Bushcraft fitness

It is important for bushcrafters to be able be out and about in semi rugged and remote areas in all sorts of weather conditions. Since we do this for fun we do have the option to be "fair weather walkers" but some of the most exciting and memorable bushcraft events have often been under adverse conditions.

In order to be certain that you return home healthy and happy, having a good constitution is important. Find a routine that works for you that provides muscle up keep as well as cardiovascular health. Also, don't forget about stretching.

While in the Special Forces I met a few team mates who could bench press twice their weight and some even competed nationally in weight lifting championships. People would see them and think that they were in the peak physical condition. They were wrong.

These muscle bound jocks were worthless in the field. They could not carry a lot of weight for a lot of mileage with any type of time management. It is much more important to have cardiovascular health when out camping and bushcrafting. You need to be able to get in and out of these rugged and remote areas. More importantly, you need to be able to lead your friends in and out safely. They look to you to lead by example and to know your own abilities.

A well known saying among the army sergeants was "Know yourself and seek self improvement." Know your limits, how fast you can hike, how much you can carry, how well you could survive in an emergency, and how well you know wilderness medicine.

With this knowledge of self you then have a starting point for bettering yourself. If you need to improve something like your cardiovascular health then improve it. If you need additional training to round out your bushcraft skills then go find it or go practise it until you are good.....really good.


Another thing that we talked about a few posts ago was also about fitness....It was mental fitness. It is part of knowing yourself.

Fitness is mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Daniel Goleman wrote about multiple intelligences. Knowing where you stand on your mental intelligence, emotional intelligence, physical and spiritual intelligence is important for you as you progress on your path to self betterment.


For me, I find a daily mix of physical (yoga, hillwalking, tai chi),  emotional (reading, meditation), and spiritual (meditation, time in the wilds of South Kerry) is important for my self betterment.

Go find your own......