Learn useful outdoor craft skills for life in nature: from Stone Age-style fire-making,

cordage production, and weaving, to cooking over embers and flames. You will explore a wide range of methods—from ancient, nature-based techniques to modern, high-tech solutions.

We will spend an entire day outdoors, gathering and processing natural materials while practicing various craft and fire-starting techniques.

This course introduces practical skills for those interested in wilderness survival. You will gain insight into a variety of topics and acquire hands-on know-how that you can apply and further refine on your own. You will make cordage from stinging nettles, weave a small basket from willow, learn to identify different types of wood, practice carving and splitting techniques, master the Stone Age bow-drill method for fire-starting, learn useful knots, and much more. We will also test various wood-burning, gas, and liquid-fuel stoves, allowing you to cook on them so you can decide which equipment best suits your needs for future adventures.

Everything about fire—from lighting it to cooking with it!

• Fire-starting: from Stone Age and medieval methods to high-tech techniques.

• Fuel and tinder: identifying wood types, finding dry material, preparing fuel, and exploring various types of tinder.

• Fire pits: different styles and construction techniques.

• Stoves: an introduction to a wide variety of models, from wood-burning to liquid-fuel (gasoline/petrol) stoves.

• Cooking directly over an open fire.

• Cooking on clay, steel, or aluminum: various outdoor cooking methods and types of cookware, suitable for both the trail and at home.

• Cooking gear: which tools are actually useful?

• Safety guidelines: for wood-burning, gas, and liquid-fuel stoves.

• Maintenance: how to keep your stoves and pans in top condition—from cleaning to seasoning steel pans.

• ...and much more, tailored to the participants' prior knowledge and specific interests.

Drawing on over 25 years of experience with fire-making, outdoor cooking, and the development of my own wood-gas stove, I would like to dedicate an entire day to this subject. A wide variety of stoves and cooking systems—with a focus on wood-burning stoves—will be showcased and available for you to try out.

This will provide you with new insights and practical knowledge that you can apply both when you’re out in the wild and at home.

Perhaps, after this course, you’ll decide to purchase some new gear, craft your own cooking tools, or even weld your own mobile outdoor kitchen—there will be plenty of inspiration to go around.

If time permits, additional topics may also be covered.

Please bring your own food and refreshments.

Dates: Please select a course date.

If none of the scheduled dates work for you, a private course can be arranged for a group on a different date. Please get in touch via the contact form to discuss this.

Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Cost: CHF 190

Location: OUTDOORWERK GmbH, Ghöchstrasse 161, 8498 Gibswil

Map Link: Please check the location beforehand. There is no direct public transport access (please contact Outdoorwerk for guidance); arriving by car using a navigation system is the best option.

What to bring:

• Work clothing suitable for the weather

• A small backpack for your daily gear

• Lunch

• A filled water bottle (at least 1 liter)

• A seat pad

• A fixed-blade knife (full-tang)

• A folding pocket knife with a saw

• Rain gear

• Leather gloves

• Linen or hemp cord: approx. 10–20 meters

• 10 meters of braided cord (polyester or nylon), approx. 3–4 mm in diameter