Winter Clothing Making Weekends

Description

The two weekends are not consecutive i.e. 22nd - 23rd November, and then complete on 13th - 14th December. Traditional winter arctic clothing is designed to provide maximum protection against the harsh and extreme cold conditions of the region. These garments are crafted to insulate the wearer from freezing temperatures, strong winds, and precipitation. Join our team to make your own fur trimmed winter snow smock to keep the wind out and the warmth in. Wool lined Mukluks and a toasty warm pair of removable wool lined mittens with a fur trimmed leather outer. With these three winter essentials you will be on the way to being ready to face sub zero temperatures of -10 and below. You will leave the course with a full set of winter gear, which we hope you will join us in Sweden to wear with pride. However, you do not have to be venturing with us overseas to do this course. In some communities that inhabit colder climates, traditional clothing was also adorned with culturally important elements such as beadwork and embroidery. You will have the opportunity to decorate your own in your style also. Crafting your own clothing: Constructing your own clothing out of natural materials brings forward a deeper connection to skills aligned within the "craft" side of Bushcraft. Handling natural materials, producing something useful, responsive and durable for wilderness travel. Traversing a wild landscape in clothing that you have stitched yourself will bring you a lot closer to the understanding of why we are so attached to the deer in our logo. If it was not for our early relationship with this species in the past, our ancestors would not have produced the bone needles which ultimately led to the exploration of the colder environments that were otherwise out of reach. You may be joining us on our epic Swedish aurora winter survival expedition, but you do not have to be in order to attend this course, it is open to everyone. Outer Leather & Inner Wool Mittens: We will begin by making your own double wool lined mittens, before constructing the leather outer trimmed with fur. We construct a double lined set so that warm air is trapped between the layers after being generated by your fingers and hands. Mittens are an absolute must for most of our tasks in -10c and below as fingered gloves just do not make the grade. If you imagine 5 small people all sleeping in 5 individual sleeping bags...they will stay a little warm...now imagine 5 small people all in the SAME sleeping bag...now we are talking toasty warm; our mittens are doing this. With the added benefit of removable inners it means if we need a little more dexterity quickly we can decide to remove the outer for a short time, it also means that should you unfortunately get them wet (spillage or going through the ice), they are quicker to dry. You know the old saying "loose your knife, loose your life"? Well, we hold the same value to our mittens in such extremes. "Lose your hands... change of plans..." Mukluks and a Snow Smock: Once we have mastered some of the stitches and pattern techniques we then move on to the production of a pair of Mukluks. These items of clothing are absolutely phenomenal in temperatures below -10c. They allow your feet to move, to generate heat, and allow that heat to be retained. Coupled with a pair of overboots when required (for more wet conditions) personally we feel this combination goes well beyond the capabilities of modern boots. As with the mittens, trimmed with fur just below the knee keeps the warmth in and the snow out, and a simple lashing systems allows them to be tied with mittens if necessary. Simple equals efficient equals life saving. As your confidence with your abilities to produce clothing increases, we then move you over to the final piece, your outer layer, or snow smock. Made from tough natural fibres this will keep the wind out, the snow out...and to be frank, look epic. You will line the outer edges of the hood with fur, which creates a micro climate of warmer air in front of your face with the hood raised, and creates an incredibly warm area around your neck when the hood is lowered. All fur that is used on this course has been acquired as a byproduct of other activities. It is essential to use real fur for these environments as synthetic modern furs replacements do not work. If you're travelling to come to this course, we can offer use of our private woodlands for camping, which will need to be arranged before hand, so please get in touch. There are also lots of local B&B's if you'd prefer. Please note: The course involves the use of both machine and hand sewing techniques, which are both taught during the course but prior knowledge or experience has time benefits. During the 2 weekends all materials and tuition is provided but to complete your projects homework may be required.

What's included in the price?

All materials to complete your projects plus tea and coffee.

Cancellation policy

Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts

Maker

Woodland Ways

with Craft Courses since 2022

Message the tutor

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.