Hey everyone, names lewis aged 21.
Currently looking for someone to prep with and acquire new knowledge on bushcraft and virtually everything.
Looking for some information on equipment as well, In need of a knive but not sure of what ones are the best for bushcraft and such.
Currently living in south leeds so hopefully someone here to help out
Of course, knowledge is key but they say a knive is the fundamental tool all preppers/bushcrafters need right?
I have always had a keen interest in the area but never had the practicality to go and do it with someone
ltalbot01 wrote:Of course, knowledge is key but they say a knive is the fundamental tool all preppers/bushcrafters need right?
Well, I would say my gardening tools are my fundamental tools giving me the ability to grow food to feed my family.
Other might say its a fire steel giving you the ability to heat and cook. I could go on.
What do you want to use the knife for?
There are many bushcraft courses available if you want to learn basic skills.
Become a volunteer for the scouts - you'll be surprised what you learn through them.
Perhaps if bushcraft is what you are after then this site might be more helpful
As Preppinsu says, there are lots of avenues to take if you want to get into bushcraft. For what it is worth, here's my suggestion. Forgive me, but I bet you have an iPod or a smartphone and you have access to download apps. Download one of the UK bird apps. Next buy a book on animal tracking. Then find a secluded piece of woodland away from people and dogs and stay as still as possible. Maybe climb a tree. If you can't get to a woodland, find some moorland.
Now just listen and look. Dawn and dusk are the best times when the day and night shifts change.
I can't even start to list what you may experience, but here's one. If you can recognise the alarm calls of birds, they will tip you off for bigger things. GS Woodpeckers are especially good sentries and will alert for birds of prey and mammals on the ground. Then look for tracks. I absolutely love checking footprints and piles of poop. *
A lot of bushcraft is about being aware of what's going on around you and just observing and reading the signs. I apologise if you do this already but you did say 'virtually everything'
As for knives - there are loads to choose from. Mrs Briggs has a Becker Necker BK-11, a brilliant full tang practical knife but does she use it? Not really. For everything from cutting cord to prepping pheasants she uses a £5 Tesco veggie knife. It's all about personal preference.
All the best,
Briggs
I recently experienced Plymouth City centre so that's why I prep.
ltalbot01 wrote:Of course, knowledge is key but they say a knive is the fundamental tool all preppers/bushcrafters need right?
Well, I would say my gardening tools are my fundamental tools giving me the ability to grow food to feed my family.
Other might say its a fire steel giving you the ability to heat and cook. I could go on.
What do you want to use the knife for?
There are many bushcraft courses available if you want to learn basic skills.
Become a volunteer for the scouts - you'll be surprised what you learn through them.
Perhaps if bushcraft is what you are after then this site might be more helpful
Bushcraft courses honestly seem awesome but too expensive
Bushcraft is just one element of prepping im wanting to learn, then from there to build upon this to acquire reserves of materials for different scenarios
I would feel much more comfortable knowing I have the knowledge and know how to survive in the wild so I could then "prep" for other things
Briggs wrote:As Preppinsu says, there are lots of avenues to take if you want to get into bushcraft. For what it is worth, here's my suggestion. Forgive me, but I bet you have an iPod or a smartphone and you have access to download apps. Download one of the UK bird apps. Next buy a book on animal tracking. Then find a secluded piece of woodland away from people and dogs and stay as still as possible. Maybe climb a tree. If you can't get to a woodland, find some moorland.
Now just listen and look. Dawn and dusk are the best times when the day and night shifts change.
I can't even start to list what you may experience, but here's one. If you can recognise the alarm calls of birds, they will tip you off for bigger things. GS Woodpeckers are especially good sentries and will alert for birds of prey and mammals on the ground. Then look for tracks. I absolutely love checking footprints and piles of poop. *
A lot of bushcraft is about being aware of what's going on around you and just observing and reading the signs. I apologise if you do this already but you did say 'virtually everything'
As for knives - there are loads to choose from. Mrs Briggs has a Becker Necker BK-11, a brilliant full tang practical knife but does she use it? Not really. For everything from cutting cord to prepping pheasants she uses a £5 Tesco veggie knife. It's all about personal preference.
All the best,
Briggs
Briggs that's sounds like an awesome idea but in reality is it as easy as picking up a book and learning? would it not help much more to have someone with you??
Yep, it would be good to have someone with you who could show you bushcraft skills such as firemaking, camp-building etc, etc. A bushcraft course, as PreppingSu says can be very pricey. I'd start by checking youtube, there's hours of bushcraft skills on there which will give you a grounding of knowledge. Search for 'how to start a fire' and you'll have 1001 video to choose from. I will soon be adding video 1002 on how to start fire with a pencil-sharpener (I'm infamous on this website for my multiple posts about pencil-sharpeners as EDC items!)
Youtube is great, but you've got to get out and do it for yourself, even if it's just sitting in your own back garden or front doorstep and practicing using a fire strike, some cotton wool and a pencil sharpener (have I mentioned that?) to start a fire.
I was suggesting getting a bit more in tune with nature first by taking a few books (and a birdsong app) outdoors. The Pocket Nature Wildlife of Britain is a handy book. It has pictures and descriptions of a multitude of things 'outdoors' from fungii to fish, moths to mammals. From a bushcraft perspective, being able to identify what's edible is a godsend and this book lists edible fungii and berries. Another good book is Animal Tracks and Signs by Preben Bang. It's ideal for learning about animals tracks in different seasons and it has a good picture library of poop. I find footprints and poop very interesting, for a while now I've been convinced there are wild boar in my area which aside from seeing their telltale signs of prints and hair stuck to the side of trees, I've just seen an ad on eBay of all places for wild-boar hunting no more than ten miles from my spot. Anyway, check out the Animal Tracks and Signs book, however, some of it's content is perhaps not so relevant to the the UK by listing bears and wolverines, but it's a good book on the whole.
The bird app I use is British Birds. It's very handy for learning birdsong and bird warning calls. It may seem a bit boring studying birdcalls and I will admit, I'm not really into birds but they do have their uses when you can identify their warning calls. Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches are two of the best woodland sentries and they will tip you off when there are predators/large mammals around.
I'm waffling now, your first post was about choosing a knife and if getting a knife means you get outdoors I say buy a knife! Get a cheap one, like a Mora, then treat yourself to something a bit stronger. I own a few, here's my list. Leatherman Charge and Becker BK-2 in my BOB, Leatherman Skeletool in my GHB and if I'm specifically going to the woods, I will have a Becker BK-11 in there as well. EDC is a Heinnie Haynes carabiner knife. Strictly not UK legal but on your person for bushcraft purposes it's okay. For bushcrafting, i.e cutting wood and preparing a camp, the most handy tool I have is a billhook I bought from my local garden tools shop. For finer work, I can't fault the blade on the Skeletool.
Finally, whatever knife you choose, there's no need to dull its blade in preparing tinder because you're prepared: You've got your pencil sharpener, right?
I hope all that helps!
Briggs.
I recently experienced Plymouth City centre so that's why I prep.
)
