Armchair bushcraft

[yarrow]

So this guy at work, lets call him K, comes into work today looking really knackered. We get to talking and he admits he has been online till the wee small hours messing about with all his mates on Second Life. It transpires he has made himself a kind of bushcraft camp, complete with tarp and hammock, he has a fire and because there is a river near by he is getting a canoe. He has a rucksac replete with gear. This guy spends quite a bit of his free time on second life, and that’s fine; if it floats his boat good luck to him. Only problem is, as he was telling me all about his bushcraft camp in second life, I began to feel more and more troubled. I finished my cuppa and he finished his fag and we got back to work, but I could not shake the feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong associating bushcraft with Second Life.


Why not go out and sleep under the stars for real? Why not have the heat and smell of a real fire? Why not put a real hammock up and hang out in a real forest? Why have a second life when you can have a real one?


Who knows? Maybe I am getting old! But it gave me food for thought all day. I got to thinking about this forum, for me it’s a place to drop in from time to time see who’s joined and who’s doing what. I can ask about bits of gear I am thinking about getting, not to mention the meeting new people. But how close are we to second life? I know of similar forums where people seem permanently logged on, how many real outdoor skills can you learn from behind a p.c screen? Are “bushcraft” and the internet diametrically opposed concepts?


I was glad when home time came!

[JP]

Ferrrrrrrrrkin ell thats S A D !! i usually log on here at work or before sleepy byes lol get sodding out there if im not out and about im in my back garden burning something of making wood chips, kids adults get SODDIN OUT THERE AND DO IT STOP PONCING ABOUT ON THE NET AND PLAYING THE GAME POXY BOXY AND GET OUT IN THE FRESH AIR YOU SAD GEEKS !!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH puff pant puff pant PHEW!!!!!!!!!! sorry sigh, god that grips my sh*t lol sorry any complaints at my out burst direct em at scotty lol

[Scotty]

Good questions yarrow

First off I have to ask what Second Life exactly is?

At the end of the day, it's each to their own and if someone wants to sit at home reading all day long and fantasising about bushcraft and their own little outdoor world that's their goat and I don't have a problem with it aslong as it doesnt interfere with my enjoyment of the outdoors. What I do take issue with though is if these people started seeing themselves as 'real' bushcrafters or experts and start spouting out 2nd hand information receycled from sites and books without having any practical experience whatsoever. Not only does it show a lack of respect to these skills, the peoples who still live by them and nature itself but can also be very dangerous if inexperienced people start doling out advice and critique like some sort of know it all bushcraft God! especially relelvant to fields like plant & fungi id etc.

Anyway more later..

[JP]

Yup that with bells on scotty, AND Google bashers, ooooh when you get an answer on any forum thats cut and pasted from a googled site, that bugs me, i can do that my self talk from experience eh come on do it i dare you!! lol but as you say scotty each to their own as long as their enjoying them selves who cares eh lol

[Yukon]

Hi You all,

the last couple of weeks and the next 4 weeks 'bushcraft' was and will be my 'seccond life'. Because of loads and loads of work, I have no time for 'real' bushcraft, than this forum is like a very welcome link to what you want but can't have.

From the 11th of june on I will be 'out doors' again.

Please keep up the writing, it is very much enjoyed by the 'armchair bushcrafter'

Hope to see you soon Yarrow and Missy

PS: looking forward to the long expected Swandri shirt review

[JP]

now ivecalmed down to the cyber craft lol whats this second life is it a cyber life like a game, i reallllllllly hope it aint as thats just toooo sad for words lol

[casey]

not ******* on anyones parade i like a good laff & pisstake as much as bob my wotsit, so don't be offended by this addage, but is there or are there places for disabled people on bushcraft camps/gatherings/course/, my wife has M.S and i'd like to get her involved or interested in this sort of activity.
i've been & had a cursory flick thru a few sights & no mention of disabled that i've come across, i know this is far from "armchair" but it would be to some extent "wheelchair" is this outta place on this thread ? sorry if i've rained on an otherwise funny thread, if you think i need to start a fresh thread please amend accordingly, thanks

[Scotty]

Originally Posted by Yukon

Hi You all,

the last couple of weeks and the next 4 weeks 'bushcraft' was and will be my 'seccond life'. Because of loads and loads of work, I have no time for 'real' bushcraft, than this forum is like a very welcome link to what you want but can't have.

From the 11th of june on I will be 'out doors' again.

Please keep up the writing, it is very much enjoyed by the 'armchair bushcrafter'

Hope to see you soon Yarrow and Missy

PS: looking forward to the long expected Swandri shirt review

Missed this first time round.

Hi Yukon -

I hardly think, from your posts and the fact you've met up with yarrow and missy etc. , that you are an armchair bushcrafter! I.e. someone who willingly refuses to actually go out and practice the skills, and prefer to sit at home watching ray on tv or reading about it in books and on the internet. (Which I don't have a problem with)

As you say, you are looking forward to getting outdoors again, we can't all be out there 24 hours a day - we all have lives.

What yarrow was talking about I think, is a guy who has crafted his own little virtual bushcraft world in an online game.

I think it is yarrow's responsibility now to get him out there and open his eye's to the world of bushcraft outside of an internet game!!

[yarrow]

Yeah he is only an arm chair bushcrafter at the moment because of his job. I know he was going on a bushcraft course in Holland some time this year (dont forget to let us all know what it's like) and he has a mega trip planned to Canada.

As for the armchair guy............I have thought long and hard about it and will not be trying to get him to go into a "real" forest. I have done that before, taken people out and tried to get them into bushcraft, it dont work!! Leave them inside!! Leaves the woods free for the likes of us

[Greg]

Casey

Ive had a nasty motorbike accident in Nov and although getting better am now on crutches. I did spend a 2 months in a wheelchair. I went camping the other day with a few friends (different mindset they like shower blocks and a gas BBQ, yer I know, but if it means escaping 4 walls I'm there) anyway couple of mates put my tent up and I didn't have any real problems apart from the tiled floor in the shower/toilet block it was a bit slippery when wet (Bon Jovi) .

Spent most of my time making a spoon, reading and watching wildlife. Loved it even with the carload of luxuries my mates take, I cant see a problem with a wheelchair where I went to camp, the path around campsite was tarmac the grass we pitched on was solid enough for crutches, and I reckon if I still had the chair and some mates helped me into the woods with it, and stuck a poncho over me I could get some serious wildlife watching in.

Not sure if this helps, sorry never done a bushcraft course more cubs, scouts n army