Skills to learn or improve

[stu1979uk]

I was thinking about what skills someone should learn to be a bushcrafter. If you were to teach someone some skills or improve your own skills what would they be?
This is a list of things I could think of, while probably not inclusive I think a fairly decent skill set.
I will probably work through my list through out the year as much as I can, to challenge and help myself improve in areas which I know I'm lacking.
What's your thoughts, anything to add?


FIRE

1. Choosing a good fire site
2. Extinguishing a fire properly
3. Wood selections for a fire

Fire in dry conditions

1. Create and maintain a fire with a ferro rod and natural tinder's
2. Create and maintain a fire with a bow drill- hand drill
3. Create and maintain a fire with a hand drill

Fire in wet conditions

1. Create and maintain a fire with a ferro rod and natural tinder's
2. Create and maintain a fire with a bow drill- hand drill
3. Create and maintain a fire with a hand drill

NATURAL SHELTER

1. Identify a good camp site
2. Identify materials and use for bedding
3. Build and sleep in an A frame shelter
4. Build and sleep in a Dome shelter
5. Build and sleep in an Snow hole
6. Build and sleep in an Snow trench

WATER

1. Procurement and treatment
2. Identify and use natural filters ie sand and charcoal grass

FOOD

1. Cooking on an open fire
2. Cooking trail breads ie bannock
3. Catch fish, gut and cook on open fire
4. Learn how to Identify, collect and cook shell fish and sea weeds
5. Learn how to track various animals
6. Hunting, preparing and cooking various animals
7. Learn how to make and build various traps including fish traps
8. Learn how to identify and use various edible plants

NAVIGATION

1. Practice and improve map and compass skills
2. Learn celestial navigation and put into practice
3. Shadow stick method
4. Watch and sun method

SAFETY

1. Signalling for rescue/help
2. Always let somewhere know where you are/ going
3. Rescue plan/ what to do if something goes wrong
4. First aid kits
5. First aid knowledge
6. Avoiding and dealing with hypothermia
   

VARIOUS

1. Making cord from natural materials
2. Learn various useful knots
3. Carving spoons and cups etc
4. Learn to identify plants for medicine and other uses
5. Learn how to make various different types of pot hangers
6. Learn different types of trees/woods and there uses ie burn times, carving etc
7. Knife use and sharpening
8. Axe use and sharpening

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Can't think of anything to add I'm afraid, but just to comment that the list itself is a useful resource / aide memoire that I'll be using myself to brush up on stuff this year - so thanks!

 

[whats wrong with you all]

That's a nice list! Have subbed this thread to refer back to for things to learn. Thanks!

 

[Ruud]

Good list! Nothing to add for the moment, can't come up with something that is missing right now.

 

[SGL70]

Perhaps how to avoid and detect hypotermia?

 

[stu1979uk]

Glad the list may be of some use.
I was looking for a similar list myself but couldn't find anything hence making my own.

Perhaps how to avoid and detect hypotermia?

Yep that would definitely be knowledge worth knowing, especially in Sweden and Scotland for that matter.
(Now added to the list) Thanks

 

[Ruud]

The hypothermia thing made me immediately think of the following:

recognising and dealing with dehydration
choosing the right clothing

 

[Robson Valley]

Field & Stream Magazine puts up a list every few years.

1. Shelter = you must get out of the wind and rain and hypothermic conditions.
2. Fire = heat, light, safety identification and a fantastic psychological benefit.
3. Water = hydration trumps food.

Search & Rescue here scans the forest from helicopter with an infrared camera,
looking for heat signatures = make yourself visible!

 

[Stevie777]

I suppose this could fall under the Plants for medicine and other uses bracket.

Pine Pitch and tapping a Birch tree for sap. The sap from the birch tree contains vitamins, minerals, and sugars, mainly glucose and fructose. also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, phosphorous, iron, sodium, and amino acids. as well as vitamin C and B-vitamins like thiamine not to mention it's 90+% water and it doesn't take long to fill a 5ltr pot..overnight should do it. late Feb to April the further north you go is best for collecting. Remember to plug up the hole again.

The Pine Pitch can be used once refined for various things. especially good for healing cuts. Simply heat the pitch and filter through a sieve of some sort. I just pinhole some tinfoil and let it pour through several times until clearish. you can then add a little fat, Rabbit droppings, (crushed) and charcoal to make the stuff pliable (less Brittle) and less tacky. Always Water your fingers when using it.
I need to make a Video as i found a neat wee trick when making glue sticks.

 

[Tiley]

It's a great list - much to ponder and practise. Although not strictly speaking a 'skill', I would also include the identification of plants, not just for medicine, to improve your knowledge base. Many plants and trees are incredibly useful for a range of applications in the wilds and being able to identify them easily can only help.

 

[stu1979uk]

It's a great list - much to ponder and practise. Although not strictly speaking a 'skill', I would also include the identification of plants, not just for medicine, to improve your knowledge base. Many plants and trees are incredibly useful for a range of applications in the wilds and being able to identify them easily can only help.

Yep Tilley I agree, I have included plants for other uses under Various No.4

Its something I don't have a lot of knowledge of at all. I have the collins gem food for free pocket guide to help, but I need to spend more time identifying plants. To gain more confidence I think it would be best learning from someone who is experienced in this field, for safety's sake!

As for other uses of plants Im sure I have seen a book for that, I'll need to have a search.

Thanks for the comments

 

[colly]

personally i'm not very interested in bow drill fire lighting but i'd add Natural Navigation.

 

[Insel Affen]

Good list stu1979uk, I thought maybe a basic tree ID session might be of use. Just to tell a few different types and what might be useful for fires etc.

 

[stu1979uk]

Good list stu1979uk, I thought maybe a basic tree ID session might be of use. Just to tell a few different types and what might be useful for fires etc.

Hi Insel

I should have made No.6 under VARIOUS "trees/woods" (list now edited)
A knowledge of trees and their uses would definitely be useful. I have the Collins Gems Trees pocket guide (handy little book range) for helping identify trees. I may have to find something for the uses of various trees and possibly burn times of woods etc.

Thanks for the coments

 

[Robson Valley]

Big birch are useless for sap. Stay under 6" for the most yield. What have you brought for taps and buckets?
Birch wine is the absolute worst skull-buster of a drink on this entire planet and likely several others.
But rendered as syrup, it goes really toasty dark. Smokey. Try that on a crumpet.

a) learn the most populated trees in your region.
b) learn their multipurpose values. None? Know that too.
c) learn the trees so well that you can identify them by bark and growth form.
They all have different shapes.

 

[stu1979uk]

Birch wine is the absolute worst skull-buster of a drink on this entire planet and likely several others.

Good info mate, never tried birch wine though so couldn't comment on that, but several Newcastle Browns and being woken up by a vacuum cleaner is defo a skull-buster!