Living off the land. (1 Viewer)

Bushtrekker

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What I liked most about Mull was the fact that it would be very easy to live off the land up there, parking up on or near deserted beaches, fishing, gathering seaweed and shelfish and getting the odd rabbit with permission from crofters or smallholders. 30 years ago I spent 6 months living completely off the land whilst using a narrow boat as a base and ten years ago I trained a group of volunteers to act as Mesolithic hunter gatherers, teaching them how to do everything from making flint tools to basket making and cooking without pots. You can do it if you know what you are looking for and a motorhome makes a perfect base.

One of my ambitions has always been to start at a point on the coast, the nearest to me being Barmouth area or Bristol, then follow the seasons round the country, cooking seasonal food as I go. You can only really do this if you are either camping or living in a motorhome, as it gets too complicated otherwise. Part of my job involves using our walled garden to teach children how to grow and cook healthy food, so it would be a busmans holiday for me.

The rest of my job revolves around agriculture, environmental science, archaeology and history and when I retire I'm planning to step up a gear and go self employed as a freelance demonstrator, speaker, guide and historical researcher, which is why I want a motorhome as I could be away for days or weeks at a time, depending on bookings.

I'de be interested to know if there are any people on here with similar interests.
 
Dec 23, 2007
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I have lived of the land briefly only the occasional couple of meals. Usually faked it when training kids in bushcraft.
Apart from fishing and colecting sea food,I have mainly collected hedgrow plants like wild garlic and fruits such as sloes and wild damsons,thats about it.
Never been brave enough to go on fungi forays!
 

Jim

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I taught survival courses for a living for a year or two, I think it was 85/6. My students were a strange lot, most of whom thought the cold war was about to turn into WW3 and they would need to survive in a wilderness. It was my own fault, I advertised in a magazine called SWAT Survival weaponry & techniques ::bigsmile: We had a giggle, but that was about it.

But one good thing came of it, this gorgous girl who worked at a helicopter company was sent on the course by her employer! we've been soul mates ever since:Smile:
 
Nov 30, 2009
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I would love to do it. So much.
Not permanently , but 2/3 weeks like a holiday.
Camping in a tent ideally , but using the motorhome would make it a lot more comfortable I suppose. I would love to trap rabbits , gather shell fish , seaweed , fungi , berries roots etc then cook and eat it.
I love programs on tv like the Bear Grylls ones and i think if i was chucked in a forest i could survive ( well that might be pushing it a bit :ROFLMAO:)
Ralphs aware of my wanting to do it and would like to do it too.
Infact Bushtrekker get your self sorted and put my name on the list .:thumb:
Bev

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Rayb182

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Did the survival stuff when I was a teenager, slept rough, in barns or anywhere where I could stay warm, used to snare rabbits, and use hedgerow veg to cook with it, or a bit of poaching, manage to get a tent at one stage and thought that was luxury, used to wash in cold water maybe a tap on a farm or even a cattle trough, hard life but love it, traveled the length and breath of UK, must be the gypsy blood thats in my viens :Smile:
 

hilldweller

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how to do everything from making flint tools to basket making and cooking without pots. You can do it if you know what you are looking for and a motorhome makes a perfect base.

Round these parts the talk is of which Cadac buy and whether to have a BBQ gas point fitted. In our case Safari Chef and Yes.

If you carry on with these irresponsible notions what will happen to Tescos ? You could, single handed, double our unemployment figures.
 
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Bushtrekker

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In the States they take survival seriously.

When we were on the edge of Death Valley we pulled up for fuel and parked next to an amazing camper built like a tank, but there was one for sale a few years back which made it look like a matchbox toy. Made in Switzerland it cost about £150,000 and had the lot, water filter, carbon dioxide scrubber and even some way of pressuring internal air as well as cleaning it. It was designed so that if the excrement hit the air conditioning you could batten down the hatches, rebreathe stale air and keep out all that nasty radio active dust. A bit extreme for Sainsbury's car park, but you would get some admiring looks on sites.

One of my most vivid memories from last time we had a camper was pulling up next to the beach at Heacham and gathering fresh cockles from the sand. There is nothing quite like fresh food.

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Popeye

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I taught survival courses for a living for a year or two, I think it was 85/6. My students were a strange lot, most of whom thought the cold war was about to turn into WW3 and they would need to survive in a wilderness. It was my own fault, I advertised in a magazine called SWAT Survival weaponry & techniques ::bigsmile: We had a giggle, but that was about it.

But one good thing came of it, [HI]this gorgous girl who worked at a helicopter company was sent on the course by her employer! we've been soul mates ever since[/HI]:Smile:

So in a nutshell, you broke the sacred "Teacher / Pupil Code of Conduct." You dirty rotten lucky beggar :thumb:
 

artona

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So in a nutshell, you broke the sacred "Teacher / Pupil Code of Conduct." You dirty rotten lucky beggar :thumb:

I reckon there is a clause which excuses such behaviour.......you have to marry em ::bigsmile:::bigsmile:
 

hilldweller

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pulling up next to the beach at Heacham and gathering fresh cockles from the sand.

Closed down last year, too many people trying to kill themselves and causing chaos to the emergency services.

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Wildman

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Ah the joys of roadkill pheasant, fresh dandelions and the odd roadkill swede here in Devon. Squirrel and ramson stew, nettle soup, elderflower fritters, acorn flour and acorn coffee, lava bread its all out here for the taking.
Living off the land is ok if you have to, otherwise there are better foods available.:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Carol

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Closed down last year, too many people trying to kill themselves and causing chaos to the emergency services.

Brian likeing the new avator, who is the chap on the bike and Eddie want's a go on it please.

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Bushtrekker

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Heacham

Typical, just because someone tries to kill themselves by being cut of by the tide and drowned, they close it on health and safety grounds.:Smile: Another favourite spot of mine is Burton Bradstock in Dorset, which used to yield large quantities of mackerel, but for the past two years it's been dead because of comercial over fishing, although I could have filled the freezer with rabbits on the caravan site.

As someone said, there is better food about than survival food. It's a bit like that line in Crocodile Dundee, you can eat it, but it tastes like......
 

JJ

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Would love to know much more about growing stuff on QMJ (my little bit of Portugal) but suspect that it might require more work than I want to take on....

...so my next plan is to...

...lure Funsters onto the place and rob them of any Fray Bentos Pies, Heinz Tomato Soup, Heinz Baked Beans etc etc to keep me alive...

Is this living off the land?

JJ :Cool:


 

artona

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Would love to know much more about growing stuff on QMJ (my little bit of Portugal) but suspect that it might require more work than I want to take on....

...so my next plan is to...

...lure Funsters onto the place and rob them of any Fray Bentos Pies, Heinz Tomato Soup, Heinz Baked Beans etc etc to keep me alive...

Is this living off the land?

JJ :Cool:



We have seen you scraping spilt frey bentos pie off the ground JJ, thats a more accurate desciption :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

JOHNSTEY

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Our fourth glorious year!
There is of course a serious dilemma here for anyone interested in both motorhoming and gardening.If you plant up loads of vegetables, run some chickens etc it gets in the way of the long term trips.Last year we had to ditch the chickens and wasted most of the veg so motorhoming is winning!!:thumb:
There is nothing like a nice free range egg omelette with a fresh rocket salad though:cry::cry:
John and Carole.
 

hilldweller

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Would love to know much more about growing stuff on QMJ (my little bit of Portugal) but suspect that it might require more work than I want to take on....

Logic says look what people in the area are doing.

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Bushtrekker

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Chickens and veg.

Plenty of room for chickens in the garage on big motorhomes and you could always adopt the native American approach of planting vegetables as you travel, to come back to later when they are ready. Scraping cold Fray Bentos off the ground reminds me of my youth...
 

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