How do city folk learn bushcraft?

[adderrustler]

There is plenty of info out there, i would sujjest that you read and watch tv shows first to give you some good idea's i would not sujjest that you listen to non-professionals at moots etc, there are a lot of people out there that think they know a lot but know very little, follow your own path it will take time but your knowledge will grow quickly, trust your own instincts as they seldom let you down, and bear in mind that the advice you recieve may well be one day life threatining, take this advice from a professional making thousands of posts on a forum does not mean you know what you are talking about.
Good luck and enjoy yourself

 

[firecrest]

I live in suburbia, and without a car as well. My main bushcraft is done at meets from this forum, but at home you can do bark crafts, make a bow drill, learn knots, learn to carve, tree and plant ID, birch tapping for sap and a whole list of things. Yes its not as fun as camping in the woods or being way out in the wilderness but us town folk have to take whats good in life when we can get it!

 

[Ogri the trog]

... i would not sujjest that you listen to non-professionals at moots etc, there are a lot of people out there that think they know a lot but know very little, ......
.... and bear in mind that the advice you recieve may well be one day life threatining, take this advice from a professional making thousands of posts on a forum does not mean you know what you are talking about.
Good luck and enjoy yourself

Hi Adderrustler,
I hope you don't mind me asking why you advize against recieving information and tuition for free. People on this forum have been good enough to give their time and experience for little or no cost and that is how the summer moot has become so successfull. I agree that "life threatening" skills should be learnt from professional parties but surely tips and pointers can be sourced from anyone who may have been through any sort of training, and hence have valid ideas on how to improve or pass on that knowledge.
While an enthusiastic ameteur migth not have the flair of the paid instructor, his information can be had for a fraction of the cost. Indeed, why don't you make a booking for the Bushmoot, I'm sure you would enjoy it.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[adderrustler]

Hi Ogri i was only trying to make a point as being a new member admitting that his knowledge was limited, was not to be led blindly, people tend to crowd people new to this sort of interest with all sorts of both good and bad information, peoples intentions my well be good but in some instances they can be dangerous, and that more time should be made doing his own research, i have nothing against bushmoots etc, as they are a way for like minded people to get togeather, just be carefull with witch information you chooze to use ! . there are still lots of people that think its safe to walk Ben Nevis thinking they are safe because they have GPS and a mobile phone thats all hope this answers you question Ogri.

 

[VtBlackdog]

I don't have a specific answer, only that very few of us live in a true wilderness area; most wilderness was tamed 100 or 200 years ago.

On the bright side, most of us can make friends with a landowner (I'm lucky, my aunt owns a farm; it gives me about 200 acres to play on) or are close to public land.

So I've been thinking what advice to give.....
there are lots of things you can study at home:
-knife types and sharpening skills
-map reading, GPS use
-wood carving
-knot tying
-navigation by the stars
-firemaking (I don't know if my wife is serious or sarcastic when she tells me not to burn down the house)
-flint knapping
-plant/tree identification
-cooking (can you rent a space at a campground to have acces to a fire pit?)

You can do a lot of things near home...this winter I built an igloo in the back yard; that led me to read up on the Inuit and polar expeditions; one path often leads to another...next year I'll try ski-jouring with my dog as a segway to learning about dog sledding. And that might lead to learning how to bend wood with steam so I can make a dogsled or snowshoes.

Its not having fancy toys or going to exotic places; its about having a set of skills and knowledge in your mind....

 

[Pantalaimon]

Just go to the woods. Even just walking there you're more 'bushcrafty' than being in the city and reading books about it. But Essential Bushcraft is a nice start for the hours you can't spent in the woods.
Don't rush and buy expensive new gear, you'll find it unpractical within a couple of years/months. Just use old stuff.
Go to a beginners course. You'll get a closer look into the phenomenon bushcraft. Also, you can get useful tips about your gear.

Have a good time in the woods!
And don't take the hasty city life with you, make enough time free for being in the woods.

 

[firecrest]

Ive just been Bowdrilling in the backgarden. I didnt win.

makes me glad I could just go back indoors at the end (complete with a kebab and bacardi

 

[aphex2k]

Conversely, how do people who live in the sticks, adapt their skills and knowledge for the cities?

 

[mayobushcraft]

Read, practice, read some more, practice. go to the woods and watch the wildlife. Try to meet people and go to bushcraft courses and meets. Just remember the only dumb questions are the ones not asked. And then keep reading and practicing. Repeat all the above as required.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[launditch1]

Conversely, how do people who live in the sticks, adapt their skills and knowledge for the cities?

Wear appropriate clothing to blend in.
Avoid eye contact with the wild animals.
Consult the streetmap and building for navigation.
Dont start fires in the mall.
Seek shelter in the nearest department store.
Avoid the popular watering holes after dark.
Dont buy any 'herbal' remidies off the guy in the park.

 

[traderran]

There's a film called "Deliverance" which points out most of the things to avoid.

Heed it's warnings.

Now now lets don't talk about them southern boys :yelrotflm

 

[Just_a_Dutchman]

I live on the edge of a city and have learned a lot from watching youtube videos. After some searching, you can make a large list of channels with interesting stuff on them.

Ofcourse, the important thing is to actually go out and put whatever you've learned through watching, listening and reading into practise. I only have a few places to go and practise without having people trip over me every other minute, but they are out there. There's always your backyard as other people already pointed out.

 

[spiritwalker]

ello laaa, im a fellow wirralothian too.
Woods well the wirral is very diverse playground for you.
Lets talk resources
You have bidston hill which offers heathland (heather, bracken), coniferous trees around the roadside at tolemache road for pine resin / fat sticks etc. There is also stretches where birch is present for birch bark etc.
You also have birkenhead park which offers mixed broadleafed trees.
Bidston sand dunes marram grass and lizards.
Or at my end you have the dibbensdale wetland area (catstails reeds etc)
Eastham woods a nice old woodland with many tree types to study. Again good for birchbark
Also royden park arrowe park and thurstaton common
So even though the wirral is small you can access any microclimate and study the plants and animals associated with them.

 

[steelyglint]

You could do a lot worse than get involved via your nearest Scout group, my troop do loads of bushcraft stuff, bivvy camping hill and mountain walking/climbing abseiling along with knots firelighting navigation etc etc.

 

[bernie66]

ello laaa, im a fellow wirralothian too.
Woods well the wirral is very diverse playground for you.
Lets talk resources
You have bidston hill which offers heathland (heather, bracken), coniferous trees around the roadside at tolemache road for pine resin / fat sticks etc. There is also stretches where birch is present for birch bark etc.
You also have birkenhead park which offers mixed broadleafed trees.
Bidston sand dunes marram grass and lizards.
Or at my end you have the dibbensdale wetland area (catstails reeds etc)
Eastham woods a nice old woodland with many tree types to study. Again good for birchbark
Also royden park arrowe park and thurstaton common
So even though the wirral is small you can access any microclimate and study the plants and animals associated with them.

Thurstaston beach from the wirral way is a great place to walk, as is the whole wirral way. Find the Dungeon from the wirral way too.
I spend alot of time in Storeton woods, down levers causeway and across the fields towards Thingwall. there's alot of semi-wild places but no really wild ones without heading off into North wales.

 

[Retired Member southey]

There's a film called "Deliverance" which points out most of the things to avoid.

Heed it's warnings.

Just watch yourself if you take a canoe down the Wiltshire Avon, through Amesbury, we'll cook anything!

 

[Opal]

my young g/child loves Eastham woods, only ten minutes through the tunnel into Indian territory. I like the North Wirral coastal park too, another good place for a day out.

 

[bernie66]

These indians are friendly so long as you come in peace

 

[Ray Britton]

Hi adderrustler.

When you said:
Hi Ogri i was only trying to make a point as being a new member admitting that his knowledge was limited, was not to be led blindly, people tend to crowd people new to this sort of interest with all sorts of both good and bad information, peoples intentions my well be good but in some instances they can be dangerous, and that more time should be made doing his own research, i have nothing against bushmoots etc, as they are a way for like minded people to get togeather, just be carefull with witch information you chooze to use ! . there are still lots of people that think its safe to walk Ben Nevis thinking they are safe because they have GPS and a mobile phone thats all hope this answers you question Ogri.

I think I know exactly where you are coming from on that, and as someone new to this site, I would party agree too.
I would also be interested to hear anyone's definition of 'professional instruction'! I have no idea at all what that means, but do know the average three year old child from the Amazon will be better at bushcraft than anyone on this site (unless they are from there too).
Surely the fact that someone may know a couple of outdoory things, and is paid to teach them, means nothing in the bigger picture.
I say this, bearing in mind I used to be one of these 'professional' bush craft/survival instructors instructors...........And in the grand scheme of life, I know virtually nothing!
At the end of the day, bushcraft is an odd subject, and you are right to advise anyone to pick who they learn from wisely. It always makes me laugh to see someone look down on a newby who cannot master a bow drill or use a traditional flint striker, whereas the average man from 1000 years ago, would consider us morons for struggling with these things when we have matches and gas lighters!!!!!!
It gets better when the said fellow then becomes all superior for lighting his fire with a flint and striker......Then pops his commercial made stainless steel pot on the fire, and sits in a chair from Millets to watch his food cook!

 

[Laurentius]

Hi adderrustler.


At the end of the day, bushcraft is an odd subject, and you are right to advise anyone to pick who they learn from wisely. It always makes me laugh to see someone look down on a newby who cannot master a bow drill or use a traditional flint striker, whereas the average man from 1000 years ago, would consider us morons for struggling with these things when we have matches and gas lighters!!!!!!
It gets better when the said fellow then becomes all superior for lighting his fire with a flint and striker......Then pops his commercial made stainless steel pot on the fire, and sits in a chair from Millets to watch his food cook!

That's really rather profound, I don't think all that many of us would look at it that way. It get's worse if you upload a video of it to Youtube, or chat about your skills on a forum like this.