A guide to outdoor skills for campers, hikers, hunters, survivalists, and anyone who wants to learn to make fire, build shelters, avoid pitfalls, and more.

“Should be everyone’s starting point, from absolute beginners to those that have been making headway for quite some time . . .  The perfect guide . . . Easy-to-follow photos and tips are top-notch and will help you on a trip when either some camping gear fails or when you simply want to bring less with you and use what nature provides.”
—Traversing

Paul Kirtley, one of the leading bushcraft educators globally, has been teaching outdoor knowledge through courses, demonstrations, and presentations for two decades. This, his second book, focuses on the core bushcraft skills and knowledge an outdoorsperson should build in order to thrive in the wild. Importantly, this is not a survival book, but rather a guide to strategically using the elements of nature to your advantage so that a survival situation rarely, if ever, arises.

• You’ll begin by learning about the use of cutting tools and core woodcraft skills;

• Then move on to comprehensive guides to firecraft, sheltercraft, bindcraft, and natural navigation;

• Finally, you’ll learn about procuring and safely preparing food and water, as well as identifying essential plants and trees, all while avoiding hazards and missteps.

The perfect companion to Kirtley's book Wilderness Axe Skills and Campcraft, which focuses on building camp infrastructure, Core Bushcraft covers a broader range of essential bushcraft skills—from fire and shelter to navigation—using a more mobile, minimal tool approach.

It forms a core of bushcraft competency for the well-rounded adventurer.