SCANDIC BUSHCRAFT OUTDOOR COMPETENCY LEVEL 1
This is a two day hands on Bushcraft course based entirely outdoors in the heart of Valdres National Park. This is a thorough course that focuses on essential skills but it will also give an individual the supportive knowledge behind these skills refining their understanding of the methods they are using.
Who is this course designed for?
Are you completely new to bushcraft and primitive living skills? Perhaps you have some experience and you want to develop this? Maybe you have your own equipment that you want to use or refine so you have a reliable system coupled with a good foundation of Bushcraft skills?
If this is the case then this course will be an ideal course for you to attend. It is by no means a basic course and the subjects you learn will be challenging but these challenges will only push your skills and knowledge beyond your own expectations. If you are new to bushcraft then you will leave the course with a sound knowledge of Bushcraft skills and the ability to go out and use these skills in a natural environment utilizing equipment alongside natural resources.
Course Details
- Duration:2-day course from 9:30 till 3:00pm following day
- Instructor:Marc , Odd, Patrick
- Location:Valdres National Park
- Group Size:maximum of 10
- Minimum Age:12 years (under 18 yrs must be accompanied by adult)
- Cost:Kr 1750 per person (special introductory price for 2018)
- Packing List: I have created a packing list for you (PACKING LIST CL1)
- Food:You will be fully catered for and please let us know when booking if you have any dietary requirement.
- Booking: Please email me at info@scandicbushcraft.com
Availability
- May 27th-28th -Full
- June 24th-25th (Places Available)
- September:16th – 17th (Places Available)
- October:21st – 22nd (Places Available)
We have outlined below what we think you are going to need with you on a Trek & Tipi camp weekend. If there is anything you think we may have missed then please do let us know.
When you arrive on the morning of your Trek & Tipi camp, to make the trek a lot more enjoyable, you will leave your camp gear with us and we will transport it to the camp site. You will be trekking with your day sack only so, to save a lot of unpacking in the car park, please ensure your packs are split accordingly between day stuff and overnight things.
Course Syllabus
Understanding and selecting Knives, Saws and Axes
We will work closely with select tools that can be carried easily and used in a wilderness environment. Knives, Axes and Saws come in many forms for many reasons and as we work together we will cover using these tools safely and effectively, exploring cutting techniques while creating something very special. The items you create will require the use of all these tools and you will need to take great care in creating these items as you will be using them to achieve something special on the second day.
Shelter setup and learning essential knots
The importance of shelter cannot be stressed enough, and in the mountains the weather will soon highlight any cut corners in your shelter. Learn how to string and setup a lightweight DD Tarpaulin so it can be deployed at a moment’s notice and packed away easily. Together we will go through selecting a location to sleep in the woodlands, arranging the ground to adhere to your body shape so that you can get a comfortable night’s sleep. You will also cover essential knots so that you can string up and take down your setup without complication.
Understanding fire lighting skills
Fire lighting skills are fundamental to good bushcraft and like all bushcraft skills it’s the resources that directly surround you that are available for use. We will break fire lighting down into usable methods directly relating them to our environment and weather conditions so that you can understand what to look for and how to make its successful. Tinder fungus, barks, resins and dead standing wood types will all be covered and once you have had some hands-on experience we will head into the woodlands where you will gather your own resources to successfully make a fire.
A walk around the woodland
After we have finished dinner and had some downtime we will take a short walk through the woodlands . The evening is fairly relaxed at camp and if people have questions or equipment they wish to casually go over this is a great time to do it.
Learning how to maintain or sharpen a Knife and Axe
Keeping your tools in check is very important and often a skill that many find difficult. You could have a stunning handmade knife with an edge that can shave the hairs off your arm but if you cannot maintain or put that edge back when needed then it will start to perform poorly. After breakfast, we will cover knife maintenance starting with edge maintenance on the strop and targeting areas of the blade that need attention with field stones. After this everyone will move into sharpening where everyone will bring a dull blade back to life. Axes will follow on from this, so if you have your own knife that you want to sharpen then this is a good time to do it.
Creating insulation by weaving plant fibers
As a group, we will explore some of the basics of natural shelter construction and briefly touch on one form of natural cordage. After this we will create thatching using grasses with a simple weaving loom that can be constructed from basic materials. This highlights the importance of insulation on the ground but also how to bind sticks and almost all plant fibers to make thatching for roofs and walls in a simple way.
Fire by friction
When you start the course your very first woodworking task is to create a bow drill set that suits your posture. This may seem advanced at this stage when learning Bushcraft skills but its a fantastic way of pushing people past their own expectations. Creating a bow drill set requires an emotional investment because while making it you are conscious that getting the details right means you are that much closer to success. I will be making a set on the day alongside you and if you look after your set and keep it dry then you have a great chance of getting and ember. Once I have demonstrated how the set works you can take yours and head into the woodland to find a comfortable place to burn in and begin working the set.
Summary
You are able to take your sets home to further practice your bow drill technique although it is tradition to burn the set once you have successfully made a fire with it. This is an immersive experience and a very hands-on one and I hope to meet you in the near future if you’re interested in joining myself, Odd and Patric for a Bushcraft experience you won’t forget.
Please find booking information and course details at the top of the page.
This is a two day hands on Bushcraft course based entirely outdoors in the heart of Valdres National Park. This is a thorough course that focuses on essential skills but it will also give an individual the supportive knowledge behind these skills refining their understanding of the methods they are using.