Belfast Bushcraft Blog

Night sky

2012-03-19T19:41:00.001Z

Some of the larger planets are very noticeable in the sky tonight.

Got the binoculars out.
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Great fun teaching

2012-03-19T14:44:00.002Z

Hi,

We ran a great course the other week. Everyone was up for anything and throughlgy enjoyed themselves. A few pictures.

Juniper berries

2012-03-16T17:29:00.000Z

Found these while walking around a hospital. A bit early how strange. Oh well I will save a load for use later.

The hardest place to survive on earth?

2012-03-12T11:12:00.001Z

Myself and a friend discussed this recently.

Where is the hardest place to drop into with nothing and try to survive?

Answer-a cold ocean of course, everywhere else you can rest but an ocean just takes all the time.

Unless your in a raft of course.

I read an excellent book about a guy who was trapped on a raft for months and survived in all sorts of inventive ways.

That's what survival is about! Inventiveness.
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Ash keys

2012-03-06T22:18:00.001Z

Even in winter food can be found. Ash are often covered in keys well into winter. They can be gathered and opens to reveal seeds which are edible and not bad at all.

Seep well.

2012-03-06T22:13:00.000Z

I dug one of these the other day to illustrate the concept to some students. They seemed quite interested and were fascinated to see it refill over and over again.

Root plate shelter

2012-03-06T22:12:00.001Z

Improv hooks

2012-03-02T10:02:00.000Z

Hi,

If you find some wire or other metal try and make a hook out of it. Here is a few I just made. Very easy to do and fun.

Radio stars

2012-02-29T22:16:00.001Z

Hi bushcrafters,

Myself and my mate got to take a radio presenter out over the weekend. The local radio stations gets a lot of listeners here.

The girl who was called Linzi was really up for anything and we had her lighting fires, gutting fish, eating wood louse and limpets. Over all she had a great day and she is giving us a mention on friday.

Sweet!
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Fire fun

2012-02-23T12:44:00.000Z

Hi bushcrafters,

As usual myself and a friend set our selves a challenge for a bit of fun.

We met in a wood last night and decided to make fire with anything we could find and boil water within 2 hours.

We had our knives and that's it.

It had been raining quite heavily.

There was a carpark which somone had fly-tipped an old fridge so we set about getting some bits and pieces.

We found two old lighters but they were empty and the flints had corroded away to nothing.

There was lots of tinder about-birch bark dry goose grass among others.

We set about making a friction fire set using elder and sycamore.

For cord we used one of the strands from the power cable of the fridge. However this proved to be a very poor choice, far to slippy and not flexible enough.

As luck would have it we went for a quick scout and found an old rope swing. It was cheap blue nylon rope but it was perfect for us.

We used the Egyptian technique which was very effective.

We didn't need a bow because there was two of us which doubled endurance power.

After going at it for a while we realised that there was a number of problems.

Blue rope slips like crazy and withers at the slightest heat and is not wear resistant. It was also very wet which added to our woes in a different way. However because we were both serious student of the technique we managed an ember and quickly got a fire going to boil the water in an old tin can.

We decided to finish with an attempt at fire plough using elder and sycamore.

It was surprising how easy it is to produce smoke if you have decent endurance and strength.

It is not an impromptu technique suitable for the novice and could not be done by someone who had read about it in a book and not developed some muscle memory. Of course this applies to all techniques of this sort.

After a serious effort which exhausted us both we got a small ember.

I think the lesson from this exercise is that the countryside is full of rubbish which is a shame. However it can be used for lots of alternative uses.

Sometimes I wonder why we bring so much gear. It is a lot more fun and creative to improvise things.

Fun indeed.

Flint knapping fun

2012-02-20T13:15:00.001Z

I visited the north coast over the weekend and did some flint knapping with a friend and mentor over from the mainland.

The flint is just lying on the beach here but it can be hard to find good stuff that has not been destroyed by constant battering the surf.

All natural, unprepared percussion fire.

2012-02-19T09:17:00.001Z

Hi Bushcrafters,

Following on from my little post yesterday.

As with any primitive fire starting method percussion fire really fascinates me. However it frustrates me too.

Why? Well it is very dependent on materials that are hard to come by.

I would love to hear from anyone who has used natural percussion materials, for example a mineral like iron pyrites and a hard stone like flint to ignite materials that can be gathered. Preperation is allowed however it must be able to be done in a short time and use material available in nature to a person with no tools etc. In other words making Amadou from a bracket fungus is out.

To put things in context. I have had success with king alfreds cakes or Daldinia concentrica and true tinder fungus. However the second fungus can only be found here is very small isolated populations so is basically unavailable to me.

I have also used charred plant material but this requires fire which kinda defeats the point of this little learning exercise.

I look forward to hearing about people personal experiences.

Percussion vs friction.

2012-02-18T16:48:00.001Z

Hi Bushcrafters,

I have been looking into these two methods in a lot of detail recently.

I don't think I will ever have to use these skills in anger. I study them because I like learning them.

I look at them in the context of the environment and resources in my local area. Personally I am not interested in the jungle or desert or any terrain we don't have in Ireland. I am thinking in terms of going out with nothing and making fire within a short time. I am also talking about not having a fire already. Think ancient hunter lost and dressed in simple clothes with no equipment.

I am also talking about using all natural materials as our ancestors would have used.

I think they both have advantages and disadvantages.

I have heard people say that our ancestors would not have used fire by friction because of our damp conditions. People say that percussion would have been the thing.

Of course the weather has not all ways been as it is now. It was colder at one time and also warmer.

Personally I am not a fan of percussion. It requires a number of elements which are hard to come by in northern ireland, iron pyrites and the proper tinder. Also these elements require preparation. To go out and make fire by percussion from scratch is very very difficult even if you find a piece of iron pyrites which in itself is incredibly difficult to locate without ebay.

Fire by friction, once a good level of skill has been attained only requires simple carving and a piece of suitable cord if using bow drill. Hand drill is even simpler. I have gone out, when fresh, with nothing and made fire with hand drill from materials foraged on the day. It did require lots of effort but we must remember that our ancestors would be super fit and strong. Failure at fire by friction -if the materials are right is often a case of endurance.

Its a very interesting topic.
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Fast stone age axe.

2012-02-15T13:18:00.001Z

Here is a way to make a fast handle for a stone cutting tool. Works best with willow or other bendy wood.

Knowledge in unlikely places

2012-02-15T08:03:00.001Z

Hi,

I have found that great bushcraft tips can be found by talking to people.

Even the most un-outdoorsy people know something that you don't know about bushcraft. Little things picked up over the years from grannies uncles etc.

I was getting my hair cut at the barber and we were talking about Ray Mears. He says that he remembers his granddad all ways carrying a match box in his pocket with fishing line in it wrapped round a match.

Granddad used to make hooks from stuff he found when out and about and he would keep them in the box. Thorns, Safety pins, bits of springs anything.

He told me that his granda was in the war and this is were he learned this practise.

He told me how he would whip it out when ever he came across water and caught a fish every time. He would dispatch it by hitting it on the back of the head with his knuckle like a poacher.

I do love stories like that. Bushcraft and survival is often born from necessity.

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Dead cow

2012-02-14T19:57:00.001Z

I found this in the woods today. I smelt it before I saw it. Rotting flesh.

If you were of the right frame of mind and in need, a carcass like this would be brilliant resource even if the meat is to far gone.

Bones, horn, sinew, hide, teeth and some internal organs like the bladder for water storage.

It also provides bait for trapping and fishing etc.

Featherstick practice

2012-02-13T21:18:00.001Z

Feathersticks are a fantastic skill often overlooked. Make your own tinder and kindling, develop knife skills- what more could you want.

Beauty

2012-02-13T21:14:00.001Z

A nice scene. Ruined by the big bloody com tower.

Bushcrafters in the mist

2012-02-10T17:18:00.001Z

Hi,

I was out doing a bit of training for an up coming adventure race today.

Started at 6am ran 15 miles with a 20 kilo pack over the hills, challenging enough given the rough terrain.

The hills were coated in a thick mist and I could hardly see my hand in front of my face.

There was a weird echo, kinda eerie but fun.

Look forward to the next one.

The pic shows where I was and was taken from the car.

Me eating Wood wasp grubs in the woods.

2012-02-09T08:56:00.001Z

This should give you a laugh.

Another beer bottle arrow head

2012-02-07T10:59:00.000Z

Cherry tree hotel

2012-02-07T10:22:00.000Z

Hi,

I found this huge cherry tree in the grounds of a hospital.

At the base was lots of evidence of feeding.

A little mouse has made its home near a great source of food.

The cherry pips are split or have a little hole nibbled into them.

Bramble runners

2012-02-06T15:01:00.001Z

Hi,

Brambles or blackberry bush often have really long runners covered in thorns.

When prepared these make an excellent source of cordage material.

Simple remove thorns, split and bend to remove pith then use your nail to take away thick green outer bark. You will be left with the strongest inner bark, superior to nettles in my opinion.

Wild strawberry

2012-02-06T14:33:00.001Z

The wild strawbs are in leaf. No fruit for quite a few months. However the leaves can be used for tea and the roots can be used to brush your teeth!

How to know if your an obsessive bushcrafter.

2012-02-06T12:09:00.001Z

Look at this picture.

Do you see a broken laundry basket?

Or do you see a fish trap that is virtually ready to go?

Tips for Learning about wild plants.

2012-02-05T13:16:00.001Z

Hi,

If you are starting fresh my advice is to choose plants and trees which are common throughout the world and have multiple uses.

Willow is a prime example as it grows everywhere virtually. Medicinal, tools, materials.

Learning wild plants can be daunting but well worth it.

If you learn just one a week, you will know 52 after a year. Then you will be miles ahead of most.

It is also worth learning the scientific names.

I allways break them up and come up with funny images.

For example pinus sylvestris- the scots pine.

Pinus is the family and is easy to remember. Just think of a map of the u.s covered in pins. Pin-us.

Sylvestris - you could imagine sly stallone wearing a vest cutting down a big pine tree with cones falling down and hitting his head.

Although this is not exactly how it is spelt or the full name, it is enough to remind you what the proper name is.

Think of trying to remember someone name and its on the tip of your tongue. Then someone says something that sounds like it and the proper name comes to you
Instantly. The brain works by association.

You can introduce things into the memory which can help you identify it.

So imagine 2 sly's cutting down a pine with 2 axes each. This means this pine has 2 needles per cluster. Then imagine they are wearing red orangey red trousers hats and vests. This represents the red tinge of the bark at the top of the tree. The amount of info you include is only limited by your imagination.

You are probably thinking this is a waste of time. However after just reading this you will remember the info quite easily.

The trick is to visualise it, smell ity hear it.

Test yourself tomorrow and I bet you can remember the name.

Good luck.
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A quote I like.

2012-02-04T20:55:00.001Z

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled.
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Saving energy in shelter building.

2012-02-04T15:32:00.001Z

Hi,

I found this excellent little arbor under the epicormic growth of a large Lime (Tilia spp). The ground was bone dry even after raining all day today.

It is enclosed on 3 sides and well sheltered. A bed and a fire for warmth or enclose it completely and you have a excellent shelter.

There is plenty of leaf debris for insulation and lime is of course one of the best for friction fire.

In a survival situation a place like this can save you a lot of effort.

Keep your eyes peeled.

Stalker

2012-02-03T12:19:00.001Z

Hi,

I am currently being followed around by a friendly bullock. Although by the size of him I think they might have left him something.

Luckily I have my mora with me for protection lol.

Rosehips

2012-02-02T18:27:00.001Z

A nice little find in february. Full of vitamin C. There are hairs inside the hip which must be discarded.

Good for a tea or roasted in the fire.

More useful rubbish

2012-02-02T12:44:00.001Z

A solid big pan full of leaves and water. The disc is not a lid but a sheet of ice from the top. Cool.

Our permanent shelter

2012-02-01T12:50:00.001Z

Hi,

Been out to our woodland. We started work on a more permanent shelter to use while we are there.

Ancient beech woodland

2012-02-01T12:38:00.001Z

Hi,

I have the great pleasure of wandering through an enchanting beech wood today. The sunlight is coming through the canopy and sees off the chill of the 2 degree temperature.

Now to get the bacon cooking for lunch. Washed down by hot sweet coffee.

The only problem is that the woodland is often the walk of choice for mental health patients so I might get a visitor or two. Lucky I brought a spare cup eh.

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A few finds in the woods

2012-01-31T21:56:00.000Z

An axe!
Lighter fuel half full.

Who needs to bring anything when people leave tons rubbish everywhere. Some of it is very usefull- most of it not.

Still I would prefer it if people stopped being lazy bastards and took it home.

Challenge

2012-01-30T17:14:00.001Z

Hi,

I challenged a friend yesterday with a difficult bushcraft related theme. Of course he accepted becuase he likes to push his skills forward all the time.

Sure enough I just received a challenge in return.

My mission is to make a broad head thrusting spear with nothing but primitive tools and natural materials that I can gather locally. That means no ebay sinew lol.

Should be fun and I will learn a lot.

I will post up a few pics as I do it.

Wish me luck.
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A few improvised hooks

2012-01-29T16:32:00.001Z

Hi all,

I thought i would put these improv hook pics up. they are made by my friend Paul from crab claws. The hooks are bound with resin glue.

Deer stalking with Donal

2012-01-27T18:43:00.001Z

I love getting out with experienced people, you allways learn something. This day was no exception.

Get out and about- get cold and wet and get some fresh air. Climb hills forget about bills.

I caveman

2012-01-26T12:52:00.001Z

Hi,

Sitting here watching a great program on discovery channel.

Its about a group of modern people living as cavemen and women.

Really good show and very realistic in some ways.

Of course people from this age will struggle with the caveman lifestyle just like a caveman would struggle would struggle if thrust into ours.

Good for a bushcraft nerd like me though.
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Freedom

2012-01-26T11:30:00.001Z

Hi,

I was just pondering after the birth of my daughter.

When ever she is an adult our civil liberties will be even further restricted.

Its an unfortunate fact that as the population of the world increases more rules must be introduced to manage us.

We are on the road to disater-soon there will be too many and then what do we do?

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Making hooks

2012-01-23T14:35:00.001Z

Hi all,

I have some small nails in my pocket from a recent ikea build. you all ways end up with some spare bits!

Anyway I decided to make some small fishing hooks.

This reminded me of a time when I was on a long flight. As a little challenge and to pass the time I decided to try and improvise some hooks from what I could find on the plane.

I ended up making quite a few from different things which I then used when I got to my destination.

Survival is all about improvisation.

Man made or natural materials are all fair game.

I ended up using a safety pin which I found on the floor of the toilets. I also attached a lure made from brightly coloured plastic sweet wrappers. I bound the hook with thread and waterproofed it with a wax crayon. I also found paperclips, which I think are a bit weak metal. The pull from a drinks can, pin from sowing kits and loads more.

Try it out its good fun. Make a hook from what's within 5 metres of you right now.

The reason I have been quiet lately

2012-01-21T20:42:00.001Z

A day out with an irish friend.

2012-01-12T09:25:00.001Z

Hi,

I spent a few hours yesterday with my friend Donal who is a member of the Irish bushcraft Club.

Among other things he is just back from a year in canada exploring the boreal forest so he had lots of good stories to share.

We went to a large woodland on the border and discovered a significant amount of edible wild plants like Pennywort, hairy bitter cress and sorrel among others as we walked.

We then started to see increasing fallow deer sign and were able to follow a large herd for a considerable distance through a beautiful Douglas fir wood. The deer had been nibbling at Bilberry tips and also eating the inner bark of the Firs.

Unfortunately we didn't see them this time.

We then practised some fire lighting skills taking the time to experiment with different tinders and methods.

We also went foraging for wood wasp grubs which are a great source of protein.

Check out this video of me finding and eating one!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=anCv9LG-NlM

Cheers,

Abo.
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Finnish special forces knife M95

2012-01-07T20:42:00.001Z

Thought on survival

2011-12-26T21:22:00.001Z

What you imagine will happen is often not the same as what will happen. Get out for some dirt time

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Close your eyes if your nervous

2011-12-19T16:09:00.000Z

Hi,

I know this guy is an expert but still you cant help feel yourself getting nervous watching him. One slip with that razor sharp blade and a finger would be gone or femoral artery severed. Amazing skill really.

Excited

2011-12-19T10:13:00.000Z

Hi,

Santa is bringing me something all the way from Finland with the help of my Finnish Friend Mikko.

It is pointy and apprently indestructible. UPS say it is due on Tuesday.

Oh i do like getting parcels in the post.

All will be revealed soon enough.

Passing on some skills

2011-12-16T16:42:00.000Z

Hi

There is a great pleasure in passing on knowledge. In fact you allways learn something yourself.

In teaching we learn,

A few pics form a recent course I helped run.

A good set of tools for general bushcraft

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000Z

Hi all,

After many years of searching I have finally found a goodbalance of tools to take out to the woods. This is my personal choice for thereason listed.

General purpose knife for battoning, butchering rough,carving etc - Fallkniven F1. Robust, easy to sharpen, excellent in wetconditions. Great at splitting wood, impossible to break really (although ifthere is a chance of breaking your blade you are using it incorrectly I say)

Fine detail and carving knife – Mora 106. A splendid littleknife which punches well above its weight, very versatile and easy to sharpenand maintain, best of all cheap as chips. I carry it on a piece of paracordaround my neck where it is always accessible. Also functions as a back up incase you lose your main knife. I have modified the sheath to keep the handletighter by heating and stretching it a bit. I also shaved the handle a bitthinner which makes it sit much more securely indeed.

Saw- Bacho Laplander. The bushcraft standard and hard tobeat really. You can do all sorts with a saw like this and its use is a skilllike everything else. Go out and use it for a day as your sole tool and youwill realise how good it is.

Axe- Fiskars camp axe. 23 inch one. A very surprising mediumsized axe which can do a lot of work and is comfortable to use. Sharpens easilyto a razor finish. An axe is a very useful tool. It is well worth learning howto use one properly. You can do most jobs with your axe from felling a tree tocarving the beginning of a spoon before you need your knife. An axe makesprocessing wood a lot easier. Split wood burns better than rounds and catchesfaster. You can also make feather sticks. SO a fire from start to finish is easy with an axe and alot less work than a knife.

And that is it.

Of course if you have a base camp a bow saw comes into itown too and is really just a bigger version of the Laplander in terms ofutility. I really like the bacho ones for quality.

Knives in use

2011-12-03T15:03:00.000Z

Hi,

I allways like to see good knives in actual use.

Here is a nice picture I found of a swedish soldier with a Mora 2000 attached to her webbing. Interesting indeed. I cant help but like them, they are weird but they are really good. I wonder has she ever used it.

Pin oak

2011-12-01T12:04:00.000Z

This is a pic of a leaf against the sky. Very sitinctive liaf indeed.

Blackthorn sloe

2011-11-30T15:14:00.000Z

I see there are still some leaves and sloes on the Blackthorns. they are quite edible now as the tannins have been withdrawn. However it usually takes a frost to set them totally right.

F1 sheath modification

2011-11-29T12:58:00.000Z

Hi all,

Recently I have found myself grabbing the F1 when heading out.

It is a splendid knife with a huge fan base.

The knife comes with a choice of sheaths.

I have the fully closable leather one and the zytell one.

The zytell version features a little catch which holds the knife in place. Of course there is also a clasp to secure it too.

Recently it has not been as tight as I would like so I have added something.

A strong rubber ring which keeps the catch tight. Now the knife cannot jump out of the sheath if un clasped which is handy if you are using it a lot and don't want to keep pressing the clasp closed everytime.

Cheers

Ikea

2011-11-19T12:19:00.001Z

Just noticed that there is a mora knife shown on ikea packaging as a do open with a knife logo.

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The Victorinox Forester folding knife.

2011-11-18T14:09:00.000Z

The Victorinox Forester folding knife.

I bought this a few years ago and have carried it with meever since during work hours.

The knife features a large locking blade. There is also asaw, screw driver, can opener and awl. There is the usual tooth pick andtweezers within the handle too.

The knife is comfortable in the hand and has a good stronglock.

The blade of the knife, which is stainless steel, is quitethick and has the typical Swiss army knife bevel. It is straightforward tosharpen on a DC3 and can be quickly brought up to hair shaving sharp.

The saw is excellent and perfect for pruning jobs makingtraps whatever. It is also excellent for using with a fire steel being hardenedsteel and sharp backed. The trick is gripping it in a such a way as to avoid it closing on yourfingers. I sometimes put some bark in my hand to protect it from the teeth.

The blade of the awl can also be used to strike a steel whennot being used for making holes.

Over all a very useful high quality knife.

Just one issue which is the tip of the main blade which isvirtually useless being so obtuse. It needs to be a bit pointier I think forfiner work, the grind is also a bit iffy at the tip too. I am toying with the idea of grinding it into shape.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

2011-11-17T13:35:00.000Z

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

This is a great little tree which is very common in hedgerows. It is a very useful resource.

Food.

This tree has an edible berry which can persist through thewinter if the birds don’t eat them first. The pip is hard and should bediscarded. The young leaves are also edible. Hawthorn thickets are a greatplace to trap, as rabbits feel safe in them. You can make fishing hooks,harpoon points from the green thorns, the dead ones are too brittle to be ofuse. Good for throwing sticks too.

Materials

The hawthorn burns very well when seasoned and created niceembers for cooking. You can usually find a lot of kindling branches under thecrown, still attached, dead and dry. The wood is hard and dense and has beenused for walking sticks and cudgels/priests. The wood has quite short fibres sois not good in flex.

Ash for bushcraft

2011-11-11T16:13:00.002Z

http://www.brookmans.com/environment/flora/flora2.shtml

Ash (Fraxinusexcelcior)

This is a tree that nearly everyone will know. The pale greybark, which breaks into fissures as it matures is distinctive but not as muchas the black buds.

The leaves are compound with the leaflets have serratededges.

Food.

This tree has a number of interesting features. The innerbark was ground for flour in times of emergency as were the keys. The keys havealso been pickled when green. I have found that if you get a green key andbreak it open the tiny green bit inside tastes quite fresh. The tree willsupport insects, which you might gather for food.

Materials

The Ash is a fantastic resource for the bushcrafter. Thewood is second to none for hunting weapons which require impact resistance. Thefibres are long which make it good bow wood. The wood is used to make hurls andhockey sticks. The bark can be peeled in large sheets when the sap is risingand can be used to make containers by folding. It can also be used as a splint fora broken arm or leg. The young growth can be used as a withe. If you make along shaving with a knife it can be used for simple bindings.

Ash splits and bends very well, one of the best and makesfantastic feather sticks.

The wood can be soaked and the rings separated to makestrips for baskets.

Ash supports a very useful Fungi called King Alfred’s Cakeswhich, when dry will catch a cold spark and smoulder very very hot. A fantasticresource.

Medical

A compress of the bruised leaves can be used for wounds. Thesap can be used for wounds and for stomach problems. The tree has been used alot through history. The best use I have read about was to heal children withhernia’s.

A young sapling was split to form a hoop while still plantedand alive, the child passed through and then it was re-bound and allowed togrow on. Interesting.

The bushcraft uses of Oak

2011-11-11T08:35:00.000Z

d685488.u47.hosting.digiweb.ie

This is the start of a little series on some of the more usefulaspects of our native trees in Ireland.The profiles will be updated as I learn more. I am not interested in copyingand pasting something from Wikipedia but want to present things that I havelearned through personal experience and learning.

Pendunculate and Sessile Oak

Oaks, Sessile and Pendunculate, aretwo of our native trees here in Ireland.

To the bushcrafter they are very useful indeed.

Food.

Acorns are the primary source of food coming from the oak.Like all parts of the Oak Acorns are very high in Tannins. Tannin does nottaste very nice and must be removed from the acorns. This can be achieved byleeching in a stream or by boiling with multiple changes of water over a numberof hours. The tannin free Acorns can then be dried and ground up for flour or roastedand ground up for a coffee type substitute. This is quite labour intensive butwhen you consider the amount that can be gathered very quickly in a bumper yearthen the expenditure is worth it.

It is worth noting that sometimes acorns have so littletannins that they can be prepared straight away. This is dependent on speciesand weather, ground conditions and all sorts of things that a survivor couldn’treally know. The best way to tell is to roast one and taste it.

The other aspect of food is that an Oak is a tree whichsupports hundreds of insect species. Woodlice can be gathered easily and can befound under dead bark. I have found them to taste different depending on whattree they are found on. Very high in protein though I suspect if you eat a lotyou might get a bit irritated with their indigestible shells. Acorns alsoattract squirrels and birds, as do the insects. So with a throwing stick (madefrom oak) you never know what you will end up with.

Materials.

Oak supplies a wealth of materials. The very dense woodwhich is ideal for throwing sticks, digging sticks, anything where strength isimportant. The wood is impact resistant and because of the tannin content isquite resistant to decay.

The inner bark of a dead branch can be scrapped up and usedfor a very good tinder.

The leaves are one of the last to rot on the forest floor soare excellent for debris huts and when dry as tinder.

The epicormical growth which comes off the main stem Isgreat for improvised cord/ withies. The roots can also be used for this.

The wood burns very well and creates good heat and embers.This makes it ideal for cooking.

Medically.

Tannin is an astringent, which means it contracts capillariesso can stop bleeding. Oak galls, which are the little round balls you sometimesfind where acorns should be are full of tannin and can be crushed. The oak wastraditionally used for all sorts of things where antiseptic action and slowwounds were involved. The bark is also good for diarrhoea in a decoction.

classic

2011-11-10T15:55:00.000Z

This is brilliant.

CHeck it out.

2011-11-08T15:35:00.000Z

Wildlife interaction before your eyes

2011-11-08T15:31:00.000Z

Hi all,

I have been kind of quiet recently. Just doing the things nessecary for modern life I suppose.

I went for a walk in a local wood the other day. The sun was setting as I made my way up a steep bank over looking a small clear pond. The hazel leaves were droppping all around me.

I felt an urge to freeze and having learned long ago to trust ones instincts i did so.

Within a few seconds a young fox, still on the brown, dabbled side of red slipped from the undergrowth. He could smell me, because he frooze and scanned about. I was wearing dark green and standing in the shadow of an old Ash so was virtually invisable to him.

I watched him as he peered into the shadows, sniffing, his head casting about. I dont know how long he would have stood there because our nasal duel was interupted by the arrival of a wood Pigeon. I looked up at the grey flash as it alighted on a brach overhead and when i looked down the young fox had vanished.

Just to add to the fun at that exact moment a Sparrowhawk shot past and went for the Pigeon.
The pigeon escaped and the Hawk sat on the branch feeling sorry for himself until his sharp eyes noticed me and he was gone.

Quite an interesting little episode. i am often amazed at my ability to stumble across wildlife by being silent and keeping hidden.

Space jelly part 2

2011-11-07T08:08:00.001Z

This is a Jelly fungus. Looks the same to me.

Space jelly

2011-11-07T08:06:00.001Z

There was a mention of this on the news a few weeks ago and then suddenly a total media blackout!!

I found this on some waste ground. A firm greyish jelly.

I reckon it is something a fox puked up myself.

Shaggy ink cap

2011-10-27T13:33:00.001+01:00

This is an interesting mushroom which is edible when young. As it matures and enlarges it disintegrates releasing it black inky gunk!.

It is very distinctive indeed.
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Something to look forward too.

2011-10-22T20:29:00.001+01:00

Hi all,

Very excited about something.

Myself and a few friends are being honoured by a visit from the legendary Mr Lord flint knapper master next year. I am looking forward to seeing the magic he works with our flint.

Can't wait....

More details shortly.
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The best time

2011-10-17T08:08:00.001+01:00

Hi all,

One of the best times I find to go to the woods is during bad weather. Rain keeps away the majority and means you have the wood to yourself.

Excellent

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Delicious, The birch bolete (Leccinum scabrum)

2011-10-14T10:45:00.001+01:00

Hi,

I found these while out wandering.
They all ways grow under older Birch groups and seem to like a bit of grass too. They are quite distinctive and one of the easier mushrooms to identify with pores under the cap not gills. This group is well worth learning as they are good eating.

Make sure you are 100% when picking mushrooms. If you have any doubt at all, leave it alone and go and study more.

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What killed this Pigeon?

2011-10-14T10:20:00.002+01:00

Look closely and you will notice that only the breast meat is removed. Interesting.

Birds of prey like to remove the breast meat but this was in a very urban area. Must be a sparrowhawk or something.

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Hazel and Willow tray

2011-10-11T08:20:00.001+01:00

This took 20 minutes and has a multitude of uses. Kneeler, tray for gutting a fish, fire fan, wind break.

Tutorial coming soon.
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A day with Welig crafts

2011-10-10T08:48:00.001+01:00

Hi all,

Myself and Paul were lucky enough to meet a guy called Clive Lyttle of Welig crafts at a recent event.

Clive invited the NIBA to come for a course so we readily accepted.

Clive designed our course with bushcraft in mind but he couldnt help but inject some of the fantastic artistry he dispalys in his own basket in too. Of course it was a pleasure to watch someone with his skill work.

The course was very practical and we quickly set to work selecting and splitting our inital sticks to form the base. Then we were shown the various techniques for forming the base and building up the sides. We only had the time to make a shallow basket each as beginners, but future course promised larger projects.

Clive was allways on hand to provide detailed instruction when someone went array, which was often, and he had infinite patience even when I managed to completely ignore what he had said and insert all of my inserts upside down.

Clive gave us a tour of his excellent site where he grows many types of willow and invited us back to camp in the future.

We managed to bring 9 members to the course so hopefully we will be able to pass on what we learned to the guys who didnt make it this time.

This course is highly reccommended.

A simple basket tray which clive showed us how to make in 10 minutes

Paul, Neil, Stuart and Anne hard at work

Starting out

My base with color contrast

Clive giving his experience

Gary happy at work

Neils base turned out the best in the group. Well done!!

Mine and Garys basket together

My finished basket with simple top border

The gang minus 2 camera shy girls

Cheers

Hand drill in the Uk

2011-10-05T20:41:00.000+01:00

I am really loving this skill. Am i adicted to handrill?

The natural Navigator

2011-10-03T15:36:00.000+01:00

Hi all,I was lucky to have a bit of a chat to Tristan Gooley who wrote the natural navigator. I wa able to offer hims a peice of information that he had never heard before about how a tree can indicate direction.Tristan was kind enough to mention me on his blog, so thanks to him.I thought I would put a link for his book up here. I bought it after chatting to him and really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

The forgotten Highlander and excellent book

2011-09-30T15:26:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

Just finished this book and have to say it opened my eyes to the second world war. If you want to learn about a stiff upper lip through all levels of hell then read this book. The horrific nature of what this guy went through is often downplayed because it is obviously the type of him. A hero for all and an inspiration.

Highly recommend this book.

Clematis

2011-09-30T12:27:00.000+01:00

HI all,

Got some clematis through the post from a friend called Kepis who runs the excellent Kepis bushcraft blog.

kepisbushcraft

Anyway. I have been missing out. Having trianed myself to get an ember on willow I got an ember in about 10 seconds on the clematis.

Amazing stuff.

Cheers Mark!!!!!

Love this picture

2011-09-29T15:04:00.000+01:00

Talk about being in the right place at th right time. What a magical picture.

This blog often makes me jealous and this is where the pic was found. Hats off to Fenlander, he knows how to do it right!!
http://naturallore.wordpress.com/page/3/

Transporting fire

2011-09-28T12:41:00.001+01:00

This Ganoderma species will hold an ember for several hours smouldering away. It gives off immense heat and cannot be carried by hand. I fashioned a branch holder to carry it.

When you want a fire just put it against a tinder bundle and with a few blows, due to the intense heat you will have flame.

Excellent stuff. It means if you manage an ember from a hand drill you can prolong the ember for a few hours and even dry out tinder on it.

A very usefull resource.

This stuff can also be used to make amadou, however it needs chemicals which are hard to collect and process in a short space of time so I don't bother.

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Drying elder drills from green

2011-09-28T12:29:00.001+01:00

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Tremendous photos!

2011-09-27T11:20:00.000+01:00

Hi,

Found these on a forum somwhere. Something about photographs that transport to you to the place they are captured.

http://www.bwpawards.org/

Hand drill lessons

2011-09-27T08:55:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

Still working at the hand drill and starting to get proficient now. Everytime you do it you gain experience which makes it easier next time. I would work at it all day long but unfortunatly my hands get ripped to shreds even now that they are heavily calloused.Very hard on the hands.

Anyway a few things I learned in a recent session.

While learning make sure your stuff is dry as a bone. This saves so much effort.

Downward pressure is the key. point the tips of your hands slighty down will improve the pressure you generate.

A tiny drop of honey or pine resin on your hands will give immense grip but will give you blisters too.

The drill should be long and straight and be 1.5cm thick when using elder. Make aure you have plenty of outer wall on the drill and a pith.

Drills you find on a tree are not so good as ones you pick green-debark-and dry and straighten. They allways seem a little decayed. If you must find on ein the wild get a dead one which is hard and still completely covered in bark and near the bottom of tree.

When drilling down on soft ground you loose so much power and pressure. Make sure your hearth is on a hard surface. A stump whatever, saves so much effort.

Make sure there is no movment at the hearth too. You will loose so much effort is it moves about.

Maximise friction at tip not at sides.

Notch should be bigger than 45 degrees and not go to centre of socket otherwise you loose so much surface area.

A good day

2011-09-24T21:07:00.001+01:00

Just spent today helping some people coach fire from sticks.

Lots of interested people today!
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Fly agaric

2011-09-20T20:20:00.001+01:00

Some interesting info on this fungi I found today.

Fly-Agaric

This section is about the use of the Fly-Agaric mushroom, for medicinal and spiritual use, by the Celtic and Pre-Celtic people of Ireland. This is probably the most well known fungi because of it's association with the fairy folk, was a very important fungi to the Druids of the Celtic tribes. It was referred to as the 'Flesh of the gods', or 'Food of the Gods' because they believed that they were in direct communication with the Earth and the Universe when they consumed this Fungi. Although all the Celtic people consumed Liberty-caps, the Fly-Agaric was usually only taken by the Druids and other magic users. It was considered too powerful for those not trained in the higher levels of the mind.

This Fungus contains some very powerful psychotropic compounds. These fungi are the fruit of an Organism that can live to be thousands of years old. Most of this organism is the root system with only the fruit being seen here in the photos. The fruit of this organism is well known but few realise the fruit found over a certain area will usually all be from the one organism.
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My little one ready for special forces arctic survival training

2011-09-20T20:15:00.000+01:00

Or maybe just building snowmen in the garden.
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Post-it sunshade

2011-09-20T18:27:00.001+01:00

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Lime hearth x 18

2011-09-12T21:22:00.001+01:00

I set up a little factory to make a load of good lime boards for Bow drill practise.

I am like so dedicated ha ha!!!!

Of course my little girl helped by lifting one and hitting the cat in the head with it. Mother was not pleased oh no.
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Mora carving knife.

2011-09-12T10:44:00.000+01:00

Hi,

If you dont have one of these they make wonderfull neck knives.

I needed a staff to make my way over steep ground and had to cut one using this knife because it is all I had with me at the time.

By putting tension on the pole by bending it and then rocking the knife in a pumping motion you seasaw through the wood quite easily. To go through a peice of wood like this with a baton would be very diffcult with this knife.

The knife makes a brilliant every day general purpose knife and is small, lightweight and easy to tuck in a pocket or hang around the neck.

The grind is scandi and the knife is very easy to sharpen.

As it is a carving knife it is obviously not designed for heavy work.

For carving, skinning small mammals and any other light work it excells though. The tip can be quite fragile as it is very acute. I have had to regrind my slightly as it snapped off a few times, which is easy with a diamond stone or similar.

The sheath is pretty crap and does not hold the knife well at all. I cut a slit down one side to allow it to expand when i push the knife in and this solved it.

I think this knife is only about £10 here in the uk.

If you have one of these and a larger general purpose knife like a lueku for heavy work and maybe an axe and saw you will have everything covered.

Purification of water by boiling in a beer bottle.

2011-09-02T16:56:00.001+01:00

Hi,

I was out for a wander today and was quite thirsty so decided to get a drink from a stream in the forest. I wasnt going to drink the water straight from the stream and risk an upset stomach so had to boil it.

I had a scout about and soon found an old beer bottle.

I washed it out in the stream because a small ecosystem had developed inside. I used a stick to loosen the dirt then shook it.
Then i filled it with water.

So i got a small fire going quickly behind a fallen tree root plate.


Tinder of grass and bracken.

I let the water heat a bit and then put a larger log on the fire and put the bottle into the fire. To sudden and it might crack. It took about 10 minutes or less to boil up to a good rolling boil which i maintained for several minutes.

A little video of the water boiling is above. Make sure that the bubbles are coming from all of the water and not just the top. The heat will kill everything. If there is organic matter in it, this can kind of sheild the bugs so boil it longer to compensate for this.

I then let it cool for a while and at the same time some of the organic matter sank to the bottom. I could have filtered it through my t-shirt but i am not to fussy.

Then down the hatch.

Some Sorrel growing by the stream.

I made a bottle holder from a mature bracken frond.

Simply bend it and bend it again and then trap the bottle neck in the bend. easy.

Lit my fire next to a woodmouse cone processing factory.

I also found this which is never good. Ergot, a very dangerous fungi which grows on cereal. Pic is poor sorry.

Cringe

2011-08-31T15:12:00.001+01:00

A pic and caption from one of Ray Mears books.

Lovers move in pace with the seasons. Lol
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What on earth befell this poor critter.

2011-08-27T11:31:00.001+01:00

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Some interesting wildlife signs

2011-08-26T13:26:00.000+01:00

Hi,

I was out for a dander and following some tracks and I decided to photograph some sign.

Stromeng Leuku

2011-08-25T19:46:00.001+01:00

All in one fire kit.

With a good Leuku you and chop, split and feather wood to make a fire. No need for a smaller knife or axe. A very usefull tool indeed.
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25 feathersticks with the sypderco bushcrafter.

2011-08-22T21:27:00.002+01:00

Really Excellent knife except for hole. Well balanced and easy to sharpen.
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The Fianna

2011-08-22T12:20:00.000+01:00

I love old lore and found this info about a warrior sect in ancient ireland.

The warriors were known as the Fianna and were the days elite. From the tests below you can see why.

Interesting to see that they valued intelligence as much as martial skill.

Membership was subject to rigorous tests. In one such test the applicant would stand in a waist-deep hole armed with a shield while nine warriors threw spears at him; if he was wounded, he failed. In another his hair would be braided, and he would be pursued through the forest; he would fail if he was caught, if a branch cracked under his feet, or if the braids in his hair were disturbed. He would have to be able to leap over a branch the height of his forehead, pass under one as low as his knee, and pull a thorn from his foot without slowing down. He also needed to be a skilled poet.

Mora 2000 review update observation

2011-08-21T13:58:00.001+01:00

Hi,

I have been using my Moras a lot and decided to skin a squirrel with the Mora 2000.

I must admit it is not as good a plain clipper shape for small game. The wide obtuse belly of the blade at the tip makes it awkward to pierce the skin and work close to the meat etc.

I also found it poor for piercing holes to put the skin on a rack for drying.

I still managed to do it neatly but not as easily as it would be with a a more pointed knife.

To me the knife is slightly let down by the tip. I notice the new Moras are also strangely shaped at the tip.

What is the reason for this? Anyone know?
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Pine wood

2011-08-18T12:44:00.001+01:00

I am sitting in a large private Scots pine wood relaxing and watching squirrels playing in the trees.

Life is good.
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20,000 Visitors competition

2011-08-17T12:26:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

I just wanted to give something back as way of thanks for your support over the past year or so. My blog has had 20,000 visitors which I am amazed at. Thanks!

The question for the competition is as follows.

On the recent beachcomber survival course I attended in Scotland how many Cockles did me and my fellow students collect from the beach for eating.

If it helps there were 6 of us.

The prize will be a Mora Classic knife and a Mora topQ all rounder stainless steel.

Please post your answer in the comments section of this post. One entry per person and you must be a follower to enter and over 18

Beachcomber course Pictures

2011-08-15T11:49:00.000+01:00

This course is highly recommended indeed. Patrick is thee man when it comes to primitive living.

Some of the lads with Patrick

Enough meat to feed 6 hungry boys!

The white strip is sinew

The hooves can be used and the sinue is also good for things

Happy camper

Meat ready for thinning down into jerky

Getting tips from an expert in hunting and butchering Deer!

Checking the crab trap

6 Big shore crabs

Making the willow and tarp canoe

An outrigger was added

The camp

I did not get very far

Lesson what what not to do. Evan is up for it

Testing her out

We tested her out with two people. 23 stone of weigh no problem

Cooking freshly gathered shell fish on the beach

Smoker chimney

Raised pit oven. The Mcglinchey Volcano

Our stone smoker

Common shore crab after cooking

Drying jerky

Netting needle which was carved and used on the course to make a net!!

Beachcomber course

2011-08-14T22:16:00.001+01:00

Hi,

I am just heading home from doing a weekend course with Patrick McGlinchey at backwoods survival school.

The weekend was packed full of skills and banter.

We skinned and butchered a Roe deer then cooked some in a raised pit oven. We also smoked some into jerky in a stone smoker we built on the beach.

Other project included making nets, making hooks and line from bone and lime cordage. Building a canoe which we took out to sea and supported 23 stone.

We also gathered lots of crabs and shellfish, which we cooked on the beach.

Pics soon......
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A stroll round castle Ward

2011-08-05T17:38:00.000+01:00

What a scene!


Sloe

Making cord

2011-08-02T12:08:00.001+01:00

Seem to be obsessed with making cord at moment. Any tips welcome as all ways.

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Fly-fest

2011-08-02T08:30:00.001+01:00

Went up the wood yesterday and walked into some kind of fly orgy.

I mean there are all ways flies about but this was something else. Dark clouds of them descended upon me like some thing out of a harry potter spell.

I was running about waving my arms with my hood up muttering to myself.

Even stranger when I got a smokey fire going more arrived to see what all the fuss was about.

Is this a new breed of smoke loving fly. Maybe there is some kind of radioactive dump nearby causing mutation to super flies.

Gonna have to get a head net I think.

Dam flies.
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New Zealand flax

2011-07-30T14:43:00.001+01:00

From plant to fibre. 3-ply plait.
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