The key to bushcraft is having fun learning more about the countryside and it’s a great way for families to share the experience. Forget about wrestling grizzly bears and hacking down trees to build log cabins, bushcraft is about experiencing life outdoors at a more intimate level while learning how to tackle tasks and make things that our forebears did as the norm but that have been erased by our urban living.
Many years ago, I spent time in Europe learning survival skills
. They seemed pretty irrelevant to my camping trips but some of what was learned then has stuck and forms an integral part of my adventures to this day. Not trapping wild animals and evading capture but how to read the lie of the land, light a fire, find wild foods and other practical skills that help to make camping more comfortable. More comfortable and more fun.
It’s not all about having to learn skills to avoid trouble but more about adding extra dimensions of enjoyment to being outdoors. Rather like finding out what bird made that call or animal made the tracks you spot around your tent.
Sharing those skills, however poor, is an essential part of the fun. I once spent several hours with my young son building a fish trap from stones in Loch Mullardoch in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands. It was actually a reservoir. By the morning, the trap lay bare in the sunshine as water had been released overnight, leaving it high and dry. Twenty years later, we still laugh about the anticipation that turned into disbelief.
FIRE BY FRICTION
A mini-bow, notched board, spindle, top board and tinder are the basic elements needed to produce a spark and then a glowing ember that can be coaxed into flames when blown on held in dry grass. It’s not as easy as reading ‘how to’ in a book or website and fanning the flames minutes later. The right wood, bone dry, is essential – cedar is good – as is plenty of time and patience if you’re having a go yourself. On a course, with the help of an instructor and right materials, it’s a doddle. It seems that most people burst out laughing when they start a fire without using a lighter or matches – and why not?
SHELTER BUILDING
Building dens is a childhood game that starts at home under tables and, if you’re lucky, ends up in woodland. There’s something very simple and satisfying about using your hands and maybe just a couple of tools, to use natural materials for a shelter that will turn wind and rain without needing a mortgage.
WOODCRAFT
Often used as an alternative term for the whole range of bushcraft skills and being aware of what is going on around you in the natural environment. More specifically, it has been used for making useful items out of raw materials. Fashioning simple items from fallen wood, such as small tables, back rests, boot, plate and mug racks, is an aspect that has more or less died out not least because it’s hard to find places to camp that have natural resources to use. Making usable bowls, cups and spoons from wood can, at its simplest, take a few minutes with a sharp knife or many hours with specialist tools. Watching experienced hands and eyes turn a lump of wood into a useful, even beautiful, utensil is eye-opening. The latter falls more into the ‘craft’ category but is certainly a complementary aspect.
TOOL USE
Knives, saws and axes are all tools commonly used in bushcraft. Used with great care and, if children are involved, under close supervision. Knives are an emotive issue these days and it doesn’t pay to saunter down your local High Street with a survival knife strapped to your waist. Why would you? The point is, they’re tools not toys or weapons and should be used in context – splitting or ‘feathering’ sticks for use as firelighters, for instance, or preparing food for cooking. Making your own knife gives a real sense of achievement; happily, there are many sources of knife ‘kits’ on the internet.
WILD FOODS
The countryside is awash with free food if you know where to look and when. At its simplest, it can mean picking berries to eat as dessert. With knowledge and experience, it’s possible to prepare a full meal, especially by the coast, plus dressing and seasoning, all from the wild.
TRACKING
Undoubtedly, one of the least useful aspects of bushcraft in practical terms and also one of the most enjoyable. Frustrating at times, there is so much to learn that nobody can ever say they know it all. After picking up a few skills on a course, it can offer plenty of fun, especially when combined with navigating by compass. Think about it and make up your own outdoor skill games.
KNIFE SAFETY
- Always cut away from yourself.
- If you drop a knife, don’t try to catch it; let it fall to the ground.
- Don’t throw a knife to anyone wanting to use it; put it down to be picked up by the other person.
- Keep your knife folded or sheathed when not in use.
- Keep your knife sharp; a sharp knife is much safer than a blunt knife as it can be used more more surely and with less force.
- Never run holding a knife.
These are some of the essential bushcraft skills you will need if you are going to spend time wild camping, especially if you are alone. The beginners guide to bushcraft camping should get you started but we also have article on survival skills you make like to read. One of our favorites is Foraging for food while camping . You can also try one of classes that REI carry out to learn the skills or hone them.
Like most people who backpack, hike or just simply enjoy the outdoors I like to vary how and what I eat while I am out in the bush and with the wide variety of backpacking foods out that is really pretty easy.
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