Getting Started With Bushcraft: Kit Considerations For Beginners

Getting Started With Bushcraft: Kit Considerations For Beginners

Comments 56 comments

I have a passion for wilderness skills and encouraging others to go into the woods, to experience nature through the lens of bushcraft. I sometimes fear, though, people may be discouraged from experiencing nature in this way by much of what surrounds bushcraft, rather than what’s at its core. If this is the case, then I see it as a great shame as bushcraft is so beneficial and enriching. In this article I look at some basic items of “bushcraft kit” for the beginner, which will help them get the most from their time in the woods…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 40 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 40 – One Thing For Wilderness Survival, Learning Fungi, Time Management On Trips, Oak Bark For Tinder, Knots & Lashings

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 40 – One Thing For Wilderness Survival, Learning Fungi, Time Management On Trips, Oak Bark For Tinder, Knots & Lashings

Comments 6 comments

In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer questions on how to learn more about fungi, the ONE thing that will see me survive in the wilds, time management on trips, badger latrines, processing oak bark for tinder, knots and lashings for bushcraft and more…

A rocky camping spot on the Canadian Shield, with an axe in a log
Axe Safety In Camp: Care, Attention And Good Habits

Axe Safety In Camp: Care, Attention And Good Habits

Comments 16 comments

An axe has more weight, more leverage and more momentum than a knife. Moreover, when out camping or making a journey, we tend not to be wearing any sort of protective clothing or footwear. Our protection from injury with an axe has to come from care, attention and good habits. Adhering to best practice is particularly important in more remote settings…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 39 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 39 – Wilderness Water Sources & Water Purification

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 39 – Wilderness Water Sources & Water Purification

Comments 6 comments

In this episode I answer a bunch of questions about water. What are the advantages of Millbank bags? Can you use a bandanna to filter water? Do Steripens work? How do you deal with herbicides and pesticides in water? Can you use activated charcoal to filter water? Is it safe to drink water from springs and wells? These are the jumping off points for a wide-ranging discussion about producing safe drinking water outdoors – close to home or further into the wilds…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 38 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 38 – Carbon Steel Knives & Flint, Boots, 3-Season Sleeping Bags, How To Know When You Know Enough, Plus My Take On A Survival Scenario

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 38 – Carbon Steel Knives & Flint, Boots, 3-Season Sleeping Bags, How To Know When You Know Enough, Plus My Take On A Survival Scenario

Comments 34 comments

Questions about boots for bushcraft, 3-season sleeping bag choices, carbon steel knives and flint for sparks, how to avoid shredding your knuckles while using a firesteel, long distance hiking, lightweight gear and bushcraft, how do I know when do you know enough for wilderness, and what would I do in a particular wilderness canoe expedition survival scenario.

packed lightweight sleeping equipment for camping
Lightweight Tarp and Bivvy Set-Up

Lightweight Tarp and Bivvy Set-Up

Comments 30 comments

In previous articles and videos I’ve discussed equipment choice and ways of lightening the load of your pack. In this article, with video, I look at one particular tarp and bivvy bag set-up which is light, compact and protective…

Paul Kirtley answering bushcraft and survival questions in episode 37 of Ask Paul Kirtley
#AskPaulKirtley Episode 37 – Sustainable Birch Bark Harvesting, Tarp or Tent, Shelter Bedding Materials, Camp Positioning, Heavy Tents and Outdoor Career Advice

#AskPaulKirtley Episode 37 – Sustainable Birch Bark Harvesting, Tarp or Tent, Shelter Bedding Materials, Camp Positioning, Heavy Tents and Outdoor Career Advice

Comments 14 comments

Shelter bedding, sustainable birch bark harvesting, martial arts and teaching bushcraft, higher or lower for optimal camp temperatures, cod liver oil tablets for survival packs, heavy tents, outdoor career advice and what’s best – tarp or tent?

white umbel of flowers againts a green backgrop
Approaching Apiaceae: A Practical Example Of Carrot Capture

Approaching Apiaceae: A Practical Example Of Carrot Capture

Comments 24 comments

These days we all have a camera in our pocket. Most of the time we carry a smart phone. Increasingly we use our phones to make notes for later. It’s very easy to take a photo of text in a museum or take photos of something we see out and about, to act later as memory joggers. It’s not necessarily anything to do with the art of photography. It’s memory extension, brain augmentation. So, what details of members of the carrot family Apiaceae should be recorded so you stand a good chance of identifying the species?…