We use char cloth a lot when we’re looking at different methods of lighting a fire, such as on our 2 Day Bushcraft Course, 5 Day Bushcraft Course and IOL Bushcraft Competency course . It’s really useful stuff to have with you and comes into its own when using a traditional flint and steel, with a lens or […]
We built a 1 person debris shelter on our 5 Day Bushcraft Course in November. We went for the standard ‘A frame’ or ‘Kennel’ shelter. I wrote a post recently about one that we built on our trip to the Isle of Arran in a coniferous woodland, but this one, built in our ancient broadleaf woodland, […]
On our recent trip to the Isle of Arran we were able to try out some different materials for fire by friction. I’ve written previously about constructing a set and bedding it in, so take a look to find out more about that. Mark, our host, had some Sitka spruce and hawthorn at his camp so we […]
Sometimes it can be difficult to find dry tinder to light your fire. This is where feather sticks come in. A feather stick is a piece of dry wood shaved down to make fine curls which will light with a fire steel. There are a few variations on how to make a feather stick and which […]
A gypsy well, sometimes known as an Indian well, is a hole dug to collect water. Typically they’re dug in a place where the water table is just below ground level, so on low lying ground or damp ground. I’ve also dug one in an almost dried up small stream bed. You might be able to use […]
We’ve built plenty of debris shelters in the past at our ancient woodland camp in Kent, generally using either leaf litter or bracken as thatching, I’ve written about it previously here and here. Well, on our fantastic trip to the Isle of Arran with Arran Bushcraft & Survival, we had the opportunity to build a debris shelter in […]
