week one of living in the woods pictures

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sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
986
14
69
West London
Good work chaps.

what are you using for basic hygine process, soap, ashes, kitchen wipes? interested to know, also what are u using for lav paper?


Sandsnakes
 

DaveBromley

Full Member
May 17, 2010
2,502
0
40
Manchester, England
Looking good fellas,

I would echo what every one has said about camp tidyness though as I personally wouldnt be able to find a thing after a couple of days lol.

Great inspiration for the rest of us though instead of just talking about it you are actually living the dream so again well done!!!

Dave
 
Kudos... this is pretty much what I am going to be doing from October onwards (I have no choice & can't go back, alas) except my only companion will be a little black cat (who is pretty damn cool, so that's OK). But you guys are two steps ahead of me... so I'm rather interested in your project. Afew questions...

* What slingshots do you use (Bushcraft made or manufactured, such as the Barnett Diabalo? What ammo do you use (again : natural stuff or manufactured stuff such as steel ball-bearings or mabs? What do you find is the effective range to make a quick,clean humane kill w/ small game such as pigeons?

* Any tips or resources on plucking / skinning / gutting / butchering & hanging (if nessacery) small game?

* What do you do for drinking / washing water?

* What sort of region of the UK are you in?

* Is it a remote, truly wild place... or a pocket of semi-wilderness on the edge of an Urban or Agricultural landscape?

* Are you where you are with permission of the landowner... or are you Bushcraft Guerilla's!?

*Are there any partic reasons why you are doing this or is it more a Hobby / Experiment?

*tips tophat*
Mooncat

Link removed
 
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Highbinder

Full Member
Jul 11, 2010
1,257
2
Under a tree
I'd be interested to know what you're foraging and to what extent you're supplementing it with food from home (pasta, beans). Also, how has the weather been since you've been out - it can turn quickly and fierce here, would be interested to see how that lean-to stands up to heavy rains and wind. Have you built a latrine? Seeing as it is a 'settled camp' (or whatever the phrase), have you brought anything extra or different to a short camping trip?

I guess you two are unemployed or on your summer break if you're at uni? Wish I could just pick up and leave for a week as I pleased :) (rather than booking holidays in 6 months in advance blehhh)
 

mayobushcraft

Full Member
Mar 22, 2007
260
1
61
Yeovil somerset
Josh
Good on you man. I would love to be able to do that again its been a long while. I do agree with whats been said about tiddyness. But good job. give me a message would love to join you for a few days if your up for it.

James AKA (mayobushcraft)
 
nice one for doing this. i am quite jealous that you have the time and location to do it.
have you further improvements in mind? or just leave it as it is? the weather this time of year might prove a challenge but i suppose if you are close enough to access your folks place you are close enough for an unpleasent but eventually ending ina dry place walk in worst case scenario
 

huffhuff

Forager
Sep 20, 2010
119
0
Hitchin, Hertfordshire
Hi guys,

Very envious. Thumbs up for what you are doing :) But please, in the interest of the experiment continuing, try and keep things tidy and really really watch cross-contamination...nobody wants a dicky tummy and ring of fire when in the woods with just a tree to rest on and a hole to aim for...

Also, I used to prep my pigeon in a similar fashion... but there is no need to pluck the pigeon. You can get all of the meat (only the breast is any good anyway) without plucking or even using a knife. You may already know, but this is a forum to share info - so please don't take this as a critisim or nagative comment, it's purely a suggestion in the interest of the experiment (that's what you're out there for at the end of the day).

- Simply twist the pigeon wings at the joint nearest the body. Twisty twisty a few times and they will just fall off.
- Now, head betweeen two fingers, pull slightly and head is now off.
- Check the crop (little sack, probably full of grains, grass etc) for anything dodgy...if ok, slide in a couple of fingers and more around slightly to 'loosen' the insides up.
- Now, both thumbs in, one on the chest side, one towards the back and literally split the pigeon in half.
- You should see the chest-plate...literally pull that out. Job done. Ease off the breast fillets with your thumbs.
- Hey presto - not a lot of blood, no messy feathers...two perfect breasts.
- Now wash your hands, anti-bacterial wipes or hot water and something lemony fresh :)

Let me know how it goes :)
 

Mikey P

Full Member
Nov 22, 2003
2,257
12
53
Glasgow, Scotland
Massively impressed, lads. Keep it up. I don't care what your campsite looks like - you're living the dream and not commenting from an armchair. Keep it up!
 
Jul 26, 2009
353
0
My Front Room
Excellent!
Having had the idea, done the basic research, acknowledged your intial limits and still got stuck in, thats the spirit.
Taking my wee ones camping 'wild' of course involved tents, tarps, sleeping bags, plastic plates and stuff and a big larder box of food (and beer).
However, we did practice fire building, ignition and maintaince. Shooting skills, basic knife work and tool maiking, latrine digging, personal hygiene and so on.
Well done for having a go and I for one look forward to the next expedition.
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,980
14
In the woods if possible.
Great stuff guys, kudos for making the effort and even more for sharing! Several folks have said they'll be watching with interest, I'll just add myself to that list. I think we'll all be able to learn something from you, and you've already sparked some good banter.

Hopefully you're going to be able to reduce the amount that you rely on the rest of the world to support you. Please let us know how well you do on that, I'm sure we'll all be very interested.

However if you're going to use a lot of canned food there is one thing I'd like to add, if only because it keeps cropping up here at work. I probably don't need to tell you, but I don't think it will do any harm to mention it here. When you take the lid off a tin can, please take it off completely. Don't leave it attached to the can or it can create a dangerous trap for an animal or a bird which will be attracted by the food. I always try to burn the can off in the fire and then crush it before disposing of it. Tonnes of empty cans are deposited in landfill sites, and the places are often swarming with birds and animals looking for food. Let's all try not to do any needless harm to those creatures.
 

Whittler Kev

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 8, 2009
4,314
12
65
March, UK
bushcraftinfo.blogspot.com
Good idea lads. It should help with your other venture your planning. Remember to keep a written log as well so you learn from your mistakes and remember those time saving thoughts you had . If your like the rest of us you forget loads when you get tired so it helps to write things down (I have a pad and pencil in the tent when I'm camping out to jot thought, stuff, down etc) You could even get yopur notes all together and publish them....you never now what could come of your experiences...Watch out RM :)
 

Sideburnt

Full Member
Apr 7, 2011
81
0
Leeds
Go team, this is impressive and beyond the capabilities of most of us on the forum. Career's just don't mould around weeks in the woods unfortunatly and we're all secretly jealous. I've been trying to get one just one night camping on my own in the woods, its been 4 months and I still don't have a weekend free for 6 weeks.

Life is truely a struggle of want to do and need to do.

Every 10 years of career service should be rewarded with a summer off, with which to waste, enjoy, use as required, I'm not keen on being cut loose to enjoy these things when my knees creak and my back is like a dry branch.
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
Good stuff, lads.

I hope those pigeons don't have any nasties in them - do ensure you cook thoroughly.

As for foraging - keep a nose out for garlic mustard - smells just like garlic and grows all over.
 
Apr 8, 2009
1,165
144
Ashdown Forest
This was back in 2010- but who knows- maybe they are still out there- surviving! I hadn't noticed this thread until it was resurrected, but i must say i was slightly disappointed by some of the earlier posts with a negative tone to them.
 

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