A Correlation Between The Equipment You Choose And The Skills You Learn.

[Keith]

A Correlation Between The Equipment You Choose and The Skills You Learn.
I believe that when choosing equipment for survival use in the bush, there is more to consider than just ease of use and sustainability. Obviously when preparing for long term wilderness living, you need to choose equipment that will survive the years of use, but what about a correlation between the equipment & the skills you learn from using this equipment?

As an example, anyone can learn primitive fire lighting skills, they can learn about native plant tinders & the difference between tinder & kindling. They can learn about wet weather fire lighting & where to find dry kindling in the rain, but how many people do you think will actually learn these skills if they are using a BIC lighter or a ferrocerium rod & Vaseline cotton balls to make fire? Let us take another example; using bow & arrows for hunting. If you are using a bow for hunting, or even a muzzle-loader, you need to know how to stalk your game in close. You may only get the one shot, plus you need a clean kill or at the very least a disabling shot. But how does this compare to someone using a long range modern breech-loading rifle?

Now for those of you that now ask the question what does it matter? I say this, IF you are unable to get a fire going with your BIC lighter or if you should take a fall & break your lighter, how are you going to make fire? If you run out of ammo or your modern rifle malfunctions, how are you going to be able to hunt for food? Yes I know, you may have learnt how to make traps & learnt about trapping, you may also have more BIC lighters on your person, but you can surely see where I am coming from. I believe that a person who is primitive oriented & chooses to carry primitive equipment (pre 19th century), is likely to be more knowledgeable regarding primitive survival skills than someone who uses modern equipment.

What equipment do you use? What primitive survival skills have you learnt? Think about it!
Keith.
http://australiansurvivalandpreppers.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/a-correlation-between-equipment-you.html

 

[Prime]

I agree to a point Keith upon your perspective. I've attended a fair few courses in my time and can testify that after using flint , antler and stone as the basic tools provided it certainly feels like Christmas when you're allowed to use a even basic Mora knife.

Its my belief that yes to learn the very basic no-man-made tools is the very fundamental skill set one can practice until some element of success has been achieved. That way the knowledge and motor skill has been ingrained.

I wouldn't however after having regular success with primitive techs feel a obligation to use ONLY primitive methods although returning to them on occasion would be useful to re-ground oneself.

I guess what I'm saying is I see it that I'd be happy to learn and fire/hunt with a Flintlock for 15% of the time but if push comes to shove I'd rather train with a modern firearms and that applies in other aspects as well.

But I can't disagree as someone who has done fire by friction ( to death ) , skinned dear with flint , made hide , worked flint and stone that one definitely learns alot of inner qualities and techniques that are hard to learn elsewhere.

 

[Keith]

My wife says that if there is a piece of modern technology that will help make life easier, then she would use it. My point though is this, I personally have chosen the equipment that I carry. I have been over it & over it looking for items I can discard & gaps that may need filling. This over the past 30 years or more. If I were to start adding labour saving devices to my kit now, then I would be not only adding weight, but also adding items that I do not NEED. So I ask myself, if there are people out there with modern gear in their kit, is it compromising their survival & long term living comfort, or are they carrying what I carry plus the modern gear?
It is one thing to add a box of matches or even a carton of matches or a ferrocerium rod, but once you start adding all the other gadgets then I think you are really making it hard for yourself. All very well if you are travelling alone, but if you have a partner, then you have to consider their welfare too. What if they are injured, can you carry their pack as well as yours? The point is that we can never know what lies ahead, we can only prepare in the best manner we can. I think carrying more weight than is necessary would be & is a big mistake. This lesson was learnt 200-300 years ago in the New World, the trails were littered with thrown out items, broken carts & wagons, dead horses & the graves of those who found the journey too hard.
Keith.

 

[lonewolf]

in a going "bush " context I agree with you 100% Keith, but in a POST SHTF world I have always said, use what is still available to get us to a point where we can survive and thrive when such items are no longer available.

 

[Ark79]

Good advice m8 Am still trying to master fire lighting. I agree with your thought process Keith a would much rather Cary knowledge than a lighter...bearing in mind a lighter should alway be carried when possible... a also believe covering all aspects of fire lighting is sound practice and could very well save a life.

 

[lonewolf]

carry as many different ways of fire lighting as possible within reason, when your cold, wet and hungry it dosent matter what you use, you need that fire to be alight as quick as possible.

 

[Prime]

I'd suggest not just carrying multiple ignition sources but a decent Tinder Source as well - a Parafin/Vaseline wax soaked cotton wool ball in a plastic pouch along with some inner tube works wonders for getting a fire going in damp drizzly conditions.

If you are going to need a Fire to survive its most likely going to be for reasons relating to Hypothermia , so you'll need a tinder source at hand to save time. ( and thats not even taking into account personal injury )

 

[Ark79]

Also a good tip would be to carry as much twigs with you in a dry area of you back pack for a quick ignition when making your fire.

If you are braveing a frozen lake,river etc then it would be a good plan to build a fire next to the area in witch you mean to cross

 

[lonewolf]

have a tinder pouch, or tin, and keep it full. no point looking for tinder on the ground if its all wet through.

 

[Keith]

Carrying tinder & keeping it dry is a priority. Knowing where to find dry kindling in wet weather is knowledge & skill. Knowing how to make fire with damp kindling is also knowledge & skill. I of course always carry prepared tinder in my tinderbox, & if I have an empty gunpowder wallet/bag then I carry spare tinder in that. Kindling just adds bulk & weight so I do not bother to carry kindling, except if I sense rain coming, & then I pick some up along the trail & carry it in my scrip or inside my frock.
At camp I store spare kindling at the back of my shelter in case the fire should go out at night. I do this only in very cold weather. There are also times when for security reasons I will not make a fire.
Keith.