Welcome to our quick bushcraft onset guidance for those who are interested in Bushcraft. Over the past few years, a trend has begun among users of social media and video sharing sites. People began to share very high quality materials obtained from nature by combining survival and camping activities against nature. It has led to people who do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to deal with this discipline which can be dangerous. This bushcraft onset guidance is a beginner’s guide to this discipline. Let’s take a look what it is?
Bushcraft Onset Guidance: What is Bushcraft?
Bushcraft is a group of knowledge and skills sets. It contains a love of nature in its center and allows a person to get to know its environment in nature and to sustain its life through it. Long story short, it is the discipline of being able to sustain life in nature.
Bushcraft Definition
Bushcraft describes the use of natural materials that we can find in the wild. It also contains the skills used by our ancestors. By acquiring these skills, the person can quickly adapt to changing conditions in the wild and has an extraordinary ability to improvise. Bushcraft skills help a person to learn how to live in nature without depending on technology or outside help.
Bushcraft includes many skills such as being able to light fires, build a shelter, find a water supply, hunt, finding directions, which will allow a person to survive in the wild. Briefly, this discipline is not only about survival, but also being able to succeed in the wilderness.
What are Bushcraft Equipment?
Essential materials for beginners; knife, axe, saw, first aid kit, paracord/rope, water bottle/flask, tarp, fire starter, bag, compass, lantern.
Bushcraft is Getting Popular
Les Hiddins, an Australian war veteran, and Mors Kochanski, a Polish Canadian, popularized the term. Later on, The term gained recognition in The UK via Ray Mears’television show and spread to all countries via network.
Origins of the Word Bushcraft
The word Bushcraft was first used by Australians and South Africans in the 1800s. The first written record is in the book “Australia’s Discovery History from1788 to 1888”, written by Ernest Favenc in 1888. The word bush means shrub and comes from Netherland Colonies who they call forest as “bosch”.
Bushcraft Onset Guidance: What are the differences between Bushcraft, Survival, Camping, and Hiking?
All people have a connection to nature. Being in a natural environment like forestland allows us to realize its richness. We already go for a walk and camping to enjoy the richness of nature. Acquiring Bushcraft skills allows us to take these experiences further and makes us feel safer.
Bushcraft and the Survival Difference
If you get lost in the woods or get injured in the wilderness or find yourself in the middle of another survival scenario, survival skills define one’s survival abilities. This discipline is used by people who want to improve their survival skills. Although there are similarities between of two, bushcraft includes voluntary survival scenarios, meaning that the person is not in a state of real survival, it is not the situation of life and death. In short, it is to learn survival scenarios and find peace in nature.
Bushcraft and Camping Difference – Bushcraft Onset Guidance
Campers carry everything they need in their bags at the place where they will do their activities. Bushcrafters are focused on using what they can find in nature. While the comfort of knowing bushcraft can’t be denied by anyone, being unprotected in the middle of nature requires more effort, both psychologically and physically.
Bushcraft and Hiking Difference – Bushcraft Beginner Guidance
Hiking is to walk a certain amount of time or distance on a known or predicted route. Bushcraft is to stay in the woods for days. Hiking requires less/lighter equipment compared to bushcraft activities which needs more/heavier equipment. While hiking requires you to carry your body over rough country, bushcraft is a discipline that allows you to save your life when things do not go well, for instance getting lost.
Bushcraft Skills – Bushcraft Onset Guidance
Learning bushcraft skills allows a person to adapt and improvise to overcome challenges in the wilderness, which leads to an increased level of self-confidence.
Being Able to Light a Fire
Being able to light fires in all conditions is a basic bushcraft skill. It is important that you get different fire-burning skills that are smoke-free and burning for a long time. You can even use the fire to warm up, cook, dry and even report your place.
Nutrition and Cooking
You spend a lot of energy during bushcraft activities, which means you need more food and water. As a result, you need to learn which plants are eatable and hunting techniques for your area and need to master the basic cooking techniques by the fire you will light.
Water Supply
It is important to make sure that the water in your hand is hygienic enough to drink. Mastering basic water disinfection processes will protect you against possible infections.
Building Shelter – Bushcraft Onset Guidance
Building a shelter to protect you in cold weather and at night is the first thing to do after you’ve specified a safe roost. Having a tarp with you can protect you from wet weather and help you warm up a little. If you don’t have any facilitator material, you can set up a debris shelter.
Tying a knot – Bushcraft Onset Guidance
Basic tying knot techniques are skills that help you in nature and in normal life.
Bushcraft Onset Guidance: How to Learn Bushcraft
Do it Again and Again – Bushcraft Onset Guidance
It will take time for you to learn and get better on each skill. Be perfect before moving on to the next skill. Prevent both you and those with you from risking your lives.
Repeat from time to time the skills you think you know and practice very well to make sure you don’t forget and rust. You don’t have to be in the wilderness to practice your skills
About People’s Experiences
There are a lot of people with more knowledge and experience in bushcraft than you and us. Don’t ignore the others experiences, make use of them. Remember, wise men learn from the mistakes of others.
Do not worry! The details of techniques and methods which are mentioned in here will be shared in separate articles.