25 May 2017

Is It Hard To Find Good Locations For Bushcraft?

On bushcraft skills courses people often ask how to find the ideal bushcraft location in their area. Or mention how difficult it is to find somewhere with all the resources needed.

My answer is - of course some places can be sparse, but in general it is about improvisation.

Photo 1 here shows birch woods for shelter, tinder + fuel. A glade of birch in a hollow like this can often mean a stream. Yellow gorse for eating. Bracken for building shelter + mattress. Young bracken shoots also for eating.

Photo 2 here shows dense pine forest for shelter + fuel. Pine sap is nicely flammable and makes a good antiseptic wound dressing. Pine root is one of the best (and simplest) cordages you will find. There will be sphagnum moss in the pine forest - also hugely useful. Birch trees on the edge for birch bark tinder. Green and brown bracken for building shelter + mattress. Brambles for cordage, eating + making bramble leaf tea.

Photo 3 here shows similar resources to previous photo; along with puddles for gathering water (use sphagnum moss to soak up, then squeeze into a pan to sterilize). Ditch on either side of road you would expect to hold moisture. Road leading into forest great as a linear location feature/collecting feature.

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