Survival "education"

Thomas Linton

Thomas Linton

Joined
Jun 16, 2003
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Our local newspaper carried a full-page, illustrated article entitled "A few skills and the will to survive." It was written by one Debbi Snook, apparently connected with a midwestern survival "school," Midwest Native Skills Institute(www.survivalschool.com).

The article contained some useful information. However, it also contained these gems of wisdom.

1. "You need a gallon [of water] a day to keep you from dehydration . . . ."

2. When washing dishes, use "a second tub with 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon . . . ." (That is, wash with soap, rinse with water to which you added bleach. They don't say if the rinse should be cold.)

3. A whistle can be heard up to 600 yards.

4. A fire reflector should be placed on the other side of the fire from you.

5. Chemicals (They mention chlorine and iodine.) are just as good as boiling for disinfecting water.

6. "Garlic mustard" and "lemony wood sorrel" are recommended as good survival foods. (Subsequently, acorns and animals are also mentioned.)
 
Thomas,

That entire website grated on my nerves while reading it.

They tout "getting back to the old ways" and then proceed to give tips for car camping type situations ie hot showers using some mechanical hot water boiler:rolleyes: . Not to mention the sell modern gear and primitive gear like fireboards (which youd think the students would make themselves).

The site is an easy target so I cant be bothered. haha:yawn:

Skam
 
Thomas Linton said:
Our local newspaper carried a full-page, illustrated article entitled "A few skills and the will to survive."
Click to expand...

Can you scan in the article and post it (with the proper attribution)? I'd like to read the whole thing.
 
The fact that they offer Beekeeping, Shamanic Journey, Wine-Making etc. to me shows they're a vanity survival school, not a hard-core, fight for your life survival school. I think they're talking about survival homesteading, really.

NOTE: I have no problems with any of those things. I've kept bees, make kick-a$$ homemade wine and I'm not in to Shamanic Journeys but I know people who are.
 
cardimon said:
Can you scan in the article and post it (with the proper attribution)? I'd like to read the whole thing.
Click to expand...

Alas, I hath no scanner. It's the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
 
The fellow who replied to my e-mail has an engineering background and fifteen whole years of experience, including a week-long trek.

Even Boy Scout basic training for adults stresses that iodine and bleach don't work for Crypto, and such training is hardly regarded as even the minimum to teach.

He says "filter manufacturers" are his source for chemicals being as good as boiling. :confused:

I trust that his "survival school" also has a hefty liability insurance policy.

(He also apparently thinks a "capfull" of bleach = 1/4 cup. Ahh! Engineering precision. I always have a gallon of bleach with me in my PSK. What? You don't? One tip, don't carry "lemon scented" bleach.)
 
"How do you start a fire without a lighter? You can really rub two sticks together, most efficiently with a bow drill (below [illustration])."


Matches?
 
These days, becoming a survival instructor is akin to the self proclaimed Indian Medicine women leading nude, lesbian sweat lodges on the new moon. Of course I'm a survival instructor, here's my card, see it says so right there!:jerkit:
 
Thomas Linton said:
11/22/05 p. E4 "Text by Debbie Snook"
Click to expand...

Ah, there's the answer.

The free search utility offered by the online version of the Cleveland Plain Dealer functions only on the past two weeks, or 14 days, of that newspaper.

I guess you'd have to pay cold cash for an article from last month.
 
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