March Challenge #22 Bushcraft

Today's challenge is to learn and practice some bushcraft skills.  Bushcraft, also known as old-timey wilderness skills, covers a wide range of old-time skills that are part necessity (for survival) and part fun (many can be the basis of a hobby).

While many of these skills have been rendered unnecessary by modern technology, knowing how to do these things can still be useful in a disaster, if you end up lost in the wilderness, or if the kids are bored and you want to give them something to do.  Here are a bunch of bushcraft skills to consider learning:

• Make and use a bow and arrow
• Forge your own knife
• Build traps for small animals
• Skin said animal and preserve the skin
• Leatherworking
• Build a solar oven and cook something in it
• Make your own musical instruments
• Learn how to throw a knife
• Forage for wild edibles
• Make fire without a lighter or matches
• Catch fish and cook them over a fire (using only what you can find in nature)
• Spin wool into yarn
• Knit a sweater
• Whittle a toy
• Build your own snowshoes
• Carve your own canoe
• Learn orienteering
• Learn animal tracking skills
• Learn how to tie a variety of knots
• Navigate by the stars
• Build a natural shelter
• Learn how to predict the weather