Walkabouts
This is one of my favourite teaching formats. They can range between a day and a month, and consist of travelling the land on foot or with light watercraft, such as canoes or kayaks, learning as you go.
Because it is impossible to predict what animals or resources one will come across, every walkabout is completely unique. We will set out with a curriculum of skills to teach and materials to gather for it, and adapt to the particular circumstances and encounters of the journey to learn or practice other skills as well.
There will be minimum requirements for attendance to meet as far as physical shape and level of expertise depending the timeline and length of the walkabout.
Bushcraft Walkabout
This is a course for those who wish to make the best use of modern and traditional equipment. Hunters, fishermen, outdoorsmen, hikers, survivalists, campers, as well as students interested in combining tactical military skills with aboriginal knowledge will benefit from this course.
Depending on the season, a walkabout might include gathering of wild plants, berries or mushrooms, tracking and hunting small or big game animals, fishing or trapping.
Medieval Walkabout
This course is based on the use of medieval equipment, tools, and weapons to add to the challenge of the journey. We will limit ourselves to the accoutrements available to our 14th century ancestors. We will use leather boots, belts, costrels, and shoes, wool or linen hosen and braies, surcoats, cotehardies, hoods, cloaks, and headwear, as well as cotton or linen tarps to camp under, carbon steel knives, daggers, swords with proper sheaths, and spears for utility and defence as well as traditional bows, arrows and quivers.
The garments should be made of materials in subdued earth tone colours such as greens, browns and greys as could be expected in a medieval forrester, hunter, or outlaw.
It may take some prep work to acquire or make the necessary equipment to participate. Contact us for support in making or acquiring these items. Small allowances can be made beyond strict period correctness.
Primitive Technology Walkabout
In this timeline, participants will be limited to the tools, materials, and equipment available to our neolithic ancestors. Tools will be flint knapped from suitable lithic materials, and or made of bone, antler, horn, wood, and or mammoth or mastodon (legal) ivory. Containers will be bark, leather, wicker, or rawhide. Clothing will be braintan buckskin, bark tan, and or fur.
It is a deep and difficult technological level to master in order to be out there in any comfort at all, but when mastered it opens a whole world of freedom and connectedness with the environment. Students will be required to take previous less technologically challenging courses in order to participate.
Due to the peculiar nature of the equipment needed, it is advisable to consult with us for prep workshops in creating them.