Yesterday I drove Monty to Cherry Beach while Spring went to work to review topics in a topic review. In keeping with my recent obsession with camping, bushcraft, and all things survivalist, Monty and I walked down the beach until we arrived at an isolated cut-out, surrounded by bushes, facing onto the bay. Monty wandered about and located some sticks which he then brought over to me and deposited at my feet. He seemed quite content and very interested in this course of activity. I thought it seemed pretty interesting too. So I shuffled about like a rice-farmer, stooping about, gathering up small sticks of driftwood and sun-dried twigs. I pulled up a log that had drifted up on shore, and made a seat of it. Then I cleared a small circle of leaves and debris, and revealed the sand surface below. Then I gathered a few weeds that had fluffy dried seedpods - and lay down a small tinder bundle on a pile of twigs. Igniting this with a spark from my knife and spark-stick, I then piled small pieces of kindling over the flame and soon had a small campfire on the beach - no bigger than a dinner plate, but amazingly hot - I sat on the log, Monty settled in beside me and we looked out onto the bay, staying warm by the heat of the fire. When I picked Spring up from work, my clothes smelled of wood-smoke.
Here is my up-to-date Camping List for my next trip. Matt's gonna go too. We is gonna catch us some fish... Everything below will easily fit into my new interior frame back-pack - it's a pretty light load, compared with what I've brought before by myself. I'll update it after my trip, reality sometimes doesn't match a list.
Food & Drink
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Chocolate bars
Salt, pepper, spice
Tea and sugar
Oatmeal pouches
Tortillas
Chili can
2 Tins of evaporated milk
Fettuccine side-dish noodles
Rice
Beans
Bacon
6 eggs
Onion
Gin or Vodka in Plastic bottle
Lemon Drink Crystals
Oil in a plastic container
Hot chocolate with coffee mixed
Hotdogs
Kitchen
Mug
Stack of paper serviettes
Aluminium foil sheet
4 paper plates
Can opener
Nalgene bottle
Dish detergent
Cooking pot
Zip lock bags
Spoon
MIOX water purifier (maybe)
Clothes & Comfort
Self-inflating mattress
Sleeping Bag
Blanket & Bed for Monty
Pillow case
Jacket, Jeans, Cap
Socks 1 pair for each day
Boxers 1 for each day
Short and Long-sleeved Shirt
Cigar
Pillow
Swim-suit
Toiletries & First-Aid
Pepto-Bismol
Towel
Aspirin
Band-Aids
Iodine
Tweezers
Tensor bandage
Toilet paper
Shampoo
Soap
Comb
Toothpaste
Tooth-brush
Insect repellent
Sewing Kit
Nail clipper
Antacids, Zantac
Equipment & Gear
Camping shovel
Hatchet & sharpener
Flashlight & batteries (1 extra set only)
Compass
Shortwave Radio & Batteries
Book
Paper
Pencil
Watch
Sheath Knife
Fire starter
Camera
Fishing gear
Tarpaulin
Duct-tape
Tent
Chair - folding
Nylon Rope
Stove
Garbage Bags
Lantern & Mantle
White Fuel
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