- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Diploma Weekend

We had 5 participants on our Diploma weekend this weekend at Hatfield Forest. At last the weather was kind to us and it was sunny and warm.

What the participants didn’t know as they arrived in the Forest was that this weekend we would be asking them to revisit basic skills such as constructing their own shelter out of available materials given to them, build a fire (of course), locate and purify available water , and construct a natural first aid kit out of plants. Their meal would be provided trout which they would have to cook.

As the participants were at level 2 most of the tasks were not too challenging but it focussed the group on bushcraft tasks instead of relying on kit brought in to the Forest.

We also did two navigation exercises, one during the hours of darkness, and we soon realised that all our Nav skills were a little rusty. Some work to do there!

The weekend finished up with a good debrief with lots of learning and tired but happy participants.

One sour note to the weekend was the discovery of a large number of fire-scars and even human excrement and deposits of tissue paper from a previous event in our area. We cleared everything up (yes! including the excrement - as it may have contaminated the food and, of course, left no trace with our own fire.

This is, of course, a fundamental skill which unfortunately is over-looked by many so-called bushcrafters and even outdoors professionals.

If you are in any doubt as to what you should be doing or not doing in the woods, our slogan says it all; do a course with us and “ We Will Show You How.”

Diploma Weekend

We had 5 participants on our Diploma weekend this weekend at Hatfield Forest. At last the weather was kind to us and it was sunny and warm.

What the participants didn’t know as they arrived in the Forest was that this weekend we would be asking them to revisit basic skills such as constructing their own shelter out of available materials given to them, build a fire (of course), locate and purify available water , and construct a natural first aid kit out of plants. Their meal would be provided trout which they would have to cook.

As the participants were at level 2 most of the tasks were not too challenging but it focussed the group on bushcraft tasks instead of relying on kit brought in to the Forest.

We also did two navigation exercises, one during the hours of darkness, and we soon realised that all our Nav skills were a little rusty. Some work to do there!

The weekend finished up with a good debrief with lots of learning and tired but happy participants.

One sour note to the weekend was the discovery of a large number of fire-scars and even human excrement and deposits of tissue paper from a previous event in our area. We cleared everything up (yes! including the excrement - as it may have contaminated the food and, of course, left no trace with our own fire.

This is, of course, a fundamental skill which unfortunately is over-looked by many so-called bushcrafters and even outdoors professionals.

If you are in any doubt as to what you should be doing or not doing in the woods, our slogan says it all; do a course with us and “ We Will Show You How.”