Bushcraft on a Budget: The basics of what you need.
So let's say your interested in bushcraft but are unsure to buy all these items you see bushcrafters use on Youtube and other sites, or you just simply don't have the money available to purchase those items. Well here is an article for you to enter the world of bushcraft without going broke.
First off, in the previous article about the hammock camping system I will add in to prices for fairness. the Hammock system will be the most expensive thing in your kit.
Alright let's look at the pack. The pack will be the second most expensive item in this article. If you know where to look (through military surplus stores, ebay, Amazon, or Walmart) you can find a good pack for a very low price.
Packs like this (G4free 40L) pack run in the neighborhood of 34.00 dollars
and are high quality material. Military Surplus packs run from 15 to 40 dollars and come in a large variety.
Now for budget purposes let's look at these options for a cooking kit.
This coleman cooking kit is very low in price and offers a familiar set up to what you would deal with at home or more established camping. for a price of 4 dollars to 8 dollars it's hard to find a comparable kit for the same price. Simple sporks and utilises can go for 50 cents to 4 dollars, it's all about personal preference.
A water bottle is a simple necessity for bush craft. 32 oz is the ideal size for 1 person mainly to keep hydration up. This Coleman bottle goes for around 10 dollars on amazon and Walmart. The metal container will make you able to boil water for purification and cooking.
Also this military style canteen that comes with a metal pot could be an alternative design for the same price.
Away from cooking we look at more practical items. Gloves for everyday work(as well as help with hot plates in cooking), Hand saws for ease with working with firewood and projects to make camp easier and a good knife.
Decent gloves like this range in price of 10 - 15 dollars.
Through Amazon or Walmart.
Hand saws like this go in the price range of 10 to 15 dollars, through amazon and walmart.
And a knife is all about preference. A big fix blade for heavy work, a small fixed blade for delicate work, or a pocket knife for compatibility. Or if your like me just carry all three different kinds.
Just remember bushcraft is about functionality and usefulness but doing it with only what you need.
Items that you will need also
trash bag (for pack cover)
paracord or cordage
bandana for hard filter of water
a personal first aid kit
and other stuff you may think you need.
Just to give some idea of a full kit not budgetary wise Here is a picture of my kit as of July 2016
Remember though your kit is for you. make it your own on what your comfortable with.
and no kit is ever complete.
So adding all that together here is a estimated total.
Hammock,Tarp, and tree straps = $72.99
Pack( based on the article) = $35.99
Cook Kit and Canteen = $18.00
Gloves = $12.00
Hand saw = $10.00
Knife = $5.00 - $50.00
All other needed items(med kit, hygiene , bandana, and cordage) = $15.00
Well i hope this helped you put in perspective what you need to get out there in the bush for prolonged periods of time. Hope to see you out there someday.
From the Bush,
Andrew Mullins
