BushCraft and Too Much Gear

I have been watching a lot of Ray Mears shows lately. Mainly because I found a website where I could download all of his videos. They are not aired on any TV station that I am aware of in the States.

He has older series about survival skills and all that. But, his newest series is all about Bushcraft, not survival. It is very interesting because the way he shows things is like a history lesson. Showing how people of generations ago with do things only with what they could find in the wilderness. He also shows how some of this stuff is being forgotten, and how some communities/people are still carrying on the skills. All very interesting.

That is not my point though. Ray made a really interested point about gear. When he gets ready to make camp, he ends up making a lot of his stuff. Cooking sticks, cooking spits, wooden tripods, wooden racks, you name it. His comment that has stuck with me is this: He said that when people visit the wilderness they tend to get very caught up in gear. Having the right piece of equipment for everything, and they try to bring luxury into the wilderness. In doing so, they are actually isolating themselves from the wilderness, which almost puts them in a fight against it. Quite different than trying to understand it, work with it, and get the most from being there. Less gear is better.