Words for of Bushcraft

[Kath]

Being on this forum has made me realize I'm confused about certain words and I want to get my terminolgy straight! :-?

Woodcraft - the art of country living I suppose? This was the phrase we used as kids, but I get the feeling it's subtly changed over the years.

BushCraft - is this the same as woodcraft? (And rather duh! I know, but does the 'bush' part refer to plants and bushes or rather the australian outback meaning of bush? ) aka woodlore?

Survival - I used to say I was a 'survivalist' but this has changed beyond even my own 'child of the bomb' meaning when the term was used to encompass disaster survival, like getting a tour round the neighbor's nuke shelters when I was a kid (first thing they always showed you was the shotgun by the door! :shock but also covered my dad's efforts to teach us how to keep warm on the top of a mountain. These days it seems to be more to do with buying inordinate amounts of duct tape!?!

Also confusing:
'wilderness survival'?
'preparedness'?

I tend to lump it under 'outdoor pursuits' which is my general coverall, but perhaps a much more urbanised sort of thing... much less simplistic.

Any help with how these terms are used these days would be greatly appreciated and would help put this particular bushcraft/wilderness/woodcraft 'outdoor' girl out of her misery!

 

[JakeR]

I think that the australian "bush" is used in the same way as everywhere else, it just that everyone thinks of australia when they say it. Bush is used widely in south africa as just the "countryside", it is just a word that has the connotations of it being a bit wilder than the countryside.

Lets be honest, "countrysidecraft", doesnt quite have the same effect!!


Cheers,

Jake

 

[JakeR]

Maybe we should open up a new section.......Countrysidecraft

I dont know what we could put in it, but we can figure it......surely :-?

 

[TAHAWK]

On this side of the Big Pond, we "take to the woods." Over on your side, you "take to the bush."

Strangely, both sides use "woodcraft" once in the woods/bush.

"Survival" seems to be the objective of the "after the bomb"/"after total breakdown of social order" types as well as those who wish to be able to walk away from the unexpected crisis in lonely areas.

 

[Dutchman]

These days it seems to be more to do with buying inordinate amounts of duct tape!?!

Any help with how these terms are used these days would be greatly appreciated and would help put this particular bushcraft/wilderness/woodcraft 'outdoor' girl out of her misery!

It's called DUCK tape, and you eat it for breakfast

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

-A skunk by any other name would smell Bushcraft in the North American and European Forests refered to outdoor living with an emphasis on utilising native materials which are relatively abundant and renewable. Survivalism over here has the well deserved negative image of right wing extremests from the militia movement; camoflage,guns,bibles,#10 buckets of freeze dried lima beans and conspiracy myths ranging from black helicopters to the protocols of Zion. Survivalism as we promote @ www.equipped.org is simple short term preparations and skills for unexpected urban and wilderness "oops." Native Skills is the practise of " primitive skills" which has a nostalgic appeal for the Rousseau ideal of the Noble Savage. Reading the latest theories on the death of Oetzi should dispel that one. So,what does it all mean? If your a typical instructor, a used lorrie, a signature knife garanteed to surpass Excalibur, JamesBowie's fighting knife and the entire armoury of the LOTR trilogy. You dress in either camoflage or buckskins and have a resume with some military specops group, an Algonguin/ Zulu mentor and a survival book with the same flawed deadfall illustrations and belief in solar stills fossilized in every other like text. If your typical of this lot, the gear is a combination of military surplus, state of the art , homemade or rescued from the dustbin and You'd frighten off Morris Dancers, Neo Druids and Hare Krishnas.

 

[Kath]

Thanks for your help clarifying that!

 

[sargey]

to me survival is a huge subject covering alot of what's been mentioned already. here's an idea of what some of these disciplines? might be.

"survivalism" or "survivalist" suggests the grab your guns and run for the hills paranoiac mob that chris described so well :-D inet forum: frugal squirrel.

"preparedness" more the everyday real world sort of survival-ists. the sort of thing proposed by chris and his mates, the folks at equipped.com (a very usefull resource btw.) ranging from common sense basics like keeping a torch and a firstaid kit in your car, to keeping a stock of food, candles and bottled water in your home if you live in an earthquake zone. survival techniques for aviators and mariners who just might find theselves in a real survival situation. think like the scouts motto "be prepared" inet forum: equipped.com

"bushcraft" "woodcraft" "backwoodsman" possibly even "fieldcraft" the sort of pioneer spirit combined with high impact camping. using some degree of wilderness survival skills and primitive living skills. often using modern steel tools, but with a rustic approach. generally conforming to loacal laws and regulations regarding trapping and use of flora and fauna. inet forum: BCUK

"fieldcraft" (2) the term used by hunters and military alike, to denote the ability to move, live and work in the field with very stealthy connotations.

"primitive living/skills" a step back in time from the bushcraft folks possibly. a study of techniques used by aboriginal peoples, emphasis towards the very minimum of modern contrivances.

"wilderness survival" what happens when the plane or ship goes down, the bushcrafter, trekker or hunter gets lost/misplaced/injured. the excrement has hit the ventilator. this could entail the use of environmentally unsound techniques to preserve human life, far beyond what the average bushcrafter might practice. completely barking or felling large numbers of trees, use of painful animal traps, hunting animals out of season, cannabalism.

"street survival" "urban survival" "self defense" "home defense" survivalism on the streets. surviving the subway or the late night semi-deserted subway station. surviving burglary, rape, robbery, mugging, home invasions and wildings. inet forum:SDF

"homesteading" "self reliance" it could just be the search for wholesome homegrown food, yuppies opting out o the rat rac and down grading to the country, see huge furry whippingstool's river cottage, or TVseries, the good life. it could be a TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) retreat see "survivalism".

perhaps not everybody would agree 100 percent with my definitions, there may some i've left out. but it might be somewhere to start. most dictionary defintitions are only made up anyway. if noah webster hadn't been getting ideas above his payscale, our american friends would still be spelling colour with a "u"

cheers, and.

 

[Adi007]

:rolmao:

Nice one Sargey!

huge furry whippingstool's river cottage

 

[Kath]

Thanks Sargey - still not quite sure where I fit-in. (Something more like nostalgia for how rural living used to be, I think!) But that's a tremendous explanation - very much appreciated. :You_Rock_ (BTW sorry you missed Ray Mears on telly! :-( )

 

[sargey]

:yikes: :biggthump

kathie, you are very astute indeed ): a pleasure to be able to help, if only a little.

adi must really have to watch his step at home :shock: :-D

cheers, and.

 

[Kath]

:yikes: :biggthump

kathie, you are very astute indeed ): a pleasure to be able to help, if only a little.

adi must really have to watch his step at home :shock: :-D

cheers, and.

No not really - as long as he doesn't store beef in my airing cupboard!!! (you think Tone would add an emoticon for 'in the doghouse'? - I think I'm gonna need it! )

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Sargey, A perusal of my pertinent posts will show I use british spelling. Said anomaly a result of my 3 years in an Anglican parochial school. There was a post 60s "Back to the Land" movement that spawned a marvelous rennaisance of timber frame building, heirloom seed collecting and homesteading " off the Grid." Rodale Press in the USA has published scores of fascinating titles ( sadly all short runs and mostly OOP.) There is a company called Lehman's Hardware and the Cumberland General store ( both have websites. My computer is being a beast tonight, but a websearch wil find them.) Both cater to the Amish communities and have marvelous non electric tools and goods.

 

[Adi007]

Here are the links:
http://www.lehmans.com/
http://www.cumberlandgeneral.com/

Interesting sites.

 

[Dutchman]

"fieldcraft" (2) the term used by hunters and military alike, to denote the ability to move, live and work in the field with very stealthy connotations.

"primitive living/skills" a step back in time from the bushcraft folks possibly. a study of techniques used by aboriginal peoples, emphasis towards the very minimum of modern contrivances.

Great stuff sargey.
Where do I find these two forums?

Thanx

 

[Adi007]

http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/
http://www.selfdefenseforums.com/

 

[Dutchman]

hmmm....not what i was looking for.

i'm not into guns, seen to much of it.

thanks anyway adi

 

[Adi007]

They're certainly not everyone's cup of tea ...

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Certainly not mine, be it ; Pine Needle, Earl Grey or Moroccan Green Tea with Mint. My 'survival' back of beyond sole remaining firearm from my paranoid youth is a #1MK111 SMLE with very deadly 215 grain Canadian moose loads. It's in the closet, and I think several of God's creatures have taken up winter residence in the chamber :shock:

 

[Gary]

We've had this thread else where on here but I think the best definitions are,

Woodcraft - crafts involving wood or woodland.

Bushcraft - crafts involved in living in a woodland, better described as primitive living (in all its various levels) although some areas of Bushcraft are more high tech.

Survival - has nothing to do with after the bomb has dropped etc, after all in such a scenerio why build a house with sticks when there will be whole housing estates empty? Why look for eatible plants when you can live off the nearest deserted tesco's? And lets not confuse survival with escape and evasion which is the military version and almost totally useless to a civilain who wants to be found.

Survival is about staying alive for about 72 hours (the average rescue time) or until help arrives. Survival is about beating hypothermia when your leg is broken on a Munro or about living in the shade of your broken down car in the Aussie out back. Survival is about signalling rescuers and is about short term stratagies aimed at returning you home.

Of course if your short term stratagies fail then survival can main walking out to safety or even living in a life raft for several months too.

Ultimately a survival scenerio is what you are most likely to find yourself in and being in such a predicament it will be survival skills and a survival kit as well as your normal kit and outdoor experience that pulls you through.

Hope that helps.