Day 2 was the first full day of our Birch Bark Canoe Building Course and spirits were high; despite the hard work ahead, the anticipation and excitement was clear to see in the students. Seeking shelter from the sun, the team worked together with master canoe builder Pinock Smith on hand and, by the end of the day, they had achieved a great deal of preparation work for this momentous project.
Birch Bark Canoe Building with Ray Mears and Pinock Smith – Day 2
This week sees an incredibly unique course taking place right here in the UK, in celebration of Woodlore’s 30th Anniversary. The Birch Bark Canoe Building Course started yesterday afternoon, and has brought together some highly influential figures from the world of Bushcraft.
Ray Mears begins carving his canoe paddle
Ray Mears while on location for Close Encounters
The first episode of Ray’s brand new series, Ray Mears Close Encounters, will be broadcast at 9:00 pm on Wednesday 17th July on ITV1.
In this new two-part documentary series, survival expert and presenter Ray Mears follows two of Australia’s most iconic animals, the Saltwater Crocodile and Tasmanian Devil. By studying these animals up close and in the wild, Ray gains a privileged insight into their unique habitats, in Australia’s Northern Territory and Tasmania’s wilderness. Continue reading
Students of our Traditional Living Skills course were treated to a fantastic bit of al fresco dining one evening last week. In between shelter building and hand-drill practice, our Woodloreans were presented with this juicy, slow-cooked leg of lamb, courtesy of our experienced instructors:
Supper time on the Traditional Living Skills course
Supper time on the Traditional Living Skills course
Building and expanding on the skills of the Fundamental Bushcraft course, Traditional Living Skills is designed for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Bushcraft, and is ideal for those preparing for our Journeyman course.
It gives us great pleasure to introduce to you the Ray Mears Leaf Cutter Rucksack, the first ever pack to have been designed and tested by Ray Mears himself:
The Ray Mears Leaf Cutter Rucksack
Manufactured in small numbers right here in Great Britain, the Leaf Cutter Rucksack offers 58 litres of packing volume in its main compartment despite weighing in at just 1.8 kg.
Continue reading
The first ever autobiography by Ray Mears, entitled My Outdoor Life, is now available to pre-order. Each copy sold through Woodlore will come individually signed by Ray Mears himself – a service that is not available through any other stockists.
Please click here to pre-order your copy today
*All orders will be dispatched following the book’s release date of 12th September 2013.
Your jacket is often your first line of defence against the elements, so it’s important to choose one that isn’t going to let you down. Woodlore stock a wide range of premium outdoor jackets – here are just three of our favourites:
1. Swazi/Ray Mears Tahr XP Anorak
First in line is the legendary Swazi Tahr XP Anorak – an unmistakable piece of outdoor gear that has become Ray Mears’ firm favourite over the years. Originally designed for use by the farm workers of New Zealand (a people who see more than their fair share of rain), news soon spread of its unrivalled wet-weather performance and the anorak was quickly adopted by bushcraft enthusiasts and outdoor professionals around the world. With its extra-long cut, world-renowned hood design and highly breathable AEGIS fabric, the Tahr XP is the cream of the crop when it comes to staying dry.
For anyone interested in buying a set of Ice Bear Japanese Waterstones, the following video guides from Ray Mears may prove to be very useful. They’re especially helpful if you are not already familiar with the different techniques involved in using these larger benchstones.
The Ice Bear Japanese Waterstone Sharpening Set
Each video shows Ray using the comprehensive Ice Bear Sharpening Set (which includes both 800 and 2,000 grit stones, a clamp and nagura stone), as well as an additional 1,200 Grit Waterstone.
First up is the Ray Mears guide on how to sharpen your bushcraft knife:
Second is a guide for owners of Gransfors Axes:
Click here to view the full range of Sharpening Tools at Woodlore
The following article was written by Aspirant Instructor Rob Bashford about a recent coast to coast journey he undertook across the top of Scotland:
The plan was simple. To cross the Northern Highlands of Scotland on foot from West coast to East coast, a distance of some 65 miles.
Packing for a trip is an art and my girlfriend and I were striving to achieve the right balance between light pack weight, safety and comfort. This means thinking hard about what items are really essential and those which can be considered a luxury. On this note, we opted to carry bivi bags and a tarp, rather than a tent. As someone who has spent a lot of time under tarps in the woods, I know they are a fantastic way to sleep out and I was keen to experiment with pitching my new Hilleberg tarp in the open terrain of the Scottish Highlands.
The Hilleberg Tarp in use in Scotland
The first of the Woodlore UK courses took place over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Here is some feedback from client Stuart Mason after he attended the Woodlore Introduction to Bushcraft course:
I got back today from my Introduction to Bushcraft course, taught by Keith and Mark.
I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the course, how much I learned, and home much stuff I thought I know that I unlearned! The pace and content of the course was ideal, and I have nothing but praise for the skills, patience and friendliness of both Keith and Mark.
Client shelters on the Introduction to Bushcraft course
In terms of expectations, the washing facilities were rather tough – but then I guess you don’t yet have the mastery over the weather!! Ice cold water (with ice crystals!) in a bowl.
The packing list was very useful, and I came more prepared than required, which is far more preferable to the alternative. So, I’ll be looking at the other courses available, and will now be trying to persuade a few friends to try it too.
Stuart Mason
The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 