Wilderness Gathering

[andyn]

Hey pics uploaded.

The camera I, well my girlfriend, was using was just a point and shot jobby so nothing special i'm afraid..

But you can see the pics here as I am unable to upload pics to the Gallery as i don't have an option to. ::Shrug::

http://www.acc-systems.dsl.pipex.com/Otherpages/WGpics.htm

 

[bambodoggy]

On Sturday it took my wife and I an hour to do 3 1/2 miles on the A303 thanks to a caravan that broke down on a narrow part of the single carriageway!

Two hours to get there and three and three quarters to get home!

Richard

Oh the joys of a fast motorbike..... I left the site at about 8pm and was home by 9:15pm....I stopped for two smokes on the way home and I live about 90 miles away

 

[steve a]

That crutch rockets gunna do you some harm one day Bam, you take care.

 

[martin]

All that bison stew you porked didn't slow you down then Bam?

 

[Fluxus]

I went to the gathering for the day on Saturday and had a good time chatting to old and new friends, browsing the stalls and learning about stuff...
however...
I thought that paying £7.50 to enter a market was a bit steep really, add to that £10 to attend a one hour lecture and I seriously question the value of day tickets at all.
I'd like to go again next year but for the weekend and would love to see a few demos, things to try etc. that you don't have to pay extra for.

anyone else agree?

 

[Neil1]

What a great event this year, so good to see friends old and new, Martin I expect to see you running your own demo's next year.
It was great to see so many of you on the Wild Food School stand.
The best bit, as always, is sharing a bevvy or two round the warm light of a woodland fire with a really good bunch of people and swapping stories and experiences (learning how to deal with "natives & thier wives" I'm sure will pay dividends in the future).
JP - I missed Bob Coopers session, but the feedback I heard was excellent, thanks for your input getting him along.
As for Backwoods Survival, what a talent! Patricks Primitive fishing class was inspirational.
It was also really good to see so many of you not believing the hype and making your own gear.
Neil

 

[jamesdevine]

Well my wife and I really enjoyed the weekend there was so much to see and do and some many people to meet it was hard and I known we mist loads.

Bob Cooper was excellent as was the herb walk we did on Saturday morning. The travel time really ate into what we could and couldn't do as we arrived late on Friday and left early or Sunday.

To Martin and Ralph/Susan you guys still didn't convinced my wife to go to Sweden or convince her of the merits of let he will have to try harder then that.

Viking it was a pleasure to meet you in person and My offer still stands if you want to sample really Guinnes you need to visit Ireland.

Stuart and Chris it was also a pleasure to finally meet you guys and Chris Sirena says thanks for spending all that time looking for the T shirt (known I just need to get here to register)

Finally to everyone else we missed or I have forgotten to mention we are sorry but there is always next year. Arrive early Friday and Fly home on Monday.



James

 

[bambodoggy]

Viking it was a pleasure to meet you in person and My offer still stands if you want to sample really Guinnes you need to visit Ireland.

James, you really need to get yourself to Sweden next year and if you're lucky Johan will take you drinking with his german buddy lol Seriously, have another look through my pics of the trip and see if you can't talk your mrs into it

Martin/Steve...I only had three bowls of bison stew which isn't nearly enough to slow down a fireblade on it's way home! lol

Flux, sorry I missed you there, would have been nice to put a face to a name and say hi. I hadn't thought about the costs involved as I didn't plan to and didn't go to any lectures so I just paid the £7.50 I guess when you put it compared to what you get for the weekend ticket then you're right....but maybe it's done that way on purpose to encourage more to come for the whole weekend.

Either way, I had a smashing time and when I got home the wife (very non-bushcrafty lady) said she'd come next year and camp for the weekend! Happy days!

Bam.

 

[raskusdrotti]

Martin/Steve...I only had three bowls of bison stew which isn't nearly enough to slow down a fireblade on it's way home! lol


Bam.

...and a bowl of chilli and rice and veg from the food tent LOL

 

[jamesdevine]

Bam that was you on the Firblade in the carpark. My good lady and I walk right passed you I'm sure as you got ready to leave. Shame I missed you and I am glad you got home safe as they really are mean machines.

I have a feeling she went prepared . Do bring your good lady for the weekend next year. It was Sirena's second ever camp and she really enjoyed it and now wants more so happy days.

James

 

[bambodoggy]

...and a bowl of chilli and rice and veg from the food tent LOL

Cheeky!!! I was including that in the "three bowls"!!!! lol (I was working on the old survival/military principle of eat as much as you can while you can.......oh, hang on....I do that with food all the time!!! lol).

James, yes I remember a couple going past as I was strapping my daysac onto the back of the blade....pity I didn't know it was you guys or I'd have stopped to say hi....still either see you at next years WG.....or even better in Sweden (I'm going again and so is Raskusdrotti if I haven't brained him by then! lol).

Bam.

(Neil, have you got my antlers bits safe bud?).

 

[Dingo]

Hi George

Thanks for showing me the bow drill technique, we had a great time camping out in the woods with so many kindred spirits, lots of iformation from lots of different sources, to much to take in over the space of one weekend really, suppose it poses the question, get out there, practise and learn by the mistakes and listen and learn to as many people as possible, great weekend and the bison burgers were awesome!

 

[Paganwolf]

What a great event this year, so good to see friends old and new, Martin I expect to see you running your own demo's next year.
It was great to see so many of you on the Wild Food School stand.
The best bit, as always, is sharing a bevvy or two round the warm light of a woodland fire with a really good bunch of people and swapping stories and experiences (learning how to deal with "natives & thier wives" I'm sure will pay dividends in the future).
JP - I missed Bob Coopers session, but the feedback I heard was excellent, thanks for your input getting him along.
As for Backwoods Survival, what a talent! Patricks Primitive fishing class was inspirational.
It was also really good to see so many of you not believing the hype and making your own gear.
Neil

Hi Neil, Sorry you missed Bob, he may be coming back with some of his instructors next year, He is a great guy and Im looking forward to the course he's running for us next year BIG TIME! lol, James I missed you! Garys just told me who you was lol sorry matey im terrible PM me your addy and ill send this crook knife via the post its one of mine flippin sharp and on me buddy hope you had a great time, you will have to come over and we can spend a weekend in ashdown

 

[Viking]

Viking it was a pleasure to meet you in person and My offer still stands if you want to sample really Guinnes you need to visit Ireland.


James

Nice to meet you James, an if you ever come over you know who to call

I might pick you up on that offer

 

[Viking]

James, you really need to get yourself to Sweden next year and if you're lucky Johan will take you drinking with his german buddy lol Seriously, have another look through my pics of the trip and see if you can't talk your mrs into it

Bam.

I bring the whole group to meet the German next time, but just for that "last one"

 

[JeremyH]

Sorry to read that some kids were misbehaving with knives. I ran, for free, the knife safety workshop and if I had found out that kids were using knives inappropriately then, as per rules of the gathering, the knives would have been removed. In fact, this was enforced a couple of times. It is everyone's responsibility to make sure that this happens - there are not 'bushcraft police' to monitor this all the time! Sorry once again, but maybe next time you could just say and we would be able to do something positive about it.
Despite this I am sure, like us from Islay, you had a great time.

JeremyH

 

[Seagull]

Yup'
Went with the missus for the whole weekend.

First time we had ever done something like this.
Did as many of the courses as poss.

Good grub at the catering tent.

All kinds of interesting people.

What struck me most' was the unusual amount of consideration and courtesy' .

Wife's been harping-on about Bison 'Raccoons and Prairie Dogs and for some reason she seems to be eye-ing up a large percentage of our back garden.

She would insist on wearing unsuitable footwear' without socks and thus clocked up a massive score of 27 bites around the ankles.
Why do they allus seem to get bit more often than blokes' by anything thats around?

Just polished-off the last of the scrumpy' its gonna be a long wait til next WG.


Seagull

 

[richardw]

Sorry to read that some kids were misbehaving with knives. I ran, for free, the knife safety workshop and if I had found out that kids were using knives inappropriately then, as per rules of the gathering, the knives would have been removed. In fact, this was enforced a couple of times. It is everyone's responsibility to make sure that this happens - there are not 'bushcraft police' to monitor this all the time! Sorry once again, but maybe next time you could just say and we would be able to do something positive about it.
Despite this I am sure, like us from Islay, you had a great time.

JeremyH

My wife and I watched part of this and have to day that we were hugely impressed.

Well done Jeremy.

Richard

 

[Paganwolf]

My wife and I watched part of this and have to day that we were hugely impressed.

Well done Jeremy.

Richard

I second that Jeremy you did an out standing job, the only people here at fault dare i say it are the parents its a valid point which will be passed on to Roger...

 

[Fire Starter]

What a fantastic weekend at the Wilderness Gathering. It was good meeting up with some of the guys from last year and sharing a drink at the camp fire.
I finally managed to get to grips with the bow thanks to Dave Watson....Next challenge the hand drill.
The astronomy class on Saturday night was very informative and its always better when you are being shown the heavens with someone who knows what he is talking about.
Visited all the stands and it was good to see Backwoods Survival School there (I went on a course last year). I went to the backwoods hunting and fishing talks and was very impressed, that guys skill and knowledge never ceases to amaze me.

Personally I think it's great value for money (considering I'm a miser), where else can you have access to so many people with a variety of skills all willing to spend time passing on information and techniques. If you compare that to the cost of a course you are quids in.

What does surprise me is why all the other Bushcraft schools do not take part? Anyway I think the organisers deserve a round of applause and it will be marked in my calendar every year.