About Us

Rocky Mountain Bushcraft was founded by Jason Schwartz in December of 2011, and features articles, news stories, outdoor tips and product reviews written from a bushcraft and wilderness survival perspective. Rocky Mountain Bushcraft averages 25,000 Google Visitors per month, and has accumulated over 6 million pageviews since its began. What is bushcraft? Click this link to find out more.

Founder/Senior Editor Jason Schwartz is an Army veteran, former Red Cross Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor and the author of "Edible & Medicinal Survival Plants of the Rocky Mountains" Pocket Survival Guides by Waterford Press (2016). 
For media, advertising and general inquiries, send an email to rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without the spaces). We answer all emails in a timely fashion, so feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Rocky Mountain Bushcraft Team Members

Jason Schwartz, Founder/Senior Editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft

Hi everyone, I'm Jason, the founder of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. I started this blog in December of 2011 after actively participating for several years at Bladeforums.com and BushcraftUSA.com. It was on these sites that I wrote lots of posts, articles and reviews on subjects ranging from axes and knives to wilderness survival. Though I enjoyed contributing, I also wanted more freedom in what I posted, so I started this blog.

I'm a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, interned with the US Forest Service as a Forestry Technician, and studied Outdoor Recreation, Wilderness Survival and Forestry at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, CO.

I originally became interested in bushcrafting at age 6 when I saw "Jeremiah Johnson" for the first time. Not long after, Grizzly Adams started as a weekly TV show (yes, I'm dating myself here!) and I would watch it every week, completely mesmerized.

Luckily I had a dad who was already into the outdoors, and he always took me fishing, hiking, camping and shooting whenever we spent time together. I was hooked for life!


Pretty much the rest of my childhood was spent running around in the woods pretending I was Grizzly Adams. At some point as a teenager, I bought a used copy of Larry Dean Olsen's "Outdoor Survival Skills" and almost wore the cover off of it while trying out the stuff in that book!


Though originally an eastern boy, I was lucky enough to spend a year in Colorado at age 17, so I got to live out a dream by camping for weeks at a time in the Pike National Forest. I'd spend days on end practicing skills from Olsen's survival book, like making primitive bows and arrows from the wild materials I found in the mountains. I got so good at it that a couple of local tourist shops started buying them from me to resell to tourists!


A year later, I joined a US Army Reserve Signal Corps Unit and served as a 31L/25L Lineman/Wire Systems Installer during Operation Just Cause (Panama) and Operation Desert Shield. In June of 1990, while on a joint mobilization exercise with a unit from the Army's 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, I received an Army Certificate of Achievement Award for "Outstanding Performance of Duty." 

During this exercise, I received permanent injuries which were service-connected by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These injuries got progressively worse over time which caused me to reduce my time at Rocky Mountain Bushcraft starting in 2017. But thanks to physical therapy and help from the VA, I have been able to return to writing, albeit with a few more limitations, but I am still here! 

During my service, I was lucky enough to get some great training, such as Wilderness Survival Training, Advanced Marksmanship, etc.

So there you have it!

I really appreciate all the traffic we've had since we began and want to thank you all for visiting. I do love to hear comments, so please let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Jason

Leah Klocko, Senior Copy Editor 

Hi everyone, I'm Leah, the senior copy editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. I have a Journalism-Communications Degree from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, and though I have many years of experience in other fields, bushcrafting is new to me.

I've always enjoyed the outdoors and spent many afternoons exploring the woods as a child, building pretend "cabins" and picking blackberrys in the summer.

In high school I tried archery and loved it, but it was one of those skills that I didn't have a chance to use as an adult. I originally took this on as a favor to Jason but I found that it's really interesting!

I got my first Mora survival knife recently and am excited to start putting it to good use learning bushcrafting skills for the first time! I'll let you know what I think and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Thanks for joining us at Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, I'm excited to be part of this adventure!

Peace,

Leah


Monica Tymcio- (former Photographer/Field Assistant)

Hi everyone, I’m Monica, Jason's new photographer and field assistant.

I have spent the last 30 years living off-the-grid near the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Western Boulder County. It is here in this inspirational locale with my rescued horses, dogs and cats that I have made my home. I spend my off time exploring the wilderness areas of Colorado on horseback as well as backpacking in the remote canyons of Utah and New Mexico.

It is from these journeys into the wilds of the West that I draw my inspiration. During my extensive wilderness travels I am an avid photographer, and use this tool to capture spectacular vistas and the unseen drama of nature that I then translate into my chosen love of painting.

I am excited to be joining Rocky Mountain Bushcraft as a photographer and field assistant. After spending time in so many remote places, I’ve come to know that a good knife and axe are worth their weight in gold.

My trusted Buck knife has been a vital tool not only on my journeys into the wilds, but in building my cabin as well. I used the trees I felled with my saw to construct the log stairs of my Art Studio. I used my Buck knife to skin these logs, and it never failed me. After 30 years of hard use I still carry it with me everywhere.

I look forward to testing these as well as many other vital tools and products.

Life is an Adventure

Cheers, Monica

Dave C- (former Field Assistant)

Hi, I'm Dave. Aside from keeping things on the humorous side while we're out field testing gear, I'm also the guy in many of the review photos. When I'm not helping Jason, I'm out giving tours in Rocky Mountain National Park or in the neighboring Roosevelt-Arapaho Forest.

I have 20 years of experience in survival and backpacking in the deserts and foothills of the Southwest as well as the Rocky Mountains. I'm also a trained Wildland Fire Fighter /E. M. T.

I've been a survival knife guy for most of my life, but lately I've become an axe fanatic and currently own a Gerber Camp Axe and a Fiskars X15 Chopping Axe. Luckily, Jason has a huge collection of traditional axes that I get to try out as well! I've also become a fan of Mora knives, with my favorite being the Mora Clipper and recently, the Mora Swedish FireKnife.

We work really hard to bring you the best articles and reviews and appreciate you stopping by.

Cheers! Dave

8 comments:

  1. Trenton Ulysses RockJune 26, 2012 at 12:57 AM

    Larry Dean Olsen
    Mad Jack (Denver Pyle)
    (and 1st Blood)
    I think we are the same era!!

    Where abouts in Rocky Mt's?
    I'm in Conejos County, CO
    Right above NM border.........

    I still have my Olsen book...:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rocky Mountain BushcraftJune 26, 2012 at 5:51 PM

      Hi Trenton,

      Thanks for the comment. We're primarily based in Larimer County, though our base camp is in Boulder County. In other words, smack dab in the middle of wildfire country. We're hoping that there's places left to bushcraft after all is said and done!

      Regarding Olsen, yep, still got mine too. Stay safe and thanks for stopping by.

      Cheers,

      Jason

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJuly 8, 2012 at 10:32 PM

    This is the caveman. First time ever visiting the blog, great article and review of the product...Enjoyed your excellent product review, I even ran out and purchased a few already since reading your feedback!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rocky Mountain BushcraftNovember 19, 2013 at 1:38 PM

      Thanks Caveman! Appreciate you saying that and glad the reviews helped.

      Cheers,
      Jason

      Delete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 7:19 PM

    I am new here but feel at home i am much like you Jason i watche The Mountianmen,Jeremiah Johnson and Grizzly Adams.My best gift is a Norlund hb hatchet my dad gave me and i still use.And now looking to get my son one.I am also a Scoutmaster and leave no trace trainer.Ihave read the reviews of the Council velvacut hb axe that i already had and i am very pleased with.Look forward to coming back often

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rocky Mountain BushcraftNovember 22, 2013 at 11:31 AM

      Thanks for sharing your story and I appreciate you coming by to check out the blog. Those Norlunds are really cool, and one of these days I plan to grab one to play around with.

      Cheers,

      Jason

      Delete
  4. j.overdijk26@upcmail.nlNovember 22, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    Leah - Monica - Jason & Dave ..i look out for your Photo's
    greetzzzz J@siu from Holland !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rocky Mountain BushcraftNovember 22, 2013 at 11:29 AM

      Thank you, and greetings back from America.

      Best regards,

      Jason, Leah, Monica and Chuck

      Delete

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