Yesterday’s plan was to stay late in the woods and cook in the dark. In terms of bushcrafting and camping, I’m trying to push my boundaries a little and learn more. Covid has robbed me of many things and my confidence to go camping in the woods is one of them. So this year I didn’t get to do any. Last year I had been working up to doing an out of season camp and it’s still on my books to do one. There are a number of things that are very important to get right for it to be a success. It’s a very different ball game from Summer camping where it stays light till bedtime and it’s warm. I decided to test a few things out by going in cold weather and when the light fails early. Do I have the right clothing to stay warm when just sitting around for a few hours? Can I successfully cook a meal in the dark with a fire and a headlamp for light?
I arrived early as usual, just as it was getting light. As I drove up the ride an elegant Roe deer ambled along in front before heading off for cover. As soon as I donned my hat and boots I decided to take a slow walk around some of the rides, head out towards the top edge of the woods where it looks over farmland. Maybe more wildlife to spot. I didn’t see any there but was rewarded with a fabulous view of the full moon as it was setting and another Roe deer as I headed back.
Back at basecamp and time for a brew. Before I even put any food out, the small birds started flying into the surrounding trees in anticipation. I took the hint and filled the feeders and just sat enjoying the fire and my coffee, watching the birds and was in my element. I did the few necessary jobs I’d planned – get logs for home, inspect and empty the bird nest boxes then it was time for lunch. I had an experiment to do. I love my cast iron skillets, they are perfect for cooking over a fire but they are bulky and heavy. I’m planning to do a few mini bushcraft adventures back home – a longish walk in the woods, moors or riverside with a bit of cooking included. I will take a small camping stove and frying pan.
Most lightweight camping pans are either aluminium, titanium or stainless steel and unless you get Teflon coated ones, the food will burn and stick. I don’t like coated pans when cooking over high heat so was looking for an alternative. I hit on the idea of using carbon steel which when seasoned, becomes non-stick just like the cast iron pans. I found it impossible to find a small frying pan with foldable handle but after a lot of research, found some carbon steel pizza dishes used in the catering trade. Could this work for me? I have a detachable handle that grips the rim so it seemed ideal. I bought a six inch diameter one and seasoned it in the oven.
I planned to fry veggie sausage and egg for lunch. If anything is going to stick, an egg will especially if you break the yolk! Time for the test – perfect. In time with more use, the patina will increase and improve even more. You just need to avoid washing in detergent and oil it after use to prevent it rusting. Oh and bye the way, I like the yolk broken!
By three o’clock the light was starting to fade. I figured the key to a successful dark evening in the woods was preparation. Put away all unneeded equipment and bring down to camp what you will need. Keep things together as much as you can so you don’t lose stuff. Have a small stack of logs by the fire and chop a few smaller ones for creating flames. You need hot embers for slow cooking and flames for boiling. I planned a simple veggie pasta so I chopped the onion, garlic, red pepper and courgette ready for cooking later in the new pan. I have to be honest and say the meal wasn’t great. I was trying to keep it minimal but it was a bit bland, even with the Pasta sauce I brought and dash of chilli powder it was till lacking something – cheese I reckon. Some flaked parmesan or fried halloumi would have made the difference. I’m no chef so these things are not always obvious to me until afterwards. But the whole point of these experiences is to try things out and see what works and what doesn’t. I also realised I was expecting too much of the little pan, it took a long time to fry down all the vegetables but it will be perfect for the small meals I intend to cook on my walks.
After the meal and the gear was tidied away, what else is there to do on your own in the middle of a pitch black woodland? Well have a walk with your torch of course. Although it was tricky operating my smartphone camera whilst illuminating a tree, the results were quite interesting and a little bit spooky looking. I’ll leave you with a few of the better ones.
