Practicing survival

[Ryleyboy]

Any of you ever go out with ur daily things in ur pocket and practice this stuff as if you got lost in case it happens? i mean try to survive so if it comes you will have a jump on it? does this sound like a good idea or a waste of time? me and flandersander were thinking on doing something like it to see what it would take and how successful would could be out there if a situation ever does come around.

[nhCyclist]

Practice makes perfect, it let's you practice skills, identify errors in your strategy and test your tools. I went out yesterday and today, and made fire and shelter. Not a usual weekend activity, I just had the time and desire.

Beware of overconfidence though. Just because you have "practiced" doesn't mean that the real thing will be easy, or simpler. Read "into thin air", and you'll understand the dangers of overconfidence.

Further, the psychology of practicing is very different from the reality of actually surviving. Anyone who has truly spent a night, hungry, thirsty, alone, in the wilderness will admit it is a psychologically much different experience than practicing.

Key lessons from "practicing" that I try to keep in mind:
* Don't rush (it is easy to get rushing around and forget basic safety)
* Collect more wood than you think you'll need, way more.
* If you are confident in your ability to make fire, delay lighting it as long as possible. If you are still moving around making shelter, processing wood, etc. you will stay warm. Lighting a fire early will consume your precious fuel.
* Batoning wood with a folding pocket knife is slow.

[MCBushbaby]

Most times when people practice it's under ideal conditions. Chances are when you're lost the conditions won't be. So when you get the hang of some, say, lighting a fire, next practice it during a rainstorm.

[Nativedude]

Ryleyboy wrote: Practicing survival
Any of you ever go out with ur daily things in ur pocket and practice this stuff as if you got lost in case it happens? i mean try to survive so if it comes you will have a jump on it? does this sound like a good idea or a waste of time? me and flandersander were thinking on doing something like it to see what it would take and how successful would could be out there if a situation ever does come around.

I live, practice and apply what I teach on a daily basis. From hauling my water from the nearby river to chopping firewood 6 out of 7 days per week to hunting/trapping/fishing for my food to making my own clothing to tending my garden. . .etc.

Being on this site leads me to believe that you are an aficionado of the outdoors, more in particular, wilderness survival or primitive living? So yes, get out and practice your skills as much as possible and year-round. Spring, summer, fall & winter. Things in Mother Nature change as the seasons change, and your priorities are different in summer -v- winter. So you need to become familiar with each seasons set of challenges.

[Riverrat]

Yes...I practice as much as possible. This past weekend was very windy, went out snowshoeing with my wife and we practiced getting a small camp set up and a fire going. Had dinner by the campfire, remembered a couple of things that I had forgotten, and had a great time. This is the time to make mistakes, the time to learn, when the pressure of survival is not there, when you are able to head home if things don't work.

[chiye tanka]

[QUOTE=nhCyclist;92474]Practice makes perfect,


No, perfect practice, makes perfect. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
This is what I was taught, and it works. I'm not saying don't practice unless conditions are prime, just realize that practicing and the real thing are two totally different things. I'm far from an expert on any of this, to be so, I would have to live it 24/7. We have a few members here that do, and I doubt even they would say they were masters at survival. They are a he11 of a lot closer then me though.

Ok, who was suposed to stop me when I started ranting again???


I see I should have posted this on another thread!OOOOPPPSSS!!!!

[DOGMAN]

I don't really practice....I just live a lifestyle that puts me in situations alot that forces me to use skills that will keep me alive in "wilderness survival" situations.

But, if a person lives a life that is somwhat removed from the natural world, then I believe regular practice of the basics is essential.

[hoosierarcher]

I lived in the bush in a combination shallow cave/tarp shelter in a National Forest in South Central Indiana from mid August to early December. I took a lot of gear, so much that it took 3 trips back and forth to the car. I found the cave(there are a lot of them in southern Indiana) in 2006 while hunting. It's basically a deep(7-8 feet) bathtub sized hole in the side of a rock face about 2 feet off the ground. It may have been man made over 100 years ago. I don't know. Anyway the spot is a 3 hour walk from a small town with a strip mall with a grocery store, a donut shop, an auto mechanic/tire store and a chinese restaurant. There is a 24 gas station across the street. I would dumpter dive behind every store, restaurant and business for anything I might need and used the gas station bathroom to clean up every other day. I am not saying it was all fun an games. The weather was an issue a few times and I decided not to carry on the experiment through the Winter. What I basically proved was that I could handle being a homeless person given some amount of gear. I didn't do this as a minimalist type excursion. I took my bow and arrows and cooking pots and a big bag of salt. I took fishing(emergency) gear. I bought all the licenses I need to hunt and fish and I only hunted what was in season. I gather acorns, blanched them dried them and made a type of bannock with them often. But I ate a lot of food from the dumpsters(expiration dates are arbitary). I didn't eat bugs or worms but gathered them for fish bait. I was obese when I went in and I didn't come out much thinner(remember there was a donut shop dumpster LOL) but I did come out with an attitude that I never have to fear unemployment again. I did make some money selling some of the stuff I got out of dumpsters. If I had done it with a truck and 8 hours a day going far and wide dumpster diving I have no doubt I could make enough to keep the lights and heat on. I did have a friend check on me every few days. He never said things like, "you're looking thread bare" or "worn out" he said "everytime I come out here you look more relaxed and less worried and your laugh sure is less strained." The Woods can renew your spirit and living mean, down and dirty can be uplifting.

[Stairman]

Sounds interesting.One drawback I see is if while you were in town somebody heisted your gear.Then its game over.When your forced to survive because your lost that probably wouldnt happen but if your primitive camping it could and Im sure has happened.

[Ryleyboy]

Thanks for all of your input. I think we are going to do this in the summer first to get more expirence before we tackle it in the winter.

[Nativedude]

I did live 2 summers and 1 winter in a cave in the Wind River Range in WY. 17 miles from town, one way. It was a great experience.

Did it in preparation for moving to AK. It taught me a lot about myself, my capabilities (both mental & physical) and that I knew I was ready for the challenges I would face in the back-country of AK.

[klkak]

I don't really practice....I just live a lifestyle that puts me in situations alot that forces me to use skills that will keep me alive in "wilderness survival" situations.

But, if a person lives a life that is somwhat removed from the natural world, then I believe regular practice of the basics is essential.

I don't really practice either. Like you, my lifestyle puts me in the bush under adverse conditions throughout the year. If its time to build a fire, I build a fire. If I need a running line for the boat, I set one up. If I can't make it to line camp by dark with reasonable safety then I pitch camp where I'm at and wait till daylight. It's just part of spending so much time in the bush.

[Gray Wolf]

I don't really practice....I just live a lifestyle that puts me in situations alot that forces me to use skills that will keep me alive in "wilderness survival" situations.

But, if a person lives a life that is somwhat removed from the natural world, then I believe regular practice of the basics is essential.

I don't really practice either. Like you, my lifestyle puts me in the bush under adverse conditions throughout the year. If its time to build a fire, I build a fire. If I need a running line for the boat, I set one up. If I can't make it to line camp by dark with reasonable safety then I pitch camp where I'm at and wait till daylight. It's just part of spending so much time in the bush.

I don't really practice either, unless it's a new piece of equipment I'm trying out, or doing a review on. But please remember that we ( Jason, klkak, PGV, Nativedude, ZED, myself (and I think a few others) do this for a living. But as Jason said, if a person lives a life that is somewhat removed from the natural world, then I believe regular practice of the basics is essential.

[Sourdough]

After careful review of daily reports for the last 62+ years there is not one entry for "Practice Survival".

They all say "Todays mission" is STAY ALIVE/Get job done. Sub-paragraph "Don't do stupid stuff".

I have "NO" survival gear. Just tools to get the job done. I do not have a "survival" Ax/hatchet, but I have about 20 Ax/hatchet tools. I don't have "survival" food, I have food, period.

Maybe it is just the words one uses. Or, maybe it is how one looks at his life.

[klkak]

I don't really practice either, unless it's a new piece of equipment I'm trying out, or doing a review on. But please remember that we ( Jason, klkak, PGV, Nativedude, ZED, myself (and I think a few others) do this for a living. But as Jason said, if a person lives a life that is somewhat removed from the natural world, then I believe regular practice of the basics is essential.

I agree with you. If it is not part of your lifestyle then it is necessary to learn and perfect the skill before you might need to use it.

[SurvivorMan002]

I was also thinking of practicing building different shelters just to see what i am capable of and where i can improve. Learn to use what is available to me at whichever area i find myself in.

[trax]

Hey SM2, that's a good idea, also practice your tracking skills and see if you can find your way to the intro section and tell us a bit about yourself, nice to meet ya!

[flandersander]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Is that not what they teach military snipers? I agree though, its true to many aspects of life.

[hoosierarcher]

Stairman, my camp was well off the beaten trail AND well hidden. There are marijuana farms and outdoor meth labs hidden in National and State Forests here in Indiana. I was keeping out of their way and out of their sight as well. Although I did plan a raid on a meth lab I never went through with for fear fo causing a forest fire.

[SurvivorMan002]

Hey thanks Trax... i was never real good at using computers so it might take me alittle while to figure out how to set up my profiles and info.... but im workin on it haha