Bushcraft is a massive Journey that can be enjoyable for all ,its not about having the best gear, simply poking a fire with a stick cooking on a stick sleeping under the stars life don’t get much better Nick you are a brilliant ambassador for the outdoors and the knowledge you pass on is priceless thank you very much for sharing 💪🏴👍🔥🥩🍺🍺
Well living in a area where the next storn could take your house. For me it is more a way of life to walk out of a disaster if needs be. Lol speaking of which the hurricane season is near and it just started raining cats and dogs outside. There is an inch of standing water in the streets in a few minutes and looking out a window looks like a waterfall. Lol But tomarrow all the streets will be clean. Lol
So true about army surplus. Since finding a good one here in Glasgow I’ve been loving the deals. Bar having the soul fall off a pair of NATO desert army boots everything has been bombproof. A book I love is that big black white and red SAS survival handbook. You know the one I mean. Covers everything from nuclear war to naval search & rescue. Thanks for the tweet about the Laplander saw Nick. For one coming.
Just getting into the idea of bushcraft with my brother. I have had a really difficult year so far, with a breakdown of a long term relationship, a suicide attempt and not being able to see my daughter. I really want to get out in nature and I am finding your videos really informative! Keep up the excellent work, mate.
I could sense the mora before i even clicked the video, Itd almost be dishonest to not include one in a budget list. I've yet to see another knife that compares for the price. You could probally really cheap out and make do with a tarp from poundland or somthing like that but not for me.. i got a like new/new dpm basha instead. Somthing id perhaps add to this list.. SAS survival guide pocket edition, Cheap as chips and written by survival/bushcraft legend john lofty wiseman.
I would be very careful about cheap tarps in British weather. DD 3x3 saved my four points of contact at least once in a very strong wind in Dartmoor, and I wonder if Poundland stuff can do the same. Maybe, maybe not - it's probably good enough for first steps in a garden, or somewhere not far from home. Of course, it's possible to grab something really good as well in cheap stores.
@@ifyoudontfailyouarenoteven6210 Video is aimed at beginners and my comment is also, Theres no way id go somewhere extremely exposed to the elements if i was just starting. If i was supremely confident in my firelighting and other shelter building skills maybe youd try that.
Another fine video Nick. My favorite night table book that never gets old is the "SAS Survival Guide" by John Wiseman 1986 (pocket sized) that I've had since my young military days. And while I have the U.S. GI canteen set, I'm going to treat myself to the complete BCB Crusader system for my birthday. It's far more functional/stable.
The metal camping mug is a must. I think mine is a Dutch? version of the British Crusader design that is a fraction of the price. But having a nesting water bottle that slides into a metal camping mug, and all fits neatly into a pouch, is golden. That means more than half a litre of water and a cooking tool, all nicely nested together in a pouch. Stick a couple of instant noodles and some coffee sachets in your pockets and that will carry you over a weekend. It recently dawned on me that if you have a Crusader Cup (or some equivalent), that means you dont have to bring mess tins and a whole lot of other cooking crap. If you want to camp for recreation then that is great and I absolutely respect it. But if you just want to carry a few calories and the ability to boil brews and sterilise water, then all you need is a water bottle and a steel mug. I have already cooked a few meals in that damn mug and since its steel, you can scrub off all the carbon when you get home
While learning from books is a beneficial source there are often local options to learn from those who have the experience to teach. My local community college offered a course in "primitive survival" that I and a friend took advantage of. Six weeks of twice a week classes in all things bushcraft with a final exam of weekend camp out. Also took advantage of a class offered by a tracking group who assist law enforcement in finding missing persons or escaped criminals. For those of us who learn more quickly by doing rather than reading this affords a speedy learning curve.
Shameless plug but your book when complete needs to be on the list of reads lol., Wilderness Axe Skills and Campcraft Book by Paul Kirtley, in the past I have read Lofty Wiseman's book, whatever happened with that bergen he invented?
no axe use a folding saw and a strong thick knife .you can saw wood and split wood by baton the back of the knife , your not building a log cabin ,just processing wood for fire and shelter a axe is both heavy and very dangerous ,when you are tired and its getting dark where is the nearest Hospital !
@FukTheGender Agenda Ive wild camp for decades you dont need a axe and when you wild camp never put up your shelter until last light you only need to process wood not cut down trees
Hi Nick, great video. I can't find the link in the description for that knowledge thing you mention at the end? I'm assuming it's some sort of hat given you kept pointing to your head.
TWO GREAT BOOKS!!! MORS KOCHANSKIS BUSH CRAFT OUTDOOR SKILLS AND WILDERNESS SURVIVAL AND JOHN WISEMANS THE SAS SURVIVAL HANDBOOK, THAT NOW COMES IN A SMALLER TRAVEL SIZE...
Hi Nick. Very informative. But there is always a place for the British Army Issue survival knife. Takes the place of an axe, knife, spade, hammer and pry bar, as you probably know. All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧
This should do for a start The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves or later repackaged as Bushcraft: The Ultimate Guide to Survival in the Wilderness by Richard Graves. Bushcraft - originally released as Northern Bushcraft in 1988. by Mors Kochanski SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Paperback - November 11, 2014 by John 'Lofty' Wiseman Numerous books and Mother Earth News articles by Tom Brown Jr. Numerous books by Bradford Angier. Mainly geared toward naturally living with and off the land.
If you had to choose between an axe or a saw, choose a saw. Axes are only good for de-limbing and splitting, they're a huge energy waster for chopping up wood. A good saw (like a silky) and a sturdy knife for battoning will get you a fire much more efficiently and more quickly than an axe, and combined will weight less than an axe. I carry an axe AND a saw with me, just because I enjoy it and don't mind carrying the extra weight, however I'd be more than happy with just the saw but I wouldn't look forward to getting a fire going with just an axe. Of course that also depends on your climate and area, what wood you have available to you and the type of fire you want to make. If it's often very wet, then splitting wood is essential to help dry out timbre before adding it to the fire. If you're in a dry climate or time of year, you don't need to be spitting wood at all (Unless you're using a wood stove of some kind). If you're in a cold climate, a dainty stereotypical campfire is a waste of heat and invested energy, you'll need to make proper log fires like the Siberian log fire. For that, a saw is absolutely essential, an axe won't do you any good. I highly recommend silky saws. They come in all sorts of lengths and coarseness, as well as curved vs. straight. Hands down the best saws I've ever used.
I have just started reading the SAS Survival Handbook, and have been really enjoying it. Lots of information to absorb. Looking for some other boo me as well to expand my knowledge of the outdoors.
Another great vid Nick. I’ve had a book since I started in the cadets as a young bloke my mum bought for me. Age old, but priceless is John Wiseman’s “The SAS Survival Handbook’. Covers all sorts including, but not limited to , Essentials, being prepared & research, climate and terrain, camp craft , food, reading signs, on the move & health. The list goes on, but pertinent today as it was when written a few decades back. Drawing from his 26 years as a professional soldier and ultimately as a survival instructor with the Regiment, it’s a great Bush ‘Bible’ for want of a better term and great reference to enhance knowledge in conjunction with your knowledge and sharing also. I only mentioned the other day that “ knowledge is power as they say, but it is only knowledge if it is shared. Love your work as always and appreciate and thank you for your knowledge that you so freely share to all. Keep up the great work Nick.🤝👍🇦🇺🦘
We have the same book. It is the definitive guide I started my U. S. military service with. Never gets old. Wish it was available for smart phones. Cheers !
Great vid once again Nick that’ll help a lot of people on their way. One thing to add about knives is make sure they’re full tang so that they can be sturdier….. cheers mate from Pennsylvania
Yeah, you'd probably want full tang for really heavy use but the Mora Companions Nick mentioned (and about a million other people on UA-cam!) are 3/4 tang and very robust, especially for their price.
A knife can be a very personal item like a pair of perfectly fitting boots or undergarments. For field/bushcraft in general I try for items that have multiple uses. A lot depends on what those uses are & what you can afford. I use a Ka-Bar Dogs Head but I recognize that it has a weakness, narrow tang. In hindsight, I had the best multi use blade but didn't appreciate it's full capacity and let it go. The 1st single edged only Boker Applegate Fairbairn - no longer produced. Ciao from Louisiana & Mississippi
Point 6 is so important. Our stone age hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have saws or tarps or steel cooking pots, but with points 1, 2 and 6 they were able to survive and thrive.
Thanks to you as well as the UA-cam channels "TA Outdoors", and "Coalcracker Bushcraft", I've gained more knowledge about all these things than I've had only about a month ago! Oh, and I can't forget Dave Canturbury's "Bushcraft 101", "Bushcraft Illustrated", "Advanced Bushcraft", and "The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking"!!
How's it going Nick? Hope you and your family are doing great. I've been in the woods camping having a good time spending it with my daughter. Haven't had a lot of time for videos but managed to fit yours in. Love the channel, keep em coming bud. Stay safe and be well brother. Strength and Honor... 👊 🤙 🍻
How deep are you burying it?! Just use a stick for digging and save carrying extra weight. Catholes only need to be as deep as the length of your hand (test the depth *before* using not after 😬).
Nick...it's basically a kids' book. But you'll LOVE it! It's called 'My Side Of The Mountain' by Jean George. It's about this young boy called Sam Gribley who runs away from home to go a d find his great-grandfather's farm, the only remaining trace of which is an old dry stone wall. He makes himself a home in a huge old beech tree. Amazing book. I think you'd also enjoy Charmian Hussey's lovely book 'The Valley of Secrets'. Also a teen read but I was already in my 60s when I read it for the first time and was ENCHANTED by it.
Keep the heavy axe. Use your knife to process the wood and keep something to start fire with. An axe to process wood but no way to start a fire is kinda pointless MR KNOWLEDGE 😂
One book I re-read often, and take with me when I step out away from the paved pathways, is an old 1970’s Boy Scout handbook. Is has an amazing amount of General knowledge. I rarely come across anything that it doesn’t have something to say, even if it is not totally complete. That’s what libraries are for.
As always Nick, sound practical advice. Others have stated what I would say on this video. There is a whole library on bushcraft. Lofty Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook, the Royal Marines version of a survival manual and not forgetting other Gurus, Ray Mears or Paul Kirtley who have published books on this subject.
I would suggest any of Tom Brown's books. He was trained by Apache Elder in the 1950-60's as a small boy. This man brings a different perspective to bushcrafting.
Wanna start learning Bushcraft? Instead of buying X, Y and Z gear.. 1) find a good ID guide on trees in your country or local area. 2) take a walk and identify all the trees you can see. 3) return home and search on google/UA-cam all the uses of those trees. 4) put your new found knowledge to use by collecting materials and utilising or making stuff with them. 5) once you’ve learnt about trees and are proficient - move on to plants and then mushrooms. That ought to keep you busy for about 5 or 10 years. Bushcraft is NOT about buying kit! 😉
Regarding books and knowledge. Can I recommend one that isn't bushcraft, but that has made me look at Trees in a completely different light. (Just realised it's in my rucksack in the boot of my car....) 'The hidden life of trees' byyy Peter Wohlleben . If you love bushcraft, you love the outdoors and you have a thirst for knowledge, read this book.
Top advice Nick. Sensible comments about cost, I recently bought a pair of surplus boots. Less than 40 quid, waterproof and will outlast any thing for the same price from the usual outlets.
Because I don't have much to say about (anything, really) the specifics here, I'm just going to repeat something I've said before. You're an absolute natural when it comes to seeing the utility of something and its worth. It's a very rare ability because most people can't see through the bullshit. There should be commissioning editors from TV and books beating a path to your door.
Working through your videos. Yes you have moved on. But seriously best content in this area by far. Knocking Corporals corner out of the park.good success in your new endeavour.
Great advice as always Nick! I had a copy of Lofty’s sas manual in the 80’s as a young army cadet. I always carry a pocket guide of “food for free”. Great as a reference (especially if you have memory issues) and ideal for entertaining companions or the kids with wonderful joys of wild edibles!! 😉
Anyone wants a good bushcraft knife without having to break the bank, look at the BPS knives. I’ve got the adventurer and it compares to the big boys yet is under $40 in most places. As for knowledge, i like looking up the American pioneers, settlers and cowboys and how they lived. You get the benefit of all their tested in the field knowledge on how to do things and survive with the tools of our modern age.
The question is where can I actually practice bushcraft, it’s all a little vague. I love bushcraft and I practice mostly in my garden but I would love to get out there and do it for real. Any advice for those of us up in the north downs?
I use a wee saw that I bought in( bright yellow) LIDL for a few quid. It's neat and folds away great I bought a couple just in case. It has however, done the job for me on many occassions and I even use it in the garden. So again heading out with reasonable tools can be cheap and effective.
Good video but you have a lot of redundancy when it comes to the cutting part of your C's . you need your 3 c's for coverage ,the combustion part should have the most redundancy .Also things like cordage is hard to reproduce if you lack the knowledge to do so .
In Denmark the bacho has been out of stock for some time. They just restocked them but at a little more than 34 £. At that cost i dont consider it a true budget saw. Its only a few pounds cheaper than an silky. Do you have another sugestion, If you need to bye in bulk for teaching? Thanks much for the nice content i do enjoy it very much.
A lot of people new to it become "kit wankers" buy the expensive gear that "influencers" use and think it equals being a pro and getting likes 😂 most expensive gear I have is my DD hammock
Books I find have been helpful are Tristan Gooley, the natural navigator and the walkers guide to outdoor clues and signs. But all his books are a good read and source of knowledge worth knowing for getting out into the wild.
Definitely ex millitary kit. Not only is it designed and tested by the manufacturer, it is then field tested by the troops before it is ordered in bulk. It is all designed to do it's job well for many years.
Of course it’s never about the gear as much as one’s mastery of the gear. The one I want my wife to see is the bushcraft mallet; the one made from a small log. I have shown her and she is still skeptical.
Good stuff. I probably disagree that an axe, knife and saw should all make the top 5, given that they have overlapping uses. I’d take out the axe and saw, and replace with a first aid (cuts) kit, and a water bottle - Osprey, to fit inside the cup. Not much point having a cup to boil water if you don’t have water!
Hi Nick, thank you for all the great knowledge so far. I have one question. Why carry a folding saw when you already have an axe? I watched most of your videos so far but can't remember you mentioning the difference. Apologies if you did so. Have a great summer.
A saw makes for more precise cuts and in many cases cuts faster than an axe. Axes are useful for splitting wood, notching and hammering in stakes. Suitable for camp defense too. You need both.
Can you imagine making the cut like he did in the video with an axe? You could, if you were really forced to by circumstance, but it'd likely be dangerous, time consuming and energy sapping .
Nick, thank you for another enjoyable video. Really appreciate your insight on many topics related to outdoor life and making the best of time spent in nature. QUESTION: (1) At some time, are you planning a video on your current day pack and its load-out for casual days exploring local woodlands? Yes, I've seen some of your previous videos on the subject, but wonder whether your philosophies/equipment have been adjusted over time. (2) When will your book be available, AND will it be released in the U.S. market?
For my minimum woodsman kit I use: 1. Gloves 2. 10" kukri as it: A) will chop like an axe B) cut as a knife which it is if course C) can be used as a draw knife to do crafts D) clear small brush in an campsite like a machette E) comes with its own shapener 3. Polish lavvu half A) it is a poncho B) it is a lean to C) it acts as an over coat which I've used down to 17F with a 100% wool blanket 4. Stanley cookset A) cooking obviously B) water purification 5. Multi-tool (2 versions) A) it has a saw B) secondary folding knife C) pliers D) screwdriver E) file My wife has a similar kit except her knife is a 6" kukri she can process food with. And i replace my cookset with a wool blanket if it's cold enough, it just takes longer to cook than with 2 cook sets. Both our lavvu halves create an 8' diameter tent put together. You might notice that I'm more tool focused and have a multi use mentality. Other options I carry is a 2 person hammock and tarp instead of the lavvus or in addition to them. The water table here is at 0" so you can get 1-3" of standing water in rain. As for the hatchet I do have a tool roll that contains a tomahawk. I choose that as there are add on kits that add a adze, digging tool, frow and other tools using the same handle. It can also act as back up defence.
A very good video, but I have to wonder: How useful is this for the UK? I am more than likely asking this out of ignorance, but where exactly would anyone be able to use these items in the UK for bushcrafting? The knife will always be useful, no matter what you're doing outdoors, as will the Crusader mug in combination with a gas or alcohol burner.. But where would we be able to use an axe? Unless we know someone that owns a wood and allows us to go in there to do some bushcrafting, you can't use an axe anywhere. And how many people have this kind of connection? Same goes for the saw. And where can we use a tarp, considering camping is not allowed pretty much anywhere in England, with few exceptions? Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't a complaint towards your video. Not only is this valuable information, but I have no doubt that you have a substantial viewership outside of the UK, so other people can definitely use all this information. This is a complaint towards the state of affairs in the UK. All of these items can be used in most other countries on the planet, but it seems like the UK has made it a mission to keep people from truly being outdoors. They don't want people hiking, climbing, trekking. They want them on curated, guided tours. I believe this is very damaging, both to the wellbeing of the British people, but also to the environment. People that grew up outdoors, on camping trips with their parents, or with the Scouts, will end up appreciating nature to a greater degree, and will be stronger advocates for conserving the environment.
I would say this is more of an England specific problem than a UK problem. Scotland still upholds the Right to Roam, as long as people stick to the countryside code and leave no trace then you can go pretty much anywhere. There's also a lot more open countryside up North with actual forests, although a lot of them are at least partly logging areas, but I could think of plenty of places I could go and practice bushcraft back home. I live on the Cambridgshire/Suffolk border now and I really miss Scotland for the fact that I could drive for an hour and feel like I was in the middle of nowhere. I'm yet to find that same feeling down here.
Well, I bought Gerber folding saw, a camping axe, and a spade. I end up on my journeys with a small swiss army knife (because it's legal to carry), and a small cathole digger, that can be used as a hammer and pegs remover. I like to stay on the legal side of things, especially since I'm not a UK citizen, and even wild camping starts to be like stealth camping for me.
Move to America! We’ve lots of forests and we warmly welcome good people. If you don’t want to move, just come and visit. We’ve camping terrain for every desire. 😀
As Laura pointed out above, this isn't an issue here in Scotland due to different laws. However most of the bushcraft channels I follow here on UA-cam are actually English based (Simon, a bloke in the woods; Girl Outdoors; Kent Survival) and in each of those 3 channels they have permission from a local landowner to be on their private woodland, so there are obviously places where you can do it.
Great Video and items well explained. However your first 3 items are woodland orientated. Woods and woodland in the UK are becoming scarse especially ones where you can cut down trees, process wood, light open fires.
Bushcraft is more than just processing wood. There’s foraging, learning ways of reading the land. Fires without wood. Shelters without trees. Stealth 🥷 camps. Etc etc
Knowledge is king without that all the tools are useless. Right on thank you. Hugs PS a over looked axe that's Gorilla proof is the ESTWING Sportsman's that has been handed down from Grandfather to father to children And still works yes I am old school.👵
Cheers Nick, good, sensible choices. Richard Grave's Australian Bushcraft is a good read; not many Australian specific bushcraft books around and he wrote it after WWII from his experiences running a jungle rescue squad. I think he may also have run a bushcraft school for some years after the war.
My outdoor bible for my area is called "foraging New England" by Tom Seymour. He provides both flora and fauna for each region: coastal, forest, mixed, etc. And, its not overwhelming. He simply chooses some easy to recognize plants in each zone, and easy ways to prepare them. I take it with me all the time.
Source your saw from an industry that caters to the tree growing industry - fruit, citrus, timber, suchlike. Those foldable pruning saws will be very good quality because if they aren't the tree growers will hunt the manufacturers down and kill 'em! I live smack bang in the middle of a major South African Citrus Area... R180 for a good quality pruning saw...
Same with axes. I'm very new to bushcraft. I thought a cheap hand axe from the hardware shop would suffice. Fully metal with nylon plastic handle. All I can say is, it's not a bad hammer
Knife/axe/saw: great interchangeable items (the saw adds a different dimension but they otherwise occupy the two is one and one is none philosophy). I agree with all your choices (wonder how many people realise the versatility of a poncho?). As to books: 1) Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart (I managed to pick up a facsimile two in one edition from a 2nd hand book shop many years ago - go looking people, many amazing and useful things to find sometimes). 2) Foraging Pocket Guide by Marlow Fenton and Eric Biggane (picked up from a local surplus store - clear photos and good, concise information).
This man should teach children every Sunday morning with a half-hour show. On to the tarp the DD is fantastic I have them in many different sizes. But every now and then you can get a bad one mc 3m×3m maybe it was a strong wind but it just went in half two sides flapping. Nice for a day out but not a life saver. British army basher there's nothing better. Just a bit smaller but my go two every time.
Greetings from North Carolina. I had a mate who was in the Royal Commandos. Thanks for serving! I did a lot of bushcraft as a kid, both in Scotland in America. Getting into it again, love your channel!
Loved this video as someone who has just starting taking more of an appreciation of the beautiful woodland around where I live and seeing my kids enjoy it as well. Was just in Lidl after watching this and got myself a folding saw for £4!!
Well done nick, another good video. Here is a debate for you. The axe, I love em, but are they really an essential over a good knife and saw? The amount of times I've carried an axe and relied on the saw and knife are numerous to the point where I've used my axe as a hammer quite a bit. So, for basics I'd bin the axe and bring calories as your brain and knowledge/physical abilities rely on them. Give me 24hrs of food to be supplemented by foraging.
So true love the tips I've now found myself going down the second hand army surplus stuff and tbh I think it's defo better than what's out their in go outdoors ect so thanks for your tips they do really help everyone for sure cheers nick
@@budwilliams6590 someone else said something like that to me the other day. I think it was something about the 1911 scout book. I like the way day has set it out. I used to do a lot of Bushcraft and I used to teach DofE and cadet field craft. Sadly I had a brain injury and stroke last year and need to refresh myself while I get walking again. I’ve found these channels and saves stuff simple and easy to follow
@@Ashysand A lot of the line drawings look very familiar. May have reused some stuff from books that are no longer copyright protected. I have more than one of his books so I wasn't put off by it enough keep me from buying another. He just didn't make my recommended list.
Bushcraft is a massive Journey that can be enjoyable for all ,its not about having the best gear, simply poking a fire with a stick cooking on a stick sleeping under the stars life don’t get much better Nick you are a brilliant ambassador for the outdoors and the knowledge you pass on is priceless thank you very much for sharing 💪🏴👍🔥🥩🍺🍺
Well living in a area where the next storn could take your house. For me it is more a way of life to walk out of a disaster if needs be.
Lol speaking of which the hurricane season is near and it just started raining cats and dogs outside. There is an inch of standing water in the streets in a few minutes and looking out a window looks like a waterfall. Lol
But tomarrow all the streets will be clean. Lol
So true about army surplus. Since finding a good one here in Glasgow I’ve been loving the deals. Bar having the soul fall off a pair of NATO desert army boots everything has been bombproof. A book I love is that big black white and red SAS survival handbook. You know the one I mean. Covers everything from nuclear war to naval search & rescue. Thanks for the tweet about the Laplander saw Nick. For one coming.
Biggest problem i find is places to try these skills
Just getting into the idea of bushcraft with my brother. I have had a really difficult year so far, with a breakdown of a long term relationship, a suicide attempt and not being able to see my daughter. I really want to get out in nature and I am finding your videos really informative! Keep up the excellent work, mate.
I could sense the mora before i even clicked the video, Itd almost be dishonest to not include one in a budget list. I've yet to see another knife that compares for the price. You could probally really cheap out and make do with a tarp from poundland or somthing like that but not for me.. i got a like new/new dpm basha instead. Somthing id perhaps add to this list.. SAS survival guide pocket edition, Cheap as chips and written by survival/bushcraft legend john lofty wiseman.
I would be very careful about cheap tarps in British weather. DD 3x3 saved my four points of contact at least once in a very strong wind in Dartmoor, and I wonder if Poundland stuff can do the same. Maybe, maybe not - it's probably good enough for first steps in a garden, or somewhere not far from home. Of course, it's possible to grab something really good as well in cheap stores.
@@ifyoudontfailyouarenoteven6210 Video is aimed at beginners and my comment is also, Theres no way id go somewhere extremely exposed to the elements if i was just starting. If i was supremely confident in my firelighting and other shelter building skills maybe youd try that.
Another fine video Nick. My favorite night table book that never gets old is the "SAS Survival Guide" by John Wiseman 1986 (pocket sized) that I've had since my young military days. And while I have the U.S. GI canteen set, I'm going to treat myself to the complete BCB Crusader system for my birthday. It's far more functional/stable.
Have you read Simon King nature watching. It good I been reading it
The metal camping mug is a must.
I think mine is a Dutch? version of the British Crusader design that is a fraction of the price. But having a nesting water bottle that slides into a metal camping mug, and all fits neatly into a pouch, is golden. That means more than half a litre of water and a cooking tool, all nicely nested together in a pouch. Stick a couple of instant noodles and some coffee sachets in your pockets and that will carry you over a weekend.
It recently dawned on me that if you have a Crusader Cup (or some equivalent), that means you dont have to bring mess tins and a whole lot of other cooking crap. If you want to camp for recreation then that is great and I absolutely respect it. But if you just want to carry a few calories and the ability to boil brews and sterilise water, then all you need is a water bottle and a steel mug. I have already cooked a few meals in that damn mug and since its steel, you can scrub off all the carbon when you get home
While learning from books is a beneficial source there are often local options to learn from those who have the experience to teach. My local community college offered a course in "primitive survival" that I and a friend took advantage of. Six weeks of twice a week classes in all things bushcraft with a final exam of weekend camp out. Also took advantage of a class offered by a tracking group who assist law enforcement in finding missing persons or escaped criminals. For those of us who learn more quickly by doing rather than reading this affords a speedy learning curve.
Shameless plug but your book when complete needs to be on the list of reads lol., Wilderness Axe Skills and Campcraft
Book by Paul Kirtley, in the past I have read Lofty Wiseman's book, whatever happened with that bergen he invented?
no axe use a folding saw and a strong thick knife .you can saw wood and split wood by baton the back of the knife , your not building a log cabin ,just processing wood for fire and shelter a axe is both heavy and very dangerous ,when you are tired and its getting dark where is the nearest Hospital !
@FukTheGender Agenda Ive wild camp for decades you dont need a axe and when you wild camp never put up your shelter until last light you only need to process wood not cut down trees
Hi Nick, great video. I can't find the link in the description for that knowledge thing you mention at the end? I'm assuming it's some sort of hat given you kept pointing to your head.
TWO GREAT BOOKS!!! MORS KOCHANSKIS BUSH CRAFT OUTDOOR SKILLS AND WILDERNESS SURVIVAL AND JOHN WISEMANS THE SAS SURVIVAL HANDBOOK, THAT NOW COMES IN A SMALLER TRAVEL SIZE...
Hi Nick.
Very informative.
But there is always a place for the British Army Issue survival knife. Takes the place of an axe, knife, spade, hammer and pry bar, as you probably know.
All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧
This should do for a start
The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves or later repackaged as Bushcraft: The Ultimate Guide to Survival in the Wilderness by Richard Graves.
Bushcraft - originally released as Northern Bushcraft in 1988. by Mors Kochanski
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Paperback - November 11, 2014 by John 'Lofty' Wiseman
Numerous books and Mother Earth News articles by Tom Brown Jr.
Numerous books by Bradford Angier. Mainly geared toward naturally living with and off the land.
If you had to choose between an axe or a saw, choose a saw. Axes are only good for de-limbing and splitting, they're a huge energy waster for chopping up wood. A good saw (like a silky) and a sturdy knife for battoning will get you a fire much more efficiently and more quickly than an axe, and combined will weight less than an axe. I carry an axe AND a saw with me, just because I enjoy it and don't mind carrying the extra weight, however I'd be more than happy with just the saw but I wouldn't look forward to getting a fire going with just an axe.
Of course that also depends on your climate and area, what wood you have available to you and the type of fire you want to make. If it's often very wet, then splitting wood is essential to help dry out timbre before adding it to the fire. If you're in a dry climate or time of year, you don't need to be spitting wood at all (Unless you're using a wood stove of some kind). If you're in a cold climate, a dainty stereotypical campfire is a waste of heat and invested energy, you'll need to make proper log fires like the Siberian log fire. For that, a saw is absolutely essential, an axe won't do you any good.
I highly recommend silky saws. They come in all sorts of lengths and coarseness, as well as curved vs. straight. Hands down the best saws I've ever used.
I have just started reading the SAS Survival Handbook, and have been really enjoying it. Lots of information to absorb. Looking for some other boo me as well to expand my knowledge of the outdoors.
Collins Pocket Guide
Eat for Free. Is a great read.
@@Yorkshiremadmick awesome thanks! I will have to check it out.
Fiskars x7 is a good little axe for the $$
Another great vid Nick. I’ve had a book since I started in the cadets as a young bloke my mum bought for me. Age old, but priceless is John Wiseman’s “The SAS Survival Handbook’. Covers all sorts including, but not limited to , Essentials, being prepared & research, climate and terrain, camp craft , food, reading signs, on the move & health. The list goes on, but pertinent today as it was when written a few decades back. Drawing from his 26 years as a professional soldier and ultimately as a survival instructor with the Regiment, it’s a great Bush ‘Bible’ for want of a better term and great reference to enhance knowledge in conjunction with your knowledge and sharing also. I only mentioned the other day that “ knowledge is power as they say, but it is only knowledge if it is shared.
Love your work as always and appreciate and thank you for your knowledge that you so freely share to all. Keep up the great work Nick.🤝👍🇦🇺🦘
We have the same book. It is the definitive guide I started my U. S. military service with. Never gets old. Wish it was available for smart phones. Cheers !
Great vid once again Nick that’ll help a lot of people on their way. One thing to add about knives is make sure they’re full tang so that they can be sturdier….. cheers mate from Pennsylvania
Yeah, you'd probably want full tang for really heavy use but the Mora Companions Nick mentioned (and about a million other people on UA-cam!) are 3/4 tang and very robust, especially for their price.
A knife can be a very personal item like a pair of perfectly fitting boots or undergarments. For field/bushcraft in general I try for items that have multiple uses. A lot depends on what those uses are & what you can afford. I use a Ka-Bar Dogs Head but I recognize that it has a weakness, narrow tang. In hindsight, I had the best multi use blade but didn't appreciate it's full capacity and let it go. The 1st single edged only Boker Applegate Fairbairn - no longer produced. Ciao from Louisiana & Mississippi
Point 6 is so important. Our stone age hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have saws or tarps or steel cooking pots, but with points 1, 2 and 6 they were able to survive and thrive.
Kiwi here, your videos are brilliant mate!
Hi, I have a question about your knife - is it possible to buy it somewhere? It looks like a tool I'm looking for a quite a while.
Nick sells them ! Well did.
Thanks to you as well as the UA-cam channels "TA Outdoors", and "Coalcracker Bushcraft", I've gained more knowledge about all these things than I've had only about a month ago! Oh, and I can't forget Dave Canturbury's "Bushcraft 101", "Bushcraft Illustrated", "Advanced Bushcraft", and "The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking"!!
Yes to all of the above. I purchased Dave Canterbury's Bushcraft box set as a Christmas gift to myself - love it.
How's it going Nick? Hope you and your family are doing great. I've been in the woods camping having a good time spending it with my daughter. Haven't had a lot of time for videos but managed to fit yours in. Love the channel, keep em coming bud. Stay safe and be well brother. Strength and Honor... 👊 🤙 🍻
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I think you need a shovel. If you are going to do it in the woods like the bear does, you need to bury it.
How deep are you burying it?! Just use a stick for digging and save carrying extra weight. Catholes only need to be as deep as the length of your hand (test the depth *before* using not after 😬).
@@banksarenotyourfriends Surplus E-tool doesn't cost or weigh much. It's worth it to me to have it. Besides it's a good weapon against Zombies.
I'd also have a personal first aid kit as well and what you have shown is what I use when out.
Knowledge 👍
Nick...it's basically a kids' book. But you'll LOVE it! It's called 'My Side Of The Mountain' by Jean George. It's about this young boy called Sam Gribley who runs away from home to go a d find his great-grandfather's farm, the only remaining trace of which is an old dry stone wall. He makes himself a home in a huge old beech tree. Amazing book. I think you'd also enjoy Charmian Hussey's lovely book 'The Valley of Secrets'. Also a teen read but I was already in my 60s when I read it for the first time and was ENCHANTED by it.
Keep the heavy axe. Use your knife to process the wood and keep something to start fire with. An axe to process wood but no way to start a fire is kinda pointless MR KNOWLEDGE 😂
One book I re-read often, and take with me when I step out away from the paved pathways, is an old 1970’s Boy Scout handbook. Is has an amazing amount of General knowledge. I rarely come across anything that it doesn’t have something to say, even if it is not totally complete. That’s what libraries are for.
Tom Cimbrer has the nicest little axe - he uses it for spoon carving. Its TINY but deadly sharp.
As always Nick, sound practical advice. Others have stated what I would say on this video.
There is a whole library on bushcraft. Lofty Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook, the Royal Marines version of a survival manual and not forgetting other Gurus, Ray Mears or Paul Kirtley who have published books on this subject.
I would suggest any of Tom Brown's books. He was trained by Apache Elder in the 1950-60's as a small boy. This man brings a different perspective to bushcrafting.
Wanna start learning Bushcraft?
Instead of buying X, Y and Z gear..
1) find a good ID guide on trees in your country or local area.
2) take a walk and identify all the trees you can see.
3) return home and search on google/UA-cam all the uses of those trees.
4) put your new found knowledge to use by collecting materials and utilising or making stuff with them.
5) once you’ve learnt about trees and are proficient - move on to plants and then mushrooms.
That ought to keep you busy for about 5 or 10 years.
Bushcraft is NOT about buying kit! 😉
Bushcraft, from Mors Kochanski is worth reading. I try always to bring some bandaid with me. Nice Video.
Good books , Lars Fält ( Outdoors the Scandinavian Way - Summer Edition and Winter Edition)
He is a Swedish survival instructor .
Great tips... what's with the exaggerated hand movements? Like a rap song...
Regarding books and knowledge. Can I recommend one that isn't bushcraft, but that has made me look at Trees in a completely different light.
(Just realised it's in my rucksack in the boot of my car....)
'The hidden life of trees' byyy Peter Wohlleben .
If you love bushcraft, you love the outdoors and you have a thirst for knowledge, read this book.
An excellent book - 'Outdoor Survival Skills' by Larry Dean Olsen; I've had my copy for over 40 years.
Another good vlog. Especially that 'added extra'.
Sometimes we take it for granted. Especially when from a military background.
Top advice Nick. Sensible comments about cost, I recently bought a pair of surplus boots. Less than 40 quid, waterproof and will outlast any thing for the same price from the usual outlets.
Because I don't have much to say about (anything, really) the specifics here, I'm just going to repeat something I've said before.
You're an absolute natural when it comes to seeing the utility of something and its worth.
It's a very rare ability because most people can't see through the bullshit.
There should be commissioning editors from TV and books beating a path to your door.
Absolutely love watching. The mora knives seem to be out of stock everywhere any recommendations for another of similar quality? cheers
Working through your videos. Yes you have moved on. But seriously best content in this area by far. Knocking Corporals corner out of the park.good success in your new endeavour.
Great advice as always Nick!
I had a copy of Lofty’s sas manual in the 80’s as a young army cadet. I always carry a pocket guide of “food for free”. Great as a reference (especially if you have memory issues) and ideal for entertaining companions or the kids with wonderful joys of wild edibles!! 😉
Anyone wants a good bushcraft knife without having to break the bank, look at the BPS knives. I’ve got the adventurer and it compares to the big boys yet is under $40 in most places. As for knowledge, i like looking up the American pioneers, settlers and cowboys and how they lived. You get the benefit of all their tested in the field knowledge on how to do things and survive with the tools of our modern age.
Just found your channel and it's great thanks for all the advice and knowledge
Camping and Woodcraft vol.1&2 by Horace Kephart.
The question is where can I actually practice bushcraft, it’s all a little vague. I love bushcraft and I practice mostly in my garden but I would love to get out there and do it for real. Any advice for those of us up in the north downs?
I use a wee saw that I bought in( bright yellow) LIDL for a few quid. It's neat and folds away great I bought a couple just in case. It has however, done the job for me on many occassions and I even use it in the garden. So again heading out with reasonable tools can be cheap and effective.
Good video but you have a lot of redundancy when it comes to the cutting part of your C's . you need your 3 c's for coverage ,the combustion part should have the most redundancy .Also things like cordage is hard to reproduce if you lack the knowledge to do so .
In Denmark the bacho has been out of stock for some time. They just restocked them but at a little more than 34 £. At that cost i dont consider it a true budget saw. Its only a few pounds cheaper than an silky. Do you have another sugestion, If you need to bye in bulk for teaching? Thanks much for the nice content i do enjoy it very much.
This is the Best Bushcraft video advice I watched yet!!! Well done sir !
A lot of people new to it become "kit wankers" buy the expensive gear that "influencers" use and think it equals being a pro and getting likes 😂 most expensive gear I have is my DD hammock
Books I find have been helpful are Tristan Gooley, the natural navigator and the walkers guide to outdoor clues and signs. But all his books are a good read and source of knowledge worth knowing for getting out into the wild.
Definitely ex millitary kit. Not only is it designed and tested by the manufacturer, it is then field tested by the troops before it is ordered in bulk. It is all designed to do it's job well for many years.
And extra clean underwear for those oh poo moments because you didn’t have a light at night or a way to make fire.
Of course it’s never about the gear as much as one’s mastery of the gear. The one I want my wife to see is the bushcraft mallet; the one made from a small log. I have shown her and she is still skeptical.
Good stuff. I probably disagree that an axe, knife and saw should all make the top 5, given that they have overlapping uses. I’d take out the axe and saw, and replace with a first aid (cuts) kit, and a water bottle - Osprey, to fit inside the cup. Not much point having a cup to boil water if you don’t have water!
your channel is such a massive source of knowledge. Thanks!
Where did you get your bag from? An chance of making a video on it?
Another cracking video - cheers Nick
Informative and beneficial video!
Hi Nick, thank you for all the great knowledge so far. I have one question. Why carry a folding saw when you already have an axe? I watched most of your videos so far but can't remember you mentioning the difference. Apologies if you did so. Have a great summer.
A saw makes for more precise cuts and in many cases cuts faster than an axe. Axes are useful for splitting wood, notching and hammering in stakes. Suitable for camp defense too.
You need both.
Can you imagine making the cut like he did in the video with an axe? You could, if you were really forced to by circumstance, but it'd likely be dangerous, time consuming and energy sapping .
It's (saw) easier and safer (especially when tired) to use. If I was limited to just one of the two, I'd take the saw. Just my thoughts
Nick, thank you for another enjoyable video. Really appreciate your insight on many topics related to outdoor life and making the best of time spent in nature. QUESTION: (1) At some time, are you planning a video on your current day pack and its load-out for casual days exploring local woodlands? Yes, I've seen some of your previous videos on the subject, but wonder whether your philosophies/equipment have been adjusted over time. (2) When will your book be available, AND will it be released in the U.S. market?
For my minimum woodsman kit I use:
1. Gloves
2. 10" kukri as it:
A) will chop like an axe
B) cut as a knife which it is if course
C) can be used as a draw knife to do crafts
D) clear small brush in an campsite like a machette
E) comes with its own shapener
3. Polish lavvu half
A) it is a poncho
B) it is a lean to
C) it acts as an over coat which I've used down to 17F with a 100% wool blanket
4. Stanley cookset
A) cooking obviously
B) water purification
5. Multi-tool (2 versions)
A) it has a saw
B) secondary folding knife
C) pliers
D) screwdriver
E) file
My wife has a similar kit except her knife is a 6" kukri she can process food with. And i replace my cookset with a wool blanket if it's cold enough, it just takes longer to cook than with 2 cook sets. Both our lavvu halves create an 8' diameter tent put together.
You might notice that I'm more tool focused and have a multi use mentality.
Other options I carry is a 2 person hammock and tarp instead of the lavvus or in addition to them. The water table here is at 0" so you can get 1-3" of standing water in rain.
As for the hatchet I do have a tool roll that contains a tomahawk. I choose that as there are add on kits that add a adze, digging tool, frow and other tools using the same handle. It can also act as back up defence.
Thanks for the list, Bill, it's always good to learn about the things other folk utilise when they're out in wilds.
@@wolfenstein6676 as do I especially those from other environments that I do not have access to locally.
Good info keep up the good work il be adding a axe to my pack 👍
As always good advice. 👍
Great info, thanks.
A very good video, but I have to wonder: How useful is this for the UK? I am more than likely asking this out of ignorance, but where exactly would anyone be able to use these items in the UK for bushcrafting? The knife will always be useful, no matter what you're doing outdoors, as will the Crusader mug in combination with a gas or alcohol burner.. But where would we be able to use an axe? Unless we know someone that owns a wood and allows us to go in there to do some bushcrafting, you can't use an axe anywhere. And how many people have this kind of connection? Same goes for the saw. And where can we use a tarp, considering camping is not allowed pretty much anywhere in England, with few exceptions?
Now, don't get me wrong. This isn't a complaint towards your video. Not only is this valuable information, but I have no doubt that you have a substantial viewership outside of the UK, so other people can definitely use all this information. This is a complaint towards the state of affairs in the UK. All of these items can be used in most other countries on the planet, but it seems like the UK has made it a mission to keep people from truly being outdoors. They don't want people hiking, climbing, trekking. They want them on curated, guided tours. I believe this is very damaging, both to the wellbeing of the British people, but also to the environment. People that grew up outdoors, on camping trips with their parents, or with the Scouts, will end up appreciating nature to a greater degree, and will be stronger advocates for conserving the environment.
I would say this is more of an England specific problem than a UK problem. Scotland still upholds the Right to Roam, as long as people stick to the countryside code and leave no trace then you can go pretty much anywhere. There's also a lot more open countryside up North with actual forests, although a lot of them are at least partly logging areas, but I could think of plenty of places I could go and practice bushcraft back home. I live on the Cambridgshire/Suffolk border now and I really miss Scotland for the fact that I could drive for an hour and feel like I was in the middle of nowhere. I'm yet to find that same feeling down here.
@@hunterG60k Fair observation. I should have been more precise in my speech.
Well, I bought Gerber folding saw, a camping axe, and a spade. I end up on my journeys with a small swiss army knife (because it's legal to carry), and a small cathole digger, that can be used as a hammer and pegs remover. I like to stay on the legal side of things, especially since I'm not a UK citizen, and even wild camping starts to be like stealth camping for me.
Move to America! We’ve lots of forests and we warmly welcome good people. If you don’t want to move, just come and visit. We’ve camping terrain for every desire. 😀
As Laura pointed out above, this isn't an issue here in Scotland due to different laws. However most of the bushcraft channels I follow here on UA-cam are actually English based (Simon, a bloke in the woods; Girl Outdoors; Kent Survival) and in each of those 3 channels they have permission from a local landowner to be on their private woodland, so there are obviously places where you can do it.
Great Video and items well explained. However your first 3 items are woodland orientated. Woods and woodland in the UK are becoming scarse especially ones where you can cut down trees, process wood, light open fires.
Bushcraft is more than just processing wood. There’s foraging, learning ways of reading the land. Fires without wood.
Shelters without trees. Stealth 🥷 camps.
Etc etc
Good stuff here.
A maz ing.
Good one.
Knowledge is king without that all the tools are useless. Right on thank you. Hugs PS a over looked axe that's Gorilla proof is the ESTWING Sportsman's that has been handed down from Grandfather to father to children And still works yes I am old school.👵
Cheers Nick, good, sensible choices. Richard Grave's Australian Bushcraft is a good read; not many Australian specific bushcraft books around and he wrote it after WWII from his experiences running a jungle rescue squad. I think he may also have run a bushcraft school for some years after the war.
My outdoor bible for my area is called "foraging New England" by Tom Seymour. He provides both flora and fauna for each region: coastal, forest, mixed, etc. And, its not overwhelming. He simply chooses some easy to recognize plants in each zone, and easy ways to prepare them. I take it with me all the time.
Totally agree. Knowledge is the most important tool. Followed by trained skills.
Cool video, thanks for sharing!
Source your saw from an industry that caters to the tree growing industry - fruit, citrus, timber, suchlike. Those foldable pruning saws will be very good quality because if they aren't the tree growers will hunt the manufacturers down and kill 'em! I live smack bang in the middle of a major South African Citrus Area... R180 for a good quality pruning saw...
Same with axes. I'm very new to bushcraft. I thought a cheap hand axe from the hardware shop would suffice. Fully metal with nylon plastic handle. All I can say is, it's not a bad hammer
@@tonykennedy8592 Not a Buco Livingstone, by any chance...?
Excellent! Recommending this to several folks that I'm trying to get outdoors more. Thanks for your time!
Knife/axe/saw: great interchangeable items (the saw adds a different dimension but they otherwise occupy the two is one and one is none philosophy). I agree with all your choices (wonder how many people realise the versatility of a poncho?).
As to books:
1) Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart (I managed to pick up a facsimile two in one edition from a 2nd hand book shop many years ago - go looking people, many amazing and useful things to find sometimes).
2) Foraging Pocket Guide by Marlow Fenton and Eric Biggane (picked up from a local surplus store - clear photos and good, concise information).
This man should teach children every Sunday morning with a half-hour show. On to the tarp the DD is fantastic I have them in many different sizes. But every now and then you can get a bad one mc 3m×3m maybe it was a strong wind but it just went in half two sides flapping. Nice for a day out but not a life saver. British army basher there's nothing better. Just a bit smaller but my go two every time.
Greetings from North Carolina. I had a mate who was in the Royal Commandos. Thanks for serving! I did a lot of bushcraft as a kid, both in Scotland in America. Getting into it again, love your channel!
Loved this video as someone who has just starting taking more of an appreciation of the beautiful woodland around where I live and seeing my kids enjoy it as well. Was just in Lidl after watching this and got myself a folding saw for £4!!
Well done nick, another good video. Here is a debate for you. The axe, I love em, but are they really an essential over a good knife and saw? The amount of times I've carried an axe and relied on the saw and knife are numerous to the point where I've used my axe as a hammer quite a bit. So, for basics I'd bin the axe and bring calories as your brain and knowledge/physical abilities rely on them. Give me 24hrs of food to be supplemented by foraging.
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Personally I truly love your videos. You always make perfect sense.
One thing I'd add to that list is a method of fire lighting, preferably a fire steel in my case.
So true love the tips I've now found myself going down the second hand army surplus stuff and tbh I think it's defo better than what's out their in go outdoors ect so thanks for your tips they do really help everyone for sure cheers nick
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I would have you on charge. With this starter kit. Knowledge, helps but with out common sense, your scuppered. Cheers
My go to book is Bushcraft 101 by dave. cantabry
I like Dave but, if you read some of the older books, it's obvious that information has been repackaged in this book. I'm not saying plagiarism...
@@budwilliams6590 someone else said something like that to me the other day. I think it was something about the 1911 scout book. I like the way day has set it out. I used to do a lot of Bushcraft and I used to teach DofE and cadet field craft. Sadly I had a brain injury and stroke last year and need to refresh myself while I get walking again. I’ve found these channels and saves stuff simple and easy to follow
@@budwilliams6590
Dave’s very knowledgeable but he has been known to bend the truth.
@@mtkoslowski He embellished his resume, so what? I think everyone does. And he's paid ten fold for anything he may have gained from it.
@@Ashysand A lot of the line drawings look very familiar. May have reused some stuff from books that are no longer copyright protected. I have more than one of his books so I wasn't put off by it enough keep me from buying another. He just didn't make my recommended list.