How NOT to teach people survival skills

[temo]

Well at least MT hobby sounds cheap after you look recommended survival gears. Outdoor cooking can be cheap or expensive. But sure price is not relevant if you talk about survival.

[Ron Who]

IMO most television shows make survival look much too easy. If I had any kids I would show them that water, food and fire may be difficult to get/make and that the risks involved are not to be laughed at. Survival in the Netherlands is easy if you are prepared to steal of a farmer, otherwise forget it, most of the year there's just too little to live on.
OTOH I would show them the pleasure of herbs, fruits and nuts gathered from the wild, how to catch fish, and how to snare, dress and cook a rabbit. But I would make them understand that it wouldn't work for longer periods of time!

I should add that there are very few regions in the Netherlands where you would need any survival skills.

[kkokkolis]

Last night, a Bulgarian lady came to my office. Her story is that her educated son, 36, had peculiar behavior since March 2016. Something like religious delusions. He disappeared without warning for 6 months. He came back with nothing but a rucksack and said he lived on the mountain, eating mushrooms, fish and bread he made from flour he had with him, living as an askete. He came back because he wasn't prepared for a harsh winter on the mountains.
I would like to talk with him but he doesn't want to see a doctor. The fascinating thing is that he wasn't a survivalist, he studied language his whole life.

[Ron Who]

Yesterday's paper ran a story about a man from Vancouver, who walked over 10,000 km to Brazil, barefooted. He had help of other people sometimes, but mostly had to survive in the wild, "foraging for food".

See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/09/canadian-man-reportedly-found-amazon-following-10000-mile-journey/

[Aloha]

Last night, a Bulgarian lady came to my office. Her story is that her educated son, 36, had peculiar behavior since March 2016. Something like religious delusions. He disappeared without warning for 6 months. He came back with nothing but a rucksack and said he lived on the mountain, eating mushrooms, fish and bread he made from flour he had with him, living as an askete. He came back because he wasn't prepared for a harsh winter on the mountains.
I would like to talk with him but he doesn't want to see a doctor. The fascinating thing is that he wasn't a survivalist, he studied language his whole life.

I would love to hear his story as well. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Convince him to write a book.  I'm sure he'd sell more than a few copies here!

Def

[lurkee]

I say drop 'em in the middle of no where, pick 'em up in a few weeks. If they live, pat 'em on the back and give 'em a beginner survival course certificate, if they don't - no money back guarantee

'if it's cold and wet, 99% will be dead within a week, if they have to start naked and have no gear.

this guy is outstanding!

[lurkee]

search youtube for Dave canterbury, ray mears, Cody Lundin. Read books by Brad Angier, Ragnar Benson, Larry Dean Olsen, Mors Korchanski, Cody Lundin,

[lurkee]

if a place is worth a hoot, there's people all over it. If it's nothing but woods, etc, it's not worth a hoot for resources.

[Gareth]

I say drop 'em in the middle of no where, pick 'em up in a few weeks. If they live, pat 'em on the back and give 'em a beginner survival course certificate, if they don't - no money back guarantee

'if it's cold and wet, 99% will be dead within a week, if they have to start naked and have no gear.

this guy is outstanding!

That's a good video. 

[Dwest]

Here is a good rule...while in bear country...just be sure you can outrun your buddy. 

That's why Megan always takes me hiking.  With more metal in my ankles than in the average economy car someone would be very hard pressed to not run faster than me!

 

Def

Maybe she figures if she hooks you up to a  battery, you could be used as a compass.

No offense just a bit of humor.

[Dwest]

I took my son out and had him build a debris type shelter, no tools allowed so he got the idea of how much work and how long it really takes to do this. He learned its not as easy as TV and You Tube makes it out to be. A lesson in reality is always a good teacher.

[Aloha]

I took my son out and had him build a debris type shelter, no tools allowed so he got the idea of how much work and how long it really takes to do this. He learned its not as easy as TV and You Tube makes it out to be. A lesson in reality is always a good teacher.

 

Great job   Certainly lets him know that its important to make the decision early to hunker down rather than wait till the last moment.   

[Gareth]

I took my son out and had him build a debris type shelter, no tools allowed so he got the idea of how much work and how long it really takes to do this. He learned its not as easy as TV and You Tube makes it out to be. A lesson in reality is always a good teacher.

The wonders of video editing always make things look far, far easier than they actually are.  Just finding appropriate materials can take a long time.  Good job on having some quality time with your boy.