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That’s a useful knife for feather sticks!

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Arguably the most useful useful piece of equipment to have when living outdoors is a knife. Sure you can improvise, perhaps using a piece of flint, having first knapped it into shape, but from a practical point of view a good knife is an essential.

There is much debate about what makes for a good knife and there are as many opinions as there are knives available, probably more! So having taken a pragmatic view on a selection of knives, the aim is to consider their merits of each for creating feather sticks – a stick that has been finely sliced to create curls of wood used for lighting a campfire (examples of curly feather sticks below). Continue reading “That’s a useful knife for feather sticks!”

Field studies fold-outs

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Natural history is an integral part of Bushcraft. In fact without an appreciation and understanding of flora and fauna, would really be missing out in a big way. Bushcraft covers a wide range of topics, I like to think that these fall broadly into the three areas of teaching; outdoor living skills, natural history and woodland crafts. These areas all overlap!

To be successful in living outdoors you need to understand at least some natural history, for instance which plants provide good tinder. Studying trees and plants help you appreciate the environment you are in and perhaps understand a little of it’s history. Similarly, when carving a spoon or fashioning a pot knowing which tree the wood came from or the properties of the bark you are using is fundamental to  the object you create. Continue reading “Field studies fold-outs”

The Wilderness Gathering

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The Wilderness Gathering is a unique Bushcraft event; the longest running and still very much an original festival of Bushcraft, Survival and Primitive Living Skills in the UK. It’s also a social event and brings together families and friends, all those interested in Bushcraft and Wilderness living skills to enjoy a weekend of knowledge sharing in a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere. Continue reading “The Wilderness Gathering”