Where to put this thread? I figured it came under "anything bushcrafty" so here it is.
Natural Lore - Basic Bushcraft
This course takes place in a woodland estate in Cambridgeshire (filled with wondering pheasant bring a camera if youre a budding photographic ornithologist). Note that there is a toilet on-hand if you dont fancy a bush.
Upon arrival we were greeted with tea and a healthy fire. Kevin the instructor of the course introduced himself, as did we, and handed around small dry bags. In these, we were each loaned: a mora sheath knife, folding saw, anti-bacterial hand gel, firesteel, and protective gloves.
The talks started with where to site a shelter; then moved on to firecraft. Methods of making fires; man-made; natural tinders; clearing away fires; and so on, were all covered. We were encouraged to have a scrape at our firesteels to produce that magic flame at each opportunity. Before, during, and after, lunch we were working at the bowdrill. Drills, hearths are provided if necessary, and tinder bundles are on standby. With this, persistence is key, and some managed success.
A walk was needed, and provided, to limber up those legs and backs afterward. We passed various types of shelter (well camouflaged in the wood!) and talked about wind direction and fires. Along the walk Kevin pointed out the plants, and even some fauna, that we passed, along with their uses and so on.
Back at camp, cordage was next on the metaphorical menu. Different materials for this were pointed out, and offered to us. A proud metre was produced by each of us! Finally, the principles of spoon-making were covered with a handy whiteboard and spoon-model.
Throughout the course, the tuition was friendly and relaxed. We also had a chance to have a go at the skills mentioned; honing these at home is and was well-advised.
One of the best features of this course, however, was the CD. This is provided with the course, and is a comprehensive account of all that is talked about in the course. It gives you a chance to practice in more depth the various skills after all, its too much to learn how to do in a day at your leisure. Over an hour of video footage is on there. The videos; unlike Ray Mears, where flame is conjured in a matter of seconds by a leisurely shower of sparks, leaving you to fiddle with the slow motion feature of your VCR; cover everything in full. If you find making a bow drill set from start to finish too tedious, you can always skip to the important bits, but the video is there should it be a rainy day.
Note that this is intended, as the title suggests, as a Basic Bushcraft Course. Although, perhaps its worth doing it just for the CD!
Natural Lore - Basic Bushcraft
This course takes place in a woodland estate in Cambridgeshire (filled with wondering pheasant bring a camera if youre a budding photographic ornithologist). Note that there is a toilet on-hand if you dont fancy a bush.
Upon arrival we were greeted with tea and a healthy fire. Kevin the instructor of the course introduced himself, as did we, and handed around small dry bags. In these, we were each loaned: a mora sheath knife, folding saw, anti-bacterial hand gel, firesteel, and protective gloves.
The talks started with where to site a shelter; then moved on to firecraft. Methods of making fires; man-made; natural tinders; clearing away fires; and so on, were all covered. We were encouraged to have a scrape at our firesteels to produce that magic flame at each opportunity. Before, during, and after, lunch we were working at the bowdrill. Drills, hearths are provided if necessary, and tinder bundles are on standby. With this, persistence is key, and some managed success.
A walk was needed, and provided, to limber up those legs and backs afterward. We passed various types of shelter (well camouflaged in the wood!) and talked about wind direction and fires. Along the walk Kevin pointed out the plants, and even some fauna, that we passed, along with their uses and so on.
Back at camp, cordage was next on the metaphorical menu. Different materials for this were pointed out, and offered to us. A proud metre was produced by each of us! Finally, the principles of spoon-making were covered with a handy whiteboard and spoon-model.
Throughout the course, the tuition was friendly and relaxed. We also had a chance to have a go at the skills mentioned; honing these at home is and was well-advised.
One of the best features of this course, however, was the CD. This is provided with the course, and is a comprehensive account of all that is talked about in the course. It gives you a chance to practice in more depth the various skills after all, its too much to learn how to do in a day at your leisure. Over an hour of video footage is on there. The videos; unlike Ray Mears, where flame is conjured in a matter of seconds by a leisurely shower of sparks, leaving you to fiddle with the slow motion feature of your VCR; cover everything in full. If you find making a bow drill set from start to finish too tedious, you can always skip to the important bits, but the video is there should it be a rainy day.
Note that this is intended, as the title suggests, as a Basic Bushcraft Course. Although, perhaps its worth doing it just for the CD!
