Topic: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School (Read 7663 times)

Celt_Ginger · « **on:** September 08, 2010 »

Myself, Davy, Phil and Paul all went over to Patrick McGlinchey's Backwoods survival school once again for his Beachcomber Course and what a great time we had. The list of skills that we learned was amazing. Patrick along with his instructors, Scott and Andy, were incredibly helpful, patient, enthusiastic and encouraging for the whole duration of the course and we were royally looked after. Needless to say, there was also a fair bit of banter and no-one had immunity from a good slagging, though it was all in good humour.
If anyone is considering going on a course, then Backwoods Survival School is definitely on our recommended list!

Below are some photos from the course.

One of our first tasks was to construct a "Basha Canoe" here we are building the frame.

The skin of the canoe was made from a tarp. The whole construction was held together with cordage.

First test of the canoe. It didn't sink.

Here's Paul and Maeve (the other student on the course) who went out in the canoe to set fish traps in the Lough.

After we had finished the canoe, we were presented with a freshly shot Roe Deer. We had to skin and butcher it using only flint tools.

Breakfast the following morning consisted of freshly picked chanterell mushrooms,

Smoked mackerel

and eggs.

The following day saw us constructing a smoker using rocks and seaweed.

We cut some of the venison into thin strips

We then washed the venison in salt water and coated it in a marinade made from Rowen berries, Blackberries and Woodsorrel.

The meat was then put on hanging racks and then put in the smoker to make smoked jerky.

We spent some time learning about coastal plants and did some shore line foraging, which gave us our evening meal of Clams, Limpets, mussels, shore crab, winkles and cockles, along with the venison haunches that we had cooked in a "Hangi" or ground oven which was constructed from rocks and sealed with seaweed.

After our meal is was work time again, this time making fish and crab traps using rubbish that gets washed up on the shore

That evening we sat down by the fire and began to make primitive fish hooks.

The next morning saw us finish off our hooks then begin work on some netting needles and gauges.

We of course then went on to learn how to make nets using the needles and also by hand tying.
The course was supposed to finish at 1pm on Sunday, but Patrick, Scott and Andy ended up continuing to teach us well after finishing time, ensuring that we had grasped the concept of net making before they would actually finish.
Our sincere thanks to Patrick and his team for another wonderful course.

Dowser · « **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2010 »

Hi Celtic_Ginger

That course looks totally amazing and Thank You for making me aware of it

I have recently took bit of an interest in what you could class as "Food for Free" and recently mentioned in another thread, here on NI Wild: http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1380 that I would like to arrange a Bivvi on the shores of Strangford and try to live off the offerings from the lough and shore.

One thing that caught my eye in your photos was the pink and obviously cooked shore crab. I'm curious to know did you sample any of it and how did you find it? I have caught literally hundreds of these crabs, some quite large, as a child down the Ards penninsula and now find myself taking my children down to the shores and showing them how to find them too. Up until now I have never considered that they could be eaten.

When you were being instructed, were they being shown to you as a survival only food source, or were they being promoted as a tasty meal.

If you found that they were palatable maybe you could let me know a bit more on how you cooked them on the day.

Thanks

Celt_Ginger · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2010 »

There's not a lot of meat on them to be honest, but is does taste wonderful. We did use them as part of the whole meal, along with the other items mentioned, by simply boiling them in sea water. If they are plentiful, then I'd use them. Like any crab, most meat is in the claws. We found that by breaking the claws and legs into sections, sort of crushing the shell a bit, then sucking the contents out was the best way (for us anyway) to get at the meat, the juices that come out this way as well taste fantastic.

Sawyer · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2010 »

man that looks class.

@ Dowser - where on Strangford are you guys planning on doing the overnighter?

Dowser · « **Reply #4 on:** September 13, 2010 »

Quote from: Sawyer on September 12, 2010

man that looks class.

@ Dowser - where on Strangford are you guys planning on doing the overnighter?

Hi Sawyer... Welcome to the site... You've come to the right place if your looking to ween yourself away from the telly and back into the great outdoors.

We haven't really give location a great deal of though just yet. It may be Strangford or possibly the Irish Sea side of the pennisula, somewhere between Ballywalter and Cloughy. If it's Strangford, it will be well down the lough away from the waste outlets in Newtownards. Killyleagh or Portaferry direction. As you can see not a lot of thought has been put into the location as yet. Need somewhere remote, secluded with access a good shoreline with rocks a weed for shell fish, crabs etc

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated if your familiar with the area. It would help narrow my search/reccie for the perfect bivvy spot.

Sawyer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2010 »

Hi Dowser, thanks for the welcome. Not too sure about the best spot on Strangford. Must get the map out and have a look for ideas...

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Author Topic: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School (Read 7663 times)

Celt_Ginger

Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

Dowser

Re: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

Celt_Ginger

Re: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

Sawyer

Re: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

Dowser

Re: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

Sawyer

Re: Beachcomber course at Backwoods Survival School

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