BACKYARD BUSH CRAFT

PUTTING YOUR BUSHCRAFT SKILLS TO USE AT HOME

- BOB DEMARCO

I live in the suburbs. I work in an office. I have a tool chest full of luxury goods that I call my knife collection. I have grown accustomed to the lifestyle that only a little bit of age, experience, and savings can provide. I like to spend time outside, quality moments with my wife, running around with the kids, or throwing a summer barbecue. I love the great out of-doors, but to be clear, I am no Daniel Boone. But I, like other men and women, have the simple need to protect my investment and keep nature at bay. I do it with knives.

Knife collecting has always been a thing for me, but only after getting hooked on the vicarious outdoor adventures of Nutnfancy’s YouTube videos and cable survival shows did I get a sense for just how practical knives can be as all-around outdoor tools. Now you might quip that I have a “keen grasp of the obvious,” but as a result of this revelation, I can now (after years) allow myself to have fun doing yard work. Everybody wins.

Real bushcrafters have real skills with knives. It’s not anything carving a wooden spoon from scratch or crafting a clever trap or a sturdy shelter. These are very handy skills that may, in some cases, save your life in the wilderness or at least make it easier to stir your pot. Recognizing that my lifestyle may be on the mild end of things, I call what I do backyard bushcraft, a style honed for the suburban survival experience. It’s a very particular set of skills that may save you from an invasion of vines, a party without a fire pit, or a summer with nothing to do.