Recent content by Ivan Owen

I spent a little time working with a yurt maker who'd just bought a hazel coppice and we found that those really lovely straight poles arent actually very straight at all. This makes them pretty much unuseable for the roof poles. Hope it goes well.

Canvas generally doesn't dye very happily. Paint might be the way to go; i'm no expert though.

Bought a merino/possum fur jumper for £4.50 ; checked online and the nearest prices were around £120. Rather smug, yes i am.

Have you considered trying to get into sound recording in nature? You'll a have a qualification and a field that to my knowledge isn't exactly jam packed. Getting some tree climbing courses would be useful in this i'd reckon.

You probably know it already but it you grind up those hazelnuts real fine you'll get more nutrients out of them; nuts and seed generally just pass through for the most part. I don't see much difference between this and any other bushcrafty activity; don't we all take on an activity, try to do...

Wild ponies eat it naturally; they stamp on it to deal with the thorns. Smells lovely when it burns.

I've been reading over and over again that tweed is weatherproof but just how weatherproof is it? I'm considering whether to buy the Bison Bush shirt or not. Cheers.

Funny this cos the farm i workat are supplying his salad...

Cheers guys; what's a veterian tree? I'm hoping to run an orchard and do some coppicing/pollarding some day. When i know my stuff. Did some work with a tree surgeon a while back but he wasn't interested in teaching me anything so it's good to hear this stuff!

Keep the knowledge coming guys this is very interesting stuff. Tearing? Your gonna have to explain that one treelore. It seems clear to me that there are different 'rules' for foresters; it'd be interesting to hear more about it? Details of how/where to cut etc.

So i'd been under the impression that removing a live, healthy limb from a tree is a cardinal sin until recently, when my boss (Who genuinely knows his stuff) informed me that it could 'potentially' extend the life of the tree by up to 150 years. So what's the general verdict? Is he right or...

Just a warning; the dutch blankets are pretty bulky, i doubt you could fit two in your pack. Think of it as 30-35 litres on its own.

Hi guys, was wondering where to get the best pair of moleskin trousers (preferably green) for about £30 or under. Also if anyone fancies giving the rest of us any insights into moleskin in generally that'd be lovely... Ta, Ivan.

Aye, i did a couple of days work on a veggie farm a month ago and felt a real feeling of belonging in the farm environment; completely changed my lifes direction. Get it in scruffy over grown terrace gardens too.... and Ilkley moor. Like people have said there no real pattern.

R. Lewis: I visited 'skye skins' a week ago and they were doing pretty hefty bin bags of sheepskin offcuts for £4; good size pieces n all; if you can find a sheepskin shop near you, it might be worth making your own? Skye skins is on the isle of skye though... probably pay in fuel what you save.