Saturday 30 July 2011

bushcraft on a budget

doing bushcraft does not always have to be expensive,  there are many things that you have around the house that can go into you kit you have now or if you want to make a homemade kit then it will cost you a little bit of money but not very much at all. so lets get to it

ok the first thing you will need is going to be a form of shelter this can be a cheap tarp you have laying around with some cordage. another alternative would be to get some old plastic wrap that industrial bricks come wrapped in and you can make a tarp out of that very easily the best thing to do if you want to get hold of it is go to the nearest building site and ask the guys if you can have the stuff and they will be happy to give it to you as its less work for them. always ask permission first tho as ive seen guys use it to keep the bricks from getting wet.
another thing to use could be an emergency blanket or some bin bags of some sort make sure that they are sturdy bin bags though. not to mention you can make a shelter from dead wood and some bin bags to waterproof it i have tryed this and it worked a treat.

ok once you have a form of shelter you will need a way to make fire, here you can bring matches (preferable if waterproof) a lighter or my personal favorite a fire steel. i use the bcb fire ball and its a really good bit of kit, its waterproof as far as i know and very reliable if you have the skill to light a fire this way as it needs to be practiced to get the nack of it.  but once you learn the skill of the firesteel you can light a fire almost anywhere you are, in my opinion its the best way to light a fire and i always carry one when i go out into the woods.

once you have shelter and fire its important to think of a way of cooking food or boiling water for consumption. e.g. you can recycle an old bean can and a coat hanger to make a pot. i have done this many a time to cook food and get the water boiling to drink its eco friendly as its recycling a waste product into something usable and effective. its also a good idea to carry water with you like an old bottle like a coke bottle that you are not using and wash that out and you have yourself a container for water.

ok you now have water fire shelter and food. the next and probably the one where most beginners think is not to important to them, is clothing you need to have the right clothing like if its going to be cold put on a proper thermal coat or scarf as this will take the edge off the cold. and an extra pair of socks is usually my way of keeping them toes warm and toasty on a cold winters camp. wearing the right clothing is imperative to survival and just well being. if its a -0 temp you dont want to go out in a t-shirt and shorts other wise your in for a hell of a rough night.

these are a few of the things you will need there are more for comfort and i hope this helped you so get out and camp bring a mate and have a great day

Friday 29 July 2011

bushcraft basic kit

if you are thinking of starting bushcraft or camping you have probably seen some of the prices of kit you will need already. with the economy the way it is the kit may seem expensive. so in this blog i will be telling you how to get the most out of your kit and how to get the most out of what you have around the house to make sure that you dont have to pay too much money to enjoy the great outdoors.

so first off you will need a knife of some sort, there are many brands out there and many different price ranges. in my experience its best to buy a good strong knife that will last you a lifetime and then you will never need to buy another knife unless it breaks of course. but if you know what you are buying it should be quite simple, mora are a very good brand of kit, and they have some very impressive knifes out there, also there are the laplander brand and they have some really good kit too. only thing is that the prices are not cheap at all they can range anywhere from £40-80 and are expensive i will admit but for what you are getting it is well worth it. 

if you are looking to get hold of some cheap kit i would recommend going to ebay, as ebay has alot of good kit and some of it is not very expensive. i managed to get a one man tent for when i go hiking and that was only £30 and its a good strong tent its called the gelert solo and it a good little tent and can hold off strong winds very well. i have quite a bit of experience behind my belt and i am willing to share it all with you guys so i can help you make the right decisions.

once you have a knife you will need a form of shelter now depending on what you will be doing depends on what you will need, for example if you are thinking of going on a lightweight hike a nice small tent will do the trick, but if you have more than one person going with you then you will have to buy the tent according to the amount of people you have going. in my experience the lighter the kit the more expensive it is especially with tents.

the next thing you will want is a container of some sort to carry water like a bottle or a camel back, you will also want something to cook in e.g. a mess kit and cook kit but the cheapest way ive found is to get a metal coat hanger and a bean tin and make two holes put the coat hanger in and hang over the fire ive cooked like this many a time and its eco friendly as you are reusing the can.