Its time to pack up again, I have spent the last few day ensuring I have everything I need, doing the usual, pack and repack with youngest son Beef, he is using my lightweight pack and I am carrying his one (with a few items of luxury added as well) (why does luxury always weigh more?).
Just before I leave I checked out the forum again, only to find the night before P de Fitter had gone out and used essentially the same kit I had packed and had his face gnawed off my mossies and midge's (well too late now its all a go)
We leave in the afternoon and on the way to the woodland do the usual Hitchhikers radio series (“I shall call it the ground, I wonder if it will be my friend?.. SPLAT!) and arrive at the woods, on with our packs (Beef holds up well to the lightweight pack).
He says he cant remember the way, but gets to the right path, (its all about confidence, and most of us could do with some more).
Every time I go to the woods I cant believe how different it is even just a couple of days creates a profusion of vegetation with so many different shades of green
, I almost miss the marker to leave the path, but I must be getting used to distances and the area as I knew when I got close I was able to stop using the compass and follow my nose. When we arrived at the camp, I asked Beef what he would do if I had an accident, he replied that he would use my phone (cant do that no reception), then go back to the path (he would get lost its easy to lose track of where you are), use my compass (and if in his panic he forgot which way to go or lost the compass), (I have to commend him for these ideas) (I then suggested, he knows the stream and exactly the way there, well follow that to the path and follow the path to human life, it may be a little further but was a sure way of getting out).As I was the last outing before going away on a Bushcraft weekend with some other Bushcrafters I set up both of our camps, attaching new bits to the hammock, adjusting ridge lines to ensure the best hang for a comfortable sleep, while doing this Beef collects our wood and our camp is shaping up to be nice and comfortable, I also set my tarp up so its high on one side so I can see into the woods and attach high visibility guide ropes to it (well worth it, as no one tripped over them or nearly decapitated themselves).
As dusk begins to settle in I get us a brew on, and Beef lays the fire, with a bit of guidance (ensuring he has tinder, kindling and logs all to hand) he gets it going nicely
(and I must add maintains it most of the night)Now what next? ah yes FOOD, I have heard a lot about this bread that appears popular amongst bushcrafters called Bannock, and I thought well I should have a go at some of that, so, I make up the mix at home and take it with me (all I have to do now is add water, mix it up and cook it).
Well damn and blast it I add too much water, not loads too much but a bit, so after mixing it I give it 45 mins near the fire to rise (instead of 30 as recommended) and although it is still slightly to moist it appears that I have gone some way to recovering it.
I have it in a £1 shop special camping frying pan and I attempt to cook the beastie, hmm, the bread is sticking to the pan, but again I manage to save this and it begins to form a crust, well I knock the pan into the fire, half the bannock falls into the flames the other half onto the floor (getting covered in twigs, dirt and other detris).So we just settle for our other food instead (glad I brought extra in case the Bannock was a disaster), we then sit up chatting
before turning in for the night (no one fell out of their hammock this time).Beef used my nice DD hammock with inbuilt insect net and I had my £10 lightweight one (with a mossie head net).
03-06-11
Awake around 5am and my silver mat had slipped a bit so I was a bit chilly but with some fine tuning sorted this and dropped back off for a bit, I have said it before, but the pleasure of laying in a hammock listening to life is almost zen like
(and was improved by having the tarp high so I could see out).When we got up we were on a bit of a time budget as we had things to do (in the real world), so we planned to have breakfast, pack up and go.
I tried to use my newest hobo stove at this point (I had brought 2 with me, one of them my 2man one and the other my NEW lightweight one (damn and blast again, I keep meaning to take photos of the process when making them and get too carried away)) (If anyone wants to know contact me), the lightweight one did not work very well
and took 6 and a half mins to boil one cup of water, so we went over to the other one, and did 2 cups at one time in this time.While I packed up Beef set about leaving no trace in the camp, he also dug a fire pit, laying small stones in the bottom and then covering it again with soil and arranging sticks around it so we know where it is, and finally scattering leaves over it so its not obvious to a quick glance.
On the way back we were chatting and I heard a movement, I put up my hand and Beef stopped talking immediately (theirs a first) and we moved on quietly for a few paces and saw a rabbit, that then scarpered.
Once back at the car we were offloading our packs and I noticed something that made me MAD, so MAD indeed I am still FURIOUS, some BArSTewARD had wedged dog turd into the door handles of my car...
...Upon reflection I still had a great time though...
...Although I did get bitten to blazes by the mossie threat, both elbows and wrist, chest and back, will defiantly be taking the DD Hammock away for the Roving Camp...
...and finally I did some adjustments on my lightweight hobo stove and no have a boil in 3 and half mins (satisfied breath, ah).
, it’s gonna sound weirder yet 
) and compare the size of them, mine is too big still (hmm).
) and I find the marking that I had made last time and off due east, quite pleased to find the twatting stick and bushcraft crappa still hidden away in place.
) but by the time I had set up my tarp and hammock, PDF had tarp, hammock and collected most of the wood for the night.
), so lets try a bow drill, I begin to set things up, cutting wood and making the bow (with the guidance of PDF de (almost) Firestarter 
), who without his help would have taken me a lot longer to get smoke from sticks 
, and unfortunately after another hour not much more except knackered arms (will try again though 
).
(I have never had a use for this stuff before and have passes the same tub of it between my brother and I for the last 11 years on birthdays and Xmas).
(3 and half mins to boil a cup of water 
)
excellent, then we packed up and made our way back, this is getting easier with the lighter weight packs.
(sorry distracted) er, while on our way we are chatting and I explain to Leeith that one of the challenges is not to be seen by anyone and my personal challenge is to start a fire using a bow drill.
, then went out for a scout and collected some (well I say some)
lots of wood, and as it was getting late started a fire (damn did not use the bow drill)
(maybe it was an excuse).
(and Leeith snoring)
.
, and then pack up camp (I seem to be getting a routine for this, although still not very quick, (evidently more practice needed)).
, and Leeith finds himself a staff 
, he did this so nonchalantly I had to do a double take before asking him if he fell out, at which point he looked at me sheepishly 
(orange mobile) being read by not so crappy wifey nav 
and sons, (who are all well happy with all our kit thanks Mr D), and we leave, in the car wifey turns to me and says “he’s a dish” followed by “did you see the photos of his kids, the all have the same smile and eyes”.
Boys and their toys.
(no bag hanging in the air for a start) and we have a scout around for a nice looking spot, and after another 30 mins we find a likely looking place (or at least a place without widow makers and it had trees).
.
have a brew and Beef asks for some jokes, I could not believe it he knew more jokes than me (he had been researching with a “1001 jokes book”), then it was time for bed (hammock)
When we woke I got our the hobo stove and put on a brew and breakfast coffee and porridge (well breakslow, the stove does not work very well), while doing this we got the map out and had a look at where we thought we were, and after breakfast had a scout around.
the times get exciting, I walk around and explain to Beef why this could be the spot, back down to the stream we leave a marker so finding it should not be a problem again.
).
(feel like I am getting the hang of this compass business 
) (looking forward to learning more), went back and collected the rest of our kit and began the trek home.
.