Our Story

Mike Lummio was first exposed to bushcraft over 40 years ago during a family trip to Wyoming. Since then, he has  had the good fortune of learning bushcraft and traditional wilderness skills through hands-on training and his own experience. After receiving a Biology/Environmental Science degree from Washington State University, he was able to apply this knowledge of bushcraft while performing field work and research for various organizations around the Pacific Northwest. Working in this capacity streamlined his approach to both wilderness skills and the gear he brought along which resulted in the pragmatic style of bushcraft taught at BCNW. Our curriculum fits well with SAR, backpackers, naturalists, military, and outdoor professionals because we use whatever skill or material works best regardless of historical biases. 

Mike's urban experience stems from his time spent living and working in high crime areas where violence was commonplace and required a completely different set of survival skills. His training in these areas include various martial arts, modern defensive handgun, disaster preparedness, and most importantly how to read the street to avoid potential problems before they arise.  

In the last few years, the term "bushcraft" has been commercialized and as a result has lost much of it's meaning. For us at BCNW, it still means possessing the knowledge and skill that lets one travel confidently through the wilderness with a minimal reliance on gear. Our particular style of bushcraft is highly streamlined and fits well with SAR, military, wilderness professionals, and ultralight backpackers because we use whatever skill or material works the best regardless of historical or cultural biases. We also believe these skills should not be reserved for the occasional trip to the backcountry or emergency situation but be a part of everyday life. Our idea of bushcraft is not just to survive but to live well and thrive in the wild by using traditional and modern skills from around the world.
This same pragmatic approach is also found in our Urban Skills course. The biggest challenge is that unlike bushcraft and emergency survival which differ but share core skills, the daily skills that make a person successful in urban life (job, computers, public speaking, finances, etc.) have little or no bearing when disaster strikes. The skills that we cover in our Urban course can be put into use immediately and are vital to having peace of mind in the urban jungles of today.