Bearclaw Bushcraft

Neanderthal and our survival!!

2008-07-30T07:07:00.006Z

Over the years I have put forward several less than savoury theories, the fact that modern man is breeding in inheriant weakness by turning natures concept of survival of the fittest backwards or by suggesting that our ancestors where more intelligent, adaptable than those of races that never ventured out of Africa.

Well my suppositions where/are simply based on common sense and knowledge of the sort of skills required for people to survive that type of journey and in those types of climate - for example making fire on a frozen glacietate continent requires a huge leap in thinking from lighting fires on the sun baked savanna - but it seems science has finally backed me up.

Yep and in a most interesting way.

It seems the mystery of the Neanderthal disappearance and our own Western Ancestors ability to over come the problems of migration which saw others fall by the wayside (true survival of the fittest) is due to the fact the cromagnon man and the neanderthals joined forces - more correctly we absorbed them into our species - mating with them, not multiracial - multispecies.

Up until now the only real clue of this were the remains of one small child who showed similar characteristics to both species and of course the shared caves of Isreal.

But now Scientists have found, in DNA, a gene from the Neanderthal's and it is present in about a third of the human population THEY THINK..........what they are saying is that Neanderthals lacking the intelligence to make superior hunting tools like the ATLATL for example had to be more communicative and hunt in groups while Cromagnon man had the ability to be a solo hunter but was also more gifted in curiousity and inventiveness - the joining of both types of hunter ment groups of curious, inventive, communicative and cooperative hunters could cross the ice in persuit of game - working in teams and problem solving, finding new ways to make fire, finding new plants and game to eat ..............IMPROVISING ADAPTING AND OVERCOMING!

Nature doesnt do Political correctness ............

Bushcraft is dead - long live camping!!

2008-07-29T12:11:00.004Z

18 years ago when I first started down bushcrafts dusty trail I bought a book in a small book shop on Padstow Harbours front - the Author a chap called Raymond Mears captured my imagination with his almost unbridled love of the subject he was writing about - get out there build nature shelters, light fires and live like a native it cried from every page ..............

A few years later same guy was doing 3 minute clips on a programme called Tracks ............here the same theme, armed with a blanket, a billy and a cutting tool he showed us how to go bush .........

And inspired we copied him, we went bush - for several years I only took a us army poncho liner, a mess tin and a knife and would go out and over night camp in all sorts of places all over the world for this is what bushcraft was all about - I was living like a native, when it was cold at night I built a bigger fire or changed the lay! When I was hungry I looked for food but didnt mind the empty stomach if I found nothing that day ....................

Then bushcraft became a hobby ..................................BECAME POPULAR .......................was twisted and changed beyond recognition...................didnt it??

Now most, if not all, self professed bushcrafters go camping in the woods! The desire to live the simple life, like a native, has been replaced with a commercial franzy that tells us we need the latest hammock and designer techno tarp - your not a shrafter without the must have (or one of the many copies of) a woodlore style knife! The average shrafter needs a 125 litre plus bergen to carry his kit which is OK as the car parked at a safe walking distance from the expedition style camp so he'll not even break sweat!! He needs food - and lots of it - he needs his kitchen set up and his folding chairs and his ..................the list is endless!!

Bushcraft has become camping ................camping without the showers and the camp shop for sure but camping none the less

You think I'm being over dramatic, maybe but think on this - there are now 50 or 60 schools in UK - some good, some bad - some teaching to the highest standards others appaulingly lacking but ALL teach the same skills, shelter building, fire lighting, carving, foragng ect ect - these subjects ARE what bushcraft is..........no school to my knowledge teaches "How to put up a tent" "how to fry a full english over a camp fire" "how to put the batteries in your shiny GPS"

The term Bushcraft suggests the use of crafts - crafts require the application of skills - today you dont need skills to go bushcrafting, pah why bother, when you can buy everything you need, if you lack the knowledge you just buy more kit to replace it ..............................

So if the subjects and skills taught are bushcraft why is it that so few people who pretend to be bushcrafting actually build and sleep in shelters? How many so called bushcrafters forage their meals (and no a trip to the local supermarket isnt foraging!)

Bushcraft has become camping, it is what I as a kid we called camping, its what families did when they went camping! What we called bushcraft skills when I first started out are now called Survival Skills ...............

2008-07-22T09:15:00.000Z

Follow baggy the bear!!

Havent seen this for awhile - it still makes me laugh so my continued thanks to Tref and his
family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-Ji4XmL0o

Survival - its not a dirty word

2008-07-17T08:42:00.009Z

In the bushcraft world many people get quite ................... ermmmm excited at the mention of SURVIVAL SKILLS ..............WHY??

What do they fear? Kit separation anxiety syndrome (after all must bushcrafters cant survive without all their flash gucci kit can they? or is it just going outside their comfort zone (we all like being in the bush when the suns out - its warm - we have a campfire and a car full of food near by)

Survival skills are key to bushcraft skills for without the later we can not build bushcraft skills we can depend on any more than we can build a house without foundations!!

Survival skills are the common sense skills, the nitty gritty that leads us to bushcraft!

To qoute Lofty Wisemen "Life we survive til we die"

A recent google of "survival course" found 158,000 sites .................of those almost all are professed Bushcraft schools who also list survival in their itinery .............bushcraft and survival courses ........wilderness living and survival ............our own WEISS course (wilderness experience International Survival school) ..................so whats the hang up with wanting to do survival training?

Even Mr Mears' books and programmes "the survival HANDBOOK" "EXTREME SURVIVAL" even "the WORLD OF SURVIVAL" - Good enough for Ray good enough for me say!!

Maybe its a comfort zone thing - UK shrafters like to sit around the campfire!! Before you ponder this think on the fact that from my own experience Swedes, Danes and even Spainards.......... our shall we say europeans all seem more iinterested in learning survival skills over bushcraft!

But its just a word and I think the reason most schools list bushcraft and survival courses rather than just bushcraft or just survival (and you will note there courses themselves rarely are just bushcraft or just survival) is because the over lap is to great .................bushcraft and survival are the same thing - they are feathers on the same bird - so survival isnt a dirty word well not if you wish to be a well rounded outdoorsman with the skills to live and thrive in the wilderness!

Winter WEISS

2008-07-17T07:48:00.010Z

http://blogg.nordicbushcraft.com/2008/03/10/winter-weiss-2008/

It may seem a strange time of year, the heart of english summer time, to be thinking of winter and sub-arctic bushcraft or survival but for us at bearclaw bushcraft the March 2009 Winter WEISS course is our next biggest adventure.

This excellent course is without a doubt one of our best and certainly one of my favourites! Unlike the testing Temperate WEISS course the Winter course is built around the standard educational model we use for standard courses, ie Students are well feed, kept warm and taught .............. each lesson following the standard EDI instructional pattern.

For this course we provide all the food and equipment so I you need to bring is warm clothing and a smile!!

We have a couple of places left at the moment so to fill them and thus aid us in closing the books I'm offering a 10% discount to anyone who books now (this will likely cover travel costs - offer closes when last place is gone - or 5 November whichever comes first)

So dont miss out on a great, fun and fulfilling experience - book today - your deposit secures your place in a winter wonderland!!

Beekeepers WEISS TRIP - A BLOG

2008-07-16T11:36:00.001Z

http://stuartsbushcraft.blogspot.com/

Stuart - aka the beekeeper, has written a excellent peice on his travels to sweden and the courses we had the pleasure of having him on.

Hope you dont mind me adding the link here buddy!

KUKRI - the bushcrafters friend

2008-07-15T07:38:00.005Z

KHUKURI \ KUKRI KNIFE: A mid-length curved knife comprising a distinctive “Cho” that is the national knife and icon of Nepal, basic and traditional utility knife of Nepalese, a formidable and effective weapon of the Gurkhas and an exquisite piece of local craftsmanship that symbolizes pride and valor which also represents the country and it’s culture. Believed to have existed 2500 years ago; “Kopi” is the probable source of the Khukuri that was used by Greek in the 4 th BC. However, khukuri came into limelight only in and particularly after the Nepal War in 1814-15 after the formation of British Gurkha Army. Basically carried in a leather case, mostly having walnut wooden grip and traditionally having two small knives, it is one of the most famous and feared knives of the world.

Kukri Blade
1.
Belly (Bhundi): Widest part/area of the blade.
2.
Bevel (Patti): Slope from the main body until the sharp edge.
3.
Bolster (Kanjo): Thick metal/brass round shaped plate between blade and handle made to support and reinforce the fixture.
4.
Butt Cap (Chapri): Thick metal/brass plate used to secure the handle to the tang.
5.
Cho/Notch (Kaudi): A distintive cut (numeric 3 like shape) in the edge functioned as a blood dropper and others.
6.
Edge (Dhaar): Sharp edge of the blade.
7.
Fuller (Chirra): Curvature/Hump in the blade made to absorb impact and to reduce unnecessary weight.
8.
Fuller/Groove (Khol): Straight groove or deep line that runs along part of the upper spine.
9.
Keeper (Hira Jornu): Spade/Diamond shaped metal/brass plate used to seal the butt cap.
10.
Main body (Ang): Main surface or panel of the blade.
11.
Peak (Juro): Highest point of the blade.
12.
Ricasso (Ghari): Blunt area between notch and bolster.
13.
Rings (Harhari): Round circles in the handle.
14.
Rivet (Khil): Steel or metal bolt to fasten or secure tang to the handle.
15.
Spine (Beet): Thickest blunt edge of the blade.
16.
Tang (Paro): Rear piece of the blade that goes through the handle
17.
Tang Tail (Puchchar): Last point of the khukuri blade.
18.
Tip (Toppa): Starting point of the blade.

Kukri Scabbard
1.
Chape (Khothi): Pointed mettalic tip of the scabbard. Used to protect the naked tip of a scabbard.
2.
Frog (Faras): Belt holder especially made of thick leather (2mm to 4mm) encircling the scabbard close towards the throat.
3.
Lace (Tuna): A leather cord used to sew or attach two ends of the frog. Especially used in army types (not available in this pic).
4.
Loop (Golie): Round leather room/space where a belt goes through attached/fixed to the keeper with steel rivets.
5.
Lower Edge (Tallo Bhag): Belly/curvature of the scabbard.
6.
Main Body (Sharir): The main body or surface of the scabbard. Generally made in semi oval shape.
7.
Strap/Ridge (Bhunti): Thick raw leather encirlcing the scabbard made to create a hump to secure the frog from moving or wobbling (not available in this pic).
8.
Throat (Mauri): Entrance towards the interior of the scabbard for the blade.
9.
Upper Edge (Mathillo Bhaag): Spine of the scabbard where holding should be done when handling a Khukuri

Cutting tool Used for domestic purposes, for kitchen use, for gardening, backyard clearance, household work, in and around living area; a basic cutting tool.

Outdoor For jungle use as a machete, during safaris, trekking, camping out in the woods, hunting, fishing, cutting and clearing bushes, branches /small trees, forestry activities, also used as hammer, digger etc, basically a survival tool.

Military For parade (Kukri drill), on duty or guard, training, exercises, warfare, combat, close counter fighting, army ritual ceremony, presentation (when an officer retires, he is given a special “Kothimora” sliver Kukri to mark his loyal service and duty), regimental insignia and distinction.

Religious and Cultural For beheading domestic animals during festivals (mainly Dashain), to perform ritual ceremonies (which requires slaughtering for example; vehicles opening), during marriage ceremonies (bridegroom with his traditional marriage dress), royal ceremonies (in the absence of the king, his kukri will represent him), special ritual occasions (particularly which requires blood and blessings), Poojas. Also in castes like Rai, Magar Gurung’s tradition, a kukri is buried along with the dead with a belief that by doing so it would destroy all his demons and sins. In remote villages there is a practice of presenting kukri to a grown lad to mark his manhood and maturity.

Presentation, Display and Collection As gifts (to honor or thank someone in a special way), for decoration (to decor or adorn ones place, a special way to enhance the beauty and ambient), Collector’s pride and preference, unique souvenir and memento, prizes and cup, owner’s prize possession, business promotion and awards.

Myths and Beliefs The famous legendary story goes- every time a Gurkha draws his weapon out, if he was unable to find his enemy’s blood then he had to put his own, other story also goes- long time ago it was believed that Kukri was also used as boomerang; means; it was thrown towards the enemy, beheaded him and swung back to the user’s hand; kept under pillow to prevent bad dreams and nightmares, in villages and rural areas carrying kukri symbolizes manhood for boys, to keep away satins, ghosts and black magic, to safe guard and protect a family spiritually and religiously. As well, a very popular saying in Nepalese as “Kukri Bhanda Karda Lagne”, sarcastic meaning “To be over smart than his/hers elders”

Pride and Honor National icon, national weapon, national souvernity, symbols/monograms for many Nepalese Government departments and branches (army, police, security, forestry, scouts etc), representing Nepal internationally and worldwide, naming local products after “Kukri” (Khukuri Rum, Khukuri Choorot/cigarette etc), unique national memento and souvenir, honest and powerful recognition, trademark for security forces at war and peace, a precious gift used at the highest official level

Ornaments and wealth Precious and valuable ornaments (to adorn oneself with special curio type replica kukris), to show one’s status and size (gold and silver Kukris at home, office etc), history shows kings, ministers, generals etc displaying big expensive kukris to demonstrate power, money and pride.

But above all this a Kukri is a excellent full sized camp knife Ideal for all the tasks we'd ask of an Hatchet or small forest axe. And with the two smaller knives a far more complete outfit. THe smallers knives (usually 3" in length) are the Karda which is a utility blade ideal for whittling, food or game prep and all tasks the bigger blade is deemed to cumbersome for. The OTHER tool is a chakmak this is a sharpening device not really a stone more like a file ................but it is also the tool used with flint for fire light as in your standard flint and steel.

And as a parting thought - if you have to have a Kukri wielding buddy - fingers cross you have one like this ...............

Candle iin the wind

2008-07-03T11:40:00.003Z

Illuminating the darkness, warding off that which scares us in the primordial night has always been one of mans concerns............nothing is as comforting on a night alone in the woods as a fire, a torch ya great 0 but a fire now thats a friend.

But what about modern man in our plastic world...........susperstitions bah......... the dark holds no fear for me .............. ya right, Ive camped many a lonely week both near and far and even I get spooked by the boogey man once in a while.

The Native americans called the boogeyman the Wind-a-go spirit, a creature which whispers in your ear, twisting your thoughts - scaring you or sapping your morale - the Indians say the only way to dispell a wind-a-go is to do something positive action .................how on a cold lonely night, in a place where a fire isnt a option I've often found a candle does the job nicely !

Ok, ok SPOOKs aside lets consider the humble candle!

I always carry a pair of tallow candles in my bergen, its a old habit learn from years of experience. Tallow is a edible veg oil so in theory a food source but better than this (you'd have to be bloody hungry to eat a candle) this type of candle has a long life - both on the shelf and in its burn time (typically 10 hours) thats a lot of illumination for a tent or shelter and its a lot of battery power saved!

More importantly a candle is a source of heat - we often burn candles in our teepees on courses to drive out the damp air - they warm the tent by a few degrees (in a snow hole this is critical) but more importantly they warm the tent to the eye casting a comforting welcoming golden glow!

Any candle will do of course - IKEA tea candle 100 for a £1 are almost as good - but I still prefer the long life candles and will often burn the tea candles saving the long life ones for real emergencies .............have you every wished you had a candle in that dark bothy or shelter?

No, next time you venture out into the woods try it - take a candle and see how you get on, not just for light but for the thousand of other uses they can be put to from lubing a bow drill bearing block to waterproofing matches .............

Vildmark and WEISS 2008

2008-06-23T19:19:00.006Z

Sweden 2008.

This years Vildmark and WEISS were with out a doubt the best ones ever - from both an instructional and students prespective.

The weather was challenging as was the WEISS course but I am proud to say everyone still passed even after doing the bow drill test in a torrential downpour!!

The highlight for me was two fold - firstly the the high standard of the course and secondly the fact we have now had students from 8 differnet countries pass through the school making it a truely international course in every respect.

Factory over hand made - the knife question??!

2008-05-16T07:23:00.006Z

Most Bushcrafters are of the impression that a hand made knife of carbon steel is the best they can get and many aspire to this.

But is it?

Is the hand made knife - pound for pound - a better tool?

Of course if you want something special - made to your specs using materials of your choosing like the Leuku below - then a custom job is the only answer but if your looking for a work horse - why spend all that time and money?

Technology is such that many factory made knifes are now cheaper than ever before and yet of the highest quality - perfectly mixed steels of flawless quality and digitally set tempers which can not be matched by the hand maker? Can they?

We are all familiar with the Forst Mora - made popular by Mr Mears and now the standard issue tool by most of the better schools for novices but what of Brusletto or Helle ...... Martinni or any of the other Finnish or scandinavian makers with centuries of tradition behind them?

They all offer a vast array of tools so much so thant even the most picky of people must find one among the range they like!

Of course theres the argument - "well as in any hobby you should have the best tools you can afford" but does price really reflex quality?? Or does price actually just reflect the fact that a hand maker can not make the same type of knife in the same time span and with the lower overheads of a major factory?? If so then surely the "best tool you can afford" isnt a reflection on the tool and its ability but on the name of the maker?? Your paying for a brand name - Alan Wood knives for example, I've owned two and while the workmanship is great they cut the same as a Mora clipper - indeed in use the clipper is more versatile.

Recently (with the down turn in the global and UK economy) I decided to veer away from the hand made ranges and look at the mass produced tools out there ..........and have been pleasnatly surprised how good they really are.

My favourite (pictured above) came from Attleborough Accessories in Norfolk and is the Brusletto Middelalder - a factory custom job aimed at collectors and as such a limited run - which originally was rrp £70 BUT they are now selling at £30. For this price you get a lot of quality in the knife and it now piggy backs with my Wilderness Knife as my field utility knife!! The feel of the tool is excellent and the quality equally so ...........it certainly matches any hand made knife I've ever owned!

Other knifes in the Brusletto range I like are the Bamsen (my oldest knife which I used for many years until I joined the woodlore team) the Granbit and Troll are both equally good and make fantastic utility tools.

Of course ALL of the above doesnt detract from the pleasure you get from receiving and owning a unique hand made tool - but if your looking for a work tool, if your more practical than romantic, and if you want to own many knives for the price of one then a mass produced knife may be your answer .............after all even Mors Kochanski preferred one (the Erikson mora) to a custom job and as a man with a life times more experience than most people how can we fault him.....................

So next time your pondering a new cutting tool - give the factory ranges a thought - with the money you save you could even afford to go out into the wilderness and use it ")

Out with the old in with the new part 2

2008-04-30T11:27:00.004Z

During our recent Fasach Ile course the old style Kelly Kettle won its strips ............now since they moved production of the kettles to eastern Europe I've not been a fan - the older models were bomb proof but the new???

Anyway as luck would have it being so impressed in Scotland I decided to search for a new and better item thats similar to the Kelly ............. and loo and behold I found one ..........made in Britian by the guys who used to make the old Kelly Kettles - happy days!!

Even better - where the Kelly Kettle just has a cork bung - these have whistles, which do two things - whistle when boiled but also by sealing the spout they also ensure both a quicker boil time and no boil over!!

Coming soon to the trading post the new Kettle is known as a GHILLIE kettle and as well as being better made, more varsatile it also comes in three sizes thus making it more adaptable to the users uses from the lone hiker to small or large groups!

It also comes with a decent carry sack which has sholder straps so it can be carried like the old school slipper bag!!

And .............phew the list goes on - if you seal the spout with cling film and replace the whistle its waterproof seal means you can carry it full of water - thus not depleteing you drinking water on day hikes!!

As you can see I'm impressed - thats why I decided to start stocking them!!

The king is dead long live the king!!

Out with the old - in with the new??

2008-04-27T15:31:00.008Z

Once upon a time the wily woodsman could wander far and wide with just his possibles bag, knife and axe as his only tools.........

Nessmuks trinity - hatchet, knife and pocket knife are proof of this - but can the modern traveller do the same?

Can we, in a day and age of techno gear get by with just a couple of simple tools?

I think not - the trinity still exists but I think if Nessmuk was alive today - even he would use a multitool!

Over the last 20 years I've experimented off and on with various models from the original Leatherman - threw the Gerbers and SOGS - and back to the new Leathermans and I think it safe to say the Leatherman WAVE has come to be my favourite - its certainly earnt its stripes on the last few trips I've had and now if a perminent addition to my kit!

Another modern replacement is the possibles pouch or bag - not so long ago I was told by a top outdoorsman that wearing a possibles pouch made me look like a re-enactor. Not so long ago same said person was wearing one and now even sell them .....so proof of the pudding is int he eating a possibles pouch is a handy bit of kit ........but again in recent times I've found myself replacing my traditional leather pouch with the modern version of it - either a snugpak Responce Pak or the USMC 3 in 1 pouch its modelled upon.

Regardless which pouch you go for (the only real difference being the 3 in 1 converts to a shoulder bag) the room for gear is impressive offering us the ability to carry a waterbottle and mug in the main section, first and survival items in the side pockets and or the front pocket ect ect - and yet taking up no more or extra space on our body!!

Out with the old in with the new .............in those two cases I say YES!

Fasach Ile - the movie

2008-04-21T22:44:00.002Z

Well I've been playing again - sometimes a picture paints a thousand words so enjoy!

Fasach ILE

2008-04-21T08:00:00.003Z

Well another great course!! Well done to all who attended what was possibly the coldest, windest course I can remember!!

HNEFATAFL - good game good game!

2008-04-01T16:23:00.003Z

Hnefatafl - The Viking Game
The game was popular in the Viking homelands of Scandanavia as early as 400AD and was carried by the Vikings to the lands that they conquered. Over the centuries the game developed and artefacts from the game have been found as far afield as Ireland to the Ukraine.

The name Hnefatafl means "The Kings Table", and through manuscripts which detail the game, the rules and instructions of play have been gradually worked out, although there is no doubt that there were many different versions of the game.

Hnefatafl was last recorded as being played in Wales in 1587 and in Lapland in 1723. Its decline began in the 11th century when chess grew in popularity.

'Tafl' is a great game for the bushcrafter too - a game requiring all the skills of chess but one of shorter duration buting it a excellent fire side companion!!

Kit husbandry.

2008-03-14T23:04:00.007Z

Our kit is generally our first line of defence against the elements when we go bush ..........regardless of wether were weekending it in sunny sussex or on a course in the frozen north. It therefore seems obvious to me we should look after it!!

Good care and maint of kit will see it giving you years of service - some times even becoming like trusted friends.

Yet all that common sense above is so found lacking in the individual - more than once I have been told I should design a course about how to be efficient in the field.

For example on a trip to the snowy world the group we lead had to tow Pulka's with their gear in - arriving at the car park everyone quickly packed and harnessed up, well all except one team. Due, in part, to misinformation this pair found themselves packing and unpack their pulka while the whole rest of the group stood around getting cold - having not gone anywhere that wasnt a problem but had we been hauling and been warmed up maybe even a little sweaty - that delay would have chilled us and in extreme bad weather could even have killed!!

More so in the snow Maja maja disou (a mishceivious sprite who hides people gear in the snow until the spring thaw) would have a field day with a disorganised shrafter.

The principle of ruthless efficiency is simple - we use a item and then we put it back.

Study the three pictures below - all are experienced outdoors mens gear - all the kit needed for a week in the mountains at temperatures down to - 25 - see if you can see whose kit Maja maja disou would have the most fun with??

Question - a kero lamp is knocked over - the curtains go up - its midnight and mihus 17 outside - who of the above people is most likely to be able to grab all their kit and flee the building, survivng both the fire and the killer weather outside??

The idea also extends to your personal kit - that which you carry on your body. A possibles pouch for example might contain first aid and survival items but is no good if you unpack it and leave the items all over the table when you go out - as a rule I always carry a small cuts (and a FFD) first aid kit on my person if its not in a pocket its on my belt. The same applies to a cutting tool - which is always clean and kept sharp - a blunt knife is a screwdriver!

Once accused of carrying a load of s**te in my pockets by a fellow we'll call Johnny I challenged this deep and meaningful remark. The kit I carry in my pockets (a old army habit) is plentiful but all of it useful - as was proven when I magically conjured up items needed for a first aid lecture, or on other occasions when I magically produce the contents of a fire lighting lecture from my personal gear - so this isnt a load of s**te quite the reverse its all practical gear which I know how to use and which has won its place there from hard earned experience!! But its also not an item more than I need carry - ruthless effeciancy again!

Last thought on ruthless effeciency - be wary of arrogance, I am the expert I know everything I dont need this, or you have to much of that ect ect sound familiar??

We hear it all the time - but heres the thing, their level of skill and yours might be different, the expert who brings all his kit up in a landrover can afford to carry loads of gear - the expert who works predominently in a cold enviroment or a desert will have a finely tuned kit but will also have all his creature comforts - while you have to carry in your gear - maybe even get it in via customs ect - maybe the enviroments new to you too so you have a few 'just in case' items.

Thats cool as long as you treat the "we live here" or the "we know best" gang with a pinch of salt learn from them thats the whole point but evaluate what your learning - many is the time Ive been with so called experts or natives who've shown major gaps in their skills, their personal hygiene and their ability to function without kit!

So to summarize - carry less by knowing more is our aim - thus lightening our load and proving we have the skills to move through nature at one with her - but where we do need kit we need to show good skills - for kit husbandry is a skill and an important one probably more important than bow drill for example - so its a skill we must master. Be selctive of what you carry and how and where - have safety items to hand always - but most importantly if its not being used its packed - that way if the world turns to a pound of pooh in the night you can grab all your gear in a heart beat and escape the problem - maybe ruthless effiecence is a skill above all others that will be most likely to save your life!!

Bearclaw Winter WEISS 2008

2008-03-14T10:51:00.013Z

The Weiss course was designed and established 40 years ago and the programme hasnt changed much since then.

Essentially the idea is you do a summer or temperate course to test your everyday skills - (skills which are much of a much ness the world over, by this I mean fire lighting in Swedish summer is not much different to fire lighting in scotland or Africa or Australia .............but fire lighting in the frozen north when the woods appears dead but is really just frozen is a different matter!) then you progress to a winter course which teaches you the skills needed to preserve life either above the tree line or in a snowy wonderland!!

Ideally all those attending the Winter WEISS are there by either invite or by the fact they have proven themselves good enough to pass the Temperate course. In many ways they are the elite, showing courage, fortitude and great personal inner strength as well as the highest level of personal skill.

The course itself is more relaxed than the Summer WEISS as learning is key - at minus 12 with a wind chill of minus 25 you can not afford to make mistakes!! The subject range is wide and varied as you would expect but the skills required to preserve life are paramount and as such much time was dedicated to them - especially such things as teaching the students (by trial and error) the difference in snow types and the types of shelters you can and cant build ..............how easy it is in a survival manual when you read "build a snow trench or a quince"!!

The Winter WEISS students now the reality of it! Half a day was spent making Quince and digging out snow blocks - in the wrong type of snow ...............the school of hard knocks maybe but the lesson was well learned!!

As was the fact of how warm the interior of a well made snow hole can be - indeed so much so that several people chose to sleep outside as the shealters were too warm!!

After life preseveration comes Life saving .........and here our Swedish instructor Kim (author of medical/first aid manuals and ski patrol leader) did a great job teaching the course practical skills for the winter enviroment including a avalanche casualty evacuation with a real casualty (we a live one anyway.

Ultimately the winter enviroment is a beautiful place - but a world not to be taken lightly!! As Robert Service says in the poem "spell of the Yukon - send me you strong and your sane!" for the winter WEISS, like the winter world of the north, is not a course for the fair weather crafter - it is a course design by and lead by expereinced winter outdoorsmen and it is a course aimed at teaching those who have reached or are reaching the peak of their bushcraft skills and training so congratulations to all those who attended this highly educational learning experience!!

Winter WEISS 2008

2008-03-11T08:04:00.002Z

Playing catch up with all things means I havent had time to put virtual pen to paper but having just returned from a excellent week in the Swedish mountains on the winter weiss course I thought I'd link Johans Blog to this post so you can all get a taste for the fun we had - at least until I get a chance to compile my own thoughts.

http://blogg.nordicbushcraft.com/2008/03/10/winter-weiss-2008/

Brilliant piece Johan mate!!

Picture Journals

2008-02-25T14:58:00.002Z

Heres a few photo Journals from a couple of our courses - hope you enjoy.

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/video/greenhorn.htm

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/video/fasachIle.htm

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/video/vildmark.htm

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/video/weiss.htm

Bushtucker Man - a breath of fresh air

2008-02-19T12:56:00.005Z

Everyone needs inspiration once in awhile, for many of us people like Eddie McGee or Jack Hargraves were childhood friends and guru's.

For the modern 'shrafter' its more likely to be Ray Mears but somewhere in between - shrouded in the mists of time is Les Hiddens aka the Bushtucker man, unknown by some and half forgotten by others.

Each inspiration has their own strength and credit is due to them all, Eddie McGee and Loft Wiseman both inspired me as a soldier to explore the fields of Military Survival and E&E skills, Jakc Hargraves was a countryman and inspired me to seek out and enjoy the countryside as a entity in its own right and Ray Mears was a inspiration, teacher and friend who taught me much about Bushcraft as a subject and the teaching of it.

All these people had shaped me and, I suspect, each other and many of you too - yet I cant help but feel somewhere along the line we, as bushcrafters, have lost sight of the goal!

We've drifted away from way 'shrafting' was meant to be and become to obsessed with the modern buy culture! Each 'character' leads us to new wants - Lofty was the survival Tin, Ray a woodlore knife and a swanni for example..........but is bushcraft about kit or how we use it?

Buying into the dream is one thing, buying the best kit you can afford to enhance your experience is another but buying kit for kits sake, for the label for the brand surely isnt what bushcraft is about?

To my mind at least bushcraft is about being one with nature, learning to utilize natures bounty, learning to improvise, learning to become a modern Aborigine or a modern hunter gatherer ........................its not about wrapping oneself in a artificual shell that cuts you off from the winds cool caress or carrying a stove and full field kitchen to ensure one has their favourite gluten or meat free whatever ........how can you be part of the enviroment if you cut yourself off from it or try to impose your own 'learnt' social prejudises on it - remember Nature doesnt do PC!!

Well if that is the case, if the guru's have lead us into the commercial quagmire then I have to say, half forgotten until recently, lays the Bushtucker man. I can remember watching his series on TV back in the 90's long before Mr Mears had his TV break with Tracks Major Les Hiddins was showing us how to do things bushway!! And i was lucky enough to see a few episodes of his series a few days ago and I sat their enthralled.

The things that impressed me so much were his presence on screen, he talks to the viewer like your were a friend, no arrogance no condescending tone and also his kit, no flashy brand names, no expensive gear just plain simple clothing and we'll used or improvised tools. In todays climate of TV and media power Les' whole show like a trip back in time to a simpler age.

And as mentioned above this got me thinking, and I hope it will you to!

What is bushcraft? Have we lost the path, have we forgotten what it is, what it was supposed to be?

If Bushcraft is not the destination but the path - what is the destination? Is it a shed full of gear and a armoury of cutting tool to equal any dark age warlords arsenal? Or is it the ability, with very little gear to enter into the nature and become, if not a part of it, at least comfortable?

What happened to carry less by knowing more?

I can remember a time when the goal of every wanna be 'shrafter' was to be free of all the gear and clutter - a knife and billy can and a blanket withthe skills to provide everytihing else was our dream!!

Watching, rediscovering the Bush tucker man has been a breathe of fresh air for me. I am out doing or teaching bushcraft all year and personally I hadnt realsied how much I had become gear orientated myself. Its a bad habit and one I will now stop and turn around, seeking to once again simplify.

The knife may now be a Wilderness knife , the billy a swedish army mess kit not a old commerical bean tin, and the blanket may now be a Whitby or hudson bay not one liberated from Nans airer but the journey and the rediscovery will still be the same - all thanks to Les Hiddins the Bush tucker man!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mMm6MPEgFk&feature=related maybe this little taster will help you understand or wet your appetite!!

Bearclaw Supports........

2008-01-30T17:20:00.000Z

The Bearclaw Bushcraft team like to support charity when applicable and as such we would urge all the Blog readers to visit the website below and make a donation - no donation is to small and it all goes to a great cause.

Fjallraven 30L Vintage sack

2008-01-25T08:21:00.000Z

The new Fjallraven Vintage 30l rucksacks have arrived.

These are exactly the same as the 20l rucksacks just .....................bigger by 10litres but that ten litres has turned a humble rucksack which would comfortably hold a weekends kit or a weeks worth if packed with care into a Tardis which seems to swallow kit!!

Having tested the 20l all last year and having grown to love it and use it as my main sack I cant wait to get the 30l on my back.

The Fjallraven Vintage 30l is available in both green or khaki and will soon be added to the website but in the mean time well done to Fjellraven for listening to our advise and for producing a traditional looking yet highly functional rucksack thats perfect for almost all our bushcrafting needs!

Visit the bearclaw website for specs and prices ect!!

Down still not out

2008-01-23T07:58:00.000Z

For a long time down sleeping bags and clothing have existed, but for the bushcrafter the fear of the insulation lose which can happen if the down gets wet has always put people off.

But because of its insulation qualities, its warmth to weight ratio and its general user friendliness the Bearclaw team have been trialing different down items over the last year.

Sleeping bags - in my youth, as a young soldier we were all issued the good old 58 pattern down bag and for at least 7 years I used one of these sleeping in trenches, ditches, under bashas and in tents, I have slept in a 58 bag which in the morning was covered in a layer of ice and looking back never seem to remember them letting me down - indeed with the water proof base and hood I remember many a time sleeping under the stars and when it started to rain simply rolling over so the bottom became a water proof top!!

So impressed with these bags am I that I now sleep in one still on all our expedition style courses. Their only down (excuse the pun) side is the bulk - being designed to roll into their own hood.

For courses when we're a foot and need to pack compactly I personally now favour the Fjallraven Distance P5 sleeping bag, this bag packs down to the size of a grape fruit, weighs next to nothing and is remarkably warm for its size - comfort rated only to 4c I've used my bag year round and using common sense (i.e sleeping in some of my clothes ect in really cold conditions) I've never had a problem with it. Indeed it is now my favourite of all bags!!

Another bag which has found favour with the team is the Alpkit Dream 500 - I personally have one but have never used it as the Distance P5 suits my needs but I know JP likes his. One thing with the Alpkit kit is the bivi bag while good quality is a little shy on volume being a broad shoulders chap I find them very confining to the point of actually being unusable!

Now onto down jackets, I dont know what it is about a down jacket but their is a comfort level which comes with these which is far more than just the jackets cut. The down itself seems to self regulate and thus far I seem to found that the jackets I've tried never seem to over heat?? Again weight and pack size is excellent. Going back to our fear of the lose of insulation in the wet - how many people go out into the woods without a waterproof jacket, poncho or ventile smock??

OK, ok maybe your one of the few, or your just unlucky and caught out without one, well the Montane Anti-freeze down jacket has a waterproof shell!! Simple!

Down jackets are the ideal thing for dry cold with out a shadow of a doubt, but our trials have found they hold their own in typical uk weather too ...................

As for the cost - well yes down is more expensive than most other insulation materials and that may inhibit some people - but look at it this way, your clothing is your first line of defence in the wilderness, if dressed correctly, for the temperature range and weather conditions you could survive many days without shelter, fire or a cutting tool - now consider how much you'd happily spend on a knife?? Suddenly down isnt so expensive.................

Lastly - another interesting thing I've found with down is you dont get the clammy feeling often found in synthetic bags or clothing!! Down may not be for everyone but its worthy of consideration - me and the boys are definate converts back to this simple, more traditional material and thats because we've found it works!

LOOK AFTER YOUR DOWN CLOTHING OR SLEEPING BAG AND IT'LL LOOK AFTER YOU.

Camp kitchen

2008-01-20T14:44:00.000Z

Much has been written about the best knife or jacket or rucksack for bushcraft but little if anything is written about the humble cook pot or stove!!

For many a billy can is best - but ask them why and they dont know - or they will answer "it can be hung over the fire" - so in essence they limit themselves to this one pot because they lack the skills or fire management, Granted a Swedish Army Mess kit is highly versatile and serve as many pots rather than one but even that may not be good enough.................

Imagine your kitchen at home. Do you cook everything in one saucepan? Or do you use a frying pan, a saucepan and a kettle??

So why do we feel we need to limit ourselves in the field??

In Lars Falts book FRILUFTSBOKEN and in Woodcraft by Nessmuk we see that a small kettle and a frying pan are incredibly versatile. Soldiers in the jungle are often taught to carry a frying pan as its a better cooking pot for that enviroment - why?

A pan or pot with a large flat surface area heats up the cooking materials quicker and more evenly - it requires the cook to stir the contents to stop them burning but for speed of warming a ration pack meal or boiling water a frying pan works amazingly well - saving fuel and time!! Remember a frying pan can fry, boil and be used for roasting or as a hot plate for bannocks and breads ect

But maybe boiling water in a frying pan isnt the ideal answer - after all what if you want a brew with your stew - well here the small camping kettle comes into its own - something like a trangia 27 or the Gelert camp kettle which has a folding bail arm can be used to boil water on a stove or hung over the fire - it can be used as a billy can too - Lars Nilson has a good picture in his book of him boiling a couple of fish in his kettle! And in Sweden the coffee pot is never far from the fire ......lets also remember the oldest name for a cooking pot hung over the fire is kettle, or a translation of that.

And then what about our stove - gas or Multifuel stoves can be expensive and the fuel doubly so - they also require you to carry in the fuel and containers and once used require you to carry out the empty containers ... and as a backwoodsman surely we'd rather cook on the open fire anyway??

So why not look at something simpler - a hexi stove or a Tommy cooker as their known for example these are cheap - the fuel blocks can be used as tinder for fire lighting as we'll as with the stove and once used their no rubbish to carry out.

Another consideration for our cookware and stoves is size and effeciancy - a frying pan can sit happily at the back of a ruck sack taking up no room unlike say a Zebra billy can with its useless fold down bail arm that sticks out awkardly.

And something like a Tommy cooker has very few working parts to break and the blocks burn well in most temperature ranges unlike gas or white fuel ...........

Of course the above ideas may not suit everyone - the light weight camper might be happy with just a crusader cup and cooker - or the scout leader who has to feed a pack might want a big double burner ect - but persoanlly speaking I dont think we should be blinkered by convention or limit ourselves in our solo kits to what we think looks bushcrafty - try something new, see what you think!!

And remember a good meal and a hot drink are pricelss in the field, lifting morale and marking the end of pleasant days in the bosom of nature their second only in importance to a good nights sleep - so why skimp!!

Lars Falt Jacket review

2008-01-11T10:08:00.000Z

http://blogg.nordicbushcraft.com/

The above is an excellent review by Johan.

We bring you snow

2008-01-05T15:13:00.000Z

As the promised snow never arrived - lets go where it is!!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v342/bearclaw/?action=view&current=cold2.flv

Bushcraft videos

2007-12-31T12:27:00.000Z

Heres a couple of Bushcrafting videos I've been given permission to add to the blog - many thanks to Martin (the star) for some excellent footage.

Maya Sticks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kn1-_Xa6b8

Plank hitch knot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KumHMHJanAU

Saami knife (leuku) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRl3-dza4VQ

Love the buff!!

The Wilderness knife.

2007-12-24T15:45:00.000Z

There is no tool more useful in the backcountry than a knife~~~the size I prefer for this style of knife is overall about 310mm in length~~~the blade and handle all one piece of metal, the handle remaining strong throughout, ~~~~

Raymond Mears, The Survival Handbook - 1990

In his excellent first book ( a selection of quotes above) Ray Mears advises the reader of the fact that no one knife will meet all their backwoods needs, Ray recommends the carrying of two knives a small one (maybe a folding or pocket knife) and a larger camp knife of 310mm overall length.

And this is a combo I subcribe to also. Years of trail and error, travels to the frozen north and time spent int he company of some of the worlds most expereinced outdoors folk has taught me this valuable lesson.

310mm equates to about 12" - this means taking the handle as being about 5" in length we are talking a tool of about 7" which is exactly the length of the Wilderness knife - Ray also recommends a full tang which, while our knife is Leuku like in blade profile, it is full tanged rather than stick tanged in design (strong throughout)

The knife is a workman's tool designed for the user, and to be used. This cutting tool like so many other laymans tools actually looks better with age and usage - shuning the shiney new look of some many!! A knife which would look equally at home 200 years ago in the hands of a buckskin clad Mountain Man as it does today in the hands of the modern bushcrafter and wilderness travel.

Available from our trading post..............avaialble only to users - collectors need not apply!!

Cold weather Bushcraft - be prepared.

2007-12-10T10:41:00.000Z

Winter is fast approaching whether it'll be a white one or a wet one is yet to be seen. Predictions of a cold winter like we had in the 50's are all well and good but will it really happen - I HOPE SO!!

I love the snow and the colder the better but these conditions do create problems for the outdoorsman. Ridged self discipline and organisational skills are most important and a sub-zero enviroment isnt forgiving and doesnt suffer fools easily.

Those joining the Bearclaw team in march will learn this but more importantly they will also get the chance to explore and experience the wonders of a frozen wilderness.

In my opinion there is no better bushcrafting playground - trips to the frozen north of Sweden, Finland or Norway are the brightest gems in my memories of my bushcrafting adventures and as such each is priceless!!

Thanks to the Winter WEISS I'm also very pleased to be able to offer you the chance to harvest such wonderful memories for yourself and as a little teaser (or homework) for those who would like to come, or who are thinking about it, I've attached a little article written by my friend Johan Forsberg of our sister company Nordic Bushcraft.

http://www.bushcraftliving.com/prepareforwinter

And as a besides - the article can be found (as per the Link) on bushcraft living a very good bushcraft forum or on the Bushcraft Educational Society forum - enjoy.

Merry Christmas from the bearclaw boys

2007-12-03T12:27:00.001Z

Thanks to Steve for this festive fun!!

Happy Christmas and a bushcrafty new year from ALL the Bearclaw gang!!

Ho ho blummin ho!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9623925493

Help for Heroes

2007-12-03T12:06:00.000Z

A bushcraft blog shouldnt really be political - nor should it be about things not pertaining to bushcraft but I feel now is the time for those who care to stand up and be counted.

Being a ex-serviceman myself with friends and family still serving I feel that the good people of Britian need to now take the bull by the horns and try where they can to sort out the mess the Labour government has created with regards to our armed forces.

Today, thanks to medical improvements among other things more soldiers survive injuries which not so long ago they wouldnt have, but thanks to the penny pinching treasury money which was once sent on our troops is now spent ............well you know the story ............

Anyway let me recommend

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Give what you can - show your support for our brave men and women - what better gift can anyone give at christmas than a small thank you to those who risk their lives so that we can sleep safe in our beds at night!

If the governement and the politicians aren't brave or strong enough to do whats right anymore lets us the people show them what true Brits can do - give today!!

Thanks on behalf of the bearclaw team and all those voiceless

KNOW YOU SECURITY - DONT LET THE TERRORISTS WIN!!

2007-11-22T07:56:00.000Z

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved". Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz began in 1940 and tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance". The last time the British issued "A Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels. The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

BUSHCRAFT SEAX Cont'

2007-11-20T14:28:00.000Z

Sadly the quest for a bushcraft version of the seax has hit a we stumbling block - in as much as the blade maker has had (at this time) decided to cease trading.

The maker has taken up the chalis and now seeks a blade smith of equal ability so watch this space - if we can bring you the best bushcraft camp knife in the world we will - eventually!!

In the mean time heres a few pictures.

Above - picture of the makers prototype with a double hunter Leuku for scale.

Sheath detail of my original prototype (above)

My new user - this is the Bushcraft Seax - scales in Spalted BEECH and cow horn - great Anglosaxon materials with a 3mm veg Tan dangler sheath.

My old mate Tony Collins has a Masur Birch version of this knife and once he's hd time to evaluate I'll see if I can post his views on this blog too!!

And for those of you interested in a hand made Leuku like the other heres a pen picture of the marker -
"Paul (aka: Frenchy), is single minded in the way he sources his materials. When it comes to knife blades in particular, he'll only use the best from the best makers, even if availability is not assured in the long term. As a consequence, with quality and not quantity as his main concern, he admits that it's quite likely that some of his knives would automatically become part of a limited edition! It is to be expected that as he builds each knife by hand personally, there is a limit to how many knives he can produce at a given time. His care and attention to detail can be seen in every knife he makes. Another big asset that Paul has is that he makes available a wide choice of quality materials to satisfy the many preferences people have in Wood, Antler and Horn. Moreover, he's got a canny knack of utilising any combination of materials to produce exceptionally unique knives that are extremely handsome, sturdy and fully functional for their intended use!"

The Leuku's above RRP at about £195 - contact Paul to discuss your choice of scales ect.

paulakafrenchy@talktalk.net

Follow baggy the bear!!

2007-11-17T12:56:00.001Z

Havent seen this for awhile - it still makes me laugh so my continued thanks to Tref and his family - proof northerners do have a sense of hmour!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-Ji4XmL0o

Montane Extreme Smock

2007-11-15T13:00:00.000Z

As promised to blog readers I now have the excellent Montane Extreme Smock in stock and am willing to offer to you at a discount.

The smocks are easily higher spec and superior to the buffalo range coming with loads of features (as per review below) including a hood (which you pay extra for with buffalo!!

Discount is for GREEN smocks only - sizes from M to XXL.

RRP £80 - BLOG PRICE (until sold out) £60 plus standard postage - thats a discount of 25%, but numbers are limited as I only have two of each size so order now or risk missing out!!

Lest we forget

2007-11-11T09:58:00.000Z

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders' fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies growIn Flanders' Fields.
by John McCrea

or

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said,
And held one forth, but I shook my head,
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;

But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.

His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she'd pinned it on, he turned to say;
"Why do we wear a poppy today?

"The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered; "This is Remembrance Day.
And the poppy there is a symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.

And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.

He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird, he would race about.
As the years went by, he learned and grew,
And became a man - as you will, too.

He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day.

When he smiled at me and said, 'Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mum, please don't cry.
'But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.

His letters told of the awful fight
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

Till at last, at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a poppy, son.
"The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said: "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.

I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me, you'd have done the same:
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so, when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and Give!
by Don Crawford

KIT list and suppliers

2007-11-09T12:54:00.002Z

Several people have recently asked me for kit recommendations - apart from the gear we stock which is all tested by us - the below list might be found to be helpful!!

Comprehensive Kit List
(Including suppliers list)

The below is a list of the typical items carried by the bearclaw team during our courses and various adventures.

It builds upon the generic course kit list and is designed to give you a more detailed list including the websites of the various suppliers we would recommend.

Please mention Bearclaw Bushcraft when contacting any of the suppliers listed below.

Clothing –

Under wear
Underpants – cotton summer/winter

T/shirt – cotton is fine for summer. Winter opt for Montane Terra, Icebreaker or layering via the Ullsfrotte range to avoid chilling.

http://www.snowandrock.co.uk/

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Shirt
Shirt – cotton for the summer

Micro fleece for wet/cold or a Army Norgee is ok for dry cold climate
http://www.craghoppers.co.uk/

Thermal layer
Montane Extreme Smock - this is my year round top perfect for all conditions as a solo layer or as layering.
Snugpak make two thermal mid-layer jackets – the elite pile (cold/wet) or the Sleeka elite (dry/wet) – requires a natural fibre outer layer if working around campfires

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Trousers
Greenlander, Forester or Barents trousers by Fjellraven as all top quality robust trousers – the professionals choice

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Windproof/outer layer
British Antarctic survey smock, tough Ventile jacket, well designed with plenty of pockets. Windproof, fire safe and shower proof - recommended

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Socks
General wear wool socks are best as these are warm even when wet. Ullsfrotte are good – British army socks are also a favourite

http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/

Gloves
Leather work gloves offer some elemental protection and are useful around the fire. Mekralon or thermal liners enhance these is cold weather. In extreme cold woollen mittens inside leather chopper mittens are robust and warm.

http://www.nordicbushcraft.com/

or

http://www.nordicbushcraft.se/

Boots
General purpose good all rounds are Rogue boots. For wet climates rogues can be worn with Sealskinz socks but Lundhags are a great choice also.

http://www.unbeatentrack.co.uk/

http://www.penrithsurvival.co.uk/

Head gear
For sunny climate Tiley hats or boonie hats in cotton with brims work well. For colder conditions woollen watch caps like the Ullsfrotte Luva are best. For woodlands and general wear the Fjallraven range of hats or caps is recommended.

http://www.thegorgoeoutdoors.co.uk/

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Waterproof
By far the most versatile waterproof item a bushcrafter can use is the poncho – adapting from waterproof to shelter to a million things in between – highly recommended are the genuine US army ponchos with the Fjallraven coming in a close second

http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/

Call Jasper and ask for a genuine US poncho.

Possibles

Belt
A strong wide belt which can be used as a tool suspension system, lash, and strap for carrying firewood ect is ideal – this is not used to hold up trousers!!

http://www.attacc.com/ (Brady belt)

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Cutting Tool
For the novice we recommend a medium (100mm) bladed knife like the Frosts Mora or Clipper.

For the more experienced or those travelling further a field a large camp knife like the Wilderness knife is a wiser choice as this knife is designed to do fine carving as well as chopping and splitting

A small folding knife such as those made by Opinel are great utility tools and ideal for kitchen tasks

http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

http://www.customknivesandsticks.co.uk/index.htm

Possibles Pouch
A Possibles belt pouch contains all those essential items we need to survive – call it the backwoodsman’s survival kit its worn on the belt with our cutting tool – thus in theory if we strip down to a underwear we should still be able to wear our belt in case of an emergency.

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

Spoon
Wooden – hand made by you!

Sharpening
Stone and mini steel – are best for the field, used to top up the edge on your cutting tools. The Fallkniven DC range works well but can be very coarse. Mini-steels are ideal for adding a micro secondary bevel especially for game preparation.

http://www.madbearoutdoors.co.uk/

Compass
A compass with a whistle attached and the knowledge of how to use both is essential.

Matches
Non-safety matches carried in a old camera film case are a versatile emergency back up to your fire lighting kit

Swan Vesta – were available
Flint bar
Carry your ferro rod (Jukka stick being the original or a fireball) in a rubberised tinder pouch (tobacco skin) – this means your fire lighting kit is to hand and that damp tinder can breath or be dried by body heat if carried in the pocket.

http://www.nordicbushcraft.se/

Insect repellent
Nordic summer is a favourite – life systems pump DEET sprays are strong and effective

http://www.raymears.com/

http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/

First Aid kit
A small cuts kit should be carried whenever you carry your knife – a military First field dressing (FFD) is a good back up – make the kit yourself to meet your ability and needs.

Para cord
Genuine 550 is the best but hemp or natural cordage is ideal as it will degrade if left in the woods.

Torch
A Maglite or Petzl Tikka Head torch are a good well tried and tested choice.

http://www.maglite-torches.co.uk/

Field and Camping gear

Water bottle
Nalgene bottles are tough and well thought out – wide mouthed allowing better re-hydration as well as being easier to refill from tap or stream.

Sleeping bag
One season – Snugpak Jungle bag (synthetic)
2/3 Season Fjellraven Distance 5 (down)
3/4 Season Snugpak Elite 3 (synthetic)

http://www.naturestrails.co.uk/

Sleeping mat
Therma-rest is without a doubt our favourite but for the base camp nothing bests the comfort of a reindeer skin.

Bivi bag
Light weight Snugpak bivi bag is a good choice but if size matter the Alpkit bivi bags has been found to carry favour with the team here. Bombproof and long lasting the genuine British army bivi bag is a perennial favourite but ensure is genuine and not a cheap copy.

http://www.alpkit.com/

Basha
The Kathmandu tarp is light yet robust – our favourite without a doubt

http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/

Cookware
Swedish army mess kit
http://www.nordicoutdoor.se/

Rucksack

Fjellraven Vintage 20lt is an excellent top spec day sack. (the new 30lt will be even better!!)

Karrimor Sabre 45 – weekend pack

Karrimor Sabre 75 – Top spec well designed and highly respected full sized pack

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/

http://www.naturestrails.co.uk/

Spare clothing
Spare clothing should include a change of clothing which can be worn if your normal layers get soaked – it can also include task specific clothing such as waterproof socks or

http://www.craghoppers.co.uk/

http://www.johnbull.com/

Luxuries
Cameras – books – mobile phones.

Its small, warm and light - but dont like the damp!!

2007-11-06T20:30:00.000Z

Fjellraven Distance P5. – Few things in Bushcraft are more valuable than a good nights sleep and thanks to the Fjellraven Distance P5 down sleeping bag this is easily obtainable.

This is a quality bag from a top manufacturer which I personally have used all year round in both UK and Sweden and never found it wanting - sadly minus 32 in Finland would have been to much for it though.

Its extreme rated down to – 4 (comfort +8) but I have to say as with all swedish stuff their guide sizes or temperatures always seem to err on the side of caution as everything is bigger or better than they say - unlike our British makers whose temperature rangers and sizes seem to be works of fiction!! So I personally would say the comfort range is down to zero and the extreme easily past - 4 especially is you sleep dressed and/or use a good sleeping mat bivi bag ect.

Anyway its ideal for spring - summer and early autumn to average bushcraft season and as it packs down to the size of a grape fruit and weighs only around 650g it's a great piece of kit allowing you to carry an extra top if needed, which is far more versatile than having the weight in a bulkier sleeping bag!–

However - a word of warning - being down a bivi bag is a must in inclement weather as it - in theory - doesnt like it - but again I have slept in this bag all year in some pretty damp places like our scottish island and never yet found it to suffer.

Soon to be available from the trading post for just £87.99 - complete with storage bag for airing and stuff sack.

2007-10-19T11:10:00.000Z

I recently ordered a Montane extreme smock after the death of my old trust Buffalo and I was so mightly impressed by the new smock I not only wrote a review of it on BES (http://bushcraft-educational-society.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1197.0) but I also have decided to start stocking them!!

The rrp is £80 but watch the website for a introductory offer ...........your chance to pick up one of these excellent smocks a little cheaper than usual!! ")

Details
Active cut with drop tail
Large pouch pocket with accessory attachment ring
DWR Beardguard lined collar
Part elasticated self fabric cuffs with hook and loop adjustment
Reinforced elbows
Glove attachment loops on forearms
Generous neck zip with hook and loop storm baffle
MONTANE® Cross-Vent system
Two-way zipped side vents with storm baffle
Hook and loop adjustable hem
Removable crotch strap
Removable, fully specified, single hand adjustable, pile-lined hood with wired peak
Colours: Black (With self-coloured logo), Olive (With self-coloured logo), Red (Main Image)
RRP £80.00
Fabric
Outer: PERTEX® 6- 69g/m² lightweight Nylon 6.6 plain weave- Breathable to 98%- Dense weave gives a wind resistance of 1ft³/min- Water repellent with a spray rating of grade 4Reinforcements: POLAR-DRI® mini-rip- Coated high tenacity textured Nylon rip-stop- 85% breathable- Water repellent- Suited to applications where durability and breathability are keyLining - DRYACTIV® 3000 Pile- Polyester fibre pile- Excellent inherent wicking- High warmth to weight ratio
Weight
875g / 31oz: Medium

Vildmark in the Sunday Mirror

2007-10-16T15:29:00.000Z

For those of you thinking of joining us on the excellent Vildmark and.or WEISS courses in 2008 you might find the attached article from the Sunday Mirror of interest.

In particular the fact that soon we'll be able to fly from Stanstead to Karlstad - with collection from there - making traveling to and from the courses much much easier!!

Enjoy

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/homesandholidays/holidays/2007/08/26/life-is-swede-98487-19682361/

Cutting tool Maintenance

2007-10-05T12:53:00.000Z

Knife maintenance and sharpening.

You are only as sharp as your knife - or a blunt knife is a screw driver!

Below is a little refresher on knife maint - as with all things shrafting theres more than one way to skin a cat but the below are skills which work for me and are most common among experienced outdoorsfolk.

Sharpening.
The best set up for sharpening a flat bevel knife involves 2-3 grades of honing stone.-

Course – 800 grit-
Medium – 1000 grit-
Very fine 6000 grit

A very course 250 grit may sometimes be used for restoration work.

At home the best set up for a novice is.- 2 sided India Oil stone made from Aluminium Oxide.

The coarseness is determined by the binding Agent but generally these stones consist of a course and medium side. I often use these to take off secondary bevels and to repair 'dinks' students make in there tools.Arkansas stones are mined from sedimentary rock in Arkansas (hence the name) and are usually fine and very fine. Arkansas stones are the best naturally occurring stones in the world.

Other useful items –- Steel, as used by butchers. These are used in the field to produce a micro scopic secondary bevel which gives our edge a more robust finished profile. Be aware a steel does really sharpen your blade it just re-aligns the teeth!

Strop – leather strop like you see in the barbers shop (or an old leather belt) are used to finish the edge before use and as such remove the microscopic wire created by the sharpening process.

Other products - Japanese Water stones.- Excellent for producing a superior edge but expensive lacking longevity- Made from rare clays impregnated with crushed seashells which are ground together and recompressed.- To use soak in water until the fizzing stops- Soft will not survive rough handles.Weston Water stones.- Basically cheaper copies of the above- More robust and hard wearing- Don’t hold so much water.*note water stones will shatter at below 0 degrees.

Diamond Whetstone- Rip away a lot of steel very quickly- Can Ruin your knife fast!

Ceramic stones- Superheated clays to recreate a volcanic type rock.- Too hard – take a long time to produce an edge but are good as steels (improvised)-

ExpensiveOil stones- Robust- Used will oil- Very good – a favourite old trooper!

Sharpening Techniques

Field sharpening.- Cut down water stones or small pocket Arkansas stone- Sit cross legged and place on shoe to use.- No ideal system but generally I'd recommend taking the stone to the blade always ensuring fingers are kept clear of the cutting edge!Base camp sharpening- Here we use our oil or water stone as follows,
Place stone on a flat surface
Lubricate stone (if a water stone soak in water until it stops fizzing the keep wet - never cross lubricate i.e oil on water or vica versa - and for field use always use water as some time or another the only lub' your have handy is spit!) This is to enable the microspoic metal filings to be carried away from the pours on the stone.
Lay knife flat onto stonestarting at near the handle as possible.
Tilt up the blade until the bevel is flat on the stone.
using gentle downward pressure slide the blade (as if slicing of a thin layer) down the stone - starting at the handle but ending the motion at the tip.
If nec' round the tip slightly to ensure full contact with the stone.
Do this intially 6 times one one then reverse and do the same towards yourself 6 times.
Keep repeating this process until were happy the edge is getting sharper.
Now start to reduce the strokes each side - come down from 6 to 4 to 3 to 2 and then 1
once on 1 stroke each side to this at least 10 times to weaken the wire (the wire is a very fine strip of metal which builds up as we wear away each side of the blade during sharpening if its not removed it will snap of in use and dull the edge.)
Once we're happy the edge is sharp we move to the strop - the strop will remove the wire for use.
Strop in a reverse motion to sharpening - minimum of 50 strokes each way.
Job done test the blade as described.
Stropping – as pointed out above stropping removes the fine wire edge that is built up by the sharpening process. The wire edge makes your knife ‘feel’ sharp but if it is not removed by stropping it will break off in use taking the knife edge with it.
Ideally strop your knife 50 times on each side.

Testing your edge.
Paper test, shave hairs off arm or use thumbnail.
The thumnail test is best - to do this drag your cutting edge across the HARD part of your thumb nail - if your knife is sharp you will feel it biting into the nail - any dull spots will slide without resistance.
Now we have a sharp cutting tool we will look at how to use it SAFELY!!

Maintenance

Care of your cutting tool can be as simple or as complicated as you like - it also reflects usage. If you use your knife often it requires less care as it will be constantly maintained in use - resharpened cleaned ect ect - so for our now let us consider the knife as if it were going into storage or likely not to be used for some months.

Firstly sharpen the knife, even those its not going to be used sharpening it will clean the cutting edge.

Next if the blade has a good patina on it already down scrub it off - the staining and discolouration a carbon blade picks up in use protects the blade from corrosition so leave it on - like wise I often add patina by coating the blade in organic Balsamic vinger and leaving it a few hours - the vinger darkens the blade and this blackening also helps protect the blade!!

So whether the blades work stained or not (bear in mind that doesnt mean covered in dirty. veg matter or anything else - if thats the case wash the blade to clean) we now are wise to oil it - riflte oil is best for this jub but I appreciate most people cant access gun oil so lightly use any oil available - again bear in mind if you use the knife for food prep you might not want to coat it in motot oil!!

Leave the oil to 'soak' in for a while then wipe off the access.

Depending on the scale material we can either give them a light coat of oil (wood ect) or just clean with a damp cloth (plastic ect)

Now heres a bone of contention - once the knifes clean give the sheath a once over - if its clean, in good repair and dry slide the knif ehime and store until next wanted.

Why is that contentious because some people think you shouldnt store your knife in the sheath as the leather might stretch or mositure might damage the blade - ya right - as long as the sheathes dry and the storage place is dry damp isnt going to be a problem - as for the stretching issue - same thing the leather is only gonna stretch from usage or is damp - I always store my knives in the sheath and have never had any problems.

Hope that helps - any questions please feel free to ask.

The bushcraft ideal

2007-10-03T08:12:00.000Z

What is the bushcraft ideal?

Or I'm going on the bearclaw Tenderfoot course HELP!

In Military survival for example the ideal is that you learn to survive and avoid capture with the minimum of kit - the survival tin and all the Rambo type gear of recent years are just gimmicks to catch the stupid out as most soldiers know that unless you escape within the first 24 hours or less of capture you will be processed and in being processed not only can you expect to be beaten senseless you will also be stripped of everything useful - Geneva convention stated IPK to be left ect but I doubt some of those we fight these days can read or have even heard of the Geneva convention.

But Bushcraft - woodcraft - wildernes sliving is different ................isnt it?

So what are our ideals?

Personally speaking I think of 'the craft' as being something that gives me the ability to go into the wilderness kitted out with a knife, a blanket and cook pot and being able to live comfortably.
Of course I have trained myself to be able to do without each of these items but then I would consider that a survival situation as the priorities are different.

And being able to to live happily with just a knife - blanket - cook pot doesnt mean I want to do it all the time. Although I do like to keep my kit down to a minimum at all times especially as we see so many people burdened with all sorts of unnessacary junk but I digress.

So if the ideal of bushcraft is to be able to go out equipped as above (forget the moden trend of carrying a axe, saw kitchen sink ect) and live with nature comfortably surely the three key items we carry are important - so lets consider these.

Knife - your knife is your life and in this case never has it been closer to the truth, so whats the best knife? The best knife is the knife you feel confident in using and can use to the best of your ability. But a knife should be able cover a variety of needs (forget the modern bushcraft knife with its 4" blade and spear point tip - much copied and never seen used outside the bushcraft clique circle - unless you have mastered it in all its fine detail ALL native people and those with experience generally go for something a little bigger) and more importantly should enable us to make a tool to meet our needs if we done carry it.

For example a knife at a minimum should be good for,

Chopping - wood for shelter - fire - bone
Carving - we need to fashion tools and trap triggers so fine control is important
Splitting - either with a baton or more axe like
Butchering game
Food prep
Any one of a million other tasks it might be called upon to do

Ideally our knife should do all the above with ease, in a safe manner with the minimum of effort. It should be easily maintainable in the field and strong.

EQUALLY - the sheath its carried in most be just as good - for a knife is only as good as its sheath!

Blanket - a blankets a blanket isnt it? Well no, not for our purposes. Here we need to consider warmth to weight ratios - fire safety and durablility.

The old Whitby blankets or hudsons bay point blankets were favourites among the Indians and trappers of the 1800's as they had all the above characteristics - but they are bulky and quite heavy!

A US army poncho liner is light, not as warm maybe but not effected by the damp and quick drying - its down side is care must be taken near the fire.

Fleece blankets - again are similar to the Poncho Liner.

A wool polymide blanket would be lighter but more fire friendly.

Also size matter - a single blanket is ok as a top cover or ground sheet in the right conditions but a double blanket would be bulkier but more versatile.

Lastly a space blanket will reflect back body heat - it can be incorperated into the back of the shelter as a fire reflector - but it isnt in itself warm.

Cook ware - of all the modern items the native americans covetted the most the metal cook pot was top on their list - imagine how hard life was without one!

So what should we look for in a pot -

Size - the bigger the better as we can cook a small meal in a big pot but if we have to purify all our water a small pot isnt fuel and effort effecient.
Bail arm - if we can hang it over a fire it means we can slow cook foods like stews without the risk of burning the food.
Wide base - the wider the bottom the better heat is distributed and the quicker it cooks again minimising the risk of burning
Materials - ali or steel - your choice on what ect
Thickness - some pots (the stainless mess kit for example) have bombproof thickness - and while it could be argued once hot that stay hot longer - it could also be argued they are heavy and require more calories to carry and more fuel to heat.
Other bits - is the lid a fry pan, a plate? Does it double as a cup?
Plastic bits - does it have plastic handles or rim which could melt in the fire?

A pot isnt just a pot we need to think carefully about it.

So those are our key items - I hope they have been food for thought.

And as anyone who has done our Tenderfoot course will tell they maybe be simply items but with these alone the trained person can live like a king!!

Traditional Crook knife

2007-09-30T11:48:00.000Z

We've all watch Ray Mears in his series Bushcraft making a beautiful Birch bark caneo and we've all heard Ray praising the crook knife for its ability to carve wood to a plain shavingly smooth finish.

Well recently my mate Frenchy made me a traditional crook knife for me to play with - and mightly impressed I am with it too.

Its my belief that the Native Americans first obtained crook knives from the early pioneers and european settles in trade - logic tells me that the natives wanted steel tools but the whites fearing giving them proper cutting tools which they could easily use as weapons traded old farrier hoof knives with them instead and this is what Paul has used for this tool too. The blade is a frost mora farriers blade so (excuse the pun) it comes from a good blade making stable!

To this paul has attached a fist sized lump of antler which fits my hand perfectly. Remember the crook knife is designed to be used in the draw method of carving so the handle needs to fit the hand backwoods (if that males sense)

Anyway slightly dull from the packet I sharpened the blade (sharpening only on the flat unbeveled side and soon had it razor sharp and ready to carve with. I carve a spoon from start to finish with this fantastic looking and aesthetically pleasing tool with no problems what so ever - all it took was a little time to accustom myself to gripping the tool in a different maner to that which Im used to.

Overall very pleased with it - I found an old sheath for it and now its my only carving tool - well after my main knife of course.

If you'd be interested in obtaining a hand made - unique - beautiful yet practical tool like this please contact Frenchy direct ..........remember to mention Bearclaw when you do and he'll ensure you get service and a tool second to none - contact piuspaul@fenech0.wanado.co.uk

2007-09-30T10:55:00.002Z

Among our anglosaxon forebears no tool was as import than the SCRAMASAEX - (scramseax, scramsax ) Indeed so important was the tool that the people were eventually names after it - the SAEX or Saxons. The AE are known as ASH and are prounced AA - so SAEX reads SAAX's

Ths tool was their camp knife, butcher knife and weapon in the press of the shield wall when the warriors came to Briton and banished the Celts to its rocky fringes. Indeed it could be argued England would not exist if not for the Scramsaex.

But enough history lets look at the tool.

Pictured above is the prototype saex which I have recently had the pleasure to trial - and it has been a great pleasure indeed.

The SEAX itself comes with a 4mm thick 8" bearing steel blade which terminates in a slightly clipped point. The overal design follows the artist and practical lines of the BFK making it a real users tool witht he balance being at the termination of the scales and the cutting edge. This excellent point of balance means that though a big knife it can be used for both chopping and heavy chores while still remained agile enough for feather sticking or fine carving! The scales shown are horn a traditional material of the Saxon peoples and are good in the hand withputht e risk of slippage in use.

The sheath (pictured) is made of two leather sleeves the outer is laced together and sits snuggly in the laced belt loop - but is not attached to it - means we can wear it left or right handed and change it to suit or needs (truely ambidextros) The inner sheath is a siliconized leather which protects the blade and is removed for drying if wet ....................but this is the prototype remember and its been decided that we aregoing to folow a more traditional sheath idea which was used by our Angloseaxon ancestors, instead of the silicon leather all bushcraft Seax's will have a more traditional sheep skin liner, the sheep skin (real sheep skin not PC faux crap) will do several things most important of all imparting lanolin to the blade which will naturally protect it!!

Once ready I think this will be the Rolls Royce of bushcraft knives .......

I can see your appetite is wetted .............so watch this space for more details as the trials continue

Whats new?

2007-09-20T14:22:00.000Z

Sorry I havent been updating the blog recently but we've had a busy old time at bearclaw.

So whats new?

Firstly my mate Frenchy is now producing some cracking traditional crook knives - Mora blades mounted in the materials of your choice and designed to be used in the traditional manner as a draw knife. With a little practice they can also be easily adapted for use in spoon carving - one knife for the whole job cant be a bad think!!

Also were pleased to announce that in the waning months of last year we contacted Fjallraven and suggested they make a 45 litre version of their 20 litre Vintage sack (a excellent sack which is the choice of the whole bearclaw team!!) - anyway the guys at Fjellraven took this on board and we are pleased to announce they will be arriving/released in Feb 2008 - this is excellent news as these really are the best sacks I've every come across!

I'm working on a couple of articles too - one about Knife and cutting tool care - the other is a picturial on the classic rabbit stew cooked over the fire.

Hope this brief update has wetted your appetite - see you soon.

Coming soon the new Wilderness knife

2007-08-22T19:38:00.000Z

Wilderness Knife

The Wilderness traveller needs to be able to rely on their cutting tool. Simply put they need an implement which will never let them down. They need a tool large and strong enough to offer them maximum mechanical advantage for chopping while remaining light and flexible enough for fine carving. The Wilderness knife’s 3mm thick blade is perfectly balanced at the junction of the blade and scales making it agile and highly manoeuvrable in the hand for fine work while the classically shaped Leuku style 7 inch blade is differentially hardened by multiple edge-quenching (meaning it will hold its edge well while the spine still remains malleable enough to avoid breakage during heavy usage *due to this factor use with a fire steel is limited) and oil quenched to approximately 56 Rockwell C so is ideal for chopping and excellent for splitting yet also easily re-sharpened to a stunning razor edge.
In looks this fine knife captures the romance of the Mountain man era having the classical lines and sheath design of a fur trapper’s butcher knife while still maintaining the strong functionality of the Saami reindeer knife (Leuku).
Unlike its Scandinavian cousins this knife has a full tang which is fitted with tough English Oak scales secured via peined over steel rivets (much stronger than brass) giving the tool both a home grown feel as well as superior strength in use.
A functional handmade knife which also comes with a luxurious handmade 3mm chestnut brown tanned leather sheath mounted on a brass O ring swivel and a belt loop capable of taking belts up to 2”. All in all a tough workhorse of a tool.
Being handmade their may be a slight delay of a couple of weeks on orders during busy periods.

Course photo 2007 WEISS

2007-08-18T13:21:00.000Z

WEISS Temperate course

2007

Well done all who attended and Passed!!

Coming soon - Kuksa

2007-08-13T15:37:00.000Z

Natural Form Kuksa.

The traditional handmade wooden Kuksa has become a bushcraft icon, a symbol of style and oneness with nature as well as being thermally efficient (drinks do not cool quickly in cold weather and there is no chill factor of skin on cold metal either!) and aesthetically pleasing. Top quality and ready to use these natural shaped Kuksa’s come all the way from Arctic Finland where the birch burls used to make these luxurious cups are hand selected and being formed by nature each one is totally unique in shape, size and colouration. Sizes available are Medium - approximately coffee cup size and Large - anything over this. (Sizes may vary as we can only supply that which nature provides.) Rare, distinctive and utterly one of a kind your hand made Kuksa can only grow better with age and usage soon becoming a trusted fireside companion. Natural form Kuksa’s make ideal gifts for the bushcrafter who has everything!!
*All Kuksa’s are hand made and made to order – as such some delays may be experienced in orders as the woodsman needs to go out and select them individually – we will of course keep a small stock when available

Woollen Capote, traditional bushcrafting wear

2007-07-31T08:34:00.000Z

Woollen Capote
Something’s just sing of the fur trade era, they typify the Mountain man and his hardy, free life style. Things like the Hawken Rifle, the butcher or camp knife and the Woollen Capote.

While I now have the perfect butcher/camp knife I still aspire to own a 50 calibre Hawken rifle and am now the very pleased owner of a Woollen Capote.

Traditionally made from one blanket the Capote (a corruption of a French word meaning coat or cape) was torn or cut with a knife (Indians didn’t have scissors) and then stitched in one of many various style.

Cut and sewn for warmth and ease of motivation these fantastically warm coats look a little bulky when new but are actually very unrestrictive making them as Ideal now for the bushcrafter as they were 200 years ago.

Being made from almost one entire blanket they are a little bulky to roll and carry when new but they have many pro’s to out weigh this slight negative point – of course they can be worn for warmth, around the campfire they are safe and will not melt if accidentally burnt. Being wool they remain warm even if soaked for up to 6 days!! But they are also the ideal overnighting blanket being big enough to roll yourself in for a warm cosy nights sleep!!

Originally Capotes were made from Hudson Bay blankets and the blankets had a point system. So highly prized where they that a 4 point blanket (with 4 small black lines on one edge denoting its points) was equal to or traded for 4 beaver pelts.

Available in various colours I opted for a nice red one and looking like Father Christmas aside love the rich scarlet colour. Hand made but machine sewn my Capote is a quality item cheaper in price and more traditional to the 'shrafting' ethos than later items such as Swannis.

Now available from the Good old US of A see the links column of the bearclaw website for the maker’s details.

http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk/links.htm

Stop that roaring its getting boring!!

2007-07-22T09:30:00.001Z

As I sat there in the morning,
Beneath the lone oak tree,
I wondered at the world around,
And what bushcraft meant to me.

Bushcraft is a treasure chest,
Of skills and Lores of old,
Its freedom from the mundane world,
It’s JUST living for the bold.

It’s not some silly romantic dream,
Or having the most expensive knife,
It’s not chatting on some forum,
Causing trouble, wrecking lives.

The petty politics we find in life,
In the bush should have no place,
It’s for the love of nature,
If you’ve got a problem say it to their face.

Bushcraft is for the gentle soul,
It’s for the hardest man,
It’s seeing the world with a child’s sweet eyes,
And being the best you can.

It’s wonder and it’s beauty,
It’s a zone that’s lie and EGO free,
It’s the silent woods with dew wet leaves,
Not sitting by some PC.

As I sat beneath my Oak and watched the slow sun rise,
I saw another truth and watched world unfold before my very eyes.
And as I sat in quiet reflection part of natures scheme,
I knew within my heart of hearts it wasn’t just a dream.

And that is what Bushcraft is to me its escaping from the world,
It’s escaping the petty politics, escaping jealous words,
It’s understanding our place within natures rich tapestry,
And I hope one day you’ll taste the truth and sit ‘neath mine Oak with me.

Kodi the bearclaw totem

2007-07-14T14:22:00.000Z

Kodi - our logo
“We learn the ways of life from the Bear; it revealed the potato to us when we watched it dig it up from the ground and eat it. If you watch and follow the bear, you can gain much knowledge. “
Native American shaman describing mans relationship with the bear.

Throughout history the Bear has been a significant creature, a symbol of raw courage and power both admired and feared by man. It is not without good reason that the heavenly guardian of the wandering traveller, Ursa Major – the great Bear, points to the North Star as an ever watchful sentinel boldly guiding our way through even in the darkest night .

The wise men of America’s first nation knew full well that whatever Bear will eat is good for humans too. It may not be socially acceptable to eat the insects that Bear finds under trees, but they would not do us any harm it we did and like us when Bear goes looking for fish, he doesn’t look for the perch, he looks for the salmon and the trout - the best! When he goes looking for the berries, the ones he chooses to eat are all the ones that are good for us humans too. When Bear has a head ache he sits and rubs a willow tree, scratching off its bark and eating it. The wise old men saw this and when they had a head ache they copied Bear and their head aches disappeared for willow bark contains the active ingredients of aspirin.

Like the wisest of our ancestors we would do well to learn from Bear and all our cousin creatures be they great or small - We should learn to look for the Bear necessities.

This is why Bearclaw Bushcraft has adopted the Bear Totem, for we like all our students and friends, would know the wisdom the wise ones who went before us. We would learn to travel by the Great Bear’s ever guiding light and in so doing learn the lessons that he would teach us about nature and the natural world around us.

The shrafters lost love

2007-07-13T12:11:00.000Z

The ‘shrafter’s’ lost love

She wanted me to wear a suit
With Gucci shoes and tie.
She wanted me to drink red wine,
And live the modern lie.

She wanted more than I could give,
And so she walked away.
She didn’t see the man I am,
My love of soil and sky.

Where mountains kiss the valleys deep,
Where dapple shadows dance.
She’d never know the joy I feel,
She never had a chance.

So her wine bars and flashy clothes,
I told her she could keep.
I’m a simple man with simple dreams,
I bathe in crystal lakes so deep.

The sad and scary cityscape,
Is dark and blots the sky,
Give me the woods in pastel greens,
More pleasing to the eye.

So I lost my love that day,
Yet greater was the prize.
I lost the warmth of her soft breast,
Yet beauty fills my eyes!!

2007-07-12T09:40:00.000Z

Ode to my knife,

Dull the steel which once shone bright,
The wear of age its shining light.
Companion, comfort, trusted friend,
By my side until the end.

We travelled cross the world so wide,
Cross field and flood, through wood and tide,
Your edge so sure, your grip so right,
Silent friend both day and night.

Worn now your wooden scales,
Dark with use and age,
Yet bright they lay in my minds eye,
Oh, silent companion to me.

To any task without complaint,
To any toil you’d leap,
Craving spoons or trigger traps,
Treasured gifts to keep.

Smile my little metal friend,
Your service I still need,
Hark, the woods they whisper there,
The forests call we’ll heed!

2007-07-10T13:58:00.000Z

WEISS (Sub Arctic) Course

This is the Law of the Yukon, that only the Strong shall thrive;
That surely the Weak shall perish, and only the Fit survive.
Dissolute, damned and despairful, crippled and palsied and slain,
This is the Will of the Yukon, -- Lo, how she makes it plain!
Robert Service – Law of the Yukon

The Arctic and sub Arctic climate is one of the worlds most beautiful yet most dangerous however it is also this pristine wilderness which offers the brave bushcrafter a chance to challenge them self as well as to extend their knowledge and abilities whilst studying new skills in a winter wonderland with dream like magnificence.

Phase Two of the Wilderness Experience International Survival School programme is only open to those who have completed the Initial WEISS temperate course or have achieved advanced skills via similar training or experience elsewhere as the course itself, while different from the WEISS temperate in as much as it’s a 100% learning course, is no less testing and is equally as challenging.

Predominantly run upon the Frozen lakes and in Boreal Pines forests which cover the rolling hills around Riksviken Sweden as well as the WEISS classroom this well established courses covers such skills as,

· Snow Shoe travel and Navigation
· Using a Snow mobile (snow go to our Swedish friends)
· Ice Fishing
· Snow shelters
· Fire lighting in extreme conditions – where your life can truly depend on it.
· Clothing
· Survival and general skills for minus temperature living
· Edible/Utility plants and resources common to Arctic/Sub Arctic lands.
· Cross country travel man hauling sleds

Upon completing this course you will have earned the Winter bar, a badge which can be worn above the much coveted WEISS badge, a sign of distinction, a sign that you are now a highly skilled, motivated and knowledgeable outdoors person who stands head and shoulders above their peers – simply put ‘The Best of the Best’

As with WEISS there is no kit list given and students, being at an advance level, are required to bring the appropriate equipment however you should be aware specialist items will be loaned to you.

Course size is limited to a Maximum of 10 Students

WEISS COURSE

2007-06-23T12:13:00.000Z

Established in 1956 the Wilderness Experience International Survival School has trained explorers, soldiers and top outdoorsfolk from all over the world.

The distinctive 5 sided badge is worn with pride by many renown individuals, earned through hard work and skill this badge speaks volumes of the wearer, a wearer who without a doubt has proudly joined the bushcraft Elite

So it was we had the pleasure of greeting 17 of the latest potential WEISS winners to Sweden on a sunny day in June.

The group arrived in high spirits but also with a sense of anticipation.

Bearing in mind that this course is part survival part bushcraft many of the students had tried to prepare for both ...........but nothing could prepare them for the course.

On the first day we removed all their own gear and reissued them with a complete outfit of our own, cookware, shelter, sleeping bag ect all provided and all the same. No student would have the advantage of the latest gizmo - here only skill shines out not money or technology!

The week itself flew by as we covered such subjects as fire by friction, flint knapping, the making of traps and fishing gear, navigation and SAR's techniques plus much much more.

I'll not go into details of the course but suffice to say everbody on it celebrated when the little 2 seater Cessna search plane flew over and spotted there signals and the hand held flare waved frantically below it - wagging its wings it dropped a parachute of supplies which all the guys couldnt wait to get their hands on.

The final treat was a evening in the sweat lodge, basking in the hot tube and enjoying a beer and a spectacular meal cooked by our host Preben Mortenson.

We were proud of every one there and even prouder to say even one passed - a stunning event which even Preben could not remember happening before - 100% pass rate!!

Those who passed this fantastic course are now invited to attend the Winter WEISS course which will next be run in March 2008 - this course is invite only and open only to the best of the best.............maybe we'll see you there one day?

Weiss and Vildmark 2007

2007-06-20T18:28:00.000Z

A more indepth write up of this years Swedish courses will follow soon but for now (courtesy of Johan at Nordic Bushcraft) here are the links to a couple of galleries.

http://www.nordicbushcraft.com/course_pics/weiss2007/

http://www.nordicbushcraft.com/course_pics/vildmark2007/

Note - no images or any inform or details from these images are to be used or copied without the express permission of the owner - Johan Forsberg.

Images are for information/pleasure only and not for reproduction.

Custom Opinel with neck sheath

2007-05-20T14:01:00.000Z

In his earliest book - the survival handbook - Ray Mears praised and recommended the Opinel No8 folding knife and I to echo that praise.

Its a simple knife, no dodgy bevels, no tricky locks or silly catchs to break or go wrong. Its a work horse and has earned its populaity and trusted reputation from knowledgable outdoors folk due to this and its fantastic price.

So imagine my pleasure at finding a guy who customizes the Knife and then supplies it with a matching fire steal and neck sheath!!

Presently only trading on ebay the makers is a really friendly chap who will customise the Opinel in one of a variety of materials, horn, antler woods of all shapes and colours ect - a great deal, on a great knife which is without a doubt 100% a bushcrafters best friend. Plus you also get a great leather neck sheath and matching customized firesteel - which castes top rate sparks from the Opinels hard squared off spine - truely a winning combination!!

You can contact the makers at piuspaul@fenech0.wanadoo.co.uk or drop me a line at www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk

The wild bushcrafter song

2007-05-15T21:16:00.000Z

Heres a cracking little song from tube sung by a couple ofyoung bushcrafters - I'm sure you'll enjoy it!!

Cracking song and cool Buff!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-Ji4XmL0o

Excerp from a review of the Fasach Ile course.

2007-05-10T18:30:00.000Z

Dave Writes...Good question mate, let me tell you about my recent trip there with Bearclaw Bushcraft then you can make your mind up in full possession of the FACTS.small print disclaimerI do not intend to give you anything like the facts because one of the major strenths of this course is that you NEVER know whats round the corner.I could spend all night just telling you about the drive along the rocky coastal roads to the ferry port at Kenacriag, a trip I was lucky enough to share with Grez. We caught the ferry to Port Ellen passing Texa on the way.'Oh my, That is a very small, rocky island sat rather too far from Islay in a choppy sea, it's getting dark and it's raining... Gulp !'There to meet us were Jeremy with his super family and Donald- James, two gentlemen who earned our rich respect over the week ahead. The transport to the island of Texa i will gloss over because even if you have heard about it, as I had, nothing will prepare you for this. It serves the purpose of clearing your jaded, work-a-day pallette of all traces of the person you were two minutes earlier, it turns you back into a ten year old and it sends the thrill of adventure tingling down to your finger tips. The only downer comes when you reach the jetty to be met by Gary, JP and Steve Wiggins. Three first class chaps obviously, the downer being that smile they are all wearing- GOTCHAThe terrain is rocky with wet peaty soil, Suficiently different from the flinty chalk of my South Downs to be a novelty.Bashers up, meet round a fire for welcomes and, in view of the long distances travelled by more than a few of us, bed.Up for 24hr pack breakfasts (sublime in my opinion) and onto lectures. Jeremy wipes the smile off our faces with a few home truths about the dangers and the difficulties peculiar to this Island from a search and a casevac point of view. Gary's legendary cutting tool saftey chat is allways a pleasure but somehow more precient when you are actualy standing in the wilderness and preparing to use these things with a degree of urgency.Time to get vague on detail here, because the structure of this course works on many levels, and forwarned is the exact opposite of forearmed in this case.On a practical level, everything you need to do to survive here is shown early on and put into practice straight away. Some of the things which start happening to your mind and sub-consious are so profound that I was home a week before I started understanding half what happened to me.The instructors take you on little tours of the nature and are allways keen to answer questions especially about the amazing array of sea birds. All the while, Texa is seeping up through your sodden boots and into your nervous system. As the week moves on, Survival starts to become Bushcraft and Wilderness Living. By this time, Texa has sidled into your soul, planted a flag and set up arcs of fire to repelle anything daft enough to try and compete.There are many, many reasons why this is the best course I have ever attended and I will list a few of the more obvious ones to save me typing into the night.The instructors were flawless in their advice and the way they worked as a team. It's making my teeth bleed to praise the Essex boys but they pulled out all the stops and in conjunction with the local knowlege and experience of Jeremy and Donald-James, I don't think I missed a single experience which could have improved my week.The course is layed out in a way which keeps building on the things you learn. Instead of telling you something and then asking you questions about it at the end of the week, every new factor is incorperated into your daily routine.I have compared the tricks of the mind on this course to being on 'big brother' in the way that your morale may be lifted to the sky by the finding of a pignut but then plummet when it seems one of your companions eat more than their fair share of it !The freedom of simplicity is a precious thing ; if it isn't shelter, water, fire or food it's just a talking point. Remind me of that when i'm doing the school run and i'm going to be 5 minutes late for the dentist.I think that the one biggest reason that this week was so momentous has to be Texa herself. The beauty, the nature, harshness and fertility, and the coolest goats you ever did see. A big mention for the limpets of Texa, in my imagination at different times, they tasted of kebabs, fish finger sarnies with brown sauce, and crunchy nut corn flakes. If this is where Bushcraft is heading, well it's a blessed relief because there are people out there who don't rest on their laurels, and who won't chase every last penny till it all withers into nothing. I recon there is nothing to compete with Texa as a course and an experience and I am so very grateful to the people who made it happen.

Bushcraft Basics part 2

2007-05-07T08:32:00.000Z

Knife maintenance and sharpening.

Sharpening.

The best set up for sharpening a flat bevel knife involves 2-3 grades of honing stone.

- Course – 800 grit
- Medium – 1000 grit
- Very fine 6000 grit

A very course 250 grit may sometimes be used for restoration work.

At home the best set up for a novice is.
- 2 sided India Oil stone made from Aluminium Oxide. The coarseness is determined by the binding Agent but generally these stones consist of a course and medium side. I often use these to take off secondary bevels and to repair 'dinks' students make in there tools.

Arkansas stones are mined from sedimentary rock in Arkansas (hence the name) and are usually fine and very fine. Arkansas stones are the best naturally occurring stones in the world.

Other useful items –

- Steel, as used by butchers. These are used in the field to produce a micro scopic secondary bevel which gives our edge a more robust finished profile. Be aware a steel does really sharpen your blade it just re-aligns the teeth!
- Strop – leather strop like you see in the barbers shop (or an old leather belt) are used to finish the edge before use and as such remove the microscopic wire created by the sharpening process.

Other products

Japanese Water stones.
- Excellent for producing a superior edge but expensive lacking longevity
- Made from rare clays impregnated with crushed seashells which are ground together and recompressed.
- To use soak in water until the fizzing stops
- Soft will not survive rough handles.

Weston Water stones.
- Basically cheaper copies of the above
- More robust and hard wearing
- Don’t hold so much water.

*note water stones will shatter at below 0 degrees.

Diamond Whetstone
- Rip away a lot of steel very quickly
- Can Ruin your knife fast!

Ceramic stones
- Superheated clays to recreate a volcanic type rock.
- Too hard – take a long time to produce an edge but are good as steels (improvised)
- Expensive

Oil stones
- Robust
- Used will oil
- Very good – a favourite old trooper!

Sharpening Techniques

Field sharpening.
- Cut down water stones or small pocket Arkansas stone
- Sit cross legged and place on shoe to use.
- No ideal system but generally I'd recommend taking the stone to the blade always ensuring fingers are kept clear of the cutting edge!

Base camp sharpening
- Here we use our oil or water stone as follows,

Place stone on a flat surface
Lubricate stone (if a water stone soak in water until it stops fizzing the keep wet - never cross lubricate i.e oil on water or vica versa - and for field use always use water as some time or another the only lub' your have handy is spit!) This is to enable the microspoic metal filings to be carried away from the pours on the stone.
Lay knife flat onto stonestarting at near the handle as possible.
Tilt up the blade until the bevel is flat on the stone.
using gentle downward pressure slide the blade (as if slicing of a thin layer) down the stone - starting at the handle but ending the motion at the tip.
If nec' round the tip slightly to ensure full contact with the stone.
Do this intially 6 times one one then reverse and do the same towards yourself 6 times.
Keep repeating this process until were happy the edge is getting sharper.
Now start to reduce the strokes each side - come down from 6 to 4 to 3 to 2 and then 1
once on 1 stroke each side to this at least 10 times to weaken the wire (the wire is a very fine strip of metal which builds up as we wear away each side of the blade during sharpening if its not removed it will snap of in use and dull the edge.)
Once we're happy the edge is sharp we move to the strop - the strop will remove the wire for use.
Strop in a reverse motion to sharpening - minimum of 50 strokes each way.

Job done test the blade as described.

Stropping – as pointed out above stropping removes the fine wire edge that is built up by the sharpening process. The wire edge makes your knife ‘feel’ sharp but if it is not removed by stropping it will break off in use taking the knife edge with it.

Ideally strop your knife 50 times on each side.

Testing your edge.

Paper test, shave hairs off arm or use thumbnail.

The thumnail test is best - to do this drag your cutting edge across the HARD part of your thumb nail - if your knife is sharp you will feel it biting into the nail - any dull spots will slide without resistance.

Now we have a sharp cutting tool we will look at how to use it SAFELY!!

Fasach Ile

2007-05-03T16:24:00.000Z

Last week saw us taking a few very brave souls away for a week long training adventure on our own uninhabited island just of the Scottish mainland.

The course was a great success and I take my hat off to the guys who atteneded it, they all did remarkably well in some rather rough weather conditions.

The area we use is also used by the Royal Marines for their survival training and while they are often unofficially helped by the friendly locals the guys with us had to do it all for real.

Next time you see someone wearing a Texa Ranger badge be aware these guys have earned the right to talk the talk because with us they have learned to walk the walk.

I left my heart in Finland

2007-02-27T13:29:00.000Z

Recently I was lucky enough to take a small group of friends on a test course out to Finland - words really can not express the wonderful time we had, the Finnish people are among the best in the world, I've nothing but praise for their friendliness and the warm welcome they are gave us.

Landing in Roveminia Airport (home of Santa and right there on the edge of the Arctic circle was a treat, its like Christmas all over again. The time we had in country playing in Temperatures down to a fresh -32 C were great - so as the singer says a picture paints a thousand words .........I hope you enjoy these few .............

I left my heart in Finland mid the snow and the tower spruce tree,

For how that cold land calls to me with the whisper of the breeze.

Neck Knife

2007-02-14T19:45:00.000Z

Having spent a lot of time over the years working with Scandinavian peoples I've come to appreciate the strengths of the 7" Saami knife - or Leuku as we Brits call it.

But very few northland folk carry the Leuku alone, they nearly always carry a smaller utility knife either a puukko on their belt or a small knife worn around the neck (a come practice among native americans too).

Such a combo for the Northlander replaces the compromises and incompleteness of carrying a medium sized knife with an axe like the SFA and saw as in a frozen land they can do ALL they need with these to knives - prefering a 3/4 or full axes for heavy chopping work and veiwing the popular UK combo as amateurish and not much good for long term living in the boreal forests.

I also find this sort of combo (neck and Saami knife) very versatile and am pleased to announce that we have finally found a UK based maker to produce a small Neck knife for us. These tough little tools are 3mm thick A1 tool steel with rosewood handles and come complete with a hand stitched neck sheath.

Watch the website for this new addition to our range!!

The new BFK and DFK have landed

2007-02-01T17:09:00.000Z

There are few times in a mans life when he can justify getting excited and the arrival of a new range of cutting tools is one of them - especially if your a bushcrafter!!

Today saw the arrival of the new DFK so before we get them on the website I thought I'd share the information and first pictures with you.

Damascus Field Knife
Modelled upon the more common style of bushcraft knife the Damascus field knife is a real work horse as well as a tool of aesthetical beauty any bushcrafter would be proud to own.

The Damascus steel composition is 125 layers of 1084 high carbon steel and 15n-20 with 2% nickel. The steel is first forged into 125 layers and then forged into a round bar. When the steel is at welding temperature the bar is twisted like a rope and then forged back into billets of Damascus.

The Damascus is then heat treated at 1500 degrees and quenched in oil. At this stage the Damascus is too hard and must be tempered back to a useable hardness. This done at 400 degrees for two hours and then repeated a second time. The blade is then ground, buffed and acid etched to bring out the beautiful Damascus pattern in the steel.

Being hand made these full tang knives are all unique and have a rustic look and feel to them as the maker often extenuates the natural shape or beauty of the materials he uses.
DFK’s are available with Antler, Horn or Masur Birch handles (scales) and come with a veg tanned leather belt sheath with firesteel loop attached – sheaths are available in either black or chestnut brown leather. Please contact with your choices of materials and sheath colours when ordering

Bushcraft Basics. Part 1

2007-01-20T12:39:00.000Z

Each week I'll be publishing a new item in the bushcraft basics list - this week we start but looking at our most important of all the cutting tools.

Nessmuk favored a “trinity” system of cutting tools, his little double bit hatchet, a light fixed blade and a substantial Moose pattern folder. Nessmuk’s views towards knives are arch-typical of the classic outdoorsmen; he preferred thin knives, keen edges and a useable length..

A pair of utility knives are most favourable – generally this means a larger camp knife and a smaller knife designed for cutting tasks such a game or food prep and whittling.

This trinity is what we favor also – our trinity being,

Sheath knife such as BFK
Pocket knife like the Opinel
Axe or hatchet such as the SFA.

Or

A Scandinavian option,
Scandi style neck knife
Leuku
Felling/full forest axe

This lecture deals with the tools a woodsman uses in his everyday activities.

Five kinds of Tool are generally employed in Bushcraft,

Bow saw
Folding saw
Axe
Knife
Crook knife

Another tool used in tropical environments is the Golok or machete.

Before picking up any tool in the outdoors ALWAYS pick up your first aid kit!! – Carry a small cuts kits with your knife a FFD IS IDEAL.

Be strict about this rule!

Never leave a tool unsheathed when not in use it can cause injury to ourselves – others or important equipment.

The knife

Our most valuable tool in Wilderness living is the knife.

Your knife is your life – which means choosing the right knife is extremely important to the woodsman who relies on his knife to perform all the tasks he asks of it.

There are many types of design of knife on the market and as such looking for a good one can be quite baffling. Generally the following features are desirable in a good field knife.
- The tang should run through out the handle (full tang) this should be one piece of steel and not thin towards the hilt.
- Tang should be reasonably wide ideally the same width as the blade as this lends itself to tasks such as splitting and hammering.
- Handle shaped is important – an oval shape is best as this will cause less fatigue in the hand from prolonged use.
- No guard – this is for fighting knives in bushcraft a guard will get in the way.
- The tip should be in line with the centre of the knife all the way through the handle. This gives the tip strength but also keeps it clear of bones ect when skinning or butchering game.
- The blade edge has a gentle curve from tip to handle as this is easiest to sharpen.
- Flat bevel with a edge of approx 25 degrees
- Capable of fine work but robust enough to act as a wedge for driving into wood.

Dimensions – blade length should be equal to your hand width for mechanical advantage ect. Spine not to thick to allow food prep ect.

Carbon VS Stainless steel.

For bushcraft work we generally opt for carbon steel. It is our preference because,
- It has soul – the steel reacts to the weather and materials cut – it will rust and as such needs to be looked after.
- Takes a keener edge – but needs more maintenance (generally speaking)
- Sparks with flint

That said stainless steel has its place especially is constantly working around water – stainless’ advantages are,
- Doesn’t rust – more hygienic
- Generally will not take or hold a razor edge but will hold a sharp edge much longer (high carbon stainless steels are the exception here)
- Hard or soft temper

Carrying your knife.

Always carry your knife on your person. I usually suggest students wear their knives around their necks in the Native American fashion because there is less chance of losing it and as such they are always aware of its weight and would notice its absence.

Note – a blade longer than 7.4cm is deemed as an offensive weapon -.so a knife worn around the neck and under your shirt will not upset anyone you can chance upon in the woods. It’s safe and discrete (Learn and observe the laws in your country)

A knife worn on a belt interferes with the waist straps of a rucksack unless it has a strap similar the the BFK or the classic scandi, htese are designed to hang below the belt and give free unhindered carriage and movement.

If a knife is left lying around it is a danger to everyone – never do it – always return to sheath after use! This is the classic sign of a poorly trained amateur and as such you will be deemed a very poor woodsman

4 BASIC BLADE CONFIGURATIONS

Convex – seen on axes and machetes this is good for chopping at its robust and lasts a long time. The convex edge is easiest to produce but is not good to wood work and carving.
Concave – Hollow ground edges are usually mass produced and are generally fairly cheap to buy. They are hard to maintain and have an inherent weakness.
Secondary Bevel – this is most common and is actually so very good for carving and is also prone to rapid edge lose and is harder to sharpen.
Flat Bevel – blades with a flat, single bevel are strong, good for carving and splitting wood as well as being easy to sharpen.

Other knives

- Folding knives – are useful easily in food prep but they lack the strength of a sheath knife. The locking mechanism can fail making them dangerous to use.

Next we will look at how to maintain and sharpen your knife.

Bushcraft Christmas

2006-12-20T14:08:00.000Z

Santa is a bushcrafter too,
How else does he know what to get me?
A non special knife just wont do,
Will santa this year forget me?

I cant blame the wife she's suffered all her life,
With my bushcraft fascination,
So if santa dont come - one things to be done,
Father Christmas Assasination!

I'll whittle the tree in to a bow and arrows you see,
And wait for the old fellow that night.
And if he comes the chimney or Stair,
I'll skewer there him - just right!

There in the dark in my swanni and hat,
I feel like a kinda of wolly.
As I cry out in pain again and again,
Cos' I pricked myself on the Holly.

Alone in the dark I hear a fox bark,
Then an owl calls softy outside,
Dropping my bow I hurry and go,
Back up to my big bed and hide!!

When morning doth come I welcome the sun,
But remember how my legs turned to jelly,
This bushcrafting game if its all the same,
I'll just watch on the telly.

Scandi style pot hanger

2006-12-19T14:39:00.000Z

Scandinavian Pot Hanger.

In the world of bushcraft there is an amazing array of different suspension systems designed to assist us in hanging a pot above our camp fire to boil water or help us slowly simmer that backwoods stew.

But be it a Waugan stick, a dingle or a cooking crane of the most cunning design one defect in them all is the fact that the ‘crafter’ needs to spend time searching out the correct materials. ‘Not a hardship,’ I hear you cry, and you’d be right as there is always pleasure to be had, and wonders to be found while searching the woodland for that hook or forked stick of correct length and size.

But imagine that time is short before darkness descends upon you and its raining or your choice of materials are limits as might be the case in the northern boreal forests.

Well, all is not lost and thanks to the cunning wilderness living skills of a very good Swedish friend of mine, Preben Mortensen the granddaddy of Swedish survival, the wily outdoors person can quickly carve a Scandinavian pot hanger and is so doing not only impress their friends with their knowledge and knife craft but also, perhaps more importantly, quickly get the pot over the fire for that essential warming brew or meal.

So where do we begin?

First, select two thumb thick sticks with a forked off shoot at one end and one short straight section as pictured above.

Green wood while not essential is best for this being easiest to carve and less likely to suffer damage from fire in the short term. Try to select the wood from non-toxic trees or trees without a heavy resinous sap by nature as we don’t want to risk contamination our food even if this risk is small

A tip here is to leave all wood, at this stage, as long as possible so we can measure and trim it later – this will allow us to hang our pot at the optimum height about the fire.

Now having selected our materials and checked they are sound and not rotten or weak in anyway (don’t want our dinner dropping into the fire now do we?) we can happily make our way back to camp where we will work on the next stage of our hangers construction.

Having erected our crane, be it two forked sticks with a cross bar (more correctly called a Waugan (a name predating the turn of the century and as such the correct term given its age and in common usage by our US friends) or a Saster, Speygelia (what we Brits might call a Waugan stick thanks to TV or modern literature) over our fire measure the points where our two branches (once carved) will meet and in so doing lift our pot to the correct height about the fire. Once marked we take our knife and remove approximately half the wood from the poles length (as shown below) remembering to remove the material from the side of the pole away from the fork.

*Note the notched or beaked under cuts carved into the lower ends of the pole will become more apparent later.

Having carved both pieces as above pay particular attention to the removal of the ends of your poles (these being tops furthest away from the forked side branches). These are cut at a 60 degree or so angle so they face away from the carved or exposed wood with the angle going back towards the fork branch side where it is sticking out and as such both should be cut to a length which when placed together and slid into the notches on the adjoining half lock the whole thing together – see below

This done we can fine tune the lengths of our set up, adjusting the height of the pot (not the bottom of the lower forked stick) but so it is at a height where we can hold our hand above the fire for approximately 5 seconds without burning ourselves. This height above the fire will generally (flames going up and down, wind speed ect ect) ensure we boil water or cook food with the minimum risk of it burning if left unattended for short periods of time but also without wasting fuel by needing a hotter or longer burning fire.

I digress however so let us return to task.

Our forked sticks should now interlock but will lack the strength to stay locked together once weight is placed upon them so now we must make ourselves the locking bar. For this take our third shorter piece of wood and carve it into a flat square piece of a size approximate to the forked sticks but wider if placed horizontally across them (for thumb thick sticks your looking at a piece approximately 10mm wide by 20mm high and 80mm long – of course as with all things bushcraft these are only guides and the dimensions of your materials will dictate)

Finally we need to carve the lock itself. Place the finished locking bar across your two poles in a position central to both and mark the poles on the exposed side and across the grain to the width and half the depths of the locking bar.

Then using stop cuts remove the waste material inside these markings as below.

Carve slowly and with care as to much wood being removed will make the final hanger ineffective as the locking bar will not be able to lock the two poles in place.

This done we are finally ready for completion.

Place the two halves of the pot hanger together, their forks should now both be facing outward, and gently tap the locking bar into the carved lock recess. The bar should not slid in easily as its role it to force the two halves apart and thus friction lock the slanted ends tightly into the carved beak notches.

Once this is done and the whole hanger is locked tightly together we can trim off the ends of the locking bar so it sits flush to the wood.

Now is the time we can also trim off the forks of our two halves leaving them long enough to take our pots bail arm or handle but not so long as to get in the way during usage. Also remember to remove any other waste material until our finished article looks similar to the below.

This done all that remains is for us to fill the pot and hang it above the fire while we sit back contented in having displayed a new skill which will become a familiar friend on many future trails.

Bannocks and bacon

2006-12-16T09:12:00.000Z

Outdoor cookery guide
Outdoor cookery is an entertaining and fun way for enjoy your meals. Whether on the BBQ or over an open fire there are a few tips and tricks that can help you get the most from your experience.

Aside from the recreation aspects of cooking we should also consider its importance in bushcraft – a tasty meal, well presented would boost morale, lift flagging spirits and in many ways make what might be a terrifying experience less daunting. As well a feeding the spirit we are also feeding the body so we need to ensure we utilize all the nutrients and goodness of each meal by avoiding over cooking and controlling waste (waste of fuel and water as well as food).

Just like any budding Jamie Oliver, an outdoor chef needs to learn a few basic techniques before he can begin to enjoy those tasty treats that await him.

Ground oven cook times.
Food cannot be burnt or spoilt if cooked in a correctly constructed ground oven. Always allow the correct time so that your food can cook through. As a rule of thumb, I always add a little extra to be safe.

Haunch of Deer, pig or goat
2 Hours per Lb

Rabbit or Hare
4 hours

Squirrel
2 hours

Fish
45 mins – 1 hour

Shell fish
30 – 45 mins

Crab (small)
30 – 45 mins

Roots and tubers
3 – 5 hours

seaweeds
3 hours

Steaming times
Steaming works well on small game – to cook larger fare fire management is essential.

Fish
20 – 40 mins

Rabbit or Hare
2 hours

Shell fish
1 hour (discard any that remain closed)

Roots and tubers
4 – 5 hours

These are a few of the more expedient techniques you will be using as the series progresses – while steaming and ovens are good ways to cook don’t forget you can also boil your food as well as broiling and frying.

Let us look at rations – military rations and camping foods will be covered in later issues but for now, I want to get right back to basics – using ingredients readily available around the world both past and present.

In the heyday of the Fur brigades of the Rocky Mountains large companies such as the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company issued their trappers and Voyageurs with rations, below is a list of what each man would received.

HBC ration: _
2 Lbs flour or 11/2 lbs sea biscuits (pilot bread)
1 lb fat mess pork (salt pork with no meat – what is called fat back)
2 oz sugar
½ oz Tea
½ oz salt
½ oz carbonate of soda (baking soda – for leavening Bannock bread)
2 oz peas or 2 oz barley

The peas and barley where intended to be boiled along side any game taken upon the trail.
This ration per man would weight 347 pounds if rationed for a 15-day trip.

NWC Voyageur’s meal
1 quart dried peas
4 oz salt pork
1 or 2 hardtack biscuits (British military rations have these called Biscuits AB or use can use 4 - 6 crackers)

The voyageurs who fixed this meal ate only once a day and usually around a communal cooking pot.

From these two examples, you can see how plain and simple rationing a trip can be. Below is a meal taken from an original recipe that will transport you back to the 1800’s.

Voyageur Stew
Taking the ingredients above, soak the quart of peas until the skins split. Add salt pork chopped into cubes and simmer for 5 hour (over an open fire or until meat is tender on stove) topping up the water as needed.
When ready add the broken hardtack biscuits and stir in until the whole stew becomes thick.

Then enjoy.

Just like the wily old trapper or mountain man we can carry with us a few basic ingredients that will (with a little imagination) stretch to serve us in a whole host of different ways. These ingredients may be all that are open to the modern explorer especially in some third world country’s but more importantly they offer us versatility in our cooking as well as being a important source of carbohydrates.

Batterdough – this is a multipurpose Bannock mix adaptable to various meals and needs

If we carry the below dry ingredients with us upon the trail we can cook ourselves anything from a simple Bannock or Fire bread, golden and tasty Pan Cakes, plump stodgy mouth watering dumplings or even a tasty pie crust or Pizza.

The list is simple. To cut down on weight you should only carry what you think you will need maybe even premixing the dry ingredients at home and carrying them in zip lock bags.

Plain flour
Suet
Baking Powder
Salt and Sugar.

I usually work on a daily ration of 2lbs flour, 2oz o sugar, ½ oz Salt, ½ oz Baking powder, 1lb suet (Taken from Hudson bay company daily rations) Unless I’m carrying other food stuff then I will carry less.

The below ingredients will make one bannock to serve 2 or 10 – 12 Canadian style pancakes.

10 heaped spoonfuls of flour
1 level spoonful of baking powder
4 spoonfuls of sugar
1/8 – 1/2 of a spoonful of salt

*A spoon being the size of spoon you have with you but deemed to be roughly tablespoon size)

Mix the above ingredients allowing as much air as possible to entire the mix. When ready slowly add water and work this in little by little. For a bannock, you will want a round cannon ball of quite stiff dough.

Grease a cooking pot with melted suet and place the dough inside. Slice a cross across the bannocks top then cover with a lid and bake over the fire or in an oven until ready (check after above 20 mins at medium heat.)

Other uses,

The bannock mixture can also be cooked on a plank or wrapped around a stick (in both cases use none toxic woods) as well as in an oven or pot, ensure the plank is heated before you add the dough.
Used as a base for a pizza bread - replace plain water with 50/50 mix of water and sun dried tomato oil (or all oil) also mix into the dough salami and sun dried tomatoes then fry in melted suet.
By replacing the sugar with suet (8 spoonfuls), you can use this as a dumpling mix. (More suet if you like ‘em stodgy!)
By replacing the baking powder and sugar with 5 spoonfuls of suet, you can make a passable piecrust.
To make pancakes mix the above ingredients with water until it forms a batter. Grease a frying pan (melted suet) and fry spoon sized lumps of batter turning once to golden on both sides. Even better if you have it fry the pancakes in bacon fat and serve with Maple syrup.
Mixing the bannock mixture with beer (traditional ales) to replace water makes a tasty treat and saves on your valuable water supplies.

Nettle soup.
Can be used as an accompaniment to our Bannock or as a meal in its own right.

4 large handfuls of Nettle tops
1 large onion (optional or add Ramsons, hedge garlic and chives))
I large spoon (heaped) butter (optional)
2 pints vegetable stock, bouillon, or chicken soup.
Salt and pepper– or paprika, chilli sauce to taste

Make up stock and bring to a slow simmer. Add chopped onion and butter and allowed to simmer until onion is soft. Stir in nettle tops and bring back to boil.
Once boiling add any further liquid as required and again allow to return to the simmer for a further 5 mins. (If using hedge garlic add last just before serving and finely chop)

Season to taste.

Serve.

An interesting meal can be made by pureeing nettles tops (cooking in enough water to stop them burning and then mash once done) serve with a poached egg.

Food AND Water a wilderness guide
We all know that we need food to live. You are what you eat pretty much sums up our western attitude to food but in reality food is really of the least importance especially in an emergency situation.

However, if food’s importance is decreased waters importance is tripled. Not only do we need water for drinking but we also need it for cooking, washing and numerous other tasks.

With this in mind, I would like to point out the following facts.

Food.
You can fast for between 40 to 120 days. You may survive longer by fasting if you cannot,
Find more than 1000 calories on a daily basis.
Find 500 grams of Carbohydrate a day
If you use more energy getting food than you intake from it.

This sounds extreme but it will allow the body to go into starvation mode and in this state it will burn fuel efficiently – adding small amounts of Carbohydrate will hinder this and (as you will see below) cause you to suffer the effects of carbohydrate deprivation over and over – a most uncomfortable state of affairs. Bear in mind that we seem to fear being hungry without really understanding the effects of hunger and its effects on our bodies. We will cover more about this in later articles.

Water
You can go without it for approximately 3 days (longer in some cases 4 to 6 being the maximum)

With adequate sleep and water in take you will live until you starve to death.

However, without sufficient water you should refrain from eating and smoking as both dehydrate you. Lack of water rapidly affects the body so remember the old adage - Ration sweat not water.

Thirst is not a guide to dehydration – check urine colour regularly as this is more accurate - clear or straw coloured is good anything darker indicates dehydration. Your best water container is your body so keep it tanked up always. There have been numerous occasions where tourists and people caught out by many of the worlds deserts have perished yet surprisingly enough when their bodies are recovered they are often found to still have water in their canteens.

As a rule of thumb always try to drink at least 2 litres of water a day – I like to carry a 2 quart canteen (approx 3 pints) in my rucksack as back up to my 1 litre bottle.

While water is heavy to carry (it gets lighter as you drink it) YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CARRY SOME.

Carbohydrates, relative values.
As mentioned above we need carbohydrates in our diet as these boost our blood sugar level and kick in to provide a quick release energy this being what our bodies, our muscles in particular would rather feed upon.
However, the glycin reserves we carry within us will only last approx two days or so and after this period we will start to burn fat or more importantly our subcutaneous fats, which our body uses as insulation amongst over things.

If this happens carbohydrate, deprivation will result and with it we will experience the following symptoms (especially if we are used to a normal starchy western diet):-

· Tiredness
· Headaches
· Loss of concentration
· Irritability
· Depression
· Self absorption
· And a feeling of continual cold.

All of these can make our experiences harder and in doing so lower our morale, most dangerous of all would be its effects on our levels of concentration. It is therefore a good idea to carry a small emergency ration pack a part of which should be your daily Carb’ intake as mentioned above.

With this in mind, it is wise to carry other ingredients to boost your meal. For additional ingredients I usually look to those that contain proteins and sugars (glucose sweets or Kendal mint cake are ideal) Also carry things you enjoy eating after all that will be a small boost to your morale if nothing else.

I usually prefer to carry rations that do not require re-hydrating in any way, as this is a drain on your valuable water resources, which would, in reality, be better off being drunk.
Worse than wasting precious water, if you are injured or unable to light a fire you will also be unable to feed your internal boiler and so you will start to feel colder and this will increase your chances of a cold injury or worse.

I usually carry the following:-

2 x 50g Beef Jerky
Drinking Chocolate.
Kendal mint cake.

Remember these are emergency rations but they still allow me to have a degree of versatility. The dried meat can be eaten without cooking while the chocolate can be made into either a hot or cold drink as well as acting as flavouring for many other things. The Kendal mint cake (being almost totally sugar) is where a lot of carb’s are stored and this, as well as being full of moral boosting flavour, is pack full of instant energy.

In addition to those above, I usually carry additional e/rats (emergency rations) in my Daysack and these include,

Chewing gum (these help relieve thirst in the short term and contain sugars)
Salt (many uses including flavouring and preservation)
Seasoning (curry powder/chilli powder or Tabasco sauce all improve the bland taste of wild fare).
Bouillon or Vegetable stock cubes.
Rice or Powdered Mash.
Boil in the bag meal (if room or weight allows)

Yet let me once again point out that while food is comforting, it is normally your last priority so concentrate your efforts on finding shelter, fire and water. We westerners tend to eat far more than we actually need to and so our stomachs and our habits tend to make us feel hungry even if we are not.

Boredom will also lead to hunger pains however these can be banished by action. In the bush there will always be something else that needs doing even if it is just collecting more firewood so if you begin to feel hungry distract yourself by working at tasks that will benefit you in the long run and take your mind off your stomach in the short term.

In real terms, it generally takes three days for the body to go into starvation/survival mode. This is the point where we will start to feed off our own stored proteins such as subcutaneous fats. Once you reach this point, hunger will diminish or disappear and you will find your senses becoming very much sharper allowing you to forage more effectively because your soft western body has suddenly woken up and started to act as it was designed to do. (This is something you need to experience to believe for it is truly amazing.)

With this in mind the canny bushman (even if they have food available) should consider the possibility of fasting for the first three days of any emergency situation or adventure.
In a short term situation (most rescues happen in three or less days) carrying a small emergency rations will help you fend off hunger pains and lift your morale. If you are confident rescue will not be long in coming you could eat your eat rations anytime.

Nevertheless always remember the advice on fasting and before worrying about food sources ensure your water supply is adequate for your situation.

Finally while wild foods are useful and can be a meal in themselves or can boost your normal rations it cannot be stressed enough that you should only eat what you can not positively identify and NEVER believe or use edibility tests these were designed for soldiers in escape scenario’s and done properly take many days to carry out.

Water Born Diseases

2006-12-15T08:50:00.000Z

Waterborne diseases

For our native British Ancestors water was the gate way to the spirit world, to the lands of their gods. In to which the gave precious offerings and prayers - but to modern man water has just becoming a dumping ground, into which we throw our waste and chemicals!!

Where we run our courses in Sweden water can be crunk straight from the lake, its safe and clean but unfortunately over most of the rest of the world we have to purify our water to be safe.

Below are details of the two main nasties we are trying to avoid!

GIARDA

Symptoms of Giardiasis (common called Giarda)

A large volume of foul smelling, loose (but not watery) stools seven to ten days after ingestion, accompanied by abdominal distensions =, flatulence, and cramping, especially in conjunction with wilderness or foreign travel (other sources to consider are domestic dogs and cats and preschool day-care centres.
Sudden onset of explosive diarrhoea seven to ten days after ingestion.
Nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite as well as headaches and low grade fever.
Acute symptoms can last seven to twenty one days and may become chronically persistent or relapsing.
In chronic cases, bulky, loose, foul smelling stools may persist or recur – they may float and be light in colour.
In chronic cases significant weight loss can occur due to malabsorption
Chronic symptoms may include flatulence, bloating, constipation and upper abdominal cramps.
Many individuals, unknowingly are asymptomatic passers of cysts.

(If you think you have Giarda you should see a physician for stool testing and have medication prescribed, though it’s thought that most cases resolve spontaneously within 4 – 6 weeks. With any diarrhoea illness replenishing body fluids is critical. Keep in mind that the symptoms given above are non-specific many other problems can exhibit the same symptoms. In fact when testing samples nowadays it is recommended to test for both Giarda and another protozoan prolific in surface waters Cryptosoridium.)

Giarda cysts can be present in springs rising up from the earth as well as rivers and streams – these cysts or found to be both season and regional so it cant be predicted where the exist or went. While it is still possible to found fresh clean drinking water in the wilderness the risks of Giarda far out weight any time savings made in not purifying your drinking water – at the end of the day it isn’t worth the risk.

Cryptosoridium
This parasite causes the illness crytosporidiosis and is found in backcountry waters often in greater concentrations than Giarda. As a protozoan it is similar to Giarda in all the following ways – fecal-oral transmission, intestinal propagation, viability in water for long periods, passage between humans and animals, characteristics of acute symptoms, potential for chronic affliction and occurrence of asymptomatic carriers.

Cryptosoridium however is highly resistant to chlorine – much more so than Giarda.

Treatment

Generally speaking boiling is still the safest way of treating water. Bring your water to a rolling boil and this will kill all parasites and cysts - however if your source is chemically infected it may concentrate the chemicals so beware.

A safer means of purification is a filter - aviod filters which do not purify the water also!! These are more common than you think so always check the small print before buying. In my opinion the best filter system available to date is the PreMac filter, these clean and purify the water and thus render it safe to drink - the Iodine residue left also cleans the waterbottle and aids us in avoiding cross contamination threw sloppy drills or accidents.

Without water there can not be life - always ensure you drink from the dafest, cleanest source!!

Wood burning Poem

2006-12-15T08:49:00.000Z

Woods for Burning.

Logs to burn! Logs to burn!
Logs to save the coal a turn!
Here’s a word to make you wise
When you hear the woodsman’s cries.

Beech wood fires burn bright and clear,
Hornbeam blazes too’
If the logs are kept a year
To season through and through.

Oak logs will warm you well
If they are old and dry.
Larch logs of the pine smell
But the sparks will fly.

Pine is good and so is Yew
For warmth through winter days,
But poplar and the willow too
Take long to dry or blaze.

Birch logs will burn to fast,
Alder scarce at all,
Chestnut logs are good to last
If cut in the fall

Holly logs will burn like wax –
You should burn them green.
Elm logs like a smouldering flax,
No flames to be seen.

Pear logs and Apple logs
They will scent a room,
Cheery logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.

But Ash logs all smooth and grey,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come your way
They’re worth their weight in Gold!

Un-known.

*Elder, sweet chestnut, cedar, hemlock, balsam, spruce and the pines all spit hot cinders into the air.

2006-12-14T13:54:00.000Z

Your Goose is cooked.

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat ................ goose has always been a traditional Native British dish at Christmas .........so lets forget the Yanky Turkey and enjoy a more traditional meal.

Now the old saying goes that there is more than one way to skin a cat and this is true and its not just cats we can skin! In a long term survival or emergency situation our aim would be to utilize every part of the animal but were game is plenty or where we have other uses in mind for instance the construction of decoys skinning is a valid option and should not be ruled out. Birds can be skinned just a readily as mammals and such a method as described below is far less pain stacking and messy then spending time laboriously plucking.

So how do we begin?

Firstly take one bird, any size.

Using finger and thumb carefully pluck bare a small area of flesh at the point where the stomach joins the breast bone.
Then using our knife gently slice the skin open – one cut should suffice here as we don’t want to go deep and damage the stomach wall as our aim it not to damage the meat or internal organs and rupturing the stomach could release bodily fluids which would taint the meat.

Inserting you fingers slowly pry open the flesh until you have made a hole roughly big enough for you to get your fingers in. Place you knife to one side (during butchery and game prep is the only time we do not return our knife directly back into the sheath).

Now manually enlarge the hole to expose the stomach lining and bottom of the breast or chest cavity.
This done, take you knife and again carefully nick the stomach lining to make it easier for you to pull open as before still exerting maximum care through out not to damage any organs needlessly.

Now you can reach inside and remove all the internally organs, you will also need to reach up into the chest and remove heart, lungs also.

Internal organs are of use to us so do not automatically discard. A study of these will reveal feeding signs for instance or we can use them as bait for traps and of course remember you can still eat most parts of these (the offal) too in soups or stews for instance. Try to waste nothing, this not only shows the highest respect for the creature but also the highest standard of woodcraft possible too.

Identify and check the condition of the liver, abnormalities should always be treated with caution and if unsure as to whether the liver is healthy or not always err on the side of caution and discard the whole animal or bird rather than risk the potential of ingesting some disease or illness.

Now, with our game cleaned internally, we move onto the actual act of skinning. You will notice that until now the skin has remained on - this is designed to protect the meat from dirt and damage as the internal organs were removed and is a pertinent technique with both mammals and birds.

So to the skinning, firstly remove the head (if stewing the bird leave as much neck on as possible), wings at the elbow and legs at the knees (read appropriate words for mammals)
Now slice or tear (depending on planned usage of skin) the skin from the opening we’ve created to the throat.

Essentially removing the skin is like removing a jacket. But bear in mind some skins are harder to remove than others, badgers and squirrels are really hard. For a deer you need to use a fist to push and pull the flesh away from the meat. Starting where most comfortable peel off the skin entirely from top to bottom until it has been removed entirely and your bird looks like the below.
Ideally at this stage we should wash the bird with clean water – if using a water bottle avoid contaminating the bottle with dirty hands or by touching its mouth to any exposed meat or bodily fluids.

The jointing and butchering is now down to you or you can opt to roast or boil whole remembering most goodness will be saves if boiled and made into a stew.

I’d suggest you use your knife as little as possible. Follow the visible white(ish) lines which denote where muscle and bone meet. Try to cut with surgical precision to avoid waste or unwanted damage.
The killing of an animal shouldn’t be an action taken lightly and the greatest of respect should always be paid to the dead creature with this in mind always prepare you game cleanly and professionally. Native peoples would pray to the spirit of the game and thank it for giving itself to them and for having the wisdom to surrender it’s live so that the hunter could live and this is something we should also do. Burial of any food scraps and waste is also a way of showing respect and will also ensure we do not invite vermin or disease into our camp.

I hope you have found this interesting, the basic technique above will work on most creatures however please use common sense if you come to practice this skill as I have deliberately not covered every aspect due to the fact the minor changes of technique are two numerous to mention here.Final thought, always practice safety and cover any open cuts on your hands before butchery.

Always clean your knife thoroughly before returning it to its sheath. Never risk cross contamination

Bushcraft Poem by R Service

2006-12-14T09:52:00.000Z

The Men That Don't Fit

In There's a race of men that don't fit in,

A race that can't stay still;

So they break the hearts of kith and kin,

And they roam the world at will.

They range the field and they rove the flood,

And they climb the mountain's crest;

Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,

And they don't know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;

They are strong and brave and true;

But they're always tired of the things that are,

And they want the strange and new.

They say: "Could I find my proper groove,What a deep mark I would make!"

So they chop and change, and each fresh move is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs

With a brilliant, fitful pace,

It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones

Who win in the lifelong race.

And each forgets that his youth has fled,

Forgets that his prime is past,

Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead,

In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;

He has just done things by half.

Life's been a jolly good joke on him,

And now is the time to laugh.

Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;

He was never meant to win;

He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone;

He's a man who won't fit in.

What are we up to?

2006-12-13T22:13:00.000Z

Well with Christmas fast approaching myself and team are enjoying our season break. The mail order shop is as busy as ever of course but at least we all get time to chill at home, clean kit and make repairs to worn gear with has served us well all year.

For me this period is also a time to plan for the future and reflect upon the past.

The Past -

We've had a fantastic year, we've moved our course location from East Sussex to a private estate in Essex.

We ran a very successful trip to Sweden in June and along with Islay Birding also had a excellent week foraging and practicing our survival skills on our own deserted island in April.

The Future -

February will see us in Finland, snow mobiling, dog sledding and snow shoeing around one of europes last frontiers!! I experience which is priceless.

So watch this space for a full report.

What is BUSHCRAFT?

2006-12-13T22:11:00.000Z

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children” Haida Indian saying.

The ancient wilderness living skills which today are grouped loosely together under the somewhat romantic title of Bushcraft are the skills of our forebears, practical skills which enabled them to make fire, find shelter, water and food in an often unfriendly world, but they are also skills which taught them a deep respect for nature and the world around them.
It is these same skills and this same respect that we at Bearclaw Bushcraft teach today for they have not changed in millennia.
More than this our ancestors vast knowledge also enabled them to live in harmony with nature and helped them to foster a deeper understanding of the passing seasons as well as the circle of life of which, we too, are still a part.
We look forward to you one day joining us in the glowing warmth and friendship of our camp fire, a place which has always been the traditional starting point for all great journeys. Its glowing heart is the stepping stone on to the ancient paths and trails where our ancestors once, so wisely trod, and a place were we hope to guide you as you begin your own bushcraft journey.