CampCraft / Fieldcraft

[Myakka]

Here’s an odd little question for you. Do you see a real difference between campcraft/fieldcraft and survivalism? I say this because I think I lean more toward campcraft/fieldcraft. I confess that I don’t always have the best tools to survive in extreme circumstances. I carry mostly those age-old tools of the outdoors, which are probably quite outdated in both usefulness and durability.

I often use a canvas pack instead of a modern backpack. Somtimes I use a haversack, or a leather shooting pouch. I carry a number of my own handcrafted tools, instead of what are probably superior production designs. If you open up my pack, it’s filled with leather and wool, instead of polyester and plastic.

I often try to rationalize this by saying that campcraft is a superior form of survivalism, because it holds the knowledge of how to create the tools in an emergency situation, instead of relying on the primary principle of preparedness. Much of this is indeed rationalization, but there’s got to big a ring of truthfulness there somewhere.

Just food for thought.

 

[x39]

I've always considered myself more of a woodsrunner than a "survivalist". Needless to say, there's a big overlap of both skills and attitudes. Perhaps the former is driven more by a love of the woods and simplicity, while the latter is driven more by a sense of necessity?

 

[abo4ster]

Personally I like primitive skills and practice them when I can. It gets me closer to nature, adds confidence and there is a feeling of accomplishment. However, I take full advantage of technology. Moccasins don't last very long, I love the S30V in my knife, and 550 cord is easier to carry than making a bunch of cordage. I think there are more and more people starting to fit this mold. In these days and time there is a balance. Knowledge and skill level determine the balance for each person.

 

[longbow50]

I don't know what the heck you call it, but my love of the bush is a driving force in my life. With it comes a desire to do things in the more natural ways of our ancestors. I enjoy making up some of my equipment and am working on learning the more primitive skills needed to live as one with the bush. However the mainstay of the equipment that I use, is modern. It's more compact, convenient, durable and efficient. Having the primitive skills as a backup is my ultimate goal.

As far as the difference between survival and bushcraft, I feel that the term survival says it all. Live long enough to get out of the situation that's requiring you to have to sleep outside and make a shelter and fire. Born out of necessity and perhaps fear.

Bushcraft on the other hand, calls to the individual and there is a longing for the way of life that it brings with it. Adventure, solitude, soul searching, oneness with nature, call of the hunter, memories of the mtn men of past times, whatever the reason they are there, it's because they want to be there. It's not forced on them, but if it were, they'd be completely at home.

 

[Carl Theile]

Every bushcraft skill I posess is a survival skill. I see no difference. Be a woodsman and call it whatever you like.
-carl

 

[Trekker]

I like primitive skills

 

[canranger]

I see campcraft and bushcraft as a basic stream of knowledge you shouldn't enter the out doors without I don't need to be in a survival situation to need to know how to tie a knot or handle a knife. On any of my yearly trips I use the skills and knowledge I have collected over the years. i think survialism is the idea of layout those skills and others to survive in extreme situations.

For example setting a propper fire to match athe task at hand heating or cooking is one thing I would call campcraft or bush craft but setting up a signal fire system with a series of 3 in a triangle is more on the survival side. i would have no use to do that unless i needed to be found and rescued.

 

[Normark]

Canranger carves on the log:

"i would have no use to do that unless i needed to be found and rescued."

Or to Protect the 24 of Blue from the Bears !

ttyle

Eric....

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Do you see a real difference between campcraft/fieldcraft and survivalism?

Greg Davenport dealt with this in some detail in his books, essentially one viewpoint is just getting the hell out of where ever you are in one piece. The other is being able to live there for an extended period of time by choice in relative comfort. A lot of the skills overlap of course. Davenports books are excellent anyway, highly recommended.

-Cliff

 

[TonyC]

I don't know what the heck you call it, but my love of the bush is a driving force in my life. With it comes a desire to do things in the more natural ways of our ancestors. I enjoy making up some of my equipment and am working on learning the more primitive skills needed to live as one with the bush. However the mainstay of the equipment that I use, is modern. It's more compact, convenient, durable and efficient. Having the primitive skills as a backup is my ultimate goal.

As far as the difference between survival and bushcraft, I feel that the term survival says it all. Live long enough to get out of the situation that's requiring you to have to sleep outside and make a shelter and fire. Born out of necessity and perhaps fear.

Bushcraft on the other hand, calls to the individual and there is a longing for the way of life that it brings with it. Adventure, solitude, soul searching, oneness with nature, call of the hunter, memories of the mtn men of past times, whatever the reason they are there, it's because they want to be there. It's not forced on them, but if it were, they'd be completely at home.

Longbow you read my mind and spoke my thoughts. I couldn't have put my own beliefs into words any better myself.

Well done my fellow bushcrafter you've said all that needs to be said.

Tony.

 

[Moine]

Personally I like primitive skills and practice them when I can. It gets me closer to nature, adds confidence and there is a feeling of accomplishment. However, I take full advantage of technology. Moccasins don't last very long, I love the S30V in my knife, and 550 cord is easier to carry than making a bunch of cordage. I think there are more and more people starting to fit this mold. In these days and time there is a balance. Knowledge and skill level determine the balance for each person.

Quiet Bear,

Very well put. You've just earned reputation points...

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm deep into primitive skills as well, but I don't turn my back on modern gear... maybe more on modern "attitude" (sheeples and such).

Cheers,

David

 

[ras]

Survival is a come as you are event. Any skills you acquire beforehand will add to your ability to survive in whatever situation you find yourself.

 

[numberthree]

I started getting into outdoors skills from the survivalist perspective, but have definitely gone more into the camp/fieldcraft direction. I feel that good fieldcraft skills provide a good basis for living, not just surviving...

 

[Myakka]

Greg Davenport dealt with this in some detail in his books, essentially one viewpoint is just getting the hell out of where ever you are in one piece. The other is being able to live there for an extended period of time by choice in relative comfort. A lot of the skills overlap of course. Davenports books are excellent anyway, highly recommended.

-Cliff

Cliff,
Greg Davenport is a great guy I took one of his Simply Survival Courses two years ago. I learned alot from him.

 

[PlaceKnives]

I think it can be a symbiotic relationship. I love to combine all of the modern tools with the old wisdom. I try to follow the teachings of Ray Mears who summed it up well by saying, "carry less by knowing more."

Knowledge weighs nothing and can be carried anywhere.