I was recently loaned a Muriel Grey book by a colleague and was delighted to read that she agrees having a beard is not an essential piece of mountaineering kit!

With this in mind I embarked on my new passion Bushcraft…Dressed in my beloved Paramo kit I headed for a weekend of Bushcraft, only to discover that those with the ability to grow a beard hadn’t turned up because it was raining…mmm interesting!

Despite the persistent rain I enthusiastically embarked on the tasks set by my instructor Lawrence of Bushcraft Ventures.  I found that I was so engrossed in collecting the materials I needed to light a fire I was oblivious to the rain and the sense of achievement in lighting a fire with my knife, fire stick and birch bark was immense, soon we had a shelter up and a kettle boiling.

I have a particular interest in plants and their uses; I grow my own vegetables and collect wild foods and herbs whenever possible.  We spent the afternoon learning about the flora of the area and the many and varied uses of the different plants including which ones not to use as they are poisonous.

Day two was spent learning how to look after and sharpen your knife, in bushcraft the saying goes your knife is your life.

We then found a suitable dead and fallen birch tree, selected a log and learned some carving techniques, I worked on carving a spoon. I discovered a deep feeling of fulfilment sat there in the forest with the sound of the rain, the warmth of the fire and creating something I can use next time…

Having the right kit is an essential part of bushcraft, in the wilderness your survival depends on it, I was extremely pleased with the performance of my Paramo Cascarda trousers and mountain pull on shirt, I also wore a cross fleece base layer, and I was toasty warm and dry all weekend.

My next investment will be a Paramo jacket still deciding which one to go for or do I go for a Ventile jacket?…  Watch this space!