“How do I start learning bushcraft?” is a common question from those who want to venture down this path with anything more than just a passing interest.
Bushcraft is more than just a collection of survival skills and outdoor tricks. At the core of bushcraft is a practical knowledge of nature.
Ultimately bushcraft can be a way to connect deeply with the natural world, develop self-reliance, and gain the confidence to thrive in the wilderness.
For those who embrace the subject fully, learning bushcraft is a lifelong journey that opens up new ways of interacting with the natural world. But it’s still worth approaching with intention and a plan of what to learn first.
If you’re eager to learn bushcraft, this article should help you orient yourself towards how to approach learning the necessary skills and knowledge to form a solid foundation…
Understand What Bushcraft Is
Before diving into techniques and gear, it’s helpful to understand what bushcraft is. At its core, bushcraft is about using natural resources and traditional skills to live comfortably outdoors for extended periods and to exist in wilderness areas that would prove challenging to the unskilled.
Even at its basic level, bushcraft encompasses a wide range of skills including:
- Using and maintaining cutting tools
- Firecraft (starting and managing fires)
- Shelter building
- Understanding and managing environmental hazards
- Sourcing and purifying water
- Bindcraft, including learning knots and making natural cordage
- Making traps and trapping small game
- Fishing
- Tree and plant identification
- Foraging for wild food
- Natural navigation
- Choosing and preparing equipment for wilderness trips
- Animal tracking and wildlife observation
While, on the surface, bushcraft shares similarities with survival skills, bushcraft emphasises living with nature rather than just surviving an emergency.
Start with the Basics: Essential Bushcraft Skills
When starting your bushcraft journey, it’s tempting to want to learn everything at once. However, mastering a few key skills first will give you a solid foundation. Here are the essential skills to focus on:
Fire Making
Learning how to start a fire in various conditions is one of the most critical bushcraft skills. Start with the basics: using matches or a lighter, and gradually progress to methods like using a ferro rod, and traditional techniques such as flint and steel, or even friction fire techniques like a bow drill. It’s not just about the ignition source, though, you should also verse yourself in the natural materials available as tinder, kindling and fuel for our fire. Regularly practice the skills you are working on, in different weather conditions, with a variety of relevant natural materials to develop competence.
Creating Shelter
Building a shelter from natural materials is a skill that has been popularised on some long-term survival shows such as Alone, as well as becoming a focus on particular YouTube channels. While being able to create a range of shelters is core to bushcraft, what bushcraft people use most commonly is some sort of tarp set up. This can mean sleeping on the ground in a bivvy bag or suspended in a hammock. The advantage is that tarps are quick to set up and take down (ideal for overnight or short stays) and low impact (they don’t require a lot of natural materials to be harvested or disturbed).
When approaching natural shelters, though, start by learning how to make simple debris shelters, or leaf huts. Understanding how to assess a location for your shelter is just as important – look for areas that are dry, sheltered from the wind, and near a water source.
Using Cutting Tools (Safely)
If you frame bushcraft as an outdoor “activity”, one aspect that strongly differentiates bushcraft is the use of cutting tools. The core bushcraft cutting tools are a belt knife and a folding saw. Beyond these core tools are bigger saws, axes, machetes and parangs. The latter, larger tools possess more potential for injury and you should become familiar with the smaller tools first. Even so, you should learn to use core tools safely.
Learn from Experienced Bushcraft Practitioners
Bushcraft is a hands-on discipline. You need to work with natural materials, go to the woods, or bush, source what you need and get your hands dirty. You can do this on your own with the guidance of books, free online resources or paid online courses.
You can also get a step up, particularly to begin with, by enrolling in a course taught by experienced bushcraft educators.
Learning from experienced practitioners can lay a stronger foundation than self-study. In-person guided learning is sure to speed up your progress in acquiring core skills.
Watch Online Tutorials and Videos
Free online information is plentiful. Watching bushcraft videos on platforms like YouTube can be a valuable way to be introduced to new concepts and get inspired. But following the suggestions of the “next video” is far from a structured learning experience.
Read Bushcraft Books
Books take more effort to consume than YouTube videos but as a general rule, bushcraft books by experienced wilderness experts are very valuable resources for learning. They have an intentional structure. This guides you through the subject matter and provides you with a rich resource that can be referred back to.
Some recommended books for establishing good core bushcraft skills include the following…
- Ray Mears – Essential Bushcraft
- Mors Kochanski – Bushcraft
- Paul Kirtley – Wilderness Axe Skills and Campcraft
Enrol in an Online Bushcraft Course
Online courses have the advantage that they are relatively easy to consume but provide more structure than platforms such as YouTube allow. For example, my online course covering the core bushcraft skills, has around 120 lessons across 12 structured modules, which allow a progressive approach to each topic and the subject as a whole.
Attend a Bushcraft Field Course
Attending an in-person bushcraft course is one of the most effective ways to learn quickly and safely. Professional instructors can teach you the skills you need, offer hands-on practice, and provide real-time feedback. Look for courses that match your skill level, whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to advance specific techniques.
Get Some Basic Bushcraft Gear
When starting out in bushcraft, it can be tempting to invest in all kinds of specialised gear, including expensive knives and axes. However, you don’t need expensive equipment to get started. Focus on good value, reliable gear that will support your learning and bushcraft skills progression:
Knife: Having a quality bushcraft knife is essential. But you really don’t need to spend much. A Mora Companion, or Mora Companion Heavy Duty is really all you need.
Saw: A folding pruning saw is a useful addition to a fixed blade knife. While not as important as a knife, this type of saw will allow you to progress with your bushcraft projects more easily.
Ferro Rod: A fire-starting tool that lasts for thousands of strikes. (watch my video on three of the best ferro rods).
Tarp: A core piece of woodland camping equipment and will allow you to stay out in the woods immediately before moving on to shelters made of natural materials (should you want to).
Practice, Practice, Practice
Bushcraft is a hands-on skill set that requires time and repetition. Make a habit of practicing your skills whenever you have free time. Whether it’s in your backyard, local woodlands, or on a camping trip. Try to simulate realistic conditions as closely as possible.
You can increase your learning by implementing constraints and challenges. For example, challenge yourself to start a fire using only natural materials or spend a night in a shelter you built from scratch. Practical experiences are crucial for turning knowledge into skill.
Respect Nature
As you learn bushcraft, it’s key to develop an ethos of respect for nature, especially in the current age. Bushcraft is not just about survival – it’s about living in harmony with the environment. Minimise your impact on the natural environment. Avoid over-harvesting natural resources, and ensure you leave the area as undisturbed as possible.
Join a Bushcraft Community
Learning alongside and from others can enhance the bushcraft experience. Joining a bushcraft community, either online or in person, allows you to share knowledge, learn new techniques, and connect with like-minded people. Look for local bushcraft groups, forums, or social media communities where you can exchange ideas and ask for advice. Many students on my courses have remained in contact after the course to meet up to practice skills. Some have also undertaken further courses together, which they particularly enjoy as they are with people they already know.
How Do I Start Learning Bushcraft? Take The First Steps…
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Lao Tzu.
Starting your bushcraft journey may feel like moving into uncharted territory. Starting anything completely unfamiliar can be daunting but I assure you that adding bushcraft to your life will be both fascinating and rewarding.
By focusing on foundational skills, learning from experts, investing in the right gear, and practicing regularly, you’ll gradually build the knowledge and confidence needed to thrive in wild places.
Remember, bushcraft involves the long-term process of developing self-reliance, so enjoy the journey, respect nature, and never stop learning.
To that end, check out the following links…
Check out the free materials on my website and YouTube channel
Check out our Online Elementary Wilderness Bushcraft Course, a best-in-class online course, aimed at providing a rock-solid foundation in the core areas of bushcraft.
And, finally if you’d like to train with me and my team in person, check out the Frontier Bushcraft Field Courses
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