Dave Canterbury is an American bushcraft and survival instructor who is best known for, among other things, the Pathfinder Bushcraft School and Self Reliance Outfitters, his partnership with the knife maker Morakniv and his appearance on TV shows such as Dual Survival. I have been following Dave’s work for some time as his personal philosophy of relying on minimal, but durable and high-quality gear is something I strive to achieve. Bushcraft 101 is an introduction to these personal principles on how to make the most of your time in the woods utilising traditional skills and equipment.
In my mind, there are several broad approaches to bushcraft that people typically focus on (and everything in between, people defy categorisation). There are those, such as Will Lord, who thrive on explorations of the most primitive skills such as flint-knapping, hide tanning and traditional fire lighting. While others will pack in a wide variety of modern camping equipment such as nylon tarps and hammocks, synthetic sleeping bags and lightweight pots and use bushcraft skills to make their stay more interesting or comfortable. Finally, there is an approach somewhere in between that I term Frontiersman Bushcraft. This brings in select pieces of gear with a focus on durability and adaptability, using materials such as leather, cast iron and canvas to make more permanent stays comfortable. It is this final category that I believe Dave Canterbury epitomises.
Dave begins the book by laying out his unique approach to tools and equipment – the 5 Cs – the items that are difficult and/or time consuming to produce from natural resources on a trip. This then becomes the foundation for a minimalist kit to survive and sustain yourself in the woodlands for short stays, with plenty of recommendations for equipment to fulfil these roles. Once you have a basic kit sorted, the second half the book launches into a basic overview of wilderness skills including, camp craft, fire lighting and navigation. A large portion of the remainder of the book is dedicated to trapping. This is much less relevant for the UK and European settings as the majority of the trapping devices and techniques mentioned are either highly discouraged or downright illegal.
I found the first half of the book, including the 5 Cs framework, to the most helpful as a really practical philosophy for carrying fewer items (but not necessarily less weight) and being more comfortable. The whole book is packed full of tips and tricks that are clearly born out of a lot of real-world experience. I would highly recommend this book for those that are getting started in traditional bushcraft skills or looking to simplify their kit for short adventures and stays in the woods. If you already have a decent amount of experience in the woods, I would check out the sequel to this book; Advanced Bushcraft. Advanced Bushcraft expands the 5 Cs model to encompass critical tools, equipment and skills to extend your stay in the wilds, teaching you much of what you would need to know about living sustainably long-term in the woods.
While many of the books Dave Canterbury has written are more American-centric, the majority of the skills and lessons contained are transferable to our fair isles and can be a great companion to your outdoor adventures. You can check out the full list of books here.