Weekend retreat.

[dwardo]

Hey all,

Lightfoot and my self managed to sneak a few days off and decied to go hide in our 4 star bushcraft reatreat, so here are a few pics n things.

We recently had to move our winter shelter as a natural spring had decided it was not the best location.
Lightfoot had decided on a lovely spot in the pine area of the woods right next to another natural spring which is wonderfull as you dont have to carry extra water to the site. The pine area at this time of the year is much nicer on the eye and perfect for easy access to firewood and resin for candles etc.
The shelter is made from mostly hazel and lashed with wych elm cordage which is easy to make and strong. This is the second bender we have made now and the strength in its design is amazing and its shape gives loads of usable space and only takes a few hours to build.
I love a hammock in the summer or straight on the floor but at this time of year with few daylight hours a shelter like this is wonderfull. With more hours in the day you get chance to play with more skills in weather that would usually have you hiding in your bivy bag or swinging violently in a hammock
One of the tasks we set out selves was to make amadu which i can now say is a hell of a lot of work lol. Not sure how its come out yet as its still drying so ill let you know The other aims were, wooden and spruce flooring for the bender, restoring an old axe and a few other bits.

Shelter from the front.

Shelter with stove and cooking area. 4 star bushfraft lol

Dave in the standard woodsman pose

Star fire which is great for this time of year and lounging after a hard days rummaging in the woods. Oh and the dog getting in the way of the camera timer lol

Nice dog

Evil Dog lol

Tired dog and yes they are beds, like i say 4 star bushcraft lol

Pine woods

Thanks..

 

[cockadoodledooo]

nice pics dudes!!

 

[Greg]

Great shelter guys, I especially like the made in the woods from a couple of trees bed lol!
Is that a permanent winter shelter or did you disassemble it at the end?
Your shelter has given me a great idea for a parachute shelter/tipi type! well maybe anyway!

 

[mentalnurse]

cool get away, think we could all do with a place like that to hide out at weekends......

 

[dwardo]

Great shelter guys, I especially like the made in the woods from a couple of trees bed lol!
Is that a permanent winter shelter or did you disassemble it at the end?
Your shelter has given me a great idea for a parachute shelter/tipi type! well maybe anyway!

Funnily enough the beds were made on site by the owner of the wood who is very handy with a carving axe The beds are made from ash and woven with a kind of cotton tape. Very comfortable they are aswell lol.

The shelter is permanent although we may move it again if we fancy another location or when the seasons change again. They are very easy to construct and if you did have a parachute it would be a lot easier.

 

[lightfoot]

Aye, it's a great shelter alright, and there for the winter too! All year if we want it.

We used about 20 poles sunk at least a foot into the ground and then wove hazel branches laterally. The wind on Saturday was gusting well up to gale force but there wasn't a flap from the shelter - seriously - only the door which has to be kept 'loose' for the obvious reason of letting us in and out! It's a good 8' high and 9' to 10' in diameter with the sides rising up almost vertically for several feet so maximising head space.

The silver anaconda in the photos is a chimney from a make-shift stove. The heat it throws out is tremendous so we end up sitting around in T-shirts and barefoot - hence the 'floor tiles' which are just shingles strewn around. The flat top of the stove also makes it ideal for cooking and keeping a kettle on.

So, if you can find yourself a sympathetic woodland owner it's definitely worth building one. Much cheaper than a tentipi and you can just leave it where it is, giving you more time to get straight into some bushcrafting when you arrive. If some thug finds it and trashes it when you're not there then it's no big deal.

 

[lightfoot]

Hey, maybe we'll let it!

 

[malente]

Hey, maybe we'll let it!

That's the spirit

I like this palace! Very impressed by the bed!

Mike

 

[warbzz]

Hi all just sayin hello new on here but old friend of dwardos.

Just getting ready for a year of bush craft so thought i would pop on get a few ideas an new things to try out.
Dwardo is a all weather bush machine so i'll be waiting for the brighter nights an better weather even though that bendy looks real cozy with a bottle of rum.
heres a photo of the peak district when he did get me out in the rain.

sorry about quality but i have a new camera now off father xmas

 

[SimonM]

Looks like you all had a great time! Now I'm feeling wood sick and need to get another fix!

 

[Matt Weir]

Nice one chaps

 

[huntersforge]

Nice camp guys , Ive been in hotels worse than that
Luxury