The More You Know, the Less You Carry. Backcountry knowledge and skills, with a few resources and the gifts that nature provides goes a long ways in helping a person take care of themself in the backcountry.

                                                                                              

Knife Craft

~

Traditional Woodcraft

                                                                                              

~~

Knife skills are an essential part of life, whether in the kitchen, around the home or farm or on the trail. In this workshop you will discover all aspects of  being safe with a knife, using a knife and maintaining a knife (yes, you will be able to sharpen your knife).  Your knife will become an indispensable tool  that will be an extension of your hand.  Workshop Length – 4 hours to 2 days.

                                                                                              

Fire Craft

~

Traditional Fire Methods

                                                                                              

~~

Fire is the essence of our experience in nature – the sight of the flickering flames, the sound of wood crackling, the aroma of  burning wood and the feeling of the warmth from the fire – fire completes the camping experience.  We start with the ABC’s of fire and then allow students the opportunity to discover the thrill of making fire by rubbing sticks together.  Next, we progress through the technologies for making fire and discover the true nature of fire. Workshop Length 4 hours to 2 Days.

                                                                                              

Clothing Craft

~

The Natural Fiber Way

                                                                                              

~~

The Clothing Craft Workshop explores the wisdom of old relating to dressing in the backcountry. This workshop answers the question as to what clothing to works well and why. All gear has its positives and negatives and no item is wrong or right. The concern with clothing is not knowing the limitations of an item and expecting it to perform outside of its limitations. Workshop Length 2- 4 hours.

                                                                                              

Shelter Craft

~

Flat Fabric Camping

                                                                                              

~~

Could you make yourself comfortable while backpacking and camping with a blanket, a poncho, a half blanket, a “camp cloth”, a silk scarf and some bandanas. This is the traditional gear of many campers prior to the early 1900’s. This eye opening workshop shows the key benefits of flat fabrics: Versatile, Durable, Repairable and Comfortable. And you will learn to use flat fabrics for:

Shelter

Sleeping bag

Pack system

Outerwear and More…

After the Flat Fabric Camping Workshop, you will be able to take a look at your gear and realize that some of it is not needed and some of it you may even want to exchange for flat fabrics. Workshop Length – 4 to 8 hours.

                                                                                              

Trail Craft

~

Traditional Navigation

                                                                                              

~~

Are your map and compass skills going to be able to help you stay found (not get lost) or does your head spin at the thought of using a map and compass?  We help you remove the mystique surrounding the map and compass.  They are both quite basic and with practice the anxiety over using them drifts away like a soft summer breeze.  Staying found  will be much easier at the end of this workshop.  Workshop Length – 1 to 3 Days.