Reddit reviews Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
We found 12 Reddit comments about Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Bushcraft Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
*Tl;Dr. BUY CHEAP AT FIRST!! Any Morakniv and the Gator Combo hatchet/saw will get you started with shelter building, firewood processing, and campcraft projects. Total is about $50 USD. I hate pruning saws in general, but if you must have one then the Corona is slightly cheaper than the Bahco, performs the same or better, and has more size options. If budget isn't an issue silky makes professional grade saws, but consider just getting a buck saw blade and making a frame yourself.**
 
I've collected an assortment of knives/axes/saws for trips into the woods and since there is usually 3 or 4 post per week asking about knife purchases, I thought I would share some of my experiences I have with budget/mid range cutting tools for Bushcraft.
 
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Thoughts:
Tools are a personal thing and I expect to hear about it in the comments on where others are coming from. r/bushcraft is largely an echo chamber for mora knives and for good reason. They are inexpensive, high quality, and well designed for the jobs you are likely wanting to do with a knife. Mors Kochanski goes in depth on this subject in his book Bushcraft; it's a must read for anyone starting out.
I agree with the comments about fire. Here are a few other thoughts.
Don’t go crazy getting expensive kit. When starting out, a $20 dollar Mora teaches you just as much as a more expensive blade. Same for your pack, axe, and pot.
Buy a few good books. I like Bush Craft by Mors but there are a lot of good ones out there. Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival https://www.amazon.com/dp/1772130079/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g0RKDb263G68Z
Experience is the best teacher. Once you’ve read a chapter, pick a skill and head bush to practice.
Learn about plants. In my view it’s 80% of bushcraft. An aboriginal in a new environment would want to know about edible and medicinal plants. Mammals, fish, insects, and reptiles are ubiquitous.
After a bit, you’ll see the more you know the sorter your knife is and you don’t carry as much in your pack. 😊
To add to what Ryan said, there are also a bunch of good books on the subject, most of which can be found for free.
John 'Lofty' Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook is extremely comprehensive (around 600 pages) and very information-dense.
The US Army Survival Manual is also pretty good, but it's not as comprehensive or detailed as Wiseman's book.
Although it's more of a bushcraft book, Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft is extremely well done. His descriptions are easy to read, but fairly comprehensive, and are paired with detailed sketches and pictures.
Mainly, just go out and practice. You're already a capable outdoorsman, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. If you wanna take courses, just search around for courses near where you are, or maybe look at something like NOLS. Hope that's helpful.
>-Are there any areas in Wisconsin I could do this? Or would I have to ask someone owning private land?
No idea.
>
-I have a hatchet, folding saw, 4 inch fixed blade, lighter, and I'm going to get a pot/pan, a small tarp, some twine, and a billy can before I do anything. Is there anything else essential I should get?
Those are the essentials. Actually, those are more than the essentials. What you really need right now is experience.
>-Would it be beneficial to take a buddy as well as telling others that I'm going to be gone?
Bushcrafting is always more enjoyable with a friend. But always tell someone back at home where you're going and what your exit plan is.
>-Should I go out and build the shelter/camp bit by bit before attempting overnighters, or just go at it all at once?
This is really the question I wanted to answer for you, so strap in. It could be a bumpy ride.
You're diving in too hard, I think. You sound a bit inexperienced with outdoorsman activities. Not a problem! But it becomes one when you start getting too ambitious. Running out into the woods to build a shelter and camp/bushcraft without properly preparing yourself is a recipe for spending a cold, miserable night alone in the woods in the absolute best-worst case.
Start small, day hikes maybe. Once you have a billy can you will have all the gear you need to hike out for lunch, and hike back for the night. No worries about setting up for the night. No worries about too much/little gear. No worries about shelter, enough firewood, building, blah blah blah. Keep it simple. You need to acclimate yourself to both your abilities and your surroundings. Learn what you are capable of, how you think, and what you need to learn about your environment. You can watch all the youtube videos you want, read as many books as possible, and own the world's best field guide... But none of that matters until you start logging dirt time. Youtubers find ideal situations and do multiple takes to get it right for their demos, books have a way of simplifying scenarios, and flora never quite looks like it does in the books. Learn what resources you can and can't identify. Learn what resources are abundant, and those that are not once you know waht they are.
Get a tarp or a tent, and go do an overnight. There are tons of ways to go about doing this. Sleeping bag? Blankets? Pack extra clothes? Worry not about bulk, miles logged, or even wonderful scenery. Any of these things would be a bonus, but not the goal of the trip. You need to spend your first night in your woodlands of choice with some extra preparations, because you don't know what you're up against. You see some youtubers going out into unknown woods spending nights, weekends, even weeks alone out there. They are far beyond where you are right now. They have the experience of countless dirt time in other forests, some similar and some not. They are comfortable with their skills and are confident they can respond to whatever situation is thrown at them. Can you say the same? Until you can, you shouldn't be running out into the bush planning to spend a weekend, or even just a night.
Now, you're ready for a real bushcraft weekend. To build ahead of time, or to not? This is up to you. But since I am advising you to go out into your chosen forest several times before sleeping in a crafted shelter, I would suggest you spend some of your days during these precursor trips practicing some of those crafting skills you want to to utilize. Build, at least, most of your shelter ahead of time. Youtubers have a way of making it look like it takes no time at all to build a decent shelter. You don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere when reality hits you that it isn't as easy as you saw. The secret to success in bushcrafting, like so many other life skills, is preparation. Then preparing some more. And then preparing even more.
You'll know when it's time to challenge yourself and to have a go at building/sleeping in your shelter all at once. You'll start itching for it. You'll want to prove to yourself that you can do it.
>-Are there any other things I should be aware of?
There are so many things. So, so many other things. In fact, there are so many other things for you to be aware of, I could write a book on it. But I won't! People already have! Because I'm partial to the Bushcraft Godfather himself, I'll recommend this one. But there are many, many more.
>E.G. Making sure the fire pit isn't in an area where it will ignite roots or start a first fire.
Yes. That. Also, whenever you're not sure, line your fire pit with rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. On the ground, around your fire pit. Then around you. Build up a giant pit of rocks surrounding you, so that you are unable to climb out and start a fire. That's the best way to avoid starting forest fires.
^^^^Not ^^^^actual ^^^^advice
The comments are split into two camps: the "get out and do it" bunch, and those actually listing books. While of course there's no replacement for practice and experience, it isn't always possible to get outdoors the practice, and reading is a good way to correct your perceptions, learn new tricks, or find new ideas and inspirations.
The internet is a great place to start. There are a ton of excellent websites and forums in a variety of topics, and of course the inevitable YouTube channels, although I'm not so much a fan of videos. Be careful about online advice though; try and check reputations first, and validate things they are saying against your own experience (and, often, against common sense). That's the bad side of a place where anybody can say anything - lots of bad advice, and conflicting opinions.
Here's my book list though:
I also have a bunch of guidebooks on recognising trees, wild flowers, insects, birds, and so on, which are always useful skills to have. As with Gatty's book, watching the world around you and understanding the patterns of weather, animals, birds, and insects will give you lots of valuable clues about what's happening and how to predict changes in the environment. Trust the birds and the insects; they've been doing it a lot longer than you have!
Bushcraft, by Mors Kochanski
https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1772130079
SAS Survival Guide, by John 'Lofty' Wiseman
https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/ref
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Ten years old? Don't need to dumb it down for him. This stuff isn't complicated, it just takes practice.
Start here.
When he's in his 20's I want to hear he cut his bushcraft teeth on Kochanski.
Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft
Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
Deep survival
Bushcraft
These are the two that come to mind. Deep survival focuses on frame of mind, and bushcraft focuses on skills. It's a good balance.
Edit: the art of the rifle if this doesn't motivate you to learn about shooting, nothing will.
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1772130079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466300426&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3AMors+Kochanski