New for 2010, the Woodsman course is a comprehensive introduction to all that we do at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. It's designed to teach you the most important and practical skills of bushcraft and survival in the northern forest. While the flora and fauna covered are specific to these regions, the skills and techniques are transferable to other biomes.

The information covered in the Woodsman course is important for anyone who hikes, camps, paddles, or spends any time in the backcountry of the northern hardwood or boreal forests. Topics covered include:

• Wilderness Survival 101
• Introduction To Bushcraft
• Fire Making: The Five Stages With An Emphasis On 1-Match Fires
• Bushcraft Tools: Axe, Knife, Saw And How To Care For And Maintain Them
• Basic Axemanship: The 4 Major Processes (Felling, Limbing, Sectioning And Splitting)
• Safe Knife Use And Carving
• Sawing Technique And Building Bucksaws
• Shelter Theory, Design, And Construction
• Navigation With Map And Compass
• Open Fire Cooking: Hanging A Pot, Baking In A Reflector, Using A Dutch Oven
• Cordage, Rope Making And Essential Knots
• Group Sanitation And Composting Toilets
• Purifying Water
• Principles Of A Simple Solar Power System
• Introduction To Field Ecology: Edible And Medicinal Plants, Mammal Tracking, The Night Sky, Weather Forecasting, etc.
• Optional final exercise of spending the night in a shelter you construct.

As this is a hands-on course, there are various crafts that participants have the option of making. These are useful kit items such as a bucksaw, not arts and crafts items like a beaded necklace.

The course runs from Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon. Included in the tuition is lodging Friday night at Blackwater Outfitters where you can get a shower and a good night's sleep before hitting the road Saturday morning. Maximum group size for each is 12.

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Travel Information and Directions:   Travel information is located here. After you register you will receive local driving directions to our site.

Arrival and Departure:   Plan to arrive on sunday afternoon, between 4 and 6. We'll have dinner, a group introduction and a tour of the grounds starting at 6. The course is over on Friday at 4 PM. Included in the tuition is lodging Friday night at Blackwater Outfitters where you can get a shower and a good night's sleep before hitting the road.

Accommodations:   Bring a tent, tarp, or other shelter. It will be your home for the week. For summer programs please consider bringing a bug net if you don't have noseeum netting on your tent. There are also cabins available through Blackwater Outfitters, located five minutes away. They can be reached at: 207-540-4101.

Meals:   Simple meals are provided during the course, and consist of fresh baked goods, beans, grains, and other foods that don't require refrigeration. For those whose palate requires greater stimulation than our meals provide, the Masardis Trading Post offers home cooked meals and is just a few miles away. We encourage you to bring any snacks you may not be able to live without.

Cancellation and Refund Policies:   With cancellations 60 days or more than in advance of the course, tuition, less the deposit, will be refunded. With cancellations less than 60 days prior to the start of the course all monies are non-refundable and non-transferable. These policies reflect the fact that we do not overbook, canceled spaces are very difficult to fill at the last minute, and that the vast majority of costs are incurred in preparing for a course/trip. If a program is canceled by us for any reason, the full tuition (including the deposit) will be refunded.

What is included with the tuition:   Included in the tuition are all camping fees, group meals, instruction, and group gear.

What is not included with the tuition:   Not included with the tuition are personal gear, items from town, knives (if you choose to purchase one) and any food or meals other than the group meals.

Course Insurance:   Adventure travel and wilderness education are not inexpensive, and anything can happen when we're in the bush. We recommend that all participants have medical insurance. We also recommend you protect your investment with travel insurance for trips and tuition insurance for courses.

Tobacco:   Smoking is not permitted in or near any buildings. All cigarette butts are to be placed into the metal can provided.

Vehicles and Parking:  We're located .6 miles down a gravel road. During the winter and spring the road can be impassable for 2-wheel drive vehicles, and sometimes for any vehicles other than snow machines.

Telephone: We don't have a phone or electricity. If you need to be in constant phone contact please consider bringing a cell phone, and if you need to charge a phone (or other electronic device), please look into getting a charger or bringing extra batteries.

Other: Please don't bring any pets, alcohol or illegal drugs.

Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

We reserve the right to include or omit any of the course topics listed due to class interest, availability of materials, inclement weather, or other factor that makes them impractical or unsafe.

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