A thinking point

[Lodian]

Just an idea this is not my personal beleif just something to debate.
Consider this:

"Bushcraft has become far to commercialised"

 

[scoops_uk]

To me bushcraft is about developing skills and knowledge in place of a reliance on things.

I love kit, I own far too much so I'm as guilty as anyone. But I think we can mistake owning the kit for having the craft.

For me, Mors Kochanski is a perfect role model for the right way, have everything you need in your head not in a Bergan.

Scoops

 

[Nagual]

As with all things, the commercial aspects are a point of contention. However it's easy enough to avoid the people / companies that are just in it for the money. The community here, never mind the entire bushcraft community are very capable in passing on the knowledge and information to each other. I'd love to attend a moot, if I could get there I would but it's a tad far. The moots are the best example non commercialisation that I can think of. As long as the community sticks together I'm not too worried.

 

[SOAR]

People come and go, some are into something till another comes along. I think that the people here are really interested in Bushcraft, not just from a part time activity, but also as a way of life. Living of the land, some are more fortunate as to their location, where some people have to travel as to enjoy their pursuit. As a whole the comunity here are learning all the time from each other, whether it be skills or knowledge. Which are both things that can be passed on to other generations.

 

[Mirius]

I think there is a mistake in thinking that commercialisation is automatically a bad thing. I'm sure that many of us enjoy having our Mora's that I'm pretty sure wouldn't be so cheap if they were all entirely hand made. Where do you draw the line? As it is, I'm happy enough to take what I want from the commercial world. How many people has the commercialisation of Ray Mears brought into the bushcraft world?

 

[Ogri the trog]

To a point,
The following of a Bushcraft ideal, is as commercial as the Bushcrafter is willing to allow it. The skill set itself is all about reliance on the self - and there are companies and individuals out there making money by selling the gadjets or the information to allow progress towards their idea of your goal. Heck if I could make my fortune by selling ideas and pocket-fillers, I'd try doing it - but I think you'll find most of my posts are more along the "make one yourself to gain a skill" type of thing.
There is one big thing that our community has in common - we all have spare disposeable income. I know this because we all have, or have access to, an internet linked computer. This leads me to thinking that we all have an amount of income that we can spend on gadjets that we think we need/want/are a good idea. If thats a Woodlore knife and Henessy Hammock thats great, if its a Mora and an Ex army blanket - thats great too, both customers are likely to think that they are enjoying the experience of Bushcraft.
Another point that soon has to be acknowledged, is that it takes a long time to develop all the skills necessary to live truely alone - and it is easier to live as a community where the skills are distributed between a number of people. It only takes a higher drive for financial gain by one member to value their skill as "more worthy" than another, before currency starts changeing hands alongside the "lower rated" skills as suitable compensation for the first persons work.
Our community is probably not as balanced as we would like to think - not many of us live and breathe Bushcraft as a daily way of life - we choose to have a hobby that closely resembles it, but eventually we mostly go to work and pay our bills just as millions of others do, just as I do.

Ogri the trog

 

[SOAR]

But isn't commercialism just about trying to corner a market?.

 

[Dynamite Dan]

In my opinion, it is a good thing that Bushcraft is a bit commercialised, if it wasn't, i dont think that it would spark interest off as it Does. Im only here as i was Inspired to learn more from watching Ray Mears, Im sure a few others have done the same thing.

People that are on this site, and are into Bushcraft, respect nature, and use it how it should be used, so if commersalition gains more interest in the hobby, than i cant see a bad side to it.

 

[Lodian]

By commersalition i mean become to commerical.
To me when i first wahced bear and Rm.I assumed it was about using as very little c=kit as possible.
And living of whats out there,
Though some peices of kit do make it easier.

 

[Dynamite Dan]

I think its about achieving a balance with technology and natural materials. would you go walking in the rain with grass inside your boots, or waterproof goretex socks? i know which one i'd choose

 

[Aaron]

I dont think that you can resent individuals, companies etc. for trying to make a living out of something that they have passion for - I have just finished the instructors programme run through Plumpton College and am now doing some paid instruction work. I get quite frustrated with people who enquire about you running courses/events for them who seem to think that it is some quaint, rustic hobby that you are prepared to demonstrate and teach for nothing. Although I find teaching others hugely rewarding, such courses require masses of planning, organisation and preparation, involve long, tiring days where you have to teach and cater for the group in addition to carrying out your own personal admin, and are increasingly costly to deliver due to the masses of red tape such as insurance, rent of woodland, CRB etc. Although many of the courses advertised by the different schools may seem expensive, having been privy to working out costings for delivering courses many make barely enough profit to be worth delivering, once wages, insurance etc have been paid, particularly if the courses arent filled to capacity. Anyway, those like Ray Mears, Woody, Ben McNutt etc. have dedicated years and study and practice, often at their own expense to be able to deliver these courses - why shouldnt they be able to charge good money for it? How is it any different to studying to be something like a doctor, then earning a comfortable wage for it?

Anyway perhaps all of this is missing the point as the beauty of bushcraft is that the true emphasis is on making do, improvising and learning through experience - forget the courses and the masses of kit that people seem to aquire - If you are that keen to learn you can just buy a few books and some basics, go out and teach yourself.

 

[w00dsmoke]

To me bushcraft is about developing skills and knowledge in place of a reliance on things.

I love kit, I own far too much so I'm as guilty as anyone. But I think we can mistake owning the kit for having the craft.

For me, Mors Kochanski is a perfect role model for the right way, have everything you need in your head not in a Bergan.

Scoops

I think you are right, I lived rough of and on for a number of years as a young man and yes it's what you know that gets you through those wet freezing nights under a poncho in an old quarry in Lewis! However...I for one have lay away at night too cold and wet to sleep shivvering swearing to myself that if i ever got out of this and had the means I'd make sure I'd never spend another night like that by ensuring I had the right kit to stay dry and warm.


So I think it's all about balance, if we allow ourselves to be led by social pressures (ie; wanting to impress by increasing own status by accumulation of kit to show off-which is what marketing organisations try and create), then it defeats the purpose over a purely functional need for gear. Let's face it a lot of people could fall into a formula-ic trap, they need a lavvu, they need a woodlore or clone, they need everything from a kelly kettle to a clickstand, they need the laplander saw, they need the hammock and nannock.

I would imagine most people here don't have a huge disposable income and that an appreciation of living with nature creates a mileu where functionalism and to a greater degree art/skill takes precident. I'd like to think so anyway

 

[Smith]

As someone who is fairly new to the idea and practise of bushcraft, i would say there is far too much choice on the market, too many products, i find myself having to do research on the things that i buy, and the advise of the sales people in alot of camping shop,is not good advise at all, often trying to flog the most expensive products on to you, which i find really annoying. But i hope with the growing interest in the art of bushcraft it will teach more people how to truely respect nature, by leaving no scar, which i always try and do, i even pick up other rubbish when out in the woods, and i try and carry this respect back into the city. maybe kids should be taught some of the basic skills, and how to respect nature better in school, someone was telling me they get taught that in schools in sweeden?

 

[dwardo]

I find the more bushcrafty things i learn the more kit i can do without so if it is becoming too commercialised they are in the wrong business. Yes there are a handful of companies doing well out of it but i dont see many more taking off.
I was passing a camping shop the other day, one of these outdoor ones that sell stuff cheap and i was automaticaly tempted to buy something even though i need nothing and infact i am going completely the other way im acutally taking stuff out of my kit
On friday night i was at my brothers for a few beers and as opposed to getting an incredibly expensive cab home my friend and i rememberd that we had our sleeping bags in the back of the car We had only our bags a lighter and i always have a small pocket knife so we headed of to the woods in the pitch black and still managed to find out way to a nice spot under a beech tree, start a fire and get some sleep .

Too commercialised ? i dont see it.

PS tinder collection in the dark is a real nightmare

 

[Carcajou Garou]

I do think it has been to commercialized, you see people stalking through the bush emulating in caracaturist fashion their "hero" wether Ray Mears, Mors Kochanski, Ron Hood, Les Stroud, Bear Grylls etc... trying to do as these fellows do. They never really experience it on their own. On different forums you read where a fellow hasn't yet went out because he is still waiting for that particular piece of kit that is "needed a la hero"
They have a fashion fixation in ranking their own and others ability in the bush, to "brand" possession.
The same as the minimalist, maximumalist idiology, good for the accomplished adventurer but extremely bad for the raw bushcrafter with little or no actual "bush time". Starting out with a well thought out and balanced kit and modifying it through actual realistic experiences over a period of time would go a long way into making it pleasurable and learning experience.

 

[SOAR]

I think it is human nature to want the best kit, or more kit than we need. we all have a bit of bushcraft kit ocd. I like the point about the more we learn the less we need, as this is the whole point of bushcraft. It is true when buying kit the more you look around the more you can tailor kit to your own needs. How many of us have bought kit only to realise that we dont need it?. I dont really think that commercialism is a bad thing if it turns people onto what bushcraft is really about.