Bushcraft & Survival

What are survival skills and bushcraft?

Survival is the need to survive and your ability to adapt and overcome an immediate situation. Wilderness survival skills form the basics of bushcraft, these skills usually revolve around finding shelter, water and food, and then on to finding a way back to safety. Bushcraft is learning the skills of our ancestors in order to thrive and survive in the wilderness and is a long-term extension of basic survival skills, but it is also concerned with the respect and understanding of the natural world, its flora and fauna and the way these elements interact.

Survival Basics...

2 days aimed at learning the basics of survival in a temperate climate. Over the two days you will build a shelter which you will spend the night in, make fires to cook from and learn how to collect and purify water. We also look at emergency equipment, how to carry and injured party and basic navigation by day and night. The course also covers basic fungi, plant and tree identification and how to use them.

Survival Skills...

Spend 4 days putting your survival skills to the test in 300 acres of woodland deep in the heart of the Ashdown Forest. You will be thrown in at the deep end and will need to refine your shelter, fire lighting and water collection skills throughout the course in order to spend time finding food and learning the new skills being taught. You will only be aloud the bare minimum of kit and equipment for this course.

Bushcraft Skills...

This is a 3 day course aimed at learning the basics of living in the wilderness. Over the three days you will learn how to build shelters, put up tarps and hammocks, make fires to cook from, make cordage, navigate by day and night, use tools such as knifes and axes, identify plants and trees and learn about their uses.

Tracking Skills...

Most people will walk through the outdoor world oblivious to wildlife all around them. We will teach you the skills to view the outdoors from a new perspective, learn how spot tracks and signs and how to identify them once you've found them. Make track traps to see what wildlife is in the area and try hunting down that most subtle of prey the human!

Spoon Carving & Cordage...

This day is perfect for those that are interested in learning the craft side of bushcraft without having to sleep out in the wild! Learn how to carve your very own spoon using just a knife and crook knife which you will get to keep. You can create anything from a tea spoon to a table spoon and if your feel really adventurous you could even try making a ladle! We also teach you how to make cordage with which you can hand up or decorate your spoon.

Tree Felling...

Spend a day felling trees using of tools such as an axe and saw, learn about their design and how to use them in a safe and controlled way. Learn which trees to fell and why, and how to decide in which direction to fell it safely We will cover everything from the rope work involved to the environmental and legal issues.