Bushcraft /Primitive Camping

[IslandStorm62]

Is bushcraft / primitive camping permitted in National Forests / Public Lands?  I would like to go out and practice some bushcraft skills, to include building shelters using natural materials.  If not, where then can a person go to practice develop and practice bushcraft skills.  Heck, the homeless people in my area set up whole communities on private lands that are not used.  So, short of buying my own 40 Acre undeveloped land, what options are out there?

[pianoman9701]

Is bushcraft / primitive camping permitted in National Forests / Public Lands?  I would like to go out and practice some bushcraft skills, to include building shelters using natural materials.  If not, where then can a person go to practice develop and practice bushcraft skills.  Heck, the homeless people in my area set up whole communities on private lands that are not used.  So, short of buying my own 40 Acre undeveloped land, what options are out there?

What's the worst that can happen? You have to ask for forgiveness? If you're not screwing up the resource, find a nice area way off the trails and do your thing. Just as long as you check in regularly with photos and updates.

[IslandStorm62]

Sounds like a plan...I'll have to find a place then. In the end I can claim ignorance  , ask forgiveness  and then pack up and leave  .

[Stein]

Thirty years ago we did it in Boy Scouts all the time.  I can't see how you could go sideways unless you were whacking all the trees right next to a trailhead.

[dreamunelk]

It is all about impact.  Using natural material is not frowned upon in most cases.  Just hike off the road.  For bush crafting you will be using mostly downed material so no biggy.  Bush crafting is a hidden popular thing and most work at leaving minimal trace.

[runamuk]

We deal with resource protection and survival education with kids. Whatvwe encourage is using downed materials. So no harvesting of green stuff. Thats in our park. And if I had more ability to work with them I would teach them plant ID so they could harvest in a manner that benefits the forests overall health. Our forests are full of noxious and nuisance weeds/plants that can be very useful in survival settings.

I am dealing with state lands we have pretty specific resource use rules.