JEEP
09-01-2011, 09:25 PM
I have just had one of those weekends...
...you know; one of those absolutely perfect ones!
Sitting here, sipping my favourite bourbon (Jim Beam) from my kuksa, while snacking the remains of that haunch of venison we roasted in the embers of a fire earlier today, I can only conclude that this weekend has been absolutely awesome!
My fancee and I had planned to spend the entire weekend at one of our favourite spots; the camp ground at Brigsted beach, where there is a nice traditional Scandinavian style shelter.
My faincee wished to test her new Vango Viper 1000 sleeping bag - and I was eager to try out my new bushcooker and Zebra billy can.
We started saturday morning, packing our gear and stuffing it into the car, making sure we had enough woolen blankets to keep us warm at night - and plenty of gasoline for my multifuel burner, should the somewhat unstable weather make it impossible to cook over fire.
Having packed the car, we just needed to pick up a few things and some supplies; milk and string from the supermarket and a LMF seatpad + a few boil in bag meals from the outdoor store I work at.
Having picked up said items, my fiancee insisted that we went to Stark (a rather exclusive building supplies and tool store) to pick up and some firewood. Ignoring my protests, as we already knew that there would be plenty of firewood at the camp site, she pulled up at the store. Entering the store she lead me to the tool section and said; "You know that axe you have been talking about; which one is it". Upon showing her the axe - a Hultafors large hatchet (1,0 kg, 50 cm), which I had been wanting for quite a while - she picked it up and proceeded to the cash register. Having bought the axe, she handed it to me with a smile.
Though we make an effort to surprise each other like that as often as possible, she took me completely by suprise this time. She really is quite something :D
Upon arriving we at Brigsted we surveyed the ground and started unpacking the car. Considering the changing temperatures (from just below zero to just above), we knew that there would most likely be quite a lot of ice at the camp ground. Arriving we found the place looking more or less like a skating lane. Good thing the shelter is large enough to sit (and cook) in - and that we had brought the heavy hiking boots. I managed not to fall, but my fiancee slipped a few times, luckily she knows her fall techniqes and was not injured.
Having unpacked, we proceeded to set up our sleeping gear making a small enclosement, by hanging up woolen blankets, within the shelter.
While setting up our sleeping space the wind picked up and it started raining. It would be possible to make a fire, but maintaining it and cooking over it would mean getting soaked. We decided to fire up the multi fuel burner, eat a few boil in bag meals and save the haunch of venison, we had brought, for the day after (where the weather forecast was better).
Having eaten, I went out and found a few dry logs and chopped them to kindling with my leuku. It was time to try my new bushcooker and billy can. I am pleased to report that both worked like a charm - quickly producing steaming hot cocoa for dessert :p
The bushcooker truly is a remarkable little stove; fast and very fuel efficient - and it fits perfectly inside the 12 cm Zebra billy can, together with a Trangia burner, tinder and firesteel.
As an added bonus I managed to light the bushcooker, using cotton wool, lip balm and a few wood shavings as tinder, with one strike from my firesteel - always good to experience when practice pays off :)
While having our cocoa, a car pulled into the path leading to the camp ground, stopping next to the piles of firewood. It is not allowed to drive there, there is a bar blocking the path, but the lock has somehow "disappeared" ans is yet to be replaced. As the car stopped, I jumped out of the shelter and started walking towards it (in a non threadening way offcourse). Upon seeing me, the driver speeded up and quickly drow away.
When we arrvied earlier, we had noticed that a lot of firewood had disappeared since out last visit a week ago. We experienced the same thing last year; one week there is plenty of wood, the next there is hardly any.
I am quite sure that the driver I suprised was after a trunkload of "free" firewood. Unfortunally I did not get the car's number - not that the police would have done anything about it anyway.
Enjoying a beautiful sundown over Horsens Fjord and watching the crows gather in their favourite trees for the night (making a lot of noice), we decided to make it an early night.
With temperatures around -2C I was a bit weary about whether my sleeping bag (comfort +10-15, limit -3) + a few woolen blankets, would be warm enough. But, knowing that I very rarely freeze (I produce heat like an oven, my fiancee is quite fond of that), I had decided to give it a go.
I won't say that I had the cosiest night ever, but I stayed within my own comfort range. More importantly; my fiancees new sleeping bag kept her warm all night.
Waking up sunday morning, to a beautiful sunset and the sound of a gazillion crows awakening. We got dressed, made tea, and started making fire - giving me a chance to break in my new axe; good tools makes any chore a joy :)
Later we were joined by a colleague of mine, his girlfriend and their one year old son, for breakfast. My colleague is an avid fisher, but is showing a lot of interest in outdoor and bushcraft - the other day he told me that he had ordered Ray Mears' Outdoor Survival Handbook on my recommendation.
Having said goodbye to my colleague and his family, my fiancee started cooking the haunch of venison. Meanwhile I got around to whittle a pothanger for my billy can, while having a good dark stone beer and some honey cake - and occasionally chopping more wood for the fire. All while the sun was shining through a hole in the clouds, melting away most of the ice and snow.
Having cooked for a few houers in the embers of the fire, the haunch of venison was ready to eat. What a treat! My fiancee has been a scout and a medieval re-enactor (we met each other at a medieval fair) for many years; she is an expert outdoor cook.
We took our time enjoying the meal, finishing off with honey cake and tea.
Having eaten, we started packing up our gear and tidying up the campsite, leaving dry firewood and kindling in the shelter for the next people to use it (this used to be a commmon practice all over Scandinavia, but sadly not anymore).
Just as we had finished packing the car, it started raining again. It is rare to get home with dry gear at this time of the year in Denmark - but by sheer luck we managed to get our gear in the car just in time.
Arriving home, late in the afternoon, we unpacked the car and got our gear in order, while we stille had that special "outside energy" running in the blood.
A long hot shower, a drink an a plate of leftovers from todays supper later; here I sit warm and tired, thinking back on a weekend well spent.
No photos this time btw. I decided to leave the camera at home in order to be able to indulge myself in being as outdoorish and bushcrafty as possible :)
...you know; one of those absolutely perfect ones!
Sitting here, sipping my favourite bourbon (Jim Beam) from my kuksa, while snacking the remains of that haunch of venison we roasted in the embers of a fire earlier today, I can only conclude that this weekend has been absolutely awesome!
My fancee and I had planned to spend the entire weekend at one of our favourite spots; the camp ground at Brigsted beach, where there is a nice traditional Scandinavian style shelter.
My faincee wished to test her new Vango Viper 1000 sleeping bag - and I was eager to try out my new bushcooker and Zebra billy can.
We started saturday morning, packing our gear and stuffing it into the car, making sure we had enough woolen blankets to keep us warm at night - and plenty of gasoline for my multifuel burner, should the somewhat unstable weather make it impossible to cook over fire.
Having packed the car, we just needed to pick up a few things and some supplies; milk and string from the supermarket and a LMF seatpad + a few boil in bag meals from the outdoor store I work at.
Having picked up said items, my fiancee insisted that we went to Stark (a rather exclusive building supplies and tool store) to pick up and some firewood. Ignoring my protests, as we already knew that there would be plenty of firewood at the camp site, she pulled up at the store. Entering the store she lead me to the tool section and said; "You know that axe you have been talking about; which one is it". Upon showing her the axe - a Hultafors large hatchet (1,0 kg, 50 cm), which I had been wanting for quite a while - she picked it up and proceeded to the cash register. Having bought the axe, she handed it to me with a smile.
Though we make an effort to surprise each other like that as often as possible, she took me completely by suprise this time. She really is quite something :D
Upon arriving we at Brigsted we surveyed the ground and started unpacking the car. Considering the changing temperatures (from just below zero to just above), we knew that there would most likely be quite a lot of ice at the camp ground. Arriving we found the place looking more or less like a skating lane. Good thing the shelter is large enough to sit (and cook) in - and that we had brought the heavy hiking boots. I managed not to fall, but my fiancee slipped a few times, luckily she knows her fall techniqes and was not injured.
Having unpacked, we proceeded to set up our sleeping gear making a small enclosement, by hanging up woolen blankets, within the shelter.
While setting up our sleeping space the wind picked up and it started raining. It would be possible to make a fire, but maintaining it and cooking over it would mean getting soaked. We decided to fire up the multi fuel burner, eat a few boil in bag meals and save the haunch of venison, we had brought, for the day after (where the weather forecast was better).
Having eaten, I went out and found a few dry logs and chopped them to kindling with my leuku. It was time to try my new bushcooker and billy can. I am pleased to report that both worked like a charm - quickly producing steaming hot cocoa for dessert :p
The bushcooker truly is a remarkable little stove; fast and very fuel efficient - and it fits perfectly inside the 12 cm Zebra billy can, together with a Trangia burner, tinder and firesteel.
As an added bonus I managed to light the bushcooker, using cotton wool, lip balm and a few wood shavings as tinder, with one strike from my firesteel - always good to experience when practice pays off :)
While having our cocoa, a car pulled into the path leading to the camp ground, stopping next to the piles of firewood. It is not allowed to drive there, there is a bar blocking the path, but the lock has somehow "disappeared" ans is yet to be replaced. As the car stopped, I jumped out of the shelter and started walking towards it (in a non threadening way offcourse). Upon seeing me, the driver speeded up and quickly drow away.
When we arrvied earlier, we had noticed that a lot of firewood had disappeared since out last visit a week ago. We experienced the same thing last year; one week there is plenty of wood, the next there is hardly any.
I am quite sure that the driver I suprised was after a trunkload of "free" firewood. Unfortunally I did not get the car's number - not that the police would have done anything about it anyway.
Enjoying a beautiful sundown over Horsens Fjord and watching the crows gather in their favourite trees for the night (making a lot of noice), we decided to make it an early night.
With temperatures around -2C I was a bit weary about whether my sleeping bag (comfort +10-15, limit -3) + a few woolen blankets, would be warm enough. But, knowing that I very rarely freeze (I produce heat like an oven, my fiancee is quite fond of that), I had decided to give it a go.
I won't say that I had the cosiest night ever, but I stayed within my own comfort range. More importantly; my fiancees new sleeping bag kept her warm all night.
Waking up sunday morning, to a beautiful sunset and the sound of a gazillion crows awakening. We got dressed, made tea, and started making fire - giving me a chance to break in my new axe; good tools makes any chore a joy :)
Later we were joined by a colleague of mine, his girlfriend and their one year old son, for breakfast. My colleague is an avid fisher, but is showing a lot of interest in outdoor and bushcraft - the other day he told me that he had ordered Ray Mears' Outdoor Survival Handbook on my recommendation.
Having said goodbye to my colleague and his family, my fiancee started cooking the haunch of venison. Meanwhile I got around to whittle a pothanger for my billy can, while having a good dark stone beer and some honey cake - and occasionally chopping more wood for the fire. All while the sun was shining through a hole in the clouds, melting away most of the ice and snow.
Having cooked for a few houers in the embers of the fire, the haunch of venison was ready to eat. What a treat! My fiancee has been a scout and a medieval re-enactor (we met each other at a medieval fair) for many years; she is an expert outdoor cook.
We took our time enjoying the meal, finishing off with honey cake and tea.
Having eaten, we started packing up our gear and tidying up the campsite, leaving dry firewood and kindling in the shelter for the next people to use it (this used to be a commmon practice all over Scandinavia, but sadly not anymore).
Just as we had finished packing the car, it started raining again. It is rare to get home with dry gear at this time of the year in Denmark - but by sheer luck we managed to get our gear in the car just in time.
Arriving home, late in the afternoon, we unpacked the car and got our gear in order, while we stille had that special "outside energy" running in the blood.
A long hot shower, a drink an a plate of leftovers from todays supper later; here I sit warm and tired, thinking back on a weekend well spent.
No photos this time btw. I decided to leave the camera at home in order to be able to indulge myself in being as outdoorish and bushcrafty as possible :)