The Bushcraft 101 Field Log by Dave Canterbury

subtitled Track And Record Your Wilderness Adventures.

A part of me has always wanted to have wilderness adventures. I want to be that person who enjoys camping and hiking and surviving in the outdoors. Alas, even with my well-practiced adaptability, I am only ever reluctantly the outdoorsy type, and less and less so as the years wear on.

Still, I, like millions of others, gained a greater appreciation for nature in the wake of the pandemic lockdowns, so when I was offered this field log for review, I leaped at the chance. I enjoy observing and making notes of nature, and thought this would be useful for writing down my few encounters with such in suburbia, or on one of my woodland walks.

Lol, was I wrong.

And that is in no way the fault of the book, which is geared towards people who are making long trips in the bush, not dilettantes like myself who simply refuse to live without indoor plumbing. This field log is geared towards people who make camp and explore the actual wilderness — think hiking the Appalachian Trail vs taking a walk in your local green space — with handy tips on how to use the book in tandem with your experiences and future plans.

In that sense, this book is virtually indispensable, especially in how it allows you to mark in real time what does and doesn’t work for you. Aside from the intro, the volume is broken up into six-page sections which invite the user to log their campsite, conditions, gear, activities and any other field notes, with both unlined and dotted pages. The introduction references Dave Canterbury’s other bestselling Bushcraft books, and comes with concise (but far from exhaustive) lists and instructions for the basics of a wilderness survival trip. It also comes with a pocket in the back for maps or other small foldable items: the introduction says you can also use it for writing implements, but as a journal-lover from way back, I think an elastic loop would have been far more practical. There is a band to keep the journal closed, which I like, and the cover is liquid repellant, an absolute essential for writing in the wilderness.

The only real concern I have with this product is its size. It’s a 200+ page A5 volume, the same size as the daily bullet journal I use, which is by no means small or lightweight. While this is a great book for crafting a treasured keepsake, I would probably consider it on the cumbersome end of what I’d want to take on a hike with me. YMMV, ofc, and I am hardly the expert on camping gear. The intent of this book is certainly laudable, as a convenient way to make thoughtful and continual improvements to your own experiences hiking and camping in the wild.

The Bushcraft 101 Field Log by Dave Canterbury was published December 24 2024 by Adams Media and is available from all good booksellers, including