2025 Bushcraft Goals that Set You Up for Success

As we move into a new year, it's a great time to set some goals for 2025. If you feel like you don't have enough time to practice your skills, miss out on classes, and/or want to make more connections within the bushcraft community, now is the time to start changing that. Here are some of our suggestions on how you can make sure 2025 is the year that you keep your skills sharp, learn some new ones, and make new connections in the world of bushcraft and self-reliance.

Practice a Skill Every Week

Fire starting, cooking over a fire, carving, cordage making, and so many other bushcraft skills don't require you to be deep in the woods to practice them. 

For starters, knife skills are a big part of bushcraft, and one great way to keep them keen, pun fully intended, is to do some carving at home. One great way to do so is the classic Try Stick. This concept developed by Mors Kochanski features a number of notches and shapes that are useful in the wilderness, but they also serve as a great way to practice a number of cuts and techniques with your knife.

While making a Try Stick over and over might get tedious, you can carve a wide range of things at home that give you great opportunities to develop your skills with a knife. Spoon carving is a popular interest in and of itself, and once you're done, you have a functional piece of art. You can start spoon carving with practically any knife, and with the addition of a hook knife and/or a gouge, you can do even more. And, if spoon carving isn't of interest, carving small figures is another great way to make sure your knife skills stay up to par. All of this can be practiced in your own backyard, on your porch, or even in the living room, as long as you don't mind sweeping a bit. 

Fire starting is another skill that's easy to practice at home and plays into some other areas of bushcraft. A backyard firepit, even a small portable one, is a great way to develop your fire-starting skills. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you'd like in terms of how you prep and ignite your fire. Once it's going, it's a great opportunity to practice cooking over a fire, even if it's just making a hot drink.

Last but certainly not least is cordage work. We did a whole series on cordage from manmade to making your own, and you can make your own cordage, practice knot tying, and even develop your own hammock rig within feet of your backdoor.

Seek Out Trainers

Practicing skills is a great start, but learning from an expert is the quickest way to develop your skills. Even if you start a fire at home every single week, you're bound to pick up some tricks and techniques from another knowledgeable individual.

Right here at Georgia Bushcraft, you can expand your knowledge of a wide array of bushcraft topics, from the specifics of our Firecraft and Navigation weekend courses to the all-encompassing Wilderness Survival. 2025 even sees the return of our incredibly successful Women's Survival 101 from Jacks Genega. This course is a great introduction to survival, and Jacks is an expert and an excellent teacher.

Meet Likeminded Bushcrafters

Like any interest or hobby, bushcraft is way more enjoyable when you know people who share that same passion for self-reliance, learning new skills, and enjoying the great outdoors. You'd be hard-pressed to find a larger gathering of these exact people than the Spring Campout or the Fall Gathering. No matter if you're a knife collector, looking to start beekeeping, or all about hardcore survival trips, then you'll find someone to talk to at Georgia Bushcraft. Expanding your circle within your interest is a great way to stay motivated to get out there and practice your skills.

Get Out There and Explore

Last but certainly not least, there's no better goal than getting out in the great outdoors and practicing your skills. Even if you don't have easy access to vast patches of wilderness, there are other great options. Wild Life Management Areas, State Parks, and other public lands all offer great opportunities. Even if you can't start fires or cut wood, there are opportunities for plant identification, land nav practices, and more. 

Make a goal for the number of times you want to get out on a weekly or monthly basis, and stick to it. Combining that with goals based on skills practice, taking classes, and attending events will set you up for success in 2025. And tracking goals is a great way to make sure you meet them. Feel free to save and use this list as a great starting point.