Young lofty.

[Limaed]

I had the video below - I bought it in about 1989 from Combat & Survival magazine along with a grey/orange ex RAF issue rubberised survival poncho. The poncho actually stopped me from getting hypothermia once I think I was lucky I had it with me.

I got Lofty's book about a year earlier and certainly learnt loads from it as a youngster.

 

[atlatlman]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vSxDSes5xy4 part one
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJk-OxkQstE. part two.

I started with with a friend, we had permission to shoot rabbit on some land. We loaded our rucksacks and used to stay the night in a corner of the field then come first light be out shooting. At this time we were also reading SWAT magazine and later the Combat Survival series. Looking back I realize how badly equipped we were. Damn that old German sleeping bag with sleeves was shocking.

Thanks for that, never seen it before. Blue Peter meets Charles Manson. You could tell Duncan didn't really want to be there.

 

[eddieb]

I got started when I was quite young around age of 10 when my grandad bought me my first bag, map,compass and boots and we used to go for long walks literally all day and he showed me how to set up a snare, map reading, base building and what things are called like flint. My grandma was a gardener so she was the one who taught me my flowers, my grandparents childhoods were farming so they both had bit of old knowledge on bushcraft as my gran taught me ash made a good bow. Then my grandfather passed away and I became a lonely wilderness explorer and took geography at gcse through to alevel and learnt a hell of a lot with that which I use all the time I'm out on bushcraft missions. Then in the last 5 years I met my friends as they are now and we all have the same interests and I've got my own fbk group to keep everyone connected and we often go out to try new things. ( recently it's been spoon carving, bow making and try out new gear) and the next steps in my bushcraft relationship is attend thebushcraftshow may2014 weekend tickets woop woop! And a couple of my group including me are gonna do a weekend of nothing on us apart from clothes and a knife

 

[cranmere]

I was always one of those outdoors kids who dug holes and climbed trees and fell into any available piece of water. Mum accepted the inevitable and taught me to swim when I was very small. My Dad used to take me walking up on Dartmoor so I learned to read map and compass pretty much alongside learning to read books and he used to love tickling for trout in the stream and cooking them on sticks over a fire so I guess he was my real inspiration. Somewhere along the way I picked up a 1930s camping book and because I couldn't afford to buy stuff I learned to make my own kit, often by remaking jumble sale finds. Dad told stories of the British Army poncho/tarps which he said were horrid and always ended up leaking. I'm not sure where the interest in plants came from but I ended up studying botany and then got into ethnobotany.

My first real tent was the result of my school. Girls weren't allowed to do woodwork and metalwork so I was pushed into needlework. In response I made a small tent for my O level exam!

 

[John Fenna]

Ray Mears as he was when I first stumbled across his works...
Ray when I lasted chatted to him

 

[atlatlman]

Ray Mears as he was when I first stumbled across his works...View attachment 30213
Ray when I lasted chatted to himView attachment 30214

I think my little sister had that poster up on her bedroom wall back in the 80's. Sorry my mistake, it was Simon Le Bon.

 

[Miniwhisk]

My Dad. Me being a tom boy. Building dens in the hot summer of '76.
Girlguides was one time of my life that stands out. Its always the little moments the stick in your head. Before our first group camp we learned to light a fire - contained in a dustbin lid. It really inspired me when our pack leader had to improvise a spur-of-the moment fire container to prevent our fire getting out if hand.. Improvisation is fun and a pretty important survival skill. I did well at laying and lighting the fire and that was encouraging.

My love of trees was first noticed by my Dad. Having been bought a camera, we took my first roll of film to be developed. Low and behold, there were no people in most of the photos, just trees! Still not sure what that means.

 

[Goatboy]

For me it was always just a case of how I grew up. Wandering around the countryside and staying out. In the 80's it got a name (which thankfully soon changed) Survivalism. It had some negative connotations though folk like Mr Fenna at SWAT magazine kept it on a firmer footing. (It was you wasn't it?).

Later on it became less scary with the re-branding to bushcraft and it became more acceptable to be one. Though I recon films Jeremiah Johnson and series like Centennial with characters like Pasquinel helped a lot. That coupled with a library ticket that allowed me to consume books and stories about early adventurers and explorers.

So having a country Dad and a passion for the outdoors always made it a way of growing up rather than a defined point in my life I think.

 

[John Fenna]

For me it was always just a case of how I grew up. Wandering around the countryside and staying out. In the 80's it got a name (which thankfully soon changed) Survivalism. It had some negative connotations though folk like Mr Fenna at SWAT magazine kept it on a firmer footing. (It was you wasn't it?).

.

Yes - guilty as charged.....

 

[Bonzo Frog]

In 82/83 I was working in an outdoor shop selling equipment by BCB. They put an invite out to retailers of their kit saying you sell it come and learn how to use it. My boss asked me if I was interested so I said yes not knowing what was on offer. I turned up in a lay by and met up with about 15 others and of we went into the Herefordshire woodlands and there was Lofty and a mate of his named Paul if I remember correctly. I didn't really know about him then but what a fantastic weekend. I believe it was The School of Survival Hereford, I did have a certificate but lost it when I got flooded in 2007 A real character and his enthusiasm was infectious. I hope to see him and listen to one of his talks at the Bushcraft show in a couple of weeks.

Dave

 

[atlatlman]

Lucky you to have met him.