Natural/Wilderness living skills - Welcome to my Blog

This blog has now moved!

2008-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

This blog has been moved!

To visit my new blog please follow this link below

http://www.naturallore.co.uk/

or

Fenlander's Natural Lore Blog

If you have linked from your site to my blog, please update your link.

Thanks

Fenlander

Seasons Greeting

2008-12-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

To all my friends, readers and contributors

Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas and have a very
Happy New Year

Best Wishes
From
Kevin (AKA Fenlander)

New for 2009......new blog, new name, new location.....see you there!
Keep watching for more details soon.

Fire by..........phone?!!!!

2008-12-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!
Short circuiting Lithium batteries is apparently very dangerous and can result in the battery catching fire or exploding so only use this method in a true survival situation!!

I like to set myself challenges, so while out the other day I decided to see whether I could make fire with just the items in my pocket. The items from my pocket were a set of keys, my mobile phone, cotton wool from a small bandage and a small piece of wire wool.

I knew the cotton and wire wool could be used as tinders but I couldn't think of any way to use my keys or my mobile........but then I considered the methods I have previously used to ignite wire wool. I had no method to create a spark but I have used a battery with both terminals at one end to ignite it in the past and then realised that a phone (or camera battery) usually have such a battery inside.

I had never heard of or seen this demonstrated before I so I was rather sceptical about it working, so watch the piece of video below to see whether it did.

Grey Seal colony

2008-12-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

This week I visited a breeding Grey Seal colony. Its latin name Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed pig of the sea". These were the types of views I was expecting to get of adults and their pups..

so imagine my surprise when I found pups sprawled across the footpath

This population are Eastern Atlantic Grey Seals. About half the worlds breeding population of Grey Seals are found around the coast of Great Britain.

The breeding site is known as either a rookery or haul-out. The pups are born with a white coat and start to moult at 2 - 3 weeks old.

They will suckle from their mother for about 21 days. After about 7 weeks the pups make their way to the sea and begin to feed.

One of the pups proved to be incredibly friendly and came so close that it was infact too close for me to then photograph.

I did get a nice piece of video of it though.

Frost pattern

2008-12-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

I awoke the other morning to the most fantastic frost pattern on my car windscreen.

The previous evening it had been raining and then after the rain had stopped there was a frost.

The pattern reminds me of Ground Pine AKA Club Moss

which you can read more about in in one of my previous posts http://fenlaners.blogspot.com/2007/11/club-moss_10.html

Building a fire

2008-12-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

As discussed in my previous post the various grades of material required to build a fire can be seen by looking at the branch of a tree.

Having cleared the ground around the fire sight I would then place half a dozen finger thick sticks on the ground to form a platform to build the fire on. I place the first two fine grades of material on the platform as the basis for the fire.

At this point I would light the fire (in this particular case, with a match).

Once the fire establishes you add the next grade of material

and then the next

The type and size of fire you require will dictate the size of fuel that you use. From a simple brew fire

to one that will keep you warm at night

How to build a fire

2008-12-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

When I am teaching how to build/make a fire, I tell people to look at and think about the branch of a tree.

We will use this fallen Birch as our example.

For the first stage you need very fine material equivalent to that found at the very tips of the branches.

Next you want material about double the diameter

Now we move halfway back along the branch for rather thicker material which I would consider to be fuel

Once material of this size is burning we are ready to use fuel material closer to the base of the branch

Finally we can now burn fuel of the diameter found at the base of the branch where it joins the trunk.

I am not of course suggesting that there needs to be a convenient branch available each time you make a fire, but looking at a branch gives you a guide to the size of material needed. For a brew fire you would probably only need material up to the size featured in picture three.

In the next post I will put these steps into practise.

Matches-3

2008-12-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

As I said previously, there are many methods you can use to protect your matches. I favour a small plastic container with a screw-top lid.

You can also use two old shotgun cartridges to make a container. Remove the plastic from one cartridge by burning it in the fire and this will then be the container top. Remove the crimped plastic on the end of the other cartridge and the container is complete.

It is recommended to cover the nipple inside the lid with wax as it has been known for matches to "strike" and ignite on this while in the pocket.

You can also cover the matches in wax to protect them. One method is to poor a thin layer of melted wax in a matchbox tray and then lay matches into the wax. Then add another layer of wax and more matches until you fill the tray. Then just leaver out a match when you need one. I have found with this method that the stem of the match will often break as you remove it though (just like the one in this picture).

I prefer instead to individually coat the matches. First I wrap each match in a layer of cotton wool and then dip the match in melted wax, ensuring the whole thing is completely covered.

When I want to use the match I remove the layer of wax around the head and then strike it as normal. The cotton wool acts as a wick and the match burns rather like a candle. One of these matches will burn for up to two minutes!

Matches-2

2008-12-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Whatever method you use to protect your matches, it should be able to withstand being in water for up to ten minutes without the matches becoming wet.

Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by carrying so called "waterproof matches"

Although the head has a waterproof coating, after ten minutes in water moisture has soaked up the stem of the match and inside the head. You can see in the picture below that the head has started to disintegrate as I tried to light the match.

and here is a close-up of the head

There are ways you can protect matches yourself and we will cover some of those in part three.

Matches-1

2008-12-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

I always carry at least three different ways of making fire and probably the most reliable is the good old match. One of the issues here in the UK is that the majority of matches available to purchase are safety matches which means they can only be struck using their box. I always carry "strike anywhere" matches as at least if the box gets wet you can still strike them on any rough surface (such as a metal zip). One make of "strike anywhere" matches available here is the good old Swan Vesta.

The way to strike a match is to support the head and stem of the match, with the head pointed down.

Place the head of the match at the top of the striker with the head pointed down

When the match ignites move it into your cupped hands to protect the flame from the elements and to allow the flame to establish.

Of course striking the match relies upon the match being kept dry and there are several ways of achieving this, but we will cover this soon.

Habitat restoration

2008-11-30T05:32:00.000-08:00

In 1996 I became involved in a project to restore an area of arable farmland back to a wetland, known as Kingfisher Bridge. In some areas ponds and scrapes were excavated to provide permanent and semi-permanent water, reedbeds and wet meadows. Planting of wetland species such as reed, rush, sedge, willow and many other plants was undertaken.

12 years later the site is now well and truly established as an important wetland habitat.

The open water is home to herons and egrets, terns and gulls, and a variety of wildfowl and waders.

and the reedbeds are home to Bitterns, Bearded Tits, Water Voles and many species of insects.

Personally I would prefer to see existing natural habitats better protected and respected, but this project and others like it have proved that habitats can be restored and recreated.

To learn more visit the website Kingfisher Bridge.

Roasting crane

2008-11-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

I came up with this idea when we had several pots cooking over the fire and insufficient room to spit roast two partridges.

Firstly you require a forked, green branch

Trim the branch to produce the two parts of the crane as below

Do not completely remove side branches as these will go inside the carcass and prevent it spining around on the stick.

Push the straight stick vertically in the ground and tie a piece of cord at the top. Rest the forked end of the other stick horizontally against the upright and tie one end of the cord around it and the other end around the fork as below.

You can even roast two birds at once.

The benefit of this system is that you can adjust cooking by swinging the crane closer to the heat or further away, turning the birds as necessary until the juices run clear.

Checking fences and paths - 19th November

2008-11-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

After strong winds we have to check all livestock fencing and paths on the reserves to ensure no fallen trees have damaged or blocked them.

As I was walking along checking sheep fencing I noticed a movement from the corner of my eye. I looked around to see a Common Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) landing on a fence post.

The latest date I had recorded one of these previously was the 14th November and with the cold weather we had had recently I was surprised to find one on the 19th.

This particular site also has a lot of Horse Hoof Fungus AKA False Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomentarius) growing on Birches.

To obtain amadou I find it best to collect young specimens like those on the right of the picture as they are almost all amadou, with almost no spore tubes and the outer layer is much easier to remove.

This specimen was interesting as at sometime a small Birch twig had broken away from the tree and had then been engulfed by the fungus.

If however you have a specimen with a lot of spore tube do not discard it as this too once dried will take a spark if the surface is roughed up with a knife.

To find out what I do with the amadou layer take a look here http://fenlaners.blogspot.com/2008/08/false-tinder-fungus-amadou.html

Back to Danemead Part 3

2008-11-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

It was a reasonably nice night so I decided to sleep outside, rather than in Stuarts tipi. I can't remember the last time I used my hammock, so I set it up and then used my black sleeping bag bag and bivvy bag from my modular sleep system together with a 3/4 length mat inside. If I do not carry a mat with me but have my Swanndri hooded bushshirt as insulation in the bottom of my hammock and it works very well. After a very comfortable nights sleep I was awoken at about 7am by Stuart reviving the fire and getting the kettle on.

Once the kettle was on Stuart started to prepare breakfast, so I decided I should get up and give him a hand.

After breakfast I walked around the site with Stuart and Acer to show them the right types of wood to collect for different parts of the bow-drill. We gathered Hazel (Corylus avellana) for all parts of the set with the exception of the bearing block for which we used HornBeam (Carpinus Betula).

We made a couple of bow-drill kits from the materials collected and Stuart was keen to give having spent a lot of time recently trying without success. Within 15 minutes he had his first ember and then proceeded to produce a second ember a minute later.

After a late lunch we sat and chatted and then mid-afternoon we headed home.

Back to Danemead Part 2

2008-11-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

Stuart cooked eggs, bacon and fried bannock bread for lunch

Before lunch some of the Sea Cadets and leaders had called in to say hello as they were doing navigation in the area. We set the cadets the task of gathering fire wood for us and the result was a large pile of mixed sized wood which was great!

They returned in the afternoon as I was about to make a debris shelter and were all keen to help. Firstly I cut 4 forked poles, interlocked then and pushed the ends into the ground.

The Sea cadets gathered a large amount of medium sized branches which a laid between the poles (leaving the front open). And then we all began to gather leaves to cover the shelter. I was impressed with a couple of the cadets who found a bread tray which they used to carry a greater amount of leaves.

This is my good friend George who was proving that a man can infact multi-task by drinking a cup of tea and gathering leaves at the same time!

Unfortunately one of the Horn Beam support poles wasn't strong enough once the weight of wet leaves was on it and as you can see below, bent under the weight.

After the cadets left us we spent the early evening preparing a meal and then Sheila, Mark and Acer joined for food and an evening around the campfire.

To be continued....

Back to Danemead Part 1

2008-11-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

I returned to Hoddesdon this weekend and Danemead Scout Campsite. Originally I was going to be teaching a small group of leaders, but for various reasons some people cancelled and for most of Saturday it was only me and my friend Stuart.

As I arrived and got out of my car there was a large party of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests moving around feeding in the trees. As I was watching I heard the short, loud, distinctive "tsu-weet" of a Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus), a bird which breeds in Siberia and Russia and migrates to Asia and has wondered off course. Each Autumn this uncommon vagrant arrives in varying numbers for a brief stay as they make their journey south. During my years of serious birding I spent many ours chasing around looking for them. This bird called several times and then departed with the tit flock and I did not hear it again for the rest of the weekend.

There is a brief piece of video of a Yellow-browed on YouTube here

Stuart had purchased a Tentipi (made not that far from my cabin in Sweden) and was keen to get it set up and try it out.

Here is a view from the front.

After erecting the tipi, we cut and split some logs for fire wood

and then got a fire going and put the kettle on.

Another surprising find, especially for mid November was this Comma butterfly

It gets its name from the white mark you can see on the underwing.

To be continued!!

Spruce Whisk

2008-11-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

While out in the woods one weekend I was making stinging nettle and potato soup and wanted to whisk the potatoes and nettle leaves. I considered lashing a handful of twigs around a stick but then came across a fallen Spruce. I cut the very top out of the Spruce, peeled the bark away and this is what I ended up with.

Perfect for the job!

And here's the end result..

My wash bag - literally

2008-11-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Whatever I carry with me when out, I like each item to have more than one use. So when I was given some leather off-cuts by a friend, I had the idea to make a simple leather bag for carrying my toiletries.

I cut a piece of leather 14 inches in diameter and pierced a series of wholes around it,

through which I threaded a length of leather thong with a Reindeer antler tip as a closure toggle.

Picture taken using camera mounted on Gorilla Pod on my arm

But how does this have more than one use you may be thinking......

Well of course I can use it to carry my toiletries

and after having applied several coats of boot wax it now holds water and so I can also use it as a bowl for washing and shaving in!

As I said.....literally a wash bag!

Tutorial assistant

2008-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Trying to take pictures for tutorials is often a challenge. Trying to demonstrate something while holding the camera and pushing the shutter button makes life very difficult. Although my camera fits into my pocket to enable me to carry it at all time, even the smallest tripod will not.

I am hoping that my most recent purchase will change this. It's called a Gorilla Pod and you can read about it here; Gorilla Pod and there are pictures here.

The mounting is released by pressing a button at the front and this can then be screwed into the bottom of the camera. Then to quickly attach the camera to the tripod, you just slide the mount onto the pod.

I can use it to provide pictures from my view, using a two or ten second shutter delay like this

and here are a couple of other ways I have used it recently

Another tinder for flint and steel

2008-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

I am always seeking new tinders to add to my tinder pouch for use with flint and steel......char cloth, true tinder fungus, false tinder fungus and so on. Recently I have discovered a new addition which is certainly not as messy to carry as char cloth and doesn't disintegrate like fungus. I know it works fine with a battery and a firesteel but had never considered it for use with flint and steel. As you may have guessed by now it is of course very fine grade wire wool! I bought two large rolls of 0000 grade wire wool on Ebay last week.

For this demonstration I used a piece of chainsaw file, locally sourced flint and dry grass for the ember nest.

I must apologies for the short duration of video clips that I use, but unfortunately I have such a slow broadband speed that anything over 14 seconds does not upload.

Tease the wire wool apart and then place on the flint and use as you wood with char cloth.

My friend Jeremy was keen to try once I had demonstrated it to him.

One for Jeremy

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is how I made my half leather, half wood sheath but I am sure there are many other ways.

The items you will require are part-tanned leather, silver foil, and awl, sewing needles and thread, a nail with the point rounded and a small round file.

The piece of bur you have selected for your sheath must first be cut in half (I used a hack-saw), then draw round the blade and carve out the wood on both halves to the thickness of your blade and mark out the shape for the finished sheath.

Glue the two pieces of wood back together and once dry carve the wood to the desired shape. Drill a small hole in the end of the sheath that reaches to where the blade will sit and this will allow any moisture out.

I used a round file to make two grooves around the top of the sheath. The leather will be worked into these grooves and as it dries and shrinks it will be these grooves that hold the sheath together.

Using newspaper pack out any narrow parts where leather shrinkage would prevent the knife being withdrawn. Then cover the handle with foil which will prevent leather dye staining the handle and make it easier to withdraw the knife after the leather has shrunk and dried.

Soak the leather until it is soft and pliable and if you want to make any pattern in the leather now is a good time to do it. Place the knife in the sheath and then wrap the leather around and secure the ends with bulldog clips.

I used "saddle stitch" to sew the sheath together, using an awl to make holes in the leather. Once sewn together mould the leather using the rounded nail and work the leather into the two grooves. The leather is then left to dry and of course shrink and then any excess can be cut off.

Singing the blues

2008-11-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Many of you may know John Lord as a practitioner and teacher of primitive skills but he is also a very good musician and singer. Last Saturday evening he was performing as part of a blues band and I was invited to the gig in one of his local pubs.

Here are the band

From left to right; Graham, John Mark, Paul and guest guitarist Phil Harding.

John and Paul were singing

John also played Harmonica

and sax.

My favourite performance of the night was "Honky tonk woman" and hear are a couple of short video clips from that one.

Teaching Sea Cadets

2008-10-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last Friday evening I left work and headed down the M11 to Hoddesdon, to help teach Sea Cadets bushcraft and outdoor living skills as part of there Expedition Leaders Assesment, at the invitation of my friend George and the London North East District Sea Cadets.

I arrived just before dark, to a deserted campsite, so walked around to find the best location to set up, under a dense area of Holly. I found the two longest logs I could find and put them parallel to each other and then filled the space between with 18 inches of leaves as a matress. The picture below was taken the following morning hence the compressed leaves.

My Reindeer skin provided additional insulation

and then I used my summer bag and bivy bag from the US Sleep System.

As the evening progressed cadets and leaders arrived, as did a large number of Police cadets and leaders using the site at the same time as ourselves. It was a good chance to catch up with old friends (I ran a course for some of the instructors 18 months ago) and make new ones. Advertised as "one of the UK 's leading bushcraft and outdoor skills instructors" I felt a little nervous on Saturday morning but thankfully I would be working with "one of the UK's second best bushcraft instructors"......... ;>)

After breakfast we started the day with shelter building. We split the cadets into two groups and made two different shelters

One group made a lean-to

The other group made a kennel shelter

After lunch we spent the afternoon teaching firelighting. Methods included firesteel, flint and steel, bow-drill and pump-drill.

This is Chris who at 14 is one of the most enthusiastic students I have ever had and already posses a variety of skills.

He achieved his first fire using the bow-drill.

Unfortunately I had to depart late afternoon (missing out on navigation, tracking and cooking over/in a campfire) to travel to rural Norfolk for a very special event which I will write about next time!

Felt making Part II

2008-10-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last I was at the home of my friends John and Val Lord of http://www.flintknapping.co.uk/ and they were having a family gathering as their daughter Gina was over from Canada for a couple of weeks.

One of their other daughters (Steff) showed me a really nice felt bag she had made and I told her about my failed attempt to make a bag here. Steff offered to teach me how to make a felt bag and as it was something Gina had never done, she was also keen to give it a go. We would be using pre-died and prepared wool this time.

The first task was to design a shape and then cut out a pattern to work the wool around.

Once the shape was cut out, one side had to be lightly covered with wool, ensuring all the fibres were laid in the same direction.

Then using soap and warm water the wool was dampened

and bubble wrap placed over it and with soapy hands the bubble wrap was gently rubbed to start manipulating the wool.

The pattern was turned over with the first layer of wool now face down and the process was repeated, folding in any wool that overhung the edge of the pattern. Then the whole lot was turned over, but this time a second layer of wool was added with the fibres laid at 90 degrees the the first layer and again the wool was wetted, bubble wrap laid over and gently manipulated to start the process of interlocking the fibres and different layers. In total three layers were added and after the bubble wrap was removed for the last time, the wool (particularly the edges) was worked with soapy hands. At this stage we cut open the top of the bag and removed the pattern and continued to manipulate the wool to help the fibres interlock. At this point the wool fibre layers could still be pulled apart with the fingers and needed to be "hardened".

To do this the wool was rinsed in clean water to remove all the soap, then put into hot water and then manipulated very vigorously which required great effort and concentration!

Being serenaded by John helped to relax us as we worked (more about John's musical talents later in the week)

and the transformation in the wool during this process was quite amazing and at the end, it was impossible to pull any of the wool apart.

For some reason my bag shrunk considerably more than Gina's and ended up more like a woollen cup than a bag!

I must concede that Gina made the better bag which isn't surprising when she demanded most of Steff's attention and in fact Steff did most of the work for her!! (though I'm not bitter), but I was still impressed with my end result and as you can see below our tutor was very pleased with our work too!!

(sorry Steff....had to do it!)

Autumn in Lapland 27th - 29th September 2008

2008-10-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Snowing first thing this morning, but then changed to rain. The cloud cleared mid afternoon and then it was clear and sunny.

Cleaned the cabin this morning and put the boat back into the boat shed.

Using some off-cuts of wood I made a simple frame for a hacksaw

which I wanted to cut off some parts of the reindeer antler to take home.

This afternoon I went fishing with my friend Anki who wanted to show me the best places to fish. Unfortunately neither of us had a bite.

As it was such a lovely clear night I decided to test my camera for photographing the stars. In England you can use the Pole Star or North Star to help you navigate at night as when you walk towards it you are travelling true north, but here the Pole Star if directly above and to photograph it I had to lay the camera down on its back.

If you look at the bottom of the above picture you can see the saucepan shaped "Big Dipper" and if you take a line from the two stars at the right hand end (about six timed the distance between those two stars) you come to the Pole Star (it's the brightest star on the right of the picture).

On the horizon, to the north I noticed a pale glow in the sky and as I watched it gradually became brighter and it was clear that it was the start of a display of the Northern Lights. It certainly wasn't the best display I have seen, but was still a nice farewell on my last night at the cabin.

28th September

This morning I boarded the cabin windows and closed it up ready for winter.

I spent the next two days living with Ingvar and Anki learning more about life in Lapland, their family history and growing up following the family Reindeer herd in all weathers and living off the land. On Monday we visited Kiruna

and on Tuesday morning I left to return to England.

Autumn in Lapland 26th September 2008

2008-10-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Heavy rain most of the night and this morning, then sunny for the rest of the day.

I went walking around the marsh today to look for birds.

The marsh was very quiet apart from one Whooper Swan.

The marsh is covered with Cotton Grass. This picture was taken by Jon Pickett last year

I stopped for a brew mid morning

Making a fire is so simple here. I collect an armful of the lower dead branches of Spruce and Pine and put some Birch bark into them

and then spark into the Birch bark with the firesteel and with the help of the resin in the dead wood you quickly have a good fire.

I used some larger pieces just to rest the pot on.

Other birds on my walk included 2 Goldeneye and the Grey-headed Woodpecker again. I returned to the cabin and after lunch finished some of the items I had made from antler. Here are some examples of things I made.

From left to right; sewing needle, necklace bead, toggle and finally an awl.

Anki returned to stay at her cabin this afternoon and while we were chatting we met a guy from the Swedish Forest Company who told us that they have decided to preserve a large area of trees behind our cabins. Quite a lot of these trees are large and old, and unlike those in the managed forest, are of suitable diameter for woodpeckers and owls to nest in. This si really good news!!

Autumn in Lapland 25th September 2008

2008-10-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Overcast all day today.

Spent most or the day birdwatching around the cabin today as there were lots to see. 1 Grey-headed Woodpecker (a rare bird in Lapland) was moving around from tree to tree associating with a Great-spotted Woodpecker. There was a Reed and Rustic Bunting feeding around the cabin plus; Fieldfare, Redwing, Waxwing, Goldcrest, Redpoll, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Raven 1 female Goldeneye on the lake and a noisy Jay. There were also a family party of 7 Siberian Jays feedling on a piece of pork I put in a tree. I spent about 3 hours photographing and filming them.

They are such a beautiful bird.

I slit some logs this afternoon

spent a bit of time fishing but still caught nothing!!

Filtered some more water

and then I made a "Moose caller" for Anki's grandchildren.

You can use a plastic cup or cut the top off of a bottle

then make a small hole in the base large enough to get a piece of nylon cord through (the inner line from parachute cord works well)

Now wet the string and pull gently between thumb and forefinger

Autumn in Lapland 24th September 2008

2008-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Rowed to the far end of the lake this morning to do a spot of fishing. A Golden eagle lifted from trees at the lake edge, circled around and then as it gained altitude, drifted away. As I rowed back to the cabin a Sparrowhawk flew across the lake (which is a new species for my list there). I also noticed that all the Waxwings have gone today....presumably on the next stage of their migration.

I washed my clothes after breakfast.

then added another set of legs to the saw-horse

then spent most of the day cutting logs

I decided to make an apple and blueberry crumble for my evening meal.

Lined a tin with apples and then blueberries

and crushed digestive biscuits

then covered the alternate layers and apples and blueberries with the crushed biscuits

I baked it in the oven for about 40 minutes and this was the end result.....BEAUTIFUL!!!

As I rowed to the far end of the lake again this evening to watch the Moose, 62 Pink-footed Geese flew over calling, on their way south for the winter.

Autumn in Lapland 23rd September 2008

2008-10-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Cloudy first thing, then sunny but became overcast late afternoon and cleared just before dark.

This morning I sat and watched a Great-spotted Woodpecker wedge a cone in the crack of a tree trunk as a vice, so it could extract the seeds.

Here is the end result

I decided to make a bird feeder using bits I had found discarded by others. It's amazing how long such a simple thing can take to make when you have limited materials and tools. The seeds drop out of holes at the bottom of the tube.

This afternoon I collected two fallen Birch for firewood for a winter trip I am planning. I cut the trees up using a sabre cut saw (a kind of hand operated chainsaw with teeth pointing in both cutting directions).

Then I carried the sections back to the cabin for cutting up and splitting.

some were too big to carry on my shoulder so using this piece of rope

I made a simple handle for dragging the logs back, which reduced the strain on my back.

On one of the trees there was a really nice bur (a bur in Swedish is called a "kasa" and so as I understand it is not the cup that is truly the kasa, but the item it is made from). In Finland they are called "kuksa".

There has been a male Crossbill singing around the cabin most of the day and a pair of Northern Bullfinch appeared briefly. There was also a black form of the Red Squirrel around and when I rowed to the far end of the lake at dusk there was a female Moose feeding on Bog Bean. A male then appeared calling to her, she replied and then they both disappeared into the forest.

Autumn in Lapland 22nd September 2008

2008-10-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Cloudy, then sunny and warm in the afternoon with many mosquito's and midges.

I was out in my boat fishing early this morning but although i did actually have one bite I didn't catch anything again!

Went walking today and found fresh Reindeer droppings but no sign of any Reindeer. I thought there was a Capercallie calling from some trees but it turned out to be a Raven mimicking a Capercallie (you may have to turn your sound up to hear this!)

A nice find was a Three-toed Woodpecker feeding both on the ground and in trees. I found out when I returned to England that there had been an influx of this species into Sweden and Finland.

I removed a nice flake from a piece of granite and experimented with using it to work in the Reindeer antler to make sewing needles. Although of course not as good as flint, I was able to score through the antler to split it.

But it was very impressive for abrading the antler to shape the needles.

I continued to work with the antler in the evening by lamp light.

Autumn in Lapland 21st September 2008

2008-10-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

Overcast with sun later, but cool southerly wind.

I spent this morning fishing and chopping wood. Those of you have read Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski will be aware of the amazing property of Black Spruce Picea mariana to be split into evenly thick boards with a variety of uses. Here I have made a netting shuttle for making fishing nets.

I was splitting a piece of Birch with my knife and got my finger trapped between the Birch and my knife blade.

There is lots of Yarrow Achillea millefolium (Achillea referring to Achilles who is said to have used this plant to treat his soldiers during the Trojan war and millefolium meaning thousand leaves referring to the "feathery" leaves). The crushed leaves are very good for treating bleeding and it is also said to be very good for treating nose bleeds.

I used some bricks to make a simple grill to cook some sausages.

I collected three different types of rock to experiment with for abrading and working the reindeer antler and for creating sparks with a piece of carbon steel file..

It has been very quiet for birds; 50+ Waxwings this afternoon feeding in the Rowan tree, Bramblings, Siberian Jays and a couple of Ravens.

Autumn in Lapland 20th September 2008

2008-10-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Rain first thing and then sunny, 11 degrees.

Went for a row and fished early this morning. Didn't catch anything but the views were beautiful.

We cooked drop scones and entertained ourselves trying to make faces from them..........a bear?

I washed some clothes

I went to help a neighbour put out fishing nets in the lake and was invited to Ingvar and Anki's for a bbq.

Ingvar gave me a Reindeer antler to make things from (the results will come later in the trip).

I spent the afternoon fishing and then baked a blueberry oat cake before returning to Ingvar and Anki's for the evening to learn more Swedish.

Birds included; Fieldfare, a male Crossbill singing at the cabin, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Golden Eagle flying over the forest and 2 Snipe flying around calling at dusk.

Autumn in Lapland 19th September 2008

2008-10-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Cloudy with sunny periods, but only 4 degrees.

There were about 60 Waxwings feeding in a Rowan tree just outside the cabin this morning.

We walked up the hill behind the cabin today

and found a couple of lots of bear shit.

You can clearly see that it has been feeding on berries!

After stopping for a brew and some lunch we returned to the cabin and Phoebe and Liam sorted the berries we had collected.

I cooked the Lingon (Cowberries) with apples and sugar

to make jam and syrup

I also baked an oat cake

In the evening we went to Ingvar and Anki's cabin where they had prepared Reindeer stew and then Cloudberries on waffles with double cream!

Birds for the day included; 3 Northern Bullfinch, 1 Jay, Hazel Grouse and 2 Capercallie

Autumn in Lapland 18th September 2008

2008-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Cloudy with showers today and a cold southerly wind.

We went walking today to explore some other lakes.

The colours are just so beautiful even on a dull day.

We found a large number of droppings around the edge of this lake. The owner had clearly been feeding on berries and I was told by a local that they are beaver droppings.

Also found cranberries on a boggy area near to the lake.

At lunchtime we stopped for a brew

And cooked salami, tomato and green pepper kebabs.

Went really well with some local bread

I found a glass bottle in the edge of the lake so demonstrated to Liam and Phoebe that you can boil water in a bottle.

Birds for the day were; Goldcrest, Redpoll, Waxwing, Fieldfare, Siskin, White Wagtail and Willow Warbler (there were no birds on the lakes at all) and we saw 1 female Moose in the forest.

Autumn in Lapland 17th September 2008

2008-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cloudy today with a maximum temperature of 9 degrees. There is light on the horizon at 4am and at 9pm.

Up at 06:30 this morning to make the most of the daylight. I cleaned the stove and then went for a row on the lake.

When I returned Liam and Phoebe were up and so we cooked breakfast and then filtered some water. While Liam and Phoebe went fishing I went for a walk in the forest.

Phoebe caught a Pike (infact the only fish caught during the whole trip!) Liam gutted it and then we baked it for lunch.

After lunch Liam and Phoebe sawed logs and I painted a couple of windows (though unfortunately the frames were very wet).

Birds seen today were; 15 Waxwings feeding on Rowan berries, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Siskin, Reed Bunting, 4 mallard, Raven, Redpoll, 1 female Goldeneye, Robin, and 2 Siberian Tits in a Willow Tit party.

Autumn in Lapland 16th September 2008

2008-10-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from my cabin in Swedish Lapland. I left home early on the morning of the 15th September and arrived at Gallivare station at 9am on 16th September. Unlike my last trip, I had two companions for the first week Liam and Phoebe.

When we arrived at Gallivare station my friend Anki was there to meet us and took us to her home for breakfast, where Ingvar her husband was waiting to greet us. After purchasing some supplies we then all drove to the cabin (Anki and Ingvar have a cabin near to mine).

The cabin chimney was blocked, but with Ingvars help we were able to clear it after a couple of hours and get a fire going in the stove.

Ingvar and Anki then left us and we unpacked and settled in. The first birds of the trip around the cabin were; small parties of Crossbills flying around, Bramblings, a pair of Great Tits, a Willow Tit, a Siberian Jay family group, Meadow Pipits, Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Chiff Chaff.

The temperature had been -5 degrees when we arrived at the station and there had been frosts most nights for a couple of weeks and although as we walked in the forest there were many fungi, the majority were past their best.

After a walk we got a fire going in the living room

Cooked some food and settled in for the evening.

It was such a nice evening with the full moon over the lake.

Preparing for my next trip

2008-09-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am just in the process of preparing for my next trip to Lapland for two and a half weeks.

Temperatures could range from +10 - -10, though there is unlikely to be any snow.

Here is my clothing;

Craghopper shirt, Dockers wool shirt, two t-shirts, fleece, boxers and three grades of merino wool socks, thin set of merino wool thermals, a pair of craghopper trousers and my zoot suit.

other kit;

Dry bags, bergan liners, possibles pouch, wash kit, head torch and batteries, camera, mobile phone, spare phone and camera batteries + solar charger, Opinal knife with firesteel, tinder pouch (including matches in waterproof container), GPS & compass, sharpening kit and notebook. I also have my US military poncho, a sleeping bag and first aid kit.

Food;

Sun dried tomatoes dried peas and beans for soups, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, soya mince and preserved sausage.

I have a Bergaus Vulcan backpack which with everything inside weighs 16kgs.

I will be wearing my Swanndri hooded bushshirt and carrying my binoculars and personal medication.

Shaggy Polypore

2008-09-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

This is Shaggy Polypore (Inonotus hispidus)

It is quite common on the reserve at this time of year

I have only ever found it on Ash trees but it can also be found on Beech.

The top has a very velvety feel to it.

Eventually it turns black and after several months will fall from the tree.

It can be dried and used to take a spark but it is by no means one of the easiest fungi to ignite.

US Military Modular Sleep System

2008-09-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Lavenham Army Surplus currently have the US Military Sleep System reduced to £65...bargain!

http://www.lavenhamarmysurplus.com/About.htm

You can read more about it here;

http://fenlaners.blogspot.com/2008/05/us-military-modular-sleep-system.html

Please mention me when purchasing.

Cattail Ducks and swans

2008-09-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

I am now starting to harvest Bulrush/Reed Mace/cattail leaves to dry and make into dolls, but one of the things you can make with the fresh leaves are ducks and swans.

You will need to leaves for this project;

First tie an overhand knot at the pointed end of the leaf and flatten it to form the head and beak.

Trim the beak to shape and then put a 90 degree fold lower down to form the neck (the length of neck dictates whether you make a swan or duck).

Decide how long you would like the body and then make another fold.

Continue wrapping the leaf around to form the body (adding in the second leaf when necessary).

Finally use the outer edge of a leaf the tie around the body to keep the leaves in place.

Due to the large cellular structure of the leaves they trap a lot of air which allows them to float. Primitive boats have been made by lashing bundles of leaves together.

Felt making

2008-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ0uojUHYdA
I decided to have a go at making a felt bag.

A friend supplied me with some sheep's fleece and I began by beating it with a stick to break up the wool, add air and make it more fibres.

I then pulled the fibres between my thumb and forefinger to break it further and remove and crap.

The wool on the left has been processed and the the wool on the right hasn't.

Between each layer of wool (to which I applied soapy water) I put a layer of leaves to prevent the two layers combining together (next time I will remove the thick central rib before using them).

I covered the top layer with my insect net and then rolled the whole thing up.

I rolled it for about 30 minutes and manipulated it with my feet.

I removed the netting and leaves and left the wool to dry.

Here is the end result.

I did not use a sufficient thickness of wool so it is very thin in places and the edges of the two pieces did not combine well but the end result is better than I was expecting and I'm sure my felting skills will get better with practice.

Nature's chewing gum

2008-08-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

I can recall as a small boy when out walking with my uncle he asked "do you like chewing gum?" "Yes" I replied " do you have any?" "It's all around us he replied!"

He was referring to the wheat we were walking through.

I you pick a couple of ears of wheat, rub them between your hands and then gently blow away the husks you will be left with the wheat grains.

Chew the grains and after a short time they will change to a consistency almost identical to chewing gum. I assume the is the gluten being released.

False Tinder Fungus Amadou

2008-08-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am sure you all know that amadou is a thin layer of velvety material found between the spore tubes and cortex of Fomes fomentarius False Tinder Fungus. Rather than collecting large fully grown specimens, I go for the young small ones which are almost all amadou and need very little work to prepare.

I just beat the fungus flat with a stone, then cut it into strips and allow it to dry. I then char one end of a strip which greatly improves its efficiency to take a spark.

For this demonstration I used the edge of a flat chainsaw file to achieve a spark with the flint

Once the amadou is ignited I place it inot a tinder bundle and blow until I achieve a flame.

The smouldering amadou can then be snuffed out and used again.

Sausages in bannock

2008-08-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

This morning I cooked sausages over the campfire

Once the sausages were cooked I wrapped bannock dough around the sausages and cooked them again.

An interesting observation for natural navigation today was this pond sedge.

The sedge having been regularly blown by the prevailing wind (coming from the south west) was pointing in a north easterly direction.

The Talking Stick

2008-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me to find a nice stick for him to use as a "Talking Stick" when facilitating meetings for Ecological knowledge gathering and sharing.

A friend at work said she had found an ideal Hazel stick and with a bit of trimming and rubbing with fine wire wool to smooth it, it was just perfect.

The Talking Stick was used by many Native American tribes at council meetings. The chief or leading elder would hold the stick and begin a discussion and when he had finished speaking he would hold out the stick and the person who took the stick had the right to speak while others listened. The stick was often decorated to show its importance and significance.

Using supplies from Waken Tanka Native American Products I decorated the stick.

The rabbit fur on the end of the stick reminds the user that their words must be soft and warm.

I used four different colours of thread in a four-strand round plat and placed four beads onto the thread. The four colours of beads represent the seasons, the main points of the compass and - yellow for sunrise, red for sunset, white for snow and green for the earth.

The shells remind the user that all creation changes - the seasons, people, and the years.

And finally using a thin strip of reindeer hide I attached four feathers also used in traditional decoration.

If anyone knows more about this item any information would be gratefully received.

Essex gathering

2008-08-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was at an annual gathering of green woodworkers at a private woodland in Essex. I arrived Saturday evening and set up my bed.

and was fortunate enough to arrive just in time for the evening meal

The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking and chatting. It rained heavily Saturday night but I did not wake up until 9am when the rain had stopped.

Some people wanted to try carving kuksas so after breakfast

we headed off in search of a suitable Birch tree to fell

which we then cut into short lengths and split in half ready for people to use.

Some spent the day carving kuksas while others where making shaving horses and furniture.

Unfortunately I had to leave at 4pm so did not get my cup completed, but it will be finished soon.

Stone Curlew

2008-08-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I was assisting the RSPB Stone Curlew team with trying to locate and catch chicks.

The Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) is a rare summer visitor, arriving in March and departing again in October. They can be seen during the day but are more active at night.

There is a breeding population of about 300 pairs in the UK (two thirds of which breed in Norfolk and Suffolk). The nest is a shallow scrape in the ground with usually 2-3 eggs laid in it.

The chicks are captured, weighed, various measurements taken and then given a unique combination of colour rings on the legs, which allows individuals to be identified at some distance with binoculars of a telescope.

You can find out more information at the links below;

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/stonecurlew/index.asp

http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ukplans.aspx?ID=175

Pump-drill experiment

2008-08-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

While out the other day I decided to try and make a pump-drill with items I could find in the wood and then make fire. Firstly I collected some pieces of dead hazel by breaking them from coppice stools.

Using a piece of flint I cut them to the required lengths

I found a plastic bread bag and filled with soil to use as the weight for the pump-drill and lashed at the top and bottom to secure it in place.

I used Wych Elm bark to lash the parts of the drill together.

Here is the completed pump-drill.

Unfortunately when I started to use the pump-drill to try and make fire, the spinning momentum of the drill shaft split the plastic bag open and the soil fell onto the coal that was starting to form!.....oh well, maybe next time.

Amazing properties of spider silk!

2008-08-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

I went to measure the weekly rainfall total and didn't notice a spider in the bottom of the tube until I filled the tube with water. The spider (one of the clubiona family) had spun a protective web over it and amazingly this proved to be waterproof and the spider remained dry!

You can see the water sitting on the web in this picture.

There is more information about spider silk here;

http://www.earthlife.net/chelicerata/silk.html

Owl pellets

2008-08-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

I was out walking the other day and flushed a Barn Owl which had been perched in an Ash tree.

When I looked around the vegetation below the tree I found this pellet.

I put some water in a shallow dish and soaked the pellet for a couple of hours and then using a pair tweezers I separated the bones from the fur. I then allowed the bones to dry and glued them onto a piece of card.

There were five different mammals within one pellet. The top row are skulls, then jaw bones, scapulars, thigh and leg bones and finally vertebrae.

Here you can see both Shrew and Vole skulls.

There is a really nice site here with a key to identifying skulls.

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Skullkeys/key.htm

A pleasant weekend

2008-08-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday in the woods and cooked a vegetable curry for evening meal.

I was sleeping on a pole-bed and using my US Modular Sleep System.

There was a beer festival with a band playing nearby, so we headed there for the evening.

I went walking with friends today and we found a really large Hazel bur (the first Hazel bur I have ever seen).

An even more impressive find was the largest Blackthorn that we have ever seen (this "Blackthorn" was subsequently identified as a Crab Apple)!

I wouldn't even like to try to guess as to how old it might be.

Making a feather fishing float

2008-07-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found this swans flight feather yesterday so decided to make a fishing float, using the feather, a piece of flint and a piece of Stinging Nettle stem.

First the feather needs to be trimmed to leave just the quill. There are two methods of doing this; One method is to cut them off with a piece of flint

and the other is to start at the top of the feather and pull removing a thin strip of membrane along the edge of the quill

When you are left with just the quill decide one the length of float you require and then this down the quill by scraping or cutting it with the piece of flint.

Then fold the quill at the point where you have thinned it

I used a piece of nettle stem as a lashing to hold the two pieces together (the nettle should be waterproofed with resin or something similar).

The float is now completed

and ready to use

Spruce Tipi - Part 2

2008-07-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Four Birch poles were lashed together and set up as a quadro-pod and then other poles were laid between.

After a simple doorway was constructed we gathered Spruce boughs and began inserting them between the poles.

We put the boughs on the opposite way up to which they had grown, with the end of the bough that was nearest to the tree, pointing upwards.

The top of the structure was left open to allow smoke from the fire to get out.

Here's a picture taken inside with a fire.

and it was still in good condition when we returned the following winter.

Spruce Tipi - Part 1

2008-07-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

On a trip to Lapland myself and my friend Heiko decided to make a Spruce tipi.

We began by finding an area of flat open ground in the forest

where there were small Birch for the frame and Spruce boughs to cover the shelter.

Using a stick we exposed Spruce roots

and gathered them.

We removed the outside of the roots and then split

and used as lashings for the framework

Fresh Water Sponge

2008-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

One of our reserves is fed by underground spring water. The water is of such good quality that we have fresh water sponges living in the ditches.

They come in many shapes and sizes and surprisingly they are actually animals. These sponges are a mass of cells within a porous protein skeleton which contains silica and calcium. They feed on tiny organisms by filtering them from the surrounding water.

You can find out more about sponges here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A839144

Little Egret

2008-07-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

An nice surprise yesterday was a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) feeding around one of the pools on the reserve. This is only the third record for the reserve.

The Little Egret is a member of the Heron family

Little Egrets used to be a rare migrant in Britain but as a result of our milder winters they are now a resident and are breeding in many places.

Here's a video grap from one I filmed previously

There is more information here; http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/littleegret/

For those interested in tracks, here is the print of a Grey Heron

and here's the Little Egrets

I'm not using Cherry again!!!!!

2008-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

You may recall in the past that I have made several items from Cherry wood. Unfortunately there is always a significant risk with Cherry and it's not one I'm willing to take any more.

I roughed out four of these Cherry cups over the weekend (about 2 hours work for each)

and all four have split!

In my experience far more items made from Cherry split than do not and although you get beautiful patterning in the wood, it's just not worth the risk for all the work.

A butterfly and beetle

2008-07-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

During a cool cloudy spell the other day I managed to get some nice pictures of insects sitting around waiting for the sun to reappear.

This is a male Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni). The females are much paler.

In my experience this butterfly almost never sits with its wings open, so I only ever get closed wing pictures.

The Brimstone is most likely the first butterfly you will see in spring. Those on the wing now will be from the second brood of the year. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of Buckthorn.

This orangey/red beetle is a Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

They are carnivorous and feed on other insects. The larvae feed on the larvae of decaying wood feeding insects.

For those interested in food from the wild

2008-07-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

I have just added some new links.

The first two are the website and blogspot of Fergus Drennan AKA Fergus the forager.

Here you can find out about his wild food courses based near Canterbury and lots of useful information including; recipes, useful links, what he has been up to recently and lot's of other useful information.

And then we have a link to my friend Marcus and his Wild Food School, based in Cornwall.

Here you can find out about courses, many recipes, books and other publications he produces for sale and much more.

Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass By Harold Gatty

2008-07-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Harold Gatty has a unique knowledge of pathfinding by natural methods on both land and sea. Born in Tasmania, he was placed in charge of Air Navigation Research and Training for the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1931. During World War II his first book “The Raft Book” was part of the standard equipment in

U.S.

Airforce life rafts, written to help men who were adrift at sea.

This book covers the marine material from the previous book with the addition of pathfinding on land. Applying methods used by primitive peoples from around the world and early explorers he shows how to navigate by observing natural features, birds and other animals, weather patterns, vegetation, patterns of both snow and sand and positions of the sun, moon and stars, without having to rely on a map or compass. Much of the advice and information in this book is not available elsewhere.

I have found this book so fascinating that it really is difficult to put down. The reader is encouraged to look at paintings and photographs of landscapes and using skills learnt from the book look for natural indicators of time of day, orientation of the picture and the direction of certain natural features.

Also of interest to me was the observational use of migrating birds as a directional indicator by early explorers such as the Polynesians, as migrating birds travelling over sea were known to be heading for land. Some even carried large birds such as frigate birds on their boats and released individuals during a sea crossing (knowing they would fly to land) and observed the direction they flew in and headed in the same direction.

The book can be viewed here

or purchased here

Hardwick Wood

2008-07-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been at Hardwick Wood near Cambridge today with other green woodworking friends.

Activities included bowl turning on a pole-lathe, spoon carving, cordage making and of course eating and drinking. I was carving as small cup using my spoon gouge.

Unfortunately it cracked before I had finished it!

Orchids

2008-07-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Now is a good time to be looking for various species of orchids.

This is the flower of Marsh Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

which gives off the most beautiful aromatic cent.

This is Green-winged Orchid (Orchis morio)

and this is a very rare white form of Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris - palustris meaning "of the marsh") that I found a couple of years ago and the population are still doing well now.

A good on-line resource to British Orchids (which is also available as a field guide) is;

British Orchids

Hope you find it useful and interesting.

Birch Bark Sheath

2008-07-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Having spent the afternoon a few weeks ago collecting Birch bark with friends http://fenlaners.blogspot.com/2008/04/removing-birch-bark.html
I recently taught my friend Sue how to make a sheath for her Frosts carving knife out of the bark and here is her end result.

I have never seen Birch bark with such a beautiful red colour before.

Common Lizard

2008-07-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Now is a good time to spot Common Lizards (also known as the viviparous lizard because it gives birth to live young) as they bask in the sun.

They average about 14cms in length and colouration can vary from shades of brown, grey and/or green. They have the ability to shed their tail in order to fool predators when threatened.

They can live almost anywhere, but they prefer reasonably warm, sheltered places with good basking sites. They feed on insects and also snails.

The female gives birth to 3-12 young from June - September and the young feed actively from birth and disperse quickly. Common Lizards hibernate from October - March.

Making a kuksa

2008-07-05T01:33:00.001-07:00

I have just finished making a couple more kuksa's and thought I would show how I made them.

Firstly I split a log in half and check that there are no knots or faults in the wood. Then I mark out the shape and use may axe and folding saw to remove excess wood.

Now I use my knife and a gouge chisel to do a rough shape and hollow out the cup.

Once I have a shape that I am happy with, I shape the handle and either use my knife or a drill (if available) to make the two finger holes.

When I am happy with the shape and thickness of the cup, I then start to sand it, starting with a very course paper and progressing to a very fine wet and dry paper.

I then apply several coats of oil until the oil stops soaking into the wood.

To answer Treewrights question.....

2008-07-02T02:01:00.000-07:00

I clear the embers away to expose bare ground and place the pot on the ground (the ground is very hot having absorbed heat from the fire), then I surround the pot with embers and also place some on the top and this creates an oven.

I find it takes about 30 - 40 minutes to bake an average sized loaf.

This one has cheese and sun dried tomatoes in it

and this one is an oat bread stuffed with chocolate

Reed Mace/Bulrush/Cattail pollen bread

2008-07-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

Reed Mace (Typha sp.) are now flowering

The flowers produce large amounts of yellow pollen which can easily be collected as used as flour for bread making.

Bend the flower head into a bag (being careful not to break the flower stem) and give it a good shake to remove some pollen.

From only a few flower heads you can gather a reasonable amount of pollen.

To make a bannock type bread I mix one third pollen to two thirds self-raising flower and a pinch of salt.

Add water and make into a dough

Once cooked, the result is a fantastic yellow bread.

Crafts and gifts

2008-06-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Before leaving I visited the house of a Saami couple who make traditional clothing and crafts. Ake opened up there shop and workshop for me to look around. There were so many beautiful items including knives and kuksa's but unfortunately they were out of my price range. I bought a few small items to take home as gifts including this reindeer leather pouch and kuksa.

While in Gallivare a friend gave me a piece of curly Birch, Reindeer antler, sheath leather and a carbon steel blade to make a new knife.

I have just completed the knife handle using Rein and Roe deer antler, pieces of curley Birch and Birch bark.

Spring in Lapland - 2nd June

2008-06-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

During my day in Gallivare I visited a reconstructed Saami summer camp.

This is a meat store to protect the contents from animals and insects.

This platform was used to store other items. The framework was covered with skins to keep the contents cool and dry. It is called a "luouve".

The construction of this dwelling is based on the framework above and is called a "puogge"

and here is a picture from inside.

This dwelling is called a "båstångskåta"

and finally a "skums kåta".

For all three buildings, a framework is covered with Birch bark and then turfs laid over for insulation.

Spring in Lapland - 1st June

2008-06-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Cloudy with sunny periods today and rain this evening.

6 Crossbills flews over calling this morning as I was waiting for the taxi to arrive.

I left the cabin at 11am and the taxi took me to Gallivare.

My final list of bird species for the cabin is as follows;

Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Teal, Smew, Goldenye,
White Wagtail, Great Tit, Whooper Swan, Restart, Mallard, Meadow Pipit,
Raven, Redwing, Whimbrel, Chaffinch, Pied Flycatcher, Brambling, Song Thrush,
Mistle Thrush, Common Crane, Ruff, Lapland Bunting, Waxwing, Golden Plover,
Curlew, Greenfinch, Black Grouse, Willow Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Siskin,
House Martin, Little Bunting, Goldcrest, Tree Pipit, Goosander, Black-throated Diver,
Siberian Jay, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Spotted woodpecker, Common Sandpiper,
Cuckoo, Hazel Grouse, Willow Tit, Redpoll sp. ,Common Gull, Wheatear, Wryneck,
Long-tailed Duck, Capercallie, Rustic Bunting, Blue Tit, Osprey, Hooded Crow,
Reed Bunting, Crossbill,

Birds in Gallivare;

Fieldfare, Magpie, Yellowhammer, Wigeon, Red-breasted Merganser, Robin,

Here are a series of pictures to show a changing view during my two week stay;

Spring in Lapland - 31st May

2008-06-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Clear, sunny and 27 degrees today!!!!

I caught 3 Perch and 1 22 inch Pike in the trap today.

It is a sad day for me today as I will be leaving tomorrow.

This morning I had problems lighting the stove (the chimney may be blocked), so I made a fire outside to cook on.

For breakfast I had fried bannock and the remainder of my dried fruit and sun flower seeds.

I walked to the marsh but it was very quiet, though there were many Green Hairstreaks around and 1 Holy Blue.

I spent the afternoon cleaning and tidying in and around the cabin and spent the evening rowing around the lake, with the beaver as a companion.

Spring in Lapland - 30th May

2008-06-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sunny today, with a maximum temperature of 17 degrees.

1 Blue Tit around the cabin this morning, 2 Black-throated Divers on the lake, an Osprey flying around over the lake, 2 Hooded Crows flew over, 1 male Reed Bunting and 1 Common Lizard.

4 Perch in the fish trap this morning.

I washed my clothes this morning and then completed all the painting I wanted to do. I spent the rest of the day making items with the Birch bark.

I cut some of the bark into thin strips

I weaved the strips together to make a reasonable sized basket

I also made a large container, carved another cup

With the remaining pieces of bark, I made a sheath for my knife.

Spring in Lapland - 29th May

2008-06-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sunny with some cloud today and temperature up to 16 degrees.

It is very quiet for birds today. Only 2 Waxwings and a pair of Long-tailed Ducks on the lake.

I was pleased to find three Perch in the trap this morning

After filleting, I fried them in oil with salt and pepper.

Before Anki and Ingvar headed home, they took me to the south end of the lake to show me the location of a fresh water spring.

They have installed a walkway and a pipe to make it easier to collect the spring water.

As we walked to the spring we passed the remains of a Willow Grouse (Dalripa in Swedish) which had probably been eaten by a fox

I walked back through the forest and found a really nice, large Birch tree with reasonably clean bark. I made a bark chisel and set about removing a piece of bark from the tree.

The bark was not easy to remove because there is still very little sap rising,

but I managed to get a large sheet of bark from the tree, so it was well worth the effort.

I spent the afternoon painting more windows and then this evening I have cut up the bark for a couple of projects I have in mind.

Spring in Lapland - 28th May

2008-06-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hazy sunshine today with a cold north wind.

1 Rustic Bunting singing in the forest at the north end of the marsh this morning and I managed to get some very nice views. There was also one Green Hairstreak butterfly flying around as well.

Only 1 Greenshank and 1 Wood Sandpiper on the marsh today.

Now that the lake is clear of ice

I have been able to get my boat out of the boat house and row around the lake.

I also put my fish trap into the lake, just off the end of the jetty in the hope of catching some fish as I am running out of food.

This evening, while I was outside working a couple appeared taking their dog for a walk. They introduced themselves as Ingvar and Anki and they have a cabin on another lake not far from mine. They had come to stay for one night and were going home again tomorrow. Although Ingvar spoke no English and I speak very little Swedish (if anyone knows of a Swedish language course please let me know!) Anki could speak some English and was able to translate. They invited me back to their cabin for coffee and we talked about the wildlife and nature. They have owned their cabin for many years and told me that a lady called Elin had owned my cabin from 1967 until she died four years ago.

It was nice to meet such friendly people and to share their company for an evening. When I return in September, Anki has said she will teach me the fungi I can eat there and the best places to fish. Ingvar is a carpenter and so has offered to help me with some repair work on the cabin in September.

They have asked that I learn to speak more Swedish before I return, but it is proving more difficult to find a local Swedish language course or tutor than I had expected.

Spring in Lapland - 27th May

2008-06-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

So I was up at about 02:15 to try and find the beaver (there are Chaffinch and Redwing singing in this piece of film).

The first birds I saw were a pair of Long-tailed Ducks sitting on the ice outside the cabin.

I walked around the lake and on the northern edge I could hear gnawing of bark and could see the water moving. I moved very slowly and managed to get to about three metres of the beaver, who was completely unaware of my presence.

I even filmed it for a short time

before it noticed I was there and with a slap of its tail on the water it was gone.

Pleased with my success I walked over to the marsh where there was nothing unusual and then made my way back to my bed.

After breakfast I decided to walk to a much larger lake that I had visited last autumn. Minerals in the ground mean that a compass can not be relied upon for navigation so as I travel I keep looking back to note distinctive features that I can look out for as I travel back. I also make small marks on trees to help define my return route. The picture below shows a mark on the left of the tree so I know I must turn left here.

The lake is in a low valley and it was almost like going back a week in time as there was still a lot of snow and most of the lake was frozen!

Smew, Goosander and Goldeneye were the only birds here and I also flushed a female Capercallie as I walked back.

I spent the rest of the day rubbing down and painting more windows and I finished the kuksa I was making.

Spring in Lapland - 26th May

2008-06-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

As predicted I awoke to a wet rainy morning, which then turned to snow. By mid afternoon it was sunny but with an icy cold north wind.

1 Common Gull flew low over the lake, 1 Redwing singing just outside cabin, 1 male Wheatear around the cabins today (probably forced to take a break from its migration by the weather), I Wryneck (a member of the Woodpecker family) around today. Here is a picture of it on the sauna chimney

I spent most of the day working on the kuksa that I started yesterday to give as a gift to the guy who gave me the knife.

I also collected some local plants to experiment with as food;

I have found references to "Old Mans Beard" lichen being used as a survival food.

If cooked for a long time it is supposed to release starch and has also been used as a gluten substitute to make bread.

It reminded me of pubic hair prior to cooking and after testing it at various intervals during a 10 hour cooking period, it didn't change much!

I do recall from a Ray Mears programme though, that the resulting water could have been used to treat fungal infections.

A plant that I do enjoy is Labrador Tea

though if I drink too much of it, it sometimes gives me stomach ache.

This evening as I sat carving the kuksa, a beaver appeared swimming around the edge of the lake.

I've decided I will get up early tomorrow morning to try and find where it is feeding.

Spring in Lapland - 25th May

2008-06-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Sunny and warm today and as a result the snow is melting significantly now.

The male Common Sandpiper is displaying over the lake today. There were 2 Siberian Jays in trees behind the cabin, 1 Willow Tit and 2 Waxwing, but apart from these it is very quiet for birds today.

Made the most of the fine weather by rubbing down and painting some of the cabin windows today.

I then gathered logs from the fallen frees I had cut up over the past few days. and then carved a spatula and started to carve a kuksa.

I really like a slightly sweet Swedish bread called Vetekaka and buy a pack each time I go.

I used my last mushroom and cheese to make some mini pizzas.

This evening I am trying to collect some Birch sap.

The sap will run down the blade of the knife and drip into the well of the billy can lid. Once this fills the sap will run over the lid, and because the lid fits loosely on to the can, the sap will run around the lid and into the can. This prevents any crap getting into the sap.

There has been a "halo" around the sun all day today so I am expecting rain tomorrow!

Spring in Lapland - 24th May

2008-06-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

Another year older today, but what a fantastic way to spend my Birthday!!

Several Tree Pipits singing this morning, 1 pair of Spotted Flycatchers in the trees, a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming at the top of a dead Spruce, a Cuckoo singing and a pair of Common Sandpipers around the edge of the lake all day. It was also nice to see the three Reindeer again near the cabin.

The back room of the cabin has moved slightly during the winter and now there is a gap between the room and the cabin.

Mice are getting in, so I decided to cover the gap with pieces of wood.

I have a small hand-drill, but no drill bits so I cut the off of one of the nails I intend to use and insert the nail into the drill as use it as my drill-bit.

it works incredibly well!

After my evening meal I went for a walk to the south end of my lake where there were two Elk Moose feeding on Bog Bean rhizomes in the waters edge.

I managed to get to about 20 metres from them, but them something in the forest behind spooked them and they ran off.

As I walked back to the cabin I flushed two Hazel Grouse.

I spent the evening on a high ridge behind the cabin

hoping I might see other large mammals, but saw nothing.

There was an Arctic Hare outside the cabin though.

Spring in Lapland - 23rd May

2008-06-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sunny when I got up this morning and 10 degrees by 08:30! But heavy rain by 11am.

3 House Martins over the lake this morning, 1 Goldcrest singing, Several Tree Pipits arrived last night and are singing this morning, 2 male Goosander on the lake, and 1 Black-throated Diver flew East.

I decided to try and track the movements of the three Reindeer I saw last night and soon found tracks

and fresh droppings

They had spent some time in the trees behind the cabin and then moved off north west, passing a marshy area.

As I approached the area I found a frog making its way to the small area of open water!

Clearly from the noise emanating from the pool, there were already a considerable number of frogs there, though I could find no sign of spawn.

The Reindeer had continued past here and then headed into the forest, where there were also many Elk Moose droppings. This picture shows both for comparison; Elk above and Reindeer below in the snow (Elk droppings are at least 4x as big as those of Reindeer).

After returning to the cabin, I walked across to the main marsh where there were 2 Siberian Jays watching my movements

Picture taken last September by Jon Pickett

I had very close views of both Ruff and Wood Sandpiper, but there are very few waders displaying now. I tend to only hear and see Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Wood Sandpiper as they fly over travelling to the marsh to feed and then back to the forest where they nest.

Spring in Lapland - 22nd May

2008-06-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

It was a cold night last night and areas of open water on the lake now have a thin layer of ice again. Light snow first thing and then sunny and warm with temperature up to 12 degrees.

There was 1 male and 2 female Smew+ 1 male Goldeneye on the lake today. Another pair of Pied Flycatchers have appeared around the cabin this morning, 4 Waxwings now, 1 Greenfinch flew SSW calling, 1 Willow Warbler singing, several male Bramblings singing, 1 Blue-headed Wagtail flew over, 2 Siskin around and 1 House Martin feeding over the lake.

I cleared more snow and had to clean out the stove because the wood would not light, before I could have breakfast.

I am currently eating two meals a day to ensure my food will last two weeks. I have a big pot on the back of the stove which is simmering away all the time and any left-over food or things I find to eat outside are added and then I just spoon out a bowl full each evening for my meal (managed to find 12 Lingon berries yesterday evening). In reality of course I could survive without eating anything for more than two weeks, as long as I have drinking water, but it is amazing how much I look forward to something simple like a small cup of orange juice or two blocks of chocolate each day.

The stove performs incredibly well. It uses very little fuel and once hot, it will heat the whole cabin without the need for a fire in the living room.

Today I have also made a small shrink pot out of a piece of Birch.

First it has to be hollowed out with your knife

until the walls of the tube are just a few millimetres thick

then cut a small groove around the inside of the tube, carve a base and pop it into the groove

as the Birch tube dries and shrinks it should form a water tight seal around the base.

This evening I walked to a small area of marsh behind the cabin where there was a male Little Bunting singing. Just after midnight there were three Reindeer in the trees just behind the cabin.

Spring in Lapland - 21st May

2008-06-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Snowing again this morning, but by mid-afternoon it was sunny and up to 8 degrees, but by 8pm it was down to 2 degrees.

I spent the day around the cabin, cutting up fallen trees

and carrying them back to the cabin. I was having real problems holding things in my right hand, having hit my elbow on a rock the day before. 1 Lapland Bunting flew over calling, 3 Common Cranes flew NE, 1 Golden Plover flew over calling and there were a pair of Waxwings around the cabin for most of the day.

I must apologies for the quality of some of the wildlife picture, but I only carry a compact digital camera (Panasonic Lumix) and as with any compact, you have to be very close to get good pictures.

I selected some pieces of Birch and split for carving spoons and other items.

and here are some of the items I carved over the next few days.

At about 21:30 I sat outside the cabin and could here a strange distant noise coming from towards the marsh, so I headed over there to investigate. The sound reminded me of the bubbling sound of "lekking" Black Grouse and indeed that was what it turned out to be, they were in the forest beyond the marsh. There were many Ruff also displaying on the marsh, but other waders were rather more quite than on previous visits.

I was also quite surprised to find quite a few mosquitoes had emerged and were determined that i would be there first meal!!

Spring in Lapland - 20th May

2008-06-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

A pair of Pied Flycatchers had appeared over-night and the male was singing from a nearby Black Spruce and they were soon busy collecting nest material and building in one of the many bird boxes available to them. Other birds singing around the cabin this morning were Chaffinch and Brambling, Redstarts and Song Thrush, Whimbrel displaying overhead and 2 Common Cranes calling from the marsh. A small area of open water close to cabin was also drawing in various duck species; Goldeneye, Mallard, Teal and Smew.

After breakfast I decided to walk to the marsh again where there were over 50 Ruff & Reeve, Several Wood Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank, Raven and Mistle Thrush and Great Tit singing in the trees. Then I walked into the forest behind the cabin but it was incredibly quiet and very difficult walking in the deep snow.

After returning I continued to clear snow

Then I made a trap to try and catch an Arctic Hare , who's tracks I have seen around the cabin. I bent over a Birch tree and set up a trigger system

with two snares attached to catch the hares feet.

I hoped that an apple core would be irresistible as bait and when it touched the apple core, the branch I had attached it to would trigger the trap (the snares of course were covered by a layer of snow). Unfortunately I never did manage to catch it!

Later in the evening I went for another walk and attempted to collect some Birch bark, but it was incredibly difficult to remove so I guess it was just a bit to early.

Spring in Lapland - 19th May

2008-06-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

I awoke to find that it had been snowing for most of the night and it continued to do so during the day, but with brief sunny periods.

I decided to walk to an area of marshland about 1km from my cabin from where I could hear many birds calling and displaying, but my singing and talking loudly incase of bears was getting on my nerves and probably disturbing some of the things I was trying to see, so I put some stones in a plastic water bottle

and taped it to my walking staff and each time I moved the staff, the stones rattling in the bottle made a noise.

The conditions made walking quite a challenge because you might be in deep snow for a short distance and then in areas where the sun had penetrated, the ground was clear.

Walking in snow was also unpleasant because often below the snow there would be deep melt water and so my boots and trousers were constantly wet and my feet cold. Another issue with ground covered by snow was that you could not see the many holes and cracks in the ground and at one point my leg went down one of these and I cracked my elbow on a rock.

Arriving at the marsh it was well worth the walk though. There were Ruff displaying, Spotted Redshanks, Greenshanks, Wood Sandpipers, Whooper Swans, Whimbrel, Goldeneye, Smew and Teal. It was amazing to see wading birds displaying in these snowy, wintry conditions.

Back at the cabin I continued clearing the snow, carved a spoon from Birch and put together a wooden bed. Birds close to the cabin included Great Tit, White Wagtail, singing Redstarts, Raven and Meadow Pipit. There were also fresh Hare and Elk tracks.

Spring in Lapland

2008-06-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

My first task was to get a fire going in the stove to heat the cabin and melt snow as this was my only source of water at this time. The most efficient way to melt snow is to put a small amount of water into the saucepan first and to then keep adding snow as the water heats.

You would be amazed at how much snow is required to produce a saucepan of water!

There was a lot of leaves, Pine needles and many other items in the snow, so after melting the snow and boiling the water, I then filtered it through parachute material.

The next task was to clear paths through the snow to the toilet and wood store, and remove the shutters from the cabin windows. It was -5 degrees and snowing quite heavily and I was so pleased that I had thrown a set of merino wool thermals into my pack at the last minute.

After cooking a small meal of meatballs and dehydrated potato mash, my warm sleeping bag was calling to me and I decided it was time for bed.

Spring in Lapland - the jouney there.

2008-06-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

I boarded the National Express coach at 1am on Saturday morning (17th May) and after a three hour journey, arrived at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5. Unfortunately my flight for Stockholm did not depart until 11:15am, but at least there were no delays with our departure.

We touched down at Stockholm Arlanda Airport at 14:50 local time and after collecting my bag, I boarded a train to Stockholm Central Station. I then transferred to the night train to Gallivare for my 16 hour journey. I was sharing my carriage with 5 other people who were travelling further north for a skiing trip.

Here are my friends for the train journey; Richard, Johnny, Camilo, Madeiene, Emilia and Axel. We had good fun and lots of laughs and they were teaching me more Swedish and was teaching them English.

At 9am on 18th May the train arrived in Gallivare station and after saying my goodbyes, I left the train and walked to the town centre. I had decided not to bring a knife with me, but to instead buy one from a shop in town. It was snowing and -1 degrees and no shops opened until 11am, so I sat around and waited. Once open I bought basic provisions, but could find nowhere that was selling knives! Then met with my friend Merete for coffee and then at 3pm my friend Kent (my taxi driver) picked me up and we commenced the one hour drive to the cabin. I told Kent that I had been unable to buy a knife, so he telephoned his daughters boyfriend to ask if I could borrow one. We stopped to pick up the knife on the way to the cabin and rather than loaning me the knife, he gave it to me and would take nothing for it.

When we turned off the main road and onto the forest track to my cabin, we found that it was blocked by a bank of ice and snow left by the snow plough.

Without a shovel it was impossible to move the snow and it was obvious that I would have to walk the 4km to the cabin. Kent was concerned about recent problems with Brown Bears and told me I must sing and make lots of noise to scare them away. Having paid him the taxi fare I set off on my walk to the cabin. I decided to leave my food and some kit in a tree, to return the following day to collect it and with a much lighter load continued on my way. The first birds I encountered were Wood Sandpipers displaying above me and calling from the forest and then Greenshank and Spotted Redshank displaying.

I was surprised to find as i approached the cabin that the lake was still frozen and there was still up to a metre of snow around the cabin.

The last kilometre was very hard going because the snow was deep and each step I took I disappeared at least up to my knee, but finally I arrived at the cabin

I called Kent to let him know I had arrived and was amazed to find that he had driven home to get a shovel, come and cleared the bank of snow, collected my food stash and was on his way to the cabin. I walked back through the snow and met him. Kent said that he did not want me being here without being able to get to me incase there was a problem and when I asked how much I owed him for doing this, he refused to take any money and said "friendship means much more to me than money"..........

Almost alone in the wilderness

2008-06-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

So as you may have guessed I have been away for a while and I have just got back. I have been at my cabin in Swedish Lapland since the 18th May. I have many things to write about and show you but it will take me a while to transfer all my pictures and upload videos so please be patient.

You will read about everything that has happened and I have done, the birds and animals I have seen and the people I have met since arriving.....

and departing two weeks later.........

A couple more pictures from the Bodgers Ball

2008-05-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the most beautiful Birch bark containers that I have ever seen. Birch bark has even been used to stitch it together.

Unfortunately I never did find out who had made it or where the Birch bark had been sourced from.

Here Dave Watson from Woodland Survival Crafts is demonstrating making fire using a pole-lathe as an adaptation of the friction firelighting method.

The Bodgers Ball

2008-05-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was at "The Bodgers' Ball" at Horton-cum-Studley. This is an annual gathering of The Association of Pole-lathe Turners and Green Wood Workers, and there were about 250 people at the event.

It was a great opportunity to put some faces to names (Robin Wood and Ben Orford to name but two) and to catch up with old friends. As well as being a social event there were also many competitions to watch and take part in. I entered a piece in the craft competition in "non turned treen" section and there were many other categories from spoons to chairs.

These were the entries for the "six hour chair making challenge"

and here is Ben Orford taking part and winning in the "Individual Log to Leg" competition, where from two sections of an Ash log, the competitors had to turn two matching chair legs as fast as possible.

Ben completed this in well under ten minutes.

There were also workshops taking place over the course of the two days.

including spoon carving and patterning, basic knife skills and safety, axe work and chair seating.

Amongst all the tents and tipi's it was also a good opportunity to test out my sleep system.

A nice find in the main arena was this Green-winged Orchid (protected of course by a wooden enclosure).

This was my first Bodgers Ball and I had a fantastic time and look forward to next years (wherever it may be).

You can read more about this event from Robin's perspective here

Pump-drill

2008-05-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have just made a pump-drill for friction firelighting, made from items I found in a neighbours skip.

The drill is a length of wooden curtain rail, with a hole drilled in one end to allow the insertion of various wood-tips for firelighting. The flywheel is a round 2kg weight (the type used in weight lifting). It takes about 2 minutes to produce an ember but there is virtually no effort involved.

Now I am experimenting with making one from materials found "in the field".

Red Mace/ Bulrush/ Cattail tooth brush

2008-05-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

If you are walking near a river or lake at the moment you may find the remains of the Reed Mace seed head stem.

They look like this.

The seed head stem which remains after the seeds have been dispersed by wind, is covered in fine stiff bristles.

Some native cultures would use these as a primitive toothbrush and are quite effective at cleaning your teeth.

Soon the new flower heads will appear and this will be the time to collect the pollen and make bread......keep watching for this one!

US Military Modular Sleep System

2008-05-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have just got the US Military Modular Sleep System (MSS) made by Slumberjack , for use in Lapland and I have to say that I am very impressed with it so far.

There are four parts to the system;

1. Gore-tex Bivy Bag - Three Layer laminate mummy design bag cover for integration with the Modular Sleep System (MSS) for cold – wet conditions. The snap closure system allows each bag to snap to the Bivy. Fabric: Waterproof and Moisture Vapor Permeable plain weave nylon, with baffled nylon zipper closure. Color: Woodland Camouflage Pattern on the top, Camo Green ground shade on the bottom.

2. Summer Sleeping Bag - Mummy design for temperate climates of 0 to 10 Degrees C as a single bag. Snaps to the Bivy for use in slightly colder-wet zones. Insert the Intermediate Bag inside for colder extremes. Fabric for the shell and lining ripstop nylon with water resistant finish. Insulation Fill continuous filament resin bonded polyester. Features an adjustable hood and baffled nylon zipper closure.

3. Intermediate Cold Weather Sleeping Bag - Mummy design for colder weather climates of 0 to Minus 23 Degrees C as a single bag. Snaps to the Bivy for use in colder-wet zones. Insert inside the Patrol Bag for extreme cold environments. Fabric for the shell and lining ripstop nylon with water resistant finish. Insulation Fill hollow continuous filament resin bonded polyester. Features an adjustable hood and baffled nylon zipper closure.

4. Compression Stuff Sack - Numerous straps with ladder lock buckles tighten and compress the system. Nylon draw cord closure with barrel lock.

The picture above shows the whole system put together.

The bivy bag will enclose completely over the user with a Velcro fixing at the top of the bag, while allowing airflow through the sides.

The system will compress down to about 30cm x 30cm using the compression sack.

I slept out last night using the intermediate bag and bivy bag and found it to be incredibly warm. It rained at about 2am, but with the bivy bag close over me, I did not get wet and there was no excessive moisture inside the bag from my breath.

Hammock and tarp

2008-05-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I used my hammock and tarp, so I used them at Assington Mill last weekend.

My tarp is a Hennessey Hex-fly and the hammock is my own creation. I use a Reindeer skin (or my Swanndri hooded bushshirt) to line my hammock for insulation. The nights were warm enough that I only had my sleeping bag laid over me.

On Saturday night I was serenaded all night by a newly arrived Nightingale.

and I also heard badgers squabling close by.