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Bug out land prepping
22 October 2013, 17:44,
#1
Bug out land prepping
Okay, this isn't going to be glitzy, glamorous, sexy, or anything like that. So no sparkly thongs, no feather-boas, and certainly no medal ceremony.

This is a post about something I've greatly considered, and am starting to actually put things into place.

A little while ago someone (I really wish I could remember who and in what thread) spoke about going out and looking at the 'weeds' that were edible and considering helping them grow.

Well this post is kind of based on that, and on other thoughts that I've had personally, and ideas, concepts, and the alike that I've been informed of.

Firstly, this please do not look at this as being just for prepping a bug out location. It's actually really good for bug out routes as well.

Okay, time for the fun.

Let's say you have a 50 mile bug out route. Nothing amazing, but it's not the easiest thing to do. You'll need food, right? Have you looked into planting edible plants, trees, and the alike, along that route? I remember talking to Terry and he said he planted apple trees in certain areas. Brilliant thinking. They'll not attract a huge amount of attention, but you'll know where they are and what's available in that area.

Have you considered a bug out practice and taking some plants into that area to plant? Let's say for example on our next Dartmoor trip, a handful of apple seeds thrown around. No guarantee they'll grow, but it's a start. What about looking at plants already in the area that you can use, instead of just caching items directly, like food. What about prepping the area with some extra Birch for fire starting? How about a bit of Hawthorn for vitamin C and firewood? You can eat stinging nettles, and they grow like weeds...ever thought about dropping some seeds? What about other crops?

Obviously you'll not want to be lugging a 12 foot cherry tree to your next camping session, but taking things like packets of seeds and the alike might well be worth considering.

What about grafting a small branch of a super hardy species of apple? A rotting log with a specific fungus, e.g. Steak Fungus?

This might seem even weirder, but what about spreading ash from a fire, or other fertiliser style stuff in an area to encourage more growth of useful bushcraft plants? Easy enough to do, and it will add a little more fertility to the plants in the area. Slow release fertilisers can go a very long way, and even release nutrients for up to 6 months (but the super slow release is pretty expensive). That makes maintenance pretty simple.

Speaking of maintenance, you could consider a little pruning, adding cutting from the 'prunings', and things like that. What about a little weeding, or even trimming the plant to make it bushier, taller, or whatever you want the plant to do?

You could even start a basic coppice style shelter. You could plant some willow (very quick growing), or something like that, that you'll later use for if you bug out to that area. Or you could plant them into certain locations that you'll use for shelter, or a basha layout, or anything at all like that.

When you bug out, wouldn't it be lovely to bug out to an area full of nutritional, useful plants, ready for you to enjoy? What about walking along your bug out route and being bombarded with a plethora of year round edible plants? That would sure make bugging out much easier and less hassle. As would food acquisition, and the alike, be much less effort too.

Just an idea for you to mull round in your head.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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22 October 2013, 17:57,
#2
RE: Bug out land prepping
I am afraid in this part of the world the deer wouldn't let anything get bigger than two inches high,...Smile
A major part of survival is invisibility.
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22 October 2013, 18:25,
#3
RE: Bug out land prepping
(22 October 2013, 17:57)Highlander Wrote: I am afraid in this part of the world the deer wouldn't let anything get bigger than two inches high,...Smile

You are allowed to plant things and add protection to them so stop deers stripping them off. Or you could find somewhere that deers don't frequent.

There is always a way mate. You of all people should be preaching that.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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22 October 2013, 20:01,
#4
RE: Bug out land prepping
deer are absolute bastards at stripping/destroying/ eating anything until there teeth wear to nubs then they starve and die unless culled beforehand....squirrel's are the same...destroy woodland and nothing short of regular culling will keep it to an acceptable level...took hundreds of greys out of a fairly modest wood and they still kept killing the freshly planted saplings.
Nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool!!!!
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22 October 2013, 21:04,
#5
RE: Bug out land prepping
(22 October 2013, 18:25)Scythe13 Wrote:
(22 October 2013, 17:57)Highlander Wrote: I am afraid in this part of the world the deer wouldn't let anything get bigger than two inches high,...Smile

You are allowed to plant things and add protection to them so stop deers stripping them off. Or you could find somewhere that deers don't frequent.

There is always a way mate. You of all people should be preaching that.

I agree to a degree,.. but by giving plants/tree protection you are showing people where they are [maybe ],... and up here there is no-where safe from grazing deer.

You are right though, there is often a way, you would need to research what deer dont eat and plant those,... but there are not many
A major part of survival is invisibility.
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22 October 2013, 21:16,
#6
RE: Bug out land prepping
Home made deer repellents using mesh bags of human hair cuttings gleaned from the local barber shop, bar soap, or egg emsulsion sprays are effective and can be put around the garden perimeter and present a low profile. More info:

http://www.berrymaninstitute.org/journal...s_sp10.pdf

http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/document...ngdeer.pdf

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewco...m_usdanwrc

73 de KE4SKY
In
"Almost Heaven" West Virginia
USA
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22 October 2013, 21:39,
#7
RE: Bug out land prepping
Well I am fairly certain that human hair doesnt work with Red Deer, I know a guy who tried it in and around his potatoes,... they ate the lot

The smell of dogs are the only real deterrent I know of, we have deer almost daily/nightly get within about 100 meters of our fence, but I have never seen them closer, and yet during the days before we moved here, there was always deer droppings on the lawn and the vegetation was none existent,..[ we now have a dense garden ]
A major part of survival is invisibility.
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23 October 2013, 15:26,
#8
RE: Bug out land prepping
Now I understand why my Italian friend in the Piedmonte keeps his hunting dog houses and fenced runs along the driveway between his garden plots!

73 de KE4SKY
In
"Almost Heaven" West Virginia
USA
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23 October 2013, 15:54,
#9
RE: Bug out land prepping
The best things to plant on the way to your BOL would be a few bottles of Evian and some tinned beans. What use is an apple tree if you are bugging out in April ?
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23 October 2013, 16:09,
#10
RE: Bug out land prepping
I am still wondering why the presence of deer, a nutrient and protein rich food source, is a bad thing?
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