Survival myths and truths

[corndog-44]

With all of the survival information on the internet, in books, etc. how do you distinguish between survival myths and truths?

[wareagle69]

try it out in the saftey of where you can practice and still be able to walk in the house

[corndog-44]

Just do it and hope for the best don't cut it for me. Critical thought of the subject offers us a better means of distinguishing between myths and truths.

[corndog-44]

With all of the survival information on the internet, in books, etc. how do you distinguish between survival myths and truths?

To clarify my question; "Myth" is used here to include misconceptions, misunderstandings, and, mostly, half-truths.

[corndog-44]

Hope ?
Just do it ?

You must have picked up on some clumsiness on my part.
First off...hope is for suckers in my book.
Second...Not just do it, taste it, i know tasting is a weird concept for most people, but it actually involves a great deal of understanding the mechanics, the processes, the "truths" about the said subject.

Tasting is living, experiencing with the whole of the body, not just the intellect, still bound by the limitations of interpretation and personal history.

Your thoughts can be as critical, as sharp as you want, it does not mean you will be able to separate truth from myths...after all, myths are created by thoughts and ideas...and most truths are also born from the same cavity.

I understand the frustration, but the answer to this question can only form-in-side your eyes, supported by the direction of your choice...sort of.
A Buddhist, will not have the same truths nor myths than a Christian, a molecular scientist will not have the same truths nor myths than a pediatrician.

The difference rests upon the trail of our journey.
Which trail to choose is what you are asking here, and who am i to answer that for you ?

So you agree with my statement; "Critical thought of the subject offers us a better means of distinguishing between myths and truths."

[FVR]

So, let's hear some of these myths that you speak of.

[MCBushbaby]

Generally if something like a knot or fire starting technique turns out to be myth, you only waste some time. I'd certainly be more wary of myths concerning edible plants that you have to survive on. For example, I read the natives used a very small amount of water/poison (forget which) hemlock root to treat upset stomachs and some other things but I'm certainly not going to test that out since only a couple grams of the root sap will kill you. So that remains a myth

[Sarge47]

With all of the survival information on the internet, in books, etc. how do you distinguish between survival myths and truths?

There are "Survival Basics" that remain steadfast and true. Then comes those who can't bear the thought of "simple" things. They have to complicate it with a lot of other stuff such as, as you've described, info on the internet, in books, etc. The Boy Scouts of America solved this problem back in the early 1900's, yet we're still a host to many other "wanna-bes" & "posers" who, if they can't land a book deal show up at forums like this and try to impress us with their "psycho-babble" or some other nonsense that will, in all liklihood do very little in saving your life out in the woods. A good example would be of Bear Grylls demonstrating drinking his own urine directly from his bladder. That is a strict no-no! Here's the bottom line; if you're not sure, leave it be! Don't take any risks, you can't afford to. This was why the young man died out in Alaska. (Into the Wild) by Jon Krakauer.) Take care!

[woodwose]

With all of the survival information on the internet, in books, etc. how do you distinguish between survival myths and truths?

Lofty Wiseman and Tom Brown advise to learn the information and then go out and practice. I.E. Just because you know something in theory... doesn't mean that you know it in reality.

[FVR]

Actually Sarge, little Alexander Supertramp lasted a heck of a long time given his complete adventure.

He spent a year plus just meandering the backwoods and roads of the cont. US and down into Mexico. Many label him a looney, his way of thinking was just different. If he had not made the one drastic mistake of eating patato seeds, he might have just survived.

He was lacking in knowledge in some areas, but no more than most who would have chosen to be in his position.

Being on your own, you can take as many risks as you want. He had alienated his family and friends and he was well aware that he was on his own. Again his mistake, eating something that caused the stomach enzymes not to work. His death of starvation would have accured even if he sat down for three square meals a day.

Wonder how many of us could do his long trek and have the will to continue?

What sucks is that his one mistake causes others to call him un-knowledgeable and a greenhorn. How about all the things that he did right to get him to Alaska?

We always focus on the negative.

[corndog-44]

So, let's hear some of these myths that you speak of.

Here are a couple:

Myth # 1: Pokeweed; The young leaves and stems are edible cooked. The fruits are edible if cooked.

Truth: Even handling the plant is considered dangerous, so it would seem wise to not only prevent human contact with the plant, but animal contact as well. Despite this, the plant is eaten as a spring vegetable after cooking it first in several changes of water. Consumption of the plant is not advised.
(This was found on the Purdue University's web site.)

Myth # 2: Snakes can strike only from a coiled position.

Truth: Snakes can strike from any position. If a person grabs a snake's body the snake can turn extremely quickly and bite various parts of the body that holds it.

[woodwose]

Hmm.. Good point(s) but Corndog-44s question didn't include those variables. Of course, you take those into consideration when you appraise your situation and work around them and with them.

[RobertRogers]

What I often see are sites with neat little drawings of how to make shelters, weapons, or other survival stuff that make it all seem so tidy and easy to do...

However, go out and actually try it - then you will know why the author of the article made drawings instead of taking actual pictures of his handywork. Its possible he could not even do it himself!

Real survival techniques often take a fair amount of knowledge and effort to pull off.

[HOP]

That foliage makes adequate toliet paper is a myth of great untried bunk.

[Sarge47]

[QUOTE=volwest;8629]Corndog,




Sarge,

I don't even know where to start, or even if i should.
For you to understand someone like Christopher McCandless, for you to understand his intentions, his tensions, his relation to the world, well, you would have to simply be different...you would have to obtain somehow a different attitude, a different state of mind.

Like FVR said, he actually survived an amazing adventure, very few here would be able to conceive...and breath...he survived the world people like you create. And for you to understand this, you would have to understand that death in itself can sometimes mean survival. But that is way too contradictory and slippery to a mind like yours.

I'll keep it "simple" for Sarge here..."


VW, your deriding remarks speak more towards your lack of credibility as a professional than anything else so far. A real professional does not stoop to this sort of thing.

[Sarge47]

Well...If only you knew about the many different approaches a "professional" can have.
You forget about analytic psychotherapy, where absolute neutrality is abandoned.
You also have CCT, Client Centered Therapy, developed by Carl Rogers...Albert Ellis's Rational-Emotive Therapy...and so on.

A "real professional" will "stoop", hop, flank...whatever is necessary, depending on the client's...needs, state of mind, position...

Have you ever watched that cooking show with Gordon Ramsay ?
You should try it if you haven't...his "stooping" is an art.

A "professional" is not synonymous with letting the person in front of you regress to no end, or say or do anything he wants without bringing to the table his input, his direction, his intention, himself.

The pallet of a "professional" has a multitude of colors to work on the canvas in front of his eyes. But all of this assuming we are here talking about me having to be "professional" with you.

You set the pace.
I am only giving you what you ask for.
In the end...what do you know about what a professional does or doesn't do...Did i ever tell you how you should drive your bus ? No. But you sure keep on telling me how i should drive mine...And as long as you do that, as long as you do not take responsibility for your own words and actions, we will waste time and energy.

This thread is the perfect example of this happening.
Interesting subject, interesting point of views, but you come in and can't help but slide your little witch hunt...over and over again.

You don't get it...and at this point and time, i am afraid you never will.

Whatever......................!

[corndog-44]

volwest; an interesting and thoughtful comment.

The search for truth requires deep reading and deep thinking. The arrival of the Information Age threatens to overwhelm us with info-glut and info-garbage, we must be capable of simultaneously grazing this vast info and reading deeply. The search for truth should be the central focus of our learning survival skills. Deep reading and deep thinking (cousins to critical thinking) are duel processors which inform such a search and lead us toward insight and illumination. As the flow of information increases, so does "noise" in the system and Truth becomes ever more elusive, much like the bright elusive butterfly of love.

[trax]

I see you really quietened down and focused while you were away. Good to see you back, here, conversing about....wilderness survival. Did you miss me?

[corndog-44]

The vacuity is your truth.

Most of us have experienced enough pot-luck suppers to know that we must walk up and down a long table of dishes to "graze" and "browse" the contents before loading up our plates.

If only some of our colleagues and beginning wilderness survivalist would apply the same approach to the vast information feast set before us!

We know the folly of rushing to the table and loading without glancing ahead . . . mounds of food (information?) which go untouched - not to mention vast opportunities unrealized and untasted. Our plates are loaded up before we can make it past the first twenty feet.

We see students of wilderness survival doing the same thing with information, downloading and saving files in a great rush of data gorging which rarely includes reading. Hundred of files and pages accumulate without sorting, sifting or discrimination. They search the Web, find twenty thousand hits and light up with joy. Confusing quantity and sheer volume of information with success, they greedily scoop up everything within their reach, saving it for later.

We must beware of a "buffet mentality" when we step up to the information feast.

At the same time, we should hardly be surprised by this gorging. After all, for decades these students have been asking wilderness survival teachers "How long must it be?" Most of us asked the same question when we were students. We once gave the impression that length and wisdom were related. And now we pay the price.

Perhaps we need to replace that old message with "less is more." Wisdom has more to do with distillation and reduction than volume. While we may want to search widely, we must harvest sparingly and wisely.

[FVR]

Buffet Mentality.

That's good.

Let's see, this is how I attacked Chef Lee's buffet last Friday.

Walk around = taking in all the info.

Make a mongolian bbq plate consisting of ram, sprouts, mushrooms, few peppers, hot pepper sauce, and asked the chef to add garlic sauce. = 1st round of knowledge.

While the chef was making that up, I ventured over to the sushi bar and placed two pieces of each sushi around my plate. In the center I placed the ginger and filled a cup of wasabee. = 2nd round of knowledge.

Ran back to the table and just ate it all up.

Then I returned to the sushi bar, placing 8 more pieces around the plate, put ginger in the center, had wasabee at the table, and then put a helping of kimchi on the side. = Accepting what I know is good, and gaining more info on the spicy cabbage.

I then returned once again to the sushi bar, 8 more pieces of sushi around the plate, ginger in the middle, good helping of kimchi, added a mixture of octopus and spices, and headed to the table. = Again, accepting what I know then adding a little more.

The fourth trip to the bar, I wanted something different so I fell in with what I know. Steamed rice and mongolian beef. = Comfy common knowledge.

I then finished off my excellant meal with a bowl of soup. I forget the name, it is rather a beef broth that you usually find a large noodle stuffed with meat floating in the center. = A relaxing thought.

All this for $5.50 plus tip. = One heck of a good deal.