Ultimate homemade fire blocks. Tea lights 1. Remove wax 2. Pull out wick 3. Place wick back into foil tray 4. Stuff cotton wool around wick 5. Melt wax and drip onto cotton wool. They burn for 30 mins even in strong wind. Nice video happy Bush Crafting
Great video. Keeping it nice and simple! Just a mention for lovely song at the end by Canadian singer, Terry Bush, called 'Maybe Tomorrow' (I'll want to settle down). Used as the theme to The Littlest Hobo. Nice way to end!
Good tip for cleaning soot and grime off your cooking pots is put washing powder in the sink with water and let them soak over night come up like new .loved the video great content very enjoyable 👍
I will try that thank you. I dont try to get all the soot off because its not worth the hassle. The heat transfers better on a black pot anyway. Thanks for your comment
Watching from Chengdu China. Very nice brake from the millions of people all around me! Thank you for sharing your Bushcraft. Safety First. Good to have the first add kit. good choice on shelter design.
Thank you, I bet there are some nice places to practice bushcraft and wild camping in China, bushcraft is a journey for me and I'm learning new things as well as making some mistakes and having the occasional accident along the way
Actually, there are great places in China but the high population of people makes it hard to get to. I have camped on top of the great wall for example. another time I camped with a system like yours here in a major rain storm outside of Beijing and stayed dry. It is still hard to believe! Still the great place for bushcraft is North America. It all is a life long learning process with a respect for the natural world. Good luck with your journey.
What a great video! I'm really pleased that I've found your channel. There's absolutely nothing not to like about it. Looking forward to watching more. TFS. Take care, Steve.👍👍
Another good video. Good to see you out and making the most of it and couldn't agree more about it being better than a weekend of boozing. One thing though....it's taken me years to get the Littlest Hobo song out of my head.......thanks for that! Haha! ATB
Nice work mate, I've gone minimal lately and love it. Don't be scared to tension the siltarp, it will stretch not tear. I've been yanking mine tight for years and it's still good. Love the channel.
Thanks.. I watched your video where you went minimal, its good to practice this now and again as you never know when those skills will be called upon in a survival situation, you took the tarp just in case as there's no benefit in creating extra risk if the weather turns bad and your shelter lets you down. Thanks for watching..
If there had been no wind I would have lay under the stars in just a bivy as there wasn't much risk of rain, the micro tarp joke was my midge head net, Wilkinsons have them in here in the UK for £2 and worth getting
Thanks for taking us along with you mate, very enjoyable. Love the tardis bag lol and the Benny Hill routine . Looking forward to your next video, I would love to have a go at wild camping but my wife is disabled and I can't leave her at night so it's not gonna happen, but I can enjoy it through you and others like you , so keep up the good work and keep camping. ATB Tony.
If I can make just one person happy by sharing my videos then it was worth the effort in carrying the extra gear around and editing when I get home, sometimes it takes a while to get motivated and its nice to have a record to look back on in years to come, I can understand where you are coming from with regards to your wife, my grandaughter has a disability and isn't very mobile, she wants to come camping and is only 7 yrs old, I think she understands her limitations, that's why I also make videos so the family can watch when I get home. There are managed camp sites with disabled facilities, it might be a good idea to check some place out where you and your wife can enjoy camping and being outdoors, good luck and thanks for watching.
I like the challenge of going light only taking what is really needed, you feel closer to the elements and nature, I find sleeping in a tent too enclosed now, pleased you enjoyed the video thanks for your comment.
It has its place for certain situations like lightweight back packing but TBH its more for decent weather not winter use, I wouldn't want to be confined to it during prolonged bad weather. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks again another great video ,here 's my tip re- dirty cups.Coat the outside of your Aluminium pot, or any pot with a dry bar of soap ,there will be less black soot and its easier to clean.This only works with pots or cups which are formed in one piece,in other words if you use an empty can with a vertical seam ,there is a chance it will leak and you get a mouth full of soap.Cheers,Richard Allan.
Great Video! I really enjoy your wild camps and seriously look forward to them. Besides being informative, you always give me a good laugh or two and that is a good thing. Peace Till Nxt tme. - Stanley
Thanks for the comment, spring is here and I'll be out more frequently from now on, its good to see you out wild camping, I liked the story about the stick and thats a great way to cook a steak on those wood chips, I will try that technique sometime, thanks for that.
Great video, to reduce residue on your cup when cooking on an open fire, smear some neat washing up liquid on the outside, this makes it much easier to clean afterwards, works with hexi blocks as well, all the best happy trails.
Thanks, Ive never tried the neat washing up liquid trick, will give it a go next time, I do get sick of cleaning the cup every time I get home, the soot and resin does seem to stick hard and is difficult to remove, wire wool works well and so does caustic soda which makes the metal look new again, thanks for your comment..
Wildsoul62 The tarp to be honest is a lightweight option and is for fair weather and lightweight backpacking, the material feels so delicate and I wouldn't trust it with my life in foul weather or winter camping without a bivi bag. The NATO Bivi bag is bomb proof and trust it with my life, have slept in pouring rain high up on the Cheviot Hills without getting wet, I always sleep with an air hole so condensation has never been a problem.
Great vid. Charcloth also prob if over charred. Love the fire glow scenes in dark. Nature is amazing! I dont rate alpkit hunka bivy - was sooo excited wen got mine: october time wild camped kielder wth pal his first time - loaned him my army bivy wth his cheapo sleeping bag; i had north face high range sleeping bag and hunka. He slept dream, me little sleep and cold!! All times iv used army gortex bivy slept fab. Lesson learned. Ur tarp and setup has convinced me to get alpkit rig 7 for hills tho :) loved the trick re reflective cord tied to pegs. Id happily dine in ur restaurant than whatever star pompous shite
I've been wildcamping for 23 years as a long distance cyclist. The last couple of years i've been doing some bikepacking and hiking and have bought some bivvy bags, it's a whole other thing than a tent! I love it! :)) Got a frenche army bivvy wich is flame retardent and i can sleep next to my fire, awesome and indestructable but heavy. Also have a terra nova jupiter from a fleamarket, wich is somewhere between a tent and a bivvy. No condensation whatsoever but not warm, very breathable and watertight. but new, very expensive..
+Romin van der Meiden Those terra nova bivys are an in between like you say and would be good for places where its just too windy or bad weather to use a tarp and bivy. I've recently bought a Miltec Recon 1 man tent for the rare occasion I would be winter hill camping or in really bad weather, was only £55 delivered and does weigh 2.7 Kilos so isn't the lightest but has a small porch area for cooking which I like. I'll always prefer a tarp and bivy for simplicity and lightness though. atb, Damian
+Fell Wanderer But i find them hard to get used to.. too claustrofobic. Also have a french F1 sleep system, it's not like a tent but with your head outside, when used with the proper bags (summer winter) it's very comfy, all the zippers aligned suits me better but much heavier though. made off triple layer frame retardent gore tex, in french cammo. this thing is indestructable but quite heavy (1.4 kilo) instead of the 900 gramms the Terra Nova weights. Ghehe i also have the polish lavvu! love it. Rarely slept better. :))
Great vid , them folding saws do bite ive done it myself a few times lol i want to get one of them tarps myself great bit of kit thanks for sharing atb Paul
Thanks.. I couldn't decide between the siltarp 1 or 2 and there will be times when I take my boy out so the 10x8 will be needed so I will get that one eventually when funds allow, I still love the DPM Basha for the woods but needed something for bivving high up in the hills when space for camping is limited like on small rocky outcrops and where the weather isn't going to be raining all the time, the Siltarp 1 will be a good choice.
Another great vid, need to look at my pack size to try an minimise size, I carry way to much. Going to try and make some of them little burners (good simple idea)
Great video enjoyed it. I use the same Siltarp and find its a great piece of kit , I use it with a Rab Ridge Master. Like you I try to keep kit minimal as weight is important to me. Cheers pal.
Its amazing just how small the Siltarp 1 packs down to, it takes a bit more skill utilizing the most from such a small tarp like staying dry, so I wouldn't use it without a bivy, thanks for watching
I got the siltarp 2 ( 10x8ft ) which i used in a similar set up as you , about 2 feet of the bivvy bag sticks out but all my gear got in.I'm trying tarps more this spring /summer in a bid to cut down the weight......i struggle to get under 40lb for an overnighter and carried 69lb recently for a 2 nighter.As you say you can only go so minimal until it becomes counter-productive.Great vid as always i'll see you for the next one,Eddie.
Exactly, how far do you take minimalism, tarps are the way to go during better weather, although up in the hills they aren't very stable when the wind picks up, it really depends on the situation, I'm finding that camera gear is starting to push the weight and pack size up, my combat jacket pockets are full of bits and bobs, helping me resist the temptation of going up to a Berghaus 65L which I have. I think if we have larger packs then we will just fill it up, that's why I initially went for a 35L which meant making some hard choices with what I really needed to take. I watched your video on cameras and was intrigued by the mono pod you used, I didn't know what you used for selfies till now lol, its always nice to see what other people are using, thanks for watching.
there is nothing wrong with slurping, it shows you are enjoying your food, i would love to go with you for a weekend but i can`t walk far as i an disabled, you keep it up mate nice one
Yet again mate, a spectacular show. Felt like i was there hobbiting it with yee. Btw, loved seeing your new blade in action, looks like it suits your needs rather well. :) Keep it up! -Brandon
Try putting the edge of you char cloth on top of you quartz. Maybe tear it and have a couple edges on top to catch your spark.the jagged edge works best. But you done good with Ferro rod.
Hi, If you put the char cloth on the top instead of underneath the flint it will work better. Hope this helps. Also them saws are sharp buggers, I've done the same myself.
Hi enjoyed the video,,, I think char cloth should be made from cotton if yours was made from another material that might have been your problem, however I'd verify this with someone who's sure of what they are talking about I might have just dreamt it. Lol.. Be safe and be lucky.
Codhunter0 When the weather is good I like to experiment with harder ways of lighting fire as you never know when you may have to rely on those skills, thanks for watching
Thanks.. I find flint in gravel from other peoples gardens thanks to kids throwing it around lol, the next time I take the dog to Cambois I'll check it out, do you mean the cliffs beside the caravan park for flint?
Great vid marra. Not one for minimalism either. Try to mix lightweight with comfort. Always ends up being more comfort than lighweight though. ATB Mark.
I'm trying to strike a balance between what's really needed and comfort, having a smaller back pack means I've got to make some hard choices when picking gear, most of the time I'm only out for one night so I can get away with a lot less, thanks for watching
Great Vid again!!!. Like the shower curtain idea. Their strong too!. Does the crusader cup not get too hot to drink out? A tip that I saw on a different channel is to put some neat washing up liquid on the outside of the cup/pot etc.... and the soot "should" just wipe off, havent tried it myself yet. Keeping rocking Phil
Once you take the cup off the fire it only takes a few minutes to drink from, most of the heat is on the bottom anyway, I tend to clean the cup once I get home, a bit of soot on the lips doesn't bother me and I havent tasted anything bad or got sick yet touch wood.
Hi m8 great vid no bullshit just good old wild camping,you must be local to ashington or Blyth am I close lol. Hope to see more vids m8. Hav to get out my self soon atb Gordon
Love your vid's full of good helpful tips & humour. Was wondering about what stove you would say is best as your not always going to have wood to hand & Buddy burners no good for cooking a good scran
+Toon pig Which stove depends on the situation, for lightweight backpacking a small meths burner like the Trangia is hard to beat but when its blowing a gale and freezing cold up a mountain then it wont be much good so something which runs off gas or petrol/dual fuel would be better, there's lots to choose from so take a look, I'm not clued up with them TBH and only use the coleman 533 petrol stove which is great for car camping but not very lightweight. I'm not one for buying gas cylinders and love open fires or fuel tablets like buddy burners where additional small pieces of wood lying around can be burned also.
Cheers mate got near enough same feed back of everyone. Think I will stick with buddy burners & as you say just add few twigs as needed or pull a fence down & burn that lol
Cheers mate I thou roughly enjoyed that.yeah the built up on the pot is again in the arse hahaa.i have the dd solo tarp which is quite small but I love it,I just put my first video up where I'm using the tarp,have a look when you get a chance,let us know what you think.cheers mate.atb Rich
Really enjoying the vids it's actually reassuring to see I'm not the only one who makes mistakes ( cut finger) How's the knife working out. I remember the unboxing vid, it's still looking good mate.
The knife is doing fine, I was a little concerned when I first got it as the edge rolled slightly after about 20 mins use but I put that down to having such a fine edge straight from the knife maker, I've since sharpened it only once with some stropping and the edge is staying sharp, its may have a slight secondary micro bevel which is now giving it good edge retention.
It took two buddy burners and was boiling half way through the second one, much better than making them in a tuna tin as they burn away to nothing, thanks for watching..
Hi, just wondering what knots you used on your first (lean to) set up when it was a bit flappy? I would have used prusik knots as you can slide them to where you want them and they won't slip. Great vid again. Dave, Northumberland. Ps got a feeling we live in the same area? D
notwocdivad just looked at the video and I used prusik knots either side albeit with carabiners. I tied the ridgeline with a tarp taught hitch and Syberian Hitch
Apart the bivi that's more or less the same system I've developed for hiking and wild camping.. I have the army bivi but have swapped it out for the snugpak special forces ATAC bivi.. Used it for the fist time the other day, had a condensation problem so will need to keep my head clear of the hood.?...
Vespasian Hi Vespasian, never had condensation issues because i don't sleep with my head in the bag. I don't think I could ever go back to using a tent having found a system which is lightweight, versatile and works for me. There are pros and cons to the army bivy, relatively cheap to buy, lots of room to put gear in but aren't the smallest or lightest bags around.
ok Damo, iv noticed you use buddy burners quite a bit but have you ever tried fire rope/stove rope burners, iv just tried them out in two different ways with my 58 pattern Crusader cook sets in my last video at Victoria cave, Yorkshire Dales. atb. Waiting on your next wild camp vid.
I think I've seen those stoves you mention before, they looked a bit heavy on the meths but burn well. Will have a look at your video, thanks for the info
Its an old video and just started using buddy burners and have used them ever since. They burn a bit sooty but are so useful and can be used to start fires
Dave Mcnevin That is a good way to start a fire but I wouldn't use it as my main method as batteries run down fairly quickly, best to use a ferro rod IMHO
Char cloth is made from cotton or other natural vegetable material like jute. You place the material to be charred in a metal tin with a small hole in then place into a fire so it burns (chars) without oxygen creating a form of charcoal which will catch a spark easily from not very hot sparks like on a traditional firesteel or even a magnifying glass. I've got an ember from char in a couple of seconds from the suns rays even in the winter months. Its a great material to have for lighting fires. Damian
Richard Sparnenn Hi Richard, technically you need permission from the land owner to camp anywhere in England, even on common land there still maybe local bylaws saying no overnight camping. Even though its illegal, in many places its tollerated and would rarely result in prosection so long as you use common sense, be respectful of the countryside, arrive late, leave early and leave no trace. Watch this video by MCQBushcraft, good infomation and practical advice, ATB, Damian. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qbaVVoqSR6g.html
Alright Damian - Long time watching, quick question dude. I've started to vlog and wondered what mic you use for general use whilst recording? I have a rode mic with a dead cat windshield but its next to useless outdoors really. Cheers - David
I just use the built in mic on the camcorder which is a panasonic HC X900. its not bad quality but does suffer in windy conditions, even with a diy foam wind mufler stuck onto the mic. I have a Zoom H6 audio recorder but find it too bulky and a hassle to set up for outdoor video recording.
+Solo Bikepacker In bad weather just lower the tarp setup and make sure the wind comes from behind the tarp and not towards the opening as it will flap like crazy
i cant believe people are that bored and shallow that they would take the time to complain to you that you slurped when you ate, how trivial, jeez people, get over yourselves. i enjoy all your videos, i just wish i was there with you,cheers.
Brendon Wright Its crazy, some troll wanted to hit me in the mouth for smacking my lips while eating, I don't bother replying instead just hit delete and ban from channel. I don't mind criticism so long as its constructive lol, thanks for watching mate, Atb, Damian
I got fishing snood from either Aldi or Lidl for £2.49, cant remember which, they both get similar gear in from time to time, its really warm and has a mesh veil which pulls up over the face to help keep out the midges, thanks for watching, atb, damian.
Are you never afraid of snakes? lol. You drink coffee then try to sleep? Get out of here. Tea? You can buy "sterno" in a can they are just like a tealight candle. Cheap. Like ten cans for a buck. Pound shops sell inflatable rafts and you can sleep comfortably on it between you and the ground. I wonder how the caveman stood it!
+Lemon Squishy There are only snakes in the upland areas but will think twice about sleeping on the ground from now on, next time I may use a hammock. ATB, Damian.
another get video , I heard of someone using nono tech to just spray all ur clothes, then mud, water, will just. Falk off ,he went out with the same jacket u got, with wire bend in ng hood ,fillies pockets with his gear, stove,ect. he sprayed his all clothes with it,,an he was fine??? the el cheapo way is to use a lacquer, acts as a binder, then fresh air spray wait 36 hours, an that's it, as seen in the crazy Russian hacker!!! a will get ask someone else to try it out on their jacket first,lol then let u know if it works??? no tent. just sleeping mat as water from above is nothing to the cold from below, from Steven, writing by j.kerr thanks again, b safe!!!
Not really, Army bivvy & tarp & ground sheet must weigh at least 1.5 k. I have the Coleman Kraz, £ 30 from ebay 1.6 k, plenty of room and probs packs down smaller than the above. Plenty of mesh for star gazing.
