Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast or someone curious about survival and wilderness skills, this weekend bushcraft course is for you.
We will cover basic survival skills, shelter, water and food. You will leave with a greater understanding of your ability to survive in the wild and confidence to practice these skills on your own. Check out Bushcraft for Schools for more info!
Basic Survival Skills
Whether you plan to live in the wild, or simply want to be more self-reliant and capable, learning basic survival skills is essential. A weekend bushcraft course will teach you the basics, such as building shelters and fires, identifying edible plants, cooking and purifying water, making traps and snares, and hunting rabbits, fish and birds.
These skills are critical if you ever find yourself lost in the wilderness, and they can be learned on a range of different courses run by outdoor specialists. Thomas Coyne Survival Schools, for example, offers a 1-day Intensive class that covers essentials like primitive shelter and fire making, and other courses are available that focus on specific topics like tracking or Native Scout skills.
Accredited by the NCFE, a 2 day bushcraft and survival course will equip you with basic skills needed to survive in the wild. Learn how to build shelters, make fire by friction, eat wild food, and use a variety of tools including knives, saws, and axes.
Shelter
Shelter is one of the most basic survival needs. It protects us from the elements and gives us a place to sleep at night. During your bushcraft course you will learn how to build and use a variety of shelters. The type of shelter you choose will depend on how long you are staying in the area, where you will be located and what the weather is like.
A debris hut is one of the most basic survival shelters to build. You can use fallen branches or a big rock for the ridgepole and uprooted trees for the wall if necessary. A thatched wigwam or wickiup is another easy survival shelter to build, especially in areas with lots of tall grass or cattails.
Natural shelters such as caves or rock outcroppings are great but can be difficult to stay in for a long time. They are also easily damaged by fire so it is often safer and easier to build a man-made shelter such as a quinzhee, snow trench or super shelter.
Water
During this weekend course you will learn a variety of wilderness skills including water preparation and shelter building. These skills will help you to feel more at home in the woods and reconnect with nature. The course will run all day Saturday and Sunday giving you lots of time to practise the techniques.
One of the most important aspects of survival is water, a lack of it will kill you almost as quickly as exposure. You will learn how to source water in a range of environments and terrains and how to purify it so that you can drink safely.
Bushcraft is a collection of outdoor skills that are used to survive and thrive in the natural environment, these include; fire-craft, tracking, hunting, fishing and food prep. Learn these and many more during this fun and informative weekend course. The course also covers equipment and navigation techniques such as improvised compasses, and night-time navigation techniques.
Food
Cooking is an important aspect of a bushcraft course. After all, nothing tastes better than a meal cooked over the campfire under the stars! Getting the whole family involved in cooking over the campfire can be an enjoyable way to spend the day and get children interested in bushcraft.
One of the most effective ways to cook for a group at camp is by steaming. This involves wrapping the food in non-poisonous leaves or mud of a sticky consistency and then covering it with embers so that it is steamed over the fire. This is a very efficient method of cooking for a larger group and can be used with fish, vegetables or even berries.
If you want to learn more about how to cook for your camp then we highly recommend signing up for a weekend bushcraft course. These courses are a fantastic way to learn the essential skills for survival and camping in wilderness settings.