Edwin
19-11-2010, 09:21 AM
We were (very) lucky enough to be able to buy a small section of a larger wood earlier this year and a couple of weeks ago had our first day camp there. Although it rained most of the day the large tarp stretched over our heads did its job and we could sit there by a cast-iron barrel barbecue whose first outing it was also. The barbecue certainly was easier that trying to keep a fire going would have been in those damp conditions.
It raises the question, if one has plenty of wood available is it worth converting some of it to charcoal for its convenience and cooking abilities? Two rabbits did very well on the barbecue grill, wrapped in foil with butter, apples and onions. The kettle was on all day.
We must now decide how much we want to do to the wood, whether to create the clearings that were there up to about twenty years ago or to leave the young oak and other hardwoods. At the moment I feel like just leaving it except for some discrete path creation. One benefit of ownership is that I can indulge in field archery as much as I want.
Next year a prehistoric style hut will be built because I also hope to do some more living history. Additional wild food plants such as wood sorrel will be introduced and I may plant some native fruit trees such as crab apple. The Mesolithic people were THE bushcraft experts and we can do a lot by trying to emulate them.
If I may I will tell how it goes.
It raises the question, if one has plenty of wood available is it worth converting some of it to charcoal for its convenience and cooking abilities? Two rabbits did very well on the barbecue grill, wrapped in foil with butter, apples and onions. The kettle was on all day.
We must now decide how much we want to do to the wood, whether to create the clearings that were there up to about twenty years ago or to leave the young oak and other hardwoods. At the moment I feel like just leaving it except for some discrete path creation. One benefit of ownership is that I can indulge in field archery as much as I want.
Next year a prehistoric style hut will be built because I also hope to do some more living history. Additional wild food plants such as wood sorrel will be introduced and I may plant some native fruit trees such as crab apple. The Mesolithic people were THE bushcraft experts and we can do a lot by trying to emulate them.
If I may I will tell how it goes.