Scroungecrafting/camping 101

  I mentioned in my last post that I bushcraft on a budget.  That may be a slight understatement.  When I first began this adventure I was a newly divorced woman with a part-time job and a son going off to college.  As tight goes, my budget was the equivalent of a Victorian-era corset.

  I've never had a free-flowing budget, and I've learned to make do.  This skill proved very valuable in  my new hobby.  Going from bushcrafter to scroungecrafter (thanks to The Professor for this term) was a snap! I simply use what I have on hand, and look for great deals on other things I need.  Many things found around the home can be re-purposed into useful items for camp.  The key is to experiment and find what works for you. Your imagination is the only limit.  Start revving it into high gear with these shopping suggestions.

Second hand stores can be veritable scroungecrafting gold mines.  Oh sure, you may have people look at you funny when you look through every shelf for treasures, and grin like a fool when you find what you were looking for.  But hey...we're bushcrafters...it's not like we're not used to getting strange looks from people ("You do WHAT?").   Shop through the kitchen and craft sections for useful items.  Check the book section for outdoors related titles.  Browse for good quality wool blankets. And thoroughly scan the clothing racks.  You can often find quality outdoor clothing for minimal cost.  Ladies, make sure to look at the men's/boy's section of the store too.  Function is a lot more important than fashion at camp, and the selection is often much more extensive.

Yard sales: Yard sale shopping is a favourite past-time to some.  If you are blessed with both the patience and time to drive around all Saturday morning looking for deals, you'll be sure to come across some bargains. Again, check for kitchen and craft items.  On more than one occasion I've spotted a cast iron frying pan for a steal that just needs a little TLC. 

Army Surplus:  While different stores  vary considerably in price and quality of gear, you can find some amazing stuff that's built to take a lot of punishment.  Packs, clothes, sleeping bags, and shelter items are always plentiful.  But beware...these stores appear to be hidden portals to other dimensions.   A person can get lost in them for hours! 

Dollar Store:  While many items are not high quality, if you choose carefully, you can find a few great buys.  Decent cordage is often available and is much more practical than paracord for cases where re-using it isn't going to be likely. Wash bins can be purchased for very little, and they are extremely handy for base camp. Battery operated lanterns and flashlights can be used for back-up.  Dollarama even carries headlamps, and while I wouldn't count on them to last very long, they are great to keep as a spare.  They also sell clear plastic compasses with map overlay, and even emergency shelters.  Bandanas, travel size toiletries, small containers, and notepads are all great items to add to your kit too.

Liquidation Centres:  My happiest retail shopping moment happened in one of these stores. As I turned down the isle, my eyes lit up. I thought Christmas had come early...and I must have been a very good girl.  It was filled with outdoor gear: folding shovels, emergency ponchos, compasses, folding saws, and even summer sleeping bags...all at 90% off.  After immediately putting in calls to tell my fellow bushcrafters of my find (and take delivery orders, of course), I spent the rest of the afternoon making my selections from what was available.  As a bonus, my excitement over the find sparked some really great conversations.  Along with a few of those strange looks, of course. 

Your own garage/junk room/barn:  This is the best one, because all it will cost you to add something to your kit is a little imagination and some time to search for treasure! Think outside of the box and beyond the original use for an item.  You'll be amazed at what you can come up with:

: folding reflector oven from scraps of sheet metal
: candle holders from old mason jars
: pot set from stainless steel canisters with lids (nesting ones are perfect!).
: stuff sacks sewn from scraps of nylon
: base camp cook stove/oven from an old barbeque side burner section - just add coals!
: pie plates are a multipurpose dish that can be used as a plate, frying pan, or clip 2 together for an oven
: a backpack picnic set, seldom used, turns into the perfect base camp kitchen kit - not exactly traditional, but  with a few minor modifications and additions, you have everything you need in one, easy-to-carry, compact location. 

    I wish you luck on you Scroungecrafting expeditions, as I leave you with a final word of warning.  It can become an obsession.  Every item you see in a second hand store will suddenly be filled with potential as a bushcraft item.  When friends and family are looking to part with something that looks even remotely usable,  a shout of "I'll take it!" will escape your lips before you are even aware of the thought.  No trip to a liquidation or dollar store will ever take less than half an hour. And your storage area will become a  magic land where things are transformed from their original purpose.  All this can be quite exhilarating.  Have fun with it, but please use moderation.  I don't think my conscience could live with someone ending up on "Hoarders", saying they were fine until they read that Bushcraft Girl's blog!


BG

"People wait until they have the latest tools, but it's out of necessity that true creativity flourishes."
~ Steve Supple

DD Travel Hammock aka The Joy of Hammock Camping

     As a budding Bushcrafter/Wilderness Girl on a budget, I've been slow to accumulate my own gear, and incredibly grateful to friends who have been willing to loan me theirs, or even better, give me their starter gear when they upgraded. 

Hennessy Expedition Hammock

    It was in this manner that I was able to experience hammock camping for the first time. I was sceptical at first, but once I tried it, there was no turning back. It felt wonderful  to be off the ground and take the pressure off my joints.  I'm loathe to admit it, but I do have a touch of arthritis that just does not appreciate waking up on the cool, damp ground, no matter how comfortable I make my bed. I would wake up stiff and sore each morning.  Not so in the hammock.  But since I was starting to get less than subtle hints that perhaps my friend would appreciate being able to sleep in his own hammock, it was time to start researching and find one that would work best for me. It's amazing how helpful technology can be to a wilderness experience. 

   My first internet destination was Hennessy, since I had been using the Expedition version of this brand.  I loved the surprisingly roomy interior of this model, but I was less than pleased with the enter/exit process.  There are no zippers, but rather, a self-closing slit in one end of the bottom, where you crawl in and out.  Entering involves shifting your sleeping bag and pad out of the way, then back in place once you are in. The exit process involves a similar annoyance, and feels rather like being birthed from a hippo. Or at least what I would imagine it to be like.  Only less messy. 


      Hennessy also has a zip version of the Expedition, and I considered it for purchase.  But, being a person that enjoys experiencing new things, I decided to explore my options.  An internet search for camping hammocks turned up several sites, but I kept being drawn back to DD Hammocks, a UK based company.  They have several different models, but there were two clear choices for me: the Travel or the Frontline.  Both hammocks feature fine mesh mosquito netting with zippers on each side for easy entrance/exit and the ability to tie it up when it's not needed. They are almost 9 ft long, and weigh around 2 lbs.  The difference lies in the material.  The Frontline features a soft, breathable, polyester bottom; ideal for warm weather camping.  The Travel features a waterproof bottom (adding a few ounces to the weight) so it can be used directly on the ground as a bivy.  A double base layer on both hammocks provides space for a foam pad for comfort and insulation. 

Pure Bliss

     I decided to go with the Travel version for it's versatility.  After purchasing it from my favourite Canadian gear provider, TrueNorth Bushcraft , I was anxious to test it out.  In fact, I had it in my back yard as soon as it was delivered. I must admit, I was a little confused by the set-up at first, since it doesn't come with instructions.  But some online research, combined with experimentation and input from an experienced hammock camper, provided some great results and I was soon enjoying the comfort of my labour.  That was all well and good, but I knew the real test was yet to come.  The buggy extended camp mentioned in the previous posts. 

    I confess to having help with set-up.  When I arrived at camp it was quite late in the evening, and for the sake of expediting the process so I wouldn't get eaten alive, again I was grateful to have an experienced hammock camper's assistance.  When it was time to settle in for the night, I was amazed with how easy it was to get in and out.  Simply unzip, sit, swing your legs around, and zip up.  Preferably with some speed to decrease the amount of tiny vampires which enter with you.  The width felt lacking when compared with the Hennessy, however there was plenty of length, and the raised mosquito netting made it feel quite roomy.  And with 2 pockets sewn in the base, and loops in the mesh, I had no trouble finding a place for glasses, headlamp, etc.  After spending the night in it, the biggest thing I noticed was that the foam pad stayed firmly in place between the two layers, which made shifting positions during the night much easier.  And the waterproof double layer was impossible for the mosquitoes to bite through, even if I did have a leg off the mat.  The only negative I found was that the netting seemed to cave in on me over the night, but that was fixed by simply adding tension to the cord that held it up. 

DD Travel Hammock

    After spending a few nights in my DD, and making minor adjustments, I felt I was ready to make a fair assessment.  With comparison in mind,  I traded hammocks to make sure the Hennessy experience was fresh in my mind as well.  I groaned at the usual entrance ordeal.  I complained at the effort to adjust the foam pad.  And I grumbled at the effort to get in my sleeping bag.  But once settled, I had to admit that the width of the Hennessy did leave room to luxuriously stretch out.  As long as I stayed on the mat. While the soft polyester felt much nicer against my skin than the waterproof base in mine,  it left me vulnerable to attack from outside forces.  Mosquitoes found the weak spot and attack en mass as I slept. And since I kept sliding down and the pad kept shifting during the night, they had quite a feast. 

DD Travel Hammock and Hennessy Expedition

 I was happy to trade back.  As comfortable as I had always found the Hennessy before, by comparison, the DD Hammock is definitely the right choice for me.  But it's not for everyone, and the Hennessy definitely has it's advantages.  The quality of the stitching is noticeably higher in the Hennessy, and that could make a huge difference in longevity.  The breathable polyester material was much more comfortable (the DD feels a little clammy on a humid night). And the diamond shape base makes it much more comfortable for diagonal sleeping and a true hammock camping experience.  By comparison the DD felt more like a bed, rigid and straight, but everything...including myself...stayed where it was supposed to. In the end, it's all up to personal preference.  My friend still loves his Hennessy.  I prefer the DD.  We're both comfortable, and that's the main thing.

  If you've never tried hammock camping, I highly suggest you give it a go. Unless you suffer severely from motion sickness (you will rock for a few moments after getting in or shifting position), you'll likely find it to be the most comfortable sleep you've ever had in the woods.  Normally I long for the comfort of my own bed after an extended camp.  But after the first night of sleeping in my own bed, I woke up confused, wondering why my hammock was feeling so uncomfortable.  That, my friends, is the best endorsement I can give to hammock camping.

    I'll be heading out for an overnight this weekend with some close friends.  It's in a campground, so I seriously considered taking my tent.  My big, bulky tent, that takes half an hour to set up and then I still have to set up the bed which may or may not be comfortable, depending on the terrain.  Or I can take the hammock, be set up in 15 minutes, and know that I will sleep comfortably through the night.  Hmmm...yeah.  Tough decision.  ;o)


BG

Bushcraft Girl

     I suppose, if you were a stickler for such things, you could dispute my claim to be a Canadian "Girl".  Age wise, my girl days have long since passed. But I am and always will be, a girl in spirit. Some women may feel that the term is offensive.   I respect their opinion, and can certainly understand the reasoning behind it.  But for me, "Girl" means never having to fully grow up.  To be able to see the world with all the wonder of a child's eyes.  To embrace new experiences, without the jaded input of adult expectations.  To feel free to stop and see the beauty in the wild flower, get distracted by a butterfly, or simply sit in complete silence without guilt because I should be doing something more productive.  That is what "Girl" means to me.  

And I embrace the title fully.  

    The name Bushcraft Girl (Beeg for short), was given to me shortly after my foray into the world of Wilderness Living began.  My natural tendency to freely show excitement after discovering something new, or learning a skill, made it easy to discover my "bush name".  Okay, that and the fact that I said feathersticks were pretty.  I think that cinched the deal. 

    It is this perspective on Wilderness Living that I wish to share with you.  The experience of a single Mom, former car camper, and mild-mannered librarian, who decided (thanks to some great new friends), to dive head first into the world of Bushcrafting three years ago and never look back.  To show the self-confidence and inner strength that can be built by discovering these new skills.  Not just from the female perspective, but for everyone who wishes to really experience the wilderness, and not just walk through it on the way to their destination.  For those who wish to Smooth It.

                                                                      BG

"We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home, in towns and cities." 

 –NESSMUK (G.W. Sears), Woodcraft, 1963