It's been raining almost constantly since Thursday. I meant to go out Friday for an overnighter but that plan was scuppered. After a morning of taking my kids to their sports, I was surprised to hear that they were both still keen to go for a forest walk.
These little adventures normally involve the frantic packing of rucksacks by the kids. Essentials get thrown in. Rain coat, water bottle, chocolate bars, cheese and crackers, crisps.... I made sure my essentials were packed. Tarp, cook pot, small knife, ferro rod, first aid kit and for this trip, a bannock mix and a baileys coffee sachet.
The steady drip of rain water off the leaves of the forest was a constant for the afternoon. Going under foot was very muddy and very wet. Perfect conditions for the kids to slip and slide about in, trying to make rude noises in the squelching mud! After much giggling and running about we found a spot to have lunch. I set the kids to task finding kindling and birch bark while i set up a plow shelter with my DD 3 x 3 tarp. With the ground being wet I used half the tarp to protect us when we sat inside. But the moisture did soak through and we had to sit on our coats as well.
I scraped up the birch bark ready to take a spark. While I did so, I knicked my left index finger with the tip of my knife. It bled quickly and the kids were quite alarmed. I used the episode to demonstrate how and why I carry a small first aid kit in my trouser pocket. Opening the kit with one hand and my teeth I used an alcohol wipe to clean the cut. I used scissors to cut a strip of plaster and taped it all up. I don't carry individually sized 'waterproof' plasters because in my experience, they don't last and certainly ain't waterproof!. Good old cloth elastoplast will do for me. Explaining as I went along, both kids became more interested in how I'm gonna heal myself and got over the shock of the blood. It wasn't a bad cut by any means but I wouldn't want them to get scared and become worried. I emphasised the point of putting it all away once I was finished and put it back in my trouser pocket. With that minor incident over and an impromptu lesson delivered, the rain came on properly. It was time for a fire. Ferro onto birch scrapings, it took on the second attempt.
A small roaring fire established, I put the pot on for the boil. Today I used my Primus 1ltr LiTech kettle. It's very robust, nonstick and comes with a handy fry pan lid.... while the water was boiling, I tucked in to my go-to snack, crackers and very mature cheddar cheese.
Me and the kids devoured a good half pack of salted crackers between us with a generous amount of cheese. With the water boiling, I took the pot off the fire and poured in the baileys coffee sachet. I scraped out some coals and warmed the fry pan while i stired water into my dry bannock mix. For one small bannock I use 1/3 cup of self raising flour, a half tea spoon of baking powder and garlic salt to make a wet dough with water. I mix it all in a small pot that started out life as a small chicken soup tub.... it came out well and I realised that I hadn't made bannock on a fire since early spring.....
Wet dough on the coals...
Turned after 5 or so minutes.
Turned out after a while....
I shared it with the kids. The eldest remarked that it could go well with hot chocolate...... my mistake!
Once lunch was finished, we got the catapult out and had a roving competition for a while until the kids got bored and went off adventuring. After being in the wet woods for three or so hours it was time for home and Sunday dinner. We all mucked in and packed up. Putting the fire out and clearing it all up.
I showed them an old hunters trick of rolling up the left over birch bark (the kids had done a good job and collected a good amount!) and tucking it into a fork of a tree, ready for the next hunter/bushcrafter who happens by and likes the look of the same site for their lunch....
What a cracking afternoon. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, come rain or shine!
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
These little adventures normally involve the frantic packing of rucksacks by the kids. Essentials get thrown in. Rain coat, water bottle, chocolate bars, cheese and crackers, crisps.... I made sure my essentials were packed. Tarp, cook pot, small knife, ferro rod, first aid kit and for this trip, a bannock mix and a baileys coffee sachet.
The steady drip of rain water off the leaves of the forest was a constant for the afternoon. Going under foot was very muddy and very wet. Perfect conditions for the kids to slip and slide about in, trying to make rude noises in the squelching mud! After much giggling and running about we found a spot to have lunch. I set the kids to task finding kindling and birch bark while i set up a plow shelter with my DD 3 x 3 tarp. With the ground being wet I used half the tarp to protect us when we sat inside. But the moisture did soak through and we had to sit on our coats as well.
I scraped up the birch bark ready to take a spark. While I did so, I knicked my left index finger with the tip of my knife. It bled quickly and the kids were quite alarmed. I used the episode to demonstrate how and why I carry a small first aid kit in my trouser pocket. Opening the kit with one hand and my teeth I used an alcohol wipe to clean the cut. I used scissors to cut a strip of plaster and taped it all up. I don't carry individually sized 'waterproof' plasters because in my experience, they don't last and certainly ain't waterproof!. Good old cloth elastoplast will do for me. Explaining as I went along, both kids became more interested in how I'm gonna heal myself and got over the shock of the blood. It wasn't a bad cut by any means but I wouldn't want them to get scared and become worried. I emphasised the point of putting it all away once I was finished and put it back in my trouser pocket. With that minor incident over and an impromptu lesson delivered, the rain came on properly. It was time for a fire. Ferro onto birch scrapings, it took on the second attempt.
A small roaring fire established, I put the pot on for the boil. Today I used my Primus 1ltr LiTech kettle. It's very robust, nonstick and comes with a handy fry pan lid.... while the water was boiling, I tucked in to my go-to snack, crackers and very mature cheddar cheese.
Me and the kids devoured a good half pack of salted crackers between us with a generous amount of cheese. With the water boiling, I took the pot off the fire and poured in the baileys coffee sachet. I scraped out some coals and warmed the fry pan while i stired water into my dry bannock mix. For one small bannock I use 1/3 cup of self raising flour, a half tea spoon of baking powder and garlic salt to make a wet dough with water. I mix it all in a small pot that started out life as a small chicken soup tub.... it came out well and I realised that I hadn't made bannock on a fire since early spring.....
Wet dough on the coals...
Turned after 5 or so minutes.
Turned out after a while....
I shared it with the kids. The eldest remarked that it could go well with hot chocolate...... my mistake!
Once lunch was finished, we got the catapult out and had a roving competition for a while until the kids got bored and went off adventuring. After being in the wet woods for three or so hours it was time for home and Sunday dinner. We all mucked in and packed up. Putting the fire out and clearing it all up.
I showed them an old hunters trick of rolling up the left over birch bark (the kids had done a good job and collected a good amount!) and tucking it into a fork of a tree, ready for the next hunter/bushcrafter who happens by and likes the look of the same site for their lunch....
What a cracking afternoon. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, come rain or shine!
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
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