Dear friends, customers, and fellow explorers, as we reach the close of another remarkable year, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks for your support, enthusiasm, and curiosity about the natural world. Whether you joined us on a course, equipped yourself for new adventures, or simply followed our journey from afar, your connection to Woodlore, the school I founded all those years ago, remains at the heart of everything we do.
Some landscapes don’t ask for your attention, they claim it. The Finnish winter is one of them.
Step inside the Arctic Circle with Ray Mears and Woodlore, and you’ll find yourself in a world where the cold is honest, the forest is ancient, and the sky feels close enough to touch. This is Sami country: a place shaped by reindeer trails, deep snow, and the quiet determination of those who travel through it. The journey is tough, beautiful, and deeply grounding. Equal parts training and transformation.
Christmas is officially creeping closer, the lights are twinkling, the mince pies are calling, and the gift list… well, it isn’t getting any shorter. But don’t worry, Woodlore has your back.
To make sure your parcel arrives in time for Christmas, please place your order by the appropriate date below, as recommended by Royal Mail:
As an extra helping hand, we are pleased to say that all UK orders to the value of £40.00 and above (not including postage costs) placed after 2:00 PM on Friday 19th December until we close at midday on Tuesday 23rd December will be dispatched via a Next Working Day Delivery service, to ensure delivery in time for Christmas. Any orders placed after midday on Tuesday 23rd December will not be dispatched until the offices reopen in January.
It is with deep sadness that Woodlore shares the news of the untimely passing of Lars Fält:
I was very upset to learn of the passing of Lars Fält, there is something unsettling about it, survival instructors aren’t supposed to die. Especially Lars who always emanated invincibility. But as they say only the rocks live forever.
The fire crackles low against the dusk, its warmth battling a cool wind drifting through the gaps in the shelter. Muscles ache, hands are calloused, and yet there’s a quiet confidence among the group. These are not just students of bushcraft anymore. They are Journeymen.
But here’s the surprising truth: the Woodlore Journeyman Coursewas never designed as an elite summit of bushcraft training. When it was first conceived, it was intended simply as the next step beyond the fundamentals. Yet over time, it has gained a reputation—a test of grit, a course people whisper about with hesitation.
Live from the land – don’t just dream about it!
“I’m not sure I’m ready,” many say.
And yet readiness is not the point. The only requirement is completing theWoodloreFundamental Course. Some students take a gap to consolidate their skills; others step straight into Journeyman. Either way, what they discover is that the course isn’t about being fully prepared—it’s about finding out how much more capable you are than you ever imagined.
Inspired by tradition and Ray Mears’ life on the trail, read on to discover the story of our leatherwork — a journey of skill, patience, and a deep respect for the wild places it was made to serve.