If You’re Coming To The Field School, Start Here To Get Your Questions Answered
On this page you will find the details necessary to get you ready for your field school course, including information about food and meals, gear lists, and general life at the field school. We strongly recommend that everyone participating in a Jack Mountain Bushcraft School program also join our private online community at BushcraftSchool.com. There you can start the journey early by taking online courses, interact and ask questions on our forum, join a private group for your course and get information on rides, carpooling, etc.
Private Online Groups For Courses
We create a private online group for each semester course at our online community, BushcraftSchool dot com. These are limited to the people on the course, and is where we run the day to day aspects of each course. Before the course you will receive an invitation to join.
Gear Lists
The clothing and gear that you bring, in extreme cold or other dangerous weather conditions, can impact your personal safety and also that of the group. For safety reasons the school may limit or not allow your participation in certain activities if you are without proper clothing or gear.
The more experience you have, the more you probably have your own ideas about gear and what works for you. The less experience you have, the closer you should follow our recommendations.
- Wilderness Bushcraft Semester Gear List
- Boreal Winter Survival Instructor Course Gear List
- Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester Gear List
- Summer/Autumn Woodsman Gear List
- 1-2 Week Canoe Course Gear List
- Winter Woodsman Gear List
- Gear Rental List, With Prices
About Life At The Field School
- About The Field School. On this page you will find information regarding the systems we use at the field school, including composting system, dry toilet system, wells and water systems, bathing, etc.
- Food, Meals And Cooking
Academic Work And Student Documentation
A video primer on how we manage academic work and documentation during long programs is available here: JMB Vlog 116: How We Manage The Academic Side Of Our Professional Training Programs.
Pre-Course Online Courses
In order to be prepared to hit the ground running when you arrive at the field school, we recommend students take the Introductory Online Courses on BushcraftSchool dot com.
- Foundations Of Outdoor Cooking: 401 – required
- Understanding The Weather: Nature 191 – optional
Book Lists
Travel Information
Pre-Program Paperwork
Before the start of each course or trip all participants are required to fill out and sign both the Liability Release Form and the Acknowledgement Of Risk Form, linked below. For long-term programs, you will also be required to fill out a medical history which we will provide upon registration.
- Liability Release Form (pdf)
- Acknowledgement Of Risk Form (pdf)
About Becoming A Registered Maine Guide
Many of the people who come through our programs are interested in becoming Registered Maine Guides (what’s this?). In Maine, a Registered Maine Guide is a state license that allows you to be compensated for your time in the field working with people. There are special licenses for hunting, fishing, recreation, sea kayaking, tidewater fishing and whitewater rafting. To obtain one of these licenses, you must pass a state test. In order to be eligible to take the test, you must have a current first aid and cpr certification, be fingerprinted and background checked, and pay a fee. More on the process in on the web at
Become a Registered Maine Guide. The reason we put this information here is because it can take up to a year to be scheduled to take the test from when you submit your application. So if this is your goal, start way ahead of time with the requirements and your application. Ideally you would have your completed application submitted before you begin your course with us in order to maximize the likelihood of being able to take the test soon after the course is finished.
