The brand new Swazi/Ray Mears Anorak

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Woodlore have some very exciting kit news today – after more than a year of research and product development, with Woodlore working closely alongside Swazi Clothing, we can finally reveal the latest addition to the Swazi/Ray Mears range:

The Swazi Narwhal Anorak

The Swazi/Ray Mears Narwhal Gore-Tex Anorak

The Swazi/Ray Mears Narwhal Anorak is an extremely lightweight jacket, made from the durable 2-layer Gore-Tex PacLite fabric, making it completely waterproof, windproof and highly breathable. It’s an ideal piece of clothing for lightweight backpacking, stalking, cross-country skiing, or any activity where space and weight are critical.

Having been instrumental in the design and development process of this garment, we are very happy to see this project come to fruition. The Swazi/Ray Mears Narwhal Anorak is now available exclusively in the UK from Woodlore.

Last-minute Journeyman course spaces!

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We’ve recently had a couple of cancellations on this year’s Journeyman courses, taking place at the end of August. The Journeyman is Woodlore’s advanced-level Bushcraft course that takes place in Scotland, which people can attend once they have passed the Woodlore Fundamental Bushcraft course.

The Journeyman Course Continue reading →

A Ray Mears Super Tarp, a canoe, and a bit of imagination…

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Mark and Lucy Hotson, long time customers and friends of Woodlore, recently sent in this fantastic picture from their holiday to Dorset:

The Ray Mears Super Tarp

Mark & Lucy's Super Tarp pitched over their canoe

Set on a beautiful stretch of beach, it shows their Ray Mears Super Tarp pitched over their upturned canoe, providing a bit of much-needed shelter from the sun. Nice touch with the cooking tripod too!

Swazi’s Davey Hughes pays Woodlore a visit

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Ray Mears & Davey Hughes of Swazi Clothing

Ray Mears with Davey Hughes of Swazi Clothing

This week, we’ve had the pleasure of being in the company of the one and only Mr. Davey Hughes, a good friend all the way from Swazi Clothing headquarters over in New Zealand.

Here in the UK on business, Davey visited Woodlore for a couple of days to talk hunting, look at some new clothing ideas and, most importantly, pose for a manly picture for the blog.

New Introduction to Bushcraft course photo gallery

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A new photo gallery is now live on our website for the Introduction to Bushcraft course, showing some of the pictures taken by staff and students over this year’s course season.

Leaf shelter

Just one of the leaf shelters built by students this year

For what seemed like the first time in years, students were lucky enough to have the sun shining over them while pitching their tarps, learning fire-lighting techniques, cooking over the campfire and building their leaf shelters.

Caterpillars and moths

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The following article was kindly written by Woodlore field staff member Sarah Day:

I found this moth larvae on an apple tree in my garden. It is the larvae of a vapourer moth as far as I can tell though it doesn’t have the ‘tail’ tuft shown in a lot of photos. The odd thing about this species is that the female is flightless, looking a bit like a hairy overweight woodlouse! They live on a variety of trees and shrubs, as well as broad bean plants it would seem, as they have demolished mine very efficiently.

Larvae of a vapourer moth

A larvae of a vapourer moth found in Woodlore field staff member Sarah's garden

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A glimpse into Woodlore’s past

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Annemarie Hopper, a student of a number of Woodlore’s courses between 1998 – 1999, including the Introduction to Bushcraft as well as a wilderness cooking course, kindly got in touch with us recently to say she had some photos to hand that she had taken all those years back.

The resulting pictures were great to see, offering a glimpse into Woodlore’s past. After all these years, it’s amazing to see just how much has changed, while so much has stayed the same…

Ray Mears bow drill

Ray Mears demonstrating the bow drill technique of fire lighting

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Reconnaissance mission: Know your foraging grounds!

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The following article was kindly written by Woodlore Field Staff member Sarah Day: 

Rowan Berries
Rowan Berries

“Foraging for wild foods is not like just walking round a supermarket. The availability of foods and materials changes with the cycles of the year. We’re used to being able to eat strawberries at Christmas and have fresh apples all year round. If you’re foraging, it simply doesn’t work that way. Continue reading →

New Intermediate Bushcraft course photo gallery

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The Intermediate Bushcraft course

The hand drill method of fire-lighting

As you may know, Woodlore’s very first Traditional Living Skills course took place in late June – a brand new course aimed at teaching traditional living skills & classic wilderness Bushcraft.

The Course leader and office staff member Steven managed to get some photos of just some of the skills and techniques being taught on this course, and the resulting Intermediate Bushcraft photo gallery is now live for all to see.

A Summer Treat

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The following post and accompanying photos were kindly put together by Sarah Day of our Field Staff team:

Foraging for fungi and the resulting activity in the kitchen is often thought of as an autumn pursuit; not so. Chicken of the woods (sulphur polypore/Laetiporus sulphureus) is one of many types of fungi that appear over the summer. This particular fungus often appears in late June, rather obligingly in the same place year after year; its dead whitish fruitbodies signposting the way to next years crop.

Laetiporus sulphureus

Laetiporus sulphureus, commonly known as ‘Chicken of the woods’

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