YOUR WEEKEND IN THE WOODS

Your adventure will begin with arrival at our woodland basecamp set amongst ancient trees and wildflowers. From here we will take a short walk out into the woods to learn how to view the natural world through the eyes of our ancestors.

Having each been issued with your own knife to use for the weekend, we will then look at the wealth of natural materials available to us and then put these materials to the test with a practical session of shelter building as your tutor guides you through the skills required to build two styles of simple but effective shelter using all natural materials from the woodland itself.

Next we will gather around our new woodland homes to practise further safe cutting techniques with our knives which can be used for a range of practical applications. You will also be shown how to use a folding saw effectively, avoiding the pitfalls that come with poor technique. Next it’s time to get to grips with the axe as you are introduced to a variety of types; which axe for which task, how to split wood safely and with minimal effort and basic carving techniques. Throughout this session you will learn how to make smart decisions about which living materials we should harvest and which we should consider passing by.

Your first afternoon will be spent focused on firelighting skills. You will gain skills using tried & tested techniques. Choose from; firesteel, solar fire, chemical, electrical or traditional flint & steel to produce embers and flames of quality. Then we will be exploring the woods on the hunt for natural tinders, kindling and firewood, including how find them even in wet conditions.

Next you will unlock the secrets of fire by friction by learning to use the bow drill, an ancient form of firelighting. We guarantee you will have success using this iconic technique. Your tinder and firewood will be put to good use as you learn how to use these to build your own campfire. Finally you will be be shown how to minimise your trace and lessen your impact on the land when bushcrafting.

On the Saturday evening we come together as a group to prepare freshly cooked campfire meal in our traditional dutch oven. You’ll enjoy good food and good company around the campfire as humans have done for thousands of generations. Then you have the option to join us for either a natural navigation session by starlight (weather dependent) or a night-time tree ID walk, an exercise which will really hone your senses.

Day two will introduce further key skills as well as build on the foundations you already have. You will discover how to source, filter and purify water from natural sources. Learn how to make water safe to drink. We will then turn our attention to making natural cordage from woodland plants and trees. Having made your cordage, you will then be testing its strengths and applications by rigging tarp shelters with what you’ve crafted.

Your final afternoon will aim to bring all your new skills together with a range of challenges designed to put into practise all you have learned. Using your sharp tools, you will create campcraft devices to make outdoor life easy and you will go through the whole process of creating your own campfire using natural tinders and fire by friction to boil your own woodland brew – which, we assure you, will taste very satisfying indeed.

On the Friday and Saturday nights you can choose to sleep out in your own built woodland shelter or tree hammock and wake up in the woods. It’s going to be a weekend you won’t forget.