Back To Wilderness

26/08/2026

🇬🇾🇬🇾 GUYANA 3/10 | MAKING BY HAND 🏹🌿

A few days of work had already gone into getting the bow this far.

Now came the process of tillering — carefully working and checking the limbs so the bow bends evenly and progressively as it is drawn. 🏹🪵

As we'd already discovered, watching our Makushi guides make these skills look effortless was one thing.

Trying to achieve the same result ourselves required rather more patience… and plenty of adjustment. 😅

But life in the interior didn't stop when the tools were put down for the day.

As darkness fell, we headed out along the river to experience a very different side of the forest. 🌙🔦

A paca on the riverbank and a spectacled caiman in the darkness were a reminder that while our day was winding down, plenty around us was only just becoming active. 🐊🌿

Then daylight returned — and with the bow nearing completion, attention turned to what we'd need to go with it.

The beginnings of an arrow… 👀🏹

🎬 Part 3 of 10 — Making by Hand

With The Wild Tales Inc and our local Makushi jungle guides 🇬🇾🌿



🎵 Music: Welcome To The Fire
Musician: Willyecho (from Audiio)

25/08/2026

An amazing trip, I'm already booked on for next year!

Highly recommended 🙏

We have a cancellation place for our amazing Canada Canoeing Expedition.

Canoeing and Wildlife Spotting Expedition to the Temagami lakes in Ontario, Canada.

In October 2026, Survival School will be going on another Expedition. This time we're off to Temagami in Canada on a Canoeing, Bushcraft and Wildlife Spotting Expedition. The dates are confirmed as 3rd - 10th October, in time for the magnificent autumn colours from the birch, poplar, maple and conifers. We will be on the look out for bear, moose, otters, wolves, lynx, deer, beaver, racoon, eagles and so much more . This is a wildlife spotter's paradise and you'll see so much more from your canoe than just sitting at the campsites. True exploring gives you a better experience.

This is a trip of a life time. If you are doing anything else- cancel it!
The airline reserves the right to change its flight schedules so early flexibility may be required.
The Expedition will last for 8 days.
(All photographs on this page are displayed with kind permission of our hosts in Canada.)
You will need to book your own flights and there is only one transfer from the airport to the canoes.

Costs:

The total cost for the trip is £995 + flights

To book your place (and it is first come, first served), please click here:

https://www.survivalschool.co.uk/product/canada-canoeing-and-wildlife-spotting-expedition-3rd-10th-october-2025/

19/08/2026

🇬🇾 GUYANA 2/10 | LEARNING IN THE FOREST 🌿

Watching someone who really knows what they're doing can make a skill look deceptively simple…

Then it's your turn. 😅🪓

The next stage of our time in Guyana's interior was about exactly that: watching, learning and practising.

Under the guidance of our local Makushi jungle guides, we began learning how natural materials found around us could be identified, prepared and put to practical use. 🌴🧭

And this was very much hands-on learning. Watch the technique. Understand why it's done that way. Have a go. Get it slightly wrong. Adjust. Try again.

There’s a huge difference between seeing a traditional forest skill and beginning to understand the knowledge and experience behind doing it well. 🙏

A fascinating start to the practical side of the course — and we were only just getting going.

🎬 Part 2 of 10 — Learning in the Forest

With The Wild Tales and our local Makushi jungle guides 🌿🇬🇾

Music: Welcome To The Fire
Musician: Willyecho (from Audiio)

13/08/2026

🇬🇾 GUYANA 1/10 | THE JOURNEY BEGINS 🌿🛶

Thirteen days in Guyana. Nine nights in the interior.

Our journey began by leaving the roads behind and travelling by river and on foot into the Guyanese rainforest — the start of nine nights learning, practising and putting jungle skills to use. 🌴🔥

But this experience was about much more than simply learning how to operate in a jungle environment.

Over the coming weeks, I'll share the journey as it unfolded — the skills, the challenges, the wildlife, the people we learned from and a few moments that definitely didn't make life easy! 😅🦟

A huge thank you to The Wild Tales and our local Makushi Jungle guides, Lio and Derek, whose knowledge, experience and generosity in sharing their skills made this experience possible. 🙏🌿

Also to Surama Ecolodge team for unparalleled hospitality exactly when it's needed 🤜🤛👌

The course ultimately culminates in NCFE CQ accreditation, licensed under Survival School l 🎓🧭 👍

For now, though… we're only just heading in.

🎬 Part 1 of 10 — The Journey Begins



Music: Welcome To The Fire
Musician: Willyecho (from Audiio)

04/08/2026

Honest field review update 👉 🥾

Hoggs of Fife Aonoch II 10 Inch Wateroroof boots 🥾

I was looking for an alternative to my usual Altberg boots (which I love) and tried the Hoggs of Fife Aonoch II, 10-inch, waterproof boots.

Unfortunately, my pair developed an issue with the randing within the first few days on both boots.

To their credit, both the manufacturer and retailer handled it professionally and issued a full refund without any hassle. 👌

Priced around £229 a pair, they are comfortable out of the box and have a softer feel underfoot, than I'm used to. I feel they could be suitable for those who prefer a lighter boot for occasional use. However, for the kind of woodland work I do, they weren't the right fit for me in this instance.

So, the search for an alternative to Altbergs continues!

Have you found a tough, comfortable, cost effective alternative to Altbergs?

19/07/2026

🏹 The bows are really starting to take shape! 🌿

Another fantastic day deep in the Guyanese rainforest as our team continues their Indigenous Bushcraft journey.

After carefully shaping bow staves from timber gathered in the local forest, today's focus was on one of the most important stages—crafting the bowstrings by hand and bringing the two together for the very first time. 💪🪢

There's something incredibly rewarding about watching a simple piece of forest timber transform into a functional bow using traditional Indigenous knowledge, patience, and skill. Every step teaches respect for the environment and appreciation for techniques that have been passed down through generations. 🌳✨

The excitement is definitely building... and we're not finished yet! Next up, we'll be making the arrows to complete the set before putting everything to the test. 🏹🎯

Music by Tunetank Pixabay

Stay tuned—there's plenty more to come from the heart of the rainforest! 🇬🇾🔥

18/07/2026

🌿🏹 Another unforgettable day deep in the Guyanese rainforest.

Our expedition team has now spent the day immersed in traditional Makushi skills, learning directly from Indigenous experts whose knowledge has been passed down through generations.

The day began with crafting traditional bows from wood sourced from the local rainforest, shaping and preparing each one using time-honoured techniques passed down through generations. They then turned their attention to bamboo, discovering its remarkable versatility as they learned how it can be transformed into practical tools and everyday items using only simple hand tools and bushcraft skills.

The afternoon was spent fishing the rainforest waterways, putting traditional methods into practice and gaining a deeper appreciation of how the Makushi people have lived sustainably from the land for countless generations.

This is so much more than a survival course—it's a genuine cultural immersion, where participants live, learn and work alongside the Makushi people, gaining first-hand insight into their traditions, skills and deep connection with the rainforest.

Every day brings new skills, new friendships, and an even deeper appreciation for one of the world's most remarkable environments.

🌿 Guyana 🇬🇾
🌿 Surama
🌿 Rock Landing
🌿 Indigenous Bushcraft Journey

16/07/2026

🌿🏕️ The adventure has truly begun! 🇬🇾🔥

Three adventurers, travelling all the way from the UK 🇬🇧 and the USA 🇺🇸, have arrived in the heart of Guyana's incredible rainforest. 🌎✈️

Their journey has been an adventure in itself… After landing in Guyana, they boarded a flight to Lethem ✈️, followed by an unforgettable 4-hour 4x4 expedition 🚙 through to Surama Eco-Lodge. After a brief but well-earned rest, it was time to load the boats and travel even deeper into the wilderness 🚤, arriving at our remote base camp at Rock Landing. 🏕️🌿

With camp now established, their Indigenous Bushcraft Journey is officially underway.

Over the coming days they'll be learning directly from the Makushi people, discovering traditional skills that have been passed down through generations. Expect fire by friction 🔥, natural cordage 🪢 🌿, tracking 🐾, hunting techniques 🏹, medicinal plants 🌱, river life 🌊, and a true immersion into one of the world's last great wildernesses.

This isn't just a bushcraft course... it's an unforgettable cultural experience, an epic adventure, and a chance to reconnect with nature in its purest form. ❤️

Sit back, enjoy the first chapter of their expedition, and follow along as we share the incredible moments still to come! 🎥🌴

13/07/2026

Back To Wilderness has arrived in beautiful Guyana 🇬🇾!

I’m beyond excited as we begin this journey from the UK—starting with my brother by my side, as he realizes a lifelong dream 🌍✈️.

Tonight, we welcome two more adventurers from the US, and tomorrow, we fly from Georgetown to Lethem 🌄. From there, we’ll take a 4x4 journey to Surama Eco-Lodge 🚙🌿, where we’ll regroup, pack, and prepare.

Tomorrow we’ll trek and travel by river deep into the interior 🚣‍♂️🌱, where our collaborative indigenous bushcraft course begins with The Wild Tales team🌳🔥.

This is going to be an unforgettable adventure and as always such a privilege to be part of 😁

Music by jaystacksbeats from Pixabay