Woodlore Carving Master Class

with Ray Mears

Preparing your path to discovery...

Pre-Course Information

COURSE SITE DETAILS

As you may have read on our website, the course will be conducted in East Sussex. We will be learning in typical
English woodland made up of Ash, Oak, Beech, Hazel and Yew. The area is a haven for wildlife attracting Badgers,
Foxes, Fallow and Roe deer, Squirrels, various reptiles and many species of bird, making it a pleasant place to spend
time and camp.

For this day course you don’t need to bring much with you. Some carving tools, a packed lunch, a camera and plenty of
layers of warm clothing are basically all you need.

There will be a communal area where we have a fire with a kettle of hot water and a brew box supplying tea, coffee,
milk, sugar, hot chocolate, fruit squash and biscuits.

We will also have access to a toilet block for the duration of the course.

If you need to use a mobile telephone, please consider the other members of the group by switching it to ‘silent’ mode.

CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

This clothing and equipment list is designed to help you decide what items to bring to your course to ensure you to have the best
experience possible. Having the right kit will make your experience more enjoyable and enable you to focus more on learning.

In the past we have been asked by clients for help in sourcing certain items of clothing and equipment. This list therefore includes
options stocked by Woodlore which have been tried and tested by Ray Mears and the Woodlore Team. There is of course no
obligation to buy from us.

All items listed in red are essential for this course.

All other items are just recommendations.

ITEM:

SUITABLE OPTION STOCKED BY WOODLORE:



BASE LAYER

The layer you will wear next to your skin, should ideally be made
from soft fibres that will trap warm air close to the skin. Our
preference is for woollen underwear as it is breathable, is less
smelly than synthetic alternatives, is easily repaired and is less at
risk from heat than synthetic fabrics. Wool also dries slowly
preventing evaporative chill.

•

Woolpower Ullfrotte Original Zip Turtleneck 200g

or
•

Icebreaker Oasis Long Sleeve Crew

MID LAYER

This should be sturdy, warm and comfortable, comprising
several layers to allow maximum versatility. Several pullovers
will suffice.

•

5.11 Tactical Long Sleeve Shirt

and

•

Swanndri Ranger Wool Bushshirt

OUTER LAYER

This should be waterproof and windproof. Mute, natural colours
will increase your chances of observing wildlife closely.

•

Swazi/Ray Mears AEGIS Tahr XP Anorak

or

•

Bergans Super Lett Jacket

TROUSERS

Lightweight, quick drying cotton trousers are best.
Jeans are not suitable, being cold, restrictive and slow-drying.

FJallraven Barents Trousers

FOOTWEAR

Footwear should be sturdy, give ankle support, have good grip
and must give protection to your feet from possible cuts. In the
event of wet conditions you can either wear
waterproof/breathable socks inside your dry weather boots or
bring a pair of Wellingtons with you as well as your dry weather
shoes.

•

Rogue RB-2 Light Trail Boots

•

Le Chameau Chasseurnord Wellington Boots

MUG & SPOON

•

Military Stainless Steel Crusader Cup

and

•

Heavy Cover NATO Crusader Cup Boil Cover

•

Esbit Titanium Folding Spoon

PACKED LUNCH

Bring plenty of snacks with you, carving is hungry work!

DRINK

It’s important to stay hydrated to maintain concentration so bring
plenty of liquid with you. We will bring a brew box with tea,
coffee, sugar, fruit squash etc. We will also bring a jerry can of
water and a kettle which we can hang over the fire for hot
drinks.

SMALL FIRST AID KIT AND PERSONAL MEDICATION

Our staff will have swift access to first aid equipment at all times,
but you will need to bring a small first aid kit including plasters
and any personal medication, including headache tablets,
reading glasses/contact lenses, inhalers etc.

•

Ray Mears Canvas Pouch

•

O'Tom Tick Twister

•

Uncle Bill’s Sliver Gripper Tweezers

SUNSCREEN & LIPSALVE
Lips can quickly become chapped outdoors so having some
lipsalve is very useful.

Aloe Gator Suncare Essentials

GOOD INSECT REPELLENT

There have been ticks encountered on our course sites and a
good repellant is the first and best line of defense against them.
Ultrathon works extremely well in our experience.

•

3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent

or

•

Eco Guard Insect Repellent

WATERPROOF NOTEBOOK AND PENCIL

There will be a lot of information to take away from the day and
you may like to record your experiences for future use.

•

Chartwell Watershed Waterproof Notebook

or

•

Rite in the Rain Waterproof Notebook 146

FOLDING SAW

Bahco Laplander Folding Saw

BUSHCRAFT KNIFE & SHARPENING STONE

Your knife must have a fixed blade, be strong and not too big. A
blade length of roughly palm width is plenty for the jobs we need
to accomplish. If possible, make sure your knife is sharp when
you arrive at the course. If you don’t know how to sharpen your
tools, we will teach you on the day.

•

Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty MG Knife

and

•

Fallkniven DC4 Diamond/Ceramic Whetstone

or

•

Gransfors Ceramic Axe Grinding Stone

or

•

Fallkniven DC521 Bench Sharpening Stone

AXE (if you already have one)

•

Gransfors Small Forest Axe

or

•

Gransfors Ray Mears Wilderness Axe

DAY SACK OR HOLDALL

We will be static for the day so you won’t be required to carry
your kit very far.

Karrimor SF Sabre Delta 25 litre Rucksack

Please visit the Woodlore online shop at

www.raymears.com

.

Below we have listed items that Woodlore will provide for the duration of the course. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to bring
them.

In addition to these items, we also have very well stocked first aid kits, fire extinguishers and fire blankets, vehicles etc. Please do
not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding this information.



Group Shelter (If weather is bad)