The Backwoodsman Guide to Bushcraft

Master essential bushcraft skills, build traditional tools, and embrace self-reliance with some of The Backwoodsman Magazine’s timeless articles.

As a child, Charlie Richie Jr. watched his father build bows and arrows, canoes, and various types of trappings—and fall in love with the Old Ways of Living. In 1980, Charlie Sr. was inspired to create The Backwoodsman Magazine, with a mission to preserve and share timeless outdoor skills that will forever be relevant.

In The Backwoodsman Guide to Bushcraft, Charlie Jr. collects 25 of the magazine’s best bushcraft-related articles from the 1980s and 1990s, written by seasoned craftspeople. The selections often feature how-to plans and instructions—complete with illustrations—and they focus on creating tools, clothing, and equipment with only natural materials, plus some that reuse existing materials.

A testament to human ingenuity and the enduring importance of traditional craftsmanship in an increasingly technological world, this book ensures that critical survival techniques and “the art of making” remain accessible to future generations. It offers personal empowerment, creativity, and deep environmental engagement.

If you’re an avid outdoorsperson who might find yourself in an overnight survival situation, this is an essential book. If you’ve always been interested in how Indigenous peoples constructed everyday items or if you can’t walk through the woods without seeing every stick as a tool, a trap, or tinder, you’ll love this rugged collection of bushcraft articles for beginners and hands-on adventurers.

Inside you’ll find:

• 25 of The Backwoodsman Magazine’s best bushcraft-related articles
• Instructions for creating hunting tools, watercraft, clothing, and candles
• Technical illustrations that aid in understanding each step-by-step process