To reserve a place on any of these courses or for more information, please call 01686 412493 or 07733320427 or Email me at the address below.

Fire - mans greatest technological achievement

For many thousands of years, Fire has served as both warning and welcome, enabled foods to be processed, changed the properties of mud and metals. It has committed the bodies of our ancestors to the spiritual afterlife and guided the thoughts of Shamen and been the centre of many religious ceremonies. It warmed the weary limbs of returning hunters and turned simple "cave" into "Home".

Today, making fire has become regulated and organised by safety phobic managers and frowned upon by society.

I think it is about time we took back the spiritual aspect of our most necessary of outdoor skills.

1. Creating a fire from natural and manmade materials
2. Fire maintenance & use
3. Fire lays and leave no trace ethics

Shelter

From tents to tarps, Hammocks and Bivi bags. Shelter is the barrier between ourselves and the elements.

The requirements of a temporary shelter

Location, location, location.

Natural and manmade shelters. The needs and wants of a long term shelter system.

Water

The average person requires between two and five liters of clean drinking water each day - sometimes more. Here in the UK, our climate means that for most of the year, we have reasonable access to water, however, there are times when it all goes wrong.

The late summer floods of recent years have shown that we cannot rely entirely on the supplies that we have had in the past, we should arm ourselves with knowledge and skills to collect, purify and store sufficient water to meet the needs of ourselves and our families.

1. Harvesting water
2. Options for filtering and purifying
3. Storage and use.

Natural Foods

The British Isles is blessed with a huge array of wild edible plants, and cursed with the seasons that means their availability is restricted throughout the year.

Living full time off the land would be exceptionally hard to do in most instances, but we can supplement our normal diet with offerings, foraged from the world around us. It was not so long ago that families would cook baked potato's and other treats on an autumn bonfire, I'd like to bring those times back.

1. The foods available and the realities of long term "survival" from wild foods alone.
2. Camp fire treats from yesteryear
3. The human requirements of protein, carbohydrate, fats and the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements we need.

Crafts

Learn the craft skills of the outdoors, spoon carving, cord making, traps and snares, the creation of utensils and tools to make your camp routine easier.

Over a weekend, or two visits, you can make your own bushcraft knife from recycled materials. You can cut the shape and profile of your own knife, and heat treat the steel to create a long lasting tool. You can add the handle, also from recycled materials and make a sheath that finishes off the whole experience. You then have your very own bushcraft knife to use in many other projects and it will serve you well for years to come.

Alternatively, I can make the blade and you can assemble the handle and sheath.

Eitherway, you get a cutting tool to be proud of.