Kit versus Skills?

[Wayne]

I didn't want to hijack Wayland's Lost Opportunity thread.

It seems to me that he is quite right that many Bushcrafters are far happier to pay for something shiny than pay for skills and experience.

It's hard to believe that with the number of regular members on here that Tony's trips to the Arctic have failed to be over subscribed.

I hear lots of excuses for not going on courses or trips generally from people with large shiny new cars and the latest gadgets.

It's about priorities I guess for me skills maketh the man and I am enterally trying to improve my skills and knowledge base. Others prefer a more materialistic measure of their self worth.

 

[markie*mark0]

i agree, skills are far better than kit. But theres more to it, getting the time away, cost, work/ family commitments etc

I'd go in a heart beat but im skint and i cant get the time away from family....

 

[Shewie]

I like to do courses every year if I can, I didn't manage any this year but I got two of Woody's in back to back last October. They've always been a good experience and there's always something to learn no matter what your level is.

With regards to the Arctic trips I genuinely think it's lack of spare funds for a lot of people at the moment. Like Col said, it's not just the £500 for the course but everything else besides. I'd like to do it one year but I don't have enough holidays to do it this time, I've got a trip to Florida in summer and the TGO Challenge in May, that'll only leave me with a handful of spare days.

I hope the courses run for Tony and Woody's sake, plus all those chomping to get their flights booked.

 

[resnikov]

i agree, skills are far better than kit. But theres more to it, getting the time away, cost, work/ family commitments etc

I'd go in a heart beat but im skint and i cant get the time away from family....

Spot on, I'm the same. Any holidays i get from work are spent with the family. Maybe when the kids are older I might have the time to go but until then i get 1 overnight trip a month if I'm lucky.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

It's hard to believe that with the number of regular members on here that Tony's trips to the Arctic have failed to be over subscribed.

I hear lots of excuses for not going on courses or trips generally from people with large shiny new cars and the latest gadgets.

.

Vee haf vays off mekin yoo go on zees trreps............

Arctic survial courses arn't everyone's cup of tea...................

 

[coln18]

You make some really good points there mate, ive often said i was too skint to do certain things, then went out and spent a fortune on kit or went out on a friday night spending money on beer.

The reality is that the more we spend on must have items and shiney toys, the less freedoms we have cause we are skint and slaves to society and debt, what we have to do is start saving more so that we can do the things that we have always dreamed off instead of buying the latest must have object. I say this humbly as i must admit to being one of the worst impulse buyers around, but i am aware of it now and am trying to be more sensible so that i can save to take months of work to walk from lands end to john o'groats, i suppose it depends on how much you want to live a dream...

I do also know in the current climate that many people are struggling to get by on a daily basis, but even when ive been in low paid or no job what so ever, i can still admit to spending the little money i had in a silly manner and thinking only in the short term.

I might have to make this my new years resolution to stop wasting money on pointless kit and just get out more into the woods and practice my skill sets more, so a big thank you for pointing this out Wayland/forest knight

Merry Xmas guys

 

[John Fenna]

Oh how I wish I had the dosh for a shiney car, gadgets and a holiday .... not that I would spend it on them
A nice learning time (bowyery, field pottery, more knapping etc would be nice...) would be so much more worthwhile!

 

[toilet digger]

there does seem to be a proportion of sofa bushcrafters and at the mo i am one of those due to mangling my leg a couple of months back.
although as has already mentioned - recession, financial insecurity, associated costs with course, etc.
as to the shinies, well i myself have probably spent £150 in the last 18months but most of my gear has been gathered through the years of cadets, hillwalking, brief stint in the army, climbing, scout helpership since my early teens ( 24 years ago, eeeeks ) .
still ready to learn so much more but gently gently catchee monkey
the arctic course is certainly one that i would do - but in more settled times

as an aside though, the festive preperations seem to be getting too much for some as there is a definate air of mardyness on here today. chin up, you could be married to camilla parker bowles

 

[Chris the Cat]

You can get a 'fun' kit fix for a couple of quid Wayne,
I am going on the advanced but it has been touch and go all the way to afford it !
I went two years ago and had the time of my life and altho the trip is a GREAT price, with flights , transport kit and all your own food
You would not be getting any change from a grand!
Trip of a lifetime? No doubt, if there is ANY way you can do this, do it !
However times are hard this year mate ( I lost my job and if I did not have the kit I have there would be no way I could make this trip. )
Have a great Yule!
My best.
Chris.

 

[coln18]

Oh how I wish I had the dosh for a shiney car, gadgets and a holiday .... not that I would spend it on them
A nice learning time (bowyery, field pottery, more knapping etc would be nice...) would be so much more worthwhile!

You may well be right John, if only we had adverts on the tv every 2 seconds for field pottery, knapping etc then we would be doing it more lol, cause i think more of us are taken in by mass advertising than wed like to admit, hence why every drive way seems to have 3 shiney cars in it now days.

 

[SCOMAN]

I'm hoping for Venture Bushcraft vouchers from Santa to do Lawrence's Fundamental course. I would love to do the Arctic trip but funds are tight with my wedding on it's way.

 

[Wayne]

Oh how I wish I had the dosh for a shiney car, gadgets and a holiday .... not that I would spend it on them
A nice learning time (bowyery, field pottery, more knapping etc would be nice...) would be so much more worthwhile!

That's why your such a skilled chappie.

 

[Kerne]

Skills every time. I try to go on a bushy type course at least once a year - if they fall in my holidays (see my comment on Wayland's thread). This also applies to non-bushy things: doing OU courses and suchlike. As Gandhi said: "Live as if you are going to die tomorrow, learn as if you're going to live forever."

 

[coln18]

I'm hoping for Venture Bushcraft vouchers from Santa to do Lawrence's Fundamental course. I would love to do the Arctic trip but funds are tight with my wedding on it's way.

Shame on you Scoman, putting a wedding before a bushcraft course lol, go on the course and learn how to carve a church and wittle the wedding cars and build a wool loom for the wedding dress. Now that i think of it, that may be a bad idea as your future wifey may take offence and kill you, so maybe not.

Good luck with your wedding mate

 

[British Red]

For everyone in the UK, this is a hobby. Its fun - its not real life. No-one "needs" bushcraft - it really isn't more vital than stamp collecting or building model aircraft or fly fishing or whatever. I don't really mind how other peoples choose to enjoy their hobbies - whether its collecting kit, or "getting out there" or dressing up in silly ways or fantasising about this and that lifestyle. Its all for fun, and its all, to most people, faintly silly.

Should we really, at this time of year, get bent out of shape over how people choose to pursue their hobbies?

Red

 

[Wayne]

I'm hoping for Venture Bushcraft vouchers from Santa to do Lawrence's Fundamental course. I would love to do the Arctic trip but funds are tight with my wedding on it's way.

Spend less on the Wedding drop the relatives you never see. Take your new wife to somewhere wild for the honeymoon.

 

[John Fenna]

That's why your such a skilled chappie.

...and have such a carp van!

 

[John Fenna]

Spend less on the Wedding drop the relatives you never see. Take your new wife to somewhere wild for the honeymoon.

There were 6 of us at my wedding - Me, Her, 2 witnesses, the regestrar and his scribe (my folks sent flowers and a bottle of Fizz - hers sent nowt ) ... the "do" was a pub lunch for the 4 of us not there for work perposes and the honeymoon was driving around (Wild according to Burrows)Wales looking for somewhere to live .... the money we could have blown on a big wedding and "do" bought our house
Your advice is good

 

[Andy BB]

I can see both sides here. Yes, I'd dearly like to gain some Arctic experience, and one of my ambitions is to do a sidecar outfit trip to a rally in northern Norway in winter in the next year or two, before I completely fall apart at the seams! (Which reminds me, I must think about getting my other hip replaced shortly!) But having family and work commitments tends to interfere with too much other than the occasional meet at the moment.

So don't begrudge me my fun with shinies! I like playing with, or making, stoves, so have way more than I can realistically ever hope to use in anger. I like the enjoyment of finding a really useful piece of kit for a good price and trying it out, even if it is in the back garden. I'm not hurting anyone, or wrecking town centres, and make no apologies for it. The only drawback is the earful I get off "her indoors" when the next package arrives at home (although the "shoe" defense works just as well as the Chewbacca defense in such cases)!

 

[Wayne]

Whilst I accept times are hard for many. Fuel prices hurt and lots of people are worried about jobs and pensions etc.

I am talking about the simple choices we make every day. I chose to live my dream teaching and passing on skills. The price is I have no money and drive an old banger. Yet I work in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. I also get cold and wet alot.

Many people might not be able to afford a trip next month or in the net few months but there is nothing stopping you from making the dream happen in the future. Whatever your goal is you can achieve it if you are willing to make it happen. Make 2013 the year to visit Canada, Norway wherever.

For those that smoke quit and use the cash to fund an adventure. One less takeaway a month between now and next winter would give you cash to do something amazing.