Wilderness Survival
Walking The Good Road, A Personal Perspective
The earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land
and the measure of our bodies are the same..... Chief Joseph Nez Perce
Hand forged tomahawk in the taiga, Norway.
To me the hawk is an iconic
symbol of wilderness adventure.
n.b. click on images for detail
My various wilderness vision quests into the Northlands are never merely just exercises in wilderness survival skills as important as these skills are but serve a much deeper purpose. They answer an ancient calling, a deepest yearning to walk what I call the Good Road between the physical world and the spirit world. It is where I live by my Vision and immerse myself in natures mystery on its own terms. It is where I feel alive.
A survival wickiup or place of shelter. Skye. A small internal
fire provides heat and a means of indoor cooking but care is
needed.
Whilst my own personal relationship with the wilderness is a profoundly spiritual one, it is none the less based on very well honed practical skills and knowledge. It is this balance of the physical and spiritual along with a high degree of physical fitness and good old fashioned gumption that gives me the ability and self belief to venture alone into often very remote wilderness from the Scottish Highlands to the Arctic.
 Cow or lingon berries, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), the red gold of the
northern forests. I find their sour-sweet taste addictive and browse
these off the bush in large quantities in addition to using them
cooked.
To me, developing the correct wilderness psychology is the most vital, and sadly the most overlooked, of all the survival skills, especially where the solo survivor is concerned. Feeling lonely, being afraid or throwing your rattle out of the pram when things get tough, (as they often do) is of little benefit when a level head and an open heart is needed.
Elk or moose print. I have had numerous encounters with elk in
the northern forests when creeping about at dusk. My closest
ever encounter was with a bull elk less than 15 feet away. A big
animal !
When I speak of venturing into the wilderness on its own terms, I do not just mean avoiding the more obvious and often damaging trappings of tourism such as hotels etc and not flying where possible, but also not over relying on modern equipment either. After more than 25 years of dedicated wilderness survival and bushcraft study I still do not even own a tent let alone a satnav or similar gadgetry. I have never owned or carried any kind of firearm nor do I carry matches or a lighter when the Old Ways provide more viable alternatives that can be maintained and replenished under extended bush conditions.
 A poncho shelter or basha, Norway. This is the closest I come to
using a tent when building a natural shelter is neither convenient or
desireable.
Ultimately the wilderness can provide everything from sleeping bags to cooking pots which I have improvised or made alternatives for under bush conditions at some point over the years. However I always go well equipped for the conditions and any emergencies especially in the far north. Common sense is one of the reasons I am still here after some of my wilderness and outdoor activities, some of which may seem irresponsible at times to those without my depth of knowledge and experience. The reality is that someone like me is least likely to become a statistic.
Hammer hawk on the tundra, Norway. This tomahawk was made by a Lincolnshire blacksmith friend and myself.
My own survival skills have been most heavily influenced by Native American and frontier backwoodsman traditions. In addition much of my skill and knowledge was also once commonplace in Britains countryside amongst traditions now virtually gone forever such as those of the Lincolnshire poacher, Welsh coracle fisherman and coppice woodsman amongst others. The coracle, American longbow or flatbow and the tomahawk or hawk are some of the self made pieces of equipment I use in the wilderness.
 Shooting the flatbow in traditional backwoods attire. Everything visible from the waist up, bar the hat, is self made.
Craftsmanship therefore plays an important role in my journey along the Good Road. At its best, good craftsmanship is a form of communion with natures raw materials and can also mean the difference between life and death or at the very least make life considerably easier and more comfortable in the wilderness. Therefore unlike in our plastic and increasingly homogeneous society, craftsmanship has value in the wilderness which by virtue of its raw reality is a level playing field where reward is more proportional to skill and effort.
 Freshly caught pollack, Isle Of Skye. The use of my traditional
coracles is an example of bushcraft meeting skilled woodcraft.
Due to a change in circumstances I am now fortunate to be in a position where I can be highly selective with any human company I take into the wilderness which for the most part has once again become a personal sanctuary and place of renewal. Attunement is certainly easier when alone in The Great Silence without the distraction of company and conversation though I would argue that I never walk alone in the wilderness with all the life and energy that surrounds me.
 Norway lemming catch in the Arctic Circle. This was one of several lemmings caught and released unharmed by hand.
The wilderness is also a great teacher of the true value of things which has nothing to do with monetary cost. Whether or not climate change is being caused or exacerbated by mankind, there is no doubt in my mind that modern civilization is living beyond its means and that some kind of balance needs to be struck before it is too late. A new value system is needed where happiness and success is not measured by money, possessions and the energy greedy squandering of resources.
My personal Teifi coracle and Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Duich. Wherever else my bushcraft wanderings take me, the Scottish Highlands and Islands will always be my spiritual home.
Finally, I have written this piece partly as an excuse to feature some of my more recent wilderness photographs that presently do not readily fit elsewhere and also as an introduction to further more bushcraft related discussion on subjects other than coracle making.
My photography skills so far remain basic as does my camera which due to the constraints of cost, bulk and weight is of the compact point and shoot variety. However as I journey along the Good Road I realize that even the best photographer and equipment can never capture the true spirit of the wilderness on camera. It can only ever be captured in the heart.
View the Wilderness Gallery
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