Skills Gathering?

JK Knives

JK Knives

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This morning at 4:30, TheZenful1 came over. (I know, we are both crazy! :eek:) While drinking coffee, we were discussing the possibility of a Skills Gathering. This could be at my place, or a spot picked that allows fires. (If not at my place I would need a ride :o) Is there any interest in this idea? I figure it should be fairly soon, before the weather turns. Let`s hear your thoughts on this as well as who can share what skills.
 
I would enjoy it. It really depends on when due to work and school. I am pretty handy with knots. I can probably due it the last weekend in Oct or 2nd in Nov. but not entirely sure.
 
Mr. Sogetsu said:
I would enjoy it. It really depends on when due to work and school. I am pretty handy with knots. I can probably due it the last weekend in Oct or 2nd in Nov. but not entirely sure.
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I`m free anytime, let`s see how many are interested, then we can try to set a date. I would be interested in knots, I basically have very few skills, but sure do want to learn!
 
Hi guys -

I would be in!

I like the idea, as long as it is at a place where we can have a fire etc.

I am willing to pick up Stomper on the way to wherever. There is some good camping and trails etc. in Utica, but there may be something more convenient for people in the north.

I have obligations the weekend of Nov 13/14, and also on Oct 23/24, but am free other weekends.

I, too, suffer from no real outdoorsy skills, but I can get a bottle opened with little help. This would be a fun event.

best regards -

mqqn
 
I know I`m busy the weekend of October 30th, it`s Emily`s 1st birthday party.
 
Any Napoleon Dynamite fans? "Girls only want boyfriends with skills... nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills..." :D

Jeff
 
jds1 said:
Any Napoleon Dynamite fans? "Girls only want boyfriends with skills... nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills..." :D

Jeff
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So true, so true.....you guys need to see my mad nunchuck skills after 7 or 8 barley pops! Ever seen anyone crack themselves in both the groin and head in 1/10th of a second?

I would be up for a get together. We are tied up with a charity haunted house that my wife has been working on for the past 6 months, so I am out until November but would love to do something then if possible.

Other than my mad nunchuck skills, I could do something with survival fishing. What to put in a kit and why, trotlines, hobo reels, etc. if there is any interest in that.
 
Yeah John, we are nuts... I've had a 5 hr nap since being up for 26 hours straight... I should be getting to bed again soon, have to work in the a.m.

Anywho... fire is a must. Would we do it only 1 day, or do an overnight? I vote for an overnight, even though a 1 day'er would suffice. I agree, let's get at it before the weather turns real frosty. November would be good. Warren's about 1hr40mins from our area John, roughly. Has 2 miles of shoreline, 6 miles of trails. Lots of sand, lol. The info on the page is kind of limited, I'm going to surf for more info(fires a must, lol). http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=504&type=SPRK
They even have choices if we were looking at an overnighter; primitive, semi-modern & modern sites. Don't know rates, but may be worth looking into. It could be an IL, IN, OH, IA, WI & MI gathering. (I believe in wishful thinking)

What are we up for as far as locations?

Ideas for skills building:
Fire, various methods for starting & ways of building
Knots
Fishing & Food gathering
Shelter?
Natural Cordage?
Wild Edibles?

Oh and I forgot, a foam padded nunchuk demo from outdoors, lol!

Keep ideas flowing, let's list it up, set a date or weekend, get participants. Let's do it up, make it happen and git r done!
 
I'd really rather not have to drive four hours to get to where we will be but, I can! I'm not real crazy about sand, I spent half of my life in it, in the state of Florida. Don't we have any state parks in IL, a little closer to John's place? That's not an ideal time to have to be cleaning up camping gear and trying to get all the sand out of it either. I will get on the net and take a look but, I am up for whatever everyone else decides. I can also pick John up and bring him without any problem. I am free any time except for the 4th thru the 10th of Nov. I am going down to see Teddy during that time. I was going to suggest the 13/14, so I could maybe bring Teddy back with me but, that won't work for mqqn. Do you think the 20/21 would be too late? That would give everyone more time to plan and set it up. I would like an overnighter! I'm not real sure if I have any special skills but, I can light a fire and I'm fair at cooking! Speaking of cooking, that brings up the next item for discussion. What kind of meals would we plan for? Will it be a lunch, supper and breakfast? Are we going to cook and eat as a group? We need to figure out how many are coming and what we want to do to feed everyone. I can bring hotdogs, buns, condiments, chips and maybe coleslaw for the lunch, and provide the sausage, taters, onions and green pepper for the hash browns, for the breakfast the next morning! Anything else we need to be thinking about?
 
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Wow! After looking around a little bit, we don't have a really big sellection of places to go! I'll be waiting to see what everyone decides!
 
Hi Guys -

As far as the skills, if someone knows how to make snares / traps, that would be interesting to me as I have wanted to know moare about that aspect of wilderness survival.

It would be fun to have a spoon carving too. Anything to get us using our knives.

The reason I cannot do the 13/14 is that my wife and I have tickets to the Bears game that weekend. On Oct 23/24 I have a halloween party and I am giving a pumpkin portrait carving demo/lesson. If you fellows decide that is a good weekend, please go ahead and I'll make the next gathering, no problem.

I can go almost anyplace you folks choose, I don't have a preference.

Buffalo Pit and Range in Utica is a place where we can not only camp and have fires etc, but there is also a firing range there - just sayin'. Who wants to fire a Magnum .500? ;^)

best regards

mqqn
 
Hey, the snare and trap thing sounds good to me too! I can always use to learn something new! I'm also up for a spoon carving! Here's the one I have just finished! At first I was going to sand it down but, I think I have decided to leave it primative!
21e9nrp.jpg

I figure if we can hold off until that third weekend then, everyone can probably make it. After looking at some of the state parks on the Internet, some of them are further away than the Dunes for me, and I'm not really familar with them either. I will let everyone else make that call, and I will just go to wherever they decide.
 
mqqn, no I didn't! Thank you for sending the link! I will check it out! Already looks like better photos than I have been taking lately! Just about all the ones that I took at the Gathering came out blurry! I just can't hold that camera still anymore but, I keep trying. I guess I am just going to have to start taking stills from the tripod!

Later!
 
mqqn said:
Buffalo Pit and Range in Utica is a place where we can not only camp and have fires etc, but there is also a firing range there - just sayin'. Who wants to fire a Magnum .500? ;^)

best regards

mqqn
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I do, I do!

Starved Rock and Mathiesen Park are also very close by. Kind of a 3 for 1 deal. Plus, there is the river to fish if we decide on survival fishing techniques.
 
The fishing things sounds pretty good to me too! After looking at the web site for Starved Rock, that would be my choice! That looks like a very interesting place to do some roaming around! That isn't too far from John's place either. What's everybody think?
 
I know it`s close for mqqn, Mr. Sogetsu, outdoorsfan, TheZenful1, and me, but not for jds1, unless he goes to visit his mother in law for the weekend. The I&M Canal also runs through Utica, a lot of history in the area.
 
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