Escola do Mato

Designed for you that want to get started in the art of bushcraft, this course takes the four basic needs of camp life: shelter, water, fire and food, with each day dedicated almost in exclusive to one of the themes with intensive practice on your part.
In a more extensive way than the Essential course, and with a greater instructor-student ratio, we want you not only to see and give a try at each of the themes, but to end the course with a fair domain of them, so you can use them regularly and can progress on your own from then on.

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• Chosing the right tool for the woods;
• Safety and maintainance of cutting tools;
• Wood carving and camp utensils;
• Fire, including matches, lighters, firesteel, friction. Firestarters. Fires in wet environments, in the snow, bow drill;
• Water: aquiring, filtering, purifying;
• Camp cooking;
• Shelters with modern and natural materials. Thermal regulation principles: convection, conduction, evaporation, respiration, prespiration, radiation. Chosing a shelter location. Making a shelter;
• Natural cordage from leaves, bark and roots. Introduction to basketry;
• Plants and trees, edible and medicinal, recolecting and processing. Small invertebrates, trapping and tracking;
• Killing and dressing an animal;
• Navigation: day and night time navigation, by compass and natural indicators;
• Dangers and environmental concerns;
• Camp keeping and leaving no trace.

Come and learn bushcraft!

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To make the most of these four days you should bring with you:

• Backpack;
• Sleeping bag or wool blanket;
• Foam matress;
• Headlamp;
• Small first aid kit with usual medicine and care for minor cuts and blisters;
• Sun block or cold cream;
• Bug repellant;
• Personal hygiene kit and towel;
• Fork and spoon;
• Cup, mug, dish;
• Water Bottle;
• Bandana or cotton rag;
• Notebook and pencil;
• 3x3m tarp;
• Tent (if you by any reason can't or won't sleep in a shelter).

Optional items:

• Camera;
• For the ladies: intimate products( it is not unusual for a quick change of environment to give menstrual changes)
• Axe and saw

For the classes:

• Fixed blade knife - a folding blade is not safe!!
• Sharpening stone
• 10m paracord or similar robust cordage
• Lighter and firesteel

If you're lacking any of this gear just let us know and we will be happy to provide.

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Lodging

The course runs in camp, so the sleeping means a shelter built by you, under a tarp or in a tent.
There is a common area where the classes take place, outdoor showers and toilets.

Food

We provide all food, but most of the processing will be made by you, and we will show you how.
If you have any alergy or specific food needs, let us know by the time you join up.
All the food will be, whenever possible, by local and organic producers.

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Duration: 4 days. we try and schedule these courses catching holidays
Dates: See here.
Price: 195€
Age: 18 years or older
Spots available: 16
Location: Arrábida, Setúbal.
Read our terms and conditions.

If you'd like to do a similar course just for your group, don't hesitate to contact us. We can arrange to adapt the contents to meet your needs.

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