Book Review: Core Bushcraft - A Wilderness Living Skills Sourcebook
Bushcraft has been having a moment of popularity as of late. Whether it is from people pushing back on consumerism in the outdoors, or looking for an escape to doom scrolling endless feeds… forget screen time, it’s time to try hands-on ‘green time’. It’s hard to know where to start and while it may look simple enough to purchase any old knife and venture off into the woods, it’s best to do some reading first.
Thankfully U.K. Bushcraft expert Paul Kirtley just released a brand-new book which should be everyone’s starting point, from absolute beginners to those that have been making headway for quite some time. Core Bushcraft: A Wilderness Living Skills Sourcebook is a beautiful hardcover resource where each page helps you build your skill-set and your confidence with numerous full colour photos walking you through each step of the way on the subjects of…
Woodcraft
Firecraft
Sheltercraft
Water Procurement and Processing
Cordage and Bindcraft
Useful Trees and Plants
Procuring Fish & Small Game
Natural Navigation
Clothing and Equipment
With the photos taking up more space than text on each page you won’t feel overwhelmed as Paul walks you through step-by-step on each subject, including an intro for each subject to explain why it is important. The book kicks off with woodcraft, and while it is easy to go into your local sporting goods store and purchase the first knife that looks cool, Paul walks you through each type of knife and why it might be useful for the type of techniques you hope to learn. Each subject in the book, is given the same attention to detail including a multitude of time-honed tidbits that Paul has worked on over the years and are practical in all four seasons.
Even if you don’t think that bushcraft is of interest to you, the skills taught in this book go beyond the craft. Paul offers solutions to problems you could run into on any backpacking or camping trip making you more comfortable in any situation. From water purification to the knots that help you set up your campsite, the skills are all complimentary and will make you a more resourceful camper. His appreciation for nature and everything around you also shines through as he imparts identification skills and rationale as to what makes certain plants and trees useful over others.
Best of all, the book is priced at a very reasonable $48.99 and will be the perfect guide to follow each step of the way to help you practice self reliance from the comfort of your own home before you’re deep in the woods. Paul’s easy-to-follow photos and tips are top-notch and will help you on a trip when either some camping gear fails or when you simply want to bring less with you and use what nature provides.
Order your copy through Amazon.ca, Indigo, or a bookseller near you and stay connected to Paul by following him on Instagram and listening to his excellent podcast.
