What is your favourite bushcraft book or video series?

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Will_

Nomad
Feb 21, 2013
446
3
Dorset
My brother in law wants to buy me a bushcraft book or video series for Christmas so fire away with your favourites because I need some ideas :)
 

crosslandkelly

A somewhat settled
Jun 9, 2009
26,305
2,245
67
North West London
For me It's.
Books.

Woodcraft and camping. George Washington Sears. Old, but still very relevant.
Outdoor survival handbook, Ray Mears.

Videos.

Bushcraft and survival, and Wild food, Ray Mears.

Also anything by Les Hiddens (Bush Tucker Man).
 

Will_

Nomad
Feb 21, 2013
446
3
Dorset
Some of those books sound fascinating. Intrigued by the George Washington Sears book I ended up buying a book by Dan Beard (Camp-Lore and Woodcraft). I'm pretty sure Nessmuk's book will be on my Christmas list though! I'm intrigued to get hold of some old school books on wilderness expeditions.

What do people think of Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski? I've seen his name pop up a lot on Bushcraft UK...‎
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Being a bibliophile books for me too.
I'm re-reading and enjoying again The Book Of Camping & Woodcraft by Horace Kephart. Maybe slighlty dated but still very relevant & well written. If you can't get a hardcopy the Kindle version is very inexpensive.
On the video front it's another vote for Les Hiddens, the Bush Tucker Man. Used to catch it on a Sunday morning when picking up a mate before we drove to Inverness. That & a mug of tea was a great & informative way to chill out before braving the A9.
Harder to get but very well worth it are some of the Dick Proenneke films & books. I defy anyone to be stressed out after any of them. Have watched and read all I can find many times.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
 
Hi Will_!

I don't know what books or videos you have already or what your interests are. So here are three "old standby" suggestions and links to larger lists of videos and books for bushcrafters.

Video Choices: (all three by Ray Mears)
Bushcraft Survival (Series 1)
Bushcraft Survival (Series 2)
Extreme Survival (Series 1 & 2)
http://www.natureoutside.com/top-10...lovers-and-people-who-love-the-outdoors-2014/


Book Choices:
My Outdoor Life, Ray Mears (Autobiography)
Bushcraft, Mors Kochanski
Wildwood Wisdom, Ellsworth Jaeger
http://www.natureoutside.com/10-boo...lovers-and-people-who-love-the-outdoors-2014/

A new version of the book list will appear this month.

Hope this helps!

- Woodsorrel
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,666
McBride, BC
+1 for Ellsworth Jaeger. He was a museum director back in the early 1940's. So, his 1945 publication is filled with good line drawings to illustrate the text which detail the "old ways" in the bush.
What he describes seems to have held the native community in good stead for the past 12,000 years. Works for me.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
Ron Edwards "Bushcraft" in 10 volumes. Although a couple concentrate on subjects that ain't my thing so I've only got 8 of them. Published by Rams Skull Press in Oz.

if you like making stuff it has enough projects to last a lifetime.

ATB

Tom
 
Nov 29, 2004
7,808
22
Scotland
"...What do people think of Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski?..."‎

Well worth a read, one of the best. It used to be named Northern Bushcraft, not sure when the name changed.

Or for about the same price as a hardback book you could have a complete set of the Mors Kochanski booklets, smaller and easier to carry in your pack/pocket.

P1010713.jpg


P1010714.jpg


P1010715.jpg


(Thanks for Doc for leaving these jpegs on BCUK)

:)
 
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FlashPan

Forager
Sep 7, 2015
119
9
Norf London
I can't point you in the direction of actual books or vids but the very first person I saw 20-30 years ago on tv that really made me sit up at watch was "The Bushtucker Man" Les Hiddens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Hiddins

From memory this guy was an Aussie survival army instructor who himself was taught by the natives. Best thing I remember was repairing a leaky jerry can with some sort of ground down nut husk and spit ;) and every show also included...don't eat this raw as it'll kill you but if you boil it tastes like almonds...bonza :) :)

I think Ray M had a segment with him at some point as well.

To me, this guy is/was the original.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,666
McBride, BC
From what I've lived in, Aussie survivorship won't be proof-positive in the UK, or here. Be selective for your region.
I'm reading Ellsworth Jaeger because everything he describes is nearly a fit to my place.
Far moreso for eastern Canada. I will not ever need to do it all but the reading is fulfilling.

12,000 years of survivorship beats the Hello out of anyone in this day and time.
 

superc0ntra

Nomad
Sep 15, 2008
333
3
Sweden
Books:
Bushcraft, Mors Kochanski
The Natural Navigator, Tristan Gooley
Eld, Yngve Ryd (A Swedish book about old Sapmi ways of making fire)

Films:
Dick Proenneke's Alone in the Wilderness and The Frozen North
 
Hi Will_!

I don't know what books or videos you have already or what your interests are. So here are three "old standby" suggestions and links to larger lists of videos and books for bushcrafters.

Video Choices: (all three by Ray Mears)
Bushcraft Survival (Series 1)
Bushcraft Survival (Series 2)
Extreme Survival (Series 1 & 2)
http://www.natureoutside.com/top-10...lovers-and-people-who-love-the-outdoors-2014/


Book Choices:
My Outdoor Life, Ray Mears (Autobiography)
Bushcraft, Mors Kochanski
Wildwood Wisdom, Ellsworth Jaeger
http://www.natureoutside.com/10-boo...lovers-and-people-who-love-the-outdoors-2014/

A new version of the book list will appear this month.

Hope this helps!

- Woodsorrel

Hi Everyone!

Here are some additional books. They were not all published this year. But I enjoyed them and think they are worthwhile reading.

http://www.natureoutside.com/10-books-for-people-who-love-the-outdoors-2015/

- Woodsorrel
 

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