Scottish Meet Up!! - Archive

[Doc]

Eric's cooking last time was fantastic (he's a professional). Facilities this time will be a bit more primitive and if Eric does volunteer to do any cooking I think he should be relieved of pan-bashing/washing up duties arising from it. My boys and I can help.

Wayland - looks like you do some interesting re-enactment stuff and look forward to hearing about it. I suspect Toddy might be interested too.

Last time everyone brought masses of kit - sometimes for use, but also for 'show and tell' or demonstration. It's actually very useful to see various kit items and chat with the owner - Last meet I saw a Leuku, a Runt neck knife, various Allan Blade knives, a teepee, a Wetterlings axe, eco-hammock, Hennesy hammock, various books, Magikelly's very bright torch, Troy's handcrafted bows, Erics Pole lathe and leatherworking, Match's firedrill, Graham's fire with chemicals, Toddy producing nettle cordage in less time than it takes to buy string, et, etc.

So bring kit! You can never have too much kit!

I forgot to ask about firewood - will the FC let us take modest quantities of dead wood from the surrounding forest? Or is it a case of bring some?

 

[Graham_S]

let's not forget the great banana stitch up

 

[match]

Right - time for a quick update...

I've stopped updating the skills table now, since I've not had any more suggestions for new activities - if you're names not down to learn something, its not that you're not allowed, its just I've run out of typing ability I'll update it again if we get any new skills being taught...

Looking at the table, we've got interest in almost everything being offered (some people just said 'I want to learn everything! )

I reckon for some of the activities, such as fire-starting, if people can bring as much raw material as possible (bits of pallets for hearths, dry spindles if they can get hold of any, and tinder especially) then this should be fine - I'll be contributing some nice hazel spindles, but I've only got 5 or 6 so this is limited. Again for things like leatherworking, if you've got any bits, bring em along, otherwise we'll run out!

I've recently acquired a katadyn pocket water filter, so I'll bring that to help with water supplies, plus a 5l water carrier.

Food-wise, the idea of some communal cook-ups sounds good, especially if we can tie that in to the skinning/preparation, wild herbs, and people's suggestions of a pit oven - dammit - now I'm getting hungry too

Best bet is if everyone tries to bring things that can be used communally or individually (bread, veg, meat etc) then we can either pool it together, or cook separately, depending on space, fires, pots etc.

Oh, and if anyone's got any old golfballs or tennis balls around, I'll be trying to bring materials for people to make slings - they make excellent ammo, and are less dangerous than rocks!

P.S Do we have a final total of numbers? I've got around 26 in my head, but that might have grown...

 

[Grooveski]

Just read today's bowdrill topic over in firecraft. Always thought spindles were thinner for some reason.
I'll bring a 6' straight length of ~18mm Hazel that could be used. It's a walking stick that's never left the house , I'd rather see it cut up and used for something.

...and if Quaking Aspen is any use as hearths I've got a log here which was cut last winter(as was the Hazel). Most of it's for arrows but I'll whop off an end which we can split(I'm guessing someone will have an axe ).

Mass show-and-tell sounds scary, sounds expensive in the long run.....

 

[Bowser]

I'll be bringing a few bits & pieces, Wetterlings axe, a few different knives, a few torches (including my 500 lumen Modded Tigerlight...) some water, some vege's (get my organic box delivered on a Friday so timing is perfect!) and some other things. I've got a few knife tubes to give away (I use them for FAK's etc).

Roasted vension sounds GOOD!!

 

[stuart f]

Hi all just wondered if there was room for one more, i have been watching this thread but did,nt want to commit until i found out if i could get the time off work, my boss has just confirmed that i can have the time off so i would be up for it if theres room. hope i,m not too late

 

[MagiKelly]

P.S Do we have a final total of numbers? I've got around 26 in my head, but that might have grown...

Not sure if your head has grown or not but we have 31 confirmed for Friday night and 35 for Saturday. Sunday is a mere 8.

I have also just got a MSR waterworks filter that I wil bring along with stories of how to save loads by getting it from the US.

Regarding firewood we are allowed to burn any dead wood from the surrounding area. Chances are everything in the camp will have been used. HOWEVER we are allowed to help ourselves to any felled wood in the whole of the forest drive. In fact the Forestry Commission will be delighted if we have lifted any of the braches etc from cleared areas and burned them. So any wood you see on your way round feel free to stop and put it in your car. Use of a chainsaw is sort of not allowed but if Eric happens to have his with him and we need to shorted some logs for splitting...............................

 

[MagiKelly]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

I have got an old Pay as you go phone I do not use but it has a fair bit of credit on it. I am going to have it switched on and with me from Friday Morning right through to Monday. The number is 07754 545930 As I do not use this phone it is okay for it to be on a public forum. So take a note of the number and if you have any problems finding the site etc give me a call.

I have also distributed a list of those who are coming and their phone numbers to a few people. This ensures that we can contact you if there are any problems (well if you gave me your number anyway)

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'll have the chainsaw with me as always. Firewood won't be a problem.

If we have a fire going all the time we can have brews on for whoever wants one. We'll also need a separate fire for the pottery - one to dry the clay ready for firing - that'll be on the friday evening, and one to actually fire the pots on the saturday. For those who want to make a pot, please note that there is a fifty percent failure rate using this type of firing, so don't be dissapointed if your pot explodes in the fire. It is however completely authentic and would have been a family/community passtime of an autumn evening in any neolithic/paleolithic community. In fact making pots like this would have been common through all periods right up to the fifteenth century for rural or nomadic peoples. Pots would have been turned on a wheel in large towns or cities, but out in the country, a bunch of rural folks would have dug up clay from the riverbank, soaked it in a wooden tub, let the sediment and stones/grit/roots etc, settle to the bottom of the tub, skim the water off the top and scoop out the thick gooey clay from the middle part of the tub. This would then have been put in a linen square and the opposite ends twisted to squeeze out excess water leaving a nice slab of pure clay to make pots from. That's where we'll start from. I have two large slabs of red clay. Red clay is rich in iron oxide and will make good pots. We won't be glazing them, but if they fire alright we can drink tea or red wine from them and the tanin will seal the pores.

Anyway, I'll explain it all when we're there.

Eric

 

[stuart f]

If we,re having a communal cook up i will bring a couple of chickens and a bag of spuds from the allotment and oh! a bottle of Sloe gin.

 

[Graham_S]

i picked up a bottle of "cock o' the north" at the weekend. it's a nice wee dram

 

[Moff8]

I have a fair bit of tinder in the form of rabbit hutch straw (unused ) and lint from the tumble dryer. Also got a couple of hearths that came as packing with same dryer.

I have 4 tennis balls for the slings, along with 2 slings I made last week

Bottle of Dixie Red (peach schapps) - needs to be tasted to believe how good it is.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I have a large bag of polished pebbles that can be used with the slings. I bought them on impulse to make into rune stones and sell on ebay but I never have enough time for stuff like that so the poor wee things just sit there looking all shiney and forlorn. They'll have a better life if they're launched into the loch at high velocity.

Eric

 

[Toddy]

I can get my hands on a bullet mould for 1/2" musket balls maybe this is just taking things a bit far

Any vegetarian/vegans want to organise a communal pot of something non-carne?

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Graham_S]

now all we need is a musket ............

 

[Toddy]

now all we need is a musket ............

I can manage some of them too
I just thought the round shot might be good to use with the slings. My brother usually uses aniseed balls He reckons they're round & dense enough, biodegradeable and if he gets peckish he can always eat his ammo

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[sparks]

can someone please help me with my route to the meet up
i will be comeing up the M74 and the route finder whants to send my east across to stirling and then back west is this the best way

 

[Grooveski]

Yeah, M74>M73>A9(M9) Junction 10
....then A84 to just past Callander
...then A821 which will be signposted Aberfoyle.

Along the side of Loch Venacher, round Loch Achray then keep your eyes peeled for the out gate of the forest drive.

If the fire's going you'll probably be able to see the site as you're going round Loch Achray.

 

[Big Geordie]

I think we're bringing a pan of dahl at least some veg, and probably a stew .And of course a local malt.Yippee!!

How do you think we should thank MagicKelly for the great effort he's made?

We are also having a little concern about the weather cos I start travelling Thursday and will be carrying both our rucksacks onto the ferry. I never knew gore tex was heavy.... actually its my big dinners.
Looking forward to seeing you all, its like I know most of you already. Do you think we need Kevlar for Toddy's musket practice?
George & Lesley.

 

[JohnC]

I can get my hands on a bullet mould for 1/2" musket balls maybe this is just taking things a bit far

Any vegetarian/vegans want to organise a communal pot of something non-carne?

Cheers,
Toddy

What do you suggest? I'll bring some veg and rice..