I have had the good fortune to learn from and call friend many of the titans of bushcraft and wilderness guiding. Knowing and learning from them has had a huge impact on my life and career. I won’t name names, but I don’t have to; if you’re reading this you probably already know half of […]
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In episode 23 of the podcast Ben Spencer and I discussed what veterans attending the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School using the GI Bill or Vocational Rehab need to know about using their benefits, how to prepare for a course, and what to expect while on a course. For our list of topics we covered the […]
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Update about appropriate pot systems for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We've solved the problem of lids for the 2 quart stainless pails. As a result, we recommend bringing two of these to field school programs. From the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester Gear List: • Cook pot with a bail handle Will be used for cooking food […]
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Living on the trail for 4 weeks out of a canoe teaches you a lot about gear: what you need, what you don’t, and how to pack efficiently. Continue Reading...
Paddling across Grand Lake Mattagammon during the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester. Four weeks of professional training and experience for wilderness guides and expedition leaders. College accredited, GI Bill approved. Next WCES begins in July, 2018. Continue Reading...
I have had the good fortune to learn from and call friend many of the titans of bushcraft and wilderness guiding. Knowing and learning from them has had a huge impact on my life and career. I won’t name names, but I don’t have to; if you’re reading this you probably already know half of […] Continue Reading...
Hey everyone, Christopher Russell from Jack Mountain and School of the forest here, This summer I got to help out with Jack Mountain’s summer woodsman course at our field school in Maine. Two fathers took part in this course with their sons, and it was really great to watch them learning together, as well as […] Continue Reading...
People who write books or teach usually base their writing or instruction on one of three sources: Imagination: They write or teach what they imagine something to be like. Purely hypothetical. Research: They interview others in person or via what they’re written, and then draw conclusions from other’s experience. They don’t have the experience themselves. […] Continue Reading...
Summer’s in full swing, and so is School Of The Forest. We’ve just finished up a weeklong “Outdoor Skills” course at Squam Lake Natural Science center, and next on our list is another outdoor living class at the Libby Museum in Wolfeboro, NH. It’ll be a fun week, with teens in the course learning basic […] Continue Reading...
I was recently asked what the most challenging aspect of running this business is. After almost 20 years, I’m able to answer without hesitation; March. March is a tough month in northern New England. You can’t count on winter for winter activities, and you definitely can’t count on spring. As a result, you have to […] Continue Reading...
The fall, 2017 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester has been full for months, but in the past few days we’ve had 2 cancellations, resulting in 2 open spots. We’ll be contacting the folks on our waiting list this weekend, but if you’re interested give us a call Monday morning. Continue Reading...
“The Art Of Outdoor Living; A Resource For The Junior Maine Guide Program” is on my top ten list of most important books on bushcraft and outdoor living, and recently came back into print. It provides clear instructions on a variety of outdoor living skills. The updated edition features 280 pages of revised text, glossy […] Continue Reading...
May-29-2016 Hey everyone. We’ve got about three weeks left in the course, so I sat down with Tim Smith again to chat about it so far, but mostly because he offered me coffee. There will be a podcast of our discussion in the future, but for now, I’d like to just compile my own thoughts […] Continue Reading...
In episode 23 of the podcast Ben Spencer and I discussed what veterans attending the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School using the GI Bill or Vocational Rehab need to know about using their benefits, how to prepare for a course, and what to expect while on a course. For our list of topics we covered the […] Continue Reading...
For episode 22 I spoke with professional forager Jenna Rozelle Darcy about wild food, foraging as a business, and using wild plants as part of a daily lifestyle. Jenna has been a professional forager for 5 years, selling what she gathers at farmers markets, to chefs, and direct to clients. She also teaches foraging classes […] Continue Reading...
On episode 21 I speak with my old friend Chris Knapp of the Koviashuvik Local Living School in Temple, Maine. Chris has two decades of experience homesteading, teaching, guiding, and living close to the land. During our talk we discuss their Simple Life Internship, which is coming in 2018. At the end of our discussion […] Continue Reading...
Episode 20 of the podcast is all about the reboot of the School Of The Forest, the JMBS youth and teen program. Christopher Russell and I discuss the educational philosophy of the program and what to expect as the program launches this spring and summer. Links: School Of The Forest SOTF Calendar Friluftsliv Article Book: […] Continue Reading...
It’s mid-March, the snow is melting, the lakes are getting slushy, and it’s tough to get around. What do you do outdoors this time of year? In episode 19 of the podcast I’m joined by several friends to discuss the seasonally appropriate activities of woodsman in northern New England. We also talk about whether technology […] Continue Reading...
About JMBS Media
– Ago Puteus Foris –
We’re a bushcraft, guide training and wilderness expedition school founded in 1999. We help people become more self-reliant and connected to the natural world using traditional skills and a few simple tools. This is our media hub and blog.
Update about appropriate pot systems for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We’ve solved the problem of lids for the 2 quart stainless pails. As a result, we recommend bringing two of these to field school programs. From the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester Gear List: • Cook pot with a bail handle Will be used for cooking food […] Continue Reading...
Short video of poling a canoe in fast water, shot during the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. The expedition canoe skills we teach are a long way from a short paddle on the pond. Professor Ben Spencer was coaching from the bow in this shot. The water was fast and deeper than it looked; challenging conditions […] Continue Reading...
I was recently in touch with Thomas Clayton from Wander & Roam Media. Ten years ago he came out the field school and shot this video. We’re talking about collaborating on another project in the future. This video is the favorite Jack Mountain video of a few people I’ve heard from, and this version is […] Continue Reading...
Older video of a hand drill coal being made with a closeup on the fireboard. This is from 2007 (and rocking that 240p resolution), but demonstrates that with the right materials and a some experience, getting a friction fire coal doesn’t need to take a lot of time or energy. Remember that it is very […] Continue Reading...
A show and tell of three options for personal pots for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, as well as the 8″ dutch oven we recommend. There are lots of other options that will work, these are just the most common. Links to where you can purchase them are on our Wilderness Bushcraft Semester gear list. Continue Reading...
