I attended the Bison course over Easter weekend and thought you all would like to know how it went.
I was given the course as a birthday gift and had been looking forward to it since January - I was not disappointed. The course is held in East Sussex, about 15 mins drive from where I live in a gorgeous mixed woodland adjoining a stream.
I went with a friend and there were 7 of us in total with 3 instructors.
We covered all 4 basic elements - shelter, fire, water and food - in a great amount of detail, far more than I thought we would. Roger Harrington led the course and the guy is an absolute mine of information - very approachable and patient.
Now, I have been an outdoor type, camper, woodworker, pyromaniac and archer for all my adult life and have only recently merged all those interests into bushcraft with the usual reading, research, practice and this forum to learn from. But to actually be shown even the basic skills by a genuine expert is both informative and humbling. I don't believe I have ever learnt so much in so little time - all of it practical and realistic.
Roger's knives have a rather high reputation on this forum and rightly so - and to be shown how to sharpen a knife by a master was worth going for in itself.
We had some mixed weather and I had a bit of a nightmare with the shelter building but learnt some very valuable lessons from it. It was my first time under a basha and I loved that anyway, so I was still very happy.
We were fed like kings including game stew (thanks Trevor), which we prepared ourselves,and also prepared the tastiest rainbow trout I have ever eaten, cooked on hazel rods over fire, of course. Preparing the game made me confront one of my demons (squeamish beyond words) and I felt a real sense of achievement in just having done it, whilst learning a whole load about the food chain generally.
We were joined on Sunday by a delightful couple who took us on a woodland walk to see what plants are edible or useful in other ways. All the while, Roger was teaching us more and more about native tree species and their uses. I found this part of the course to be rather special - it's almost embarrasing to have lived so long and walked past all these resources without the first idea that they collectively contain the essentials of life - bloody marvellous stuff.
We had a bow drill demonstration from Nick which was from scratch - branches to fire - top performance.
Our group was from a variety of backgrounds and prior knowledge and a really decent bunch of folks they were, too. I think we got on very well and kind of looked out for each other, which was nice.
If you want some advice about attending this course, I recommend the following:
1. Take a notebook like Roger told you to in the kit list AND USE IT - you won't remember it all.
2. Don't assume that just because you've read up on a particular subject (sharpening, firesteel use, cordage, etc.) that you are competent - being taught takes you to a different league.
3. Don't take a whole load of kit with you - probably the most important lesson I learned was that whilst I took a 65 litre rucksack - a 35 litre would have done.
4. Ask questions - I tend to ask a lot of questions in every aspect of my life and I have instructed technical subjects (motorcycling and archery, though not at the same time, but that's a thought?) and know that the question you want to ask might sound stupid, but I guarantee you everyone in the group is thinking it.
All in all, the best £180 of my money that my wife has ever spent - it just makes you want to get out there, and I think you all know what I mean by that.
Best of all, having done this Bison course, I now feel infinitely more able to pass my new knowledge on to my children, nieces and nephews, their friends - do you see what I'm getting at?
And if that isn't reason enough to go, I don't know what is.
Book it up now - you know you want to.
NOTE: If you were there, say Hi on here and mind the pampas grass.
I was given the course as a birthday gift and had been looking forward to it since January - I was not disappointed. The course is held in East Sussex, about 15 mins drive from where I live in a gorgeous mixed woodland adjoining a stream.
I went with a friend and there were 7 of us in total with 3 instructors.
We covered all 4 basic elements - shelter, fire, water and food - in a great amount of detail, far more than I thought we would. Roger Harrington led the course and the guy is an absolute mine of information - very approachable and patient.
Now, I have been an outdoor type, camper, woodworker, pyromaniac and archer for all my adult life and have only recently merged all those interests into bushcraft with the usual reading, research, practice and this forum to learn from. But to actually be shown even the basic skills by a genuine expert is both informative and humbling. I don't believe I have ever learnt so much in so little time - all of it practical and realistic.
Roger's knives have a rather high reputation on this forum and rightly so - and to be shown how to sharpen a knife by a master was worth going for in itself.
We had some mixed weather and I had a bit of a nightmare with the shelter building but learnt some very valuable lessons from it. It was my first time under a basha and I loved that anyway, so I was still very happy.
We were fed like kings including game stew (thanks Trevor), which we prepared ourselves,and also prepared the tastiest rainbow trout I have ever eaten, cooked on hazel rods over fire, of course. Preparing the game made me confront one of my demons (squeamish beyond words) and I felt a real sense of achievement in just having done it, whilst learning a whole load about the food chain generally.
We were joined on Sunday by a delightful couple who took us on a woodland walk to see what plants are edible or useful in other ways. All the while, Roger was teaching us more and more about native tree species and their uses. I found this part of the course to be rather special - it's almost embarrasing to have lived so long and walked past all these resources without the first idea that they collectively contain the essentials of life - bloody marvellous stuff.
We had a bow drill demonstration from Nick which was from scratch - branches to fire - top performance.
Our group was from a variety of backgrounds and prior knowledge and a really decent bunch of folks they were, too. I think we got on very well and kind of looked out for each other, which was nice.
If you want some advice about attending this course, I recommend the following:
1. Take a notebook like Roger told you to in the kit list AND USE IT - you won't remember it all.
2. Don't assume that just because you've read up on a particular subject (sharpening, firesteel use, cordage, etc.) that you are competent - being taught takes you to a different league.
3. Don't take a whole load of kit with you - probably the most important lesson I learned was that whilst I took a 65 litre rucksack - a 35 litre would have done.
4. Ask questions - I tend to ask a lot of questions in every aspect of my life and I have instructed technical subjects (motorcycling and archery, though not at the same time, but that's a thought?) and know that the question you want to ask might sound stupid, but I guarantee you everyone in the group is thinking it.
All in all, the best £180 of my money that my wife has ever spent - it just makes you want to get out there, and I think you all know what I mean by that.
Best of all, having done this Bison course, I now feel infinitely more able to pass my new knowledge on to my children, nieces and nephews, their friends - do you see what I'm getting at?
And if that isn't reason enough to go, I don't know what is.
Book it up now - you know you want to.
NOTE: If you were there, say Hi on here and mind the pampas grass.
