Come out for a for an extended weekend of immersion into the art of fat and smoke buckskin hide tanning. Hosted on private land in the heart of Unaweep Canyon in Western Colorado 40 minutes from the town of Grand Junction, Colorado, we will take raw deer skins and transform them into soft buckskin material. Buckskin was commonly worn worldwide before widespread weaving became available. 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 and 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, and how to take the next steps in making garments or bags out of your skin. You will leave with skills to do the process on your own directly from wild or domestic animals. 

This hide camp takes place on a private homestead in Unaweep Canyon with access to fresh well water, epic views, evening fires, free camping on site.

We will provide one hearty dinner every evening from local meat and vegetables, hot beverages morning-evening and simple breakfasts. More details about the location and class logistics will be provided upon sign up.

We start at 9:30 AM the first morning and end after dinner on the last evening.

In the event of cold weather, we will have fires and shelter set up to protect us from the elements.

Limited number of spots available.

Taught by Kelly Moody

payment options: an initial deposit of $375 is required to hold your space in the class and is not refundable. May a deposit or pay in full $575 or $675, your choice. If you choose to do an initial deposit, the remainder (shown in checkout) must be paid two weeks before class begins.

Payment plans are also available through Klarna, shown when you check out.

payments are not refundable.