Living in the woods ?

[Ivan...]

Hi guys , which heading would be most appropriate to write a piece on my intention to stay in the woods for a time ?

cheers Ivan...

[Ex member - Bilgerat]

This one seems OK...

There was someone else on here recently that was going t' do that same thing fer a year......

[spandit]

Have you read "Treehouse Diaries" by Nick Weston? He only managed 6 months. I guess you'd have to spend a long time in the summer preparing and storing food to last the winter

[Ivan...]

Hello everybody , as some of you know , i started an exciting new venture and bushcraft site on Dartmoor some time ago , my old name was Mick Sturbs, which was going great guns until my world rather collapsed, wont bore you with those details , but suffice to say i was forced to take a liitle break , anyway i am slowly building back up what i started , which is jigging along gently .

AS i have had a chance to re think my present situation , no partner , no job , very limited access to kids etc and probably most of all fed up with all the rubbish in the real world , i am going to have a go at living in the woods , so if anyone is interested i will state my intentions ...

[spandit]

I'd be interested to see how you get on - have you thought about contacting any publishers to see if a book deal is in order?

[Toddy]

This forum is perhaps easiest

Best of luck with your new living arrangements

Maybe a regular column in a paper or magazine ? Sometimes a little cash flow or deadline is a great motivator when it's cold, wet and miserable to get out and get on.

cheers,
Toddy

[Ivan...]

This is not going to be " into the wild " or anything quite as exciting or glamourous , I am luck enough to have exclusive use of 12 acres of wood right on the edge of Dartmoor , i dont know how long i intend to try and stay out , the longest i have done solo in the past was 9 nights ! wow! i hear you say .
i am only a mile walk from civilisation and have every intention of reasonable contact with the house , bathing , posting on here , supplies etc but most of my time will be spent in the woods and every night as long as i can stick it also , i am cheating in some respects as i smoke rollies and like my beer .

[spandit]

Keep us posted! I'd be inclined to set up a blog (on blogger.com or similar) - they're free and an easy way to store/edit your experiences. Just posting on here could lead to your writings getting lost with all the comments and new posts etc.

[Ivan...]

Sorry i lost the tale end of my post ! computer crashed, i intend to cook all meals , keep warm and forage what i can from my surroundings , at this time of year not too difficult , anyway if this is boring and general opinion is big deal dont bother i wont .
I am also as those who know me a very social creature so i think loneliness might be an issue therefore , anyone who wants to call in and say hi is welcome .
I am not the kind of person that walks into the pub and shouts , thats it ive given up smoking , cos a week later when you are back on the fags you look a pillock !
So if my little experiment does not work i apologise in advance .

[spandit]

An honest fail is better than a dishonest success. Wish I had some similar woodland to play in

[Ivan...]

I am also cheating , by having tent , tarped area , frying pans pots , kettle ,plates cups , 3 in 1 coffee dried foods , access to clean running water , sleeping bag , sleep mat etc etc.

And Spandit , i am not computer literate , so all that blog/spam stuff is way beyond me , if anybody is interested they will seek out my ramblings .

[The Big Lebowski]

Give it a go Ivan... You have nothing to loose, and everything to learn!

I'll bring you down a copy of Mors Bushcraft book to keep you company. Lots of common sense camp-craft to practice or adapt.

al.

[spandit]

And Spandit , i am not computer literate , so all that blog/spam stuff is way beyond me , if anybody is interested they will seek out my ramblings .

If you can post on here, you can post on a blog - just might give you a clearer way to organise your ramblings in case a publisher gets interested. http://www.which.co.uk/technology/ar...oogle-blogger/

[Ivan...]

Thanks Al , i will at least last until the meet i am sure , its after all you guys have gone it might be a bit wierd , but hey ho ! i will have a go !

[Ivan...]

I also have a woodland drop, and a lot of the bits and bobs that come with the site as some know , so its not some great survival thing , more the need to get away and see if i can do it , a few mates think i am mad and are running away or escaping , i think i agree , no telly, no news, no people for a while at least, so off to set up , will pop back before i retire later , and perhaps post a bit more , dont know if posting everyday is defeating the object or not ?
Because some may think i wonder how the idiot at home is doing . Still i think most of you get the gist .

[Bushwhacker]

I think you need a ferret for companionship. I can always bring you one down and some nets too if you like. There's a couple of nice workable banks I saw.

[spandit]

Would help keep you warm if it lived down thy trousers

[LRforestschool]

If I could afford not to work I would come and keep you company. C

[LRforestschool]

The C doesn't mean anything significant - slip of the finger while posting reply!

[milius2]

Very exiting, keep us posted with photos too!

[RichardIT]

If I'm honest, I would say follow your heart

[shaggystu]

best of luck with this, i'd certainly be interested to hear how you get on

stuart

[ged]

If you're not into computers and blogging it's no obstacle. I see no need to do anything more than post your experiences in this thread. It could be a very useful source of information about things like how your gear performs in long term use, something which isn't always easy to find. If you keep a log of everything you buy for example you'll be able to tell us things like how much fuel you use for cooking, how much you need to eat to keep body and soul together in the cold weather, all very useful stuff.

I'm sure a lot of people would find it helpful if you could describe the setup a bit more -- I'm actually a bit confused about how you're living already.

Don't forget to get a couple of hot water bottles before they run out of them in the shops!

[skate]

If you don't do it you 'll always wish you had! So go for it. Only hope those long dark Winter nights don't take away the magic of sleeping out.

[treadlightly]

Good luck with this. I don't think you are running away or cheating by dipping into the modern world and using its stuff. Its not a test of endurance, simply a diferent way to live. Follow your instincts and keep us posted.

[dave53]

go for it ivav I'm sure we can all pop down and keep you company for a few nights through the winter get cutting them trees down all them dead ones and keep an eye out for the beast of dartmoor lol regards dave

[tommy the cat]

Have you read "Treehouse Diaries" by Nick Weston? He only managed 6 months. I guess you'd have to spend a long time in the summer preparing and storing food to last the winter

Just to say he didnt manage to do 6 months he planned to do 6 months 'using' the most fruitful months for hunting foraging.
Not being narky but that comment sounds like he failed he didn't he stayed the time he wanted to.
Atb Dave

[LRforestschool]

If you're not into computers and blogging it's no obstacle. I see no need to do anything more than post your experiences in this thread. It could be a very useful source of information about things like how your gear performs in long term use, something which isn't always easy to find. If you keep a log of everything you buy for example you'll be able to tell us things like how much fuel you use for cooking, how much you need to eat to keep body and soul together in the cold weather, all very useful stuff.

I'm sure a lot of people would find it helpful if you could describe the setup a bit more -- I'm actually a bit confused about how you're living already.

Don't forget to get a couple of hot water bottles before they run out of them in the shops!

And if not all this blog and thread stuff you could do that clever business with a pen and a diary - no power needed and ideal for the outback.

[Savagewolfrm]

Hi there matey. I know you have all the stuff for this, but if i can help with anything you might need just let me know and i can bring along at next meet

Rick

[Poacher]

I for one am jealous! Best of luck to you mate. At the end of the day there is nowt wrong with going out to find yourself. Just hope you like what you find.