Survival Week Training

For those who are not taking part in the project you'll be pleased to hear that one of our primary goals is to use all of the skills gained over the week's course to help us provide stimulating bushcraft camping events for children who wouldn't normally be able to experience such things - the idea being that we provide it without cost to parents and that it can be run on a volunteer basis. Sounds good huh?

Details of our site location have now been re-confirmed after the first site fell through. The real plus side is that this site is much closer to home in Devizes and has been provided to us by the Braeside Conference & Education Centre. This is a real bonus as it gives us a good base to also tramp up to Roundway Hill and the surrounds - brilliant!

Our schedule has altered due to the change of site - what I've done instead is to block what we'll be covering into 5 different days - that'll give us a bit of flexibility with the weather.

Arrive Monday 26th 1.30pm - Day A:
After setting up the modern camp first we'll have a look at:
Shelters - a look at some of the most basic and effective shelter types culminating in a group shelter being built by everyone, depending on available resources. It may also be necessary to move off site to pick up other resources (extra wood for fires and shelters, foliage for bedding etc). Well also look at some of the basic fire lays and test them along side each other.

Day B:
Fire Lighting - modern day cigarette lighters, matches, through to battery and magnifying glass fires, and then all the way through to fire by friction
Fire Lays - what type of fire for when (including wood selection and collection)
Back Country Cooking

Day C:
Navigation - from compass & maps, to stars, sun and moss
Tracking - silent movement and sign tracking
Game Trapping - investigation into simple dead fall traps through to snares and more complex trigger traps
Game Dressing - how to gut and skin your food so that it can be safely eaten

Day D:
Wild foods Identification and Uses - including some new ways to look at finding food
Tree Identification
Carving Techniques
Tools and Maintenance
Knots

Day E:
Water Collection, Storage & Purification
Wilderness Safety & Hygiene
Kit & Equipment
The Psychology of Wilderness Living

Some of the above will also change and swap around a little depending on when people with different expertise and skills can make themselves available.

Anyone who has not contacted me but wanted to take part should email me by Wednesday evening - after that I'm away until Sunday… you can always bell me.

Don't forget tents, warm clothes, warm bedding and waterproofs. Torches and knives are also necessary. Food, tea and a cookout would also be a good plan. See you there.

Dates n Things

For the survival week I'm currently working on Monday October the 26th as the start date, running though to Saturday the 31st. So put pen to colanders my friends.

Once again, do let me know if you are serious about taking part - it's not necessary to commit to all 5 days. Closer to the time I'll publish the schedule for the syllabus so you can pick and choose. You can let me know by email at (marcus.glendinning(at)gmail.com). Numbers will determine the types of facilities we can get sorted so the sooner I know the better.

One of the most well received things to bring along to an adventure like this is a good tale or a song - especially if they contain their own special wisdom. Check out this poem:

Oak-logs will warm you well
That are old and dry
Logs of pine will sweetly smell
But the sparks will fly
Birch-logs will burn too fast
Chestnut scarce at all
Hawthorn-logs are good to last
Cut them in the fall.
Holly-logs will burn like wax
You may burn them green
Elm-logs are like smouldering flax
With no flame to be seen
Beech-logs for winter time
Yew-logs as well
Green elder-logs it is a crime
For any man to sell.
Pear-logs and apple-logs
They will scent your room
Cherry-logs across the dogs
Will smell like flower of broom
But ash-logs, smooth and grey
Burn them green or old
Buy up all that come your way
They're worth their weight in gold.

(I think this was from an old book
called Celtic Tree Mysteries).

For many years I've had a love for the countryside and a keen interest in how to live in it using the skills and knowledge of our ancestors. On a very practical level I've always wanted to know how to survive from the land from scratch. I have gained a little knowledge over the years from books and TV but now I want to go out and put some of this stuff to the test.

So in late October I'm going into the woods and I'd like to invite my friends and anyone who is interested in this stuff to come and join me. The course will last five nights and cover the following:

Shelters - a look at some of the most basic and effective shelter types culminating in a group shelter being built by everyone
Fire Lighting - modern day cigarette lighters, matches, through to battery and magnifying glass fires, and then all the way through to fire by friction
Fire Lays - what type of fire for when (including wood selection and collection)
Back Country Cooking
Wild foods Identification and Uses - including some new ways to look at finding food
Game Trapping - investigation into simple dead fall traps through to snares and more complex trigger traps
Game Dressing - how to gut and skin your food so that it can be safely eaten
Tracking - silent movement and sign tracking
Tree Identification
Carving Techniques
Tools and Maintenance
Navigation - from compass & maps, to stars, sun and moss
Water Collection, Storage & Purification
Wilderness Safety & Hygiene
Kit & Equipment
The Psychology of Wilderness Living

Now I'm no expert in this stuff yet so clearly there's going to be no charge for this, although there may be some small donations necessary for some basic bits and bobs. I can share my knowledge in some of the areas and I know that we should have some friends experienced in game preparation, fire by friction, wild foods and even flint napping coming along. At this stage I have most of a syllabus put together covering topics for all the above headings. It's going to be a group effort with everyone working together. Essentially we'll all be helping each other to learn and understand the principles of this lore that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

My personal goal is to be able to wonder into the woods whenever I like, at any time of the year and with no kit. It's partly my desire to be able to survive at the most basic level, and partly my fascination with the Aboriginal connection to the land - to be able to sense the signs - so that a even a type of bird call tell me that there is danger or food ahead. I see this week in October to be the foundation for fulfilling these goals.

So what needs to happen? Well, first of all I'm doing this regardless of numbers, but there may be a limitation on numbers depending on the location. So if you are interested and can come along then let me know by email or phone.

Next, watch a few videos so that you can get some basic kit together. I'll list my kit here a little later… there are tons of lists available, have a look around and get a sense of what you might want to bring. Just remember to keep it simple, light and cheap. Like I say, more on the kit a bit later.

I would also like to hand each participant a section to read up on - ideally something you've already had experience with. Then, when it comes to that part of the course you can be at hand to help guide the rest of us through what you may have learned.

That's it for now, look forwards to hearing from you :)

Oh, check out this video - based in Northern America or Canada. I like this because it shows a very basic kit can be carried that is simple and cheap. Brilliant



Also, quite funny but contains some of the core principles of survival... I especially lmao with his special walk...