For all those city slickers who romanticize wilderness exploration and dream of living off the land and showing nature who’s boss, Bushcraft 101 is an important resource. It’s packed with the vital dos and don’ts of wilderness survival and will prepare you to enjoy nature’s grandeur and the thrill of survival. This book is an essential guide for newcomers to bush life and a useful reference for the more seasoned outdoorsmen looking to hone their bushcraft.

Bushcraft refers to the practice of effectively surviving and even flourishing in the wilderness. It’s been a hobby and—in more dire circumstances—the difference between life and death for those who have braved the bush. One of the most noteworthy outdoorsmen in America’s history was Teddy Roosevelt. So great was his affinity for exploring the wilderness that he, in conjunction with the Sierra Club, strengthened the protection for over 200 million acres of American wilderness. Due in part to Roosevelt’s efforts, Americans began to rediscover the joy that comes from stepping away from the noise and distractions of daily life by immersing themselves in nature. Early-twentieth-century American writers began commenting on a growing trend they termed “camping” or “woodcraft”—a practice that has never been completely abandoned, thankfully.

In an age that celebrates convenience and increasingly allows technology to define stability and sane behavior, many find the idea of leaving the comfort of home and our electronic devices behind counterintuitive or at least not worth it. What would possess someone to head into the woods? Is the simplicity worth the potential dangers and discomfort? Yes. To unplug from the highly connected world and decompress away from an environment of mounting social pressure is invaluable. Moreover, these skills may prove vital in unforeseeable situations of disaster or crisis.

With the right tools and the skills to use them, you can succeed in the wilderness and experience the thrill of accomplishing this primal, largely forgotten feat.

If you are heading off into the wilderness, what do you need? The newcomer to wilderness survival is tempted to bring a backpack full of the latest gadgets. But more important than a gadget for every conceivable situation is a knowledge of how to make the most from natural resources using only a few essential tools. 

There are several basic tools that are good to carry into the bush. They are the 5 Cs of Survivability: cutting implements, cover elements, combustion tools, containers, and cordage. These items are the most difficult to obtain and time-consuming to create from the natural resources. If you have these tools and can use then capably, you can survive just about anywhere. They can help you maintain your body’s core temperature—which is your top priority. It’s also important that you are able to make yourself comfortable enough to get no less than four hours of sound sleep each night. Whatever you bring in your kit, pack items that will help you maintain core temperature and relative comfort.

People who overpack will inconvenience themselves as their backpacks will be too heavy and they end up “roughing it” instead of “smoothing it” as their gadgets all promised. The 5 Cs and the knowledge to utilize them are more than enough.

Cutting tools is the first of the 5 Cs. Having the right tools in your kit and a proper knowledge of how to use and maintain them can mean the difference between a comfortable, enjoyable trip and a difficult—even dangerous—one.

The most important tool in the outdoorsman’s kit is a belt knife.  A four-and-a-half to six-inch blade is the best of both worlds: large enough to handle firewood and hardier tasks and small enough for carving. Steel is you best bet because it’s durable and can start a fire when struck with quartz. Some steel knives are coated to prevent corrosion, but this reduces the blade’s spark-generating capacity. With proper care, you won’t need to worry about rust. Your knife will take a beating in the wild; so a quality blade is a worthy investment.

The jackknife, handsaw, and small axe are also useful tools to bring, but their necessity will be determined by your purposes in the bush.

To maintain your knife properly,  make sure to use a bandana or kerchief to keep it from getting damp, and use a lubricant to prohibit rust. Olive oil is useful because it prevents contamination if you’re using it for food preparation. If your belt knife is not involved in cooking, then any machine oil or petroleum-base product is fine. 

For the sheath, consider leather (soaked in olive oil or coated with beeswax to ensure water resistance) or Kydex, a synthetic thermoplastic. It’s basically indestructible, but it’s hard to remove trapped debris, which could scrape the blade.

The second of the 5 Cs is cordage. This refers to the bushman’s selection of cords and ropes. These are essential tools because, as with other key items, cords serve numerous functions, including starting fires, trapping animals, fishing, containing materials, as well as setting up tripods and shelters.

Cords are thinner and come in synthetic and natural varieties. They also vary in their degree of  tensile strength. Cords with lower tensile strength are fine for nets and fishing. For more heavy-duty creations like lashings for a shelter, higher test is preferable.

Ropes are thicker than cords and suitable for hanging game to be skinned and cooked, for makeshift backpack straps, and belts. Natural materials like jute or hemp are ideal because they are also great kindling.

Tubular webbing is a good alternative to rope. Its remarkable tensile strength makes it great for climbing. It’s lighter than rope, less likely to break, and you can pack a good deal more of it because it’s flat.

Containers is the third of the 5 Cs. It’s vital that you make space in your kit for the means to heat water, cook, and decoct medicinal remedies. In the pioneering days, cast iron was commonplace. As far as resilience and heat transfer, it’s unparalleled, but it’s extremely heavy, making it a less-than-optimal choice by modern standards.

Stainless steel is probably the best bet for anyone heading into the wild. There are amazingly lightweight titanium options, but they are far less durable and readily warp when exposed to open flame. Anodized aluminum is another fine choice, as far as durability, weight, and heat transferability.

Whatever containers you do decide on, it’s imperative that they can withstand an open flame. You must be able to boil your water so that microbes do not ruin your wilderness experience. Under conditions of cold, having a hot drink can literally be a lifesaver, as warming the body’s core is essential in the event of hypothermia.

A water bottle is an important container, but don’t waste your time with plastic bottles—no matter how trendy the packaging is. The consensus among scientists is that boiling water is the only way to kill water-borne pathogens. A large stainless steel bottle—say, 32 oz—is great. You will need to boil your bottle multiple times a day to stay sufficiently hydrated. A smaller bottle will mean stopping more frequently to boil water. A larger bottle will mean added weight.

Coverage is the fourth of the 5 Cs for your wilderness kit. The importance of getting a good night’s sleep where you’re dry, warm, and shielded from the elements cannot be overstated. Knowledge of how to construct various shelters and the best materials to use based on the seasons, climes, and duration of the stay is invaluable—arguably the most important body of knowledge you can take with you into the wilderness.

What material is best for creating a microclimate will depend on the nature of your adventure. One option is a tarp. It’s light and versatile, useful in various seasons and scenarios. It is also waterproof, which has its pros and cons. It keeps moisture out and makes for a great outer wrap for gear, but if water gets inside a shelter, it will collect in puddles on the tarp floor. It also poses challenges for ventilation. It’s not uncommon for people to wake up to a stuffy, humid shelter with condensation collecting on the tarp.

Polypropylene is a synthetic, lightweight option suitable for short stints. It’s inexpensive but does not last long. Silnylon (silicone and nylon blend) is another popular material because it is extremely lightweight and packs well. Shelters made from silnylon are also useful for brief jaunts through the wild, but often fails people on more ambitious ventures. It’s also readily flammable and most silnylon gear uses grommets to anchor the tent, which puts unnecessary stress on the fabric. Better than grommets is interwoven supports that don’t strain or tear the shelter’s fabric when you need it most.

Canvas is an all-around solid bet for shelter. It’s more breathable than a tarp, and modern canvas products are now less susceptible to flame and mildew than ever. It’s a tough material that can handle a beating and thus fares well during long-term treks. Egyptian oilcloth is another excellent choice because it is lightweight, lasts, and can handle a range of weather conditions.

For bedding, most people use sleeping bags, but some of these—particularly down-stuffed varieties—are vulnerable to moisture and mold. If the region to be explored is not humid, however, a sleeping bag works fine. A wool blanket is far and away the best choice for bedding. It’s fire-and moisture-resistant, and retains most of its heat—even if it’s soaking wet. Some people prefer a blend because it’s less coarse, but this is saying “no” to that extra warmth. One hundred percent wool blankets are your best and more affordable bet.

Fire is essential for maintaining core temperature, cooking food, boiling water, seeing clearly in the dark, and keeping curious wildlife at a distance. Thus, combustion is also on the 5 Cs list of essential bush gear.

Three surefire tools that one should not head into the bush without are lighters, ferrocerium rods, and a magnifying glass. BIC lighters work well. Get three in a bright color so they’re easy to locate in your pack. Ferrocerium rods, or metal matches, are composed of pyrophoric materials like iron, magnesium, and cerium.  They combust with the application of minimal friction against the sharp edge of a hard substance, like steel, sending a shower of 3000-degree sparks. The magnifying glass is another useful option. If you have one with 5x magnification or stronger, then all you need is dry kindling and  sun. Ignition will be easiest when the sun is at its highest point, usually late morning or early afternoon, and, thus, easier in summer than in winter.

More primitive methods like flint and steel and friction sticks are worth becoming familiar with, but don’t count on these in the wild. Flint and steel, for instance, generate sparks that are only a fraction of the temperature that ferrocerium rods produce, reducing the potential for ignition. Come prepared with lighters, sun lenses, and metal matches.

Many plants have short growing seasons, which means there is only a small window in which to harvest their beneficial properties. Trees, however, are different in this regard. Some have properties that can be advantageous regardless of the season.

Pines, for instance, are tremendously resource-rich. The red pine’s needles make for excellent kindling. White pine needles, when steeped in boiling water, provide a tea that is loaded with Vitamin C. It’s perfect for winter months when the body could use extra warmth and an immunity boost. Pinesap is the perfect Band-Aid because it protects the cut and has antiseptic properties. Pine also makes for excellent firewood, particularly the fatwood, or the portions of the tree where the resin accumulates, such as where branches connect to the trunk.

Willows and poplars are also useful year round. Their inner bark is highly flammable. The wood is  soft, which makes it ideal for carving eating utensils and containers. For millennia, willow bark has been used as a painkiller, derived either via decoction or by chewing.

The bark of sassafras trees is carminative, meaning it relieves indigestion. Its roots can be boiled for a nutrient-rich tea and the wood is oily so it burns longer than most other kindling.

Red and white varieties of oaks serve useful purposes. The red oaks (identified by their pointed leaves) are ideal for construction. The white oaks (rounded leaves) have historically been valued for their astringents, which help alleviate cold symptoms and diarrhea.