You may be wondering what bushcraft camping is for some time now. Maybe some of your friends are into wilderness survival and they’ve often talked about it.
We are here to guide you on what bush crafting is and what this collection of various skill sets is all about. You should know that there’s a lot that the knowledge of bushcraft has to offer you – remember that knowledge is never wasted.
Your knowledge of this topic will add more to your ability to adapt and thrive when you’re out in the wild. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Bushcrafting Meaning?
You should know that the term “bushcraft” is a collective name for a range of various individual survival tools and know-hows.
Bushcraft features observation methods, visual recognition, and all-round sensitivity to the vast natural presence in our immediate environment.
Bushcraft gives you the chance of adapting to your natural environment and opens your senses to feel the awe-inspiring presence of the wild.
The Origin of Bushcraft
Just like several other terms that originated from someplace sometime in history, the term “bushcraft” also originated from a particular set of people at a particular time in history.
The South African Australian indigenes from the 1800s made reference to the word “bushcraft” when they would talk about bush dwellers. The term “bushcraft” also earned its place in a book when the author, Ernest Favenc, used it in an 1888 publication.
Apart from these, the Dutch also contributed to the origination of the term. The term was coined from “Bosch” which was a term that the Dutch used when they referred to greenery and tree-covered areas. You’ve probably come across instances when the term “bushman” was used to refer directly to a person.
This can be traced back to when the Dutch people used it in their South African colonies. “Bushwacker” was also a derivation from the Dutch that was used for North Americans that they colonized – “bushwacker” means “bushkeeper.”
Is Bushcraft for You?
Now that you know what bushcraft camping is you should know who it is for?
You should know that there’s no restriction as to who can or who cannot practice bushcraft. This collection of skills is for anyone that’s interested in learning them. There are levels to it so that everyone can choose the extent to which they can go in the art of bushcrafting.
Based on your individual ability and interests, you might not be that much of a bushcrafter but there’s nothing wrong with that. There are also those who can go all the way.
One level of bushcrafting is foraging. This is a skill set that enables its user to collect bits of edible fruits and grubs from nature’s provisions when you’re out in the wild. There are several other skill sets – like wild or backcountry camping and map deployment – which are grouped together to form bushcraft.
You should know that what bushcraft truly entails is the ability of a person to thrive in the wilderness while depending on only nature’s provisions to survive.
Benefits of Bushcraft Camping
Here are some important things that you can learn from bushcraft:
You Will Get Close to Nature
For those of us who are enthusiasts of the wild and all things nature-related, your knowledge of it will go a long way in enhancing your love for bushcraft.
There are lots of amazing skills that you can deploy when practicing bushcrafting. These skills will help you to better enjoy your time in the midst of nature.
Skills like telling the cardinal points with the use of nature around you, identifying wild animals in their natural habitat, and more, will make your bushcraft experience worthwhile.
You Will Learn How to Survive
Bushcrafting reminds you of how little the things you need for survival are. You would be surprised to find out that a lot of the things you keep in your home, some of which you don’t even use, aren’t essential to your daily survival.
You Will Be Able to Relax
If your daily routine is a rush in the city – getting up early and hurrying down to work till late in the night – you can make use of your free time to slow down within nature’s beautiful presence.
You Will Start Appreciating the Little Things in Life
You might be living such a busy life that you never even get to experience the joy in doing simple things like making a cup of tea, cooking trout while camping or frying some eggs and bacon – everything you eat is from a fast-food joint.
You should seize the opportunity that bushcrafting offers you to gather materials and make some heat with raw natural tools. Enjoy doing some simple cooking over the fire you made and let joy fill your soul.
You Will Enjoy the Outdoors
If you care about studying tracks left in the ground by wild animals, you should plan a bushcrafting experience with friends that have similar interests.
Also, those who are interested in observing and getting familiar with plant or tree names and types, you will definitely enjoy being outside for some bushcrafting.
You Will Learn to Adapt
A lot of us are so dependent on machines and technological tools to make our lives easy and comfortable. If we suddenly got thrown into the wild we wouldn’t know what to do.
Bushcraft camping helps you to adapt and survive when you’re in the wild and surrounded by the fierce elements of nature.
Bushcraft Skills List
You also need to know what the individual skills associated with bushcrafting are.
The main bushcraft skills to practice are:
- Foraging for meals
- Trapping and hunting game
- Making a fire
- Shelter construction
- Collecting water and purifying it
You should keep in mind that the general knowledge of bushcraft enables you to harness all the skills mentioned above even in situations where you have minimal resources. Each skill has some associated tools.
Bushcraft Tools and Gear
To be able to successfully deploy the previously mentioned skills in bushcrafting, here’s a list of tools that you would need:
Knife
Not only are knives cool, but knives are also paramount tools in the bushcrafting world.
You can deploy a camping knife when you want to achieve cutting, sharpening, and shelling. Make sure that you confirm the strength and durability of the knife before purchasing it.
Axe
Where a knife fails due to its size, the axe will succeed. The axe is naturally bigger than the knife and it can be used when you need to chop up some wood or remove some hindering vegetation.
Water Filter
When you’re out in the wilderness, you definitely need to drink water from time to time.
To ensure that you have a portable water supply on you, you need to bring along a water filter or a water purifier. It will keep you hydrated as you enjoy your bushcraft experience.
Plastic Sheet
When you are setting up your tent for bushcrafting, you would need a roof to cover the tent. This is where the plastic sheet comes in. It’s a vital tool in shelter construction if you’re building a DIY camping tent and not buy one.
Kettle
When you need a warm drink, the kettle is a key tool that you would use to heat up some water. Take one with you.
Nylon Rope
Nylon ropes have proved to be useful tools when engaging in some bushcrafting exercise. Take some along with you on your trip into the wild.
Fire Steel
Fire steel is portable and can be used to facilitate a fire while you’re out bushcrafting. It is a cheap tool and it will also prove to be efficient.
Final Thoughts
Bushcrafting is definitely a great addition to your knowledge. It will enable you to adapt and survive when you find yourself out in the world. With your knowledge of bushcrafting, you would do well in a situation where you suddenly find yourself in the wild for one reason or the other.
Bushcrafting is also a nice opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and settle down within the serene environment which nature provides in abundance. Don’t mix up bushcraft with survival skills – they are two different things. However, both are just as important as the other.
Bushcrafting allows you to enjoy some of your natural hobbies and also opens your eyes to the realities and joys of being in a natural environment. You should remember that there are levels to bushcraft and you can always settle at a level that is convenient for you.
You don’t need to go all the way with the bushcrafting experience. Take all the necessary tools with you so that you can be able to deploy as many of the bushcraft skills as you can.
Now that you know this much on what bushcraft camping is, you can make use of this knowledge to have some fun in the wild.