Armistice Day / Veterans Day. Poem "In Flanders Fields"

[@Petragoesoutdoors]

What a beautiful poem. All those who lost their lives, whether soldiers or ordinary people, should never be forgotten. There is nothing worse than wars and yet people seem to learn nothing from it.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

I am not sure that it is the learning so much as we seem to be programmed ultra competative. We best start using our intelligence as we now easily have the means to destroy ourselves. Best wishes

[@ExpeditionaryJonny]

Wow! What a wonderful tribute meal and poem. I absolutely love how you made your meal in the woods and added the sound effects for the poem. This far and away exceeded my hopes & expectations. I am really humbled by this and very much appreciate your service. My wife and I love how you brought your faithful dog with you. I think you captured the meaning of this day.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

If it were not for your initial video which put me in the frame of mind then I never would have had the time to prepare. It was well worth doing and brought back some memories which needed refreshing. Many thanks

[@RobertsBulgaria]

Very honourable video. One doesn't realise the scale of these world wars until they visit a War Graves site. I did mine in Gallipoli and like yourself, as a former Soldier, you could sense what they might have gone through landing in these foreign lands to fight an enemy they didn't know very much about, but who were determined to defend their territory. When I look back on that video, I always shed a tear or two as I will on Sunday and no shame as it means, I'm still alive and have feeling for my fellow Lads & Lasses.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Absolutely agree, at the end of the day the world is still not a safe place and sometimes you have to be prepared to fight for what you have. As a soldier though, it is not about the politics, but the people around you. All the best

[@scottroberts7875]

Thank you. For your service. And thank you for a heartfelt rendition of a wonderful Ode to loss

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Appreciation goes a long way and I honestly believe we have (boot for boot) the best armed services on the planet. Many thanks

[@WyeExplorer]

It's a touching piece. The human ego can be and is so destructive/fearful. Respects to you and your friends. It's good that you remember them still. We've had a fair few go in our own military family. I always stop by their graves when visiting my dad. It's the only way. All the best. Mark

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Yes unfortunately some things you have to see close up before the reality hits home. Hopefully it makes us better people and the world slightly better than it would otherwise be, though it does not always feel like it. All the best

[@WyeExplorer]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors For sure gotta see the underbelly of it, which I have to.

[@southleedsmemories2686]

You did them proud, Chris. Thank you:-)

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

You are most welcome ATB

[@randomyorkshireman]

Cheers for the video. Don't rightly know why it has so few views for the quality involved but ah well. Seeing you make the meal with the mess kit was interesting cause I have my Great Grandpa's Cap and Mess Kit from when he served in the Royal South African Medical Corps in WWII and it looked quite similar to what you were using which made things quite personal. I'm in the middle of selecting a unit to join for the reserves at the moment, just need to visit the Yorkshire Regiment then book my careers interview, and it all just helped drive everything home as I remembered my grandpa and great grandpa from WWII and my mates who served in Afghanistan. So aye cheers mate all the best.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

I never regret joining up, have helped since and at the end of the day soldering is all about the blokes and women around you. We used to work occasionally with the then Territorial Army, now the reserves, and on a technical level they were often better at the job than we were 😂 Wishing you all the best.

[@DishOutdoors]

Thank you for your service.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

It is unfortunate that countries need armies, but I truly believe ours is one of the best, despite the cutbacks. Lets hope the human race can get a grip, now that we are easily capable of destroying ourselves on a massive scale.

[@ThailandOutdoors]

Awesome video, very well done. Thank you for your service.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Many thanks, not too much different over there from over here, maybe we are getting more rain at the moment 😂😂

[@stealthandysteath1069]

Too each they own. R I P, nice one chirs 👍🇬🇧

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Freedom does not come cheap 🇬🇧 🪖 All the best

[@BeercanBushcraft]

Extremely well done Brother.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Many thanks, it was a bit of a rush but seemed to work out OK, and no one noticed I burnt the SPAM. Very best wishes

[@willstonvelo8100]

Thankyou Chris

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Thank you, best wishes

[@jamierobinson4691]

Lest we forget mate.

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

I do not think we will forget, it is the lessons that matter. All the best

[@descattysBushcraftbydescattys]

Tidy mate Respect sir 🙏

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Cheers des, it was a nice time for reflection. It was a long while since I was actually in the military but have had plenty to do with them until fairly recently, we have one of the best. Take Care and best wishes

[@descattysBushcraftbydescattys]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors indeed mate 👍 take care

[@SweeneyTTodd]

What a great respectful thing to do Chris I'm a fan of the Hexi Stove the Fire dragon is good in its own right but the Hexi I find more adaptable What a touching poem Flanders Field is thank you for sharing Best regards Shaun

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

I have a bias with the stoves of course, but if you just want a quick brew while out, the BCB stove is great. What lets it down really is the cost of the fuel block, but it is possible just to use meths (with some glass wool) or hand gel which is quite cheap.

[@SweeneyTTodd]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors Hi Chris , as standard the Hexi is my fav, going back on what I said, the BCB one can be modified to accept a trangia stove by bending flat the inside outer tray walls flat, I've not tried it but seen it, Hint perhaps you could (so I know grin cheeky I know) Not sure if you can still use the blocks after. You know what's it like always try to be adaptive The Hexi stoves just feel sturdier to me. Best regards Shaun. Edited: typos

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@SweeneyTTodd The gel blocks in the BCB stove turns to liquid when alight so they have to be contained, however you can easily use them in the Hexi stove if you have a small aluminium cake thingy like you get the custard tarts in. As a Hexi stove does not have a solid bottom to it, when the Hexi fuel block gets small, it can fall out through the bottom of the stove and set your hide on fire (as I have experienced) 😂

[@SweeneyTTodd]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors sure Chris I know what you are saying, what I mean is the BCB fire dragon block container can have it's edges bent down flat and then accommodate a Trangia alcohol stove or even a penny stove , however it can't then have the blocks used , tricky to explain I suppose Best regards Shaun

[@StepsbyKaatje]

It's great you still have that old cooking gear! It looks like you had a pretty good meal. Overhere in Belgium it's also a holiday in rememberance of the end of ww1. I think it's good to stop and think about what happened and remember all the people that lost their lives defending our freedom! So, thanks for the beautiful poem! Kaat

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Many thanks, the meat was spam and I did manage to burn it a bit, that is filming for you, but me and the dog did not mind one bit. We all need to remember/learn what happens in war and maybe people would not get so excited, but I doubt it. It is obviously in our genes to be ultra competitive or I think we would be sharing the planet with a few other species of hominoids such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. Best wishes

[@StepsbyKaatje]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors I heard somewhere that we do have a bit of neanthertaler in our blood anyway... 😉 It's all about food, water and nowadays basically money... Because money is power...

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@StepsbyKaatje We are all getting a bit mixed up now gene wise, but I think humans from Europe have about 2% Neanderthal genes, but not humans from certain other areas, I forget the details now. Amazing how they can tell from were you originate from your genes, and nowadays where you live due to the isotopes in your bone, hair etc. There is a saying, those who control the food control the people, those who control the power (fuel/electricity) control the country and those who control the money control the world. Probably not exactly correct but the I.M.F. and the W.B. seem to have a lot of "influence" beyond the average voter. I wonder what Ötzi the Iceman would make of it all?

[@StepsbyKaatje]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors I sometimes which I could live a simple life like Utsi the Iceman, but I would have had a minimum of 10 kids and I would have been death already. 😉

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@StepsbyKaatje Not to mention the fact you would have died by arrow wound and they found about three peoples blood on his equipment. As you say there was a very good reason the population did not accelerate then, like it is now. Not to mention the copper axe he had (in the stone age). All very interesting stuff though and lots of lessons to learn.

[@MadDogSurvival]

Nice job brother 🇬🇧🇬🇧🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏻😎👌🏽👌🏽

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

Many thanks and many thanks 😂😂I feel a day out on the moor coming on, just the sort of place you might get trench foot this time of year 😂😂Very best wishes to you and Wendy 🧡

[@MadDogSurvival]

No problem mate, just thought you might like to muck about with it again. Take care my friend. 👍🏻👍🏻😎

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@MadDogSurvival One vial for the EDC "first aid kit" and one to muck about with, which is always necessary so we know what are doing in the dark or when stressed 😂 Many many thanks

[@MadDogSurvival]

👍🏻👍🏻😎

[@southleedsmemories2686]

I can hear the music, Chris but I can't hear you.

[@southleedsmemories2686]

Sorted!🙂

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@southleedsmemories2686 I was going to say "put the other hearing aid in" 😂🤣😂 Best wishes

[@southleedsmemories2686]

@@GrasshopperOutdoors I'm getting old. lol :-)

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

@@southleedsmemories2686 You and me both, the trick is to keep laughing and keep moving 🙂

[@simonridley9333]

very poignant Chris

[@GrasshopperOutdoors]

It certainly made me think a lot about people I knew, still, proud to be brittish 🇬🇧 Best wishes