back woods survival, a review
i went on a weekend course with this school weekend before last and i have to say i was impressed.
the course started on a friday evening, meeting at a pub. we waited for an hour at the pub for everyone to arrive. while we did this everyone got to know each other a little. when everyone was there, we set off to the campsite in some nearby woods.
there were four on the course plus an assistant instructor to help out. on the way to the campsite we were shown some of the flora and fauna available in the area.
the first night was spent around the fire making "projects" or rather some of the bits and pieces we would need for lessons over the next two days. mainly triggers for traps and parts for the fire drill. there was a brief on knife safety before anyone was allowed to put blade to wood though.
much tea was drunk as there was a billy on the fire for most of the night.
we slept the first night under a parachute after finishing all the little tasks we had been set.
next morning we were up at 0630 to start the day. lesson one was breakfast.
we were handed a couple of pidgeons and partridges and instructed on how to pluck and remove the breast meat. this was fried up for breakfast, yummy.
then we went foraging. we were shown various edible plants, gathering as we went. we were also shown useful wood and other bits and pieces. this lasted for a couple of hours. then came shelter building. various types of shelter were discussed with therelative merits of each then we were set loose with the warning that we were sleeping in whatever we built and that it looked like it might rain!
one thing that seems to get glossed over in the books is just how much hard work goes into building a shelter!
once that was done we moved onto fire lighting. we used fire strikes, flint and steel, wire wool and battery, potassium permanganate and of course the fire drill we had made the previous night. we mostly were successful although i personally couldn't get my fire drill to work. (i have since though)
next came dinner. two hares, a phesant and a squirrel.
(my sister still isn't speaking to me since she saw the photo of me with the squirrel.) they were skinned/plucked and prepared for eating. the hare was put in a stew, the phesant was fried in a pan and the squirrel was pannised. we added some of the wild food we had gathered and some carrots,onions and potatoes we were given. it tasted great whenit was done. i reccomend barbequed squirrel to anyone as a treat
we were also shown some "primative" weapons and discussed the relative merits of each in a survival situation. we each chose which we would choose to use (most of us picked the bow). then the instructor told us why we were wrong
the next day after spending a surprisingly cosy night in our shelter (possibly the most rickety lean-to ever built as we wern't allowed to use paracord, natural cordage only!) we were off to a flying start making arrows and bows fletching them with feathers from the previous days pigeons and binding them with bark twine. gluing the heads in with resin from pine trees we had collected previously.
we then discussed water collection and purification. next came trapping. using the trap triggers we had made on the first night before breaking camp and setting off. on the treck back we did river crossings (alone and in groups) and a little object lesson in hunting. we had to burst a baloon tied to a stick with our bows. then a blowpipe. much fun. after that we had a little competition with a woomera or atlatl to see who could throw it furthest (i won that one i had first throw and the only person who threw further was me with my third )
after this (at about 4 o'clock) we went back to the pub where we met up, and went our seperate ways.
all in all a great course. the instructor (Patrick) was friendly, knowlagable, and very competent at teaching. i would have no hesitstion at reccomending this outfit to anyone in scotland (or anywhere else for that matter) considering going on a course.
Graham.
i went on a weekend course with this school weekend before last and i have to say i was impressed.
the course started on a friday evening, meeting at a pub. we waited for an hour at the pub for everyone to arrive. while we did this everyone got to know each other a little. when everyone was there, we set off to the campsite in some nearby woods.
there were four on the course plus an assistant instructor to help out. on the way to the campsite we were shown some of the flora and fauna available in the area.
the first night was spent around the fire making "projects" or rather some of the bits and pieces we would need for lessons over the next two days. mainly triggers for traps and parts for the fire drill. there was a brief on knife safety before anyone was allowed to put blade to wood though.
much tea was drunk as there was a billy on the fire for most of the night.
we slept the first night under a parachute after finishing all the little tasks we had been set.
next morning we were up at 0630 to start the day. lesson one was breakfast.
we were handed a couple of pidgeons and partridges and instructed on how to pluck and remove the breast meat. this was fried up for breakfast, yummy.
then we went foraging. we were shown various edible plants, gathering as we went. we were also shown useful wood and other bits and pieces. this lasted for a couple of hours. then came shelter building. various types of shelter were discussed with therelative merits of each then we were set loose with the warning that we were sleeping in whatever we built and that it looked like it might rain!
one thing that seems to get glossed over in the books is just how much hard work goes into building a shelter!
once that was done we moved onto fire lighting. we used fire strikes, flint and steel, wire wool and battery, potassium permanganate and of course the fire drill we had made the previous night. we mostly were successful although i personally couldn't get my fire drill to work. (i have since though)
next came dinner. two hares, a phesant and a squirrel.
(my sister still isn't speaking to me since she saw the photo of me with the squirrel.) they were skinned/plucked and prepared for eating. the hare was put in a stew, the phesant was fried in a pan and the squirrel was pannised. we added some of the wild food we had gathered and some carrots,onions and potatoes we were given. it tasted great whenit was done. i reccomend barbequed squirrel to anyone as a treat
we were also shown some "primative" weapons and discussed the relative merits of each in a survival situation. we each chose which we would choose to use (most of us picked the bow). then the instructor told us why we were wrong
the next day after spending a surprisingly cosy night in our shelter (possibly the most rickety lean-to ever built as we wern't allowed to use paracord, natural cordage only!) we were off to a flying start making arrows and bows fletching them with feathers from the previous days pigeons and binding them with bark twine. gluing the heads in with resin from pine trees we had collected previously.
we then discussed water collection and purification. next came trapping. using the trap triggers we had made on the first night before breaking camp and setting off. on the treck back we did river crossings (alone and in groups) and a little object lesson in hunting. we had to burst a baloon tied to a stick with our bows. then a blowpipe. much fun. after that we had a little competition with a woomera or atlatl to see who could throw it furthest (i won that one
i had first throw and the only person who threw further was me with my third )after this (at about 4 o'clock) we went back to the pub where we met up, and went our seperate ways.
all in all a great course. the instructor (Patrick) was friendly, knowlagable, and very competent at teaching. i would have no hesitstion at reccomending this outfit to anyone in scotland (or anywhere else for that matter) considering going on a course.
Graham.
