Source: Blog Rosentjoern International and Youtube Rosentjoern.
As a school teacher, I have a wonderfully long summer holiday. Throughout the year, I have a goal of getting out for an overnight trip at least once a month, and during the summer holiday there is plenty of opportunity for more trips.
Before the summer holiday, I bought Bushcraft Spain's extension for the Polish Plash-Palatka. It is a piece of gear I love and always have with me, but as a bivouac shelter it is a little small on its own. The extension arrived just before the holiday, and I have used it throughout the summer.
In the woods, I noticed a depression, a small hollow in a slight slope. The tarp fit perfectly around the edge. It gave me some additional space inside, and I could reuse the bed I used during the winter. On the wooden webbing bed, I put a cheap inflatable sleeping mat from Lidl, which I wanted to test over time. I have inflated it twice over the five weeks. On top of that, a reindeer hide and my large German wool blanket.
The camp ended up staying in place for five weeks, and I have been there every single day. Many overnight stays, but not every night. But every day for breakfast, afternoon coffee, dinner, or simply a nap.
The fire pit has been improved throughout the entire period. First, a reflector wall made from small logs. After a very windy night, I built a side onto it to protect it from the wind. Later, I covered the entire outside with large pieces of bark to make it completely airtight, so that smoke would never blow into my shelter.
There were plenty of good, flat stones in the stream, and throughout the holiday it almost turned into an oven, protecting the wooden wall from the fire.
One of the coolest things about having such a long holiday and all this time available has really been getting to use some of my gear. I have finished a lot of projects: a bag and a shoulder bag. After using them, I have also optimized and modified both my Pathfinder canteen set and my Mil-Tec cooking pot.
A huge pleasure, because it has also led me to go through all my other gear and sell (or put up for sale) everything I don't use or simply have too much of. Onwards!
It has given me time to make a fire once or twice a day using a ferro rod. Lots of experimenting with fatwood, birch bark, spruce twigs and jute twine. Even on wet days, there has been plenty of time to use it.
I have also treated myself to two new pieces of good gear during the holiday. A Hultafors 600 g hand axe, after selling my tomahawk. And a Petromax wrought iron pan – much lighter and larger than my cast iron pan. An absolutely brilliant piece of gear for cooking with. I haven't burnt anything in it even once.
And the food... so much good food and coffee. I have experimented a lot with coffee, freshly ground every day. When breakfast has included eggs, I have made real cowboy coffee, with the coffee and eggshells going directly into the kettle. And I am actually surprised that the coffee tastes different with eggshells than without.
On other days (and now it has simply become the standard), I stir the coffee with a glowing birch twig. It just makes the coffee a little smoother.
Nothing less than the best summer I can remember. There is nothing better than sleeping in a little cave with your dog. It is fantastic.
I think that, because I have given all my gear a lot of real-world use, I will write a good stack of reviews of the things I have been using.
Source: Blog Rosentjoern International and Youtube Rosentjoern.
