MEETING. On Saturday 11th July it was time for Nest 6’s monthly meeting. This month’s meeting was a little unusual as it was held outdoors and included a lecture and a night in the forest.
Outside Skellefteå there is a nature site called Havsvågen, which is known for its large shingle fields. The area spans approximately one hectare and was formed several thousand years ago when the sea level reached this far inland. When glacial ice covered Northern Europe, its weight depressed the earth’s surface, and the waves along the coast washed away the finer material, which left the larger stones visible today.
Ancient remains have also been found on the shingle field, including some strange pits and what’s believed to be a stone oven. The oven was possibly used to smoke meat, but very little is known about what the pits were used for, with one theory being a type of storage space.
Near the shingle field there is also a small cabin, where Martin Saxlind was due to give a speech about self-defence. There wasn’t any electricity out there, but the activist group solved this by bringing a newly purchased generator. After a little pottering about with it and some other electronic equipment, it was time for Martin to give his lecture.
The lecture featured both theoretical and practical sections, with a break being taken for dinner after the theoretical section. The meal consisted of what each participant had brought along for themselves, which resulted in some diverse dishes.
Sausages were popular, as were soups of various flavours, but one comrade outdid everyone else with his fried meat and lapp cakes that he cooked over the fire. The four-legged attendees also got their share, but it was difficult to tell if they were full or not, given how voracious they were.
After the food had been digested a little, the group decided to take a walk to a suitable location where the practical sections of the lecture could take place. They found an open space behind an old farm, and Martin began the practical section with some simple exercises in falling techniques and then moved on to grappling and parrying exercises.
By now the time had caught up with the comrades, who subsequently made their way back to the cabin and put up their tents and the military tent they had brought with them. After more food and preparations for the night, the evening concluded with the remaining parts of the lecture.
When the hour passed midnight, everyone crawled into their tents and the military tent. Luckily it was a relatively cool night, so the mosquitoes were largely absent, which meant most of the comrades could get a good night’s sleep.
The next day began with splendid weather, coffee and breakfast, before the camp was dismantled and the participants gathered their gear together.
The nest thanks Martin Saxlind for a great and informative lecture. This will likely not be the last monthly meeting that’s held out in nature. It just remains to see who will be the next speaker in the great outdoors.
