The inaugural episode of the new Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast.  I talk about how bushcraft is changing from a community to an industry in North America.  Is it a good thing?   iTunes Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In iTunes

As the term bushcraft comes into the main stream there are many people writing and defining it, none of whose definitions I agree with.  There’s an old saying that if you don’t define yourself, others will do it for you.  Here, then, is our definition of bushcraft: Bushcraft is the active component of our interaction [...]

I often hear things referred to as fool-proof. I’ve never liked this term because I’ve seen many times, despite good intentions and careful planning, where the “fools” have been able use their skills, or lack of, to wreak havok. Instead, I like to use the term idiot-resistant. The idea is the same, but it acknowledges [...]

I’ve been slow to post our 2011 schedule because I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it. Last summer I wrote on this blog that the 2010 fall semester course would be our last for a number of years. It was our 16th college-level, semester-length program we’ve run, and it was time for a [...]

We stopped using sandpaper for smoothing wood on field courses years ago. Sandpaper is sand, or grit, glued to a piece of paper in a thin layer. It doesn’t last very long, which precludes it from being taken on long trips. A simple alternative is to take a piece of fabric (denim or cotton duct [...]

After  describing the turkey on the last post, I felt obligated to post a shot of it when it was done.  Ingredients: half a stick of butter, a bottle of beer, an onion, some carrots and celerty, salt, pepper, and half of a 12 pound turkey in a 12 inch dutch oven.  325 degrees for [...]

Last week I bought a new dutch oven from a local sporting goods store; a legless, 12″ oven with a flanged lid for holding coals when cooking outdoors. I’m a big fan of cast iron cookwear, using it every day. I have been looking for a legless oven with a flanged lid for some time [...]

A question discussed on many outdoor forums is what gear a person needs.  My question is what can a person do without?

I’m putting the our final schedule for 2011 together this morning. This includes crunching dates on a calendar as well as flipping through the Maine Atlas And Gazetteer. The pages of my current copy are loaded with notes, campsite reviews and landmarks that I’ve added. Flipping through it and seeing the notes is a trip [...]

After describing what a simple, outdoor life was to several people over the holidays, I decided to change the subtitle of this blog to something they would understand without an explanation. The subtitle of this blog is no longer “Bushcraft, Guiding And A Simple, Outdoor Life”. It is now “Bushcraft And Self Reliance”.