Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski

[Bjorn Victor]

Good evening to all of you!

Books are not really kit, so please move this post if it is not appropriate here.

I actually just wanted to say that I just bought and read the book and I'm impressed!! It is full of little usefull tips and I have the impression it is written by someone who knows what he is talking about.

I would certainly recommend this one to other people.

A few questions though: the book covers firecraft, axecraft, knifecraft, sawcraft, bindcraft, sheltercraft and some trees.
This is all great, but I was hoping to get this mans opinion on clothes. Does he go with down and synthetics or is it more wool, leather and fur? What does he (or anyone else) recommend to wear for the regions North of here (summer and winter)? I like wool a lot, but pile and pertex work for me as well...
Does he have another book?

Thanks for listening and goodnight.

Bjorn

 

[sam_acw]

Does his book contain anything really different to the Ray Mears' ones? I've either got or read the Ray Mears collection and I'm now branching out into earlier books such as Nessmuk and Kephart along with literature about primitive skills. Is Mors' book one to add to the library?

 

[leon-b]

i would say that it is, it certainly helped me alot
leon

 

[Bjorn Victor]

I have not read any of the books by Ray mears, so I do not know what he writes about.

I doubt however, that he has a complete chapter on how to choose and use an axe or a knife (but correct me if I'm wrong).

Bjorn

 

[pteron]

I like Mors' book, although it is perhaps due an update.

Mors did say at the moot that he is entering his writing phase so who knows!

 

[Axe Catcher]

This is all great, but I was hoping to get this mans opinion on clothes. Does he go with down and synthetics or is it more wool, leather and fur? What does he (or anyone else) recommend to wear for the regions North of here (summer and winter)? I like wool a lot, but pile and pertex work for me as well...

I don't know who else might remember better, but at the bushmoot last weekend he did talk a little bit about clothing, I don't remember all the detail, but I seem to remember him saying that effectively "whatever works for you is good" and he likes to wear cotton (although it wasn't specifically regarding a region.)

Apologies I didn't pay better attention, I was a bit distracted because he'd just explained graphically what can happen if you don't wear long trousers, or don't tuck them into your socks properly. It was a tick story and fairly disgusting.

AC

 

[Moonraker]

This is all great, but I was hoping to get this mans opinion on clothes. Does he go with down and synthetics or is it more wool, leather and fur? What does he (or anyone else) recommend to wear for the regions North of here (summer and winter)? I like wool a lot, but pile and pertex work for me as well...

Bjorn, check out his web site and there a series of 1 page free downloadable guides which includes one on cold weather clothing;

Articles by Mors Kochanski

This is the direct link for the clothing one;

Articles by Mors Kochanski - Dressing for the Cold (small 120kb pdf file)

They are in a primitive style design wise but don't let that put you off as they are loaded with good tips. Check out the others too.

 

[Bjorn Victor]

Thanks for the feedback!!

 

[nickg]

Ive got all of rays and bushcraft by mors. Mors book has lots of useful & important info that you would have to do all of rays courses to pick up. Fabulous reading - its a must have.
Nick

 

[Fenlander]

Mors also does a series of pocket booklets which are really good. This is the cheapest place I can find for them:

http://www.hollowtop.com/hopsstore_html/kochanski.htm

 

[Chance]

I can commend Mors' Bushcraft for the logical sequence in which it is presented, and for the practical advice to which you can return to test your advancing skills.
Ray's (main) book possibly covers a broader scope.

 

[Biddlesby]

Moonraker, I did not know such a site existed. Brilliant link there.

Just got the book through and am more than impressed. It is very well structured and illustrated, and is written very concisely.

 

[moduser]

I second what has been said about Bushcraft. It's a fine book.

I even purchased a nice new copy with the intention of getting Mors to sign it (my dog earred copy would have been an embarrasment) only I left it at home instead of packing it for the moot

Moduser

 

[Rod]

Does his book contain anything really different to the Ray Mears' ones? ..... Is Mors' book one to add to the library?

Yes it certainly is - Ray plus most of us were "cave painting" on the kitchen walls with the contents of our nappies when Mors produced Bushcraft. If you look closely you will see where Ray learnt a lot of his ideas from.

 

[moduser]

To keep this in perspective a lot of the ideas in Mors book were not new. Nessmuk and Jaeger covered similar ideas and they were written a lot earlier and the ideas were not new then.

Mors has devised plenty of new ways of doing things and his keep it simple philosophy is a breath of fresh air. Mors is also something of a specialist of the arborial forrest were Ray has ventured out and studied various environments with native peoples.

Both have lots to teach us and I don't think they are a direct comparision.

Moduser

 

[Bjorn Victor]

Mors also does a series of pocket booklets which are really good. This is the cheapest place I can find for them:

http://www.hollowtop.com/hopsstore_html/kochanski.htm

Anyone ever read some of these? How thick are they (= nr of pages)? Which ones would you recommend?

bjorn

 

[Hoodoo]

To keep this in perspective a lot of the ideas in Mors book were not new. Nessmuk and Jaeger covered similar ideas and they were written a lot earlier and the ideas were not new then.

Nessmuk wrote a bit about them and Jaeger chronicled quite a bit of bushcraft but Kephart lived it and wrote about it and did extensive field testing. And let's not forget Ernest Thompson Seton. For a simply wonderful read, get Two Little Savages, first published in 1903.