How young were you when you started learning wilderness survival?

[oldtrap59]

I have to say that my training started long before I heard of survivial. As a matter of fact I really didn't know at the time I was even in training. To me it was just fun. Thanks Dad.

Oldtrap

[Rick]

at the age of 9, at a local "resale" shop I picked up cast-off Boy Scout Uniforms and old manuals.

Man! That brought a tear to my eye. Now I have this vision of you sitting in the back yard in your tattered old Boy Scout Uniform, an old John Deere cap and a flour sack tied around your neck. You're out there reading out loud to yourself and saluting dogs with the wrong fingers. I'll bet all you had for awards were thumb tacks. I did that when I was 12 with a French Maid's uniform but that's for a different post.

[hunter63]

I have to say that my training started long before I heard of survivial. As a matter of fact I really didn't know at the time I was even in training. To me it was just fun. Thanks Dad.

Oldtrap

Rodger that,..... Dad, Uncle Bruno, (chewing tobacco works on fishing lures...I think?) and all the "big boys" in the neighborhood, that let us hang out with them, friends older brothers, the scout leaders.....and don't forget Davey Crockett on TV......and Mom for putting up with all the nonsense....From all of us.

[randyt]

did the hong come from french maids uniform? was that your start?

[crashdive123]

Whoa! TMI!!!!

[Sarge47]

Man! That brought a tear to my eye. Now I have this vision of you sitting in the back yard in your tattered old Boy Scout Uniform, an old John Deere cap and a flour sack tied around your neck. You're out there reading out loud to yourself and saluting dogs with the wrong fingers. I'll bet all you had for awards were thumb tacks. I did that when I was 12 with a French Maid's uniform but that's for a different post. [/COLOR]

You saw that?

[Wildthang]

Yeah I can see it now, Rick and his dad out in the woods, Rick with no front teeth, and his dad looking at him proudly. Then his dad said, now Rick, here is the most important thing you can own in life, a t hong! Well Rick, not having front teeth said, but dad, what is a sssth ssssth ssssth hong? So his dad explained how when he wore it, women would find him resistable, animals would fear him, and it makes a good slingshot to boot.
And that is how it all got started

[Sarge47]

Yeah I can see it now, Rick and his dad out in the woods, Rick with no front teeth, and his dad looking at him proudly. Then his dad said, now Rick, here is the most important thing you can own in life, a t hong! Well Rick, not having front teeth said, but dad, what is a sssth ssssth ssssth hong? So his dad explained how when he wore it, women would find him resistable, animals would fear him, and it makes a good slingshot to boot.
And that is how it all got started

(Cue "Dueling Banjos)

[hunter63]

Yeah I can see it now, Rick and his dad out in the woods, Rick with no front teeth, and his dad looking at him proudly. Then his dad said, now Rick, here is the most important thing you can own in life, a t hong! Well Rick, not having front teeth said, but dad, what is a sssth ssssth ssssth hong? So his dad explained how when he wore it, women would find him resistable, animals would fear him, and it makes a good slingshot to boot.
And that is how it all got started

History reveled......

[Rick]

Oh so close. It actually went like this.

"Son, do you know what this is?" (displaying round can)
"Shinola."
"That's right. And do you know what that is?" (pointing down on ground)
CENSORED
"That's my boy. You'll do just fine."

[old2531]

made my first bow and sling shot at 9 got them shortly taken away (shot brothers with them ) wasnt given bb gun parents were worried of same result lol ---- tried the boy scouts was kicked out after 3 months for religious reasons hated scouts ever since in that three months id earned 25 badges--- so untill i went to military learned from father. when i was a kid the western was king every sat we would go mow the neighbors lawns then head off to the movies 50 cents till 6pm then the show changed to parents movies

[scumbucket]

I started when I was six, my father was a cattle rancher and I spent my time on the ranch. There I learned to build shelters to get out of inclememt weather. I also learned to cook outdoors on a spit, dutch ovens, etc.. I loved it and loved camping. I would stay at the ranch and camp with a friend, we'd shoot our food, cook it on a bed of coals etc.. The older I got the more I'd camp and live outdoors. After I left home and was married, living outdoors was my way to relax and forget the crap I dealt with at work, and the more I looked forward to the wilderness and my time there. I built shelters and cached food and primitive stoves in the forests and would go there to camp, or to hunt and camp. I also snowshoed into area's and camped in winter which was the most fun because of the solitude. At 64 I still love to do these things.

[rickyt]

i was 7 when i lernd how to make fire with flint and a magnified glass

[hunter63]

i was 7 when i lernd how to make fire with flint and a magnified glass

I am gonna assume you mean flint (the rock) and steel?.....or ferro rod and steel?....and a magnifying glass?

I played with matches till I got caught at that age....and was told I would wet the bead, if I did it again.......

[randyt]

I've mentioned it in other threads, my earliest memory is setting a number one longspring. I was probably four or five years old. I would set it and then trip it with a stick. My dad would show me how to adjust the dog and pan for tension. From there I spent most of my time running the woods.

[Jimin]

I learned a lot from camping with my dad when I was a youngin. I also picked up a few things in scouts.

[tsitenha]

I was about 4 when I drove my new tricycle through the front bay window, stayed away for the night in the bush before they caught up to me. My debris shelter left to be desired, started to apply from there on. They never caught me again, boy did I ever get it when I did come home.
I was allowed a lot of lee way to try new things that the adults would do, not always successful but kept on trying.
C'est le metier qui rentre...Its the learning that is going in, my father would say if I did something wrong or hurt myself in attempting something.

[Aurelius95]

This is funny. I did a few camping trips as a kid, with friends, at the state park. Nothing very 'survivalist', unless you consider a pop-up with electricity 'roughing it'. When I went through a divorce at age 30 and had no money to do anything fun with my son, we started camping. Most of the self-sufficiency I have practiced has been in the last 5 or 6 years (sitting pretty at age 40 right now).

[Old Professor]

Cub scouts and Boy Scouts and reading everything I could find about early explorers and trappers and trying out things I read about until I mastered them. Its a wonder I survived my childhood and that my parent stayed sane !

[Desert Rat!]

I got lost in a Avocado orchard when I was 3years old, it was after that.