What Is Fieldcraft?

I had someone ask me recently what is fieldcraft and why do I need it? It was an interesting enough question that I thought I’d answer it here. Accoridng to the Canadian Army “Fieldcraft” Mannual:

Fieldcraft is made up of the individual skills and techniques used by soldiers in the field, which include movement, use of ground and camouflage in conditions of reduced visibility. These skills and techniques enable soldiers to maintain their own security while gaining advantage over the enemy.

Notice, fieldcraft has nothing at all to do with fighting or tactics. It is simply the skills, as I put it, to move undetected in a variety of environments and to observe our surroundings more effectively.

I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19b

I know, a lot of folks say “I don’t plan on being a soldier” or “I just want to be left alone.” Well, sadly, when there is no law enforcement coming, either in a temporary emergency like NC or the California wildfires, or a PERMANENT one like a grid collapse, the bad guys will be out there. Having some basic movement, camouflage, and observation skills can keep you safe. It is far better to have the skills to AVOID a confrontation by not being seen.

What if you are traveling when the lights go out or are at work and you need to travel 40 miles through dangerous territory just to get home? Having skills to move quietly and set up a secure campsite for the night can keep you safe.

If your phone GPS isn’t working, you need map & compass skills to navigate. Sure, you might know the way home in perfect conditions, but what if you need to detour around damage or riots? A map & compass can help you get where you need to go.

In my Fieldcraft course, we cover the topics in TW-02 Fieldcraft. We talk about and practice individual movement techniques. Yep, we crawl around on the ground. You can’t just read this stuff in a book, you have to get in reps and develop muscle memory. We practice stalking each other – not because I want you stalking bad guy sentries in a bad situation (that’s movie stuff), but because at some point, you might need to sneak past someone who is watching for other humans.

We talk about camouflage and observation and actually practice the skills. We cover the vital topic of field sanitation to keep ourselves healthy.

We spend an entire day on map and compass. We begin with reading maps and learning about all the features of a GOOD compass for land navigation. That’s an important distinction because many very good map compasses for planning hiking routes aren’t very good for fast movement over ground using only your compass (hint: the lensatic compass is best for this). We practice land navigation both during the day and at night. You also learn how to find your exact location on the globe using your compass down to about 10 meters of accuracy on the map.

We cover building 4 different shelter types using just a tarp and some paracord, all of which can be built in under 5 minutes and taken down in under a minute.

You need fieldcraft skills because the world is a dangerous place and getting more dangerous. Another reason to learn elementary fieldcraft is obtaining protein by hunting. The same skills will enable you to get very close to game for hunting. You also will need to observe what is happening around you, and these skills will help with that.

We will be holding a Fieldcraft Class here at Camp Ponderosa (The Mountain Partisan Camp – check out Mountain Partisan gear) April 25-27. You can sign up on the “Training Courses” page above. I’ll be developing a Winter Fieldcraft class later in the year.

Two new courses are being written now, both related to Mountain Survival. We will be offering the standard Mountain Survival this summer and fall, and Winter Mountain Survival next winter. My experiences in the US Marine Corps beginning with USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center and expanding from there will be the core of the courses.

Get out and train. Learn new skills and get some reps in practicing those skills. When the lights go out is not the time to learn.

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