bushcraft & survival

8/10/2019 Bushcraft & Survival

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Cover ImagePaul Kirtley preparing a featherstick

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Competition guidelines: Some competitions in this magazine may be subject to eligibility criteria or age restrictions. All competitions are subject to the following rules / conditions:i). No purchase is necessary to enter; nor is there any charge to enter any competition ii). All decisions are final. iii). Bushcraft and Survival Skills reserve the right to disqualify any entrant and / or winner at our absolutediscretion. iv). All prizes are non-transferrable and no cash or credit alternatives will be offered. v). Prizes may be distributed by a third-party sponsor so you agree by entering, for your details to be passed on to arrange theissue of your prize. vi). Bushcraft and Survival Skills reserve the right at its sole discretion to substitue prizes of comparable value for any of the prizes. vii). Competitions are open only to UK residents with a UK delivery address;delivery will not be made to a P.O. Box. viii). All entries must be received by the deadline shown and late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. ix). By entering a Competition, if you are a winner, you grant Bushcraft andSurvival Skills permission to publish your name and county of residence along with any comments you may issue, online or in the magazine. x). If we are unable to contact you within 14 days of the closing date or if a prizeis returned as undeliverable as addressed this will result in your disqualification and a new winner will be selected. xi). Winners are solely responsible for all insurance, incidental expenses associated with claiming the prize,applicable taxes and for any expenses not specified in the prize description. xii). Bushcraft and Survival Skills accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed or damaged in the post or lost or delayed in transmissionor for damage or loss resulting in communications not received due to computer malfunctions, viruses, etc. xiii). Competitions are not open to the employees of Bushcraft and Survival Skills, to any sponsors involved withthe competition or the immediate families of employees or sponsors. xiv). Competition winner/s agree that neither Bushcraft and Survival Skills nor any sponsors shall have any liability in connection with the acceptance oruse of any of the prizes awarded. xv). By entering our competition you give your permission for your details to be used by Bushcraft and Survival Skills and the competition sponsor to provide you with information on theirproducts / services; you will always be given the opportunity to unsubscribe. Bushcraft and Survival Skills accept no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of mailings from the sponsor. Your details will not be passed on toany third parties. xvi). If you are unable to enter the competition by email to [email protected] you can do so by sending your name, address and telephone number to the address shown above marked‘competition entry’. For all entries please state which competition you are entering and include your name, address, contact number and email address. Illegible or incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Winners will be notified by email, should you wish; please send an e-mail to [email protected] detailing the Competition for the names of the winner/s or send an S.A.E. to the address above, again detailing the competition.

The closing date for the competitions in this issue is the 16th October 2013 unless otherwise stated. Only one entry per person per competition is permitted.

Cert no. TT-COC-2200

HOW TIME FLIES...Well, as I write this editorial I am conscious that it is for theSeptember/ October issue… how time flies, the summer is

passing and before we know it the leaves will have turned, fallenand there will be snow on the ground! That said, it is not hereyet, and there is still plenty of time to get out and practise ourbushcraft skills before the winter comes and a new set of skillscome into play…

Last issue, I spoke of starting to pack boxes and having a Stovaxwood burning stove installed at our new house, well thatseems an age away too as we have now moved, unpacked (barsome things in the garage and outbuilding) and despite thewarm weather we have used the stove, much to my youngestson’s delight! In the move I have discovered loads of forgottenbushcraft treasures - things that I have made, gifts from others,memories from trips, materials I have found and saved, kit thatI have saved for my children and just general kit that I need to thin out. My desire to sort through it all and be minimal

extended to all our possessions. As we unpacked it reminded me of the motto “know more, carry less” that we use in some ofour promotions for the magazine. Do I really need all these things? Could I do without this? When was the last time I used that?Knowledge is the only thing that we can carry with us at all times, regardless of baggage allowance!

Sharing the knowledge that we have is also of great importance, how satisfying it is to teach a new skill to an interested party,young or old. I have found that one of the best ways to enhance knowledge gained is through practising it, but more so,through teaching it, be that to a Scout group, school, visitors at a show or to my own family members. So, as we approach theseason of giving, let’s all amass knowledge and then share that knowledge with others to keep the skills of our ancestors alive.

This issue is filled with people who want to share their knowledge, from making things… to bushcraft skills, it is packed withgreat articles for you to enjoy.

If you are feeling creative you could make a crook knife handle with Ben & Lois Orford on page 12, make a wrist guard with IanNairn, our resident Bushcraft on a Budget expert (p34) or perhaps make an Atlatl with Jason Ingamells (p58). If you are hungryor feel like foraging, Fiona Bird shares some of her recipes on page 28 and Richard Lees looks at the medicinal properties ofplants (p8). As the nights draw in and the home fires start burning you may want to perfect your feathersticks with Paul Kirtley(p46) or read Pablo’s article to capture your favourite animal on a Trail Cam (p22).

That is not all, Lofty Wiseman shares more tales and advice from his adventures (p1,8), you can try your hand at using naturaldyes with Jo and Fiona (p78), Perry McGee shares his tracking techniques on page 68 and go for a forage and fish using yourcanoe with Tim Gent (p52). I hope that you all enjoy getting out there as the seasons change and as the beautiful colours ofAutumn grace our woodlands and hedgerows. Don’t forget to take your camera and using Andy’s advice on page 38 and overthe last few issues record your memories in style.

Enjoy getting out there - Happy Bushcrafting!

[email protected]

Follow Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine on Facebook Simon EllarEditor


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3 Editorial6 Letters to the editor16 In the news65 Back Issues Offer66 Subscription Offer67 Next issue72 Trading Post82 Situations Vacant

7 Win a LMF Firesteel45 Win Wild Guide45 Win Wild Swimming51 Win Forest School & Outdoor Learning in the Early Years

51 Win Children Learning Outside the Classroom

8 Medicinal Molecular Marvels12 How to make and fit a Mocotaugan handle18 Lofty’s Life Stories22 Trail Cameras28 The Forager’s Kitchen Recipes34 Bushcraft on a Budget38 Picture Perfect Part 446 Making Fantastic Feathersticks52 Using your Canoe for Foraging and Fishing58 Make your own Atlatl68 Tracking with Powders & Dust78 Nature’s Pigments for Natural Dying

COMPETITIONS

REVIEWS

CONTENTS...

FEATURES

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45 Book Reviews51 Book Reviews74 Best in Bushcraft 2013

S U B S C R I B E T O D A Y ! F O R D E T A I L S S E E P A G E 6 8

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S T A R L E T T E R LETTERS TO THE EDITOR!

A SAW POINTAs I have just read your article on saws in the latest edition of Bushcraftby Ben and Lois Orford, I thought I would tell you what happened to

my wife and I a couple of days ago.

We are rangers for SUSTRANS, the National Cycle Charity, and whilst wewere out cycling, we noticed some bushes and low hanging branchesover the shared use pathway. As this can be a hazard to cyclists’faces during the hours of darkness, I decided to cut the low hangingbranches away from the cycle-path. Because of the branches’ thickness,I had to use my folding saw, which is the same, albeit a different make,as you displayed in your magazine article, using secateurs for thesmaller branches.

Just as we had come to the end of cutting, there was a screech ofbrakes, together with flashing lights and we saw that a Police car hadstopped in the nearside lane of the dual carriageway. Two officersapproached us, and one ordered me to put down the saw, which atthis time was in my hand beside my leg. They asked us what we weredoing, so I showed him the saw in explanation whereby he becameagitated, asked me to fold it and hand it over to him. He inspectedit, noticed there was a locking facility on it and informed me he wasconfiscating it because “locking blades are illegal in a public place”.

After explaining what we were doing and after showing some I.D,the officer relented and said I could collect the saw the following dayfrom the Police station and it must be collected in a vehicle. I askedhim what the purpose was of keeping the saw overnight and aftersome discussion, but with no obvious explanation, he asked me to gostraight home with the saw in my pannier, not to cut any branches andnot to stop anywhere until I arrived home. This I agreed to do.

I am now not certain what the law is regarding saws away from thehome. Any tool, in the wrong hands, can cause serious injury, even aplastic knife. I understood that if a tool was being used for doing a job,then this, within reason, was okay.

My wife and I are both 65 years of age and keen cyclists. We enjoy thecycle paths that we have in our area and like to remove obstacles thatcan obviously harm or hinder both ourselves and other users, at thesame time being very aware of being ‘countrywise’. This could be quitefunny in our local paper:“POLICE CONFISCATE FOLDING SAW FROM PENSIONERS CUTTINGLOWHANGING BRANCHES ON CYCLE PATH”.

Keep up the good work with this excellent magazine. We are hoping toattend your next Bushcraft Show in 2014.

Colin Attle

Dear Colin,

Your letter had me chuckling from the end of the third paragraph, thestart of the sixth paragraph was the ‘icing on the letter’…

I hear all sorts of situations where ‘bushcraft’ has had a brush with thelaw and am often written to for advice. We have great relations with aselection of police representatives ranging from wildlife protection tofirearms. You may have seen articles in the magazine about bushcraftand the law, and in particular articles on knives and the law. Looking at your situation, the law as it stands would designate a folding saw witha blade over 3” that locks, as being illegal to carry in a public place. Thelaw also uses the term ‘reasonable cause’ when describing the carryingof knives (or saws!). If I was a policeman and I were to see you and your

wife tending to a cycle path, beingable to provide ID detailing that you were rangers responsible forthe paths’ upkeep, then I would beinclined to say “keep up the good

work” and leave you to go about your business. If I felt the needto, I could look at the SUSTRANSwebsite and with a bit of clickingcould see under the duties of a ranger that one of them is to ‘Carry outgeneral tidy ups and clear back encroaching vegetation’.

It is never worth arguing with the police, as, if the officer in questionhas an opinion it is unlikely that you will change that. If you do feelwronged by the law, it is open to interpretation and as such you canalways take legal advice should you ever feel aggrieved or wish to makea complaint.

Our advisor responded, here is an excerpt from his comments aboutthe law:

I can quite believe this situation as there are some people in the Policewho lack common sense and have a blinkered, bullish approach tosome situations. I would advise the Attles to formally complain to theirPolice Commissioner for such appalling over-zealous treatment, as thisis not a good impression of their local police force.

It is illegal to carry any sharp or bladed article in a public place (with theexception of a non locking folding pocket knife, which has a blade thatis less than 7.62 cm (3 inches).

A lock knife is not a folding pocket knife and therefore it is illegalto carry around such a knife regardless of the length of the blade,(if you do not have reasonable excuse). A lock knife has a spring or

mechanism which locks the blade in position when fully extended; theblade cannot be closed without that mechanism being released. A lockknife is not an offensive weapon per se (because these knives weremade with a specific purpose in mind and not as a weapon). However,possession of a lock knife (and therefore a locking saw - being a ‘bladedarticle’) in a public place without reasonable excuse, is an offence.

Simon commented on the carrying of a regular DIY saw. Possession of amulti-tool incorporating a prohibited blade/pointed article is capable ofbeing an offence under this section even if there are other tools on thearticle which may be of use to a person in a public place (screwdriver,can opener etc). Other articles like a folding saw, a fixed blade saw orother DIY equipment are also included in this category.

The ban is not absolute, it is for the person in possession of such anarticle to prove on the balance of probabilities that he/she had goodreason for its possession. It will have to be genuine, for example,someone back packing across the Lake District may reasonably beexpected to have a knife for the preparation of meals or, as in thisexample, rangers who in exercising their lawful authority are using afolding saw to cut down obstructing branches. It would be far moredifficult to justify on the streets of a city or town, but there will beoccasions when someone is genuinely travelling to a station with abackpack containing a knife or axe, going to a martial arts or scoutmeeting (which is easily checked). The penalty for committing this offence is a maximum prison sentenceof four years.

I hope that you can continue your work unhindered in the future…

‘Keep up the good work’,

Simon

6 • BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE Follow Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine on Facebook

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o win a Light My Fire Firesteel, send in yourLetter to the editor’ [email protected]

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W r i t e T o d a y !

SMILES ON OURFACEHello to all at Bushcraft Magazine,

My name is Mark and I’m writing this email fromAfghanistan where I’m currently serving on operationsas part of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force - recentlywe received a parcel from an unnamed sender throughthe welfare parcel chain, inside to our delight weresome copies of your magazine with your trade markprinted on a piece of paper! We were slightly confused,but I felt obliged to look your email address up andsend you some thanks from all of us as your magazineis bought by a few of the lads when in the UK - yourgoodies made a lot of smiles on some tired faces -many thanks and praise from all lads in the BrigadeReconnaissance Force, Afghanistan!

PS - If you can keep these smiles on our faces, we willnot let you down!!!!

Yours faithfully,M KELLYCourtesy of Mark's iPad...

Dear Mark,

We are glad that the magazines have brought smiles to your faces out there! We appreciate all that you do forour country.

There is a box of goodies on the way including somemore copies for you to read and enjoy.

Keep Smiling…

Simon

BUSHCRAFT ON A BUDGETDear Bushcraft Magazine,

Being an avid reader of your magazine after discovering it by chancea year or so ago and being a keen 'back garden' bushcrafter, I’ve beenparticularly interested in both your articles and other readers’ attempts

at making bushcraft equipment on a budget. I’ve been camping andexploring the great British countryside for some time now, but thearrival of my first child four years ago has re-prioritised my campingexpeditions to the back garden as sterilising bottles and changingnappies is a bit easier when you’re close to home. Now my daughter hasstarted to pick up the outdoors bug and has joined me in our 'campingholidays' of a weekend in the garden, but she has kept asking and askingwhen we are going to cook a proper breakfast outside. With moneybeing a bit tight with baby number two being born, this led me to thethought of making my own stove to allow me to cook the full Englishfor us to have of a morning. After a few failed welds and a bit of wobblyleg issues overcome, I am quite pleased with the outcome of my projectand Chloe, my daughter, is excited to finally be able to have breakfastoutside instead of having to run indoors and use the oven. A few trialfires have worked well, and after a coat of paint we will be trialing mywares this weekend!! Thanks for a great magazine and planting theseed that you don't have tobuy expensive gear to enjoythe outdoors if you are handyenough with your hands anda few tools!!

Many thanks again from bothmyself and Chloe!!

Regards

Will Austin

Dear Will,

Congratulations on your newarrival! I am glad you havebeen keeping your ‘bug’ alivein the garden and more sothat this has rubbed off ontoChloe…

It is great that you areenjoying the magazine andthat you’ve found inspirationfrom the Bushcraft on aBudget articles. Your wordsare so true, with a few tools,some materials and a bitof time we can create somegreat kit, often customisedto our personal needs and preferences.

Let’s hope baby number 2loves the outdoors too!

Simon


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MEDICINAL MOLECULAR MARVELS‘What is there that is not poison? All things are poison and

nothing is without poison. Solely the dose determines thata thing is not a poison’ (Paracelsus, 1493-1541).

‘The poisons are our principle medicines, which kill thedisease and save the life’ (Ralph Waldo Emerson,1803-1882).

As bushcraft enthusiasts, we all know at least a handful ofmedicinal plants commonly found in the wild: Foxglove,Willows, Self-heal, and Greater Plantain etc. However,

how do these plants actually affect the human body? First, I willbriefly explain the composition of matter and chemical objects.

Scientists call chemicals found in plants phytochemicals andtheir molecules come in a variety of size and shapes, with thepower to either kill or cure us. This is one of the harder aspectsof Bushcraft and Ethnobotany, so I will endeavour to make itaccessible. However, you may probably read this more thanonce! I know I did back when I first learned it!

Molecular bondingDocking is the term frequently used to predict the bindingorientation (the shape and size) of small molecule drugcandidates to their larger protein targets within the body,

in order to predict the affinity (effectiveness) and activity(the action) of the small molecule. Given the biological andpharmaceutical significance of molecular docking, scientistshave directed considerable efforts towards improving themethods used to predict docking. Fortunately, nature has beenworking on these molecules for millennia and has evolved avast quantity from which we can benefit. Simply put, it is like alock and key where the protein target or ‘ligand’ is the lock andthe medicinal molecule the key. If the key fits the lock, then wehave an active molecule that has an effect on the body.

The basic rules of bondingNow we will look into the structure of the four main elements

found in plant chemicals. As it can get very complicated, thesimplest way to remember these bonds is:

1—2—3—4H—O—N—C

Hydrogen only makes one molecular bond; oxygen makes two,nitrogen makes three; carbon makes four. Bonds can be single,double, or triple bonds.

For example, let's look at carbon seen in Figure 1.

What do the lines mean? In the diagrams, you will see thatwe draw molecules using lines. The lines represent a bondbetween two atoms; single, double, and triple bonds are alsopossible. The atom itself is actually the intersection eitherbetween two lines, by the end of a line, or by its atomic symbol.O is an oxygen atom; OH is an oxygen atom singly bonded to ahydrogen atom

Taking drugs or drug absorption anddistribution‘Herbs and plants are medicinal jewels gracing the woods, fieldsand lanes which few eyes see, and few minds understand. Through

ADVANCED BUSHCRAFT

Richard LeesRichard Lees MSc, NCFE Ethnobotanist andgovernment accredited Bushcraft and SurvivalInstructor has a passion for wild living. He hasuncovered secrets of our ancestors’ survival anddiscovering what helped them to thrive. As partof his research thesis, he solved a three-hundred-year-old Ethnobotanicalproblem proving that Bracken rhizomes were a winter starch staple. Richardhas extensive knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between plants andpeople. His desire is to reconnect us with nature once more.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

Neutrons combine to give Elements that can combine CompoundsProtons and to giveElectrons

The composition of matter:

Atoms of one or more elements may be connected molecules in different ways to give

Chemical objects:

Figure 1.

a a a a

aa



As a medicinal herb, Cinchona bark is also known as Jesuit's barkor Peruvian bark. The bark is stripped from the tree, dried, andpowdered for medicinal uses. It is medicinally active and contains avariety of alkaloids, including the anti-malarial compound quinineand the anti-arrhythmic (to treat abnormal heart rhythms) quinidine.Modern medicines have now superseded quinine; however, somePeruvian and Bolivian people still chew the bark to ward off malaria.

(See figure 4 showing structure of quinine). The other alkaloid groups are: allium compounds, anthocyanidinsand flavonoids, courmarins, cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates,glycosides isoflavones, lignans, tannins, polyalkynes, andpolyalkenines. These alkaloid groups all have therapeutic actions;however, I am afraid that I would bore you to death by going intoevery one of them! Therefore, along withthe Alkaloids, (thesecond largest group),I will give a descriptionof the largest group ofsecondary metabolites,

the terpenes.

Terpenes Terpenes can be furthersplit into: monoterpenes,sesquiterpenesditerpenes, triterpenes and tetraterpenes. In order to keep thingsrelatively simple, I will give examples of the chemicals that comefrom each terpene.

There are a great many interesting chemicals that aremonoterpenes, including essential oils such as lavender oil andpeppermint oil. Moreover, absinthe contains the monoterpenewormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Valerian, which is a powerfulsleep aid, comes from Valerina officinalis. The sesquiterpenesinclude the migraine-relieving feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). The diterpenes include the highly significant Taxol, which is derivedfrom the Pacific yew(Taxus brevifolia). Taxol has been shownto be highly effectivein treating advancedovarian and breastcancers. Sapponinsor soap-like chemicals

contain triterpenes. Thetriterpenes, amongstother things, are where one can find the best wild soaps. As youprobably know, the best is soapwort. However, birch leaves andhorse chestnut leaves also contain sapponins. Diosgenin is atriterpene isolated from the Mexican yam (Dioscorea spp.), andit is the starting material for the synthesis of hormones for birthcontrol pills. Finally, the tetraterpenes are of little medicinal value.However, carotenoids (compounds similar to carotene) are ofinterest as antioxidants.

Finally, we will look at Cardiac glycosides that are named becauseof their effect on the heart. Cardiac glycosides increase the heart’sforce of contraction and are greatly effective in the treatmentof congestive heart failure. In my opinion, William Withering’sdiscovery in 1785 of the medicinal use of Foxglove (Digitalispurpurea) is the most interesting cardiac glycoside in terms ofclinical impact and the nature in which it was discovered.

Withering firstlearned of theuse of foxglove intreating ‘dropsy’(congestive heartfailure) from anold woman whopracticed as afolk herbalist inShropshire. Aspart of a poly-herbal formulationcontaining overtwenty differentingredients, sheused the plant tosuccessfully treatthe condition.Withering deducedthat digitaliswas the ‘active’

ingredient in theformulation. Overthe ensuing nineyears, he carefully experimentedwith different preparationsof various parts of the plant(collected in different seasons). Hedocumented one hundred and fiftysix cases where he had employeddigitalis and he described theeffects and the best - and safest- way of using it. In one of thesecases, Erasmus Darwin askedWithering for his second opinionwith regard to one of his patients.In January 1785, Darwin submitteda paper entitled ‘An Account ofthe Successful Use of Foxglove inSome Dropsies and in Pulmonary

Consumption’ to the College of Physicians inLondon. Darwin presented his paper in March ofthat year, providing a model for all future medicalstudies of plants. Purpurea Glycoside A eventuallyemerged as the active alkaloid in Foxglove (seefigure 5).

ConclusionWe have looked over some examples of how phytochemicalcompounds work on a molecular level, proving its not just magic! The methods used by shamans in the jungle and folk healers areso complex and beautiful that I hope you have gained a deeperappreciation of not just the medicinal plants, but of all the plantswe encounter as bushcrafters. With a deeper understanding of thevirtual chemical factory that surrounds us every time we enter intonature, we can gain a richer appreciation of the natural world. Witha deeper understanding comes a greater sense of responsibility, itis thus my hope that we will endeavour to protect the natural worldat all costs. We may already have lost some of the cures for AIDS,cancer and a whole host of other diseases due to the destruction ofso many of the earth's ecosystems, not least the Amazon rainforest.A quarter of all pharmaceuticals in use today are derived directlyfrom plants. If we do not protect these ecosystems, we will reducebio-diversity and destroy the habitats of wild animals, but ultimately,it is humanity who will pay the price.


ADVANCED BUSHCRAFT

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Feverfew (sesquiterpene)

Foxglove (cardiacglycoside)

Water mint (monoterpene)


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F O R S T O C K I S T S C O N TA C T :W H I T B Y & C OT: 0 1 5 3 9 7 2 1 0 3 2E : s a l e s @ w h i t b y a n d c o . c o . u kw w w . w h i t b y a n d c o . c o . u k / h e l l e

Les S t roud’sTEMAGAMI KNIFE

4.5” Curly Birch handle4.3” Triple laminated stainless steel blade8.9” Overall lengthWeighs 5.5ozSupplied with leather sheath



KNIVES & AXES

MAKING AMOTAUGANHANDLE

The traditional Mocotaugan or Indian crook knife is afantastically versatile tool to carry with you. It was animportant tool of the indigenous people of the woodlands inNorth America and had a very special place in their culture,so much so that some of the handles were not just functional,but very elaborately carved and often handed down throughthe generations.

The one important factor of the crook knife is to ensure agood fit for your grip and hand size, so that it doesn’t makeusing it uncomfortable or strain your wrist in any way. The

mocotaugan is an unusual tool to use as it is used by pulling ittowards your body with your palm up and your thumb stretchedout along the curved back edge of the handle to give power andcontrol.

It is a rewarding project to fit your own handle and get it just rightfor your own needs. So we are going to show you how to make awooden handle and use the traditional method of fitting the blade,(alternatively you can use a piece of antler or curved branch thatlooks and feels right in the hand).

You could use the same method to fit the blade to the handle thatwe showed you in the ‘Modify your Mora’ article, (issue 37 page 22)where you draw on the end of the handle the width of the tangand then chain drill a mortice. This will work and is a little quicker,but not as traditional and also makes the blade fitting permanent. The great advantage of this method is that you can remove theblade if the handle or blade need to be modified at all, or to makesharpening easier. It is also an advantage if the blade of the knifeis low to the bottom edge of the handle as this method will givegreater control when using the tool and improve cutting ability.

Before you start making the handle it is important that you alreadyhave the blade, as you need to make the handle wide enough tofit the tang. The blades are available online from a few bushcraft

stores or can be made from old files or even modified from farriers'hook knives. There are a few styles, some are straight and some aremore curved like a spoon knife, ideally the blade to look for if youwant the style of knife for making bows and paddles etc. should

Ben & Lois Orford Ben and Lois Orford live and work fromtheir home in Herefordshire. With theirbackgrounds in green woodwork andtraditional woodland crafts they makea range of handmade woodcraft tools,bushcraft knives and leatherwork forthe discerning outdoors enthusiast. Their combined experience and passionfor their craft makes them keen to pass on their knowledge and skills.

AUTHOR PROFILE:


A.



be about 3 to 4 inches long, not too curved, with the bevel on theinside face and a flat outer edge.

Also look for a blade with a fairly square tang with a 90 degreebend on one end which gives the blade a secure fit and prevents itfrom moving too much in the handle. If you are going to be usingthe drilling method these 90 degree bends can be removed with ahacksaw or file.

Sizing the handle to your grip is fairly easy, firstly clench the fist ofyour dominant hand and then stick your thumb out like you arethumbing a lift, this is the shape that you a looking for so that yourthumb is not over stretched.You need to measure across your grip adding about an inch soyour hand doesn’t slip onto the blade. The length and angle forthe ramp for your thumb wants to be the same as your own graspto make sure it is comfortable. You can always leave this longer andtrim it to length later.

The wood needs to a be a hardwood that is relatively tough,something like Elm, Ash, Beech, Hawthorn or fruit woods e.g. Appleor Damson.

The great thing about using wood from a hedgerow or from fruittrees is that often the branches have the curved shape you arelooking for already grown into the branch and this will give a muchstronger handle.

Using either an axe, saw or just taking your time with a knife youneed to shape the piece of wood. Take your time and make sureyou use safe cutting techniques. Also make sure that you don’tmake the handle smaller than about one inch square as it will nothave enough wood for fitting the tang of the blade. You may alsowant to fit the blade before shaping the handle too much as it willbe easier to hold in the vice. It is a definite advantage if you leavethe underside of the handle flat where the blade is going to gountil the rebate has been cut.

Don’t worry about making it super smooth or finished as it willlikely get a little dirty and marked while you get the blade to fit.

With this done the important job of fitting the blade can start.Make sure the cutting edge is covered with tape so you don’t cutyourself and then lay the tang of your blade on the underside ofthe handle, (if you are making a right handed knife lay it on thebench with the slope for your thumb pointing left).

Make sure that the whole length of the tang is used, the cuttingedge wants to start right at the end of the handle so you getmaximum cutting power.

BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE • 13

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To improve the efficiency of the tool it helps if the tip of the blade ispointing slightly upwards when in use, so angle the blade so this isachieved. Now, with a sharp pencil, mark around the tang. If yourblade has the bend on the end you may need to flip it over to allowyou to mark around the tang more easily.

Remove the blade and with the handle clamped to a bench, orheld in a vice, carefully with the tip of your knife cut straight downaround this pencil mark. This will cut the edge of the rebate we aregoing to make and act as a stop cut, you can now either carefullyuse your knife to remove the waste or use a small chisel - taking yourtime.

You need to make this at least twice the depth of the thickness ofyour tang. To achieve this you will need to remove a small piece at atime and keep re-cutting the stop cut around the edge with the tipof your knife so that you don’t split away your handle.Keep trying the blade to make sure you have a tight fit. When youare happy you have got the correct depth and if your blade hasthe 90 degree bend at the end, you can carefully drill some holesat the end of the rebate to accept it. Make sure you don’t drill too

deep. You could also heat this end with a blow torch and just burnit in, making sure you wrap the rest of the blade in a damp cloth toprevent damaging the blade and spoiling the temper.

When you are happy you have it fitted well, you need to make alittle capping piece of wood to fit over the top of the tang and fillthe gap that is left on the top. Make this from a long length ofwood so you can hold it safely with the other hand as you shapeit to fit and only cut it off when you are happy it fits well. Don’tstruggle with a small piece as it will be too difficult to hold andyou will likely cut yourself.

Before you fit the blade you can spend a little time cleaning up thehandle. If you want to carve anything on it now is the time to doso; it is a good time to oil it too. You can now fit the blade and thecapping piece, knocking it in tightly. The traditional way to hold thisin place is to use a thong of rawhide, the advantage of this beingthat once wrapped around and dried it shrinks making it really tight.

Local pet shops are a great place to source rawhide, selling it as dogchews. Just soak them in hot water and flatten them, then cut astrip about 1cm wide (you may have to cut it in a constant spiral toget the length you require).You can also use thread or paracord, the only disadvantage beingyou will have to make it as tight as possible as you bind it. The way to bind it to get it tight and looking neat is to do a classicwhipping knot.

Take about a metre of cord and then put a bight in one end withabout 10cm of tail, lay this on the handle with both ends layingparallel and then taking the long tail start to wrap it around thehandle going over the top of the short tail, pulling tight as you go.When you have done 2 or 3 passes over the end of the cappingpiece of wood you can then pass the end of the cord through theloop that is still showing. Then from the other end pull the looptight and trap the long end of the cord.

You may need to use pliers to pull it as it may be really tight, watchout that you don’t hurt yourself on the blade.You can then cut off any of the spare cord as close as possible towhere it protrudes. If using paracord use a lighter to seal the ends.

You can then take the blade cover off, sharpen it if necessary andthen give it a test run. It will be a great tool to use as you have madethe handle to fit your own individual grasp.

KNIVES & AXES

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IN THE NEWSNEWS JUST IN…Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine are pleased to launch our annual Best in Bushcraft

Awards for 2013 to recognise the effort and enthusiasm of the instructors, schools and retailers within thebushcraft industry and the extraordinary lengths to which they go to promote the skills sets that so easily might beotherwise forgotten. Please take a moment to thank the people in the bushcraft industry for their great efforts. See p74 for details.

COMPETITION WINNERS...

16 • BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE

Ray Goodwin Canoeing Book - Mike Potts, KirkintillochGreenwood Crafts – Fin McSeall, BarnsleyOutdoor Adventure Manual - Amy Rowland, Wrexham The Forager’s Kitchen - Mr D Rogerson, HorshamMykel Hawke’s Knife – Richard Dent, Nottingham

We are pleased to congratulate Michael Pritchard upon receipt ofhis MBE. We first worked with him when he launched the Lifesaver

bottle into the retail market and have favoured Lifesaver productsever since, they come top in our reviews and have been tested byour editor in extreme situations where all but the Lifesaver bottlefailed!

LIFESAVER® Inventor-Founder, Michael Pritchard, has beenappointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) as part of theQueen’s Birthday Honours List. Michael’s award is in recognition forhis services to Innovation and International Business.

He commented on his MBE saying, ‘It is a great honour to beawarded the MBE from Her Majesty. I have always believed that the problems of the world will be best solved through innovation andentrepreneurialism and this is true in the fight to end global water poverty. I believe that everyone deserves clean, safe drinking water,no matter where they are or what their circumstances are. I inventedLIFESAVER to achieve this aim.’

LIFESAVER® was founded in 2007, after the horrific events of theDecember 2004 Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana inAugust 2005. Michael felt compelled to help create something thatallowed people all over the world to turn dirty, diseased water, intosafe, sterile drinking water. It was then that LIFESAVER® was born.

LIFESAVER® systems is based in Colchester, Essex with a dedicatedstaffing team of over 30. The passion that resonates throughout thestaff, ensures that Michael Pritchard’s goal of ‘ending water poverty’

is a similar goal for all those who have been touched by his passion.

AllLIFESAVER® products are designed, invented and manufactured inGreat Britain and serve three main markets – Humanitarian, Leisureand Military. The LIFESAVER® family began with the LIFESAVER®bottle in 2007 and then in 2009 was joined by the LIFESAVER®Jerrycan, able to filter up to 20,000L of water. The LIFESAVER® M1launched in April 2012 and was installed throughout Malaysia,giving users 2 million litres of clean, sterile drinking water. Thelatest addition to the LIFESAVER® family is the LIFESAVER® cube – aneasily deployable, stackable humanitarian solution, giving those indisasters the ability to filter 5000L of sterile water, with the simpletechnology of FILL, PUMP, DRINK TM. (Image of cube)

Michael Pritchard says, ‘I am so proud of what LIFESAVER® hasachieved, but we have a long way to go. With over 1.1 billion peopleglobally still without access to safe drinking water, we must makethis a priority for now and the future.’

For more information about Lifesaver products visit www.lifesaversystems.com

PEEBOL THE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST S BEST FRIEND

Samantha Fountain the Dragons’ Den inventor behind the verysuccessful Shewee has announced a new product, The Peebol ‘thepocket-sized toilet’. This is a small pouch that unrolls; pops open at

the top is held against the bodyand allows men, womenand children to pee intoit with confidence. It iswatertight, holds a full litreand is filled with specialgranules, which convertthe urine into a spill proof,

odourless gel. When you have finished, seal the pouch and disposeof it in the nearest bin. The product is made in the UK and is 100%safe and reliable. The whole product is recyclable and it is safe forthe environment.

For more information visit www.shewee.com

LIFESAVER INVENTOR-FOUNDER MICHAELPRITCHARD RECEIVES MBE

5 T O G I V E AW AY .S e n d i n y o u r d e t a i l s ( S e e T & C ’ s p 3 )


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In the last issue of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine we reportedon The Bushcraft Show and promised to let you know the totalamount raised for the Massai dance troop and the village in Kenya.

The Oloip Massai dance troop came to England to perform, teachcultural skills and fundraise for themselves and a Massai Villiage,where the ongoing Woodland Ways Massai Warrior Expedition hashelped raise funds to build a school and pay teacher salaries.

As soon as their feet hit British soil, it was a non-stop programmeof events, from visiting numerous schools, to tourist sights such asConkers, Festivals, Woburn Abbey and The World of Bushcraft withthe highlight of the trip being three days at The Bushcraft Show. They also had a day out in London, experiencing the undergroundand a trip on the London Eye.

The whole experience was not only magical for the Massai but foreveryone who came into contact with them. Mr Hardwick, DeputyHead at Pendle Vale High School told all the children that heguarantees when they look back at their life at the school, the onething that they will remember will be the day that the Massai spentwith them.

Over £7000 was raised throughout their tour with money stillcoming in. Mr and Mrs Allan from Lancashire read in their localnewspaper about the Massai visiting Pendle Vale School and wereso moved that they promptly sent in a cheque for £200.

Thank you for everyone who helped to make the lives of thesepeople better and we are grateful to the Massai for touching thelives of those who met them.

For more information contact Jason Ingamells of Woodland WaysFoundation www.woodland-ways.co.uk or call 01234 351006

Message from Anne

Thanks for everything you did for uswhen we were in England, the money wegot really did help us, as for me I startedschooling, am at the moment a student,

for the last three weeks, and am learninga lot, thanks again, the others builthouses for themselves, it’s amazing.

Comments from JasonIngamells, founder ofWoodland Ways Foundation:

Well, we did it… and it’s all thanks toyour support! Can you believe it, workingwith our partners The Bushcraft Showand Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazinewe managed to fly seven Maasai half-way around the world to share a culturalexperience that the vast majority ofpeople in this country would never havehad the chance to have otherwise.

For the Maasai themselves it was the most amazing experience oftheir lives. For the audience at The Bushcraft Show, I know a lot ofyou were touched by their warmth, smiles and performances. Forme, it was one of the most touching two weeks of my life. I will never

forget the young lady with tears in her eyes standing on my boatlooking out over the river saying, “never in my wildest dreams daredI hope I could leave Kenya and visit your country”.

Your generosity made a huge difference to the lives of the membersof the dance troop, and will make an incredible impact in the villagethat we are supporting. We have sent some funds immediatelyand more will follow as we work with the village Elders for them tomanage the long term ‘gifts’ in a way they see fit and of most benefitto the village. We will continue to fundraise. We will also work withthe Dance Troop to gain sustainable employment for them all. Icannot thank you enough. Daniel, Anne and the rest of the OloipMaasai Dance troop extend their warmest and heartfelt thanks toevery single one of you who supported what was an incrediblelifetime ambition to come and perform for you, they have nowreturned to the Oloip… which means shade - the shade of an acaciatree to shelter from the effects of the sun and reflect, don’t forgetthem… they will never forget you!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FORTHE MASSAI



Iwas not disappointed, it was even better. I signed so manybooks, programmes and photos that my arm ached from writer’scramp. This year I thought if it was half as good I would be

pleased, imagine my delight when it turned out to be even better.I know the weather makes a big difference to any outdoor activity,and the Saturday I attendedwas brilliant, I even had to borrowa hat. I had so many photographstaken, met so many old friends andmade many more new ones. Whatwas particularly touching was signingan original well-worn book that hadbeen given to a lad from a friendwho had died after a long battlewith cancer. The book had never lefthis side throughout his illness, hereferred to it constantly. I signed itoriginally in 1986 and was more thanpleased to sign it for the new owner. A lot of people asked me if I knew

so and so and in many cases I did.It was good to reminisce, bringingback memories and imagesof forgotten characters. Whatimpressed me about the crowdwas that everyone was so friendly. They talked to each other andfound many things in common.A lot of people had dogs and thiswas a big topic of conversation.Families with children of all agesall found something of interest,which is a great achievementthese days. It reminded me ofthe words of a song, ‘a strangeris just a friend you do not know.’ I find that when talking to people, it’s only a matterof time before you discover you have a mutual friendor have the same interests. My wife thinks I am noseybut I don’t want to die ignorant, so I like talking topeople to find out where they live, what they do for aliving and what are their main interests. Most peoplerespond and you soon assess if they want to talk ornot. If you treat people how you want to be treatedyou won't go far wrong.

The same things apply when dealing with peoplein remote locations. The locals know the terrain,water sources and what food is available. They arean invaluable source of knowledge as well as goodguides and porters. They can be your best help,but it all depends on how you interact with them. There are some golden rules that must be followed.Always deal with the headman or the recognisedchief. If you don’t he will withdraw all support andtake offence, making things difficult for you. It isimportant when approaching natives to show friendliness, courtesyand patience. Don’t make any aggressive gestures and show emptyhands. Take off your pack and smile, showing them that you haveno evil intentions. Don’t act scared or give them any reason to fearyou. Primitive people are shy and may run away. Don’t shout orattempt to follow them. Sit down and let them approach you. Ifyou enter a village, leave all your equipment behind with the groupand approach alone.

Once contact has been made, ask for help don’t demand it.Depending on what you need some payment may be given. Oftenan item of clothing or a knife will be gratefully accepted. Someonemay understand a few words of English, but sign language can beused to get what you need. It is always useful to know a few wordsof their language and effort should be made when preparing for

the trip to learn some. A smallphrase book is invaluable. Often when you startgesticulating with yourhands you will becomea source of amusement.Don’t take offence, as thisis a sign that you have beenaccepted. It’s good to singa song, organise a game,or show some tricks to gettheir confidence. In areas where local labour

is used frequently, don’toverpay any helpers youenlist, as it will lead to troublelater. There will be a well-established rate of pay sostick to it. All this knowledgeshould be gained in thepreparation stage. Find outas much as you can about thearea you are going to travelin. Get to know all the localcustoms and traits. Simplegestures we use here can beoffensive to some people.

Thumbs up is universallyacceptable but the circle madeby the thumb and forefinger thatwe use to signify OK can offend.Don’t take photographs withoutasking first. Some tribes thinkthat the camera takes away theirspirits so get their permission.Never pat children on the head asmany natives consider the headthe source of magical power. Theybelieve that patting it can haveserious, dangerous consequences.

If any accident happens to thatchild or illness occurs, you will getthe blame no matter how longafterwards it happens. Wait until you are invited into theirhome and let them indicate whereyou should sit. Don’t stretch outyour legs, keep them tucked underyou as pointing your feet at a

person can be considered rude. Hospitality is a strong cultural traitin many nationalities and they will often go without themselvesto feed you. Try to eat what they put in front of you. Some dishesare an acquired taste, so don’t pile up your plate before testing.Eat what you take and then it is acceptable to refuse any more ofsomething that you don’t like. They will make fun of this and takegreat delight in your discomfort.


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LOFTY'S LIFE STORIES


Exaggerate your actions; turn it into a comedy sketch. In my day,in the Far East, we were taught to use our fingers to eat and anyway of getting the food into your mouth was acceptable. Rollingup handfuls of rice in the palm of the hand before squeezing it intoyour mouth was generalpractice that we soon gotgood at. But in the MiddleEast strict etiquetteapplied. Only the righthand is used and fingerbowls are supplied towash the fingers eachtime food is taken from acommunal dish. Many asoldier drank the fingerbowl, which normallyhad slices of citrus fruitfloating on top, thinkingit was some kind ofsoup.

Never make anypromises because if youcan’t deliver you willlose all respect. Say youwill try your best and itwill probably happen.We had to be very careful when we lived with people in remoteareas, to always honour what we said we would do. We alwayssaid we would try, but left our options open. Because of things outof our control like the weather, aircraft were cancelled and if wepromised them an emergency evacuation they would take greatoffence if it didn’t happen.

Crime is virtually non-existent in remote regions and thepeople very trusting. We had a nasty incident in Borneowhen an infantry patrol took parangs and baskets from avillage plantation. The locals leave their tools in the fieldand the patrol thought they were abandoned. You mustrespect personal property and leave things alone. It’s a greattemptation topick fruit andvegetables,which aregrowing somedistance froma village,but they do

belong tosomeone whois dependingon them tofeed theirfamily. Alwaysask and offerpayment.Money isworthless in mostplaces so things like cigarettes, matches and clothing are betterforms of payment. Treat your new friends with respect and don’t look down on them.

They may not have a college education but they are very sharp inpicking up vibes and judging character. Don’t laugh or make funof them. They will be eager to please so try to return a favour witha bigger one. They have an abundance of common sense and ifthey offer advice take it. Don’t bully or push them into something

they don’t want to do. They know what’s right or wrong and whatworks and fails. Listen to them, they know best. Certain areas are taboo and should be avoided. There are burial

sites, which are sacred. Respectprivacy and neverenter a house unlessinvited, call as youapproach to attractattention. Don’t ogleor touch the women,leave them alone at alltimes. Remember youare the stranger andalthough their customsand habits may seemstrange to you, you arethe peculiar one. Don’ttake offence at theircontinuous staring orprying hands. You are

unique to them andyour pale skin and hairybody will fascinate them.In Sarawak my four manpatrol was made up ofmen all over six foot tall.We were hairy and

tattooed, while the villagers were short and smooth skinned. Theycouldn’t get over our pale skin and fair hair. I had a ginger beard,which they stroked at every opportunity. I used to purr initiallythen growl when I had had enough, resulting in hoots of laughter. They laughed at our clumsiness as we fell over often, so we turned

this into a farce. On level ground or in the longhousewe would fall

over, whichnever failed toraise a laugh. Beattentive whenthey perform foryou. This maytake the formof singing anddancing andchildlike games;be a sport and join in the fun.

Learn all you canfrom local people,

they are the experts. What do they eat, where do theyget it, how do they light fire and what wood do theyuse? Patience is a virtue and will be needed as you try tounderstand. All this knowledge will make your life easier. Be aware of the diseases that you may catch, as someindigenous peoples' sense of hygiene is not very good.If you accept tea make sure the water has been boiled.

Peel all fruits and avoid anything you are not sure of without givingoffence. If you tell them it is your custom to always boil your waterand prepare your food in a certain way they will respect this.

It is important to leave a good impression as others may followyou. Leave any spare rations if possible, while a gift to theheadman wouldn’t go amiss. Be generous but not lavish andabove all be honest. So be nice to each other and try to do a gooddeed every day. If we all do this, the world will be a better place.



WILDLIFE

TRAIL CAMERAS


Pablo Pablo is a life-long wildlife enthusiast. He hasa military and law-enforcement backgroundand has a wide range of teaching and trainingqualifications. He uses a combination ofbushcraft, tracking and field craft skills to getclose to wildlife. He has tracked wildlife invarious locations around the world includingSouthern Africa. Pablo runs Woodlife Trails; a Bushcraft and Trackingschool and Woodlife Social Network, a site dedicated to wildlife, trackingand bushcraft.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

A LITTLE BIT OF TECH

Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out what is happeningin your woods or garden when you’re not there?



Despite our best efforts to be part of the forest or woodsand to remain undetected we will always emit a smell, orcreate noise or movement that lets other wildlife know we

humans are out and about. Most creatures have been hunted andpersecuted by us throughout the centuries and they will usuallyrun a mile or keep well concealed when they sense our presence.When we’re not there, we know that the woods tend to resumetheir normal circle of life without our interference - what we termas ‘woodlife’.

In the last few years, through thesearticles, I have tried to show you howto get close to wildlife and remainas undetected as possible, but thesimple fact is that on some occasions,we just can’t seem to see thecreatures we might want to see, letalone get close; so what can we do?

The answer may come in the formof some relatively recent technologycalled Trail Cameras. You mighthave seen them on some wildlifeprogrammes on television and theyare variously called Camera Traps,Stealth Cams, Wildlife Cams or TrailsCams. In this article I will use the term‘Trail Cam’ as this doesn’t infer thatthere is a trap of any kind involved.As Trail Cams become more availableand affordable it is worth lookingat them in a little more depth. Inthis article I will try and explain howthey work, their advantages anddisadvantages and how to set one upfor the best results.

Let’s have a look first of all at whythey are used. The distinct advantageof Trail Cams is that they work without you being present. You canset them up and then disappear; checking them at a later dateto see what activity has triggered the camera. Most Trail Camshave good battery lives, so you can leave them set up for up tothree months and in some cases longer. Of course, not only willthe camera tell you what wildlife is there, it will tell you what isn’tthere; so if you’re expecting a sighting of a rare animal it may assistin confirming that, together with other evidence, there isn’t sucha creature in your area – assuming you’ve set the Trail Cam upproperly, which I’ll come on to later.

Trail Cams can also be used to observe activity that we just can’tget close to, either because it may be dangerous or it would putthe animal off from doing what you want to observe. A goodexample of this is the deer rut. You definitely don’t want to get tooclose to a couple of pairs of clashing antlers in front of a combinedweight of one and a half tons of venison! Also to do so may put offthe candidates at a - shall we say - sensitive moment! You mightsmile at this last statement, but it has been documented that well-

meaning observers and photographers have put off the deer rut sothat the actual activity hasn’t taken place,with negative consequences for the herd.

Animals which are scarce, shy or difficultto observe in the wild, like stoats andweasels, can be captured on Trail Cams,assuming you have the tracking skills tolocate where they might be in the firstplace.

Most Trail Cams these days areprogrammable and you can either leavethem to trigger single shots or videofootage of your subject. You can setit to provide a burst of single shots atregular intervals or a video of a durationmatched only to the memory capacity ofthe storage media. This storage mediais usually a SD card of the type that fitsinto a normal digital camera. They canbe easily removed and slotted into aPC or laptop computer for viewing anddownloading.

Most Trail Cams have infra-red lamps (not to be confused withPassive Infra-Red detection – PIR - explained later) so that if thecamera is triggered at night, you will still be able to see whattriggered it. In this instance the image will be black and white asopposed to the full colour the cam records in daylight. One of thevarying factors is the quality of the image, so if this is an issue foryou, you may want to check the specifications of the particularcamera. The other factor that affects the price is the time fromdetection to activation – called ‘trigger time.’ The quicker the time,the more likely you will capture a faster moving subject, but the

likelihood is that the Trail Cam will be more expensive.

The size of the Trail Cam unit is important. Trail Cams are gettingsmaller and smaller, but some smaller ones may miss out on eitherquality or efficiency, so make sure you check the specifications.


A fallow deer buck captured during the Rutlast year

A trial cam set up overlooking a badger sett


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WILDLIFE


Personally, I like small Trail Cams as I can carry them around easierand they are easier to conceal. I’m not too bothered about imagequality.

One disadvantage of Trail Cams is that if you don’t concealthem properly, they may be liable to theft. It might be an idea topurchase a lockable strap to secure the camera to the tree or otherobject. You will have to factor this in when planning how much to

spend on your Trail Cam.

HOW DO THEY WORK?It might help to know how Trail Cams work. Mis-triggers can oftenbe blamed on faulty equipment but more often than not it will bea failure to set up the Trail Cam properly in the first place whichwill be the cause. To assist in correct set up, you really have toknow how they work. So here’s a bit of tech!

Most Trails Cams use an infra red (IR) detection system. All objectshave a temperature which generates variable infrared radiation ata wavelength that is beyond visible light. Although IR is unseenit can be detected. A basic Passive Infrared detector (PIR) in thebody of the camera consists of a Sensor, a Fresnel lens to focus theinfrared radiation onto the surface of the sensor and a miniaturecircuit board and relay to activate the camera.

If an object has a different IR radiation (temperature) to itssurroundings it is detected as it passes through the detectionzones created by the Fresnel lens and the camera is triggered.

Let’s have a closer look at these components:

THE FRESNEL LENS The Fresnel lens is similar (but much, much smaller) to lenses foundin lighthouses. Each faucet of the lens collects the IR informationfrom a different area and focuses it onto the IR Sensor. Althoughthis doesn’t look like a traditional lens (it looks like black plastic)make sure that it’s kept clean as sticky fingerprints can seriouslyaffect the operation.

THE IR SENSOR To help avoid mis-triggers the IR sensor has two or more detectionzones. As the target object passes through, the IR sensor comparesthe levels of radiation in each zone and if it senses radiationdifference the camera is triggered.

If there was only one single sensing element on the IR sensor thecontinual fluctuations in the IR received would trigger the cameraalmost continually.

SETTING UPStationary or slow-moving objects moving directly towards thePIR are harder to detect as they may not move through the zonescreated by the lens. Also, the insulating properties of fur andclothing can also limit the detection rate if IR radiation is similar tothat of the surrounding area. This gives us a couple of tips whensetting up the Trail Cam.

A diagram of a Fresnel LensFRESNEL

LENS

BATTERYHOUSING

CAMERALENS

T

T

T

T

Recommended heights for the size of the animal

IRLAMPS



PIR and detection zones

Set your camera up and bait an area to attract yourtarget animal, here two badgers are sniffing out a treat



PABLO S TRAIL CAMTRICKS AND TIPSDon’t set up directly into the sun especially duringsunrise. This may give you a mis-trigger

Make sure any foliage, especially branches and longgrass is moved away from the line of sight. Wind maycause movement which may cause a mis-trigger

Angle the camera at about 45 degrees to the expected path of the subject

Don’t put the Cam too low. IR bulbs will bleach out your subject at night

After setting up the Cam, stand behind it and try tovisualise the area it covers

You can angle your Trail Cam downwards by puttinga stick behind the top of the camera

Put down a little bait (not too much) to keep theanimal in the area for a bit longer

Camouflage the Trail Cam after setting it up

Secure the Cam with a lockable strap to prevent theft Get a second SD card to get continuous coverage so you don’t miss an important activation while viewingthe current images

Don’t keep coming back to the Trail Cam too often.Leave the cam in place as long as possible.

Don’t set up Trail Cams in public areas. There maybe a privacy issue and the Cam will be more liable to

theft

Get permission from the landowner before setting upa Trail Cam

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WILDLIFE


There is no golden rule to the height a Trail Cam should be set at.Most manufacturers recommend a height of one to two metresbut you can go higher if you tilt your camera downwards to covera given area. As can be seen from the diagram the height you setyour Trail Cam is relevant to its detection range.

Small creatures may not be detected at the greater limits of thedetection range when the camera is placed higher. Larger animals

would get considerably closer before detection if the camera isplaced low. There is a danger that, especially at night, the IR lampswill “white out” the subject if you are too close to it; so either putthe Trail Cam slightly further away or cover some of the IR bulbs.

To reduce the size of Trail Cameras their PIR units, althoughefficient for their size, are only about a quarter of the size of thosein CCTV and static intruder detectors, so correct camera placementand alignment is important to reduce any missed triggers.

In theory, the ideal position is for the IR Sensor to be set sothat the expected entry of the target into the detection zoneis at right angles to it. The problem then is that the targetmay continue too quickly through the picture. Although thecamera would be activated there may be no indication of whattriggered it as the animal has already passed out of the frame.

Alternatively if the camera is placed so that the target enters thedetection zone face on it may not cross from one zone to thenext for the sensor to sample the two IR radiations it is receivingand the animal may not be detected until the last minute.

The best placement of the camera is at a forty-five degree angleto the expected path of your target. Also a little bribe to keep theanimal in range should pay dividends!

As you can see Trail Cams are hugely beneficial to the serioustracker or wildlife observer. You can view what’s going onwithout unduly disturbing normal wildlife activity in the woodsand observe activity that you would be unlikely to see first-hand.However you shouldn’t use Trail Cams to replace your skillsfor getting close to wildlife; rather use them as an addition tothose skills. Also remember it still takes good tracking skills andknowledge of your quarry to find the optimum area to place the Trail Cam in the first place.

Thanks to Roger Free for the diagrams.

Two wrong ways of setting up the trail cam

The correct placement in relation to the trail



RECIPIE

THEFORAGER'SKITCHEN


Fi Bird Fi Bird is a graduate of St Andrew's University,mother of six and a past Masterchef finalistwho is self-taught, with a passion for cooking.Her local food supplies vary from hedgerow,moors and woodland and with help fromher family, supper is ‘off the land’. She is amember of the Guild of Food Writers and inher spare time she campaigns for healthy dietsand cookery teaching for primary school children.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

In the last issue of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazinewe reviewed Fiona’s new book The Foragers Kitchen, hereFiona shares some of the recipes that you will find in thebook. The book is structured so that there is informationabout the key foraged ingredient and some handy tips onforaging it.



RECIPIE




About Douglas FirPseudotsuga menziesii

Where to find:Douglas fir isn’t a true fir, hence its Latin name; and is a native of

the US. One of the oldest Douglas firs in the UK is planted in SconePalace in Perthshire, Scotland. It was brought to the UK in seedform from North America by David Douglas in 1826 (DavidDouglas was born in the village of Scone).

The cones are smaller than other pines, and have interesting,distinctive “tongues” that protrude between the cone scales. Theseare rather aptly described above—a mouse diving for cover intothe Douglas fir cone.

The flat, single needles are individually attached to the stem.

How to forage and gather: The Douglas fir grows to great heights, but it is the tips of theDouglas fir that are of interest to the forager. They are rich invitamins, and young tips are best. Use these for Douglas Fir Syrup,page 60, and Douglas Fir Chocolate Pots, opposite. Gently pull thetips from the branches and take just a few needles from eachbranch to ensure that the tree is not damaged. If you are usingfresh, not dried, leaves, then wrap them in a damp cloth, becausethey dry out quickly.

How to use: The leaves can be frozen, dried, or used fresh. I make pine-needle

sugars, tisanes, butter, vinegar, oil, syrup, and cordial, and tie themin a bunch of bouquet garni to give flavor to stews, soups, and rice.

Heston Blumenthal may have introduced the idea of pine-needleicing sugar on Christmas mince pies, but my preferred coveringhas a hint of the tropics: mince pies sprinkled with finely groundcoconut and Douglas fir icing sugar.

I grind Douglas fir needles as finely as possible in a mortar andpestle (it’s tricky to do this in a blender unless you have alarge amount) and store the powder in an airtight jar. Its aromaticflavor adds interest to many dishes—I often add a pinch when arecipe calls for rosemary. It’s delicious in hot chocolate, orsmoothies.

DOUGLAS FIRCHOCOLATE POTS

This is a very rich dessert, so don’t be tempted to use largeramekins.

I use tiny French chocolate pots.

Makes 6–8, depending on size

What to forage and find:* Sprig of Douglas fir, approximately 21⁄2–3 inches (6–8cm) inlength, washed and dried

* 11⁄4 cups (300ml) light (single) cream

* 7 oz (200g) bittersweet (dark) chocolate (minimum 70% cocoasolids)

* 1 medium (small UK) egg

* 2 teaspoons Douglas Fir Syrup or pine sugar

W I LD N O T E S

Y o u c an ad ap t t h i s e as y c ho c o l at e p o t r e c i p e b y r e p l ac i ng t he D o ugl as f i r w i t h

ano t he r w i l d he r b , o r f l o w e r s ugar , o r w i l d s y r up . D e c o r at e w i t h c r y s t al l i z e d f l o w e r s i f d e s i r e d . S e r v e w i t h s o me t as t y ho me mad e c o o k i e s

.

What to do:1 Put the Douglas fir sprig and cream into a saucepanand scald it over low heat. Do not allow the creamto boil. Set aside for an hour to allow the flavor toinfuse, then remove the sprig.

2 Put the chocolate into a food processor and pulseto break it into small pieces. Take care: the machinemay need to be held in place.

3 Reheat the cream (do not allow it to boil). Slowlypour the hot cream into the food processor andpulse, ensuring that the chocolate doesn’t overflowdown the sides of the machine. If you don’t chop thechocolate first, it may do this. So slowly does it.

4 Add the egg to the hot chocolate cream, blend,then add the Douglas Fir Syrup or pine sugar. Pourinto pots and refrigerate until set.



RECIPIE


DOUGLAS FIR SYRUPSplash into vodka or gin cocktails, or simply dilute with tonic water.

Makes about 1 ¾ cups (400ml)

What to forage and find:* 1 cup (25g) Douglas firor pine needles, rinsedin a sieve and patteddry* (see below)

* Scant 1 cup (200ml) boiling water

* 2 cups (400g) superfine (caster) sugar

* Use Douglas fir, Scots pine, or other edible pine needles

W I LD N O T E S

F o r gr e e ne r s y r up , ad d a t ab l e s p o o n o f w as he d and d r i e d c hi c k w e e d t o p s , af t e r

r e mo v i ng t he b o i l e d s y r up f r o m t he he a t ( S t e p 4 ). B l e nd i n a f o o d p r o c e s s o r and

s t r ai n agai n b e f o r e b o t t l i ng. As w i t h al l c o r d i al s and s y r up

s , us e r e f i ne d s ugar .

What to do:1 Put the pine needles in a large,sterilized jam jar (with a lid) and pour inthe boiling water. Cover and leave for24 hours.

2 Strain the pine-needle-infused waterinto a pitcher (jug).

3 Put the sugar in a clean saucepan andadd the strained water. Heat over lowheat to dissolve the sugar. DO NOT STIR.

4 Bring to a boil for 2–3 minutes untilyou have reached the desired consistency.

5 Leave to cool and then pour into asterilized bottle and refrigerate. Usewithin a month.



F O R S T O C K I S T S C O N TA C T:W H I T B Y & C OT: 0 1 5 3 9 7 2 1 0 3 2E : s a l e s @ w h i t b y a n d c o . c o . u kw w w . w h i t b y a n d c o . c o . u k / h e l l e

Nature makes nocompromises.

Neither does Helle.

ALDEN

4.5” Curly Birch handle4” Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade8.5” Overall lengthWeighs 5.1ozSupplied with leather sheath



BUSHCRAFT ON A BUDGET

BUDGET ARM PROTECTOR


Hello again and welcome to another Bushcraft on a Budgetarticle. In this issue I want to show you how to make a simplebut quite classy looking arm protector for archery.At the Bushcraft Show this year I was lucky enough to strike agreat trade with Chris Brain, the chap in charge of the archeryand from that trade I came away with a fantastic handmadelongbow. So you may have toput up with a few articles onan archery theme as I go aboutmaking my own archery kit ;-)

Ihave done a bit of archerybefore and I know that if youdon’t get the hold or draw

length correct you can have thebowstring whip your arm a bit. SoI thought I would make myself aprotector. I know if I get everythingright to start with I won’t need one,but let’s face it they look cool too,so I wanted one. After doing a bitof searching I thought a leatherone would look good and give mescope to customise it a bit too.

I had some nice leather left overfrom the pouch I made some timeback. I had enough to make what

I wanted, but only just enough so any mistakes could mean it allwent pear shaped. I chose to make a cardboard template first toiron out any issues. I made a simple design just big enough tocover the “danger” area; you could chose to make yours bigger soit goes further round your arm if you wish. I had seen some lace upones and that’s the design I went for.

So draw a design you likeonto card and cut it out, tryit for size. I was surprised

that I had to make it muchshorter than I first thought, aswhen I bent my arm towardsmy shoulder the card wasdigging in at the inside of myelbow joint. After tweakingit and retesting I achievedthe desired result. You mayfind it useful to round off theends a bit, the wrist end witha convex curve (rising uptowards your wrist)and theelbow end with a concavecurve (curving inwards awayfrom your elbow joint). I thenpoked some holes throughthe card with a pencil andthreaded some thin bungee

Ian Nairn Make do and Mend' is Ian's Philosophy. He is a dabhand at all things creative, and would be a matchfor any skilled seamstress! His innovative ideas cansave you pounds, showing you how to make kitfrom things that you might find lying around. Healso has a long-standing interest in and extensiveknowledge of woodcraft and green woodworking,which, combined with his other skills, makes for some greatmoney-saving tips!

AUTHOR PROFILE:

All finished!

Cut out in card



Card laced up

Card on arm

Drawn on &Cut out

Lace holes punched

Laced up

Checking thefit

Drawing on apattern

Pattern complete

Pattern burnt on

Wax applied




BUSHCRAFT ON A BUDGET

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cord through the holes to lace it up on my arm. Once happy withthe fit and feel, I committed the design to my leather.

When I had drawn onto the leather I cut it out using a very sharpknife. Then I marked out the holes that the lacing would gothrough. I punched these out with a leather hole punch going infrom the good side. Once this was done I threaded some lacing

through the holes and tried it on again. It fit great and was justwhat I wanted. But let’s face it, it looked a bit plain so…..

The thin bungee cord I had was just plain black and looked a bitworse for wear so I went on a hunt round the house. I found a coatthat I seldom wear that had a nice green bungee cord round thehem, well I never draw the hem cord so it was removed and putto good use. The draw toggle that was with it would do a nice jobtoo as a lock off device. As for the leather itself, I have a little treedesign that I put onto my wood carving work and my tools whichincorporates my initials in the design, so I drew this onto the faceof the leather using pencil first, just in case I made any errors. OnceI was happy with it I drew it on in pen and also drew a borderround the edges. I’m not much of an artist so I kept the design

simple. I was looking at some Celtic knot designs but I just knew Iwould make a hash of them, so I left it as is.

I am sure a good ink would stay on the leather and be fine to waxover but I wanted to make the design a bit more permanent soI put my pyrography pen to good use and burnt/branded thedesign onto the leather. Once I had done that there was just thewax to apply. I used saddle dubbin and just rubbed this into thegrain with my fingers until I achieved an even coverage that gavethe leather a nice golden brown colour. Job done and very smart

if I do say so myself. If you are artistic or you have a friend that candraw, you could put all sorts of wonderful designs on yours such asoak leaves, birds, foxes or whatever you wish.

So I hope you have enjoyed this brief article and that you foundit useful and informative. I am looking at making some morearchery gear such as a natural bark quiver, homemade arrowsand arrow heads from old saw blades like the knife in the lastissue.

So until next time, keep whatever kit you’re making on a budget,enjoy and have fun.

Top TipI know I always go on about keeping things on a budget and notspending money, well as I said in this article I acquired my new bowby trading with a friend. Trading is a great way to acquire kit and topass on kit you no longer want or use. Rather than selling it, try a tradewith someone else who is into bushcraft. You don’t even need to paypostage if you work it right; there are meets up and down the countryand shows such as The Bushcraft Show where you can trade with folk.You could contact people via social networking sites and arrange yourtrade before you meet up. I’ve already got a couple more trades on thecards.

Looks and works great!



PICTURE PERFECT

Essential equipmentYou will need a camera capable of controlling shutter speed- any DSLR or a good quality compact will work just fine.

Tripod - A tripod is essential for this kind of photography, handholding for long shutter speeds is not possible and the end resultwill be just a blur. Whilst it is possible to rest a camera on anobject to keep it still, it is very difficult to get a good compositionas you are forced to use the object where it is, or you end upwith awkward angles, (from using the back of your rucksack, forinstance). A tripod offers a full choice of angles and is strong andsteady. You don't have to spend big money on a tripod, althoughthe more you spend will reflect in sturdiness and quality, a cheaptripod from an online auction site will be just fine to capture greatresults! (Make sure you check the base of your camera for aninternal thread to allow you to attach a tripod).

A remote control (wired/wireless) or camera with self-timer(most modern cameras have a built in self timer option) - usingself timer or a remote will make sure the camera is 100% steadywhen the shutter is released and will not transfer any shake to thecamera. If you use your finger to push the shutter button even ifit is on a tripod, this could still leave you with a blur in the image.(If you don't have any of these options it is still possible to getgood acceptable results using your finger to release the shutter,but using the stated options will supply a much sharper result).Most cameras offer a self-timer of 2 or 10 seconds, this delay afterpressing the shutter button gives enough time for any movementyou may have caused to disperse. A remote is essential for the lightpainting tutorial as the longest shutter time without a remote isusually 30 seconds and this is likely not enough. Again these canbe purchased very cheap from an online auction site.

Also for the light painting section you will need a camera that canachieve manual focusing (again common on many DSLR lensesand many modern compacts).

CAPTURING CAMP FIRES:Capturing a scene around a camp fire and savouring theatmosphere is an area where modern cameras excel; the warmfiery glow captured on the faces and surrounding areas as the fastflickering flames are frozen in place. These images really do makethe viewer experience the feeling of warmth.

TechniqueIt is essential to achieve the correct exposure when capturing campfires (as with all photography). If the exposure is too short the firewill look dull (or even pitch black) and will not be impressive. If

the image is over exposed, the fire will become just white and

you will not capture any detail within the fire itself, destroying theatmosphere of the shot. You will require a shutter speed of 1/4seconds or slower (some faster speeds will work but 1/4 secondand slower is a good starting place). The longer the exposure theless detail will be captured within the flame itself as they dance andflicker around. The desired look of the image is essentially downto the individual and there will be a fine line between under andover exposed results. The beauty of digital is the outcome can beinstantly viewed and you can experiment until you get the desiredresult. Remember that if you are including people in the scene it will bealmost impossible to get them 100% pin sharp. As you are using along(ish) shutter speed any slight movement from a person will be

blurred. Don't be put off though as this effect adds to the imageand can give a fantastic result adding even more atmosphere. Ifyour subjects are willing to sit as still as possible for the duration ofthe shot (sitting very still for 10 seconds is harder than you think!)this will result in good sharp images of the subjects but you will stillget a hint of movement. If you take this approach just take care notto make the pose too 'posed' or the result could look a little odd.Some might find it strange asking their friends/subjects to sit still,but if you want this artistic style of shot sometimes you just haveto do what it takes. Don't be afraid to try some creative angles andalso try and include some background/foreground interest, this willbe illuminated by the fire and have a very warm tone.

• Place your camera on a tripod (or on as secure a platform as you

can find).• Compose your image, remember to be a little creative and thinkabout the composition to make sure it will work well.

• Set the camera to self -timer or plug in (for wired) or get readyyour wireless remote (if none of these are accessible just rememberto be extra cautious of movement when pressing the shutter).

• Set the camera to manual mode, it is best if you can make all thesettings yourself for the aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivityso this will be manual mode. If your camera won't allow this youwill need to use shutter speed priority mode and this will allow youto adjust the length of the shutter speed and ISO, the camera willadjust the aperture accordingly. I can't give you the exact settingsas they will always differ from one specific scenario to another, buthere is a guide.

The longer the exposure the more light and movement the imagewill incorporate, start off with a 0"5 second shutter speed at ISO

PHOTOGRAPHY

PICTURE PERFECTPART 4 - CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY


Photographer - ClockworkCloud MEDIAWith photography as a passion and a career,Andy is able to focus his attention to creatingimages Inspired by adventures and nature. "Theability to freeze a special moment witnessed inour amazing world and share it with others isthe drive behind my photography."

AUTHOR PROFILE:This is the last in my series on photography. In this issueI am going to finish off by looking at several types ofphotography in more detail. While I have tried to keepthings easy and manageable, some of the techniques couldbe seen as a little advanced, but with some patience andpractice all of these images are achievable by the beginner/intermediate user with a DSLR/advanced compact cameraand some patience.

Andy Childs


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bushcraft-survival 39/84BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE • 39BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE • 39BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE • 39

500 and an aperture of F5.0 (see your user manual if youneed help accomplishing this).

• Autofocus should still work as the flames are very bright.

• Now take the picture (using self-timer or a remote) andtake a look at the results. Depending on the results on thescreen you have three main adjustments to adjust your

image. The main questions to ask are "Is the exposurecorrect, too light or too dark?" "Is the movement within theimage what I expected?" If the movement in the fire is toomuch and is more of a white blur than a crisp outlines offlames then increase the shutter speed.

If the image is too dark and underexposed adjust theaperture to be larger (smaller number) to allow in morelight and/or decrease the shutter speed (make slower) toallow in more light and you can also increase the ISO value,a high ISO will make your sensor more sensitive and allowyou to capture more light at whatever shutter/aperturesettings are selected. Remember the higher the ISO thegreater the risk of the image looking grainy.

If the image is over exposed dothe opposite, adjust theaperture to be smaller(larger number) to letin less light and/orincrease the shutterspeed (make faster)and decrease theISO.

Be patient, if the resultswere very easy to achieve therewould be no challenge in obtaining them!

In the above shot I wanted to keep maximum detail in theflames and get a good exposure on the person within the shot.

Note that using a faster shutter speed (just fast enough to stopblur in the subject) has kept great detail but the background isblack, this keeps all interest on the foreground subject.

• Full manual setting• Shutter speed 0"3 Seconds• Aperture value F4.0• ISO 1000

In the main shot below I wanted the background illuminated bythe flames, so to allow enough light onto the background theactual flames are a little more exposed. This is the only way toachieve the correct exposure of the background and so I had tobalance capturing the background without losing too muchfire detail.

• Full manual setting• Shutter speed 6'' Seconds• Aperture Value F5.0• ISO 1000



PHOTOGRAPHY


The golden hour adds soft warmth to images

CAPTURING MOVEMENT INWATER

Capturing flowing water and exposing it to create a soft and gentlelook is a classic and much loved style of photography.

You can capture this effect on any type of moving water butit is best suited to water that is flowing fast, my favourites arewaterfalls, fast flowing rivers around the rocks and the waveslapping at the shore. The objective is to get the shutter speed to the correct settingto make the water look smooth, while still retaining some detailwithin the flow of water. If the shutter speed is too fast then thewater will look frozen in motion (this will still look good but it is notour objective in this tutorial). If the shutter speed is too slow thenwe risk losing all the detail in the water and your flowing water will just look bright white (and you might also start losing other detailin the image). Finding the sweet spot and the correct shutter speedwill take some trial and error (once mastered over time you can

make pretty good starting judgments).

Technique• Place your camera on a tripod (or as secure a platform as you canfind).

• Compose your image; make sure you spend some time on this. Ithelps to get down low and be level with the water, but be carefulas being close to fast flowing water and with your mind focusedon photography you can easily get carried away, so don't get tooclose! Set the camera to self-timer or plug in (for wired) or get readyyour wireless remote (if you do not have these, just remember tobe extra cautious of movement when pressing the shutter).

• Set the camera to manual mode, it is best if you can make all thesettings yourself for the aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivityso this will be manual mode. If your camera won't allow this youwill need to use shutter speed priority mode and this will allowyou to adjust the length of the shutter speed and ISO whilst thecamera adjusts the aperture. As you will be looking for shutterspeeds from 1/4 second up to 20 seconds (maybe longer) and youwill be doing this in the daylight you are going to need to let as

little light to the sensor as possible or you will be left with a 100%white over exposed image! Decrease the aperture to bevery small (a larger number) so let’s say F22 to start withand decrease your ISO setting to as low as it will go, thiswill mean there is little light coming through the aperturewhen the camera is exposing and the sensor will be at alow sensitivity due to you selecting a low ISO. Then selecta shutter speed of 1/4 second to start with (see yourmanual for accomplishing these settings on your camera).

• Take a test shot and take a look at the results onthe back of the camera. It might be perfect or it mayneed some adjustment. If the image is too dark andunderexposed the camera will require more light, so addto this light by making the shutter speed even slower.If making the shutter speed slower is creating a goodoverall exposure but is destroying the movement in thewater by making too much movement, then revert backto a slightly faster shutter speed and adjust the apertureto let more light in instead, this will allow more light inwhilst retaining the desired shutter speed for perfectwater movement.

If the image is too bright and is overexposed you willneed to allow less light into the picture. You can do thisby taking the ISO lower (but you may already have this setto the lowest setting already) decreasing the size of the

aperture (making the number higher, although you mayalready have this set to the smallest aperture). If theseare both set to their least light values you must increasethe shutter speed to let in less light, keep increasing thisuntil the exposure is correct. The only danger with thisis that if there is too much light in the sky then by thetime you have increased the shutter speed to gain thecorrect exposure you may have lost all the movementin the water as a result. If this is the case then you mighthave to abandon your plans to an earlier/later time ofthe day or wait for an overcast day (you won’t have towait long if you are in the UK!) One way many advancedphotographers work around this is by placing a dark grey(ND - Neutral Density) filter in front of the lens, this letsin a lot less light and forces a long exposure to create theimage and in doing so allows a slow shutter speed. Even ifyou don't succeed on your first attempt, stick with it as theresults are amazing once you get them!

The contrast between the rocks and water help to add a depthto the image.

Capturing the water at just the right time is essential on acoastal scene. The movement is more subtle than fasterflowing water.

• Full manual setting

• Shutter speed 1"6 Seconds• Aperture value F18• ISO 50



T h i s i s a g r e at t e c h n i q u e t o e x p e r i m e n t

w i t h o n a d u l l an d m u r k y d ay . U s u al l y c r e at i n g g r e at i m ag e s o n c l o u d y d ay s i s t o u g h as t h e l i g h t i s v e r y f l at an d d o e s n o t h i n g t o h e l p w i t h t h e c o l o u r an d

c o n t r as t o f y o u r i m ag e s . B e c au s e y o u e s s e n t i al l y n e e d a s l o w s h u t t e r s p e e d t o

ac h i e v e f l o w i n g w at e r t h e l ac k o f s u n l i g h t h e l p s t o c r e at e t h e l o n g e r r e q u i r e d e x p o s u r e .

T O P T I P

Getting the exposure just right willresult in a beautiful effect of thewater.

If the shutter speed is toolong it will result in no detailin the flowing water



PHOTOGRAPHY


CAPTURING LIGHT PAINTING

Light painting is a very exciting way to create some really unusualphotography and is a great way to get others involved to have ago in your photography. The idea is to use a light source to paintpatterns and shapes on a dark landscape whilst the camera shutteris left open and therefore exposing the light’s movement as lines. Itis possible to use any source of portable light to create the patternssuch as torches, lanterns, mobile phones, anything that emits lightand that you can move around easily. The scope to be creativewithin light painting is endless. Although it is possible to conductlight painting indoors I find that using the beach, forest, mountainsor any outdoor location adds a great depth to the images.

Experimenting with different kinds of light sources and colours willbe the best way to accomplish your desired image but I do find abasic LED torch works very well. An essential part of light paintingis to keep fluid with the movements, it is very difficult to drawsomething that you can't see, but moving and flowing smoothlywill help with the final outcome, if you stop or pause for too longwith the light source on then it will continue to expose in thatstill spot and could easily cause an over exposure on the image.As the exposure will be of at least several seconds and as you arein motion as you compose your light painting the result is thatyou disappear from the image and this gives an image free fromdistraction, leaving a lot of viewers wondering how it is achieved!

Shapes and pattern are a great way to get into light painting, youcan create random patterns that look great or you can focus indetail on trying to get neat patterns like spheres/orbs, circles andcubes. It is also possible with practice to create shapes such asfigures of people and animals.

As well as creating the pattern, choosing the location andaccompanying weather will add to the overall light. A clear nightwill add stars and clouds will add texture or even light if there is anearby town as the light pollution will reflect off the clouds. Snowalso helps reflect light and adds to natural background exposure.You can add even more light to the scene by actually painting lightonto the ground and objects. Once you have finished your shape,use another light source to illuminate the ground or objects around

you. You can use as many light sources as you like and multiplepeople can create multiple patterns at a time or one person cancreate a pattern whilst the other paints the ground and objectsaround them to help illuminate them.

Technique• Place your camera on a tripod (or on a stable platform)

• Compose your image; it is best to shoot wide to get a lot of areato work in. Don't forget to take into account where you will standto create the painting and make a mental note (or even place anobject like a twig or stone in the position) where you want to standto make your painting.

• Decide on what you are going to paint, will it be a specific shapeor just an abstract set of lines?

• Set the self-timer on your camera to 10 seconds. This will give youenough time to press the shutter release and get to your startingposition to start light painting (as long as the final exposure isunder 30 seconds as this is usually the maximum exposure time thecamera will allow without a remote), otherwise fire the shutter froma remote.

• Obtaining focus can be tricky as the overall image will be verydark and the camera won’t have a bright enough subject to focuson. The best way to obtain focus is as follows:

Place your chosen illuminated light source (whatever it may be) onthe ground in the exact spot that you will do the light painting andfacing the camera lens.

Return to the camera and with the camera onthe tripod and the composition composed,switch on the camera so it is in live view modeand you can see the image on the camerascreen. It will very likely be black as there is notenough light in the scene.

Adjust the ISO to the very highest setting it willgo and open the aperture of the lens to thelargest it will go (smallest number). Althoughthe image will look very poor and grainy onthe screen you should now be able to see yourpreviously placed light source on the ground inthe live screen.

Now using the screen zoom setting, zoom inas close as possible to the light on the ground(this must be the magnified zoom on the screenand not you physically zooming the lens). Nowusing the manual focus it will be possible to getan accurate focus on that exact light source bytwisting the focus ring on the lens.

You must now turn the live view off. Make sureyou do not adjust the manual focus in any way and also be carefulnot to move the camera from the spot or lose the position that youwill be painting from. If you do this then you will lose the focus andwill have to start again. Once the live view is switched off and youhave focus set, you will need to adjust the setting to expose thepicture, the setting you placed before was merely to see the lightsource for focusing (using those settings for the actual shot wouldresult in a very poor quality image).

This can be a little tricky (and is a bit of a pain to do) to start withbut practice will allow you to get it quicker and is the only real wayof obtaining focus in the dark.

• I would suggest you start with an aperture of around F6.0 ashutter speed of 30" seconds and an ISO of 200. Try that and thenyou will need to assess the changes needed for your own image asconditions will always differ and there is not a magic formula forthis kind of photography.



• Once you hear the shutter open start your painting and use flowingand smooth motions. If you stop or hesitate at any point, this will beclearly seen in the image as a bright spot. If it takes you less than 30seconds (or the length of your chosen exposure) to make your shape/pattern make sure you switch off your light source and then run outof shot and let the camera continue to capture the light from the skyor quickly start your area painting around the scene. As long as youkeep moving around the scene you will be almost invisible in the endresult!

If the image is dark and underexposed then open your aperture toallow in more light and if this is not possible or your depth of field istoo shallow (see last issue) then increase your ISO to make the imagebrighter. You could also make the shutter speed longer and this willallow for more time to light paint. If the image is too light and overexposed you will need to either decrease the ISO, make the aperturesmaller (larger number) or shorten the shutter time, just don't shortenit too much as you won’t have time to complete your painting.

It is likely you will receive some strange looks by passersby as youwork in a dark/near dark area and start to wave and spin lightsaround yourself. Granted, you will look a little odd but the end resultswill be well worth it :)

Over the last three mini tutorials I have stated: "until you get thecorrect exposure" this can be a little complex and requires the useof reading histograms to get perfect accuracy (take a look on aweb search engine for explanation), but in your early days the bestsolution is if it looks good on the camera screen it generally is good. Ifit looks too dark it is under exposed and if it looks too bright it is overexposed and you can adjust as required.

CONCLUSION

If you are interested in making photography and are willing toput in the time and effort to achieve the results, you will find it isa great medium to accompany your bushcraft. Like bushcraft youwill be forever learning and there will always be new avenues tosearch and learn. You don't have to spend a mass of money toget a camera and equipment, but I would recommend getting acamera that offers manual settings if you are serious about getting

creative, as this will allow you to create images like the ones onthe previous pages. I hope you have learnt something that has/will help you with your photography and don't forget to keep yourcamera at the ready at all times for that perfect shot!

You might find inspiration to further your personalphotography skills by viewing some more of my work atwww.clockworkcloud.com

An orb shot on the beach after dark. Note that the dotted lightsin the background are from a tractor with a flashing roof lightpassing on the road behind. Also note that the strong orange sky

is the lighting from a distant town reflecting off the clouds. Themain orb is created using a red LED and a standard torch lightingthe sand below it.

• Full manual setting• Shutter speed 90" Seconds• Aperture Value F9• ISO 250



Book Reviews

WILD GUIDE - DEVON,CORNWALL AND THESOUTH WESTPrice: £16.99Authors: Daniel Start, Tania Pascoe and Joanna KeelingPublisher: Wild Things Publishing LtdISBN: 978-0957157330

The newest book from Daniel Start, this WildGuide is similar in layout to Wild Swimmingand is a comprehensive and fully researchedguide to the best areas of the countrysidein southwest England. This time the bookis not just limited to the best places forswimming but includes ruins, hills, beachesand a large selection of other naturalplaces to visit.

The inspiring photography surpasses eventhat in Wild Swimming, and goes to showhow extensive and wide ranging thenatural environments are in the UK.

It’s definitely a book which can be used to plan a holiday destinationor to be taken with you when exploring new places in Southern

England and the locationsare easily found whether onfoot or by road. One of themain points about this bookis that there are many naturalthings to do in England,which are positive and freeingexperiences.

The information related tothe area is very useful. I didn’t

know that in Dartmoor wildcamping is encouraged, or thatfires below the high tide line onbeaches are also allowed.

This book is for anyone who isthinking of spending time in theSouthwest and will encourageyou to explore the hidden placesalong its coasts and inland areas.

REVIEWED BY BEAU BEAKHOUSE

WILD SWIMMINGPrice: £14.99Authors: Daniel StartPublisher: Guardian BooksISBN: 978-0852651223

Daniel Start has a track record for excellenthandbooks on swimming wild, including WildSwimming Coast. This new book is an updatedsecond edition of Wild Swimming, witharound 300 tucked away locations to swimin rivers, lakes and waterfalls throughout theUK. The book was compiled in order to makethese places more accessible and includesco-ordinates, maps and written instructions

to make this possible. The book’s divisioninto varied sub categories is also very helpful,making it possible to find wild swimmingby area, or by the type of attraction itself. The whole of the UK is covered and thelocations themselves are varied enough toaccommodate anyone who is enticed by thestriking photography.

The photographs themselves are one of the strongest features ofthis book and encapsulate the destinations at their finest moments.On the other hand though, the written content of the book is not

its strongest asset, butfor functionality andfor encouraging wildswimming itself, thisbook does well.

Having previously beento a few of the locationswhich are recorded inthis book, and after tryingsome additional onesduring reading it, I foundthat the directions wereaccurate and the locationsthemselves even morebeautiful.

Areas related to WildSwimming are also brieflyincluded, with conciseinformation on wildlife,safety and legal issues.

These do not dominatethough, and the freedomthat wild swimmingcan bring is maintained. This

compendium is ideal those who want to find natural and peacefulplaces to swim in Britain.


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W IN! 45 • BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINE



FIRELIGHTING

FANTASTICFEATHERSTICKS


Feathersticks are extremely useful under certaincircumstances. Yet many people who enjoy bushcraft,survival and outdoor life are not particularly wellpractised in this skill. Many books, particularly thoseinvolved with survival training, contain images of whatare often referred to as fuzz-sticks. These are little morethan twigs with a few short, shallow knife cuts made aroundthem.

When made properly, feathersticks, on the other hand,provide a very certain way of establishing a fire inotherwise potentially difficult circumstances.

The circumstances under which feathersticks are useful comeunder a couple of categories: first you may be in a situation whereall the available fuel in the woods is wet. It may have been rainingfor days and even dead, standing wood is wet on the outside.Small fuel may also be saturated - even the likes of birch twigswhich, due to their oil content, are better than most at resisting asoaking.

The second circumstance under which feathersticks areparticularly useful is when there are no small sticks and, therefore,no small fuel to start your fire. This could be in a situation whereyou are within an environment with limited variety of tree species,or it could be where you are above the tree line or in an area

where there are no trees yet firewood has been transported there.A prime example of this would be in a cabin in the mountains inwinter, with a supply of logs in the woodshed.

A situation much closer to home in which there may be no smallfuel – much more likely to be encountered by many - is where youare camping in a popular spot where all the small fuel that wasimmediately available has been used. I have stayed on many Scoutsites where this is certainly the case.

Another example of this lack of small fuel I’ve encountered is whenmaking canoe journeys in popular areas – such as the AlgonquinProvincial Park, Ontario, Canada - where you are restricted toparticular camping sites. Even though these sites can be quiteremote, they often have a scarcity of the small fuel that everybodywill grab first for lighting fires. Many of the people travelling inthese areas do not have basic bushcraft skills, certainly not the useof tools in order to produce smaller fuel from the larger pieces ofwood that remain in the camping area.

These situations are examples of where you can apply yourbushcraft skills and have a plentiful source of all the useful sizesof firewood as a result, whereas an unskilled individual wouldstruggle to find fuel.

It is in these circumstances that feathersticks really come into theirown.

Feathersticks: What We Are Aiming To Produce…

The aim of a featherstick is to provide us with our initial fuel. This ismost commonly what is generally referred to as kindling. That said,we might also produce feathersticks of a high enough quality, with

fine enough feathers at the base of the featherstick, that we maydrop a spark onto the featherstick to ignite it. Thus, the featherstickalso provides us with what is commonly called tinder.

The feathersticks should also inherently provide the next size offuel up from our finest kindling. The body of the featherstick, asopposed to the feathers themselves, provides this fuel. Thereforethe body, that is the stick, should be fine enough that the flamingfeathers will ignite the neck of the stick and so ignite the wholefeatherstick.

The shavings we are looking for on our feathersticks should belong and fine. You should be aiming to produce a dense bundle ofsuch high quality feathers.

You might ask why we don't just produce a pile of shavings? Surelyit is easier to shave wood off a stick, then pile it up and ignite itthat way? While it's true shavings can be used in the ignition of afire - and certainly if you cut off shavings from your feathersticksby accident when you are producing them, you should use them -there are multiple advantages to keeping the shavings attached tothe stick itself.

First, in keeping the shavings attached to the stick we keep themoff the ground. This is true both initially when we are creating thestick and in producing subsequent curls, they all remain on thestick and up off the ground (or the snow).

Second, the shavings can be moved around in bulk and we will notlose any. When you are moving or storing the sticks, they are alltogether. When you come to light your fire, the sticks can be can

be organised easily and quickly.

Third, once you light your feathersticks, the burning shavings canstill be manipulated while they are alight simply because they areattached to a stick which you can get hold of at the end and movearound.

Paul Kirtley, Frontier BushcraftOwner and Cheif Instructor of Frontier BushcraftLtd. Paul, also a Mountain Leader was previously

Course Director at Woodlore Ltd. He spent 10years studying and training under the guidance ofworld-renowned bushcraft expert Ray Mears, firstas a student on his courses, then as an employee.Paul is one of only a few people who have beenrecognised by Ray Mears as a bushcraft instructor,being awarded the celebrated antler-handledWoodlore instructor's knife.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

“ Good f ea t her st ic k s p r ov ide a v e r y c er t a in w ay of est ab lish ing a f ir e in ot her w ise pot en t ia lly d if f ic u lt c ir c um st anc e s.”



Finally, a key advantage in having the feathers attached to thestick is that it allows more oxygen in amongst the feathers and theoverall fire lay is not too dense. This is particularly important at thestart of the fire before it becomes established. Should you need toallow even more oxygen into the initial beginnings of the fire, youcan lift up individual feather sticks in just the same way as you canlift up bundles of twigs in the typical small-stick fire lay.

By contrast, a pile of shavings, particularly short shavings asopposed to long curly shavings, is relatively difficult to lightcompared to good feathersticks. It is also very difficult tomanipulate in any useful way.

Material SelectionAs with many things in bushcraft, the ultimate success of theapplication of a particular technique - at least the quality of theoutcome - is to a large extent dependent upon good materialselection. This is certainly true when making feathersticks.

So what materials should you look for?As with any good firewood, the ideal raw material for feathersticksis dead, dry, standing wood. You want wood that is well seasoned,in good condition and not rotten or punky.

You should be looking for upright timber of a particular dimension:you don’t want to be splitting out large trees, particularly if youonly have a knife. It should be feasible to easily baton the materialwith a typical bushcraft knife. In other words you are looking formaximum sizes of maybe 3 inches (i.e. 7 cm) in diameter. Also, youdo not want wood that is so small in diameter that persistent rainwill have penetrated far into the wood. So you are looking for aminimum diameter of around 2 inches (i.e. 5 cm).

Species that work particularly well for feathersticks are pine,willow, cedar, and sweet chestnut.

In terms of the quality of the wood that we are looking for, I willreiterate that it needs to be dead, dry and well seasoned. In myexperience, peoplecan get lazy withapplying thesecriteria strictly andend up makingsub-optimalfeathersticks (i.e.

they don’t work).Equally, the woodshould not be toosoft or punky, i.e.too rotten.

The wood youselect shouldalso be straight-grained andpreferably knot free. Toa large extent you can get a good idea of how knotted a piece ofwood is just by looking at the outside bark. Because you are goingfor relatively small diameters, any external knots will likely carry agood way into the grain of the wood. Try and choose sections ofwood that are relatively free of side branches or the remnants ofthem.

Once you have selected your piece of standing timber, saw itdown. Then you shouldcut up your selectedwood into sections thatare 12 to 14 inches (30to 35 cm) long.

Now that you havethese rounds - andI suggest you haveat least three of thislength as a minimum -you can begin to splitthe wood down intosuitable sizes. Theaim is to cut it intomultiple sections togain all the fuel thatyou need - includingyour feather sticks- to establish your

fire.

In the absence of an axe, the technique to use is batoning. This isa common and often used technique of basic bushcraft – one withwhich you should become fully familiar, if you are not already.

Stand the sawed round of wood vertically on its end on astable surface such as a chopping block or log. Place your knifehorizontally on the top end of the log with the handle as close tothe wood, leaving as much of the tip of the blade protruding onthe far side as possible.

It may be worth creating a smallwedge before you hammer the knifeinto the wood and potentially get itstuck.

Once you're ready, hammer the bladeinto the end of the round until theback of the blade is flush with the topsurface of the wood. Now proceed byhitting the tip of the knife with your

baton while maintaining pressure on the handle so as to keep theblade horizontal. The wood should split relatively easily.

For your feather sticks I would recommend quarters from woodthat is relatively small - say 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter - and,possibly eighths for wood that is a larger diameter than this.


“ In t he absenc e of an ax e , use y our k n if e and a bat on t o c r ea t e a ll t he sp lit w ood y ou need ”

P lac e y our k n if e hor izon t a lly on t op end of t h e log w it h t h e hand le as c lose t o t he w ood and ham m er w it h t he bat on .

“ Y ou can p r oduce a ll the sizes of f uel y ou need to estab lish y our f ir e” .



After prolonged or heavy rain, the outer surface of even vertically uprightwood may well be damp. Once you have batoned out the splints thatyou require, you should shave down the outer surface removing the barkand any damp layers of wood that lie beneath, until all you are left withis dry wood.

Techniques For Creating FantasticFeathersticksFor those who have tried to make feathersticks in the past, the part ofthe process that they often find most difficult or frustrating is starting thefeatherstick. Getting going and producing good long curls consistently isreliant upon creating a good foundation in the first place.

To create this foundation for all your curls, do not worry too much aboutcreating good curls for the first few cuts. Rather, what you shouldconcentrate on is creating a good even surface, which can then beshaved down into nice even curls. What you do not want is a raggedyedge or a lumpy-bumpy surface that looks like a washboard road, thentry to create nice smooth shavings from it.

Start by aiming to plane the surface that exists after you have split outyour rounds of wood to the desired size. Start on the inside edge, thatis the edge that is sharp - and will also be dry even after the heaviest ofrains. Even though this has been split out quite nicely by your batoningtechnique, it will still be potentially relatively uneven.

Place the splintered wood on a firm surface in a vertical or near vertical position. Holding it with your non-knife hand at the top, take your knifeand place it below your fingers, turning the knife inwards so the edge isturned towards the wood. If you're using a flat-bevelled knife you canachieve the angle relatively easily; turn the knife so that the bevel is flatagainst the wood.

Push the knife downwards so that the blade descends. As you do so,

turn in the knife towards the wood a fraction more and you should startto take off small shavings of wood from the high points. To reiterate, itis not important that these stay attached. You are simply levelling thesurface on which you are going to work. If you have ever used a planethink of this initial action in this way.

After your first descent of the piece of wood, return the knife to the initialstarting point and repeat the process, shaving off more of the remaininghigh points. Repeat this process until you are left with a smooth surfaceto work on.

Now, repeat the step as described above but this time with the intentionof creating one continuous, even shaving from the beginning of the cutdownwards to nearly the bottom of the stick.

The part of the blade you should be using for this is the straightest partof your bushcraft knife blade which is close to handle. Here you havemost control and least leverage on your wrist. Push the knife downwards,maintaining an even depth into the wood, creating a nice even curl.Initially this is easier said than done.

Do not get too stressed about losing curls at the beginning of yourlearning curve. It happens to everyone. The thing you should beconcentrating on is getting a feel for how deep or how shallow the edgeof the knife is shaving the wood, then making minute adjustments tomaintain an even cut. This takes practice but you will soon pick up agood feel for the type of wood that you are using, combined with the

sharpness of the knife you are using.

It goes without saying that your knife should be as sharp as possible.

Once you have started to create a few good downward shavings, you


FIRELIGHTING

Split the rounds down intoquarters or eighths depending

on their diameter

Shave off the dampouter layers asnecessary

Start to shave off raised orrough sections which makethe wood uneven

After a few runs down thestick, you will have a muchmore even surface to workfrom

Now shave steadilydownwards to create a nice,even curl


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bushcraft-survival 51/84W IN

FOREST SCHOOL AND OUTDOORLEARNING IN THE EARLY YEARSBY SARA KNIGHTPrice: £21.00Authors: Sara knightPublisher: SAGE Pubications LtdISBN: 978-1446255315

This book is a new updated edition of Knight’searlier book, published in 2009. At 160 pages itis 80 pages shorter than the Children LearningOutside the Classroom book, but is in a similarformat and by the same publisher, so it alsoincludes tools for professional developmentsuch as chapter objectives, case studiesand discussion points. The title is a littlemisleading in that the book is focused moreon Forest Schools than on outdoor learningas such. It opens with a discussion of whyand how the Forest School movementbegan. Chapter Two is particularly strong,there is a thought provoking discussion of whatdefines a Forest School, with these points then illustrated inextended case studies comparing best practice in several successfulForest School settings. Other chapters include the impact of ForestSchool on children’s’ health and wellbeing, the importance of

communicating with parents and Forest School in other countries.

Chapter Six ‘Participating in Forest School’ is excellent, providingalmost a template of how to establish and run a Forest School based

on the author’s own experiences. There aredescriptions of what is required for a ForestSchool location, whole blocks of ForestSchool typical sessions and photocopiablepages with risk assessment forms. Thispractical hands-on approach follows intothe next chapter with specific suggestionsof activities and equipment to get the ForestSchool ethos into childcare settings, illustratedby photographs. It would be worth buying thevolume for these chapters alone.

I found the final chapter on Research intoForest School outcomes quite heavy going.

This section is overly technical and unnecessaryin a book aimed at those already convertedto the benefits of Forest School. I would havepreferred more space for further Forest Schoolcase studies, which are a real strength of thebook and it is no surprise this book has reached a

second edition.

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CHILDREN LEARNING OUTSIDETHE CLASSROOM: FROM BIRTHTO ELEVENPrice: £22.99Authors: Sue WaitePublisher: SAGE Publications LtdISBN: 978-0857020482

This book is a useful text aimedat teachers and childcareprofessionals. It is divided intothree sections; Section One haschapters dealing with differentaspects of outdoor learning inEarly Years education and istrue to its title by including aninteresting chapter on ‘Crawlingand Toddling in the Outdoors’.Section Two examines learningoutside the classroom as it canbe applied to the primary schoolcurriculum, with six chapters divided into broadsubject areas, so as well as English and Language, Mathematicsand Science and Technology, the Humanities, the Arts and PhysicalEducation are also represented. Section Three has perhaps themost interest for the bushcraft enthusiast, with chapters on SchoolGardens and Forest Schools, and Environmental Education in

Exmoor’s National Park.

Each chapter refers to recent educational research and the theoryis discussed in a practical and easy to understand way. There area number of case studies in each chapter, with points of practice

and thoughts on theory that ask the reader questionsrelating to the topic, so that the book can be used forcontinuing professional development if desired. Theopening and closing chapters on the value and purposeof outdoor learning are particularly strong, written by theeditor Sue Waite who is a research fellow at the Universityof Plymouth. Her introduction includes an excellentexample of an unsuccessful outdoor learning activity. Theactivity was intended to explore forces by investigatingpush and pull in the local playground, but the teacherwas nervous of leaving the ‘safe’ haven of the classroom,so the learning objective was not communicated properlyto the children who were instead told all about how they

should not behave at the park. No meaningful learningtook place, while the perceived division between thestructured learning of the classroom and the free play ofthe outdoors was enforced. This example prompted a wrysmile! This book provides plenty of positive alternativesfor teachers to implement in educational settings. Waitepersuasively advocates a process of consultation withchildren themselves, parents and teachers and with thelocal community to generate ideas, draw in further expertise

and better allow what is being learned ‘outside’ to be naturallytransferred into the regular ‘inside’ school context.

“Additional incite for a bushcraft instructor, scout leader or forest school leader working with children”

W IN!

Book Reviews REVIEWED BY ELAINE GILBOY



CANOE FORAGING

CANOE

FORAGING

Truth be told, a fair number of the potential delicacies that can be collected by canoearen't really worth the effort. While they may be edible and most won't do you any

harm, they either taste grim, or take forever to boil, bake or mash into somethingvaguely palatable. Even lashings of melted butter and garlic do little for limpets, for

example. Fortunately though, this still leaves plenty of tasty morsels that are very definitelyworth seeking out and a canoe makes an ideal vessel to help in that search.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise of course. Amongst the numerous roles given to a canoe by itsoriginal creators, assistance in fishing, foraging and hunting was almost certainly to the fore. Acanoe could transport you to a remote bank, beach, bay or island that had either escaped the

predations of other hungry humans, or just happened to provide the best environment for the healthy growthof plant, fish, fowl or beast. This was vital to early hunter-gatherer communities, and while few of us are likely to

starve today if we can’t find an untouched bed of mussels or woodland packed with ripe pecan nuts (OK hazelnuts!),we can still benefit from a touch of foraging ourselves. Not only is the chance to rekindle some of these ancient skillsenjoyable and valuable in itself, but the results can be pretty pleasant too.

So what's on offer to the peckish canoeist? Well at first glance the inland hunter-gatherer may seem to be at no greatadvantage from being afloat. With such seemingly unexciting water-edge snacks as bulrushes on the menu, you mightfeel it worth staying on shore. But then a canoe can also take you to islands dotted with untouched cep, chanterelle,

blackberries or wild garlic. It can also propel you to quiet and overgrown sections of lake or river, inaccessible to theland-tied forager or angler. In the same way that the canoe once provided access to areas beyond those picked bareby the hungry pedestrian, today it is possible to reach virtually unvisited sections of shore where elderberries and evenrabbits and trout flourish untouched.

P h o

t o g r a p h s : T i m a

n d S u s a n n a h G e n t

Happiest living in a tent somewhere closeto both sea and mountains, Tim paddlesand clambers in search of our remainingwild and inspiring places, documentingthese experiences so that others might beencouraged to follow. A very enjoyable roleof course, but one also undertaken in thebelief that a better understanding of thesefragile landscapes might offer the best chance for their survival, and ours.

Tim Gent



Despite all this, it is along and just off the coast that I devotemost of my foraging efforts.

Once an inbuilt love of the seais taken into account, thereare probably three reasons forthis. Firstly, although I enjoy

eating trout and even carp,eels and pike, I’d far sooner putsomething finny on my platethat has spent it days in thesalty stuff. Secondly, I can goin search of bass, mackerel orplaice without worrying aboutrod licenses or permits. If youwish to fish on a river or lake(which will belong to somebody,or at least the fishing rightswill) you will need both a rodlicence (available from the PostOffice and most fishing tackleshops) and permission from theowner (almost always at a cost).Sea fishing is much more easy-going. For the moment at least(and long may it continue) thereis no need for a rod or fishinglicence on tidal water – unlessfishing for salmon or sea-trout.All this freedom suits me andwhile you can pick and gatherall manner of wonders inland,that fishing needs paperwork. The third reason I tend to head

for the coast for wild food is theappallingly limited access to ourrivers and lakes. Only 3% of rivermiles in England and Wales areavailable to canoeists. The maritime delicacies onoffer to the coastal canoeistcan be broken down into fivebasic groups – fish, shellfish,crustaceans, plants and seaweed.

In fact, the successful collectionof not one of these is dependenton a canoe, least of all the plantsand seaweed. That said, thecanoe’s ability to move you offthe beaten track (literally) hasits benefits, as mentioned. Theycertainly make the effort morefun.

Fish can be caught from theshore of course, but in myexperience the results are oftenmuch better even only a fewyards beyond the usual castingdistance. Fancy beach-casting

rods can be abandoned in favourof shorter lighter versions, oreven a simple handline. The cost and frustration of tackle lost toweed or rocks can also often be avoided by the simple expedient ofpaddling just beyond them.

I imagine that if you fancy the ideaof casting a float, weight or fly froma canoe you’ve already given all thisfishing malarkey a good go. In termsof tactics everything is therefore fairlysimple, and you can pretty much justkeep doing the same thing, only with a

pleasant paddle at either end.

You also know how to handle yourcraft, or should do. Canoes can betricky little whatsits for a beginner tohandle at the best of times, withoutintroducing a rod to the slightly out ofcontrol mix.One solution though - and as much abenefit to the experienced paddler/angler as the novice - is to set out tocatch fish with an assistant. Castingwith one hand while steering withanother can be testing (if ultimatelyrather fulfilling when it works), butsitting or kneeling and thinking aboutfish, while a co-pilot sits or kneelswhile thinking about wind-direction,currents, tides or approaching jet-skies,is much the better plan. Of course youcan both fish, sharing angling pleasureand lookout duties.

One useful alternative for the solopaddle-fisher is either to find a sparebuoy to tie up to for a while, or touse an anchor. I like buoys, but those

little umbrella type anchors do the job well and store out the way whennot needed. One word of warningthough. Everything may seem verycalm before you drop anchor in anysort of current or tidal movement,but once those flukes bite, and thecanoe is suddenly held taught andskittish at the end of a straining rope,things can sometimes turn a little toointeresting. The closest I've cometo genuine concern in a canoe wastrying to weigh anchor off Instowon the north Devon coast while apowerful ebb tide tried to climb overthe side of our shuddering craft. But enough of self-inflicted andavoidable alarm, what about my usualcanoe-supported angling experiences?Well I'm pleased to report the fishinghas been pretty good. I've found thatmy craft of choice makes a very goodplatform for fly-fishing, spinning,trolling or use of a float or ledger.While usually a sea (the protected bitsat least) or estuary angler, I do also

fish in lakes and rivers. Catches haveincluded brown trout, grayling, seatrout, pollock, mackerel, flounder, perch, bass, plaice, oh and aweaver fish (but the less said about that the better). The loss of afine Swedish arctic char was my fault not the canoe's.


Canoe assisted foraging

A good fishing platform. Spinning for bass

Baiting lines on Loch Hourn



In terms of tackle, while a trulyvast amount can be droppedinto your load-carrying canoe,most of the fish I've caught havebeen taken on a simple handline.It’s almost routine for us to offersomething gaudy, trolled on the

end of a line as we paddle fromone beach to another. Left totheir own devices these littleeye-catching (if you’re a fish)contraptions can often improvedinnertime. Canoe cruisingspeeds seem well suited toattract pollock, mackerel andbass, but sea trout and plaicefeature amongst other fish thathave fallen to a trolled spinneror lure. Space is lacking to do justice to the more intricatedetails of fishing from a canoe,

but I will offer these suggestionsfor successful and easy trolling.

Take a standard handline (thelurid combination of orangeplastic frame and braided lineavailable at so many seasideshops will do, but it’s easy andfun to make your own), tie on abrass swivel and loop a largishstainless steel clip through theeye now tied to the braided line. This clip can be used to holda lead weight of suitable size(down to experiment I'm afraid).Attaching the weight here alsoholds the swivel steady to ensurea twist free fishing line. Tie agood long length of stoutishmonofilament to the free swiveleye (say 10-15 lb breaking strain)and then add a lure to theremaining loose end. Havingworked my way through muchthat’s on offer, I keep returningto silver Mepps or brass Tobylures.

Once afloat, and in deep enoughweed-free water, chuck it overthe side – holding on to theframe! Now here are the usefulbits. To leave your hands free,after letting out a good lengthof line (experiment again), putthe frame under your foot. Andto ensure that the whole lotdoesn't go over the side if youhook something interesting, clipthe line above your foot througha large climbing karabiner, itselfattached to a thwart (to those inthe know, an old HMS is good).Even if your foot comes off theframe during all the paddling

fun, the handline frame can't makeit past the karabiner. This saves fish,tackle and tempers.

For the gathering of all sorts ofedible plants, seaweeds and shellfish,the canoe can take you to the bestand hopefully least gleaned spots.Importantly, a canoe can also take youaway from the homes of other humanforagers. Particularly in the case ofshellfish, but even with seaweeds,this can be very useful indeed andyour insides will thank you for it.Wonderfully tasty as many shellfishare, they do tend to have one rathertroublesome characteristic. As filterfeeders, or in the case of dog whelksfor example, feeders on filter feeders,these little beauties may taste good,but can occasionally come packed

with all the unpleasant stuff wecontinue to chuck into the sea. Thiscan include some worryingly virulentand unwanted dieting aids andeven such nasties as heavy metalsand organophosphates. The furtheryour foraging patch lies from humanhabitation the better.

If that hasn’t put you off (and itshouldn’t as good clean locations forwild food collecting are still plentifuland easy to find), your canoe can nowcarry your spoils back to the pan orvan. You might even choose to eatsome before arriving and there canbe little more satisfying, (at least to asimple mind like mine) than buildinga small fire from beach-combed woodin some secluded bay before cookingthe results of your little forage. I thinkmy favourite beach meal to date mustbe bass wrapped in tin foil, their guttybits replaced with wild fennel from theoverhanging clifftop (note – a goodknife and a roll of tinfoil are alwaysworth having about your person. Oh

yes, and a lemon).

Mind you there was also a very goodbrown crab, caught close to a low cliffnear Torquay. This was memorableperhaps not so much for the resultantmeal, which was very good, as forseeing Susannah race to win hertasty prize. We'd spotted this ratherample crustacean pottering amongstthe seaweed across a narrow rockplatform about four or five feet down. The problem was so had a large greyseal swimming through deep wateralongside. Susannah took one lookat the crab, another at the seal (whichmade the mistake of hesitating) beforeshe was in - resurfacing moments

Keeping it simple. A typical handline setup

Trolling for mackerel off theDevon coast

Setting a shrimp net

CANOE FORAGING

Laver andbacon burgers.Ok, so the wedidn't collectthe oats andbacon



later with her catch. I'm notsure whether the look on theseal's face showed surprise oradmiration. If bass and browncrab don't do it for you, perhapsthe following fare will – cockles,winkles, shrimps, prawns, thelovely and underrated razor clam

and lobster.

Many edible coastal plants andseaweeds take some cooking,but small amounts of the freshnew growth from sea purslane,sea beet or perennial wall rocketcan make a good addition to asalad. Gutweed may not soundvery appetising, but is worththe effort (just), while dulse, theeasy to identify red seaweed,is simple to collect and cook(steam lightly) and really is veryenjoyable. Laver, or 'what apaLaver' as it is known in thefamily, tastes prettygood (although notall agree), but unlessyou have a rangeidling away in thekitchen, it is prettyhard to justify as ameal considering thevast amount of fuelneeded to cook itproperly.

Lovers of a variety ofcrustaceans will enjoythe ease with whichtheir canoe will putthem in touch withremote and rarely foragedshrimp and prawn homes.All that's needed is a suitablenet. A canoe really comesinto its own when used totransport a pot or two to aquiet location. Proper craband lobster pots are fairlybig, but you'll easily get atleast one in. Prawn pots aresmaller, especially the canoe-friendly collapsible versions.Not forgetting that prawnswon't be found in close tothe beach until late spring,and gone again in autumn, awell-placed pot can providea satisfying meal.

Remember though thatthere are a shrinking number

of hard-hit fishermen tryingto make a living from thesetasty wee (and not so wee)beasties. Try not to use anyspot more than once, at

least in any summer. And it might be worthattaching a label to your marker-buoy or potexplaining this, and the fact that you are onlyafter something for your own table. Sadly, thismay still not stop a pot disappearing if you setit out of sight. I suggest laying it within view ofyour campsite or afternoon picnic spot.

And so to the ludicrously complicated matterof rules and regulations. You may think thatanything on the shore, or just off it, is fairgame, but it's not as simple as that. For a startall shore or beach is owned by someone –although free access is usually accepted (andnow enshrined in law in bonnie Scotland). Onthe other hand, anyone who tells you thatany form of foraging is unlawful has also gotthe wrong end of the stick. The truth liessomewhere between the two, wrapped up inall sorts of legal fuss that only British lawyerscould sustain, further complicated by variousregional and local rules and bylaws.

What I can say is that collectingplants is fine. Assumingyou only cut off a little ofeach, don't damage themor dig anything up, (whichrules out sea holly roots forexample) and you leave rarethings such as wild cabbagealone, (well perhaps the veryoccasional leaf), plants areon the menu. Seaweed isa grey area, (which doesn’t

sound appetising). Whileplant collection is fine undercommon law and statute,(fruit, fungi, flowers andfoliage are in), seaweed isn'tclassed as a plant in law,

at least in the matter of collection(metaphorical throwing up of hands).Collecting shellfish is classed asfishing, and therefore permissiblewithin tidal waters. Watch outthough, bivalves such as oystersand clams, even mussels, are oftengrown within private fisheries. It'sbest to check. While you're at it, findout if there are any local bylaws, andcheck the minimum size limits, closedseasons and even net mesh sizes forshellfish and crustaceans. These toocan vary from area to area. Size limitsand other restrictions also apply(quite rightly) to many fish, not leastthe hard hit bass.

And while aware that I could put youoff trying any of this foraging and Ireally don't want to, I must mention

the risk of poisoning. Sadly, this isno idle threat and people really domanage to inflict some nasty mischiefon themselves every year, even thosethat should probably know better.

Picking Dulse

Bringing one in to the side

Preparing to cookthe results of agood day's fishing



A FEW ADDITIONALHINTS ANDSUGGESTIONS:

Carry lots of bags to avoid everything gettingmixed up – plastic keeps everything in the canoedry, but isn't always the best thing for your catch(fabric bags can breathe).

A big plastic bucket is very useful to put yourbags in (empty or full) – and also makes a goodbaler.

A knife or scissors are good for seaweedcollection, (if you leave the stem and only take some of the fronds, they can grow you anothermeal). Mind you, as you are probably rather fondof your knife, which might also have been quiteexpensive, remember to wash it off in fresh wateras soon as possible – or use something cheapinstead.

In the same vein, try to take only a small proportion of any wild food - and find out about size limits and closed seasons, (for fish and shellfish).

With shellfish, stick to the old 'only collect whenthere's an R in the month' adage (and becausecanoeing needs you, learn how to clean your shellfish before cooking).

At the risk of going on a bit – keep an eye on thetide.

And once again for good measure – if you're not sure, please don't eat it.

Mistaking hemlock water-dropwort for innocent tasty alexanders,for example, is a mistake you'd probably only make once. Sothe old adage – eat only things that you are absolutely certainabout – is one well worth adhering to. The best way to gain thisknowledge is to spend a fair bit of time in the wild with someonewho knows, (really knows), what they are about.

After all this I must stress that the pleasure to be had fromcollecting your own food from the sea edge is well worth it,particularly if you have given your canoe a chance to shine in its

true calling. Free food can be yours, and extremely good food atthat. If you don't have a wild food specialist amongst your friends,the next best approach for increased safety and fun is a collectionof good books. If you refer to these constantly and leave anythingyou are still even vaguely unsure about, you really should be fine.We bought Food for Free, written by Richard Mabey, back in the'80s. It's a good place to start. Ray Mears (you may have heardof him) can always be relied on. Finally, John Wright's EdibleSeashore is a star and I wish I'd had a copy in a dry bag years ago.

CANOE FORAGING

Pollack from Narvik Fjord


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HOW TO


MAKING YOUR OWN ATLATLFor this month’s project I thought we would take a look atthe build, history and technology of an ancient weapon,

the Atlatl. At first glance this historically importantweapon, which developed after the thrusting spear andthe throwing spear but which predates the bow and arrowlooks like quite a simplistic weapon, however its simplecomplexities are fascinating.This weapon helps to demonstrate that our ancient HomoSapien ancestors were really very little different to ourmodern day selves, and once again belies the “primitive”label that we are beginning to understand is not anaccurate reflection of ability.

Ioften find myself around the campfire with my instructorshypothesising about how such items were conceived, createdand utilised. Regularly I find as a team we start with what we

know and then one or two of us will take the process furtherand re work and re work until we have made such fine tuneimprovements, ultimately going on to devise something betterthan we could alone.

Now through my own observation of my team, I can imagine ourancestors doing exactly the same sitting around the fire.“I have a spear… But it’s hard to get close to prey with consistentresults. I need to be able to propel this spear further. I have produced this launcher, it increases the distance of the throw butnot with great speed or accuracy. I’ll thin and increase the lengthof the (now) dart, It seems to work better with the launcher at 1/3of the length, it’s still slow, a bit of flex in the dart increases the

speed initially, how about a bit of flex in the launcher, what about aweight here… etc.”

Now although this dialogue is fiction it nonetheless representsa process of development that may well have taken place, albeitstretched over generations.

So what do we actually know as FACT?As with most items in the archaeological record, the debate iswidespread. Dating is becoming more accurate however there arestill variances. In her book The Incredible Human Journey (2009)Professor Alice Roberts investigates the use of what she terms‘spear throwers’ (although there are others that disagree with this

terminology) in the Gravettian period (28-22 KYA or thousands ofyears ago). The design of which were a “stick, half a meter in lengthin order to propel the spear twice the range of a hand held spear”.Other commentators put the development of the weapon furtherback in the Upper Palaeolithic to c. 30 KYA. Most archaeologistsagree secure dating of the use of “spear throwers” to around 21-17KYA although the earliest actual physical example of one that Ican find is dated to 17.5 KYA and was found at Combe Saunière,France. (Source: Encyclopedia of Prehistory Volume 4: Europeedited by Peter Neal Peregrine and Melvin Ember, 2001).

There is evidence that the use of the Atlatl was widespread by itspresence in Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Thecurrent line of thought is that Neanderthals were using thrustingspears and ultimately moved on to throwing spears; however theuse of the Atlatl is exclusive to Homo Sapiens, our own species. AsAlice Roberts writes; “Stone age expert John Shea has argued thatthe development of true projectile technology is key to our species’success in terms of both hunting and seeing off rivals from other

species and indeed our own”. There is no doubt that the ability

to kill prey from a distance helped us to become top of the foodchain in history, particularly for a species such as ours that cannotsprint for long distances. It has to be said though there are manyarguments put forward for the success of our species’ evolutionand none can be evidenced in isolation as the turning point.However the significance of the ability to target at speed withaccuracy and at a distance cannot be ignored.

I alluded to the fact above that not all commentators agreewith the terminology of the Atlatl as a “spear thrower”, the mostwell known being Professor William Robert Perkins. An experton the history of the Atlatl he argues that a spear is a rigid shaftfor throwing or thrusting and as the dart which is ejected fromthe Atlatl must be thin and allow for flex calling it a spear is aninaccurate description.

The mechanics of the Atlatl The accepted line of thought as for the advantages to the use ofthe weapon, with or without the weight, is that the Atlatl allowsfor a greater accuracy and speed over a long distance than thethrowing spear, through its mechanical advantage. Although Ihave never had the ability to record my own speeds there arewidespread references to dart speeds in excess of 100 mph beingrecorded in experiments. Craig Ratzat’s essay on Atlatls in thebook Primitive Technology (ed. David Westcott, 1999) puts acrossan interesting view point for the addition of a weight in that it“does not improve the performance of the weapon in terms ofthe distance that the dart (not spear) will travel but yet it allows abetter centre of balance to hold the weapon in the launch positionfor a longer period of time, therefore measuring success onnumber of kills rather than length of travel”.

Once built, the whole complexity of the weapon becomesapparent. As the shaft of the Atlatl is propelled forwards the energythat is created is stored up in the flex of the dart, this energyis increased by the weight of the tip of the dart pushing backthrough the dart onto the spur. As the shaft comes to the end ofits trajectory this stored energy is released through the dart as itpushes itself off the spur. When compared with a normal throwof a spear, it is the speed of the dart at the moment of release

that makes it travel further. As the dart is launched you will noticethat the flight pattern is different from that of an arrow from abow. The flex in the dart oscillates the projectile in a distinct flightpattern. The later development of the bow and arrow improvedthe accuracy over a greater distance with a more rigid arrow anddifferent styles of fletching.

Jason Ingamells Jason Ingamells needs little introduction,renowned as one of the UK's leading authoritieson bushcraft skills and owner of Woodland Ways.He takes pride in teaching to the highest standardson courses at home, abroad and mentoring hisstaff. Jason writes on the subject in books andmagazines and is a highly skilled woodsman and overseas adventurer. Hisskills have been gleaned through extensive personal applied experience,practicing and developing these skills in real circumstances.

AUTHOR PROFILE:



So how can I make one?

Despite regional variations in the design and materials used in theproduction of the Atlatl, the main components are all similar - ashaft with a spur, sometimes with a specific handle and a dart. Onsome designs a weight is added. Length and weight of boththe shaft and the dart are dependenton personal choice and availability ofmaterials.

In order to make asimple branch shaft

with spur you willneed to go huntingfor the rightmaterial. You arelooking for a piecewhich has a sidefork coming out at35 to 40 degreesfrom the main stem.In light of this youcan discount somespecies, for exampleSycamore and Ash will mainly be forked at too steep an angle,so look for Hazel as a good starting point.

However you do not have to have a forked shaft, I haveincluded here a few different designs that some of myinstructors have produced in the past and as you can see, a

simple dog leg in the shaft, with an artificial or manmade recesswill work, as indeed will a carved down shaft with a notch cut in,simply achieved by creating a stop cut and carving up to it. Theaddition of finger loops is well worth the time spent to throw withconfidence.

For our project here we will beworking with a forked shaft. The side fork wants to be cutso that it is protruding enough

for your dart to slotonto the end and

be held horizontallyalong the lengthof the shaftresting betweenyour thumb andforefinger. This isbest achieved bycutting the forkdown to a chiselpoint for accuracyand making thesame shaped recesson the dart. Thelength and diameterof the branch is one

of personal choice, with most seemingto fall within the range of 20-25 incheshowever you can make them muchsmaller or indeed much larger shouldyou wish.

Ca r v e d d o w n a t la t l s h a f t s f r o m As h

I l l u s t r a t i on

s b

y K

ev a nP

a l m er

Carved dart launcher

Simple Dog Leg

Thumb Loops from Buckskin



HOW TO

You will find what length suits you best. There is ongoing debateas to whether the actual shaft should be able to flex or not. The studies undertaken so far on the shaft appear to point thatthere is a minor improvement with flexibility albeit marginal. Inessence the shaft is now ready to go as it is, however a few furtherimprovements can be made to improve its effectiveness.

You may decide to thin the edges of the Atlatl down for comfortif you have selected a larger piece, here my piece is of the correctdiameter and so all I have done is removed the bark so that it doesnot interfere with me launching the dart as it ages. A neat trickto measure the length of the handle is to form your hand intoa shadow puppet shape of a canine, then markwhere the top of the thumb is to give you an ideaof balance of the Atlatl. Although not all historicaldesigns had finger loops they certainly addconfidence to your throw and ensure the launcherdoes not launch itself out of your hands. Here I have

simply formed finger loops with an old scrap ofleather and tied them onto the shaft.

The next stage isto select a piece ofmaterial for your dart

There are a largenumber of historicalreferences as tothe material to usefor your dart, inthe Americas thematerials of choiceare bamboo or rivercane… none ofwhich grow in mynearest woods herein the UK! You cansee here a coupleof darts madefrom both of thesematerials; howeverwithout a trip down to the garden centre you may not have accessto these. So look for material that is likely to grow straight, is light,and will allow for flex. Young Ash saplings work well, as doesWillow. Here I have selected a piece of Sycamore and tested it to

make sure it has enough flex. I have in the past also experimentedwith Elder, however I found that when not seasoned it did not haveenough structural strength to it, and when seasoned it became toobrittle.

I remember reading somewhere many years ago that it works bestif the dart is about three times the length and our courses do seemto back this theory up, although do select as long a straight pieceas you possibly can. If you have any kinks in the material you haveselected then heat it up over the fire for a moment and bend thematerial over your knee in the opposite direction to straighten the

shaft out. I would also suggest removing the bark once ithas been straightened to as smooth a finish as your knife

will allow.

At one end cut the notch for the dart to sit on the shaft,then at the rear we need to fletch the dart. Fletch in astraight line rather than with a curve as you would anarrow as this will allow for less wind drag and will notinterfere with the oscillation of the dart. With threefeathers cut off the smaller side of each, glue and tie thefeathers in place using a spiral lash. A bit of glue to holdthe lash in place at the start and end will help.

At the other end of the dart affix your projectile point.Here I have used a flint tip, however producing these isanother skill set in itself. The end does benefit from a bitof weight and so a metal tip or as you can see from theother example a piece of Antler will work (although this

is difficult to keep in place on impact). However, if you do not haveanything available then a simple pointed stick hardened over thefire will suffice. I have bound the flint tip here on with artificialsinew.


Forked piece of hazel

Measuring the depth of the handle

So that it fits in your hand

Remove the bark



So you are now ready to throw!

When in hunting mode you would want to be at thethrow position already, one benefit to having a weighton the shaft for balance. However, as it is illegal in the UKto hunt with such a weapon we do nothave to worry about this.

Notch the dart onto the shaft and holdit between your thumb and forefingerthrough the loops. If you are lookingfor accuracy then a level hold with thedart adjacent to the ground is yourstance, if you are looking for distancethen an arc over the shoulder is better.Let go at the end of your reach and thefinger loops will keep the launcher inyour hand.With practice you can become very

accurate with this weapon, however always be safe… make sure you know where the dart will be going, but plan for it go in anydirection. Make sure your friends stay back and give yourself plenty of space…

River cane and bamboo dart-Instructor Martyn Tudhope

Applying pressure onto the dart

Cut the notch for thelaunching platform

Continueround andthrough thefeathers

Starting thefletching

Flint tip and Antler tip- InstructorMartyn Tudhope

Bind yourarrow head in

place

Completed dart

The grip

The Throw



When? 24-26 May 2014**Weekend ticket holders can arrive on 23 May from 2pm

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What’s on…Cody Lundin, co-host of the television series Dual Survival and author of 98.6 Degrees andWhen All Hell Breaks Loose is coming to The Bushcraft Show 2014.

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WINTER SKILLSHow To Live in a Heated Tent

BUSHCRAFT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IDEASTo make or buy

TRACKING A HUMAN

The Mystery of the Missing ManA DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOHN ‘LOFTY’ WISEMAN

SPLITTING WOOD WITH A KNIFE- the Do's and Don'ts

FIND OUT WHY MUSHROOMS AREMORE CLOSELY RELATED TOANIMALS THAN PLANTS!Learn about the lifecycle of mushrooms

and fungus, their morphology andfunction within their eco-system

THE WOODLAND WAY

SÁPMI - Northern Scandinavia'sCanoe Camping Paradise

HAND HELD TORCHES REVIEWED

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As a small boy I was shown many tracking and survivalskills by my legendary father, survival “Guru” EddieMcGee. I have gone on to develop these and add new skillsover the years. In this article we will learn how to look forcontaminants and use powders and natural resourceswhilst tracking outdoors.

Ilaughed inwardly when I recently read a blog comment fromsomeone who should know better that they had “invented” anew method of tracking using powders. Tracking with natural

substances and using environmentally friendly substancesto enhance sign, have been in existence since our ancestorsused them for hunting prey. Indeed recorded examples, ancientsketches and cave paintings show tracking methods using powdersand dust as far back as prehistoric times.

I will illustrate just a sample of methods of enhancing sign usingpowders and dusts and, more importantly, how identifyingcontaminants can assist the bushcrafter whilst tracking. I will alsotry and demonstrate just how easy the practice of using powdersand dusts is.

I was introduced to powder and dust tracking by my father back inthe1960s, as he showed me and a few mesmerised soldiers thebasics. He taught us the importance of careful examination. Hetold us “Always when hypothesising sign or signs on any track,

route and trail…” and at this point he paused and proceededto manoeuvre carefully around some indistinct footprints andbegan to repeat a phrase that I will never forget. I recall it beingone of those magical moments in tracking that anyone who hasever done any decent dirt time, (time spent tracking) will tell you,when it all comes together. He continued ....“Every time a subjectconnects with a surface, contaminants are passed...they are notalways instantly visible to you and me, but they can be enhanced,all you need to do is investigate.” With this prophetic phrase myfather then produced an old decaying fungi (see later) from his jacket pocket and continued; “Never be afraid to stop and neverbluff, always know your stuff.” And with a well practised act, heproceeded to blow across the top of the decaying fungi, directing


TRACKING

SIMPLE STEPS TOBASIC TRACKING

Perry McGeeSon of the late Eddie McGee, Perry is nostranger to the wilds. With over 40 yearsexperience in survival training and leadership,he has endured survival training andsituations in all types of terrain and climates,gaining knowledge of survival scenarios allover the world. Perry loves helping otherslearn these skills and willingly assists otherswhere possible. Perry is founder of the National Tracking School and authorof a number of books including The Tracking Handbook.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

WITH POWDERS & DUST



the fine inner spores right at the ridge surface of the visualground sign. As if appearing from nowhere, a detailed footwearimpression developed in front of our shocked eyes. Amazinglythe tiny particles rested on the ridges and crests causing shadowsor depressions as the spores connected with the outline. I thendistinctly remember him, whilst crouching over the ground sign,turning his head around, looking me straight in the eye and thenwinking and smiling and saying, “Pretty cool eh, now you have ago.”

This was it for me; this was the moment it all began. A definingmoment in time had just occurred and it was as if I had just beenallowed into the inner secrets of some magic circle. I just had tohave a go and to try it for myself, and from that day to this, 40 yearslater, I am still doing it and it still never ceases to amaze.For the novice tracker reader, powders and dust most definitely canbe adapted and used to assist in tracking subjects and not just onground signs. It can be used or adapted to enhance natural signsuch as cobwebs, fingerprints, animal traits and all manner of othersubstances.

Since my father’s introduction much has developed in the worldof tracking with powders and having experimented with various

methods of forensic tracking, here at the National Tracking Schoolwe have mastered most of the skills needed for contaminanttreatment and recognition. The details are too vast and detailed forthis article but I will share some of the basic powder and dustingtechniques and translate them into easy learning steps which canbe adopted by anyone.

STEP ONE - Before I begin to explain how to use the basics ofpowder and dusting techniques, it is important to understand thepurpose and necessity of enhancing the sign. To assist you, hereis a quick ready reference, whenever you are tracking and you arethinking about using powders and dust, but are not sure, use thismnemonic to decide if it is appropriate.

Significant reason for improved sign enhancement

Increased intelligence or information resolved as a result of signenhancement

Gained or enhanced hypothesis as a consequence of using thepowders and dust

Necessity or reason for enhancing the sign

STEP TWO – The next step is todecide or define which powderor dust in the circumstances

should be used. What is to hand,in your equipment or tracking kitor growing in your environmentare all options. Most dry naturalsubstances can be poundedor crushed into fine powders.Using two hard surfaces suchas boulders, knives etc. or evencrushing leaves into a containersuch as a mess tin can helpproduce finer powders or dusts.

With powders or dusts, knowingwhere, when and what to apply

is the key to success. Someapplications of powders willfail, however at the National Tracking School we use the

adage “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” After all without tryingto enhance the sign, you will never know the outcome and havingsome visual image or enhancement is better than none at all.

Bear in mind the reason you are trying to enhance the sign, toimprove or expand on the information already available. Enhancedsign(s) can with practice assist in identifying the subject’s height orweight, direction of travel, as well as being a calculation for speedof travel.

STEP THREE – This is probably the most important step and amost useful tracking point to remember. When any two surfacesare connected or collide together contaminants transfer fromone surface to another and although sometimes invisible, (knownas a latent contaminant) they can be enhanced. Visible debris orother matter transferred from one surface to another (known astrue contaminants) may not require enhancement but can still beimproved upon.

These contaminants may also be in various forms, liquid, scat,blood or urine and may be in solid particle form such as dust ordebris or fine vegetation. Insect trails or spiders webs, minute

barely visible natural aspects ofnature can be brought to lifeand enhanced in some way thatotherwise we would not have

detected. To make matters morecomplicated these transferredcontaminants are then divided intotwo further separate entities:POSITIVE – Where the subject’scontaminants are transferred fromone surface to another

NEGATIVE – Where the subjectremoves contaminants from asurface which then leaves a signor partial sign representing thesubject’s presence .

But what has all this to do with meas a Bushcrafter, following sign inthe wilderness? Well it’s simple, bydetailed and further examination of

Example of liquid positive contaminant transfer

Example ofsolid negativecontaminanttransfer



any sign you gain a clue to the subject’s behaviour and by addingall the clues together, the mystery becomes solved. If, for examplean animal’s sign is suddenly halted at the foot of a tree and byusing powders or dust on cobwebs or claw marks on the tree itcan be deduced that the animal ascended the tree then the area ofascent and descent can be traced.

STEP FOUR – ASSESSING THE ORIGIN OF CONTAMINANTS – Where a subject creates a sign and a contaminant has beentransferred, you need to assess the origin of the contaminant. If,for example the transferred contaminant is wet or dry then vitalinformation may be gleaned from the contaminant source.

The best analogy being if a human subject walks from dry land intowater, the water will adhere to his footwear and clothing etc and ashe leaves the water back onto dry land then the water will transferfrom his footwear and clothing back onto the land. The more thewater transference, the deeper the subject has been in the source. The deeper the subject has been in the source the more agility oreffort used whilst crossing the water. The connotations are endless.

Even though the most likely contaminant to transfer or adhere

to another sign is from a wet or damp surface, it is also the mostlikely to evaporate and therefore one of the most difficult torecord or interpret when dry. However some wet but then driedcontaminants can still be enhanced by powders and dust.

The best sign for any tracking unit to follow and assess are thosechanging contaminants. Here, an injured Rhino has brushedagainst a tree showing a positive wet origin sign. Its injury can beassessed by the colour, texture and density of the blood, but alsothe location of the transferred sign is indicative of its height andpossible desperation, as it brushes against trees.

Another consideration is the actual surface on which the sign iscreated, which can be separated into two categories, porous andnon porous. As a general rule, the smoother the surface on whichthe sign was created the greater the possibility of finer detail withinthe sign.

USING POWDERS AND DUST ON CONTAMINANT STAINING – As we know, the transference of wet contaminants can occuron most surfaces and the ability to visualise the transference,may become more difficult if the contaminant are exposed to theelements, time, or other debris. Exposed stains and contaminantscan also be reduced in colour, size and texture. Blood is a goodexample, left at the scene and exposed to the sun, dependent

on the amount; blood will slowly dry out, and can be indicativeof the time the subject left the contaminant. Apart from obviousforensic applications (DNA extraction), adding luminal powders andderivatives to stains and blood smears can enhance or highlightthe presence.

STEP FIVE - USE NATURAL ELEMENTS - There are many naturalfine powders and dusts readily available and others that can beadapted to assist in sign enhancement. Using old army issue footpowder, crushed leaves and dry vegetation, cold crushed carbonfrom fire beds, flower seeds, powdered snow and fine sands are alloptions. Try wherever possible to choose a powder or dust that isin contrast to the colour of the background of the sign to amplifythe visual representation. Dark curry powder on green vegetationis a good example. Probably the cheapest and most useful trackingpowder is flour, which also allows a good contrast on darkermaterials. The fine constituents allow it to be carried and storedeasily within a tracking rig or back pack. Flour can also be easilyadapted for use in making castings or impressions. Also be awarethat some thicker or denser powders will not travel through theair towards the sign, whereas others may be too light to distribute.In urban tracking, my area of expertise, specialist forensically-

enhanced luminescent or magnetised dusts are administered,usually applied with the use of fibre glass application brushes orsyringes.

STEP SIX – SIMPLE APPLICATION - The best method ortechnique for learning how to use powders and dust to enhancesign is practice. Repetitive trial and error on unrelated andunconnected sign should become the norm and soon allow you tofind the best method and become adept.

Start by locating and securing the signto be enhanced, ensure that you arefacing downwind. If necessary coveryour eyes and gently blow the selectedpowder or dust across the surface ofthe sign, allowing it to gently settleand increase the ridges and crests.Avoid blowing too much powder ordust all at once. Once you have blownthe powder move your position inrelation to the sun or light and alteryour visual distance by kneeling orlying prone etc. to increase your visionof the enhanced sign.

Other methods of delivery include

the use of a small plastic syringe toinitially suck up the fine powders andthen blow them across the sign. Theinclusion of any syringe is a must inevery survival pack as the uses areendless. They also double up as water

retracting devices from fluid filled sign or difficult locations and canbe used to insert fluids into smaller areas. A good tip when using asyringe is to gently blow at the same time as the tube is depressed.

Other easy methods include that most useful and inexpensive oftracking equipment the surgical rubber or cheap plastic glove. This is another very useful survival and tracking tool and every kitshould contain many pairs. Simply partially inflate or make largerthe glove and then fill it with your selected fine powder. Tie a knotin the open end trapping the air towards the enclosed fingers. Cuta small hole in the finger end and gently squeeze the air throughthe glove and into and out of the small cut hole and across thesign.


TRACKING



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It is that time of year that gives you the opportunity tocelebrate the achievements and success throughoutthe bushcraft industry, considering the extraordinarylengths undertaken to teach forgotten skills, provideexcellent bushcraft resources and superb kit.

The Best in Bushcraft Awards are your opportunity tothank and acknowledge people and companies who

have personally benefited your life! You do not have tovote in all the categories for your vote to be valid, howeverthere is a new criteria to vote this year in that you must havehad personal experience of what you are voting for in 2013.For example, in order to vote for the best bushcraft course,you must have been on that course during 2013.

Award Categories• BESt BuSHCrAFt

COURSE

• BESt BuSHCrAFtSCHOOL

• BESt BuSHCrAFtINSTRUCTOR

• BESt BuSHCrAFtRETAILER ONLINE

• BESt BuSHCrAFtRETAIL STORE

• BESt BuSHCrAFtONLINE CONTENT

• NEW FOr 2013 BEStBUSHCRAFT PRODUCT

There are two ways that you can vote:1. Complete the form and send it in to:

Best in Bushcraft Awards 2013SO Publications & Events Ltd.PO Box 16777 TamworthB77 9NG

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2. You can complete your form online atwww.surveymonkey.com/s/bestinbushcraft2013

Each entry is entered into a prize draw towin over £250 worth of bushcraft gear.£250worth of bushcraft gear.

O N L I N E ! O P T I O N

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BEST IN BUSHCRAFT

76 • BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL SKILLS MAGAZINEFollow Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine on Facebook

Best in Bushcraft entry form1. Please enter the name of your best bushcraftcourse that you have attended in 2013.Please note you must have attended the course during 2013 to answerthis question, random checks will be carried out.

.........................................................................................

2. Please enter the name of the company that ranthe course in Q1.

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3. Please enter the name of your best bushcraftschool. Please note you must have attended one or more coursewith the school during 2013 to answer this question. Random checkswill be carried out.

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4. Please enter the name of your best bushcraftinstructor. You must have received instruction from this personduring 2013. Random checks will be carried out.

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5. Please enter the name of the company that theinstructor works for (If applicable) in Q4.

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6. Please enter the name of the best bushcraftretailer online . Please note you must have made a purchase fromthis company in 2013. Random checks will be carried out.

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7. Please enter the name of the best bushcraft retail

store. Please note you must have made a purchase from theirpremises in 2013. Random checks will be carried out.

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8. Please enter the name of the website that hasthe best bushcraft online content. Please note that youmust have visited this website during 2013 and that it has educational,informative and/or instructional content.

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9. Please enter the name of the best bushcraftproduct and manufacturer that you would like tovote for. Please note you must have used or tried this productduring 2013.

10. Please complete your contact details to beentered into a prize draw to win £250 worth ofbushcraft gear. The winner will be announced in Issue 48 (Jan/Feb 2014) of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine.

Name: .............................................................................

Company: .......................................................................

Address 1: ......................................................................

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City/Town: ......................................................................

State/Province: ..............................................................

ZIP/Postal Code: ............................................................

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✃

The Best in Bushcraft Winners for 2013 receive a bespoke handcraftedaward that will be presented to them at The Bushcraft Show 2013 by John‘Lofty’ Wiseman.

We are looking to commission an artist/craftsperson to create the awards for thewinners of the Best in Bushcraft Awards for 2013. If you work with natural materials orknow of someone who has the skills to create a bespoke award that also captures theessence of bushcraft then please get in touch by [email protected]

Closing date 8th December 2013 – 00:00. The winner will be announced in Issue 48 (Jan/ Feb 2014) of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine.



OUTDOOR LEARNING


NATURE'S PIGMENTSThe milky blue of glacial melt water, the rainbowiridescence of a starling’s plumage, the purple of an angry

sky, the yellow splodge of lichen on a rock - the naturalworld is completely awash with colour. Many naturalmaterials, after a little coaxing, release colours we mightuse as paints or even dyes. People have been dyeingtextiles for more than 6,000 years, and right up until thenineteenth century every dye came directly from naturalsources, including plants (leaves, flowers, berries, stemsor roots), insects, shellfish, and minerals. Perhaps the firstdyers were inspired to add colours to their daily lives afternoticing how berries left red stains on their fingers.

Fiona and Jo are passionate about young peoplehaving the opportunity to explore and enjoy thenatural world and each of their six books aims toentice children away from a screen-dominatedworld and into the outdoors for some fun andadventure. They both live on the edge of theChiltern Hills in Oxfordshire where they createmany of their ideas for their books, articles, and

workshops.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

Fiona Danks & Jo Schofield



Connie and Sophie had such a lovely messy time squashingand straining elderberries and they were convinced that thevivid purple liquid would be absolutely perfect for tie dying.

They found a couple of old vests, tied them up with elastic bandsand left them to soak in the elderberry juice. After rinsing the vestsin cold water to remove excess colour, they tore off the elasticbands to reveal spectacular patterns on a purple background. Butthe next day they were bitterly disappointed – that wonderfulvibrant colour had completely disappeared, leaving onlya faded dirty grey; this activity clearly needed a bit moreresearch!

We collected blackberries, bark, acorns, bracken and dockand the children had a wonderful time crushing, choppingand mixing. The bracken produced a lovely bright greenwhen ground with a pestle and mortar and mixed with alittle water, and Connie spent ages chopping acorns intotiny pieces. We boiled each material and then simmeredthem for an hour or so. We tested the colours out on piecesof muslin - purple from the blackberries and beige from theacorns. But we still weren’t satisfied! We knew that manydyes can be made from plants, so, not wanting to repeat theelderberry experience, we attended an inspirational natural

dyeing workshop run by Jenny Dean. Finally, we discovereda few simple ways to produce vibrant non-fading shades thatreflect the colours of the natural world.

A few tips on natural dyeingNatural dyesMany common plants can produce dyes, but some require theaddition of another substance (known as a mordant) to bondthe colour to the fabric. To keep things simple, we recommendchoosing dyes that don’t need a mordant; these are known assubstantive dyes, and could include the following:

From Trees – Birch bark (pinks), alder bark or cones (green),eucalyptus leaves and bark (rust and orange), walnut leaves (olivegreen) and ripe nut husks (brown), ripe oak acorns and galls (greyand brown – the acorns need to be chopped finely and soaked forseveral days before simmering). Only remove bark from trees thathave been cut down or are dead.

Other plants – comfrey leaves (green), blackberry leaves andshoots (green) and ripe berries (blue – but you need to simmerberries for half an hour then strain and heat the fabric in the dyebath before steeping overnight).

Kitchen spices – try using turmeric as a dyestuff – it produces olive

green shades.

Materials for dyeingAvoid trying to dye a synthetic fabric. Weexperimented on lengths of wool, silk andcotton and found that wool consistentlyabsorbed more colour. When dyeing,bear in mind that cotton t-shirts maynot absorb as much colour as you’d likethem to. Always weigh the fibres or fabricbeforehand so you can calculate how muchdyestuff to use (the rule of thumb is half theweight of dyestuff to fabric). And you don’thave to stick to fabrics – have a go at dyeingother natural materials such as wood, shellsor stones, stems of willow or leaves you planto weave with, or even paper.




Colour Modifiers This was a revelation to us! Certain substances, including variouseveryday materials, modify colours on the fibres after they havebeen dyed, sometimes with startling results. So you can makeseveral colours from just one dyestuff. Modifiers can either beadded to a used dye bath or put in a separate pot of water.

Acidic modifier - use about half a cupful of clear vinegar orlemon juice.

Alkaline modifiers – use 2 tablespoons of washing soda dissolvedin a cupful of boiling water. Or make wood ash water by puttingcold wood ashes from a fireplace to soak in a bucket of water for aweek or so, and then gently pour off the water without disturbingthe sediment.

Iron modifier - soak rusty nails or an old horseshoe in a containerof vinegar and water for a week or so; pour off the water to use asyour modifier.

Copper modifier - soak a length of old copper pipe in vinegar and

water for a week or so. Pour off the water to use as the modifier.

What you need • Dyestuffs, modifiers and fabric

• Selection of stainless steel, enamelled or glass heatproof bowls. Allimplements must be non-reactive; don’t use brass, copper or iron.

• Use old equipment that’s no longer used for cooking

• Plastic buckets

• Wire mesh strainer or sieve

• Old apron or old shirt to cover your clothes, and rubber gloves

• Old wooden spoons, or better still some sticks, for stirring with – youneed separate ones for each dyestuff and each modifier

• Weighing scales

• Pestle and mortar

The Dyeing processWe had a go at dyeing with rhubarb root, to find out what effect thedye would have on cotton, silk and wool. You may wish to start outby testing small amounts of fabric until you discover which coloursyou like and which dyestuffs work the best for you. Natural dyeing

involves a lot of trial and error - just have a go to see what coloursyou can conjure up!

Preparing the dyeAlways bruise or crush dyestuffs thoroughly – the larger the surfacearea of the dyestuff the more colour the fabric will be exposed to.

Crush the dyestuff with a stone, or in an old pestle and mortar nolonger used for cooking. We used dried rhubarb root chopped upinto small pieces; if using fresh rhubarb root, putting it in the deepfreeze helps break down the tough fibres.

Weigh out the dyestuff (about half the weight of the fabric).

Put the prepared dyestuff in a bowl and add boiling water.Leave overnight – if the colour isn’t strong enough, bring themixture to the boil and let it simmer for a while.

Leave to cool then strain off the liquid into a metal pan; this will beyour dye bath.

Prepare your fabric

Only use clean fabric.

Put a splash of washing up liquid in a bowl of water, and then rinsethe fabric until all the fibres are soaked.

Squeeze the fabric to remove excess water.

Dyeing the fabric Place the wet fabric in the dye bath, adding more water if need be.

Place the pan over a fire or stove and raise the temperature gradually;simmer for 30-45 minutes then leave to cool, preferably overnight.

Remove the fabric from the dye pan; the rhubarb had dyed the fabrican orangey yellow shade.

Some dyes work better if left to soak for a day or two.

ModifyingPlace the dyed fabric into a bowl of modifier, or add the modifier tothe used dye bath and then soak the dyed fabric in that. Begin byusing a small amount of modifying solution, adding more if you wishto enhance the colour change. Be careful to keep different modifiersseparate to avoid cross contamination.

We used the four modifiers described above to produce thefollowing colours on our rhubarb-dyed fabrics.

OUTDOOR LEARNING




Clear vinegar solution – bright yellow wool andcreamy yellow cotton

Washing soda solution – pink shade

Copper solution – rusty shade

Iron solution – grey green shade

FinishingAdd a little pH neutral washing up liquid to a bucket of waterthen rinse the dyed fabric thoroughly before hanging it up todry.

Make yourown tie-dye t-shirt

Connie made thisspectacular tie-dye t-shirt in anindigo dye vat;anyone wishingto use indigoshould follow ourexample and joina dyeing course!

But how aboutmaking your ownmulticolouredtie-dye t-shirtwith just one

natural dyeand a couple ofmodifiers? Forexample, it could be dyed yellow in a rhubarb dye, and thentied with elastic bands before soaking in a modifier. It couldthen be tied up even more and put it in another modifier – thiswould produce a three-coloured tie-dye pattern.

Safety tipsDon’t collect rare or poisonous plants.Use a plant identification book or go outwith someone who knows about plants,

and only gather modest quantities ofplant materials.

Never use the same pots or tools for foodpreparation and dyeing.Store all dyes and modifiers in clearlylabelled containers.

Careful when throwing away dyeingmaterials – dilute all solutions beforepouring them down the drain.

Wear rubber gloves when handling dyesand modifiers.Be careful when working with hot pans.

Some dyes can be harmful if ingested;when dyeing indoors, ensure the room iswell ventilated.

Materia ls dy ed in rhubarb root and then soak ed in d if f eren t m od if iers clock w ise f rom top iron w ater , cop per so lu t ion , acid / v inegar solu t ion , a lk a li/ w ash ing sod a solu t ion .

Rhubarb root colours from different modifiers, left to rightiron, copper, alkali/washing soda, acid/vinegar.

Colours from one bath of rhubarb root from left to right copper, alkali/washing soda,acid/vinegar, iron modifers).



CAREER ADVICE & SITUATIONS VACANTDear Simon Ellar, Reference your article “Looking for a job in the greatoutdoors?” Issue 45 Jul/Aug 13. I am currently tryingto start a business here in Cornwall teaching Bushcraft,Traditional and Dying Crafts, Mountain Biking andForest Gardening at a centre for people to both visit andlearn some skills. No power tools used on site for teaching.I won’t be teaching the Bushcraft, I will be looking forpeople to teach as I’m not qualified in this area.

Do you have any ideas for things that could be taughtand names for tutors that I could contact, the morepeople available and different skills they can teach thebetter?

I am having difficulty in finding funding and insurance tostart up, do you have any suggestions. Regards Andy [email protected]

CAREER ADVICE & SITUATIONS VACANT

BushcraftInstructorWoodland Ways, the UK’s largest supplier of Bushcraft &Survival courses in the UK, is looking to recruit 3 instructorsfor a specific contract delivering a series of Survival Coursesthroughout 2014 and beyond.

Woodland Ways has been contracted to deliver a brand newstyle of Survival Course for an international brand here in theUK. These courses will not be delivered under the WoodlandWays Brand, however you will be employed directly withWoodland Ways. The courses are delivered in a very differentstyle to our existing course provision.

You will have a background/interest in pure survivaltechniques, based on a get out alive scenario. From makingfire and shelter in an emergency situation through to ropework and navigation your skill set needs to be of the highestlevel. Reporting directly to Jason Ingamells, Director atWoodland Ways, you will take full responsibility for theimplementation and running of the course.

Full training, equipment and uniform will be provided. Workbegins with a guaranteed 8 weekends for 2014, however it isenvisaged that work will expand dramatically and you will beexpected to grow with the new contract.

The ability to travel independently to our main venuesin Oxfordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire is essential.Payment is pro rata in line with the woodland ways own fulltime starter instructor salary of £17.5k per year rising to £18kper annum after 12 months.

Candidates will have a proven track record through eithercivilian or military survival training and will be expectedto work with all age ranges. To make an initial applicationplease send in your CV direct to [email protected] will be held in November 2013.

SITUATIONS VACANT

Volunteer for The Bushcraft Show2014

How would you like to be part of The Bushcraft Show Team?See behind the scenes at The Bushcraft ShowAll sorts of volunteer positions available

Perks:Free Weekend Entrance to The Bushcraft ShowLimited Working HoursDiscounted FoodStaff Show T-Shirt

To apply for this position send a letter [email protected]

Bushcraft InstructorDo you have a position that you would like to advertise for

FREE?

This is a FREE facility so if you are a company or charity andwould like to advertise your job vacancy to a target audience,please get in touch – [email protected]

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Dear Andy,

It sounds like you have a busy time ahead! There is lots involved with settingup a business and more so when you are working in the outdoors utilizingknives, axes and fire.

By printing your letter here, hopefully some of the many freelance bushcraftinstructors and companies local to you will make contact to discuss theprovision of your bushcraft training.

With regards to business setup, insurance and funding, insurance you couldspeak to your local enterprise centre who will have advisers on hand togive advice on all aspects of business start up and management, certainlyinsurance and funding. If you are seeking funding you will almost definitelyhave to have a business plan and financial projections. If you take a look atthe following link: http://www.enterprisesupport.org.uk/useful-resources/there are some useful links and templates for business plans etc.

I wish you well with your proposed venture,

All the best,

Simon

bushcraft & survival

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