Where to Start?

[Tank]

Hi All,

I am pretty new to bushcraft, most of my knowledge (which is very limited) is down to watching Ray Mears, Youtube, reading books and what I can remember from my days as a scout many years ago.

I am getting my very basic kit together to go out and start putting things into practice and turning my book knowledge into actual skills.

I am not about to go off on a weeks hike in the wilderness and not yet even planning to go out for a weekend or a night (mainly as I don't have the equipment ie sleeping bag)

But where should I really start? What can I go out and do on a Saturday or Sunday to start learning practical skills?

I want to get the fundermentals right before getting out and being in a situation where i am in a shelter that i get wet in and where i cant start a fire (cost thats my sort of luck) lol

Thank all.

Tim

 

[Tadpole]

Hi All,

I am pretty new to bushcraft, most of my knowledge (which is very limited) is down to watching Ray Mears, Youtube, reading books and what I can remember from my days as a scout many years ago.

I am getting my very basic kit together to go out and start putting things into practice and turning my book knowledge into actual skills.

I am not about to go off on a weeks hike in the wilderness and not yet even planning to go out for a weekend or a night (mainly as I don't have the equipment ie sleeping bag)

But where should I really start? What can I go out and do on a Saturday or Sunday to start learning practical skills?

I want to get the fundermentals right before getting out and being in a situation where i am in a shelter that i get wet in and where i cant start a fire (cost thats my sort of luck) lol

Thank all.

Tim

Do you have a garden? Start there, look for weeds and see if you can identiy them, same for animals that visit, get a brew going using flint and steel, on a hobo.
Have a walk where you live/shop/play spot the tree/bush/ learn what you see local, that way you get to see it in all of its seasons.
We are a nation of Gardeners, and you could learn a lot from a half mile stroll to the paper shop. Once you can get a brew on, and identify half a dozen plants take a trip to your nearest FC Wood, have a wander, see what you can see. then Stop trying to see, but learn to look past what you can see and into what is there.

 

[Tank]

Sadly no garden, living in a flat lol.

thankfully i have grown up in the countryside and grown up on a sawmill so i know a good amount of trees and bushes, but never really looked at weeds

I was planning to go for a work in the old trails i used to walk along and woods i played in when younger, so before i think i will pop down the library and see if they have any small book on plants

and while i am there i will do a bit of wood gathering to light some fires (sadly using matches as i dont have anything else to use) and make a cup of tea while i am out.

 

[Andy2112]

Come to one of the meets, there's always folk who'll help out mate. I'll PM you.

 

[Ogri the trog]

...... to light some fires (sadly using matches as i dont have anything else to use) and make a cup of tea while i am out.

Don't be sad about using matches - they represent one step in a very long journey and will teach you much about fire lighting the fewer you try to use.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Tank]

Come to one of the meets, there's always folk who'll help out mate. I'll PM you.

Excellent, I would love to come along to a meets. always love learning from people who enjoy what they do and love showing others.

 

[Andy2112]

Excellent, I would love to come along to a meets. always love learning from people who enjoy what they do and love showing others.

Nice one, i've sent you details of a meet in August.

 

[Tank]

Thanks Andy,

hopefully over this month i can learn a few skills to put to test by the end of the month.

Aims for this weekend tea making down the woods

what else should i start concentrating on?

Ogri the trog - i am sure your right, just wish i had the money to buy a firesteel atleast lol. but 2 more weeks until payday.

 

[Andy2112]

Thanks Andy,

hopefully over this month i can learn a few skills to put to test by the end of the month.

Aims for this weekend tea making down the woods

what else should i start concentrating on?

Ogri the trog - i am sure your right, just wish i had the money to buy a firesteel atleast lol. but 2 more weeks until payday.

Setting up a tarp ?

Different fires

Knots

 

[spamel]

Tank, don't let money be an object that will get in the way of your new hobby! A lot can be done with simple cheap stuff, water bottles from pop bottles, carry a pot from home or make a billy from an old coffee tin, look in hardware stores and gardening centres for cheap (3 quid) pruning saws to cut firewood, poles, walking sticks, etc. Get in your local dead shops for a bargain woolly jumper or woollen blanket, maybe even some tea, coffee, sugar containers that can be turned into a billy for cooking and boiling water. A cheap builders' tarp can be your shelter, should cost less than a fiver, but you have the right idea with your local library. Scour Amazon and see what books are suggested from the books you have already read and compile a shopping list to take to the library. Check out Youtube for some decent vids and ask questions here after using the search function! Get to organised meets, meet somebody in your local area with similar interests and you will increase your knowledge in no time. Enjoy yourself, and if it gets too much for you then pack in for the day. I went camping with Shewie a while back now and a storm whipped up out of nowhere. Trees were coming down it was that bad! We packed up and went home, it's not worth dying for a hobby!

 

[Tank]

Thanks guys, i will have a play this weekend. I have been learning knots as i am starting to be an assitant scout leader, hence the skill building for bushcraft

Thanks for the advice Spamel, i will go to second hand shops to see what i can find, sadly i dont have a penny to spare at the moment so i will have to wait for payday (unless they will give it to me for free lol) Money has been really bad which is why the bushcraft hobby is to get away from all the troubles and forget about them for a few hours and hopefully a weekend once i have some kit i can get out with.

you cant really worry about bills and how your going to get petrol in ur car to get to work when your trying to light a fire in the woods

 

[VtBlackdog]

learn knot tying...go beyond the basics....get yourself two five foot lenghts of different color rope and a few books...

get a Mora knife and learn to sharpen it; a small hatchet also....also the Victorinox OneHandTrekker with non-serrated blade isis a good knife, especially if you convex it..

Learn to master (not just make, but master) fire; start with a firesteel, then go to flint and steel then graduate to a bow drill.....making char-cloth also is useful...

learn the star constallations (I never learned to find the Northstar until this year)

learn simple wood joints and carving (spoons and bowls)

.....it can give you a new way to see the woods and yourself, have fun.