Selfsufficientish.com

Not sure if this is the right place ... not got used to where stuffs kept yet ... A while back when watching Ray Mears he used a little serated mug device for collecting berries quickly and easily.. the only one I can find on the net is to big and costs silly money does anyone know if I can get a smaller one or shall I just resort to a washing up liquid bottle with zigzag cut in the top edge ...

Ooh... now I remember looking at one of these last year when we'd been out gathering blaeberries up near Bennachie.... I bet we could make one out of a milk bottle!

me feels a little experimentation coming on ....

Intriguing.....do tell more, how does this help to collect berries?

Do you have link to where you can buy, so I get an idea of the design.

Clara wrote:Intriguing.....do tell more, how does this help to collect berries?

Yep, me too! Come on, photo's please.....

A square milk bottle with comb cuts should do it.
http://www.raymears.com/shop_cats.cfm?i ... ccessories
For blackberries maybe somthing more pointed and slim, long handle to get to the back of the brambles.

an up turned 2 litre milk carton might do the trick, though the plastic combs could be a bit flimsey .

Any other ideas on how to make your own?

Shape according to Ray Mears picker, scissor out some toothcuts and stiffen with thin wood or a bit of plastic you just cut off. Easily replaceable.
I made an apple picker last year...scalloped out a lemonade bottle, stuck on some bubble wrap , placed a willow pole into the nexk, screwed it , ideal for apples just out of reach.

It's got to be worth a try!

I like the apple catcher idea too - I will definitely try to remember that one for later in the year.

Slightly off topic, Silver, saw a professional team picking berries last summer. There were 3 picking, 1 person collecting from the pickers then taking the berries back to an estate car for sorting by another person, and even had hands cleaning system before piling into the vehicle on to the next site.
Fast as lightning and only took the ripest and for all I know came back a few days later. The boss man showed me different sorts of blackberries, some for jam, some for wine. Impressed. Very self suffientish or probably a business.

Gosh they were serious .... takes the fun out of it though... I take the minded kids to pick ... slave labour I hear you scream ... nah they love it and they get to take a jar of jam home ...

anyways up I just had a go at making berry picker I think the idea of a card for stiffening is a good idea ... here one actually two I made earlier
The only thing O am not sure of is the size of the prongs so will take a pair of scissors with me forward planning ...
Oh the reason I want this to work is for less pricked fingers and scratched arms ... not really for speed ...
I do like the apple grabber too ... off to find a broomstick ... now as if theres a thing to besom or not to besom :

I always favour the bramble pricked fingers and carrier bag approach ... but I can see a certain attraction to this ... I can feel a prototype coming on :)

mybarnconversion wrote:I always favour the bramble pricked fingers and carrier bag approach ... but I can see a certain attraction to this ... I can feel a prototype coming on :)

I find carrier bags squash the berries .. also have very few carriers now .. smug smile ... I collect and get others to donate ... they are bad at recycleing so getting them to donate conatiners is an alternative recyling there veggie plastic boxes from the horrid supermarkets to collect in ... :wink

Silver Ether wrote:I collect and get others to donate ... they are bad at recycleing so getting them to donate conatiners is an alternative recyling there veggie plastic boxes from the horrid supermarkets to collect in ... :wink

So that's where the T*sco raw materials came from I am soooo relieved

If you want the same kind of thing ray used you can make them for just a couple of hours time. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/articles/diy ... icker.html