Some of my experience's in one

I'm keeping this fairly short and sweet but I felt like sharing a few of my experiences before this blog.
Why I love the outdoors and what makes it special to me.

So let me start by explaining my initial love of the outdoors.

Here is a picture of my dad, a simple display of bushcraft to hide from the sun.

My family have had a great influence on my love of the outdoors in general this picture of my dad on holiday gets me every time... always reminds me of the acronym K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid).

I can't remember the temperature my dad faced in this picture, but I do know it was very hot, and shade was welcomed with little excursion of energy, the idea of the holiday after all was to relax.

My mum had grown up on farm, just off from, at the time a small village, so inbred into me was a natural outdoor enthusiasm, but sadly this was only truly unlocked a few years ago, when I started to live with my cousin a wise man with a powerful druid lifestyle, I remember one time brewing nettle beer with him I loved the fact that the main ingredient was free, and right outside the front door (as such).

It was still only after I moved out that I started to grow my own beliefs.
There are lots of different views to my beliefs and like bushcraft itself has come to mean many a different thing, so I feel I must elaborate. My views are simple and not far than most other religions except one thing, when most turn to a god I turn to nature. God is described by stating he creates life, sustains it and when we pass we return to him... In my view this describes nature! Maybe there is a God that pulls the strings but in my view if that were true he'd respect me still for respecting Nature and it's beauty despite me not believing in one God.

My Uncle, the start of my Bushcraft experience

When I began to learn bushcraft and outdoor living skills the first man I turned to was my uncle, It was the picture above that made me do this. There he is teaching friction firelighting. I was amazed by his knowledge and how much he knew about the land, and I craved this knowledge and absorbed every word he told me like a sponge. All bar a few corrections later I think I learnt well and still continuing to do so.

So then it was I saved enough to participate in a course with a bushcraft school, I studied the web hard to find a teacher I could trust, and I wont go through the hours of research I did as this is something each person needs to do themselves as we are all built on different opinions.

I came across Paul Kirtley and his school Frontier Bushcraft and to get a taste for the outdoors I took up the chance to go on his taster course, exactly what I needed to discover I was on the right path.

Here I am after a weekend in front of the shelter I had slept in.

This was a fantastic experience for me and also opened up a new door, again possibly some would put this skill under the same umbrella of ''bushcraft''... Tracking. What a fantastic way to view the environment around you.

I practiced my new knowledge... non stop

I got out and enjoyed the simple ways of being out doors without needing to spend loads of money

I had help from my family and even the land to practice and enjoy. 

I studied what was around me and enjoyed wandering in the beauty of the outdoors, it's important not to forget these things. 

I also had some cracking sunny mornings!

I was hooked, you couldn't get me to shut up about outdoor living skills, bushcraft, tracking and everything else about the outdoors.

I soon got hooked on courses, and now I have done a fair few, I love to learn with Frontier Bushcraft, Paul, James, Henry, Stuart, Matt etc. I have also found friendships with the guys at Woodlife Trails, Pablo, Trooper, JP, Austin, Hannah, Luke I could go on naming individuals who have been a part of my experiences but it would seem to go on forever. instead know that if you have ever taught me anything I guarantee I remember it and appreciate it!

So I can and will obviously still learn new things and perfect skills I have not yet perfected (if you can ever ''Perfect'' a skill) but where do I go from here, what do I hope to achieve?

As fun as it is writing a blog, I don't know whether I could keep it as regular as I would like. One thing I really strive to become... A bushcraft instructor.

This love has taken me to become a scout leader, where my new scout peers are very excited to have me on board. I enjoy the chance to get the kids learning outdoor skills, this is very important not just if they want to spend time outdoors but as any outdoors (bushcraft) practitioner will know it takes determination and patience to be successful at what we do. A great skill to pass on to the children of today!

So some education and the reasons I love learning and teaching these skills!

A little about the story of tracking and for true elaboration of this you must read my first post about the Woodlife trails course I did. It's fantastic to go into an area most of us are so unfamiliar with these days and like a psychic detective understand what has happened in the area, what animals have been there, when they were there, what they were doing and eating and by knowing the animals you can understand why they were there. You can see a story unfolding before your eyes just by looking at the clues around you.

It is when you have a knowledge on this do you no longer feel alone in a place that may see no people often.

A Badger paw print, only the beginning of tracking is actual tracks!

 There is more to tracking than following footprints in the sand. We are all trackers in our own rights. If I was to break into your home, bedroom or office and move everything around... would you not notice?

The art of tracking is first familiarizing yourself with the environment so that you can better understand and see that which is out of place.

 Another Important skill of Bushcraft is Identification, This leaf here is that of a Hazel tree Corylus Avelana 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corylus_avellana

This link will tell you more should you wish, but for me the Hazel is important to learn, it is common and widespread. Hazel is a food source when the nuts are good to eat. It is also good for finding straight lengths of wood for various tasks, and also great for creating fire by friction.

This is an Alder tree if we look just at the leaves you can see they're similar to the Hazel you would be forgiven for making the mistake. Too much of identification is looking at leaves or flowers, well there available a big chunk of the year but we forget a lot of the time to think about the area it's in and the other things growing (or in some cases not growing) around it.

Anyway for those who wish Alnus Glutinosa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnus_glutinosa

Even the smallest things like this crampball Daldinia Concentrica have a purpose in the outdoors. It's just learning what they are, how to find them and positively identify them and also how to harvest them and use them.

The most important thing (sorry to be a bit contradictory here) is to actually go out, explore and experiment and not sit indoors learning too much from the web because we only have one of our senses to learn... our eyes! Much of learning these skills is practice, be comfortable in the outdoors, touching and feeling different things, smells are also important and I guarantee you'll also come up with new ideas yourself and you will of course gain your own opinions not just that of other peoples online. You'll experience different situations get fed up with the weather for example and find your own way to combat it, Trial and error.

Enjoy getting out and hopefully our paths will cross in... The Great Outdoors!