Bushcraft and survival frequently asked questions

I’ve noticed that in my interest and research into bushcraft and survival, I have come across a huge amount of people asking the same questions over and over, so to help anyone who might be interested, here’s a list of the most commonly asked questions about bushcraft and survival.

What is Bushcraft?

Bushcraft is the practice of staying comfortably in the wild by using the things found in nature to make all the things you’ll need, but not necessarily in a survival situation. It is learning to do things to create a pleasant stay in the wild, such as making a larger shelter or carving things out of wood, but only doing so for the pleasure of it and not because it’s necessary to stay alive.

What’s the difference between bushcraft and survival?

Bushcraft is described as above, the crafts and skills associated with staying comfortably in the wild. Survival is when someone is in a situation where their life is in immediate danger of ending. The difference in terms of skills would be that anything related to survival would be done as easily, quickly, and safely as possible, expending the minimum amount of energy needed and only doing things because you need to.

What do you do in bushcraft? / What do bushcrafters do?

Think of it like a normal camping trip but with the goal being to work with and become comfortable with nature. This would include building your own shelter instead of using a normal tent, and creating the things you’ll need from the wild like wind blocker walls, fire pits, raised bed benches to sleep on, and anything else you’ll need that you can source from nature. Bushcraft is enjoying using the skills and practices of living in and working with nature, even if it’s just for a short while.

What is a survival situation?

This doesn’t have to be a situation where you’re about to die, but rather a situation that could easily end with you dying. An example would be someone stranded in the Arctic with a limited amount of food, they could be found or find a way to last longer, but for all the time they are there, their life is in danger, even though they may be there for weeks. If you can’t leave a situation where your life is in danger and have no way to call for help then you are indeed in a survival situation.

What’s the difference between bushcraft and camping?

Camping generally doesn’t involve more than staying in tents and is common in areas where people wouldn’t normally go to do some bushcraft. You can camp and do bushcraft at the same time, and there are plenty of bushcraft camps out there, but if all you are doing is sleeping in a tent and not engaging in the crafting and wilderness side of it, then that’s camping.

What’s the point of bushcraft?

There are two main reasons to get into this hobby, which are to learn important survival skills and just to enjoy it. Some people love hiking and simply being in the great outdoors, but some people take this love of nature a little further and build their own shelters and forage for food, but it’s all just for enjoyment. Many of the skills learned within bushcraft can be transferred to survival and it’s never a bad idea to learn how to survive in nature, even if it’s in the most basic manner.

Is bushcraft legal?

The practice of bushcraft is completely legal across the whole world, but there are restrictions regarding certain things within it and different countries have their own rules. They allow wild camping in Scotland so you can just put your tent up anywhere you like in the public countryside, but in the rest of the UK, you need to get permission. If you want to gather any wild foods in the UK, you can just grab them as long as they aren’t poisonous, endangered or you’re pulling them up at the roots. You need permission to light a fire on any land that isn’t yours and also to cut down anything or even gather firewood to take back home.

There are also laws regarding carrying things like knives and axes, so make sure you check with your country’s laws before walking out the door with what could be classed as dangerous weapons. This may sound restrictive but permission to use someone’s land isn’t that hard to get, and there are specialized bushcraft areas around the country that allow you to do the things you’d normally have to ask the landowner about.

Who invented bushcraft?

The term Bushcraft was first mentioned in a book called “Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival” by a Canadian survival expert called Mors Kachanski. He is credited with coming up with the term but not the practice, which has been around for presumably as long as people had tools and stayed in the wild.

Is bushcraft a hobby or about survival skills?

It is primarily a hobby and includes things that wouldn’t be practical in a survival situation but some of the skills are interchangeable. For example, in a survival situation, you would make the best shelter you could in as little time as possible, making it just big enough to protect you through the night. A bushcraft shelter would be much bigger and include things like log benches and a stone-lined firepit, with carved woodworks hanging from the branches.

A survival water filter includes cutting the end off a plastic bottle and filling it with sphagnum moss and charcoal to create a filter to purify a natural water source without boiling, something you should never do if you have the choice to boil. Some of the things you do in a survival situation are so you can stay alive, unlike in bushcraft where there is no danger and it is just pleasant to do things.

How do you get started in Bushcraft?

There are some very expensive pieces of equipment out there, especially things like knives and professional gear, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. There are no requirements for what you must do in order for something to be classed as bushcraft, and simply staying in the wild and practicing a few skills is a good way to get started. Try buying a cheap tent and some basic cooking gear and go and stay either in the wild, somewhere you have permission, or on one of the many camping sites close to a large woodland or some mountains.

When you are out and about you will see various things you might want to try, like foraging for certain things or trying to catch some crayfish in a nice-looking stream. Doing this will give you a better impression of what you should buy instead of what you’re told to buy. One week it might be a crayfish trap, and the next week a small tarp for making your own shelter, and so on, before you know it you’ll have quite a collection of things you’ll actually end up using.

Why is Bushcraft important?

Bushcraft gives a good understanding of nature and how to respect and survive within it. When learning about the various areas of bushcraft, it’s almost impossible to not learn about survival skills at the same time. It’s never a bad idea to learn about things that could save your life, or make it more comfortable, in any area, and bushcraft is the outdoor version of doing this.

Where can I practice bushcraft?

It depends on what you want to do and which country you are in. When it comes to camping or making a fire you’ll need permission from whoever owns the land, unless you’re camping somewhere that specifically states fires are allowed. Any large forest in the country will have a campsite nearby and going out during the day to do some crafting in the local woodlands before retreating back to a safe place is a good way to start. Permission can be hit or miss and it’s often easier to get permission from a private owner like a farmer than it is to wait for a reply from a land governing body, like the national trust.

Is Bushcrafting expensive?

This hobby has a massive range and can cost thousands if you really get into it. To start with you won’t need more than £100 to get an excellent range of gear, with things like pieces of tarp for making shelters and reels of paracord only costing a few pounds each. Cooking equipment like mess tins and camping stoves are quite cheap, and check out army surplus stores for some cheap but excellent gear. Like with all hobbies, it can cost as much as you want it to but you don’t have to spend a lot to get started.

How do I learn bushcraft?

Simply by doing it, which may sound like a bad answer but you won’t learn if you don’t practise. To start off with learn some skills online and see what it is you’d like to practice, then put yourself in a comfortable situation like on a campsite and go into the nearby woods and have a go. There are plenty of bushcraft camps and schools around the country that offer some useful information and can be a lot of fun, but they can also be expensive.