UK Bushcraft & Wild Camping Blog / Vlog 2020 UPDATE!

July 19, 2020July 18, 2020 ~ Bushman All-OutDoors ~ 2 Comments

Hi all, This is just a very quick update on what’s been going on and also time for me to throw down my excuses as to why the online presense has been low …

uco bushcraft wild camping candle and hultafors axe — **Great Bushcraft Candle Lantern with Hultafors Bruks Trekker Axe (Bushcraft Day Camp, Breakfast and Spoon Carving)** *Circa October 2018*

So, Despite the Covid … thing, we have been super busy at work despite uncertainty in my line of work, but the Main factor for being away on youtube is a huge operating error with the ”good computer” this is the one I use for video editing and video / image storing etc. at the moment it is just inoperable so until it’s sorted there will probably be no videos online or if any, they will be short.

The 4×4 … As you know (if following the channel and previous posts on the blog) I am busy modifying a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD as an Overlanding 4×4 – this is taking up some of my time too mainly due to researching etc.
The Car hasn’t been on any trips yet other than the few days after purchase but I will most definitely be sure to video the first off roading or family trip for uploading and sharing with you all!

The Youtube Channel … Things took off very nicely maybe about a month or so after initiating the 250 subscriber give away (at time of writing, I am at 1,200+ Subcribers) – although the views and subscribers didn’t come around from the give away but mainly because of this one very lucky video upload (I took my Canvas French Army 2 man tent out for a first try during the week, for some reason it became very popular and at the time of writing it is somewhere above the 130,000 view mark).
As for the give away, only one winner actually followed the channel and claimed their prize ( Druthian Outdoors ) who was the first place winner and shall be recieving his package shortly.
I will try make the effort to contact the other two winners, but this is testament to the fact that subscriber pushes (the give away ones) only gain you one time subscribers and not actual followers who are interested in your content!

Morakniv Mora Heavy Duty Companion MG — **My Original Bushcraft Knife – the Mora ”clipper” Heavy Duty Companion MG –** *Still taken out on some trips to this day*

Losing Followers … Sadly the channel lost a hand full of subscribers, these would have been the ”bell notification” types – so real followers, this was in reponse to uploading a short video of myself doing an Engine Guard Installation on my 4×4.
I am truly sad to see these people go, even though I never knew them … but still, the main issue is that they either didn’t understand the purpose of my channel – or perhaps they are people who walk / hike or journey by other means through the countryside on Green Lanes and just don’t like the 4×4 / 4WD culture, for whatever reason.
My channel is ”Bushman AOD” the AOD stands for ”All-Out-Doors” so in essence, anything to do with the outdoors, not only Bushcraft and Wild Camping but also Hiking, Kayaking, Overseas Trips and yes, 4×4 Overlanding too as this will inevitably take me further into the countryside to discover new places!

Wild Camping with other Friends / Youtube Buddies … This is something I have been trying to organise for more than a year now! Long story short, I will be meeting up at some point with a YT friend but want to keep this quiet before we both upload the video/s – it all depends now on their own belief about this Covid thing and whether or not they are cool to camp with others, I do know the person in question will most likely be very busy once they are back at work!

Gear … I have attained quite a lot of new gear over the last year or so and most have been seen on some videos however some of it hasn’t really been featured or spoken about in any detail – I might make the effort to post about them here and briefly explain all of it. Things include Shelters, Rucksacks, Sleeping Gear and Clothing.

lixada wild camping bushcraft bush box stick stove — **Lixada Stick / Twig Stove – great Wild Camping companion! Folding on hinges, weighs a fraction of the weight of the famous BushBox range and 4 times less cost!**

Oversea Trips … I went to the Philippines in 2019, I did spend time in the mountains of Cebu and did some hiking / wild swimming, I even almost ran into a Rebel Group called the NPA (New Peoples Army) – don’t worry, we got out safe!
So loads of good footage of our travels is upcoming and perhaps also some photos and blog posts here too (once the computer is back online).

Interesting Upcoming Content ? … YES indeed! but when time allows, I have great plans mainly in the ”bushcraft” part of things with little and bigger projects planned, but things are quite hectic at the moment so .. literally only when time allows.
– One Very interesting event happened in the Philippines, I discovered a very unknown Fire Tinder and managed to create fire with it, whilst I am not claiming to be the only person in human history to have done so, I do think this is something very unknown and definitely not seen on any social media especially Youtube .. I will edit the video and upload once the time is right.

Wild Camping when everyone else wasn’t … did I camp in my garden? Did I ”wild camp” on a balcony? HELL NO! 😉

4×4 Again … As a reminder, the car will make me mobile, I can now reach places accross the UK and even farther, once the Bothies reopen (Hiking stop-over cottages in the UK), I will be travelling around and vising quite a few per year which will inevitably take me into Scotland – I got interested in Bothy culture through Funsized Earthling on youtube who spent a very interesting night in Cadderlie Bothy in Scotland near Glencoe.

I think that’s it, thanks for surviving this far, I do hope you take a look at the Youtube channel as I have spent many many hours editing videos for online viewing – it’s all free, if you don’t want to follow I am always grateful even just to see you in the comments just to say hi or even to give critical feedback!

Cheers
Bushman-AOD

Spring Wild Food Foraging. It’s EARLY This Year!

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019 ~ Bushman All-OutDoors ~ Leave a comment

Hi everyone, I hope you all are having a great weekend so far! This is a quick post just as a reminder for anyone interested in Wild Food Foraging, that due to the mild winter we have had, Spring edibles are popping out a little bit earlier than usual!

I managed to harvest ‘Auricularia auricula judae’ Fungus (Jews Ear / Wood Ear) all the way through February! Nettles up until December and already we have Hawthorn ‘Crataegus monogyna’ leaves shooting from bud and in some cases are already able to be harvested!

Hawthorn leaves are known as ”Tree Salad” and are not the only ones considered as such …

As an avid outdoorsman, I spend most of my free time outdoors so if you havent seen it yet, Head Out with your dump pouches because there is food available Now!

Below you can find a few pic’s on leaf identification, Hawthorn leaves remind me of Gooseberry leaves when they are young and still forming from bud.

As always, remember that if you cannot positively identify it, then Dont Try It!

young hawthorn leaves fresh from bud — **Young Fresh Edible Hawthorn Leaves**

Hawthorn Leaves edible — **The Edible Leaves of the Hawthorn Tree**

In Pictures: Exploring New Woodland / Steak in the Woods / Recipe

February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 ~ Bushman All-OutDoors ~ Leave a comment

Hello again, sorry for not being a regular poster on wordpress … that’s just how I roll! To stay up to date on what I am most recently getting up to, it’s probably best to visit the Youtube Channel where I post usually at least once per week and sometimes bi-weekly …

I had a great time on Tuesday the 12th, I got permission from my lovely wife to head out on a long daytrip on my bike to scope out a ”new?” woodland which I have been viewing on maps and attempted to locate a couple months ago (back then, I had gotten disoriented on the ground and ended up in another woodland not far away).

So my objectives that day were to go on the scout, have a look around and note tree species, resources, entrance / exit points and possible wildcamping spots – then head off to my semi-hidden Ancient Woodland to cook up a Steak for Brunch.

New Woodland (Oak) For Wildcamping

The woodland turned out to be mostly Common Oak ‘Quercus robur’, Common Hawthorn ‘Crataegus monogyna’ and some other random species in-between but mostly on the edges, such as Elder ‘Sambucus nigra’. It felt as though there is hardly any human activity there but as I entered I did see someones dog for a split second, so ther are dog walkers about … although, I suspect not that many.

Exterior View – Bushcraft Adventures – BushmanAOD

There’s The Woodland! Bushcraft Adventures with BushmanAOD

Moss Covered Oak Stump – Bushcraft Adventures with BushmanAOD

In hindsight, the above photo of the Woodland from across the field, makes me feel that I only got about 1/3rd the way through so there may be lots more to explore!

The ground was well boggy as we have had some rain and the snow the week prior, my bike’s mechanics took the brunt of the abuse! This was just before cleaning it the first time, the second time took at least 10 min’s to clear it all out …

It was such a peaceful day out, despite a very heavy rucksack on my back, boggy / muddy paths and ground which was sapping my energy minute by minute. It was much farther away from the highway and so the noise was less, local birdlife was out in abundance and my day started out with many Robins singing and some Woodpeckers doing their thing in the Oak wood!

The Local River Along The Ancient Woodland

Wild Oyster Mushrooms on Dead Wood? Food Foraging UK 2019

Heading back I came across some possibly Oyster mushrooms groing on an old fallen tree, I’m pretty sure they are but when not 100% you need to bite the bullet and leave them to be … only harvest fungi when you have identified them from multiple sources or from spening time around an experienced forager.

I set up day camp and get the wood split and fired up, moments before entering the center of my hidden Ancient Wood, I luckily heard the scream of a Bird of Prey (not sure the species but I don’t think it was Sparrow Hawk as it was quite large), I managed to get it on film and this will appear in a video soon so keep an eye out!

how saffas cook steak on a braai — **South African Style Steak (Show Me Your Steak Challenge) Ancient Woodland 2019**

My spices are as follows:

Crushed Coriander Seed
Garlic Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
General Steak Spice Mix
Himalayan or Sea Salt

Crush about half to one tablespoon of the Coriander Seed inbetween some kitchen tissue or cloth, add this plus a good dosage of all the above mentioned spices to your meat and rub in generously (a good pinch of each on both sides) … now place into a plastic bag or container and drop in enough Soy Sauce and Olive Oil top cover the meat … throw in the fridge for at least 8 hours but 24 is ideal! …. cook only on an Open Fire or ”Braai’ as we call it in South Africa.

I cooked up some onion, Shiitake mushrooms and Aricularia fungi (Wood Ear aka Jew’s Ear Mushroom) inside the billy can with oil and salt so that I could halve the steak and eat the other half on some fresh Naan bread with the mushroom / onion stirfry. The meal was complimented with an IPA collaboration between Northern Brewing and Hopstuff called Juicy Fruit Pale Ale which went down rather nicely, as someone who hardly really drinks, this was a nice treat and I do recommend it!

I hope you enjoyed this little post, please do get out into the wild! Buy maps of the areas within reach of your locality, check online maps as you may discover nice hidden places to releive the everyday stress in!

Cheers
BushmanAOD (All Out-Doors)

スティックレシピのパン – Bannock Bread Recipe – Campfire Baking

November 11, 2018November 11, 2018 ~ Bushman All-OutDoors ~ Leave a comment

Here I have a quite simple Bannock recipe that is easy to follow and you can then go on to tweaking it to suit your needs or tastes.

Bannock is a bread that has it’s origins in Scotland, why it is popular with Campers in Europe is because it does not use yeasts and therefore is more suited to a campsite or in the bush.

SONY DSC — **Campfire Cooking and Baking: Bannock on-a-stick**

For One Serving:

175ml (half of a typical Coffe mug) Strong Bread Flour (Allisons never dissapoints),
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder,
3-4 Tbsp Milk Powder,
1 Tsp Brown Sugar (Muscovado is great if you can get it)
Enough water to make it sticky but firm

Method:

Add all of the ingredients into a mixing Bowl (In the field I use a ziplock bag to start the first round of mixing),
Now add in some water (be careful not to add too much!),
Mix well inside the bag, add water if you really need to, otherwise keep kneading until you are sure that some more water is needed,
Once it is quite flour-y and will not be too sticky, open the bag, fold the sides of thr bag down to expose the dough and then remove, you will now finish off the kneading in your hands and then shape the bread,
My preferred method to cook is on a frying pan or skillet with butter as the oil
Other options are:
a: Wrap it around a stick in a corkscrew fashion, ensuring the width / bredth of the dough will not exceed 1.5 – 2cm /or
b: Make thinner / smaller flatbreads and bake them directly on coal embers being careful not to burn – you will need a spatula / tongs for quick regular turning

Cook until brown, firm to the touch but still a little bouncy when you depress a part of the main crust…

Here is the video on the on-a-stick method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYajbSPVWUM

1つのサービングの場合：

175ml（典型的なコーヒーマグの半分）強力なパン粉（アリソンは決して消えません）
3/4 Tspベーキングパウダー、
3-4 Tbspミルクパウダー、
1 Tspブラウンシュガー（あなたがそれを得ることができればMuscovadoは素晴らしいです）
粘着性があるがしっかりとした十分な水

方法：

すべての成分を混合ボウルに加えます（フィールドでは、混合の最初のラウンドを開始するためにジップロックバッグを使います）。
今すぐ水を入れてください（あまりにも多くを加えないように注意してください！）、
あなたが本当に必要な場合は袋の中によく混ぜて、水を加え、そうでなければさらに水が必要であることが確実になるまで混練を続け、
それは非常に小麦粉ですし、あまりにも粘着性ではありません、袋を開き、パンバッグの側面を折り返して、生地を公開して削除すると、あなたは今あなたの手で練り混ぜを終了し、
私の好みの調理方法は、フライパンまたはオイルとしてバターを入れたフライパンにあります
その他のオプションは次のとおりです。
a：生地の幅/枝分かれが1.5〜2cm /を超えないようにして、コルクスクリュー形式でスティックの周りに包みます
b：細かくて小さなパンを作り、燃えないように石炭の上に直接焼く – 素早く規則的に回転させるためにはへら/トングが必要です

あなたがメインクラストの一部を押しても、茶色になるまで調理してください。

Thanks for visiting
Regards from a currently very wet, London UK

訪問ありがとう
現在非常に濡れているイギリスのロンドンから