OK I am wanting to plan a sirvival trip for My buddy his 14 year old son and myself. I wont being going off the beaten path but just a mile or two up the river away from everyone. Plan is to take minimal suplies for 3 day trip. Just stuff one would have in a PSK for a boating trip. Minimal fishing gear no food and maybe a gallon of water a piece. What else should i plan on taking or am I just crazy for even wanting to do this. Main thing we want to accomplish is teaching his son how to gather fire wood make a fire without a match how to catch some food and how to make a survial shelter ect. Being he has started hunting with us on a regular basis Id like him to know how to survive a few days if he was to get lost out in the swamp. Thanks for any suggestions.
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planing a basic survial trip
- Thread starter liljon140
- Start date
sounds like a good trip.
one thing that i suggest, especially having an inexperienced person along: bring a large pack full of "luxury" items: sleeping bags, lots of food, instant fire gear, tarp/tent, first aid kit, etc.
this is to make sure that practice doesn't have to turn into the real deal if anything goes wrong or you find that something isn't working as well as you hoped.
apart from that, it sounds like it could be a fun trip and a good learning experience. stay safe and have fun!
one thing that i suggest, especially having an inexperienced person along: bring a large pack full of "luxury" items: sleeping bags, lots of food, instant fire gear, tarp/tent, first aid kit, etc.
this is to make sure that practice doesn't have to turn into the real deal if anything goes wrong or you find that something isn't working as well as you hoped.
apart from that, it sounds like it could be a fun trip and a good learning experience. stay safe and have fun!
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- Apr 20, 2006
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Don't make this a pain and misery trip, but an educational trip. Take along a how too manual or field guide to edibles, just something related perhaps in-case shelter building take up less time than you thought.
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- Apr 13, 2001
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We started our trips in the backyard. I have 8 acres and the back side of the land is thick woods. All you need is the discipline to stay away from the house. Plus if things go wrong it is comforting to know the house is nearby. Anything you can do 10 miles from a trail head you can do in the backyard if you have woods.
Second stage was a tract of 32 acres of land, I own jointly with my brother and sister, 45 minutes from town with a big flowing creek, plenty of trees and lots of wild game and plant food. There again we often take survival weekends a short walk from the vehicle. It is private land so we can build or cut down whatever we want. We love that place because that is were we deer/turkey hunt every year and we know what food sources are around all year long.
Third stage was day hikes into wilderness areas that are truly some distance from help. Canoe trips down local rivers are one of our favorite survival get a ways. We often canoe down a local river where friends of ours have land along the bank on one side. This allows us to do wood crafting without being encumbered by being scared to cut small trees or disturb the area.
After we gained confidence we often did parallel camping. We call it that because we backpack with everything you would need to maintain for a week or so. The fun is to make rules about just what you are willing NOT to use and sticking to it.
Last fall we spent a week deep in the NC mountains during archery season for deer with full backpacks and our bows. During the week I take pride in the fact that we used nothing but a basic survival kit to provide for our needs despite the cold weather. I hardly opened the section of my pack that contains rations, camp stove, ect. Instead we erected a survival shelter and built our fire pit and camp furniture from the woods around us. We burned lighter wood torches and fished for trout using hand lines and native bait. I also built some traps and caught some crayfish. About half way thru the week I did kill a doe and we ate good for the rest of the trip. The cured skin still graces the wall of our reloading shop.
Start small and be safe, work up slowly as you build confidence. Use equipment and rations as a safety net if you can. I still remember a canoe trip we took early on where we capsized in freezing weather losing most of our gear. We made it alright due to a well thought out survival kit and a paddle strapped to the inside of the canoe but we spent a pretty miserable night huddled on a sand bar in freezing rain.
Sounds romantic but it is NOT fun.
Be safe
Second stage was a tract of 32 acres of land, I own jointly with my brother and sister, 45 minutes from town with a big flowing creek, plenty of trees and lots of wild game and plant food. There again we often take survival weekends a short walk from the vehicle. It is private land so we can build or cut down whatever we want. We love that place because that is were we deer/turkey hunt every year and we know what food sources are around all year long.
Third stage was day hikes into wilderness areas that are truly some distance from help. Canoe trips down local rivers are one of our favorite survival get a ways. We often canoe down a local river where friends of ours have land along the bank on one side. This allows us to do wood crafting without being encumbered by being scared to cut small trees or disturb the area.
After we gained confidence we often did parallel camping. We call it that because we backpack with everything you would need to maintain for a week or so. The fun is to make rules about just what you are willing NOT to use and sticking to it.
Last fall we spent a week deep in the NC mountains during archery season for deer with full backpacks and our bows. During the week I take pride in the fact that we used nothing but a basic survival kit to provide for our needs despite the cold weather. I hardly opened the section of my pack that contains rations, camp stove, ect. Instead we erected a survival shelter and built our fire pit and camp furniture from the woods around us. We burned lighter wood torches and fished for trout using hand lines and native bait. I also built some traps and caught some crayfish. About half way thru the week I did kill a doe and we ate good for the rest of the trip. The cured skin still graces the wall of our reloading shop.
Start small and be safe, work up slowly as you build confidence. Use equipment and rations as a safety net if you can. I still remember a canoe trip we took early on where we capsized in freezing weather losing most of our gear. We made it alright due to a well thought out survival kit and a paddle strapped to the inside of the canoe but we spent a pretty miserable night huddled on a sand bar in freezing rain.
Sounds romantic but it is NOT fun.
Be safe
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2008
- Messages
- 916
I'm going to go the other way. Not necessarily pain and misery, but as minimal as possible WHILE BEING SAFE. You will not starve to death in a couple of days, but you can die of exposure. You should carry sleeping bags, but other than that, you should be fine with the minimum of supplies. Carry a few gallons of water and a pot/steel cup to boil water to replace that which is used.
Each person should have a decent fixed blade, folder, means of making a fire, sleeping bag, stainless steel cup, flashlight, compass (GPS OPTIONAL but compass in addition), 20 feet or so of 550 cord and survival book like the Military FM-21-76. One book for each so you can all read at the same time. Take a few rations like one can of soup for each person per day in case you don't catch fish etc.
Let the wife or significant other know your plans and if it makes you feel better, drop a cellie in a ziplock.
Other than that, you can improvise everything.
Let's face it, if you wanted to be all comfortable, you could sit at home on the couch and eat nachos. you are looking for a unique outing that not many others have experienced.
most of all, have fun and post here when you return.
Each person should have a decent fixed blade, folder, means of making a fire, sleeping bag, stainless steel cup, flashlight, compass (GPS OPTIONAL but compass in addition), 20 feet or so of 550 cord and survival book like the Military FM-21-76. One book for each so you can all read at the same time. Take a few rations like one can of soup for each person per day in case you don't catch fish etc.
Let the wife or significant other know your plans and if it makes you feel better, drop a cellie in a ziplock.
Other than that, you can improvise everything.
Let's face it, if you wanted to be all comfortable, you could sit at home on the couch and eat nachos. you are looking for a unique outing that not many others have experienced.
most of all, have fun and post here when you return.
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- Nov 14, 2005
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- 11,135
Good advice here. Im gonna do something similar and very minimal in the spring.
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- Jan 27, 2007
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I agree with what they all have said so far, don't make the trip uncomfortable , you can be comfortable & still teach Bushcraft skills to the new guy & he will probably enjoy it ! If he isn't comfy then all he is going to be thinking about is going home & he will not focus on the task at hand !
You can take the usual family camp gear but try to use the bare minimum.
Has the young man got his own Fixed Blade ? If not get him a Mora & a SAK & he should be set to learn. It would only cost about $25~$30 for the 2 knives & he would be excited to get 'em I'm sure
Make it fun & it will stick with him ! Make it hard & he might not come back
You can take the usual family camp gear but try to use the bare minimum.
Has the young man got his own Fixed Blade ? If not get him a Mora & a SAK & he should be set to learn. It would only cost about $25~$30 for the 2 knives & he would be excited to get 'em I'm sure
Make it fun & it will stick with him ! Make it hard & he might not come back - Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
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- 636
I think just starting out with people who lack much experience you might be better to plan a camping trip to practice survival skills. That way they are intoduced to the outdoors in a more familiar surrounding (sleeping bag, pad, stove etc.) will have a great trip, and learn valuable skills. During the day you can practice navigation, build fires without matches, etc, but you'll still have a nice comfortable camp to come back to. It takes time to build skills.
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