Last summer my son and I took Greg Davenport's 7-day wilderness survival class. To make a very long story short, Jerry was just great to work with and we took a BM-E and a SH-E (thanks to Jerry's advice and Wiil York's review). Jerry had asked for an "after action report" which I sent, and he encouraged me to post here..so I'm finally doing it.
First, the knives worked great! We finished 1-2 in the split wood fire making contest primarily because we were packing superior knives for getting to the dry, good wood in the stumps and logs we had to use as fuel souces. I agree with Greg that the BM-E is "the" knife if you have a smaller knife to pair it with. My son wrapped his handle in parachute cord and made a D guard as well. We both prefer larger, more oval handles. (FYI we are both 6'4" and can palm basketballs) Shelter building was the main use for these knives and again they performed exceptionally well. The BM-E also saw hunting and "tactical" use .. my son fashioned an effective chipmunk hunting stick, and the knife was his security blanket when the elk kept coming up quickly and close to his natural material shelter during the night of the Solo.
Second, Greg's course is EXCELLENT. Both Greg and Bill Frye(current Air Force SERE instructor) really know their stuff, were well organized, used an excellent instructional approach, worked hard to make sure that everyone "got it", tailored the material to our special interests, were checking for feedback to improve the class, and were fun/good guys to be around. Even though I entered the class with some background (boy scouts, cowboy, armored cavalry recon, back country hunter) I learned a few new tricks in the areas I was strong in, learned a lot in the areas I was weak in, and experienced some personal growth (can you spell some fear of heights and Greg's high ropes course). They provided their students with a logical way to analyze any survival situation and wove it throughout the course to solidify the learning. I would have liked to have been able to snare an animal, but Washington voters approved an anti-trapping measure. I was gratified with how well my son performed . . gave me a lot more confidence in him as a partner in the back country, and on his own. BTW he is verrry fit and lean and lost 9 pounds, and I lost at least 12 pounds. Even though this is not boot camp, it is not walk in the park either, and one of the ways Greg creates stress is by cutting back our rations in the field. This also teaches us that we can get along very well with little food, and makes all those plants and critters we run across look and taste better. It was great having Greg's advanced medical skills along . . he stitched up one knife cut, and made good preparations for my son who is allergic to bee stings.
It's hard to describe all of the changes that come from something like this, but two examples might help. About a month after the class I was fly fishing on the Deschutes River in Oregon with my sons when a rattlesnake sounded off behind me. Instead of the normal "oh shoot" reaction, my thoughts as he crawled toward me were "you're lucky I'm not hungry!" After we'd finished elk hunting on Mt. St. Helens, my son told me the woods/back country seemed "different" this year - I think he meant that he was more aware, observed more, and had more confidence in himself, and in his skills. I hope my other son can take the course next year, and we are thinking about the Winter Survival course.
FWIW at Thanksgiving I was thinking of all of the Northwest's natural bounty we had been blessed with this year. My sons and I have brought home quail, deer, salmon, steelhead, elk and razor clams. Thanks to Greg and Bill we also added huckleberries, mountain strawberries, rock outcrop, miners lettuce, etc. grasshoppers, ants, rabbit, frogs and chipmunk.
Yours in Nuclear(and conventional) survival
Buck W.
First, the knives worked great! We finished 1-2 in the split wood fire making contest primarily because we were packing superior knives for getting to the dry, good wood in the stumps and logs we had to use as fuel souces. I agree with Greg that the BM-E is "the" knife if you have a smaller knife to pair it with. My son wrapped his handle in parachute cord and made a D guard as well. We both prefer larger, more oval handles. (FYI we are both 6'4" and can palm basketballs) Shelter building was the main use for these knives and again they performed exceptionally well. The BM-E also saw hunting and "tactical" use .. my son fashioned an effective chipmunk hunting stick, and the knife was his security blanket when the elk kept coming up quickly and close to his natural material shelter during the night of the Solo.
Second, Greg's course is EXCELLENT. Both Greg and Bill Frye(current Air Force SERE instructor) really know their stuff, were well organized, used an excellent instructional approach, worked hard to make sure that everyone "got it", tailored the material to our special interests, were checking for feedback to improve the class, and were fun/good guys to be around. Even though I entered the class with some background (boy scouts, cowboy, armored cavalry recon, back country hunter) I learned a few new tricks in the areas I was strong in, learned a lot in the areas I was weak in, and experienced some personal growth (can you spell some fear of heights and Greg's high ropes course). They provided their students with a logical way to analyze any survival situation and wove it throughout the course to solidify the learning. I would have liked to have been able to snare an animal, but Washington voters approved an anti-trapping measure. I was gratified with how well my son performed . . gave me a lot more confidence in him as a partner in the back country, and on his own. BTW he is verrry fit and lean and lost 9 pounds, and I lost at least 12 pounds. Even though this is not boot camp, it is not walk in the park either, and one of the ways Greg creates stress is by cutting back our rations in the field. This also teaches us that we can get along very well with little food, and makes all those plants and critters we run across look and taste better. It was great having Greg's advanced medical skills along . . he stitched up one knife cut, and made good preparations for my son who is allergic to bee stings.
It's hard to describe all of the changes that come from something like this, but two examples might help. About a month after the class I was fly fishing on the Deschutes River in Oregon with my sons when a rattlesnake sounded off behind me. Instead of the normal "oh shoot" reaction, my thoughts as he crawled toward me were "you're lucky I'm not hungry!" After we'd finished elk hunting on Mt. St. Helens, my son told me the woods/back country seemed "different" this year - I think he meant that he was more aware, observed more, and had more confidence in himself, and in his skills. I hope my other son can take the course next year, and we are thinking about the Winter Survival course.
FWIW at Thanksgiving I was thinking of all of the Northwest's natural bounty we had been blessed with this year. My sons and I have brought home quail, deer, salmon, steelhead, elk and razor clams. Thanks to Greg and Bill we also added huckleberries, mountain strawberries, rock outcrop, miners lettuce, etc. grasshoppers, ants, rabbit, frogs and chipmunk.
Yours in Nuclear(and conventional) survival
Buck W.
