Woodlife Trails

I love going to meets and I’ve been lucky to go on at least one per month since last September. It’s great to meet people and share and learn different skills, but there’s nothing like going on an excursion on your own.

I finished work early on Friday and raced home to pack the kit which had already been prepared. I managed to get everything in my 30 litre pack including the small tarp, small hammock, 1 1/2 litres of water and the bushbuddy stove nestling in the 14inch [edit: 14 cms] billy. I decided to take the bivi bag as I intended to do some badger watching. This meant I had to strap two Karrimor side-pouches to the bag. This looked a little strange but would probably work as I didn’t have far to walk. I put some food in the other pouch. The extra space meant I could take a couple of luxuries like the small Trangia kettle and small frying pan.

Exactly an hour after leaving work, I had set up in the local woods and watched as some dubious clouds spread across the sky. The forecast said there might be a shower but nothing too heavy. I had bought the bucksaw for cutting some fire wood, but I managed to find enough dry dead wood laying about which was easily broken against my knee. I intended to light the fire after the badger watch so, being hungry, I fired up the bushbuddy with some dried wood. I’m really getting the nack of keeping this stove going by continual feeding with different sizes of wood. Simmering means thicker wood, while a fierce flame requires small pieces of dry wood.

I munched my way through some pre-prepared beef curry and rice. Before I knew it, it was getting dark and time to prepare for the badger watch. When darkness falls I go through the same routine. I make sure everything’s tidy around the site so i don’t trip over anything. The head torch goes around the neck and the hammock area is readied for when I eventually turn in. I prepared the fire for when I returned. I’ll post about the badger watch itself on Wednesday.

I was cold when I returned. The wind chill factor brought the temperature right down and there was no protection in the open field. It was certainly more protected in the woods. After a couple of false starts with birch bark and fire-steel, I got the fire going and gradually fed it to a good flame. I started to thaw out helped by a nice cup of tea. It was only 9 pm but it felt like midnight.

The moon started to break through the clouds in the eastern sky, causing a silvery light to reflect off the trees. It was silent apart from the odd Rook squawk and I imagined the perpetrator being rudely disturbed as its mate huddled closer for warmth.

This is the type of solitude that you don’t get just anywhere. There are certainly more remote places or wilder places in the world, but there is a different and pleasing sense of solitude in the British woodland at night. I enjoy being alone but I was reminded that I wasn’t actually alone at all as first a Tawny owl hooted and a Mutjac barked close by.

I stopped staring at the fire just long enough to collect the hip flask of brandy. As the embers dulled 2 hours later, I climbed into the hammock and fell immediately asleep.

I slept well and only woke up for the usual relief. The wood was damp and there was a layer of condensation on the inside of the tarp. It was overcast but mild. The kettle went on the bushbuddy (this time in meths mode) followed by bacon, tomatos and an egg which had survived the journey by being cracked into a small glass herb jar.

My morning task was to trim and prune an area for use in the summer. My usual area does get a bit damp and I don’t really like to use the same spot too much. The new spot is on dryer ground but needed a little work to clear a small area. Unfortunately the bucksaw wasn’t up to the task of cutting through a low, straggly branch and I realised there was definately a design fault here. My next task then was to seek out some suitable wood to make another. I wouldn’t make it today. Perhaps next week.

After another cup of tea waiting for the inside of the tarp to dry, it was time to pack up and go. I entered the house exactly 24 hours after I left it. A great 24 hours of solitude.
Pablo.