What would you teach a newby in their first weekend in the woods?

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Chris G

Settler
Mar 23, 2007
912
0
Cheshire
As it says.

I'm thinking the main four (Water, Shelter, Fire, Food) followed by Knots, Cordage making, Hunting and trapping, Tracking, Knife/axe skills and safety.

As I say it's their first weekend in the woods and I don't want to bamboozle them with too much info in the first outing so most of the sub topics will be discussion and theory/reasoning only with the important and fun ones being practicals.

For context the students are some colleagues of mine.

Chris
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
60
Mid Wales UK
Mentioning the topics you've listed covers the major points but the actual lessons hidden within each subject mean that they can be a crass generalisation.
Just invite them to do things slightly differently to how they would normally do simple tasks and think about what other methods might be appropriate - keeping an open mind - how similar results can be achieved when certain tools/utensils/resources are not available - and how to align expectation with resources, skills and experience.

Make sure they have fun with plenty of time to try out and chill out.

ATB

Ogri the trog
 

pete79

Forager
Jan 21, 2009
116
9
In a swamp
These'll be colleagues with photographic memories and enhanced learning abilities then.
That's a lot of info to teach anyone on their first outing.
 

addo

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 8, 2006
2,485
9
Derbyshire
Light a fire using around 3 methods, and maintain it using basic fire lays.

Knock up a brew, and some simple food, and sit around introduing the other things you would like to teach, gauging interest in the many skills there are.
 

tobes01

Full Member
May 4, 2009
1,901
45
Hampshire
I wouldn't try teaching anything - almost certain they're expecting to be cold, wet and hungry. Show them they can be warm, dry and spectacularly well fed. Comfy bed, maybe a drink, and a good breakfast in the morning. Job done :)
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I'd choose fire too, especially if they are all male. Fire is embedded in the male psyche, it has a strange effect on blokes and women tend not to be affected so much by it (although there are always the odd exceptions to every rule!). I used to burn sensitive documents in Iraq in a steel bin and as I don't smoke I generally didn't carry a lighter around with me so used to borrow one off of a smoker. I'd light a few bits of paper and drop them in to the bin, turn round to hand the lighter back and there'd be a bunch of blokes standing there. They'd just appear out of nowhere, staring at the fire with their arms crossed and nodding their heads in approval at the blaze!
 

Chris G

Settler
Mar 23, 2007
912
0
Cheshire
To be honest I'd only planned to teach them how to make cordage, then a bow drill and then fire, then to make a brew on it. The other subjects were requested by my colleagues.

Thanks for the advice.
 

Ratbag

Subscriber
Aug 10, 2005
1,015
12
50
Barnsley
<snip> Show them they can be warm, dry and spectacularly well fed. Comfy bed, maybe a drink, and a good breakfast in the morning. Job done :) <snip>

What he said. The most important thing is to keep it enjoyable and low stress, then they'll want to come back and do it again. Of course, if they want to do fire by hand-drill.... :D

Rat
 

Kerne

Maker
Dec 16, 2007
1,766
21
Gloucestershire
The great thing about bushcrafting is that we are all newbies in some aspect or other.

I agree with those who say that the experience is the thing. I camp regularly with a couple of mates while mountain walking and, as I have got more into bushy things, I started adding a few skills. Fire was first - they were gobsmacked when I mades us a brew on my bushbuddy using a firesteel, some birch bark and heather roots. Now they have a firesteel each. After that, it's sharp things (the male psyche again?:) ) We also forage as we go along for anything that we can add to our rations. Shelter is a bit of a dodgy one unless you have permission to cut down loads of stuff to make it comfy.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
shelter, water and setting up, then importantly how to not leave a trace of your presence when packing away ;)
the rest will be a slower process i reckon, there's many things to learn.
 

durulz

Need to contact Admin...
Jun 9, 2008
1,755
1
Elsewhere
I wouldn't try teaching anything - almost certain they're expecting to be cold, wet and hungry. Show them they can be warm, dry and spectacularly well fed. Comfy bed, maybe a drink, and a good breakfast in the morning. Job done :)

Yup - agree with that 100%.
I wouldn't 'teach' them anything (either formally or informally).
First thing I would do is get them enjoying being outside and seeing they have a relaxing time and want to return. They'll start wanting to learn for themselves after that.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,981
7,755
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Definitely not cordage and bow drill!!

How to camp (in safety and relative comfort) in the wild without cutting green timber, without leaving a mess, without making a noise that can be heard a mile away, and whilst appreciating nature and the wildlife.

Just my 2p's worth.

Broch
 

BushTucker

Settler
Feb 3, 2007
556
0
60
Weymouth
Probably besides the raw basics, they would need to be able to find themselves and where they are going, compass and map skills are as much a part of the basics.

I have just started to teach my 8 year old son, he has covered the others and now before I venture any deeper with him he has to learn map reading.
 

tobes01

Full Member
May 4, 2009
1,901
45
Hampshire
Btw, if it's a bunch of mates, why not get a hangi going? Great fun, gets them doing something together, and gives them something to talk about when they get home ("...just like Ray Mears did on the telly...")
 

WhichDoctor

Nomad
Aug 12, 2006
384
1
Shropshire
I wouldn't try teaching anything - almost certain they're expecting to be cold, wet and hungry. Show them they can be warm, dry and spectacularly well fed. Comfy bed, maybe a drink, and a good breakfast in the morning. Job done :)

Another vote for this. If you try to "teach" them too much it mite brake the atmosphere a bit. As tobes01 said show them how to be warm and comfy. Do bushcraft stuff in the process and if the are interested show them how, but don't put too much pressure on. Above all make it relaxed and fun.
 
As it says.

I'm thinking the main four (Water, Shelter, Fire, Food) followed by Knots, Cordage making, Hunting and trapping, Tracking, Knife/axe skills and safety.

As I say it's their first weekend in the woods and I don't want to bamboozle them with too much info in the first outing so most of the sub topics will be discussion and theory/reasoning only with the important and fun ones being practicals.

For context the students are some colleagues of mine.

Chris
Tie them all to a tree and do wierd dances around them to settle them in, then go for fire tutorial.

;)
 

Chris G

Settler
Mar 23, 2007
912
0
Cheshire
Right, so the students turned out to be A student - the other three pulled out for various reasons. We did;
1) Clearing up after other "bushcrafters" and leaving no trace.
2) pitching hammocks
3) fire lighting and various different lays
4) collecting wood - ie what size of wood, names of sizes of wood
5) safe knife and axe skills
6) collecting, filtering and preparing water (ie boil it!)
7) cordage from leaves
8) bow drill (I failed miserably at this as the drill wood was pithy)
9) relaxing and tuning in
10) toilet and other camp craft
11) knots (turned out he's an ex-sea cadet so he knows more knots than I do!)

All in all, a good relaxing weekend. First thing on Monday morning another colleague said that he wanted to come to the next one, so I may be taking 4+ people to the next one!

Chris
 

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