Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

For discussion of knowledge of the wood; this means camping, tracking, and other outdoor pursuits.

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Tauron
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Tauron »

For the recipe Eledhwen, many thanks! Though it sounds as if we've started something here!
I look forward to your upcoming Middle-Earth cookery show on Youtube LOL!
-In full Ranger garb and a chefs apron!
:lol: :lol: :lol:

On the subject of carrying weapons, I too and restricted: by our draconian UK knife laws.
Due to the dramatic increase in knife related crime in recent years, it is now more-or-less illegal to carry anything sharper than a pencil in public. An axe, saw etc, I think you could get away with if it was stowed safely, and you could justify carrying it as a tool of your trade, i.e forestry, or tree surgeon etc. but yes, I too envy you lucky lot who get to play with all your cool toys! :(
Curse those gangs of young hooded hoodlums ruining things for us decent hooded folk :lol:
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Eledhwen
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eledhwen »

All right. Here goes.

The recipe is simple enough and there is in fact a video on YouTube concerning it..or there was. Inspired by Iron Age breads.

Ingredients; Liter or a bit more than a quart or water, Wholemeal flour (this is just coarse ground flour, I got mine from King Arthur Flour), plain whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds, poppy or linseeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds ( or seeds of your choice, hulled of course), three or four carrots, grated, three or four packets of yeast. Those are basic. I substituted some millet flour in there and if you do this you may have to increase the amounts a touch. It can be made with oat flour and others for gluten sensitive folks but that will affect the leavening.

1 litre water
4 teaspoons salt
200 gr. wholemeal flour
50 gr. pumpkin seeds
50 gr. sesame seeds
50 gr. sunflower seeds
50 gr. poppy seeds
(if you've only got three kinds, just use 100 gr. of your favourite)
200 gr. grated carrots
650 - 750 gr. plain flour

Those are the amounts.

Cold water. Add a bit of the wholemeal flour and salt to make a slurry, then add yeast. Add in the seeds, stir together. Add the carrots. Add the rest of the flour and mix to a sticky dough. Not too wet and certainly not dry.

Place in fridge and let leaven for about 10 hours. You can bake it even if it sits in the fridge for four days.

Bake in the oven at 200 C (392 F) for 30 minutes. Use cookie sheets with or without baking parchment, or muffin tins, or both.

They are absolutely delicious...BUT

Do not eat too many at once; these are very high in dietary fiber and they *will* become the scrubbing muffins to your system. Word to the wise there.

Finally, here is the YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47AyO8fyms

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Eric C
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eric C »

Peter Remling wrote: Dang it, I was hoping you'd post the recipe here so I wouldn't have to beg for it :) Pretty, pretty please ?
MAN!!! I threatened administrative action and STILL didn't get the recipe or samples sent to my house! Next time I'll know. Begging goes much farther. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Ernildir
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Ernildir »

Tauron wrote:For the recipe Eledhwen, many thanks! Though it sounds as if we've started something here!
I look forward to your upcoming Middle-Earth cookery show on Youtube LOL!
-In full Ranger garb and a chefs apron!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Oh my Gandalf, I would love it if Eledhwen did a cooking show in Ranger garb. It would be my favorite TV series. For seriously.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
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Eledhwen
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eledhwen »

*blush* Sorry Eric, I meant to sent it to you and got sidetracked by outdoor needs. I've been spading over the garden preparatory to getting it hoed and raked up for forming raised beds. Also scythe mowing the grassy areas surrounding it. Lots of work, hard work, but good, really good work too. Useful. Satisfying.

More work than usual as I am going to be growing some Spelt this year, an ancient relative of wheat I hope to harvest and grind to flour later on, and also use the stalks to make thatch and practice those methods on a small scale lean to. The more self-sufficient I can be, the happier I am.

Anyway, return to regular programming guys. Woodcrafty things indeed.

Learning about copicing wood too, which probably has more to do with Ranger's Apprentice than Tolkien, or more accurately, Forester work, but hey, it all ties together.

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Eric C
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eric C »

Eledhwen wrote:*blush* Sorry Eric, I meant to sent it to you and got sidetracked by outdoor needs. I've been spading over the garden preparatory to getting it hoed and raked up for forming raised beds. Also scythe mowing the grassy areas surrounding it. Lots of work, hard work, but good, really good work too. Useful. Satisfying.

More work than usual as I am going to be growing some Spelt this year, an ancient relative of wheat I hope to harvest and grind to flour later on, and also use the stalks to make thatch and practice those methods on a small scale lean to. The more self-sufficient I can be, the happier I am.

Anyway, return to regular programming guys. Woodcrafty things indeed.

Learning about copicing wood too, which probably has more to do with Ranger's Apprentice than Tolkien, or more accurately, Forester work, but hey, it all ties together.

Eledhwen

:lol: I was just a bit worried I had offended you with the post. We really never know what is going on with our ellow rangers over such a great distance and a poorly written or misunderstood post can offend. I hear ya on the "busy" comments. I've been working hard on getting a roof over my shop before the winter so I don't have to quit working in the smithy again this year.
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Jon »

I made some. Or tried to. it didn't work out very well, mostly by my fault :oops:

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Eledhwen
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eledhwen »

Have another go. My first batch came out excellently. Watch the YouTube video and pay close attention to the consistency of the batter/dough before he puts it in the oven. If it is too wet it won't work right.

Keep at it. :) Good stuff, it really is.

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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Jon »

Wait, I was meant to put it in the fridge first, right? not after. Oh, and I left it for more like 14 hours rather then 10.

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Eledhwen
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eledhwen »

Yes, for at least 10 hours. Up to four days. ;)

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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by R.D.Metcalf »

Its your gear, carry what you want. This is how I see it, so please dont take the following personally, I genuinely respect your woodsmanship and opinion but my own are a shade different.

I love the axe its a great tool but i dont buy into the belt axe/ bag axe/ short hatchet concept....I like an axe that has at least a 5" bit and a handle over 24" preferably in the 32" to 36" range. If it wont allow for a two handed swing with enough mass at the head to actually make some chips fly and allow for some efficiency I dont want it. In that regard, in my own opinion of course, theres axes and then theres *AXES*, one is invaluable the other is as much dead weight as a sword. My opinion and worth every penny you paid for it :D


But in the context of a trek the sword serves me as much as it served our ancestors or our LOTR heroes in that it is practical weapon for a possible *simulated* hostile close range encounter, a symbol of status, a cherished heirloom and constant companion.

Native Americans were masters of bushcraft yet among them we find a parralell to the sword in the wooden war club, useless as a tool, it was said they weilded the weapon "with all the grace of a fencing master" Like the sword its sole purpose was killing but also like the sword it told who its weilder was: a warrior, a defender of his folk
in a way the bow and later the firelock gunne and steel tomahawk never could.

Frith,
RD
The frontier moves with the sun and pushes the Red Man of these wilderness forests in front of it... until one day there will be nowhere left. Then our race will be no more, or be not us.

My Sword Is my Troth.

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Eledhwen
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Eledhwen »

If I could carry a sword in the woods...which I cannot here...but if I could, for Ranger-fantasy purposes my Del-Tin Glamdring and my Elven hunting knife would be the pieces of choice.

However, if I had to actually fight, then a shortsword with small round shield, probably a gladius, would be the order of the day with the knife and tomahawk in reserve. Worn up close to the torso with the pommel near the armpit it would be out of the way and easily in reach, even hidden by the cloak much of the time yet easy enough to draw.

A tomahawk does fine by me for wood tasks although I prefer a belt axe for that; it has more mass as a rule. The bow for hunting and distance killing.

There are exceptions to every rule. As now also then.

Status has no meaning to me; I have never cared about rank. Reknown, in the form of being just and having honor, does.

From a Tolkien standpoint, I leave the status portions to those of higher station. There are many marks of the Warrior...but the most enduring and inarguable one is skill at the trade.

It would be interesting, with the variations we all have here, to see how adaptable it all was working in concert.

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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Cinead »

No offense taken RD! In many ways I agree.....and in many I must disagree!

The age old debate:

A large chopping blade vs. a belt axe
Here I stand...unbowed, unbent, unbroken.
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by R.D.Metcalf »

"It would be interesting, with the variations we all have here, to see how adaptable it all was working in concert."

I think variation is a good thing it means we each think with our own heads, enough time spent working together and I think we would have a fine force within the given context.

I cant but agree on your philosophy regarding station as I base my actions on the Atheling Thews, Honor and even handedness are worth more than money and that which it buys. My inability to abide forked tongued or sit still when I or someone else is wronged is a great reason why I'll probably die a poor man. But I would rather meet my ancestors ragged and bare @ssed than clothed in shame.


"No offense taken RD!"

I am glad of that, Cinead, I assure you none was meant
The frontier moves with the sun and pushes the Red Man of these wilderness forests in front of it... until one day there will be nowhere left. Then our race will be no more, or be not us.

My Sword Is my Troth.

~Iron Wolf Forge~
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Willrett
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Re: Let's have a talk about woodcraft and bushcraft....

Post by Willrett »

How great would it be if we ALL could get together for a few weeks with a lot of space to do with what ever we want. Maybe if one of us ever wins the lotto.

The more people the more verity we have. I just picked up a archers axe that is very nice and once it gets an edge should do really well for chopping wood.
"Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed." Richard, the Seeker (Sword of Truth)"
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