What Do You Do?

[jabbadahut]

When you go out for a solo camp what do you do once your site is set up? you can only cook for so long and you cant really go to sleep straight away. I take a book, my knife for a bit of whittleing and if its going to be a clear night i take my spotting scope to have a look at the heavens.
What do you do ?

 

[Man of Tanith]

i usually take a book, my churchwarden pipe and assorted flavoured tobacco's, drink a lot of tea, try out any ideas i'm not 100% certain of, meditate and generally just relax when im out on my own, mainly cause if i go with a mate i end up doing practically everything
regards
Sam

edit : to be fair SWMBO usually does quite a bit when she is out with me even came away friday having literally been diagnosed with siatica and signed off work for a week that morning, my beloved is truely amazing

 

[h2o]

drink beer listen to radio,or just watch the fire

 

[Bulldog]

I mostly go on my own, once i have made my shelter and camoflarged it, collected fire wood, made fire feathers etc, had a look around i will spend time constructing spring snares and other traps, but once built i take them down as im only out for the night so dont really need to trap anything but its nice to know how.!!
If im on private land and its allowed i will do a bit of target shooting with my air rifle.
If im near a lake or river i might try my luck fishing.
To be honest the time flies, im normally only out for 24/ 36 hours and if its a trek to where i camp it dosnt leave much time, i like reading but dont take books as i turn in early so im up early.
One thing i have done is take a note book and write down my thoughts ideas etc , some of the ideas are rubbish some good its certinly fun reading them back once at home.
Good topic im sure there will be some great replys

 

[forestwalker]

When you go out for a solo camp what do you do once your site is set up? you can only cook for so long and you cant really go to sleep straight away. I take a book, my knife for a bit of whittleing and if its going to be a clear night i take my spotting scope to have a look at the heavens.
What do you do ?

Depends. if I am out to get somewhere I go until I am tired or it is time to stop. Then it is cooking, shelter, etc, followed by some time meditating (or pretending to meditate) before sleep.

If I have time "over" it there are crafts, tracking, gathering (a cup of blueberries in the breakfast porridge is never a bad thing, and homemade blueberry soup is just fine...), and general walking in the woods that can fill out the time. If the children is there as well then I need to get them to bed at a reasonable time, and then stay close by, so then it is tea, crafts, perhaps a book and meditation that takes time.

For me the question is more what to do with the mornings than evenings, in particular when out with others (the girl can be dragged out of bed if needed, the boy not so much, and my SO only at Grete Peril to Body and Soul). Fishing can be good in the mornings.

 

[SimonM]

Read, watch wildlife, practice plant ID & tracking, experiment with kit to make sure I can use it in all weathers & situations.

But mainly....chillout and do nothing!

Simon

 

[Shewie]

I usually do a bit of fishing or go for a moon lit walk and see what's about or just stare into the fire until it's time to retire. I go to bed pretty early on solo nights so I can get up early the next morning.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I've normally walked all day so set up cook beer bed, I do all the nature stuff as I walk.

Set up early if I want to practice bow drill/friction stuff.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

nothing at the present due to not aving a playground but if i had a play ground i would be doing all sorts from fire craft to plant i,d and any thing genrally bushy

 

[Broch]

It is surprising how much time can be spent just staring into the flames of a nice little fire

 

[MartinK9]

It is surprising how much time can be spent just staring into the flames of a nice little fire

ahhhhhhhhhh Bushcraft TV - always something good on

 

[durulz]

I do absolutely nothing.
It's good to spend time actively doing sod all.

 

[dwardo]

Once all is setup i love just bimbling around, looking for new plants to id, materials for bows and other woodworky stuff, mushy ID. Then its just natures TV with a beer

 

[outdoorowain]

When I get to a spot that looks nice I set up my tarp and hammock get a little fire going and make a brew. Then look at my food for free book and go find some thing to eat. cook dinner and turn in for the night with a good book and in the mornning get up as the sun does.

 

[johnnytheboy]

I'm usually there because of the fishing anyway so put out the rods, set up camp, abit cooking, ckecking out the bait rods, do abit lure fishing. Now i have a canoe to play about with, but once it gets dark, getting comfy, a cheeky wee nip and tending the fire just fisnishes the evening perfectly.

 

[Tor helge]

I usually walk around to see what the area look like in detail. Maybe I find a very good camp spot for next time or a good fishing place. I like to se what resources that is in the area and so on. Sometimes I whittle a little or practice primitive skills.
If I`m on a fishing trip I of course fish. But (at least in winter) I use much time collecting/prepearing firewood, and as a result much time is used gazing mindlessly into the flames while puffing on my pipe.
I very seldom take any books with me.

Tor

 

[jca21]

on a clear night i swing in my henessey hammock and stair at the stars.

other then that i just sit around the fire and relax.

 

[Sniper]

I'm pretty much the same as others by the looks of it. When I get out it's great just sitting contemplating the world and feeling the stress just dissolve, watching bushy tv and getting out the nightscope when it gets dark. It's great being able to see the nocturnals doing their thing at night through the scope. I like to try for the weekend with a couple of nights, this gives me time to practice my skills and try new techniques during the day, but just love sitting by the fire once darkness falls.

 

[Mastino]

I found it very relaxing to do what you might see as 'leap frogging', meaning that when I'm at camp I prepare myself for the next stage, both metally as practically. So after dinner I might set-up everything for breakfast or plan waypoints for the next leg.
So basically I anticipate my chores and the idea is that having done that I enjoy all those next stages; like waking up with the breakfast items prepped and ready to be warmed..

I hope this is clear...