Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course (Darwin)

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1 Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course (Darwin) Pre-Course Information Thank you for booking on the Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course. Location As you may have read on our website, the course will be conducted from an expedition style field camp within Woorabinda Campground in Howard Springs Nature Reserve. Woorabinda is a 16ha campground located within the boundaries of the Howard Springs Nature Park. Howard Springs is one of the Northern Territory s most accessible Nature Parks, located on the edge of the Greater Darwin Rural area - only 30 minutes from Darwin City and 6 minutes from Palmerston. Comprising of approximately 283ha, the Howard Springs Nature Park is a preserved bushland oasis centered around a spring fed waterhole teaming with Aquatic life and comprises a mix of dry woodland, monsoon forest, wet season paperbark swamps and riverine habitats. Directions The Park is approximately 35 km south of Darwin city. Follow the Stuart Highway south and turn left onto Howard Springs Road at the traffic lights. Drive approximately 4.5km to the Howard Springs Nature Park entrance. Once inside the park follow the signs to the springs and follow the road round to the right. The campground gateway is signed on the right hand side of the road, and located opposite the water park. Enter the gate and follow the dirt road to the campsite. Parking is available in a sign posted designated area within the park. Camp Site / Set Up As well as your own camping area and set up within the bush, our outdoor bush classroom, located under a communal parachute shelter with a central fire, will provide a wonderful outdoor learning experience. Here we have a white board, a kettle, a brew box and a circle of portable stools for seating and which students can take with them for lessons in various locations.

2 Amenities Basic amenities are accessible via a short walk through the bush. We will also have two washing bowls; one for hands, the other for dishes. We have biodegradable washing up liquid, sponges and hand wash. A canvas bush shower in a secluded private spot along with strict camp hygiene measures will give a natural wilderness expedition feel to your experience. Catering/Food All food and meals will be provided for you on the basic course and served at our camp kitchen. A fruit bowl and communal brew box with tea, coffee, powdered milk and biscuits will also be provided. Each evening you will have the opportunity to learn and practice some outback bush cooking. Special Dietary Requirements Should you have any specific dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free etc), please let us know when you fill out your course enrolment/consent form so that we may be able to arrange appropriate food for you. Water Our water supply will be from army jerries filled from the water supply at the campground a short walk through the bush. Water filtering and purification lessons will use water obtained from nearby waterholes and springs. Mobile Phones If you need to use a mobile telephone, please consider the other members of the group by switching it to silent mode. Medical There will be a medical kit present in the base camp and qualified staff will attend to any medical concerns. Alcohol This will be a dry camp so no alcohol is to be brought or consumed. Upon arrival to the course site, a thorough camp tour and safety brief will be given.

3 Clothing & Equipment List The following equipment and clothing list are suggestions only. If you have suitable or equivalent items already bring these along, you don't have to spend a fortune and purchase a whole new kit. Items marked in this colour are essential Equipment Knife You will be issued with your own Mora of Sweden, carbon steel heavy duty Companion Knife which will be yours to keep (basic courses only). However, if you would like to bring your own knife, we suggest you bring a plain (without serrations) full tang 5 (11cm) carbon steel blade with a 90 degree edge on the spine. Mora of Sweden make a range of affordable good quality bushcraft knives. Ferrocerium Rod/Sparking tool Light my fire or Bushtracks brands both make decent models. There are many other brands out there that make sparking tools in various sizes. Get yourself the large army model. All Weather re-useable space blanket or Equivalent Made by Grabba Outdoors and difficult to find in Australia. A good variety of equivalents are made by SOL. Get the thicker durable ones. 2 x 250 litre (55 gallon) heavy duty garbage bags/ bin liners Get the strongest and thickest ones you can find. Stainless Steel 1 litre Water Bottle with nesting cup Nalgene and Clean Canteen make good stainless steel water bottles (make sure you get the single walled type). An MSR SS Glacier Mug fits nicely onto the bottom of a water bottle (if you can find one). A good affordable alternative is an army cups canteen combination (plastic water bottle and metal cup). Failing that you can make yourself a metal cooking container out of an empty fruit/peaches can; remove one end and attach a piece of wire as a handle. Your plastic water bottle should fit snugly inside it.

4 20ft of 550 Paracord or Roll of #36 bankline (3 ply) Make sure you get the genuine paracord with 7 inner strands. Rothco makes good paracord. If it doesn t have 7 inner strands inside the outer sheath then it is not paracord! 2 X 3ft 100% cotton bandannas One olive green or brown and one blaze orange. Alternatively you can purchase a 1m square piece of 100% cotton from a material or haberdashery shop and cut it to size. Roll of duct tape or Gorilla tape The smaller rolls are ideal or you can transfer tape from a larger roll to a smaller spindle to save space. Head Torch There are many brands on the market, get yourself one with a strobe function (red light optional). Cloth/Canvas sail needle These can be purchased from boating or marine stores. Shelter/Covering A tent, army hoochie/tarp, hammock & tarp or swag are all fine so bring whatever you have and prefer, however we encourage you to try sleeping under a hoochie or tarp if you have never done so. Insulating Sleeping Mat This can be either a closed cell foam mattress or a blow up Themarest type mattress. A three quarter sized mat is all you need. Sleeping Bag A suitable sleeping bag appropriate for the season and region. Don t bring one that is over rated for the season as it will take up a lot of extra room. Snugpak, Mont and Recon are all good quality brands. Mosquito Net Bell or Box style Toiletries & towel Small wash kit including; toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, small towel etc

5 Notepad, pencil and pens Rite in the Rain note pads are a good choice. Insect Repellent Essential for Darwin courses Personal Medications Small Personal First Aid kit A large first aid will also be supplied at the main camp. Gloves Outdoor work gloves such as leather or heavy cotton. Additional 1-2 Litre water bottle/bladder (essential in hot weather) Various types are available. 2 litre army bladders are great. Other Optional Items Bivvi Bag A waterproof, breathable shell to keep your sleeping bag dry 30 Litre Dry Bag Sea to Summit and Baja make good dry bags. Multi-tool Leatherman and Gerber are good reliable brands. Try to choose one with a saw that cuts, a good locking blade and an awl with an eye in it such as the Leatherman Core. Folding Saw Bacho Laplander make a terrific folding saw. Compass If you already have a decent compass then bring that, however if you need to buy one, get yourself a Sighting Compass as the mirror on it can be used for other things. Silva is a good brand but in Australia they are expensive.

6 Most of the above equipment can be purchased from hardware stores, army disposal stores and camping stores. Clothing Choose clothing appropriate to the season and environment. Select natural earth colours where possible). All students at the minimum should have a long sleeve shirt, long suitable trousers (not jeans), belt, hat and a sturdy pair of bush/hiking boots (not trainers). Under layer/base layer During the summer months, a t-shirt maybe all that is needed, however during the cooler months a woolen thermal layer (top and bottoms) maybe required. Mid layer This could be a long sleeve shirt eg. 511 tactical brand, bush or army shirt or something a little thicker such as a fleece pullover, woolen army jumper or Swandri bushshirt. Outer layer Ideally, this should be waterproof and windproof. Goretex and lightweight rain jackets (top and bottoms) are good options. Trousers Long, quick drying, lightweight yet tough polyester/cotton or rip stop nylon trousers such as military issue combat pants are ideal for the bush. Footwear Sturdy robust outdoor footwear with ankle support such as trail boots or army type boots are good options. 2-3 pairs of decent woolen socks are also a good idea. In hot dry weather, a lightweight pair of desert boots maybe all that is required. Waterproof socks such as SealSkinz are a good addition in wet weather. A pair of thongs or runners for the camp shower is also a good idea. Head covering Protection from the hot Australian sun is paramount so a decent hat such as an Akubra or army style bush hat is essential. In cold weather, a woolen beanie is important to keep you from loosing radiated heat from your head. Belt Not only to hold your pants up but to attach your knife and other tools to. A leather belt will also allow to strop your knife after sharpening it.

7 Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding this information. Phone or Kind Regards, Gordon Dedman Senior Instructor Bushcraft Survival Australia

Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course (Sydney)

Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course (Sydney) Pre-Course Information Thank you for booking on the Bushcraft Survival Australia 3 Day Basic Bushcraft Survival Course. Location