Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
Let bushcraft be your guide
“Nature doesn’t ask your permission; it doesn’t care about your wishes, or whether you like its laws or not. You’re obliged to accept it as it is, and consequently all its results as well.”
– Fyodor Dostoevsky
Nature doesn’t care if you live or die. It isn’t out to get you. Nor is it on your side and wants to help you. It just..is.
The sooner you understand this, the sooner you can work with what’s around you. With the right knowledge and skillset you can not just survive but even thrive in any environment.
Don’t poo-poo the power of bushcraft
I remember my first bushcraft course. It blew my mind when I learned that the inner-bark of specific trees could be buffed up into a fluffy ball of fibres to take a spark. Even more so when I learned how to use kangaroo poo to create an ember and then blow that ember into flame with said fluffy bark ball. (Hehe. I said ball).
From that moment on, I regarded trees, plant (and kangaroo poop) with a newfound fascination. I can make that [insert innocent bush on council strip] into fire! Ohh, that [tree on the neighbours front lawn] is perfect for friction fire..
Okay, so I became a pyro. But we digress.
Learning these skills opens you up to a whole new world. You see and understand the uses of what is around you in your environment, and suddenly nature is an exciting playground of resources to explore. Arguably it is your friend when you find yourself in a survival pinch!
Embrace your inner pyro
Bushcraft can teach you how to light a one-match fire (imagine you are down to your very last match — you really don’t want to strike out in that scenario!), with just a ferrocerium rod and striker, even how to create a friction fire kit out of natural resources. The knowledge of how to quickly build a sustainable fire is priceless. See below for a great tutorial on firelighting, from founder of Bushcraft Survival Australia (BSA), Gordon Dedman:
But remember to hydrate
Just as important as making fire is learning how to access and purify water. You would be amazed at all the ways water could kill you! Once you learn the ways you can source and purify water you are halfway there to survival and tth-rival. One of the UK’s leading bushcraft instructors Paul Kirtley has a great video on water purification methods:
Remember — in a survival situation you can only pass or fail. There’s literally no coming back from that kind of fail..so you want a few extra tools in your back pocket to ensure you at least scrape it over that 50% mark.
The importance of being educated..in plant knowledge
Another world of knowledge bushcraft will help you to uncover is that offered by the plant kingdom. Knowing your trees, herbs and flowers means access to food, medicine and comfort. Not only can you include variety into your diet (safely), but you can treat cuts and prevent (or heal) infection, be familiar with the type of wood/s needed for friction fire, and why using bracken isn’t ideal for bedding if you don’t want to be sleeping with the ticks!
Make it your mission to familiarise yourself with the plant kingdom. You can be a student for the rest of your life and you still won’t learn everything. There are a gazillion great books out there, one that I love (and that was recommended to me) is Australian Medicinal Plants by E. V. Lassak & T. McCarthy.
Conclusion
The natural world offers so much — you just need to learn its language. You can do this by attending bushcraft courses, watching YouTube videos, taking yourself out and practicing in a (safe) environment, reading books, blogs and more. Bushcraft is a great way to immerse yourself in the environment and learn vital skills to not just survive but thrive in almost any situation.
