The bushcraft essentials are your companions during your wilderness immersion. That’s why you should carefully plan on what to bring. If you want to know more about this, here are some tips and reminders on bushcraft preparation and the bushcraft essentials.
The Bushcraft Basics to Remember
Know where you’re going – it’ll help you determine the type of bushcraft gear and clothes you’ll have to bring. It will also help you anticipate potential problems that you might encounter during your stay there.
Be sure to inform your family or any close friend where you are going. If you’re pretty new at bushcraft—or even on wilderness survival as a whole—it’s best to bring someone who’s experienced with the whole thing.
Bring your meds and first aid kit – don’t worry it will not lessen your manliness if you bring a first aid kit with you. Besides, if you have a pre-existing illness, these are certainly the bushcraft essentials.
Account the amount of supplies you need. As much as possible, don’t just bring “enough.” Always bring supplies that are good for more than the number of days you expect to stay in the wilderness. Be sure to pack clothes that are appropriate for the climate.
Must-Have Bushcraft Gear
So now that you know what bushcraft is, now you must bring the right bushcraft gear with you.
- Cutting Tools – generally, there are two basic cutting tools used in bushcraft. These are axes and knives. Between the two, however, knives are widely preferred because they’re handy and useful. Knives are also available as folding type and sheathed type.
What should I get—carbon steel knives or stainless steel knives? Honestly, it is a matter of preference.
Stainless steel is good because it doesn’t usually rust. It’s also easy to care for. The problem is that they’re hard to sharpen. It doesn’t stay sharp that long.
Although you really don’t want carbon steel knives if you’re near salt water because they rust easily, carbon steel knives are perfect because they have really sharp edges. They’re appropriate for wood carving and other activities that require a strong, sharp knife.
- Temporary shelter – people who are experienced at bushcraft won’t really have problems with shelter because they can build it from scratch. For beginners, this is something you have to carefully consider.
If you’re not going to camp at snowy or extreme cold climate, an inexpensive tent or bivouac would do. Alternatively, you could use basha (waterproof canvas), poncho, or tarp for temporary shelters.
- Fire starting kit – starting a fire is probably one of the most important bushcraft skills you should master. There are really different techniques on how to manually start a fire, so it is best to learn one that’s suited to you.
You could bring bowdrill kits, burning glass lens, matches, candles, and/or cotton wool (to kindle fire). Or you could buy more sophisticated fire lighting tools, such as flint strikers and fire steels.
- Signaling and navigation bushcraft equipment – unless you want to get lost, be sure to take this survival gear along. You should bring a compass, head lamp, LED light, signal mirror, survival whistle, and carabiner.
All this talk about bushcraft equipment and bushcraft skills has probably got you itching to go on a wilderness trip. To make your experience enjoyable and hassle-free, be sure that you have all the bushcraft essentials you need.
