"The Bushcraft Handbooks" were first published in Australia in 1952. Based on the Author's wartime service in Australia and New Guinea teaching "Junglecraft" to Australian and American forces, they are distilled, concentrated old-time bushcraft knowledge, presented in a very easy to assimilate format. For those who remember them, the Bushcraft Handbooks are also a heavy hit of nostalgia.
Rather than publish all of the volumes under the one cover, the Author originally chose to publish each aspect of bushcraft in its own individual handbook. His rationale was that the reader was more inclined to take a 50 page handbook with him into the wilds than a 400 page book. The former can be easily slipped into a pocket or daypack, while the latter cannot. The Bushcraft Handbooks are useless unless the reader practices the skills the books were designed to impart. The individual handbooks format was chosen to support that end.
Out of print for decades, and in keeping with the Author's wishes, this series of Bushcraft Handbooks are reproduced as close to their original format as possible. The series comprises the following volumes:
- Bush Ropemaking,
- Bush Hutmaking,
- Traps & Snares,
- Bush Campcraft,
- Time & Direction,
- Travel & Gear,
- Food & Water in the Bush,
- Firemaking & Lighting,
- Trapping & Tracks,
- Knots & Lashings.
From the introduction to "Bush Campcraft:
"With the only tool a machete or a sharp knife, it is practical and easy to set up a camp in comfort. Everything one needs for bed, table, seats and chairs, cooking, and even lighting is usually available in the area immediately around the camp. A small amount of knowledge is needed and some of this is given in this handbook. There need be no discomfort for anyone in camping if they have knowledge of how to set up a camp in comfort. A properly made camp bed can be as restful as a sprung mattress, and no food is more flavoursome than when cooked in the out-of-doors. This book shows many things you can do to make your camping more comfortable, and considerably safer."