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Well I am home and unpacked after a great few days at this years Wilderness gathering.
It had been something of a last minute trip after original plans fell through and new opportunities arose. Mainly the offer of free tickets in return for some work with Lone Scout bushcraft. Ian was organising the activities for the younger bushcrafters (the coyote kids.) and never seemed to be still for longer than 5 minutes so I spent a while manning his stand and pointing a lot of very enthusiastic Kids to the right bushcraft courses that had been laid on as part of the weekend.
As it was I barely got chance to do much more than empty my bank account and catch up with some old friends, but did have some insightful chats and listen to some interesting Bushcraft and tracking discussions. There was certainly plenty to keep me occupied and without being too much of a bore Ill recount some of the highlights.
Well to say things were busy would be something of an understatement.
I gave up counting after building the 44th den of the day and twice had to order out from the Rangers for more brash, branches and tea ( I didn't get 5 minutes in the whole day to get the kettle on.) with 1400 visitors to the country skills day there was a constant flow of volunteers eager to learn the fundamental skills of building the bestest, secretest coolest looking dens there are.
Whenever I am out in the woods I am always looking forward to my next brew, no more so at the break of dawn when Im just rising and thinking about the day ahead. Something that I cannot do without a good fresh coffee in hand. Coffee being so important I will some time dedicate a blog to my quest for the perfect camp brew.
of course after a long night its always a little disheartening to come back to the camp fire only to find a flat bed of white ash and a few blackened dog ends. But fear not as there is a simple and effortless way to bring life back to this heart of your bushcraft camp.
Some bow drill friction fire pointers.
Well although I have p[romised a few of you who have been on my courses that I would Blog a tutorial on Friction fire. So far every attempt to write it turns into a full blown hundred page manual. The final decision being that until I arrange to film it I will let people find the myriad other videos on you tube that already exist.
However for those that are trying themselves, as I have seen with my students often times there are a few very simple pointers that can make your friction firemaking so much easier.
It seems that there is more to schools in the forest than just forest schools.
Having been working recently with small groups of students from Bideford College I am starting to find all sorts of new potential for the wilderness as a true outdoor classroom. I have always felt that forest schools was just a scratch on the surface of all the potential that the wilderness has to offer in learning but kept schtum as with no true experience I had no right to comment.
However with the acceptance that it is only as good as the leader I have found that for certain students there is so much to learn in the woods and wilds. skills and subjects that are not often thought of and sometimes purposefully avoided by many schools.
Having worked closely with the SEN department at the college I am finding a great many ways that WildPath can help staff and pupils alike.
After a late show of interest in introductory courses we have decided to run an additional course in September. The course will be run in the Arlington Court estate and is part of the Wild camping trial that we have initiated with the National Trust. Certifying attendees that complete the course to return to stay in the woods overnight for the next five years.
The course is a introduction to all the fundamental skills to start you on your way to being a fully fledged bushcrafter and although no two courses are ever the same will cover friction fire lighting, shelter building, wild foods, tracking and some rudimentary woodland crafts.
Attendees will leave the weekend with a good grounding and experience that should let them venture into the woods alone and spend a few nights in comfort enjoying the wilderness and honing their skills.
After the resounding success with Arlington courts oven I have been asked by a few visitors on the day whether I run Earth oven building courses.
Not something I thought would attract too many people however I did promise that if we could find a minimum of 6 people then we can run a one day course that will cover all you need to know on the basics of building an earth oven. So you can return home and start your own project in the back garden.
Well it has been a busy few days and a long time since I sat in front of a computer, all for good reason and Im back to report on the most recent event, building an earth oven at Arlington Court.
There is not a great deal to building an earth oven and I think its the sort of thing everyone should get involved with once in their lives, there is a real sense of achievement when you get the first whiff of cooking bread and pizza and even with the odd gritty bit there's no taste like a true al fresco meal. home baked in the great outdoors. They can be built as a temporary bushcraft project or with a little thought and planning something a little more permanent that can sit next to the barbecue for years to come.
Well it started as a suggestion to Arlingtons head ranger and gone up the chain from there.
Whilst scouting new locations at the venue I mentioned how many people come on my courses then don't have a place to go and practice their new found skills. We spoke of the suspicions that some landowners have of anyone who might choose to spend free time smelling of wood smoke and avoiding power tools and other gadgetry. I suggested a dream I have had for a few years now, that once a person has proven themselves able to spend time in the wilds as a true woodsman, living by the leave no trace code then that should be somehow recognised and rewarded with a series of venues throughout the land where they are welcome to camp and practice bushcraft.
Well just back from another fun weekend at the head of Canonteign falls, with max and the Shadowhawk trackers.
As always it was an awesome weekend with equal parts instructing , tom foolery and learning. The group was, for a change, mainly made up of bushcrafters so it was nice to see such an advance in skills from clients who on occasion arrive in the woods for the first time wide eyed and looking for guidance. I was a little surprised at the speed in which bushcraft has become so mainstream, only last year I would say that 50% of max's clients where new to the concept of wild camping. Although Novembers course may have a few less bushcraft savvy folk on it.
