Hanging a pot over an open fire is a great way to cook outdoors. Over the years we’ve experimented with a wide variety of pot suspension systems and have arrived at four criteria by which to judge them. As we’re often cooking for and with groups of ten or more people, it’s important to note [...]

Hot coffee and doughnuts are a great combination, even better when made outside over an open fire. When I was a teenager, two of my friends made up a little song about this amazing combination after getting some of both early one morning at a diner on the way to go ice fishing. All I [...]

It’s been almost two months since we released a podcast. In this episode I discuss what we’ve been up to, tell some stories about the history of the folk school, and finish with talking about digital sharecropping, why we’re migrating all of our media to our own sites and why we recommend you do the [...]

We’ve had a lot of interest in our March, 2019 trip to northern Quebec where we’ll live with our Cree friends David and Anna Bosum. We’ll be immersed in Cree culture for a week, learning about how they live. This video is an update on the trip, as well as a recommended reading list. For [...]

We’ve got 3 new courses running at the JMBS Folk School in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire in January: The JMBS Axemanship Course, Winter Survival in the North Woods, and The Art & Science of Fire. Each of them is a single day. They run on Saturdays in January (see the Master Calendar). I’ll be posting more [...]

I’ve been rereading some of Bill Riviere’s books lately and am reminded of why I hold his work in such high esteem. A registered Maine guide who worked on the Maine border patrol during World War 2, he was also a prolific writer. Here’s his take on throwing knives from Backcountry Camping: On TV and [...]

I took my daughter to a homeschool workshop at the Remick Museum in Tamworth, NH last Monday. The theme of the class was cooking on the hearth, or cooking on an open fire inside like they would have done in New Hampshire in the mid-1800s. It was a good experience with lots of dutch ovens [...]

Choosing tools for winter programs with the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School in Maine and points north. In the video we look at criteria for choosing a useful axe, knife and saw for the winter trail based on year of experience guiding snowshoe trips. Specific gear looked at includes: Axes from Pole & Paddle Canoe  Axe [...]

Scene this morning on Rust Pond at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Folk School on the day before Thanksgiving, 2018. After yesterday’s snow, the white pines have their winter look. It’s beautiful here every day, but mornings like today remind me that this is no ordinary place.

The Brushfire Rendezvous is on the calendar for Friday, October 11 to Sunday, October 13. I don’t have any details yet, but will be working them out. After talking to a few friends, we figured that 100,000 people was too many, so we’ll probably limit it to 40 or so. We’ll be running an introduction [...]

We’ve been discussing the possibility of having a small 3-day rendezvous based around bushcraft and traditional wilderness skills at the field school since 2010. But despite a lot of talk, we’ve never hosted the event. A few weeks ago I was talking with some friends about it again, and after an hour discussing the possibilities, [...]

I’m renewing my Maine Guide license this fall, and the rules have changed. Included in the process now is a digital fingerprinting and background check. I heard a rumor from a game warden that the process is a response to people with criminal sex-offender backgrounds taking young people in the woods. While I don’t like [...]

If you enjoy first person narratives of life on the trail, you might be interested in a book that I just put on the Kindle store on Amazon. It’s a selection of my canoe and snowshoe trip journals from Maine, Alaska and the Florida Everglades. Most of the essays are from the early days of [...]

Replacing the broken culvert on the Moose Vegas Road at the field school. It’s been a long time coming, and will fix drainage as well as transportation issues.

On a remote river shuttling firewood across the river. Because at any established campsite the good wood is picked over, but just across the river there’s usually a lot of it. This is the boat that was recently damaged in a wind storm, in action on the Bonaventure river in Quebec last June (2018).

We had several storms over the past few days at the field school, resulting in the loss of one of our canoes. With temperatures below freezing and winds gusting to 50 miles per hour, several canoes were blown off of the racks, and one hull was broken. In the photo above, you can see the [...]

We just wrapped-up the Autumn Woodsman course after a great week of bushcraft and camaraderie. The Autumn Woodsman was new this year as a cold-weather, no-snow weeklong course. We had a great group, achieved all of our intended learning outcomes and also had a bunch of laughs doing it. Participants spent the night in individual [...]

There are two new alumni sections on the Jack Mountain website: alumni programs and alumni appreciation. In the alumni programs section (under the Courses tab) is information on the Year 2 Program for alumni. It’s on the schedule for 2019 and consists of a 2-week canoe trip on the Allagash and the 2-week Primitive Wilderness [...]

Putting a mattress of green fir boughs on a raised bed in a long-term cold weather shelter. It’s easy to make these more comfortable; add more mattress. Like everything else we do, you can learn something about this type of shelter and bed by building it, but to really know it you have to live [...]

In 2019 we’re changing the dates for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester courses that have been on the web for a few months. After lots of discussions in the guide shack about how to provide the best courses with the fewest drawbacks, we’re shifting a few things around. The spring semester will run from April 28 [...]

There were hugs, handshakes and promises to keep in touch, but now the parking lot is empty and a group of people that came together nine weeks ago has gone their separate ways. They’re headed back to Alaska, to cycle across southern Europe, to explore West Virginia, to a winter job at a ski area [...]

Finishing pack baskets with dogwood rims. Snow flurries here this morning and cold and windy today, so we’re in the guide shack with the stove roaring. Last project on the last day of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester.

Back from the trip, finishing projects on the last few days of the semester. A few people wanted to make pack baskets, so we’re making them. It will be a push to finish them, but that’s what we do.

We’re leaving on our final trip this morning, headed to a large, remote lake about an hour away. While there we’ll do our canoe-skills testing and people will head out on solos for several days. We’ve had some cold nights, so I’ll be brining a canvas tent and wood stove in case someone goes for [...]

The Autumn Woodsman is a new field school course this year, designed to provide people with skills for cold weather without deep snow. There’s a heavy emphasis on axe, saw and knife use, appropriate fire skills, shelter construction, using tents and stoves to create warm, comfortable spaces, as well as seasonally-appropriate crafts such as making [...]

Teaching poling and watching everyone come through a rip. Poling is a traditional canoe skill that we use daily. It’s a great way to descend a rapid with complete control, stop in the middle of whitewater and travel upstream against a strong current. And to do it well, you stand in the canoe.

Cool today, lit the first fire of the season in the Guide Shack. Enjoying the heat and looking out the window at the yellow aspen and birch foliage. Two weeks left in the semester, our last weekend in camp. Off-grid and loving it.

In episode 51 of the podcast Christopher and I recap the 2018 season with our youth program, the School Of The Forest, and talk about the Teen Wilderness Living Semester coming in 2019. As part of the discussion, we discuss the difference between wilderness living skills and actually living in the wilderness. It is something [...]

Canoeing season is almost finished for the year here in northern Maine, with night temperatures below freezing. But we still have one trip left on the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. I’m excited to get out one in the boats for a few days one last time in 2018. If you’re interested in learning the way [...]

Someone spent a bunch of time building this cairn on the Allagash. I didn’t get a great picture of it because I couldn’t move the sun to where I wanted it. Whoever built this did so for the sake of building it, not for compensation or recognition. Everyone on our trip appreciated it’s beauty.

Grave Of The Unknown River Driver, Baxter State Park. Along the park tote road about 20 miles from the south entrance. Near Nesowadnehunk Stream, presumed drowned on a log drive. More at Downeast Magazine.

Human physiology doesn’t change in order to make a story better. But sensationalized stories of survival will always draw eyeballs, with the result being foolish and untrue beliefs being formed. I’m not a fan of how the media portrays survival episodes. They are looking for sensational stories, not to tell the truth. The result is [...]

Members of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester cooling off in the lake on a recent trip. Underwater basket weaving is something that people who know nothing about basketry or working with your hands often joke about, mistakenly thinking they’re being clever. The reality is that basket making is hard work, and a worthwhile craft to [...]

We met this guy on a trip this past summer, sunning himself on the river.

Check out our new 18-foot yurt-dome; the Jack Vegas Casino & Ballroom located at fabulous Moose Vegas. We’ll be outfitting it with a woodstove and lots of casino-style games in the near future.

Congratulations to our own Colin Clifford, Maine’s newest Registered Guide. Colin is an alumnus working with us on this fall’s semester course. He traveled to Augusta today where he passed the test to become a Registered Maine Guide. He will be traveling back to the field school on the shoulders of stallions. Well done, sir.

In episode 50 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast we discuss listener comments, the role of alcohol on the trail, and how important food and eating well is on expeditions. PHOTO: Newly-carved paddles being used for the first time. Links: The Woods Cook: Outdoor Cooking With A Professional Guide by Tim Smith iTunes Link | [...]

We had an amazing week on the water last week, as the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester students used the paddles they recently carved to cross a remote lake and camp for the week. They learned a bunch of named paddle strokes, where hand and body position at the beginning and end of the stroke, as well [...]

Some knife sheath bling – made from birchbark and roots. Whatever your edged tool, it should always have a sheath, both to protect you and to protect your tool’s edge.

After a long, hot summer (the warmest on record in the Caribou, Maine area), we’ve now had two mornings in a row with temperatures in the high 20’s. It will warm up again and we’ll be swimming comfortably for a few more weeks, but the colder weather is coming. A few years ago in the [...]

Episode 49 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is all about expedition behavior and leadership. Expedition behavior is outdoor education-speak for working as a team. On a chilly Saturday morning in the Guide Shack Tim, Christopher and Colin were joined by Blake Towsley for a discussion on good and bad leadership and how leadership skills [...]

Hard at work carving paddles. Finishing them today, heading out on the trail next week to put them to use.

David Callison hiked the Appalachian Trail from north to south , finishing in March of 2018. He’s also a participant on our fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We discuss hiking the trail, why you should plant to hike from north to south to have a better experience, and learn about his most and least favorite [...]

An old video of our received a comment that stated there was no such thing as bushcraft in North America because we didn’t have any bush, only woods, and as such it had to be woodcraft. Let me take this moment to say I don’t care what anyone thinks about the appropriate name for bushcraft, [...]

This morning we started carving canoe paddles. It’s a chance to learn about wood and wood grain, as well as traditional hand tools. Our preference is for a draw knife and spoke shave, with a farrier’s rasp near the end. There are lots of tool combinations that work.

There are two components of incorporating wild plants into your life. First is making a positive identification in the field. Second is harvesting and processing the plant and knowing what to use it for. There are a lot of great books on using wild plants for food and medicine once you make that positive field [...]

Episode 47 is about women and gender in bushcraft. Christopher and I were joined by Allison Figueroa and Regina Beach, both of whom are participants on the fall semester. They share their insight into the role that gender plays on women getting into the outdoor industry, gear, and the “pink tax” women often pay for [...]

Lucky The Wonder Dog, river safety officer. When someone goes for a swim, she jumps in the water and swims around them. #fulltangcaninelifestyle

Mors Kochanski is a man who needs no introduction to people in the bushcraft community. My friend Dragan Uzelac from Niko Wilderness Education and The More You Know Podcast recently posted a 2 hour, 7 minute podcast interview where Mors discusses many things that will be of interest to the student of survival training and [...]

Episode 46 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about the path to becoming a reputable instructor. We discuss the necessary steps, finding your voice as an instructor, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the role of being an assistant instructor or teaching assistant as part of a long-term development plan. PHOTO: Poling practice on the river. [...]

Today is our first day of poling canoes during the fall semester. It’s hot and sunny, a nice bonus for enduring the cold water of the pond. We worked through the first five poling exercises, and also covered lifts, carries and canoe rescue. Tomorrow we’ll be poling on the river.

On episode 45 Christopher and I are joined by Allison Figueroa, a student on the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester who is taking a semester off from her studies at Boston University to attend Jack Mountain. We discuss how she’s settling into the semester, how the experience of being here fits with her expectations, her take [...]

On episode 44 of the podcast I’m joined by Christopher and Colin, recorded during our morning instructors meeting on Wednesday, August 22nd. We cover four topics: welcome to the fall semester, our systems-based approach to outdoor living at the field school and on the trail, some points about our educational philosophy, and the wild bounty [...]

Yesterday we began the fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, our 45th long term program over the past 20 years. Our team for the course consist of myself and Christopher Russell as instructors and Colin Clifford as the teaching assistant. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years on the trail with both [...]

Plants Of Baxter State Park. The plant book I’ve been waiting for years to find. Amazing resource. Full post with link coming soon.

Paddling big lakes with big tailwinds is a skill that I haven’t seen discussed in the books, but it takes a certain knack to not get spun by the waves. Once you get spun, it’s easy for the waves to come over the gunwhales and fill your boat with water. In most cases it’s really [...]

From time to time I mention our amazing alumni. Tonight I want to say congratulations to Sam Larson for winning Alone, season 5 in Mongolia! You’re an inspiration for the young and young at heart everywhere! If you don’t know Sam, he runs Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, has a great sense of humor, and is now [...]

Paddling the East Branch of the Penobscot is a lot of work. There are 4 big carries around waterfalls in the first ten miles of the trip, and there are also some rapids that require solid paddling skills. But the views are amazing, such as this photo of a few canoes paddling downriver with the [...]

Grand Pitch, on the East Branch of the Penobscot river, is not an easy place to get to. In our world where almost everything is accessible via automobile, I think it’s great that there are still places you need to sweat and bleed a little to get to.

Allagash Falls, 2 different viewpoints. It’s a special place, not reachable by road. Shot on the recent Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester.

On Eagle Lake at the Smith Brook campsite, Allagash Wilderness Waterway. We saw this bull moose who was not the slightest bit interested in us. Smith Brook is the site of the 1976 Allagash alien abduction, the focus of this book.

We’ve been out on the land and off the grid for a month and a half, so this is the first podcast in a while. In it I talk with Christoper and Ed about what we’ve all been up to. For me, it’s been the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, from which I just returned. We [...]

Our first night on the water of the 2018 Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, camped on Telos Lake on the Allagash. I had the camera on autofocus, so you weren’t able to see the high peaks of Baxter State Park in the distance.

Our alumni do awesome things, so it’s a pleasure for me to keep in touch with many of them. This past spring I got an email from a guy named Ezra, who participated in a summer program a while back. He has since received a bachelor’s degree, worked as a teacher, and had many other [...]

It’s been a long, hot, low-water summer full of challenges, and we’re finally back from the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester (WCES). Since mid-June we’ve spent seven weeks on the rivers of Maine and Quebec guiding. That’s a lot of rapids, carries, and meals cooked over the fire. Today we said farewell to our WCES crew, [...]

In a few hours people arrive and we’ll begin the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester. The plan is to spend the first few days in camp planning and packing meals and covering a variety of expedition skills from efficient paddling to whitewater rescue, then head out on the river. We’re having an exceptionally dry summer in [...]

We’ve had a great week on the Summer Woodsman course, starting with a heat wave but settling into cooler temperatures late in the week. We’ve spent a significant amount of energy working on axemanship, fire, campfire cooking, navigation, shelter, crafting, tracking and edible wild plants. Today is the last day of the course, and we’re [...]

I talk to a lot of people who are interested in running their own outdoor business, but haven’t pulled the trigger. I also talk with a lot of people who have pulled the trigger, but haven’t had the level of success they need in order to make it their full-time job. Due to requests from [...]

Shot on the Bonaventure River, this was our morning ritual for the trip. Man did we have a blast on that trip. Featured in the video is me, Frank, Kelly, Dragan and Christopher with the intro. Thanks to Blake for filming. Jack Mountain Bushcraft Vlog Episode 96.

I spent some time over the 4th diving in Lake Winnipesaukee with my son and one of my oldest friends. We took a few underwater photos while swimming down below the thermocline into the cool water, and it felt glorious.

To keep things simple, I’m changing how we catalog our videos. After a quick count of the videos we’ve put out over the years, I determined that we had done 94 of them, making this episode 95. On a muggy July morning on the dock, I discuss my old hat, my new hat, and edits [...]

If you’ve ever wanted to hear the unsolicited opinions of participants on our Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, listen to this episode of The More You Know podcast by Dragan Uzelac (Instagram @ nikowilderness) of Nico Wilderness Education from Alberta, Canada. Dragan spoke with Blake Towsley (Instagram @ leclubderaquettedesrf), owner of Le Club De Raquette De SRV, [...]

I went for a sunset kayak paddle with my son on Rust Pond, where I grew up and home to our folk school. After a long spring at the field school it’s great to be home.

It’s July 4th week and we’re in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures in the 90’s. This type of weather always gets me thinking about winter! 2019 will be our 20th year running multi-week snowshoe expeditions, and thoughts of the winter trail are somewhat of an antidote to sweating while sitting still in the [...]

I’ve been asked several times recently how I define what a guide does and when someone is ready to start guiding remote trips. Below are some thoughts on this. A practitioner is someone who likes to engage in an activity, and may be extremely skilled at it. An instructor is skilled at breaking down a [...]

I took this photo at our last campsite on the Bonaventure, on the lower river a few miles upstream from the ocean. When I first saw pictures of this river, the clarity of the water drew me in and I knew I had to paddle it. After several trips it continues to hold a spell [...]

I spent a lot of time in the canoe this past spring, and watched as a variety of people had dry bags that failed. This happens every year. People put their faith in a dry bag to keep their stuff dry, but their stuff still gets wet. Don’t believe the dry bag hype, and don’t [...]

A few clips from our recent trip on the Bonaventure River in Quebec.

Our next series of programs is our summer term, beginning July 8th and consisting of the Summer Woodsman course and the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester (both are full and we’re not accepting more applications). The Summer Woodsman is a weeklong introduction to all that we do here at the field school. But more than an [...]

We just returned from an epic canoe trip on Quebec’s Bonaventure River. For episode 42 of the podcast, Colin Clifford, Christopher Russell and I discussed the trip over coffee in the Guide Shack. We talked about what they got out of the trip, the impact of the hit song Party In The USA on the [...]

We’re back from a fantastic trip on the Bonaventure River on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula. It was a lot of work due to low water levels, but we had an amazing group of guys that were ready for any challenge the river threw at us. It was my second trip on the Bonaventure, but the first [...]

Episode 41 was recorded in the Guide Shack on June 14th, the final night of our spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, our 43rd long-term program. I was joined by Christopher Russell, as well as Tom and James who were both students on the course. We talk about our final trip, their experiences on the [...]

The gear is packed up, the shuttle is on it’s way, and we’re ready to go. We leave this morning on our final trip for the spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We’re headed to the headwaters of the Aroostook and will float back to the field school, 50+ miles, over the next week. We’ll also [...]

Fleshing a deer hide on the scraping beam. Getting the meat, fat and connective tissue off of the hide makes it shelf stable and it can then be stored by drying. It’s also the first step in the braintanning process. This hide is from a deer harvested last fall by this course participant. He’s eaten [...]

Beautiful stretch of weather here in the county. A couple of the guys decided to loose a few arrows in the field. #fulltanglifestyle

I received a piece of sad news and wanted to share it with our alumni. We were over at Scopan lake the other day working on paddling strokes and canoe rescue when two guys from the Maine Department of Conservation motored up to the launch. We talked for a few minutes about the lake and [...]

Acknowledgement of achievement by your peers and people who understand what you do feels more impactful than acknowledgement from strangers. We’ve been placed on numerous lists over the years regarding the best survival schools in America, etc., and it always feels good to be included with the industry leaders. Recently we were awarded the Wilderness [...]

It was 93 degrees here today according to the weather station in Ashland. We spent the day working on paddling strokes and canoe rescue on Scopan Lake (3 miles from the field school). When we got back to camp at the end of the day I went for a swim in the pond. It was [...]

Practical exam on map and compass navigation for the Journeyman Certification Program this morning. Students have had weeks of instruction, now it is time to prove they can do it. #fulltanglifestyle

I was up early this morning tweaking menus for our upcoming trips on the Aroostook and Bonaventure rivers before we start our instructional day here at the field school. It’s not the glamorous side of guiding expeditions, but planning and provisioning are crucial parts of having a trip work at all, let alone smoothly. The [...]

Instructors Ben and Christopher taking a break from poling on a recent canoe trip. #fulltanglifestyle

This morning I went to the fish hatchery in Caribou and picked up some young brook trout, brought them back to the field school, and put them in the pond. I have many fond memories of fishing small trout ponds as a kid. Now we can provide that same experience to the kids who come [...]

We’ve got an open spot left on our 2018 Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, a four-week experience where you learn to guide wilderness canoe trips. It’s a great opportunity to take your paddling, poling and wilderness living skills to the professional level, as well as learn the rivers, rapids and campsites of northern Maine. You’ll cook [...]

Episode 40 of the JMB Podcast is about current and upcoming events. Christopher and I discuss what we’re working on to upgrade the field school, upcoming trips and programs, stocking our pond with brook trout, and our new team resiliency training. Links: Team Resiliency Training At Jack Mountain Autumn Woodsman Course Family Bushcraft Week, School [...]

This afternoon we wrapped up week six of our nine-week spring semester with Journeyman certification testing on axemanship and dramatic thunderstorms. As part of our Journeyman certification, students have to pass a series of tests in the field to demonstrate their mastery of the material. Today we tested on the four major axe disciplines: felling, [...]

Immediately following our spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, our team of instructors is headed northeast to the Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula for a whitewater trip on the Bonaventure River. (Photo above is from Kicking Horse Pass on the Bonaventure, taken on a previous trip.) We’ll be joined by several notable Canadian and American instructors. We’re all excited [...]

We had a cold front pass over us this morning and Adam Lougee snapped this photo of the clouds over the Guide Shack. I love looking at and studying the clouds. So much beauty right over head every day.

I’m a lifelong learner. Even as I’m sliding through middle age, I still get excited about learning new things. Each year I like to take a course or two to increase what I know and because I find it enjoyable. I like to seek out experienced instructors, because when I’m taking a course I’m learning [...]

Walking across arctic Norway, axe in hand. Shot this photo when in Norway filming a tv show in 2014. I wanted to be able to prove to my kids I was actually there! #fulltanglifestyle

A few years ago I was abducted and left for dead on top of a mountain in arctic Norway. I was forced to find my own way back to civilization while dealing with deep snow fields, freezing temperatures and raging rivers. The entire experience was recorded and appeared as an episode of the Discovery Channel [...]

We had quite a bit of traffic, slowing the travel down a bit. #fulltanglifestyle

Today is the official halfway mark on the spring semester; 4.5 weeks down, 4.5 weeks to go. In some ways our 9-week semester seems to pass in the blink of an eye. In others, it seems to last for years. So far this specific course has been flying by leaving me wondering where the time [...]

On our long-term semester and expedition programs, we live and work together in close quarters for an extended period of time. Our goal is for individuals to learn and excel at hard skills, but without a plan and systems regarding how to live and work together, successful outcomes are harder to achieve. Working as a [...]

Episode 39 of the JMB Podcast begins with Ed’s review of the New England Bushcraft Show, moves to a discussion about appropriate gear for specific situations, then a discussion of minimum versus displaced impact, and lastly a cross-cultural view of different approaches to ecology, specifically regarding the Cree idea of continued use for sustainability of [...]

The river is calling, and this morning we will answer! We’re headed out on our first trip of the spring semester in an hour. The water is high, cold and fast, and we’re headed to a winding, small river with plenty of challenging water. It will be the first time poling in moving water with [...]

What a difference a week makes! The photo is Christopher taking the first paddle around the pond (aka Grand Lac Samsquanch) of 2018, 1 week ago. Today was sunny and 70 degrees, and we had a bunch of boats on the pond working through our introduction to canoe poling curriculum. It was a late spring, [...]

Keeping your body clean is important. This video is all about the ways in which to do so with no infrastructure. Something I neglected to mention in the video is that the Pump-Up Solar Shower is also a great piece of kit for trips to the ocean in order to rinse off at the end [...]

Today begins week four of the spring semester. People have been living with the field school systems long enough for it to become second nature, making life smooth and enjoyable. Another factor in this smooth, enjoyable lifestyle is the weather; the snow is finally gone and we’re enjoying warm, sunny weather. Watching the plants emerge [...]

Traditional Maine Guide Canoeing: Episode 38 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast. On a blustery Saturday morning, Christopher and I discussed the role of the canoe in northern Maine. Along the way we covered the history and materials of canoes (birch bark, wood canvas, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic),why canoeing still matters, the JMB traditional skills approach, [...]

It’s a Guide Shack Saturday night. From the photo: radio, guide canteen, knife, hat, wood stove in the northwest corner (thankfully not needed for the first Saturday of 2018). Listening to A Prairie Home Companion on the radio. Dutch oven cooking outside. My 16’x20′ off-grid, off-pipe home at our field school in northern Maine. Content. [...]

Our Summer Woodsman course for July, 2018 is currently full with a waiting list. We’re not accepting any more registrations for it. The next week long course covering similar skills is the Autumn Woodsman which takes place November 4-10.

In episode 37 of the JMB Podcast, we discuss the Journeyman Certification, our standards-based guide and outdoor leader certification. To get there, we start with a history of the bushcraft/primitive skills/survival industry, how the Bulletin Of Primitive Technology and the internet got us to the point where the industry is at now, and the difference [...]

After snowshoeing into the field school for the first two and a half weeks of the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, on May 1st the snow was finally low enough for me to put the truck in 4-wheel drive and make it down the road. Once there are wheel ruts in the snow, things melt significantly [...]

Making simple mocotaugans (crooked knives) in the campfire. It doesn’t take a bunch of infrastructure to make a functional knife. I used to believe it did, but now have 20 years of making simple knives in the campfire under my belt. Vise grips and a hammer are necessary, as is a new file to cut [...]

We woke up to a beaver sunning itself on the pond ice. It spent the whole day hanging around before swimming down the stream after dark.

Snow is finally melting. Still too much of it on the road to drive in, but the fields are just about snow-free. See you in a few months, snow. Now bring on the bugs!

Studying the natural world adds depth and richness to life. In this episode Ben, Christopher and I discuss our nature study curriculum as set forth in First Person Ecology. Our method is a blend of academic study and personal experience, with the goal being to create a series of field guides that you carry around [...]

History is rarely hands-on, but traveling old canoe routes is history you can experience in person. Connecting watersheds, traveling to distant lakes or regions, poring over maps; I love all of it. The romance of hanging up the truck keys for a year and traveling by my own power is a fantasy I’ve entertained often. [...]

Through adversity comes growth. So far this spring, mother nature has provided great opportunities for growth. The first few weeks of our spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester are the hardest few weeks of our calendar year. The snows are still deep, the streams are swollen, and getting around can be very difficult on deep, slushy snow [...]

JMB alumnus Doug Dickens is hosting a Prehistoric Pottery Workshop with Keith Grenoble at Flood Creek Farm in Southern Maryland. Keith Grenoble has been a product of the Back to the Land movement and developed close ties to Native communities from an early age. Keith started his journey by making stone tools represented in the [...]

We regularly get contacted by young people looking for advice regarding entering the bushcraft industry, which, after being in it full-time for the past 20 years, I can confidently say has changed dramatically during that time. When reality tv came along, all of a sudden the interest in esoteric outdoor skills went through the roof. [...]

Todays post, and all of our other posts, are brought to you by 2 solar panels that provide all of our off-grid electricity. Warm and sunny today and the snow has started to melt.

Episode 35 was recorded in the Guide Shack at the field school at the end of week 1 of the spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. Christopher Russell and I discuss the challenges we faced during the first week (spoiler alert: deep snow), bushcraft as resiliency in a changing world and the new Journeyman certification student [...]

Snowshoeing out to the road this morning to do some errands in town. With so much snow left on the ground it’s tough to believe the lupines will be blooming in two months. Spring still seems like a long way off, although it’s coming quickly.

Systems are what make camp run smoothly. When running a course off-grid there often aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. As a result we’ve developed systems that use minimal time for maximum results. Nowhere is this more important than with food. Convenience foods aren’t an option in camp. If you wait [...]

Day four of the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We’re working on permanent shelters. This morning we’re peeling the bark on the base logs. We’re doing a lot of axe work, clearing a quarter acre. And we’re still on snowshoes.

Day 3 of the WBS. Because there’s so much snow, we’re having to improvise. Two of our instructors are staying in a canvas tent set up under the pavilion, as shown in the video.

Day 2 of the spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. Day 1 of our new vlog. Still lots of snow on the ground here.

Aroostook river is still locked up in ice and we’re still on snowshoes waiting for spring to arrive. Day 2 of the spring ‘18 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. #fulltanglifestyle

Today was the official unveiling of the new Jack Mountain Bushcraft School Journeyman Certification Workbook, a 316 page tome written by Ben Spencer over the winter. It’s big, detailed and ambitious, and just in time for the beginning of our 20th year. It’s existence has been rumored for several weeks, but was not confirmed until [...]

Spring semester starts today. 4 feet of snow on the road. Time for plan B.

From the spring, 2015, Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, a hike up Deboullie Mountain in the North Maine Woods; a beautiful and remote spot.

Osprey bringing food back to the nest. As the ice recedes on Rust Pond, the birds are showing back up. I watched some mergansers this morning, and saw a bald eagle yesterday.

Watching the sun set over some open water tonight. Beautiful. The ice isn’t gone, but it is going.

How much land does a man need, and what should he do with that land when he gets it? In episode 34 of the JMB Podcast Ed Butler, Christopher Russell and I discuss a simple, low-tech life on the land. I recount a story by Leo Tolstoy titled “How Much Land Does A Man Need” [...]

We’ve had numerous calls recently regarding our pending articulation agreement with the University Of Maine At Presque Isle (UMPI). We’re still working on the process and plan to have everything set up in time for the fall (’18) semester. We understand that people have deadlines and are doing all that we can to expedite the [...]

Flying to northern Maine is about to change. The airport in Presque Isle (PQI) has had daily flights to Boston for several years with PenAir. After a recent change, they are planning to discontinue the PenAir service to Boston and add daily flights on United Airlines from Presque Isle to Newark, NJ beginning on July [...]

Interesting article from the CBC on graduate students mapping the traditional canoe routes. Here’s the link. Photo above is a map of traditional canoe routes of New Brunswick. Our field school on the Aroostook is on it. From the article: The Wabanaki are made up of the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki nations stretching [...]

I’m not sure whether I believe in magic, but I believe in magical moments. For me they are those moments on the trail where everything is good and seems as it should be and all is right with the world. It’s why I go back over and over, and have made a 20-year career out [...]

If you check out our Master Calendar, you’ll notice a change. Programs are now organized into terms, which are blocks of programs organized around seasonally-appropriate topics. For example, the 2019 Winter Term includes five weeks of winter programming. Each course can still be taken separately, but you can also take an entire term of programs, [...]

The Summer Woodsman course is almost full. As we’re out of open weeks during the summer to run another one, we’re introducing a new course: The Autumn Woodsman Course. We’ve been interested in offering seasonal variants of our popular weeklong woodsman course for a while, and this year we’re taking the leap. Next year (2019) [...]

Public Service Message: Remember to pull those rabbit snares tonight! You don’t want the kids catching you with a rabbit in your snare on Easter morning. You’ll never hear the end of it.

Process Not Product is a familiar phrase at our school. We want to give people the tools to replicate what they do at the field school after they leave. If it were just about ending with a finished product, we might do things differently. But for us it’s about giving people the tools to create [...]

I know What It Takes To Get A Lot Of Views. I’m Just Not Interested In Doing It I’ve been blogging, shooting videos, podcasting, etc., for more than 15 years. In that time, I’ve learned about what makes a popular post. I think I know what it takes to go viral and get a bunch [...]

The vast majority of people who come across our blog will never attend our immersion programs. Regardless, we still want to help them achieve their goals. So here’s some curriculum from our programs that you can use at home. We have seven elements to our programs, one of which is the Self element. It isn’t [...]

Our long-term programs are mentally and emotionally challenging. We want people who attend to be aware of this, and to have the mental and emotional fortitude and maturity needed to be successful here. But this sounds like a platitude you’ve heard before, so let me explain a bit further. People attending our programs want and [...]

After a whole winter of tinkering with the design, we’re excited to announce our updated Yearlong Immersion Program. The old yearlong immersion program is now our Seasonal Immersion Program, consisting of a combination of our Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, Boreal Snowshoe Expedition and Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester. This remains the foundation of the new yearlong immersion [...]

Raymond Reitze is a Registered Master Maine Guide and a mentor of mine. This recent video from Seedlight Pictures captures his philosophy of living as part of the natural world. It’s 18:36 long. Here is a link to the video on Vimeo.

There is nothing like the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester available elsewhere. If you want to become proficient at living and traveling by canoe in the wilderness, the best path is to undergo a month on the river working as part of a team under the tutelage of experienced guides. There is simply no other way [...]

In episode 33 of the podcast we discuss a common myth of barehand navigation, the effect of changing air pressure on fish, and gear addiction, evolution and minimum viable kit (MVK). For this episode I was joined by Ed Butler (aka Working Class Woodsman), and for those with sensitive ears we did swear a few [...]

Cree snowshoes in Ouje-Bougoumou on our 2017 trip.

Following the trend of recent years, spots in our programs are filling earlier than ever. Here’s an update on what’s still available, in chronological order. Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, spring 2018 (April-June). 3 spots open. Bonaventure Canoe Expedition, Quebec (June). Full Summer Woodsman (July). 1 spot open. Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester (July-August). 2 spots open. Wilderness [...]

There’s an article featuring Jack Mountain in the Bangor Daily News spring 2018 spring/summer special section outdoors magazine. The article, titled “The Survivor: Deep in the Maine woods, Tim Smith teaches others to survive in the wild”, gives a brief overview of what we do and has enough philosophical nuggets to make it interesting. The [...]

The dates are set for our March, 2019 trip with Cree hunters in northern Quebec; March 1-9. In past years we’ve gone in late January, but next year we’ve got a busy winter semester planned so we’re moving the trip to early March. Taking advantage of the longer days will be an added bonus. Those [...]

New Role: Authentic Marketing Instructor I did a phone interview a while back that the person said they were turning into an article. Then I forgot about it until yesterday, when I saw the article. I like how it turned out. The article is about authentic marketing for schools by an outfit that offers services [...]

Next weekend, March 9-11 (2018), the 26th annual Wilderness Paddlers Gathering will take place at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont. It is put on by Northern Wilderness Travelers Conferences, the same group that runs the Snow Walkers Rendezvous in the fall. I’ll be attending and putting on a workshop titled “The Moveable Feast [...]

During one of the thaws on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. Photo by Dragan Uzelic.

We’ve decided on the route for the 2018 Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester. We’re going with a classic that will follow the Northern Forest Canoe Trail across the crown of Maine. Starting on the Moose River near Jackman, we’ll paddle to Moosehead Lake, where we’ll turn north to Northeast Carry. We’ll carry across to the West [...]

We recorded episode 32 the morning after returning from the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. I was joined by Dragan Uzelac, Blake Towsley and Colin Clifford, and we discussed the expedition as well as the need for a recreational options for veterans. Upon returning home, I purchased the domain FieldOpsInternational.com, and hope to have some sort of [...]

Sunset at the waterhole, sublime. One week to go in our winter wonderland. The group is fuctioning as a team, everyone is contributing, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than tucked in the woods alongside a frozen lake in Aroostook county, Maine. #fulltanglifestyle

When it gets warm we don’t travel, we make things. Dragan and Blake made mokatagens. Low-tech knife making in the field. Getting cold tonight.#fulltanglifestyle

Cooking supper on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. Having a great time so far. #fulltanglifestyle

View at the road: toboggans, sleds, snowshoes, snowmobile. Winter. #fulltanglifestyle

Guide Shack breakfast on the woodstove. Simple off-grid lifestyle on the Winter Woodsman course. #fulltanglifestyle

Back to the Guide Shack after a day tracking in the woods. The woods life in winter means living on snowshoes. Love this shot of the field school.

Episode 31 of the podcast is about the Primitive Wilderness Living Practicum, a program we facilitate. It’s a 21-day wilderness experience with limited gear, limited food, and a whole lot of learning and personal growth. We’ve had a lot of questions about it recently, so this episode is an attempt to answer them. This is [...]

This discussion has come up a bunch recently, so I wanted to define some terms that I use regarding celebrity outdoorsman and professional outdoorsman. A professional outdoorsman is a person who makes their living guiding, teaching, and otherwise working outdoors. A celebrity outdoorsman is a person who is well known on social media, reality tv [...]

On January 19, 2018 I was interviewed by Gundy on The Big Wild radio show, heard all over the midwest on the radio and the world via their podcasts. We were the first interview on this episode of the show (and the podcast). To listen, go to their website at: http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/the-big-wild-011918_121684 You can also download [...]

We recommend an 8-inch, 2 quart dutch oven for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, and for any other field school program. Ideally, it will have a flanged lid but no legs. If yours has legs, no big deal as these make it easier to cook in the field. But it also makes it more difficult to [...]

That water is cold! Loved this clip – like an old-school silent film.

2018 marks our 19th year of multi-week snowshoe and toboggan expeditions. In a world where bushcraft is becoming more about the gear and knives and celebrity outdoorsmen, I’m thankful for winter expeditions. In the cold, living and traveling in the forest, the extraneous fluff falls away. What’s left is authentic and real. And that’s getting [...]

Facebook, Youtube, And The Rest Can Keep Their Private Sandboxes We hit peak social media a few years ago and have been on the downward slant since then. Time spent on social media feels like an arms race of narcissism, and those are the good days. And now they tell us they’re changing the rules [...]

A walk around a remote camp on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition.

Life on our dirt road is exceptionally beautiful today after yesterday’s snow storm. Photo: Lucky the wonder pooch in the woods across the road.

It’s 2018 and we’re finally retiring our old rotary phone. Our recent podcast (episode 30 featuring Sam Larson) was a turning point for our podcast. Prior to recording it, all of our podcasts had been recorded in person. As such geography was a huge factor in when we could record. For episode 30 we entered [...]

Episode 30 of our podcast featured Sam Larson. It’s the first episode we’ve recorded remotely (ie. not in the same room), as well as the first episode where we’ve recorded video, as seen above. If you’re looking for just the audio, go here. Sam Larson is the founder and owner of Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, was [...]

In this episode I talk with Sam Larson. He’s the founder and owner of Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, was the runner-up of season 1 of the TV show Alone, and is a Jack Mountain Bushcraft School alumnus. This is the first podcast we’ve also recorded as a video. You can see it at: http://blog.jackmtn.com/sam-larson-video-from-podcast-episode-30/ Links: Woodsong [...]

Snowshoes are lashed to the toboggans and we’re having a leisurely stroll down the lake. Enjoy days like these because they don’t happen often.

From a past Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. A participant fixed a broken axe handle in the field by wrapping it with saplings and lashing it together. It worked great. In the background is a canvas tent that was lived in for the winter. It’s not one of our expedition tents. In the photo below are my [...]

This fantastic video was shot on a JMBS alumi trip and assembled by Paul Sveum. If watching this doesn’t make you want to do an epic winter trip, you’re on the wrong website.

Snowshoeing across the crown of Maine on a cloudless morning. Not all expedition mornings are perfect. This one was.

18 years old and still getting the job done. Our 2 Egyptian cotton Ungava tents made by our friends at Tentsmiths. They have introduced many people to the sublime beauty of the winter trail.

Photo: Flooding a piece of cotton T-shirt with Ambroid glue and smearing it around with a dirty sock. Below are three stories about fixing canvas boats in the field. The moral of the stories is that you should know how to repair the craft you use. The more remote the trip, the better you should [...]

Cold here this week, but not snowshoe expedition cold where you hug the cook fire.

We’re bombarded with negativity and bad news in the modern world. So many alerts about all the deaths and evil and things to be afraid of. I’ve been moderating the information that gets attention from me for a while now, and I’m better off as a result. But I still read some news daily when [...]

From a past Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, the morning sun shining through the Balsam Fir trees. The warming effect of the sun is dramatic in the morning.

A well-used tent stove can keep you cozy and warm, a little home in the frozen forest.

Traffic jam on the Aroostook river.

Our new college partnership with the University of Maine at Presque Isle, also known as UMPI, is the focus for episode 29. Christopher Russell and I discuss what this means for students and the school. We’re putting together a new website that will explain academic options for college and gap year students at BushcraftCollege.com. Links: [...]

This past week I successfully passed the test to become a registered Maine sea kayak guide. It was the culmination of likely the longest testing process I’ve ever known. Let me explain. In 2000 I took and passed the written test to become a sea kayak guide. The Maine department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife [...]

First spring trip with newly carved paddles. Making the gear you use results in a whole different level of connection.

Spinning bowdrills during a firemaking exercise on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. Context is everything. This exercise is significantly more challenging in the field than in a warm, dry, indoor location. Add the snow and cold and it becomes even more so. But that’s when it’s real.

Membership has its priviledges.

Morning coffee on the beach. Cool and cold mornings are the norm during the end of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. The cooler temperatures make the hot coffee taste that much better.

Drying snowshoe bindings while cooking dinner on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition.

Winter bushcraft gear and the knowledge to make it work is the topic for episode 28 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft podcast. Ed Butler, Christopher Russell and I discuss sleeping bags, pads, dressing in layers, and how to carry heavy wool clothing. We also discuss the difference between Merino wool and Dan Marino wool, amongst [...]

Canadian guide, musher and old friend Jeff Butler (of Northwoods Survival) and I discuss how depth of knowledge is being replaced by shallow understanding and rant about a variety of aspects of the outdoor industry. We also talk about dispelling myths of survival and what he’s working on next; a cultural tourism business. Recorded at [...]

Two JMBS instructors by the river at the field school. It’s a long road getting your skills to the level where you’re ready to teach with us.

Our semester isn’t all misty morning canoeing; there’s a lot of academic work as well. Studying plants in the field here.