Bushcraft
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Making Fire
Creating fire without the use of matches, flint and steel, or magnesium strips is not only possible, but the basic methods are easy to learn. Discover how you can create fire using the Bow drill and Hand drill, as well as the Fire Saw and other methods.
Those with previous experience in this art will learn new variations on the basic techniques and find new challenges that come with real world scenarios, including the use of natural cordage. You will build your own bow drill kit to take home with you, learn how to build the proper fire structures for different uses and varying situations, and discover more about the vital roles that tinder and coal extenders can play.
›› CHECK
THIS OUT!
The
Video: Don't believe friction fire can be easy?
Our instructional video on Proper
Bowdrill Form will guide you step-by-step to make Bowdrill
fast, effortless, and consistent
Skill
of the Month: A Perfect Notch is
key to effortless bowdrill. Follow these Skill of the Month instructions from
our February 2009 newsletter to make notch-making easy.
| March 3, 2012 | Great Meadows, NJ | $85 | Register Now! |
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Advanced Firemaking: Bowdrill Beyond the Basics
Being able to create a bowdrill fire from a prepared kit made of kiln-dried
wood is a great first step, but for those who are ready to move
to the next level we have added this advanced workshop just for you. If
you can consistenly make a bowdrill coal in under two minutes (consistent
meaning at least 3 out of 4 tries) then you are ready to sign up for this
workshop.
Not only will you be challenged to make your own kit completely off the
landscape and use natural cordage on your bow, you will discover
many "non-standard" types of bowdrill kits, including the pocket kit,
the two-stick and the notch-less fireboard techniques, the self-igniting
tinder bundle, and depending on how things go perhaps even the ultimate
challenge of the all-grass bowdrill set.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a beginner workshop! You MUST have good technique and be able to make a coal virtually every time you try, in about 2 minutes or less. If you are not yet able to meet these goals please attend our Making Fire workshop instead. Thanks!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
››NEW! Flint & Steel: Making & Using a Traditional Fire-Starting Kit
One of the most commonly used traditional fire starting methods, Flint
& Steel was THE way to start a fire for generations of people the
world over. In this workshop you will not only learn how easy and reliable
a way of making fire this really is, you will make your very own!
You will knock off your own flint chip, forge your own steel striker,
create your own char-cloth and tinder tube, and sew up your own
bag in which you can carry it and keep it all safe. You will also have
a chance to experiment with many different types of char-fibers, and learn
the tips, tricks and secrets tomaking char-cloth from almost any natural
fiber.
Another fun and useful tool to add to your Fire-making tool box!
| March 4, 2012 | Great Meadows, NJ | $95 | Register Now! |
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Survival Skills 101
Whether it's a wrong turn down a closed road, an accidental separation when hiking, hunting or camping, or a natural disaster at home or abroad, too many people find themselves in situations that are unfamiliar and out of their control with no idea how to help themselves or their families. Unless you know how to stay warm and dry with no tent or sleeping bag, build a fire without matches, lighter, or flint, find safe drinking water, prepare an animal without a knife, or what plants are safe to eat, then you need this class! Learn how to build a proper shelter, make fire by friction, find and purify water, locate and harvest food, spin your own cordage and make your own stone tools. Open the door to a whole new relationship with the Earth as you prepare yourself for any possibility that you and your family may face.
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THIS OUT!
Student
Comments: Read what past students of this workshop have
to say
››NEW! Winter Survival
"Survival Skills" are one thing, Winter Survival Skills are
something else! Knowing how to keep yourself warm, safe and dry in the
heart of winter is a very different proposition! Falling temperatures,
heavy snow, little in the way of traditional resources and only a few
short hours of daylight in which to get everything done make Winter Survival
something that must be well-practiced under safe and controlled conditions.
This 3-day weekend workshop will cover the Winter versions of Shelter, Water,
Fire & Food, as well as additional handy winter skills like improvised snowshoes,
snow googles, making fire in the snow and plenty more.
A fun way to spend
a winter weekend, with plenty of hot chocolate on hand!
›› CHECK
THIS OUT!
Student
Comments: Read what past students of this workshop
have to say
| January 27-29, 2012 | Great Meadows, NJ | $285 | Register
Now! (Only 1 Space Left!) |
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Immediate Need & Emergency Shelters
Staying warm (or cool) and dry when outdoors overnight can be the difference
between getting home safe, or not. Exposure
to the elements is the leading cause of hospitalization and death for
those who find themselves lost, injured or stranded outside overnight. How
to build an emergency shelter is something that everyone who spends time outdoors
should know, and it's a simple skill to learn!
During this one day workshop
you will construct multiple "Immediate Need" shelters (including
a much easier version of the debris
hut, a body hollow, and others) and discover how to use practical options
and variations to best suit your shelter to the season, situation and environment
in which you find yourself.
Going far
beyond the "traditional" style of debris hut that is usually taught,
you will learn
to apply the important principals of shelter building that make the difference
between being cold and shivering at 40 degress, and being comfortably warm at
15!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
Short-term & Small-Group Shelters
This workshop will focus on shelter styles that are suitable for smaller groups, which are less labor- and material-intensive than building several individual shelters, but not as large of a project as building a permanent or semi-permanent dwelling. These shelters will comfortably sleep 2–4 people, making them ideal for small groups, primitive camps and planned survival outings, or for extended individual stays, as they allow room for both sleep and work areas. Quick and easy to make (relatively speaking), they blend with the landscape and offer more spacious accomodations than the standard debris hut or body hollow.
(Students will be encouraged, but not required, to sleep in one of the
shelters on the second night i order to discover first-hand what changes
and/or improvements are needed.)
NOTE: To take full advantage of our daylight hours, this workshop
begins
7pm Friday EVENING!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
››NEW! Long-term Living Shelters
Come and participate in the construction of the first long-term
shelter for our new "Hunter-Gatherer Village". You will
learn about a variety of advanced shelter types and the pros and cons of each,
depending on the time of year and the materials that are most readily available
to you. We will be working with materials found here on the property, but will
not require you to work strictly with stone age tools — shovels are our friend!
This shelter will be the first of several we are planning for our year-round
Hunter-Gatherer Village, where we will begin to hold certain workshops and
which will be the base camp for our Hunter-Gatherer
II Intensive Skills
Program. We are very excited to break ground on our new camp area and look
forward to having you join us in learning and creating our first Long-term
Living Shelter.
››NEW! Winter Shelters
When it comes to shelter, winter can present a whole new set of challenges.
Snow has incredible insulative properties that can be used to your advantage
in staying warm and dry, but what if it's all powder? or all crusty? or
there is only a couple of inches of snow cover on the ground?
In winter
weather you have to be able to adapt your shelter and the materials you
will use to build it in whole new ways, and that's what this workshop
is all about. We don't know what the weather will be like, or how much
snow we will or won't have, but we will work with whatever is available
to us to create shelters that will keep you warm, safe and dry; and when
it comes to winter, there is nothing you need more.
NOTE: To take full advantage of all our daylight hours,
this workshop begins at 7pm Friday EVENING!
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Bushcraft Basics: Setting Up Camp
If you have looked at the other workshops we offer with interest but
don't
feel ready to try them because you've never spent much time in the
woods, look no further. This is a class designed especially for those
with limited or no outdoor experience.
Learn the basics of camping and
bushcraft, such as how to select a camp site and set up a tent, and how
to prepare fires for the purposes of cooking, light, and warmth. You will
also get your hands in on cooking over an open fire, learn basic outdoor
hygeine, how to spot and avoid hazards and what to do in case
of an emergency. Then, to round out your knowledge and help you
gain the confidence to venture out on those initial trips, you'll
learn about basic gear selection — both what you need and what you
don't
need — to have a great time in your price range and at your comfort level.
If you have ever wanted to spend more time outdoors but didn't know
where to start, then this is the course for you!
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
The Cutting Edge: Using Knives, Axes, Hatchets & Machetes
Anyone who spends time outdoors camping or practicing Bushcraft and Primitive skills knows that a sharp edge is your most indespensible item. But one thing we have discovered is that most folks don't understand how to use these tools with ease and precision. This workshop will teach you all the essentials when it comes to felling, trimming, splitting, shaping and carving, as well as how to keep your knives, axes, hatchets and machetes sharp and in the safest working order. We will cover a variety of carving techniques, including the secrets of rounded edges that will allow you to make spoons and spindles much easier. Knife/sharp edge safety principles will, of course, be covered, and you will learn to revere (instead of fear) the principle "a sharp knife is a safe knife".
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
Tying it All Together: Knots, Lashings & Putting Cordage to Use
There is an old adage that says "if you don't know knots, tie lots".
But isn't it a better idea to learn a few basic knots and lashings that
can serve you well in most outdoor situations? Whether for the basic uses
of stringing up a tarp or securing a hammock or some of the more advanced
"impress your camping buddies" techniques, knowing your knots can make
your outdoor experience both safer and more comfortable.
You'll practice knots
and lashings that can be used to construct everything from shelters and
pack boards to camp furnishings like tables and chairs. We will use
both synthetic and natural cordage in this workshop, so you will never
be caught short when you're in the woods.
Understanding how to use rope and cordage to your advantage is a keystone
skill for anyone who spends time outdoors. If knots and lashings are something
you've never given much thought to, then come on out and discover the ties
that bind.
›› This workshop is not currently on the schedule, but we'll let you know the next time it's offered.‹‹
Natural Navigation: Reading the Landscape & Finding Your Way
No GPS, no batteries, no map or compass, and an overcast sky. Could
you find North? Even with a map and compass, could you find your way
back to...? With the advent of modern, hand-held GPS equipment
the ancient art of Natural Navigation has fallen by the wayside. But being
able to read the landscape, estimate time and distance and navigate your
way from point to point over long distances is a vital skill for anyone
who camps, hikes, travels or just spends time wandering in the woods and
fields.
This workshop will focus on natural means of determining
direction and time of day, estimating distances, and how to communicate
the placement of important rescources and refuges to others through traditional
storytelling methods. We will also cover the basic orienteering skills
of reading a map and using a compass. Does moss always grow on the
north side of the tree? Come on out and learn the truths and myths of
how to find your way.