Natural objects that can aid survival situations?

[wilder]

What are some natural objects/items that can be found in the wild, and what can they be used for? List as many as you can.

Some examples,
Sap -glue
Feather, -fletching
Coconut, -cup/bowl

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.......
There is an intro section if you would care to say Hello at:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?14-Introductions

Lots of things are area specific....No coconuts in Wisconsin.

[kyratshooter]

A rock= something to sit on
A rock= something to use for a hammer
A rock= something to break into a cutting edge
A rock= something to make a circle around the fire
A rock= something to throw at sasquatch
A rock= something for sasquatch to throw at you
A rock= makings for stone soup
A rock= something to build a house with

How far do we go with this?

And don't get me started on trees.

[finallyME]

KYRS, now we have to start listing for sticks.

Stick = spear
Stick = arrow
Stick = bow
Stick = staff
Stick = splint
Stick = pack frame
Stick = roaster spit
Stick = tent frame
Stick = practice sword
Stick = shelter frame
Stick = fire material
Stick = hole digger
Stick = fishing pole
Stick = knife handle
Stick = axe handle
Stick = paddle
Stick = canoe frame
Stick = cane/crutches


The best toys for kids...... rocks and sticks. Just sayin..

Of course, like Hunter said.... I have been to places with no sticks....

[hunter63]

OMG....No Sticks?....What did you do.....Must have been terrible.

[Lamewolf]

Wood - fire, tools
Bone - tools
Skins - clothing
Plant fiber - rope, fire starting
Clay - pots/containers
Water - speaks for itself
More water - ditto
Stone - tools, projectile points
Sand - water filters
Did I mention water ?

[LowKey]

Water + powdered eggs = breakfast
Water + instant oatmeal = more breakfast
Water + coffee = a much better breakfast
All of the above plus a can of Yoders bacon = the best breakfast.

[wilder]

Thanks for the welcoming hunter69 :) for some reason my phone doesn't want to quote.

[wilder]

Anyone have any serious replies? This is for a free wilderness survival game in development that's still on paper.

[hunter63]

Anyone have any serious replies? This is for a free wilderness survival game in development that's still on paper.

I kinda guess it was something like that....get a few post like yours every once in a while.....
But you should know they most all here do take survival seriously, and it's not a game.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?10936-How-Surival-Turns-Deadly-It-s-Not-a-Game

Actually most all post were pretty much on the mark if you take them at face value.......abet a tad silly......but then again, the question was very short, curt and really didn't get into much detail......
You don't pick your survival scenario....that would be a planned activity.......I happens to you.
Hunter63

[kyratshooter]

With this bunch one of the things you never do is post the first half of a knock-knock joke, it will go on forever.

Besides, like Hunter says, the answers are all accurate, you just don't like them.

Many of us are where we are with a skill set today because we were poor kids that only had a stick, clump of tangled kite string and a pocket knife to keep us entertained.

Now we have a 60 year collection of pocket knives, a garage full of power tools, a 500 foot roll of 550 cord and absolutely zero supervision.

[natertot]

Words well spoken Kyrat.

As mentioned, you don't get to pick your situation and what is available to you. IMHO, adaptability is the number one thing that will help you out.

[wilder]

That's what's sad about it.

[crashdive123]

Anyone have any serious replies? This is for a free wilderness survival game in development that's still on paper.

While it may be "convenient" to have all of the answers you desire in one location, all of the answers you seek are in the multitude of threads on this forum. Some of them are even stickies to make it easier for you to find. As has been said - we often get these sort of request so that "research" is easy. Sometime something worth doing is something worth working for.

[natertot]

That's what's sad about it.

What's sad about what?

[finallyME]

When I was a kid, my dad bought a big huge ball of twine. We would go off into the undeveloped areas of the suburb and make things with sticks, rocks and twine. In the wilderness, you have rocks and you have plants. The majority of what our ancestors did, and what present day aboriginal societies still do is make 99% of their stuff from rocks and plants. The other 1% is from animals. And, actually, 99% of the stuff we make now is from rocks and plants, computers being one of those things.

[kyratshooter]

I fear Wilder is upset with us because we are not taking him seriously. After all, he is creating a GAME and that is serious work.

One of the things I keep in the shed, alongside the fertilizer, barbed wire and garden tools is a big roll of twine that is used in the old style hay bailers.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/koch-industries-sisal-twine-1-ply-x-2250-ft-tube?cm_vc=-10005

There is a whole half mile of it and I use it for a multitude of things from emergency repairs to tying tomato plants to the stakes.

That is also a hold over from my misspent youth when I would raid my uncles dairy barn loft for the cut twine from the hay bales. He would hang it on the rafters and save it for me. We would twist it and braid it into larger ropes and make monkey bridges and other nonsense.

It is a natural material, although not in its natural state, but it did teach me to make rope/cordage and the hours it took to make a 300 foot rope from it probably kept me out of reform school with idle minds being the devil's workshop and all that.

[Rick]

Dad was kind enough to let me whitewash trees and dig dandelions to keep me on the straight and narrow. Okay, a bit less curvy road than might otherwise have been had. Probably a zillion ants were whitewashed climbing up those trees.

[hunter63]

Grew up in a small town.....had woods, streams, lakes and a "mound" small mountain that sticks up in the middle of flat land...Glacier remains stuff. ....all in bicycle riding distance.

Rocks and sticks were always around,.... and I can't remember too many times that we played in the woods that a stick wasn't the first "pick up off the ground"....
Tool....walking stick, spear, sword, digging stick....something in your hand.

Rocks were most likely next......"arrow heads"....or a rock that kinda looked like one....skipping rocks, sling shot ammo, and just throwing stones.

Sap....if you ever tried to get that off your hands....yeah, maybe glue.....

Point is when you need something, you look around to see what "You Have" ...to do... "What you need to do"...at this time...with that.
Lists are good to give you ideas of what you may be able to use things for.....but if you have to bring it along....it's the same as packing gear.

Good luck on the "game"......

[LowKey]

When I was a senior in high school I used to play a computer game called Zork. You wandered around an Underground Empire picking up seemingly useless things that were never used for their purpose intended. For instance, if you ate the clove of garlic rather than carry it with you at just the right time, a giant bat would swoop down "Fweep fweep fweep" and carry you off too..... The Gas Room. Boom! You have died. Replay?

Did I mention it was a text adventure. No pictures, no movies. Just words and typing. Lots of typing.

[LowKey]

When I was a senior in high school I used to play a computer game called Zork. You wandered around an Underground Empire picking up seemingly useless things that were never used for their purpose intended. For instance, if you ate the clove of garlic rather than carry it with you at just the right time, a giant vampire bat would swoop down "Fweep fweep fweep" and carry you off too..... The Gas Room. Boom! You have died. Replay?

Did I mention it was a text adventure. No pictures, no movies. Just words and typing. Lots of typing.

[Mace]

Wood - fire, tools
Bone - tools
Skins - clothing
Plant fiber - rope, fire starting
Clay - pots/containers
Water - speaks for itself
More water - ditto
Stone - tools, projectile points
Sand - water filters
Did I mention water ?

and dont forget rocks as cooking surfaces :)
horseshoe type fungus especially on dead birch for carrying fire and tinder that takes an easy spark.
iron pyrites and flint among other things