In this episode of The Paul Kirtley Podcast, I’m joined by Jon McArthur, a bushcraft instructor, search and rescue practitioner, and long-serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Alberta, Canada.

Jon has spent over two decades working in aircraft structures and other roles within the Air Force, alongside extensive involvement in both military and civilian ground search and rescue. Through this work, he has developed deep experience in cold weather survival, field operations, and the practical realities of finding and recovering lost people in remote landscapes.

We explore Jon’s journey into bushcraft, including how he first encountered the teachings of Mors Kochanski at Karamat Wilderness Ways, and how that initial meeting grew into a close personal friendship in Mors’s later years. Jon shares reflections on learning directly from Mors, the influence of Tom Roycraft, and how knowledge has been passed through that lineage and adapted across different environments and generations.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Jon’s background in military and civilian search and rescue, and the overlap between the two;
• Key lessons from SAR, including the importance of preparation, decision-making, and lost person behaviour;
• The development and practical application of the Roycraft pack frame;
• How bushcraft knowledge evolves through teaching, experimentation, and adaptation;
• The role of storytelling in instruction, and how it can enhance learning and retention;
• Jon’s First Nations heritage as a member of Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation, and how this informs his perspective and teaching;
• The Global Bushcraft Symposium and its role in connecting practitioners from around the world.

Jon brings a thoughtful and grounded perspective to bushcraft and survival, shaped by real-world experience, strong mentorship, and a clear understanding of how knowledge is best shared and applied in practice.

Our conversation forms Episode 62 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast…

How To Listen To This Podcast

You can listen to this podcast here on my website by using the player above. Just press the play button.

You can download the podcast episode .mp3 file by right-clicking on the download link to save the .mp3 file down to your local machine/device.

Subscribe to The Paul Kirtley Podcast on your favourite podcast app:

Subscribe to the Paul Kirtley Podcast on Apple

Subscribe to the Paul Kirtley Podcast on Spotify

Subscribe to the Paul Kirtley Podcast on Audible

Subscribe to the Paul Kirtley Podcast on Player FM

Subscribe to the Paul Kirtley Podcast on Podchaser

Listen to The Paul Kirtley Podcast on Soundcloud

Transcript

The typing pool is currently working hard on the transcript. Please check back soon…

Books Mentioned In This Podcast

Northern Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
The Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
The Wind and the Caribou by Erik Munsterhjelm
The Survivor by Peter Tadman
SAS Survival Handbook by Lofty Wiseman

People Mentioned In This Podcast

Mors Kochanski
Tom Roycraft
Cody Lundin
Lars Fält
Ray Mears
Les Stroud
Caleb Musgrave
André-François Bourbeau
Manu Tranquard
Tom Lutyens
Dave Wescott
Dave Holladay
Joe Flowers
Kelly Harlton
Dr Lisa Fenton
Thijmen Apswoude
Johan Forsberg
Peter Wiking
John Rhyder
Dr. Bob Koester
Skip Stoffel
Brett Stoffel
Marten Hartwell
Judy Hill
Dr Kevin Lewis
Buffy Sainte-Marie

Other Links Mentioned In This Podcast

adventuresmart.ca

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…

Finally don’t forget to leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

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.

Related Paul Kirtley Podcast Episodes

Paul Kirtley Podcast 36: Mors Kochanski and Jon McArthur on the Global Bushcraft Symposium
Mors Kochanski and Jon McArthur joined The Paul Kirtley Podcast to discuss the motivations behind, and the aims of, the Global Bushcraft Symposium. Along the way, Mors shares a few anecdotes too…

Paul Kirtley Podcast 42: Mors Kochanski, Northern Bushcraft Legend
Mors Kochanski joined me for a conversation about wilderness living skills, bushcraft and survival. Mors explained his background in these subjects, going right back to his school days, along with learning from his mentor Tom Roycraft, through Mors’s own unique contributions and inventions, including the super-shelter. Along the way we cover a lot of fascinating ground. Essential listening.

Paul Kirtley Podcast 43: North American Titans of Bushcraft
David Wescott, Dave Holladay, André-François Bourbeau and Mors Kochanski come together in a panel discussion chaired by Les Stroud (a.k.a. Survivorman) at the 2019 Global Bushcraft Symposium, Alberta, Canada.

Paul Kirtley Podcast 47: Tom Lutyens, Mors Kochanski, Lars Fält, Johan Skullman
In 1995 Lars Fält organised a seminal survival instructors conference in northern Sweden. Tom Lutyens and Mors Kochanski were among the instructors. Johan Skullman was one of the students. Here they discuss the importance of that event.

Other Related Material You Might Like

Global Bushcraft Symposium 2019 Keynote Presentation – Why We Need Your Voice In The Wilderness

Global Bushcraft Symposium 2025 Keynote Presentation – Reflections On The Nordic Way