Guerilla Survival

Guerilla Survival

Monday 9 May 2022

Edel Update - May 2022


 

A gooseberry bush grows in a small pot; this was a 'renegade' which seeded in my allotment and which I potted up for the garden. It produced quite a good crop of fruit last year which I ate straight from the plant.




These are garlic bulbs (rear) in front of which are Perpetual Spinach (Leaf Beet); flowers grow in the border next to the raised bed. 




This Raised Planter was seeded with carrots last autumn, and which are now growing well, and will be ready to pick in a short time. Picked small they are far more tasty. They were covered for the winter months which helps protect them from frost.




These are the tomato plants in the poly tunnel which are now around 2 ft high already; a couple of plants are actually flowering - in early May. The plants are healthy and thriving. I have this year used Blood, Fish and Bone as plant food, which has certainly helped to make the plants grow quickly. 




This photo was taken in April, it is of a potato plot; today the plants have doubled in size (will post photo later). The one thing to note here is the extra growth on the left part of the plot, since this was where I tipped some half-rotted compost and dug in before planting - which is why I have not dug trenches to put the spuds in. Even though this was not composted it has made the plants thrive where it was dug in. 




These are garlic bulbs (shop bought) to try them out; there are 'renegade' spuds shooting up in between, which have been left to grow amongst them.




Grown in a raised bed in the front garden are spring onions; these have not been planted in rows nor a few planted together. This year I have seen a whole bunch of them in one place and they have grown even bigger now. They will be cut and used again this way. 




Garlic Bulbs bought from a supplier, and some fennel which grew last year and is coming again this year. These are in a raised bed in the front garden.




Raised bed in rear garden, growing Broad Beans and Onions from set; I have also grown onions from seed again this year. Even if they do not mature fully they can be used next years as sets. 




Peppermint Chard left over from last year; this has sine been cut down and is growing again well. This bed has now been seeded with parsnips, beetroot, pak chou, and kale. 



Raspberries growing along a small fence; these have been moved from the bottom of the garden where they did not do well. I have more raspberries which have come as runners from next door. They are growing under a plum tree and doing very well there.

These are a few examples, done quickly to make this post and an update on the Edel Project as I am doing it. Have some more photos to take after coming back from the Wild Camping and will create a more thorough post sometime this week.






Solo Wild Camp - May 2022

I spent three days over at Woden's Wald doing some log-cutting ready for use over the coming months. Also some other small jobs needed doing so did these whilst I was there. 


The area of the Mound was covered in bluebells which have been out for a couple of weeks or so I would think. As the bluebells die off the area is covered with bracken which needs cutting right down to allow other plants to grow, such as the Foxgloves which are abundant since this has been done.




This is another angle on the Mound, this area being dedicated to Ingwe; whilst there I did rites to Ingwe as well as Woden-Herne, Thunor, Idunn and to Nerthus at the Pool. 




This is the Camping Area which is below some electric cables, hence the reason why the area is cleared and gets the best sunlight. It is also the flattest area of the woodland.





Rather than sleeping in the open shelter this time I took a new 'Pop-Up' Tent to try out. This one is so easy to put up, only takes a couple of minutes. I put it up on a milar-backed tarp to give more insulation from the ground. Sam (the dog) can be seen having a nap in the entrance. This is in fact warmer than the open-fronted shelter, it still being a bit chilly at night even though it is May now. 




This is an old gas barbecue-burner from which I took away the gas connections and have used it to burn wood for cooking. Did not use it this time since I had propane gas stoves with me, saves so much cleaning. 




Since the last trip I have installed a 100 Watt Solar-Panel on top of the Land Rover; this is connected to a 12-volt Battery inside a Battery-Carrier.




This is the Battery-Carrier and 12-volt Battery; it has two cigarette-sockets and two USB Ports which can charge small electronic gadgets such as mobiles, cameras, etc. I have put a light on the side to light up the back of the car in the dark. This could also power a small car-fridge no doubt, though as yet I have not tried this. 




The Solar Power Controller is fitted onto the side of the rear section of the motor; here it is set at 13.7 Volts and, as can be seen, is charging the battery, even though at this point the Sun was not out.




This is the Sacred Heart in front of what we call 'Herne's Oak'; Wulfgar kindly built this and used lime-mix to hold the rocks together. 




Herne's Oak





Cooked a piece of steak for myself and a couple of sausages for Sam, since he is being awkward about eating dog-food as he gets older. We shared these though which seems only fair; he has done some hunting for me in the past so deserves his 'retirement'. This is cooked on a Coleman Duel-Fuel Stove which is a very fast cooker, and since I use unleaded petrol the fuel is easy to get hold off - though growing more expensive. The stove is over 20 years old now and works well; it is also large enough around the burning-area to be safe.




Potatoes being fried in a shallow pan on a propane-gas stove; the canisters I bought cheap were not much good but we live and learn. Did the job though but not lasting long.




Used an mKettle to boil water for a cup of coffee; this boils water very quickly too, being designed in such a way that the water is held in a narrow area with the fire inside this. This one is smaller than the Kelly Kettle and can be used for back packing. The water can be carried in the kettle since the rubber bung fits very tightly in the hole. 




The Fire-Pit outside the wood-tarp shelter built to keep us warm and dry during the winter months. This is fed from the log-store. Had to use the fire in the mornings and evenings which were rather cold, and this can, if necessary, be used to cook on.




This is the Coleman Duel-Fuel Stove; it is made in the USA, and is the older version which has a smaller filler-cap than the latest ones. After 20 years it is still in good condition, though has not been used excessively since I left it and forgot it for some years. 




I keep the old L200 Truck on the land because I intend looking to see if it can be restored; if not it can be used around the woodland anyway. There are plenty of things it can come in useful for.




I carry the Lifesaver Jerry Can full of water (from the tap) which is cleaned and purified for use; it will clean and purify any dirty water, and after looking around the area I found a stream that could come in useful one day. 




The Land-Rover has certain survival aids left in it in case they are needed at some future time; small survival gear is kept in a Tactical Vest, and the car has a number of tarps ready for use, as well as a Divvy-Bag left there for an emergency. This seems the best way to keep prepared for a forthcoming emergency or when the SHTF. It has extra alarms fitted because of the stuff that is carried, again something to think about.




The Log Store, filled with logs I cut with a chainsaw ready for use; it is surprising how much one gets through in three days, though this time of year not as much as during the winter months. I would have no qualms in saying that if the SHTF and I had time I would take a chainsaw with me since they are an invaluable aid in cutting wood, not only for fuel but also for building work. 




As I have said before, I see different scenarios that we may need to look at in order to prepare ourselves for the worst. We may have the chance to take a car-truck in which case things would be far easier. This may not be possible, in which case the Bug-Out Bag would be the next option; I also keep a Tactical Bag ready which could be carried too. The speed with which we are 'locked down' and a police step put into place overnight shows us what can happen in an instance. The stupidity of the majority who now seem to be like the animals in Orwell's Animal Farm and know full well how bad their rulers are, but seem to have given up caring at all. (This shows in local elections here in England and the complete apathy over them - this is not [I would think] some form of protest by not voting, but just not being bothered.)

I have done overnight wild-camps over the winter too, but during the spring-summer months step this up because the weather is better, and more things can be done. Woden's Folk has always been an active group, and our work has always been done through outdoor activity. Even at 75 years old I still keep this up, since it is my own belief that one should lead bye example. Besides which it keep me fit and active and is far better than sitting behind a computer - though this is necessary to show what we are doing.