Saying hello again esp. to the girls

[Lou]

It's too "happy campers" in the field for me but better in the woods. Some rowdies, especially a couple of shrieking women, kept me awake all Friday night to past 3am, so I was only half-cock on Sat - fell asleep in Lofty's talk (no fault to him, he was grand) as I was so knackered. It also made me cold and shivery ... and late for Paul's w/s as I fell asleep again. If I ever meet the women ... !!! Woods also have a public track running through them so one is continually stared at.

Many of the demos/free courses were very good, specially Paul Kirtley (& his pay-for Nav course), Ben Orford and Ben McNutt. Falconry good, also snakes & tarantulas, and the ferret . Nice ice cream and good tea/coffee stall, beer quite good. The farm stall had some nice food but I'd brought food from home farmers' markets. And it's always nice to meet friends, specially those I'd only met online .

Don't think I'd go again ...

Elen, the bushcraft magazine have just put up a questionnaire about the Bushcraft Show, you may want to head over there and write down some of your comments, I am sure they would appreciate the feedback. The page is on their facebook steam https://www.facebook.com/bushcraftmagazine?ref=stream

 

[Lyope]

Hi TH. I'm Charlotte and I'm a spooncarver and occasional archer from London. I'll be at the Bushmoot too and I'd love to meet up with some of the women from BCUK if we can organise something.

 

[ged]

Welcome back!

(I'm a lad, and John's a big girl )

 

[Lou]

Hi TH. I'm Charlotte and I'm a spooncarver and occasional archer from London. I'll be at the Bushmoot too and I'd love to meet up with some of the women from BCUK if we can organise something.

Hi Lyope, great! well, I am still working on my husband to try and get him to come with me and kids to the Moot, but I think it may only be me now. Prices of flights into Bristol are pricey in August and we hv already been to the Bushcraft show, so it is touch and go as to whether I will make it or not.

But I hope to be there and meet up with you

@ged John can be honorary member of the girls corner then

 

[wildworld]

Hi Tawny Hare,

Welcome back to the forum! I'm a new person on this forum and female (think may be I'm a bit old now to call myself a girl although I still feel like one!). I'm a novice in bushcraft matters.

As you are also female & there are quite a few other women on this thread there's something I want to share/ask. I love being out in nature, but realize that there are certain things I won't do on my own because I don't feel safe to do so, such as wild camping. I have to say it's other humans I'm concerned about rather than animals (although when its dark I may start to imagine monsters when there are funny noises in the bushes!). Some things like wild swimming it is probably safer to go with someone just in case you get into difficulties whether you are male or female. It is fun doing these things with others, but it takes more organizing and there is something different & great about being out in nature on your own. I am quite envious when I hear of others staying out in the wilderness on their own, but it wouldn't be much fun if you just felt nervous all night. Do others on here feel the same way (& are willing to admit it!) or is it just me?! And do you still do it anyway or wimp out like me (so far), or get someone else to go with you?

 

[ged]

... Do others on here feel the same way (& are willing to admit it!) or is it just me?! And do you still do it anyway or wimp out like me (so far), or get someone else to go with you?

Being a bit of a lad and not a big girl I don't know if I'm speaking out of turn here, but there's a thread I think you might want to read; here's a contribution to it from yours truly:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43184&p=670663#post670663

 

[wildworld]

Thanks for the link Ged You're not speaking out of turn - interested in anyone's experiences/thoughts about it. Good to see others also get worried! I take the point about being active if you are worried about something. I once had a scarey experience camping on my own at a festival. On the last night quite a few people had left so my tent ended up being a bit away from any other tents. I had a bad feeling about a guy that had walked by whilst I was getting in the tent at night. I decided to get out and look around with a torch and he was creeping back around towards my tent! He rushed off when he got my torch beam right in his eyes. Still freaked me out so I zipped my tent up & went & hung out by a camp fire in one of the music tents where there were still quite a few people awake all night! He may have just being looking to nick my camping stove which was out the front of my tent, but definitely dodgy! Although it all ended well it left me a bit nervous about camping on my own.

 

[ged]

... it all ended well it left me a bit nervous about camping on my own.

There are lots of informal meets where you wouldn't be alone unless you wanted to be. Check out the meets section:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=19

If and when you decide to go to one, get in touch with a couple of the others beforehand by PM to talk over your concerns, how you'd like the arrangements to be for you and what you'd like to do, or not do (and make sure that they'll actually be going).

Some people will just turn up and fit in with whatever's going on (I'm one of them) others might need a bit more structure, or at least fewer unknowns. One of my dogs is a bit like that, if we change the route of the morning walk he gets really anxious. Rescue mutt. Must have had some bad experiences.

But I digress. Well I don't, really. It's about confidence. You can build it, but it comes more easily to some than to others. No big deal, we are what we are.

 

[Goatboy]

Sorry have been resisting this for weeks, but every time I see the thread title pop up I think of our old friend Raoul...

[video=youtube;REyMFqd7SZY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REyMFqd7SZY[/video]

 

[wildworld]

Thanks for the info & advice Ged

 

[mrs fish]

Hi from another girl hope to catch up and chat to you at some point

 

[Lou]

@wildworld I do not have the 'human' problem whilst out camping alone here in France thank goodness as we are pretty remote and it is just unheard of for random men to be seen wandering in the woods at night unless they are hunters (I would not camp out alone during hunting season), no, I have the problem (and fear) of wild boars. Whilst I was on a bushcraft course in the UK a few years back my fear of boars translated into a fear of badgers and I had a problem with pitching my tent too near to a hole I thought was a badger sett, so had the rigmarole of having to move half way through the night.

And yes, I totally have the problem of being alone out there, regardless of whatever wildlife is lurking in the bushes, actually I remember reading the thread that ged just posted and it made me even more nervous so I unsubscribed from it eventually. I know that the fear of the dark is not just a female specific thing, but women have the added problem of fear of 'random men' which for me can be greater than the fear of the dark and I would seriously think twice about camping out alone in the UK.

For me here, my challenge is to get over the boar / badger thing (use a hammock) and actually spend a night alone out there. That is something I have been working up to for a long time and have not yet achieved. I think I could achieve it if I got into my hammock before it got dark as moving about in a wood at night gives me the willies. No pun intended. Even so, I am not sure whether I will ever pluck up the courage to do it. But then is bushcrafting all about spending time on your own? Perhaps for many people, men or women, it is..... I would love to spend some time out there with a group of like-minded women, just because I think we know what specific fears we have and we can help overcome them together. Don't get me wrong, I love male company but there is something liberating about a group of women together out in the wild. I would be so up for setting up a group where we can share our concerns etc etc. even if it means just chatting on the net and meeting up once in a while to 'try it out' together. I can imagine what comments I am going to get after writing that.

@goatboy if only every man was like Raoul then things would be so much simpler

@turbogirl sorry I didn't see your post earlier, hi! I have also bought some midge repellent from Xylaria and I am trying it out as we speak, looks totally awesome so far. I LOVE handcrafting stuff, I did my degree in textile design specialising in weaving so have had many years of producing fabrics and clothes and doing things like felting, knitting and spinning. I am at the moment trying to get together some kit that is all natural and homemade, which is a challenge in this age of incredibly well made and convenient synthetic stuff. I think Toddy knows a lot more than I do about it

@mrsfish hi! I take it that you are the wife of fishfish ?? I homeschool my two children too. They are seven and ten, both girls ....

 

[wildworld]

Hi Tawny Hare!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts & feelings about camping out on your own. It's good to know I'm not the only one that feels these concerns! I would also be interested if there were a women's group online. I'll take a look at the Sisterhood of the Bush link mentioned to see what that's like. You sound a very creative person with your textiles, pottery, etc. I am creative but not done much lately & feel I really need to express that side of my self. Have just converted my very small spare room to a creative work room with lots of drawers to store all my bits & pieces in so hope that will inspire me to actually get on & do something! Are you teaching yourself throwing on the wheel - I've had a go in the past & it's definitely harder than it looks when done by a proper potter! I used to stick to hand building although haven't done it for years. Have you got a kiln to fire things or are you going to have a go doing it the Raku way with a fire? I've just bought some clay that doesn't need firing to have another go as I don't have access to a kiln.

 

[Lou]

I have just bought myself a basic wheel which you can use outside, and I am going to have a go at raku firing with a friend soon. I am really interested in primitive pottery and I plan to make glazes from local rocks and plants, I am using the wheel so I can make lots of pieces so I can try out many different glazes. I like that connection to the land, something you don't get when buying packet glaze and clay from a supplier. For me, bushcrafting is just an extension of this creative life I seem to lead, it is great,

As for the online group, the sisters in the bushes is nice but it doesn't really promote discussion like this forum does and not everyone is on facebook. There is a girls group on here but I haven't seen any activity on it recently, maybe I should try and post something up, maybe some kind of discussion like the one we are having here and inviting more people to get involved. I will look into it, I am not completely sure how it works ......

 

[Lou]

This is the link for the ladies group, it is moderated by cobweb, I am going to start a new thread on there about lone camping. Maybe we can use this as a place to discuss girly things ??

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/group.php?groupid=3

 

[Lou]

I just posted a new topic on the ladies forum about fear of the dark and lone camping http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/group.php?discussionid=438&do=discuss

 

[Mesquite]

Hi TH... you might like to have a read of this thread.

 

[wildworld]

Hi TH
Sorry not to have responded to your messages - having a few computer problems & been preoccupied with other stuff. The pottery stuff sounds great! Will have a look at the thread you posted next time I'm on as haven't time now.