PREPARING
A CAMPSITE for bushcraft or a survival training camp is one that I have done
many times and I always have a checklist which needs to be followed. In the
early days and on a few occasions of late, I do it alone. I love working
silently. I have mastered this aspect and it also involves identification and
selection, borne out from discovery of places.
More
often now, I am with my people from the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild
and it makes camp preparation quick with so many hands helping out. However, in
a noisy crowd there is always someone dedicated to cooking the meals and
preparing coffee. Even when the day is warm, these things, in an outdoor
setting are heavenly.
Today,
March 18, 2018, I am going to Sapangdaku, Cebu City to use again the campsite I
used last year for a wilderness training course done for an outdoor club or
maybe find an alternative. I am considering another location beyond the old
campsite but it remains to be seen which one would be better.
I
am not alone today. Going with me is Ricky Petiluna. He is organizing next
week’s Basic Wilderness Survival Course for friends which he would also attend
as one of the participants. We would meet at the parking lot of the Our Lady of
Guadalupe and then proceed to the trailhead in Napo on motorcycles.
I
am carrying my old-school Lifeguard USA canvass rucksack but inside it is my
folding seat, which I love to call as the “SOP”; a US Army-issue folding
shovel, a trowel, the AJF Gahum knife, the William Rodgers bush knife, a
Victorinox Ranger, a Swiss Army can burner, a Nalgene bottle, my fire kit, a
headlamp, whistle and cotton gloves.
It
begins to go warm and humid as I led Ricky from Napo to Kangsi. The ground is
dry from lack of moisture but the greens have not wilted. Sapangdaku Creek is
noisy and robust, despite the absence of rain for many days. A smaller
tributary, Sarapia Creek, joins it. The small stream still has water and that
is a good sign that the “tub” will be good for bathing.
From
the stream, we follow an ascending path that lead to an abandoned house. We
rested here for a while to munch on water apples (Cebuano: tambis). From
there, we proceed up the trail, passing by the old camp. Showed him the camp
ground with all of its green meadows and ancient mango trees.
This
is the primary choice. Its advantage is it has a clean natural spring, a nearby
stream with a small waterfall, bamboos on its lower slopes, abundant firewood,
an established campfire ring, abundant vegetation for plant ID, trees for
shades and my own personal bathtub. Its disadvantage is it is not hammock-friendly.
It simply has too few places to accommodate hammocks.
After
the inspection, we walk uphill, following the same trail to look for a local
farmer whom I befriended a few years ago. He is not here yet. Maybe later.
Instead of waiting, I brought Ricky down to Sarapia Creek to check on the
condition of the water source. There is a newly-installed bamboo trough that
channels the water flow. Very nice.
I
check the stream where I think would be off limits to people, especially on a
crucial moment like nocturnal hunting. I found it downstream where thick
vegetation obscured the view of what is below it. That place gave me the
creeps. It was dark and perfect for venomous snakes to hide. There have been
sightings of Philippine king cobra (banakon) within the environs along
Sapangdaku Creek and its tributaries.
We
walk upstream and the water cascade down the small waterfall. After crossing
the small stream we climb up a steep path and stood above the waterfall and
examine the foliage of an ancient but wild johey oak tree (marang) which
the locals mistakenly assumed for a long time as a tipolo tree (Sp.
Artocarpus blancoi).
A
path leads more of upstream. I need to check my personal natural bathtub. I am
disappointed. The last strong rains have filled it with sand, pebbles and silt.
Although I have a tool to dredge it, it is not priority. I have but a few hours
of morning left, which I would use to inspect a secondary camp across a peak
and dig latrines.
I
retraced my path back to the marang tree and follow another path towards
Mapawon Peak. It is a kilometer away and passes by soft disintegrating ground
where the trail passes by. Since it is a peak, it is moderately steep and it
takes some effort to reach the place. There are two holes where water is fed in
it by two separate PVC pipes.
There
are many trees here and it is great for hammock camping. I go down to a saddle
where there is a giant power pylon. The ground is wide enough for five tents
but I have second thoughts. It is susceptible to lightning strikes since the
steel structure is a long conductor. I liked this place because but it could
not host a big camp.
We
go back to Sarapia Creek and then to the main choice of camp. The farmer is
there also and he let me borrow his digging iron after I consulted him of using
the place again for Ricky’s activity. I also mentioned to him of digging
latrine holes since people would have to poop and I do not want the place and
all around it spoiled.
We
did not do much for the rest of the day except dig three rectangular holes very
far apart from each other, on two opposing sides of a ridge, two for males and
another one for females. The digging iron was most useful as the soil was hard,
but the folding shovel made a big difference. In the old days, I would have
crafted a digging stick and it demands lots of energy, which I am wont to
expend when the sun is at its zenith.
Ricky
was much satisfied with our working excursion and gets to learn camp selection
and preparation personally from me. The checklist left a few blanks after that
and the bushcraft camp is ready for next week. We finished earlier than we
thought it to be and an early rest is more welcome.
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