One of the easiest way to dig a cat hole is to find a pine tree and use your hiking pole. Check out this short video. You can use a stick too, if you're just camping or hanging out.
I always wash my hands afterwards. Only you can prevent giardia.
Showing posts with label outdoor survival skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outdoor survival skills. Show all posts
Easy Cat Hole
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Surviving A Year on Meat Alone
"A diet of meat is good for you, despite some stubborn superstition to the contrary. Vilhjalmur Stefansson lived for a full year on meat alone to prove this point. If you are forced to live solely on the products of the chase, you must east flesh, fat, liver and every edible part to ensure that you don't suffer from dietetic deficiencies."-- page 77 Never Say Die
I've read that meat alone would kill a person, especially lean meat like rabbits. I believe the above quote. Most animals have some kind of fat on them, and I'd eat that just to be sure.
Eating a lot of meat would be hard on the kidneys. Water would be critical at this juncture. Hopefully we won't come to those dire straights.
I don't think the end of the world is coming in December. It might feel like it for those struggling with house payments. For some reason, the economic figures are improving, yet no one I meet is feeling it.
Here in Georgia it's really warm. Hunting season is over, people are target practicing as I type.
It's like we're in the eye of the storm, and the other side of hell is about to break loose.
The Canyon, A Movie Review
This 2009 movie runs 1 hour 41 minutes. The scenery is breathtaking footage of the Grand Canyon. Very realistic portrayal of a young couple on their honey moon who wish to take a mule trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
As the drama unfolds, we see the common mistakes of young adventurers. Failure to research this journey results in no availability in main stream mule trips, leading to the hiring of an eccentric guide at a local bar. The new bride is gorgeous and goes along with her handsome husband's desire to fulfill this dream. Four mules and a day later, they fall into perilous circumstances.
All of the story is believable. Over estimating abilities while underestimating nature leads to poor decisions, injury and death. A cell phone, impromptu surgery, fighting wolves and eventual rescue lead the viewer to contemplation of the will to live and the measures we are forced to take.
I recommend this movie, both for the incredible scenery, the excellent acting, and the learning possibilities.
Pay attention to the details as desperation sets in. Building a rock duct to facilitate navigation is just one of many.
I Shouldn't Be Alive Series Review
Last night we watched two episodes of this thought provoking series.
The first involved a man who decided to take a really decent inflatable raft down the Colorado River, into the Grand Canyon. He equipped his boat with all the essentials, wore a wet suit and life vest. He put in at Lee's ferry, and told his friend to call for help if he didn't make the destination by the appointed date.
He went solo, which is not an issue if you're experienced and take the river seriously.
He did so well, that after passing Lava Flow without incident, he took off the wet suit and relaxed. Little did he know, his adventure had just begun.
One thing led to another and he finds himself on the bank, drenched, without any gear (flipped and lost it to the river ).
Its winter. As the reenactment continues, we see the big white man fire, no signage for helicopters to sight, and growing depression.
This would be a good time for the two fire survival technique, and creating a huge S.O.S out of rocks. He stayed next to the river, a smart, important decision.
After a week, he is found. His raft ended up 20 miles down stream, alerting rangers of someone in need of rescue.
The second episode dealt with two mountain climbers who fall into a crevasse while descending Mt. Rainier. Seems they did everything right. I was impressed by the strength and ingenuity of the less experienced mountaineer who survived. Sadly, his best friend did not, but his body was recovered.
While our survivor climbs out of a 80 foot crevasse, he admits his inexperience, yet continously makes safe, cautious decisions. He feels his dead friend is coaching him all the way. I learned a lot about mountaineering watching this reinactment, among them the value of the ice anchoring systems, or ice screws, the value of ropes and various slings, of partnering and chosing north facing slopes when possible for descents.
Not that I am going winter mountain climbing any time soon!
I don't criticize or judge any "mistakes" adventurers make in these true stories. Instead, learning and filing away these lessons, I think of alternative actions which might come in handy.
Survival in a Can- Contents List
When I go on adventures, I take my Survival Kit. Its evolved to include the following:
Inside one coffee can, with lid, place
*3 mil, contractors garbage bag, cut open so it lays flat. Roll this tightly and secure with elastic band which can withstand freezing.
*compass, on lanyard
*sheet of notepaper, folded, small pencil with electrical tape wound around it
*Jack knife, 3.5 inches, on elastic lanyard with binder clip
*cigarette lighter, hexamine tablet, book of matches, flint, petroleum jelly on cotton balls in plastic bag,
*Ziplock sandwhich bag to contain all firemaking tools
*safety pins
All of this easily fits into the can. There's just enough room to tuck in a few tea bags or boulion cubes. Orange strips of trail tape could be included, if desired.
The various cords are elastic bungee cords, which can be used to set up the plastic sheeting for shelter. The various redundant firestarters are important in winter and wet seasons. The knife enables me to build, protect and secure food. The can is for cooking, boiling water, and containing everything in a dry manner.
The compass, writing materials, trail tape are for self rescue and enabling rescue.
The electrical tape and safety pins are for repairs to body or gear.
Food, water, shelter, orientation, repair. This whole thing weighs just 13.5 ounces and was made with things on hand.
The Cabin
I have this favorite shelter going on; every time I hike up to the mountain top, I add to the Cabin.
It started out as a learning project. If you're faced with nightfall and no shelter, how long would it take to create something from scratch? There are no caves, overhangs,or large blow downs. Its fairly open with small trees because years ago it was clear cut: a method whereby all trees are cut down and removed at once.
With winter approaching, I find myself adding to the shelter with plans to do an overnighter there. I'll bring a thermometer to measure the difference in temperatures inside and out.
Playing in the woods like this is just practice for if one had to hole up and wait for rescue. Its important to feel some control over the outcome so that panic doesn't set in. With purposeful work, like improving the shelter by adding more leaves or branches, a person can stay put and not panic.
One disadvantage to this location is no ready source of water. A stream is shown on the topographical map, but it is nearly 700 feet lower in elevation, way down the slope. An advantage however would be easy to spot by air search and rescue teams.
Playing with survival scenarios is like practicing basketball. The practice sessions hone skills for the real game.
Fresh Smells of Fall
It rained early this morning, the kind of rain that refreshes everything and gives that musky raw earth smell. The dust and pollen is washed away, the colors much more vibrant.
I walk in the rain, taking a deep breath, learning the smells and sounds of the forest in fall.
Even the slightest breeze or drop of rain can move a distant leaf, causing the dark background of trunks to look as though they are moving, an optical illusion. Smells are like that too. A sweet smell. Is it muskadines ripening, distant fallen apples? The fall is a time of harvest, sweet smells are not flowers.
The smoky smell of campfires, less intense than a wood burning stove, much more pleasant that cigarettes or burning garbage, will tell of nearby campers.
As survivalists, we learn to recognize the smells, whether it be a stream, moss or vegetation, wild animals, urine, wet dog, humans. All these give us information.
Care must be taken because our initial recognition can evaporate quickly. Scientists tell us our brain becomes accustomed to a smell quickly, hence the warning if you ever smell smoke, investigate it. Get out of bed, find the source. If you go back to sleep, your nose won't wake you up again.
We can train our noses to be more sensitive by taking deep breaths and identifying what we are smelling. You can practice in the kitchen, at work, in the forest, any time of the day. Our noses give us a lot of information. Strange how desensitized we can become with cigarette smoke, perfumes, furniture polish and detergents we add to our lives.
I remember hiking the Colorado Trail and passing a bunch of hikers. We could smell the detergent on their clothing, the perfume in their hair and play a game of identifying the brand. Our packs picked up trail odors, not always so pleasant. We smelled very wild, like the places we'd been.
Some smells can be pleasant to one, and disgusting to another. I love the smell of black jelly beans. My friend finds them appauling.
Dual Survival Lessons Learned
The Discovery Channel has a good thing going. Dual Survival's Art of Self Reliance is a series I could watch over and over. They say you can only retain 10% of what you hear, see or read, so I'm inclined to think its worth several viewings of these excellent survival portrayals.
Dave gave us his list of Five C's , things he would like to have in any situation: Cutting tool, Cover, Combustion, Containers, and Cordage.
Cody reminds us that its all about adaptation, awareness, and a positive attitude. Cody firmly believes we should never hunt something that can seriously hurt us, like honey bees, alligators, poisonous snakes.
Because they have differing world views, Dave calls Cody a hippie, while Dave is hardcore military bearing, we get some serious philosophy and skills being demonstrated. Dave is into meat, hunting and serious trapping and weaponry making. Cody walks barefoot, and has a lot of gathering and primitive fire making skills.
I file all this information away in my mind, accessible for practicing at a future date. For instance, we see Dave using toilet paper as a sponge to sop up water from a broad leaf plant. I hiked with a special forces guy on the Appalachian Trail who taught me that a straw was invaluable for picking up water. You put the straw into the water, just below the scum that floats on the top, being careful not to disturb the sediment that sinks to the bottom. You can drink this way if necessary and avoid most of the hazardous material.
A straw is also handy for picking up water off a seep in a rock face. Use the straw to funnel the water into a container, hopefully a water bottle. I carry a flexible plastic cup which also helps to pick up water in shallow pools or seepages. I've also used a broad leaf to create a water slide for the filling of water bottles.
All these examples show the skill we want to develop is innovation, adapting what is available for the desired outcome.
I think we can teach adaptation skills to our children. Basically, instead of giving them premade costumes for Halloween, coloring books, and prepackaged foods, we can provide the materials to create their own.
Problem solving skills with adaptation in mind will go a long ways especially in this rotten economy.
If you get a chance to watch these episodes, I think you'll find it time well spent.
Wilderness College Link
While surfing the net I came across this website on Wilderness topics. Its well written and easy to navigate. Articles on tracking, food, fire building and more can be enjoyed here:
For example, they give the four most abundant, safe and wild foods found in North America: grasses, cattail, oak (acorns) and pine trees (inner bark).
There are articles on snakes, tracking animals, and building shelters.
They do have classes available, but I have not attended any of them so offer no recommendations there.
Not Gear, But Passion
Thru hiker and best friend, Rainmaker always told me its not the gear that takes you to Kahtadin, you take the gear.
The best gear in the world doesn't make a through hiker, but a through hiker can make it with just about anything. Its the passion, an almost crazy obsession with finishing the complete trail in one calendar year, be it the 2, 178 mile Appalachian Trail, the 470 mile Colorado Trail, or the 2658 mile Pacific Crest Trail. A person has to want it so much they will endure the pain and loneliness a long distance hiker will inevitable face, especially if they are solo.
A thru hiker, or through hiker of the Appalachian Trail can sleep in shelters the entire distance and not even require a shelter. Tarps, hammocks, double wall dome tents are all found in successful long distance hiker's packs. Granny Gatewood hiked the AT using just a shower curtain for her shelter and tennis shoes. Ram bunny had a sun dress on last time I met her in Maine. Most of my gear was home made, second hand or Wal Mart .
I find simplicity and minimalism aid a long hike. Its not lack of expensive gear, or having all brand name gear that makes or breaks a long distance hike. Its passion, maintaining a basic level of health, and ability to withstand pain.
Its really interesting to see what people are carrying, what they're cooking on and with. Food as simple as oatmeal or as complicated as prepackaged. The debate over synthetic or down, sleeping bags or sleeping quilts, an inflatable pad, or closed cell, full length or shorty will probably never be over.
With all that in mind, the Alternative Gear page was written and will be updated periodically. The Gear Reviews listed on this blog site are more about designs and options than actually recommending a given item. The features incorporated into a piece of gear show how well a company understands its clients.
Check out the pages, and write me if me have anything to add or have suggestions. My gear lists and trail journals can be found on my homepage at
http://www.trailquest.net/BRindex.html
Updates On Acorns R Us
The Spiced Acorns dried in the oven are quite hard. I think they'd be less likely to break a tooth if rehydrated. Very tasty, though, so I will continue processing acorns for use in soups, stir-fry and rehydrating.
As suggested by a reader, I gathered some acorns and removed the outer shell. I then placed the meat into a mesh bag, secured the top, and have this whole thing soaking in a local creek. In a few days I'll check out how well this low impact leaching process worked.
I'm committed to the Acorn. Its abundant, healthy and versatile.
Its been raining for two days straight. Gathering some soaked acorns from the ground, I used a hammer to break them open so I could extract the meat. I also tried this on dry acorns. Bottom line, its easier to extract the meat from boiled acorns than either wet or dry raw acorns.
I guess its a matter of preference how one chooses to go about the processing. Using a 10# can over a campfire may end up being the easiest and least expensive method. My goal will be to gather as many dry acorns as possible as soon as the sun comes out to dry things off.
Then, over the course of the winter, process them as needed.
Muscadine are in season. I found these wild edibles growing along a neighbor's driveway. This wild grape like fruit is deep purple, having tiny seeds inside. They make excellent wine, jams and tart appetizers.
That is, if you can get them before the neighborhood bears do. This year seems to have produced a bumper crop of black bears as well.
The mountain garden is doing pretty good for the first year. When ever possible, I chose the heritage variety of seeds so that if a crop produces a mature seed, they can be naturally air dried and saved for next years crop.
Self reliance as a survivalist in the modern day includes the ability to harvest and gather food where ever possible. No better time to practice than in the fall when nature bestows an abundance.
Found Cookware and Spicy Acorn Treat
This is my plastic "soup" or stew kettle after an overnight backpacking trip. Plastic is found in areas you least expect, along beaches, wilderness trails where hunters have been, and washed up on lake shores.
If a person needed to use a plastic jug as a cooking vessel, they could make one such as this by cutting the neck off, and then making two side holes for suspending the pot with cordage from an overhead branch above the cook fire. The cordage in the photo above was made with plastic as well: walmart grocery bags (see previous post ).
I made the holes in the pot pictured above by using a lit kitchen match. A flaming twig would also work.
Hold the flame near the place you want the hole. As the plastic begins to melt, gently push the match through the plastic. The melting plastic will seal around the hole and strengthen it so it won't crack when weight is placed in the vessel.
I used this pot for 16 hours and although it lost its original shape, it didn't leak. I was able to process my acorns and remove the tannin from them by repeatedly boiling water, draining it and then removing the shells.
Yesterday's post talks about it as well.
After we returned home, I sauteed the sliced acorn meat in a pan with canola oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder until crispy. These were used to garnish fresh garden salad. Wow. I was amazed how deliciously similar to almonds they tasted. We'll definitely do this again.
After supper, I sliced the remaining boiled acorn meat, added salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and sugar and placed them on a sheet pan in the oven. Our oven has a pilot light, and the drying process will seal the spices onto the acorns.
This morning they tasted great, but need more time drying.
We don't use any sugar or honey at our house, so I used an artificial sugar. You could use brown sugar for additional flavor and calories.
The Acorn Report
Last night at our campsite I had quite a few things going. Among them was the Plastic Soup Pot, hung with a home made plastic cordage over a campfire. I filled it with water and acorns.
Over the course of the evening the water was brought to a boil, left to simmer and then drained off. I did this also in the morning for a total of 3 times.
Then, my partner and I tasted the acorn meat which was extracted from the shell.
Not bad, he remarked. This after a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and peaches.
I brought them home, and cracked the remaining acorns open, extracting the meat.
They are receiving a final boiling on the stove, then further experimental recipes are planned. I'm thinking a roasted nut, a saute'd with cajun seasoning, a cake patty, and a vegetarian stir fry.
They are receiving a final boiling on the stove, then further experimental recipes are planned. I'm thinking a roasted nut, a saute'd with cajun seasoning, a cake patty, and a vegetarian stir fry.
Just as is, I tasted the product with a little salt and definitely felt I could eat a bunch of these in a survival situation.
I did a search and found that per one ounce of raw acorns there were 7 grams of fat. This is a good survival food. I also found this interesting link, which merits reading.
Looks like others are in gathering mode as well.
My Greatest Skill
My greatest skill is to need but little.
That's one of my favorite quotes by Henry David Thoreau.
Its not what I earn, its what I spend. The less I spend, the richer I am.
Freebies, or nearly freebies: panning for gold, wilderness camp outs, hiking, renovating old backpacking gear, playing with new back country recipes (not using Prepackaged All In One Meals), relationship building.
Innovations are what survivalists do. Take junk, twigs, plastic trash and make something out of it.
Taste the vegetation, learn what is bitter, unsafe, doable.
There's an awful lot of acorns falling this year. Its a bumper crop. So, I figure to gather up a bunch, and try the Native American process of boiling them in water, changing the water several times to remove the tanning acids, then seeing what we got.
Its free, its easy, its educational.
I'll tell you what I think tomorrow when I get back from my backpacking trip.
Topo Maps and Profiles
Navigating and understanding land forms and profiles is a skill I'm working on this winter. Years ago I obtained this Forest Service Map of a local section of national forest which is very diverse in rivers, gorges, saddles, cliffs and waterfalls. The photo below is of a profile I've done to compare visual concepts mathematical tools.
Depending on the graphing gradients used, a trail can appear either quite difficult (the yellow line) medium in difficulty (green line) or fairly benign (red line). I really noticed this discrepancy in perception while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Most data was presented with the same markers and gradients until we reached Maine. Then, the profile seemed to be so horrendous, appearing as though it were impossible. With more careful study, one could see the miles were placed close together, while the elevations were space out on the vertical graph. Thus, to climb 400 feet in one mile appeared daunting. Had the miles been spaced further apart on the horizontal line, the climb would appear less formidable.
Depending on the graphing gradients used, a trail can appear either quite difficult (the yellow line) medium in difficulty (green line) or fairly benign (red line). I really noticed this discrepancy in perception while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Most data was presented with the same markers and gradients until we reached Maine. Then, the profile seemed to be so horrendous, appearing as though it were impossible. With more careful study, one could see the miles were placed close together, while the elevations were space out on the vertical graph. Thus, to climb 400 feet in one mile appeared daunting. Had the miles been spaced further apart on the horizontal line, the climb would appear less formidable.Lesson: always find the map key for numbers critical to the true picture.
This topo map has the contour lines marking at 20 foot intervals. Each dark line represents 100 feet. The closer they are together, the steeper the slope. But, because each block represents a square mile, one can see that the area has many gorges and slopes in a given mile. A map of Kansas, for instance would show very few contour lines.
This topo map has the contour lines marking at 20 foot intervals. Each dark line represents 100 feet. The closer they are together, the steeper the slope. But, because each block represents a square mile, one can see that the area has many gorges and slopes in a given mile. A map of Kansas, for instance would show very few contour lines.
I've found some trails and old logging roads in the area that are not recorded on this map. I have begun to pencil them in. A compass is essential in this work to keep it real. Also, some trails shown on the map have ceased to exist due to abandonment.
Some trails have an occasional hunter or horseback rider. For the most part, there have been no signs of motorized vehicles. No trail sign has been found indicating wheels of any sort.
These skills are useful if a person gets disoriented in the back country. Finding the way down stream to larger streams, learning to hike a straight line in a challenging terrain (keeping the sun at one's right shoulder for instance) is very interesting.
I always bring a compass, knife, flint, and large plastic bag in my pack just in case.
Walking Out or Staying Put
In survival situations, more specifically when you are lost should you attempt to walk out or stay put and set up a camp?
The Alaska episode of Man, Woman, Wild deals with this idea during a the spring thaw scenario. They ride a snowmobile out into the boonies. It quits, and they set up base camp near a stream to wait for rescue.
The Tennessee episode also deals with this where presumably they lost the trail, then decide to wait for rescue a stream for a few days.
In both cases they end up walking out. In Alaska they follow the snowmobile tracks back. In Tennessee they follow the stream. Both of these paths were available from the very start.
I've studied and read many cases of true survival situations where the end result was the person had to walk, crawl, hobble their way to safety.
One guy fell off the ridge near Sonora Pass in 2001. A helicopter crashed in as attempt to locate this hiker. Six days of search and rescue yeilded nothing. Eventually, the guy crawled out to a nearby camp in spite of his injuries.
Another guy's car rolled back over him after he had pulled over to check something in his trunk. Pinned for three days, with no cell service, he eventually wiggled loose and walked to a road, and made his way home.
The infamous story of the guy who cut off his hand which had become stuck under a rock while hiking alone in a canyon shows the extreme measures that a soloist might have to take for self preservation.
One of the best preventative measures is to not get lost. That means stopping to check your back trail so that you can retrace steps. Taking serious note of all landmarks. Even describing the unusual tree, the rock formations, taking note of the rivers and junctions out loud helps to solidify them. Every sense you can bring to the hike aids in self rescue. How does it smell? What do I hear? Tasting the rock lichen, touching the rough bark all help prevent wilderness disorientation.
If things start getting sketchy, I set up rock ducks, or lay three branches (dead wood) across each other in a pattern so that I can back trail.
A map and compass are great tools. A GPS, a cell phone. One guy called for help as darkness began to fall on a day hike. You never know where you'll get a signal.
The thing I noticed most in watching the episodes of Man, Woman, Wild was the amount of energy expended in setting up a base camp, building shelter and securing(chasing) food sources. In both cases, after several days of depletion of natural body reserves, they ended up walking out. Had they done this from the start following the obvious path, the path they chose three days later, their energy levels would have been much greater and given them enough energy to make it out with just one nights camp.
My end conclusion is to immediately begin a self rescue, leaving obvious trail sign for rescuers to follow should anyone decide to come looking for you. Retrace steps where possible, follow a stream down hill until it reaches a larger body of water and almost always civilization or a road. Take a long range bearing on a landmark and keep hiking in one direction until you cross a road.
Bushwacking and backcountry trailing alone is fun. Be prepared, tell a trusted friend or leave a note on the kitchen table of your itinerary and stay alert.
Alternative Gear-Cooking
I made this hobo stove for fun and well, for frugality. It takes just a few pine cones, some twigs, tiny pieces of wood to actually cook on.
But, the practical side of me just had to know what it would be like under real circumstances.
How easy would it be to pack? Would it be messy, cumbersome, unreliable?
I posted a video on YouTube showing the results.
http://www.youtube.com/user/brawny03
I found it was really nice to boil water without worrying about fuel. I really liked the campfire aspect in the evening. A regular fire takes a lot of firewood, but this one was cute and sweet with out placing high demands on fuel gathering.
Dead branches in trees, twigs and dry bark are all easy to find and break into pieces without heavy equipment like saws, hatchets and bowie knives.
By concentrating the fuel into this small area a person can cook in a relatively short period of time, make coffee and relax.
I also used this same stove on a three day trial run on the Foothills Trail. It rained, but I was able to cook in the light drizzle. It is unpredictable enough to not cook too near the tent.
An easy way to pack this stove is wait for it to completely cool. Then, shake out all the ashes. Now, using a large plastic bag (like a walmart bag) place your hand on the bottom of the outside of the bag. Reach up and into the bag and grab the stove pulling it into the bag without actually touching it with your bare hand. This way, all the soot stays on the inside of the bag.
Notice how I use my shoe as a cup holder while relaxing near the stove. It insulates the simple plastic cup and keeps it from falling over, too. Just a simple ultralight trick I use while minimizing the pack load.
Liquid Nails Repair All
As I previously wrote in my gear review of these Vasque Trail Runners, I love these shoes. As the miles added up, the front of these excellent shoes began to come apart. The tread still has miles left, so I broke out the Liquid Nails: a product that is found in the hardware section in a caulking tube.
After letting it dry, and then cure for two days, I used black shoe polish to cover the glue.
Wrap the rest of the tube of L.Nails in several layers of plastic to keep it from drying out.
I found this product works wonders on all sorts of handyman projects including wood to wood sculptures and paneling, filling in small holes in dry wall, rock to rock sculptures, and metal to plastic as in car side mirrors. That's a long story, but several years and tens of thousands miles on my Geo have proven how well this holds.
Best of all, its easy and fool proof. Costs about $2.50 a tube. You also need a simple caulking gun. Those are very handy if you don't have one already, well worth the couple bucks.
I'm not too mechanical and this is a very easy solution for gear, home and other simple repairs.
Survivalist Junkie
Hello, My name is Carol and I'm a survivalist junkie.
I admit it, yesterday I watched 3 back to back episodes of Dual Survival- a guide to self-reliance.
It was on the Discovery Channel and featured two guys, both quite skilled, in 3 different scenarios.
I met one of the guys, Cody, years ago in Damascus Virginia, at Trail Days in 2003. He has long blond hair, walks barefooted everywhere, even over rocks, has a muscular build and quiet demeanor. Our non-combative methods of survival seem quite similar. He really made his feelings apparent when his partner decided to go after honey in a bees nest in the "hurricane-survival" simulation. He said he always tells his students to never go after something that can take you down. As we all know, bees are more dangerous than bears.
Dave, the other survivalist, is very smart (other than the bee incident), skilled and fun to watch. I think its worth watching him for several reasons. He demonstrated how to use a broken bottle to make an arrowhead, and then did the shaft feathers with duct tape. A wild turkey was bagged with this survivalist arrow. I'm impressed.
Other skills demonstrated was hollowing a plant stalk with fire to create a water carrying device, bow and drill fire making, friction fire making (Cody said this was difficult, only 40% of people are able to do this successfully), crossing a canyon-stream via slick mossy log (check up and down stream before attempting this dangerous endeavor, good point), removing stingers from scorpions before eating, skinning a rattlesnake, building a hammock with a parachute, creating loft for warmth with a parachute, leaving an obvious trail for search and resuce teams. Good stuff.
I smiled, though while watching the guys discuss the bad water in a lower canyon, bemoaning the fact they had no way to strain the bugs and larvae from it. As Cody squatted beside the steam, on his head plainly visible was a red bandanna. I couldn't even begin to count how many times a bandanna was used by my partner and me to strain water on the Pacific Crest Trail and Colorado Trail. Cow dung, tadpoles, algae and all around debris can be removed from the water by simply passing it through a bandanna first.
This in fact helps the chlorine be more effective in treating water. The amount of chlorine needed is directly proportional to the amount of organic matter in the water being treated. By removing most of the organic matter through filtering, only a few drops are needed for the worst of situations.
Hopefully they will continue to do many more episodes.
I admit it, yesterday I watched 3 back to back episodes of Dual Survival- a guide to self-reliance.
It was on the Discovery Channel and featured two guys, both quite skilled, in 3 different scenarios.
I met one of the guys, Cody, years ago in Damascus Virginia, at Trail Days in 2003. He has long blond hair, walks barefooted everywhere, even over rocks, has a muscular build and quiet demeanor. Our non-combative methods of survival seem quite similar. He really made his feelings apparent when his partner decided to go after honey in a bees nest in the "hurricane-survival" simulation. He said he always tells his students to never go after something that can take you down. As we all know, bees are more dangerous than bears.
Dave, the other survivalist, is very smart (other than the bee incident), skilled and fun to watch. I think its worth watching him for several reasons. He demonstrated how to use a broken bottle to make an arrowhead, and then did the shaft feathers with duct tape. A wild turkey was bagged with this survivalist arrow. I'm impressed.
Other skills demonstrated was hollowing a plant stalk with fire to create a water carrying device, bow and drill fire making, friction fire making (Cody said this was difficult, only 40% of people are able to do this successfully), crossing a canyon-stream via slick mossy log (check up and down stream before attempting this dangerous endeavor, good point), removing stingers from scorpions before eating, skinning a rattlesnake, building a hammock with a parachute, creating loft for warmth with a parachute, leaving an obvious trail for search and resuce teams. Good stuff.
I smiled, though while watching the guys discuss the bad water in a lower canyon, bemoaning the fact they had no way to strain the bugs and larvae from it. As Cody squatted beside the steam, on his head plainly visible was a red bandanna. I couldn't even begin to count how many times a bandanna was used by my partner and me to strain water on the Pacific Crest Trail and Colorado Trail. Cow dung, tadpoles, algae and all around debris can be removed from the water by simply passing it through a bandanna first.
This in fact helps the chlorine be more effective in treating water. The amount of chlorine needed is directly proportional to the amount of organic matter in the water being treated. By removing most of the organic matter through filtering, only a few drops are needed for the worst of situations.
Hopefully they will continue to do many more episodes.
Bath Baggies, and Beyond
Now with all that nice hot water hanging around (see previous post) a person can easily take a nice hot bath.
I developed this bath-in-a-baggie while hiking with Rainmaker on the PCT. He saw someone carrying a cut off milk jug for a bathtub and adopted the practice. Except he'd just use regular creek water which is sometimes pretty cold.
Being an ultra lighter nearing fanaticism, I simply would stand in said creek, letting my feet soak while the rest of me got bathed, and wiped dry with a bandanna.
But, as the season progressed, and fall brought temps in the 50's, another plan formed.
It took just a bit more fuel to heat one pint of water to a comfortable 140 or so. Then, I would pour it into a quart zip lock baggie, add my fleece bandanna (what absolute luxury!) and voila! to die for.
Well, the above photo is just a regular cotton bandanna, and I placed it in a gallon baggie, but you get the idea. This works as well, but as we all know cotton takes longer to dry and is not nearly as luxurious. Fleece is a little overkill for summer, hence the swap out.
When we used the water from the hanging plastic bottle, no soot got on our hands, and we simply let it hang, used what we needed, and refilled the bottle. Keeping the fire stoked was natural as the sun set and darkness fell. This is a very good backpacking skill for very little investment.
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