Parents bought me and my brother a tent. I loved it, soon was sleeping out in it all summer in the garden. From there I was hooked.
Where did it all start for you?
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I've said military but was only ever an Army cadet, I'd been camping with my father and brother but it was the cadets that had me living in a ditch under a poncho for a couple of days. Thats where it started. 
For me it was probably a combination of certain things at a certain age. I remember my Gramps would wake me at dark O'clock and we would head out mushroom foraging and later in the year he would take me for Chestnuts (some 40+ years ago)., it helped that i lived across from a nice bit of ( what seemed to me) endless woodland with a trout river running thru it. I dont remember anything else other than trees and rivers. I was also a Cub, a Scout, Army Cadet and TA for a few years so kinda carried it on from there. The sticks is in my blood.
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Grew up next to a wood, played there as a kid. As I got older, other kids preferred more urban adventures, I still liked the woods. Also, had an uncle who was an ex Royal M and was a gamekeeper, so learned a lot about it all from him. Right down to him getting the rifle out when he was sitting on the sofa, opening the window, and a few minutes later, bam, there was your dinner. Now send the dog to fetch it back. Brilliant, and a way of life pretty much long gone now, as sadly is he.
Even when I was in the military, I loved being out in the wilds, leadership courses on Dartmoor, all the stuff that others complained about. I also love the dark, so put all that together and I think the outdoors becomes part of you that you don't want to let go. So much so I'm looking at doing a 6 week jaunt to the States in a couple of years, PNW region, just to travel around with the hammock and see how they do it over there.
Even when I was in the military, I loved being out in the wilds, leadership courses on Dartmoor, all the stuff that others complained about. I also love the dark, so put all that together and I think the outdoors becomes part of you that you don't want to let go. So much so I'm looking at doing a 6 week jaunt to the States in a couple of years, PNW region, just to travel around with the hammock and see how they do it over there.
Combination of things for me. Reading Swallows and Amazons. Army Cadets. But mainly, multi-day fishing trips when I was knee high, had my own camp cooker and frying pan, sleeping under tarps miles from anywhere. Absolutely loved it, and still do.
Reading Huckleberry Finn, The Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe were a big influence on me as a child. Then when we moved to live in the country (I was age 6) we were outdoors all the time no matter what the weather. We could collect blackberries and make jam and pies (even as small kids we were allowed at the oven under my mother's watchful eye), have a tree-house and were allowed to light fires and cook (especially sausages!) on pans borrowed from the kitchen. That was the start. Then several 'walkabouts' in Europe with a rucksack on my back in my late teens, lots of wild camping and 'camping gaz' cooking. A few years in the territorials. Unfortunately as soon as I hit my mid-20's, 'life' and a family meant that the next 35 years were spent in an office environment often working overtime etc etc. Enjoying the outdoors was reduced to some gardening and a camping holiday now and again. Just starting to slowly enjoy the outdoors again, not climbing any trees now though ...
Other. I couldn't join the Scouts and the Guides were always far to sissy for me, and they insisted on a religious component to the Promise which I couldn't make in honesty even at that age.
My Dad took me walking on Dartmoor from pretty much as soon as I could trot after him. The family lived in New Zealand for several years and we kids ran wild in the local bush building huts, fishing in the creek and generally having a very find bushcrafty time.
My Dad took me walking on Dartmoor from pretty much as soon as I could trot after him. The family lived in New Zealand for several years and we kids ran wild in the local bush building huts, fishing in the creek and generally having a very find bushcrafty time.
That religious bit has always been a major deterrent for me too, and stopped me joining Scouts too, for the same reason. It feels like a social hangover from when the scouts originated that is only tenuously linked to what they do.
On the plus side it does give the groups lots of access to church halls, so is not all bad.
My 'bushcraft' skills started when I was Homeless for 6 months...its surprising how fast you learn to light a small fire and make a hobo stove from a can and stealth camp when you are cold and hungry!!
Yes i remember well 'Old Country' and 'out of town' with jack...........you can still see them on Y*utube! FANTASTIC old fella, would have loved to have known him personally and chatted to him......
Started when I was a kid watching out of town with grandad , he was old army and got me into being outdoors as much as possible, years later after kids and work I found Ray mears programmes and got back into being outdoors, found this forum and although I wouldn't say I was a real bush craft outdoors type I love to be out in the woods when I can.
I don't get to camp out due to self employed work and finances are tight but I love watching stuff on you tube and like to read forum posts and enjoy being part of the forum and hope to get out side more.
I don't get to camp out due to self employed work and finances are tight but I love watching stuff on you tube and like to read forum posts and enjoy being part of the forum and hope to get out side more.
I would have to say it's my dad's fault! Took me shooting and for walks in the country as a kid. Used to point out flora and fauna to me etc. I say used to, he still does it!
Yep Dad for me as well. Ex military and countryman. That and all the asorted poachers, farm labourers and eccentrics living in the back of beyond in 60's North Essex. Then cubs, just at the point when it went from Baden powell to Blue Peter . And then as a teen discovering Ernest Seton, Ernest Westlake, John Hargrave, early Scouting manuals etc and the whole woodcraft thing through the old Whole Earth Catalogues. Caught Mears very late as didnt have a telly and thankfully too old for Grylls.
For me Bushcraft, as a movement is a depoliticised, despiritualised version of woodcraft, nessesary in a world where media and merchandise rule.
. And then as a teen discovering Ernest Seton, Ernest Westlake, John Hargrave, early Scouting manuals etc and the whole woodcraft thing through the old Whole Earth Catalogues. Caught Mears very late as didnt have a telly and thankfully too old for Grylls.For me Bushcraft, as a movement is a depoliticised, despiritualised version of woodcraft, nessesary in a world where media and merchandise rule.
At the age of 5 my family moved out of the town into the country, our new bungalow backed straight onto farm land. The Hawthorn hedge planted to form the boundary simply was not established enough to keep me out of the fields it didn't matter if they contained crops or beast as far as I was concerned it was a huge playground.....eventually the farmer realised it would be a damn site easier to just let me onto the land but to teach me how to 'play' safely. This was mid 60's and his family had worked that land (and still does) for a dozen generations, he personally had worked it right through the war years so there really was very little he didn't know about getting 110% out of every inch of that land and because of the family history he practically knew the same amount about all the neighbouring farms for miles around. I live on the south bank of the Humber most of my own family had been fishermen, dockers, or fish merchants for several generations so not only did I learn about the land from a man that taught me like a son I learnt about the sea and coast from my real dad.......incidentally, at 58 I am still allowed to play in the fields not just of the farm where I grew up but on all the neighbouring farms too.
D.B.
D.B.
