Pablo’s Woodlife

I’ve been feeling sorry for myself for the last few days. A chest infection put paid to Bushcraft activities this weekend and it looks set to remain with me for at least the rest of this week. Perhaps then this is a good time to talk about winter clothing. Without really noticing it, I’ve standardised my winter clothes and have usually worn the same stuff out for excursions over the last 5 months. I’ve taken a passing interest in what people wear when Bushcrafting and one thing that strikes me is that clothing can be extremely expensive. I know you get what you pay for, and you can’t beat good quality kit where it’s necessary, but I’m loath to pay out £250 for a smock or jacket, when, after all, it could easily get torn, burnt or nicked with a knife.

It might be different story if I was going on a specialist excursion, say hiking or climbing, but for trotting around the local woods, all I really need is something to keep warm and relatively dry.

Starting from the top down, my winter hat of choice is a thermal fleece hat which pulls down over your ears. Great for cold, dry weather conditions, but not particularly waterproof. When it’s raining, more often than not, the Tilley T3 goes on. The Tilley is the most expensive single item retailing at £45, but despite initial skepticism, I can confirm it’s one of my best all round hats. (“How many do you have then?” I hear you cry…Well that’s another story for another post!) I’m still amazed at the Tilley’s waterproof properties and it’s very comfortable to wear in summer or winter.

You should already know that layering clothing is essential for cold weather. I usually wear a T-shirt that wicks away moisture with a thin fleece-type under-shirt that zips up to the neck as a base and first layer. It’s important to cover the neck area because nearly as much heat is lost here as is lost through the top of the head. I usually wear a cotton neck scarf or bandana or, in colder weather, a thick shemagh type scarf. When the temperature really drops, a second fleece jacket acts as the mid-layer. I buy these fleeces at our local market and they don’t amount to much more than £15 each. Although made of man-made material, they have several uses: I normally use mine as a pillow at night but have also used it for extra insulation under the hammock. They are light enough to be stashed away in a pack when you get too warm. They’re not really windproof but they will take the chill off the wind when you’re working (as opposed to just sitting around.)

On top of this I wear what I’ve come to consider is the most practical Bushcrafting coat. This is a wax jacket. Not the expensive Barbour ones, but a cheap imitation, again not costing much more than £25. Mine is a little lighter in weight than some I’ve seen and not quite as thick, which means that movement isn’t constrained and you’re not weighed down by the heavier material (some can be quite heavy). The wax material is quite waterproof although certainly not 100%. I’ve actually never re-waxed my jacket but as I’m never too far away from a tarp or poncho, I don’t consider that 100% waterproofing for a jacket is all that necessary. I’m certainly not afraid of pushing through thorns or doing knife work in the jacket, and of course, not afraid of sparks from a fire.

The trousers I wear are the cargo type. I like the vast amount of pockets. I buy these cheaply on-line at Surplus and Adventure, so again I’m not frightened to put a couple of knife nicks in them. During colder weather, thermals are worn under these.

Winter footwear usually consists of Wellington or rubber boots with insulating boots socks. Again, I wouldn’t wear these on any excursion where walking any distance was necessary as there is absolutely no air-flow or ventilation, but for tramping about soggy woodland, ‘Wellies’ are ideal. The price is quite attractive too. £8-50!

Total cost of kitting out – no more than £100 from top to bottom. That’s not to say if you gave me a few spare dollars I wouldn’t go out and buy a Swanndri Ranger shirt, Mosgiel Bushshirt, Fjallraven trousers and Tahr anorak (total cost approx. £555).

Pablo

… hats! I’m quite busy upgrading kit and have ordered a couple of things which should be in the post. This means that I will have a couple of items that will be duplicated and will most probably sell or swap the excess items if I’m sure I won’t need them. I have to mention that I’ve also upgraded my hat, but unlike the other items I probably won’t do away with the surplus. I can see the furrows of your brow deepening even now, so let me explain.

Most Bushcrafters duplicate Bushcraft items at some time or other (don’t we?) They (we) upgrade them and then they see something better, thus purchasing that item. On and on it goes until the duplication is, shall we say, a little out of control. The polite term is ‘Collector’ or even ‘Connoisseur’. Some call it Kleptomania!

Everything from cooksets to tarps are collected but particularly all things shiny. Yes – nice, bright shiny things which are often sharp as well. (The twitching commences). I’ve seen a suitcase full of knives brought to a Bushmoot and a collection of torches that would keep Duracell in business for ever.

Me? Nah! I just collect hats. Are you sitting comfortably? Good. My names Pablo and I’m a Hat-a-holic. This appears to be a known term if not an absolutely correct one. Millinery-a-holic just doesn’t seem right and infers women’s headwear. No offence, but these are no good for use in the woods.

It all started with a simple boonie hat that I took with me from the Army. A standard woolly hat followed and a couple of bush-type hats after that. Soon after came the big discovery. I discovered The Ozzy style hat and I was hooked. Perfect for Bushcrafting; but I just couldn’t manage with the one. Oh no. That ‘one’ was okay for winter, but it was too thick for summer. So inevitably, a summer version followed (and spring and autumn versions). And, ah yes… one for work. But they weren’t too waterproof. A Tilley? Definitely not. Too expensive for what it is. Or maybe I should just try it on. Yes it fits; I’ll have it, thank you. How much was that? Now, what about a fleece hat for sleeping … oh and one of the ones that goes over your ears in really cold weather. I do like the look at that Jacaru Explorer on Ebay. Maybe this will be the last one. I’ll just do a quick bid on this Snowy River. Well, what do you know? I won it! What’s that he’s wearing on TV? Looks like a Rogue Fox. I wonder how much that is?

Excuse me. I must go and and take my medicine.

Pablo.

I’ve been looking at this subject quite closely, especially since returning from the tracking course. In days gone by when the word ‘Bushcraft’ was virtually unknown; Ray was a mere (!) youngster; Goretex had not yet been integrated into almost all outdoor products and the mobile telephone was the size of a small country, Pablo was running about the woods in full camo.

Along came Michael Ryan and suddenly camo went rapidly out of fashion. So for that matter did anything to do with survivalism and big knives. Even though he carried out the killings dressed in black, all the papers showed him wearning camo clothing and described him as a survivalist. The stigma was set. This therefore contributed (but not solely responsible) for putting paid to Pablo’s outdoor adventures at that time.

My return to Bushcraft saw me scowl at my damp and mouldy camo equipment and clothes, and most of it went in the bin. I shunned anything to do with British army Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) seeing it as an unnecessary return to the survivalist ‘uniform’, even though urban wear was bringing camo styles back “in”. For me, though, olive green or brown was the new camo. But why those colours?

Animals can on the whole, only see two colours, but on the tracking course I learnt that (surprisingly) birds and some insects can see colour. Not blending in may send out alarm calls tipping off the mammals like a ripple effect. A thread on BCUK has some well informed (and some not so well informed) statements and facts about exactly what colours wildlife can and can’t see. Okay, so I’ll stick to earth colours, but what about camo?

Khaki is Urdu for “dusty” and it was that colour that the British Military in India dyed their clothes in the 1850’s starting the move from bright tunics to the first form of camouflage. This was because of the sudden increase in casualties and change to more guerrilla style warfare. Other countries soon followed suit (if you pardon the pun).

I was quite surprised to see many of the tracking instructors in camo. Although I didn’t ask, I kind of gathered it was better for tracking, stalking and keeping concealed although I knew that camo pattern in modern clothing was really designed for keeping persons concealed from other persons (if you see what I mean).

So here’s the debate. To camo or not to camo….that is the question. Herewith, I issue my first bushcraft edict…and Pablo says (with apologies to Mungo):

For tracking purposes, earth type colours are better than bright colours (especially blue) as some insects and birds can see in colour and some animals can even see ‘end of spectrum colours’ (ultra-violet) thus possibly warning mammals of something present outside of the baseline.

There isn’t much in nature (if anything) that has a ‘block’ of colour even if it is an earth colour therefore a disruptive pattern can only be better for remaining undetected to wildlife.

Modern camo styles and material was really designed for concealing people from people, therefore it doesn’t really matter what ‘type’ or ‘style’ of camo you have (if you’re not hiding from people that is) as long as it’s disruptive and it roughly blends into the baseline. Extremes e.g. snow camo for woodland might not be suitable. (Flektarn.co.uk is a great site for comparing camo styles by the way.)

Additionally…

If you’re clattering about doing bushcrafty things, for example hammering, making stuff and cooking, there’s no real reason to wear earth colours because wildlife won’t come near you anyway (unless they take a fancy to your grub.)

Another consideration is that earth colours hide the dirt more effectively. More washing equals more detergent equals more ultra violet and more human made scent. (The pic shows what a deer would see on a freshly washed garment).

A lot of robust (and cheap) kit and clothing (with a few exceptions of course) will come from surplus military sources, so it will be camo, olive green or brown in any case.

For wildlife watching or tracking it’s worth bearing in mind that shiny clothes will attract attention (‘fuzz-up’ by rolling in the dust or mud), so will shape (add foliage or throw over a cam net to break up the outline), smell (de-scent over a fire) and of course movement (err…keep still!)

I dislike too much British army DPM, probably because I spent 12 years wearing the stuff but it wouldn’t stop me buying DPM if there was no other colour alternative.

Carry something bright to wear. You might come across the odd farmer with a gun, a rough shooter or even a poacher. It might look a bit stupid having an orange Thermarest stuff sack on your head, but it saves an @ full of lead shot!

In case you’re wondering, this post has given me reasoned arguments in order to justify the purchase of a new camo jacket!!

Pablo.

Dear Santa,

I’ve been very good this year. I’ve done all the domestic chores asked of me and I’ve worked hard. I’ve helped old ladies across the road and re-homed several sick animals.

I know I’ve got some bushcraft clothing, but to be honest, it is all cheap stuff I got from the surplus shop or the market (except for my camo tracking jacket of course.)

There are just a couple of things I’d really like this Christmas to keep me a little bit warmer when out bushcrafting. Now, I’m not greedy, so just one from the list will do fine.

Swanndri Ranger Extreme shirt

Ullfrotte 200g crew neck base-layer shirt

Or if you think I really deserve it:

Snowsled classic ventile jacket

The links provide the best UK prices so you can get more toys for all the little children in the world.

Many thanks,

Pablo in Essex.

PS I still believe

PPS I won’t drink your glass of sherry this year

I made a bit of a boo boo today. I completely misread the weather.

I spent all of yesterday indoors, nursing a cold. As the electric was off for heavy duty maintenance (the joys of rural living) I settled down with a good book. Needless to say, by today I was itching to get out of the house. The charts said that the worst of the rain would pass by early morning, so at 11 o’clock I set out into Outfield woods.

As soon as I got inside the woods, the downpour started. And it didn’t stop for 4 hours! I had brought the minimum of kit (food, flask and knife) and thankfully I had man’s best friend with me – I don’t mean a dog either. I mean a poncho!

Many people say that the poncho is versatile because you can make it into a shelter. This may be true, but believe me, when you’re caught in a downpour like I was today, you haven’t got time to mess about stringing it up between some trees (even if you had some cordage) you use it for what it was designed for! Stick it over your head, pull up the hood, cover your kit and wait…. and wait.

I even managed to have my lunch under the poncho; munching on a banana, apple, cheese and cereal bar. Luckily I had a flask of tea so I didn’t need to boil up water. Despite the fact there was nothing to see except rain, I was enjoying myself listening to the the never ending thump thump of it on the material.

When at last the rain subsided, I debated whether to make a run for it. There was no movement in the wood and it wasn’t really worth staying. I was cold and the woods were damp. Aha! A perfect chance to practice fire lighting!

As I said, I had minimal kit with me. I had some tinder in my possible pouch but I also remembered I had some fat wood (maya stick) in my rucksack. Every one of my ruckies has a stick of this in the lid pocket. I decided that I’d have a go lighting a fire using this and a firesteel only.

I scratched off some extra fine shavings with the back of my new Snody Activator neck knife (the serrated thumb grip on the back of the knife was ideal for this – I’ll show you the knife mid week.) I also shaved off some shavings and split the wood in two. All the wood I collected was sodden, but I split some larger sections in half to expose the drier parts. I should really have made a few feather sticks, but I was too eager to get warm.

After spending a while getting the angle of the knife to spark against the new firesteel I was soon producing some spectacular sparks, but it still took a while before one fell just right on a shaving. Soon a moderate fire was on the go.

As I supped the remains of my tea, I thought how quickly a fire restored moral, gave someone warmth and took the dampness away. With a little more thought in collecting and preparing the wood and I could have stayed out for a few more hours quite comfortably despite the rain.

As it was, I let the fire dwindle to nothing, cleared it away and wandered out of the wood. On the way out I noticed what I think are variations on parasols mushrooms Macrolepiota rhacodes bohemica (please check yourself as I’m not an expert.) I’m sure they weren’t there 6 hours ago when I walked in! That’s what downpours do I suppose.

Until next time,

Pablo.

If, like me, you’re going to spend another winter tree-dwelling I might have a couple of solutions to that four letter word that might otherwise spoil a great time in the woods… c-o-l-d!

Carrying on from my last post about clothing and winter protection I’ll continue the journey down from the head. The assumption is that I’ll be getting out again before winter disappears.

Hats are no real problem. I bought the splendid possum fur/merino wool hat from Mears last year and it’s absolutely great especially during the evenings around the fire. During the day, I prefer a peaked cap, therefore I’ll use my standard cap or a “Millets special” fleece lined cap with ear covers that I’ve had for a couple of years.

As last year (and the years before that) I’ll continue the tried and tested method of layering. Last year I bought a WoolPower 200grm base-layer and that was a huge success for me. It was generally quite mild last year in the UK but even so, the temperature went down to -4C on one or two occasions while overnighting and I was grateful for the protection this garment gave me. The merino wool is designed to wick away sweat, which it does. The mid-layer is a reasonable quality thin fleece with the standard Swaandri on top of that. My Swaani is an older button up version. I’m tempted by Bison’s Field Shirt which have received great reviews, but unfortunately at £75, I can’t justify the cost when I’ve still got a servicable Swaandri.

The top layer will either be my SASS smock or my old, battered, trusted and favourite wax jacket. I bet I know what I’ll revert to as the winter progresses!

I have a pair of Peter Storm Long Johns (WoolPower also do nice leggings) and didn’t even put these on last year, so I’ll stick with these just in case the temperature drops significantly and put some thicker surplus trousers over the top. But here’s another solution for base-layer leg-wear. Ladies tights. Ask any self respecting infantryman and he will (in private) tell you that he has worn ladies tights or at least packed them in his bag at some stage during winter exercises.

During track and field training (many moons ago) us sprinters used these garments to great effect when training during the winter months to protect the delicate fast-twitch muscle fibres. So, come on guys; don’t be shy…I won’t tell if you won’t! Just say, “They’re for the wife” in the lingerie shop and ignore the all-knowing look from the shop assistant; or alternatively, raid the washing machine and blame it on the “sock-eating monster!” Stay away from fish-nets for obvious reasons. By the way, ladies tights make an excellent water filter and you can extend the life of premacs by quite a few uses.

Gloves are particularly important to me as I suffer from cold extremities. I picked up two pairs of Thinsulate fingerless gloves last year for £5-00 at the local market and I have seen them on Ebay for not much more. They are great for providing warmth but tend to fray quickly if you’re working with wood. They are also a bit slippery if using tools. In this case I revert to some leather gloves that live in my shoulder bag or tool pouch. These tend to be cold though and distinctly non-waterproof.

My new balaclava will do well for neck coverage, although on milder days I’ll stick to the ever-present buff. The shemagh will come out of the bag if the wind gets up or I need to wrap up well. Heat loss from the neck is only second to that of the head and I make sure this heat loss is kept to a minimum.

Two pairs of socks (thin under pair and outer wool) will finish off the clothes side. Wool socks are a must and as taught by the one and only Mors Kochanski, you can have 3 pairs of thick wool socks on at -30C in deep snow and no boots and you’d still be OK.

Pablo.

What joy! Wonderful! Brilliant! Fantastic! It’s gone! That damn cast… gone forever; hopefully!

Things to do when a cast is removed:

1) Have a good scratch

2) Have a 30 minute shower

3) Compare limbs and wonder where the leg muscles went

4) Go for a walk to see if it hurts

Things not to do when a cast is removed:

1) Scratch too hard

2) Get in the shower before figuring out a way of getting out of it again

3) Worry about how to get the muscles back

4) Walk too far – ‘cos it will inevitably hurt

Unbelievably, no supporting bandages and no physio required. In actual fact, I quite happy to complete the rest of the recovery process myself.

Today part of this recovery process involved a 40 minute walk in my new North Face Cedar Ridge hiking boots; a surprise Christmas gift from Mrs P.  (“You won’t slip down ditches with those on,” said Mrs P on Christmas day. “The man in the shop said so. He also said they are the best ankle supporting boots on the market.”) I also got 2 pairs of Brasher 4000 hiking socks and a set of thermals.

The boots certainly did support the ankle extremely well, although I didn’t try the ditch for obvious reasons. Although walking stiffly and with a bit of a limp I felt little or no discomfort except later at the bottom of the heel. I was also ably assisted by Ashley’s (naturalbushcraft) fantastic gift of a Polecat walking pole kindly donated by him during my darkest hours.

So, I hereby declare I’m fit enough for the first excursion of the year; a 3 day meet this weekend down at Mark’s wood. Temperature is expected to be -2C. A good chance to test out my new Alpkit 800 down bag and those Christmas thermals.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Pablo.