BUSHCRAFT
Bushcraft is not something to ‘be’ it is a way of life. People who are diving into the world of bushcraft want to be in nature for longer period of time with as little as is necessary. The knowledge and expertise will make your stay comfortable.
In contrast to survival you choose to go into nature for longer periods or just for a day of course. It is not about the gear you have but how to be able to live with nature. Many people are training themselves with bushcraft skills for possible survival situations. But bushcraft is also about enjoying nature, whether this is rain or a bright sunny day, feeling comfortable and with respect to nature and meanwhile maintaining and developing your skills.
“Comfortably going into nature for short or long stay”
SURVIVAL
Survival is often misunderstood for rafting, mountain biking or climbing (outdoor sports). What we consider to be survival techniques involve personal rescue and safety when you suddenly find yourself in a situation that was not intended and maybe even life threatening. Any decision you make is crucial to your situation and survival. You will make use of any opportunity you have or can create. Your main purpose is to get out of the situation and out of nature as soon as possible, back to civilization even when an impact is harmful to nature.
“Getting out of nature back to human / urban situations”
PRIMITIVE LIVING SKILLS
These techniques are most profound when it comes to skill, expertise and difficulty. People who are learning these techniques want to be able to go into nature without any modern materials. And who can make what they need from the materials nature itself provides. Primitive living skills and experimental archaeology are very much alike and often practiced by the same people.
Living and practicing these techniques can be difficult or harsh. The knowledge is based on the experiences of first nation people and or techniques from what we know of stone age societies. Getting a masters’ level of skill often involves years of practice and study. Many people develop a field of expertise above the all-round basic primitive knowledge.
“Going into nature, without any modern equipment, to practice native and primitive skills”
Written by Thijmen Apswoude, owner of Living By Nature (https://livingbynature.nl/), for the The Bushcraft Journal
