The following post was kindly written by Woodlore Senior Course Assistant Wayne Egerton:

Woodlore Team Member Wayne Egerton

“I’m having a girlie night in tonight with some friends.” Barely had my wife finished uttering these words and my rucksack was being stuffed and hoisted onto my shoulder. I knew just the spot… a seaside location about an hour’s walk away, and usually deserted.

The weather was clear, cold (2-3 degrees) and not a breath of wind. The joy of walking on one’s own is you see and hear more; wildlife not scared away by the idle banter of a pair. A woodpecker, wren, robin and not to mention a surprised fox, and that was only on the way there.

Tarp up and fire going, just big enough to keep warm and have a brew. As light faded, the tide retreated and it was just the oyster catchers, the curlew and the chill. I’m sure a fox visited in the night, but my hat was still on my head when I woke.

Home for the night

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Woodlore’s fundamental instructor Dan Hume shares his thoughts of Woodlore’s latest Flint Knapping courses:

Woodlore recently ran two flint knapping courses in the beautiful Sussex countryside. Guided through the skills by expert Will Lord, the weekend was based on the fascinating ‘Amesbury Archer‘, and during the course we replicated some of the tools and other items found surrounding his burial site.

Prehistoric tools of the trade

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The following article was written by Aspirant Instructor and regular blogger Sarah Day:

Sarah Day

This season I’ve been working quite a variety of courses and I’ve been struck by how different they are in terms of overall feel. The Fundamental Bushcraft courses are very fast-paced, with lots of skills and lectures being crammed into the week. The Campcraft course meanwhile is slightly slower-paced, to allow for adjustments to using a heavier more powerful tool like the axe. The Tracking Course is much slower, but no less intense; I would say that it has a more academic feel – not that you spend the week studying books, but because you are encouraged to study the minutiae of the woods, to really slow down and try and take it all in.

But whatever the prevailing atmosphere on even the most intense of courses, the aim is rarely to cause stress or fear; to test you certainly, and make you push yourself, but not to actually be stressful. The WEM courses are slightly different.

We put a hell of a lot of time (usually in the evenings, that’s when you might catch us whispering and cackling in a conspiratorial way), effort and material resources (the makeup box is awesome) into turning first aid from an academic exercise to a practical one; because that’s where a lot of first aid training fails – it doesn’t prepare you for actually doing it for real.

A typically realistic first-aid scenario from the WEM3 Course

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2012 has seen a whole host of new courses being added to the Woodlore roster, covering such skills as navigation, flint knapping and tracking. Arguably though, the most important skill to have in Bushcraft is the ability to create fire and, as we all know, there is more than one way to do it. Woodlore’s first ever Fire Lighting Techniques course took place last week to teach exactly that, with a cracking team of Dan, Keith and Steve at the helm.

Fire Lighting Techniques – 2012

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For those of you who are unaware, Woodlore has now been running a series of First Aid courses for over four years. Nowadays, a quick search online will reveal dozens, if not hundreds, of first aid training providers. But what makes a Woodlore First Aid course so special is that we gear them specifically for those of you who spend time in the outdoors. What’s more, each course revolves around highly realistic scenarios, aimed to really put your learning to the test.

Students rush to the aid of a gunshot wound victim on the WEM2

So if you work in the outdoors, go camping alone or with friends, or are planning a more serious expedition, then the Wilderness Emergency Medic (WEM) range of courses that Woodlore run will provide you with first aid training that could prove vital in the field.

This year’s Level 2 course took place at the end of June and, with the help of Woodlore’s ever-inventive team, is now firmly in the running as one of our most gruesome courses yet! The aim of this method of teaching is to prepare our students for the worst; understanding first aid is one thing, but being able to apply that knowledge at times of high pressure is essential. A word of warning though – stop here if you’re squeamish…

Aspirant Instructor Sarah Day plays her part in a burns scenario

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