Cooking on Kelly Kettle or Eydon Kettle

These kettles both come with cooking support stand kits, so you can cook above the kettle or in the base using the 2 semi-circular grids that come with the kits. However when cooking on the base this can mean it’s hard to keep enough heat in the fire as you can’t feed it without removing the grids – I’ve used this method – a simple copper bottomed indian wok with handles on either side: prop the handles with 2 sticks (make sure they are solidly dig in otherwise they’ll tip – you can always add a third stick for extra support on one side though, but 2 should be enough). That creates a kind of ‘bi-pod’ which suspends the wok above the flames, allowing you to feed in as much material as you need. Works very well for quick cooking such as frying or heating liquid based food like stews, the campers favourite baked beans or soup or porridge for breakfast. To stir just hold onto one of the handles, or lift the wok off, stir and then put back on the bipod. On a small fire base like this the handles don’t heat up much so you can lift off the wok when you’re ready – eat straight from the wok or transfer to plates/bowls. If the handles do heat up as they do when I cook with the wok direct on an open fire a single stick through each handle across the pot is all you need to lift it off safely.

kelly basecooking

in situ at a morning camp stop in the rain, sheltered under a tarp:

kellybasecooking2

The wok used directly on a small open camp fire, porridge coming up!

wok-cooking

Books – "A Forest By Night" Fred Speakman

I read a fantastic book as a boy call “A Forest By Night” by Fred J. Speakman and ever since have had a special affection for badgers. In the book which I thoroughly recommend, although it’s near impossible to get hold of now, the author, recently bereaved and injured during the second world war and unable to work spends a year in Epping Forest staying out at night and recording everything he sees, through each season – most of the activity focusses around the lives if the badgers he watches. It’s an inspiring read and one of the first books on what we would now know as ‘woodlore’ or bushcraft. The author also also wrote a seminal work called ‘Tracks, Trails and Signs’ on the art of tracking.

Baker Tent Hunt – The Bush Shelter Lightweight Campfire Tent

Update: See our latest test of a full size Campfire Tent.

The Bush Shelter

Discussed here before as part of our “Baker Tent Hunt” series the Bush Shelter from www.greenoutdoor.co.uk looked like an interesting lightweight “Campfire Tent” option, and is even designed with canoeing in mind in that you can use paddles to hold it up, meaning you don’t need poles, so it’s a tiny package, no bigger than taking a tarp really. Here’s the ‘Backyard Test’!

Autumn on the River Wye

At the first sign of it getting colder and the leaves turning we loaded up and headed for an overnight trip down the Wye to catch the early autumn mood – leaving enough time for a late Autumn trip to follow before winter hopefully…

Ray Mears' Swag Camp

You can catch Ray in his swag bedroll in the Australian desert: on DaveJaVue channel tonight at 7pm if you have Sky TV. Here’s a couple of images of his desert camp from the show:

For more on swag camping, see our main post about “swag” camping here: “Me Ol’ Swagaroo”

Ray waking up in the Desert in a traditional Australian 'Swag Bag'

Ray waking up in the Desert in a traditional Australian 'Swag Bag'

A beautiful desert camp spot for Ray Mears

A beautiful desert camp spot for Ray Mears

Ray packing the Swag back in the 4 x 4.

Ray packing the Swag back in the 4 x 4.

We love swag-camping – if you want to get yourself a swag see our post on “Where to Buy a Swag in the UK” and also see our “Duluth Bedroll” post for a Canadian ‘swag’ option!

For more Ray Mears swag camping see this clip from his DVD from YouTube, showing 4×4 swag camping in places with a lot of biting insects, so a fully enclosed mozzie net features heavily in the swag he uses here – You’ll need to view full screen because there’s an awful lot of split-screen editing gone on in this one!

Autumn is Axe Time…

Just sought out a new axe for Autumn and Winter ahead. Found this lovely one from B&Q of all places: Has a real Hickory handle and 2.5lb head… superb action and excellent strike force. It’s big for taking on trips although it will soon be a permanent fixture in the Landrover, but I love it so much I may yet take on the next canoe trip rather than my small hatchet.

The weather finally cleared up for several lovely days of perfect September “Indian Summer” sunshine, and gave me the chance to use the axe in some “Backyard Testing” and also to get some real iconic photos!

bushcraft axe

new-axe

bushcraft axe closeup