Rough Camping & Survival Tips

-Unknown Author

Debunking the Kit Myth [B.O.B.]



There’s no such thing as lots of survival equipment.

There’s bushcraft.

And there’s equipment.

At the heart of bushcraft is a study of nature and the resources she can provide.

Some resources are obvious and don’t take much skill or knowledge to access; making the most of other resources requires a large knowledge (fungi) or a high level of skill (building a birch bark canoe).

And there is much to learn in between.

Given the breadth and depth of the subjects encompassed by bushcraft, it can be a little overwhelming to begin learning some of the techniques.

-Where do I start with Bushcraft?

The best place to start is at the beginning.



The most important outdoor skill is fire-lighting. Start there. Learn the basics and build on them.

In learning to light fires well you will also learn to identify many tree species and their specific burning properties. You will learn which fungi, plants and trees provide good tinder and kindling. Some of the techniques such as feathersticks (done well) also require good carving skills.

Most people who are interested in bushcraft don’t spend enough time on their fire-lighting skills.







You could spend years refining your fire skills. Don’t be in a hurry.

-All the lots of gear and no idea

There is a lot of paraphernalia associated with bushcraft these days. Most of it is unnecessary. Much of it is glorified camping equipment.

As your bushcraft gains in strength, you’ll need less and less kit. Not more and more.



Those, such as the Hadza, who are truly skilled in their bushcraft, own virtually nothing. They use cheap knives that a typical “bushcrafter” would be embarrassed to have on their belt. Yet the Hadza’s skill is consummate; the steel composition or whether the blade has a “Scandi grind” is completely unimportant.

The Hadza live day to day through their knowledge of bushcraft.

If you are a beginner, don’t be put off. Think more like the Hadza and less like a bushcraft shopping channel addict.

-What do you need to get started with Bushcraft?

If you ever go outdoors, then you probably already have some clothes. You may even have a waterproof jacket. If so, then you are already equipped for a day in the woods.

If you want to stay a little longer then, as a beginner, you might need a few extra things.

When I was a kid, all you needed to sleep out in the woods was some basic camping equipment. In my case a cheap 2-man tent (for 3 of us), sleeping bag I found in the cupboard, a tin of beans, a bottle of water and a box of matches. Since then, the woods haven’t changed. So this is still pretty much all you need. It’s nothing specific to bushcraft either. It certainly doesn’t need to cost much.



In learning bushcraft, what’s most important is a keen interest in nature. This doesn’t cost anything.

-What about a knife?

Many of the techniques of bushcraft are made easier by having a basic cutting tool. Just like the Hadza, it’s worth having a cheap yet durable knife. Mora make a range of knives that fit the bill.

You can get by with just a knife but, as a beginner, a durable little pruning saw can be helpful until your develop a full range of knife techniques. A small saw will always make some jobs easier than they are with a knife; it will also make some of them safer.

-Work on your bushcraft skills, not bushcraft kit

Lighting fires with a small flame is a valuable skill. Practice with matches.

Practice in the rain.

Then progress on to lighting natural materials with sparks. This will allow you to explore which materials will accept a spark, which will burst into flame and which will only smoulder. Then you’ll have to learn how to take the smouldering materials to a flame using other natural materials that are available.

Always be broadening the means by which you can achieve a flame. This will feed into the work you did with matches.

To start down this path, invest in a Swedish Firesteel. This will light the widest range of materials of any sparking device. Work on your material preparation and technique.

-A long and fulfilling road

Bushcraft isn’t about collecting kit. Learning bushcraft is about attaining knowledge and actively gaining skills.

If you exploit the full potential of the three items above in the pursuit of learning bushcraft skills, you’ll be busy for a long time to come. Your bank balance will be much healthier and your bushcraft skill level much higher.

Less is indeed more.

You make lots of sense Willem

Fire
sterile water
shelter
navigation
first aid (D ABC RBS)
medicine
insect repellent (deet)
shotgun
knife
flashlight

Remember, the best equiment is the equipment that you have with you.

Oh, just one other thing.


PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

One tough lady..!!

Some 'primitive' on the spot running repears on a finger cut out there with a piece of 'white gold' [toilet paper] and camo duct tape carried on my custom ferro rod....like with ALL your tools/kit--think multi-purpose !

A nice campfire and time to [again] check out another nice 'survival' tool.....

Thanks @observe , as always, great article. Thanks for posting.
For most people venturing into the outdoors, there are the bare necessities required to survive and then there's "comfort" kit. Many people pack too much crap to compensate for lack of bush skills. When things go unexpectedly and drastically wrong no amount of gear can make up for lack of knowledge.
On the flip side, there's no denying that having the right amount of the right gear can mean the difference between an enjoyable and succesfful trip and a down right miserable experience.
We have a saying here in the Rocky Mountain West of the USA. "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear".
For the mountain hunter, the equipment available today is nothing short of amazing. Comfort kit or survival gear? Probably a bit of both

bluey said:

do any of you guys take a personal locating beacon (plb) with you ?
l have a place in all my packs for mine .

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I carry mine on me not in a backpack. I know of a fella in Oz who had a tree crush down on him breaking few bones. He had a PLB in his backpack but was completely immobilised by a tree laying across his legs and arm. Had it been in his pocket he would have been able to reach it, but as it was in his backpack he spent a few horrendous nights suffering from pain, cold and fear as there were pigs digging around him and apparently sniffing him. Eventually his family found him. He's told them where he was heading and when he failed to return they started a search. You can't predict every situation but here is one we can learn from. I like the bush and I like sailing so I have a sat phone and a PLB. When I'm going places without mobile phone coverage I carry them on me, not because I seek trouble but because life happens. I fasten my seatbelt when I drive not because I can't handle the wheel (I happen to have FIA international racing licence) but because it can save me when something goes wrong, and you cannot predict every situation.

I reckon have means of communication, have a survival kit, carry it all and know how to use it. Adapt you kit to your circumstances, you'll need different items on skiing holidays in Switzerland then hunting in remote tropical bush. A good kit must cover the circumstances, thermal blanket will save your life in chilli conditions but so will a LifeStraw if clean water is an issue. My old man has just returned from a sailing trip in the north. They sailed from Greenland to the entrance to NW passages and spent a few weeks in the area. The first thing he said to me upon returning is that you must not under any circumstance fall into the water and that anytime you get off the boat you need to carry a rifle due to the presence of Polar Bears, they've seen dozens. My dad's call for a rifle surprised me cause he's never owned a gun or hunted but he's a sober individual who can see what's in front of him. Different area and circumstances different tools needed to survive. Exposure to elements can torment in different ways. Cold can kill and be painful but so can the sun. I remember seeing an interview with some teenagers from Fiji who went fishing, had the engine fail and were found few weeks later drifting off the north coast of Australia burnt like a medieval witch. A phone or a radio would have saved them the experience all together but having some sun protection gear would go a long way too.

Very good advice/practical tips --thanks !

What's the most important survival skill or tool or survival ability?
That question gets asked a lot.
What is it?
It's not a knife....

1.
Physical and mental fitness.
The ability to endure and implement strategy. And I will add first aid - as to facilitate your physical fitness. Being able to stay alert, to walk, to run, to be able bodied. What if your Survival came down to being able to do a single pull-up- or hike a 10mile trail to a road- or swim out of a river ? Could you do it?

2.
Navigation. The ability to navigate out of where you don't want to be. This requires mental and physical fitness. It's hard to teach having a sense of direction. But it can be learned. The sun and stars, paying attention to your surroundings, keeping a frame of reference. Staying orientated- not getting lost

3.
The ability to improvise. You can't carry a full 4 season kit with all the tools to build a log cabin everywhere you go. Making do with what you have and being able to adapt to whatever the world is dishing out. Carry the knowledge, grow the knowledge. So when something happens - you've already run similar scenarios and solved similar problems in your head
(From the net)
Knowledge to do,make,create,problem solving, inovative improvising etc doesnt weigh anything and can be taken anywhere.....

If it comes down to this , you are in a real 'survival ' situation....

Some nice to know info,that can maybe help you 'survive' those irritating little mozzy pests...

Good to know....

observe said:

Good to know....
View attachment 222593

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I've used this on land navigation courses in my Army past. I got all my points one day without touching a compass