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Survival Strategies:  Basic Survival Skills?  |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 10 2007 : 10:46:25 PM
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Do you know basic survival skills? Here are a few questions to ponder before your next long jaunt into the woods. These are all things I learned growing up and in an outdooring class in college...
Do you know how to light a fire without matches? Have you done it before sucessfully?
Do you know how to orientate a map with and without a compass? Do you know how to read a map?
Do you know how to mark your trail? How to signal for help?
Do you know the best way to get "found?"
What do you do when you encounter large wildlife in the back woods?
Elizaray |
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Ladytrapper
outbound
32 Posts
Juanita
Nova Scotia
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 06:27:01 AM
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I believe I can answer those questions with some confidence...these are good questions.
One thing most people forget about survival situations is the state of your mind. Fear and panic can be the worst of your enemies, and will hamper even the best of your survival instincts. It is natural, and if you recognize it and face it...you have half the battle won.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 11:19:57 AM
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Juanita- you are so right! Fear and panic really are your worst enemies. My parents always taught me to obey first, think second and I can honestly say that has saved my life! I think having the answers to my questions drilled into a kid's head can do the same thing. If you know down to the very core of your being what to do- your primitive brain kicks in even while your logical brain is still panicking.
I know for example that I need to work on my fire building skills. Give me matches and I can build you a fire- no problem. But I have never successfully build a fire without matches. Hmmm... I can't remember. Maybe I did start a fire with a magnifying glass, but you can't always count on sun! I think I need to next learn how to do flint and steel and then learn how to make a fire bow!
Elizaray |
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Ladytrapper
outbound
32 Posts
Juanita
Nova Scotia
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 4:11:41 PM
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I am with you Elizaray...I want to make that my next accomplishment as well.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 9:55:18 PM
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I can just imagine wiping the sweat off my brow as someone walks into camp and says in wonder "You started your fire without Matches! Can you teach me?"
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 07:39:15 AM
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I wish I could say I was a wiz at all of the "essential" survival skills. I'm really not, though. My husband and I were talking about this the other day, and we have to laugh at ourselves because as wild a life as we lived before we had kids, we never really perfected the survival preparedness idea. He's probably better at it than me, but we both kinda fly by the seat of our pants, and that may come back to bite us someday. Alas, Chris always likes to fall back on this bit of wisdom: "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough!"
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Survival Strategies: Basic Survival Skills? |
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Basic Survival Skills?
