advice on your choices

A large part of bushcrafting is trying these out, seeing what works and making corrections. What I do know is that all the information you need to complete the challenge is available in the books you have or on this site using the search facility (I checked). So for this one mate, plan out what you are going to do, research it (you may decide to burn birch or hawthorn or......but can you spot it when you see it?) then try it out.

Of course some things won't work or you will get stuck - thats what Fenlander is for , but this is about seeing what you can achieve on your own using research tools

Red

 

[leon-b]

ok i have a list of trees that are on the site i will research and find which of them is best for a cooking fire and then find how to identify it

 

[British Red]

Excellent Leon, have you fixed up a date with Fenlander yet? I know he has sent you some!

Red

 

[leon-b]

no not quite yet probebly tonite just gotta ask my mum
for tinder i am going to use birch bark because it burns well and i can identify it

 

[British Red]

Thats a start - do you know how to preapre it though? Theres loads of threads on here where people have talked about using birch bark tinder...and how best to get success - I'd have a play on the "search" function if I was you

(edit to say - nothing saying you cant find some birch trees in your area and practcie either )

 

[leon-b]

i will gather up quite a big bundle of newspaper thin birch bark and then strike my firesteel in the middle of it and hopefully light it
then i will put a couple of thicker bits of bark on that and the build it up using bigger twigs

 

[leon-b]

i will use sycamore for fuel as i can identify that and it gives out a moderate heat witch should be enough for making a brew

 

[British Red]

So what are you going to do with the bark mate - just take it off a tree? Will you prepare it in anyway?

 

[leon-b]

i am now researching that

 

[leon-b]

i have read through quite a few threads and it seems that if you are using thin bark it will be fine like that however if you are using thicker bark it needs to be cut up into fine shavings

 

[spamel]

This is good stuff, and exactly what this site is about. Leon, I think this is definitely the way to go, you asked some questions before that got an unfair response IMO. I think this is a better way for you to learn, being posed questions that you need to answer, with the information available on the site.

I'm impressed also with you BR, it's like you have become Leons' personal bushcraft tutor, and for that, you get rep (once I figure out how to do it!!). I will watch this thread with interest to see what happens.

To the both of you, good luck and :You_Rock_

Spam

 

[British Red]

Leon,

Its not a question of cutting up mate - think "tissue paper thin". Sometimes you can see it hanging off the tree lke that and just peel it off, other times, you can take a big piece and scrape the tip of the blade across the bark to get thin bits. Ever has skin peel off after sunburn? Thats how thin you want it! Nexy question of course is how to arrange it and use your firesteel! Any plans?

BTW - asked your mum yet?

Red

 

[British Red]

Spamel mate - Fenlander is the tutor (I'm too far away from Leon sadly ) - he has offered to take Leon out for a days fun (parental permission pending). My role is more that of a hall monitor till the real teacher turns up

Red

Thanks for your kind words though - I do agree our Leon is shaping up well!

 

[leon-b]

i have read that you just put it in a quite big ball so you have got a good chance and then put your fire steel in the middle and strike quite slow but hard so that you get a good shower of sparks

 

[leon-b]

skill number 3 is fairly easy i have seen how to do this in mors k book

 

[British Red]

Thats one way mate - not my preferred method though. Cos I am clumsy old country bloke I end up scattering my tinder all over the place if I do that...there is a description somewhere of a better way

BTW - have you got a firesteel?

Red

 

[British Red]

Yep...in theory it looks easy...in practice though - one mistake and you get a lap full of boiling water :yikes:

Trust me, of all the challenges I set you, doing task 3 will prove the trickiest...this is where a few branches and the garden come in to play !

Red (who once read a book on flying jet planes.......but...)

 

[leon-b]

i havent got a fire steel but i have got one of these

 

[leon-b]

well me and my mate have made a big sort of shelter thing down the woods where we plan to carve and just chill out i will probebly practice down there

 

[British Red]

As for the firesteel, a ranger flint is the same sort of stuff (ferric rod) just smaller. I would practice your firestarting technique using that - if you cant get birch bark theres plenty of other tinders. Make sure you do it in a safe place with your mums permission (speaking of which - you have got permission to be in the woods I assume?)

Red