Appalachian Bushcraft: Intermediate-Level Bushcraft Course
Appalachian Bushcraft is a Friday–Sunday immersive field course designed for students who already possess basic outdoor skills and are ready to move beyond comfort-based camping into true woodcraft, self-reliance, and neo-primitive living.
This course is not about gear accumulation. It is about skill, judgment, and adaptability—learning to live competently in the Appalachian environment using limited tools and locally sourced materials.
Students will spend the weekend building, cooking, crafting, and living directly from the landscape while developing a deep understanding of traditional bushcraft systems that have sustained woodsmen, pioneers, and indigenous cultures for generations.
Course Focus
The course centers on recreating and mastering the 5 C’s of Survival using a knife and environmental resources:
Cutting Tools
Combustion (Firecraft)
Containers
Cordage
Cover (Shelter & Bedding)
Students will learn to improvise, problem-solve, and adapt under realistic field conditions—skills that modern equipment alone cannot replace.
Core Skills & Training Areas
Throughout the weekend, students will receive hands-on instruction and complete practical deliverables in:
Neo-Primitive Technology
Natural cordage (reverse wrap & braiding)
Bow drill fire using self-made cordage
Flint & steel firecraft
Firecraft & Cooking
Coal management
Ash cakes and campfire meals
Spit cooking and advanced camp cooking
Containers & Water
Burned wooden bowls
Stone boiling
Boiling in improvised glass and plastic containers
Advanced water filtration methods
Shelter & Bedding
Debris shelters
Platform beds
Bush-loom woven mats
Bushcraft Tools & Woodcraft
Axe and saw safety
Carving notches, spoons, mauls, and try sticks
Adjustable cooking cranes
Primitive Medicine & Hygiene
Medicinal tree identification
Field salves and herbal preparations
Wood ash hygiene practices
Hunting & Survival Implements
Apache stars
Primitive hunting tools
Woods Awareness & Campcraft
Woods walks and sign awareness
Camp watch and overnight security
Instructional Style
Training is hands-on, field-based, and performance-driven. Instruction combines informal lectures, demonstrations, guided practice, and real-time problem solving. Students are evaluated on participation, completed deliverables, and demonstrated competence.
Instructors: Jason Hunt, Jason Greer, and Daniel Hunt
Who This Course Is For
Students with prior bushcraft or survival experience
Outdoorsmen seeking traditional skill depth, not gear dependency
Individuals serious about self-reliance, woodsmanship, and field competence
Who This Course Is NOT For
First-time campers
Those seeking a classroom-only experience
Anyone unwilling to work, adapt, and live closer to the land
Outcome
By the end of the course, students will have:
Built and camped in their own field shelters
Created fire using multiple traditional methods
Crafted functional tools, containers, and cordage
Cooked and purified food and water without modern conveniences
Demonstrated practical, repeatable bushcraft competence
Limited to 12 Students. Location: Martin, Kentucky
