all year round for me, though my ability to start fires in wet weather definatly needs some work 
Winter skills
- Thread starter Tony
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I'm the Tropical sort, 
work all day in 28 C. heated rooms (full of snakes) and like nothing better to be out in the rainforest or desert.... no noisey kids there! 
Don't mind rain, just don't like freezing weather!
I do spend time out in the UK...offroading in my Landrover.
work all day in 28 C. heated rooms (full of snakes) and like nothing better to be out in the rainforest or desert.... no noisey kids there! Don't mind rain, just don't like freezing weather!I do spend time out in the UK...offroading in my Landrover.
With six months of muck, mire, and snow, it's go or go crazy (5 degrees and rain is a bit nasty).
I think that the days of decent winters have long left the UK, we havent had a freezing spell down here in sunny kent let alone any snow.
Why cant we have the winters that we had when I was a kid 3 feet of snow in 48 hours, the main reason that I have a Land Rover is that I live in hope of one day I may wake up and find that we are snowed in, I have had 4wd for the last 12 years and ever since no real snow.
I love camping in the winter, and run the survival skills badge course for our local scouts, and really looked forward to running these through the winter months until some mamby pamby scout leader chucked a spanner in the works saying that it would be to cold for the little darlings, so I went to Field Textiles (the mod wholesaler that some of you refered to in another thread) (cos I have an account with them ) and bought loads of winter kit for the kids and then a differant spanner was thrown.
My view is that if you can live the way that we do in the worst weather that the UK can throw at you then you can do it all year round, but some of the air con, central heating adicts amongst you may disagree.
I spent all day yetserday in the rain cutting and splitting 2 tonnes of fire wood for my home (bloody killed me) but no central heating here, just a love of the simple things in life that so many people miss out on.
Why cant we have the winters that we had when I was a kid 3 feet of snow in 48 hours, the main reason that I have a Land Rover is that I live in hope of one day I may wake up and find that we are snowed in, I have had 4wd for the last 12 years and ever since no real snow.
I love camping in the winter, and run the survival skills badge course for our local scouts, and really looked forward to running these through the winter months until some mamby pamby scout leader chucked a spanner in the works saying that it would be to cold for the little darlings, so I went to Field Textiles (the mod wholesaler that some of you refered to in another thread) (cos I have an account with them ) and bought loads of winter kit for the kids and then a differant spanner was thrown.
My view is that if you can live the way that we do in the worst weather that the UK can throw at you then you can do it all year round, but some of the air con, central heating adicts amongst you may disagree.
I spent all day yetserday in the rain cutting and splitting 2 tonnes of fire wood for my home (bloody killed me) but no central heating here, just a love of the simple things in life that so many people miss out on.
:z: :z: :z:
I love the forest even more when it drops below -25°C, so peaceful and still, eerie even. The trees crack in the cold, it sounds like a rifle report in the still air. At the same time you skin cracks too, which isn't quite nearly as much fun (painful even when you're trying to do something fiddly). Moving through really deep snow can be a pain though. We can dip below -40 here, so it's quite important to get things right when you are out and about. Sweating can be a dangerous enemy when doing anythign physical, I've found it's better to have loose clothing, even untucked shirts which let the cold air circulate to your skin.
It can be so cold and dry here that if you boil a kettle and throw the hot water in the air, it disappears in a cloud of steam. I've got a vid of me doing this, if someone can host it for me?
It can be so cold and dry here that if you boil a kettle and throw the hot water in the air, it disappears in a cloud of steam. I've got a vid of me doing this, if someone can host it for me?
I don't see it as seasonal. Come the rotten months I find my 'bushcrafty' activities change.
Most of my camping out is done between March and October (with an emphasis on the warmer months) because it means I don't have to worry about keeping warm and can just enjoy the mood. That said, I have spent the night out during winter and it looks like we're planning a winter camp for late Nov/early Dec later this year (and I did give a bit of a moan).
No, not seasonal, but some seasons get more activity than others.
Most of my camping out is done between March and October (with an emphasis on the warmer months) because it means I don't have to worry about keeping warm and can just enjoy the mood. That said, I have spent the night out during winter and it looks like we're planning a winter camp for late Nov/early Dec later this year (and I did give a bit of a moan).
No, not seasonal, but some seasons get more activity than others.
There is a greater sense of achievement that comes with 'surviving' tough cold and wet conditions. It is important to have somewhere warm and dry to sit though, as long as I have the right clothing and kit I'm up for anything really! I do go out in all weathers all through the year and am looking forward to experiencing serious cold when we go to Canada. Brrrrrr
I get hay fever and I find mozzies irritating.
I love winter camping.
Could not agree more. No hayfever and no mozzies.....
Just planning out a new winter shelter at my local hide away so i can spend more time practicing skills and have a warm place to hide away when those early nights come back. Cant wait to be honest lol.
I go out in all weather - it's just something you adjust for.
Although, I prefer that it not be rainy/muddy and no high winds, I still go. And I actually prefer WINTER camping - often with 2 to 3 feet of snow and -20 (F). That cold weather really clears the bozos/yahoos out of the woods!
Often on a -20(F) night in January/February with a full moon, I will grab my wool blanket and hike down into the pasture to just set on the one hill to watch the "natural" world go by below along the creek. It's comforting to watch the deer play along the creek, hear the coyotes howling two ridges over, and see the "steam" rising from the sections of open water in the creek. The air gets that "crisp" feel to it. Sometimes I'll light a small fire, usually not. Sometimes I'll stay and watch for an hour or so, sometimes I just curl up in my blanket and sleep there overnight on top of the snow - especially if it isn't windy.
But you really need to plan well for winter outings, and condition yourself for it.
Rain/mud/sleet are more something to ... endure ... than enjoy too much. But I still do enjoy them. That feeling of "accomplishment" stuff. And if you have friends with you to also experience it, then you have that "shared trevail" feelings.
Yeah, "bad" weather sure clears out the bozos and pikers.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Although, I prefer that it not be rainy/muddy and no high winds, I still go. And I actually prefer WINTER camping - often with 2 to 3 feet of snow and -20 (F). That cold weather really clears the bozos/yahoos out of the woods!
Often on a -20(F) night in January/February with a full moon, I will grab my wool blanket and hike down into the pasture to just set on the one hill to watch the "natural" world go by below along the creek. It's comforting to watch the deer play along the creek, hear the coyotes howling two ridges over, and see the "steam" rising from the sections of open water in the creek. The air gets that "crisp" feel to it. Sometimes I'll light a small fire, usually not. Sometimes I'll stay and watch for an hour or so, sometimes I just curl up in my blanket and sleep there overnight on top of the snow - especially if it isn't windy.
But you really need to plan well for winter outings, and condition yourself for it.
Rain/mud/sleet are more something to ... endure ... than enjoy too much. But I still do enjoy them. That feeling of "accomplishment" stuff. And if you have friends with you to also experience it, then you have that "shared trevail" feelings.
Yeah, "bad" weather sure clears out the bozos and pikers.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
I get out when ever I can, as i dont have much choice given my work time table, so I can't afford to be too picky... any way its a set of skills that one should be able to use and be comfortable using "regardless of the season, weather or terrain"... (I think I spent too long in the Army with this last part... )
Cheers...
Karl
)Cheers...
Karl
I am lucky in many respects because I work in the countryside/bushcraft field and so like it or not, I`m out in all weathers/seasons.
Fortunately winter is my favourite time of the year ad so I enjoy it hugely. From a selfish point of view, there are also less people out in the forests that time of year which adds to the quiet.
Fortunately winter is my favourite time of the year ad so I enjoy it hugely. From a selfish point of view, there are also less people out in the forests that time of year which adds to the quiet.
Hi All,
I try to get out avery chance I get. In practice this means whenever my better halve will let me. The weather is only a factor in what I do when get out there. For instance in the wet, firelighting is a challenge I like to try..... etc.
I try to get out avery chance I get. In practice this means whenever my better halve will let me. The weather is only a factor in what I do when get out there. For instance in the wet, firelighting is a challenge I like to try..... etc.
For me winter is the very best time to be out. The vibrance of summer can be distracting in my opinion. When the leaves have falen and the ground has frozen, lakes get low lying fog covering them its just magical. For me it seems much simpler in the winter months, fewer noises, fewer people. Lets also not forget that a small fire produces the best thing this time of year.......a hot cuppa !!!
