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Bushcraft Club thread
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It's Official, Tony and Myself have being asked to go on the "Brendan O'Connor" show next Saturday night, which we have agreed to -- any questions or input on behalf of the group would be welcome..... Plus -- Go out and buy the Sunday Times news paper this Sunday, with an article and photos from myself, Tony & Daire ....I forgot to say, were on "Ear to the ground" on Thursday the 30th RTE 1 @ 8:30here's a link to the Saturday night show were on about 20 mins in http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10246342/
When I saw this first I thought it was the Irish Bushcraft Club going on the telly without inviting me
Frank, the guys over at the Survival & Self Sufficiency forum would probably be interested in this interview and your Irish Survival Group .... Link here http://http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1514
Might be worth starting your own thread on this also so people don't get confused between the two different organisations ... maybe the mods could seperate the posts on this thread relating to your group and the TV appearances to get you started
All the best
Andrew0 -
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When you think of scenarios that occur where people get lost, injured or stranded most books on these kinds of situations always say 'Don't give up' and indeed they are right. However when you think about that phrase, it is hard to determine the context in which it is meant sometimes.
For instance, if you think of someone lost. If they misinterpret the concept of 'Not giving up', you would expect them to plough on and try find somewhere they could recognise and get back on track. From a rescue point of view, this is disastrous and could end up being fatal in remote areas. The trick would be to stop and think about the situation rather than carrying on. So how you interpret this advice is often the difference maker.
I had a great example of this over the weekend. Although not a bad situation, I was taught a lesson about the implementation of that phrase 'Don't give up'. For me it has to be interpreted as a broad concept when it comes to the wilderness. Stopping and changing tact should always be an option. I heard it said once in military terms that "Retreat is simply advancing in a different direction". I always thought of this as a cop out phrase for someone who has lost a battle. However I am only beginning to understand the term.
Personally one of my biggest enemies is Stubbornness. I get lost in a task and don't want to fail. This was evident over the weekend. I would consider myself relatively proficient in fire by friction when it comes to bow drill. The hand drill method has always eluded me. This weekend I went out with a seasoned veteran of the hand drill and was taught a lesson not just in fire by friction but about myself.
My goal was to get fire and I was one track minded about it. Under Sams direction I tried my damnedest to get an ember but it wouldn't go. Sam advised me to stop and try again tomorrow as my hands needed to recover but I wanted to keep going as I was getting close. Eventually the pain in my hands increased, I looked down to see blood on the hand drill. It was time to stop. I had lots of energy left but my hands were spent. There was torn skin and blood coming from my palms. As I released the drill, my hands began to throb. I cooled them off in the river and could see really bad blisters forming. I thought nothing of it, 'I can take the pain' but I still had 2 more days in the woods.
Looks like nothing here but man it really hurt
It was a bit later on when I had to use my knife and axe that I realised that I was barely able to put any pressure on my hands with the pain. Now I was once again trying to light fire with a much easier method, the fero rod and I was struggling. I could barely cut feather sticks or press hard enough on my fero rod to produce a spark. I was struggling at something I could normally do blindfolded, all because "I didn't want to give up". When in fact I should have stopped and considered the bigger picture. In truth I should have stopped and tried again tomorrow but now I have to wait 3/4 days for my hands to heal before I can try again properly. That was the true lesson I learned about fire by friction and myself.
Luckily for me, there were many different activities covered over the weekend that we practiced. Myself and Sam exchanged knowledge on Tracking & Trailing, Hunting and trapping, wild edibles, Bird ID, plant ID. It's always good to meet someone with a similar passion for the wild. It's not about who knows more, its about sharing the knowledge.
Hard to make out but you can see near the bottom where a Mink had its way with some Cray Fish
Tracking Mink
The Birch sap is rising!
Lunch, hazelnuts collected last autumn and Lesser Celandine root
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We've been very lucky over the years in our Bushcraft Club. Its rare that on any weekend, it has managed to rain for more than 24 hours solid. Well this weekend was an exception. It makes me think, what our ancestors would have done. Huddled around the winter fire, in a hut with their families. Making cordage, weaving baskets, fishing hooks and spears for the forthcoming spring. Telling stories and playing simple games to pass the time.
Well this weekend did involve a lot of sitting around drinking tea as we waited for the weather to pass. Thankfully, we did get to do a little bit. On the Saturday before the rain hit, some of us got up and went identifying some useful plants.
We did test some Greater Reedmace as a tinder. It definitely needs to be mixed with something else to be effective. It creates an initial flame but quickly dies out. So Honeysuckle bark and Bracken was used to get an actual fire going
Another favorite is Bannock. Here I made some Bannock tea light cakes in a kettle. Dead simple, super effective
Looking forward to April and some decent weather :-)0 -
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We had a fantastic day learning skills from the Boyne Valley Currach centre. It's great to see Irish traditional craft from hundreds of years ago, living on in those from the area where they were used. These skills should be celebrated as our heritage and not forgotten. I have such respect for people who walk the walk when it comes to traditional craft and admire their dedication.
Stitching the skin on the boat
Carving the paddles
Holes for stitches
The (almost) finished products. Some of the stitching would be replaced later. As you can see it's just hemp rope at the moment
Paddling the finished boats
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Some times in bushcraft, there is something you just have no luck with when it comes to practice. When I did my first bushcraft course over a decade ago, I struggled with the bow drill. I never got it on the course and couldn't get it for weeks afterwards but I refused to abandon the idea as too hard. This was the time without youtube or any online resources for bushcraft really. It was only books I had that explained the technique. It took me about 8 weeks to get the bow drill after consistent practice. It was a huge effort for me at the time and I was absolutely ecstatic with I got it. My shaking exhausted hands blew the ember to flame and slumped backwards emotionally and physically exhausted. When I think about the effort I gave it back then compared to what it takes me now, It's difficult to fathom. Fire by friction is a difficult technique, even for experience bushcrafters. It's not a guaranteed method of lighting fire but it's an amazing thing to learn and when people think of bushcraft, it's the iconic skill that most people gravitate towards.
Not too long ago, I decided to try the hand drill. Which is arguably more difficult than the bow drill. The hand drill involves the same twisting action on the board but it's done only with you hands applying pressure and doing the work. Purists would argue that it is the real way to light fire by friction as the bow drill requires a cord of some fashion. It is also argued that it is the older technique. My opinion is, 'Who cares?' they are both amazing skills. So when it came to learning it, even with experience in bow drill behind me, it was tougher.
After some persistence and a lot of hand blistering, I managed to crack it. It was an amazing feeling and always is when you light fire this way. The feeling of delight never goes away which is part of what makes it so special. If you are like me and struggled with this technique. Don't give up on it. The rewards are there
The club was out recently and I decided to share what I learned about hand drill to them. To my amazement (and I'll admit, slight jealousy) 2 of the lads cracked the technique within minutes of being shown. It was a seriously impressive feat for someone who had just been shown.
We also did some work on containers and I gathered some Willow for basketry at a later date.
One of the lads made some more improvements to his shelter
My apologies that I haven't been updating this thread regularly during the summer but I've been quite busy and so has the club.
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It's always nice to give your skills context and scope. One such way of doing this is to see if what you know applies in different parts of the world. Last week I travelled to Romania and to different parts of the Carpathian Mountains. Most people would call this the Transylvanian region of Romania and indeed it has some of the best scenery in any part of Europe that I have been.
The Carpathian range lies East of the Alps beyond Hungry. It starts around Slovakia and crosses Romania as it stretches southwards towards Serbia. If travelling to Bucharest, they are about 2 hours North by car. Romania is known to have the largest population of Bears and Wolves in Europe.
Economically speaking Romania is probably one of the poorest in Europe and is the poorest in the EU. When you travel outside of the large cities such as Brasov & Bucharest, this becomes quite apparent. People are generally quite civil but learning a few expressions in Romanian will go a long way for getting around.
I met up with Dan Marin a tracking guide in Zarnesti who takes groups out Bear & Wolf tracking. Dan has been involved with several conservation projects involving both species among other work he has done for the Forestry Commission. Dans knowledge and love for the outdoors is apparent as he spends most of his time in the Mountains surrounding Zarnesti and the National Park leading groups.
During our trip with him, we tracked species such as Roe Deer, Red Deer, Squirrels, Voles, Wild Cats and even Wild Boar. We spotted several types of native birds including the very interesting Long tailed shrike which impales its prey on barbs. The dominant Tree species in the Carpathians are ones we are all probably familiar with, Hornbeam, Beech, Birch, Hazel along with Conifers like the Norway Spruce and Silver Fir. We saw plenty of Bear sign but they are elusive beasts. He also pointed out a Wolf den to us that is active in Spring.
The temperatures ranged between -4°C to -10°C, in the hills and surrounding areas. We also got to visit the Fagaras Mountains which lie just west of Zarnesti. The conditions were very difficult under foot when you got higher, so care was needed across uneven ground especially this time of year.
No trip would be complete without some form of test. So I challenged myself to get a fire going in 10 minutes in -4°C with only my knife and firesteel. The Valley was damp but using some dead Ash (which wasn't common) I managed to get her going in just under the 10. My hands stung with the cold even with gloves on in such a short time. It just goes to show what a little moisture and a breeze can do. Something we are well used to here.
Camping in Romania can be tricky. The biggest risk seems not to be the animals such as the Bears or Wolves which are quite shy of people and population for the most part, the issue is with the feral dogs. In the early 80's when Romania was under Communist control, the rural population were forced to move to the industrial cities. They were forbidden to take their dogs with them and so the poor pets were left to their own devices. If they didn't die, they survived by scavenging and living off scraps near the towns. Several generations on, these dogs aren't domesticated. So it's best to be far enough from populations that these dogs won't roam into your camp begging for food as they are known to get aggressive. It's more of an annoyance than a massive hazard but consideration would need to be given about where you cook and use the toilet. Just like any other country where there are large mammals.
All in all it was an amazing trip. There is a massive amount to see and do in Romania and it would take a long time to get it all done. I would recommend a trip to anyone interested in the outdoors.0 -
The club recently visited scenic Norway to see some of the countries national parks at the end of its winter season. We visited the famous Hardangarvidda national park near Rjukan and Folgefonna near Odda. Hardangarvidda is known from the book and film 'Heroes of Telemark' after an WW2 operation to destory the Vemork hydroelectric plant.
As I looked down the valley upon the plant, I couldn't help but feel this wave of energy. Excitment and curiousity. I was possible standing on a Recce point used by Jens Anton Poulsson and his team to gain intellegence on the facility. The intel would be used for a raid by allied forces on the plant. The production of heavy water was huge of concern to allied command as it could have been used by Hilter to help produce a nuclear weapon. I could imagine the flood lit bridge with machine gun nests, patrols and vehicles toing and froing from the plant as the Norwegian 2nd Lieutenant peered through a set of binoculars towards the task at hand. It sent shivers up my back to see the plant in the flesh after reading the book. I couldn't help but think to myself, 'How would I approach the plant, How would I sabotage such a well guarded remote facility?'. Failure wasn't an option. This was their country and their terrain and against the odds they succeeded.
If you have any interest in military history, visiting sites where feats of human perservence and endurance were carried out really humbles you. If you consider yourself an outdoors person, just to thinking of the circumstances that they operated under puts your own skill in perspective. This wasn't just a group trying to survive the elements but also to attack a plant of great military importance.
We camped with the plant in view. Seeing it lit up at night made it even more special, more eerie. The hum of nearby powerlines made it even more atmospheric. Now a museum, the plant sits in a valley near the small town of Rjukan. An incredibly scenic place with steep cliffs and a beautiful snow capped plateau to it's North. The next day we went down to the bridge to see the ascent route that was used by the team to gain access to the plant. A difficult cliff ascent with equipment but also the possibility of being discovered by the guards.
After our stay in Rjukan we headed west to Folgefonna park. With the Region in transition, I would probably do this kind of trip in early June or late May. We stayed in the valley but picking a spot was difficult because of the time of year. We were literally hearing hourly avalanches around the valley walls. Like the crack of a shotgun in the distance, it made for interesting safety considerations. We finally decided on a bank with no snow slopes above it.
testing local natural tinders for fire lighting
The normal set up
Glacial melt waters aren't to be taken lightly this time of year as the rivers rise quickly.
Norway is an incredibly beautiful country. One of the nicest I've been to in Europe. Although definitely an expensive place to live, it is well worth a visit for anyone interested in the outdoors. Friendly people and incredible scenery.
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When doing certain types of trips, you need to be surrounded by compotent people. People who know what they are doing and can take of themselves. More importantly though, is that when the going gets a bit difficult, no one loses their cool and the job just gets done. The further you push your skills, the more comfortable you are in different and difficult environments. I've been very lucky in that I've spent some time in the snow and cold. So I wanted others to see what it was like also. Where else could you go but into Northern Sweden and into the Arctic Circle.
The region we picked is close to where the Swedes do their Arctic warfare training. The month was March and the conditions were perfect. The aim was to spent 6/7 days in sub zero temperatures and learn the routine of taking care of yourself in these conditions for that period along with learning some more difficult Winter skills.
Hot tenting is system by which you use your tent as a warm living system so that you can function normally in warm temperatures despite the cold conditions outside. For those new to the conditions, it was the perfect environment to learn and be reasonably comfortable. Not too cold or punishing on people or equipment yet a good introduction to proper cold.
In these conditions, every little detail counts and personal administration is huge. You can't battle the elements, you have to flow with them and adapt. Some things like hydration, sun glare, even walking become things you are acutely aware of as you need to change how you work. Attention to detail prevents loss of equipment and reduction in your own capabilities. Things like having your kit 'Mitten proof'. So everything you do or need access to can be done with gloves or mittens on. It's challenging but highly rewarding. Carrying a water bottle on you pretty much all the time too. You lose so much moisture in dry cold conditions just from condensing breath, it's critical you stay hydrated
Above are toboggans we made while in Ireland and transported to Sweden. A good experience in itself making these. They worked a charm
For me, the personal challenge was to live outside the tent for 5 days and only use the shelters we build in the process. Shelters like the Quinzee Snow Grave and Arctic Lean-to were all built and we rotate around with different people experiencing the shelters on different nights. I think everyone was in agreement that the quinzee was the most effective with the Arctic lean-to being the least effective and most effort. Temperatures ranged between -10 during the day to -21 at night. So not the coldest for the region but still challenging for a series of days
The big man Sé. Digging out a Quinzee
Temperatures dropping to -20
One of the coolest looking shelters but probably my least favorite due to its destructive nature to build. Thankfully we raided fallen trees
Although challenging, camping in these conditions is very rewarding. The silence and peace found in the snow is like no other place I know.... hey that rhymes!!
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