What should I focus on first year?

Hey all, I'm new to Bushcraft but I have lots of camping experience and currently live in Michigan. I can make fires in dry conditions, and whatever else I need to do in a modern to rustic setting. I also have some boy scout training and can build a shelter out of whatever I find in the woods, however I have not practiced much. I'm in the process of collecting the equipment I need to do overnights this spring. In the meantime I was wondering as a rookie, what are the things I need to practice in my first year? I do not want to overwhelm myself and focus on too many things.

Fire. Fire for cooking. Fire for heat. Fire for BS'n around the fire. Fire in the wet with onsite material.
Cooking over an open fire.

That should take you through the first year and beyond.

Practice everything. Especially fires. You can't practice too much.

Thank you that helps alot

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by madmax

Fire. Fire for cooking. Fire for heat. Fire for BS'n around the fire. Fire in the wet with onsite material.
Cooking over an open fire.

That should take you through the first year and beyond.

---

This is very true, fire-craft is the number one skill, and I am not just talking about getting a flame in some strange and unusual way. It does not matter if you make it with lighter, matches, ferro-rod or sparks off an atomic bomb.

I am speaking of laying and managing the fire, like Max is referring to.

Fire is the source of humanity. Not just survival, but the culture of early man was developed around the fire. Not only did it provide safety and cook the food it was the place where you gathered and the legends were passed on along with the memories of the tribe.

By the "rule of three" you have 3 minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food.

In some cases fire can replace a shelter if it has too, it will boil your water and make it safe, and it will cook your food to make it safe and digestible (which takes less energy to turn into fuel for the body).

If you are ever really caught in a wilderness survival situation, and it becomes apparent that you are not going home today and possibly not tomorrow, your first move is to find a safe campsite and gather about three times more firewood than you think you will need. If you have no shelter, no blankets, no water and no food you can still sit by that fire all night and be alive come morning.

Many of us old timers will have a fire pit in the back yard, not for cooking or practicing anything, just for sitting around as dark closes in and staring at the flames.

I started solo camping when I was about 12. I had a pup tent, a canteen of water, a flashlight, a couple of cans of vienna sausage, assorted cutlery, and a blanket to sleep under or on. Fire was something we had to do on the sly since 12 year old boys can be trusted with a 22 rifle but not matches.

The matches thing got even worse after one of my friends took a candle into his tent, set it on fire and it melted on him. He survived but it was NOT good. If he's still kickin he's still got those scars.

When I went off to college I'd go camping with my girlfriend with even less equipment than when I was 12. Many a night was spent with only a couple of sleeping bags. Sometimes sleeping bags were optional...............

Now days my camping trips are a bit more involved. I don't stray too far from the truck. Electricity plays a major part in the proceedings and while the food has improved, the entertainment has diminished drastically since my college days....


Alan

Oh, yeah...

My list in order of importance.

1. warm/cool (depending on your area and time of year), dry, tent that is easy to put up and take down.
2. Food and fire tie for second.
3. Whatever tools are needed to make/prepare food and fire. A fire is not necessary and neither is food but they sure add to the ambiance.
4. A gun. Always carry a gun, and know how to use it.
5. leave a flight plan with a person who doesn't know if they are in your will or not but thinks there's a chance.

Alan

you need fire and water and food :D camping equipements and all the necessary tools and a gun or a spray for safety !

Is owning a gun legal in Istanbul, Andy?

Practice picking out good, safe camp sites. Practice your land navigation skills, including using a paper map and a compass. Practice making simple menus for backpacking. Practice making a whole meal with only the tools you have in your pack at home. Practice using your water purification systems...a lot...frequently. I did not mention practice building a fire since you already figured out we think that is a very important skill. What makes a safe camp site? What makes a good camp site? Do you know your water purification system well enough to use it in the dark? How long does it take you to "make" a clean safe gallon of water with your system? Do you treat your water or just filter it? But above all ....get out and go camping...you will figure it out. Each time you will come back and change your kit a little based on what you learned. So go..get out there. Come back and tell us what you have learned.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick

Is owning a gun legal in Istanbul, Andy?

---

i don't know i just came to istanbul but in my country you can have it even if it's not legal

Well andy213, not only can we tell where you are posting from, but we can read the edits you made to your posts.

I must say that I got a good laugh when I saw that you came back and edited your post to spam the site and then when Rick asked the question that he did you went back and changed it back to the original.

Oh, and your other post that you spammed the site with and tried to cover it up by matching the font to the background color has been deleted.

Nice try, but buh bye.

Andy, Andy, Andy. Just dumb. Today's forecast....Cloudy with a chance of ban hammer!

I feel that just getting out into the woods is the most important. We all tend to develop our own style. When I first got to Alaska I got a job as a forest fire fighter. We used military surplus mummy bags and a 6x6 piece of plastic. Used to stay out for weeks. Had a old garage sale tent for years but it finally rotted. Now I have a really cool cabin. But I still carry a piece of plastic in my backpack. My point being. I see n read about folks who have a kazillion bucks of gear but think the woods will eat them up at night. For me its only dark.
When you finally get to the point that you can walk around in the outdoors and not worry about getting lost or starving to death. And let yourself get into the grove the better you will be. Get an old tent a tarp or two, backpack to hold your gear. Get the used cheap gear because you’re going to replace it with what fits your style. Just get out though.
Good clothes helps the most for me. Lightweight water resistant layers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Profisher777

Hey all, I'm new to Bushcraft but I have lots of camping experience and currently live in Michigan. I can make fires in dry conditions, and whatever else I need to do in a modern to rustic setting. I also have some boy scout training and can build a shelter out of whatever I find in the woods, however I have not practiced much. I'm in the process of collecting the equipment I need to do overnights this spring. In the meantime I was wondering as a rookie, what are the things I need to practice in my first year? I do not want to overwhelm myself and focus on too many things.

---

It all depends on where do you want to make camping. You have to focus on general things that are universal for every camping: fire, food cooking, tent pitching and in the process already on another row of things.