With the upcoming course season celebrating our 35th anniversary, the Woodlore field team assembled to share tales of adventures over the winter and maintain skills and knowledge in preparation for a very exciting year, with Ray leading a selection of time-honoured courses.
Fundamental Bushcraft with Ray Mears
Woodlore Aspirant Instructor and Quartermaster David Southey recently enjoyed some well-earned downtime following his trip to Finland, assisting Ray on the Woodlore Winter Bushcraft in the Northen Forest Expedition and before the busy course season gets underway in April.
Winter Bushcraft in the Northern Forest
Our final instalment from Senior Assistant Callum Hilder, of his recent solo trip to the Cairngorm National Park:
So lunch over and a chill coming over me from sitting down I move on. As I continue around the base of the Forest of Mar I can see woodland in the distance. After a short while I cross the Lin of Dee river and see numerous signs stating ‘no fires’, quite rightly as it is very dry and the vegetation let alone the peaty ground is perfect tinder, sadly though I come across a ring of stones with a large old fire inside. This really spoils the countryside and I am so very glad that I have been taught to leave no trace wherever I camp!
Fire remains
Our Woodlore courses due to take place in 2019 are now available to book on the website. In celebration of our 35th Anniversary, Ray has offered his time to lead some of his usual courses, alongside some of our classics, giving everyone the chance to learn a range of bushcraft skills directly from Ray.
Ray Mears
I have been using Gransfors axes for many years now and there’s no doubting the quality of what you get. Hand forged in Sweden by blacksmiths of great experience they are tools to use, cherish and pass on. What comes out of the box however, may be a little different from the nurtured and well-worn implements that you will see put to work by our instructors.
From time to time people comment that the helve on the axe that they have just bought doesn’t display the patina that they may have seen on other axes and this is true. Gransfors make strong working tools that are good to put to their intended task from day one but it takes time for your axe to pick up the distinctive marks and wear that make it your own.
Gransfors axe handles before and after treatment
The Woodlore team got the opportunity to hone some essential skills earlier this week as part of the field staff’s annual training. At the top of the list was a renewal of our essential 1st aid skills which will ensure that we are prepared for anything that the season can throw at us and more importantly, be better informed and able to prevent situations reaching the point where intervention is required.
First aid training
We have recently been sent the following, lovely post, from long-term Woodlorean Bosco Li. Bosco has successfully tried his hand at making a pair of beautiful Sami shoe bands, after seeing them on his Arctic Experience Expedition with Woodlore:
I remember hazy childhood days when we had the luxury of daydreaming about the world and pondering fanciful thoughts. I recall one such recurring whimsy being whether I’d prefer living in the freezing cold or the sweltering heat if I were forced to choose. I’d mull over the pros and cons endlessly, until I concluded the answer would simply be whichever one I was more adept at thriving in! To that end, many years later I booked and was fortunate enough to learn about arctic survival with the Woodlore School of Wilderness Bushcraft.
Sami shoe bands
