I arrived at my local woods around 6.30pm and set up my camp. It took about an hour to set up my abode for the night,then I collected my fire wood and got my fire going.by this time it was starting to get dark so I quickly took some photos of some wild mushrooms I had spotted earlier and then settled in for the night. I started my fire using flint and steel,the wood was pretty damp as it has been raining for the last few days so I split some smaller pieces of wood to get to the dry inside and used plenty of birch bark and fat wood to get it to take. I start my fire as a little tee pee and then build it up until Ive got some good coals burning,then I spread the coals out so I can have a long fire. A long fire works really well with the lean-to tarp set up as the heat is spread along the length of the lean-to plus you don't have to chop as much wood,I tend to use lengths that are around six foot and just move then along as they burn. I also use a large log behind the fire as a heat reflector I didn't take as many photos as Id have liked to but this is the norm for me as I get a little carried away with setting up and then chilling out I don't like the end where my head will be open to the eliments so I always construct a barrier from whatever is available. If it was winter Id have bloked the other end off to My favourite shelter set up. MOD tarp used as a lean-to and bivvy bag with trek mate self inflating mat and a big minus 7 sleeping bag inside. From inside my shelter Fire wood. 2AM. I think this mushroom is a shaggy parasol which is edible but will get a positive ID before I go and pick them to eat. Plenty of them. Don't know about this one. I forgot to mention that I only used my Leuku knife which did all that was needed,I also took my little neck knife.. Id already eaten dinner so I had a pot noodle bad boy for supper and a few beers,I pre cooked some sausages,chopped them up and put them in a sealed bag with beans,butter and cheese for breakfast and cooked them on my Swiss ranger stove. I got a visit from an Owl who perched on the tree my tarp was tied to,he was making a lot of noise but I love listening to Owl calls. I also heard a Fox scream because thats what it sounds like,In fact if you didn't know what it was it would sound quit chilling,there's also a lake nearby to so I got a few geese fly over.
hey that's great! There really are a lot of mushroom variety, it would be nice to be comfortable with identifying. I like your methods, and I wonder just how well I would hold up in the winter on the ground (without snow) considering I haven't done that type of camping in a while. I might venture out when it gets colder, but I am not gonna guarantee it. Cool night fire pics.
Bro If you set the tarp up with the wind behind it have a good sleeping mat,sleeping bag.bivvy bag,block off both ends of your tarp and have a long fire you will be toasty for sure. If there's spruce or pine available make a bed out of that to give you more protection from the ground and pine works great to block the ends of the tarp,you just pile it up at each end. I just strung up a rope from two trees,pegged down the back of the tarp right down at ground level,I used two bungee cords for the front,this way if it gets windy the cord flexes with the wind rather than pulls you shelter down. Ive slept in this type of shelter in freezing conditions and been toasty warm all night,I just make sure I put three long logs on the fire before I go sleep and they will burn through the night.
Oh I have plenty of books on mushrooms, but putting it into practice is another thing. I have slept in cold weather and rain to icy cold and snow, but I never carry a large fluffy sleeping bag because it takes up too much room. I always stick with a Halo 3 sleeping bag (about the size of two G.I. canteens packed), a DDSleeper liner, and tarps. To be perfectly honest. I just don't like the cold. I never have. Some people don't mind, but I just can't stand it. I would rather be sweating sheets in 140 degree Iraq than to be in a blizzard. And so, I must do my best to adjust and refocus. I still won't give in to carrying a large sleeping bag. I will continue to use pine tree branches, long fires, dug out shelters, and anything else I need to before I give up half my pack to a bivvy. Oh, I got a great pair of wool pants I will review this season.
