Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: Paul on September 30, 2009
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Hi Folks,
I just testing the water with this one, is anyone up for a winter minimal kit overnighter? What i mean by minimal is, knife saw axe billycan small length of cord(for bowdrill) 3 layers of clothing (all natural fibre no gortex etc) and thats it. shelter must be made from natural material, food must be foraged and fire must be made by bow drill or handdrill.
Any interests?
Paul
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You know I've been harping on about doing this for ages. the only change I would suggest though is perhaps being able to light the fire with other means (except matches or lighters) as it is winter and a fire will be essential.
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Sounds like a fun idea. However I think it's the sort of thing I'd like to work up to. Maybe a lightweight winter bivvying weekend first followed by trying to last a night in a shelter with no sleeping bag.
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Sound like a good idea. I would prefer however to take food and sleeping bag/bivvy bag as I still am in the learning stage of bushcraft. I would like to try cooking caught/shot game, and firelighting using firesteels etc. :)
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Another idea
We could simply turn up and use whatever level of kit we individually choose.......... :)
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sounds interesting paul. do you have to be into bush craft to go?
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i take on board all the comments and this isnt really for the bushcraft beginner. Taking objects to light the fire and to sleep in takes away from the essence of this type of overnighter. All lot of people are used to their own creature comforts when it comes to staying out my idea was to remove all these and let some people experience real minimal kit camping. It is hard work and it can be uncomfortable though it you will be warm enough even without a fire and you certainly wont starve even if you find no food. I have picked winter because if you can do it in winter you can do it at anytime of the year. Maybe this type of overnighter is a bit extreme for some and it should be shelved till you who are new to bushcrafting get some more experience? Let me know and we will get a date sorted.
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why do you have to be into bushcrafting to do this? surely it would be good experience for anyone...
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Well Chris when most people talk about fire by friction or wild shelters they think of the collective name bushcraft. Personally i think it should be woodcraft as im not australian LOL. This is open to anyone, do you practice bushcraft yourself mate??
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nope, and I dont really have any interest in it. But i do quite fancy the idea of trying to survive for a night with no gear. I'd be more bear grylls than ray mears.
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OK well it probably wouldn't be your thing then, we are more boring ray mears style than exciting bear grylls! LOL!
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i know that but for this sounds interesting. I like the ideas of making shelters, lighting fires etc. Pretty much the stuff bear does.
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Have you lit a fire using bowdrill before?
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no but as i said i'm not really into bushcraft, i carry a firesteel! I dont overly see the point in making life dificult for yourself.
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We do this sort of thing to test ourselves. That's why we would use minimal kit for this type of event. Most people have no idea how much hard work it is building a shelter. It takes hours of back breaking labour to make a good one that will keep you warm and dry. Gathering food, fire wood, making improvements to the shelter, making water safe etc etc is a constant ongoing task. An event like this is probably not for the weekend hiker. You would definately need a possitive mental attitude. It probably isn't something that the armchair adventurer would enjoy as the reality is very different than what you see on the telly. We can become very complacent with all our modern gear, but how would we cope if we had a catastrofic failure of that gear in a wild place? To me, learning how to cope in a practicle sense is more important than just reading about how someone else did it in a book or watching it on TV.
I'm totally with you in not making life difficult for myself. I have some gear that I hate to be without, but I also want to have some experience of how to cope if I do end up without it. That's why, every once in a while, it's good to go without.
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I'm up for it if this is still on guys. Would be cracking to get out into the wilds and try this
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No Probs neil, it is still on but we havent decided date yet. Chris as gary has so eloquently put, its probably not for you mate, as you said you dont believe in making life difficult for yourself and this would be difficult. I spent 5 days with nothing but knife, billy can and a metre of monofiliment on a 600 acre estate in cumbria last october. Believe me it was hard, but i enjoyed every minute. I like my comforts like the next guy/gal but this type of camping lets you know what you are made of.
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It sounds like the sort of overnighter that could be useful to interest the walkers and campers in bushcraft. I think you can have a fun camping weekend away with some bc but without having to do it full on. For instance, bringing full gear but no tent and making a shelter - I'd be well up for that.
That said, I don't think Chris_8764 actually sleeps - he just sits with his eyes closed and ponders what summit he's doing next :o
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lol guys thats fine i dont mind not going. Just to let you know tho I did a week of escape and evasion in gareloch october a few years backk head in scotland so i know what its like to be out there with no kit and guys chasing you. but as you said this kinda thing's prob not for me. I didnt realsise the NIBA was such an exclusive group! ;D
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That said, I don't think Chris_8764 actually sleeps - he just sits with his eyes closed and ponders what summit he's doing next :o
lol, thats just the way I roll jonno! sleepings boring!
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lol guys thats fine i dont mind not going. Just to let you know tho I did a week of escape and evasion in gareloch october a few years backk head in scotland so i know what its like to be out there with no kit and guys chasing you. but as you said this kinda thing's prob not for me. I didnt realsise the NIBA was such an exclusive group! ;D
Chris, if you are up for this then come along, just don't moan about it when you get there. If you like your comforts too much and think it is out of your depth, then don't come along. But please, don't start slagging us off.
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I think that what the N.I.B.A are trying to do on this day/night out is to show people just how difficult it would be to cope if you did happen to lose your rucksack with all your essential gear.
How to built a survival shelter in this country would be a very good skill to have, probably more important than fire.
Let's face it the three items most people are going to carry on their person when they are out is probably going to be a knife, fire-steel/lighter and may-be a length of cordage of some sort, I know I never leave the house without these items in my pocket.
You also have to consider that you want to be found and that you are not going to try and hide from a hunter-force.
I personally don't like the thought's of going without the creature-comfort's that I carry on my back, but I like the idea of having the knowledge to "survive" if I ever did lose my kit.
Lastly the N.I.B.A is not an exclusive club and I think Paul and Gary have put a lot of hard work into getting this thing open to the public, indeed if they did want an exclusive club they would not be putting invites out there for people to come along and share in the knowledge.
Davy.
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sorry if i offended you, I simply stated an interest and got the impression that beacuse I'm not into my bushcraft that I wold be some sort of hinderence/retard totally unable to look after myself unless i'm wrapped in cotton wool and spoon fed my dinner. And I wasn't "slaging" any one off.
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Don't know what gave you that impression Chris, it is open to anyone who wants to come along.
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No Probs neil, it is still on but we havent decided date yet. Chris as gary has so eloquently put, its probably not for you mate, as you said you dont believe in making life difficult for yourself and this would be difficult. I spent 5 days with nothing but knife, billy can and a metre of monofiliment on a 600 acre estate in cumbria last october. Believe me it was hard, but i enjoyed every minute. I like my comforts like the next guy/gal but this type of camping lets you know what you are made of.
We do this sort of thing to test ourselves. That's why we would use minimal kit for this type of event. Most people have no idea how much hard work it is building a shelter. It takes hours of back breaking labour to make a good one that will keep you warm and dry. Gathering food, fire wood, making improvements to the shelter, making water safe etc etc is a constant ongoing task. An event like this is probably not for the weekend hiker. You would definately need a possitive mental attitude. It probably isn't something that the armchair adventurer would enjoy as the reality is very different than what you see on the telly. We can become very complacent with all our modern gear, but how would we cope if we had a catastrofic failure of that gear in a wild place? To me, learning how to cope in a practicle sense is more important than just reading about how someone else did it in a book or watching it on TV.
I'm totally with you in not making life difficult for myself. I have some gear that I hate to be without, but I also want to have some experience of how to cope if I do end up without it. That's why, every once in a while, it's good to go without.
hmmm i wonder what would have put me off going?
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dont get offended the point i'm making is that just because someone doesnt practice bushcraft or whatever doesnt mean they dont know how to look after themselves when it gets down to the nitty gritty and vice versa just because you can whittle a spoon and knock up a chair from a few twigs dont mean you'll be able to survive out there. and guys chill out your talking about one night, one night in a forest.
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Anyway swiftly moving onwards, anyone interested check out the other post in this section by celt Ginger we will be running 3 courses as a build up to the overnighter to build up the skills and confidence in anyone who wants to give it a go.
Cheers
Paul
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would anyone mind if i brought my gimp gear? just for round the fire mind?
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As long as you don't start talking about BCUK I'm sure it would be ok. Gary would love it actually!!
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Gimp Gear???, I'll bring the video camera!!
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No Probs neil, it is still on but we havent decided date yet. Chris as gary has so eloquently put, its probably not for you mate, as you said you dont believe in making life difficult for yourself and this would be difficult. I spent 5 days with nothing but knife, billy can and a metre of monofiliment on a 600 acre estate in cumbria last october. Believe me it was hard, but i enjoyed every minute. I like my comforts like the next guy/gal but this type of camping lets you know what you are made of.
We do this sort of thing to test ourselves. That's why we would use minimal kit for this type of event. Most people have no idea how much hard work it is building a shelter. It takes hours of back breaking labour to make a good one that will keep you warm and dry. Gathering food, fire wood, making improvements to the shelter, making water safe etc etc is a constant ongoing task. An event like this is probably not for the weekend hiker. You would definately need a possitive mental attitude. It probably isn't something that the armchair adventurer would enjoy as the reality is very different than what you see on the telly. We can become very complacent with all our modern gear, but how would we cope if we had a catastrofic failure of that gear in a wild place? To me, learning how to cope in a practicle sense is more important than just reading about how someone else did it in a book or watching it on TV.
I'm totally with you in not making life difficult for myself. I have some gear that I hate to be without, but I also want to have some experience of how to cope if I do end up without it. That's why, every once in a while, it's good to go without.
hmmm i wonder what would have put me off going?
Think i'll stick with my creature comforts. But I'll look forward to the trip report none the less. Will there be any picks or will I have to go look at the cave paintings ::)
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Everything will be written down on Ogham sticks. LOL
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interesting,when are you thinking of doing this caper?
i spent an evening under a tarp a few years ago up the mournes,there was a little scattering of snow about too if i recall.
we set up just within the treeline but out of any wind and it was quite cosy with the log fire set up reflecting the heat .
as long as its not raining then i feel it would be really quite an easy exercise,though i am looking forward to seeing someone use a bowdrill.
can you bring your own kit or do you have to source the wood there?
another issue would be chopping or cutting down trees for shelter?is there somewhere you can do this without being crucified by park rangers???
just a suggestion, but might it be an idea to do a couple ,starting with as little kits as one feels he can get by with then reducing that next time with a view to seeing just how little he DOES actually need?
bear in mind too though , itll be easier when you know there are others close by in the same predicament,not so much fun when your alone in the woods in the dark .........................in gimp gear. :-*