7 Bushcrafter Skills To Overcome Your Fear In The Forest

The world has become more modern as people are living a settled life in decent houses and cities. Before this modernization took place, our fore father s used to live in era whereby they had to depend entirely on nature for their survival. They had to look for survival tactics that would enable them fit well in the environment they lived in. During the time, much of the land was covered by forests and nature was the source of food and this made them a Bushcrafter. Today you may find yourself in a rare situation whereby you are in the forest and you have to survive. For this reason, it is imperative to be aware of this 7 Bushcrafter survival skills which you can borrow when you are in a similar situation.

BUILDING A SHELTER

When you are stranded in the bush or forest and the night finds you there, it is important to build a shelter for your own safety. The shelter will protect you against the inclement weather as well as wild animals. The basic material you can use you create a home in the bush is natural vegetation. You can use a tree trunk as buttress to your shelter. You need to gather sticks to form a makeshift of a small tent-like shelter which can be triangular or rectangular. You will use natural strings to tie the sticks together to form that structure. When you are through, you will have to add layers of vegetation on it to camouflage the structure. This also increase the level of protection it will offer you.

Moreover you can use a tent if you had carried one out there. The tent will keep you warm for some days while charting on your next course of action. Your clothes are also very important since they are the basic source of warmth for your body. You should cover your hands and other parts of the body by stretching your clothing. Knowing how to make a shelter is very vital for you to survive as a Bushcraft.

FIRE MAKING SKILLS

You need to have fire making skills for you to survive in the forest.  Fire is required for cooking, warming yourself and scaring away wild animals. As a Bushcrafter, fire making is a basic skill that you should posses. There are different methods you can use to light fire while in the wilderness.  The most commonly used method is use of two pieces of wood. This method is called the wood file where you grind a piece of wood against another. The two pieces of wood must be very dry and it requires a lot of effort since it takes time before it ignites.

In case you are a person who carries alcohol you can use it to light fire with a steel striker. You need to pour some alcohol on some dry leaves or a piece of wood then hit the steel striker against a hard rock. It will emit sparks and this sparks will light the dry leaves wiped with alcohol since alcohol is flammable. In addition you need to have skills of keeping the fire smoldering for use in the future after you are through with using.

BUSHCRAFTER SURVIVAL KNIFE

As a Bushcrafter, you will need a survival knife for your safety. The place you are in is filled with world animals and most of them are dangerous and violent. You need to have a blade that you can use to slit anything that attacks. The blade must be of high quality to ensure effectiveness in its job. It can also be used in hunting and preparing of wild food. The knife needs to have a strong blade; firm handle and the length and design of the blade should also be favorable to help you perform your duties well.

HUNTING FOR FOOD

As a Bushcrafter, you need to be aware of methods that you can use to hunt and trap animals in the forest. You should have experience in making baits and traps to capture wild animals for food. You can use the snaring method, where you use a wire snare to capture and chock animals to death. You can also make a pit-fall trap to capture animals or do fishing.  You need to be aware of some the basic hunting skills to support your survival. Food is a basic necessity and given that you are also subjected to adverse weather conditions, it is vital to have some food to increasing your chances of survival.

TRACKING

Tracking is another important skill that you need as a Bushcrafter. Tracking animals and human beings gives you the ability to know their living pattern. With this information about animals, you can be able to track them and put traps at the most appropriate position to capture them for food. You will also be able to know what type of animals could be in that area and this will help you take necessary safety measures.  Without tracking knowledge, you can probably be attacked by the wild animals or even fail to capture any animal for food.

FORAGING

Foraging is another essential skill that you must possess for you to suit well in the forest. There might be no animals in the place that you are hunting and this leaves you with foraging as the only means of survival.  Knowing of the plants that you can use as food is essential since you will be able to survive for some time before capturing an animal or going home. Not all plants out there are safe, others are highly poisonous and they can easily lead to your death. You should, therefore, be aware of the best the plants you can use to keep you living.

TYING KNOTS AND ROPES

Tying knots and a rope is a basic skill that you should also posses when out there in the forest as Bushcrafter. You need to make your shelter strong by tying strings together. You also need to tie knots when hunting and setting traps. You may need to tie knots when you need a rope to use to jump over a slope or a cliff. For these reasons, your knowledge on ropes and tying knots is very important as a Bushcrafter.

With these 7 bushcraft skills, it will definitely boost your confidence to know what you need to do when you’re stranded in the forest.

Source: https://modernsurvivalliving.com