Bushcraft

What is bushcraft? 

People are looking more and more into the world of bushcraft these days, we often get the question "what is bushcraft?" People want to know what bushcraft is and how to get started with it. On this page we will tell you more about what bushcraft is.

Bushcraft is the practice of these survival skills in the outdoors; Starting fires, building shelters, hunting, fishing and tracking. To be able to survive in the wilderness with nothing but the equipment on your back is the true essence of bushcraft. Bushcraft is one of the most useful hobbies on earth. Bushcraft is not just about surviving in the wilderness; it is about thriving in the wilderness.

Defining Bushcraft

Bushcraft can be learned in many ways, but most beginners prefer to read a good bushcraft book to begin their journey. Generally speaking, bushcraft is the art and ability to survive in the natural environment through the available resources. 

It is a combination of knowledge about how best to use plants and animals in the area and how to make life outside more comfortable and practical. 

Learning to use these skills have these benefits for personal development:

• Increasing one's ability to adapt and overcome challenges
• Become more self-sufficient and less dependent on technology
• Increasing one's self-confidence
• Increasing one's ability to survive
• Become better equipped to cope with possible problems

Bushcraft is not just a skill or craft. It is a collaboration or interrelated skills that enable a person to survive in the wild and overcome unforeseen circumstances. Traditionally, bushcraft focuses on survival in the wilderness; however, it is also about creating a mindset that allows one to use the world around them. And which can also be applied to urban situations.

By learning and using bushcraft skills, individuals will feel better prepared in the event of a disaster. Survival skills and techniques can be adapted and applied to numerous life situations and are very educational. 

What are Bushcraft skills?

It may be easier to break it down into a series of skills and techniques. Bushcraft uses various primitive survival skills to adapt to the world around you. The most basic bushcraft skills include:

• In search of food
• Hunting game or trapping game
• Collecting water and the purification process
• Building a shelter
• Starting Fire

The best thing about learning survival skills is that it teaches individuals to do all these things with only the knowledge in their heads.

How long does it take to become proficient in bushcraft?

If it is not already clear; there is much to learn about bushcraft. It can take several years to become a master, but several necessary skills can be acquired immediately. Some basic skills, such as rope making and branching with trestles, can be used for multiple purposes and can be useful in different disciplines.

If you are a true beginner

If you start without knowledge, it is best to begin by learning the basic skills first. Most of these skills can be learned and mastered within a few hours. They can also be developed further as time passes.  

Some hugely necessary skills to start with are:

• Learning how to rod wood
• Making simple tools (carving)
• Putting together some simple camp structures (tripod)
• Tying knots
• Learning how to make a fire
• For those with basic knowledge

If you already have some basic knowledge and want to advance to more advanced skills, try this one:

• Learning how to search for food
• Making a fire without matches or a lighter
• Building a sold shelter
• Making basic bows for trapping
• Purifying water
• For the experts

If you've already learned all the beginner and semi-advanced skills, it's time to move on to some more advanced knowledge, such as:

• Durable rope and rope making
• Building advanced camp structures, such as ovens, beds or thatched roofs
• Learning advanced trapping and foraging techniques
• Navigating the country
• Tracking animals and prey