By Sean Fagan

Besides many bushcraft applications, these long thorns also speak of a fascinating, evolutionary history. Hailing originally from Southern Africa this fearsome member of the acacias employs these long thorns as a means of physical defense against equally formidable herbivores (elephants and giraffes!). Considering the hungry tongue of a giraffe can measure 18-20 inches long, it pays to arm your branches and twigs with long thorns (Photo: Sean Fagan, Portugal).

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The Bushcraft Lesson of Improvisation

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The bushcraft applications of these amazingly long, fearsome thorns of a Vachellia karoo I came across in Portugal are many - spear and trap points, awl, fish hook, toothpick, sewing needle, even a defensive weapon…

Can you think of any more ideas?

A lot of bushcraft is about improvising with what nature provides.

And that’s the essential point of this mini-blog: Stretching our abilities to improvise in nature is an invaluable bushcraft & survival asset.

It can also be fun.

Our highly skilled and resourceful, hunting and gathering ancestors were masterful improvisers.

I believe it's within us - to improvise, adapt and experiment in nature.

Often, this faculty within us just needs occasional practice to tap into its potential.

Creativity is an often overlooked asset of bushcraft - especially among the increasing commercialisation (and slick marketing) of modern bushcraft and adventuring.

Spending money on the latest bit of bushcraft kit is not necessarily the answer.

But increasing our focus on doing more with less is certainly a step in the right direction.

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"You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have." ~ Maya Angelou

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Resources:

• Boosting your creativity in 10 great ways
• 13 Proven Methods to Boost Your Creativity

By Sean Fagan

Photo from a recent camping trip, southwest Ireland. 13 hours of almost continuous rain greeted my second night of camping on this trip. But that's often winter-camping in southwest Ireland for you (it's wet!). It was an arduous camping trip - but between the strenuous exertion and occasional foul weather I had a great time. Most importantly, I greatly enjoyed the peace and solitude of nature (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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Happy Christmas and Happy Winter Solstice

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Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year.

For many people connected to nature it can be a potently symbolic time.

If you can, make some time to explore nature during the winter solstice and over the Christmas period.

You won't regret it.

Often, time alone in nature is all we need to recharge and reorient ourselves in a busy, demanding world.

But words fail me when it comes to explaining why nature is important for so many of us.

I'll leave that job to a great wilderness pioneer, naturalist and conservationist, John Muir...

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By Sean Fagan

Dune systems are often overlooked as regards bushcraft camping, which is a shame - they are often fantastic, beautiful locations with a wealth of unusual flora and fauna.  In fore and mid-ground of photo - Glenbeigh dune system - a beautiful, wide, sandy peninsula covered with marram grass. In background, the magnificent Dingle peninsula (Photo: Sean Fagan, southwest Ireland).

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Even though it was quite a few years ago, I still have vivid memories of a camping trip I took on a dune system in New Jersey, USA.

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It was late august.

And the days were long, sunny and glorious.

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I love dunes.

Sea meets sand with vast, open skies above…

...what’s not to love?

.Is it any wonder that the writer Henry Beston wrote, what is widely considered his best outdoor book - the Outermost House, while living on a sandy, coastal peninsula for a year?

This following quote of his originates from his time living near the sea, while writing The Outermost House...

“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. I have heard them all, and of the three elemental voices, that of ocean is the most awesome, beautiful and varied.”

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As stated already, I camped on those New Jersey dunes quite a few years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera so I've no photos of the trip.

But I've included some recent photos of my own and from elsewhere that are relevant to this article.

However, this article is mostly a descriptive, mood piece - with a dash of humour.

My time on that sandy stretch of New Jersey coastline shines brightly in my memory like the bright sands of those dunes.

The great and varied moods of that place - so near the vastness of the sea and sky - is a memory that will forever resonate within me.

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By Sean Fagan

Searching for dog whelks (Nucella lapillus). A great outdoor activity during winter is coastal foraging. Coastal molluscs, for example, are generally considered safer to consume during the colder months of winter (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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5 Outdoor Challenges for Winter

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"...and I walked, ran, paddled and climbed, and in all directions I tasted freedom..."  ~ John Muir

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I’m adamant that winter is not the outdoor bugaboo that it's often perceived as.

In the temperate climes of my home country of Ireland, winter is a whopping 25% of the year. That pales in comparison to where my brother lives, in Ontario, Canada. Over there, winter can last 5-6 months of the year!

That's a long time to be spending most of your time indoors.

So, I've scratched my head and come up with some fun and challenging activities for this coming winter.

I've offered these challenges based on what I enjoy doing during winter, so I write from experience.

I've also purposely selected these activities based on how to develop bushcraft skills.

With that bold claim out of the way, I urge you to go outdoors and make this winter unforgettable...

...with these 5 outdoor challenges.

By Sean Fagan

Warning sign in Irish and English, at the Forty Foot swimming area, east Ireland (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling

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Recently, I started an adventure based on fear.

Let’s face it – fear is synonymous with many adventures. It's often a large part of their attraction.

Just the simple act of wandering about in wild places can stir up fear.

Twisting an ankle, falling from a height, hypothermia, sickness, getting lost…the list goes on.

When solo-camping in some wild, forlorn places - I vividly remember moments of feeling acutely isolated - where the stark absence of other humans hit home.

That somewhat ominous feeling forced me to be more vigilant. It gave me an edge.

But nature is an unpredictable host and when risky outdoor situations arose I mostly took them in my stride (I had no other choice).

However, there are outdoor fears that go beyond the rational.

Maybe, just maybe - adventures can be designed to help banish some of these fears away...

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By Sean Fagan

I had a fantastic time hiking around the magnificent mountains of County Kerry while budget-camping. In photo, the famous MacGillicuddy's Reeks mountain range in the distance - what a place! (Photo: Sean Fagan)

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Recently I went camping in southwest Ireland…accidentally!

Accidentally?

Let me explain.

The plan was to bring my bicycle to county Kerry, southwest Ireland and stay in a hostel.

I wanted to cycle a lot, hike a bit and do some bushcraft throughout the daylight hours of my four-day stay.

All part of my plan to building up the necessary stamina and experience for future bicycle and camping tours.

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But a problem arose…

The hostel was overbooked.

No rooms left.

Great.

I’ve been going to this hostel for years and never had any problems. Just a simple administrative error.

What was I going to do?

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By Sean Fagan

Boiling a pot of water for some wild tea. In this case, a cup of Opposite-leaved, Golden saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium) - my vote for the best named wild plant in Ireland. Wild teas, like most teas, are mostly made from thin, leaf material and occasionally flowers (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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Making Tea in the Outdoors

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Sometimes, there can be a fine line between efficiency and laziness.

When it comes to making tea outdoors from wild plants I could be accused of being lazy.

I don't use a strainer. I don't usually use a knife or scissors to cut up leaves for making tea.

Instead, I shred up the leaf material with my hands.

I don't even bother removing the shredded leaves after it has steeped in my cup. I simply drink the tea with the leafy bits near the bottom of the cup.

But don't let this simple routine fool you - my teas are refreshing, restorative and brimming with the often unique flavours of wild plants.

They are also nutritious - as many wild plants contain a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals along with other nutritional goodies (often in high concentrations).

So if I come across a little rough in my tea-making it's because I want to get on with things with minimum fuss.

I do however follow a few rules in making tea - which can be encapsulated in 4 easy steps...

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By Sean Fagan

Sadly, shrews suffer from a relatively high mortality rate. The reasons are varied - starvation, predation by domestic cats and other predators or even territorial disputes between neighboring shrews. Whatever the reasons - they are a very fascinating member of our mammalian fauna - that somehow thrive despite many environmental pressures (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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All Hail the Mighty Shrew...

Above, a gruesome but interesting photo of a deceased pygmy shrew I recently found on the dunes of Baltray, east Ireland.

As Ireland’s smallest native mammal, the pygmy shrew (Sorex minutis) has one of the fastest metabolic rates of any mammal species with a very large appetite to match its internal furnace (they must eat every two hours or so in order to survive - throughout every 24 hours of the day!)

This forces the pygmy shrew to be a formidable hunter of small insects and other invertebrates (because of their tiny size - pygmy shrews occasionally engage in vigorous battles with sizable prey such as large beetles and worms).

Weighing on average only 4 grams, the pygmy shrew is a true lightweight. To put this in context - a house mouse weighs on average a hefty 40-45 grams.

The incredibly hungry, fierce and inquisitive pygmy shrew is one mammal that punches well above its minuscule weight.

All hail the mighty shrew…

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By Sean Fagan

Often found in woodland glades and on the edges of woodland in Portugal, the prickly pear is an striking example of a cactus-type plant perfectly suited to living in arid regions (Photo: Sean Fagan, Portugal).

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When I first walked under the bright, airy canopy of the pine and oak woods of south Portugal I felt excited – like a kid in a sweet shop my attention was darting all over the place – soaking in all the myriad details.

This feeling doesn’t happen often – but when it does, it’s a great feeling. The best way I can describe it – is a reassuring feeling of coming home - mixed in with a strong desire to explore.

But it's not just the intoxicating blend of the familiar with the exotic that is great about wandering into a new woodland - there is also great bushcraft merit in exploring different types of woodlands...

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