Knots used in Bushcraft are as varied as teachers. Each knot can be as hard or easy to learn depending on how its taught. People learn in different ways. Some by seeing, some by hearing, some by doing. You can show me a knot in your hands and I wont get it, but show me in a diagram and Ill have it in a few minutes.
When I first starting getting back into bushcraft my first excursion was to the Australian Sydney Morakniven Adventure and I couldnt remember how to do a Bowline. This is after using it for many years in both the SES (State Emergency Service) and in Tree Surgery. Knot tying is a perishable skill.
Since then I brought many books on Knot Tying but found most of them had more knots than Ill ever use in bushcraft or were too complicated in how they either told you, or how the knot was tied, or the diagrams were photos making them useless too.
You can make knots as basic or as interesting as you like. Half a dozen knots will let you get away with most things. (If you cant tie knots well , then tie many). With the basic principals, tent pegs can be employed to make use of loops within knots. Such as bowlines and a peg to rap around a tree instead of actually tying a complicated knot.
Bushcraft however is a multi-disciplined activity and Learning the right knots for the right application takes alot out of the guess work, allowing you to form a system approach out of the different disciplines. By knowing which knots apply to a ridgeline, which to guylines and tensioning principles it becomes easier and looking at a book with 200 knots suddenly becomes six knots that can be added to to become a dozen letting the skills you use look more professional and not just making do.
DEF; A hitch is used for binding cordage to an object. (Rope to pole) A lashing is the arrangement of rope, used to secure and fasten two or more ploles together in a rigid manner.(pole to Pole) Knot a fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, or something similar onitself and tightening. (Rope to Rope)
Research , Knots used by different instructors;
Dave Canterbury, in his book Bushcraft 101 shows the following knots however if you visit his youtube channels with associated teachers youll find many more have been added. Stop knot, slip knot, bowline, larks Head, Jam knot, Truckers Hitch (Now improved truckers hitch on youtube ), Prusik knot, fishermans knot, timber hitch, Clove hitch and Shear lash and Cross lash.
Mors Kochanski, covers the Jam knot, Constrictor, Sheet Bend, Reef, Taut Line Hitch, Figure of eight.
Ray Mears, in his book teaches the Taut Line Hitch, Evenk Siberian hitch,
Paul Kirkly, from Frontier Bushcrafts online course shows.overhand knot/thumb knot, 1)fixed loop, 2) sliding loop, 3)stopper knot, 4)joining two lines. Figure 8 knot as a fixed loop and slidding knot.Hitches; round turn and two half hitches, clone hitch with two methods of tying, one for the end of the anchor and one for the middle of the anchor.and for tarps the evank hitch, taut tarp hitch and the adjustable loop.
Ill give these guys a plug. After trying to find something to freeze ticks off,all I could locate was wart spray and the containers were too large to actually carry in a pack. These are only 90mm tall, easy to carry. Id recommend having in the bush any where along the East coast of Australia.
Bedroll/Swag straps made by Al Ainsworth at Howling Dingo leather. Very well made using traditional leather working techniques,incorporating solid brass fixtures and even has the edges of the leather rounded off. Al can be found on FB and also has a shop on Etsy.
Note the oversized straps for loading the bedroll with equipmentClose up of strap systemSolid Brass Fittingsextra wide shoulder strap
I gave up long ago on small camp trowels, the soil here is too hard for them. I opted for something larger. The Gerber was my first. I like the folding ability but very heavy to carry and has ended up in my 4WD recovery gear. The cold Steel trench shovel I purchased by accident . I didnt realize they had made a second version of the spetnatz. This is great for set camps where your not carrying it, mainly due to the size. The one i use the most is the Special Forces Shovel.this is good for carrying, splitting timber pretty much everything. Im even trying to have a pack made up just to hold it.
These are the Bushcraft Books I would recommend looking at. Im sure I have more than these but am halfway through moving and everything is packed in boxes.
Horticultural books I wish I had before starting ID coursesMy Gooley collection, waiting on his new bookTracking books PT 1Personal ExperiencesMushroom IDNatural Navigation BooksHistoricalWeeds these changed how i look at Plants (there are no weeds)Pathfinder School BooksTom Brown BooksUK books
Part of Paul Kirkleys online bushcraft course is tree identification. A segment of that course is making a list of trees and their properties in order to start learning the differences and identifying them.
Also to form lists into which trees are used for which purposes, such as a general list of the trees in alphabetical order and all their uses but also a list of plants that are best for weaving, fire by friction, firewood, cordage, food, medicinal uses. etc.
So Ive started compiling a list of Northern Hemisphere trees to start with before moving onto Australian trees at the end of the list.
Researching them, writing about them and the best way to learn and to remember is to teach someone else. This helps me to recall and learn as a study guide..
(Warning this post is 20 pages long)
Alphabetical
ALDER
Properties
Native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Burns reasonably when dry but leave alone when green
Uses
Bark as a:
Dye
Laxative
Firewood
Hearth or drill for friction fire lighting
Can withstand rot underwater almost undefinitely, however will decay quickly when not saturated, fence posts for example
Bark and young shoots produce a yellow dye
Makes high quality charcoal
A peeled and chewed twig makes a passable toothbrush
ASH
Properties
A white coloured wood with straight grain.
Hard to carve
Common ash (Fraxinus Excelsior) native to Great Britain
Very springy, bends without breaking or splintering
Burning Properties
Can be burnt when green due to lower moisture content
Provides a good heat and flame with very little smoke
Uses
Bows
Canoe frames
Tool handles
BEECH
Properties
A hard wood, suitable for carving in detail
Burning Properties
Similar to Ash although not as good
Can be burnt green if necessary
Uses
Nuts (also known as Masts) can be eaten raw or cooked
Young leaves can be eaten fresh
Leaves as insulation
Roots as withies
Dry beech leaves are a good tinder
Older trees can be tapped for sap
BIRCH
Properties
Birch decays easily
Silver and downy birch native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Provides a resonable heat but burns quickly
Cooking over a birch fire leaves a sticky residue on your pots
Uses
Bark:
Excellent tinder that burns with a good hot flame, will even burn when wet
Tinder Tube
Containers
Canoes
Hearth and drill for friction fire lighting
Can be tapped for sap just before buds open
ELDER
Properties
Native to Great Britain
Flowers and fruit high in vitamin C
Burning Properties
Produces a lot of thick smoke
Burns quickly with little heat
Uses
Flowers can be collected for tea (Flowers May – June)
Berries for wines, jams etc, comes into fruitition around late August-September
A pithy elder stalk can be used as a candle wick
Hand drill or hearth although it must be bone dry
Sticks are hollow when pithy centre is removed
ELM
Properties
Very hard to split
Doesn’t rot very easily
Wych, English, and smooth leaved Elm native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Can smoke violently due to high moisture content
Will keep the fire alight for the morning
Uses
Wych elm is important wood for making bows
HAZEL
Properties
A pliable, wood which remains pliable even when dry
Easy to split
Native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
A good fuel even though it burns quickly
Uses
Suitable drill and hearth for friction fire lighting
Basketry – use the appropriate sized withies
An ideal wood for charcoal
Polish
Hazelnuts are edible, can also be a flour substitute. Harvest in autumn
A forked branch is strong enough as an improvised nutcracker
Chew the end of a hazel twig until it frays for a toothbrush
Straight walking sticks can be obtained from hazel
HORSE CHESTNUT
Properties
Commonly known as Conker tree
Burning Properties
Provides a good flame and heat output but spits a lot
Uses
Leaves crushed up with a little water for a mildly atiseptic soap
Finely chopped seeds (conkers) infused in hot water also produces a similar soap to the leaves – due to the presence of saponins
LIME
Properties
A very soft wood, considered the best for carving. Ideal for beginners
Small and large leaved lime native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Not one of the best woods for burning
Uses
Lime bark can be used to make the strongest natural cordage from a native British tree.
Leaves:
Young leaves can be eaten
Collect flowers to make a tea that is good for colds
Inner bark can be made into tea which, under MEDICAL SUPERVISION is good for kidney stones, gout and coronary heart disease
OAK
Properties
Bark and acorns contain tannin
Lives for hundreds of years growing to huge sizes
Sessile and Pedunculate oak native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Older seasoned oak burns steadily, producing little ash
Gerenates a decent hot coal
Uses
Roasted acorns (harvested in September to October) as a coffee substitute
Tannin water (made by boiling the acorns in water) can be applied to slow healing wounds
SCOTS PINE
Properties
Native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Due to the high sap content it burns well with a strong flame
Uses
The pulpy Inner back can be scraped off, ground down, and used to make a type of unleavened bread such as bannock. However the debarking kills the tree
The pine needles can make a good tea with a very high Vitamin C content (allegedly the best natural European hangover cure)
Collect Sap as a firestarter that burns readily
Pine pitch (sap) mixed with a little charcoal forms a glue
SWEET CHESTNUT
Properties
Burning Properties
Needs to be properly seasoned similar to Oak
Spits a lot
Uses
Inner bark cordage makes superb fishing lines and nets
Nuts are edible, can be roasted, remove shells prior to roasting. However can be better to leave the shells on and just cut a small ‘X’ in them. This keeps them cleaner, and they peel so much easier. They also cook more evenly so the outside has less chance of being charred
SYCAMORE
Properties
Sycamore doesn`t taint food so is often used for making utensils involved in food preparation
Soft and easy to carve
Burning Properties
Burns quite well when dry but leave alone when green
Uses
Anything in contact with food e.g. spoons and utensils
Hearth or drill for friction fire lighting
WILLOW
Properties
Willow is a tree that consumes a lot of water
It also has a strong root system which is why it is often found in riverbanks to hold the bank together
Large mature trees are uncommon as the trunks tend to rot
Native to Great Britain
Burning Properties
Doesen’t burn very welll due to its high water content
Uses
Wood is good for carving
Inner bark makes excellent fishing nets and cordage
White willow bark can be chewed as a pain killer – Salicylic acid is the active ingredient
Very flexible when young (withies) basketry etc. Best harvested in Winter
Suitable for hearth or drill
White pine survival uses:
Resin can be used a fire extender when mixed with tinder material
Resin can be heated and mixed with crushed charcoal to make a natural epoxy
Resin-rich joints and stump pieces make incredible fire kindling
Make pine-needle tea from the green pine needles – very rich in Vitamin C
Inner bark layers are edible
Harvest pine nuts from the pine cones
Pine needles make excellent fire tinder
Pine needles make excellent natural insulation material for debris huts and survival shelters
Green pine boughs are perfect for lean-to shelter roofs
Green pine boughs are great for making a ‘pine bough bed’ to protect from the cold ground or snow
The lower, dry, dead branches of the pine tree (squaw wood) is often some of the driest fire kindling available. It is exposed to the wind and also protected from the elements by the year-round needle canopy above, I’ve also used these branches for making bow drill fire friction sets.
Very effective candles and lamps can be made from pine resin
Pine resin can be used to waterproof seams in clothing or crude containers
The very pliable surface layer roots make excellent (and strong) natural cordage. Use as a whole or split into smaller pieces.
White oak survival uses:
Acorns (after leaching out the tannic acid) can be ground and used as flour to make acorn bread
Tannic acid (which can be extracted by boiling or leaching acorns and/or inner oak bark and twigs) is anti-bacterial. I’ve used it as an antiseptic wash before and have heard of it being used to quell diarrhea.
Acorns can be used a trap bait for squirrel and other small game animals
Can tan leather using the tannic acid found in bark, acorns and wood
Oak is a very hard wood that is good for ax handles, digging sticks and shelter frameworks
When dried, the white oak flowers make suitable tinder bundles and can be found in great abundance certain times of the year
Willow survival uses:
Willow bark contains a chemical called salicin, which is similar to aspirin. I can personally attest to its effectiveness in relieving headaches and inflammation. Just chew on a few small green twigs and swallow the juices.
In spring and summer, willow bark will peel away from the wood and makes excellent cordage that can be used for a huge variety of tasks.
Young willow branches and saplings are very flexible and can be used to weave a variety of different baskets and funnel traps.
I’ve used dried willow wood on many occasions for friction fire sets – both hand drill and bow drill
Willow saplings make excellent frog and fish gigs. Just split the base into 4 equal sections, press a rock to the bottom of the splits and sharpen the tines.
Pine wood as fuel
For anyone who has spent much time in pine wood, the advantages and disadvantages of this wood are quite obvious.
In areas where pine trees are abundant, so is fuel. Unlike hardwoods such as oak and hickory, pine trees are not shy
about shedding their limbs, and in mass quantity. A major advantage in a bushcraft/survival situation is that due to the
abundance of standing dead wood and fallen branches, fuel collection is mostly effortless. Though pine wood burns quickly,
pops and shoots off embers like 4th of July, its large amount of availability makes it invaluable.
Getting a fire going is also just as easy. Dry pine needles, even green ones saturated in flammable resin, litter
the forest floor. Pine cones are also quite abundant, and fires can fueled with these alone. Lastly, I must mention fatwood,
or what we call “fatlighter” down south. This prized substance is the resin-impregnated heartwood of the pine tree that
is an invaluable firestarter. Being saturated in sap, which contains turpentine, is is very flammable and burns for a long
time, unlike ordinary pine wood.
Pitch:
On this topic, much can be said, but for now I will keep things simple.
Pine sap, boiled and mixed with things such as dried dung and ash, produces an excellent adhesive which has endless uses
in the bush. I’ve used if for things such as making fishhooks, arrows, attaching broken stick-tang knives into new handles, making fishing
lures, weights, and floats (I’ll post something on this later).
Pine sap, when boiled, can be painted onto wood, canvas, clothing, ect. to make them waterproof. I’ve used it for temporary
repairs in canvas and clothing by gluing pieces together.
Pine as Food
Pine cones contain edible seeds, which are found in pine cones. These seeds are highly nutritious; full of fats, vitamins and minerals.
The very young cones themselves can also be eaten, available only in spring. Boil or bake the young cones until softened and enjoy.
The twigs and young shoots of the tree are also edible. Peel away the bark and chew on the twigs to extract the juices, which are rich in sugary carbohydrates and vitamins.
Now, I must mention my favorite part, pine needle tea. The green needles are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant.
If the early colonists only new of this when scurvy was running rampant through the colonies!
The tea is actually quite enjoyable, very delicious and comforting, good for restoring morale. Nothing like a hot cup of pine needle tea in winter.
To make the tea, simply break up a generous handful of fresh green needles into a pot of water and boil for about 10 minutes, or until
the liquid gains a light green tint.
Pine sap lamp:
This Idea I got from Trapperjacksurvival on Youtube, and it works great.
The basic idea is, you take a bowl such as a clam shell, turtle shell, or one made of wood, and in it place melted pine sap.
In the sap you place a wick made of whatever you have available, tree fungus, a piece of cloth, cattail, ect.
This lamp acts similar to an oil lamp, using sap instead as a fuel. Fire:
The sap of the pine tree has many uses, and can make life in the woods much easier.
The first I will mention is its flammability, which is valuable when starting fires, especially in wet weather.
There are several ways to start fires in wet weather, but I will mention the way I like to do it:
First, I gather my kindling and larger wood, breaking away dead lower branches from the pines and shaking away as
much moisture as possible. Second, I assemble the smallest kindling into a cone, then build upon it with larger branches.
You could also just stack the wood in different formations, or whatever way your used to.
Then, I place pine needles on top, and on top of this I place chunks of pine resin, a decent amount.
After the resin is lit, it will begin to bubble and burn, and will drip through the pile onto the kindling below.
Even thought the wood will be moist, this sticky, hot burning lava will catch the wood in not time at all, and soon you will have a
fire. There is much that can be elaborated on this, but for now this is just a simple guide.
Firewood
Alder: Does not burn very hot and yet burns quite quickly
Apple: A great wood to burn once seasoned, it burns steadily and slowly, there is usually little flame but good solid heat. It also disperses a very pleasant scent and is one I used on our woodburner last year at Christmas.
Ash: A good all rounder, will burn (if yet poorly) when green, when seasoned it has both flame and heat.
Beech: A good hot burn with flame when seasoned but not as good as Ash when green, however please note that it can spit out embers from the fire a good distance, not great for a Marshmallow camp fire then.
Birch (Silver and Downy being Native): The fire group of trees! It will burn very quickly but the heat is great, fantastic for a quick brew.
Cherry (Wild and Bird being Native): A nice long slow burn associated with a lot of the hard woods, again smells lovely but seems a waste to burn it as the grain can be put to much better purposes.
Chestnut: Forget it, it’ll shoot our embers everywhere and give you little heat… hunt around for something else if there is.
Douglas Fir: Again a poor burner with little heat or flame for light.
Elder: Common and so easy to gather but it will burn very smoky, very quickly, and with little heat. People say you should not cook with this wood but why would you bother anyway? You’d be stoking the fire every few minutes.
Elm: This tree needs to be seasoned for at least a couple of years before it will burn well, but it is a very smoky fuel and so not the top choice for a windy day.
Hazel: Surprisingly good and obviously a good source of sustainable timber if coppiced well. Good for charcoal also.
Holly: Like Ash the Holly will burn green but it is best to season it for a worthy fuel.
Hornbeam: Once again a tree that will burn green but not very well, but once seasoned has a long burn.
Laburnum: Avoid this, a posionous species and you wouldn’t want to be inhaling the fumes (not that any smoke is good for you!)
Larch: This is a good wood which will create lots of sound for that halloween fire, not great for cooking on but will do the job, burns with a nice odour.
Laurel: Burns very bright and nice and hot.
Lime: Despite being great for friction fire lighting once used as a fuel it burns with a very low light flame
Oak (Sessile and Penduculate being Native): A very efficient burn when seasoned and will provide some great long lasting heat.
Pine: Will spit but does burn with a brilliant flame.
Poplar: another poor tree for burning, low heat and low light.
Sycamore: Will burn with a moderate heat but is readily available, will not burn well green though.
Honeysuckle (Both large pieces and small runners. The bark is great for cordage. The larger vines are great for handles and are usually very funky shapes. Be careful – honeysuckle is very, very brittle – even when it’s green.) Click here to read my blog on How to Weave a Basket with Honeysuckle Vines.
Wisteria (Mostly small runners. When you boil wisteria, the bark will want to come off… you can weave with it on, but just be careful. However, if it does come off the undervine is a beautiful white/cream color and the bark is great for cordage.) Click here to read my blog on How to Weave a Basket with Wisteria.
Grapevine (Both large vines and the small runners – especially the decorative tendrils. I usually take the bark off revealing the purple or green underbark. It’s much cleaner looking unless you’re going for a more natural decorative effect.)
Bittersweet (Mostly large vines but some of the small runners are nice as well. It can be very brittle and if you bend it too sharply even when green the bark will crack.)
Forsythia & Eleagnus (The long 1 year shoots that sometimes grow on the bush up to 6’-8’ in length).
Willow (You can harvest wild osier willows by creeks, rivers or other boggy areas during the winter. The long shoots and shorter branches are great for weaving. You can let them dry or use them ‘green’. A variety of beautiful and functional cultivated willow is available on the market as well that is much less branchy – growing 5-8′ in one year with very few to no branches. The color variety is incredible.
Poplar Bark (I use the bark from saplings or poplar trees who’s bark is still smooth. Usually I prefer to work with trees whose trunk is between 2″ and 8″ wide and no branches from the base to upwards of 6′-8′ up. All bark must be harvested in the spring and summer months when the sap is up. To harvest the bark, fell the tree and then take a razor blade and cut all the way through the bark to the wood. Then cut a circle around the tree at the top and bottom of your cut line. That will allow you to work a large knife under the bark and begin gently but firmly separating the bark from the tree. Also check out these great instructions from Ken Peek on”How to make a Folded Bark Basket”. You can also use a leather strap cutter and cut your bark in strips for weaving in traditional twill or plaiting work. Once you harvest the bark, use it immediately OR roll it up inside out and tie with a string until you’re ready to use it. You can soak or boil to prepare it for weaving. This same process can be used for a variety of sapling bark. However, once you take the bark off a tree, the tree will die. Be sure to harvest sustainably and use the wood for firewood, mulch or some other purpose.
Cordage
Cedar (inner bark)
Juniper
Basswood
Tulip Poplar (inner bark)
Willow (inner bark)
Mulberry
Elm
Dogbane (Indian Hemp. STRONG rope)
Stinging Nettle
Velvet Leaf
Whole leaves with shoots and fronds:
cattail leaves (strip down so it is thinner)
Blue Flag Iris
Lily
Saw Palmetto
Yucca
Grape Vines
Virginia Creeper (is a weaker material)
Australian trees for Firewood
The answer depends to a large extent on what wood is available. For example in Western Australia, Jarrah and Wandoo are considered the best. In Tasmania, Brown Peppermint is considered best. In South Australia, Victoria and southern NSW it is generally River Red Gum. In Queensland, Ironbark and Box are preferred. It also depends on what you are using the wood for. Red Gum is excellent in a slow combustion heater but does not burn with a lot of flame, so other species are usually preferred for open fires. Some species are known to not burn well at all, Turpentine and White Stringybark being two of these. Each species has its own characteristics of burning rate, flame, coal and ash generation, which mainly relate to wood density and the chemical composition of tannins etc. Perhaps the best thing to do is to try a range of the available species and pick the most suitable, which may be a mix of quicker and slower burning species.
I may be a bit of a gear head but I also play with everything extensively until I find what I like to use and employ in different situations. I purchased to Eskar to carry for traditonal bushcraft training however I very rarely use it other than for that purpose, preferring the Agawa Boreal 21 for cutting most fire wood. I keep the Eskar just because its a beautifull piece of timber and to strap to a bedroll. The Boreal 21 will more than likely end up in my 4wd Utes recovery gear box due to the size.
Im having a similar situation with the laplander vs the silky. I like the locking system and grip on the laplander but dont like cutting with it at all and have converted to the silky but have goton to the stage of shelving both in favour of the boreal 15. I have enough gear on my belt as it is and removing small saws makes more sense to me. id rather carry my Gransfors Bruks Outdoors axe on my belt instead.
The only time I use a saw currently is one) for fire bow construction in which case its easier to use either the saw on my SAK or an opinel 12 for finer cuts. The saw on my leathernam is also suitable but Ive also stopped wearing this in the bush and keep my charge Ti in my pack. Wearing a mulitool in an urban environment is another matter.
So my current frame of thought is if Im making fireboard sets have the Opinel in either my belt pouch or haversack but Im hooked on the Boreal 15.
The second) use if cutting firewood. So what Id like to do with the Boreal 15 is to make a pouch system to hold spare saw blades and parts and attach this to the strap of my haversack. The 15 just works so much better and has much less chance of breaking over the folding style saws that dont have a front support for larger pieces of timber.
My first LT Wright blade and not to be my last judging from the quality of manufacture. A brief look, I believe this is the only one in the country going by how hard it was to ship to Australia. I ended up having to ship it to a mate who reshipped to down under due to the local postal service.
Inspired by the early American colonial long hunters, where bushcraft, woodsmanship, and survival were not a pastime, but a way of life in the hostile, untamed, virgin colonial landscape. Trusted by the hands who carried it and feared by enemies that encountered it. This design was tested and tried by men of renown such as Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark, and Lewis Wetzel, who placed their lives upon its dependability and capability. These men were known as the “long knives” in the English language, and Shemanese by the Shawnee.
This knife was designed by Craig Caudill after nearly 50 years of wilderness experience.A step back into history alongside the great frontiersman of old, with updated materials and craftsmanship, and purchase your very own tool to pass down through the generations.
I dont know if anyone else has thought of this idea and applied it to bushcraft before. I got the idea after competing in IPSC shooting competitions. Having two belts and inner and outer. The idea being all the gear hangs off the outer belt and the inner belt holds your pants up. Sounds simple but I havent seen any one else using it. My inspiration comes from I can sleep in the inner belt, wake up during the night for what ever and dont loose my pants around my ankles . Then in morning do my ablutions and put on the outer belt holding my possibles bag, knife sheath, saw sheath, multi tool, ferro rod, and whatever else I choose to use that day. Try squatting over a cat hole with all that gear on in the middle of the scrub.
I chose the Blue Alpha brand that incorporates a Cobra Buckle. So far the system works great. At the moment Im using a leather possibles bag for fire starting gear, a 170mm Outback Pocket Boy Outback, LT Wright Shemanese knife and an axe loop to hold my Gransfors Bruks Outdoors axe. hang it up of a night and slip it on over the inner belt in the morning. Much easier than trying to thread on all my gear on a leather belt in the mornings. The only improvement would be to have velcro on the inside of the pouches so the individual items dont move on the outer belt.
