The second article in the Bangor Daily News from my discussion with Sam Schipani is titled “How To Pick An Axe” and was published on November 12, 2020. Link: How To Pick An Ax Ms. Schipani lists six things to consider when choosing an axe. As with the first article she wrote based on our […]
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For episode 98 of the JMB podcast, we discuss the process of developing wilderness instructors and guides. We outline the following steps to the process: Take a course and get the Journeyman certification Take a medical class, first aid or wilderness first responder Take and pass the test to become a Registered Maine Guide Go […]
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https://vimeo.com/472372746 A short video about the Solo experience that students on our long term wilderness living experiences take part in. Video taken at a remote lake in the north Maine woods over the course of three days […]
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It’s been ten years since I took this photo. The kid is now in middle school. The basket has been retired and sits in a corner of the guide shack holding fishing gear. Of all the photos I’ve ever taken, it remains in my top ten. And a reminder that life happens fast. Continue Reading...
Shot this on a northern Maine lake at the end of the fall semester. It’s a campsite on a big lake that we revere for epic sunrises. It took a while for the sun to burn through the fog, giving us the mist effect. Continue Reading...
It’s still August but the nights are getting cool. When the night air is cooler than the river water we get dramatic morning mists. I shot this on the morning of August 23, 2019, as the sun was just peeking over Squapan Ridge and the river valley was full of mist. I stood there for […] Continue Reading...
When made well, a grass mattress is portable luxury. Unlike thin sleeping pads, grass mattresses can easily be made to rival a modern mattress in thickness and comfort. They can also easily be transported, unlike bough beds. And they can be made from a variety of materials including grass, weeds, cattails, reeds, and more. They […] Continue Reading...
Smudge pots are a way of life at the field school in June and July. Take a metal coffee can, punch a few holes in it, attach a piece of chain to the rim and keep a small, smoky fire going. The smoke keeps the bugs at bay. It’s getting harder to find a metal […] Continue Reading...
The second article in the Bangor Daily News from my discussion with Sam Schipani is titled “How To Pick An Axe” and was published on November 12, 2020. Link: How To Pick An Ax Ms. Schipani lists six things to consider when choosing an axe. As with the first article she wrote based on our […] Continue Reading...
Last year I had the pleasure of helping our friend and alumni, Seth Walton with a winter outdoor living skills course for his Outdoor Leadership program. Pretty excited to do it again in the upcoming weeks. As temperatures get colder, people are going to be stuck inside more often. Programs like Seth’s provide young people […] Continue Reading...
News from the School Of The Forest Campus in southern VT. We’re adding a slew of one-day programming to our calendar for the winter 2020 season. These programs are geared towards the local community in Brattleboro but are open to anyone who wants to (in accordance with whatever the current covid-19 guidelines are) make the […] Continue Reading...
Last week I was interviewed by Sam Schipani from the Bangor Daily News about axe safety. The article went live on November 3rd, you can read it here: How To Use An Axe Safely I think she did a solid job summarizing the key points of axe safety. What do you think? Continue Reading...
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been setting up a partnership with the wilderness medicine fellows of Dartmouth-Hitchcock at the School Of The Forest Campus in southern Vermont. Students at Dartmouth Hitchcock go through extensive medical training for remote locations, but are looking to expand that knowledge base with skills like shelter building, fire lighting […] Continue Reading...
We just wrapped up the fall, 2020 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. 50 is the number of the day, as it was our 50th long-term program, and this week I celebrated my 50th birthday. I always get nostalgic at the end of fall semesters. As I was walking through the woods from Moose Vegas to the Guide […] Continue Reading...
If we have learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that you’re on your own when things get tough. Unless you give a lot of money to politicians they don’t care whether you live or die. So this is a great time to start taking control of your self-reliance needs. In northern Maine we’re sure of […] Continue Reading...
I’ve been dragging my feet in making this decision, hoping there would be a vaccine or a change or something. But as people are trying to make travel plans for our February programs, it’s time. I’m officially cancelling the 2021 Winter Woodsman and Boreal Snowshoe Expedition due to the covid. I have been confident we’ve […] Continue Reading...
For episode 98 of the JMB podcast, we discuss the process of developing wilderness instructors and guides. We outline the following steps to the process: Take a course and get the Journeyman certification Take a medical class, first aid or wilderness first responder Take and pass the test to become a Registered Maine Guide Go […] Continue Reading...
It’s near the end of the fall semester, so we invited some of the current Wilderness Bushcraft Semester students into the Guide Shack so you could hear directly from them about their thoughts about the course. Listen in as they describe their experience and answer a few questions about it. PHOTO: Spring semester students at […] Continue Reading...
We offer several different types of programs, and in this episode of the podcast we describe and define what they are and who they’re for. Two weeks to go in the fall, 2020 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. PHOTO: Big breakfast in camp. Show Notes: JMB Podcast Episode 96 | Differentiating Professional Training Programs Kid-Friendly? Kid friendly, […] Continue Reading...
Minimalism in the wild. In episode 95 of the JMB Podcast Christopher and I discuss the idea of minimalism as compared and contrasted with ultralight in the backcountry. We often discuss our traditional approach to camping, characterized by heavy gear and lots of it. But we also enjoy going light with improvised gear. Going light […] Continue Reading...
In episode 94 of the JMB Podcast Christopher and I discuss the concept of transference; where lessons learned in one space are applied in a different space, in a different way. Sometimes called lateral thinking, it’s about developing deep knowledge. It’s also about developing deep knowledge of problems to be solved. PHOTO: Frost on the […] Continue Reading...
A short video about the Solo experience that students on our long term wilderness living experiences take part in. Video taken at a remote lake in the north Maine woods over the course of three days. Continue Reading...
In this short video, we walk through our newly built group shelter. We’ve been consistently having nights below freezing, so having a warm space for people to dry off and defrost their bones is a big bonus for our students. Just based on the general shape and color of the structure, we’ve started referring to […] Continue Reading...
This video was shot a few years ago (notice the slow introduction), and features Paul Sveum demonstrating how to sanitize water (ie. make it safe to drink) when you have no pot. You need to boil it, which is why a pot is such a valuable item to carry, but you should have a backup […] Continue Reading...
Video by Bosum Media & Photography of our March, 2020 trip to northern Quebec. We’ve been running trips with our friends David and Anna Bosum, through their cultural tourism business Nuuhchimi Wiinuu, for 20 years. The experiences there have all been amazing. But don’t take my word for it, watch the video. Continue Reading...
– 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, consisting of our blog, podcasts and videos.
