Novice seeking help
- Thread starter Scotchy93
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Welcome aboard Scotchy,
There's no such thing as essential equipment - but there will be things that make certain tasks easier to achieve.
A while spent reading through the forum will reveal what people find to be of use - and curiously enough is also likely to address the second part of your query too!
ATB
Ogri the trog
There's no such thing as essential equipment - but there will be things that make certain tasks easier to achieve.
A while spent reading through the forum will reveal what people find to be of use - and curiously enough is also likely to address the second part of your query too!
ATB
Ogri the trog
Welcome mate
Paul Kirtley has some great articles on his blog, this one may be worth a read
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bushcraft-camping-equipment/
Paul Kirtley has some great articles on his blog, this one may be worth a read
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bushcraft-camping-equipment/
In my most controversial statement on here, I would leave the suggested reading as an area for interest, curiosity and eventually specific info' on specific issues / locations at a later date.
Having found this forum later in my 'bushcraft life' I have found it to be a wealth of knowledge, experience and opinion. Browse the forums, use the search function and then post new topics with particular questions, and even better with reports of your progress, and you will see things progressing nicely.
I say leave the books until later because there will be 9 chapters full of fascinating info that is no use to you in the current time or your current location. Decide what you want to do (light a fire, make a shelter, camp, hunt, travel , hammock etc) and where you want to do it. Learn enough to achieve that and then start afresh with your next target for development.
Daysack, water bottle, billy can (cheap stainless steel canister) and means of lighting a fire would be first on my list. Tread lightly though buddy
Having found this forum later in my 'bushcraft life' I have found it to be a wealth of knowledge, experience and opinion. Browse the forums, use the search function and then post new topics with particular questions, and even better with reports of your progress, and you will see things progressing nicely.
I say leave the books until later because there will be 9 chapters full of fascinating info that is no use to you in the current time or your current location. Decide what you want to do (light a fire, make a shelter, camp, hunt, travel , hammock etc) and where you want to do it. Learn enough to achieve that and then start afresh with your next target for development.
Daysack, water bottle, billy can (cheap stainless steel canister) and means of lighting a fire would be first on my list. Tread lightly though buddy
I'd have a look around on youtube, a great resource for finding answers to questions you didn't know to ask!
The following are generally cheap and common. Some can be sourced from army surplus outfits:
Cheap Mora knife
Ferro rod and striker - Vaseline and cotton wool
Hollow fibre sleeping bag
Gore-tex coat
Zebra or Tetonka billy or old modified pot
Tarp
Paracord
TW or DD basic Hammock - sitting, snoozing, gear
Good boots
1st Aid Kit
Water filter - I use Seychelle and Sawyer
Penknife with tweezers
Sleep mat
Gore-tex bivi bag?
Photon keychain light and bigger torch/lantern.
Water bottle
Plenty of good clothing layers
The following are generally cheap and common. Some can be sourced from army surplus outfits:
Cheap Mora knife
Ferro rod and striker - Vaseline and cotton wool
Hollow fibre sleeping bag
Gore-tex coat
Zebra or Tetonka billy or old modified pot
Tarp
Paracord
TW or DD basic Hammock - sitting, snoozing, gear
Good boots
1st Aid Kit
Water filter - I use Seychelle and Sawyer
Penknife with tweezers
Sleep mat
Gore-tex bivi bag?
Photon keychain light and bigger torch/lantern.
Water bottle
Plenty of good clothing layers
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Welcome to BCUK mate.
A couple of good books
Richard Graves,.......Bushcraft.
Mors kochanski,.......Bushcraft.
Bradford Angier,......How to survive in the woods.
My advice is, discard what you don't like, and embrace what you do like. Bushcraft means different things, to different people, only you, can find which aspects of it appeal to you most.
Hope your new hobby lasts a lifetime.
Best regards
Kal.
A couple of good books
Richard Graves,.......Bushcraft.
Mors kochanski,.......Bushcraft.
Bradford Angier,......How to survive in the woods.
My advice is, discard what you don't like, and embrace what you do like. Bushcraft means different things, to different people, only you, can find which aspects of it appeal to you most.
Hope your new hobby lasts a lifetime.
Best regards
Kal.
My very first suggestion is to not immediately go out, spend a fortune on gear that's been recommended only to consign half of it to either eBay or storage!
What works for us might not work for you (we're all different, after all).
Personally, I always recommend going with the basic categories rather than specific items:
1) Shelter: do you want to use a tent or a tarp? Your choice, they each have pros and cons... so make that decision and investigate the options on your chosen path
2) Fire: do you want to go more old-school and only use natural tinders you collect in the great outdoors, or do you want to pre-prepare artificial tinder such as cotton balls with vaseline? Either way, you should always have more than one way to start a fire, and a firesteel/ferrorod is pretty-much a universal item in that area. Again, there are options when it comes to which firesteel/ferrorod to get... so that's an area you can research, though a cheap one isn't going to be a pain if you decide you prefer some expensive fancy one.
3) Sleep: do you want to use a down sleeping bag or a synthetic [they each have pros and cons]? Figure that out and research the options there. Try a night with minimal gear to determine whether you want to add a Thermarest [self-inflating mat] to your kit. If you buy it and don't need it, it's just a waste! Did you choose a tarp for shelter? If so, you might want to decide whether you want to sleep in a hammock instead of on the floor... so many choices!
4) Cook kit: do you want a lesser-diameter deeper cook pot or a wider-diameter shallower one? Do you want aluminium, stainless or titanium? They each have pros and cons [titanium's big con being price]. Similarly with cutlery... though you probably would be best starting off with a couple of cheap plastic Sporks and making your long-term choices over time!
5) Water: Do you want to use a solid canteen, or would you rather carry a flexible bladder? Again, they each have their pros and cons... so I recommend a bit of research before making a decision. That said, if you already have or can easily get hold of either one cheaply enough, you can always work it out with some trial and error!
6) Tools: You are almost certainly going to need a knife. As others have already suggested, you'll very likely be best off starting with a cheap Mora Clipper (they're about £10, very robust and capable). Do you want to use an axe? If you're not already proficient with one, I'd advise against it... and suggest that you seek advice and instruction from someone more experienced with one before choosing so much as the type of axe you want to get. Would you rather use a saw (or have a saw as well, given that they can process wood in some situations more efficiently than an axe)? If so, there are plenty of exceptionally good folding saws on the market to choose from.
7) Carriage: How do you want to carry your gear? There are so many rucksacks out there, but ultimately the choices you make on the above will have significant bearing on which rucksacks are best suited to you and your gear. Some people try to cram everything into as small and light a pack as they can, while others buy a bigger pack to provide more room for organization (I'm the latter, just so you know). There again, you could always buy a cheap Bergen and try it out to see what works best for you!
Ultimately, your kit is a personal choice that will forever evolve the more you use it. Rather than having a bunch of brand and product names dumped on you, I really do genuinely believe that you should examine the options for each category and make your own decisions.
Also, I recommend starting at the lower price-point and working your way up! I've heard tales of people spending £300+ on a pair of Wellingtons... which I think is utterly stupid!
Bushcraft can be done on the cheap, and that's where people should start (again, my opinion). If you end up deciding that it just isn't for you, then at least you haven't invested a fool's fortune already.
What works for us might not work for you (we're all different, after all).
Personally, I always recommend going with the basic categories rather than specific items:
1) Shelter: do you want to use a tent or a tarp? Your choice, they each have pros and cons... so make that decision and investigate the options on your chosen path
2) Fire: do you want to go more old-school and only use natural tinders you collect in the great outdoors, or do you want to pre-prepare artificial tinder such as cotton balls with vaseline? Either way, you should always have more than one way to start a fire, and a firesteel/ferrorod is pretty-much a universal item in that area. Again, there are options when it comes to which firesteel/ferrorod to get... so that's an area you can research, though a cheap one isn't going to be a pain if you decide you prefer some expensive fancy one.
3) Sleep: do you want to use a down sleeping bag or a synthetic [they each have pros and cons]? Figure that out and research the options there. Try a night with minimal gear to determine whether you want to add a Thermarest [self-inflating mat] to your kit. If you buy it and don't need it, it's just a waste! Did you choose a tarp for shelter? If so, you might want to decide whether you want to sleep in a hammock instead of on the floor... so many choices!
4) Cook kit: do you want a lesser-diameter deeper cook pot or a wider-diameter shallower one? Do you want aluminium, stainless or titanium? They each have pros and cons [titanium's big con being price]. Similarly with cutlery... though you probably would be best starting off with a couple of cheap plastic Sporks and making your long-term choices over time!
5) Water: Do you want to use a solid canteen, or would you rather carry a flexible bladder? Again, they each have their pros and cons... so I recommend a bit of research before making a decision. That said, if you already have or can easily get hold of either one cheaply enough, you can always work it out with some trial and error!
6) Tools: You are almost certainly going to need a knife. As others have already suggested, you'll very likely be best off starting with a cheap Mora Clipper (they're about £10, very robust and capable). Do you want to use an axe? If you're not already proficient with one, I'd advise against it... and suggest that you seek advice and instruction from someone more experienced with one before choosing so much as the type of axe you want to get. Would you rather use a saw (or have a saw as well, given that they can process wood in some situations more efficiently than an axe)? If so, there are plenty of exceptionally good folding saws on the market to choose from.
7) Carriage: How do you want to carry your gear? There are so many rucksacks out there, but ultimately the choices you make on the above will have significant bearing on which rucksacks are best suited to you and your gear. Some people try to cram everything into as small and light a pack as they can, while others buy a bigger pack to provide more room for organization (I'm the latter, just so you know). There again, you could always buy a cheap Bergen and try it out to see what works best for you!
Ultimately, your kit is a personal choice that will forever evolve the more you use it. Rather than having a bunch of brand and product names dumped on you, I really do genuinely believe that you should examine the options for each category and make your own decisions.
Also, I recommend starting at the lower price-point and working your way up! I've heard tales of people spending £300+ on a pair of Wellingtons... which I think is utterly stupid!
Bushcraft can be done on the cheap, and that's where people should start (again, my opinion). If you end up deciding that it just isn't for you, then at least you haven't invested a fool's fortune already.
I put a list of some affordable gear one could use to create a complete kit: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/10/beginners-guide-to-affordable-bushcraft.html Don't think of it as "bushcraft" gear. Start out with good basic backpacking gear, and go from there.
The simplest thing too do would be too buy ray mears bushcraft DVD n book.the first section of the book is about gear n clothing n the DVD covers quite a lot of the basics.youd be able too kick on from their with a good foot hold into the massive world of bushcraft.enjoy yourself mate
Hi and welcome to BCUK
+1..
as your Essex where abouts ?, look out for the Essex Outbacks for a meet or theres always the Suffolk Group..http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84745, we have montly meets that have their own threads.
...heres always the Suffolk Group..http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84745, we have montly meets that have their own threads.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that
When you are gathering together your "essentials", just remember this little saying: "1 is none, and 2 is 1." If this seems meaningless to you, it will become abundantly clear to you when you break the blade off of your knife and do not have another one for back-up.
Although I'm recommending some critical things have "back-up," most people start out with entirely too much gear. Stick to the bare essentials.
Although I'm recommending some critical things have "back-up," most people start out with entirely too much gear. Stick to the bare essentials.
I suggest some good foot ware, we are all different and what works for one wont work for all. Have a think about the conditions you are going to be out in, who wants to be wearing a pair of Mountain Gortex boots on a blistering hot summers day,kicking about in the local woods. Good socks will also help, especially if your are going to put some miles in.
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Heya Scotchy some great tips here indeed,
I started with nothing more then a Mora blade, but eventually the arsenal grew to an axe, saws, hand drills, planes, leathertools, its all about finding your path, the path that suits you,
and one Book that really taught me load was "Northern Bushcraft" written by Mors Kochanski. and it is available in pdf,
So I would say go to google, typ in "Northern Bushcraft Mors Kochanski PDF " and you will have one of the most helpfull and informative bushcraft books in your arsenal.
Yours sincerely Ruud
Ps the best way of figuring out which kit I needed, was going out with guys who do bushcraft for a way longer time, and then you will see what you need, what you like, and what you don't like, so I'dd see find out where some guys and galls meet in your neck of the woods.
Cheers
I started with nothing more then a Mora blade, but eventually the arsenal grew to an axe, saws, hand drills, planes, leathertools, its all about finding your path, the path that suits you,
and one Book that really taught me load was "Northern Bushcraft" written by Mors Kochanski. and it is available in pdf,
So I would say go to google, typ in "Northern Bushcraft Mors Kochanski PDF " and you will have one of the most helpfull and informative bushcraft books in your arsenal.
Yours sincerely Ruud
Ps the best way of figuring out which kit I needed, was going out with guys who do bushcraft for a way longer time, and then you will see what you need, what you like, and what you don't like, so I'dd see find out where some guys and galls meet in your neck of the woods.
Cheers
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The OP gathered all he needed on his first visit and has not been back since.
Might be an idea to put up some sort of sticky post for newcomers to just cover some basics, encourage reading past posts, look for local meets etc At the moment someone signs up and asks the usual 'help' questions and often get bombarded with all sorts of replies; some may be put off by this.
Might be an idea to put up some sort of sticky post for newcomers to just cover some basics, encourage reading past posts, look for local meets etc At the moment someone signs up and asks the usual 'help' questions and often get bombarded with all sorts of replies; some may be put off by this.
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