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Survival Skills

5K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  Vanishing Nomad 
#1 ·
I take my knife and what I can hold in my pockets and I head out into the woods and stay for 5 days just to keep myself in condition and make sure I have not lost the edge of survival skills. No one improves or maintains unless they practice. I do not believe anyone can keep sharp by only going into the woods once or twice a year.
 
#4 ·
This is just totally wrong. I agree that everyone can improve but nobody forgets how to build a fire. It might take a little longer after a few years but they still know.

If you can go with just a knife and what is in your pockets now you could also do it 5 years from now.
 
#6 ·
GG stole my question. :) This could be a very interesting thread.

Also; What conditions lend themselves to being able to survive for 5 days with pockets of gear?









This is just totally wrong. I agree that everyone can improve but nobody forgets how to build a fire. It might take a little longer after a few years but they still know.

If you can go with just a knife and what is in your pockets now you could also do it 5 years from now.
I'm all for practicing, but not practicing just for the sake of practicing. I'm a firm believer in evolving skills.
There's a set of basic skills that can be learned and mastered, but what comes after that?

I fully believe that the OP "can" effectively do what he says he does provided that the conditions are conducive to his goals.
Sleeping in the woods in an area that one knows is free of predators, where natural shelters abound and where there are good
natural resources (foraging, fishing, etc...), that ='s very doable.

I'm looking forward to knowing the details. Should be good stuff.

:)
 
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#15 ·
LOL!

Damn!
Give it time bro!
It's pretty secluded up there in dem' darn parts!

:D:

I'm sorry I have to call BS on this post. It smells so strong of BS I can smell it through my monitor.

7 posts in and we get this?

Of course we will never see any pics, since he didn't have a camera in his pocket to use!

Troll @lert
A) The thread has been up barely 12 hours. Give it time as activity dies out at night here. Let's see what comes out of it.

B) I've got 3,000+ posts and I don't know sh!t from Shinola when it comes to carving a spoon out of wood with a rock or what berries could be poisonous, but there are possibly members here with 200 posts that could run rings around me on that subject matter. :D:

C) Welcome aboard. :thumb:
 
#13 ·
I don't practice, i just get out as much as i can because my woman and i enjoy the outdoors and spend as much time as possible hiking, fishing, hunting and stuff.

The skills may get used incidentally as needed or not, its not about doing the same thing over and over , its about learning how to do it different, better, quicker. Or in some cases learning that you don't need to do it in the first place.

Time in the woods teaches you stuff you can t learn in school or at your job. Mostly it teaches one to slow down and pay attention to where your at and adapt to changing conditions, geography, weather, and stuff. Its a challenge and privledge to enjoy it without raping and pillaging the local fauna and ecosystem.

Just my thought....:thumb:
 
#21 ·
I can see your point. And am of similar mind. However i must point out that i also have never posted a pic. as i have no idea even how to do that, nor do i own a digital camera. I can barely work my frikking cell phone!!!


There may be a troll around .... but the only trolling i have done (or have an interest in) is in Orr MN on Pelican lake around Coke a Cola Island, cause all the locals know that where the biggest Northern Pike hang out and wait for baby ducks.

I don't troll for Walleyes cause its boring and i prefer to take em on the fly with a 1/64 oz road runner!!!!! :thumb:
 
#27 ·
I have a friend who is just coming off of a 10 day fast. I do 5 or 6 day fasts several times a year as well. One could easily just lay around and not do much and be just fine.

So, so long as there is a water source, mostly the biggest challenge, once one sets up camp, will be boredom.

It's been years, however, I have done 5 days, with just the following.

1. Two 55 gallon drum liners, 2 thermal blankets, and a $4 painters plastic drop cloth (thickest Mil size they had) - The drum liners and thermal blankets were stuffed in my Back BDU Pockets. The painters drop cloth in one of the cargo pockets.

2. I was wearing wool socks, BDUs, a Tshirt a sweat shirt and a pull over style hoodie from Old navy (had not acquired my favorite fur lined one at that time yet)

3. USAF survival knife, and my Gerber gatormate folder. - on belt

4. 5qt Vietnam era collapsible canteen. on sling - on my back

5. Stirkeforce Firestarter kit and a mag block (Had not discovered plain ferro rods and magnesium rods yet) - left front pocket

6. I don't remember what I had for cordage. it was before I started using mason line, so I probably had laundry line, and that stuff that comes with commercial tents that is used as the tieout line. - In BDU cargo pocket

7. My goal was to fast, and not eat in the first place, so I didn't bring food, and did not eat at all. That trip was before I discovered edible plants too.

8. Hygiene was just a 1/4 roll of TP with the cardboard roll removed so I could flatten it out and stuff it in cargo pocket.

9. Map and compass. Map was in BDU pocket with the drop cloth, compass was around my neck


The trip went like this

It was a total guerrilla camping trip.

Girlfriend dropped me off in the woods. She then went to the airport and flew to Omaha to see her family for a week.

I spent the bulk of the first day wandering around looking for the most stealthy place to camp, close to the stream I knew of in the area.

Then I made camp, and a small fire.

The rest of the trip I basically alternated between doing various intensities of Kung Fu till I passed out, laying around, going for water and tending to my fire (which was little more than coals most of the time)....on the last day I packed up and went to the parking lot and hoped she came back for me....

Laying around like a lazy ass was my primary activity.

The camp was just an "A" frame tarp set up on a ridge line between two taller pine trees. The bedding was bunches of pine needles. I slept on top of pine needles, with the the folded over part of the tarp on them. Never even used the drum liners or the thermal blankets.

Two big things I learned that trip.

1. Never set up between two pine trees. They drip sap all over and everything gets sticky.

2. Never collect pine needles for bedding with your hoodie. The left over needles poke you through the fabric when you later put it on at night because the temp drops.

Oh, and also, it always rains at exactly 3:30 AM, but is bright and sunny by sun up, so everything is damp, but it really does not look like it rained unless you were up to see it. You have to protect your coals, by putting all your largest wood on top of them, stuffed together really tight. Then when you flair it up in the morning using debris you collect, it smokes like crazy till the dampness dries out and the coals can ignite them.

So yeah, 5 days with just what is in your pockets is easy. Every survivalist should be able to do this with little effort.
 
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