Refresh Your Bushcraft Skills
Spring is a great time to refresh your bushcraft skills and despite the recent cold snap, Spring is very much on its way. With nature bursting into life once more and the days growing longer it is time to dust off your kit, or put away your winter kit (!) and brush-up on some bushcraft essentials. With that in mind here are some key bushcraft skills that you can brush up on.
As always, feel free to skip to the section that interests you the most or read the whole blog.
- Tarp setups
- Sharpening your knife
- Looking after your axe
- Foraging in spring in the UK
- Key pieces of kit
- Further reading
Tarp setups
Warmer weather brings with it the time for tarps and bivvy bags. Lightweight and easy to set-up tarps and bivvy bags give you the chance to sleep in places that you wouldn’t be able to pitch a tent. The fact that they’re lightweight also means that you can cover further distances when out walking.
Learn more about tarp set-ups for solo campers and couples in our blog here.
What to look for when buying a tarp
Tarps are generally pretty tough and versatile. You can’t go far wrong with most of the major brands or with an ex-army surplus. For more detail though we have got a little buyer’s guide below.
Choosing the correct size of tarp
When choosing a tarp for camping it is best to look for one that is the correct size for your needs. A 3 x 3 tarp will be perfectly sufficient for one person and, with the right set-up and a bit of cozying up, suitable for two. For those camping in larger groups, it is worth considering whether you would be better off getting several smaller tarps rather than one large one.
Choose one with multiple attachment points
Generally speaking, the more attachment points on the tarp the more versatile your set-up. The DD 3×3 tarp has, for example, 19 attachment points.
Our review of the DD 3 x 3 Tarp
“The guys at Wildway Bushcraft have been using the DD 3×3 Tarp for a while now and I thought I would let you know our thoughts. The tarp has been used in all weather conditions throughout the year for all of our bushcraft courses in Dorset and Hampshire and we are very impressed.”
Knife Sharpening
Spring is not only the perfect time to hone your bushcraft skills, it is also the perfect time to hone your tools.
Here at Wildway Bushcraft, we’re not too hung-up on knives. We know that some people get very attached to them but to us, they are tools; and like the rest of our tools, we want our knives to perform to the highest possible standard.
Learn more about knife sharpening, shelter building, foraging and
more in our weekend bushcraft course.
What kit do you need for sharpening your knife?
Aside from your knife (obviously), there are just a few items that you need to get it razor sharp. If you’re sharpening indoors then a good set of water stones are perfect for the job. If you’re out in the field then a simple sharpener such as the DC 4 from Fallkniven will do the job just fine.
Looking after your axe
An axe is one of the most useful pieces of bushcraft kit that you can have with you; possibly even more useful than a knife (depending on the situation).
Spring is the perfect time to work on your axe skills. A high level of axe skills will make a lot of other bushcraft skills easier – shelter building, fire lighting and even spoon carving.
Looking after your axe
Perfecting your axe skills begins with knowing how to look after your axe. A properly looked after axe will not only last you years but will also be easier to use; like a knife, a blunt axe is more dangerous than a sharp axe. For more information on how to look after you axe see our blog post here.
splitting birch
Having honed your axe it’s time to put it to the test. In the video below Wildway Bushcraft show how to split a birch with control and precision.
Foraging in spring in the UK
Spring in the UK is the perfect time to refresh your foraging, plant and tree identification skills. Remember though that the golden rule of foraging is to never take more than you need and to respect the environment.
Learn more about knife sharpening, shelter building, foraging and
more in our weekend bushcraft course.
Learn more about foraging in the spring in the UK in our blog posts here.
Key pieces of kit
Here are a few pieces of kit that we mentioned on this blog. Have a look below and feel free to buy them via the links below. Keep in mind that, with the exception of Bear Blades, Wildway Bushcraft is not associated with any of the products or manufacturers listed below; we don’t get anything from them if you choose to buy anything.
Knives
Wildway Bushcraft use Bear Blades.
“Constructed from superb quality D2 steel this knife is ideal for bushcraft and wood crafting. Our most popular knife due to its versatility and functionality, suited to tough daily use in the woods.”
http://bearblades.co.uk/
This diamond/ceramic whetstone is perfect for use in the field.
https://www.fallkniven.com/en/knife/dc4/
Axe
John Boe, owner, and founder of Wildway Bushcraft use the Gransfors Bruk Small ForestAxe which weighs in at only 900 gram (2lbs) and is small enough to fit in a rucksack whilst still being powerful enough to do most jobs.
https://www.gransforsbruk.com
Tarp
For an entry level bushcraft tarp we recommend the DD 3 X 3 tarp.
https://www.ddhammocks.com/
