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Thread: Couple of Overnighters

  1. #1

    Smile Couple of Overnighters

    I've finally been getting out and about this year and also did a handful of over-nighters last year. I don't do a lot of bushcraft in the classical sense, but I get out when and where I can and take what I need from bushcraft whilst always applying the leave no trace maxim I like woodland camping with a tarp and also sleeping under the stars (weather permitting), because I'm a big nature lover and enjoy being outdoors in general. I also do a bit of "pro-hobo" urban camping when the environment allows it.

    Camping in local woodland last month. I finally convinced my mate to try sleeping under a tarp, as he normally uses a small pod type tent. He worried about getting eaten alive by insects, but enjoyed the experience in the end and avoided getting munched on. I got bitten 5 or 6 times in the usual places instead - hands, legs, back blubber, etc. He even picked up a few new knots along the way! We dug a Dakota Firepit (very difficult in the thick clay soil). My mate cooked burgers and I pre-made some homemade curry to heat up. I had a dreadful cold, but the curry cleared my sinuses and warmed me up good n proper The morning after I made a quick brew on my Hexi burner, which I'm not a big fan of due to the goo it leaves. I scraped up the goo and stuck it in the rubbish bag, dowsed the pit with water and filled in the hole. A quick spreading of leaf litter with a big stick and you wouldn't even have known we'd been there!


    Can't have a camp out without a decent bottle of ale!


    My second woodland camp out in Sussex. This was an odd one. Two friends came out, but one ended up going home (got married and is hen pecked). I picked the spot because it seemed incredibly secluded. Only a small village nearby, several square klicks of woodland and a good 300 yards or so from all of the foot paths. When nightfall came and I settled down I realised I could hear music. How very odd... Turned out the village pub was having a live gig All I can say is it must have been incredibly loud, because we were at least a couple of km from it. Later on in the early hours of the morning I could hear a diesel vehicle rolling somewhere. Several loud gunshots popped off and I realised the place was probably poached. I was a little bit freaked, so I whispered to my friend but he was asleep and snoring (very demanding job)! I jumped up and dumped some water from my Camelbak on the fire so not to be detected. The gunshots were quite loud, but I reassured myself that they were probably some distance. Still, the experience freaked me a little and I had trouble settling down again. I noticed that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness quite well after a short period, which was nice because I could look out the side of my tarp at all the trees. That's the beauty of tarps really. Then a light downpour of rain came, which had a wonderful soothing sound. With the rain gently tapping on my tarp I managed to catch up on some sleep. Woke up in the morning, packed up, soaked and scattered the ashes from the fire and made our way back home feeling satisfied from the experience.


    I did 5 camp outs in total last year in the spring/summer and I've done 2 this year so far. Hopefully we'll get a few more mild nights, which will make for some more pleasant experiences and re-connections with nature

    Cheers,

    Jim.

  2. #2
    One with Nature
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    hello,
    Thanks for sharing.
    Regards
    David

  3. #3
    Tribal Elder shepherd's Avatar
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    looks great ... keep the updates coming!

  4. #4
    Woodsman Pootle's Avatar
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    Looks a nice spot. Thanks for the report.

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    Tribesman Thumbcrusher's Avatar
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    If there are no women around and a man says something, is he still wrong?

  6. #6
    Nice write up. Thank-you for sharing.


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  7. #7
    Trapper
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    Interesting post - thanks for sharing
    On a planet that increasingly resembles one huge Maximum Security prison, the only intelligent choice is to plan a jail break.

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  8. #8
    Ranger OakAshandThorn's Avatar
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    Those gunshots would have scared the daylights out of me. I fear people (with malicious intent like poachers) more than any wild animal. But at least you got to spend some wonderful times outdoors . I also prefer tarps - in all but the coldest weather - for the same reasons. I hated those car-camping tent monstrosities with bathtub floors. With a tarp, you can enjoy far more air circulation, less fuss putting the shelter up, and in the case of some sil-nylon tarps, you can actually see the stars.
    My blog, New England Bushcraft

    "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
    ~ Abraham Lincoln

    "Be prepared, not scared."
    ~ Cody Lundin

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