Summer Solstice summer campout.

Discussion in 'Bushcraft' started by sticks65, Jun 25, 2010.


  1. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    I decided on the spur of the moment to go camping in the woods,the weather was wonderful and what better way to spend the summer Solstice.
    I packed light taking my Gelert solo tent.

    My kit list is as follows.

    Gelert solo tent.
    Trek mate self inflating mat.
    Colemans Exponent sleeping bag.
    Inflatable pillow.
    The cup from my German army mess tin.
    Swedish Army kuksa.
    Wooden spoon.
    Blacks small lamp.
    Crank flash light.
    Brades Criteric 312 Hatchet.
    Swedish pack saw.
    Mora knife.
    US 2000 water bottle.
    Leather work gloves and a gardeners kneeling pad.
    Food and a small bottle of Whiskey.
    Camera and tripod.

    I had a flint and steel in my possibles pouch with jute as tinder and my rucksack is a Swedish Army 40lt,I also had my Swedish gas mask bag.





    Gelert Solo tent.




    The sharps I took,I never even used the hatchet.​




    Gave the pack saw a good test out and It works great,just the right size for what I need to do.​




    Home for the night.






    Sun down.
    Although I didn't have a watch Id say the Sun set around 9.30.


    Although I sawed some fire wood Im a firm believer in letting the fire work its magic and do the work for you by burning the wood into smaller pieces.


    No camping blog is worth its salt without the obligatory fire shots.






    My camera tripod doubled up as a lamp stand.​




    Sun rise on my walk home.






    I found this quite big Burdock on the side of the track as I walked home.


    A weer that runs off of the River Soar


    The River Soar.

    I had a real nice day just relaxing in the woods and listening to the birds sing,I also heard but didn't see a woodpecker.​


    At night I could here a Male and a Female Owl calling to each other and a fox call.​


    For supper I had some CornBeef hash what Id made at home and took with me,I also had some other treats which where crisps,chocolate and some biscuits which I had with a large cup of coffee.​


    It was a warm night and I did get bitten a few times by midges and a horse fly which hurt but the smoke form the fire got rid of them.
    I slept on top of my sleeping bag and just closed the mossy net as I was sweltering.​


    I did have some kit I didn't need like the hatchet and Swedish Kuksa but its better to have and not need than to need and not have,I didn't even use my fire kit as I lit the fire with the ember from my pipe as can be seen in the video below.

    YouTube- Summer Solstice woodland campout
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 14, 2013
  2. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I have been meaning to try out one of those Swedish pack saws. I especially like your minimalist setup, despite the fact that I do not admire tent camping. Your tent looks like a good one, I would appreciate your own report on its functionality and durability. ;)
     
  3. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Im more of a tarp man myself as you can see in my other threads on my camping trips.

    There's a few reasons I used the tent.

    Well as stated in the OP it was a spur of the moment thing and I couldn't be arsed to sort out and put up my hammock and tarp.[winkthumb]

    Another reason I used the tent is I wanted to show another way that I camp for my blog,I have posted my hammock set up.ground dwelling with a tarp,ground sheet and bivvy bag and my fisherman's bivvy tent for the more leisurly camping trip.;)

    I haven't used that tent in well over two years but im going beach camping in Wales on the 4 of July and will be using the tent so thought it a good idea to air it out and check its all in working order as the tent has a repair kit which includes seam repair and hole patching repair kit which I could have done on site if needed,but it was OK.[winkthumb]

    Also some of the members of my blog go bicycle camping and want a light and easy to set up home at the end of a long days cycling.

    The tent has a mostly mesh inner which is good because you don't get condensation,its very quick and simple to erect and is lightweight.

    Ive used this tent In storms rain,high winds and even got caught in a blizzard on a mountain and was there for 3 days,because of the shape of the tent,its very aerodynamic;wind just blow over it no problem.

    You can google it under Gelert solo one man tent.

    The pack saw is great and I find it much better than a folding saw,but a folding saw has its merits when cutting in confined or awkward places.


    Thanks for your comments[boozingbuddies]
     
  4. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Hey, thanks for the great response! :)
     
  5. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    You are a better man the me Gunga din .... pass me the rum bottle and ice chest with the pepsi.......
     
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I am a mosquito fiesta. Tents have to happen. Nuff said.
     
  7. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Oh the ice chest and whiskey will be taken on my trip to Wales but ill still be using the one man tent just for easy of use.

    I did take a half bottle of whiskey on this camping trp.[booze]
     
  8. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Mosquitoes take one bite and then tell the rest of there mossy mates that I taste like crap LMFAO,[lolol]never had a problem with them but I do eat a lot of garlic which is supposed to help.

    The problen we get in the UK is not so much mossies but midges which love to bite me:mad:
     
  9. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!

    Curious about the area in which you camped.
    I just find it fascinating that you can walk to wilderness.
    Without getting into specific locations -
    Is it on public land or private - something similar to a US state/national forest? Are there farms around?
    Do you live out in the country, suburb or city?

    Here in the US, we have so much suburban blight, that even when you think you're in the country, a housing development looms around the corner.
     
  10. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    I live in a village with the town on one side and the country side on the other.

    We also have a nice nature reserve with country side and farm land over the other side of it.

    The wood I camped in is owned by a local farmer that gave me permission to use it.

    At the moment Im in the process of raising the money to buy a 5 acre woodland in Wales for my own private use and to run bushcraft courses from.

    One thing we do have in the UK is the right to roam which means you can walk around any fields as long as they are not owned by the MOD.

    This doesn't mean you can walk on farmer crops of take vehicles on the land or camp.
     
  11. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!

    Sounds ideal.

    How does the right to roam work? Is it actually spelled out in law?
    Does it mean that you can't keep trespassers out of a property of a certain size?
    It sounds to me something like a general easement to permit foot traffic. Does that sound about right?
     
  12. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Really nice pics and video... sounds relaxing...

    I've got some camo tyvek sheet I acquired a while back... (actually a whole roll and I've not seen anything like it since.... light... good for a ground cloth and in a pinch a good shelter tarp.... camo on the outside and white on the other... so you can face the camo out and the white in for better light inside.... pretty cool....

    Here's a pic.... lightweight and tough...



    Anyway... thanks for posting... always love to see what you come up with!
    Camo tyvek.JPG
     
  13. ColtCarbine

    ColtCarbine Monkey+++ Founding Member

    It's always interesting to see how other cultures camp and the types of areas that available for outdoor activities. Thanks for sharing.
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    :lol: Sticks, you need to remember that when colt forgets his matches, he puts his tinder on the exhaust manifold.
     
  15. Georgia_Boy

    Georgia_Boy Monkey+++

    Nice video Sticks! Before any of my campouts I take a tbsp of vinegar daily (I use apple cider because it is easier to down than the white) to minimize the skeeters, spider, and tick bites. A carpenter friend (a good ol country boy) told me years ago to try that when I complained when we were fishing. He said that the vinegar oozes through you pores which the biters don't like. I use other things in the bug battles but my base tool is the vinegar. Vinegar is good for us anyway and it works for me.......
    GB
     
  16. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Yes it is spelled out in law.

    You can roam across fields but you cannot go on the farmer private garden or just walk up his drive,basically you can walk from my village to the next using the outside of the fields but you can get in trouble for walking on crops as that is criminal damage.

    We also have designated walking paths across the country side and some farmers are kind enough to put rough tracks where they would like you to walk which I like as I don't want to go anywhere that they don't want me.

    When I camp in the Welsh mountains most of the land is owned but if your respectful,don't scare the sheep and leave no trace the land owners a cool with you,that why I have a fire box as i like a fire but also have respect for the land owners.

    I also have a farmer that charges me £5 a night to camp on his land and allows me to have a fire in a curtain pitch,the a nice wood there and lakes,he also installed a toilet and fresh water point..
     
  17. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    That looks good,Id waterproof some of that,add grommets and make a tarp.
     
  18. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Thanks for the tip,I will definitely try that.[boozingbuddies]
     
  19. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!

    Sounds civilized.

    Here it varies by state, but for the most part you can't trespass on private lands though you can plead ignorance (sometimes) if the land isn't posted.
    If it is posted, then you were warned and can be charged with trespassing if you so much as cross onto it.
     
  20. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    Tyvek is used as a vapor barrier for home building... that white house wrap you sometimes see on new construction... while not totally waterproof... its pretty good.... waterproofing it would definitely make it so....

    I'll send you some for your inventory of supplies to play with....
     
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7