Workshops
Specific workshops provide an opportunity to learn in great detail about individual skills essential for survival in the wild. They are organised according to interest. Unlike the multi-day courses held in the Kočevje area, some workshops are also held near Ljubljana. They usually last 6 hours.
Workshop topics:
- Edible wild plants
- SOS and orientation
- Bivouacs
- Fire 1–3
- Clay pots
- Drinkable water in extreme conditions
- Primitive weapons
- Bark pots, spoons and other
Some workshops have been held several times in the past (see description below). Additional workshop options include “SOS and orientation”, which cover the dangers of the wilderness, what to do if you get lost, and how to find your way out without a compass. The “Bivouacs” workshop clearly demonstrates what to do if you are forced to spend the night in the middle of the forest. Here, several types of emergency bivouacs are constructed; these are quickly made from natural materials whilst providing protection from the cold, wind and rain, and the workshop explains how to prevent hypothermia. New workshops are ‘Water collection in extreme conditions’, which demonstrates a wide variety of techniques for staying hydrated in arid or marine environments, ‘Primitive weapons’, which demonstrates how to make a javelin, an atlatl, a bow and arrows, and “Bark pots, spoons and other” showing the unique methods of making pots of various tree species bark and other useful small tricks related to eating in the wild.
Edible wild plants
At the selected location, the group gathers with two instructors and walks with baskets through the meadow and the forest to encounter different habitats. The plants are identified and their use explained, and some are also collected and a very special meal is prepared from them. In addition to appropriate clothing and footwear, it is recommended to bring a notebook, a basket for plants, a cleaning knife and a snack.
Mushroom workshop
The mushroom workshop consists of two parts; in the first part, mushrooms will be collected in groups, and in the second, all the mushrooms will also be disassembled and identified with the help of experts. You will also learn about their interesting features and the rules for mushroom picking. Bring suitable footwear, a basket, a knife for cleaning mushrooms and a snack.
Clay products
The workshop covers finding, shaping and firing clay outdoors and shows how to get clay products right in nature. Unlike classical pottery, where ready-made clay is shaped on a spindle, coated with glaze and, after drying, baked in a controlled oven, the path to clay products in the middle of the wilderness is more difficult, but at the same time very interesting. It is necessary to identify potential deposits, assess the quality of the clay, remove impurities, prepare suitable humidity and only then shape the clay by hand and dry it properly. Firing clay products in the open air is extremely difficult, as the products crack at the slightest mistake and too rapid a change in temperature. Nevertheless, these products have a very special artistic impression, not only because of the way they are obtained, but also because of the overflowing colors that arise from different exposures to flames and oxygen.
Participants will learn how to find suitable clay in nature and design products. Their smallest products, which will dry quickly enough, can be fired the same day, and some will be added in pre-prepared and dried clay vessels for demonstration. Unlike the others, this workshop lasts 8 hours, but it is also possible to sleep on site and, the next day, when the clay or ceramics cool down, check how successful the firing was.
Fire
Fire control is certainly one of the most important survival skills in nature. From knowing how to light a fire with matches to being able to light a fire by friction of wood in wet conditions is a considerable gap. The latter level is mastered only by very, very few, but this skill can save our lives in extreme situations, as well as facilitate simple scout burning due to a better understanding of how fire works.
The fire courses have 3 levels of difficulty, through which participants gain an in-depth understanding of ignition, learn about useful fire pits, preparation procedures and suitable fire pit types, and learn how to start a fire in a wide variety of ways. In doing so, they learn many important details and eliminate the most common mistakes and myths about smoking. For the most motivated, the ultimate goal at the end of the last course is the ability to start a fire in the wild, using only friction and without any tools.
Fire 1 – sparks and tinder
The workshop is intended for everyone, no previous knowledge is necessary. It covers the selection and preparation of kindling in the wild, various techniques for using a ferro rod, an explanation and demonstration of the importance of the heat/oxygen/fuel ratio, and an overview of very common mistakes when blowing into smoldering kindling. It will prepare and demonstrate the advantages of the most important fire types and the preparation of food over the fire. Despite the basics, the workshop is quite extensive and brings a lot of new things even to experienced individuals.
Fire 2 – friction fire
Due to the complexity, the Fire 2 workshop requires completion of the Fire 1 workshop or the Basic or Advanced course. It covers the demonstration or teaching of the preparation for making fire by friction in several ways; with cotton wool and ash, drilling a drill with hands, drilling a drill with a bow and a few others. Few people know these techniques, they require more effort, so it takes time and a lot of help for the participants to carry out the netting correctly and reach the fire with only natural materials. Specific hearths are featured and their versatile uses from fire longevity, lighting, cooking and more.
Fire 3 – real situations
Lost in the woods, shipwrecked, an accident in the mountains – would you be able to start a fire without any tools, is that even possible? Difficult, but not impossible. Here, all the smallest details come to the fore, so the prerequisite for this workshop is completion of the Fire 2 workshop and being of legal age. Ignition will be in increasingly difficult conditions, so everyone will be challenged. Participants will be taught about many small tricks that can decide success or failure. This two-day workshop includes an overnight stay in the forest (possibly without fire) and provides extraordinary knowledge that represents the very pinnacle of survival skills.
CALENDAR OF COURSES
Dates for workshops and multi-day courses in English (or German) will be announced when there is enough interest or informative applications. However, we can organise a special course tailored to your group on request.
We offer a wide range of workshops and courses:
WORKSHOPS
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Fire 1
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Fire 2
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Survival shelters
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Edible plants
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Clay and pottery
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Mushroom gathering
- SOS and orientation
- Water in extremes
- Primitive weapons
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BASIC COURSES
- 2 days
DEMANDING COURSES
- 3 days
CHILDREN'S CAMPS
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3 days
ADVANCED COURSES
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4 days
CONTACTS
Zavod gozdovništvo in preživetje v naravi
gozdovnistvo@gmail.com
Žiga: +386 41 299 469
Miha: +386 31 722 945