JAK, let me know how your fire plow experiments with local materials turn out. As mentioned above, Cottonwood works. Back in the day, native tribes traded for materials not found locally. Don't know how widely distributed sotol was or if it ever made it into Canada. However, related species, Agave, grows in Canada and works like sotol.

Also, what else are you interested in as it relates to old school outdoor skills?

PS - Funny you like lighters so much. Thought you were more old school than that?

Yeah, your right. Actually, I use Zippos, but the fluid evaporates over the long term, (the flint will always spark and the cotton makes a great firestarter); so I have most pockets and packs stuffed with bics. Ya gotta be practical, too.

I just think that technology is taking away our ability to think and learn, and to develope skills. I navigate better with map and compass (Silva TD15) than any GPS, because it gives me a feel for the land, and I never worry about batteries. On the other hand, the LED headlamp was the greatest invention since high-carbon steel.

Speaking of steel, modern steels far out-perform old steels. Better edge-holding characteristics and easier sharpening. But, a good drop-forged tomahawk is a superior tool, and they've been around for 200 years. (Give or take)

I've never had a problem with wearing cotton; most of my outdoor work was in jeans. But I love wool, which, in my opinon, outperforms all hi-tec fabrics. Good quality wool won't itch, and will out-last the purchaser.

How long have you stayed out practicing survival skills? I started practicing survival skills in Colorado at 15. But the longest I stayed out was a week at a time. I joined the US Air Force when I was 20 to teach pilots how to survive. I trained for a solid year staying out for a month at a time. Then for 7 years we stayed out for a week every other 3 weeks. About 3 times a year during those 7 years they would surprise me with a week long solo survival exercise. Out of the blue they would blind fold me and truck me to the wilderness with a list of objectives and a week to get it done. Most of these outings happened in Northeast Washington state near the Canadian border. All they would give us to survive was a pocket knife and a metal match. Normally objectives included catching a deer and making an article of clothing, also a weapon, shelter, friction fires using different materials, edible plants, water, etc. I've also had the privilege through the Air Force and through Wilderness Way of learning how to survive in the desert, the tropics, the arctic, the ocean, and as a prisoner of war. I've been teaching survival and rescue skills for 31 years full time except for 6 years when I served as a pastor (during which time I only taught one survival class per month).

If it sounds like I'm bragging I'm sorry. The reason I shared my experiences is that you can get a feel for my background. Hopefully it will help us discuss different survival skills. Do you mind sharing the extent of your outdoor experiences?

This sounds like once every 6 weeks.



That's impressive, making friction fires using water!

Saw your video on making fire fine. Cool. Had some problems bringing up all the snow cave photos, but am sure the problem was on my end.

Ah, you noticed my poor sentence structure. LOL. Good job. Actually, it one week every third week. And, I attempted to make a fire out of "water" by using a piece of ice I shaped like a magnifying glass. But it didn't work with tinder found in the woods. This guy got it to work with charred cotton cloth.

Good thinking. You didn't try rubbing the ice together?

Northeast WA would be a fine place for survival. I love the northwest, almost any part of it, but east of the Cascades especially. In that area there would be plenty to find in terms of edible plants, depending on exactly what biome and season one might find himself in. Some potential candidates: thimble berries (yum!), saskatoons, water cress, Lamb's quarters, stinging nettle (survival rations!), thistles (ugh!), rose hips (not bad, good source of Vit. C), dandelion leaves, puff-ball mushrooms (I don't know the scientific name), choke cherries, etc. Winter time would be tougher, but often the cherries/berries and rose hips can be found in "dehydrated" forms.

I like a Swiss "multi-tool" knife. You'd be surprised how much that little saw blade can do. Naturally, a longer saw is nice, but when you are in a pinch, even a little one can do the job, albeit with less efficiency. Generally, when one is out "surviving," there is more time on one's hands to begin with.

Ok...so, I'm not nearly so experienced as Mountain Man, but I have done snow camping, caving, backpacking, snow shoeing up to a cabin in several feet of powder, etc. I have guided a group of young people for a three-day, 18-mile backpack trip. I have gone solo miles into the wilderness for a week, taking enough food for a couple of meals or so.

As I do not eat meat, I would find it very difficult to kill animals. I'm afraid I would likely exhaust all other possibilities and be facing absolute starvation before I'd eat much more than grasshoppers and ants.

I agree with JAK in the most important survival tool being one's mind and knowledge/skills. Many people do not survive when unintentionally in a predicament that requires such skills, simply for lack of good judgment. I've read countless stories in the news of people who panicked or perished for lack of basic survival techniques. Have all the tools you want, survival will still be difficult without proper understanding. That is what training is for, and why Mountain Man has a good job instructing these skills.

God bless,

Green Cochoa.

GC, it's good to see you again. You've been greatly missed. Hope you can stay around awhile.

GC, I agree with you regarding Northeast WA. I spent 12 years in Spokane teaching survival and rescue. Loved it. Jesus has blessed me with being able to teach survival and rescue throughout the western hemisphere from Alaska to Florida, Newfoundland to Patagonia, Hawaii to Caribbean, and many places between. Last year I got to practice survival skills in the Philippines for about 3 weeks. Bamboo is amazing! Of all the places I've been privileged to teach survival and rescue my favorite is the Sierra Nevada mountains in CA.