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.

One of a long line of amazing campsites in northern Maine. If this looks like heaven you should think about paddling with us.

Feet up while people cook their dinner over the group fire. Not in a rush. The foreground is in focus, while the background is not – exactly how I feel after a long day teaching and guiding.

Misty morning on a remote lake. The canoe was small black spot that appeared to be floating in the mist.

Next up, a private axemanship course for a group of engineers and tool designers, teaching how to wield this simple tool safely and powerfully. From the left: Snow & Neally, John King, Spiller. Maybe an awesome new American axe in a year. #fulltanglifestyle 

Wood canvas canoe on a recent river trip. This boat has run a lot of whitewater. #fulltanglifestyle 

One part of the off-grid (and full tang) lifestyle I’ve lived over the years that doesn’t get a lot of attention is keeping yourself entertained. Most people in the modern world watch a lot of video, whether via tv (older folks) or youtube (younger folks). Although things are changing, this has never been an option [...]

Field school is quiet and empty. Long-term program 41 and year 19 are complete. Time to rest. 

I’m working with Field & Stream Magazine doing a question and answer segment about survival and bushcraft. Check out the first installment and submit your questions in the comments. Questions are reviewed by the editors and might be included in future editions. Here’s the link: fieldandstream.com/survivalquestions

Leftover ends from paddle blanks, 1 new board and some screws: new shave horse. Boxed ends makes it rugged. #fulltanglifestyle 

Fleshing moose hides, braintanning step 1. Wilderness Bushcraft Semester week 7. #fulltanglifestyle 

Starting WBS week 6 carving netting needles. Will be making nets/hammocks on the river. 

I get great, deep sleeps at the field school. It’s one of the things that I love about life here. Last night, though, I popped awake at about 3:40. I felt wide awake and decided to walk outside and into the field. As I stood there, I heard the distant mating call of a female [...]

The Registered Maine Guide podcast episode. Tim, Christopher and Ed Butler (aka WorkingClassWoodsman) talk about the history of guiding in Maine, the test to become a registered guide, and prognosticate about the future of guiding. If you want to learn about Maine Guides past, present and future, give it a listen. Recorded in the Guide [...]

In episode 25 we talk about crafting as a necessity for a self-reliant lifestyle, touching on three reasons why craft matters: freedom from consumerism, deep knowledge and appreciation of the land, and confidence that you can make what you need.

Late summer of 2017 has been marked by extremely dry weather and low water in the Aroostook river. We have a USGS monitor station here in Masardis just upriver from the field school, and today (September 3rd, 2017) it showed the river flowing at 74 cubic feet per second. That’s the lowest I’ve seen it [...]

Surging toward the finish line with the canoe paddle project. Remote paddling trip next week.

Cold cracking. Epoxied three of our royalex boats over the weekend that cracked last winter. Fleet back at 100%. #fulltanglifestyle 

Oiling a canvas pack, DIY waxed canvas. Equal parts boiled linseed oil and wax, heat until the wax melts, brush it on. Dry it for a few weeks. #fulltanglifestyle 

We talk about our approach teaching the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, discuss the role of framing, how honesty is crucial, the difference between teaching kids (pedagogy) and adults (androgogy), as well as recap what we did during week 1 of the fall ’17 WBS.

A brisk 42 degrees at the field school this morning. Wearing my orange tuque for the first time this season. #fulltanglifestyle 

Morning meeting during week 1 of the fall 2017 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, our 41st long-term immersion program.

Many people these days are interested in learning how to go off the grid; to learn the systems needed to be self-sufficient in a remote location. These systems can include a humanure toilet system, rocket stove and open fire cooking systems, food storage systems, grey water systems, homemade solar power and hot water systems, and [...]

The ocean was like glass as we paddled toward Rum Key on the Maine coast.

Great trip paddling near Acadia National Park. Love spending time on the ocean, and the weather was perfect.

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.

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.

No Filter. Drinking it raw and untreated.

Seasoning new carbon steel skillets by rendering pork fat in them. They’re light, inexpensive and perfect for a traveling cook kit. Treat them like cast iron (no soap, keep them oiled) and they’ll last forever. From Agri-Supply.

Loading canoes in the morning on the St. Croix river.

Being able to stop and hold your position in a rapid is a critical skill for a river guide. A pole gives you this ability.

One of my favorite spots in Maine; a remote lake with no road access. During the log driving days, they used dynamite to create a sluiceway, redirecting and enlarging the natural outlet for floating logs downriver to a sawmill. It’s just wide enough to float a canoe these days.

Professor Paul Sveum carrying his boat up for another run through the rips.

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 [...]

The fire is the central point of a remote campsite, such as this one on the Maine/New Brunswick border on the St. Croix river. We’re in Maine, but the far side of the river, visible in the background, is Canada.

Afternoon spent practicing heel hook self-rescue in the kayak. Will be testing for a sea kayak guide license this fall. 

Pails hung over the fire on a spring trip. During the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester everyone learns to manage the fire and cook for themselves.

We are a species of countless wants, but very few needs. In this photo is my kit for canoeing remote rivers; when I have it my needs are met. An old canvas pack, an axe and my big hat. Seen here at Kicking Horse Pass on the Bonaventure river, Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, in the morning [...]

Professor Paul Sveum with is wood canvas canoe at the field school. The area behind him is now part of Grand Lac Samsquanch. Found this one when going through some old photos.

Field school riverside teaching area, where the blue and white trails meet. We’ve got over 3 miles of trails at the field school.

20′ wood canvas canoe under a maple on the Maine and New Brunswick border.

The Bonaventure River has long stretches of whitewater and quickwater. You start in the mountains and end at the ocean. In between is a long, sometimes steep, downhill run.

Canoeing in the mist on the Bonaventure river in Quebec. One of the most stunningly beautiful places I’ve ever been. Clear fast water, Acadian forest and mountains.

Map of our local canoe routes in northern Maine. Not many blank spots on the map left to explore after 19 years.

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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.

“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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

We’re Hiring. 2017 is the year we want to take our food production systems to the next level.  We’re looking for someone (or 2) experienced in with gardening and keeping chickens who is also interested in living a simple, off-grid lifestyle to keep us moving toward our goal of establishing a robust food production system. They will [...]

Doug Dickens, Jack Mountain alumnus and enthusiast of all things primitive, will be hosting Keith Grenoble at his farm in Southern Maryland at the end of the month for a primitive pottery class. Keith is well known for teaching primitive clay pottery techniques (and other primitive skills) across the East Coast. They will be transforming raw [...]

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: [...]

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 [...]

Our instructors have the most experience and highest level of training in the industry. Other schools have instructor training courses lasting a few days to a few weeks. Our instructor training course is a minimum of 2 years. We run the longest and most challenging courses in the industry. Fittingly, our staff have the longest [...]

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 [...]

The people we work with want to get better. Better at poling a canoe in whitewater, better at lighting fires by friction, better at using an axe efficiently, etc. During our programs we work with them daily to achieve this. But training skills and abilities are only half of the equation; the other half is [...]

Many of our alumni go on to do awesome things. One of those is Thomas Letchworth. Since completing our yearlong immersion program, Thomas has been a full time student and entrepreneur. He started the Endurance Guiding Company, and has led multiple backpacking trips in the US and Iceland. As the Endurance Guiding Company, Thomas and [...]

https://vimeo.com/209919188 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.

Years ago I pulled the trigger on a 17” Maca dutch oven (seen in the photo above). It’s big, deep, heavy (29 quarts, 67 pounds empty), and has fed countless big groups at the field school. Maca made a name for themselves with their large-capacity dutch ovens. If you wanted to feed an army, a [...]

What if you could do and learn the basic skills of bushcraft while enjoying a fun weekend with modern accommodations? We asked ourselves that a few years ago, and came up with our lodge-based introduction to bushcraft weekend. It’s designed to be a fun introduction to the skills of the forest coupled with a weekend [...]

Our spring and fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester courses this year are both full. The fall course has been filled for while, and we just filled the last spot on the spring course this week. There are just a few spots left on the Summer Woodsman and Riverman courses, and they probably won’t last long. We’re [...]

Mud season is in full swing, so fly fishing season is right around the corner. It’s a great time to learn to tie your own flies. With this in mind, Paul Sveum and Derek Faria are hosting a fly tying workshop on Tuesday, March 28th at 6pm. Bring your own vise and tools. $10 covers [...]

By the time spring arrives I’ll have spent six weeks in remote, off-grid camps this winter. We just returned from our trip to northern Quebec, and today I’m provisioning for the first of two Boreal Snowshoe Expeditions, starting next week. Below are a few random ideas on living out in the winter that crossed my [...]

Recorded right after we got back from our trip to northern Quebec where we spent a week immersed in Cree Culture. Living in a traditional shelter on the side of a lake, we learned about hunting, trapping, snaring, fishing with gill nets as part of learning about traditional northern life ways. In the podcast we [...]

PHOTO: Self Reliance Workshop on wild foods from summer, 2016. For episode 17 I spoke with Josh Arnold, the director of Global Awareness Local Action (GALA). GALA is a local non-profit we partner with for our self reliance workshop series, among other things. We were also joined by Christopher Russell. We talked about the history [...]

PHOTO: Bush camp from a previous trip to Oujé-Bougoumou The bags are packed, the crew is ready, and in the morning we’re headed north to northern Quebec to spend a week with my friends David and Anna Bosum. We’ll snowshoe out to a bush camp and spend the week immersed in Cree culture and life [...]

Episode 16 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is all about the role of crafting in bushcraft and education. Making things with your hands is a big part of our educational programs. I’m joined by Christopher Russell for a discussion about crafting as an educational tool, our experience with crafting during semester courses, and some [...]

Start the new year off right with the annual wild game dinner hosted by our friends at The Woodsman School. Located in Wakefield, NH, a short drive from the seacoast. I’ll be in attendance and hope to meet some new friends there. If you’ve ever wanted to start eating wild game, this is a great [...]

We’re adding a second Boreal Snowshoe Expedition session for 2017 running February 20th to March 3rd. It’s a 12-day remote snowshoe expedition with a focus on guide training and winter bushcraft. If you want to learn how to live out on the trail in the cold, learn to lead and teach others in winter, and [...]

We’re consciously shrinking. In 2017 we’re lowering the number of participants on almost all of our programs. It’s the opposite of growth, but our focus is on the experience. After years of experimentation, these are the numbers we find work the best for our immersion programs. The new maximum course sizes are: Wilderness Bushcraft Semester: [...]

Had a busy day in the office with our office manager. We were going over enrollment for 2017 and talking about past and future students. There was a period of time when she was looking through the enrollment paperwork and asked me if I knew/remembered person X, Y, Z, etc., and for each I said, [...]

View from the summit of Copplecrown mtn. Its the big mtn in the Jack Mtn logo. NH is beautiful.  

Misty morning on the pond.  

Recently it was brought to my attention that our website has been plagiarized again. Someone took our ideas and words (verbatim), used it as their own to sell programs similar to ours, and didn’t cite where they got it. Two days ago I received an email from a friend in Canada regarding a recent plagiarism [...]

After a great weekend at the Snow Walkers Rendezvous in Vermont I decided to take the scenic route home. It’s been a few years since I’ve driven the Kancamangus highway across New Hampshire’s White Mountains, but I have a lot of history there. From swimming in the rivers as a kid to backpacking as a [...]

Life is simpler on an expedition. The people on it have a shared goal and take tangible steps toward it every day. They come from different places and have different beliefs, but work together. When you stand shoulder to shoulder with someone while working hard as a team, you appreciate them, even if you don’t [...]

In the woods today. Leaves are mostly down, cool but not cold, no bugs. Heaven must be like this.

This is a tricky rip to run as to do it well you have to do a long downstream ferry in a narrow space and keep your boat under control. The guy in the photo struggled with poling early on in the course, but ran this rip like a boss without hitting any rocks. Getting [...]

To learn new things is challenging. When you stay inside your comfort zone, not being challenged, you’re probably not learning new things. This is fine if you want to refine things you already know, but to blaze new ground demands that you be outside of where you feel 100% safe. In the photo above, participants [...]

We arrived at the campsite just as the rain began to fall. I unloaded my boat, but left her tied to the bank because the plan was to go pole up and down the rips when the rain stopped. There were a bunch of big hemlocks on this section of river, and they filtered the [...]

I loved this shot of the 20 footer, just below Little Falls under the brilliant red maple. She’s been my best and most consistent model for the past 15 years, and I never get tired of looking at her.

Bright red maples as seen from my canoe. Autumn is stunning.

Snubbing Little Falls on the St. Croix (downeast) during the fall, 2016 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester.

Paddling amongst the whitecaps with a brisk tailwind. Paddling in strong tailwinds is a seldom-used skill. As the waves increase in size they want to spin you. If you get spun it’s easy for the waves to swamp you. These guys had just come around the point into calm water. We hugged the shore for the [...]

A remnant of the log driving days, this stream was straightened and made deeper with explosives back in the day to facilitate floating logs downstream. It’s way off the beaten path of well-used canoe routes, but it and the pond above are among my favorite places in northern Maine. I’ve always loved getting out and [...]

Coffee before sunrise on a recent trip. It always seems to take longer to boil when you're standing around watching it.  

Lining into a pool, Kicking Horse Pass on the Bonaventure river, Quebec.  

Coffee And Water. Making coffee and disinfecting drinking water on the trail.  

Paddling past Maine's highest point, Mt. Katahdin, on a recent trip.  

Lining on the St. Croix river, downeast.  

Water break on the St. Croix river. Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, fall 2016.

This afternoon I'm recreating my classic roles of Ken and Justin Bieber. Playing with my daughter, good to be home.  

Gift from my friend George. The people who come through our programs always impress me. Solid people I'm fortunate to work with.  

Empty field. Long term course number 37 completed and it was a great one. Next up, family time.  

Congrats to Maine's newest registered fishing guide, professor Paul Sveum! Fish are scared tonight.

Improvised tumpline for a canoe barrel made from rope and nylon webbing. Leaving for our final WBS trip today.  

Making maps this morning using a compass. This is the glue that ties our navigation exercises together.  

Field school pond and field, guide shack on the left.  

Sunrise over the greenhouse. Hard frosts and falling leaves, autumn in the happy valley.  

New winter shelter coming together. A big cone.  

Wilderness Bushcraft Semester back from a succesful trip on the St. Croix river. Maine's boundary waters.  

Putting meat in an improvised smoker. We'll eat well on our upcoming trip.  

Congratulations to Maine's newest registered guide, Ryan Holt! Wear the patch with pride.

Free hand ash basket. Coming together after pounding out the splints.  

Morning with hatchet and push knife resulted in new pack basket mold.  

Just heard this gem on the radio: "don't take advice; 90% of advice people give you are their regrets or fears." From Alton Brown.

Two weeks stuck in camp with no truck. Daily interaction with this whiskey jack.  

Sealing a crack in a birch bowl with pitch to make it water tight. Rock boiling next. #fulltanglifestyle  

Carving a coal-burned spoon with a newly made crooked knife. #fulltanglifestyle #friluftsliv  

Moon rise in Portage Lake, Maine.  

Moose Tracks. Not just an ice cream flavor, also sometimes marks left by animals on the ground.  

Pounding ash for pack basket splints. #fulltanglifestyle  

Pounding ash for pack baskets.#fulltanglife  

Leaving on a canoe trip, putting the new paddles to use.  

First cast on the new, as yet to be named field school pond. Taking suggestions for the name.  

Friction fire clinic: hand drill, just before lunch.  

Friction fire clinic: bow drill on a Monday.  

Using a cabinet scraper to smooth a paddle grip.  

Kids on Rust Pond. Summer winding down.  

Ocean Canoeing. Morning on Passamaquoddy Bay, nearing the end of the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester.  

The boys have made it to the ocean! The Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester has made it to the salt water. Currently in Passamaquoddy Bay along the Maine/New Brunswick border. Two more days and they take out in Eastport, Maine.  

Organizing the barn this AM: canoe mold, deer hides, traps, snowshoe molds, tools, pack basket materials, knife blanks, etc. Been a while since its been neat and tidy.  

Wild Food Walk. Big turnout for our foraging walk with GALA at Knights Pond. Beautiful night, lots of wild food!  

Does the land have moods or reflect what is inside of us? I used to know the answer, now I'm back to not knowing.  

During the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, we want people to learn how to plan food and meals for an extended trip, starting with themselves and finishing with planning for a group. We also want them to learn how much water water they need on any given day in order to feel good and have their body [...]

I read some advice about choosing the right axe recently. I want to make a statement about choosing the wrong axe, or at least the closest axe. I’ve met young people who couldn’t afford a high-end axe and felt that their skills wouldn’t develop until they could. It’s not true. The path to axe mastery [...]

Just before they left on the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, I sat down with Raife Bowman, Dylan Robinson and Jeremy Yates to talk about their recent hike across Quebec and New Brunswick on the International Appalachian Trail. They used their homemade pack baskets to do the hike, and had some adventures along the way. Listen [...]

Starting the day with a swim in this beautiful water before anyone else is awake. Feel like the richest man in the world.  

Leaving camp on their way to the ocean via the Aroostook, St. john, Eel & St. Croix rivers.  

Using a scythe to cut the grass. Old school mower and weedwacker.

We’ve been working on it for a while, and now we’re finally able to accept federal financial aid through consortium agreements, opening our immersion programs up to more college students than ever before. If you know a college student who wants to immerse themselves in bushcraft and outdoor living for a semester, please pass this [...]

Chaleur Bay, Quebec. Rekindling my love for the ocean and kayaking this summer.  

Great photo by Nicolas Twine of the field school library under the Milky Way at night. Nicolas shot a bunch of great photos this past spring that I’ll be sharing.

Our giveaway of a signed copy of The Woods Cook recently came to an end. I’m happy to announce that Mark N. from Illinois is our winner! I sent out the book a few days ago, and he should be receiving it soon. This was our first foray into giveaways, and we expect to do more [...]

We don’t provide sandpaper on field school courses with which to smooth and finish wooden projects such as canoe paddles, long bows, etc. Every course, one or two people get upset about this and urge us to provide it in the future. But there is a reason why we don’t. Sandpaper is a one time [...]

At the end of week 6 of the spring semester I recorded the second podcast with Christopher Russell. We talked about the progression of the course, the instructor and guide’s dilemma, the 2 journeys (outward and inward) that everyone is on, and told a few stories along the way. You can read more about Christopher, [...]

There are a lot things referred to as survival skills these days that have nothing to do with survival. Survival is keeping your body alive. It’s pretty simple, but not easy. Over the short-term, defined by how long you can fast and go without food (longer than a month), you need to maintain your body [...]

On Wednesday, July 6th from 5-7 pm we’re offering our popular campfire cooking workshop in Wolfeboro, NH, in partnership with GALA as part of our Self Reliance Workshop Series. This time around we’re adding a special treat; we’ll be joined by instructor Derek Faria of The Woodsman School. Derek’s an old friend and Registered Maine [...]

The new breed of bushcraft and survival social media celebrities, the ones with the popular channels, large followings, etc., seem to not know what they’re doing. The old rule of ‘fake it until you make it’ is as common as ever, but it’s new iteration, taken directly from their mouths seems to be ‘pay attention [...]

Foraging for juneberries on the shore of the pond. Rose family, Amelanchier genus. Delicious!  

Sunset paddle in the kayak after a day of storms. Sublime. #friluftsliv #nh

Remote trips, especially solo, aren’t safe or even possible without solid canoe skills; poling, lining, and paddling. On the Bonaventure I poled the upper section, lined ledges, and as shown here, lined through the ’embacles’ (french for log jams). As this was just a short drop inline with the current, I didn’t bother to tie [...]

Christopher Russell is the first recipient of the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester scholarship and a student on the spring, 2016 WBS. We sat down to talk about scholarships, motivation and all things WBS on a cold day in early May. You can read more about Christopher, including an amazing series of interviews he published about the [...]

Just below a series of ledges on the Bonaventure. I should have ran this one on river right, but these are the things you learn during a first trip on a river and why I like to paddle them solo before doing them with clients.

After an overnight rain, the Bonaventure was misty. In the background is a class 2 ledge. The water level was perfect for the ledges and rapids – much lower and it would have been scratchy.

I continued on to Bonaventure, Quebec. Solo river trip, headed off the grid in the AM. Atlantic sunset.  

Dropped the boys at the International Appalachian Trail in Matapedia, Quebec. They're hiking back to Maine. #woodslife #iat  

On to the International Appalachian Trail in New Brunswick.  

Empty parking lot. 35th immersion program completed. On to the Gaspe tomorrow to canoe the Bonaventure river.  

The Bowman PackBack: 2 pack baskets on a pack frame. Bottom basket is for a sleeping bag. Will be on the IAT in New Brunswick next week.  

One last trip for the semester; running the Big Machias river. Water is way up, should be great whitewater.  

Smoking a newly-made pair of braintanned buckskin shorts at the Bob Waggetorium.  

Brown ash pack baskets: starting to weave.  

Our camp internet connection broke this past week. It was probably about time, as we run camp off a wireless wifi device and it was a few years old. It will no longer charge, leaving me wondering if I should get a new one or just a standalone battery charger. Then yesterday on my way to [...]

Pounding brown ash into strips, making pack baskets. End of week 8, 1 week to go.  

Moose bone arrowheads made as part of a final project. Wicked shaahp!  

New knife. Blade from an old file, stacked birch wood and bark handle, made outside with simple tools.  

Becoming a canoe pole. Peeled spruce ready to be fitted with copper pipe shoe to become a canoe pole.  

Stretching a hide in a frame. Racing the incoming storms. Lots of cool final projects going on.  

Been out putting up trail signs- our 3 mile field school trail system is now color coded.  

Making wooden wedges to split a tree the long way for canoe paddle blanks.  

Braintanning: scaping hides and feeding the black flies.  

Using a fir bough as a brush to varnish a canoe paddle. Use what you've got.  

Rock boiling in birch baskets by the river.  

Our 4-week canoe expedition for 2016 will run from the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Field School in Masardis, Maine, to the Atlantic Ocean at Calais Maine. Along the way we’ll paddle the Aroostook, St. John, Eel and St. Croix rivers. We’ll also be tracing the ancient Maliseet Trail. More information on the trip and the route [...]

Problem with red squirrel getting into bulk food solved.  

Rocket stove morning: reducing maple sap into syrup and creating a gumbo from scratch. Struggle to survive out here.

First day on the water, poling practice. Just one swimmer, great day.  

At dusk tonight I stood for half an hour watching and listening to four ruffed grouse feeding, talking and jumping around at the top of an aspen tree. Being silent and observing not only aids my knowledge and understanding of the natural world, but also my enjoyment of it. Empathy. Kinship. Belong to it.

Damp weather after after a long stretch of dry.

Primitive luxury.

New garden bed in anticipation of spring. 77 frost-free days a year here at the field school, USDA zone 3b.

We running our first giveaway. Win an autographed copy of The Woods Cook; Outdoor Cooking With A Professional Guide by Tim Smith. You can read more, throw your name in the hat and get the complete rules at: http://jmbnews.com/giveaways/woodscook/

Taking bearings for a trail to add to the field school trail system. South Boundary Trail: SOB.  

Using a draw knife to rough out a canoe paddle on a clear Tuesday morning.  

Monday morning friction fire, tinder bundle workshop.  

Learning the way of the axe while gathering firewood to cook with.  

Long but great first day, ready for sleep before 7pm. Glad I have my JB pillow case for a great night's sleep.  

Big pan of breakfast on a big rocket stove. First morning of the semester.  

Back to snow in the county. Semester 35 starts tomorrow.  

Years ago I found a copy of the book Cooking Without Fuel that described a common appliance of 1900 that functioned much like a modern cooler. The idea was that you cook food until it boils, then put it in an insulated container which will maintain the heat and allow it to continue to cook, [...]

Barehand fishing: no hook, no net, no spear.  

Busy morning in the woods, but this calm water caught my eye.  

Being a lifelong learner, I’m of the belief that wherever you’re at, there is always room for improvement. Leading up to our 35th long-term course this spring, I’ve been seeking out additional training in order to become a better instructor. It’s been an immensely enjoyable experience. In early March I spent a weekend at Amherst Archery [...]

Combining The Northern Forest Canoe Route, The Appalachian Trail And The International Appalachian Trail Into An Epic Journey   The Idea There is a romance and simplicity in journeys that start at your door. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins didn’t take a bus to a plane to another bus to a cab to start his [...]

I’m excited to announce the recipient of our Wilderness Bushcraft Semester scholarship for the spring, 2016 semester; Christopher Russell! You’re going to be hearing a lot about him over the coming months, but for now let me introduce you to his blog, PrimitiveAddictions.com,  and Facebook fan page. We have another scholarship opportunity for the fall [...]

I was just made aware that part of the term “survival situation” has been trademarked. I personally won’t miss it and am glad to see it go.   Term “Survival Situation” To Be Replaced With “LTO – Life Threatening Occurrence” Since the recent registration of the trademark “The Situation” by Michael Sorrentino, the outdoor community [...]

Since returning home from the second Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, I’ve been immersed in the tedious and delicate process of a major overhaul of our web site. This entailed a lot of backend work, as well as creating several new sites. While there is still a lot of work to be done, the major overhauls are [...]

Open water, getting that canoeing itch!  

We lost one of the greats today. RIP Steve Watts. A true gentleman.  

Ice is out on the pond. Earliest I ever remember having open water.  

Tapping trees and boiling sap into maple syrup with a bunch of kids. Bucket with lid in the foreground.