Ivan's big Dartmoor meet - the aftermath - probably pic heavy

[dave53]

just seen this thread as my daughter is ill at the moment kids eh anyway im still laughing thanks again to ivan and katie and to all who attended the meet a great sociable event one of many i hope i will be back in may to catch up with you all again regards dave

[savagebushcraft]

Mentions in despatches , Jaysurfer for planning since Feb to go lighter than usual , Salad for anyone who cant think of a name (good reasoning behind that one !) dave 53 for being wonderfully patient and informative with Katie ( i have now lost my tarp hammock karabiners and paracord ) Emma87 for being rock hard , never under estimate the power of a woman !! ( similair comment applies to Joy ) Adam for winning longest traveller , and being there when ever you needed a hand ( and for the dvd mate oh and beer ! ) The children for being brill and having a cool time ! ( must move tent further from fire after watershed ! think they may have some new jokes ! ) Foxy for making sure i ate (yummy stew ) and mothering me as and when required .

Think I was actually pipped on that one in the end LOL.

Is it good,I was thinking of getting but I didn't know if there is a better alternative in that kind of price range.

Yeah, it's a worthy tarp for the price. It's light and has plenty of mounting point (19) and is cheaper than the tatonka.

Because of the massive success , of my first Bushcraft meet , i am currently writing a novel , and i just know it will be a best seller ! No seriously i think whilst it is still fresh in our minds , and as soon as some of you come out of rehab . We really ought to start planning the next foray for later in the year, so we have plenty of time to organise it , and those who only log on occasionally wont miss out , maybe even make this one a little more formal ! thats it , maybe a sensible end for crafting / learning skills spooning of course , cordage , fire lighting , wild food foraging etc . and up my end . Big fires ,cooking, laughing, assault coursing and drinking etc , what do you think ?

After much micky taking of my club/digging stick/rounders bat/shovel/spoon, I have reduced it down to....sensible...proportions.

And as for your end of things, they make it all worth while haha

[Nova & Pinky]

Think I was actually pipped on that one in the end LOL.

Wow, how far did you come in the end?

And finished spoon looks great!

[ex member mick sturbs]

Hello everyone, wow ! great response already , you gluttons for punishment ! While i am here , can anyone think of anything that can be done to improve the site/meet /facilities etc, for instance Freddyfish suggested an inventory so people know whats available , man just thinks on his feet ! I dont mind constructive comments good or bad , its the only way i am going to get it right ,Freddy kindly said anyone who did not want to air their views etc in the public domain , can PM him and if he feels it wont make me cry he might pass the messages on , many thanks you guys !!

Ivan ...

[Nova & Pinky]

Only suggestion would be for you to pay (bribr?) the weather people more! :P

[jonajuna]

Hello everyone, wow ! great response already , you gluttons for punishment ! While i am here , can anyone think of anything that can be done to improve the site/meet /facilities etc, for instance Freddyfish suggested an inventory so people know whats available , man just thinks on his feet ! I dont mind constructive comments good or bad , its the only way i am going to get it right ,Freddy kindly said anyone who did not want to air their views etc in the public domain , can PM him and if he feels it wont make me cry he might pass the messages on , many thanks you guys !!

Ivan ...

tarmac the paths, on-site shop, oh and a nightclub would be good, complete with go-go dancers if you dont mind

in all seriousness, i would say nothing, the beauty of your site is its natural state, the (as it is, minimal) need to adapt what you have and your environment (my loo pit digging and tarp rigging exercise for example..... some my think that sad, but i enjoyed doing it)

for me, if i was to turn up and have everything "laid on" so to speak, i would soon get bored... though of course, if there are those that want things laid on, then please recruit me to your working party to do such things i nearly cried when i realised i turned up too late to help with the ground oven

[Nova & Pinky]

I very nearly typed similar - ie, the 'keep it simple'.
The fact that you are able to provide a woodland that acts like a blank canvas for us all, is enough.

[savagebushcraft]

Wow, how far did you come in the end?

And finished spoon looks great!

196 miles each way. pretty sure someone got to nearly 300 though lol, and thanks for the spoon comment. It still needs some final finishing but it's getting there slowly haha

[Nova & Pinky]

we did 225 miles, although that was with a slight detour around Yeovil to pick up bushwhacker

[savagebushcraft]

Hello everyone, wow ! great response already , you gluttons for punishment ! While i am here , can anyone think of anything that can be done to improve the site/meet /facilities etc, for instance Freddyfish suggested an inventory so people know whats available , man just thinks on his feet ! I dont mind constructive comments good or bad , its the only way i am going to get it right ,Freddy kindly said anyone who did not want to air their views etc in the public domain , can PM him and if he feels it wont make me cry he might pass the messages on , many thanks you guys !!

Ivan ...

Everything was perfect mate. I think the rapid response for "more, more, more" has proven that.
I do think you should charge people for carting their kit on the quad though, would make them pack lighter for that more bushcrafty experience LOL.

[savagebushcraft]

we did 225 miles, although that was with a slight detour around Yeovil to pick up bushwhacker

See? beaten already by you two LOL. I'll have to drive to suffolk to pic up casey, that should help regain my title for most travelled

[ex member mick sturbs]

Hey wait a cotton picking minute !! I know i shoul win shortest traveller only 1.2 kms dont know what that is in old money , but i went up and down 186 times does that count ? and is there a prize ?

[Nova & Pinky]

Hey wait a cotton picking minute !! I know i shoul win shortest traveller only 1.2 kms dont know what that is in old money , but i went up and down 186 times does that count ? and is there a prize ?

A spoon? :P

[Badger90]

'ere savage that spoon looks bloody good considering you did most of it with a knife...i remember watching you pick up that lump of beech and start whittling away wondering what you were doing...nice finished job

[ex member mick sturbs]

That does it , i am now not afraid to try my first spoon , and i am changing my image , i bumped into an old school chum today, and he thought i was wearing a grey swimming hat !!

[savagebushcraft]

'ere savage that spoon looks bloody good considering you did most of it with a knife...i remember watching you pick up that lump of beech and start whittling away wondering what you were doing...nice finished job

thanks Badg' I still need to sand the hollow but it won't take much. I was knocked into submission when everyone else got their spoons out, I thought.."why is mine so much bigger than theirs?"...LOL

[savagebushcraft]

That does it , i am now not afraid to try my first spoon , and i am changing my image , i bumped into an old school chum today, and he thought i was wearing a grey swimming hat !!

Some people have a cheek don't they? LOL. I bet your spoon will be bigger than mine, as you will need it to lever the quad up the slope/mud slide.

[savagebushcraft]

Oh and Badg', it was all done with a mora, James' crook knife, and a LOT of sandpaper haha

[ex member mick sturbs]

Actually Mr Savage, my spoon will be a delicate affair , for basting the lamb, and it will be made from balsa wood for any upcoming assault course challenge as i intend to go extremely light and win!! and because i will be the numpty putting up the prize , ive seen it and i want it !!

[ex member mick sturbs]

Nova you genius, thankyou , now i have an avitoff!! or whatever its called , wasnt allowed to put the other one on was told i looked like a cross between worzel gummage and compos dad !! charming !

[savagebushcraft]

Actually Mr Savage, my spoon will be a delicate affair , for basting the lamb, and it will be made from balsa wood for any upcoming assault course challenge as i intend to go extremely light and win!! and because i will be the numpty putting up the prize , ive seen it and i want it !!

Prize? What prize? lol

[ex member mick sturbs]

Im not telling what the proper prize is , but the booby prize will be Badgers , Canadian kayak paddle ! you will need a hand to carry it off site though , unless he has refined it , you know with a chainsaw or similar

[jonajuna]

I have a suggestion for the site!

a serious one too, yes really :P

where we were camped could perhaps do with a plank across the stream, not because we are too lazy to jump across, but a couple of times the bank gave way a little and i can see in time that damage would occur. there is a crossing point a little higher up by the fire circle, but we tended not to use that as it meant traipsing through other peeps spots

just a thought and as i say, one meant more to preserve the integrity of the bank then create extra convenience

if you have a plank, i will happily set it in place for you intend to camp down there again as we like the choice of quiet "wildness" with the option of joining the more social atmosphere at the top end

btw, did find the other pit that was dug, nicely sited with inbuilt privacy, when you said there was one already there, near the boundary, i didn't realise quite how close and didn't go searching further than i got as had the thunderbox in my arms at the time! lol

[savagebushcraft]

Im not telling what the proper prize is , but the booby prize will be Badgers , Canadian kayak paddle ! you will need a hand to carry it off site though , unless he has refined it , you know with a chainsaw or similar

I heard tell of such a beast. I thought it was a myth like the Loch Ness monster.

[ex member mick sturbs]

No problem Jon, i will put a plank down , but let you install where best for you and i will reserve that spot for you as if the tribe do come no doubt you will be bringing the marquee !! and your choice of situ for the ablutions area was fine , you must have looked stylish walking all around the woods with that box under your arm!

[jonajuna]

No problem Jon, i will put a plank down , but let you install where best for you and i will reserve that spot for you as if the tribe do come no doubt you will be bringing the marquee !! and your choice of situ for the ablutions area was fine , you must have looked stylish walking all around the woods with that box under your arm!

cheers, will have fun bridge building (sounds like a management away day!) might even have a go at finding some good branches and rigging up rails and maybe some withy balustrades! lol

as for the marquee (we do love our bell tent even with the weight of the damn thing)... was thinking on the way home that maybe i should bung our big tent (a really big tent.... 35+sqm) that we don't really use any more onto fleabay and replace with a couple of more backpack friendly geodesics. It will only be a couple of years now before both the kids will want their own tents rather than sleep in with us and we would get more use of of those tents then we do out of our big one (was bought for longer term camps and to be able to take "guests" (had Cory's tenth birthday party in it at a rainy festival once, 8 kids and several adults with room to spare for the picnic in the middle, gives and idea of the size!)

and thank you for the compliment that i am hefty enough to carry the thunder box under one arm, took both arms and several rests to get it that far! the heaviest thing i lift on a daily basis is my cup of tea and i have that delivered to my desk on most occasions

[ex member mick sturbs]

Well what a day , savagebushcraft , must have a voodoo quad and pin , coz i went up to the site today to finish off tidying up and ..guess who got the quad stuck , anyway after much grunting and swearing , no budge so had to call Badgers mountain quad rescue , there within the hour , about 10 mins and free , the next 3 hours shooting talking rubbish , sorry i mean organising and planning the next meet , all of a sudden it was time to go , a big thanks Badger , now time to invest in an all terrain vehicle !!

[savagebushcraft]

Well what a day , savagebushcraft , must have a voodoo quad and pin , coz i went up to the site today to finish off tidying up and ..guess who got the quad stuck , anyway after much grunting and swearing , no budge so had to call Badgers mountain quad rescue , there within the hour , about 10 mins and free , the next 3 hours shooting talking rubbish , sorry i mean organising and planning the next meet , all of a sudden it was time to go , a big thanks Badger , now time to invest in an all terrain vehicle !!

I did nothing, honest, but my little nephew was playing with a quad shaped beanbag in the shop, which was right next to the sewing kits.......

[mayobushcraft]

Wonderfull time. I am now a pit lamb convert. Was the most wonderfull flaver I have ever tasted.

Thanks everyone for a great time. Ivan I will try to make it out again soon.

[savagebushcraft]

Wonderfull time. I am now a pit lamb convert. Was the most wonderfull flaver I have ever tasted.

Thanks everyone for a great time. Ivan I will try to make it out again soon.

Hope you can make it buddy, you bring gret company to the party.

Pit lamb is wonderful, but I can't wait to try your deep fried, whole turkey