Reflections on the Nordic Way – My GBS 2025 Keynote Presentation
The organisers of the 2025 Global Bushcraft Symposium in Sweden invited me to deliver a keynote presentation.
The GBS has become an important gathering for those passionate about bushcraft, survival skills, and traditional ways of living closer to nature.
Whether you’re a seasoned instructor or an enthusiastic learner, the Global Bushcraft Symposium is a place where everyone is welcome to exchange ideas, techniques, and philosophies from around the world.
The theme of the symposium was The Nordic Way.
My talk examined how Nordic influences have shaped my bushcraft journey and impacted the broader international bushcraft community.
In this post, I share the full recording of that presentation along with some context for those who couldn’t attend in person.
From tools and clothing to skiing, survival shelters, hut culture, and the legacy of mentors such as Lars Fält and Juha Rankinen, as well as authors like Helge Ingstad and Erik Musterhjelm, my presentation wove together personal anecdotes, historical threads, and practical observations.
The talk explored themes of learning from others, contextual skill development, cross-pollination between cultures, and the value of repeated and varied practice-especially in demanding northern environments where there is little tolerance for mistakes.
For posterity and for those who couldn’t attend in person, I’m pleased to share a complete recording of the presentation below:
This video is also available here on my YouTube channel.
Books Mentioned
Garrett and Alexandra Conover – Snow Walker’s Companion
Knut Haukelid – Skis Against the Atom
Helge Ingstad – The Land of Feast and Famine
Paul Kirtley – Wilderness Axe Skills and Campcraft
Ray Mears – The Outdoor Survival Handbook
Erik Munsterhjelm – The Wind and the Caribou
Yngve Ryd – Eld: flammor och glöd – samisk eldkonst
Wille Sundqvist – Swedish Carving Techniques
Learn More
If you liked the presentation and want to learn more about the themes we covered — like winter skills, traditional fire-making, gear use, and bushcraft in boreal areas — check out the linked articles and videos below.
And if you’re not already on my email list, consider subscribing to receive regular updates and reflections from the world of bushcraft, nature-based skills, and wilderness travel.
Paul Kirtley Podcast 22: Conversations From Bushcraftfestivalen
Paul Kirtley Podcast 32: Lars Fält, Julia Kalthoff, Juha Rankinen and Jonas Als
Lessons From Applying The North American Winter Camping Style In The Scandinavian Boreal Forest
Winter Magic: Return to the Northern Forest
Way Out North: A Boreal Forest Foray
As Thick as a Capercaillie: How to Build a Long Log Fire
3 thoughts on “Reflections on the Nordic Way – My GBS 2025 Keynote Presentation”
Thanks so much for sharing this Paul
Awesome, thankyou Paul
Thank you very much for sharing Pau. As someone who couldn’t make it t oGBS2025, it would be good/have been good as at GBS2o22 there was/is a video archive of presentations one can get access to. it is such a great resource from 2022.