My solo woodland camp and video-blog in 'real time' next weekend

[paul standley]

Off for a solo 2 day/night camp in the Lone Wolf woods in S. Wales this comming weekend to try a selection of DIY and Skintcraft kit that I've made or gathered over the winter and to try some new bushcrafting skills for the first time.

I plan to do a few video blogs between Friday and Sunday in more or less real-time provided that I can get a 3G signal some of the time.

I'll also do some short vids on some of my kit and my attempts at making and using a fire drill and tapping a birch (if it's not too late) etc and post those up next week.

May need a wheelbarrow looking at the way my kit list is building...! - but then it is a kit testing exercise more than an ultralight trip.

I'll use this thread to post my video blogs providing I can maintain or find a signal so we'll see how it goes, watch this space...!

Photo's will be available on my Flickr page at this link. Video's will be posted into the thread during the weekend
http://flic.kr/ps/Wigkr

[GwersyllaCnau]

Look forward to seeing it Paul, may try to pop down for an hour if I get chance, or would that be defeating the object of the solo part.

[Ben Casey]

Looking forward to it

[paul standley]

Look forward to seeing it Paul, may try to pop down for an hour if I get chance, or would that be defeating the object of the solo part.

Nut C... your most welcome, come on down for an hour if you get chance, i'll get a brew on. You'll need to go to the farm house first and let the owner (Ian) know you are visiting. The wood is protected on all 4 sides by river, quarry and railway so the only way in or out is through the farm.

Paul.

[klause]

Look forward to seeing your vid Paul...

[Sleepy]

It's a little late for birch sap near me (Lincolnshire) but trees near water are still going. Hope that helps....

[paul standley]

OK, I'm on the very edge of my smart phone and Inter-webbing technical experience now but I managd to set up a Flickr site for the photo's I take and upload during next weekend's trip and you can access the photo album page anytime using the following link which is also in my signiture line for the time being...http://flic.kr/ps/Wigkr

Any video blogs I do will be embedded separately into replies to this thread during the weekend.

I'm up to one and a half wheelbarrows worth of kit so far (minus the trowel, but that's another story...) so some selective trimming is required I think. I may have to have a couple of "test" weekends to try it all.

Please note, it's inexpensive bits and bobs or stuff I've made/adapted so don't think you will be treated to some of the shiny trinkets you have been used to with others, this is strictly Skintcrafting...!

[GwersyllaCnau]

I'll PM you my mobile no and give you a ring if I can get down. But looking forward to the vids anyway

[Martin]

Really looking forward to seeing your diary Paul. Hope you have more success than I did on the video uploads. :)

Martin

[paul standley]

Got most of my kit packed, will finish in the morning.

As this is a skintcrafter kit-fest weekend i'm packing heavy with 2 shelter formats, 1.5 sleep systems, various sharp & jagged impliments, 3 cooking/fire set-up's and a sausage sandwich so it's likely to top out at over 18kg which is maxing out my 65 litre pack using top & bottom kit loops...!

I want to be able to walk it all in in one go hence the silly loading, no way could I backpack with this, it weights nearly as much as I do...

Luckily I don't have to carry in water, there is a river and spring in the woods so will have close by water source.

Really looking forward to it and as it happens, picked a great bit of weather as well so hopefully, my first videoblog will be tea-time Friday, catch you then.

Paul.

[paul standley]

Well, 3G....! what a bummer, no decent signal so can't upload vids & photo's taking forever...!
i'll keep trying. there are 3 indian students camped not far from me, tbey just invited me down later for some indian food...can't wait.
cooking omlette & banock at the mo...
weather is great...
more to follow...

[Fletching]

You've certainly got the good weather this weekend mate! Did you manage to borrow Martin's portable air-conditioning unit?

[paul standley]

diverting the spring through camp to cool the tent down. ....!
fantastic evening & great moon
catch you all saturday...

[paul standley]

morning people, lovely morning here, had a good night, was quite cold actually, clear sky and the valley draws in the colder air.
used a new sleeping and was warm as toast, got too hot at one point.
just about to do a sausage sarnie so catch you later, i'll look for a better signal later

[Ben Casey]

Good to see it is going well :)

[paul standley]

lunchtime already...!
not able to find 3g so far, so vids will have to be put up when i get back home.
other thing is that recordind and going online is hammering the battery, i am half through my 2nd one.
used the new tent last night, was the one from lidl, i'll do a review on monday,
moving into my 12 x 8 tarp apartment tonight. (ground dwelling of course.
ready for lunch now...!

[Ben Casey]

lunchtime already...!
not able to find 3g so far, so vids will have to be put up when i get back home.
other thing is that recordind and going online is hammering the battery, i am half through my 2nd one.
used the new tent last night, was the one from lidl, i'll do a review on monday,
moving into my 12 x 8 tarp apartment tonight. (ground dwelling of course.
ready for lunch now...!

Hi Any quick hint as to how the lidl tent went ?

[Tony1948]

Brilliant Paul go for it,BBBBUUUUUTTTT! dont get eaten by the bears............atb...........TONY

[Fletching]

Methinks he's been eaten by the bears Tony. :0

...or tucking into sausage butty no. 4 (with a baked bean jous) and enjoying the sunshine.

[Tony1948]

Hi fletch,How's the back?

[Adam Savage]

Really looking forward to seeing your diary Paul. Hope you have more success than I did on the video uploads. :)

Martin

And mine LOL

[Adam Savage]

Methinks he's been eaten by the bears Tony. :0

...or tucking into sausage butty no. 4 (with a baked bean jous) and enjoying the sunshine.

Yeah, the bears ate him, but they did cough up a mobile phone, so we can look forward to a "Blair/Standley Witch Project" style movie in the near future, cobbled together from footage, featuring a small group of Indian gentlemen, eating what appears to be a Paul....

[paul standley]

kicked the bears ass and make him give me back the phone so that i could check in with you guys...!
lost all signal for while and phone was playing up but typing this whilst sat waiting for the water boil for breakfast.
will have to put up the vids in the next day or two , catch you later..

[paul standley]

Lidl tent wrked well but it is small, i'll do review when i get back.

[Adam Savage]

Glad to see you survived the Indian food too buddy. Sounds like your having an eventful time, what with bears, little tents, sorry, LIDL tents , and Indians. Just waiting for the cowboys to turn up now. ;)

[paul standley]

so, time to head off home now, was a great weekend, ran out of time to do some stuff so need another trip...!

Nut C (A.K.A. Mark) joined me for a couple of hours this morning, was good to meet him and put a face to the name...

catch you soon with some pics and bits of vids..

Paul

[GwersyllaCnau]

Paul had chosen a great location for his camp and it was good to meet him. I won't say anything about his camp as I don't want to take that pleasure away from Paul.

[paul standley]

Well I'm back home now and have gathered my photo's and video clips onto my PC.

Shame the video blogging and photo upload to Flikr didn't work, clearly we need to wait for technology to catch us up...!

I will compile my video clips and probably use them in separate forum posts relating to their content, e.g. Lidl tent, Tarp set up, kit reviews etc.. but here is my slide show compilation of the woodland and valley photo's I took over the weekend. I have some more 'camp' (not that sort of camp...!) photo's that I'll also use in separate posts.
My flat phone batteries stopped me taking more but anyway, there's a few nice one's here to start with...enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYNKTQRf8OI

[Adam Savage]

I'm on my way to go look. Welcome back bear beater.

[Adam Savage]

Great photos. You get a real 3d effect from some of them. Love the music you chose for it too. Goes well.

[Fletching]

Nice Paul. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

Steve

[paul standley]

Here are the video blogs you would have seen had I been able to upload in real time... After these I realised I couldn't upload so didn't do any more.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynP3MKFW-Tk

Paul

[Adam Savage]

A future bushcraft TV presenter there. Nice few clips there, and as Nut Camping said, it looks a great spot. Good work.

[Ben Casey]

I will have to check it out later :)

[GwersyllaCnau]

A future bushcraft TV presenter there. Good work.

I agree

[Ben Casey]

I agree

Me to :)

[paul standley]

Here's some 'camp' photo's from the weekend...!

A first attemp at carving anything, happened to end up as a fork, might have started out as a spoon though...!
1076

...And the kitchen sink...!
1080

My larder fridge...
1079

instant porridge in a 'ban marie' plastic pot inside my tea caddy pot so I got water for coffee and hot milk for the porridge....and in a cosy to finish off..
1081
stove is a Tatonka

1078

[Adam Savage]

got the important stuff covered. What is that you used for the kitchen sink?

[paul standley]

got the important stuff covered. What is that you used for the kitchen sink?

"the kitchen sink" is a folding canvas bowl, works well, cost £3...

[Adam Savage]

"the kitchen sink" is a folding canvas bowl, works well, cost £3...

I'll see if I can find one. Thanks mate.

[Adam Savage]

I caved to the brands. TK Maxx had a Trekmates kitchen sink in for £9.99 so grabbed that. Also picked up a Trekmates trekking pole for the same

http://www.binbin.net/photos/trekmates/tre/trekmates-kitchen-sink-large.jpg

http://www.pure-sports.co.uk/images/_lib/trekmates-trigger-lock-trekking-pole-tp05-12085844-0-1285626656000.jpg

[paul standley]

[QUOTE=crazysaint222;12433]I caved to the brands. TK Maxx had a Trekmates kitchen sink in for £9.99 so grabbed that. Also picked up a Trekmates trekking pole for the same

QUOTE]

OK... yes you caved in but it does look like a nice bowl/sink...

[Adam Savage]

It holds 10L which is ok I guess, rigid tubes in the four top edges, and folds quite small. I'm sure it will be tested in the near future to see if my cookware fits in with enough room to wash it LOL.

[Martin]

Adam's doing the washing up at the RV!!!! :)

Martin

[Adam Savage]

I'll have to get to the RV first Martin LOL

[Martin]

I'll have to get to the RV first Martin LOL

You are coming aren't you?

Martin

[Adam Savage]

I'm not even sure when it is. If I can raise the funds I can get there.

[Martin]

I'm not even sure when it is. If I can raise the funds I can get there.

All info on the RV is here. :)

http://footstepsofdiscovery.co.uk/cornwall.html

Martin

[Adam Savage]

LOL, I just got that link from your post on the RV thread. £10 per night. Thats doable. I take it, it's ok to just turn up?

[Martin]

LOL, I just got that link from your post on the RV thread. £10 per night. Thats doable. I take it, it's ok to just turn up?

Should be fine but best to drop a line to mark@footstepsofdiscovery.co.uk so you can be added to the list. Pay on the gate when you get there. :)

Martin

[Adam Savage]

Thanks Martin.
Oh, is there a Natural Bushcraft group camp, or a point n pitch system LOL

[Martin]

Thanks Martin.
Oh, is there a Natural Bushcraft group camp, or a point n pitch system LOL

Definately something we need to get organised. I expect Ashley will have the NBC banner up but it would be great to have a NBC get together and put faces to user names etc. Especially seeing as you're doing the washing up. ;)

Martin

[Adam Savage]

Definately something we need to get organised. I expect Ashley will have the NBC banner up but it would be great to have a NBC get together and put faces to user names etc. Especially seeing as you're doing the washing up. ;)

Martin

I don't mind a little scrub work, as long as there is a good time to be had. I actually enjoy washing up, as no one else seems able to clean pot n pans proberly ;)

[Adam Savage]

Just dropped them a line to let them know my intentions. They have been warned HAHAHA