Description
Whether you are a complete novice or an outdoors expert our Woodland Ways Bushcraft Fundamentals course will introduce you to the essential skills of bushcraft and survival, and teach you how to utilise these effectively in a survival situation. This course is aimed at those who might not have the time or confidence to attend the weekend or overnight experience. It is designed to develop and introduce skills to you but also introduce you to Woodland Ways' philosophy on Bushcraft and survival skills. One of our most popular courses, this course covers the basic skills required to survive and is based on the four main principles of survival; fire, food, shelter and water. When you arrive The course adapts to the changing seasons, but below is a typical example of the Bushcraft Fundamentals Course. From the meeting point, the kit is slung onto our backs and we walk into the woodland. During this walk, your instructors will introduce you to some of the useful forageable materials that surround us, and the absolute abundance of resources that the woodland provides. We will discuss how we can utilise these to increase our chances of survival, whether that's for food, firelighting, cordage or building materials. The morning begins Upon arrival at camp and following an initial safety brief, you are issued with your own Bushcraft Knife for the day which you will use to process the various materials we will need for everyday woodland tasks. We'll show you how to use these tools safely and efficiently, bringing your future projects to life with ease. It's then time to get stuck into looking at safe shelter construction, specifically; location, materials, and design. We'll discuss the rule of 3 and where shelter should be on your priority list in an emergency. This culminates in the group building a one-two person kennel shelter and/or an arctic lean-to shelter. Everything in the outdoors takes longer than most people are used to and so we then get straight into preparing lunch. You do not catch your own food on this course; all is provided either still in the fur, in the feather or in the skin (vegetarian options are always available). Here our instructors will guide you through how you'd acquire, and then the preparation of your food which will be cooked over the open fire as part of a delicious lunch. Just because we are in the woods, it doesn't mean we don't eat well! The afternoon While we digest our delicious woodsman lunch it is time to turn our attentions to the vital task of collection and purification of water. With an absolute wealth of knowledge and real-world experience, your instructors will explain why water is so crucial to us as a species, especially in a survival situation, and the added health implications of not being well hydrated. They will share with you practical and predictable methods of finding sources of water in a multitude of different environments from around the world and how to apply them. Once you have found your wild water it is then time to make it safe to drink. Your instructors will take you through the many approaches of filtering and purifying your water and demonstrate a range of different equipment which will aid you in this process, from elaborate pump systems to improvised, out in the field filters. Following on from water processing it is time to focus on the exciting and essential skill of fire lighting. The rest of the afternoon will be dedicated solely to different methods of igniting a fire, including how to use a fire steel, flint and steel, friction fire lighting and the various tinders that can be used with each method to successfully light a fire. Care will be taken to explain precisely how to site and manage a fire safely as well as the different wood types to select. After the excitement of fire lighting, we sling our kit onto our backs and make our way to the entrance to say our farewells.
What's included in the price?
Hot water and a cooked lunch is provided along with all resources required for the various sessions.
Duration
7 hours
Cancellation policy
Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts
Maker
We are first and foremost a leading bushcraft company employing a small close knit and highly experienced team of individuals. Together we hope to bring you the very best in Bushcraft & Survival Courses both in the UK and overseas bushcraft training courses and experiences. Over the years since Woodland Ways' inception we have become widely recognised for the diversity of courses we operate and the utmost attention to detail and professionalism imparted on those courses. Our delivery of activities on courses has safety, enjoyment and learning at the forefront of everything we do. By an appropriate blend of explanation, demonstration and participation you will be encouraged to gain as much hands on experience of bushcraft as possible. We operate courses the year round in a range of outdoor arenas from our own diverse British woodlands, to the far flung reaches of the African bush and the wilder places of Europe. The natural environment supports us, inspires us and is fundamental to our businesses success. As such we have a very strong message of environmental sustainability and sensitivity. Woodland management and respect of flora and fauna feature throughout all of our courses. Our ethos is designed to show you how to have a minimum reliance on modern materials and equipment and instead to really work with nature and her seasonal variability for your comfort and needs out of doors. It is important for us to clearly state we do not promote heavy handed boot camp approaches to our activities and neither do we rely on a more spiritual ethos (although we respect both traditions) rather we see ourselves as non-romantic, practical woods people. We want you to leave our bushcraft courses with a new skill set and great memories.
Suitable for
- Adults
- Parking provided
- Suitable for beginners
- Intermediate level
FAQs
There are many reasons we can give, and several are mentioned below but the first one is customer reviews. A lot of businesses will select reviews to display on their web sites, but it’s easy to cherry pick the best and display them prominently, we’re more confident. Take a look at our Google reviews, we have no control to cherry pick the best but are proud of what we achieve - take a look.
You can see bushcraft skills on the internet, but you really gain the skills and confidence by experiencing them for real with our team on hand to guide you through the learning process in a safe environment. Our dedicated instructors have honed their knowledge and skills through real-life, practical application and then draw on this experience to teach you the skills that enable adventures of your own. The breadth and depth of knowledge of a Woodland Ways Instructor far exceeds the content of a given course, and the structure and design of the courses gently pushes you to find a new comfort zone, becoming comfortable in the wild and with new skills.
You will be surrounded and guided by like minded people, and you will learn skills that are not only practical and enjoyable but also build a great deal of respect for the lives and skill sets of our ancestors stretching back to the beginnings of humanity. Once we’ve taught you something, that information is yours. If you forget something a week, a month, a year or 10 down the line, get in touch and we’ll be glad to go through it with you.
We provide a comprehensive kit list for all of our courses, these will be emailed to you when you book. As the courses vary, the kit required varies.
Not all of our courses are catered, but if you have an allergy we will contact all the attendees to ensure no allergens are brought on site.
If you have any dietary requirements or allergies, please let us know at the time of booking. We will endeavour to provide a suitable alternative for you, however, in certain rare cases we may ask those with severe/multiple allergies/requirements to self-cater. We would still encourage getting involved in the game preparation sessions, but we will completely understand if you choose not to.
Aim to arrive 30 minutes before the course starts. If you're running late, you should tell us as soon as you can. We can't hold the course from starting as it's unfair on everyone else and you may be turned away and unable to join the course. This will be considered a late stage cancellation, and no refund or re-booking is possible.
Not at all. We don't make anyone participate in any session if they don't want to. It's your course and we want you to enjoy it as much as possible. We would definitely recommend attending the session, and listening to the information, but you don't have to get hands on with the animal.
We require a reasonable level of fitness to participate in our courses. They start with a 10-20 minute walk with the kit on your back, on uneven terrain. We won't be marching at a fast pace, and we won't be covering hundreds of miles over a weekend. Some sessions can include some heavy lifting, but this can be done as a pair or team. If you have any concerns, please feel free to get in touch.
We won't exclude anyone from participating where possible. If you have any questions relating to your specific circumstances, please get in touch and we'll see what we can do!
Yes. Rain or shine, snow or plagues of locusts our courses will still run. We have policies in place for severe wind or lightning, but rain doesn't stop play. After all, there's no such thing as bad weather, only a lack of preparation! Follow the kit list and you'll be fine!
There's no mains water in the woods, but that doesn't mean we can't be hygienic and comfortable. We have a sheltered composting toilet and there's plenty of trees to water. When it comes to feminine hygiene we have a process for that too. There will be soap and hands-free hand wash facilities available throughout the course. This will all be explained on the introduction to the camp by the instructor.
At our World of Bushcraft Centre we have proper plumbing, with a proper loo and hand washing facility.
If it's more than 8 weeks until the start of your course, then yes, we can move your booking. It may be subject to an administration fee of £20.
If it's less than 8 weeks until the start of your course, then I'm afraid not. We have overheads and bills to pay before the course begins, so late cancellations cost us, but they also stop someone else from booking on to the course. Please get in touch with the office if you have any questions or concerns.
Absolutely! Our courses work brilliantly for groups. Simply add more places when booking, or book the same date and location.
If you have a large group, you may wish to get in touch with us to arrange a private course, which could be customised to suit your preferences.
No alcohol or recreational drugs of any kind are to be brought with you on our public courses. The combination of alcohol and sharp tools is dangerous, so we do not allow it.
We do offer courses suitable for families with younger participants. Please take a look at our Family courses page for more information on courses that will be more suitable. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.
We have a parking area at all of our sites. They are out of the woodlands and away from the camps, so please make sure you can carry all your kit in one trip. While the car parks are considered safe due to their remote location, vehicles are left at the owner's risk. They're easily accessible by most cars with standard suspension, though some of our sites have uneven farm tracks between the main road and the car park.
We do allow dogs on our courses, but we have some rules. Firstly, you must let us know in advance. Secondly, the instructor has the final say, if they deem that your pet is disrupting the course, they may ask you to take them back to your vehicle/shelter. All dogs need to have a 100% reliable recall, even if they take off after something. They are to be under control at all times, and on a lead around, or kept away from, game or food preparation areas. You must pick up after your dog, and all litter must be taken away from site with you. This is because of the associated health risks for small children. And, please don't encourage or allow them to urinate on plants - the base of trees is fine. We don't want to contaminate what we might need to forage!
If a client on the course has any issue with a dog, be it a phobia or an allergy etc, then the dog is to be kept on a lead at all times and away from that client, if the client agrees. Otherwise, the dog will have to be kept in your car or at your shelter.
Please also be aware that some of our staff may bring their own dogs on courses.
While we encourage you to bring your phone to take photographs (or your camera if you prefer) there is no power supply to the woods. Power banks are a great addition to your kit for keeping your gadgets charged when outdoors.
No. Absolutely not. No. Nope. No. No. Stop it. No.
