My Log Cabin Camp's Surroundings | The Secret of the Fifth Forest Lake

Hello friends! I'm Max and in this video I'll tell you about my trip to five

forest

lake

s surrounding my log

cabin

camp

that I set up in this extreme rocky terrain of Karelia in 2015, building a log

cabin

and working on my pond dam. They are exciting activities, but my sore arms and back needed a short rest, so I decided to explore the nearby

forest

lake

s, as well as fish and swim there. Over the last few years I have gained a lot of experience building bushcraft kayaks. The key word here is bushcraft. meaning I could kayak as needed while traveling on foot using the available materials and minimal supplies I bring in my backpack.

Once this is done I load my backpack into the kayak and continue my journey by water, this is what I did in 2018, but with a little improvement, let's start from the beginning, although you may have seen my kayak built from spruce branches and stretch film in 2017, which was suitable AS IS for traveling on Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe, if you are careful, it is not easy to break the kayaks. plastic skin in a deep body of water; However, when traveling from one forest lake to another it is almost impossible not to puncture the kayak's skin with a branch as you trudge through dense foliage and extreme rocky terrain.

It's been a while since I wanted to explore the five nearby forest lakes in more detail, however, it's virtually impossible to do so on foot. The coast of the lakes is swampy and surrounded by dense bushes or hidden from the observer by steep rocky cliffs. The only way to explore these lakes. It is by water to prepare for said exploration. I reinforced my stretch film kayak with polyether resin and red fabric in 2017, while the stretch film does a great job of waterproofing the kayak, the added polymer coating protects it from tears. It took about 3 kilograms. (7 pounds) of resin and 50 grams (2 ounces) of fabric, the reinforced shell doubled the weight of the original kayak, but its strength was significantly improved.

The fortified bushcraft kayak served me well. I use it a lot for traveling and fishing without experiencing a single water. leak incident Even though the new shell is quite strong, I didn't want to risk leaving the kayak on the shore during the winter as it could get wet or crushed by snow or large animals. That is why the kayak remained suspended under the protection of this century-old pine tree, if you ever try to climb a large spruce tree, you will know that it is much more difficult to climb than a pine tree, for example, the numerous dry lower branches are bad obstacles that you must break with head and shoulders while climbing.

The pieces actively latch on to you and anything you try to lift, such branches, cannot be relied upon for support and can break at any second, it is important to use at least three branches for support at all times while climbing. I described the technique of climbing trees in more detail. In one of my old videos called "How to get a big Christmas tree without cutting one down", while lowering the kayak I realized that I wasn't careful enough and damaged its composite casing in a couple of places, which means I need reinforce it. even more so that's why I added a piece of fiberglass and 3 kilograms (7 pounds) of polyether resin I added another 5 kilograms (11 pounds) to the boat my kayak is no longer ultralight but now it is much stronger and I can begin my journey. through extreme terrain knowing that you will not suffer irreparable damage.

I could easily fit all the supplies into my homemade cargo rack. You've probably seen it in my other videos - by the way, you don't see my video equipment mounted on the charging frame as it's in use right now - but even a cumbersome tripod easily fits on it. I'll have to pick it up again when I'm done filming this footage. You've probably noticed that it's easier to sail and moor now because I'm not worried about it. When the skin of the kayak hits the rock on the shore, the polymer shell reliably protects the skin from the stretch film.

My only complaint is that you can no longer look at the bottom of the lake through the floor of the kayak. Time is the most valuable resource, since you can see the sun. It is already high when I start my journey the second lake is connected to the first by a stream however most of the stream is not navigable I had to walk through dense bushes along the bank of the stream as soon as the stream turned navigable medium. I returned to the kayak to paddle my way through the dense foliage. This time the second lake is noticeably clearer and has steep rocky cliffs on its northeast and northwest side, while its southern shore is flat.

This is probably the reason why the lake water becomes very warm. It is a picturesque forest lake but difficult to access. It was not easy to get to the third lake, as it is located on the other side of a high rocky hill from the second. To make matters worse, a severe storm toppled numerous trees a few years ago. The fallen trees are scattered inland along the swampy shores and even underwater present the greatest challenge to an explorer of this beautiful but extreme rocky and swampy terrain they say. That a smart man would walk around the mountain instead of climbing it however, this old wisdom does not work in Karelia as the rocky hills have fewer fallen trees and dense bushes.

As you can see from above, there are numerous fallen trees scattered around that are simply rotting and infecting other trees with diseases and pests. a species of wood I used to build my log cabin once I saw the splash, it was probably a game pike attack. I cast my bait on the spot several times. The

fifth

cast got me a small pike the perfect size for a person. I am going to cook. I put it in my earth oven when I returned to

camp

because I didn't want to take it with me. I buried it under a thick layer of moss which is a natural refrigerator with a temperature of +5 Celsius (40 Fahrenheit) all day while it freezes.

I turned on my video equipment, a sudden gust of wind blew my kayak away. Fortunately, I noticed the embarrassing behavior of my "red fugitive" and immediately ran to the shore with a tripod and even filmed the process of stopping the kayak for you while towing it back. I found out that my body is not advanced enough to climb into deep water. Some kind of improvement might be needed, maybe a diet would help...))) I cooled off while swimming in the lake, which gave me a new experience. Burst of energy to cross another cliff to the fourth lake once I got there I decided to cook a meal.

I settled in a picturesque place where I found many animal tracks while outdoors and especially after a vigorous bath I became hungry, so it's time to prepare a quick meal. I made instant noodle soup and drank Ivan tea. It is a traditional Russian herbal tea made from fireweed and I fermented it at home using my own sous vide method. Not only does Ivan tea have an amazing aroma and taste, but it also has many medicinal properties. Ivan tea is loaded with minerals, tannins, carotenoids and vitamin C. In Russia it is also called warrior tea as it provides resistance and energy.

Speaking of which, it's time to leave. I decided to explore and deliver the kayak to the

fifth

lake using two different routes. I wanted to climb the rocky cliff to get a better view of the

surroundings

, but dragging my kayak up there would be unreasonable; in this case, there is a better waterway; Also, I wanted to find the best hiking route to the last lake, since I plan to keep this kayak there permanently and hike there directly from my log cabin campsite. The fifth lake is the largest and furthest from my camp, so keeping my tactical fleet there makes sense, and of course while kayaking through the forest. lakes I made a few casts on each to see which has the best fish using a pike spoon.

I only caught a few pike and perch, but that doesn't mean there weren't other fish. I found small crayfish in the fourth lake, so I am thinking of setting up a small-scale crayfish farm there in the future. Once I reached the fifth lake on foot, I started preparing to return to the fourth for water and pick up my kayak, which is why I brought this little guy. With me, you've probably noticed a bulky pack attached to my backpack frame at all times. Yes, it was this Sputnik packraft. This packraft is ultralight as its polyurethane terminal plastic shell is quite thin, however, I determined that this packraft is quite reliable, at least it held up.

Well while getting splashed against rocks during my rafting down the Baikal River rapids last year, the only shortcoming I noticed about this packraft is its poor tracking (the ability of a boat to go in a straight line, but to cover shorter distances on forest lakes) no problem once I inflate the raft knowing I have a reliable means of returning to the previous lake for water. I started looking for a hiding place for my bushcraft kayak. I won't reveal the location in this video for privacy reasons, but I will show my campfire cooking feast I had at the end of this beautiful summer day.

We will need a green twig, a potato and a few slices of salami. I normally use this simple self-made clipper, but since I'm shooting a video, it will make sense. to show a less technological way of cutting a spiral potato once inserted the twig will prevent the blade from cutting the potato into two halves creating a long strip every time I prepare this primitive dish I think of a Möbius strip the topological phenomenon that produces a half-twisted strip with two faces, but only one side, you can't cut a Möbius strip into two halves along its length while thinking about this mathematical phenomenon.

I inherently spread the spiral over the skewered salami and made slits in the slices to start. adding them to the potato spiral. I usually fill all the spaces in the potato spiral with sausage pieces for best results. Okay, we're done with the cutting process and it's time to light a campfire and boil water to make tea, not just my homemade plan. The bowler boils water quickly simply by placing it next to a campfire, but it also fits better in your backpack once the campfire is established. We can place a skewered spiral potato on two stones and rotate it periodically to make sure it grills evenly if you use my vertical grill method shown in the video above, you don't have to rotate the skewer, but today it takes much longer prepare it.

I didn't have time for it as I started cooking dinner shortly before the note of sunset. I did not add any spices or salt to the potato spiral as it will get the seasoning from the sausage and as it roasts over the fire, the salami will add a little fat to the potato spiral, further enhancing its flavor in combination with the smoke. from the campfire, okay, bushcraft. The dish is ready and served on a moss plate. Now it's time to test the final product. I realize that even fried nuts and bolts would seem tasty if eaten in such a beautiful place while sitting by a campfire under the setting sun.

However, I will insist. This primitive bushcraft dish is very tasty. I think the best way to complement this meal would be to serve the freshly made Ivan-tea with some dessert. I spent the night sleeping right next to the campfire but before going to sleep I climbed the tallest pine tree. on the cliff to get phone reception and text that I was okay to my loved ones. The northern sunset is particularly beautiful in the summer, but it's time to return to my temporary camp to climb down from this tall tree and A cliff in the dark is not much fun the next morning, after an energizing swim in the lake and a simple breakfast, I towed my kayak to its new hiding place at the last lake and hung it under a large pine tree, after that I started my way back. to the log cabin camp on foot, the way back was shorter and easier because I used the previously explored trail instead of searching for a path through steep cliffs, swamps and dense bushes, plus I only had to carry a floating device and now it's an oar, of course.

I picked up my previously caught pike that I left in the makeshift moss cooler at the third lake. Pike will be today's main dish. Once I got back to the log cabin camp, I lit the fire in my earth oven and boiled water. For tea, this is a Polish recipe known as pike cooked in a pot while the oven heats up. I scaled and cut the pike, then began the magic of artisanal cooking. I added salt and pepper to the slices and placed them in the bottom of the pot. then I placed sliced ​​onions on top of the pike and finally we are ready to add a bushcraft

secret

ingredient and the

secret

ingredient is good old mayonnaise, as you can see my earth oven survived two winters without problems.

I placed a pot on some cold stones to prevent the pike slices from overcooking. This is all there is to cooking one.Polish pica because a traditional cooking pot does not have handles. I made a pot holder, they work great together as a set. I can't help but admire them. the simple wisdom of our ancestors while the pike was cooking its magnificent aroma wafted around the camp preventing me from thinking about anything other than gluttonous indulgence finally the main course of the day is prepared and I prepared a small feast in my log cabin. Porch is a simple cookout, but adding a few simple touches will make for a delicious and memorable dinner after two days of exploring.

I feel completely refreshed and ready to work on my log cabin and other craft projects, for example. I will be doing this shaved horse but this is a story for another video. This is Max Egorov from St. Petersburg, Russia. If you liked this video, maybe you can share it with your friends. Let good people watch good videos. P.S. I only produce one or two videos at most per month (on the 1st and/or 15th of each month) and if you don't want to miss out on new content like this, subscribe and click the notification bell to stay up to date with everything. of the latest content due to YouTube's new recommendation algorithm, its notifications have become more erratic and unstable;

Otherwise, I hope to see you again at Advoko AGO...