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spaceboy

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Dec 15, 2010
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Hey guys,

My name's Tim and I'm from Vancouver, BC. For the past little while I've had a desire to explore the outdoors but don't have any experience or gear for it. Ideally I would like to get prepared to spend a day and night in the woods sometime during the summer. I don't know if this is a realistic goal since I have no previous experience but I would like to start learning and saving up to get the equipment. I know that I probably won't learn everything I need to know online but if you guys could point me towards some resources regarding tools, skills, etc. I would greatly appreciate it.

Best,
Tim
 
Welcome to the forums Tim ... here is a slideshow of the 10 essentials put together by one of the W&SS moderators Kevin Estela.

This will give you an idea of some of the gear you'll be needing.

http://www.slideshare.net/kevinestela/the-ten-essentials

If you don't already own it pick up the The SAS Survival Handbook by Lofty Wiseman
 
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spaceboy said:
Hey guys,

My name's Tim and I'm from Vancouver, BC. For the past little while I've had a desire to explore the outdoors but don't have any experience or gear for it. Ideally I would like to get prepared to spend a day and night in the woods sometime during the summer. I don't know if this is a realistic goal since I have no previous experience but I would like to start learning and saving up to get the equipment. I know that I probably won't learn everything I need to know online but if you guys could point me towards some resources regarding tools, skills, etc. I would greatly appreciate it.

Best,
Tim
Click to expand...

How old are you? Are boy scouts or cub scouts an option? There is a lot of material online that can keep you from making a lot of first timer mistakes. Having a mentor is a big help but without that there are lots of people on here that can answer your questions.

KR
 
IMHO skills are much more important than tools.Survival is all about being smart and using what you have to the greatest advantage.I don't know where you are from but if at all possible I would suggest a couple trips close to home.Even experience in the back yard if you are in the country can teach you a lot in a short time and enable you to get back quick if things don't work out.
 
spaceboy said:
I would like to start learning and saving up to get the equipment.
Click to expand...

If you ever stay at a friends house where there is no spare bed then a bedroll and a good sleeping bag are always going to be good things to own. For Summer camping a cheap tent will work fine so you don't have to spend a fortune there.

There is a lot of gear that you can buy and what you need depends on a lot of things. But a tent, bedroll and good sleeping bag are 3 core items that you will need to have. (unless you substitute a hammock for the tent).
 
Hey Tim welcome to the forum buddy, there are some great people on here so I'm sure you will learn a lot....ignore the grumpy ones they just like to blow off steam every now and again !!!

One of the best starts you could make would be to buy the book " 98.6 degrees, The art of keeping your ass alive " by Cody Lundin. A great entertaining book that covers all the basics of survival !

Edited to add: There are a great bunch of crazy guys off the forum in the Van area that meet up quite often, maybe they will let ya hook up with them during one of their get togethers !
 
Spaceboy, you took the first step already by being here & asking questions, & welcome to the forum. There are a lot of great guys on here, & a ton of information you can & will learn from. Just ignore some of the banter, definitely ignore some of the pictures, & you should be fine. Good to have you here, welcome aboard.
Be safe.
 
Welcome to the forums Spaceboy!

I aggree that you don't need allot of fancy equipment to get you through a few nights in the outdoors. That 10 essentials powerpoint is a great refference. Remember, everyones 10 essential list will vary depending on their skill level and the area they live in.

The suggestion about camping out in your backyard is also great. If that is not an option, try camping with a friend at a designated car camping spot. It will be relatively safe. You will find you will learn new things with every trip into the outdoors.

I would also suggest you look into some schools in your area that focus on wilderness survival or wilderness living.

Take care,

Tony
 
Welcome to the forums Tim!

For spending a night in the woods all you need is shelter, pack and sleeping bag. Is it possible that you could borrow some of the gear for your first trip? That way you can see if the outdoors is something you like and wish to continue doing.

You could start by going on some dayhikes, and try seeing what you need/want on such a trip.

Just remember that you dont have to spend alot of money on the latest hi-tech gear to be able to enjoy a simple hike. Some manufactures wants you to believe that you cant venture out without spending 100's and even 1000's of dollars. Dont believe the hype. All you need is some very basic gear and common sense.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. We'll all do our best to help you!
 
I would buy a basic knife, like a mora or something like it, and then learn how to use it if you don't already. Then go to the library and get some books on survival there are a ton of them. Then practice, practice, practice. You don't have to be in the woods to start a friction fire or setup a tarp shelter. It is better to get a skill down when you don't have anything on the line.
 
Hey Tim

Just to be clear...are you looking to spending 24 hours on a survival-like trip, or just going on a overnight hike?

Being specific will allow us to help you most.
 
Welcome!

It's great that you have the insight and judgment to look for advice before diving in... you may be new but you're showing more wisdom than many, including myself! :)

This forum is an incredible resource; I've learned so much here! Slow and steady wins the race for building knowledge and kit. There are some good (and not so good) resources on YouTube. I like the Ray Mears videos there, but there are many other excellent videos.

If you can find a course (such as Mors Kochanski's course through Karamat), that would be helpful, but a bit expensive, I'm afraid.

When you end up buying gear, you might look into Mountain Equipment Co-op... it's much like REI, but the Canadian version (I've been a member for 35+ yrs).

Take your time to learn and find out what's right for you... it's worth the time you put into it :)

I've also found much enjoyment in learning about the environment that you'll be spending time in... flora and fauna, edible plants, etc. It make the outdoors even more interesting if you have some knowledge of the land.

Have fun :)
 
welcome tim you may be able to check out churchs & local schools that are going to take a bunch of kids out . these people always welcome help in loading equipment, setting up camps, cooking meals. volunteers are usually welcome to help the youngsters stay out of trouble & walk down to the river with the kids etc.usually there are several experienced people that will be glad for you to join them if you volunteer to help with the chores.
dennis
 
hey Tim! WELCOME!!!! i'm in Vancouver, we have a big group here that practice wilderness skills. You are VERY welcome to join us

email me your contact info and I'll get a hold of you after Christmas :thumbup: :cool:
 
Definitley try borrowing some of the more expensive gear first for your first few trips, that way, as a few people have said, you can try it out, and get an idea of what you like and don't like, so that way, you have some criteria when going to buy your own gear.

I'd say buy some good quality hiking boots first, and buy your pack last, that way, you'll have all your gear by then, and will know how much capacity your looking for.

Whats your budget? I think you should set a max amount per piece of gear, and then buy that item, for example a cookset and instead of borrowing it next time, you can use your own cookset that you just bought.

Then repeat that for the next piece of gear.

just a suggestion
 
Thanks a lot guys for the warm welcome. It seems like there's a great community and I'm really looking forward to learning more. I'll be making my way through those links and checking out the books you guys recommended as well as checking out the library. I'm really glad to hear that gear isn't as big of a deal as I thought. I thought that I'd have to get a bunch some expensive gear but I'm glad that I don't have to worry that much about it.

kr1 said:
How old are you? Are boy scouts or cub scouts an option? There is a lot of material online that can keep you from making a lot of first timer mistakes. Having a mentor is a big help but without that there are lots of people on here that can answer your questions.

KR
Click to expand...
Do they have an age limit? (I honestly don't know). I'm 22 though so if they do have a limit I would guess I'd be over it.

PropThePolecat said:
Hey Tim

Just to be clear...are you looking to spending 24 hours on a survival-like trip, or just going on a overnight hike?

Being specific will allow us to help you most.
Click to expand...
I'm not too sure which one would better describe what I want to do. I was thinking just into the woods to check out some scenery and just hang out, chop some wood, light a fire then spend the night. Do a little more of the same the next day before heading home. I don't really know what there is to do besides that out there but that's what I was thinking.

Bushman5 said:
hey Tim! WELCOME!!!! i'm in Vancouver, we have a big group here that practice wilderness skills. You are VERY welcome to join us

email me your contact info and I'll get a hold of you after Christmas :thumbup: :cool:
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the invite! I'll definitely be contacting you.
 
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