4 – 5 Nov. 2006, I helped organize the fifth Dutch Bushcraft Weekend at the prehistoric village Haps in Apeldoorn. There were 70 participants. Workshops Awareness: foxwalk and wide angle vision Axe use Blacksmithing Bowdrill Candle holders, fat lamps and torches Confidence / self defense Edible plants Fire saw / fire cord Flintknapping From coal … Continue Reading
TREK REPORT 12-20 May 2006, I went canoeing and bushcrafting with my friend Rob Hofman in Rejmyre, in the Southeast of Sweden. We rented two Canadian canoes at Rejmyre Kanotbas and spent the week paddling, wild camping and fishing. We also practiced other bushcraft skills like making fire with the bow drill, wood carving, making … Continue Reading
6 – 7 May 2006, I helped organize the fourth Dutch Bushcraft Weekend at the prehistoric village Haps in Apeldoorn. There were 70 participants. Workshops Archery Atlatl Bird language Blacksmithing Bowdrill Dikshas Fire making Flintknapping Knife and axe maintenance Knives Natural meteorology Navigation Senses Shelter building Smoking meat and fish Sweat lodge building Tracking Water … Continue Reading
12 – 13 Nov. 2005, I helped organize the third Dutch Bushcraft Weekend at the prehistoric village Haps in Apeldoorn. There were 53 participants. Workshops Archery Atlatl Axe safety and maintenance Blacksmithing Bowdrill Burning out bowls Fire by percussion Handdrill Making and using stone tools Mapping your surroundings Star navigation Tracking Other Dutch Bushcraft Weekends … Continue Reading
11 – 12 June 2005, I helped organize the second Dutch Bushcraft Weekend at scout centre Gillwell Ada’s Hoeve in Ommen. There were about 50 participants. Workshops Awareness Basic wood carving techniques Building shelters Fire making by friction and firecraft Map and compass Pioneering a raft with wood and rope Preparing wild animals for eating … Continue Reading
In 2004, my friend and primitive technology expert Diederik Pomstra from Het Stenen Tijdperk, came up with the idea of a workshop weekend to share knowledge in the Netherlands about bushcraft, survival and primitive technology. And so the first Dutch Bushcraft Weekend was born. The first edition was organized 20 – 21 Nov. 2004 in … Continue Reading
I learned the bow drill technique on my first survival course with Extra Survival in 2001 in Drenthe, The Netherlands. It’s not easy and took me almost a week of practicing every day before I was successful. Of all the friction fire lighting techniques however, the bow drill is probably one of the easier ones. It’s … Continue Reading
23 – 30 September, 2003, six men and two women took the advanced survival course “Over-leven” in the woods in West-Yorkshire in England. Extra Survival instructors René Nauta and Mike – happy bunny – Armstrong gave them an intense week of river crossings, building shelter, setting traps and looking for burdocks. The last 3 days of the course, the … Continue Reading
September 21, 2002, I spent a week in the Dutch woods near Grolloo (in the province Drenthe) for my second survival course at René Nauta’s survival school Extra Survival. With the help of British survival instructor Mike – ‘dogsbullocks’ – Armstrong, René gave an advanced course bushcraft, which was a follow-up to his basic survival course I … Continue Reading
August 25, 2001, I took my first 1-week survival course with Extra Survival in the woods of Doldersum in Drenthe (The Netherlands). Here eight people got an introduction in making fire, building shelters, finding water and recognizing edible plants by survival expert René Nauta. Other survival and bushcraft courses I went on. … Continue Reading
