Tag: Bushcraft (Page 3 of 5)

Using Reeds to Keep Warm

January 5, 2016 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

The common reed, Phragmites australis, is a surprisingly common & widespread grass species of temperate, tropical and to a lesser extent boreal wetlands (Photo: Sean Fagan).

Plant Seeds as Insulation

Many plant species are reliant on wind for seed dispersal.

Often, wind-dispersed seeds are covered in a fluffy, downy covering - which improves their air buoyancy.

Even the slightest breeze can lift and carry fluffy seeds far away from the parent plant.

Many of these fluffy seeds can be used as a tinder for starting a fire.

Another great use of these seeds is insulation (especially when stuffed into socks, gloves, clothing, hat & sleeping bag)

Numerous plant species produce soft, fluffy seeds, such as thistle and willow-herb species, but not many plants produce enough soft seed material that can be expediently used for improving the warmth of clothes.

One plant in particular produces prodigious quantities of soft seed heads - the common reed, Phragmites australis.

Learn more about this fascinating grass species and how reeds can potentially be a life saver...

*As a bonus I've also included a clip from the wonderful film, Dersu Uzala, which depicts two men making a make-shift, insulating shelter from reeds in order to survive a freezing storm. I've included this clip in the main blog (so you might want to read the blog post here, then watch the clip).

The Woods of my Youth…

December 9, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

(Photo: Sean Fagan).

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Where my Bushcraft Started...

Occasionally people ask me - where did my interest in nature and bushcraft begin?

My own personal journey into nature & bushcraft began in a local wood, when I was quite young.

That early exposure to nature left a vivid and profoundly positive impression that has persisted throughout my life.

It's my sincere hope that my own youthful explorations of nature and bushcraft highlight the potential benefits of nature-exposure for children and young people.

In this post I've tried to convey the emotional essence of my early encounters with nature and subsequently, bushcraft.

I hope you enjoy it.

In case you think this post is a sentimental journey into a nostalgic past - it's not.

I've also touched upon an all too common feature of the natural world - its deterioration and its all too often wanton destruction by humankind.

Campsite Safety: Trip Hazards

November 4, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan..

The pale colour of debarked, wooden pegs makes them more visibly conspicuous - especially at night (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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De-Barking Wooden Pegs for Greater Visibility & Safety

When it comes to outdoor safety, it's often the little things that can catch people out.

Over the years I've witnessed quite a few individuals trip over tent pegs and guy lines (especially at night).

When a person is tired or distracted, it can be surprisingly easy to trip over a wooden or metal peg.

It's not a pleasant experience.

When I’m teaching outdoor courses or casually camping with friends in a woodland, I’m often asked why I de-bark the upper section of my wooden pegs.

The answer is simple – to make them more visible.

Learn more about trip hazards and my general thoughts on camp-site safety.

Bushcraft as Therapy?

October 15, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

Is Bushcraft a Natural Remedy for Modern Stress?

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Below is a short video interview with outstanding wild food forager, Robin Harford.

In the video, at 4:40 minutes - Robin delivers a passionate account of the healing properties of nature.

Robin doesn’t use weighty terminology or referencing to back up his claim about nature’s healing ways.

Instead, Robin speaks eloquently from the heart.

You can feel the authenticity of Robin's experience on this matter - of his years of witnessing individuals transformed for the better in nature.

In this blog, I've also included some views on the healing properties of nature - from a bushcraft perspective and why I occasionally get away from it all - to seek peace in nature.

I hope you enjoy the video, and the rest of the blog...

Fire-Skills: Carrying Kindling

October 10, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

A handful of dry, natural kindling is of negligible weight when carried but can greatly increase the odds of igniting a fire in challenging conditions (Photo: Sean Fagan)

To Carry or not to carry Dry Kindling?

The Value of Carrying Dry Kindling in the Woods...

Many bushcrafters will recommend that you carry dry tinder on your person and in your backpack - preferably in a robust, waterproof container/bag.

This is good advice.

You never know when conditions will become challenging - and having dry tinder can give you a head-start in igniting a fire during inclement weather.

What's very rarely recommended is carrying dry kindling as well as dry tinder.

You can have an abundance of dry tinder on your person - but if your kindling is wet - then lighting a fire can prove challenging.

A better solution is to carry dry tinder and dry kindling.

Learn more about the benefits of carrying dry kindling and why having a flexible approach to fire-lighting will make you a better bushcrafter.

Bushcraft, Winter & The Night Sky

September 23, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

The moon and the planet Venus - bearing down their luminous presence from the southern sky over the river Liffey, Dublin, Ireland (Photo: Sean Fagan).

A great nocturnal activity is astronomy - which can be done in urban, rural and wilderness areas.

In the photo above, is the planet Venus and the moon. Both these celestial objects can often be seen during the longer nights of winter - they are also reliable, night-time navigational markers and well worth using with a map and compass - when navigating at night.

A reoccurring attitude I often come across is that the long, cold nights of winter are not an enjoyable time to be outdoors.

I couldn’t disagree more.

There is a magic to winter and a large part of its allure is the night sky.

The Great Northern Woods

September 21, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

A very humble abode - hard to believe that this small, basic dwelling holds some of my fondest memories (Photo: Sean Fagan).

. Above - is the interior of a plastic dome shelter I lived in for 10 weeks in Maine, USA.

It looks a little messy (uninspired even) but almost everything I needed was in that shelter.

“How could you live in such a place?” might be a question that comes to mind.

In reality I was living in a vast, inspiring space called the Northern woods.

Fire Skills: Natural Tinders

September 12, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

7 natural tinders collected in 15 minutes. Left to right: dead grass, dead clematis bark, dead bracken, dead blackberry stalks, dead horsetail stalks, dry horse dung, dead gorse (above), (Photo: Sean Fagan).

7 Natural Tinders collected in 15 Minutes...

An experimental mindset, patience and of course, having fun, are key facets in getting to know all the natural tinders in a given locality.

When it comes to tinders - many will ignite with a flame, some will ignite with a spark or smouldering ember, while a few tinders can even be ignited on damp, rainy days.

Additionally, many natural tinders require some form of processing to make them less coarse - and more fine (to improve their flammability).

This is all part of getting to know the rich lore associated with natural tinders…

And it’s a key part of becoming a competent, outdoors person that can get a fire going no matter what the weather.

In short, the more natural tinders an individual knows – the more fire-lighting options that are available.

3 Great Uses of Maps

May 27, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

Bronze Age circular engravings on rock (Photo: Sean Fagan - Southwest Ireland).

A map can reveal many secrets of a landscape that can be easily overlooked.

The rich tapestry of archaeology, folklore and place names interwoven throughout many landscapes adds a great richness to a place - and these can be found with maps.

The Wild Pear Tree

May 17, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

The striking flowers of the pear tree (photo: Wikimedia Commons).

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The Peerless Wild Pear

The wild pear, Pyrus pyraster, is a non-native tree of Ireland and is believed to have originated from a cultivated variety of pear, the domestic pear, Pyrus communis, which was first grown in Ireland as a fruit crop about 400 years ago.

Learn more about the fascinating wild pear and discover 5 Bushcraft uses of the pear tree.