Sign up to Woodsmoke newsletterWoodsmoke Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival
Woodsmoke's homepage for wilderness survival, bushcraft courses & expeditions About Woodsmoke's ethos & its bushcraft instructors Courses on bushcraft, wilderness survival, tracking, expedition skills & wild foods Bushcraft expeditions & survival skills training for adventure travel Expedition style base camps in scenic Lake District locations Frequently asked questions and essential booking info for bushcraft courses Woodsmoke's news about bushcraft online and in the media Bushcraft links and resources for free online advice about kit & skills Woodsmoke's bushcraft shop for courses, equipment, knives & tools Contact Woodsmoke to enquire about your bushcraft course
Why Woodsmoke?  •  What is Bushcraft?  •  Bushcraft Instructors

Woodsmoke's Ethos


Woodsmoke's wilderness survival school specialises in running bushcraft courses and expeditions that are predominately skills based with a large emphasis on you, the student, gaining first hand experience. We guide you carefully through each new subject, introducing new skills in the form of talks, explanation and demonstration, leaving time for you to practice, hone and employ the skills for yourself, under the expert guidance of our instructors.

Follow this link to answer the question - What is bushcraft?

Our courses should be viewed as being a wilderness education experience and not as an ordinary holiday. They are educational courses, but just as importantly, they are a ‘hands on’ experience and at times can be demanding and challenging. Due to the nature of the location and the course content, you may be expected to take short hikes over uneven terrain, therefore a good level of fitness is required.

Woodsmoke is not for people who just want to watch others, we expect 100% participation during all our courses, this means carving, gathering, building, cooking and 'doing' everyday, so no spectators please!

Follow this link for some of the reasons why folks chose to learn with Woodsmoke?

All our courses are conducted from an expedition style base-camp, the duration of which is spent entirely out-of-doors.

Our maximum class size for any course is 14 students,
with a student-instructor ratio of no less than 4:1, ensuring plenty of time for personal instruction.

Co-founders Ben McNutt & Lisa Fenton have been teaching bushcraft and wilderness living skills professionally for almost a decade. Ben and Lisa served an auspicious apprenticeship with Ray Mears and worked for his company Woodlore for a number of years before going on to establish Woodsmoke in 2001.

Follow this link for more information about our highly experienced bushcraft instructors.