BUSH

CRAFT
101
A Field Guide to
the Art of
WILDERNESS
S U RV I VA L
Dave Canterbury
 Blanket (folded in half, lengthwise)

Spare Socks 8' × 8' Tarp Oilcloth

(for sleeping only) Folded ⅓
Bag of Dry
Fatwood & Candles

Browse Bag Carborundum Stone

Pillow (fine/medium) Main Blanket
Rope & Stakes Spare (queen-sized), 96" × 96"
Shirt

Rope or Webbing, 12' 2nd Blanket (twin-sized) or

Match Coat with Pin
(used as ground pad)

Canvas Girth Strap or “Horse Saddle”

(used as shoulder strap or tumpline)

Assembling your bedroll

Diagonal Lash

7 Toggle Points
Armpit-to- (lark’s head connects
Outstretched- toggle to frame)
Fingers
Length

Shear Lash

Armpit-to-Wrist Length

Roycroft frame

2
 Butcher Blade

Trade Knife Blade

Spear Point Blade

Basic knife blade profiles

Scandinavian Hollow Convex Full Flat

Grind Grind Grind Grind

Basic knife grinds

3
 Safety knife grip

Batoning a branch

Stake V Cabin Bail

Notch Notch Notch Notch
Stake
Point
Stake
End

Basic notches

4
 “Good”

“Bad”

Bow saws

Reset with a Nail

Blade Width

Set

Kerf
Kerf

Saw kerf and set

5
 Axe Head

Axe Eye
Axe-Blade Bit
Poll, Butt
Cutting Edge
Axe Lip

Axe Side, Cheek

Belly of Axe Handle

Throat of Axe Handle

Grip

End Knob

The parts of the axe

Poll

Bit

Hickory
Handle

Scandinavian axe head

6
 Buffalo Hide
Leather
3rd Fold

1st Fold

Handle Hole

2nd Fold
⅛" Holes for Leather Whang

Axe mask

Safe wood-splitting position

7
1

Wood harvesting with hand tools

Wedges for log splitting

8
 Twist

Rotate

Hold

Loose
Hold

Lock

How to make cordage

9
 Slipknot

A B C

Bowline knot A

Lark’s head knot

10
 Jam knot

Trucker’s hitch

11
 A B C

D E

Prusik knot

D
Front

Back

Fisherman’s knot

12
 Timber hitch

Clove hitch

13
 Cross Lash

Shear Lash

Shear lashing and diagonal lashing

To Tripod
Tripod Is Shear-Lashed,
Leaving a Tail to Attach a Toggle

Toggle Is Longer
Than Bail Span

Tripod toggle setup

14
 “D” Rings Added to Folding
Handle Enable Stick to Be
Added for Extended Cooking
Reach

U.S. Canteen Cup

How to modify a canteen cup

Simple pot crane

15
 Bail-Notched Stick
for Pot Adjustment

Bail Stick Made

from Reserve Fork Sticks,
Shear Lashed

Pot hangers

Use as a Grate
Over a Keyhole Fire

Squirrel cooker

16
 Air Holes
(¼" Diameter)

Trangia-Type
Stove

Simple stove stand made from a large soup can

Tarp loop attachments with rocks

17
Lean-to shelter

A-Frame Shelter

18
A

Debris hut shelter

19
 Flint and steel set

Nylon
Bow

Drill

Use Heavy Leaf or

Bark to Transfer Coal

Bow drill fire kit

20
 Bird’s nest

Burning Ember

Blow Into Bundle

Tinder bundle

21
 Pine twig bundle with tinder

Cutting shavings from fatwood

22
Feather stick

Teepee fire lay

23
 Air Flow

6"–14" 8"–10"
Opening
6"–8" 10"–12"
Opening

Dakota fire hole

Sighting &
Signal Mirror

Magnetic
Needle

Orienting Lines

Magnifying Lens

Clear Base Orienting

Plate Arrow

Bezel
(Azimuth) Ring

Scales

Survival compass

24
 Cache Mountain
Mount Norris 2921m.
3026m. 9596ft.
9936ft.

W E

Plateau

Saddle Mountain
3252m.
10670ft.

Orienting the compass

25
 Map
Bearing 40°

Map
Bearing 328° C

Your Approximate N
Position

N A W E

W E S

Resection

Bearing
315° Bearing
225°

Add
90° Subtract
90°

Bearing
315°

Subtract
Add 90°
90°

Original Bearing
Bearing 45°
315°

Obstacle

26
 Dog
Jaw

Trigger
Spring

Safety Catch

Trigger Wires

Tag

Body grip trap

Snare

27
 Jaws

Spring Levers
Pan

Coil Springs
(2 shown)

Dog

Extra Swivel
in Chain

Coil spring trap

Spring Jaws

Pan
Spring
Swivel
Bottom
Dog
Chain Trap Frame
Pan Post Jaw Post

Ring

Long Spring Trap

28
 Trail set

Backing
Hole (6"–8" deep, 3"–4" wide)
Lure

Trap

Stake
Bait

Dirt hole trap

29
 Hole (4" wide,
10–12" deep)

Water Level

Bait or Lure

Stake

Pocket set

Minimum 4'

Leaning pole trap

30
 Head and Gills
A B
Insert Knife Here

Slit

C D Scrape
Hold Jaw

Pull Gills and

Entrails

Remove Dorsal Fin

and Head

How to clean fish

Tripod

Poncho Shelter or
Parachute Half

Strips of Meat
to Be Smoked

Fire Pit

Smoking Meat

31
 Appendix A
the pathfinder
concept:
Conserving
and
Utilizing
Resources

32
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 Appendix B
WILD EDIBLES
and
Medicinal Plants

34
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40
 Appendix C

BUSH
RECI P ES

41
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49
 Appendix D

GLOSSARY

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