Life After the Army: Three Days in the Woods at South West Survival

Three days at South West Survival with my mate Ziggy meant coffee, food over the fire, a shelter taking shape and a list of jobs around the site. Somewhere between breakfast and chopping wood, I said something on camera that sums up what I enjoy about life after the Army: I am my own boss.

After 23 years serving with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, I now get to put time into a business I have built and decide how I spend my days. On this occasion, that meant being at my survival school from Wednesday to Friday, working alongside a mate and enjoying being outside.

I also forgot to film most of it. That probably tells you how busy we were getting on with things.

Watch three days in the woods with Ziggy

Watch the full video on YouTube.

Having somewhere to build something of my own

One of the things I talk about in the video is how much I like having the South West Survival site. I rent it from a farmer, and it gives me somewhere to teach, work on projects and spend time outdoors.

There are equipment containers, a kitchen, a main teaching area and decking where parents can sit. Down in the woods, Ziggy was working on a shelter that we hope to use for staff and instructors.

It is easy to show a course or a finished camp on social media. These few days show some of the work that goes into keeping the place going. There was wood to process for future events, tidying to do and damage from the recent storm to repair.

It is my business, so those jobs are mine to sort out. I enjoy being able to get stuck in and see the place improving.

A brew, breakfast and a mate to work alongside

Most things started with the kettle. Ziggy had brought a coffee press, and we got through plenty of coffee over the three days.

Breakfast brought a bit of Army language back into the conversation: the egg banjo. We were eating eggs in wraps and explaining the name on camera. Bite into your food, spill yolk down your front and brush it off while holding the rest out to the side. There is your banjo.

We had pork belly and sausages as well, and another morning started with sausage wraps. Ziggy took on plenty of the cooking and kept us fed while we worked through the jobs.

The evenings were a chance to sit round the fire, have a few beers and catch up. There were also hot chocolates with a splash of whisky. It was our own time at the site, with good food and good company.

Why I still spend my own time practising bushcraft

Even when I am not teaching or filming a survival challenge, I still want to be outside doing this stuff. Running a survival company has given me more reasons to spend time at camp, and there is always something to work on.

While I was chopping and processing wood, Ziggy was building a wickiup-style shelter from hazel. He wanted to use as little cordage as possible, weaving and bracing the framework to hold it together.

I kept going down to see how he was getting on. You could watch it develop from a cleared patch of ground into a recognisable shelter frame. There was plenty of adjusting as pieces wanted to spring back out before the weaving held them in place.

By the time I left, the frame was pegged down, there was some paracord around the bottom and we were putting a tarp over it for the roof. It still needed finishing. I had to head home before we could show the final result, so that is something to return to in another video.

For the fuller account of the cooking, shelter build and site work, read three days at South West Survival with Ziggy.

Life after the Army still involves plenty of jobs

The storm had knocked targets over and damaged the parachute canopy over the teaching area. We used Gorilla Tape to repair holes and tightened the canopy back up. I was also sorting camouflage netting around the newer container and working through the woodpile.

It was a useful few days. We ate well, had a laugh, practised our skills and made progress around the site. I would have liked to capture more of it, especially the camp in the evening with the lights on, but I kept forgetting to pick the camera up.

When I did film, it was mostly me showing what we had been doing and checking in on Ziggy. That is what I want these videos to give you: a look at what I actually get up to between the bigger adventures.

More adventures, and a chance to join us

You might know me through Naked and Afraid, Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse or my other television work. Spending a few days at my own site is another part of my life that I want to share here.

If you enjoy the bigger challenges too, you can watch my independent Scottish survival series, Highland Reckoning. For another recent outing, read about our Dartmoor expedition.

Want to get outdoors and learn practical survival and bushcraft skills yourself? Explore courses and upcoming events at South West Survival.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more from camp, future adventures and an update on Ziggy's shelter.