Take a look at the new Karrimor Predator Patrol 45 rucksack. Some bill this as a replacement for the Sabre 45 litre; but is it a worthy contender and suitable for bushcraft use?
Watch the video to have a look round it and find out my opinion.
By the way, you can get these form Lakeland Bushcraft.
Take a look at the new Karrimor Predator Patrol 45 rucksack. Some bill this as a replacement for the Sabre 45 litre; but is it a worthy contender and suitable for bushcraft use?
Watch the video to have a look round it and find out my opinion.
By the way, you can get these form Lakeland Bushcraft.
On Friday I went off to Mark’s in Berkshire. Mark was kindly hosting the Woodlife AGM, where the volunteer Network Management Team get together once a year and have a chat about the ever increasing success of the Woodlife Network.
We were a couple of people light, but there was a lot to chat about especially with the changes in service coming up on the network. More about that later.
It wasn’t all talk, in fact it turned out to be a great weekend for wildlife.
Mike and Adam went foraging finding amongst others Comfrey and Pignut while Andy, Mark and I went out looking for snakes. Only Mark saw a fleeting glimpse of brown adder, but we did see several Common lizzards. The refreshingly lemon taste of Wood sorrel leaves was available.
The birds were active and we saw a pair of buzzards and a Greater-spotted woodpecker. The cuckoo was very vocal in the vicinity of the camp.
On Saturday evening Adam and Mike reported back with no less than 6 Muntjac and 2 fallow sightings, while earlier, Mark and I had a good view of a Roe doe.
We spotted these tracks which I’m sure are stoat, but I will double check and confirm.
Later, Andy and I watched a couple of Badgers at the local sett through the night vision monocular before they went off to the field to forage.
It was a good chance to test the new Karrimor Predator Patrol 45 from Lakeland Bushcraft. I’ll do a full video review later on in the week.
As the weekend whiled away in the brilliant sunshine, I suddenly noticed that everyone else was whittling away. I realised that I hadn’t done any woodcraft for a good while. so I quickly joined in making my first spoon of 2010.
This morning we had a bit of rain. It wasn’t a down-pour by any means but still we had to put our tarps away wet. Mike reported his shelter was comfortable but more importantly, waterproof.
Thanks to Mark and everyone for a great weekend as usual.
On Friday I went off to Mark’s in Berkshire. Mark was kindly hosting the Woodlife AGM, where the volunteer Network Management Team get together once a year and have a chat about the ever increasing success of the Woodlife Network.
We were a couple of people light, but there was a lot to chat about especially with the changes in service coming up on the network. More about that later.
It wasn’t all talk, in fact it turned out to be a great weekend for wildlife.
Mike and Adam went foraging finding amongst others Comfrey and Pignut while Andy, Mark and I went out looking for snakes. Only Mark saw a fleeting glimpse of brown adder, but we did see several Common lizzards. The refreshingly lemon taste of Wood sorrel leaves was available.
The birds were active and we saw a pair of buzzards and a Greater-spotted woodpecker. The cuckoo was very vocal in the vicinity of the camp.
On Saturday evening Adam and Mike reported back with no less than 6 Muntjac and 2 fallow sightings, while earlier, Mark and I had a good view of a Roe doe.
We spotted these tracks which I’m sure are stoat, but I will double check and confirm.
Later, Andy and I watched a couple of Badgers at the local sett through the night vision monocular before they went off to the field to forage.
It was a good chance to test the new Karrimor Predator Patrol 45 from Lakeland Bushcraft. I’ll do a full video review later on in the week.
As the weekend whiled away in the brilliant sunshine, I suddenly noticed that everyone else was whittling away. I realised that I hadn’t done any woodcraft for a good while. so I quickly joined in making my first spoon of 2010.
This morning we had a bit of rain. It wasn’t a down-pour by any means but still we had to put our tarps away wet. Mike reported his shelter was comfortable but more importantly, waterproof.
Thanks to Mark and everyone for a great weekend as usual.
I took a long weekend to visit my parents. After a great day with them, Mrs P and I went headed to the New Forest.
The Forest has a special place in my heart. As a kid we used to cycle down there (and later take our motorbikes) and spend a weekend there every summer until I joined the Army. Even then, I used to love the wilderness feel of the ancient forest and its special inhabitants.
The Forest was said to have been set aside by William the Conqueror for hunting purposes, although it’s known that people inhabiting bronze age settlements cleared parts of the north side of the forest for agriculture. The soil isn’t particularly good so much of it was left and it went to heathland.
Because of the lowland features there is a huge variety of different and even rare plants and animals in the Forest. Unfortunately, being a wonderfully warm day, it seemed many people had the same idea, and I really didn’t have the time to go as deep into the Forest as I would have liked.
Instead, I paid my respects to the Queen of the Forest; the 600 plus year old Knightswood Oak, the oldest tree in the forest, and I headed straight for a number of guaranteed deer sightings. Unfortunately not the Red or Sika deer I was looking for, but at least a few close-ups of Fallow.
Today it was back to the humble woods of Essex. But they are no less spectacular, perhaps not in looks, but in inhabitants.
The last three days of warm weather has seen some quick growth:
Germander speedwell
Common dog violet
Lesser celandine
Blackthorn
Primroses and Dandelion
Ladies smock or Cuckoo flower (tasty leaves)
Bluebells not quite open.
Next weekend I visit Mark’s wood in Reading.
I took a long weekend to visit my parents. After a great day with them, Mrs P and I went headed to the New Forest.
The Forest has a special place in my heart. As a kid we used to cycle down there (and later take our motorbikes) and spend a weekend there every summer until I joined the Army. Even then, I used to love the wilderness feel of the ancient forest and its special inhabitants.
The Forest was said to have been set aside by William the Conqueror for hunting purposes, although it’s known that people inhabiting bronze age settlements cleared parts of the north side of the forest for agriculture. The soil isn’t particularly good so much of it was left and it went to heathland.
Because of the lowland features there is a huge variety of different and even rare plants and animals in the Forest. Unfortunately, being a wonderfully warm day, it seemed many people had the same idea, and I really didn’t have the time to go as deep into the Forest as I would have liked.
Instead, I paid my respects to the Queen of the Forest; the 600 plus year old Knightswood Oak, the oldest tree in the forest, and I headed straight for a number of guaranteed deer sightings. Unfortunately not the Red or Sika deer I was looking for, but at least a few close-ups of Fallow.
Today it was back to the humble woods of Essex. But they are no less spectacular, perhaps not in looks, but in inhabitants.
The last three days of warm weather has seen some quick growth:
Germander speedwell
Common dog violet
Lesser celandine
Blackthorn
Primroses and Dandelion
Ladies smock or Cuckoo flower (tasty leaves)
Bluebells not quite open.
Next weekend I visit Mark’s wood in Reading.
I’ve always liked Les Davidson from Wildcrafts. Apart from being a nice bloke, skilled bushcrafter and all round good egg, he has now been given the keys to Hatfield Forest. Not that the latter would ever influence my choice of friends…(!)
Hatfield forest is 1,000 acres of ancient forest owned by the National Trust. Les now has permission to run courses on the land and, of course, I was there to assist. In fact, wild horses wouldn’t have kept me away!
I spent most of Saturday walking and recce’ing around the part of the forest where we were camped, seeking out tracks and signs of the myriad of creatures that inhabit the forest, trying to build up a picture of where they feed, walk and sleep. I quickly found two badger sets and evidence of three types of deer.
We had to adapt out base camp technique slightly by building the fires on raised earth and wood platforms to be doubly sure to not leave a fire scar.
Even though we were on the quieter side of the forest, being a beautiful, sunny and warm weekend, we had a number of passers-by looking intently at the set up. After assuring those who dared come closer that this was sanctioned by the National Trust they started to warm to our ethos of not just providing survival skills but to teach an awareness of nature.
The guys on the course seemed to enjoy all the aspects of the course, but I think they were surprised that the hands-on approach to survival shelter building wasn’t as easy as it looks on the telly.
But they did very well and reported a comfortably night in their shelters, except for the barking of the ever inquisitive Muntjac deer.
Of course the highlight for me was simply having the privilege to stay in the forest, feel its ambience, walk along the wide rides, and watch the bountiful wildlife. Hopefully, I’ll have many more opportunities to write about this wonderful place.
Thanks for the visit.
I’ve always liked Les Davidson from Wildcrafts. Apart from being a nice bloke, skilled bushcrafter and all round good egg, he has now been given the keys to Hatfield Forest. Not that the latter would ever influence my choice of friends…(!)
Hatfield forest is 1,000 acres of ancient forest owned by the National Trust. Les now has permission to run courses on the land and, of course, I was there to assist. In fact, wild horses wouldn’t have kept me away!
I spent most of Saturday walking and recce’ing around the part of the forest where we were camped, seeking out tracks and signs of the myriad of creatures that inhabit the forest, trying to build up a picture of where they feed, walk and sleep. I quickly found two badger sets and evidence of three types of deer.
We had to adapt out base camp technique slightly by building the fires on raised earth and wood platforms to be doubly sure to not leave a fire scar.
Even though we were on the quieter side of the forest, being a beautiful, sunny and warm weekend, we had a number of passers-by looking intently at the set up. After assuring those who dared come closer that this was sanctioned by the National Trust they started to warm to our ethos of not just providing survival skills but to teach an awareness of nature.
The guys on the course seemed to enjoy all the aspects of the course, but I think they were surprised that the hands-on approach to survival shelter building wasn’t as easy as it looks on the telly.
But they did very well and reported a comfortably night in their shelters, except for the barking of the ever inquisitive Muntjac deer.
Of course the highlight for me was simply having the privilege to stay in the forest, feel its ambience, walk along the wide rides, and watch the bountiful wildlife. Hopefully, I’ll have many more opportunities to write about this wonderful place.
Thanks for the visit.
