Can you imagine that after just one day of training, you could become well versed on wilderness survival and all the wild plants you absolutely need to know, or become the best expert on fire making and fire tending in your family and neighborhood? Who do you know that can light a campfire in the cold, using all-natural materials from a wet environment? Maybe a couple people. Who can start a fire without a lighter, matches, or anything from the store? By the end of the day, the answer will probably be you!
Join us during one of these Saturdays at Cabela's in 2013 and at any of our Saturday Workshops taking place throughout Washington, Oregon & Idaho on themes of survival, wildlife and ethnobotany.
Critical Order of Wilderness Survival
10:00 AM: We'll start the workshop with an overview on the order of survival, whether or not you find yourself prepared with adequate gear in the wilderness. We'll also discuss the most essential tools to carry with you depending on your skill level. For a primer, read our article on the Critical Order of Emergency Survival, and remember, survival requires multi-tasking, so during this time, we will also pass out materials for you to learn the "reverse wrap" method of making rope which you can work on while listening to the morning lectures.
10:30 AM: We will move on to discuss a big dilemma in survival situations: when to stay and when to go. We have a formula for you to decide, taking into consideration the amount of daylight, your available gear, your position relative to where you are and who you notified about your trip, and how "hungry, angry, lonely, tired and thirsty" you are. Depending on your score, you will either have to make shelter or navigate your way out of a moch survival scenario. To prepare in advance, check out our article called Breathing into Survival Shelters.
Become an Expert Fire Maker!
11:00 AM: We will walk you through a pre-set-up "tipi fire" structure that is critical for starting fire in the rain. You'll need to do the same later in the day. We'll also view a variety of materials to see how they burn as tinder. Can you guess how bark, seed down, leaves, laundry lint, and grass each burn, or which is best for various applications? Finally, we'll pass out materials for you to make your own tinder bundle.
11:30 AM: We will start the bow drill portion of the workshop by reflecting the symbolism of the parts of the bow drill kit, and you will realize why this method of fire-by-friction was prefered (and superior even to matches) for lighting fires in cold and wet climates. It should only take 10 seconds to create a coal if your kit is well constructed. You will receive the same quick training all Wolf College instructors receive, plus hand-outs that you can use to pass on this critical "safety plus efficiency" training to your own family or students.
Top 10 Survival Plants: Make Rope, Tinder, Food & Medicine!
12:00 Noon: We'll start this hour with an overview of the Top 10 Most Important Survival Plants which will give you a huge step toward understanding the most critical plants of our region. If you would like to prepare in advance, check out our essays on Grasses, Berries, Nettles, Cattails and Pine. We'll also spend 15 minutes getting our lunches and preparing for our lunchtime walk.
12:30 PM: You can bring a lunch along on our plant walk to sample wild edibles, collect medicine, make tinder materials, gather tee-pee fire wood, and collect your own bow for making fire-by-friction.
Bow Drill Kits
1:00 PM: You'll start the afternoon carving your bow into a comfortable size, and tying an adjustable string onto it. We will provide the string, as it is important to use nylon while you are learning because it is critical that you develop good form before worring about whether a natural-made cordage you made will break. We'll also bring some small-diameter red cedar tree trunks from which you will saw approximate 3 inch and 12 inch sections to finish your fire kit, including spindle, hearth, hand-hold, and coal-catch plate.
1:30 PM: We will stop to show you alternatives you would have to look for in the wilderness to make your fire kit without a knife, but again, it is critical that you use good material for your first kit in order to develop excellent form. You'll finish this hour using your knife to split a 3 inch piece of cedar to make your hand-hold socket, and do the same with your 12 inch piece to create a bottom board and 2 spindle "blanks."
Burn Bowls
2:00 PM - This hour will primarily be spent carving a spindle to the perfect shape, molding your hand-hold into a comfortable socket, preparing points on your hearth in preparation for drilling, and carving one of those points into a perfect-sized notch where your coal will later be born.
2:30 PM - We'll take a water break while Chris gives a demonstration on making a "burn-bowl" which you, too, can do if you are already done making your bow drill fire:) Otherwise, it'll be the hour to finish your kits and begin learning perfect form and drilling to make your coal! Perfect form, by the way, is key, so that those without massive muscle can make fire just as well as anyone, and so that even burly guys can be sure to make fire in even the most adverse conditions.
Emergency Shelter & Five Minute Fire Drill
3:00 PM - The last hour is fun as we carry out a moch wilderness survival scenario. You can choose to do it alone or with your group, and you can also use your bow drill kits rather than matches or a lighter! The reason we always emphasize basic fire-making skills along with traditional fire-by-friction is that there's no reason to bother making a bow-drill coal, let alone striking a match, unless you've prepared materials that will sustain your fire. The scenario will require you to choose the best natrual shelter and fire location in the area, then see if you can start and maintain a fire.
3:30 PM - We will gather back together and split into 2 groups to build an actual lean-to and debris hut, then end the day by circling-up to review, making sure everyone has the hand-outs they want.
Special Worskhop Instructions
4:00 PM - Questions & Assistance. Join us for a great day together, and please contact us for carpooling information from Portland & Olympia, Seattle & Tacoma to Cabela's, OlympiaPlease prepare as you normally would for a hike, including lunch, water bottle, 10 essentials, etc. However, please be aware that sparks from the campfire can melt your synthetic clothing, so wool might be a good option.
