Paul Kirtley's Blog | Wilderness Bushcraft. Survival Skills. Outdoor Life.

Paul Kirtley in Episode 79 of Ask Paul Kirtley

#AskPaulKirtley 79 – Sharpening Stones, Boreal Cutting Tools, Quilts vs Bags, A Small Rant Plus An Important Announcement

Paul Kirtley Comments 10 comments

In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer questions about axe stones and keeping them in shape, using a parang in the boreal, quilts vs sleeping bags. demographics of bushcraft course participants, when to use the finer side of a sharpening stone, visiting North American bushcraft festivals and shows. At the beginning of the show there is an important announcement and part way through I also have a bit of a rant….

Kevin Brownlee experimental and indigenous archaeology at work in the field

PK Podcast 033: Kevin Brownlee on Indigenous Archaeology and Highlighting Native Heritage

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Kevin Brownlee, Curator of Archaeology at the renowned Manitoba Museum, joins me to discuss indigenous archaeology and working with indigenous communities to raise awareness of ancient heritage and archaeology of the boreal forest and sub-arctic…

PK Podcast 032: Lars Fält, Julia Kalthoff, Juha Rankinen and Jonas Als

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Back in Sweden again. This podcast brings you interviews from the wonderful Bushcraftfestivalen, with Lars Fält, Julia Kalthoff, Juha Rankinen and Jonas Als. I also briefly catch up with Rupert Brown of Brown’s Bushcraft to get his impressions of his first time at the event…

PAul Kirtley answering questions in episode 78

#AskPaulKirtley 78 – Fire Safety, Use Of Cottongrass, Shoe Placement While Bivvying

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In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer questions about campfire safety risk assessment, use of cottongrass and what to do with your shoes while bivvying…

PK Podcast 031: Will Lord On His Passion For The Prehistoric

Paul Kirtley Comments 17 comments

Will Lord grew up on the land that holds Grimes Graves, a prehistoric flint mine in Norfolk. Will’s parents were custodians of the land, which is an English Heritage site. During his formative years, Will was surrounded by flint-knapping and experimental archaeology. Flint-knapping, bow-making, hide-tanning and other stone age skills have continued to fascinate Will to this day. In this podcast interview, Will shares some of his passion for the skills and the era…

Ten Common European Poisonous Plants You Should Know

Paul Kirtley Comments 18 comments

In general, the most important plants to learn first are the most common. And with poisonous plants, the most important ones to learn first are the most common and widespread species that have significant ability to cause you some trouble….

Paul Kirtley working with Mike Pullen to achieve hand drill ember

Sharing Bushcraft Techniques, Tips & Tricks During An Overnighter

Paul Kirtley Comments 32 comments

Mike from TA Outdoors comes down to the woods with a shopping list of bushcraft skills he’d like to brush up on or learn. Here’s what we managed to cram in over the course of a day-and-a-half, all captured by Mike’s videography…

Paul Kirtley demonstrating axe skills to a gathering at the Bushcaft Show

Bushcraft Show Axe Skills Demo

Paul Kirtley Comments 14 comments

At the 2018 Bushcraft Show, like many Bushcraft Shows in previous years, I made a presentation of axes and axe skills. The aim was to introduce axe techniques suitable for various different sizes and styles of axes, to look at the benefits and limitations of different axes, to share some tips on how to optimise their use as well as underpin everything with solid safety considerations. The demo was filmed and you can watch the video here…

#AskPaulKirtley 77 – Moving From Survival To Bushcraft; Liner Entanglement; Fishing Kit

Paul Kirtley Comments 2 comments

In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer your questions about expanding from survival skills to broader bushcraft skills, sleeping bag liners and entanglement, fishing as part of a bushcraft repertoire… Watch #AskPaulKirtley #AskPaulKirtley videos are also available to view on my YouTube channel. Listen To #AskPaulKirtley Use the following controls to listen to the audio podcast right here or download the .mp3 to your device… Links For This Episode of #AskPaulKirtley onlinebushcraftcourses.com How To Watch #AskPaulKirtley On Other Platforms…

#AskPaulKirtley 76 – Inner Bark Tinder Bundles; Reducing Campfire Smoke; First Aid Training For Kids

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I answer questions about how to use the inner bark of sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa, for tinder bundles, ideas for minimising smoke from fires, first aid for young people, and some thoughts on every day carry (EDC) items…