Back from my first Moot, and here's my first post on the forum, with thoughts and reflections from a thoroughly enjoyable and slightly ground-shifting 6 days.
I've gone a bit crazy on looking out for flint everywhere! I think my neighbour has some mixed in with the gravel in front of their house. I snaffled a well worn little piece with a percussive wave-shaped base. An artefact?
I will never look at sycamore trees the same way again. I can't see one without wanting to whip out a pruning saw and my lovely new knife. Nearly finished the final touches on the lovespoon I started on the moot for me missus. Pretty pleased with my first whittling efforts.
Some of my best bushcraft moments were not especially crafty, but fairly innovative. No plastic container for your bar of soap? Nothing a large sycamore leaf can't fix! No coathanger to hang your damp shirt by the fire? Sycamore branch and loop to the rescue!
I picked up new wild plants to eat and passed them on to my foraging-crazy son (adding to his repertoire of hawthorn leaves, wood sorrel and water mint).
I got home and fixed a niggling kitchen drawer problem with a flint countersink.
I got back to work with a much healthier perspective on what's important in life. We are set to go out bush camping again on the bank holiday weekend - this time with 2 portable tents and a tarp for our family of four instead of one big heavy monster tent.
There is much more - but suffice to say I've come away from the moot with a more practical pair of hands and a slightly more self-sufficient brain - plus some great new mates. What more could you ask for??
oj
I've gone a bit crazy on looking out for flint everywhere! I think my neighbour has some mixed in with the gravel in front of their house. I snaffled a well worn little piece with a percussive wave-shaped base. An artefact?
I will never look at sycamore trees the same way again. I can't see one without wanting to whip out a pruning saw and my lovely new knife. Nearly finished the final touches on the lovespoon I started on the moot for me missus. Pretty pleased with my first whittling efforts.
Some of my best bushcraft moments were not especially crafty, but fairly innovative. No plastic container for your bar of soap? Nothing a large sycamore leaf can't fix! No coathanger to hang your damp shirt by the fire? Sycamore branch and loop to the rescue!
I picked up new wild plants to eat and passed them on to my foraging-crazy son (adding to his repertoire of hawthorn leaves, wood sorrel and water mint).
I got home and fixed a niggling kitchen drawer problem with a flint countersink.
I got back to work with a much healthier perspective on what's important in life. We are set to go out bush camping again on the bank holiday weekend - this time with 2 portable tents and a tarp for our family of four instead of one big heavy monster tent.
There is much more - but suffice to say I've come away from the moot with a more practical pair of hands and a slightly more self-sufficient brain - plus some great new mates. What more could you ask for??
oj
