He who ask a question is way out in front of someone that doesn't even know/or care what to ask.
He who ask a question is way out in front of someone that doesn't even know/or care what to ask.
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
The thing that I find helpful is to pick up items I find along the way rather than wait until I'm in the area I want to camp and then be limited by only what is around me. For example, if mosquitos are bad then I might pick up a few pine cones as I walk along. When I make camp I can toss them in the fine to keep the skeeters at bay. There might not be any pine cones in the area I camp or I might waste time looking for them if I haven't picked them up before hand.
You can do the same thing with your fire set. As you walk along look for those items you think will work for you and harvest them ahead of camp. Even if you were on an elk hunt you could do the same thing if you get yourself into that mind set. It only takes a second or two to pick up a piece of wood that you think will make a good firebow or spindle. If you wait until time for camp you may waste 20 minutes or more looking for that same quality of wood and never find it.
Mother nature provides you the materials. She puts them where they are convenient for her...not for us. You have to take advantage of items when and where you find them. Try that and see if it helps.
Otherwise, I think you made a good post and I think challenging yourself now is a good thing rather than waiting until you need it. Most of us found ourselves challenged then tried to figure out how to cope. That's the wrong way to do it. You usually wind up cold, thirsty and hungry.
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
I have a simple excersise for you to think about in your spare time I think you'll enjoy. What fisherman does not like thinking about fishing? Fish are cold blooded. How many ways can you use this fundamental knowledge to catch fish?
I am heading out to the creek today after work. I will honestly sit and think about that and let you know what I come up with.Originally Posted by Alaskan Survivalist
"Time spent fishing is not deducted from your life span". I have three coarses of block to throw and then I'll be spending my time thinking like a fish also.
My thursday drills are along these lines but not so much to push myself but to find practical limitations of my ideas. I know to reach my full potential I need to be driven and survival situations tend to do that. It does make wonder if people that have great drive and determination could not be pushed farther if the consequenses of failure were worse. Wouldn't even someone with the dedication of a world record Olympic runner run faster if a bear was chasing him?
I would have to agree. Unfortunately, there are involuntary reflexes that we simply can't control voluntarily. That rush of adrenalin does amazing things to the human body. In essence I think that's what athlete doping attempts to do. To tap that reservoir of ability/strength that lies beyond what we can otherwise call upon.
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
Just as a desperate situation can cause an individual to perform beyond their normal capabilities, so too can that situation cause an otherwise high performer to "freeze" and fail miserably.
one of my " things to do " this summer is practicing the art of being a statue
i like to practice within 10 feet from a rabbit run
other than that, i just sit there and enjoy whatever nature shows me
lately i've been using a small hand mirror to investigate any noises behind me
seems easier than turning around
be one with nature . . .
.
Knowledge without experience is just information
there are two types of wild food enthusiasts,
one picks for enjoyment of adding something to a meal,
and the second is the person who lives mostly on ( wild ) edibles
Lydia
Mr. Flatlander you need to get more specific. Search for what you want to learn. The way I read your post is what do I do in the woods. Well I pack a lunch, load my Single Six with mag shot and drop a couple of extra mags in the fender bag on the ATV. I go during the week, ride about 30 miles out in the middle of nowhere, maybe fish in the lake or just take a nap. I have what I need for a few days, carry a GPS set to where I always park the Jeep, let the wife know where I am, know where I can get a cell signal and take it real easy, don't want to wreck when alone. I've been around long enough that I take a lot of knowledge for granted and unless asked I normally don't kick into "survival" mode, just relax from the rat race.
Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old
to fight... he'll just kill you.
That's pretty much what I do, besides try to identify plants. I can make a whole day of just sitting and looking.
Well, I think I have some bad news for myself. At first the questioned seemed to be fairly easy, but by the days end I was wondering if I knew anything about fish.
Despite how embarrassing this is to post I decide to keep it genuine and not do any other research other than what I could think of. So here it is.
1. Since fish are cold blooded they need the outside environment to regulate their body temperatures. So if you find fish in a certain part of the water in a certain part of the day you could somewhat guess what temperature they like.
2. With the same concept as mentioned above: If it's very hot out, look for fish in the cooler shaded water. If it is cold out, look for fish warming in sunny areas.
3. Fish will be more aggressive in warmer water because their bodies will be more functional. So you could use a more aggressive approach to fishing like using homemade lures.
4. Fish will be more sluggish in colder waters so you'll have to be more cautious and diligent when trying to hook one.
Well, there it is, as sorry as it maybe. I tried to think of my favorite fishing spots and think of why there are fish there but it didn't help much. Can't say I have every tried thinking of fishing in these terms before.
Last edited by flatlander88; 06-16-2011 at 01:24 PM.
Flatlander, That's good. The idea was to just look at things from another angle and use reason. Each body of water will have its own thermal uniqueness. I don't want to turn this into a fishing thread but here we have glaciers that will drain into the sea in a murky line hugging the shore. Fish will hug that line to regulate thier temperature. Halibut are ambush hunters and will lay in the colder murky Glacier water waiting for prey. This is just one more example of the countless ways to look at this. You've thought on it one day, you'll have many other things occur to you over the years.
I've never had any training and this thinking is what works for me but should a person combine thinking and education they would do even better.
That's a pretty good observation. I have no answer for the humid weather wood other than trying to split open a log and get the drier stuff that's inside, but IME this doesn't work unless the wood is actually soaked from rain and you are using it for a standard fire, not a bow drill. Branches that have wind exposure or sun exposure might be less humid.
This guy has a unique method for finding dry wood for the friction fire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0LPTzWI5N4
I just want to say Thanks again everyone, esp. Alaskan Survivalist.
I appreciate all the help but I don't expect anyone to hold my hand and babysit me though the process. I have much to think about now. I will continue to ask questions, continue to take classes, but most importantly I will view my surroundings differently.
Feel free to make any additional comments. If not, that's cool I'll still be in touch.
Thanks
Flatlander
Hey Thanks, I wasn't sure if you seen my question.
The success I found was in construction details that he focused on in video. I did the same in a post I can't seem to find and I'm not going to type it all over but I still have the pictures. With this construction it has worked with every kind of wood I've tried as long as it was dry.
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Do you remember post?
Last edited by Alaskan Survivalist; 06-16-2011 at 06:33 PM.
Depends on what skill you're talking about.
Skills that I have mastered, there are few of them, I try to challenge myself on. skills I'm still developing I try to make it as easy as I can to gain success to develop confidence.
Wherefore, let us be thankful that there are still thousands of cool, green nooks beside crystal springs, where the weary soul may hide for a time, away from debts, duns and deviltries, and a while commune with nature in her undress. ~ George W. “Nessmuk” Sears ~
To be completely honest - when I'm out in the woods it is for the pure enjoyment of it. Everything I carry has already been tested. My skills are what they are. I do not go out into the woods to practice anything - just enjoyment and a little exercise.
1+
Rodger that.......
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
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