Come out for a for an extended weekend of immersion into the art of fat and smoke buckskin hide tanning. Hosted in Mancos, Colorado we will take raw deer skins and transform them into soft buckskin material. The class will cover all the steps involved with fat and smoke tanning hair off skins, with other discussions on hide tanning history worldwide, variations for different animals domestic and wild, why good skinning matters, how the process differs from bark tanning, hair on tanning and more. 

You will leave with your own buckskin to take home, the basic skills of using hide tanning tools, an understanding of each part of the process, how to source hides, how to store hides, and more. You will leave with skills to do the process on your own with wild or domestic animals. 

This process is HARD physical work. What you put into it is what you get out of it, and prepare for the course by resting and eating well before you attend. Come with a mindset that isn’t attached to a perfect product but a dedication to learning the process. There are many variables that are hard to predict, but as instructors we do the best we can to manage the variables we can control.

Children who are interested in the tanning process are welcome to sign up WITH a parent. Email me at kelly@ofsedgeandsalt.com‍ ‍before you sign up with a child so we can make sure it is a good fit. We’ve had great hard working and motivated kids in the past and they can add a great addition to camp. If you want to sign up with your kid, we will ask you to pay a little extra to cover their food cost.

This hide camp takes place in Mancos, Colorado on a large tract raw land a mile or so from town, surrounded by public land. You are welcome to camp on the land for the duration of the class. This class will be in a rustic setting with limited amenities. There is cell service, and we will have a compost toilet set up. Be prepared to camp during fall weather and cook your other meals during the class. 

We will provide one hearty dinner every evening from local meat and vegetables.  More details about the location and class logistics will be provided upon sign up. Let us know your diet preferences through the form  when you pay for the class. This is a four day class, it is more financial and time commitment but it will allow us to have a more relaxed and body-aware tanning process.

We start at 9 AM the first morning and end the evening of the last day depending on our smoking schedule. Prepare to potentially be in class until 5 pm the last day, if you have a longer commute to the site. 

Limited number of spots available.

Taught by Kelly Moody and Leah Muller 

Payment plans are also available through Klarna, shown when you check out. For some reason some folks have trouble accessing Klarna through a mobile device signing up, if you do not see it as an option when you go to pay, sign up on your computer.  

payments are not refundable if canceling 10 days before class time. I know it is tricky with last minute things going awry, but in the past giving refunds right before class starts puts us in a pickle because of the financial overhead of prepping for the class, buying food, etc. that cannot be undone. 

We have 1-2 scholarship spots available at half off with the other half some sort of trade we can discuss. Email kelly@ofsedgeandsalt.com to inquire. First come first serve for scholarship spots. We cannot hold a scholarship spot without your deposit. When we confirm with you, we will send you a discount code to use when you check out to discount your tuition spot.