Bushcrafting, the weed addition: Bugout patch

I'm back off the trail. Got in some good walking, but also smoked all my newly dried strains, so lots of sitting around camp until late morning and not getting to bed until the wee hours. There was rain Wednesday night, and my new frogg toggs poncho did pretty good. It's big enough to fit down over the pack, so no need for a pack cover too.

This morning I had a close encounter with a copperhead on a little bridge. It was about a 100 yards from camp, so I had just got toasted. I was still fucking with my MP3 volume level. Glad he was on the bridge. I might not have seen him in the leaves.

Not that I would ever do anything like that, but I found some likely spots with sun and a good on and off spot from the trail. Near water and a seldom used 3 trail road. It was burned this summer, so should be good for a couple three years. This is bluffs and ravines, so you have to be on the high ground to get sun. Lots of hard clay, so need to find some soil on top of the ridges. One spot 1/4 to 1/2 mile off the trail looks like it could hold 15-20 plants without too much risk. Another spot on one of the 3 trail roads looks like it could hold 5-10. If I had to guess, I would say it had been 2-3 years since anyone had drove down that road. I walked a little over a mile, and dodged about ten thousnad spider webs.

This was my first trip with the new pot and Darn Tough socks. The two cup limit on the pot is a bitch with noodles. Filling the pot all the way to the top I was able to cook noodles and make a cup of coffee, but they were both a little short.

The socks are going to be alright I think. With only 3 days of walking, they were starting to smell.

Today was my shopping day for the week. I hit up 5 thrift stores when I go to town. Today I found a 64gig flash drive for 50 cents. I felt so good about saving the money, I talked myself into buying a nice dome tent. Can't remember the name, but it isn't a walmart cheapo. Was marked 35, but I talked them down to 25.

This is not a hiking tent though. I would guess it's 10-12 pounds.

Also got Army digital camo tops and pants, two bucks each.

I've been thinking about building a new shelter for a while now. The current camp is a couple of years old, and it's too settled. So on Thursday I rounded up a couple of ladders, the new 20X12 tarp {from Big Lots}, the thrift store tent, new para cord, etc, etc, etc, and headed down to the creek land. After about five trips to my old camp and to the house for stuff I forgot, I got brush cleared, leaves raked, cord stretched, tarp hung and tent unrolled. That is when I realized the sign taped to the tent bag was lying. Pegs and poles were not included after all.

Then when I got back from the house after going to get my hiking tent, the three trail road goes on down to the river before it loops back around. My new shelter is on the loop part of the road, but I hadn't realized just how close to the river it was. Although it is private property, the land next to it is timber company land. While it is leased and posted, folks on boats still stop at the mouth of the creek and walk up to a tree swing. And since I leave lots of valuable shit at my camp, I saw this spot wasn't going to work as a long term camp.

Then later when I was hiking along the river, I could hear a guy on the other side talking on his cell. Also a little yapping dog.

This is a really thin piece of land, 1/4 mile long along the river, but only 10 acres total. So even if I get right in the middle, there is going to be houses closer than I like. Smoke and loud music are staples of my camping, so. . . . .

We called the thrift store hoping the poles from the tent were just in another bag and I had missed them. They called back to say they couldn't find them. But it is a Greatland 5-6 person tent. Looks like it is good quality. I can use pvc pipe if I have to, but it fit pretty good under the 12X20 tarp.

There is another piece of river land where I had my camp before the current one. I hung a smaller tarp in a likely spot when I got the free tent from a thrift store a few months back. I ended up using the tent in the other camp, but the spot might work out. There is no creek here, so no folks will be walking up on me. But there was also electricity on the creek land. That was a big draw, plus how pretty the creek is. I will have to do some thinking.

I've got the rest of the week off. I have to go do the shopping tomorrow, but I'm going to try to get an early start, so I can get back at a decent hour. I'm going down to what we call the river field to scope out a spot for my {pole less} thrift store tent and rig up the big tarp over it. I went down to the creek today and got the tarp down. No time to do anything else.

My camping spot from Thursday night.

Today when I was taking down the tarp, the helo came over, flying down the river. If they are still flying, I may be starting too early on my fall/winter. Can't wait though. No room at the inn.

I think you'll be fine. The plants are small now and you've got awhile before they will be obvious. Hopefully the traffic will subside by then. Seen any deer?

cindysid said:

I think you'll be fine. The plants are small now and you've got awhile before they will be obvious. Hopefully the traffic will subside by then. Seen any deer?

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I saw two does coming out from the creek. And it's bow season here. I've got my stamp, and I will sit in the shooting house once in a while. The cool weather will make it nicer. {and two in the garden a couple nights ago. And three coming home from work. . . .} I have a 1000+ acre farm behind me, and we have lots of deer.

You are right. They are only 10-12 inches tall and most will not get over waist high. And I have a big pile of pine straw and oak leaves raked up on the next land over. I put as much of that as will fit in the water bucket. So they get good camo from the start. I just worry about them seeing me when I'm tending them.

I put 5 plants in a briar patch this afternoon. Will try to get out at daylight to transplant them. Hadn't planned on it, but there was a late sprout that I took, and they had grown up against the screen. I have a little unused soil, but I'm going to have to use some of my pepper and tomato soil from this summer. The tomatoes died early, so it should still be pretty hot. I'm going right back into the same pots and holes I used for the full season plants. The five gallon pots didn't get full of roots, so that soil should have a little ump left too. I'll dig out the dirt and blend it with the new stuff. They won't be there that long anyway. I put seeds in soil 9-20-17, so they have probably been above dirt about a month.

That's when I planted my first seedlings. 9/20. I put about 10 of them in the flower room today. I have another 8 that will go in next week when they've grown enough to take cuts. I'm just using 3 gallons since they're so small. I will be working back up to the 7s with the next round of clones. Ready to see some buds!

I miss seeing deer! We saw quite a few coming thru Blountstown on the way up during the evacuation. I miss deer meat, also! It's so damn hot here! Hope it cools off soon! I got my tomatoes and peppers set out over the weekend, and planted a few squash. I've had lousy luck with squash, cucumbers, and melons the last couple of years, but I keep trying. We had a record tomato and pepper crop last year though, and those are my favorites.

cindysid said:

That's when I planted my first seedlings. 9/20. I put about 10 of them in the flower room today. I have another 8 that will go in next week when they've grown enough to take cuts. I'm just using 3 gallons since they're so small. I will be working back up to the 7s with the next round of clones. Ready to see some buds!

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I set out some plants on Tuesday. Two of the Poly Shunk 1 X Skunk Shunk had balls already. I always say 4-6 weeks for sexual maturity, but that was one month right on the nose. I should be seeing buds soon.

cindysid said:

I miss seeing deer! We saw quite a few coming thru Blountstown on the way up during the evacuation. I miss deer meat, also! It's so damn hot here! Hope it cools off soon! I got my tomatoes and peppers set out over the weekend, and planted a few squash. I've had lousy luck with squash, cucumbers, and melons the last couple of years, but I keep trying. We had a record tomato and pepper crop last year though, and those are my favorites.

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I had to cross the bridge between Bristol and Blountstown that Friday morning. The westbound bridge has been cut back to one lane, so it took about an hour to do the 5-6 miles.

The wife is wanting a greenhouse so we can do peppers and tomatoes year round. I'm having trouble finding anyone to build it. All my contractor friends are booked up for months.

Good news on the thrift store tent front. I went back on Tuesday, and the poles and stakes were still there. The tent is so old it has those steel poles like you haven't seen in the last 25 years. I got a spot picked out Tuesday afternoon and the camp put together Wednesday. Still have some ridgepole and/or tent placement issues to resolve. I have pictures. Will post later.

Alright, I got out to the car and got my camera. Here goes.

This is the spot I have been using for my hiking tent at the river field. It is in the big woods. Lots of widow makers above, as well as signs that even big trees will break. So I went looking for a safer place for my new camp.