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A bit off topic, but yes, I’ve picked up a lot of tips and tricks via online videos. While I have had basic skills and ideas for years, and I’ve even managed to use them while camping to impress friends, I have picked up a lot of information watching Dave Canterbury’s videos. Since 2008 or 2009, I’ve been watching his channel. I think the rabbit stick was the first video I caught. I watched it because I remembered it from the military survival manual, so it caught my attention. From that moment on, I was hooked on his delivery, simplicity, and no nonsense approach at basic survival and utilizing resources.
Hence I caught the tip on Vaseline, beeswax, and animal fat soaked cotton balls/material to make fire. Char cloth and dozens of different ways to make fire. I also know to carry three ways of making, and having one that’s renewable. That’s why I carry a magnifying glass. Then there’s the ability to make sure fire in wet conditions, as well as building a fire. I do understand the difference between making fire and building a fire. I also understand how to utilize wet materials for building a fire. For example, splitting wet wood down to the dry core. This is all basic common sense for me, or survival for dummies.
It’s the primitive skills that I’ve never used. Making cordage from plants, fire with sticks, and the like. I haven’t a clue what rocks to use for napping etc. I’ve never delved in it because I’ve store bought items that will carry me for quite a long time, and these are the people that are going to make it? Most of them don't even have the proper clothing to weather out a blizzard without power. They also lack the common sense to install a wood burner where they can, portable generator, or a hand pump on their well... I just don't see many of them making it if things break down for a lenghty period.
Back on topic: Yes Rome fell, but what disturbs me is how older cultures/civilizations are always used to prove how people will be ok if things fall apart. 80 years ago and beyond, people were more in tune on how to survive without modern technology. They were also used to a more primitive lifestyle, and this is one of many reasons why I feel that the average American won’t fair well when the electricity goes off, the water doesn’t come out of the tap, and the sewer is backing up into their homes. I can’t get over how people stress out during a power outage. In my area, we experience at least one power outage per year that lasts from 12 to 36 hours. It’s not uncommon to see three to five such events. From hurricanes, nor’easters, and blizzards, we have frequent power outages. Whenever I’m with a group of people when this happens, you’d swear that the world has just ended… Granted without electricity, it's like The Dark Ages, but it's only a temporary thing. They way they act one would swear it's a life sentence. Additionally, Most of them don’t understand why their cell phone is lit up and working but they cannot make a call… Then many are equally amazed at how the landline still works. These are the very same people that many say will make it, yet they have the ability to install a woodburner, generator, and or hand pump on their well, but don't. Moreover, few are equipped to comfortably weather out a blizzard during a power outage because they don't know how to buy proper cold weather gear. I just don't see them making it...
Good to read what all of you have to say. Cheers,
bolillo
Bolillo, One way to find decent rock if you can't tell one rock from another (Not meaning you can't, but in-general for anyone who can't) is to get a ordinary file 1 inch wide by 6 to 8 inches long and about 1/8h inch thick. Then grind one of the thin edges as smooth as possible of a grinding wheel
BUT only holding the file in bare hands so you can FEEL heat. Have a bucket of colder water on hand to chill the file with. The idea is to smooth the edge but not heat the file at all. Pretty much 0 heat, and to a smooth edge. Then walk around someplace a lot of sharp broken rocks are, selectiong some and trying to shear off slivers of steel.
Too soft a rock will be damaged by the steel, a hard enough rock will strike off white hot burning steel. Everybody know rocks don't burn, except coal.
All a 18th century Flint n' Steel is, is file steel, a high carbon steel, tool steel, forged to a shape easy to carry, and a chip of chert, agate, jasper or flint. A guy skilled with a flint n steel kit can have fire in under 3 seconds. In a Brigade I used to belong to, prospects raced flint n steel to fire on the time they were about to make full membership. The sponcers placed bets (cash) in a hat and the winner's sponcer got the cash, not the winner.
To learn the skill of making coradge all you need is a ball of jute twine. This is how I learn, working backwards. Why Jute twine? Because it makes good tinder, it can be used as is, it makes a good cleaning mop for black powder guns, and can be corded from fuzz.
If you buy a spool the first lesson will be cut off (3) 18 inch section and make it all fuzz, then cord it back.
As a woman, even a sturdy non-girly woman used to hard work, none of this in the woods survival sounds romantic at all. The hardy old resourceful girl scout in me would much rather be busting my hump in fields or orchards in a smaller community of like minded individuals that will gather for mutual aid and defense. Seeing that the sale of one of our city houses is a very real possibility now, we will be looking for that community very soon.
A few points to ponder: In the remote mountains of NW Arkansas I was warned repeatedly not to wander around beyond certain points and away from the road or I could go missing (shot by territorial or xenophobic locals) and never be found again. Not to mention the huge number of venomous snakes and poison ivy (that I'm not allergic to but most people are) that would make crossing wooded territory an endeavor to be undertaken carefully. Ditto for NW Kansas away from towns. Different natural hazards, same trespassers will be shot mentality. Neither place is the Appalachians but much of this still applies in backwoods and remote areas all over the USA.
Also, a person that is a position to know, said that he knows of people that plan to blow strategic bridges in the event of a scenario that would empty this city to keep them out of "their" area. Given the water temperature and swiftness, that would be a very effective strategy and a death sentence for most that would try to proceed without a boat of some kind.
I imagine that these sentiments rule in rural areas rather than being rare. I would give all but the most highly skilled backwoods person maybe two weeks in that kind of live off the land scenario, especially in the winter. Maybe more time, if you carried in a big bag of rice like Chris Mccandless did. He lasted a few months, in the summer, in Alaska. Yet he starved to death or ate something poisonous. The jury is out on cause. The wilderness is a harsh place and doesn't care if you live or die. I'll take my chances with my fellow man, just well chosen fellow man. And I might be in on that road barricade should the cities start emptying for whatever reason some day.
Many of the locals can be downright hostile in rural areas unless your already known and liked by people who have been there longer then living memory.
I made quite a few life long friends But I also helped out at a farm and made good friends of friends. Still the gate for acceptance is often by in large no one with living memory can recall when your family came.
I would suggest think twice before moving or buying.
You could be shot too. I had not been back to rural PA in years. I thought I would look up a few people. One family we drove up the old rough private dirt road, I told my childen don't touch anything, don't look at anything. No one answered the door. I was driving a Mercedes, they likely concluded maybe we were not there to steal anything or worse.
Even offered some help in finding work.
They were glad too see me when they did come out, even remembering good times that I had forgot. But was later told no one ever goes up that road anymore. They only recognized me when I told them who I was.
But no doubt they were grabbing the guns first, answer the door if at all second.
I stopped at another old pals house, they had moved and sold. The people in the yard would not even answer us when we spoke. Likely I was paying
trumped up SSI for them.
What really struck me was most of the farms were now fallow, either nothing or maybe a recreational horse or so.
I have seriously thought of NW Arkansas. A friend from that area describes it as a whole nother world, and sorry they left .
If one has absolutely no civilian or military survival training, I can understand how one may find it hard to believe that a person that’s properly trained can go out into the Appalachians and survive, even during the dead of winter. I’ve done it, and it’s not as difficult as one may think.
I can survive as long as I can stand it in the Appalachian Mountains. Winter, spring, summer, and fall. If one cannot imagine this being possible, I’d suggest learning basic survival skills, putting together a proper kit, and going out into the Appalachians and trying it. I know for a fact that I’m not the only person capable of doing this. Not only have I stated this several times, but so have many others throughout this thread that this is clearly not directed towards the average person. It’s been custom tailored towards people that have military and or civilian basic survival training.
There are no locals in the area’s I’m speaking of. My state alone has nearly 4 million acres of protected land. Much of this is fairly remote. There are mountain streams, brooks, creeks, and rivers. Fishing, or the setting of fish traps, will yield enough food to feed a person indefinitely. Then there are all sorts of four legged furry creatures, and we’ve not even delved into birds. Pine bark is edible, and the needles boiled in water make a drink high in Vitamin C as well as maple and birch trees that can be tapped for a tasty sugary drink high in Vitamin C as well. It’s nature’s bounty, and it’s all over. I know because not only have I grown up in this area, but I’m also in the mountains just about on a daily basis, and I have been most of my life. Whether it be cycling through all four seasons, rain, snow, sleet, or shine as well as trekking, and just toying with basic survival skills. Other than the Appalachian Trail, I rarely run into other humans. It’s quite easy to walk five or ten miles off the Appalachian Trail and be in the middle of nowhere, but yet have wildlife all around including streams with all sorts of fish. All along the Appalachian Mountains, there are some pretty remote areas as well as millions of acres of federal and state protected areas that have never been developed.
If anybody finds this hard to believe, I’d suggest checking into it.
For those bugging in and farming, I hope that you’re very remote and so far off the beaten path that nobody would ever find you. A community of five or ten people that are farming a land will be very susceptible to even one person that knows how to stalk and shoot. After all, the community is tied to doing chores and the farm. The people/person raiding the farm isn’t. That’s what makes terrorists so deadly. Nobody knows when or where they’re coming, and most people, even in dangerous situations become complacent after a period of time and let their guard down. It’s impossible to defend a place 24/7. Especially if you’re dealing with men trained by the military in infantry tactics and they know how to use a firearm. Considering the number of infantry men we’ve sent to war over the past 8 years as well as those trained over the past 30, I’d say that there should be a fair amount of men out there that know what to do.
Bugging in, and or farming is far more dangerous than the scenario I’ve put forth. Out there, it’s man against Mother Nature, in the bugging in situations, not only are you dealing with Mother Nature, but also many more people per square mile, and who knows what the police/military response will be.
I have lived rural almost my whole life and never in NH run into any crazed back woodsmen unless I am it. Depending on attitudes displayed I can be your best friend or your worst enemy, but I don't start out as a enemy. I met a old geezer in Mis., who hunted for his living on a day to day basis, and he wanted a little company, and helped me out. At the time my wife was freaking out about a lost wedding ring (wumins) I made it, and i figured since i did i could just make another and so make more miles. I figured wrong So the old guy took me in his truck back to the levy, tawked the whole way, didn't matter a bit i couldn't understand one word he said either.
Didn't ever find that ring on the levy, but after giving up my wife found it down in her pants, as some lump that might be a big bad bug. (Wumins) gotta love em...
So I sort of disagree, but then NH is pretty tame.
When I took to the woods I just had no other better place to go . It can work, one needs to make many adjustments and adapt is all. You can get cold, wet, tired and hungery but that won't kill you, a lost sprit will.
I use woodsland skills to earn money sometimes. You can get a easy 100 bucks for a birch bark 1 or 2 qt canteen, with no store bought parts.
Bolillo, I might deb ate you knowing what you know and remaining indefinately, since you will wear things out you might be un-able to replace.
That is exactly where the old skills come to play. Waer out your boots and then what? You can't 'just' run to the store and buy new ones can ya? Nope, you need to know how to make some sort of foot wear.
You could loose everying, and i did once in a extended canoe trip. It was a primitive prooving test by the creator I guess. I just started gathering and making my needs as i wasn't in any hurry to go home anyway . I happened to be dressed during that so didn't need to start naked.
Why I can't even understand why I didn't get busted being born, but maybe I was dressed huh?
Location: Finally escaped The People's Republic of California
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I'd like to see you guys start a thread about primitive survival.
I know I lack this skill, as do most others, I have decent hunting skills, I'm an average shot, but terrible with a bow. I can ride a horse or bike as well as anyone, I've spent alot of time in the Sierras but I'm just camping. I can skin an animal and have made some lace top mocs in camp, but had leather for cordage. The one skillset I excell at is fishing, I can catch most fish better that most folks around me and somehow just instinctively know where they are.
This thread does have me wanting more info on primitive skills
"It can work, one needs to make many adjustments and adapt is all. You can get cold, wet, tired and hungery but that won't kill you, a lost sprit will."
Notice that it's the guys talking about living in the woods snaring rabbits and cooking up bark tea. Most women I know, even the very hardy and practical, that don't mind a real camping trip have a different agenda for living. One of those agenda items might be sleeping in a bed and washing their hair from time to time. Just saying...
I'll take my chances. And by community, I'm talking a small town of a thousand to about five or six thousand max. Pretty hard for a lone sniper or even a medium sized group to take it down. Make them upset, afraid, some loss of life, maybe but a town of reasonable size, gathered for mutual aid and defense like the feudal societies of old makes sense to me.
"It can work, one needs to make many adjustments and adapt is all. You can get cold, wet, tired and hungery but that won't kill you, a lost sprit will."
Notice that it's the guys talking about living in the woods snaring rabbits and cooking up bark tea. Most women I know, even the very hardy and practical, that don't mind a real camping trip have a different agenda for living. One of those agenda items might be sleeping in a bed and washing their hair from time to time. Just saying...
I'll take my chances. And by community, I'm talking a small town of a thousand to about five or six thousand max. Pretty hard for a lone sniper or even a medium sized group to take it down. Make them upset, afraid, some loss of life, maybe but a town of reasonable size, gathered for mutual aid and defense like the feudal societies of old makes sense to me.
Yup. Which is exactly why I moved where I live, on the very northernmost edge of a town of 145 people (there's more on the ranches in the hills that will come out if needed). Everyone here open carries. They use dynamite to clear drainage as a matter of course. We barter and trade for things. We share everything from hay thru food to ammo. We are so far out that we have to pump in sunshine (the snow comes in free ). And we only occasionally see a jet, way, 'WAY up there. We are definitely in a 'flyover' state, and most people won't want to/won't think to/won't be able to come out this far. In my deep valleys in the pasture, I cannot be seen or heard on the main road (that runs on the S side of town, a two-lane state road) or in town. From my medium-sized hill mid-pasture I can see the whole town (it's in a valley); with a scope I can pick out the people or the wild turkeys wandering the roads. The only way someone could make it thru town to us is with a tank - and who would want to spend that kind of money and time? The only people who come here are the people who are from here or who have been invited - and I still have to give the latter intricate directions. Any squatters who come here are hustled along. Any cattle rustlers (yes we still have them; except now they have the long cattle trucks and 4-wheelers) disappear and - surprise! a rancher has a new cattle truck and 4-wheeler. They still call government representatives 'suits' and 'revenooers'.
This town used to have quite a rep as the moonshine whiskey source of the state; an entire traincarload of sugar used to be offloaded here every week, back when they had trains. Most people have an attitude of mind-yer-own-biznez and independence already, but will work together and help each other without asking or being asked. It is the perfect spot to be in an economic meltdown; lots of different talents, lot of variable resources, lots of attitude, lots of agreeable trade going on that never makes it into any account books.
That sounds nice SCGranny, but that’s out of reach for most people in this country. Moreover, I was appealing towards those that live within a short distance or within the Appalachians, don’t have a lot of money/resources, but know basic survival. If I had your scenario at my disposal, I'd much rather do that than face my options. I have no options other than bugging out.
While there are some areas that are somewhat remote in the Appalachians, most of the range falls within 100 or less miles from a city. The eastern United States is the most heavily populated area in the country, so there aren’t many options available to people with limited financial means. Moreover, anybody homesteading in the east will be around people, so they’re very susceptible to being raided.
Remote is a relative statement for the Appalachians. On foot, much of it is very remote. Quite a lot of it is only accessible via horseback or on foot. Hence, it’s one of the few alternatives to trying to ward off looters and avoid the mayhem of populated areas.
I don’t think I originally included this in the topic, but I was using a scenario for survivalists within a specific region. The premise was to escape the chaos, murder, rape, and mayhem in the valleys/cities below, hide out in the mountains for a few weeks, month, or two, and then recon the area for a small safe community and try to assimilate based on what each has to offer to the other, and whether or not they’re compatible.
I know I can make it quite a while, but I suspect lack of community and social outlets would get to most people sooner or later. In fact, I suspect that within three months, most would be suffering some sort of negative mental effects due to isolation and or limited social contacts.
However, it’s my opinion that one should get away from desperate people as soon as possible, so that’s why I appealed to people that are into surviving with minimal supplies. Hence, this topic…
Cheers,
bolillo
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Dealing with the locals
). And we only occasionally see a jet, way, 'WAY up there. We are definitely in a 'flyover' state, and most people won't want to/won't think to/won't be able to come out this far. In my deep valleys in the pasture, I cannot be seen or heard on the main road (that runs on the S side of town, a two-lane state road) or in town. From my medium-sized hill mid-pasture I can see the whole town (it's in a valley); with a scope I can pick out the people or the wild turkeys wandering the roads. The only way someone could make it thru town to us is with a tank - and who would want to spend that kind of money and time? The only people who come here are the people who are from here or who have been invited - and I still have to give the latter intricate directions. Any squatters who come here are hustled along. Any cattle rustlers (yes we still have them; except now they have the long cattle trucks and 4-wheelers) disappear and - surprise! a rancher has a new cattle truck and 4-wheeler. They still call government representatives 'suits' and 'revenooers'. 
