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Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:41 am
by DebianJoe
While I'll admit, it's pretty useful to be able to create a new user in a fresh *nix environment, or know how to mount drives from command line...none of that is nearly as useful as knowing how to live off the land, grow crops, make shelters, kill animals with makeshift tools (assuming you eat animals), or make medicine from common local plants. Not dying in the wild > hand writing an fstab.

So, why not share cool tips/hacks/tricks about living off the land in your local region?

I'll kick it off by talking about how totally badass willow bark is. It's a pretty reasonable substitute for aspirin, and can be used as a tea to help reduce fevers. The active ingredient 'salicin', is related to some kidney issues if used for spans longer than 12 weeks, as it does reduce some bloodflow through the region.

Some hippie chick shows how to make tea from willow bark.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 9:44 am
by wuxmedia
bit out of season now, but nettles are pretty good to eat, and make tea out of - Full of good stuff (they dig deep)

Get stung by the buggers, use some dock leaves, also used for something else - but I forget what.
Where the hell is Bones? this thread would attract him like a <prey> to a <bait>

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 3:13 pm
by rust collector
This is slightly on the edge of this topic, but I think it might be close enough to be here.

Learn how to change a flat tire. It has to suck to freeze to death because you can not figure that out.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:20 pm
by wuxmedia
^ yeah, on a similar tip, I heard somewhere that one can use willow withies for makeshift HT leads...

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:39 pm
by DebianJoe
Bear Grylls, popular TV survivalist, has been noted to drink his own urine on multiple occasions. This is outright stupid on multiple levels. At the point where you'd be contemplating urine as an acceptable source of water, then you're already probably significantly dehydrated. In this state, the salt levels and trace minerals in urine would most likely require more water to flush from the body (again!) than the water provided.

A little preparation would go a long way here, as digging a hole to collect some extra water in low-lying areas (such as dried riverbeds in arid climates), will add to any natural collectible water. This can then be boiled for 1 minute at sea level, adding 1 minute for each additional 300 meters above sea level, or boil for 10 minutes no matter where you are.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:32 pm
by machinebacon
Yeah, you should rather piss on a towel and put it on your head to prevent further dehydration when you are in a desert.

He should have eaten his own stool to prevent starving.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:24 pm
by gutterslob
Yamaha WR250. Great for escaping loco Malaysian wild boar.

[based on true story]

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 4:09 pm
by machinebacon
*throws moto at loco boar*

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:01 am
by DebianJoe
Where is Bones? Anyhow, thought that http://www.wildcrafting.net/ was a pretty neat little site for someone interested in beginning foraging.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:12 am
by rhowaldt
Bones is probably boning somebody or something. enjoying real life maybe, surviving in the wilderness while we talk about it ;)

i miss him though. fuck you Bones, i thought you were a friend, how could you abandon us like this!>?!!?!?!?!?!/1/11//1

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:16 pm
by bones
OK, so, I have said that I will have something to contribute to this thread for quite a while now, so here it goes. Perhaps I should just share my voluminous links on the subject? Nah, that's too easy, a cop-out.

First and foremost, I think we need to ask ourselves, "What is 'wilderness' (or wildness)?" As domesticated humans, we see ourselves apart and above nature, wilderness, and the animal kingdom. Wilderness is something "out there." We have become disconnected from the world, and therefore (IMO), we suffer a great amount of discontent because of this.

There is an entire movement called "rewilding," whose purpose it is to attempt to reconnect people with the wilderness and wildness. It is a fairly popular "thing" in "paleo" circles.

I have spent pretty much my entire life trying to reconcile my modern human domesticity with my deep need for wilderness and wildness. I become a very unhappy person that is not fun to be around if I am disconnected for too long. I have found that I can stay sane by seeing the wildness around me in everyday life, even in the city. This is one of the reasons my primary modes of transportation are walking and bicycling. I see and observe more wildness by moving more slowly; things go by too quickly to notice in an automobile (plus driving frustrates the hell outta me).

When I was a teen, I took a one week course in wilderness survival, which forever changed me for the better. It was based on Tom Brown, Jr.'s Tracker School. Knowing how to survive in the wild with little more than a knife and the clothes on your back is VERY empowering, as you can imagine.

I will have more to add on this subject, as time allows, but for now, I will leave you with a link to one of my favorite "rewilders," Daniel Vitalis. Lots of food for thought here:

https://danielvitalis.creatavist.com/

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:26 pm
by Dr_Chroot
^Thanks, bones! I am realizing that I don't get outside enough... -_- You would think I would take advantage of being the midst of the Wind River Mountains here in Wyoming.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:50 pm
by dkeg
Like the Dr., I'm right in a nice area. My wilderness time has been cutting down small trees (with a tree saw! GRRR!) and removing debris so we can extend our yard and have better view of the river from the house. We figure we're so close, we should be able to see it, and enjoy the view, since we feel the wrath of the river when it floods.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:06 pm
by ivanovnegro
Maybe I should consider something wild, too, as I also live in a very nice area with lot of nature.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:36 pm
by dkeg
this is the view now from the house. You can see where I cleaned out debris. Now we can see the river, so that's cool. I wish I had a before shot.
20150101_182954191_iOS.jpg

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:27 pm
by wuxmedia
nice woods, dkeg.
guess you're not short of firewood.

Bones, I hear you on the keeping wild as much as one can. Having a dog helps with that, and kids that love rummaging in the leaf mould and finding woodland treasures.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 7:33 pm
by bones
Another good resource, Arthur Haines is pretty awesome:

http://www.arthurhaines.com/

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 7:16 am
by DebianJoe
So, anyone have any thoughts on keeping a BOB (bug out bag, "SHTF pack)?

If so, what would you consider worthwhile to carry and what is your target weight for the pack? This may be splitting hairs a bit, but I'm curious as to what you would consider essential preparation.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 2:51 pm
by slartie
Well it really depends on where I'm going, but if we're talking a wilderness trek and not an emergency thing, here's my normal pack:

- Paper money, a CC, drivers license/passport/insurance card.
- First aid kit with all the usual including over the counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories, muscle salve, and a balm.
- Dried food of some sort. At least enough calories to hold me over for a couple of days. If there's still room, fill with food. (note: if I know I'll be out in the wild for days on end, I'll pack a LOT of nuts, dried fruit, jerky. you plow through a lot of calories if you're crossing a lot of hills)
- Easy cook food like noodles or something similar, just for a change of pace.
- Maps (duh!?)
- Compass.
- Hunting knife. I like the folding kind, but they're illegal here, so a normal hunting knife it is.
- Honing stone.
- Some string/cord.
- Trapping gear for catching small game.
- Suitable clothing depending on the climate.
- Raingear - really thin stuff. Can also be used as a water collector.
- Water treatment tablets (can be left out depending on which country you're in)
- Ebook reader wrapped in plastic. Gotta read on the trip! The reader also contains manuals and tutorials for field emergencies and whatnot. I have a printout of the most essential as well - just in case.
- Solar panel for charging a non-smartphone.
- Small flashlight that I can charge via the solar panel.
- Cellphone for emergencies. The phone also works as an FM/AM radio.
- Collapsible water containers. Filled as needed 2-3 liters per day depending on where you're at, and how much you exert yourself.
- Firestarter. I use the swedish firesteel. I pick up suitable kindling along the way, be it moss, dried grass or whatever.
- Small cooking kit. I use the soda can stove variety usually. If I can build a fire I prefer that to the stove, but in some places that isn't a possibility.
- Firebricks.
- Rather than carrying around TP, I carry a washcloth and some antibacterials. If the antibacterial runs out, I use soap.
- Thin sleeping bag. I skip the bedroll, because I usually use a hammock. If the terrain isn't suitable for a hammock, It'll double as a tarp if I sleep on the ground.

Apart from that I would bring my bow and arrows. That would depend on the country I'm in of course, but at the very least the basic trapping gear mentioned above.

This is just from the top of my head. I don't have a pack at hand at the moment, but the above should cover most.

If we're talking SHTF, people often talk about not looking like prey. Fuck that, if it's SHTF time, everybody is prey, so I'd just pack as much as I could carry comfortably and head for the woods.

The weight will vary from person to person. I'm a big guy, so I can carry more than others, so I wouldn't fret over an extra 20 lbs. worth of supplies.

Re: Wilderness!

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:15 pm
by DebianJoe
That's pretty much my setup +- a few items. I like having a few ways to fire (because nothing ever works unless I have a backup plan). Paraffin dipped matched + lighter added. Also add some fishing hooks and a trot-line. I am also a huge fan of 550 paracord, as it's good for damn near everything, and it's lightweight.

I would totally leave out the phone and solar panels. I damn near would throw my phone away right now anyhow.

Assuming a true SHTF, then you're totally onto something about people being the #1 concern beyond water. If there's anything that we learned from New Orleans flooding (or perhaps it was just given a solid example...most everyone knew it already), people are not out to help each other.