50 Things to Do in the Wild

(PUBLISHED BY PAVILION BOOKS, 2020)

Explained with expert, easy-to-understand commentary from Richard Skrein, and illustrated throughout with captivating drawings by Maria Nilsson, this trusty guide will teach you all the essential skills you need to survive in the great outdoors. The book is divided into four main chapters reflecting elemental skill sets:

Earth - this chapter focuses on toolcraft, foraging and natural resources. Learn how to make a bow, arrows and a mallet; identify essential plants and trees and their medicinal properties.

Air - this chapter focuses on shelters, knots, navigation and the sky. Learn the secrets of selecting the perfect wilderness camp; master knots and lashings; and discover how to read nature's 'GPS'.

Water - this chapter focuses on finding, drinking and using water, fishing and rafts. Learn how to purify water for drinking; suss out the skills needed to fashion a fishing rod; and make a sail for your handmade raft.

Fire - this chapter focuses on making and using fire and cooking food. Master the art of building a fire, set your own signal fire and build a Swedish fire log.

The book also explains the items you need to ensure your rucksack is kitted out with the best equipment for exploring. With extra tips and a rundown of useful tools, you'll find everything you need to get out there, have an adventure, survive and thrive in the great outdoors.

ORDER HERE (or from your local bookshop!)

50 Things to Do with a Stick

(PUBLISHED BY PAVILION BOOKS, 2022)

A must-read for anyone with an adventurous spirit, a yen to whittle and chop, and a desire to get out into nature and play with sticks! These 50 achievable ideas for making and playing with sticks – all with beautiful step-by-step illustrations – make a great gift.

The next title in Pavilion’s best-selling outdoor adventure series, Fifty Things to Do with a Stick will introduce you to the joy of making something out of almost nothing. With a few gathered twigs and sticks, start with simple ideas such as making plant markers or tent pegs and work up to constructing a lantern or woven basket.

Working with wood is common to nearly every culture – it’s nature’s most adaptable raw material, malleable yet strong, and biodegradable. Until the 1960s woodworking was taught widely in schools, but since then has been in decline, robbing generations of the satisfaction of making useful things by hand. Richard Skrein begins by guiding you in choosing sticks and tools. Four chapters with evocative illustrations take you step by step through projects to use at home; to make music and decorative objects with; to play with; and to use out and about.

This is the perfect book for anyone wishing to be more self-sufficient. Find your inner explorer with these battery-free, no-emission ideas!

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Fifty Things to Do in the Snow

Icy inspiration for playing, exploring and surviving in the snow. Don’t be put off by the cold – get out there and be dazzled by the wonder of winter. With fifty projects for having fun and staying safe in the snow, you’ll never be short of ideas.

Fifty Things to Do in the Snow is a playful and informative winter survival kit. Camp craft and forest school expert Richard Skrein teaches you not only to observe and admire the beauty and wonder of snow, but also how to survive in it. His projects range from practical tips on building igloos, making sledges and winter camping, to reflective, mindful ideas for observation of snowflakes, spotting winter trees and pine cones, and forest bathing adapted for winter. Filled with accompanying illustrations from artist Maria Nilsson, this latest title in the Fifty Things series will help you make the most of nature’s bountiful gifts throughout the thrilling seasons of cold and dark.

ORDER HERE (or from your local bookshop!)