If you are completely new to this "dying" art, then you have probably considered the possibility that one day you will use at least some of the skills shown in this course, but you've probably wondered where to start your journey. But rest assured, it's my desire to help you grow into a confident, seasoned survivor with a peace of mind that can ONLY be found in the knowledge I'm going to share with you.
You may even be a seasoned survivalist already and simply want to test or hone your skill set or learn a facet of bushcraft that was previously unknown to you.
Whatever your reason for finding this website, I'm certain there's something here for you.
As every experienced survivalist knows, "the more you know, the less you carry" due to a willingness to learn a variety of ways to do something and not be totally reliant on gear that can easily become lost or damaged.
Bushcraft and survival are about thriving in a difficult and traumatic event, whether that be surviving a plane crash in a remote location until help is found or even facing a small challenge. You may need to build a simple shelter to protect you from the elements or create a fire for warmth or to cook food. Whatever the reason, the spectrum is vast but the mindset is still the same: STAY CALM and THINK
Although 'bushcraft' and 'survival' are terms used interchangeably, it's worth noting the subtle differences between the two.
BUSHCRAFT
"Bushcraft is the use and practice of skills, thereby acquiring and developing knowledge and understanding, in order to survive and thrive in a natural environment. Bushcraft skills provide for the basic physiological necessities for human life: food, water sourcing and purification, shelter-building, and firecraft."
In my opinion, bushcraft is more of an art form than actually living in the bush and has more to do with refining and adapting to the environment and circumstances, but this is usually something that evolves during the time the survivor is in their new environment, right up to the moment they are able to return home safely.
What about starting a fire? Do you have the knowledge and resources to get started providing heat, light, and the means to summon help?
With some ingenuity, a sharp edge can be fashioned from rocks or any debris that may be lying around.
To me, one compliments the other perfectly, and the differences in their concepts are subtle.
SURVIVAL
Every single moment, all life on earth is in survival mode, constantly scanning the environment for danger. For example, standing at the edge of a busy road and assessing whether or not it's safe to cross and acting accordingly is a survival situation. We have some control over our safety and can avert danger if it's recognised in time.
However, travelling via plane or boat to another country to visit family or friends is a different scenario. We have now put our faith and trust in someone else's "hands" to ensure that we'll arrive safely at our destination. But what if disaster strikes and an engine fails or there’s a hijack?
Although these scenarios are rare, there is still a possibility that we can be plunged into a life-or-death scenario. If we survive the initial tragedy, the order of priority for our survival depends entirely on our personal circumstances. The first priority may be to summon help, or if that fails, navigate our way to populated areas, thus ensuring a safe return home. It could be to find shelter for the night or seek a source of heat until the situation has improved enough to move on.
Disasters can come from any situation, such as the natural world, such as storms and floods, etc., or man-made, such as terrorism, war, or just the plain negligence of others. Fortunately, we are in a world where, in most cases, help is not too far, should we be discovered in time.
Unfortunately, especially in the Western modernised world (and probably most civilisations), we have somehow conditioned ourselves to very arrogantly and naively believe that it “will never happen to us” or “it only happens to other people". Does this sound familiar?
It's only when something terrible happens that we are forced to think differently. As a species, we are quick to blame others for some of our misfortunes, but sometimes it's really our own fault for not taking control and exercising a little vigilance and precaution from time to time.
Preparedness
Although we can't prepare for every challenge that life throws at us, we can change our mindset and how we tackle them as they are presented to us by becoming adaptable. This means learning to think "outside the box". We can learn to do something a hundred ways so that when one way doesn't work, we can find another way. There are many ways to start a fire or build a shelter so that we aren't too reliant on one way.
However, this knowledge doesn't simply come about by reading a few pages of a how-to guide; the student needs to ACTUALLY get out there into the field and practise the skills until they become second nature. Simply put, practice makes perfect. In the world of bushcraft, this is often referred to as "dirt time". So please use this website to help yourself learn and practise the necessary skills to be one step ahead of those potential worst-case scenarios that will hopefully NEVER happen.