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Paul Kirtley

Wilderness Bushcraft. Survival Skills. Outdoor Life.

Man staring into distance while riding along on the back of a boat in the wilderness
PK Podcast 54: Dave Holder, Wilderness Living Skills Instructor and TV Survival Consultant

PK Podcast 54: Dave Holder, Wilderness Living Skills Instructor and TV Survival Consultant

Paul Kirtley Comments 10 comments

Dave Holder is a wilderness living skills instructor and wilderness guide, based in Canada. He is also in demand as a TV survival consultant, being the lead survival and safety consultant on the TV show Alone, on The History Channel.

I’d known of Dave by reputation for a good number of years before I first met him, which was at the 2019 Global Bushcraft Symposium, in Alberta, Canada. Dave, originally from the UK, is a Canadian resident, having lived there for over 20 years. He was in the British Army for 27 years until the early 2000s and since then has worked as a civilian Wilderness Skills Instructor and Wilderness Guide in Canada. Dave works alongside his wife Brenda at their Mahikan Trails, which is an Indigenous based company specializing in traditional programs including bushcraft, hide tanning and plant lore.

We get into the more granular details of Dave’s background and work in the recorded conversation in the podcast, which was wide-ranging. In particular, you’ll gain insights into long-term survival situations, psychological factors for success, skillsets required, equipment, nutrition and more.

Our conversation forms Episode 54 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast, which I invite you to enjoy…

How To Listen To This Podcast

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Transcript Of The Conversation With Dave Holder

Click here to read or download the transcript of Paul Kirtley Podcast 54.

Connect with Dave Holder

Mahikan Trails
Dave Holder on Facebook
Dave Holder on LinkedIn
Dave and Brenda’s Survival Crafts YouTube Channel

Two men with name badges at a convention, one stating Paul Kirtley and the other stating Dave Holder
Paul Kirtley and Dave Holder at the 2019 Global Bushcraft Symposium.

Links Mentioned In This Podcast

Karamat Wilderness Ways
Alone show (History Channel link which may or may not work depending on your location)
Alone show Wikipedia entry
2019 Global Bushcraft Symposium
Plas Y Brenin
Minnesota Starvation Experiment
Alberta Trappers Association
EFT Tapping
Frontier Bushcraft Tracking & Nature Awareness Course

People Mentioned In This Podcast

Jim Baird
Ross Hinter
Mors Kochanski
Mike Pullen
Joe Robinet
Robert Dale Rogers
Jon Young

Thanks For Listening!

Thanks for joining me on this podcast. If you have any comments about this episode, please leave them in the comments section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons at the top of this page. Thanks!

And Finally…

Don’t forget to leave an honest review & rating on Apple Podcasts or on other platforms you use such as Stitcher.

Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of this podcast and I read each and every one of them.

Books You Might Like

Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog

PK Podcast 53: Theresa Emmerich Kamper On Traditional Tanning

PK Podcast 42: Mors Kochanski, Northern Bushcraft Legend

PK Podcast 28: Joe Robinet On His Love Of Camping, Bushcraft & Making A Living On YouTube

Sharing Bushcraft Techniques, Tips & Tricks During An Overnighter

A Campcraft And Cookery Overnighter With Mike Pullen From TA Outdoors

Five Survival Plants Every Forager Should Know

Water Purification: The Five Contaminants You Need To Know About

 


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Dave Holder

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10 thoughts on “PK Podcast 54: Dave Holder, Wilderness Living Skills Instructor and TV Survival Consultant”

  1. Francois DIETZ says:
    at 07:51

    Thank you very much for sharing this great podcast. I bought your book last year and still read it again before going in the wild. Hope to see you in France one day for a meeting or a symposium …
    Merry Christmas Paul and your team

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 10:35

      Thank you very much Francois.

      Warm regards,

      Paul

      Reply
  2. Robert Pascoe says:
    at 23:20

    A fantastic podcast – Dave is a really fascinating guy and this was a great interview.
    The only question, is when is his book due to be released? It sounds like a treasure trove of information and different to much that has been published previously. I haven’t found it online?

    Reply
  3. Marcel says:
    at 20:40

    Very fun episode. The Alone series is a whole nother kettle of fish, but Dave has been around the block (or the bushes?) a few times, and it’s refreshing to hear him. I do look forward to reading his book, whatever it was called.
    A thought on all this. It seems that one of the best attitudes to have is open spontaneity, being able to think out of the box. Also proving the accepted dogma on survival by actually trying stuff out is invaluable, because it provides an informed opinion. I have been caught at times just accepting the norm, simply because I did not bother testing it out, for lack of need or want. The more we get out there, just doing small things one at a time, getting out there often, and being adventurous about it, exploring, being curious, awestruck, doing it another way for the heck of it, to see where the sparks fly (safely of course, ) it seems to me to be the best long-term course anyone can take. I don’t know if I agree nature may be your Grandmother’s face; but she ought to be respected. We eat a bird, who ate a bug, who ate a leaf, watered by rain, which fed on the soil, which recycled a dead animal; in short, they have become part of us, our human body depends on all these to grow and be healthy. And when we die, we resort to the earth where we came from. Respect all of Nature.

    Reply
  4. Eddie says:
    at 13:26

    Great interview, really looking forward to Dave’s book.

    Reply
  5. Nigel Gregory says:
    at 22:52

    Hi Paul,
    Great podcast with a great guy, and a book to look forward to ☕️

    Reply
  6. David Bratley says:
    at 10:49

    HI Paul, second time listening to this podcast, it was a good one, I have been trying to find Daves Book, I am assuming it’s not out yet?

    Reply
    1. Matt says:
      at 19:13

      This probably isn’t that helpful, but I saw online that Dave will be giving a presentation called Counting on Calories… in January of 2024. So maybe his book will be released around the same time? It’s called the Frostbite Symposium.

      Reply
  7. Monique says:
    at 18:55

    Great interview with Dave! This unique couple is not only very knowledgeable, they are lovely too. So I hope Dave has finished his book, then I can buy it!!

    Reply
  8. Will says:
    at 23:43

    Hi PK,
    Awesome Podcast and this episode is a cracker!
    Did Dave Holder publish the book he mentions – I can’t find it.
    Cheers,
    Will from Australia

    Reply

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