Top 3 Woodland Skills

[Moosez45]

Ok, 3 things I consider the most important in regards to woodland skills is the ability to render shelter, make fire, and purify water. Some count these among the survival skills, but I only see them as that if you are in a dire situation. Most of carry gear in the woods, but if your gear fails or is lost, can you cover those three needs with skills and a knife?

Shelter falls under the category of many things, with the easiest being to use improvised natural terrain, such as caves, hollow trees, overhangs and dense natural trees, such some of the firs and large hardwoods. My personal favorite is a wigwam, I love those things, and I have made about half a dozen in my life. Second is the leanto, followed by the wikiup. The one I use the most is the leanto made with my poncho.

Fire. Not only is fire a temp increaser, but it is a tool as well. I use fire to purify water, warm wood to make green branches more flexible, to weave into other things I need. You can cook on it, around it, in it, and it makes a great signal device if you are lost. Its comforting and a good way to pass the time. Its a weapon, should the need arise, to keep the beasties at bay. My favorite method of igniting a fire is a firesteel, second is friction, and last is a lighter. I like using my other means to keep it fresh. A monkey can flick a bic. Check ewetube. Fire, my favorite woodland skill by far.

Water. Fish make love in it. We drink it. Yum. You gotta have water and its gotta be clean. You can melt snow and ice, you can collect it, pull it from the ground or catch it falling from the sky. All life on this planet depends on water, even bacteria. And ther in lies one of the largest problems with ferral water, it has other things living in it, other than fish. Purifying it, is easy, boil it for 5 mins and filter it through some fabric. Drinking warm water will keep your core temp high, and drinking cold water will lower it. Ah, water.

My sequence of events for the progression of these skills, is just how I wrote them, in order of importance. Shelter will give you a dry, secure place to work and process your wood for your fire, as well as give you some piece of mind. Fire is the universal fix all in the woods, you will need it to clean your water, and water is the life sustaining culmination of the previous 2 skills.

I work off of the rule of 3's, 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. There is some variants of those timelines, but its a good rule of thumb to remember.

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill?
What is your weakest? Why is it your weakest?
What's your favorite shelter?
What's your favorte method of fire starting?
How do you get water in the wild?

Moose

 

[Widerstand]

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill?

I would consider myself to be very well rounded but I guess my strongest skill would be shelter building, since I have made so many of them and a lot of different types as well.

What is your weakest? Why is it your weakest?

My weakest is plant identification, mostly just cause I have not invested the time in learning like I should and that's something that is slowly changing since my girlfriend whom is also very much so into wilderness stuff is pretty much a plant expert so I have been learning a lot from her.

What's your favorite shelter?

I really enjoy the shelters that nature provides, natural over hangs...etc.

What's your favorite method of fire starting?

I like them all, but mostly I use my ferro rod but you feel like you earned it more when you make a bow or hand drill fire.... Last on my list would be a road flare since they smell like crap.

How do you get water in the wild?

Being in the pacific northwest water is everywhere! I just scoop some up and boil it or treat it.

 

[DerekH]

I would say purifying water is my best skill, and only because it is so simple. Here in the mountains it seems there is a creek, river, pond, or lake around every turn or in every holler, and I can't think of a time I have been out and not been able to find water. Coincidentally every time we go out, most of our areas here are around a river or other water source, so it works out pretty nicely. Especially since I ALWAYS carry my Guyot Backpacker water bottle with me. I have a neoprene sleeve for a nalgene that it rides in. It helps insulate it, and it has a little loop that I can fit over the top of my Skeletool in my left pocket and forget I am carrying it. But when I say always, I mean always. The only time it isn't within reach is when I am in the shower.

Fire I am weak at. I will be honest, I need more practice. I am enjoying working with the Boy Scouts because it is giving me a great chance to practice my skills as well as teach what little I can to the next batch of outdoorsmen. Plus, I get to camp at some prime spots that I otherwise would not have access to. (The upcoming Summit project is going to be incredible.)

Shelter, I have a little more experience with that than fire, but I need a lot more practice in that regard too. Thankfully we have some more hardcore campouts scheduled for the older boys that will give me a chance to work on a lot of these skills. (In February we have a volunteer survival campout scheduled. All we get to bring is a pocket knife, compass, and a water bottle.)

I have some great teachers in these, one an older mountain man that has been doing scouts for well over 30 years, and who grew up in the woods. Another is a similar type of fellow, and finally a US Army captain has become a really good friend as well as one of the assistant scoutmasters for our troop. He has been teaching me navigation with my new compass I got for Christmas and I am really looking forward to putting that particular skill to use.

To be honest though, I hope we have a get together at some point in the spring or summer, I would love to see what I would learn from you guys and maybe if really lucky Ethan himself.

 

[Mistwalker]

I guess my main strength is in fire craft. Lately I have been doing a lot more practice with the bow drill and flint and steel. I have built a lot of different shelters though. Water collection, filtration, and purification is an area of constant study for the most part here I look for the head of a spring if I can find one, but even then I'll at least boil the water.

 

[tknife]

Great post and questions. trying to make us think huh?!

Most of where I spend my time is a high desert environment. Hot, dry, with little to no shade. My first priority is shelter, which starts with clothing for sun protection. Tarp hat, light weight long sleeve shirt, bandana and sun block. Since finding natural shelter can be sparse, I always have a disposable poncho, space blanket and a shemagh. I have made quick sun shelters while out during the hottest part of the day just using those things and the brush and scrub around me.

Water is always an issue because there really never is any. If I don't carry enough, I could find myself in big trouble. It has happened before and I was on the verge of heat exhaustion. Luckily I was not to far from the trailhead and I had water in my car. Would have been much worse if I was further away. The disorientation came on quickly.

Firemaking is my strongest skill. I have made fire by friction both with the hand drill and the bow. My favorite method is with a magnesium block though, I always have one with me.

My weakest skill is probably water procurement, but I always try and look for places it might be. Rock depressions is probably where I have actually found some the most. I always carry a metal cup for boiling too, cuz the water I have found was pretty nasty looking.

Favorite shelter is laying the poncho over the space blanket and tying it up to whatever I can find. The double layer makes a big difference in insulating from the sun.

Favorite firestarter is definitely the mag block. I first used these in scouts and have liked them ever since. I also carry a firesteel and matches as backups.

Getting water is my sticking point for sure. I look in all the places that we learn about, dig down in the bend of a stream bed etc. but usually come up dry. But in early morning, there can be dew on plants and rocks that i could probably mop up. I have only read about that, I will make a point to try and do it. :thumbup:

 

[DerekH]

I guess my main strength is in fire craft. Lately I have been doing a lot more practice with the bow drill and flint and steel. I have built a lot of different shelters though. Water collection, filtration, and purification is an area of constant study for the most part here I look for the head of a spring if I can find one, but even then I'll at least boil the water.

You going by Outrider over on BCUSA?

 

[Mistwalker]

You going by Outrider over on BCUSA?

Yeah...I was using a different email when I started that account and just went with it. Mainly I was just lurking and reading at the time...didn't realize I was going to get active with the forum. I really don't have time for multiple forums as I once did, but sometimes I can't help it...

What brought that up?

 

[DerekH]

Yeah...I was using a different email when I started that account and just went with it. Mainly I was just lurking and reading at the time...didn't realize I was going to get active with the forum. I really don't have time for multiple forums as I once did, but sometimes I can't help it...

What brought that up?

I got on this morning and saw your review of the BK2. Picture style looked like yours, and then I looked at the avatar pic and saw it was the same. Figured it was either you, or someone snaking your pics and reviews.

 

[cody1]

I think that water can be the trickiest. Finding clean water is crucial. If you have worries beyond bacterial, than you need to filter the supply. In town you can fiind a large pvc tube and first put a fabric layer than char coal, fabric, clean sand, fabric, pea gravel, fabric. In the woods you can build a tipod and make the layers with triangular pieces of fabric, suspeneded in levels. Top has pea gravel or grass, middle has sand, bottom has char coal, then your catch container. Then boil, that will at least help remove chemical or other nonbacterial contaminant.

I think Moose is right, in that the order of business should be, Shelter, fire, water, food, signal. I carry my water for day trips. If I need water I have a MSR ceramic mini works. It works great for the mountains here. Giardia is the main concern here. I always carry potable aqua tablets also. I boil as my third option. But if ya lose your gear. Pray you still have a contaner to boil in. If not, carve a cup and make a filter. Start by digging a hole a foot out from the water source, than make a filter, like above.

 

[Mistwalker]

I got on this morning and saw your review of the BK2. Picture style looked like yours, and then I looked at the avatar pic and saw it was the same. Figured it was either you, or someone snaking your pics and reviews.

Ah I see. Yeah, I was "outed" by other friends there as soon as I started posting. I have other friends there that are also on a UK based bushcraft site that I have been a member of much longer.

 

[Mistwalker]

.... the order of business should be, Shelter, fire, water, food, signal....

Fire, water, shelter....shelter, fire, water...water, shelter, fire. These three are almost always in the top three of the hierarchy of needs, but the order is usually situation specific depending on location/climate/time of year. Modern studies show that a reasonably healthy person can go weeks without taking in food in most situations, where as weather, temperature, and lack of water can kill you much quicker. While I like food...a lot...it is good for morale, and I teach people how to gather/catch/kill it when possible. However the simple truth is that in most short term situations food is really low on the totem pole of needs.

 

[caine]

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill? TRAPSWhat is your weakest? Why is it your weakest? Plant ID/ Cause I dont practice it
What's your favorite shelter? Lean to cause its easy
What's your favorte method of fire starting? Fire Rod
How do you get water in the wild? Streams if there

 

[paperairplane]

In the eastern woods, I think it is more fire, shelter, water. I put water last, b/c it is easily found here. Here, hypothermia is probably your biggest threat - so fire gets the nod over shelter.

Plant ID is pretty low on my skill set - mainly b/c you can eat virtually any bug, fish or animal in the world. There are a very limited number of plants you can safely eat. Those that are edible often require preparation to make them palatable.

 

[upnorth]

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill?
What is your weakest? Why is it your weakest?
What's your favorite shelter?
What's your favorite method of fire starting?
How do you get water in the wild?

Moose

Starting fire, moderate to high. Difficulty level increases with lack of available fuel resources. I ALWAYS have paraffin dipped or Vaseline dipped cotton balls in a sealed container along with dryer lint etc. I almost ALWAYS have fatwood with me. I even keep all this stuff and much more in the car. Only a firesteel available? I'd have to root up dry inner bark or whatever resource is available. And this monkey also ALWAYS carries a lighter, in every sheath, car, pocket, whatever. I tried to light a fire along the shores of Lake Athabasca in the middle of winter, in very cold weather, with a lighter. I just used the local buried under snow shore grass. I had my local tinder, twigs, etc. ready. I dug down and hollowed out a hole in the snow and gathered all the grass that I could for a heavy bump start. I found that the cold semi wet frozen bunch grass was a real beeotch to light and keep lit. I finally got it going and had reserves to really get it humping. It may have taken me 10 minutes from gathering everything to getting a good start with the flames. In that time I already felt my fingers getting numb and flexibility was compromised. I was killing ptarmigan that day and was a bit tired and lower on energy. Right then and there it scared me a bit. I realized that it was harder to get this fire going than I thought it would be, and that if I was injured in the deep bush, it may have been ugly. There are wolves all around that community. I have a disk somewhere with northern pics on it, I'll try to dig it up. I put my hand beside a wolf paw track, and I have XL hands. Wolves have big tootsies. So ya, I feel pretty good about fire starting but always keep extra resources in the back of my mind.

Water? I am weak here and have generally brought my own, but have been caught in the bush without. I have drunk from the odd slough\pond in clean bush. But the rotting stink and little chigger bugs or back swimmers, whatever you call them, had to be poured out. I'm Darn lucky that I didn't get dosed up with Beaver fever or any other uglies. I now plan to bring Iodine tablets and a filter straw....and my own water still. But I can and have run out. I have to smarten up here.... Realize that I'm seeing this in a metal detecting in remote bush site perspective. Drive to initialy than walk miles and miles through face ripping foot tangling river bottom...not over night camping, but that's coming on some sites.

Shelter? I think that this is absolutely easy to do. I feel that this is so intuitive and instinctive that common sense would rule. Even a simple wigwam like lean to structure is quick and easy to slap together. Boughs on the floor etc. I did this in the far north also with the Brute. It took about half an hour in the cold and snow to get it were I wanted it. I found three primary evergreens reasonably close to each other. Hacked them a bit, snap\bent them toward each other, then filled it with big chopped branches. I had to pace myself to avoid sweating too much and getting a chill.

I still have much to learn and you guys are teaching me, so thank you all very much.:thumbup:

 

[Flexxx]

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill?
Fire

What is your weakest? Why is it your weakest?
Same as most here, plant identification, need to research more.

What's your favorite shelter?
Tree lean is simple and quick

What's your favorite method of fire starting?
Firesteel

How do you get water in the wild?
Lots of rivers in my areas

 

[Fallbrook Forge]

The top three priorities for me are, navigation, shelter and fire. If you can't read and follow terrain you're pretty well screwed.

Then shelter and then fire, I carry supplies for shelter and fire any time I'm heading to the woods just as insurance, an AMK heatsheat in a cargo pocket. Same with firecraft stuff, a pill bag full of dryer lint to use if it's dry, and fatwood and magnesium if it's wet, along with a couple Ferro rods in different spots, and bic lighters.

I wear a Casio Pathfinder, with a compass on the band, and keep a map of the area I'm going to in a pocket. These are my backup items. A silva ranger, map and protracters are my primary tools.

I don't list water in the top three because if you can't read terrain, or make a fire, you won't be able to find or purify water.

 

[imaginefj]

What do ya'll consider to be your strongest woodland skill? Oh, shelter. Lol, if hunting is a skill I'm fairly successful at that. It is hard not to be here though.

What is your weakest? Why is it your weakest? Maybe land navigation with a map and compass. I spend alot of time on ranches and never get too lost.

What's your favorite shelter? Nice brick or stone home. Hammock, tent... Leanto or debris shelter if I'm making it! Quick, easy effective.

What's your favorte method of fire starting? Lighter, matches, firesteel, friction.

How do you get water in the wild? With a borrowed water purifier from a stock tank. If I had to improvise. I'd make a solar still with the tons of cactus we have. Melt snow? What is snow?


Most important here IMO...water, fire, food, shelter. It isn't that cold here, or wet. Shade is easy to come by. Lol, lots to consider.



On a further note...I plan on camping with a friend and our wives. So, if I was at our intended destination and something bad happened, or what is most likely to happen happened what would be important. Well, if you got lost. You would need water. So getting water would be most important. Then getting found. So not getting lost would be important.

 

[gytheran]

Well, this is a tricky question... as a kid, I could dig one heck of a hole in snow... that is technically a shelter...

Of course I have many more years catching things on fire.

I would say my biggest strength is fire building. I can manage a flint and steel just fine and am in the process of starting to make friction fires. My favorite is going to be the most primitive... If I can rub two sticks together to make a flame... right on!

I would say my shelter building is my weakest... only because I haven't had the opportunity to work at it. I have yet to find a place I could try it locally.

 

[RescueRiley]

Ive' made quite a few shelters out of all natural materials... and have spent many nights out in them in varied conditions.. I'd say that's one of my stronger skills

My 2 weakest are 2 that I deem very important to a well rounded woodsman Plant ID and Navigation
they are weak because I simply don;t pracice them enough

I feel most secure in a a well made debris Shelter though it takes me much longer to build than a leanto so I'd say that's my favorite shelter

My favorite method of firestarting is bow drill although My success rate wth found materials is less than stellar I use a ferro most of the time.

I usually carry in 64 oz of water and than forage and boil from there.

 

[Md 25v]

This isn't really the place where I have shown the skill but I would have to say that navigation is my strongest skill. I really don't have any way to show it in my threads, which is frustrating because it's a heavily honed skill. I used to do adventure racing when I was an eagle scout and had some excellent orienteering instructors. I was almost always looked to for navigation on training missions and field exercises in my Army unit, even when I was not the squad leader. I have an extensive collection of topo maps for almost all of my state, as well as USGS data on the magnetic variance of most places that I go. I can look at a topo map, study it, and usually navigate for several hours around many terrain features before needing to verify my location, without a compass.

Here on Bladeforums, my best skill would be trapping. Not only making the traps that I post but also understanding where and when to set them, and what natural foods to set them with. Masking your presence is important. You can't have the animal your trying to trap smelling you all over his trail.

My favorite shelter in the A-frame. Lean-to's are useless (IMO) in the winter because the can't hold your heat or keep the fire's heat in with you. A-frames are almost as easy to construct but insulate you much more efficiently, especially if you build a reflective wall behind your fire.

My weakest skill is not plant identification. I think I'm fairly well versed in the edible, medicinal, and bushcraft useful plants that are in my area. Instead, I would have to say my weakest woodland skill is locating water in higher dry regions. I have a very hard time finding enough water when it's hot and I'm in higher elevations. I know the basics, and what to look for as far as changes in plant life and topography, but I just have a hell of a time putting it to practice in real life. I pride myself on my survival skills and its kinda hard to admit that something as important as locating water is my biggest challenge, but some locations that I visit regularly have proved to hide their water from me very well even though the deer and black bear are proof that there is water to be found.