Building a den in the woods??

[Still winning]

Need your best tips!!  Signed myself up to the best sounding school trip EVER, going to the woods, seperating into teams and have build a base/den!!!

 

Boring school spiel "build shelters out of natural materials like the early hunter-gatherer tribes had to do"

 

Me, I'm building a base, like when I was a kid - never have I been so over enthused about a school trip, get in!!  

 

So, tips for the best base build ideas??  Teepee shape or over a tree branch triangle type shape. It's so not about the kids anymore, I wanna relive my youth haha!

 

x

[JackiMac]

can just see you Marti, make sure you put your camouflage on and black stripe your face, go get 'em, when we built bases as kids it was always over the branch, make sure you lay plenty of soft foliage on the ground too, it sounds like it will be mega fun, I'll airlift in plenty of supplies for you just like the Black Magic man! xxx

[bakon]

refrigerator cardboard box and a piece of carpet. should last half hour in light rain. otherwise your golden

[REZ]

If all natural, the Triangle (A Frame) is best and easiest. 

 

Build on small hill or side of hill (need slope so water drains out) 

 

You can build up the sides with dirt, stones, large logs to help keep wind and rain out and less top to worry about.

 

First couple of support branches on top of A frame to support all the smaller and lighter ferns and grass

 

Top use lots of wide long leaf ferns or lots of tall grass to wick water down to sides faster

 

Need good pitch (like the sides of the letter "A") on top and make top thick,

 

the thicker the more likely water will be caught and roll off to sides.

 

Overhang top over sides if possible!

 

Good Luck to you!

[Tink]

this is serious i am going to dig out some old pictures lol

[Doreensfree]

It all sounds brilliant....the only tent I made as a kid.....was me mams best sheet.....

And a good telling off..l.ol.....

Best of luck.....

[Sazerac]

Find water, set trap lines,

Weave live branches together for living roof.

Hedgerow perfect.

Supplement with light branches, grasses.

 

Gather moss and dried grasses and bank dirt for bed,

Greens and roots to eat.

Kindling for fire. nice dry branches to burn.

nice stones to warm in fire and put around your bed.

 

Also make bed with no roof and fall asleep under the stars.

Pit privy ?

or

One hole One   s h i t   ?

 

Will it be full Harvest moon???

The Autumnal Equinox ?

Oh what fun you will have ! ! ! 

 

Pictures and letters from the wilderness, Please.

[BAT]

this is serious i am going to dig out some old pictures lol

 

Shyte just got real ...  :P

[bakon]

she was in englands air force, if anything like ours they are spoiled and used motel 6's for roughing it. We (Army) weren't allowed to sing cadence during pt in the morning on the air base. We were waking up the airmen too early. That's no bs, their commander said if we continues we couldn't use the gym either.

[action]

It sounds like everyone already have you pretty great tips... I'm pretty jealous Marti - thinking of going down the woods at the weekend to build one now - will have to borrow someone's kid so indent look odd, lol!

[bakon]

adding kid wont stop a pimp in a valour suit from looking strange in the woods

[Nancy]

All I have is "Wow!!"  Once again learn something new about folks on this board!

[Tink]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3011893427936&set=a.3011867307283.136887.1580531396&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xaf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F418213_3011893427936_616772501_n.jpg%3Foh%3D86066561bc7388314a448d5618b7012e%26oe%3D549C592C%26__gda__%3D1418198283_61f1363ef834e58df1d861917a446514&size=960%2C720

 

im afraid marti action is right a small child is essential at least within 10ft as middle aged women building dens on their own is well just weird ;)

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fcbbc%2Fmakes%2Fwild-den-building&ei=1W0XVNGNG8ymyATNvoDgBg&usg=AFQjCNFQsIQJTdbMfkcook9pF1bKpQXGhA&bvm=bv.75097201,d.aWw

 

ps good tip if you cant find good branches wait until kid and mum next door go off foraging and then take a few from theirs ;) its not serious or anything but you HAVE to have the best den :)  have fun good luck and plenty of pictures

[Tink]

she was in englands air force, if anything like ours they are spoiled and used motel 6's for roughing it. We (Army) weren't allowed to sing cadence during pt in the morning on the air base. We were waking up the airmen too early. That's no bs, their commander said if we continues we couldn't use the gym either.

thats aircrew who walk around in boiler type suits all day tinkering on the planes lol i was lucky to get a hole in the ground which I had to dig myself and line leaves to make nice and snug but the wake us up and you cant play in our gym was hilarious and so true :)

[Still winning]

Sadly camera is knackered and the school have rules about photographing the kids :(  I can't wait though and will let you know how my, oh I mean my teams, winning goes ;) x

[El Bandito]

Give the little blighters a trash bag each.

 

Then repair to a nearby hostelry. I would suggest a couple of glasses of something white and bracing - before a nice meal with something red and warming. Retire to a nice cosy bed. This will equip you to deal with whingeing of the over-tired blighters in the morning...

 

Porky.

 

Army = Cannon Fodder.

Air Force = Tom Cruise -esque pretty boys that cost millions to train to fly planes that cost billions.

 

Shhhhhhhh........

[JackiMac]

Absolutely in hoots here, only us on a non smoking forum as a group can have a brilliant in depth discussion on building dens.  Can you imagine all the parents looking for information on den building, happening upon us!!! the mind boggles hahaha xxx

[Sazerac]

Here is a nice Den

 

 

 

Oh, sorry.

Wrong Den.

Love,

S

[Still winning]

Shattered now but had a great day with the kids!!  Apparently you can't have winners in schools anymore (?! :rolleyes: ) but I think ours was the best!!  We even weaved skinny twigs to make a roof! Found a log to be a sofa, built (not lit obviously) a fire with stones around to be bed warmers (good suggestion). So much fun, may well take my kids back there seperately :)

[Tink]

doing the kids stuff is good for the soul, I think its what keeps me young at heart, i dont care about the aches and wrinkles good idea to go back with your kids Marti - keep the fun alive it helps balance the boring crap stuff we have to endure as adults lol

 

so glad you had fun this made me smile for you xx

[El Bandito]

Splendid - now have a glass of Port and promise to never "win" again.....

[bakon]

Port? Wine? Sounds like you lost. Beer is for just trying. And two beers for winning

[Doreensfree]

Well done marti.....I knew yours would be the best....you had the quit train....no contest....l.ol....