bushcraft projects

Natural cordage... primitive fishing techniques ie. handmade hooks spears traps etc fire flint and steel bow drill hand drill fire plow...wood working projects : spoons bowls etc, leather work, primitive shelters....just to name a few
 
We could call it Survival 101. Be neato if we could do badges....

I'm an old Boy Scout...;)
 
Noshtero said:
Devil's Advocate.

Be careful "teaching" people too much on forums. If someone hurts themselves making a trap, or eats a mushroom they misidentified, it could be bad news for the forum.

I think it's a great idea, just make sure you slap a warning on the subject line of the post.
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I sent a PM to one of the Mods for input. Better to be safe than sorry.
 
RescueRiley said:
Natural cordage... primitive fishing techniques ie. handmade hooks spears traps etc fire flint and steel bow drill hand drill fire plow...wood working projects : spoons bowls etc, leather work, primitive shelters....just to name a few
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All great ideas.

Another one I have always wanted to learn is flint knapping.
 
This sounds like what Wilderness & Survival Skills was designed for. By coordinating topics so a number of people are working and posting on the same topic, we can have a thread that will serve as a guide to learning. After all, this will be interested people showing how they worked it all out, not a teacher leading anyone through a fixed textbook. The problem will be finding these threads later on. We might be able to do a sticky with thread titles and URLs for that.

Each completed thread might have URLs and other threads referenced within it. We could list them, and copy that list into the original post as a quick reference. I've been making lists like this for a while. I am going to be putting them up on my blog soon, but I haven't got much on security and survival. For example, just beginning to collect data, one module looked like this:

Weaponry - Security & Survival
------------------------------
SASS - Stoskopf Advanced Survival System - www.woodsdrummer.com/sass.html
The Rucksack on Land Navigation - http://therucksack.tripod.com/landnav.htm
What Color Trash Bag? - www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=510279
Kelly S. Worden - Natural Spirit Int'l - www.kellyworden.homestead.com
Why not peanut butter ? - www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3758095
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I have separate modules on topics with more information or articles from other websites, like this one:

Weaponry - Security & Survival - Fire Piston
--------------------------------------------
from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_piston

Wilderness Solutions, Inc.
http://www.wildersol.com/
http://www.firepistons.com/

The Firepiston: Ancient Firemaking Machine
http://www.primitiveways.com/fire_piston.html
Steve Leung
http://www.firepiston.com/

Wildwood Survival – Fire Pistons
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/firepiston/index.html
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/firepiston/rbresearch/RBfirepistonresearch1.html

Granny’s Country Store - Fire Pistons
http://www.hollowtop.com/hopsstore_html/fire_pistons.htm

Midwest Native Skills – Fire piston
http://www.survivalschool.com/products/fire_starting/Fire_Pistons.html

Primitive Fire
http://www.primitivefire.com/
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You can see how this could become pretty massive, but with one sticky serving as a list of topics (threads) on each subject we go out and work on, it should fly.

As far as liability implications, what are they now? We are working it out, and will show just as many mistakes as we can, to warn each other of what happens when we do it wrong. Look how many threads here show people wandering off trail without the proper gear and skills and never coming back, or people cutting themselves when working cold and tired.
 
Nobody has mentioned making "willow" whistles. I made my first one this fall with a poplar branch- it works wonderfully and took under 10 minutes. It is a great tool for signaling if your Fox 40 etc. breaks, gets lost...

Very underrated skill if you ask me.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
This sounds like what Wilderness & Survival Skills was designed for. By coordinating topics so a number of people are working and posting on the same topic, we can have a thread that will serve as a guide to learning. After all, this will be interested people showing how they worked it all out, not a teacher leading anyone through a fixed textbook. The problem will be finding these threads later on. We might be able to do a sticky with thread titles and URLs for that.





As far as liability implications, what are they now? We are working it out, and will show just as many mistakes as we can, to warn each other of what happens when we do it wrong. Look how many threads here show people wandering off trail without the proper gear and skills and never coming back, or people cutting themselves when working cold and tired.
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Esav brings up some good points.

I did a few searches here and a lot of info has been posted already. If we could combine these with our real world experiences, failures, and tips it would be a worth while thread.

Cordage:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512986&highlight=cordage
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507987&highlight=shelter

Net knots:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=491046&highlight=nets

Knots (look at post # 7):
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512364&highlight=knots

I'm sure there are many others. Like FB mentioned, it would be cool if we could come up with a calendar, and come back with our experiences, and pictures in one thread.

I see what Esav is saying however, it could become huge, and may be hard to find the info you are looking for. Even with the search function.
 
This was my son last year, we will try and again and get some new pics ......
fire002.jpg
 
Esav brings up some good points. yes, it is an excellent idea.

I am always searching for this stuff over and over again.

Thanks alot.
 
Don't get me wrong, I love blades - all kinds, but IMHO, a Wilderness & Survival Skills forum should be about learning and discussing skills, not 10,000 pictures of different knives. I know it's BladeForums, but really............. (Save any flaming for starting your next campfire :) )

To my way of thinking, the focus should be on things like cordage making, knots, netmaking; friction fire making -bow drill, hand drill, fire plough; coal extenders, coal enhancers, fire accelerants, tinder; lighting; shelter building; traps & snares; brain tanning; flint knapping; weapons - archery - making bows and arrows, atlatls, slings, throwing sticks, etc.; primitive navigation; food preparation - critters and plants; primitive fishing; primitive hunting; basket making and other types of containers; procuring and rendering safe to use, water; well, you get the idea.

Doc
 
I would also cover edible insects in your area. Want to try a skill? Try and choke down some meal worms or nightcrawlers. Will take the shock off it when you have to do it in the wild.
 
trentu said:
I would also cover edible insects in your area. Want to try a skill? Try and choke down some meal worms or nightcrawlers. Will take the shock off it when you have to do it in the wild.
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Man, I have problems with my own cooking.............:(

Doc
 
trentu said:
Try this place for knots. Great site.
http://www.animatedknots.com/
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That's a perfect example of the information we could put in one specialized thread, with a post like this to consolidate links:

KNOTS * ****** **** ****** *
Animated Knots by Grog - www.animatedknots.com/
Digital Cowboy - www.geocities.com/dgtlcwby/
Folsom's Knots - www.folsoms.net/knots/
Frayed Knot Arts - www.frayedknotarts.com/index.html
International Guild of Knot Tyers - www.igkt.net/index.php
Knot Heads World Wide - www.khww.net/news.php
Ropers Knots Page - http://www.realknots.com/knots/index.htm

LANYARDS * ****** **** ****** *
Purpose Of Lanyard ?
www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=396823&highlight=lanyard
Boondoggle Man - www.boondoggleman.com
Chris Reeve Coil Knot
www.chrisreeve.com/knotright.htm
www.chrisreeve.com/knotleft.htm
t1mpani’s one-finger lanyard
www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4583905&postcount=223
Click to expand...
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Don't get me wrong, I love blades - all kinds, but IMHO, a Wilderness & Survival Skills forum should be about learning and discussing skills, not 10,000 pictures of different knives. I know it's BladeForums, but really............. (Save any flaming for starting your next campfire :) )

To my way of thinking, the focus should be on things like cordage making, knots, netmaking; friction fire making -bow drill, hand drill, fire plough; coal extenders, coal enhancers, fire accelerants, tinder; lighting; shelter building; traps & snares; brain tanning; flint knapping; weapons - archery - making bows and arrows, atlatls, slings, throwing sticks, etc.; primitive navigation; food preparation - critters and plants; primitive fishing; primitive hunting; basket making and other types of containers; procuring and rendering safe to use, water; well, you get the idea.

Doc
Click to expand...

That right there is a pretty damn good summation of the skillset. But. I'd like to see a bunch of k nives too....;):D
 
Fiddleback said:
That right there is a pretty damn good summation of the skillset. But. I'd like to see a bunch of k nives too....;):D
Click to expand...

Amen to that FB......;):thumbup:

Bushcraft site with some good vids. English, and subtitled Swedish:
http://bushcraft.se/index.html.en

Great articles about living in the woods:
http://www.geocities.com/anderswilderness/Wildernessliving.html?200522

Terry Trier's site (Hoodoo) with many great links (all in alphabetical order)
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/hoodoo.html

Oldjmbo's site with some great articles on kit and craft:
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/index.html

Institute of appropriate technology. (Solar power, water treatment, primitive off the grid living)
http://www.i4at.org/library.html

Just a few I had saved. :D
 
Some other links I found interesting:

Weaving a basket:
http://www.basketweaving101.net/tips.php?step=01

Bush shelter and Woodcraft/Bushcraft:
http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/shelter/brush/abbbrush.html
http://www.geocities.com/aaawildernesssurvival/fire.html

Fire:
http://www.onagocag.com/fire.html
http://www.abotech.com/articles/Edholm02.htm

Let me know what you Guys think. Compile as much info from everyone here on this thread. Come up with a calender for skills, go out and practice what, and when you can, and then create a sticky thread with our tips, tricks, success's, and failures.
 
Interesting how this ended up on the back burners so quickly!

Further to the opening post (looking for at least 10 good bushcraft projects to practice in a small space over the winter months the 2 I'm dreading most (due to dificulty are starting a bow drill fire, and net making) any help with these and ideas for others are appreciated. THanks)

Riley, net making is a piece of cake, you just have to get started.

Here's a couple of thoughts about making this a resource.

Maybe each category should be a separate thread. As an example, knots, and more specifically,constrictor knots. We probably use a range of different knots for this purpose. For those of you not familiar with the term, they are knots used for holding something together, for example, a bunch of shoots for arrow shafts. People can post the knots they use for this purpose and why. Maybe the easiest way to tie them, etc.

If, down the road, new members join and bring up the subject, again, they can be directed to the archives. Further, to make this easier, the thread title should be CONSTRICTOR KNOTS which I would imagine would make a search more productive, instead of catchy titles like, "Well, today I was knot in a hurry". Well, you get the idea. Harder to search for that title.

Then we could have a thread on joining knots, such as Sheet Bends and Carrick Bends, and so on. And before you post that "it's better to know a few knots, well, than dozens, not so well", I agree, but, some of us like to know a few knots well, and others besides.

Remember knots are just tools that are made with cordage, straps, etc., and like all other tools, some do the job better than others and some are more suited to specialized applications.

The reason for the specific threads is to maybe reduce off topic tangents and it will make the thread contents more efficient to access.

The same can be done for all the other topics; cordage, netmaking, traps and snares, etc. So, what do you think?


Doc
 
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