If the names Ray Mears, Lofty Wiseman, Les Stroud, Gregory Davenport, Calvin Rutstrum mean anything to you this thread is for you.
From the basics of fire starting and simple safe snow melting:
to more advanced shelter construction:
Interior:
I mostly self teach myself from books, youtube videos and the like. Switzerland seems a pretty good place to do bushcraft as most wooded areas seem to have firepits meaning you can practice fire skills in a safe manner.
So any fellow enthusiasts out there?
Switzerland seems a pretty good place to do bushcraft as most wooded areas seem to have firepits meaning you can practice fire skills in a safe manner.
Don't forget the potable water fountains every 500 yards, the picnic benches and the conveniently placed restaurants at the top of every mountain, too!
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These guys are always looking for such enthusiasts.
Thanks for the suggestion but I'm non religious and won't associate with an organisation that actively discriminates against atheists, agnostics and homosexuals.
Thanks for the suggestion but I'm non religious and won't associate with an organisation that actively discriminates against atheists, agnostics and homosexuals.
Do you think there's much of that going on at a local level in the Zurich troop?
And even if there is, wouldn't you relish the opportunity to pass on your skills to young people while demonstrating that atheists, agnostics and/or homosexuals are all right, really?
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I reckon when my plane crashes in the wilderness, I will probably have forgotten what I've seen, and end up eating the wrong stuff.
I shouldn't worry about it - it's just playing, really, like eating with your fingers in an Ethiopian restaurant, wearing a sari or using chopsticks. There are people in the world who are forced to rely upon these skills in order to survive from one day to the next, but they tend to have the whole weight of experience and knowledge gained from a culture that supports this kind of way of life, not to mention fellow travellers/hunters/gatherers/fishermen to work with who also know what they're doing.
These things are lots of fun to learn, and are probably quite helpful for short-term not-dying when you get lost on the Uetliberg, but for your average citizen of a civilised country they're not much more than that.
I miss building bivouacs with the scouts, though. That was fun...
See what you are saying DB. But my dad taught me all about mushroom and wild berry hunting, and it's a great way to remember him by. Love our bountiful autumns.
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I find this whole "survival" thing fascinating, but have only once spent the weekend hiking in some mountains in the cold with frozen water bottles in the morning etc., and I did enjoy it - in limited doses, of course - I actually enjoyed the nice warm shower when back in "civilisation" the most . I tend to watch other people on TV and think it might be fun, then enjoy all the comforts of home...
See what you are saying DB. But my dad taught me all about mushroom and wild berry hunting, and it's a great way to remember him by. Love our bountiful autumns.
Please don't get me wrong - I'm not criticising these kind of hobbies (and if you learnt them from your dad or grandmother, then they're part of your culture, anyway - not in the same class as digging for water in the desert or foraging for grubs ). On the contrary, I'm trying to reassure those who are concerned that they are somehow lacking something by not being able to start a fire with their teeth or swallow a spider without grimacing. They're not, any more than they are lacking something by being unable to fly a helicopter or knit a sweater.
I think 'survival' skills are brilliant, but lets not pretend that they are anything more (or less) than a fun hobby on the well marked Wanderwegs of central Europe. Furthermore, let's also have the decency to acknowledge that not everyone is cut out for such shenanigans.
(For what it's worth, my dad taught me to dowse for water pipes, and I always found that to be quite a useful survival skill, living in a housing estate near Cannock... )
Ah 80110ck5, DB; any man who knows to start a fire using air dried branches found lying on lower branches rather than damp wood found on the floor is a better sort of chap. Knowing the difference between a bowline and a granny knot makes a man a Man. Whispering to horses is a damn admirable attribute. I just can't accept a PowerPoint presenter to be equal to a thick wristed bush tucker man.
My name is UNCLE MAX and I'm a MAN
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I love watching bushcraft shows- it's cool to see that with some knowledge and a good knife you can make it just about anywhere!
I also lament the passing of a time when it was practically a given that one would know how to sharpen a knife and tie several different knots, field dress an animal or at least clean a fish, or make a fire- which even with a full box of matches or a lighter many people just can't do. It's fun digging up old copies of Boy's Life and Popular Mechanics from the '40s and '50s and seeing the heavy duty projects proposed; there was an assumption on the part of the writer that the reader would have basic skills that today have become exceptional.
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Thanks for the suggestion but I'm non religious and won't associate with an organisation that actively discriminates against atheists, agnostics and homosexuals.
Boy, are you going to have fun on this forum !!
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..or make a fire- which even with a full box of matches or a lighter many people just can't do...
It's true, saved our buttocks 2600m high in the cabane, yes.
I am not sure, though. While I love the fact I was raised ready for all, including nuclear attack of yanks, survival in the bunkers, shooting canons and bare handed hunting in the woods, eating berries and raw mushrooms, licking moisture out of dewy leaves, I would rather forgo the bad dreams and catastrophic nightmares, and not be ready. Have normal slap happy childhood. How does one raise a child, ready for all with sufficient survival skills without passing on the panic and alarmist, pesimistic outlook...Skills are great, one never knows when it comes handy, I am still a little bit split on this one.
Folks gave us kids books on survival in all dangerous situations, and books on manners and coping in society, when I turned 15 if I remember well, it was strange. I will definitely do the same, won't rely on school or scouts, but still...While it is fun to shoot, fish, build an igloo and know how to breathe avalanched under snow and save a broken leg on snow, I can't forget the images of nuclear bomb exploding, for years when I was trying to sleep. Maybe it should start later, teens. Any institution that contributes to kids having survival skills is good, me thinks (unless it is hitlerjungend or nutty commie Soviet bull..).
I was on subway in Prague a few days ago and all the doors were plastered with first aid for heart-attacks, how to save somebody (pressing deep 100x..) it said, info is different now than before, now, if a person is not fighting you trying to save him, he surely needs your help. We need survival skills to protect us and others, especially our kids, people we are responsible for, etc. Girls and boys learning this. Plus, unless it is political crap like in my childhood, it is usually fun outdoorsy stuff, camping and all (even the political survival skill boot camps were fun, it is embarrassing to admit).
__________________ "L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi
“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein
Last edited by MusicChick; 06.03.2011 at 08:38.
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Do you think there's much of that going on at a local level in the Zurich troop?
And even if there is, wouldn't you relish the opportunity to pass on your skills to young people while demonstrating that atheists, agnostics and/or homosexuals are all right, really?
This thread isn't where I intended to debate such matters regarding my personal moral actions, if you really care, PM me. Thank you.
Quote:
Boy are you going to have fun on this forum!!
Why? Is this a forum that encourages troll like behaviour and trying to pick petty arguments that are better either left alone or debating in person?
I'm used to forums with No Politics and No Religion rules; I don't care much with arguing online about such matters; you aren't likely to change my ideas and I won't change yours. Again thank you for the suggestion I respectfully explained why it did not appeal which, in my mind, is better than simply ignoring you. I'm not trying to cause debate or argue...
Respectfully,
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