What's in a name...?

[Mikey P]

OK, I've had a quick look around the forum and can't find the thread I thought I'd read about the word 'bushcraft'. So, I'll start a new one (Oh, come on! At least I tried the 'Search' feature first!).

Right, everyone: I'm looking for an alternative word to 'bushcraft'. Why? Allow me to elaborate.

It's a funny word, really. I mean, 'bushcraft' - it sounds like pubic topiary.

If I'm chatting with new people - and even sometimes established mates - and they ask what my hobbies/interests are, I hesitate to say bushcraft. It usually causes a bit of chuckling and I often revert to saying 'Oh, you know. Ray-Mearsy-type stuff and that.'

I quite like 'woodcraft' but even that raises the odd snigger.

'Survivalism' has gun/mental connotations. Camping might be a bit Kenneth Williams.

So, I want you to suggest alternative words - or even phrases - I can use to describe my favourite past-time without feeling a little embarassed.

There is one caveat: all must treat this in the spirit it is written D ). So, no humourless comments that I should 'just ignore other people and be true to yourself', etc.

OK, over to you.

 

[commandocal]

Ha at work i hesitate to use Bushcraft too, i also say ray mears type stuff lol,I usually say when asked about my hbobbies i say, Survival skills/survivalism/being a modern day Indian jones adventure man!

Hmm a good word we can use to make our beloved Bushcraft sound more manly?
BUSHSKILLS!

Pm me if you find a good one

 

[Jodie]

I don't know, I quite like the phrase bushcraft... I did find some earlier threads though.

Why call it bush craft?
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12
and

What before Ray Mears?
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4710

 

[Mikey P]

I don't know, I quite like the phrase bushcraft... I did find some earlier threads though.

Do you have some special, magic search skill?

 

[Elessar]

I used to use bushcraft alot, but i now prefer to use:

Wilderness living...

Think that it sounds abit more......i dunno, cooler....i supose it attracts a little more intrest to.........

 

[SOAR]

It's a tough one I think because of all the TV interest it can cause ridicule from folk who dont really have an interest, Wilderness skills is a good one.

 

[Jodie]

Do you have some special, magic search skill?

A significant portion of my day job involves querying databases and searching for stuff -
I'm very close to being a librarian, so yes I've got some game

I just searched for "woodcraft campcraft" as these are two words that people often
volunteer as alternatives, and selected the two likeliest candidates.

 

[Shewie]

I think what ever new word you give you`ll still have to explain that it`s Ray Mearsy stuff.

I quite like the word Woodlore but that unfortunately comes from a Disney park ranger so that`s a no go.

Go for the safe term Wild Camping if you can`t be bothered explaining why you carry a hammock and tarp instead of a tent, or why you carry a flint and steel instead of a lighter and gas stove.

Rich

 

[ol smokey]

Wilderness Skills will do for me. Thank you. I had decided on this before coming to it on
the thread. I think that Survivalist tends to paint a Rambo type picture in the mind of
Wearing total D. P.M. Gear and carrying and using large Knives with serrated backs and fronts to the blades, whereas most "Bushcraft" folk tend to favour less aggresive looking
Knives (tools) and tend to wear mainly olive clothing or browns according to a survey some time ago, if my memory serves me O.K.

 

[SOAR]

trying to think of some more, caveman camping . primitive living skills is a good one.

 

[h2o]

camping ,backpacking,or just camping in the woods thats what it was called before ray mears coined the phrase"bushcraft".i cant rememeber what the bush tucker man called it he was the first guy on tv i remember doing this kind of stuff.Before this it was just camping or bivi bagging .

 

[-Switch-]

I tend to think of 'bushcraft' as a subject rather than an activity.
The activity I mainly participate in is what I refer to as 'wild camping'. Learning about the subject of bushcraft just helps to make my wild camping experiances a little easier and more enjoyable.

I'm assuming though from your original post that the term 'wild camping' isn't something you'd be happy using. It may conjour up images of Graham Norton on crack

 

[decorum]

To nick someone elses word (not sure of the originator) 'Bimble'. Outside of this forum it must be an almost unknown word. You walk around carrying as little (or as much) as you like. You learn (or at least try) to make what you don't want to lug around and spend your spare time learning about the world around you.

 

[John Fenna]

To nick someone elses word (not sure of the originator) 'Bimble'. Outside of this forum it must be an almost unknown word. You walk around carrying as little (or as much) as you like. You learn (or at least try) to make what you don't want to lug around and spend your spare time learning about the world around you.

Try wikepedia for "bimble" - quite well known Brit word,unknown in forign parts....

 

[John Fenna]

I have been giving this a bit of thought and come to the conclusion that "Bushcraft" sums it up for me and I cannot improve on it as a 'catch-all' term for all the bits I do from lighting fires by the hardest way possible (when I am carrying a perfectly good Bic in my pocket), carving yet another wooden spoon, using tools that cost a small fortune compared to the value of the spoon, which I could buy in the local shop (and when I have loads already),
sleeping in a wet and windy wood, eating charred bannoock (whhen home and a roast chicken dinner are a 10 min walk away), making yet another knife handle in my cold and draughty garage (when the knives will soon be banned), wearing quite expensive, and over spec clothing to bimble in the woods, and generally acting a bit wierd (in modern civilised eyes) in the woods and fields.
All these activities come under 'craft', 'bush' or in the common tongue 'barmy'.
I use "Bushcraft" to enjoy various trad passtimes/skills in a way that cannot be summed up by any other terms, most of which only cover a small element of the whole of "Bushcraft", and is an understandable term for at least some of the TV watching population thanks to RM.
You could also, of course, just calll it "Scouting for Big Boys" but this too is open to misinterpretation....

 

[Bernie Garland]

what about outdoors man then you can mention the skills involved

bernie

 

[Jodie]

I have been giving this a bit of thought and come to the conclusion that "Bushcraft" sums it up for me and I cannot improve on it as a 'catch-all' term for all the bits I do from lighting fires by the hardest way possible (when I am carrying a perfectly good Bic in my pocket), carving yet another wooden spoon, using tools that cost a small fortune compared to the value of the spoon, which I could buy in the local shop (and when I have loads already),
sleeping in a wet and windy wood, eating charred bannoock (whhen home and a roast chicken dinner are a 10 min walk away), making yet another knife handle in my cold and draughty garage (when the knives will soon be banned), wearing quite expensive, and over spec clothing to bimble in the woods, and generally acting a bit wierd (in modern civilised eyes) in the woods and fields.
All these activities come under 'craft', 'bush' or in the common tongue 'barmy'.
I use "Bushcraft" to enjoy various trad passtimes/skills in a way that cannot be summed up by any other terms, most of which only cover a small element of the whole of "Bushcraft", and is an understandable term for at least some of the TV watching population thanks to RM.
You could also, of course, just calll it "Scouting for Big Boys" but this too is open to misinterpretation....

Haha, nice post

 

[Ogri the trog]

I used to refer to my exploits in the forest as,
Backwoodsmanship - its a bit of a mouthfull but has all the connotations I want in there - but when trying to describe to someone exactly what "Backwoodsmanship" is, you always have to refer to something that you are both likely to recognise, which is where "Bushcraft" and "Ray Mears" come into the conversation and the whole thing self perpetuates.

Cheers all

Ogri the trog

 

[john scrivy]

i must side with switch if I speek to someone about what Im doing and they dont know me well I just say Im going off for a bit of wild camping and elaberate more if asked

 

[Mikey P]

Wild camping sounds like the sort of thing that Russell Brand might get up to at the weekend.

What about 'outdoors stuff' - or is that too broad?

So far, it's not looking like Tony's going to have to go out and buy a new domain name for the site.