HEY GREG! I got your book for Xmas!! :)

P

Plainsman

Joined
Apr 5, 1999
Messages
1,168
The wife did get it for me!
smile.gif


Now I have only scanned through it once, but I already have a question for you!

ON page 172, there is a picture of an SRV-16P survival kit. Could you list the items in the picture? I can't make out what every item is.

Thanks Greg!



------------------
Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com


 
Plainsman,

I am glad you got a copy for Xmas. I hope it meets your expectations and you are able to apply the information if needed. Its main focus is on developing the "five survival essentials"

1. Personal Protection (clothing, shelter, fire)
2. Signaling (manmade and natural)
3. Sustenance (water and food)
4. Travel (with and without a map and compass)
5. Health (psychological stress, environmental injuries, traumatic injuries)

If you can learn this information you can survive in any environment in the world (exception: except for the grace of God...).

Survival in any environment revolves around your ability to:

1. Stop and recognize the situation for what it is.
2. Identify your "five survial essentials" and prioritize them in order of importance for the situation you are in.
3. Improvise to meet the "five survival essentials"

Did you catch the picture of me on page 164? A special time in my life... Not!


The SRU 16P was a survival kit carried by the USAF fast burners back in my active duty days. I am not sure it is still used...

However, it is a small pocket sized survival kit... Could be better, could be worse (it was just given as an example of one in existence). It contained (I added the metal match and whistle):

1. Condom (non lubricated)...replace this with a water balloon.
2. Wood matches with stricking pad.
3. Small compressed manmade tinder.
4. Small folding blade knife.
5. Fishing line, hooks, etc.
6. Small button compass (gross headings).
7. Large sail needle.
8. Small mirror.
9. Small metal match 1/8" by 2".
10. Small bundle of snare wire.
11. Small flat whistle.

I actually carry this everytime I am in the woods. It is one of the various survival items I spread out over my body. I have a bigger kit in my pack
smile.gif


Hope that helps. You can make your own with similar items...even adding things that are important to you. This kit is a very small emergency kit that allows me to meet most of my "five survival essentials" and effect my own rescue... should I have an "except for the grace of God" event occur in my life.

I hope you have a great Christmas! Merry Christmas to everyone... From ANEW/Simply Survival staff and me.

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Thanks Greg!

I just wasn't sure what some of the small stuff was and like finding out what everybody else uses. Most kits I put together for myself are similar, I guess the needs and uses are normally the same!
smile.gif


Thanks again Greg! And how is the recuperating coming along?



------------------
Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com


 
Plainsman, Thanks for asking. I am 3 weeks status post back surgery. No drugs for over two weeks (not like a took very many to begin with).

I am walking at a rapid rate for 30 minutes and against my surgeons advice (you know how conservative they can be
biggrin.gif
) have started running a little (all this week). I am on a shock resistant tread mill and the running is interspersed within the 30 minutes (1 minute intervals and at present for only a total of 5 minutes). I am riding a stationary bike for 5 minutes (hard) after the treadmill. Feel great. I especially enjoy the hot tub before and after (BTW... I go to a resort... this is not at my house).

Next week I will advance my time to 45 minutes. After week four of recovery I will begin running hard.

Just waiting to begin a rigerous back stretching regiment. I am stretching but not where the surgery occured. Will start that in one more week.

BTW...I seem to have gotten a little chubby
biggrin.gif
with my time off (5 weeks). It is amazing how quick it comes on when you are 40. It'll take me 10 weeks to get rid of it.

Must be my thyroid.... LOL... NOT!

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
I just got your excellent book. It's a great supplement to the Hoods' videos. Glad your recovery is going well. BTW, you look real busted-out in that photo on p.164. Can you elaborate? Cheers, Jason
 
Survivital,

Yeah... that was a rough time. To be a USAF Survival Instructor you have to survive in every environment in the world (6 months long with an attrition rate of about 60 to 75%) and another 6 months learning how to teach others to do the same (5% attrition rate)...figures based on when I went through training....

The USAF Survival instructor not only teaches Global Survival but also is a SERE instructor (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, And Escape). In our Combat Survival Program students not only learn Global Survival but also Evasion (with aggressors), Resistance (when caught students go through a field interigations...they also go through interigations once in our POW compound), and Escape (in field and once they enter our elaborate POW compound).

It is our belief that in order for a USAF Survival instructor to teach from the heart they must experience what it is like to truely SURVIVE in every environment. In addition, to be a good aggressor, interigator, and POW comrade...they must experience the trials of someone who is agressed, interagated, and spends time in a POW environment. What we went though was about 100 times worse then what we put our students through but probably 1000 times less than what a real POW endures.

Thus to answer your question that picture was taken when I was in training and it was during my evasion, resistance, and escape version of it. I had allready evaded for days...during which time I was captured and interigated (hell they knew where we were and I got cocky)...; in addition, I had been entered a partison network (almost worse than the interigations) and had been in it for several days. The hood I wore during this time was taken off my head just long enough for that picture.

To expand further:

During the interigations I was made hypothermic 2 times, experienced 2 near drowning while my naked body was held under creek water (snow run off), and put unconcious once... oh yeah, don't forget the beatings. I should have just told them what they wanted
smile.gif
Nahhhh
biggrin.gif
I escaped at the first opportunity!

I would never get cocky again and when teaching aircrew members... I emphasized the importance of proper evasion techinques....
smile.gif


Prior to the picture and during a partisan transfer, I was left at a small convenience store (out in the middle of no where), by a pay phone.... It was closed. After 2 hours (remember, I looked like I did in that picture) a sherrif deputy drove up and said he'd been watching me. I had no ID (the network had taken it), and our mission was secret and thus I couldn't tell the deputy what I was doing other than my name, etc. and my commanders duty phone number. It was after midnight... no one was there of course. I was handcuffed and spent two hours in a holding cell. He finally stepped in and said my contacts lines (after wetting my pants, I replied) and he handed me my hood and told me put it back on.

He was all part of it... I was crapping my pants... The instructor trainers had pulled a hit on me... and I was in it... hook, line, and sinker. One of the other wanna be instructors (like me) was given powdered sugar to deliver to the next contact. Same type of hit but the deputy kept saying his powdered sugar was cocaine.
biggrin.gif


This is why I looked like S#*@ in that picture which was given to me after training (the six months) ended. I teach escape, evasion, and resistance from my heart (although... it is now called camo, concealment, and movement techinques... and only to groups... usually SWAT teams, etc. I don't advertise this.)

Long answer wasn't it.....

Note: The USAF Survival instructor can teach at any of the following schools:

Combat Survival to include all aspects of SERE
Open Water Survival (ditcing and parachuting)
Jungle Survival
Desert Survival
Arctic Survival
Temperate Survival
Baron Ice Survival
Parachuting techniques

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Greg
I see alot of snare wire, but I don't see
much of cable. Aperson can buy premade snares with locks for big and small game and when rolled
they don't take up a bunch of space can be
self standing really more practical.
How do I find a copy of your book?
Bob Hollar - Goshawk Knives http://www.imt.net/~goshawk

------------------
http://www.imt.net/~goshawk
Don't walk in tradition just because it feels good!!!!!
Romans 10:9,10
Hebrews 4:12-16
Psalm 91

 
Well, sounds like you got some adventure there....

Greg, we all wish you full recovery soon! BTW, swimming (since you can take bath) can help recovery of leg and back and is not too demanding on them.

I also got your book (Wow, Santa must have had a subcontract!) and very much enjoyed it. I found it nicely concised, easy to read/follow. Instead of gripping too much it focuses on the 'golden rules' of survival by giving a synopsis of it. Very well organized and leads the reader through by logic and using rules of thumb. Operates with the same "five survival essentials" that we all know from Greg. It helps you to remember and apply these basics and to use the power of mind when making preparations or decisions in survival situ.
Great book and I just hope that Greg and the other veterans of the trade will suprise us in the future with similar or even more expanded books on the topic.

Let me take this opportunity to ask few questions:
1) Greg, which poisonous plants are you think of when list 'carrotlike leaves, roots and tubers' as characteristics of planys to avoid on p. 81?
(Guess : hemlocks and fool's parsley or anything else?).
2) Same question on 'bean- and pealike appearance'?
(Guess: Kentucky Coffee-Tree, Wisteria, Black Locust?)
3) Same question on 'plants with shiny leaves or fine hairs'?
(No guess.)
4) Similarly, which 6-legged bug is to avoid that has 'fine hairs, bright colors' (p. 84)?
(Guess: Spanish-fly is one of the bright colored ones.)

Again, a great book I would recommend anybody as a 'Survival 101'.

HM

PS: My pick of illustration: p.111 demonstrating how frustrated a bear can be by a well-hung tree cache.

 
Greg, thanks for sharing your experience. I knew USAF surv insructors were hardcore, that exercise clearly illustrates why. I've also been in the twilight zone, minus any rules of engagement, and found it difficult to return. Now, I take my reality in small doses. Jason
 
Got your book also for Christmas, actually she got it before but I made her wrap it up so I'd have something to open.

Started through it and I'm letting it digest, good stuff, makes plenty of sense to prepare. The wife doesn't understand but you can never be too prepared!
Thanks for writing the book!

G2

------------------
"There are no dangerous weapons;
there are only dangerous men."
.......... Robert A. Heinlein, 1959


G2 Leatherworks
 
(Goofed and did a quote thingy, sorry bout' that)

Saw that page with the pic of you, you do look most miserable! Felt bad just looking at you......trial by fire to say the least.

G2




[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 29 December 1999).]
 
Hi HM,

The edibility test was a difficult one for me to put into print. It can be a problem for people who don't pay close attention to detail. There is a lot of debate on whether it should be used anymore or not... for sure it shouldn't be used in a short term survival situation. Primitive living... perhaps.

In answer to the questions about poisonous characteristics. These are just characteristics that have been known to be present in SOME plants that can kill or make you really sick. Thus as a rule, plants containing them should be avoided. I don't know all of the plants that this applies to but there are several.

Note: there are many plants that have these characteristics that are edible (dandelion for one... milky sap rule). However, unless you can positively ID the plant... if it has a poisonous characteristic... avoid it. Not worth the risk.

You asked (answers off the top of my head):

1) Greg, which poisonous plants are you think of when list 'carrotlike leaves, roots and tubers' as characteristics of planys to avoid on p. 81?

answer: water Hemlock

2) Same question on 'bean- and pealike appearance'?
(Guess: Kentucky Coffee-Tree, Wisteria, Black Locust?)

answer: These plants commonly absorb selenium from the ground. Most common plant associated with selenium problems from this is Locoweed.

3) Same question on 'plants with shiny leaves or fine hairs'?

answer: Alot of plants that are irritants to the skin such as poison ivy or oak can be devestating if you react to them.

4) Similarly, which 6-legged bug is to avoid that has 'fine hairs, bright colors' (p. 84)?
(Guess: Spanish-fly is one of the bright colored ones.)

Answer: It actually reads "8 legs or more". That is not a bug I am refering to "fine hairs, bright colors, or eight legs or more." It refers to three different characteristics to avoid whether the bug has one or all three it should not be considered and edible food source unless you can positively ID that it is ok.

Hope that helps.


------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Greg,
Thank you for your explanation and answer on my 'characteristics to avoid' question.

HM

 
Hi HM,

I hope you found the books information useful. It covers the "five survival essentials and discusses "how to" methods of meeting those needs. Take this information and apply it to my three step process of survival and you'll greatly increase your odds of survival in any environment in the world.

Stop and recognize the situation for what it is.

Recognize your "five survival essentials" and prioritize them in order of preference for the given situation.

Improvise to meet your needs using both your manmade and natural materials.

I hope you'll never have to use the information except as a form of entertainment.

best wishes!

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Thanks Greg,

Yes, I found your books information very useful and the logic clear and sound. I can only recommend it to others.

As the forum goes on, the more I realize my total lack of skills in trapping and hunting. As an alternative, I have been always playing with the idea of learning more about plants as food sources. They are usually abundant, immobile and don't fight back when captured. Also the size of herbivores and their number relative to the carnivores suggests that I can't overlook that source. Trapping and hunting needs more active practice of the trade than I could afford but botany is easier for me to learn. That's why I asked more specific questions.

Best wishes,

HM

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top