Wild camping with the young fella Bear Grylls style- advice?
Discussion
Right, I've firmly dropped my foot in this one.
Years of Bear Grylls on the telly and my (9 year old) son saying 'I can do that, and that, and that, I wouldn't eat that though, or that urghhh' has led to what appears to be a huge challenge.
My folks have about 6 acres on a hill behind their house and a wild camp discussion has now been leveled to the stage where I think they believe I can't manage it, but of course it will be a fantastic experience for Little Ex.
It's mostly open grass land with hedgerows and a few trees - I've started hoarding a bit of firewood in and about the place, but we don't mention that.
So the rules are it's what we can carry in a day-pack/rucksack up the hill.
Shelter and fire are the obvious, I'm pretty sure we can both find bits for this.
Water and food wise, we'll carry a couple of litres, food I'm thinking a can of corned beef, potato, carrot, bit of tin foil - all cooked wrapped up in a bit of tin foil (no ice cream).
Also, no sleeping bags, you know, it's very much a wear what you brought;
List so far is (I intend to make the young fella carry most of this)
4 litres of water.
ALDI best plastic bags.
Letherman tools and possibly a Tenon saw.
Ball of string.
A potato (
) a carrot, an onion, and a tin or two of corned beef.
The plan is to go up there about 5 pm - just as the parents are cooking dinner, so you get that hungry smell.
I'm going to ask him what he wants to take, he seems quite on board with the view that one insulation underneath is worth three on top. So likely we'll be filling plastic bags full of almost dead grass.
So, have I missed anything?
Part of me wants this to be the most miserable night he's ever lived, but then of course I want him to really learn and have a great experience.
Years of Bear Grylls on the telly and my (9 year old) son saying 'I can do that, and that, and that, I wouldn't eat that though, or that urghhh' has led to what appears to be a huge challenge.
My folks have about 6 acres on a hill behind their house and a wild camp discussion has now been leveled to the stage where I think they believe I can't manage it, but of course it will be a fantastic experience for Little Ex.
It's mostly open grass land with hedgerows and a few trees - I've started hoarding a bit of firewood in and about the place, but we don't mention that.
So the rules are it's what we can carry in a day-pack/rucksack up the hill.
Shelter and fire are the obvious, I'm pretty sure we can both find bits for this.
Water and food wise, we'll carry a couple of litres, food I'm thinking a can of corned beef, potato, carrot, bit of tin foil - all cooked wrapped up in a bit of tin foil (no ice cream).
Also, no sleeping bags, you know, it's very much a wear what you brought;
List so far is (I intend to make the young fella carry most of this)
4 litres of water.
ALDI best plastic bags.
Letherman tools and possibly a Tenon saw.
Ball of string.
A potato (
) a carrot, an onion, and a tin or two of corned beef.The plan is to go up there about 5 pm - just as the parents are cooking dinner, so you get that hungry smell.
I'm going to ask him what he wants to take, he seems quite on board with the view that one insulation underneath is worth three on top. So likely we'll be filling plastic bags full of almost dead grass.
So, have I missed anything?
Part of me wants this to be the most miserable night he's ever lived, but then of course I want him to really learn and have a great experience.
Maybe not in the 'spirit' of your planned adventure, but a length of para cord and a groundsheet or tarpaulin to make an improvised canopy to your bivy may be worth taking, but I know sweet FA about that kind of stuff beyong watching it on the tv, just thinking what would keep rain / morning dew of you and keep you a bit drier.
Edited by PH5121 on Tuesday 30th June 12:01
A definite yes to a tarp.
Replace 3 of the litres of water with wine.
Replace corn beef with steak.
Forget the veg and take a few bananas and a packet of flat bread.
Cheat and go up a few days before and do a bit of of prep. Maybe hide some cans of beer as well!
I used to do similar with my kids and it was a laugh.
Replace 3 of the litres of water with wine.
Replace corn beef with steak.
Forget the veg and take a few bananas and a packet of flat bread.
Cheat and go up a few days before and do a bit of of prep. Maybe hide some cans of beer as well!
I used to do similar with my kids and it was a laugh.
Could be much, much worse, at least he hasn't been watching this;
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid...
Naked and Afraid takes "survival of the fittest" to the next level. Each week, a new pair of complete and total strangers - one man and one woman - will find themselves stranded in and, quite literally, exposed to some of the world's most extreme weather environments. Each duo will be left high and dry with no food, no water...and no clothes. They must survive on their own for a full 21 days, with nothing but one personal item each and the knowledge that the only prize is their pride and sense of accomplishment.
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid...
Naked and Afraid takes "survival of the fittest" to the next level. Each week, a new pair of complete and total strangers - one man and one woman - will find themselves stranded in and, quite literally, exposed to some of the world's most extreme weather environments. Each duo will be left high and dry with no food, no water...and no clothes. They must survive on their own for a full 21 days, with nothing but one personal item each and the knowledge that the only prize is their pride and sense of accomplishment.
You deffo need to get prepared for this .....
Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Squiggs said:
You deffo need to get prepared for this .....
Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Chuckling to myself about the cheat suggestions "Oh look son, this is a wild beer can plant, if I just dig under the surface, just a bit, yep, a full 4 pack!" And over there. Yep, I'm fairly sure that's a Ginsters Bush. Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Squiggs said:
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Corned beef shouldn't be allowed. Tell him to pee on the ground to get worms to come up, squeeze the crap out of them and then boil them up. Set an alarm for 5am and send him out for a couple of hours to collect more firewood for breakfast - if you're feeling sympathetic you could "find" some eggs up a tree.
4 litres of water doesn't sound like much to me, especially if you want to cook with any of it too.
technodup said:
MCQ Bushcraft on Youtube.
He's a bit dry and boring but he'll tell you everything you need to know. And a lot you don't.
Hes one of the best on youtube, some of the others are terrible.He's a bit dry and boring but he'll tell you everything you need to know. And a lot you don't.
Also worth checking out are - Les stroud/survivorman, ray mears, primitive technology (this guys vids are awesome)
The essentials you'll need are -
Knowledge
Someway of making a shelter (i'll leave this one to you, to many options)
Someway of acquiring & boiling water (a pan, metal mug, mess tin etc)
Someway of processing wood (ie a knife or axe)
Someway of lighting a fire (lighter, firesteel, knowledge of bowdrills or another techniques)
Timmy40 said:
Chuckling to myself about the cheat suggestions "Oh look son, this is a wild beer can plant, if I just dig under the surface, just a bit, yep, a full 4 pack!" And over there. Yep, I'm fairly sure that's a Ginsters Bush.
Followed by "f
k off, go find your own sleeping bag tree."desolate said:
A definite yes to a tarp.
Replace 3 of the litres of water with wine.
Replace corn beef with steak.
Forget the veg and take a few bananas and a packet of flat bread.
Cheat and go up a few days before and do a bit of of prep. Maybe hide some cans of beer as well!
I used to do similar with my kids and it was a laugh.
Replace 3 of the litres of water with wine.
Replace corn beef with steak.
Forget the veg and take a few bananas and a packet of flat bread.
Cheat and go up a few days before and do a bit of of prep. Maybe hide some cans of beer as well!
I used to do similar with my kids and it was a laugh.
I reckon I'd sleep through a snow storm after 3 litres of wine, I like your style!Squiggs said:
You deffo need to get prepared for this .....
Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
Instead of taking a potato, a carrot, an onion you need to get them planted (literally) up there the day before - then you can 'discover' and 'dig up' wild growing vegetables.
And obviously after watching you rubbing two sticks together for hours the little bloke will get bored - as his back is turned you whip out a swan vesta match and hey presto - you just created fire!
love it.I've only ever 'properly' started fire once, oon a scout camp that was with a bow drill and it took forever. Never again.
Regarding the food, next you'll be telling me to stop off at the muck heap behind the stables and dig up worms...
and there it is....PH5121 said:
a length of para cord and a groundsheet or tarpaulin to make an improvised canopy to your bivy may be worth taking
Definitely think we'll have to go with this option, I was up there again this afternoon (burying beer and wine etc) and there is nothing readily apparent in terms of shelter building.My big sister is over from the USA for the next week, so it's been put off for now.
I'll be sure to get a few photos of the event when it happens and report back.
Go foraging for pig nuts. My grandad taught me this neat trick when I was a boy and it's always stuck with me. He will love you for this.
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/conopodium-majus-pig...
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/conopodium-majus-pig...
Nuisance_Value said:
Go foraging for pig nuts. My grandad taught me this neat trick when I was a boy and it's always stuck with me. He will love you for this.
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/conopodium-majus-pig...
Pig nuts?! News to me, chap. Cheers http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/conopodium-majus-pig...
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