Bushcraft and Nature Connection Stag Weekends
A stag party out in the woods – with bushcraft teacher, author and BBC special guest didgeridoo player Chris Holland and chef of the land Theo Hughes!
Can there be anything more primal? Enjoy the basics: Quality time with friends, Shelter building, making fire, whittling, sneaking games in the dark, maybe some woodland football all combined with a delicious hearty and heathy meal made with a combination of local, organic and sustainably produced ingredients – a great way for a stag to spend quality time with his friends!
I can also organise paddle-boarding at Sidmouth, canoeing along the Dart and there is a carting centre around the corner and a paint balling place nearby too… but the emphasis is back to basics, quality time, as a tribe in the woods. If you want a more ritual space with a sweat lodge, we can build that into the weekend too.
1 night or 2 it’s up to you. The final agenda is up for discussion, but the event outline below gives you an idea of what we end up doing most often:-
Afternoon arrival
Arrival usually about 3-4pm at camp/woodland. The large group tent will be up and the site ready for your stag party. The provided night shelter is a gorgeous 6m tentipi canvas tent that sleeps 12-15…great for storing your kit… but hopefully you went be sleeping in it!
After a welcoming cuppa at base camp, the first task is to make survival shelters.
The base camp is a parachute we suspend from the trees above the fire pit – this keeps the worst of the weather off, but lets the smoke breathe through.
After shelter comes fire by friction. To make the fire by friction I give a demo, then let you lads split into teams and have a race to make your fire making kits, and get the fire going.
Once the fire is going, we get the food on. What we eat is up to you.
Some of the options are:
- pigeon, trout or salmon, cooked over the fire ( we will instruct you), with local, organic new potatoes and a salad – usually part foraged depending on the season.
- game stew – may include venison, pheasant, pigeon and rabbit, with local organic veg –depends on what is on offer from the local marksman
- burgers or sausages (local, organic), potato wedges and local organic veg salad.
After dinner some kind of night game in the woods, getting camo’ed up, sneaking about and avoiding the ‘superpredator’ with the supersoaker waterpistol. A change of clothes is advisable.
Late night fire side – storytelling – yours or mine, tales from the group, music making, drumming, general chat, bevvies, didgeridoo playing, etc –again actual agenda is up to you.
Next morning – fry up, or cereal, fresh coffee and fruit juice.
Possible morning activities – Wild food walk -(forage for wild edibles and medicinal plants), Whittling spoons, cutlery and kitchen utensils… or once a groups whittled penises! Woodland bling, (making cordage, wooden medallions and beads) – a good one for making something for the bride!), Archery, Balance beam martial arts contest. Duelling water pistols. Russian Omellette. Finished with a woodland stag closing ceremony.
Departure –
Usually by 1pm. I can suggest local pubs and eateries.
As explained… this was just an example… there’s a bit more info below…
Please call me or email me for more info or to make a plan:
IN case you are interested, Here’s a video filmed a few years ago, on an early smartphone so please forgive the grainy quality, that I’ve just popped onto Youtube about a forging event I did at a Wedding in Gloucestershire:
Facilities on Camp
There is always some kind of primitive toilet, cold shower and tea making kit available all hours.
You supply the alcohol, which is best kept to a minimum if you want to do more activities!
I will always have someone around to keep the fire/hearth place of the camp safe.
You need to supply bedding and sleeping mats –though I do have a few sheepskins available.
There will usually be two or more wholeland staff on site to ensure your visit to the woods is fun and safe. We know when to slip into the background and don’t order you around!
Prices:
Groups of less than 8 – 1 night £135 per person (minimum charge £675). Two nights £190 per person.
Groups of 9 or more 1 night £125, two nights, £180.
Longer event price by arrangement.
and remember… I do team building and corporate events too.
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From a Stag night up on Dartmoor that included wrestling in a stone circle… very primal!