HI All,
Well this weekend i attended the Bushcraft / Primitive Living Skills course with Anthonio Akkermans.
This course was run down in Co Wicklow at Carriag Dulra, as opposed to Anthonios base up in the north of Ireland.
We started the day with the meet, greet and intros, and then Anthonio gave the Health and Safety brief
followed by some knife handling and safe use of such. We then set to task in carving the required for Friction Firelighting ( bowdrill method ) .
Anthionio showed us the required elemtnes, the spindle, bow, hearth board, an bearing block, and direction on carving, and best woods selection.
We then set to work.
When most had completed we then got a very detailed demo of positioning the spindle,
and securing the same between hearth and bearing, to get perfect motion from the bow,
while we started to drill into our boards.
We then were show how to measure and cut the perfect notch for ember development.
Most of the group had success down to Anthonios direction and advice.
Following this we moved to an area where some traps had been setup, figure 4 deadfall and figure 4 with toggle string deadfall.
Both explained in great details, along with explanations of bait, concealment, masking of scent, and location of setting,
and we setoff in groups to replicate with varying success.
Anthoinio later gathered up the course, along with other site attendees ( many other courses were being run ) ,
for a hunt for tinder and other fire materials, then the "firemakers" under no pressure were set to start the fire.
I was delighted to provide the lit tinder bundle for the campfire round which the night party started !
Day 2 started with awareness, with teqniques and excercises for observation, which would be usefull for what followed, tracking.
We spent a lot of time on track, and I personally learnt a lot,
being shown how to read tracks to determine, species, direction, pace, size, dominant side and even the sex of some animals.
We also were shown to see other signs of life, as we investigated several rabbit holes,
such as scratches, depression, caught animal hair, and location, and patterns of excrement.
We then moved on to shelter, and were guided in the building of a semicircular debris shelter.
this we a lot more demanding on time and energy that i expected,
and something that would be in my mind should i ever need to recreate.
The fat we were in a quite artificial Stickta Spuce forest, rather than a nice Deciduous forest meant that
available debris was scarce making the build quite deifficult. However we persevered,
and completed a quite nice area, and when test proved to be oth warm and quite rain proof.
We finished up with cordage, collecting spruce root and prepping for use by heating and removing the bark.
We also were shown and tried for ourselves methods for rolling fibres to create twisted cordage.
An excellent 2 days in all. Anthnio is my opinion ( im not being paid to say ) is an excellent instructor,
with creat explanation, and demonstrations, great patience and humor,
and i would recommend highly anyone to attend his courses. I shall be doing more myself.
The site we were on as explained above was also hosting some other courses,
including samba drummiong, and wood carving ( relief ).
The owners of the land Mike and Suzie were very generous and excellent hosts to the
attendees camped over the area. Great organic foods, and constant tea and coffee
were provided by some lovely Canadian volunteers, and the warmth and humor of
everyone made each nights fireside great fun.
Thanks for reading !
Loz
Some self promotional, I can do fire !! pics below.
Me Bowing
Ember grows
Coax it along !
Anthonio Advises
Tinder alight !
My Delight
Our Debris Shelter
Not Course related pics,
Yurt erection.
Well this weekend i attended the Bushcraft / Primitive Living Skills course with Anthonio Akkermans.
This course was run down in Co Wicklow at Carriag Dulra, as opposed to Anthonios base up in the north of Ireland.
We started the day with the meet, greet and intros, and then Anthonio gave the Health and Safety brief
followed by some knife handling and safe use of such. We then set to task in carving the required for Friction Firelighting ( bowdrill method ) .
Anthionio showed us the required elemtnes, the spindle, bow, hearth board, an bearing block, and direction on carving, and best woods selection.
We then set to work.
When most had completed we then got a very detailed demo of positioning the spindle,
and securing the same between hearth and bearing, to get perfect motion from the bow,
while we started to drill into our boards.
We then were show how to measure and cut the perfect notch for ember development.
Most of the group had success down to Anthonios direction and advice.
Following this we moved to an area where some traps had been setup, figure 4 deadfall and figure 4 with toggle string deadfall.
Both explained in great details, along with explanations of bait, concealment, masking of scent, and location of setting,
and we setoff in groups to replicate with varying success.
Anthoinio later gathered up the course, along with other site attendees ( many other courses were being run ) ,
for a hunt for tinder and other fire materials, then the "firemakers" under no pressure were set to start the fire.
I was delighted to provide the lit tinder bundle for the campfire round which the night party started !
Day 2 started with awareness, with teqniques and excercises for observation, which would be usefull for what followed, tracking.
We spent a lot of time on track, and I personally learnt a lot,
being shown how to read tracks to determine, species, direction, pace, size, dominant side and even the sex of some animals.
We also were shown to see other signs of life, as we investigated several rabbit holes,
such as scratches, depression, caught animal hair, and location, and patterns of excrement.
We then moved on to shelter, and were guided in the building of a semicircular debris shelter.
this we a lot more demanding on time and energy that i expected,
and something that would be in my mind should i ever need to recreate.
The fat we were in a quite artificial Stickta Spuce forest, rather than a nice Deciduous forest meant that
available debris was scarce making the build quite deifficult. However we persevered,
and completed a quite nice area, and when test proved to be oth warm and quite rain proof.
We finished up with cordage, collecting spruce root and prepping for use by heating and removing the bark.
We also were shown and tried for ourselves methods for rolling fibres to create twisted cordage.
An excellent 2 days in all. Anthnio is my opinion ( im not being paid to say ) is an excellent instructor,
with creat explanation, and demonstrations, great patience and humor,
and i would recommend highly anyone to attend his courses. I shall be doing more myself.
The site we were on as explained above was also hosting some other courses,
including samba drummiong, and wood carving ( relief ).
The owners of the land Mike and Suzie were very generous and excellent hosts to the
attendees camped over the area. Great organic foods, and constant tea and coffee
were provided by some lovely Canadian volunteers, and the warmth and humor of
everyone made each nights fireside great fun.
Thanks for reading !
Loz
Some self promotional, I can do fire !! pics below.
Me Bowing
Ember grows
Coax it along !
Anthonio Advises
Tinder alight !
My Delight
Our Debris Shelter
Not Course related pics,
Yurt erection.
