Suffolk Bushcraft Group

[SJStuart]

I'll be coming by car, but won't likely be there until after 2PM (we have an appointment in the morning).

Just a heads-up that my back is still not in tip-top form, but so long as I'm sure to be careful and take breaks as necessary... I should be fine. Got some different meds to deal with the spasms that only knock me out for a few hours rather than a day or more (so that's not so bad).

I'll try not to be a burden to anyone, of course.

 

[ReamviThantos]

This weekend is now looking dodgy for me (again). I have been seriously busy workwise due to midlands storms and home work wise due to daughter moving into new house and needing kitchen put in and help with moving house. I have another long day booked in for tomorrow and need to catch up with reports at the weekend. Sorry people, I was really looking forward to this one as always too. Hope you all have fun in the sun and remember to pack your factor 50.

 

[SJStuart]

Still waiting for the Mrs to get back so I can set off, damnit!

Going to be a fairly late arival for me, guys. Gear's packed (been packed all week)... just need to load it in the car and go, once the Mrs takes over looking after the kids :|

 

[roman-soldier]

my camping this weekend is going well, brought the amazonian goddess with me for company and set off Friday on a large silver kite heading south. Flew out from a little known settlement called Southend, the locals have a very strange dialect and dress code. Anyway we arrived in Barcelona and took a yellow and black mule to our enormous camping spot, it has 5 stars on it and 18 floors!, although it's not as good as my hammock.
Spent all day today up and down mountains trying local delicacies such as "dos beer por favour" which also led us to another local custom "the siesta" . So now time to get under the solar shower and then into the city centre to people watch. Great fun

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Big Stu 12]

Another great weekend in a Suffolk woodland..

Chris and I meet in the local just down the road at lunchtime and waited for Karl, we made our way over to the parking area to find John waiting for us, as the rain had made the going a bit sticky we left the cars there and just took my Landy, once in the woods, we set up, we were quickly followed up by Simon and Bryan.

the afternoon passed by.

I continued my Boone trail for more information see the Suffolk Boone thread,
I took very little on this one...

On Saturday we all set to in collecting some straw, clay to go with the Sand I had picked up for a DIY store and set to making a Clay oven,



On top of the oven we put an area that we could fill with embers to place Billy's to heat stuff up..


It just had to be done... Sorry..


John also showed Bryan how to use a Parabolic Mirror to light charcloth



On Sunday night I had taken some Corn Kernels and delighted the others by making Pop Corn.

Sunday was the normal packing up ready to go home.

 

[ReamviThantos]

Excellent work gents, looks like a very interesting weekends work.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great job boys.
Err, Stu, I see everybody else's hands muddy, but where are you? or are you in a strictly supervisory position.
Look forward to seeing you all soon.
Colin.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Great job boys.
Err, Stu, I see everybody else's hands muddy, but where are you? or are you in a strictly supervisory position.
Look forward to seeing you all soon.
Colin.

THank you Colin... look for the hat and the DD Hammocks Tee.....

Hopefully see you soon mate

 

[SJStuart]

Great job boys.
Err, Stu, I see everybody else's hands muddy, but where are you? or are you in a strictly supervisory position.
Look forward to seeing you all soon.
Colin.

I assure you... Stu got his hands (and boots) filthy on this project!

 

[crosslandkelly]

I assure you... Stu got his hands (and boots) filthy on this project!

I know he did Simon, he was just hiding under his hat. (New?)

 

[ozzy1977]

Good week end, thanks people.

I wish we could have got the oven going, but it will have to wate

 

[Big Stu 12]

Good week end, thanks people.

I wish we could have got the oven going, but it will have to wate

Yeah it was a good weekend with great team work.. great pop corn ,

cant wait for the oven either

 

[Big Stu 12]

4 Night Monthly Suffolk Bushcraft Group Meeting August 24th to 28th 2013

All Welcome, Newbies, all levels of experience, Tree and Ground Dwellers.

This may be a nice one to bring the Family along so they can see what we get upto when we are away...But please be aware of the Toilet situation, of cause unless some one has a Chemical one we can set up for the weekend.

Location
A 10 Acre mixed Woodland that is very quiet and secluded, and lends itself to wild camping, both in Hammocks and Tents/Tarps, just outside of the village of Stansfield,

Regulars that have been to the Site before - 12:00 onwards - report at Office before going to the woods, No arivals after 9:30pm please.....
New commers to Site - Meet at Compasses Pub, Stansfield, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 8LN. 13:00 hrs, normally finishing about midday on the Last day. Please be on time as the Woodland is hard to find, For those that can not make it to that meet and would like to come please PM me and I will arrange another time.

Cost
The Camp Site charge is £10 per person for the the First Two days then £5 per night per person after that, fees for the site to be paid to me (Big Stu) as you arrive, this will have to be in cash.

Under 10's there is no charge.

Under 18s
Are welcome to attend, they are the responsibility of the Parent/Guardian that they came to the meet with, also please keep children under control.

Behaviour
Our meets, are good natured and light hearted, with safety in mind, we aim to carry this on with self regulation, if it does not then the offending person will be asked to leave immediately.

Facilities
This is a very wild site...The nearest Toilets, Shower are back at a Farm Yard about 1km away, the nearest Tap is about a 600m from the Woodland.

Personal Hygiene - there is NO toilets in the woodland, apart from the ones at the Farm, please bring your Hygiene kits (loo roll ect), there is a Group Latrine that is to be used in all cases, it is a requirement of the Landowner.

The Communal Area has a number of seat/ small tables, a rustic bushy Table seat next to a clay oven to make food prep a bit easier then doing it on your lap, during meets a Tarp will be put up over the fire area, The fire pit has a concrete base, with a Tripod and Extension with a griddle over the fire for everyone's use. We have now built a nice Clay Oven that will hopefully be in use for this even and will see its first firing... so maybe a Pizza night could be had..

There is also a Shave horse for use as well that was made as a group project.
There is a lean to one man natural shelter that can be used, in a secluded area, if you would like to use it for a night, that would be on a first come, first serve basis, it may need re-roofing prior to use.

Housekeeping
There is no Facility to leave rubbish on site or at the farm, please bring a Rubbish Bag for your waste and take it home; we have had occasions were other peoples pitches have been cleaned up by others, You Carry In – You Carry Out.

Fire Places and Fire scar’s to be kept to a minimum, this will depend on activities, if you make a Fire Scar for any reason, other than communal one, then it is your responsibility to clean it up, The Main communal Fire is Everyone’s responsibility to clean up after.

Vehicles and Access and Parking to site
Due to the amount of cars and access being required by the landowner, cars can go to the woodland to drop off and pick up kit, then back to parking area for the duration of the stay, the Car Parking for the woodland will be about 800m away from the woodland in a Working Farm Yard, please do not block Gates and Barn doorways.

If the ground is too wet then, most of the gear will have to walked in, I can arrange for help for people that cannot walk that far due to a health reason, I need to know this in advance. At the last meet the ground was a bit Tacky over the field, we will post a notice at the parking area to say weather cars can venture down to the Woods due to Mud please look out for this and respect it.

Group Meal,
I did wonder if some one would like to arrange a BBQ one night, maybe make it a night for members to pop along and bring family for it

(The Group meals are supplied but the person making them, then the cost is divided between the participants, please remember Cash is required).

In case of Unforeseen events that may cause there to be no group meal, please allow in your catering for that emergency meal.

Air Guns
From this meeting as a Bonus for the Regular Attendees to Monthly Meets will be able to use Air Guns (Non FAC - under 12flb only) for Target use only in a designated area, they will be subject to Chronograph before use by the Range Control Officer, (this will be Carl), and any decision on the use of Air Guns and Range that he makes will be final, and has the right to refuse the use of the gun or any person using a gun.

IF YOU ARE NOT A REGULAR ATTENDEE TO THE MONTHLY MEET PLEASE DO NOT ASK IF YOU CAN SHOOT... IT IS ONLY FOR THE REGULARS.

Please inform myself or Carl (mitch66) if you intend on bringing an Air Gun prior to arrival.

Any person not adhering to these conditions will be asked to stop the activity.

Other Info
We are still on probation at this site, so please keep to the simple rules and treat it with respect.

I will be taking the normal, Griddle, and tripod, Coleman Lamp, also a couple of Tarps, for a group shelter,

Wood can be gathered from around the site, Dead Wood only to be used.

Of course Micky being taken is compulsory....

I know people Like taking Photo's and sharing experiences, and some do not like the Photo's on the Internet, so Please bear this in mind when posting after the event,

Slippers are welcome.....

Also don't forget, people do bring swaps and items for sale, so a meet can be a great place to get some kit.. reason to bring a little bit of cash with you.

All Attendee's, attend and take part in any activities at their own risk....by attending you agree to this term.

First Aid
There are no First Aid facilities on site, so you will need to bring your own suitable First Aid kit, not just some plasters.

The nearest A & E is 20 minutes drive at;

West Suffolk Hospital
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP33 2QZ,
Switchboard: 01284 713000

If you plan to attend, then Paste and Copy the Attendance List and place name on bottom of list, I will add to the Main Post and how many nights you’re staying,

From Now on there will be a limit of 15 persons, and only two New/Non Regular attenders in that 15.

List of Attending
1. Big Stu
2. Big Stus Lad - Age 14
3. Mitch66
4. Damascus - One Night
5. Norfolk John - One Night
6. Mikesmith777
7. Max Sheffield
8.

Other Dates
September 6th and 7th 2013.- Monthly Meet
September 20th and 21st 2013 - TBC- Daniel Boone Challenge -See http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110217
Friday 4th and Saturday 5th October-TBC - Monthly Meet
Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November-TBC - Monthly Meet
Friday 6th and Saturday 7th December-TBC - Monthly Meet - Christmas Meal !!!!!!

 

[Big Stu 12]

Update about the Suffolk Meets at Stansfeild

I have had the following comments from the Land owner received by email today , I asked if we could help on the pricing as far as bring family's along, I suggested that it would be nice to not charge for under 10's, I also asked if there was any chance of any pallets to make a seat and screens for the latrine.

"Glad you had a good w/end.

With regard to free for under 10s, that’s fine by me if you think it’s fair within your group.

At our first discussion I did point out I thought my charge was very reasonable, but we would see how we all got on, and I have to say we are very pleased with your low key presence in Price wood, and how easy it is to deal with you, so I’m happy to be guided by you as to what is fair and reasonable for us all. There will be plenty of time to discuss future arrangements when I’m not so busy in the winter.

As to pallets, I’m afraid we struggle to get enough for our own use, but if we have any spare I’ll let you know.

Look forward to having a drink with you, maybe next time."

All good news thank you to all the attendees that have been to the new site, I am well chuffed with the response from him. . In a way I am very pleased that we have a "low key presence", in a way it means we are doing our Bushcrafting right ....

So as of the 4 nighter U10's will be free ..

And can anyone help with the pallets/wood for the Loo.. to make it more friendly to use

 

[SJStuart]

And can anyone help with the pallets/wood for the Loo.. to make it more friendly to use

I have timbers coming out the wazoo here (I never throw a good piece of wood away). Only issue I have is that I'm not going to be at the 4 nighter... but if someone wants to come and collect as much scrap wood as they can carry to take to the woodland... that's fine by me!
I can also ask my landlord (who is also the owner of the farm we live on) if he has any pallets to spare, but the same thing applies (someone would need to come and pick them up to take to the meet)

 

[Big Stu 12]

I have timbers coming out the wazoo here (I never throw a good piece of wood away). Only issue I have is that I'm not going to be at the 4 nighter... but if someone wants to come and collect as much scrap wood as they can carry to take to the woodland... that's fine by me!
I can also ask my landlord (who is also the owner of the farm we live on) if he has any pallets to spare, but the same thing applies (someone would need to come and pick them up to take to the meet)

Ok mate, I'll have to see how my next two weeks go I got loads to do, got next week off, want to get out some time, got the landy to get ready for the MOT, give it a service, put a next exhust on it... ect ect.. also loads of other little jobs that never seem to get done, as well as a bit of job hunting.....

I ve also got to get down the workshop as I've got a PJ to do...

If I can make it to pickup some wood i'll let you know..

 

[MaxSheffield]

Hi guys, I recently completed a bushcraft course and am starting to miss the woodland, could I join you for the meet on the 24th

 

[Big Stu 12]

Hi guys, I recently completed a bushcraft course and am starting to miss the woodland, could I join you for the meet on the 24th

Hi Max,

How are you, I see that your quite new to the forum, welcome to BCUK and the Suffolk group, at the moment we have two none regulars, they are coming for two nights, and from the Norfolk group which most of us know, so they are known to most of us anyway, I can see no real problem of a third, unless anyone else objects to a third..

Hope you understand this,

Tell us a little about yourself.

Would you like to come for the full meet? or would it be for just a number of nights,

 

[MaxSheffield]

Hi Stu

I live in Ipswich with my family of three young siblings, I'm aged 21 and going to Birmingham university in September to study maths. I have a varied list of hobbies, playing lots of sport mainly tennis and long distance running. I've had an allotment since april and so have spent much of the summer digging and weeding and am just starting to get the rewards with loads of potatoes and runner beans. My latest hobby is bushcraft which I find fascinating although a little hard to practice where I live as theres only so much nettle cordage I can be bothered to make.

I'll probably stay for the 4 days and if anyone else lives in Ipswich would it be possible to get a lift, id be willing to pay half on the petrol

cheers

max

 

[Big Stu 12]

Hi Stu

I live in Ipswich with my family of three young siblings, I'm aged 21 and going to Birmingham university in September to study maths. I have a varied list of hobbies, playing lots of sport mainly tennis and long distance running. I've had an allotment since april and so have spent much of the summer digging and weeding and am just starting to get the rewards with loads of potatoes and runner beans. My latest hobby is bushcraft which I find fascinating although a little hard to practice where I live as theres only so much nettle cordage I can be bothered to make.

I'll probably stay for the 4 days and if anyone else lives in Ipswich would it be possible to get a lift, id be willing to pay half on the petrol

cheers

max

Max, I'll put you on the list, I am going from Norwich Road it will be about midday, I'll have my lad with me, a lift is no problem, nettle cordage... not made any for years, paracord is too handy, lol... i'll add you to the list, what kit do you have, are you a ground, or tree dweller, not that it matters, I am just getting back to ground dwelling at the moment..