Activity for Chris J
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #41695 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #41659 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #39878 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #39810 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Can I use a quilt with a bivi bag? Is it possible (read, can I spend a restful night sleeping?) By using a quilt, bivi bag and ground sheet? Quilt I'm looking at is here, the idea being that I can take an ultralight bivi bag and groundsheet in addition to my hammock setup (which includes the quilt) so I'm covered whatever the terrain... (more) |
— | almost 8 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Tree tapping in the UK - Time and legalities Reading online, I have found that there is no hard and set rule for knowing when to tap, but in the second half of March you should check trees on a regular basis (every day or so) by doing the following. Simply take a sharp point (I used the tip of the drill) and at about a meter from the grou... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Processing the fruit of chequers/wild service tree How do I process the fruit of the wild service tree? I know the berries need to be subjected to frost before they can be dried and consumed. Can I harvest them early and stick them in the freezer for a few hours instead? How do I know when they are dried/ripened enough ready for eating? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How do you tap a tree for sap? There are a few ways to tap a tree, before you tap you need to know when the sap is rising from the roots to the branches. I have read about use a knife to make a shallow cut under the bark, then using a twig to guide the flow into a positioned bottled using a drill bit to achieve the same effect ... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Tree tapping in the UK - Time and legalities Is it legal to tap trees on public land in the UK? I'm thinking of tapping sycamore trees in a local wood on an overnight trip in the spring. Also, am I correct in the assumption that the last week of March would be a good time for the trip? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to identify dead wood in winter I've been learning about collecting dead wood from trees which are easy enough to identify in summer (lack of leaves) but is there a way of identifying dead wood that also works in winter? (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Can anyone help with identifying this tree? The tree kind of resembles an ash but has green buds, there are pinnate leaflets with rounded tips close up of leaflets edit This tree is located in Cambidgeshire in the United Kingdom (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How do you boil water without a proper container? A watertight container is what is required here. The best thing is metal but if we're without this you can use plastic bottles on the shoreline folded paper a hollowed out and charred piece of wood bamboo broad leaves shaped using twigs birch bark dig up some clay, create a bowl and throw it in th... (more) |
— | about 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Homemade top quilt with variable stuffing Reading the instructions here about making my own sleeping bag/top quilt and it got me thinking, if I can make a temporary seal on one end (Velcro, buttons, zips, etc) I could vary the amount of stuffing, removing excess in summer and overstuffing in winter. Is there any reason that this wouldn't wo... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to store tinder on a hike? What do people use to carry tinder whilst hiking? I was thinking of using a tobacco tin but on a multiday hike I'm not sure it will fit enough or if it will keep dry. Tinder I would be using would be natural, things like silver birch bark and thistle seeds. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Slingshot resources As part of my everyday carry gear, I'm looking at including a slingshot for taking game birds whilst hiking. However I've never used one, what should I be looking for in a catapult when purchasing? What kind of ammo will I need? Where can I find good tutorials for beginners? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Drinking water in Dartmoor Is it safe to drink water from streams in Dartmoor using simple purification methods? I'm planning a trip and am looking to filter using a Millbank bag and then boil for four minutes to kill off any nasties. This way I can reduce the weight and the cost. I'm particularly interested in the water pol... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What ropes could I use to suspend a hammock? I've recently got into hammock camping and roping it to a tree is a bit more complicated than it first sounds so please bear with me You need something to wrap around the tree to protect it from holding your weight, these are unsurprisingly called tree straps - mine are made out of seat belt materi... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Knot to attach gear to a beam My outdoor gear has been relegated to the garage but I want to keep it off the ground, I have a beam and paracord and am using a double fisherman's bend and a midshipman knot to keep it elevated but it's really difficult to raise it and lower it as the weight tightens the knot. What's a good knot th... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is a hand chainsaw legal to carry in the UK I've picked up a hand chainsaw for the woods as it's cheap and an amazing bit of kit. UK law states the legal carry for a knife is less than 3 inches and must be a non-locking folding blade. Will I be able to take my saw out on public land? I don't believe it meets the definitions of an illegal b... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is an emergency blanket effective as a ground sheet? On a recent question that was closed as a duplicate (correctly) one of the comments was to use a foil blanket as a ground sheet instead of a tarpaulin in a bid to reduce the overall pack weight. Is this an effective strategy? I have images of the foil tearing after being lain on and stretched. (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What is a realistic weight for a week long hike? I'm looking to do some hiking and wild camping before the end of the British summer, I'm happy with the contents of my kit and the items I'm taking but I'm not sure how realistic it is to be carrying 14 kilos (33 lbs) for an extended period of time each day. Item Name qty weight u... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Quick release knot for attaching kit I'm currently using a double fisherman's bend to tie my kit together but it's a bit fiddly to take apart. Is there a better knot for the task? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How to humanely kill an injured rabbit? On a survival course recently I was told the correct way to despatch a rabbit (as determined to reduce suffering) is to place a blow three times to the base of the skull with a stick - not smashing it to pieces but to separate skull from spine. After doing this you should check for an autonomic resp... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to join two pieces of rope in an adjustable tight loop? I'm looking to use a piece of paracord as a ridge/sag line in my hammock setup, to do this I want to be able to tie the two ends together in a fashion that will allow me to alter the length of the loop easily but to lock in place - this knot will be taking my weight and my gears overnight so it needs... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Review of Hammock setup sketch I'm trying to visualise how to setup my first hammock and what kit I will need (excluding tarp and underlay) can you check my sketch below (excuse the simplistic style) and confirm that I have covered all the basics (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to stow backpack and boots whilst in a hammock? I'm contemplating using a hammock for my next trip, usually I'd keep my backpack and boots with me inside when I sleep to keep them dry. Is there room in a hammock for a backpack and boots? Or is it uncomfortable being pulled into them all night? Can I instead hang them beneath a hammock, and is acc... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What should I look for in a head torch? After my first wild camping experience, I found that my hand torch was really inefficient in the evening compared to other people's head torches - what are the features that make a good head torch? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |