2013 Our one-day taster courses cost:
Keep up to date and book online at www.bushcraft-magazine.co.uk
Bespoke Foraging Days
£35 for a single person £70 for a family of up to five. You may camp overnight at our farm in Kent if you wish, at no extra charge. We will provide tea and coffee and a hot vegetable soup as part of the day.
No experience necessary; learn how to identify edible plants in a variety of habitats around Egerton in Kent under the guidance of our expert forager Steve Kirk. Get together with a group of like-minded friends to reduce the cost per head and contact us to arrange a mutually agreeable date. Available for much of the year except mid-summer and midwinter. E-mail: steve@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk
Saturday May 4th - Bank Holiday Monday May 6th Bushcraft Magazine May Meet Book in for a weekend of courses and a chance for bushcrafters and adventurous families to share skills, and swap stories. Taster courses, demonstrations and mini-workshops include Animal Tracking, Atlatls, Archery, Catapults, Ferreting, Fire and Forge, Fire-by-Friction, Green Woodworking, Spoon Carving, Star Gazing, Storytelling, Wild Cooking, Wild Forage and much, much more. See our website for full details. Costs for the weekend, including 3 courses/ workshops/demos per day, camping and firewood: £75 per person, £125 family of up to five. Single all-day ticket £35 per person (accompanied single child under 11 FREE); Family of up to 5, £60.
Saturday May 18th
Weekend Leatherworking
Learn techniques to make and decorate your own personal items under the experienced guidance and tuition of our craftsman Paul Bradley at an indoor venue in Kent. There will be a small additional charge of £5 for materials.
Sunday May 19th
Weekend Leatherworking
On the weekend course you may sign up for one day or two, giving you the time and opportunity to learn the skills and create more advanced and decorative pieces. Camping is free of charge over the weekend. There will be a small additional charge of £5 for materials.
Saturday June 8th
Spoon Carving
Learn the skills and try out the tools under the guidance and tuition of our skilled craftsman Paul Bradley at our farm site in Egerton, Kent. Make and take away your own spoons.
Sunday June 9th
Saltmarsh and Rocky Shore Foraging
Visit contrasting habitats on the north Kent coast with a view to discovering the foraging possibilities; shellfish and seaweeds at Tankerton, with samphire and salt-marsh plants at Oare Marshes. Discover the habitats and identify your finds under the guidance of Steve Kirk.
Volume 9 Number 1 Spring 2013 The Bushcraft Magazine is published by:
The Bushcraft MagazineTM .
Egerton House Cottage, Egerton, Ashford, KENT TN27 9BD Founder: Huw Woodman Editor: Steve Kirk Advertising: Matthew Selfe Webmaster: Paul Bradley Soup Dragon: Cathy Hill E-mail: info@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk Advertising: mafro@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk
CONTENTS 6 THE ORIGINS OF BUSHCRAFT Will Lord takes you back to the Stone Age. 10 COOK WILD – BEACH FEAST Carol Hunt wets your appetite. 18 TO MAKE A POSSIBLES POUCH Paul Bradley has the kit and the wherewithal. 22 ANCIENT WAYS FOR MODERN DAYS Naomi Westall found some in America. 25 SPRING IN SNOWDONIA Matt Fletcher on the ups and downs of North Wales. 30 “THOSE THAT WOULD LIVE IN HEALTH, MAY USE IT IF THEY PLEASE” Steve Kirk would and does. 32 HOW TO BUILD A PRIMITIVE BOW, PART 2 Jamie Burleigh carries on where he left off. 36 ’CRAFTY YOUNG FOXES Jacob McKenzie and Ben Anson. 38 THE BOWLINE For Phil Brown it’s knot a problem. 39 THE LAST WORD rests with Lloyd Hooper. REGULARS 2 COURSES 4 CAMO PAGES 16 WEATHER LORE 28 STAR LORE
EDITORIAL In this issue we take a step back in time to the Stone Age, to examine our bushcraft heritage. We are privileged to hear from primitive skills guru, Will Lord, who offers insights into bushcraft’s origins and shows us how to make an early style hand-axe. Will’s forty year pedigree as an experimental archaeologist and prehistoric re-enactor has made him the UK’s leading authority in this sphere, ensuring that he is in constant demand for TV, in the capacity as either presenter or consultant. Check out Will’s roles in A History of Ancient Britain in 2011 where he makes and demonstrates a Neolithic longbow to presenter Neil Oliver, and his appearance in the Secrets of Stonehenge, in 2012, for example. Naomi Westall recounts how she and her partner, Dan, had their lives irrevocably changed by deep immersion in the Stone Age in backwoods North America, with primitive skills teacher, Lynx Vilden, and how the ancient ways they learned are still relevant for ‘modern days’. And if that wasn’t enough, we continue building a primitive bow, pass on some long-standing ‘forage knowledge’, wild food recipes, traditional skills and tips on where to find some wilderness in the UK. Follow up a wander through these pages with a wander outside. Steve Kirk. editor@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk
Cover photo by Andy Abbott © Beyond2000bc
My favourite bit of kit, and most used, is a combination of things. Living as we do (very luckily) in the country, there are no street lights. Some nights you can’t even find the Land Rover on the drive! When out walking on the farm there are hazel rods to be harvested and there are often sheep to be cut free from brambles, or, at home, things that need tightening or adjusting and parcels to open. There are always cosy fires to be lit at home (especially in this current mini Ice Age). This led me to make this pouch over fifteen years ago that carries my most used kit on my belt. It contains my Leatherman wave multi tool, a Surefire E2 torch and a genuine Swedish fire steel. All are the best for the job as they see regular (daily) use and I can’t afford to have them let me down.
Roger Harrington www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
When the Saints Come Marching So-called because they often fruit around April 23rd, St. George’s Day, these are one of the few Spring fungi worth seeking out for a meal. They grow in grassy places, lawns, road verges and at the edge of woods (sometimes in grassless spots). Whitish bun-shaped caps with pale brown tints (especially when dry), and a wavy, slightly inrolled rim when young, stout stems, crowded white gills and a strong moist, mealy/floury smell are reliable identification features. They often grow in clusters and sometimes in rings. Make sure the mushroom has all these features and if it is your first time eating them, show them first to someone experienced.
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Win a stylish neck-knife! Courtesy of Adam Giles at Hands On Bushcraft, this is your chance to win a hand forged neck knife/ striker combo. Each knife is forged by his local blacksmith in Wiltshire and is stamped with the ‘Hands On’ logo. The knife of the lucky winner will be personalised with the initials of the owner. Use your bushcraft skills to find the first St. George’s Mushrooms of the year. Take a photo of you showing the hand-written date on a piece of paper with the mushrooms. The first clear and genuine entry we receive by e-mail will win the prize! See page 4 for ID help.
“Before I became enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water. After I became enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water.”
Zen saying.
Ben’s Bushcraft I am 17 years old and hoping to start a career in bushcraft and survival. For the last seven years I have lived in the heart of the East Sussex countryside – an area called the Rother District. It would be fair to say that I've pretty much lived in the forests and fields that quite literally surround our house. In that time I have taught myself a good deal of Bushcraft skills relevant to the British countryside. Now, a few months ago I started up a channel on Youtube – 'Ben's Bushcraft'. After working on my videos and realising what makes an enjoyable show I have recently gained a small but loyal set off followers. However, the problem is... nobody's heard of me! I want to direct traffic to my site and get views and furthermore I really do think that if people found out about what I'm doing they would be interested and perhaps impressed. I have a growing audience, views from all over the USA, as well as views from Canada, Russia, Germany, France, Sweden and even Brazil; but mostly from the UK. I wish to stress that I have only a few videos at the moment on Youtube, but I am uploading more and more by the day.
Ben Anson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfwFCkCGkw0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh1-MzJtu0A
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”
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Native American, tribe unknown. Bushcraft Magazine
Living in the Stone A of Bushcraft
All photos © Beyond2000bc
Will Lord
My name is Will Lord, founder of Beyond 2000 BC, and I have spent almost four decades of my life dedicated to practicing the ancient skills that were used by our ancestors to live and flourish. I grew up at the renowned English Heritage site of Grimes Graves in Norfolk, a series of flint mines that were worked approximately 4000 years ago. This inspiring location and the activities that took place there are attributed to the Neolithic period, a time nearing the end of the stone age, with just 500 years before we see bronze tools in Britain and the beginning of the metal ages. From that place I began a personal journey – a quest to rediscover the ancient life skills of our ancestors who were living in a time when our modern mentality imagines that every day seems like it was a ‘survival situation’. But was it, really?
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How do we truthfully begin to imagine life through the eyes of our ancestors? For me, a good place to start is by considering the most basic needs: food, shelter and warmth. How we prioritise tasks is going to influence whether we make it or not. Preparing yourself to enter the true mind-set of our ancestors can take many different passages but I think we can accept a few constants along our way. One such is that we will be always
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hunting... we gently, not urgently, follow our natural imperative to forage and eat. But, for these ancient peoples, a massively overriding factor is that they had grown up already surrounded by the skills and knowledge of their fathers and mothers, learning from them what to eat, how to make tools and to view every successful situation as a comfort, rather than despairing at how terrible it could be if they failed to secure the next meal. Tool Types Through the Periods Lower Palaeolithic Period - circa 2.5 million years until 200,000 years ago. Australopithecus; Homo habilis; Homo erectus; Homo ergaster; Homo antecesscor; Homo heidelbergensis and archaic Homo neanderthalensis. The chopper core was a common early tool made from varying types of stones, fashioned to a sharp edge by striking it with another similar stone. Normally achieved in three to four hits, we consider its use was to smash open bones, for the extraction of marrow. It was the earliest type of tool that we know of. The next tool development found within this period was the hand axe, made from stones such as flint that are capable of conchoidal fracture. These are generally regarded as tools for the purpose of butchery, as they are more than capable of easily cutting through meat and hide.
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e Age - the Origins
reshaped like carpenters’ chisels to work bone and antler, and fire was becoming part of the style of life too. It may be worth noting we are not only seeing the demise of the Neanderthal at this time but also big game such as the great woolly mammoth.
This period begins to see the phasing out of the chopper core and refinements to the hand axe, also known as the Acheulean industry, such as slimming of the Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods profile and techniques being applied such as the tranchet The Mesolithic - circa 10,000 until 6,000 years ago style, which produces a more cleaver like tool. The Neolithic - circa 6,000 until 4,000 years ago Homo sapiens only. Also blade core technology was becoming more Genetic science now confirms that modern humans prevalent, where large blades were being created, giving interbred with Neanderthals and we still share their gene the toolmaker a very sharp, organised shape with among us today. relatively little effort. The mind-set required to produce these long, thin blades shows a definite progression in Before considering these two periods of time as thinking. individual and separate from the Palaeolithic time scale,
we should perhaps remember that the time throughout both periods is quite short, although still part of the Stone Age. What differs greatly is that modern humans have become the dominant hunter-gatherer and the Neanderthal is no more. This is a great place to look through the Mesolithic hunter’s eyes. A new world emerges, we are adept at the hunting skills needed and know the plant This period shows a great advancement in tool culture world in such a way as it would have been like us walking and life-styles. We often encounter such things as cave art around a supermarket. I know that is hard to take on and bone or antler tools. The atlatal, or spear thrower, board for us these days, but it’s true. style of hunting and evidence of fitting shaped flint points onto wooden shafts comes into action. Blades were Mesolithic man started to use his resources more thought-
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Upper Palaeolithic Period - circa 45,000 until 10,000 years ago. Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals, are in decline and are according to some, totally wiped out by about 28,000 years ago. Homo sapiens, modern humans like us, are doing well and on the increase.
WILDERNESS LIVING SKILLS
Middle Palaeolithic Period - circa 200,000 until 45,000 years ago. Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens sapiens.
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fully, using tiny slithers of flint called microliths that could be set into various mounts to offer an array of compound tools for all manner of uses. The Neolithic sees the arrival of polished and ground tools and axe heads that would be hafted for tree felling and working. These take hundreds of hours to shape and would have often been considered as high status objects. The hand axe is now decommissioned. Mankind has finally made it. We have discovered a mighty cognitive seed that can be planted whereever we wish and can only grow from strength to strength. Back to the beginning So what better place to start than at Happisburgh Beach along the coast of North Norfolk in East Anglia, where our British time-line begins? Almost 1,000,000 years ago, early humans, known to us Homo heidelbergensis were making stone tools, designed for processing large carcasses that would provide food for their family and themselves. Along this stretch of coast are some of the finest flint nodules that you could ever hope to obtain, along with quartzite pebbles that provide the natural hammer-stones for perfectly reducing the flint into hand axes, just as those archaic humans did. The flint tool was not only extremely well made but capable of efficiently butchering animals as large as a Woolly Mammoth. Miraculously, the tool we know as a hand axe has passed through time, (under several ice ages and against harsh ocean erosion), to be here with us today. Choosing a flint stone to produce a hand axe. The type of flints you will find will vary in shape and quality. After a little experimentation and observation you will become adept at selecting some suitable pieces. In my opinion, the flint found at Happisburgh is excellent but you can sometimes find it has a fracture running through it which will prevent you from acquiring your desired tool. Look for the ones that are about 6� X 5� X 2� in dimension (15 X 12.5 X 5cm). It will be a bonus if the nodule has a cortex (a creamy or chalk-like skin), as this will have protected the flint from damage.
Selecting a hammer stone.
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Quartzite hammer stones are abundant along this beach and can easily be identified by their sandy texture and brown to orange colours. As a rule of thumb, you will try
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to pick stones that are approximately a third in size of the flint itself. It will take a little practice to perfect your judgement in this but you will soon come to appreciate that the hammer is so important for the results to be pleasing, and as your knapping progresses, you will place great emphasis on selecting the correct hammer stone for each strike. Shaping the hand axe. Let us assume that the flint stone you have selected is smooth from the sea and fits reasonably into the hand that would hold it while butchering, we therefore need to take a series of flakes off along the edges. The complication we meet is deciding what angle to hold the flint at and also what direction we should attempt to strike the flint from? So, for our first attempt we will keep the process basic. I am right handed and I locate the flint on the outside edge of my left leg, this allows for my hammer hand to fall in a nice and consistent arc into the position where I have the flint held. The flint should be held flat, as if you were balancing a marble on the surface. Two things will ensue; first you will have an impact point on the top and close to the edge of the flint, secondly the result of an impact will be a removal that does not travel straight down as you might expect, but which carries off a flake travelling at approximately 45 degrees to the angle you have struck it from. By doing this you will notice that you have created the first sharp edge of the hand axe. The sharp edge will be just behind the point at which you struck the flint and is therefore located at the surface of one side of the flint. The whole axe could be produced in this manner and the result would thereby be described as plano-convex. What we are trying to produce, however, is called an ovate biface, so we need to turn the flint over and strike along the edge of the fresh face produced from previous removals, just below the middle of the thickness of the flint, this will shift the cutting edge to the middle of the tool. Now that you can see how the flakes peel and the cutting edge moves from side to side, you have to carefully plan each shot, in order to eventually arrive at a suitable tool capable of butchering your mammoth. Remember, a cutting edge travelling too far into the hand will cut you as easily as it cuts the game you are intent on butchering. In the past, they often left a flattened section at the rear of the axe for the pressure of the hand to fall on, to avoid this problem. We describe this as a butted hand axe. During my years of teaching flint knapping I have found that knapping requires you to form a relationship with the materials you are working with and for this to happen you have to practice as often as you can. Good luck with your trials and don’t forget a little personal protection, such as protective glasses, gloves and a leg pad might be worth investing in at the outset.
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If you want to come and practice with Will on one of his courses, he can be found at www.beyond2000bc.co.uk and www.will-lord.co.uk
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Maga-zine
Potted Shrimp 200g unsalted butter Fresh juice of 1 lemon Ÿ tsp ground pepper ½ tsp fresh, finely chopped fennel 200g cooked and peeled brown shrimps Cayenne pepper, to serve Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat. Watch it carefully, if it burns it will ruin the flavour and colour of the finished dish. Strain the liquid through some kitchen roll, into a jug. Wipe out the pan, and return two-thirds of the clarified butter to it. Keep it just warm so that it does not cool and set while you prepare the shrimp. Mix a little fresh fennel, lemon juice and cayenne into the shrimps to your taste, then divide them between the ramekins, pressing them down firmly. Pour the clarified butter into the shrimp ramekins and place them in a cool place to set Once they are almost solid, you can pour over the remainder of the clarified butter and return them to a cool place to set completely. Serve with a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper sprinkled over the top and some salted seaweed oatcakes.
120g plain wholemeal flour 120g whole oatmeal 85g butter 1 handful of washed and finely shredded Ground Ivy leaves Coarse sea salt and a very little pepper to season Cold water to mix Mix the oats and flour in a bowl. Season with a mere pinch or two of fresh ground pepper. Rub in the butter until you have a mixture a little like breadcrumbs and then stir in the Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, making sure that it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Mix in just enough water to form a soft dough. Heat the griddle pan and liberally grease with vegetable shortening.
Salted Seaweed Oatcakes
Break off a ball of dough approx. the size of a small walnut and flatten it between your palms, working it round and round until it is as thin as you can get it. Sprinkle it with the merest pinch of crushed coarse seasalt, and press it gently into the surface .
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Drop the oatcake onto the griddle and cook until it is just browned, then flip it over and brown the other side. Allow the oatcakes time to cool and crisp up before serving them alongside your chosen topping .
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Garlic Shrimp Pasta 400g Shrimps 200g Nettle tagliatelle 3 to 4 cloves garlic Butter Oil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Chilli flakes
splash of oil over a low heat, then add the finely chopped garlic and cook gently until it has softened. (You may substitute some shredded Ramsons if you have them, but only add them at the end of cooking or they will lose their flavour).
Wash and steam the shrimps, then peel them.
Add the warm pasta to the pan and toss it about until it is completely coated in the garlic butter.
Boil the pasta in a little water until tender, then drain and drizzle in a little oil before covering and setting aside.
Add the prepared shrimp and again toss everything together so that they are thoroughly mixed in.
Melt a generous knob of butter in a
Sprinkle over a pinch of chilli flakes and serve immediately.
Seafood and Wild Chervil Broth
Heat a pan briefly before adding the clams/cockles/ mussels/shrimps etc., followed by the onion, fennel, garlic, a grind or two of pepper, the chopped wild chervil (cow parsley) stalks and the white wine. Place a lid on the pan and cook over a high heat for a few minutes until the shellfish open and the shrimps are pink. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into a colander, making sure to retain the juices.
Pour the reserved liquid into a small pan and whisk in the butter then add the fish stock. Cover the pan and keep it warm over a low heat. Pick over the shellfish, discarding any that have not opened and removing all but a few from their shells (keep these separate to be used as a garnish), then place them in the broth and re-cover the pan. Warm a griddle pan and add a little oil. Season the fish slices with salt and pepper then place them in the pan skin-side down and cook for a few minutes. Then carefully turn the slice of fish over and cook the other side. The fish should be thoroughly cooked, but not dry. Pour just a little water, along with some butter, into a small saucepan and lightly poach the coarsely shredded sea beet until it is just cooked. Place the sea beet into the base of the serving bowl and place the fish on top. Gently ladle the hot broth over everything, arranging the mixed shellfish on and around the sea beet and fish then lightly sprinkle chopped wild chervil over the dish. Serve immediately.
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200g fish - white/salmon, etc. 100g mixed clams/cockles/shrimp/mussels 2 springs of fresh fennel, chopped 1 medium onion finely chopped Generous knob of butter Oil 100g sea beet leaves 1 glass white wine 4 large sprigs wild chervil - Anthriscus sylvestris 4 or 5 stems of wild chervil chopped into smallish pieces Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 200ml fish stock
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Fry both sides of the fish in a little oil making sure that it is cooked right through. Set everything aside in covered bowls. Gently melt the butter into a splash of oil in a large, heavy based pan, then add the onion and garlic and sweat them down until they soften and become transparent. Add the rice and stir everything together until it is completely coated in the butter/oil mixture. Pour in the wine and bring the liquid to the boil. (You can make this part of the risotto ahead of time then stir, cover and set aside until you are ready to assemble and serve the dish). When you are ready to complete the dish, return the pan to the heat and gradually add small amounts of the fish stock to the rice, stirring carefully and allowing it to absorb the liquid before adding the next batch. Do take your time over this part as it will give you a lovely creamy textured risotto.
Seafood Risotto 400g Shrimps 40 Mussels 100g Fish - white/salmon etc., your choice 200g Cockles 500ml fish stock 200ml dry white wine 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic finely chopped 350g Risotto rice 2 or 3 fronds of wild fennel 1 good sized bundle of everlasting pea shoots Parmesan Oil
Steam or lightly poach the pea shoots in a little water, until they are bright green and just cooked. Cover them and set aside. When the rice is just tender, cover it and lightly fry the shrimp, mussels, cockles etc. in very little oil, just to heat them through thoroughly.
Steam the shrimps and peel them. Rinse the cockles carefully to remove as much grit as possible, then cook them quickly in a little water in a covered pan. Discard any that remain closed and remove the flesh from all but the last 10 to garnish the dish.
Finely mince a small bundle of wild fennel fronds and stir them into the rice. Stir the seafood mixture into the risotto, garnishing the top with the cockles and mussels in their shells. Lay the warm pea shoots around the edge of the plate and shave a generous amount of parmesan over the dish. Serve at once.
Scrape the beards from the mussels and rinse them to remove any grit. Briefly cook them in a little water until they have opened discarding any that do not. Remove them from their shells, reserving the last 10 intact for garnish.
Turnstones - Arenaria interpres
Shrimps, Plaice and Dover Sole
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Cockle burying itself
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Pogge - Agonus cataphractus
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Photos S. Kirk
CLOUD VARIETIES: UNDULATUS ASPERATUS
While there are only ten main cloud types, Altocumulus being one such, they conjure up a seemingly endless variety of patterns and forms. To that end, supplementary lists of Latin-based words are used in their description. There are fourteen species, for example, which combined with a cloud type imparts more information. Thus, Altocumulus stratiformis, indicates that this heaped mid-level cloud is forming a layer, even though it is not strictly a layer cloud. Then there are another nine Latin cloud varieties. These help to describe the arrangements of the cloud’s elements and transparency of the cloud and several can be used at once, when a number of features are present. Hence we can end up with a cloud formation that is Altocumulus stratiformis translucidus perlucidus lacunosus undulatus! This would indicate that the species mentioned above is a translucent, extensive layer but with gaps showing blue sky or the sun through them and has a net-like, wavy appearance. Meteorologists would abbreviate this to Ac str pe tr la un, to make it more manageable. And finally there are three accessory clouds and six supplementary features to enlist where necessary. So the addition of virga to the long line of Latin above, would indicate that there were distinct patches of precipitation that did not reach the ground.
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Some cloud varieties may be of strange and striking appearance and are not commonly seen. Stratus, Stratocumulus, Altocumulus, Altostratus, Cirrocumulus and Cirrostratus all, at times, exhibit wave-like characteristics and this is when they have undulatus added to their name. Just like waves, the undulations may resemble gentle ripples or have strong peaks and troughs, so the term covers a broad range of appearances. Familiar ones are likely to be Altocumulus undulatus and Cirrocumulus undulatus, which give us a ‘mackerel’ sky.
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Distance from the observer can reduce the effect of a vigorous formation. The lower the clouds, the more noticeable the features are. Take a look at the Stratus undulatus formation, below, developing over a period of about fifteen minutes. Stratus occurs between 0m (fog) and 500m. Above this it becomes Altostratus and of course, from the ground it can be difficult to gauge the height of the cloud base accurately near the boundary; this seemed to be quite low, but may be Altostratus. Wind shear (a difference in the direction and speed of the wind in the cloud layer and below) is said to be the cause of these strange designs with eddies caused by the landscape bulging up into the layer above.
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Recently, a meteorology student at Reading University who studied the weather records relating to the date and location of numerous images of these clouds and produced a computer model from the data, determined that the wind shear that forms undulatus and the conditions that produce mamma (or mammatus) clouds (see Thunderstorm Features TBM Vol. 8, No. 2 Summer 2012) seem to be combined in these formations. In his MSc thesis he concluded that it was a valid candidate for inclusion as a cloud supplementary feature. Whether asperatus achieves official recognition by inclusion in the next update of the World Meteorological Organisation’s International Cloud Atlas remains to be seen. It has the backing of the UK’s body, the Royal Meteorological Organisation. In the meantime, however, if you fancy tagging asperatus, unofficially, onto a long line of Latin – keep watching the skies!
WEATHER LORE
In 2009 the Cloud Appreciation Society http:// cloudappreciationsociety.org/ suggested that some clouds were too wildly undulating and irregular to be termed simply ‘wave-like’, and proposed a new variety – asperatus, which means ‘roughened up’. They published a number of photographs of complex and disturbingly weird skies, some of which were very like the above, and others that resemble the third picture of the sequence to the left, but more strongly lit. The idea rapidly gained popular support and media interest around the world and brought forth many more examples of the cloud formation.
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Paul Bradley
To Make a P
If I am starting a prototype, I will usually play with graph paper first and design by drawing. [1]
card or mount board if I want a more permanent pattern. [2]
This particular pouch is for a 2oz tobacco tin based survival kit. So first we need the dimensions of the tin, in this case 110mmx80mmx25mm. This gives us the basis for the front of the pouch, though we have to add a bit for stitching, 5mm per side. We also don’t want the tin to be too tight in the pouch, so lets go for 90mm wide and 110mm tall. This should put the tin poking out very slightly from the top - giving us something to grab hold of. The side tabs also need a stitch allowance, so we make those 30mm. The base must match so that also is set at 30mm. The back matches the front, so we know that size too.
This is then cut out and any fold lines are scored to aid folding. [3]
Now the flap. We know the length of the top of the flap, 30mm, but we want the width a bit wider than the pouch so there is a nice overlap so add another 5mm each side, continuing to the front flap. The front flap can be any length you want but I like the rule of thirds and curves, so I made it about two thirds of the length and nicely curved.
If at this stage it all appears to work and looks the way you expect then the pattern can be transferred to the leather, flesh side so any mistakes with the pen don’t show, and then cut out. I have also punched the holes for the popper, and prepared a strip for the belt loop. [5] To help the leather fold in the right place and have the corners look crisp, there are a couple of options. a 'V' gouge works very well, but in this case I thought the leather a little thin, so I used a heated creaser on the flesh side. [6] The next stage was to mark the stitch holes for the belt loop and for this I used a stitching chisel.[7] Because this is a box pouch, we want the edges to meet at 45 degrees so we bevel all the edges that will be joined. On thicker leather I would use a French edge skiving tool, but in this case a standard no 3 beveller does the job. [8]
Then little details are added such as radiusing the back corners of the flap, just as finishing touches. All exposed edges are then slicked and burnished with gum tragacanth .[9] When I am happy with the design I transfer it to thick 2
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a Possibles Pouch
leather until it is fully absorbed. [14-15] Once the dye has fully dried, I then seal the leather. I use various products depending on application but in this case chose to use Snoseal; I like that it is beeswax -based, does a really nice job and isn't too shiny. [16]
At this stage all the preparation is done so we can now colour the leather, I chose to do this one in black - bit of a mistake really as it made the pictures less clear.
Now we have our pieces coloured, we are ready to start assembling. [17]
I have started using the Eco-Flo Pro water stains and am having very good results with them. [13]
First we have to sew on the belt loop, and fit the hardware, in this case a popper. We do it now because if left until after sewing up the main pouch, we won’t have access to the inside [18-21]
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The stain is applied to a sponge and rubbed into the
D. I. Y.
Then, using a stitch marking wheel and awl, all of the stitch holes are marked and made. I haven't used a stitch groover for this project as we will be using a decorative surface stitch. [10-12]
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There are numerous ways of sewing the sides of the main pouch, this project started as an experiment of the different methods. I have used lace as well as thread and different styles of stitch. What seems to work best so far is a simple cross stitch. So starting at the bottom I commence stitching using two needles. [22-23]
before going up the side, as it gets tricky to sew the second base if one side is fully closed. [24-25] Once that is done I then complete the first side, with a final loop stitch at the top, [26] and then the second side of stitching and a final buff with a soft cloth and it is done. [27]
The
Once I have completed one side of the base I then do the other
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Bushcraft Magazine
John Michael Musselman Naomi
Lynx Vilden
JT Beggs
Photographer - Eric Valli
The
“I awoke from a version of sleep to feel snow on my face! My only comfort was that snow meant the rain had passed. I had escaped from our cave, escaped from the only thing offering us any protection from the storm. After the fire had gone out and the stories had finished, the cave had seemed so much smaller. The people next to me had become not so much „comforting friends‟ but more „claustrophobically close‟. My pillow transformed back into a log and was not the charming piece of bedding as it had been an hour ago. I ran to the fire, desperate for air. It had seemed like a good plan. Now, there was just me under a looming sky of snow, my felted blanket just about covering me. Grateful for the small fur rim on my buckskin hood I held it close to my neck hugging my heated jagged rock for warmth. Even though I was cold and shivering I couldn‟t help but feel blessed to have the chance to feel so close the elements”.
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Although I try, it is hard to truly express what the experience meant to me, how it affected me, changed me, even. It was the most intense and incredible journey of my life so far. For four months we had been learning primitive and traditional skills, in Eastern Washington state, right on the edge of the North Cascades and working our way towards living an entirely Stone Age existence for the final month. We had heard about the course after a chance meeting with our teacher, Lynx and her colleague, Rico, in a park on the outskirts of London. They just happened to be visiting family in England. The last thing we expected to see was a couple walking through any part of London dressed from head to toe in buckskins! Prior to that, Dan and I had been learning bushcraft and outdoor skills for four years or so. Then, a short while later, my partner Daniel and I found our-
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Daniel Westall
Ancient Ways for Modern Days Naomi Westall
And finally the day came to leave for the wilderness. It was an amazing sight to see everything laid out ready to be packed. It was all hand-made from natural materials and there was nothing that we did not absolutely need. I felt such pride, arranging them to be wrapped in our felted blankets and folded into backpacks. All the food was weighed out and buffalo fat distributed between gourds; each day was accounted for, every calorie in protein and fat wrapped up like gold dust. Soon, we were
selves flying out to America and journeying on to the small town of Twisp, a place far, far away. First there came the „preparation‟ period – time spent learning the necessary skills and crafts needed for our Stone Age experience. I remember clearly the first day of class. We were packed into the back of a truck and taken to the butchers shop in the town. We were led around the back, given a saw each and a bin bag full of...sheep heads. Apparently, we needed their brains.
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Every class was a step further into living in the wild. Amongst the lessons were
A MATTER OF COURSE
the making of stone and bone tools; wild animal preparation; natural fire making; brain tanning; clothes and moccasin making; flint knapping; blanket felting; pottery; foraging; drying and preserving food; fishing line and hook making and not to forget, at the heart of it all, community living, a truly intrinsic skill needed for the task ahead. Each class, each new skill helped to equip us physically, mentally, and practically for the Stone Age. We discovered later, however, that nothing could truly prepare us for the determination needed nor the emotions we would face head on.
Bushcraft Magazine
wonder if the wild animals were getting tamer or we were getting closer to being wild? We were certainly looking wilder by this point, relying only on one another for updates of our appearance or finding different ways to see our reflections. I remember one day tying my hair up using the silhouette of my shadow and another day looking on in wonder as I saw a vague replica of my face in a pool of water. I certainly was beginning to feel more feral, more alive, more connected to the land. Dirt was ingrained in the cracks of our skin, our clothes were black with charcoal from walking through a fresh wildfire. The colours of our clothes muted into the background, helping to merge us into the landscape. I was beginning to feel lighter both in mind and body.
Photos by Daniel Westall
We had had no plan, no map, no time frame and no modern kit. We wore nothing but the buckskins we had made, used no other tools than those of stone, bone or wood and ate only foods we‟d hunted, fished or foraged. We slept under the stars with a rock for a pillow, if we were lucky, huddled close to each other for warmth, the odd jagged rock warmed by the fire acting as a hot water bottle. We swam in lakes so beautiful photographs don‟t do them justice and took in sights so breathtaking words couldn‟t paint the same picture. We felt truly alive and blessed. all packed up, our 50lb blanket packs fitting uncomfortably on our backs, the buffalo straps digging in, our thinly moccasined feet itching to go. We were clad from head to toe in buckskins, pulsing with anticipation, just waiting for night to fall. Lynx wanted us to leave under the disguise of night. We would slip out of society she said and into the „real‟ world, unnoticed.
The
During my time in the Stone Age my favourite day was the one where I went fishing. I wouldn‟t say I‟m much of a fisherwoman, but this was different. To begin with, I made my line from horse hair collected from Lynx‟s beautiful steeds; with a thinner leader line made from Dog Bane plant fibre. I used a buffalo rib from our gracious We jumped into the back of a pick-up truck around 11 p.m., provider, sanded down with sandstone, to make a hook. I with a crystal clear night full of stars above and an owl flying hunted for grasshoppers for bait. I found myself a long stick, attached my primitive line and cast it into the clear blue lake alongside, guiding our way. We drove through the night, and waited. And sure enough, something bit! The adrenaline everyone deep in their own thoughts. We disembarked in kicked in and I nearly lost my catch, not to mention my footsilence and started up the mountain trail wrapped up in our ing on the edge of the water. I regained my balance, pulled own journeys. We walked for what seemed like miles. Up, back the stick over my head with a jolt and looked up to see up, up. We reached the first of many destinations several hours later. Lynx lit a fire, we shared some thoughts between the fish come flying over my head after it! I had caught my us, ate some jerky, laid out our sheepskins and felted blankets first „primitive‟ trout! I cooked it on a fire we had made using the bow drill and ate it with my bare hands, toasting the bones and succumbed to the call of sleep. and all! There‟s no feeling of satisfaction like it. There were six of us in total in our tribe. Myself and partner Daniel, John Michael, JT, Lynx and Eric. The only contact we We emerged back into some form of civilization some time had with the outside world was the odd hiker we passed with later, tired and exhilarated. Our skin mapped out with a thousand lines of engrained dirt. confused and intrigued looks on their faces. It was summer time, but we were high up in the mountains. Our days were And so, after a period of reflection and consolidation, mostly spent walking, foraging for greens and berries, swimOutback2basics was formed. We want to make primitive and ming in ice cold lakes and fixing holes in worn moccasins. traditional skills accessible to all, not just something to read Our days felt full and long. We awoke when the sun did and about in books; we want to teach how to actually make the went to bed as it set. We ate when we were hungry, not crafts that we peer at under glass in a museum. And, above governed any more by clocks or diaries. all, we want people to feel that re-connection with nature that we experienced during our Stone Age immersion. We met some of the local natives including a young bear, marmots, dancing picas and a majestic mountain goat. What was strange was how unafraid of us they were. Some were even fascinated, creeping closer for a better look. It led us to www.outback2basics.co.uk
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Spring in Snowdonia Matt Fletcher
The Welsh Forestry Commission operate and maintain several forest parks which are open to the public as long as there is are no ongoing logging operations at the time, of which there are currently many – so be sure to pay attention to the signs.
The A5 road cuts a path across the country from East to West, taking you through Llangollen (Pronounced Clan-gothlen) with its scenic rivers and excellent hillwalking, through to Betws Y Coed (Bet-wes-y-coyd) and its even more picturesque cliffs, crags, woodland and rivers. Keep heading west and you will eventually end up in Llanberris (Clan-berr-is), a unique little village near the base of Mount Snowdon, known locally as Yr Wyddfa. Snowdon is of course, well worth a climb in good weather. Always check the weather reports and listen to local advice before heading up to the hills, people die with alarming regularity up there due to rapidly changing conditions, snow, ice and essentially, the cold. Even on a good day, the weather can become quite a challenge but that is the whole point of climbing mountains, isnâ€&#x;t it? The challenge? If you do not fancy walking all that way uphill then perhaps opt for a spot of rock climbing in one of the hundreds of world class climbing crags in the area. North Wales is, arguably, the outdoor pursuits capital of the UK and you will not have to look far for a guide or a company to take you climbing, hill walking, mountaineering, gorge walking, canoeing,
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Take Gwydr Forest Park for example. Here you will find streams, rivers, lakes, rocks (huge rocks for climbing on), hills and of course, trees, all within a relatively small area; it's like a packet of selfcontained adventure. The North Wales area, roughly encompassing Snowdonia National Park and the Dee Valley to the west, has very good road links and at least a few mainline railway stations. It is not all that difficult to get to either.
Many of the forests here are planted conifers and it can be difficult at times to find anything other than a pine tree, but search around and you will eventually come across a lone birch or a patch of Rowan.
WILDERNESSBRITAIN
North Wales is a different place. For some in this rocky and damp land, the first language is Welsh and you will often hear people speaking in strange tones in shop queues. People say hello to you and are generally very friendly. Much of North Wales has an isolated feel to it, in spite of it being not all that remote. What really sets the landscape apart from other areas of the UK is the vast diversity.
Bushcraft Magazine
walls which make finding somewhere to stop and park at best, a challenge and at worst, impossible. You can literally drive for 10 miles before you can find a place to stop. With this in mind, it is worth picking up an OS map and planning out some routes along the footpaths and bridleways to take you from point A to B or even in a loop, beginning in a village or town that has a parking area, to make life easier. Due to the difficulty with parking, some woodland areas remain in very good condition and are free from litter and feel as though nobody has ever been there before.
A land of mountains,
The hilly terrain brings with it some interesting weather. It is not rare for clouds to pass through camp and for it to rain heavily on one side of a hill and be perfectly calm and sunny on the other. This can be taken advantage of, if it is raining where you are, get moving, it will probably be okay over the next hill. Good times to visit North Wales are any time of the year while the kids are at school. School holidays see thousands and thousands of tourists arrive and make travelling both on foot and by car a crowded prospect. There are not too many other places in the world that can boast mountains, white water rivers, beaches, hills, climbing crags, and forests of such high quality all within a 10 miles radius and this attracts a lot of people all coming for different things.
lakes,
forests and...
For the opportunistic bushcrafter there is much to explore, but be aware that Wales has the same Right to Roam policy as in England, that is, you don't really have the right to roam, unless you are happy to stay within the confines of a one metre wide footpath. Luckily, this land is sparsely populated and there appears to be enough countryside and wilderness to go around (except during school holidays). Steer clear of the more famous walks and head for the less well-known walking routes and you wonâ€&#x;t go wrong. If you do find yourself
kayaking, white water rafting, stand-up paddle boarding, sea kayaking, sailing or mountain biking. Some of the more interesting guided activities on offer include axe throwing, archery, coastal foraging and of course, bushcraft. In fact you might even meet me on one of those courses one day.
The
This terrain is full of nooks and crannies to tuck yourselves away in and forget about the civilised world for a while, but be warned – access can be tricky. Most of the main access roads in the country are lined with stone
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having strayed onto private land, the chances are you will not know it until the land owner arrives. While there is a lot of agriculture, particularly sheep farming, the livestock are left to roam in the mountains and are fenced in at various points, which can make it easy to forget that you are on somebody else‟s land. While on the subject of wildlife, there are no deer to speak of, I have not yet seen one nor any sign of one and neither has anyone else that I have asked. However, what North Wales lacks in deer it makes up for in Wild Mountain Goats, which are always fun to watch as they skip around precariously on ledges and rocks hundreds of meters high. The goats also make noises that sound a lot like people, or babies crying – which can make for a disturbing night's sleep in a creepy sort of way. Back to the access information; essentially it is the same as in England. You should have the landowner‟s permission before camping or lighting fires etc. Anyone that practises bushcraft in England and Wales has likely encountered difficulties in finding somewhere to go or has been moved on from another place at one time or another. For a better perspective of where you stand, it helps to understand the legal situation. I am not advocating that you stray but if you make a mistake, simple trespass, such as walking along a river bank for example, is a civil matter, not a police matter and to take any action the landowner must first be able to prove that you have caused a detriment to their business. As long as you adhere to the countryside code of conduct and leave no trace then there is no legal recourse for a land owner to prevent you from accessing their land. Prolonged stays, disruptive behaviour, littering and the possession of weapons do however give the land owner a right to ask the police to remove you under the criminal “armed trespass” or “aggravated trespass” laws. If confronted by a land owner it is probably best to say as little as possible while remaining calm, friendly and inoffensive. If the land owner feels threatened then the aggravated trespass law can be used. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment and ask yourself if there is a better place for you to camp. That aside, North Wales is a conveniently located, friendly and still wild place to be. I highly recommend it for the adventurous among you, especially those interested in broadening their experience in landscape and skill.
Matt Fletcher is both a student of and a teacher of bushcraft and other outdoor pursuits. He is based in the South East of England but also teaches in North Wales and Scotland. His preferred environment is the jungle, which developed after a four month stay in Central America. His all-time favourite thing to do is a spring-time canoe expedition in the West Highlands of Scotland. Matt operates his own Bushcraft training school, as well as working for other schools an centres on a freelance basis.
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Bushcraft Magazine
BUSHCRAFTER‟S
ALMANAC
NEW MOON
FULL MOON
MARCH 11
19:52
MARCH 27
09:28
APRIL 10
09:36
APRIL 25
19:58
MAY 10
00:29
MAY 25
04:26
JUNE 08
15.57
JUNE 23
11.33
JULY 08
07.15
JULY 22
18.16
METEOR SHOWERS
Name
Dates
Peak
Lyrids
April 16-25
Post-midnight 25+ 21-22
Eta Aquarids
April 19-May 28
Pre-dawn May 4-5
?
Perseids
July 23-August 20
August 12
100+
SUNSET
SUNRISE
LON
CAR
Hourly rate
EDIN BEL
LON
CAR
EDIN BEL
MAR 1 06.43 06.58 07.04 07.10
MAR 1 17.41 17.53 17.48 18.00
APR 1
APR 1
05.33 05.48 05.43 05.53
18.34 18.46 18.51 19.01
MAY 1 04.30 04.45 04.29 04.43
MAY 1 19.24 19.36 19.54 19.58
JUN 1
03.48 04.01 03.35 03.53
JUN 1
20.08 20.21 20.47 20.49
JUL 1
03.48 04.00 03.31 03.52
JUL 1
20.20 20.33 21.01 21.02
Note that all times are Universal Coordinated Time UTC /GMT.
The stars that make up the constellation of Hercules are not particularly bright, most of them are less visible than the stars of the Plough, for instance, but their position in the sky is bounded by some distinctive star patterns and marked by a brilliant star, so overall it is not difficult to find. Vega, in Lyra, the Lyre, is the fifth brightest in the sky THE PHANTOM and the third most prominent in the Northern Hemisphere. Once you know where to look, the star-pattern that is Hercules is very recognisable but the first thing you must do is turn it upside down. Precession, the slight wobble in the Earth’s axis, has caused the constellation to be inverted from its ancient position. Those are his legs at the top and the head is one the brighter stars of the constellation, Rasalgethi, which means ‘the Head of the Kneeler’. Who the Kneeling One was, has been lost in antiquity and may be of Babylonian or Phoenician origin. The lines between the stars in the star map are to help you connect the patterns and identify the general shape from its component stars, not to portray a stick-man. This constellation was not considered to represent Hercules until relatively recent historic times. Aratus of Soli, a Greek poet, writing almost two and a half thousand years ago, in the 3rd C BC, (G. R. Mair’s translation) describes how to locate him and some of the stories that prevailed: “Right there in its [Draco's] orbit wheels a Phantom form, like to a man that strives at a task. That sign no man knows how to read clearly, nor what task he is bent, but men simply call him On His Knees Ἐγγόνασιν Engonasin. Now that Phantom, that toils on his knees, seems to sit on bended knee, and from both his shoulders his hands are upraised and stretch, one this way, one that, a fathom’s length. Over the middle of the head of the crooked Dragon, he has the tip of his right foot. Here too that Crown [Corona], which glorious Dionysus set to be memorial of the dead Ariadne, wheels beneath the back of the toil-spent Phantom. To the Phantom’s back the Crown is near, but by his head mark near at hand the head of Ophiuchus, and then from it you can trace the starlit Ophiuchus himself Yonder, too, is the tiny Tortoise, which, while still beside his cradle, Hermes pierced for strings and bade it be called the Lyre [Lyra]: and he brought it into heaven and set it in front of the unknown Phantom. That Croucher on his Knees comes near the Lyre with his left knee, but the top of the Bird’s head wheels on the other side, and between the Bird’s head and the Phantom’s knee is enstarred the Lyre.”
Spring Equinox occurs at 11.02 March 20, 2013
The
Summer Solstice occurs at 05:04 June 21, 2013.
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Some four hundred years later the Latin writer Gaius Julius Hyginus still referred to the sign as The Kneeler and was noncommittal as to its identity: “Eratosthenes says he is Hercules, placed above the dragon we have already
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trying to take the herd from him, and pierced many of the beasts with arrows. But after Hercules’ weapons failed, worn out by the number of the barbarians and lack of arms, he fell to his knees, already suffering from many wounds. Jove, however, out of pity for his son, provided that there should be a great supply of stones around him. With these Hercules defended himself and put the enemy to flight. And so Jove put the image of his fighting form among the constellations. Again, some have said that he is Ixion with his arms bound, because he tried to attack Juno. Others say he is Prometheus, bound on Mt. Caucasus.�
Star map: S. Kirk
Perhaps, with that in mind, we should not unequivocally view the constellation as Hercules but as many possible things.
A small fuzzy patch alongside the body, just visible to the naked eye, is a stunning globular cluster in a telescope, but without one we will be left wondering.
STAR LORE
mentioned, and prepared to fight, with his left hand holding his lion skin, and his right the club. He is trying to kill the dragon of the Hesperides, which, it is thought, never was overcome by sleep or closed its eyes, thus offering more proof it was placed there as a guard. Panyassis in the Heraclea says of the sign that Jupiter, in admiration of their struggle, placed it among the stars; for the dragon has its head erect, and Hercules, resting on his right knee, tires to crush the right side of its head with his left foot. His right hand is up and striking, his left extended with the lion skin, and he appears to be fighting with all his strength. Although Aratus says no one can prove who he is, nevertheless we shall try to show that we can say something reasonable.
It should not come as a surprise if we find it difficult to pinpoint the exact colour of the individual stars in this grouping Although they appear to us as single points of light, many turn out to be binary stars when seen with great magnification, and several pairs of these have contrasting colours and periodically eclipse each other!
Araethus, as we said before, calls this figure Ceteus, son of Lycaon, and father of Megisto. He seems to be lamenting the change of his daughter to bear form, kneeling on one knee, and holding up outstretched hands to heaven, asking for the gods to restore her to him. Hegesianax, however, says that he is Theseus, who seems to be lifting the stone at Troezene. Aegeus is thought to have put [corrupt] and a sword under it, and warned Aethra, the mother, not to send him to Athens until he could lift the stone by his own strength and bring the sword to his father. And so he seems to try to lift the stone as high as he can. In this connection, too, some have said that the Lyre, placed nearest this sign, is the lyre of Theseus, for he was skilful in all the arts and seems to have learned the lyre as well. This, too, Anacreon says: Near Theseus, son of Aegeus, is the Lyre.
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* Background colour represents light-polluted sky.
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Others call him Thamyris, blinded by the Muses, kneeling as a suppliant; others, Orpheus, killed by the Thacian women because he looked on the rites of Father Liber. But Aeschylus, in the play entitled Prometheus lyomenos, says that he is Hercules, fighting not with the dragon, but with the Ligurians. For he says that at the time Hercules was driving away the cattle of Geryon, he journeyed through the territory of the Ligurians. They joined forces in
Bushcraft Magazine
“Those that would live in health Steve Kirk
Watercress, Nasturtium officinale, is truly a plant for all seasons. Its strong mustardy, peppery flavour can be enjoyed all the time it is not in flower, from Autumn through to early Summer. Or as Culpeper puts it , “The whole plant abides green in the winter, and tastes somewhat hot and sharp.” It belongs to the Cruciferae, or Cabbage Family, and as such produces stalked spikes of flowers each of which has four white petals arranged in a cross-shape. As its name suggests, it is semi-aquatic – growing in and beside flowing shallow water, often on chalky substrate, sometimes forming dense natural beds at spring or riverheads. It makes great eating, especially when cooked in soups, quiches, pies, as a vegetable on its own, with beef or game. Being of a semi-prostrate nature, watercress needs harvesting carefully. If the plant is short, grab a handful from above, lift slightly and with a sharp knife, cut parallel to the surface of the water, in a kind of scalping action. It is all too easy to wrench it out of the soft mud, stirring up sediment and uprooting the plant. When it is more developed it is easier to grasp a bunch or two and slice it at water level. Too low and you will end up with yellow lower leaves, too much stem and abundant tendrils of white roots. Leave these to re-set. It is possible to fill a carrier bag very quickly with little damage to a natural watercress bed. Every time you cut the plant it releases a natural pesticide into the water that can eventually have a negative impact on any freshwater shrimps (Gammarus pulex) living downstream, so spare them a thought and don‟t drape the plant through the water for any longer than you have to! Unless you know your environment well, do not be tempted to eat the plant raw there and then. If livestock are grazed nearby, even if they can‟t access the water, there is a significant risk of ingesting a liver fluke cyst. The cyst is one of seven stages of the parasite‟s life cycle and is the point of infection. From it a fluke – a kind of parasitic flatworm, Fasciola hepatica – develops inside the liver of the host mammal where it can do serious damage, mostly to sheep or cattle or other grazing livestock; but it can be any animal, including humans. The cycle continues with eggs being passed out into the pasture through the animal‟s droppings. The stage that hatches from these has a short time to mobilise and requires damp conditions to then parasitize a freshwater snail. Upon eventually leaving this host as a minute mobile creature, it becomes a tiny, dormant and highly resilient cyst on a semi-aquatic plant or grass-stem – simply waiting to be eaten.
thirty seconds in boiling water is enough to destroy any pathogens and not render the plant too limp.
The
Bear that all in mind whilst still out in the field and then perform a couple more tests on your harvest. Crush or break it and smell it. If it is reminiscent of horseradish and makes you screw up your nose (the Latin Nasturtium comes from nasus nose, tortus convulsed) then you likely have the right plant. If it has a smell more like parsnips, check the leaves carefully for you may have picked Cut-leaf Water-parsnip Berula erecta, by mistake. Both plants have pinnately compound leaves – that is, once-divided leaf blades having leaflets arranged on both sides of a rib. Those of watercress are oval or rounded (rather variable, in fact) but cress-like – look at other members of the family – and have gently scalloped edges. Those exposed to stong light may have lovely bronze or purplish tints. Water-parsnip belongs to a different family entirely, the Apiaceae or Carrot family, and the leaves are elongated, oval and toothed, According to Defra, liver fluke are on the increase, so more like the true wild parsnip, but harder to differentido not be complacent. Careless movement of infected ate from watercress when young. When this plant flowlivestock about the country and milder winters, coupled ers it produces umbels (radiating umbrella-like spokes) with wetter summers, are contributing factors. That was of small white flowers typical of the Umbelliferae, the bad news. The good news is that cooking kills them another name for this group. – and watercress tastes fabulous cooked. Blanching for
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ealth, may use it if they please” Although Cut-leaf Water -parsnip is eaten in Turkey and has been used as food and medicine by some Native American tribes, it is probably best to avoid it. The plant is believed to be highly toxic to cattle but overall has been poorly studied. In addition, some other aquatic Apiaceae are poisonous and require close scrutiny for safe identification.
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“I observe that during the past week several cases of Still, how lucky are we? We can go out and find the real severe scurvy have been received on board the Dreadstuff. All year round. nought for treatment; and I would venture to claim for a very old-fashioned, but not the less efficient, vegetable alterative, a consideration which I think it now scarcely sufficiently receives for the treatment of such cachectic diseases. I refer to the nasturtium officinale, or common
PLANT LORE
water-cress, a very efficient preparation of which has been, at my suggestion, produced in the laboratory of Messrs. Savory and Barker, of New Bond Street; it is designated the "liquor nasturtii," and contains all the active principles of the plant in a very palatable form. I regret that no official preparation of the plant exists in the British Pharmacopoeia; but in that of 1788, a preparation called the " succus antiscorbuticus" was to be found; and, in the Parisian Codex, there are two valuable preparations-the "succus" and the "syrupus antiscorbuticus", the chief ingredients of which are the water-cress, scurvy-grass, and buckbean. A sample of the fluid prepared by Messrs. Savory and Barker will, I am confident, be supplied to any member of the profession who may be interested in its employment. It has a yellowish-brown colour, with slight acid reaction, is readily mixable with water and alcohol, and Watercress, on the other has a strong taste of the plant ; its specific gravity is hand, is thoroughly life- 992. Each fluid pint of the fluid represents one pound giving and is much and a half of the plant; the dose may therefore be stated sought after around the to be from one drachm to half an ounce. world. It is native to I am, etc., JOHN WYATT, Regimental Surgeon-Major, Europe, North Africa and Coldstream Guards. West Asia but has been Bournemouth, March 20, 1868.” introduced and naturalised in places as far-flung The first commercial watercress beds, said to be at as North and South Dartford, in Kent, began to supply nearby London in America, Australia, New 1808. However, what was once too perishable to be Zealand and Japan. Its transported any distance along poor quality roads qualities, flavour and enjoyed a real surge in popularity with the help of the medicinal applications railways, when the Watercress Line was opened in have long been appreci- 1865. Connecting Alresford in Hampshire, where the ated. Nicholas Culpeper, plant grew naturally and abundantly on the local chalk writing in 1616, is streams and rivers and was thus easily farmed, with the unequivocal; “Water-cress pottage is a good remedy to markets of London, the Midlands and the North, it cleanse the blood in the spring, and help headaches, and ensured that fresh supplies could quickly reach large consume the gross humours winter has left behind; population centres without spoiling. Watercress was those that would live in health, may use it if they please; sold on the streets of towns and cities in big raw if they will not, I cannot help it.” bunches to be eaten from the hand or in sandwiches, and enabling working class people to enjoy cheap health. In the east of its range many and various peoples still use it for treating abdominal, kidney and liver disorders; Nowadays the industry has declined massively. for coughs, bad colds and bronchitis; in the treatment of Although a few traditional watercress growers still tuberculosis, influenza and asthma; for its nutritional survive, (support them for fluke-free raw watercress) value and in some places such as Turkey, for its elsewhere mechanisation and intensive farming are not antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. without their environmental consequences. Milder Watercress was and still is greatly valued as an flavours and imported varieties tie in closely to superantiscorbutic (anti-scurvy agent) by everyday folk, markets and food fads. Like the once ubiquitous oyster, though under-appreciated by the medical and naval watercress has declined from food for the masses, to its establishments, it seems, as the following extract from present status of an overpriced and seemingly ‟posh‟ the British Medical Journal of April 11, 1868 reveals. item.
Bushcraft Magazine
How to Build a Primitiv an American perspective, Part II, by Jamie Burleigh I’m ready to make a rough outline of a bow, but what kind do I want to make? Now that the bow has cured for about 2-3 weeks and you have rubbed in the fat and kept working it into the bow wood, you probably are thinking of what type of bow you want to make. I let the bow "speak" to me as I let the natural curves and dips dictate what "it" wants to be.
will be working with as far as the shape of the bow. Decide where you think the centre of the bow is and draw a line around the stave here. We do not need to add 1½" to the top limb or anything of this nature. As we take the bow down to its final dimensions the bow will be naturally stiffer on the bottom limb, as you want the bottom of the bow to be the same end as the root end of the tree.
What is floor tillered? And fistemele? Later when you get more proficient at bow building you Before we start applying all this pressure to a bow we will be able to make more complex bows if you wish...but haven‟t had a lot of time working on, we should decide let‟s try to keep this one simple! which side of the bow should be the back and belly. The term back of the bow refers to the side of the bow that will What measurements do I need to take to get a true be facing away from you when you are drawing it, and custom fit bow? To start crafting the bow you can just as easily take some the belly is the side of the bow that faces you when you shoot the bow. standard measurements marked by a stick, but for our general instruction a common tape measure will do. There is a simple height to draw length ratio you should stick with if you wish to make a hard working, long lasting primitive bow. The bow should be no less than "man" tall. You can get away with eye level to ground measurement for this. True draw length is a much debated thing, but after you make a primitive bow my way, you can decide which way suits you the best.
I just do a simple test of putting the bow; root end down on a flat surface and lean the top of the bow about 60 degrees. What you want to look for is which side of the bow naturally wants to face up. This will be the belly of the bow. A good rule of thumb is to mark the side of the sapling that faces true south. In our hemisphere, this is the side that gets the most sunlight and water, hence more
When we start to tiller the bow we will keep this measurement well into our minds as we do not want to pull the bow more than an inch past this draw length. When you make your arrows make sure that the back edge of your flaked head, or the back edge of the field point, is about 1" longer than your true draw.
The
Now I have the measurements how do I relay them to the wood? Take your stave and cut it down to your height measurement. This will give you a good look at what you
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Determining which sides will be the back and belly
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All photos by the author
True natural draw length is measured by finding the "v" type depression in your breastbone, and putting one end of a straight stick or arrow right into the "v", then you keep your shoulders FLAT against a wall, outstretch your hands and fingers and try to match up your middle fingers of both hands on your measuring implement, making sure that your shoulders are still flat against the wall. This is the measurement you will need. This is your TRUE natural draw length.
itive Bow
Working the stave
branches and growth on the southerly side and the growth rings will be naturally thicker on this side.
Fistemele is an old term, and it pretty much describes the measurement of a bow‟s brace. A bow‟s brace is a measurement from the centre of the bow, that accords to one half overall physical length of the bow, to the bowstring. There is no common brace height for bows. All bows are different in length, shape, design, and performance.
WILDERNESS LIVING SKILLS
Floor tillering is the process of getting the bow to begin bending while putting the bottom end on the ground and holding the top limb with one hand. It requires putting no more than one half of the desired draw weight worth of applied pressure in the centre of the bow and watching it flex. When floor tillering the bow you should be looking for any abnormalities in the flex of the bow‟s shape. Only make the bow flex about 5 or 6 inches. Measure the bow’s full length.
How much wood do I remove? The bow will determine its final shape; you just have to "listen" to what the bow tells you to do...for example; If your drawknife is chattering on the wood in a certain spot, work it from another direction... If the knot in the wood keeps pulling up splinters… work from another angle, or just let it be...
Mark the half way point, this will be the centre of the handle.
Some parts of the bow may be thick, and some parts of the bow may look like they are getting thinner than the rest, take note of this and mark it with a pencil as some parts of the wood may be naturally stiffer than other spots... When removing wood you can never really work too slowly! You cannot put wood back on to the bow! Go slow! At this point get to know your bow, every dip, every twist, around every knot etc. Using a nice scraper at this point, go over the whole bow removing all the tiny missed spots of bark and tool marks.
Mark three inches below the centre line...
Every time you work on the bow, and after every completed "stage" you should wipe the bow down with fat and burnish it in. Really take the time to cover every inch of the bow, and do not be afraid to really work it in deep with pressure. I usually use a hardwood stick or an antler tine when I do this. Generally, I try to work the bow gently from the centre of the handle section to each tip in a gradual taper. Refer to the photographs under „Working the stave‟ to make careful progression through the early stages. Which string nocks do I prefer and why?
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The
… then mark three inches above centre line; these will be where the handle fades.
Bushcraft Magazine
These marks will be the handle.
Wood to the left of the x marks stays;the x marked section will be removed.
The x means remove wood, the horizontal line is the limb "flat" and the crescent shape is the final shape of the limb tip.
Turned the bow and working on the handle section.
Remove wood from the handle section to the tips.
Working it the opposite direction...
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1] Measure from the tip back roughly 6 inches, this will be the limb tip taper at the ends of the bow. Then mark the wood to be removed from the sides of the limb tip. Remember to mark the limbs also. 2] Wood removed, looking good.
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More long curls taken from the opposite limb from the handle fade area.
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For me, the easiest and best working string nocks are just notches cut out of the bows tips to cradle the string. Some say it is called “opposing string nocks” as one notch is cut from one side of the bow, and the other is cut the opposite way to the first, on the other limb. I really do favour this, as not only is it simple but it makes the bow track in the exact centre of the handle of the bow, so there is no need for any real calculating to measure how much one limb should be longer than the rest to achieve a well balanced bow.
Bow profile from the belly .
In my eyes a well balanced bow will hold centre in the hand and draw smoothly and evenly through the draw. There should be no unnatural twisting and turning of the limbs through the use of heat-induced straightening processes, or from heating up the ends to “up” the performance, or from recurving the tips. If we were going to look for straight perfection we should go to the lumberyard, not the woods!
More bow profile from the belly.
I also deal with twisting limbs further down the draw cycle; I simply taper the nock tips to a pencil type point. Sometimes, I modify them by working a small groove all the way around the tip, about an inch down from the end of the limb tip. This is used when I have a stave that wants to twist or turn naturally and I just let the bow do what it wants to do. If you start trying to correct or fix the wood‟s natural state you will have equal forces working against the bow every time you draw the bow. Some of the time my tips are just wrapped with thin rawhide and or/sinew and bound in place, like making a "stopper" of sorts. You can cut in any nocks you wish or add on cow horn, antler etc. the possibilities are limitless, but once again we are building a "simple" bow.
Handle taking shape.
In part 3, next time, Jamie explains how to work the bow into the desired draw weight, how to finish your bow and how to get the most out of it.
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The
Handle on its side showing the fades and limb wood removal..starting to look like a bow! Now, you grease up the bow and let it quick cure for a few weeks and remove the remainder of the wood. It should be roughly floor tillered from here.
Bushcraft Magazine
Make Your Own Hammock with Jacob McKenzie I started to sew on my mum’s sewing machine a few months ago. Initially, I did it because I wanted to make a gift for somebody else but now I’m hooked. The first thing I made was a small tarp but I’ve gone on to make hammocks, stuff sacks, groundsheets and hammock chairs. In this small tutorial I just wanted to show you how to make a simple single skinned hammock. N.B You must have basic sewing machine skills to complete this task. If you don’t the ask somebody that does know to give you a ten minute crash course in sewing machine operation. 1] First take your material and cut it to near on 3m long. Your material should be at least 140cm wide. I use a ripstop fabric that is called khaki bronze. It has a very nice feel to it so is ideal for hammocks. Make sure your cut is at a right angle to the longer edge. Then place weights such as candle holders and books along the side you will be making a hem along. (Do the longer sides first). 2] Take a ruler and draw a line with a ball-point pen or piece of chalk 4cm from the edge. Start at one end and fold the edge over half of the line, then fold again up until the line. Then place a weight to hold it in place. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the side.
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3] Place pins about every 20cm to hold the fabric in place. You can now remove the weights. 4] Take your fabric to the sewing machine and sew 5-6mm away from the inside edge of the hem. N.B When starting to sew you must sew forward then back a bit to stop the stitching coming undone, the same applies when you finish. Remove pins. Repeat the hem for the other long side then move onto the ends. 5] The ends are slightly different. Here you draw a line 8cm from the edge. You then fold over a centimetre and then fold over the whole hem onto the line so you get a channel. Again place weights to stop it undoing. Then place the pins making sure you pin the small folded over section. 6] Sew the short side both top and bottom. Again make sure that you are sewing the small folded over section. Remove pins once done. Then take your preferred suspension method be it paracord, whoopee slings or webbing. Thread it through the channels at each end. I use whoopee slings and would recommend them to anybody.
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Enjoy chillaxing in the hammock. Spend many nights out under tarp cradled in comfort!
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Tracking the elusive...? with Ben Anson There is so much to Nature and the Wild, so much life, so much that evokes wonder and awe, yet so much mystery, too. Does East Sussex, however, an area rich in countryside have anything little known lurking in the back lands? Well, after living in the heart of the Weald for precisely six years and three months I’ve discovered that it does.
barons would pursue these beasts in their royal hunting parks and during the Middle Ages that wild boar were made extinct in Britain. Centuries later, the ‘hurricane’ of 1987 destroyed many boar farms. With the enclosures swept away the captive boar escaped deep into the Kent and Sussex countryside and bred themselves into large numbers.
Now, there is but one creature, a single type of beast that simply cannot be pinpointed nor predicted. Its whereabouts cannot be located, its movement cannot be followed, only its presence can be detected. What makes all this even more incredible is that they are one of the biggest animals of the backcountry in South East England. This beast will not show itself for anymore than a few seconds, it keeps constantly to the cover like a guerrilla fighter, hides all day and ventures abroad by night. The few local sightings have been of dead ones by roadsides. They are one of Britain’s countryside mysteries.
The boar stood there with his head held high. The head itself was very large, with the bone white tusks protruding from its mouth. The coat was a light ‘dirt brown’ colour with grizzled hair and a scraggly tail. I got a good five seconds look, but then suddenly the pig raised its snout, turned so sharply that dust rose and then ran far into the bush showing its entire body head to tail. To say it ran fast would be an understatement, the boar just hacked. And it’s this that truly fascinates me. I realised right then and there why I had never been able to see one. Within seconds it had smelled me and disappeared into the cover faster than a hound.
I have spent years looking for them, constantly tracking, constantly searching. I became obsessed with seeking the truth – do they exist within my local area? I read books, asked questions and kept to the bush with a constant hope. After learning the signs, I recognised field marks and tracks left by the animals. I realised that there was in fact, a ridiculous amount of evidence – their presence was undeniable. Months passed, followed by more. It seemed that I had exhausted the trail, the tracking of the beast had become wearisome. I had walked the deep woods in early mornings, stalked through thick forest at dusk and sat for hours by signs of activity but nothing showed. So at the turn of this year I gave up, sadly reaching a conclusion that I’d wasted my time.
Well, I was delighted! After all that time I had finally seen wild boar, and it happened when I was not even looking for them. The way these marvellous creatures manage to conceal themselves, even though they are so large astounds me. How can something so oddly shaped with an unevenly distributed body weight be so fast? This is what makes the boar an animal of myth and legend. I shall be returning to the trail more and more now, tracking the animals that have earned themselves my greatest respect. Long live British Boar!
In March 2013 I walked along a woodland ride, on my way to see how many trees the foresters had cleared in a certain area. I’d seen some Fallow does, caught sight of a Buzzard swooping over the pines and as I approached the forestry site a very large Fallow buck took my immediate attention. It sat among the young Silver Birch trees but I couldn’t see the head. So, I snuck up to a mighty Scots Pine and edged along the side of a ditch. Clambering over the ditch, I crawled to another tree and quietly squeezed myself behind it. Very slightly, I eased my head to the side, so that my eyes could gain a full view of the animal.
Photo © David Butcher
I got the view, and indeed a very full view – but it wasn’t of any buck. Right before me was the Beast! There stood the creature of mystery, the animal of such vastness in size and ferocity of appearance. I hadn’t tracked, but I had indeed found ‘the elusive’… Wild Boar!
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With a body like a bowling ball on cricket stumps, long tail, short legs, muscle bound body with a noticeable hump, the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is a magnificent beast that seems positively Mediaeval. For those were the days when kings and
Bushcraft Magazine
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Bowline
The bowline is an essential and versatile knot for making a strong fixed loop that will neither tighten nor slip and that is easy and quick to tie and untie, even when it has been placed under great strain. I use the bowline as a confidence booster when teaching knots and hitches to children as it's a fun knot to teach, learn and is easily achievable. Phil Brown. Badger Bushcraft
standing end (tree)
working end (rabbit)
working end
Think of the standing end as a tree and the working end as a rabbit.
Make an overhand loop as shown. This is the rabbit hole.
The arrow indicates where the The rabbit pops out of the working end is going next. hole‌The arrow indicates where it is going next.
The arrow indicates where the working end is going next.
The
The rabbit runs around the tree‌and dives back down the hole as shown by the broken arrow.
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The solid arrows indicate the direction you pull in to tighten the knot. To tighten the knot you pull the rabbit and the tree.
The loop may pass through an object, such as a ring, or around something like a tree trunk. The standing end may be passed around a branch or tree trunk and the working end fed through the loop you have made.
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Knot A Problem?
loop
The Last Word Lloyd Hooper The Armchair Bushcrafter I have often heard this term and thought, “What's it all "If I could make one myself I wouldn't be asking you"… about?” Is it for people who think about bushcraft but haven‟t got out yet? Or perhaps the ones who sit at computer "Well its one of Lofty‟s anaconyms"… screens adding their very useful comments on forums – "No I don‟t need to sit on a cushion and the tablets I‟m some people are just too busy to get out and want to spread taking are fine…" their vast knowledge!? "Slurp." Thats better, where was I? „O‟bserve; well I‟ve Then one morning I found another reason to call it armchair been looking out of the same window for what seems like hours and I‟ve observed a few sparrows and a woodpigeon. I bushcraft.... did „T‟hink of the pigeon sizzling in a pan but I will just ob“Ooops, ouch, I can‟t move.” I think “OW” was another word mentioned. “My back has gone again and I‟m stuck in serve for now. my chair. Well what do I do now?” Right, what‟s next? „P‟lan. Here we go, I think I can do this one; I suppose I can use my Thermarest and sleeping bag on Revert to training; what do the books say? Oh, they use an acronym: „STOP‟. So here goes. „S‟ for stop. Well, I haven't the floor, because I can‟t see me getting upstairs, oh and my head-torch will be handy to read when the lights go out, and really started or gone anywhere so I‟m not really sure I am the old Nalgene bottle with tape on it – I bet she will ask why physically able to stop. Mmm, I think I will skip that one. there‟s a letter P on it. Now we are getting somewhere. Getting the hang of this armchair bushcraft; what else.. I What‟s next? „T‟. Right, „T‟hink and make a cup of „T‟ea. wonder if that gas fire will take a spark! Now we‟re talking. Right, I will give the missus a shout; "Alison, can you make me a cup of tea please?"
Sigh.... I wonder why, some mornings your feet just seem further away?
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