Our Bushcraft Gear List
Bushcraft is an umbrella term for wilderness survival skills ; it is basically about thriving in a natural environment and acquiring skills and knowledge to do so successfully. Such skills involve fire craft, tracking animals, hunting, fishing, building shelters, navigation (using the sun, moon and stars) along with the use of knives and axes. Foraging, water sourcing, using natural materials to construct containers and making ropes and twine are also skills associated with bushcraft. It also encompasses the ability to cope with emergency situations that may arise when out and about in the wild, such as injury.
Of course, this is an intimidating list to anyone unfamiliar with the wilderness!
Luckily, such skills can be broken down and learnt at a pace that any level of outdoor explorer can be comfortable with. Anyone who has been on a hike or a camping trip is often familiar with the use of are bushcraft gear list, basic tools and kits required for wilderness survival. These tools are also readily available to help you in this learning adventure and can help ensure that regardless of whichever wilderness you choose to venture into, you will not only survive but thrive.
Some simple and ready to use items that will help turn you from a novice to an expert wilderness survivor include-
Multitool (a.k.a the Swiss army knife)- an infamous invention, universally recognised by everyone from hikers to builders, the multitool or Swiss army knife is versatile, inexpensive and available from a multitude of retailers. They visually appear as a pair of collapsible pliers with additional tools built in to the handles. Many available on the market have been adapted for skill levels, age of the handler and even for the environment it is going to be used in. Many multitools have been adapted to emphasise easy usage and safety, so it is not a complicated piece of kit to become familiar with. Having a multitool is a must have in any survival situation and may mean the difference between a great outdoor experience and a poor one.
Many multitools contain about 7 tools in total and are often made from stainless steel for durability and to prevent rusting. The blade feature can be used for prepping food, cutting twine or cutting clothing. Also, the pliers have a multitude of uses but could be a life saver if you have a painful splinter!
Survival kits- as the name suggests, these kits are equipped with an array of materials to aide your survival in an inhospitable environment. Many parts of a basic survival kit are available to purchase separately- the plus side of doing this is that you are able to customise your kit to the environment. There are also complete survival kits that provide a basic set of equipment, which tend to be cheaper than the separate items but are often not specialised. Many complete kits include items such as fire starter kits, windproof and waterproof matches, pocket chainsaws for cutting wood and purification tablets- very useful in cleaning undrinkable water without a fire. Other items commonly included in ready to use survival kits are water proof containers (for water or matches), sewing kits to repair torn clothing, compasses, marine whistles, wound dressing and even pocket survival guides.
Survival knives/axes and tool sharpeners- more hardy than knives in the multitool, survival knives can be used in an emergency for chopping wood, trapping and skinning animals (if required). Survival axes provide similar usage options as the survival knife but are aimed more at chopping wood for shelter. It is always useful when purchasing a survival knife or axe to ensure it retains an edge for a long time. However, if this aspect fails, it is always useful to have tool sharpeners, which consist of oils, strops and sharpening stones. These will keep your knives and axes razor sharp and are lightweight are easy to store.
