Ever wished you had the skills to be the next Bear Grylls? If the great outdoors is calling to you then maybe you should consider a course in Bushcraft. While Bushcraft may have thinking of the Australian outback, the same skills can be referred to as Wilderness skills and relates to any wild part of the world.

Bushcraft teaches you the ability to not only survive but to thrive in the wild. It includes the following skill set:

Firecraft

Shelter building

Hunting

Fishing

Safe use of tools

Rope making

Water sourcing

There are various courses on offer around the UK that will take you away for a weekend and teach you how to look after yourself in the wild. Some offer to take you for a week but if it’s expert knowledge you desire then 1-2 year courses are available to completely immerse yourself into the world of Bushcraft. Alternatively, for a bit of family fun, courses are run for family groups including children.

If you do attend a course and feel ready to brave the elements then it’s a good idea to be prepared with the right kind of gear. An outdoor bushcraft store such as http://www.angloforro.co.uk/ will help.

The art of Bushcraft goes much deeper than it’s recent popularity on TV shows, even though this will probably explain the hundreds of courses and experience days now available in this skill. There are only a handful of indigenous tribes left in the world and the basic skills they practice were shared by our ancestors. Skills that have since been forgotten in the comfort of our modern existence. We have become separated from these ancestral skills to survive but now there is a real passion to re-learn what has been lost.

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Even if you have no desire to thrust yourself into extreme survival situations, a little knowledge can go a long way. Bushcraft skills have been known to save the lives of walkers, hikers, skiers and kayakers. So if you regularly take part in any of these activities then you should consider how you would cope if an accident left you alone, injured or vulnerable.

Such courses can also increase your confidence and for those who enjoy being outdoors these skills will give you a great sense of achievement.  No previous experience or talent is required and such knowledge will seriously impress your family and friends on your next camping trip! Bushcraft – an ancient art that could save our future.