Bad Weather? Perfect opportunity to practice!
Winter fire lighting tips
Joe O'Leary :: Friday 23rd March 2018 :: Latest Blog Posts
Earlier this week we were hit with an unexpected second dumping of snow. Snow rarely lasts very long in the UK, especially so late in the year so in addition to the standard seeking out of a suitably snowy incline to slide down on our backsides, I seized the opportunity to practice one of the more fundamental bushcraft techniques, lighting fire in inclement conditions. When I first started teaching bushcraft sixteen years ago, I found that having to perform a certain survival skill in front of a group of paying customers was a great way to hone that particular skill under significantly increased pressure! If these techniques are to be of any real use in an emergency then they should be practiced under stressful but controlled conditions. Even then, after time it's all too easy to become complacent. You know where to find exactly the right resources, you've had time to prepare and squirrel away the best bits; even though the materials used are natural and taken from nature, psychologically you're as prepared as you would be using carried perfect man made kit. Every now and again you should stray further outside your comfort zone; a kind of sado-masochistic form of refresher training.