The Bushcraft Year Training Living by Nature Group

The Bushcraft Year Training is the ultimate experience for anyone who wants to fully immerse themselves in living in and with nature. In 33 intensive days you will learn all about survival techniques, primitive crafts, and the art of outdoor living. If you choose to also participate in the two-week bushcraft expedition abroad, then a total of 51 days of adventurous and hands-on training await you. The crafts week and expedition are optional but offer a unique opportunity to take your bushcraft skills to the next level.

Why this training?

We are the leading training provider in the field of bushcraft and primitive skills in the Netherlands. Most people with a bushcraft school in the Netherlands were trained by us. This means you will be taught by the best instructors, with years of practical experience and in-depth knowledge of nature.

What will you learn?

• Fire making & tinder – Master techniques for starting fires under all conditions.
• Wilderness skills – Learn essential bushcraft skills like tracking, foraging, and purifying water.
• Woodworking & tool use – Discover how to work with various tools and types of wood.
• Crafts & native skills – Work with materials such as bone, antler, sinew, and flint to make your own tools.
• Seasonal nature knowledge – Get to know and use nature throughout the seasons.
• Tribe experience – Become part of a close-knit group and share skills around the campfire.

Our Instructors

Our experienced bushcraft instructors have many years of practical experience and live according to the principles of ‘Living by Nature’. Under their guidance, you will not only learn the theory but also apply the skills directly in practice. After this training, bushcraft will be in your blood, and you’ll be ready to live independently in nature.

Your Bushcraft Journey

• 11 weekends of 3 days – Full immersion in nature and survival skills.
• Various craft days – Deep dive into primitive crafts and bushcraft techniques.
• 14-day expedition (abroad) – The ultimate challenge to apply your skills in a real wilderness environment (optional).

After this training, you will have a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience in bushcraft, survival, and primitive techniques. Our method, ‘Living by Nature’, combines these disciplines with a unique philosophy: not just surviving, but truly living in nature.

You’ll learn how to become fully self-reliant in nature for long periods. And more than that: you’ll be trained well enough to teach others the fundamentals.

Just the basics? Yes, because to teach well, you need to master things at a much higher level. That’s why this training offers much more than just the basics. You’ll develop deep skills that make you both independent and capable of guiding others.

Craftsmanship: Beyond the Basics

Bushcraft isn’t just about knowledge — it’s about practical mastery. Doing something once doesn’t mean you understand it. Take fire by bow drill. Maybe it works after ten tries, but can you make it work every time under any condition?

• Wood types and trees – What works best and why?
• Bow drill materials – Choosing and preparing natural cordage?
• Environmental factors – The effect of humidity, temperature, and wind?
• Tinder collection – Where to find and how to prepare it?
• Fire strategy – Building and maintaining fire?
• Mental resilience – Staying focused when it doesn’t work?

And that’s just one aspect of bushcraft. Every skill has depth you only gain through experience. Real mastery means repetition, mistakes, persistence. Want to train others? Then your level must go well beyond the basics. This training gives you both how things work and why – so you can adapt to every situation.

Reading Nature Like a Book

Living in nature is like reading a book full of difficult words. Once you understand them, the story becomes clear.

Take tracking and trailing. Want to follow a deer? You can learn what a track looks like in a book. But what if it changes direction? What if it fled or detoured?

We teach you to understand the animal:

• How does it move and why?
• What does it eat and where does it feel safe?
• What kind of environments does it seek?
• What do its tracks reveal about its behavior?

With this knowledge, you visualize the animal’s movements instead of just looking at the ground. Only then does a tracking book truly make sense.

This approach applies to all bushcraft skills. You don’t just learn what to do, but also how to understand it and adapt it.

The Expedition: The Ultimate Bushcraft Adventure

As the conclusion of the bushcraft year training, we go out together for two weeks abroad. This is the moment where you put all your knowledge and skills into practice and the wilderness becomes your home.

During this expedition, you will live like our ancestors did. You only bring the gear you made yourself:

• Handmade clothing
• Travel baskets to carry your belongings
• Gourds as drinking vessels
• Self-knapped flint knives

Throughout these two weeks, you will fulfill all your primary needs directly from nature. You’ll make fire, find and purify water, gather food, hunt, fish, and build shelters using the techniques you’ve learned throughout the year.

The expedition takes place in September, after completing the year training. This gives everyone time to finish their equipment and prepare thoroughly for this unforgettable experience.

This is no longer a training – this is the real deal. After this expedition, you will know what it means to truly live in and with nature.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Children

For parents with children, we offer a special bushcraft Parent-Child Year Training. Want to follow the regular course? Your child can occasionally join, with permission from the head instructor. The minimum age is 5 years.

Would you like your child to participate every weekend? We charge an additional fee of €1500.

Dogs

We kindly ask you to arrange care for your dog if possible. Want to bring your dog? This is only possible upon agreement and under the following conditions:

• Not too many dogs in one group
• The dog must be fully obedient.

Alcohol

We kindly ask you to not bring alcohol to the course weekends.

Missed a weekend?

If you can’t attend a weekend, you can make up for it by joining another group. Additionally, our terrain is – by arrangement – open for extra practice. If we are there, we can advise and support you further.

Price

The price of the training includes:
✔ Legal VAT
✔ Meals during course days
✔ Materials used during the bushcraft year training

Not included:

✖ Extra materials for at home, such as additional hides or tools
✖ Travel costs to and from the expedition

Payments

It’s possible to pay in installments. We offer three options:

1. One-time payment
2. Payment in 4 installments
3. Payment in 10 installments

This option will be added later in the year.

Deposit

In November, we ask for a deposit to reserve your spot. Note:

• If you’re unsure, do not pay yet.
• Deposits are non-refundable.
• Once your deposit is paid, your place is secured.