Survival Boot Camp

            This article was originally written for this blog and intended, obviously, to be posted at the beginning of the hunting season. Well, life intervened, as it often does and the article was shuffled to the back burner, until now.

             Even though it was originally intended to open the hunting season, after reviewing it again, I see no reason why it isn't as timely now as it was then. Preparedness calls for a certain level of awareness of your surroundings and a reliable survival kit is appropriate any time of the year.

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            Survival boot camp sounds impressive but the plain fact is it’s just another way to say “intensive survival basics.” You see, the time of year to be aware of the basics of survival is coming around again. That’s right; if you’re a thinking individual it’s about time to get out your shot gun, smoke pole or bow and start tuning it up. Clean and treat those boots before lacing them up and going out on a pre-season scouting expedition, oops, I’m sorry, taking the dog for a walk. Yes dear, I do need the binocular, how else am I going to find the dog if he wanders off?

            I’ve always taught my children that survival begins in the mind, mental preparation. It doesn’t have to be anything more complicated than reviewing what you know about what you’ll be hunting, and what you know about any hazards that might be in the area. If you’ve hunted the area in previous years it shouldn’t take longer than a daydream over a cup of coffee. A really concerted effort might involve a look at the DNR website for the state you hunt to see what the latest word is about hunting conditions. You might even dig out the almanac and see what the forecast is expected to be for opening day.

            O.K., that’s the easy part, you shouldn’t have even spent enough time on it to upset your wife. If you did, Giant Eagle usually has a real good price on rose bouquets. Now comes the tough part, assembling a survival kit.

            Don’t roll your eyes, groan, or even sigh a little bit. It truly isn’t that difficult; if you spend any amount of time outdoors you probably already have everything you need, just not in one spot.

            First we’re going to have a quick review of the basics. A gentleman whom I greatly respect summed it up in this manner, your best chance to stay alive depends on following the “Sacred Order.”

            Now, a quick explanation of the term, the “Sacred Order” isn’t sacred because someone got it while on a mountain top, carrying it down graven on two stone tablets. It isn’t even sacred because someone had some sort of vision.

            It is sacred, quite simply, because it offers the best chance to stay alive and we (Native Americans) view pretty much all life as sacred.

            That having been said, the Sacred Order is: Shelter, Fire, Water, and Food. There is one more thing that isn’t mentioned. If, like me, the years haven’t been especially kind to you and you require medications within a twenty four hour period, make certain that you have at least two days worth of it, with you. An inside pocket of your jacket is usually a good place to keep it.

            Shelter, one of the most common questions I field is “Why is shelter first?” Well, it’s first because most Americans can survive for at least thirty days without food. No water? You can probably last about three days, I once made it for four, but I wouldn’t want to repeat the experience any time soon. Fire is a subject all in its own right and will be addressed separately. Shelter? It’s first because with the right combination of wind, precipitation and temperature you could die within a matter of hours.

            And guess what, one of the times you have the greatest chance of seeing that combination is hunting season.

            So what do we put into our survival kit to help with that, a good knife, my personal choices are the Buck model 110, folding hunter or the Mora 4” fixed blade, high carbon model with the synthetic grip. The determining factor for me is which one is close to hand when I’m heading out. Both are reliable, sturdy knives that haven’t failed me yet. I also pack some sturdy twine or rope; either the heavy grade hemp cordage that craft stores carry, or 550 paracord.

            Over the years I’ve found that being overly finicky about your equipment can lead to its own problems. These days I just try to make certain that I’ve used the item previously, under semi-controlled conditions and that it has served its purpose well. Any equipment that fails is summarily pitched with nary a look back. By the way, giving defective equipment away is a big no-no. Not even to in-laws.

            The last item for shelter is an extra large, contractor grade garbage bag, like all my equipment it has multiple uses. Just don’t make any jokes about using it as a body bag if you mess up, doesn’t go over real well with spouses. Forget about it and use that joke? See my previous observation about the roses, might want to throw some chocolates in too; particularly if your wife doesn’t even crack a smile about it.

            Fire is no problem if you smoke, just don’t take any sort of butane lighter with you as a primary means of making fire. I’ve seen a lot of those fail at crucial moments. Didn’t make much difference to my children and I but most people never seem to realize that even a dead lighter has a viable flint and steel located in it. Zippos are pretty good. Mine has worked down to about minus twenty but it was in an interior pocket. More reliable are matches that have been waterproofed or the British style life boat matches. I back those up with a Swedish fire steel.

            On a personal note, you may have noticed that I mention backups, my truly crucial equipment always has some sort of backup and none of the backups are carried in the same location as my primary gear. Most of the backup gear fits into a small belt bag that cost me all of six dollars at the local big mart. Primary gear pretty much all fits into a field jacket pocket. The Mora goes around my neck and the Buck, if selected, goes on my belt.

            Water, the magical elixir that can give or take life. It makes up fifty five to seventy eight percent of our body weight and we lose about a quart of it, per day, as insensible sweat, and that is the magical number, one quart per day. We learned in the jungles that carrying two quarts with you, however you may decide to carry it, is probably a good idea. Water purification tablets and knowledge of how to obtain more is also good, but if you need rescued, most searches in Ohio will have you back home, complaining, in about twenty four hours.

            Food is a matter of personal taste, literally, I know minimalist campers who only carry a couple of energy bars in their survival gear. Others I’ve seen carry MRE’s (never thought I’d see something I like less than C-rat’s) or some other dehydrated, over processed “food.” My preference is for food that I can recognize as such. So I tend to carry some home made jerky, a bit of corn meal or bread mix and supplement it by foraging.

            Now, as you’ve been reading this article I can almost hear you asking how to use this, what do I do with that and so on and so on. I know this because the twins are reading over my shoulder as I type this and asking those same questions (pre-teen children help keep you honest). What this article is about is the most basic part of survival, equipment selection. For the particulars on what you do with all the gear I listed, well, you aren’t stupid or you wouldn’t be reading this. Go out to your backyard and see what you can come up with.

            Either that or wait for the next article I happen to feel like publishing.


"There isn't one of us that doesn't want to be someplace else. But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something, your call." 
                                                                                 John Rambo