How Do You Practice?

[crashdive123]

There have been a couple of posts that got me thinking about this. Do you practice any skills (fire starting, snaring, building a shelter) in extreme weather conditions. These skills, once learned become much more difficult to complete when you have the added influence of mother nature when you are already in a stressful situation.

[Rick]

No, I don't. I practice staying warm and dry. My son goes out in 0 F weather and snow but I don't enjoy being out there in the extremes.

[RobertRogers]

It's a whole different game when it is -25 F and the wind is blowing hard. Or a drenching 32 degree rain (perhaps the most dangerous weather of all).

[Beo]

I try go out all year round... but!!! Tend to stay in more when the weather is bad or really cold because its just not as fun for my son or the group I go with, problem is there's always one person complaining about the cold or wet and that brings everyone else down.

[Flavor Bear]

I've been caught in storms while camping (all of my "camping" is itself practice), but I haven't had the chance to practice skills in harsh winter weather, simply due to the fact that I can't afford cold-weather clothing that I would trust out there.

[dragonjimm]

i generally practice alone not having any friends who are willing to roam the woods with less than an rv.

i have and will again practice in inclement weather. not much snow but it gets cold here

i practice most things in the yard till i'm comfortable with it then i'll try it in the woods.

[wareagle69]

my favorite topic crash, i love terrible weather the worse the better for me, but one thing i have realized lately that living in the desert and mountains i had become spoiled the worst climate i have practiced in has been here with all the bugs, forget the heat and the cold have millons of skeeters and black flies and horse flies biting away at every orifice and then deal with the itching, i have been going out in the swamp with only my shorts on and practicing my skills then dealing with the bugs to me thats hard core or stupid not sure which

[Rick]

Just remember that there are some "tropical" diseases moving north that those little skeeters carry. Malaria, St. Louis encephalitis and West Nile to name a few. Human cases of West Nile have already been detected this year as far north as Illinois and Indiana.

I know that stuff isn't a problem up there....yet but I'd hate to see you become the first known case in Canada.:eek:

[crashdive123]

Keep in mind, you don't have to be in harsh conditions to prepare for them. Training, or practice IMO is much better to do in a controled environment. It would really be the pits to find out that reading about fire starting with a fire steel in wet conditions might be a bit harder than you thought if your life depended on it.

[trax]

I know that stuff isn't a problem up there....yet but I'd hate to see you become the first known case in Canada.:eek:

Been plenty of West Nile cases reported up here Rick.

Practice is.....I don't know, the things I do out in the bush I do in all different weather conditions. I just prefer being outdoors and in the bush. It makes being stuck in this office the rest of the time a little easier to take. So, I guess in a way I'm always practicing, long as I can get out there. If I ever figure I'm doing something perfectly, that's when I'm done practicing but I don't believe that day will ever come, I can always improve.

[dragonjimm]

thats the ideal.... finding out my tinder is not going to work in the backyard is better then finding out in in the woods in 15 degree weather and no way home

like wise my poncho shelter looked funny in the back yard but once in the woods
went up like a charm.
have been known to come home in the morning after a 12 hr shift and try building a fire......;)


anything added to the kit has been played with at work and at home and in the woods.

[Pict]

I don't ever cancel a trip due to weather and I try to get out in every season. Seriously, if you won't go out when its bad to practice then how do you think you'll fare when "bad" is the reason you're stuck out there?

You can practice lots of things at home but the bush is the only chance you get to put it all together and see how it all works as a whole. The one thing that always amazes me is how little time you have to get everything accomplished. The first day is always a rat race. Mac

[Sourdough]

Crash, I never practice survival stuff. I have never practiced survival stuff. I do not carry special survival stuff; I take what I need to do the project embarked on. All Alaska Aircraft have survival gear aboard however.

Note: I always carry a firearm, but do not look at it as a survival tool, however I guess it is, for me it is as essential as boots, and a western hat...:rolleyes:

[crashdive123]

Crash, I never practice survival stuff. I have never practiced survival stuff. I do not carry special survival stuff; I take what I need to do the project embarked on. All Alaska Aircraft have survival gear aboard however.

Sorry, I'm not buying it. Here's what I mean. You didn't just magically become a Big Game Guide one day that had never been out with a rifle. You practiced. Sure, it may not have seemed that way if you grew up learning those skills from a mentor. You didn't hop into an airplane one day and become a bush pilot (well I may be wrong on that - I do remember your pre-flight check list). I think that all of us that are proficient at something practiced to get to that point.

[klkak]

Same here Hopeak. I take what I need depending on the season and the conditions. As I have said in other threads. I Trap PWS all winter. Finding dry stuff to build a fire with in PWS is difficult to say the least. I was successful at it many times this past winter. The two skills I am most concerned about for surviving here in Alaska is; Building a fire and Treating injuries. I practice the fire building every chance I get and in every condition. I also keep my WMI, Wilderness First Responders certification. up to date. Caring for myself is a non-issue. Caring for someone else is when things start getting difficult.

[Sourdough]

I don't practice like, Wareagle will practice this weekend; I think it is great that he is driven to be all he can be.

If I am going to go for an overnighter, I take only what I'll need. If going for two weeks I take what I need for two weeks. If on a day hike I take my earplugs, and a firearm, and folding knife. I don't carry flint and steel, or 550 parachute cord, or stuff just for survival.

For the last week I have been packing top soil up the mountain in a large back pack. Every day I back a load of soil up the mountain and only take earplugs, knife, firearm. I am going to mix the topsoil with my Mothers ashes, and plant flowers in the mix. There is no soil up there, just rock and moss.
I will quit packing on June 21'st the soltice, when I'll say good'bye.

Some would say this type packing is good practice. But to me it is just day to day being alive. I do practice building a fire in the woodstove every morning, but I use matches, and paper.

The survival thing that scares me is bee's. Some years we have lots of bee's, and if I bump a unseen nest, It is bad. And I fear many stings.

[crashdive123]

Did you say bees? Here’s some I ran into last week. The nest was about 30 feet up, with about 15,000 bees in it.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/RyeCt4333005.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/RyeCt4333009.jpg

[Sourdough]

Crash, I guess that is why you get the big bucks, I would rather dig a wounded grizzly out of an alder thicket.

[FVR]

Count me in, what others see a terrible weather, I see as fun and challenging. Just can't justify going into the woods on nice days, but when it's cold, wet, wind blowing, and all out nasty.

I'm there.

You may see me, I will be the loner sitting around a little fire waiting for his tea to get done. No matter the bad weather, hot cup of tea, jerky, and a few nuts...................man, can't wait till winter.

[Sourdough]

H*LL, FVR I am still waiting for summer....Sunday morning 32* above, this morning 37* above. Is there is anything I can do to help global warming......?

[klkak]

I've thought about this all day. I have come to the conclusion that what I do is not survival, survival training or anything else survival. It is just every day life for me. When I grab my gear for the days tour, its just what I need. Half way through the day we stop for lunch. I build a fire, whether its rain or shine it don't matter. If its raining I put up a rain fly so we have some cover to eat our lunch under. If an ATV breaks I fix it or tow it back. If someone gets hurt I patch them up or call for a chopper with the SAT phone. I accept it as part of living up here.

[crashdive123]

H*LL, FVR I am still waiting for summer....Sunday morning 32* above, this morning 37* above. Is there is anything I can do to help global warming......?

Eat more beans.

[Pict]

It is just every day life for me.

Yes, but you know what you need to take for that day and lots of those days have gone bad in some way. I'll hazard a guess that if you break down the stuff you feel you need to take into: Shelter, Fire, Water, Signals, Navigation, Medical, and Food, you would have your bases covered. If you do break it down like that and see that you have nothing to deal with one of those problems I'd say you are letting yourself get lulled into a false sense of security. That's the danger of overconfidence, familarity breeds contempt.

My dad was an avid deer hunter. One day in Wisconsin he headed off alone into the forest and took what he needed, for the hunt. All went well for about two hours and then he managed to snap the top of his shin off. He tried signalling with his rifle but rifle shots in the Wisconsin deer season don't draw too much attention. He yelled until hoarse, no luck with that either. He used his hunting knife to make himself a crutch, that was an exercise in torture. Finally he shoved his rifle barrel into his boot and laced it up tight and used his drag rope and sling to tie it off to his thigh. He then scooted backwards for a few miles until he ran across another hunter.

Carry a whistle. You might not need it on a normal day but on the broken leg days they come in handy. Mac

[Rick]

I guess I'm the odd duck out. My purpose is just different than everyone else and I just don't have the desire to make myself uncomfortable. My primary role is to pass my skills on to my son and to my grandkids once they are old enough.

My son and I are going out this week-end. Yeah, there's a 30% chance of thunderstorms and I might get wet but that's not the same as knowing it's going to rain all week-end or be below 0 F.

I have an agenda to share with him while in camp. Things that I want to pass along. And yeah, I probably will carry way more than I need. If I need to use it all, I'm heading back to the truck!

[Beo]

I'm with Rick and Crash on a couple of points, I am here (this world and this forum) to learn what I can and pass it on to my son so he becomes skilled at it and one day he will pass it on. I practice all my skills over and over and they are survival skills.
Now none of you Alaska folks can tell me you do not do survival or practice your skills I do not believe that. You may have learned it growing up as a part of life, you may have learned it reading a book, you may have moved to alaska and tried it or someone told you but it was taught to you somewhere, from someone or something because survival skills do not just magically pop into your head. You didn't, as Crash said, just wake up and open up a guide service, you had to plan it out and you know survival skills just in case... by some fluke of nature... act of God... or just a plain streak of bad luck some crap happens and you're stuck in the grizzly wilds of Alaska. You have packed emergency stuff and do have those survival skills, they may have been learned naturally as a kid growing up and have become a part of you (which is great) but you learned them somewhere.

[Rick]

I think you folks in Alaska are just "keeping the saw sharp".

[BraggSurvivor]

I guess I'm the odd duck out. My purpose is just different than everyone else and I just don't have the desire to make myself uncomfortable. My primary role is to pass my skills on to my son and to my grandkids once they are old enough.

My son and I are going out this week-end. Yeah, there's a 30% chance of thunderstorms and I might get wet but that's not the same as knowing it's going to rain all week-end or be below 0 F.

I have an agenda to share with him while in camp. Things that I want to pass along. And yeah, I probably will carry way more than I need. If I need to use it all, I'm heading back to the truck!

We don't agree on much but I'm with you on this one. I know I could do it, why practice when most of it is like riding a bike anyways. Going without meat and sleeping out in the wet and cold isn't my bag anymore.

I'll snuggle up against mommas warm bum at night while the rest of you sleep in the dirt and shiver. ;)

[klkak]

I guess what I was trying to say is that I don't go out and practice making a shelter, making a fire or trapping rabbits. etc. Yes at some point I did learn how to do those things. I reckon you could say that every time I do one of these things I am practicing it. But I don't look at it in the sense of the question. I don't go into the bush when its raining just to practice building a fire.

[trax]

I just don't have the desire to make myself uncomfortable.

That's kind of part of my point Rick, I don't find anything about living out in the bush uncomfortable, or I probably wouldn't go.

[Sunshine]

There have been a couple of posts that got me thinking about this. Do you practice any skills (fire starting, snaring, building a shelter) in extreme weather conditions. These skills, once learned become much more difficult to complete when you have the added influence of mother nature when you are already in a stressful situation.

I'm just learning how to do those things in perfect conditions! LOL!

I do need to learn how to do them in extreme conditions, though. We all should. Not only to learn the skills, but to teach ourselves patience and discipline and how to remain calm in a stressful situation. If we can acquire the skills, then our confidence in ourselves will be high and we'll have a better chance of surviving.

[wildWoman]

I guess I get to practice stuff every day...every walk is a bushwhack in the wilderness, playing it safe has become ingrained, my heart rate goes up faster when I see a boat with people than when I see a bear...it's not really anything "special" in a way anymore. I get a lot more stressed about the impending town trip where I will have to unearth my withered away social skills and where instead of keeping all senses open all the time I will have to re-learn how to block out most of the stuff. Living in the bush warps you after a while.

[wareagle69]

That's kind of part of my point Rick, I don't find anything about living out in the bush uncomfortable, or I probably wouldn't go.

exactly trax my point in another thread about freind or foe make the bush your friend and you will not be uncomfortable...

[Rick]

Yeah, okay. I spent over a decade working outside in every condition imaginable. I've worked in weather so cold we had to use a torch to heat the hydraulics on the bucket truck because it would get stuck in one position. My arms were numb to the elbow. It's not worse than anyone else it's just that I've done too much of that stuff. The rest of my life will be spent enjoying it. Rain, snow and cold aren't enjoyable. Sorry.

Let me give you a preview, WE, if we hit the woods together. I'm cold. It's raining. Are we there yet? I'm hungry. I think a bug bit me. Do spiders have six legs or eight? My feet hurt. Do they have bears around here? Can you slow down? Which direction is North? Can we get a cell signal here? Are you listening? What was that?! .... Hey! War Eagle! Where'd you go? Where are you?

[wareagle69]

dude i'm going to use you to pick stocks cuz you sure can tell the future..

[Rokas]

like most of the people I train survival skills in calm, non-extreme weather conditions or environments, because it is better to practice your skills thoroughly and trying to make them work for you as good as it's possible.. then you'll learn more than in extreme situation when you're cold, wet, frustrated or in another moods which doesn't let you pay attention on your training... Of course this is just my opinion...

[Ole WV Coot]

I don't practice anything. I just stay prepared. House-check, car-check, truck-check, ATV-check, boat-check. OK nothing has moved except a small Beretta that escaped. I just knew I should have practiced remembering.

[Rick]

I've got it figured out, Coot. Your house is infested with Borrowers. See if Crash has a spray for them. I don't trust them scurrying around. I sure wouldn't trust them if they are armed.

http://videodetective.com/photos/035/000150_25.jpg

[Ole WV Coot]

Yeah, okay. I spent over a decade working outside in every condition imaginable. I've worked in weather so cold we had to use a torch to heat the hydraulics on the bucket truck because it would get stuck in one position. My arms were numb to the elbow. It's not worse than anyone else it's just that I've done too much of that stuff. The rest of my life will be spent enjoying it. Rain, snow and cold aren't enjoyable. Sorry.

Let me give you a preview, WE, if we hit the woods together. I'm cold. It's raining. Are we there yet? I'm hungry. I think a bug bit me. Do spiders have six legs or eight? My feet hurt. Do they have bears around here? Can you slow down? Which direction is North? Can we get a cell signal here? Are you listening? What was that?! .... Hey! War Eagle! Where'd you go? Where are you?

I heard that tune for 32years. I worked outside when men were men and the "others" stayed in the truck. The bucket trucks were for the old and infirm, the men put on hooks, beat the ice off the poles and climbed, belted in for a shift without coming down, got our lunch sent up on a running hand line. Sure glad I retired I couldn't take the shame:eek:

[owl_girl]

I spend most of my time outsid in summer and have some practice put into surviving in the warmer months but have verry little practice in harsher winter weather. I need more practice all the way around really but I do enjoy it I do get out there but I do need to push myself harder. This summer I spent most of my nights outside and the main thing I learnd I need to practice on is planning better and being more prepared, organized and keeping better track of gear and keeping them cleaner. I still have a lot to work on with friction fire, wild eddibles and winter survival.

[Beo]

I stay in the woods as much as possible, do winter treks (about 5 or 6 a winter) and practice practice practice the skills I feel I am lacking in. My worst skill would be plant ident. but I am working on that a wee lil bit, just kinda boring to me but I really do need to work on it. If the weather is really bad and you can't go into the woods or mountains or desert or wherever, do it in your back yard, seriously, dig a fire pit and practice your fire starting, even in the rain so you can figure out how to do it. Once the fire is going try different teas and cooking, pitch your tent and sent up your camp. I spent an entire weekend with my son packing and repacking our gear to come up with the litest load for each of us. Sharpened our knives the old way with stone and leather, knapp some flint, whittle some sticks, make cordage from grass and vines, do leather projects, work on your traps and dead falls (catching the neighbors cat in a deadfall is sooooo frig'n fun). Just practice.