Bare Hands Bushcraft (phase 1)

How would you manage in a survival situation with next to nothing? No firesteel, compass, sleeping bag, shelter, metal knife, survival kit, paracord, pots and pans? This course will show you the techniques, skills and knowledge to survive with nothing but the clothes you are standing up in.

"Bare Hands Bushcraft (the phrase coined by Wildwood Bushcraft to describe this ancient art) is as much about sourcing objects to meet your purpose as crafting them."

The course is planned as three phases. This first phase is not a "living off the land" - you may bring food, tent etc and we will be using some modern materials, however we will be teaching the techniques for survival with next to nothing. The plan is to produce two more phases - a second phase to look at trapping, hunting, game preparation, fire by friction and cooking and a third phase applying what has been learnt surviving with our bare hands!

Duration: 2 full days: starts 19.00 on Friday night and ends 16:00 Sunday afternoon.
Main lessons will be from 09:00 - 17:00 on Saturday and 09:00-16:00 on Sunday

Course content: making simple tools, natural methods of navigation, foraging and cooking, water collection/preparation, shelter building, fire with natural materials only

Learning outcomes: At the end of the course you should know how to:

• make a simple blade from flint
• cut and carve wood without a metal knife or saw
• make cord and withies from natural materials
• make fire with two rocks (flint and iron pyrites) and natural tinder (no modern/artificial materials)
• make a shelter with your bare hands that will keep you warm and dry through a winters night without a sleeping bag
• find the best available water and make it safe
• forage for plant foods in the forest and cook them without a pot
• dig latrines and maintain hygiene in survival situations
• navigate without a compass

Client quotes:

"I always have a fantastic time on these courses and I am always looking ahead to the next one. A great weekend in a gorgeous piece of woodland with a lot of variety. All of the activities are interesting and challenging, but the camaraderie of the group is always a pleasure too. For those who are genuinely interested in the outdoors and the practical survival skills that our ancestors used, this course is just right." - J. Banks

"A great course and very well put together. I feel I have walked away with a greater appreciation of nature." - V. Learoyd

"I was impressed that we managed to pack in all of the items that the course promised to teach. I think that the choice of woodland was excellent and there was a great balance between being instructed and being allowed to get on with things at my own pace. I really enjoyed the flint work and making fire, the latter was one of the hardest yet satisfying things on the course. I felt really relaxed and enjoyed the pace of the teaching, It left plently of time to chat and get to know the other course participants. I feel I'm that little bit closer to our ancestors." - A. Jennings-Giles

"I enjoyed it all. The course was well thought through and delivered exactly what it set out to do as described on the website." - A. Thomas