Jack Mountain Bushcraft Media

Episode 62 is about how to know a place. Part of what we teach on our immersion programs is how to be at home in the forest. This includes both academic and experiential components, which we discuss. We also talk about the Masardis glacier and give an update about our articulation agreement with the University of Maine at Presque Isle. PHOTO: Ben Spencer poling on the Sebeois river. Links: Trackin...

Episode 61 is about standards-based professional training. We’re speaking to potential students and giving them an idea of what to expect. In a nutshell, it’s hard, there’s a lot of work, and you have to be mature to to deal with the adversity it produces in a positive way. When things don’t go your way, it’s important to know that things worth working for are often d...

In episode 60 Christopher and I get caught up with current events, talk about carving canoe paddles and discuss the winter and how the snow is still hanging around. PHOTO: Shot from a fire tower in the North Maine Woods. Links: JMBS Calendar . iTunes Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In iTunes Stitcher Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In Stitcher Google Play Music Link | Play, Download Or Subsc...

The Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is back. After an extended stay off the grid running our winter programs, we’re back in the world with new episodes. Episode 59 is all about the Brushfire Rendezvous, coming to the field school October 11-13, 2019. Before we get to talking about it, we discuss the events of the day before recording the episode which consisted of pulling a 1994 Ski-Doo Gran...

Scott Oeth is the owner of Bull Moose Patrol, a Registered Maine Guide, a Jack Mountain Bushcraft School alumnus, a featured speaker at Canoecopia and the Outdoor Adventure Expo and a father of 3. Raised in Madison, Wisconsin and active in scouts, Scott lives with his family in the twin cities of Minnesota. In episode 58 Scott and I talk about balancing an outdoor business with a full time job, de...

Blake Towsley is an old friend, purveyor of uncouth fire side talk (his description), and the owner of Le Club De Raquette de SRF. In this episode we discuss winter camping, winter weather trends, his line of traditional snowshoe and canoe gear, freedom cabbage, and upcoming winter camping trips. PHOTO: Blake and Tim in the Guide Shack at the field school. Links: LeclubderaquettedeSRF , Blake&#821...

Jeff Hatch is the owner of Raven Wilderness School in western Massachusetts, an ambassador for Fjallraven, has more instagram followers than we can count, and is an all-around great guy. Ed Butler and I sat down with Jeff on a breezy day to discuss his school, the role of social media in promoting small business, how he became a brand ambassador, and his upcoming events at Fjallraven stores in Ver...

Ed Butler, the Working Class Woodsman , stopped by and we spent an hour and a quarter talking about winter preparedness, the changing face of the forest in northern New England due to economic pressure, what you should carry with you, the boiling point of propane and butane, and a bunch of other winter-focused things. I haven’t seen Ed much lately because he’s been so busy, and it was...

Dragan Uzelac is the owner of Niko Wilderness Education in Beaver County, Alberta and a Jack Mountain alumnus. In this episode of the podcast we discuss guided winter expeditions that Dragan will be leading this winter. We talk about making the gear needed for winter trips, the importance of planning ahead, and why it’s amazing to be in places with no light pollution.  All four of his t...

Donovan Burgess is the founder of Liquid Sessions Surf , a surfing school and full-service travel company in Pavones, Costa Rica,  as well as a Jack Mountain Yearlong Immersion Program alumnus. Through Liquid Sessions Surf, Donovan offers a variety of learn to surf programs, including a month-long immersion into the skills and lifestyle of surfing that includes food, lodging and your own mass...

It’s been almost two months since we released a podcast. In this episode I discuss what we’ve been up to, tell some stories about the history of the folk school, and finish with talking about digital sharecropping, why we’re migrating all of our media to our own sites and why we recommend you do the same. PHOTO: Dugout canoe at the libby museum that I first saw when I was 4 years...

In episode 51 of the podcast Christopher and I recap the 2018 season with our youth program, the School Of The Forest , and talk about the Teen Wilderness Living Semester coming in 2019. As part of the discussion, we discuss the difference between wilderness living skills and actually living in the wilderness. It is something I’ve felt strongly about for a number of years; instructors should have...

In episode 50 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast we discuss listener comments, the role of alcohol on the trail, and how important food and eating well is on expeditions. PHOTO: Newly-carved paddles being used for the first time. Links: The Woods Cook: Outdoor Cooking With A Professional Guide by Tim Smith iTunes Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In iTunes Stitcher Link | Play, Download Or Su...

Episode 49 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is all about expedition behavior and leadership. Expedition behavior is outdoor education-speak for working as a team. On a chilly Saturday morning in the Guide Shack Tim, Christopher and Colin were joined by Blake Towsley for a discussion on good and bad leadership and how leadership skills are learned. PHOTO: Cold morning in the Guide Shack. Link...

David Callison hiked the Appalachian Trail from north to south , finishing in March of 2018. He’s also a participant on our fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester . We discuss hiking the trail, why you should plant to hike from north to south to have a better experience, and learn about his most and least favorite sections. David gives a few key pieces of advice for those considering a long hike...

Episode 47 is about women and gender in bushcraft. Christopher and I were joined by Allison Figueroa and Regina Beach, both of whom are participants on the fall semester. They share their insight into the role that gender plays on women getting into the outdoor industry, gear, and the “pink tax” women often pay for gear marketed at them. You can follow along with Regina’s adventures, including her...

Episode 46 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about the path to becoming a reputable instructor. We discuss the necessary steps, finding your voice as an instructor, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the role of being an assistant instructor or teaching assistant as part of a long-term development plan. PHOTO: Poling practice on the river. iTunes Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In iTunes...

On episode 45 Christopher and I are joined by Allison Figueroa, a student on the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester who is taking a semester off from her studies at Boston University to attend Jack Mountain. We discuss how she’s settling into the semester, how the experience of being here fits with her expectations, her take on the academic side of the program and how Jack Mountain fits into her l...

On episode 44 of the podcast I’m joined by Christopher and Colin, recorded during our morning instructors meeting on Wednesday, August 22nd. We cover four topics: welcome to the fall semester, our systems-based approach to outdoor living at the field school and on the trail, some points about our educational philosophy, and the wild bounty on the land right now that we’ve been eating. PHOTO: Ripe...

We’ve been out on the land and off the grid for a month and a half, so this is the first podcast in a while. In it I talk with Christoper and Ed about what we’ve all been up to. For me, it’s been the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, from which I just returned. We recorded this on the tailgate of Ed’s new side by side. Links: The Woodsman’s Podcast with Ed Butler,...

We just returned from an epic canoe trip on Quebec’s Bonaventure River. For episode 42 of the podcast, Colin Clifford, Christopher Russell and I discussed the trip over coffee in the Guide Shack. We talked about what they got out of the trip, the impact of the hit song Party In The USA on the mindset of the trip, choosing of expedition members and how the unexpected events are the most memorable....

Episode 41 was recorded in the Guide Shack on June 14th, the final night of our spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, our 43rd long-term program. I was joined by Christopher Russell, as well as Tom and James who were both students on the course. We talk about our final trip, their experiences on the semester and the Journeyman Guide Certification. We tried to keep this episode family-...

Episode 40 of the JMB Podcast is about current and upcoming events. Christopher and I discuss what we’re working on to upgrade the field school, upcoming trips and programs, stocking our pond with brook trout, and our new team resiliency training. Links: Team Resiliency Training At Jack Mountain Autumn Woodsman Course Family Bushcraft Week, School Of The Forest Teen Tech Detox Expedition, Sc...

Episode 39 of the JMB Podcast begins with Ed’s review of the New England Bushcraft Show, moves to a discussion about appropriate gear for specific situations, then a discussion of minimum versus displaced impact, and lastly a cross-cultural view of different approaches to ecology, specifically regarding the Cree idea of continued use for sustainability of a resource. Links: Minimum versus displace...

Traditional Maine Guide Canoeing: Episode 38 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast. On a blustery Saturday morning, Christopher and I discussed the role of the canoe in northern Maine. Along the way we covered the history and materials of canoes (birch bark, wood canvas, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic),why canoeing still matters, the JMB traditional skills approach, our trip destinations, and the...