Bushcraft survival refers to the art of using things in nature to survive. This term has been popularized by Ray Mears seen by many on television and also Les Hiddins (The bush Tucker Man), well known in Australia and other countries in the southern hemisphere. It involves the use of bushcraft knives, wild edible plants, natural shelters, fire survival, water procurement and purification, natural cordage and many other skills. Although many of these skills have been all but forgotten, mountain men and of course the American Indians knew them well.
First, these survival skills are useful for outdoor hobbyists who like backpacking, hiking, fishing or hunting. Things can go wrong out in the wilderness leaving a person in a potentially dangerous situation if they don’t know how to keep themselves alive using only what they have at hand. It certainly seems irresponsible to engage in these kinds of activities without being prepared to deal with the unexpected.
But what about the rest of us? Unfortunately, everyone now faces the very real possibility of disaster scenarios in this new terrorism age when the actions of a few people can put hundreds of thousands or even millions in peril if they don’t know how to survive. A mastery of these skills can actually mean the difference between life and death for you and your family.
While these skills can be learned through books or videos, the internet offers a rich sources of information on the subject as well. However, the bottom line for bushcraft survival is actually mastering the skills for yourself. This means you have to practice the various arts until you can perform them with predictability and with various resources. This is where the men are separated from the boys, as they say.
Bushcraft survival is a great family activity. It gives kids the sense of satisfaction that can be obtained by learning to be creative at solving problems using what is at hand. That ability alone can be invaluable at learning to tackle life’s challenges. In future articles we’ll look more closely at specific skills themselves. Hope you join us!
Read more articles by Griz Garzo about Bushcraft Survival by visiting http://www.bushcraftsurvival.net.
