Making a primitive bushy kit

[Scottishwanderer]

Im in the process of making a primitive bushcraft kit.

So far i've made;

Rucksack frame with straps made from 3 pieces of oak formed into a triange lashed together with nettle cordage made of 9 pieces for strengh, the straps are pine roots that are 5 ply braided.

I'm thinking of a willow basket lashed to the frame as the actual pack with a small grass matt as a lid.

Would willow be a good material?

Fire kit is a tight nettle net containing, flint and iron pyrites. Amadou and cramp balls, plus my bowdrill set that has thick nettle cordage attached for the string.

Water bottle needs improving as it's a piece of pear wood that i hollowed out with fire and a stopper made of the same, this only holds 300 mils though, anyone know a better solution?

Meal kit is my kuksa and spoon again both made using fire and bowdrill.

60ft of nettle rope thats 24 fibres thick, i have roughly 200 nettles drying for tomorrows cordage making.

Sleep kit is a woven grass mat, again held together with nettle cord.

 

[Magentus]

That sounds excellent - any chance of some pictures?

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Food kit is 10 figure 4 mechanisms all carved and good to go ( naturally they won't be used. I'm currently researching primitive fish hooks and will add that to the food kit, will use nettle cord for line bit of round wood for a reel, bit of wood for float.

How long can i expect this stuff to last?

I'm trying to procure some flint to make an axe which i'll make primitively. Also a flint knife preferebly with a bone handle once i have materials and find how to do that i will.

Best thing is this kit cost nothing except lots of research and hours getting stung to bits with nettles.

Any advice on what else to add would be great.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

That sounds excellent - any chance of some pictures?

Don't have a camera but my old man is coming up next week so i'll get him to bring his.

 

[JohnC]

Would a leather bottle be ok? or is it to be totally made from scratch>?

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Other thing i have on the to make list are, bone tools, an awl, anything else to be made with bone?

A bow and some arrows, will have to research this one, and a quiver.

Need to learn to make willow baskets/ find willow wands.

Through making this it really has shown me that the ability to make cordage must have been one of the most important skills early man posessed.

 

[TeeDee]

Scottishwanderer

You may want to have a look at and chat with Patrick. You and him seem to be very much on the same wavelength.

www.backwoodsurvival.co.uk

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Would a leather bottle be ok? or is it to be totally made from scratch>?

This is an idea i am still toying with, i would need some type of hide, then i would try brain tanning it possibly, the problem i have is that i don't know the material to use to sew it together, i'm sure i could fashion a bone or wood needle but i'm not sure about thread.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Scottishwanderer

You may want to have a look at and chat with Patrick. You and him seem to be very much on the same wavelength.

www.backwoodsurvival.co.uk

Cool brother seems like a knowledgeable chap, gonna wait till i have pics then e-mail him

 

[Maggot]

ScottishWanderer, you going for this Bushy life aren't you. I hope you make a success of all of it and your plans for making a living out of it.

 

[forestwalker]

Im in the process of making a primitive bushcraft kit.

Me too.

So far i've made;

Rucksack frame with straps made from 3 pieces of oak formed into a triange lashed together with nettle cordage made of 9 pieces for strengh, the straps are pine roots that are 5 ply braided.

I'm thinking of a willow basket lashed to the frame as the actual pack with a small grass matt as a lid.

Would willow be a good material?

Willow would work fine. I'm working on a burden basket (the frame is drying) with willow and rawhide. Personally I find the Roycraft frames much better than noting, but not anything to use as a permanent solution. I'm planning on rawhide or braintan thumpline for my basket, but that may change.

Fire kit is a tight nettle net containing, flint and iron pyrites. Amadou and cramp balls, plus my bowdrill set that has thick nettle cordage attached for the string.

My steel and flint kit is in a bark tanned hide bag, the bowdrill kit in a fabric bag as of yet (should make it braintan). Small birch bark containers for amadou.

Water bottle needs improving as it's a piece of pear wood that i hollowed out with fire and a stopper made of the same, this only holds 300 mils though, anyone know a better solution?

A few years ago I saw an article in Bulletin of Primitve Technology where someone had used the "berry basket" pattern to mke a bottle, sealed with pine pitch glue. Basically the opening was tighened into a bottle size and a stopper left there as it dried (wrapped with bast cordage). Around here there is no need, so I just drink directly from the streams and lakes.

Sleep kit is a woven grass mat, again held together with nettle cord.

Just don't sleep next to a fire with it. That is what has kept me away from them. Mine will be either a self felted wool blanket, two reindeer hides or 3-4 sheepskins.

Looks like you have a reasonably good idea as to what to do and how to do it. Are you going for promitive clothes as well?

 

[AussieVic]

What a fantastic challenge.

Here's a few thoughts:
Do you have access to clay ? Perhaps you could make a larger water bottle and fire it.
In Nepal a traditional chang pot (beer) is made from a hollowed out log with wooden stopper, perhaps you could use a flint tipped drill to hollow one out ?
You may be able to make a birch bark container with pine pitch sealed edges ?
I think ForestWalkers suggestions are great, esp keeping your fire kit in a dry container.

 

[John Fenna]

This is an idea i am still toying with, i would need some type of hide, then i would try brain tanning it possibly, the problem i have is that i don't know the material to use to sew it together, i'm sure i could fashion a bone or wood needle but i'm not sure about thread.

Sinew, thin leather thonging or veg fibre - all proofed with resin/carcoal/beeswax mix

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Thanks for the reply forestwalker.

My project actually started with running out of paracord so i learned to make cordage then this stemmed from it.

Yours is probably going to be a heck of a lot better than mine lol.

Everything is functional though.

I am trying to avoid animal products really, all the stuff i've made so far the materials have been procured from the woods in my area, minus the flint and iron pyrites, and things like leather etc will cost money which would defeat the purpose of my kit.

I need to look into rabbit leather for bags as i'd be able to snare a lot of em, however i don't know if nettle cord will work as a snare( from testing it it definetly will) and the legality of doing it that way.

I'm not sure of the feasability of using birch bark for containers due to it being very thin.

I am meeting a guy one thursday to learn to weave willow baskets, according to him it is definetly possible to make them watertight if tight enough and some pine pitch covering it.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

A boiling vessel is highly desirable in these parts. Obviously this would have to be done with hot rocks.

I have not thought into clothes yet because i'm not really into reinacting and that kind of thing but i'm going to see a woman who makes clothing out of you guessed it nettles lol. She has very kindly offered to show me the basics.

I have found that the best source for information is from re enactors.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

I'm also trying to keep the contents linked to my area.

My dads girlfriend is a primary school teacher, she spoke to the head of the school to see about a sort of talk to the bairns to show em this stufg.

To start with i thought she was taking the mick but i think it might be good to do as it might get some bairns interested in nature/ bushcraft/ crafts/ history etc

 

[spandit]

Great idea - you should go on Time Team!

As for water bottle, are there any thick bamboo-like stems you could use? A bundle lashed together would hold a bit more...

Failing that, if you could make enough fibre, could you weave a bag then dope it with pine pitch? I think birch bark would be easiest (as has been mentioned) unless you go down the animal root

How does one extract pine tar without metal tins?

 

[Mr Cake]

A few years ago I saw an article in Bulletin of Primitve Technology where someone had used the "berry basket" pattern to mke a bottle, sealed with pine pitch glue. Basically the opening was tighened into a bottle size and a stopper left there as it dried (wrapped with bast cordage). Around here there is no need, so I just drink directly from the streams and lakes.
QUOTE]
I made one of these a few years ago. Making the bottle shape is easy enough but getting the bottle watertight can be a bit of a chore. Nowadays I use a gourd canteen - much easier.

 

[mcniac]

this is a really interesting topic, I'll be paying attention so I learn enough to make my own kit.

Esteban

 

[forestwalker]

A boiling vessel is highly desirable in these parts. Obviously this would have to be done with hot rocks.

Options would be (among others) birch bark and rawhide. I'd go for the birch bark if I could find any good enough.

I have not thought into clothes yet because i'm not really into reinacting and that kind of thing but i'm going to see a woman who makes clothing out of you guessed it nettles lol. She has very kindly offered to show me the basics.

I have found that the best source for information is from re enactors.

What are you reenacting?