Your favorite Wilderness skill? (POLL)

[wintermute]

Since it's about our favorite, and not the most important, I'd have to say navigating. I don't like GPS. If SHTF, it'll be useless. On most of the day hiking I do, I can generally rely on dead reckoning with some compass bearings just in case, but every once in a while... What I hate doing is trying to follow bushwacks that people have logged using GPS and then converting to USGS.

 

[misanthropist]

My favourites are probably fire making and orienteering or navigation or whatever that option was. I like to take topo maps and a compass and figure out where I am and where I'm going, that's pretty fun. I also enjoy making fires...I grew up in a house with nothing but wood heat and that was one of my chores from the time I was very young, so as a result I can build a fire out of anything!

But then I also like catching fish a lot, and making primitive tools is kind of fun too. I don't like doing first aid though as it generally means somebody got dinged up!

I don't know if this counts as food procurement or what...but I like to shoot. I probably went through a hundred rounds of 12 guage, a hundred of .308 and maybe another hundred of .38 and 50 hot .357s on Sunday and Monday. But I wasn't hunting, I was just shooting for the fun of shooting. Oh, also a bunch of .45.

On plus of running through hundreds of rounds of ammo is that you know for absolute certain that nobody is going to come bother you after that! Even if there is anyone out there!

 

[psy-ops]

I think for first aid, in order for practicing it to be fun you really need multiple people and scenarios (preferably with fake gore!). Hard to find that outside of a classroom setting, which is unfortunate.

Yeah! That could be fun. It would be hard to coordinate motivated individuals.

I am going to work on orientation this summer with my son.

 

[hayseedw45]

Firemaking for me also. Right now my main focus is on the bow and drill.

Jerry

 

[Preacher Man]

Originallyposted by texastonydobbs:

I love building kits & first aid....fire making after that

That is exactly where I'm at. What I need to practice more is shelter building, tool making, and trapping.

 

[Flash_Hider]

I voted firemaking too.

It's so fun to burn stuff.

 

[jh205]

Navigation and firemaking generally take priority for me. Unfortunately chopping down the bush is severely frowned on where I spend most of my wilderness time, so shelter construction is relatively infrequent. Its a lot of fun when I do get the chance though.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

Judging by the number of topics related to it, that kit building is really what many of us enjoy most.

For actually being out there, I'd list firemaking as my favorite, because then I can plunk down the cast iron skillet and start the bacon and SPAM feast. Maybe I should list "eating outdoors" as my favorite. I don't know about the others, but somehow things taste better cooked over a fire.

My #2 would be shelter building. A good fire and a nice place to sleep. Ahhhhh.

 

[mmmotorcycle]

I love fire making but shelters hold slightly more appeal since I can use knives, hatchets, axes, machetes....for them!

 

[pitdog]

I went with hiking/fitness because if you are seriously over-weight with poor health issues your chances of getting out of a survival situation are going to reduced...JMO !

I did think about going with the fire-making but if I was really concerned with that then I'd be trying to use the bow or plough method etc on my days off till I had them perfected and I don't !!!

 

[Big Mike]

Firemaking for me also. Right now my main focus is on the bow and drill.

Jerry

Jerry, for me it’s the flint and steel, thanks the crowd a the CT Wilderness Gathering.

But I have made a bow and I’m working on the other components; nothing beats making fire “the hard way”.

 

[Keith_H]

I like shelter building, I guess its my inner child just wanting to build a fort.

 

[wildmike]

I voted firemaking. Had to think on this one for a bit: however, I have lived in several shelters w/o fire under nasty conditions, and was miserable every time. With a good fire going I can get by with much less in the way of shelter. Food is much lower on my list as serious problems from hunger dont show up for several days or more.

 

[Return of the J.D.]

I voted for firemaking since that's my favorite skill to practice. Though hiking/fitness is what I do most and love it.

Nobody's mentioned reproduction yet. Granted, it's sort of a longer-term aspect of survival....

 

[Return of the J.D.]

You know, it's probably good to specify what we mean by "favorite". Is your "favorite" skill the one that's most fun to do in the back yard? Or is it just the one you think is most critical to have to prevent dying?

 

[Bumppo]

Going strictly with what I LIKE most, Cord making is kind of zen for me. Firemaking is what I SHOULD be practicing. Shelter building comes pretty natural for me, but Plant skills are lacking here. I will say, living for an extended stay in China has made me rather adept at pooping just about anywhere. So I got that covered. No pun intended.

 

[DarkenRahl]

I will say, living for an extended stay in China has made me rather adept at pooping just about anywhere. So I got that covered. No pun intended.

I lived there for a year and spent a few days in Beijing with a mate who came to visit, we were crouched down in the rubble of an old building at night having a sneaky smoke when we noticed a smell, looking around as our eyes adjusted to the moon light we noticed shit everywhere and my mate had almost sat in one. Good times...

Back on topic the most fun is fire making but I love shelter building but never have an excuse to practice it. I'm also a big fan of improving my navigation skills. I still can't make fire just out of stuff I find in the bush, I need to get my fire bow skills up to scratch.
A flint and some scavenged tinder all seems to easy these days.

 

[ICEAGE]

Food procurement probably. Also primitive weapon making is enjoyable.

 

[psy-ops]

You know, it's probably good to specify what we mean by "favorite". Is your "favorite" skill the one that's most fun to do in the back yard? Or is it just the one you think is most critical to have to prevent dying?

Favorite = FUN:thumbup:

If favorite meant "should," the world would be a much different place.

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Firemaking is #1- found out this weekend that it is hard to light a firesteel fire if you can't get close to the firepit. Second would be kit making because of the amount of time indoors, this activity gives me outdoors work indoors. Finally is ropemaking as I have only done it for a few months and am addicted, even making rope out of Starbucks Straw wrappers.

Hiking and fitness will be up there once I can walk better, but right now it is down the list like orienteering and fishing, which I suck at, but at least I can do some limited camping now!!