Basic Skills

“Recently a couple of trailtalkers mentioned that they would like to have a TT trip where people demonstrate basic skills.

Ideas mentioned were:

building a fire with magnesium and flint
pitching a tarp in various configurations
map reading
baking by a campfire using a reflector oven

Most of us take these as granted, but there are a number of newbies (and oldies) that are trying to figure these things out on their own. I thought it would be a great idea to set up a trip where we could pass along "best practices". This might be backpacking 101, but it would be a great time to share some of the cumulative knowledge.

Thoughts? I will be out of office most of the day but will check back in tonight or tomorrow morning.”

“im sad to say ive got probably in the neighborhood of 300 bag nights but cant build a fire worth a damn”

“crash first thing back from Korea...get with me...I will teach you (LOL).

Um I would thing First Aid be a REAL consideration.”

“Wilderness Survival Merit Badge requirements:

1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses likely to occur in backcountry outings, including hypothermia, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, frostbite, dehydration, sunburn, stings, tick bites, snakebite, and blisters.
2. Describe from memory the priorities for survival in a backcountry or wilderness location.
3. Describe ways to (a) avoid panic and (b) maintain a high level of morale when lost.
4. Tell what you would do to survive in the following environments:
a. Cold and snowy
b. Wet (forest)
c. Hot and dry (desert)
d. Windy (mountains or plains)
e. Water (ocean or lake)
5. Make up a personal survival kit and be able to explain how each item in it is useful
6. Show that you can start fires using three methods other than matches.
7. Do the following:
a. Tell five different ways of attracting attention when lost.
b. Show how to use a signal mirror.
c. Describe from memory five international ground-to- air signals and tell what they mean.
8. Show that you can find and improvise a natural shelter minimizing the damage to the environment.
9. Spend a night in your shelter.
10. Explain how to protect yourself against insects, reptiles, and bears.
11. Show three ways to treat water found in the outdoors to prepare it for drinking.
12. Show that you know the proper clothing to wear in your area on an overnight in extremely hot weather and extremely cold weather.
13. Explain why it usually is not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.”

“um sure i could make one if i just had the patience. i more or less know how. when im by myself, its just too much trouble to gather the wood, build the fire, and stoke the fire, all by myself. when others are around, i always let someone else build, and do the gathering and/or stoking”

“I'd travel to it....whatcha gonna name the trip...?

TT Vs. Wild?

How about we ask Bear Gryllis to join us (Semi-serious here).....might serve to either change or reinforce perceptions about the man...and talk about a DRAW...

NO TV CREWS! (But I bet the new Owners of Thebackpacker.com might look at the idea...it's not as crazy as it might sound at first.)”

““crash first thing back from Korea...get with me...I will teach you (LOL).

Um I would thing First Aid be a REAL consideration.”
XL400236
8:00:00 AM
6/26/07

That's easy. A tourniquet around the neck stops the bleeding every time. ;-)”

“Thanks, ST. First thing is to set a date. October usually books up, so I am thinking maybe around the first of November. Any ideas on place? My suggestions are RRG, Cumberland Gap or Grayson Highlands areas.

Chuck, great post.”

“November works for me...anytime before deep snowfall...I can take care of me, but we want this to be fun, not a true survival without gear trip...

also, I would think this will NOT be a LNT trip...not a massacre of trees, but there would be trimming of limbs etc....that complicates things a little no?
last edited: 6/26/07 2:34:05 PM”

“Cool idea. I'd be interested.”

“Hoosierdaddy has done this kind of thing here before... They went and did ice axe self arrest training. Sounds like fun! :)”

“Basic orienteering with map and compass is one of my weaknesses.

I entered backpacking in the age of GPS systems and never developed the basic skills.”

“Chili, thanks for following up! I'll be there.”

“chinMusic, just take your map and compass with you when you go... Sit on a ridge and practice identifying the peaks.

yeah... I'm geeky like that. :D”

“i can kind of reads a map. sorta.

but i can make a fire out of dirt, a paeper clip, some bark, and the sun”

“I need map and compass practice. I think I could make a fire and a shelter with basic tools but I've never actually tried to do it. This trip would be good to actually do these things.

Basic survival - food, water and shelter, + navigation - would be good topics to build around.”

“I got to go through an (official) 3-day search and rescue course. THAT was one of the coolest things I've ever done...

fires, shelters, navigation... the last half of the final day they did a mock rescue. Cool.”

“Sounds like the TT Scouters need to hold a first time scout hike.

Should go over swimmingly. After all, we all behave like 10.5 to 11 year olds.
lol!”

“I could use some basic pointers on walking.”

“Don't chew gum at the same time.

In all seriousness I learned more from Colin Fletcher's The Complete Walker than I have learned from any where else about the process of walking
last edited: 6/26/07 7:11:26 PM”

“Get yer a$$ out there and go camping! If you can't figure it out when you get cold and wet, you probably should stay home. Everybody is looking for some kind of short cut without actually CAMPING. What they really need is more time in the woods.




I always want to say this on other sites but get flamed.”

“The trips I've been on have emphasized hiking, beautiful scenery and social activities. No complaints here! I've enjoyed every TT trip I've been on. But, I'd like to go on a trip where the emphasis is on skill building, not just getting from point A to point B.”

“take a nols course with me next year, stove swiper!
last edited: 6/26/07 8:06:00 PM”

“I can demonstrate how to shotgun a beer.”

“use this link to learn about shelters, and the links at the very bottom of th page for outdoor skills.....(Click on diagrams for larger views):

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/shelter/indian.htm

If you want to know, it's IN THERE!”

“I'll refrain from throwing in a big plug, but NOLS is a great place to learn the basics and build on them up to advanced techniques, I say this as I sit in Alaska preparing to head out on my first course. "Basic pointers on walking" on my mid course check in, I got feed back that "sometimes when you walk, it looks like you're going to fall over."”

“"Basic pointers on walking" stop clowning

so are you taking an instructors course, simmy?”

“I just finised my IC last week, I'm heading out on my first contract beginning tomorrow.”

“kick ass dude! what course are you going to be teaching? are they gonna put your profile on the website?”

“Great idea. After my first post I was called a newbie. I do not consider myself as one. Any way, I'm familiar with some skills that were mentioned and I would like to learn some more. Such a trip is an excellent idea. I would join it. I agree with Stomper that getting from point A to B might be a little "boring" sometimes. Just one suggestion, it has to be well organized. We do not want to end up with couple guys screaming at each other who has a better solution. I'll check on this post more often.”

“My first contract is part of the backpacking section of a semester in Alaska. Right after that I have a 30 day Alaska Wilderness backpacking course.

I have no idea how one becomes cool enough to have a profile on the website.
last edited: 6/26/07 8:39:10 PM”

“We do not want to end up with couple guys screaming at each other who has a better solution

in the past 4 years, ive been on dozens of tt trips, and theres never been anything close to that. every trip has been in the most cooperative spirit, theres never been any yelling about who has the better way. go on a trip and see for yourself”

“wow. simer. you are really living the dream. congratulations”

“Yeah, CB I agree. Most of the time when you try to do something, EVERY ONE there tells you how you should do it. They take turns giving advice. Finally, they shut up and let you do it. :)

On another note:
The NOLS course is mostly for people who want to instruct, right? Seems like overkill for the average weekend outdoors person?
last edited: 6/26/07 8:50:18 PM”

“Thank you. So far, I'm loving it. Alaska is incredible, the people I'm working with are great, the program is amazing, this is what it's like to be a professional backpacker.”

“Way to cool simer. I'm jealous!”

“stomper, not at all - you're right though, it is more than just a weekend. Most of our courses are a month or more and are aimed at people at any skill level, beginers will be taught the skills, people at an advanced level will sharpen their skills and be challenged at a new level. (ok, i'm done being a promotional tool)”

“I'm pretty outdoor savy and would love to help out with this project and I am sure that I can learn a thing or two.

Yeah I was a scout and have been involved with it for many years since but most of my backcountry primitive skills comes from re-creating history for fun. Going out in the woods in 1780's gear and clothing for days on end teaches you how to build a fire with no matches, find food and cook with a cup.

I watch now and days when we go out and some of the best equipped backpackers really do not know how to start a fire or build a decent productive fire. It can get lonely around a fire pit before the flames come.

Each trip I go on, I teach my g/f something about the gear that she carries. It really does make camp time more enjoyable; watching someone learn.

I might be slow and out of the best shape but I know what to do.

Hope this can happen around Grayson Highland area.”

“map and compass skills are something I need help in. Funny I was just browseing the web last night for some good beginner sites.”

“haha simer just called himself a tool”

“Some of the other things we talked about were:
What to have in a first aid kit w/o overkill
GPS skills
How to make a bow drill and start a fire with a bow drill
How to make a pepsi alcohol stove
How to tie different knots
Plant ID
...just to name a few...
There are many areas we could cover and yes someone would need to be in charge of each area. There are so many people here on TT that have great skills to share.
last edited: 6/26/07 9:22:49 PM”

“" Funny I was just browseing the web last night for some good beginner sites.”

YES, another person that used word a beginner and admitted that there is much more to learn. I'm not alone after all.”

“I am inclined to hold this trip at Savage Gulf, any comments?”

“I have one vote for the Hot Springs, NC campground. Plenty of space, various trails nearby for orienteering, etc. Showers, gear store nearby, etc.”

“ouch, 9-10 hours from here. Can we make this kid friendly and instruct them, as well?”

“Yes we can”

“hot springs is much closer.

or go to damascus and see what that campground looks like empty.”

“Might be a good excuse to go see my brother in Huntsville Alabama and then head a little north for a few days.”

“I emailed the Hot Springs Campground. They are open yr round. They have a group site right on the river, reg sites on the river and cabins for the weenies. Price is not bad either

http://camp.nchotsprings.com/”

“Looks like we are down to a discussion on either Savage Gulf or Hot Springs.

Chuck, hope you can make it.”