What skill are you working on?

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
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Just wondering what skill you're trying to master or what new skill you want to pick up that you're working on at the moment.

Me, I'm working on camp cooking minimalist style at the moment. I'm working through how to get a good set of coals and how to use them in the best way possible with backpacking type gear.(tin foil, cup, and pot) Last weekend we did a steak and potato "stew." We had a small packet of herbs, olive oil, red wine, and fresh garlic that we added to steak and potatoes. Wrapped everything in tin foil and put it in the fire pit with coals all around and on top. The tators were a little under cooked, need to do them seperate or possibly do a pre cook, but the beef was fan fricking tastic. One thing we missed was a skinny knife. The skinniest one we had was 1/8 thick and just wasn't cutting it. Pun intended. :D I have a 12 inch tram on it's way and we'll see how that does. I want to try the machete first to have a dual purpose blade plus the girlfriend wanted it long to have the option of cutting pineapple or watermelon while car camping. If that doesn't work out I'm thinking an 8" old hickory or the like.

What skill are you guys trying out?
 
I've been dabbling with bow drills lately. Unsuccessfully, so far. I also have been trying to improve my golok technique. Today I was scoping out places in the woods next to the house where I could make a primitive "survival" camp and combine these things.

Next on the list is to try to fish with just the survival tin stuff.
 
Learning Spanish.

It's a Survival Skill in SoCal.

Beside that honing, because sharp is good for wise cracks.
 
The one I'm going to work on next is edible plant identification.
I can make a mean shelter, get fire going easily, and my woods cooking skills are great.:)
BUT, right now I could very easily kill myself in the woods if I tried figuring out what plants to eat.:o
 
How to avoid that last yellow drop that occasionally lands on the floor in front of the terdlet .............. The warden got me a bunch of indigenous plant ID books last Xmas. I check them out now and then.
 
Pooping without a toilet. I had to do that on my last camping trip because somebody literally dropped a big one ON the campsite toilet seat. So I had to hike out somewhere secluded to take my dump. Trying to take a dump while squatting without getting any on your clothes is quite hard, luckily the place I went to had some large rocks so I just kinda rested an ass cheek against a rock and did my deeds.

I wasn't very good at it, but it was a glorious moment. I have never felt like such a caveman... not even when making a fire out of nothing.
 
Logical, you gotta squat. If you travel to the 3rd world, their public toilets have two footprints and a hole. To me, it feels more natural than sitting on the toilet.

I'm working on sharpening my tools without buying new stuff. I envy the people who whittle hairs with their knives. When I get the chance, I chop wood with my tomahawk.
 
dogstar said:
Logical, you gotta squat.
Click to expand...
Much better aided by a tree or rock, but you need to know some basic plant ID. Thorns are self-explanatory, but you don't want to rub poison this or that on your tender this or that.

Aside from trying to improve at rock climbing, the "skills" I'm working on are more about physical fitness. I carry too much muscle mass, and too much fat around the middle. Trying to increase endurance, while decreasing body weight without losing strength. The work part is fun so far, but the diet is killing me. I'm practically addicted to breads, cereal, and sweet tea, and am denying myself carbs except from fruit. My refrigerator is full of fruit and Powerade Zero:rolleyes:
Also working on maintaining consistent pace over distance, and estimating distance. Unless I have known points of reference, I rarely have any clue how far I've gone without consulting a map.
 
Squatting is the best way, though without a rock or tree, I tend toward a "crab walk" position. If you need to stay in one area for a while, dig a long trench 6-8" deep and not much wider. Start at one end, and sprinkle soil to just cover your business when you're done. It's virtually odorless that way and can be used many times before it fills up.
 
Working on getting out of the house without my kids catching me. It's great that they love the outdoors, but it's not relaxing for me(they're still pretty young). It must be what it feels like to cheat on your wife.
 
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Just about have the fire making down, but still have trouble with the bow drill . Need to work on my knot tieing alot.
 
I've been throwing and practice fighting with my hawk. Beating on a dead tree in the yard, till most of the bark had fallen off. Then I chopped down the same tree with a double bit axe. Broke up the rest of the tree with the axe and my Ka-Bar Cutlass machete, burned out the stump, started the fire with a ferro rod.
Shooting my 9mm a bit, that's always fun.

Planning a backpacking trip, this month, and been walking with my loaded backpack and new(ish) boots. The physical fitness I need to even carry the pack in the heat, over distance is important. My boots need to be broken in, as well to avoid a survival situation. Blisters, dehydration, a back problem, or muscle strain could be a game stopper. I could be training harder, but I'd rather just go camping.
 
Well...I'm still working on understanding the workings of the feminine mind...as a husband and father of two daughters this could be an important survival skill :)

Oh, and I'm still working on the hand drill...
 
I've been re-honing my canoing skills. My old canoe "Opal", was stolen about three years ago and I replaced it late last year, but didn't get out in it much until this summer. It is sorta like riding a bicycle though, the motions, balance etc. come back pretty quickly. Reading the water takes a bit more practice. I didn't really realize how much of it I did remember until I watched some neophytes attempting to propel and maneuver their canoes downstream and was reminded of myself circa 1964. What came natural and effortless to me mystified them. But still, I am benefitting from fine-tuning my skills with each and every trip. It makes a difference in the effort it takes to set up and follow a line through a chute or shallow riffle, and saves a lot of strokes when moving through slower pools or dealing with head or cross winds.

I am definately changing the rigging on the new canoe soon, an Old Town Guide with molded poly seats which I hate. Ash and cane is so much better for me. I need to add footman loops too for securing my gear. I often rock my canoe up on it's chines to maneuver in tight spots and sliding gear spoils my balance. A large dry bag is also on my list of 'gets' as I intend to do more overnighters this fall as the weather cools and my work drops off. I don't tend to swamp or overturn, but bilge wash and rain put a damper on even well packed camping gear. I don't intend to take on class III or IV whitewater or head down a river in flood as I did in days of yore (when I was ten feet tall and immortal), so I really don't see the need for floatation bags. And my canoe is a recreational, not whitewater design anyway. I do want to install kneeling pads as I sometimes go to kneeling position when I need power and lower center of gravity for more technical spots.

Yeah, that is a lot of wants and purchases, but compared to knife collecting, cheap. :)

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