A knifeless man is a lifeless manOld Nordic proverb So why carry a knife? I would argue there are three primary reasons for carrying a knife at all times: The simple need of a tool to separate matter; whether it be for one’s livelihood (agriculture, construction, etc.) or in the course of everyday living from […]
Tag Archives | survival
1 degree; Wilderness Fire Starting Considerations
NEXT TO KNOWING HOW TO DRESS WELL, FIRE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSH SKILLS THERE ARE, BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE FEW MEANS AVAILABLE TO MAKE UP MOST GREAT DEFICIENCIES. Master Woodsman Mors Kochanski’s excellent quote above sums it up. Next to knowing how to dress well (reducing heat loss), fire is […]
Survival TV Sucks!
Unless you have been living under a rock, it’s likely you’ve heard the news that Cody Lundin was fired from the Discovery Channel’s hit TV show, Dual Survival. This being the result of “differences over safety and health concerns…” Just in case you missed it, the details can be found on Lundin’s FaceBook Page. While I admit […]
Suggested Outdoor Skills To Learn First…
When it comes to Outdoor Living Skills, I’ve heard it asked many times over the years… “what should I learn first?” It needs to be stated at the beginning of this article that our society is more fast paced than ever. And while the extraordinary amount of information that is so readily available is fantastic, […]
Instinctive Navigation: Keeping the ‘Dead’ out of Dead Reckoning by Patrick Farneman
As a child it amazed me the way my father could navigate in the woods. It also amazed me that he could go the whole day without having to go to the bathroom, but that is another story! We could head out on a trip, whether for a few hours or a few days, with […]
My Survival Kit
MasterWoodsman.com® is a resource of information with a focus on skills, not gear. In keeping with that premise, I want to share with you not just what I carry in my survival kit, but more importantly, the rationale behind what I carry and how I would use it. Therefore, let me also present to you […]
Primitive Survival Skills in the 21st Century by Mark Warren
The physicality of satisfying our essential needs today is virtually effortless – like strolling through the aisles of a grocery store or turning a knob to heat an oven. So why turn back history and roam forest and field to dig up edible roots? Why twirl a stick in your hands to near exhaustion in […]
Collecting & Treating Water in the Backcountry
I made the video below 3 years ago. Since that time, and for many years prior, nothing has changed for me in how I collect and treat water in the backcountry for biological pathogens. And when I say collect, it is more than just dipping my bottle or pot in a creek, there is […]
The Bushcraft Movement: what is it and why should you care?
Google News globally searches key words of interest for me. For over a year now one of those words has been ‘bushcraft.’ Every couple of days or so there is a new article mentioning Bushcraft. All but two of a 100+ news articles have been from the UK. And each of those have been about […]
Your Guide To Survival Using A Trash Bag
When it comes to survival in the wilderness, a trash bag in your emergency kit could be a lifesaver for you and your family. This article is your guide to survival for it’s use as an environmental layer to your clothing and much more! “Your clothing is the most important survival tool you have. Dress properly […]
Top Ten Survival Vacations
Saw this on Cody Lundin’s Blog and it was too interesting to see MSN’s take on Top Ten Survival Vacations not to repost here. See link… TOP TEN SURVIVAL VACATIONS I have taken numerous “vacations” with some top instructors including several with Lundin, and I have to agree, Cody is absolutely one of the best! […]
That Fresnel Lens in Your Survival Kit
Today’s common Fresnel lens, and the one a Woodsman should carry, is a super-thin business card sized piece of plastic. Based on the 1822 lens design by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, it was originally intended for lighthouses, hence it’s larger aperture, shorter focal length and much thinner design compared to conventional lenses. For a lighthouse, […]
The Tinder Bundle
For fire and its continuation (chain reaction) three components need to come together: heat, fuel and oxygen. So many folks into Outdoor Living Skills focus on the ignition or heat source. While obviously a critical component, the other two-thirds are equally important… So let’s put ugly on the table. Can’t tell you how many […]
Cody Lundin Shares Survival Tips with SRU Student Newspaper
An interview from the Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper with Cody Lundin. Heads-up on a couple bad words if the kiddies are listening. More than anything, posting this for one of Lundin’s perspectives on ‘survival’ television; AND, why we like and list proven survival schools at this site, including Cody’s. Kudos to Slippery Rock University […]
A 50 Year Old Tale of Survival
This post comes to us from Edmonton Journal and recounts the tale of a man and woman that crash a bush plane in a bad storm and fortunately both survive until rescue. Bob Hill was in Whitehorse to report on a minerals conference half a century ago when he got wind of the greatest news […]
INTRODUCTION TO MASTER WOODSMAN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTMy4MtsPs8 Master Woodsman™ is a blog. Why is that important to you? Well, it’s fed by woodsmen for woodsmen. Some pretty darn good ones too! We write about the stuff you want to read. The great outdoors and everything in it. From the golden age of camping and living historical reenactments to modern wilderness survival […]
The Harlton Hacienda (Supershelter) By Kyle R. Ver Steeg II, M.D.
I recently took a winter course with Mors Kochanski at Karamat Wilderness Ways. We covered many different shelter types, but one in particular caught my attention. One of the things that Mors Kochanski has done with wilderness shelters is to update them with modern materials. A piece of plastic, a piece of nylon and a […]
Mors Kochanski’s Wilderness Living Skills/Survival Course 2013 by Kyle R. Ver Steeg II, M.D.
My approach to the outdoors has always been to learn what is needed to be comfortable in a given environment. With the advent of shows like Dual Survivor and others, there seems to have been a shift towards ‘Survival’ as a mentality towards the outdoors. While the term ‘Survival’ creates great marketing opportunities, it tends […]
“Lost Teenage Skier Credits Reality TV Survival Skills” ~ update with TV Show Credit
Don’t get your panties in wad over this article just yet, it probably isn’t going to go the way you think based on the title. If you haven’t seen the news recently, here is a link to an article and video from a local news report about a 17 year old lost skier from New […]
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- Survival Entertainment, Friend or Foe? An exclusive interview with Cody Lundin June 26, 2014
- Leave No Trace killed Woodcraft… almost March 2, 2015
- Steven Miles Watts March 22, 2016
- Promoting Outdoor Living Skills January 2, 2015
- Your Guide To Survival Using A Trash Bag June 25, 2013
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