By Sean Fagan

Hidden within a tree - carved stakes (Photo: Sean Fagan).

Thinking ahead...

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Bush Tucker Man?

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In above photo, a nicely stashed trio of wooden stakes for a campsite I occasionally visit (I eventually made a total of 8 stakes).

The stakes are made from holly, which is a tough wood and can take a good hammering into soil (I use these stakes for pegging out my tarp).

Here's a question: can you think of a connection between my carved stakes and a great man of Australian bushcraft - Les Hiddins (Bush Tucker Man)?

I bet you can't...

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By Sean Fagan

Preparing a rabbit for an outdoor stew. On top right of photo, offal (Kidneys, heart, liver and lungs), (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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LEARN BASIC BUTCHERY SKILLS

If you really get into Bushcraft & Survival skills - then knowing how to bleed, skin, gut and prepare the meat of an animal is vital for safe and effective cooking.

But where do we start if we are new to butchery?

Where can we get the best information about how to butcher an animal for cooking?

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By Sean Fagan

On top of a massive badger spoil heap (Photo: Sean Fagan, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland).

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Bushcraft Tip No. 2:

Learn some Basic Tracking…

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Why? Because it’s fun and interesting.

A little bit of tracking can go a long way in making camping or hiking a lot more interesting - as animal tracks and sign are often common and widespread, which is just as well - as sightings of wild animals can be very hit and miss.

In above photo, I’m atop an exceptionally large, badger spoil heap (about 7-8 foot tall).

This spoil heap of discarded soil was made by badgers excavating tunnels deep into the ground. Often, after generations of badger occupation in a sett, the spoil heap accumulates – often reaching impressive dimensions (as in photo).

Wild landscapes are far from inert. There is often a great deal of animal activity that can be noticed through the tracks and sign they leave behind - which is one of the most compelling reasons to learn some basic tracking skills - it's a profound way of connecting to wild places.

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“Never forget the trail, look ever for the track in the snow; it is the priceless, unimpeachable record of the creature’s life and thought, in the oldest writing known on the earth.” ~ Ernest Thompson Seton

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 Related articles on this website:

• Have Tracking, Will Travel
• Tracking Sign: The Browse Line
• Tracking Badgers...

By Sean Fagan

*Below, the first in a series of brief camping and bushcraft tips. In addition to my usual, longer bushcraft articles, I will be adding these smaller, bite-sized outdoor tips for variety. I Hope you enjoy the first of many tips to making you a better outdoors person.

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Bushcraft Tip No. 1: 

NAP, NAP and NAP some more...

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Grabbing some shut-eye on a fallen beech tree (Photo: Sean Fagan, Southwest Ireland).

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Camping, Bushcraft and Outdoor Pursuits in general are physically demanding and tiring.

So don't be shy about catching a few winks when opportunity allows.

Take a cue from wild animals - they often nap (the physical demands of their lives requires frequent rest).

Also, when we are well-rested in the outdoors we are far less prone to having accidents and making bad decisions.

Over the last couple of years I've began to reap the rewards of napping. At first, I found it difficult to fall asleep - but now, I can nap pretty much anywhere that is quiet and reasonably comfortable to lie upon. I have to admit - napping has proven to be a great energiser for myself.

My father, who is retired and in his seventies likes to arise each morning at 6.30am. He still works hard outdoors (he is an avid builder, DIY enthusiast and gardener). But he always takes a long afternoon nap to keep going. He swears by them.

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"If you're tired, learn to rest, not to quit" ~ Banksy

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Related articles on this website:

• The Art of Chilling Out
• Outdoor Awareness Skills
• Bushcraft as Therapy

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• 7 Benefits of Power Napping
• The Secret of Power Napping

By Sean Fagan

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Capturing Wilderness

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Above, is a fantastic documentary about Ansel Adams (there is a link to this video at the end of this short article).

It's hard to dispute with the fact that Adams was a tremendous outdoor photographer.

Considering the basic camera he possessed - he managed to create some stunning, groundbreaking photographs.

As regards locations, his core photographic muse was the magnificent Yosemite National Park.

Here, among the steep peaks and cliffs of the Sierra Nevada mountains - Adams lost himself to the timeless rhythms of nature...restlessly searching for the next image.

So, what has Adams got to do with bushcraft?

Well, quite a lot...

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By Sean Fagan

When venturing into wild places - it's always good practise to be vigilant (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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Avoiding Violent Encounters...

6 tips on how to avoid encounters of the bad kind

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Self-defence is a contentious issue to bring up in conjunction with the mostly recreational activity of bushcraft.

But it’s something I feel compelled to do as I strongly believe it’s an important but generally overlooked aspect of bushcaft.

The reality is, when we go bushcrafting in wild, remote places we are physically isolated.

And with the ever increasing popularity of bushcrafting/adventuring occurring across the globe it’s important to address this thorny issue of protecting ourselves from potentially dangerous people.

First off, I’m not a self-defence expert.

When younger I had a strong interest in boxing, self-defence and martial arts so I’m not exactly a novice in this area.

Also, I’ve travelled to remote wild and urban places across the world so I know from experience on how to avoid potentially unsavoury situations from escalating or even starting off.

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By Sean Fagan..

The starting flames of a small twig fire (composed of dry elder and hazel twigs). The small twig fire is one of the most effective means of lighting a campfire in a woodland (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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The small-twig fire is a mainstay among bushcrafters and outdoor enthusiasts that ignite campfires in woodlands...

And for good reason - it's effective.

Like many bushcraft skills, the small-twig fire is a subtle skill-set that requires a lot of experience to master (especially during inclement weather).

One of the golden rules of the small-twig fire is always to collect dead, dry, standing twigs for kindling.

It's important not to collect living (green) twigs but dead twigs that are still attached to living trees or fallen dead twigs that have become entangled within the branches of standing trees (most dead twigs on the woodland floor are too damp for fires).

But it's not as simple as randomly collecting dry twigs to light a fire - why? because some twigs are a lot more flammable than others...

Learn more about my thoughts on kindling twigs - and five of my favourite broad-leaf, kindling twigs.

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By Sean Fagan

On the banks of the lovely Riberio De Sao Lourenco - 'The brook of San Laurentum' (Photo: Sean Fagan, south Portugal).

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12 Things I Learned in South Portugal during Winter

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Over the last few winters I’ve taken to hiking and camping in south Portugal (the Algarve region). I’m big into tracking and bird-watching - so the wildlife-rich region of the Algarve provides a much needed boost for myself in that regard.

Of course the typically clear skies and sunny weather is greatly appreciated too. And it’s not too hot - so it's possible to be comfortably active throughout the day.

There is an abundance of high quality articles offering advice about the outdoors. With that in mind, I wrote this article from a more personal point of view with the aim of addressing some of the more overlooked aspects of hiking and camping in a hot, arid country.

Some of the tips are practical while others border on the whimsical  - but that's the outdoors for you sometimes, it can be a funny place where the unexpected can happen...

By Sean Fagan

A photo with a haunting, terrible beauty. In the midst of this raging forest fire in Montana, two elk deer sought refuge in a river. From this photo - it's easy to get a sense of the immense destruction, heat and danger caused by a rapidly spreading forest fire (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).

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8 Safety Tips on Using a Campfire in a Dry Woodland

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During the summer and autumn of 2017, the country of Portugal suffered dreadful forest fires, with over 100 fatalities and many thousands of hectares of woodland burnt and charred.

2017 was also the worst year of recorded forest fires in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Over 890,000 hectares of forest burnt, caused by over 2,000 individual fires.

It's an obvious fact - fire hazards in dry woodlands are incredibly real.

Both the woods of Canada and Portugal possess tree species that are particularly flammable, such as pine trees.

But many dry woodlands do not contain coniferous trees and are often extreme fire hazards (especially during prolonged dry periods).

Considering they can move at a lively clip of almost 7km per hour and can reach a staggering 800 degrees Celsius - forest fires are an awe-inspiring and immensely destructive force of nature.

Wherever we camp we owe it to the land we are using to take good care of it.

With these terrible forest fires in recent memory I've come up with 8 fire safety tips that I believe every campfire-user should follow in dry woodlands.

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By Sean Fagan

Lazing by the slow waters of the Avonmore river, east Ireland. For myself, adventure can be small or large (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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WHAT ADVENTURES WILL YOU DO IN 2018?

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The quote used for the above title of this blog - "Oh darling, let's be adventurers" is next to impossible to reliably source.

Whatever about the origin of this quote, it's easy to admire its fine sentiment.

It kind of begs the question: isn't adventure a part of all of us?

In this blog I've offered some of my thoughts on that very question, some of which may surprise you...

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