Author Archives: Woodlore Limited

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About Woodlore Limited

Woodlore, The School of Wilderness Bushcraft, was founded in 1983 by the British Bushcraft expert, Ray Mears. Paving the way for Bushcraft courses in the UK, Woodlore began with Ray teaching small groups of students the knowledge and techniques that he had spent most of his early life honing. With Ray’s ambition and perserverance, Woodlore has since grown into a world-renowned and highly respected school, offering in-depth courses on a wide range of bushcraft and survival subjects.

Your Julius Pettersson Knives – Collection #1

Ever since we began stocking Julius Pettersson’s hand-forged knife blades, craftsmen and women the world over have been sending in photos of the superb finished knives they’ve made using these carbon steel blanks. From the more traditional reindeer antler, right through to reclaimed bowling balls, we’ve seen an incredible variety of materials being used to make an equally wide range of handle styles. Shown here are just a few of the more recent submissions:

James Vann

James Vann

As a forester, I often come across pieces of timber that are too good to go to waste. The handle here is made from an oak burr that was on a tree I felled in Lamberhurst, and I added a brass bolster and lanyard tube as I thought the colours would match nicely. After a lot of filing and sanding, I got it to fit in my hand comfortably. I then decided I would try to make a sheath, as I thought it would be another fun project… Little did I know leather working is very time consuming! After a couple of late nights, it was finally finished and I’m glad I made it myself. It was a pleasure, and probably wont be the last one I’ll make. I have also filed down a section of the back of the blade so it works with a firesteel now.” – James Vann

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Ontario Tourism Expedition – Winner Revealed

Thank you to everyone who entered the recent Ontario Tourism competition to win a wilderness adventure to Ontario with Ray Mears. Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership has now revealed the winner of their UK prize draw. Congratulations to Jonathan Armstrong (pictured with his wife below) from Manchester, who was drawn at random from over 26,000 entries to the competition.

Jonathan and Joanne Armstrong

Jonathan and Joanne Armstrong, winners of the trip of a lifetime with Ray Mears to Ontario

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The Woodlore Summer Sale

The Woodlore Summer Sale is now here, with big reductions to over 50 items of bushcraft clothing and equipment, from such brands as Bergans, Buffalo, Fjallraven, Hilleberg, Icebreaker, Petzl and Swazi.

The Woodlore Summer Sale

To view the full range of sale items, please click here.

How to Cook Outdoors: Elderflower Fritters

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At this time of year the hedges are blooming with elder, and the flowers are now at their prime. It is a wonderful sight, and for generations countryfolk have used the plant to make cordials, champagne and wine, amongst many other uses, and for many it is seen as the true taste of the season. In this article we demonstrate how to make one of the tastiest and easiest dishes of the summer.

The flowers, berries and finest stems next to the flowers are safe to eat; simply take care not to consume too many of the larger stems, as this can cause an upset stomach.

The dish shown here would serve three to four people.

Ingredients:

  • 20 x elderflower heads
  • 4 x handfuls of flour
  • 1/2 a handful of sugar
  • 4 x tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 x egg whites
  • Water

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Memories of Namibia

As we look ahead to our next Namibia expedition in 2016, Woodlore’s Dan Hume unearths some unseen photos from his last visit to this remarkable country.

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Isaac, one of our bushman guides, and Ray pause under the shade of a tree for a few moments before continuing to look for leopard tracks

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Learning to Live Comfortably in the Woods

We recently ran our first Camp Craft course of the season in a beautiful piece of countryside, close to the historic town of Battle in East Sussex.

As part of the preparation for the course, our most senior instructors Dan Hume and Keith Whitehead had been busy practising the splicing and whipping techniques that they’d be passing on to those attending. Learning traditional skills such as these is what makes this course such an enlightening and rewarding experience.

Splicing Rope

The results of Keith’s whipping and splicing work in preparation for the course

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How to Cook Outdoors: Cree Bannock

How to Cook Outdoors: Indian Bannock

Bannock, as many of you will already know, is a traditional Scottish bread that has become a perennial favourite of the outdoorsman. Its popularity has much to do with its relative simplicity when it comes to the ingredients required and the method of preparation. When cooked correctly, the end result is a filling, warming bread that is packed with energy to sustain you on the trail.

There are numerous ways of cooking bannock, with each region commonly having its own take on the standard method. In Australia (where it is referred to as ‘damper’) it is sometimes cooked straight on the embers of the fire; in the far North it is more often cooked in a frying pan. In Northern America, the dish was quickly adopted by indigenous peoples after it was introduced by fur traders. In order to free up cooking equipment for other jobs, the Cree and other First Nations utilised a less common technique of cooking their bannock skewered on a stick, and this is the method we have followed here.

The dish shown in this article served three people.

Ingredients:

  • 4 x handfuls of flour
  • 2 x handfuls of milk powder
  • 4 x teaspoons of baking powder
  • Sugar (to taste)
  • Water
  • 1 x handful of mixed fruit
  • Butter

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Snow, Cake and Cabins

The following post was written by Woodlore Senior Assistant David Southey about a trip he undertook with fellow Woodlore field staff members Steve Corbyn and Rob Bashford in February this year:

“With ice axes and crampons packed, Steve Corbyn and I landed near Inverness to meet Rob Bashford for a long weekend of winter walking, learning new skills and refreshing ourselves before the new course season at Woodlore. After buying our food and settling into our dorm at the Glenmore youth hostel we chatted about the coming activities and caught up over tea.

Day 1:

We were up early the next morning in order to meet Gary, our instructor for the day. We felt it important to ensure our skills were as fresh as possible and, after a brief from Gary and a chat about the day’s aims, we set off for Coire an Lochain with the following tasks in mind to focus on:

  • Use of an ice axe for stability, cutting steps, fall arrest
  • Assessing snow pack avalanche risk using a hasty pit
  • Movement with and without crampons
Digging a hasty pit

Senior Assistant Steve Corbyn digging a hasty pit

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How to Make Your Own Cooking Tripod

Last month we shared our guide on how to cook a Hunter’s Stew in the outdoors, in which we suspended a small Dutch oven over the campfire using a tripod made from natural materials. For those who haven’t made one before, here’s a quick guide on how to make your own cooking tripod.

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The various ways of suspending a pot over the fire are almost endless, but the adjustable tripod hanger is one of the simplest and most effective options, particularly when you encounter hard or rocky ground. Not only is it a practical tool, it is also an elegant addition to any camp. Requiring only basic tools and a few simple skills, it is quick and easy to make.  Continue reading

#AskWoodlore – Interview with Sarah Day

Just over two weeks ago we asked you to send us some questions for an interview with one of Woodlore’s Aspirant Instructors, Sarah Day. Many of you took the time to kindly send us your questions, which we then whittled down to the best 10 and Sarah took some time out of her busy schedule to give us this insightful interview:

Sarah Day

Sarah Day taking part in Woodlore’s swift water training

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