So you think you're a bushcrafter? Water Challenge

[Greg]

so strictly speaking..clothing or cloth that has already been made shouldn't be used...because although it is origiinally made from natural materials it is no longer natural because Mother Earth didn't produce it ;-)
I think that solves the wet shirt or leather cap argument..
What you want is for us to forage and find and make a water carrying receptical...
Sounds like a fair enough challenge to me

 

[Llwyd]

Originally I was hoping to learn a few things from this thread. I had about 3-4 ideas and tried a few but more heads are better than one.

It is pretty easy to skip the challenge and claim victory but then it is not really a challenge, it is like making a vinegar and baking soda volcano for a science project and claiming to be a vulcanologist. I was hoping to see some cool and original ideas.

 

[Greg]

Well we'll have to see what we can do about that then won't we..

 

[Toddy]

1) Buttercup has an Iron Age gastrointestinal track so you do not need to filter the water.
2) Any axe and knife will do because Buttercup's mom gave you the best the iron age could offer on par with modern stuff.
3) Buttercup has not had water for two days but has been stressing herself more than usual with all the running and hiding she probably has less than four hours to live and will not make it past noon.
4) You could not move her any further and are at least 300 yards (or 3 football pitches) away from the nearest water source. Your container must get water that far at least.
5) This is an emergency. A pretty container is not necessary.
6) Your knife is a straight blade and not a fancy spoon knife.

Your 'original' scenario did not make clear that your 'emergency' required construction. Simply effective water carrying.

That's been the source of much of the irritated debate.

So, what you really want is for people to 'make' something, and to photograph that, and show that it works, within the four hours or so that Buttercup has to live ?......300 yds to water ?......in four hours you'd be better dragging her there tbh.
However....watch this space

M

 

[Toddy]

Allowing time for me to hunt out my Iron Age knife

and to find the camera, and upload the photos.....about 20 minutes work = a little more than 150 ml, and since my 'creation' is stable enough for multiple journeys I think that the challenge could be met easily in half an hour.

Iron Age knife......cut off a suitable stick.

This is a branch of Gean. It takes me about 2minutes to cut through that with this little knife. I trimmed one end rounded so that it didn't cut my hand, and the other into a flattened spear point.

That's my digging stick.

These cracks in the soil tell me that the soil is clay rich

Digging with my digging stick breaks out the sticky lumps.

I had water to hand (there's a permanent puddle at this bit, but I could easily have just taken the lumps of clay to the water source)
The clay is kneaded to remove lumps, to create a 'dough', and from that I make a basic thumbpot.

Then I rolled out some more and moulded on coils.

I couldn't go very much higher because the clay is very, very malleable at this stage.

However, my little bowl is stable enough to be lifted and laid.

These are the rosettes of docken leaves, but I could have used anything from tufts of grass or rushes, or even large dandelions.

I used the digging stick to dig them out with enough of the taproot attached to keep the whole thing together.

Then I used them to 'cup' the bendy clay bowl......and then took it for a walk

Result 150ml+ of potable water

cheers,
Toddy