A Girl's Journey to Becoming Survival Savy

I'm missing home big-time. Nordhouse in the Fall is absolutely beautiful - especially if you can see past all the hunters on the Manistee National Forest side of the park (they can be on the grouchy side if you're driving through their favorite hunting area).
 
I have not forgotten about updating, just a busy girl! My pack has grown SIGNIFICANTLY and I am oh so proud:). I just went through my pack and my boyfriend put some secret treasures in there that I didn't know about and I grinned ear to ear. For Christmas, amongst the TON of other gifts I received, he got me a Crossman Semi Auto BB Pistol. I was giddy when I opened it! For one it is so realistic looking and for two I think it will give me a little taste of what it's like to handle a real pistol (just a little taste I know). He and I went out and shot at a box and I hit it more times than not so I was pretty happy. Plus it was pretty hilarious seeing our neighbors reacting to two people shooting off of their back porch with look alike pistols (HAHAHA). So I am going to take some pics of my pack and its contents and post them on this thread. Thank you all for reading and your interest! Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season!
 
welcome kristie & great thread, i always felt a woman in the outdoors doubles the experience.thanks for jumping in,--dennis
 
Hello everyone! I recently received everything I need to make my own knife thanks to cutslikeakris:D! He sent me a chunk of 440C steel, a beautiful cut of wood (possibly walnut?), Pink G10 (:D:thumbup:), a brass pin, and some copper pearl handle material (it is very pretty). Oh and did I mention, FOR FREE?! I can't thank you enough, by the way!
Anywho, I showed my boyfriend and he was very impressed. Then I just sat there and thought, "Where in the world do I start?". After consultation from my tutor and boyfriend, I got to work!
I got a stack of paper and traced the steel a couple of times. I then began drawing my knife. I knew I wanted a coffin handle so that was already taken care of. I then had to figure out the knife shape I wanted and I'm pretty sure that I got it down after I drew it and erased, drew it and erased, X 1,000 lol. I then put some groove to the handle for handling comfort. I did a rough draft of the pin placement.
One of my absolute, hands down, favorite fixed blade knives is the RC3. I love the way it feels, it's so comfortable, I love the size, and most of all I absolutely love the shape and the usability! The first time I handled one all I could think was this is the knife I would want if I had to choose one for survival. Soooo, I think the entire time I was thinking about the way that knife was in the back of my mind.
Now the next step is to cut it out of some cardboard and see how I like it. Then I will put my strength (HAHA) into cutting out the steel.
I am SO excited to start this project and I am excited to share it with you.
Attached are some pics of the things I have and the drawing of the knife (forgive the blurriness. I thought they were fine on the camera and they look like crap when I put them on the computer, but you should get the idea!).
Thanks, as always, for reading!
 

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congrats. thats pretty awesome. looks like you are getting it figured out. you have come a long way in a short time
 
The modern stereotype involves guys running around in the woods asserting their manhood while women run around Sacks 5th Avenue choosing lipstick. Incompatible world views, right?

Remember that the evolution of the human race involves millions of years during which everyone practiced wilderness skills; women and men alike. Until the invention of agriculture, and then—even more extreme—the invention of cities, everyone practiced wilderness survival because there were no other options.

Typically foraging cultures separated women’s work from men’s work. That was an evolutionary requirement. Pregnant women who did heavy work increased their chances of miscarriage. In low population density hunter-gatherer cultures, loosing potential children was disastrous. So men did hunted the woolly rhinoceros while women gathered edible and medicinal plants. Men fought off the prowling cave bear while women kept camp.

So what? It’s all wilderness living. And it’s the only game in town, from Australopithecus to behaviorally modern humans to the neolithic. Those women (or men) who couldn’t hack the life didn’t survive to make another generation of bushcrafters.

The post industrial hunting-fishing-camping game is more popular with men. But evolution has geared women to be just as capable of wilderness living as men are. A few thousand years of urban living hasn’t changed that.
 
Good for you! Like you, my boyfriend and I are doing the same thing, but we are having fun at bush craft skills making our own spoon,cups,etc. We went hiking a few days ago,so much fun out in the woods,but it was only for a little while,just trying it out cant wait to do more. See you in the woods!
 
hey kristie it's great to have a female trail partner that can carry her own weight. i remember one girl that i had to pull up the switchbacks with my sweatshirt over my shoulder in yosemite.--dennis
 
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