What's in a name...?

[Fire Starter]

The old, "what's in a name" chestnut.
"Wilderness Skills" compared to "Bushcrafter" Hang on though, I don't really practice either of them. I think most people actually practice "Bushcamping" like myself.

Many people buy from a shop or an Internet site, all the bits required to assemble a knife and then say they have made a knife! Where is the Craft or Skill in that? Then you can buy processed leather to make sheaths and pouches, then stitch them together using modern tools. Does ASSEMBLING a knife and a leather sheath with ready manufactured components make you a competent bushcrafter? Or give you wilderness living skill? No.

Even when some people carve bowls or cups they do with the aid of a Black and Decker drill and workmate. This is also classed as Bushcraft!

It is my observation that once the knife is ASSEMBLED, I do not really see too many people with the Craft or Skill to create very much with it. Why is that? Think about it.

In my opinion if you forge your own steel and tan your own hides then I could understand the use of the terms Craft or Skill.

I am only putting forward an opinion, which I believe to be true. So to answer the original post, I would like to propose "BUSHCAMPING" or "BUSHCAMPERS"

I believe this to be a more accurate description for camping with all the kit, than is the favoured Bushcrafter or Wilderness Living Skills label.

 

[Fire Starter]

Wilderness Skills will do for me. Thank you. I had decided on this before coming to it on
the thread. I think that Survivalist tends to paint a Rambo type picture in the mind of
Wearing total D. P.M. Gear and carrying and using large Knives with serrated backs and fronts to the blades, whereas most "Bushcraft" folk tend to favour less aggresive looking
Knives (tools) and tend to wear mainly olive clothing or browns according to a survey some time ago, if my memory serves me O.K.

Ol Smokey

I really like your avetar

Can I Rob it?

 

[rancid badger]

I often refer to the term "Earth Skills"
to me this covers everything,allowing me to dip in and out as a discussion or training event progresses. I find that if you mention bushcraft, people automatically think of Ray Mears or, in severe cases; Bear Grhylls! which is often so far off the mark,you couldn't see the bombs landing, bullets ricocheting etc!

Earth skills takes in things like, for example;bodging, hedge laying, hurdle making, bowl carving, thatching, leatherwork, coppicing, tree i.d., fungal forays,in fact, a lot of the stuff not usually covered on T.V.

Bushcraft is a big umbrella with many different ribs if you like.
I had a hell of a time, trying to explain to the group of volunteers who enrolled on our free green wood working course last February, that;" no this isn't really anything to do with Ray Mears"

Yes we were working outside, in all weathers, under tarps with open fires and Eric's cast iron kettle constantly hanging from an improvised withie and sapling tripod but the skills we were learning are rarely if ever mentioned by Mr. Mears! ( a shame in my book-I would love to see Ray Mears have a go at re-doing Jack Hargreaves: "Out of Town")
Long after the 4 week course had ended, I had people, both trainee's and others who had not attended, talking about "our bushcraft training" the main thing was they thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and we were then able to stage a public event in June, which, while nowhere near as popular as our basic bushcraft intro's, was still fairly well attended.

Anyway, that's what I refer to as an alternative to bushcraft-Earth Skills

Buxxxr me I get carried away sometimes!

Sincerely
R.B.

 

[joejoe]

bimble havent heard that word for years,friend of mine from kent used it had to explain its meaning to us geordies,nice memories

 

[Boon]

my son and wife say that i am going "Raying" when our friends ask about my hobby.

 

[moccasintracks]

I call it Woods Loafing

Jim

 

[demographic]

Herbacious Bordercraft?

Bimbling is a good one as well

 

[Mikey P]

Like it!

Favourites so far are:

Woodloafing (appeals to the laziness in me)

Scouting for Big Boys (appeals to the vanity in me)

 

[Neolithic]

I think you should just ignore other people and be true to yourself...

Nah, not really...lol...

...but at least you don't say 'Bushcraft' and then get asked: 'So you're a lesbian then'.

Ho hum.

lol

 

[brancho]

No help at all but I just mention I am Scout Leader and that is bad enough. Similiar response to Neolithic but but about kids of course.
So Scouting for Big boys will only mean you are actually gay (unless you are female) if you really think about with the British sense of humour engaged.

The name will always be irrelevant to some people as they will always ridicule what they do not understand or care about.

So stick with Bushraft or say knitting and be done with it.

Alf

 

[Northern Giant UK]

There should be a few alternatives to use depending on the person who asks so for some (who would appreciate the craft) Bushcraft would be fine however for others who mite take the pi$$ then I like Woodloafing,

My shabby attempt would be something like . .
Housewife avoidance therapy

Kev

 

[falling rain]

I'd go for Wilderness Skills.
I was having dinner with some work colleagues about 4 years ago (new contract celebration) when the question came up about hobbies. It went round the table and each person had their turn. It ranged from clubbing (as in night clubbing, not battering baby seals to death) to football (Man Utd fan..............Which reminds me, if it were Bognor Regis Academicals that had been VERY, VERY succesful over the last 20 years as Man Utd have been, would everyone be supporting Bognor now?) to (and I kid you not, watching TV and computer games, Nothing wrong with these each to their own, but can you really class them as hobbies ) There were a couple of keeping fits, in there and a tennis too. When it got to my turn I said Studying/practicing bushcraft skills, camping and sea fishing. Everyone sort of said Oh right.....................and carried on talking to other people. Not even the slightest bit of interest.
In my new job which I started about 2 and half years ago someone asked me the same question. What do you do in your spare time? Again I said Bushcraft. From then on in a very sarcastic tone the girls in the office call me Bushman now and giggle amongst themselves...................... 'Hi Bushman, done any BUSHcrafting recently'?, giggle, titter. Pretty pathetic really.
I just think to myself , I'd love to be stuck in the wilderness with them lot one day in some horrible survival situation and maybe it wouldn't be quite so humerous then, when they could make their OWN fire, find their OWN food and water and build their OWN shelter................How cool would that be :yelrotflm. a bit childish I know, but c,mon the boot would indeed be on the other foot wouldn't it. And it'd be enormous fun watching them stumbling around in the woods with me sat by MY fire eating MY food, and occasionally feeding them tidbits of information on how to do stuff. At my very leisure of course after i'd had my fun.
I don't think it matters what you call it. Just because it's not your normal mainstream stuff SOME people will take the mick anyway, whatever you call it. Some folks are genuinly interested though.

Anyway my nearest and dearest and good people on this forum know what I do, and what bushcraft means, and that's all that matters to me. The micky takers can go and boil their heads in a vat of bile.