The Practical Bushcraft Survival Guide

Foreword

I have been teaching hiking, camping, and backpacking for many years throughout many countries, but only within the last three years, a group of people in Columbia asked me to teach them survival tactics in the woods. That question opened my mind and eyes wide open; I know why they had asked me to teach them, but what if similar civil and or political unrest or war breaks out in our country, how many of us would be ready? More importantly how many of us would actually survive?

I believe every one of us needs to know at least the basics of wilderness survival. This way if you ever need it, you will have the knowledge. Along with the knowledge, let's make a survival pack ready just in case. In that pack, we can put a few necessary gears, and few "must have."s. Once you do these two things (first gather the basic knowledge of survival, second get the emergency pack ready), I believe you will sleep better at night.

When it comes to knowledge and gear, there is a big debate in the bushcraft community. Some believe that the true art of bushcraft is about going into the wilderness armed only with knowledge and a knife, everything else gets left at home.

On the other hand, there are those who believe bushcraft is about being prepared and bringing the necessary gear to ensure survival in the wilderness. Whatever your view is, I tried to cover both sides of that debate in this book. This way you are covered either way.

Now one thing to remember, I am not a magician, so just by words, I can't teach or show you how to light a fire without a lighter or a match, or how to get water from a tree trunk but I can tell you what you will need to get the task completed. I can also do something better, I can link a few videos from YouTube so as you read, you can also watch the videos and learn visually. Sounds better?

Let's get started....

What is Bushcraft?

A simple explanation for bushcraft is a set of skills to help you survive, live and thrive in the wilderness; often without amenities. Typically these skills are learned through knowledge and real life experience. However, bushcraft is about a lot more than simply surviving in the wilderness. It is also about sustainability and being comfortable while living in the natural environment; it is about living as a part of the natural world with a more indigenous approach.

Bushcraft is about learning more than just one thing. Rather it is a group of interrelated skills that allow you to adapt and overcome obstacles in order to survive in the wilderness. While traditional bushcraft is focused towards survival in the wilderness, the mindset of using what is available to you can also be applied to urban and suburban settings.

Using bushcraft skills in order to live off the land is a very satisfying experience. Connecting with nature allows you to reset both physically and mentally; nothing in modern life can compare with this. Anyone of any age can learn bushcraft skills. Just keep in mind that you are learning a skill that is done without any modern conveniences; it is just you and the wilderness.

After I had learned the skills of bushcraft I noticed five main benefits:

1. An increase in ability to adapt to challenges.
2. Improved self-sufficiency.
3. Improved confidence.
4. Increased survival skills.
5. Better prepared for unforeseen problems.

When I first started bushcraft learning, my first question was what skills would I be learning? This is something you need to know before knowing whether or not learning bushcraft is something that will interest you.

What Are Bushcraft Skills?

When it comes to food foraging bushcraft focuses on the following four areas( I will get to the details little later in the book):

1. Learning about local plants.
2. Outdoor cooking methods.
3. How to avoid toxic plants.
4. Efficiently forage plants.

For trapping and hunting, bushcraft skills focus on the following eight areas:

1. Animal tracking.
2. Reading animal signs.
3. Building snares.
4. Fishing techniques.
5. Hiding human scent.
6. Knot tying.
7. Making cordage.
8. Cleaning and cooking food.

In the area of water gathering and purification, bushcraft teaches you the following five skills:

1. Finding water.
2. Making water filters.
3. Purifying water.
4. Building fire.
5. Making containers.

Within the area of building a fire, bushcraft skills also focuses on the following six areas:

1. Collecting wood.
2. Gathering tinder.
3. Batoning branches.
4. Building fire starting devices.
5. Building a fire pit.
6. Types of fire and their uses.

The last area of bushcraft skills involves shelter building and includes the following seven areas:

1. Felling trees.
2. Batoning branches.
3. Harvesting materials.
4. Thatching or weaving grass or other materials.
5. Knot tying.
6. Making cordage.
7. Natural insulation and waterproofing.

It is plain to see what bushcraft encompasses. However, bushcraft has recently been confused with wilderness survival in many ways and for good reasons too. Many see bushcraft as having a pack full of tools and heading out into the wilderness to survive.

Traditional bushcraft is not about that and when it comes to discussing what bushcraft is just remember modern day bushcraft has changed in many ways and now people are interested in learning how the bushcraft skills can make them live and survive in the woods when the time and the need arise.

What is Bushcraft Not About?

Perhaps the most important thing is that traditional bushcraft is about being responsible and leaving no trace. Bushcraft is not about camping in the wilderness and leaving evidence behind that you were there. You don't cut down live trees to build shelters or fires; that is destructive and unsustainable, something a true bushcraft practitioner wouldn't do.

The same can be said for shelters. True bushcraft wouldn't leave a shelter behind in the woods because it is an eyesore and also potentially dangerous.

Not only is it illegal to leave garbage around or even to bury it, but it is also someone wouldn't do when practicing bushcraft.

When lighting fires, bushcraft practicers do so in a way that doesn't leave charred ground with a ring of stones. This is disgraceful, potentially harmful to the environment and is certainly not something taught in bushcraft skills.

All of the above practices, when done incorrectly, would show disrespect and a lack of understanding of nature. This is not what bushcraft is about, which teaches an individual to live in harmony with nature.

On the other hand, a bushcraft practicer uses natural shelters that are built with dead material or in a way that won't impact the local environment. Shelters are always dismantled to return a campsite to a natural condition before leaving. For this reason, some choose to use a tarp.

Bushcraft also teaches safe fire practices and to make sure a fire is completely extinguished before leaving. If there are scorched areas, then it should be covered with fresh soil or debris, so no visual is left behind. You aren't a true bushcraft practicer unless you can see no remains of your campsite when you leave.

So now you know what bushcraft is about and what it can give you in benefits. The next thing is how you can be prepared to learn the art of bushcraft.

How to Get Prepared

If you decide to venture out into the wilderness, you are going to need to do some common sense preparation. You never want to simply head out into the wilderness without any planning.

However, there is always the chance something can go wrong; even on a daily hike. The key to surviving is your knowledge and ability to use bushcraft skills. Therefore, when it comes to getting prepared to learn bushcraft, you need to be aware of the survival basics.

Survival Basics

When it comes to survival in any situation, there are four core components that you need to be aware of water, shelter, fire and food. Often in that order. Although not in every case. For survival, you need to be clear about your priorities.

If you are looking at long-term survival after a natural disaster, then food is going to be more essential that shelter or sometimes fire, since food is something you can't live without. However, if you are lost in the wilderness, then exposure or attack from wild animals can make fire or shelter a bigger priority over food. Fire is also closely linked with water since you need it to purify water, so you don't get sick.

If you are in a cold environment, the shelter is likely going to be your most important survival component. Fire will also be important for staying warm and melting snow for water.

In the desert, you are going to be most concerned about water and then shelter or fire for more water and keeping warm during cold nights.

Jungle environments are going to need fire to dry clothes, purify water and keep predators away. The shelter is often second to keep you dry from a nearly guaranteed rain.

Lastly, in a wooded environment, you can generally prioritize in any order. Woodlands are often the most ideal for bushcraft skills. You can often find water easily, and the woods provide plenty of firewood and shelter sources. There is also an abundance of animal and plant sources for food.

Let's look at each of the four survival areas to see what makes them important.

Water

Water is often at the top of the...