hobby or way of life

drewdunnrespect

On a new journey
Aug 29, 2007
4,788
2
teesside
www.drewdunnrespect.com
evening all now then as i type this i am sat in the car on my way to the airport to fly out to lansa grotti to join a cruise ship to go round the med and down to africa so please forgive the typos.

now then the question is,is bushcraft a way of life/ slash religon or is it just a hobby?

the reasons i ask are

that recycling and not dropping litter and no trace approach to camping and other activities are things i do in everyday life as and when appropriate

also i try and make things so i can save money and for use in everyday life us not just out in the bush.

Another reason i ask is that when ever i am out in my woods that i play in regular i allways come back refreshed and feeling better. Now supposedly and i dont beleive this and if you do i have no problem with that and no offence ment is that you supposedly feel this after going to mass at church.
so in thieory i could call the woods my temple and mother nature god, now if u ask me this sounds logical cos i believe in what the old mowhawks who were native americans believe.

so because of the above reasons and any others you may have is bushcraft a mind set, way of life, come religon or just a hobby

your rumblings and opinions greatfully recieved

drew
 

tobes01

Full Member
May 4, 2009
1,911
45
Hampshire
It's a hobby for me - if it were a way of life I wouldn't fancy my chances very much, got a whole heap to learn yet...
 

scottisha5

Maker
Nov 14, 2009
259
86
Motherwell, Scotland, UK
A hobby to be honest although I do practise the LNT and respect nature etc etc. My Bushcraft seems to be me going back to my military days and getting away from it all. I do often feel refreshed after a few days out so Im with you there Drew.

atb
John
 

shogun

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 31, 2009
747
0
U.K
bushcraft for me is a new hobby but my goal is too learn and get the right kit too stay out inthe winter months..all the best shogun
 

gsfgaz

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 19, 2009
2,763
0
Hamilton... scotland
:bigok::bigok:hobby for me , but i just love ti get oot in awe weather's .. i've always done camping and fires and stuff, but new to hammock's and tarps , i 'm happy when i'm away camping or something in the great outdoors ...:mexwave:
 

Shewie

Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
26
49
Yorkshire
A bit of both for me, I've taken a different view of the resources around me since taking up this malarky anyway.

Have a good trip Drew, you jammy ****
 

Peter_t

Native
Oct 13, 2007
1,353
3
East Sussex
its definitely a mind set for me. im always trying to save money either by doing without certain things or making them myself. im always on the look out for edible berries or good sources of tinder almost as if subconsciously:confused: i get allot of funny looks/banter from the guys at work when i start eating yew berries from the hedge im supposed to be cutting lol
I too connect with nature like drew but iv never thought it as a religion.

way of life? to a certain extent i think it is possible in the UK but not without separating yourself a little from society. the previous owner to my boss's wood used to live in it in a tree house (apparently he fell out and broke his neck) but you couldn’t solely live off the land.


pete
 

gowersponger

Settler
Oct 28, 2009
585
0
swansea
ive always loved the outdoors camping / fishing/ hunting/surfing, makeing walking sticks catapults etcetc like to cook outdoors all these are my hobbies
 

Neumo

Full Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,675
0
West Sussex
I dont know about religeon but I find that there is a sort of subconcious philosphy behind bush craft in that it has made be look at the world differently, be able to come out of the woods more relaxed, lets me see solutions to things that would otherwise just wind me up etc... I have not put my finger on what it is about bushcraft that appeals so much, but it's definatly changed me for the better. It's still a hobby, in the sense that I do not do it to survive in the bush every day, but it is sort of more than a hobby if you know what I mean.
 

tjwuk

Nomad
Apr 4, 2009
329
0
Cornwall
Its a way of life, but not just because of the bushcraft. I have been a follower of the seasons, respect nature etc since I can remember. So the additional bits I have learnt through bushcraft are a bonus.
 

Eragon21

Full Member
May 30, 2009
253
0
Aberdare
Drew

For me it could be a way of life (as we started as hunter / gatherers) and the way that this world is going is that it may become a necessity to learn the skills that bushcraft brings for a future in order to subsidise the way that we live plus to learn new skils in order to change the way that we live. We as a race that lives the way that we do will consume the resources of the world long before we die out so we will need to find ways that allow us to survive for longer and survive through harsher times than now, there are not many in the modern world who could survive in harsh environments that the future could bring.

Bushcraft could become a religion it certainly has a large enough following..........so the question is why has it not, I think because that for many it is a way of life rather than a faith so hobby or way of life, for me at the moment it is a hobby but with the right knowledge it could become a way of life?????
 

helixpteron

Native
Mar 16, 2008
1,469
0
UK
Its an interest.

As for religiosity, having given up my religion at 13, I don't associate anything with religion, other than religion itself.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,312
3,093
67
Pembrokeshire
A way of life for me....living in a house is just a convenience between trips and my house is more of a store/workshop/display area than most folks houses :D
The "Bushcraft Way" suits my philosophy on life very well and I would love to simplify my life even more....
I guess that my lifestyle is a bit of a compromise between my ideal and the practicalities of living in a "modern" world, and being married to a non - Bushy......but the practicing of "Bushcraft Skills" in keeping my home running, my bank manager happy and me sane is central to my life!
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,894
2,145
Mercia
Its a hobby - its interesting and it overlaps with many other interests I ahve (self sufficiency, foraging, gardening, etc.).

We should all enjoy it for what it is, but I think we take it a bit too seriously sometimes when things get heated

Red
 

Eric_Methven

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 20, 2005
3,600
42
73
Durham City, County Durham
For me it is a lifestyle choice, a way for me to help myself achieve fulfillment, happiness and inner peace. I could do that anywhere of course, but in the great outdoors, away from the trappings of modernity it is more conducive to my overall aims.

I am in a very happy place right now.

Eric
 

Hammock_man

Full Member
May 15, 2008
1,502
576
kent
For me its a hobby.
While I enjoy what I do and, as some others have said, its good for the soul, I just dont do enough for it to be a way of life. Some paint / write poems / knit hats(!!) and its good for their soul but dont make a living from it and spend most of their time doing something else. Its not a way of life.

I used to play / paint model figures which was a hobby and no way "a way of life". Bushcraft comes much closer to this but still a long way off.

While I dream of hammocks, I sleep in a bed. I cook on electric more than Meths

Don't mean it ain't great mind!!!
 

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