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Alone adviser’s tips for bush survival

TV’s Alone Australia contestants may be surviving solo, but behind them is Gordon Dedman. This survival specialist is Alone Australia’s bushcraft consultant, and founder of training company Bushcraft Survival Australia.

Gordon emphasises the need to understand survival priorities and have the right gear. Along with that goes the knowledge to use that equipment effectively.

Read the full article here.

ABC radio interview with Jonathan Kendal

Interest in bushcraft is booming, partly because of shows like Alone Australia which showcases participant’s skills to survive and thrive in wild places. But should teachers of bushcraft be regulated? Gordon chats with ABC Radio on Mornings with Jonathon Kendall

Listen to the interview by following this link. Gordon’s appearance begins at 1hr and 30mins into the program.

Melbourne Drive radio interview with Ali Moore

Alone Australia has made a lot of people think about their bush skills and as a result, there is an increasing interest in bushcraft and survival. Gordon chats with ABC Radio’s Melbourne Drive program with Ali Moore about people’s desire to reconnect with nature.

Listen to the interview by following this link. Gordon’s appearance begins at 2hr and 43mins into the program.

Survival skill instructors alarmed by ‘charlatan’ operators

Gordon Dedman’s day job involves taking a small army of people into the bush to learn how to survive the end of days. Or at the very least, something like it.

Mr Dedman is a bush survival school coach. In his time with the Army reserve’s 1st Commando Regiment he learned how to survive in some of the world’s harshest conditions. His survival school teaches people how to reconnect with the land, light a fire safely, and ensure any bush trip “leaves no trace”. It is a booming market, with hundreds of people on his waitlists.

“Particularly post-COVID, interest has grown exponentially,” Mr Dedman said. He travels to all corners of Australia to teach his courses. Most recently he worked as the bushcraft expert on reality TV show Alone.

Read the full article here.

As interest in survival skills surge, the wilderness is getting pretty crowded

Some are motivated by fear that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Some just want to know themselves away from the safety net of technology and household comfort. Whatever the reason, a growing number of Australians are asking themselves: Are you ready for anything? Coco Veldkamp reports.

Gordon Dedman knows how to hold a crowd captive. With a splay of knives laid out in front of him he first carves a mallet, then a tent peg, and then a spearhead, each fashioned with quick, strong strikes of his blade against the wood.

Each movement is etched with the muscle memory of his years in the military and extensive bushcraft training.

Australians are hungry for survival know-how and bushcraft skills, Dedman says. Since he founded his outdoor bushcraft survival skills school in 2017, he has witnessed a surge of enthusiasts clamouring to join the expanding waitlist for his courses.

Read the full article here.