firefox bushcraft

Heath Dawson — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 16:56:54 +0000

Bushcraft Basecamps-The Bell Tent.

Bushcraft Bow-making

Heath Dawson — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:20:10 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xi4U5Svteg

Part 1 of a series of videos on basic bow-making.

Otter Tracking.

Heath Dawson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:01:32 +0000

Here’s a few tips on identifying the tracks and signs of the Otter (Lutra lutra).

Boomerang

Heath Dawson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:02:07 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9mYU9IGBRU

Famine foods

Heath Dawson — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:59:37 +0000

Foraging for wildfood in lean times.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPHVePkFdDI

Israel Trip

Heath Dawson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:51:55 +0000

Hello from Israel, here’s a recent trip up the Wadi at Ein Gedi in Israel to see Nubian Ibex and Rock Hyrax-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB0AAbUdbgY

Green Woodworking project-a Log Mule.

Heath Dawson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:45:07 +0000

American writer Wendell Berry sums up the holistic nature of working natural materials-

‘The good worker loves the board before it becomes a table, loves the tree before it yields the board, loves the forest before it gives up the tree’.

It’s a good season to work wood, the sap is down, birds have nested and the activity of harvesting, splitting and working wood keeps you warm in January winds.

Here’s a project to aid the processing of firewood for winter’s woodburners-the Log Mule (i don’t think ‘saw horse is the right name).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=veHwPt5Qs2U

Flint knapping-primitive technology

Heath Dawson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:15:01 +0000

Just back from a flint-knapping weekend hosted by Dryad bushcraft and taught by the excellent Karl lee.

With a very primitive tool kit…

Karl demonstrated how to knap a hand axe…

and a great arowhead…

We made flint hide scrapers…

prepared Hazel arrowshafts, flint arrowheads with Lime bark cordage…

we used pine resin and beeswax (10%) to fix on the feather fletchings (Pheasant or Canada goose)…

we then shot them on my newly completed Yew self bow much to our satisfaction..

Gratitude to Flint and our Ancestors for getting us here.

Craig Forde, the stig of canoeing.

Heath Dawson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:50:28 +0000

Many thanks to Craig Forde of SAS Outdoors (www.sasoutdoors.co.uk) for the absolutely sterling job of providing the safety boat as well as acting as a camera platform for the BBC staff! Craig or ‘Spud’ as he is better known helped shooting the raft journey along the Mawddach river.

“Please do pass on our huge thanks to Spud and the crew for the support out on the water. Spud was a true super power man – keeping us all from drifting away with only his own strength……amazing!“ BBC Countryfile

One way to craft a raft.

Heath Dawson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:39:45 +0000

The ‘Basha boat’ or raft featured on BBC Countryfile took about two hours to build with the grateful help of Firefox instructor Richard Mason along with Helen and Christian.With an axe, saw,knife, string and a tarpaulin you can craft a raft. It’s been said that most Native American Canoeists couldn’t swim, they just never went in but work on the assumption that you will go in the water and take appropriate safety precautions, outside of a survival situation wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Mark two concentric circles on the ground, the size you want your raft. Use a piece of string attached to a peg for this.

Knock 20″ holding stakes into the ground to act as a former to hold the hazel wands in position.

Evenly lay Hazel or Willow wands around, inbetween the two rows of stakes.

It should make a large wreath, next insert latitudinal cross members of Hazel into the wreath walls, evenly spanning the hole in the centre.

Weave into position the Hazel longitudinal members to create a latticework decking.

Bind the Hazel wreath together with string and tie in the decking securely then wrap it all up in a tarpaulin

Get it to the water

Grab your paddles and poles and float off on the thing, bon voyage!