Bushcraft literature (UK based)

[FungiJus]

Hi All - I am looking for a decent book on bushcraft etc.

I know Ray Mears has a lot of stuff out - I have borrowed a copy of his most recent offering - trouble is that a lot of the info relates to species/techniques that dont have any relevance in the UK (I am yet to see a cheeky yam here in Milton Keynes).

Can anyone recommend a decent book?

BTW, I am not opposed to Mears, provided the stuff is relevant, and I already have Richard Maybe's Food for Free.

Cheers,
J.

[JP]

What skills do you want to know about or is it a fundimental bushcraft skills book you are after? the two you have mentioned are wild food / forraging books (im assuming that the RM one is Wild food) Bushcraft covers a massive array of different skills and avenues, i have many many books that fall under the "Bushcraft and wilderness living" umbrella, flora, fauna, woodcraft, tracking, survival skills, etc, so I recon I can point you in a good direction for what you are after buddy

[FungiJus]

Thanks for this JP. Actually the Mears book was 'Bushcraft' - nice book but way too coffee-table-ish to take outside.

I guess I am at the fundamental stage at present.

I do eat some of the fungi that I collect, although I usually foray for scientific purposes rather than to eat, and I am interested in taking some signal crayfish (EA licence applied for...) so your question is making me think about what it is I am trying to achieve.

On reflection, I realise that I am more interested in the wild food aspect than the survival or tracking (although I recognise that all these disciplines are linked) so this narrows down my preference for a book - fundamentals but with a bias towards edibles.

Cheers.
J.

[excoriate]

Wild Food is the most recent Ray Mears one. Pop into your library for the hardback version until the paperback comes out (if theres one planned?) as the hardback is huuuuge.

Its VERY relevant to the UK but covers food and preparation methods as the title suggests, not all bushcraft (which would make it even heavier).

[JP]

The RM wild food book was an accompanying book to the series with gordon, rumour has it that a more comprehensive guide to wild food in the UK is on its way.
The thing is with ID'ing anything be it flora ,fauna, shrooms, tracks etc one book is never enough, cross checking books is the way forward when learning about say wild medicinal or food plants, as some books have good pictures but bad descriptions but vice versa and cross checking also reinforces the plant etc into your memory banks, when im out on a bimble say in the autumn and im looking for Fungi, ill have a couple of field guides in my pack, and my Digi Cam, then when i get home if theres one im not sure of i have bigger and better ID books and photograph and the internet. Also keep a note book, the note book is a Wildlife watchers friend, mines full of names, sketches and scribbles, grid refs etc, very usefull and a memory jogger.

Ill jot down a list of books that you may find usefull later when i get home from work bud

[FungiJus]

You still at work JP?

[JP]

lol believe it or not yes! well i have been homwe since, im running a course in scotland nexrt week so im upto my eyeballs in it, ill put some up tonight, promice!
heres some to get on with off the top of my head.

Roger Phillips field guides are priceless, there are Fungi, Trees, Mosses grasses and liverworts and Wild flowers they are superb reference guides a bit to big to take out into the field but good for looking up things you have pictures of or coss referencing what you have already found
(the mosses grasses and liverworts one is difficult to get hold of).

[JP]

heres 3 id use if ID'ing on a walk
Field Guide to Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe By the New Holland Publishers
The Wild Flower Key by Frances Rose
Herbs and healing plants or Brit and Euro, collins nature guide, by Dieter Podlech
and a couple of pretty comprihensive Wild food guides which are good for starters in this, Easy wild food guide by Neil Fletcher
Wild Food for Free by Jonathan Hilton
Any thing else ive got lots of different subjects ? Ill put some more up when i have a chance to scratch me bum lol

[FungiJus]

Hi JP
Went for the Easy Wild Food to begin with and knocked up a ramson pesto the other day which even my wife said was pretty good! Not much I know but it's a start.

Cheers for the info again - much appreciated

[good_egg]

Food for free, by Richard Mabey is a good book on edible plants n mushrooms. also you might want to look at some of the River Cottage books by Hugh Fernley Whittingstall.