Book Review: Deep Survival

This is one of those books that must be read once per year. I have had this book for two years now and am just about ready for my third read. I also downloaded this book as an audio book. Anna and I are fond of listening to books as we drive or work around the homestead.

Winter Bushcraft

   With the coming of crisp evenings and fall colours descending from the trees it is the perfect time to spend a weekend out in the wonders of wild Ireland. Grab your hammock, sleeping bag and some provisions and heat outside.

   The four basic bushcraft skills are Shelter, Fire, Water, and Food. Once you have taken care of all of these issues you are prepared to spend a lovely winter weekend in the woods.

The Balance in Bushcraft

There are many different approaches to learning wilderness survival and bushcraft skills. On one hand there is the military approach that focuses on a lot of high end kit that you have on you at all times. At the other end of this continuum is the Hippy approach to survival. The hippies tent to look at the wilderness with respect but can underestimate the ruggedness and how unforgiving Nature can be.

The Ascetism of Mountains and Living in Nature

“The Mountain is not merely something eternally sublime.

 It has a great historical and spiritual meaning”

Alan Paton  TIME magazine, 25 April 1988, p. 106

   Almost anyone can sense the mystic appeal of mountains and Nature. Mountains are, or transcribe in visible form, the lofty unknown. In principle accessible to humans, they are still a realm apart, purer than our daily world yet inhabited by awesome, elemental powers which may give life or kill. Knowledge comes from, or can be found in the mountains. In mountains dwell the uncomfortably potent spirits of the dead. Intuitions like these are the common heritage of humanity.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course

   I just finished another ACLS course. This was the first one that I have taken since moving here to Ireland. It is still the same curriculum and still quite difficult to pass. It has been eight years since I took my last one and I still struggle with the drug list.

The Rule of Threes

   You can survive without certain important things in a survival situation.

You can survive 3 minutes without air
You can survive 3 hours without shelter
You can survive 3 days without water
You can survive 3 weeks without food

We at Kerry Bushcraft School have added two more categories:

Spring Wild Edibles

  This is the best time of the year for finding and eating wild edible plants. The fresh green shoots are up and the tender leaves are just waiting for us to devour them.

March 2010 Bushcraft course

   This past weekend saw seven students arriving at IPNA for our Basic and Advanced Bushcraft course. They arrived with great weather that quickly turned into rough wind and rain. Here in South Kerry we are used to seeing this kind of weather year around. We were a bit fooled by the incredible sunshine and warmth that arrived for the two weeks prior to the start of the course.

Dynamic Archery

   Dynamic Archery is the practise of shooting arrows while crouching, walking or running. For most people, the sport of archery consists of standing still and shooting your arrow with all the time in the world to perfect your shot.
   Can you do that while someone else is shooting back at you? Can you aim correctly after running through the woods to get a better shooting position?

Medical Kits

   Whether you are in the woods or in town it is important to have medical training 
and a good medical kit available.

   During our Basic Bushcraft course we discuss how important it is to always have a small survival tin with you at all times. You can make them small enough that you forget about it somewhere in one of your pockets. You should have one of these kits in every jacket, jumper, and coat that you own.
   The same preparation is important with a medical kit. You don't need a large kit containing massive trauma supplies. Put a few plasters, tablets, steristrips and an alcohol wipes into your bushcraft kit or a separate medical kit.

Jedi Training

   There was a comment on the Modern Yamabushi blog about why Western culture has a fascination with the idea of the warrior monk found in different forms in books, TV and films.

   In my time with the Tracker School in the states I noticed that a majority of the hundreds of students who come to the courses have this need for the mystic, austere and divergent experiences. They are usually ensconced deeply into the cubical prisons found in modern corporate society. They profoundly feel that there is something superficial about reality. They are looking for something to wake them up, to show them different options and to find other options in life.

IPNA students in Chile earthquake

   Two students who attended bushcraft and medical courses last fall experienced several earthquakes in the past weeks while backpacking around South America.

   They were camping in very remote areas of Chile close to the epicenter of the earthquake. Luckily they were not injured. They were camping in the Circuito Condores National Park. There were landslides close by but they were unharmed.

Gaisce Presidential Award

   This past week we hosted twelve teenagers who were meeting the requirements to earn the Gaisce Presidential Award. This programme was set up by the President of Ireland to challenge Irish youth to get out and experience the outdoors and their community. It is offered to all Irish youth aged from 15 to 25. It consists of a three tiered award system offering Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

Aidless Navigation: How to find your way home

   It is exciting to explore new places. It is also easy to become immersed in the awe and wonder of Ireland’s vast beauty. But it is essential to know where you are and more importantly, how to return home. Aidless navigation is how you can keep yourself from getting lost while hiking in remote areas.

Ammo Pouch Flask

     The Bushcraft applications for the Ammo Pouch flask was quickly apparent. It is a new phenomenon for me here in Ireland and the UK. In all my years as a Special Forces medic I never came across the ammo pouch flask.

     It wasn't until late 2009 when I was teaching the medical BATLS course for the UK military that I saw a quite a few of the squadies and staff carrying this small device. Ever on the watch for new and exciting kit I inquired about it and immediately saw the potential for wilderness use.

     I ordered one as soon as I returned to Ireland. In the past few months I have found great use for this flask. It is small enough to fit into a pocket without causing a huge uncomfortable bulge. I take it on hikes with me on the surrounding hillside and it provides a nice cup of tea in the misty rain.

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician

     I have just returned from taking the Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician course run by WEMSI. It was located at the Larch Hill Boy Scout Camp near Dublin.

     This course was intense, informative and confidence building. It is a programme that I will be encouraging all of my WFR students to attend. It starts at the First Responder level and adds quite a lot of hands on scenario and advanced medical training.

The Bent Stick Trap

     The art of trapping goes back far into antiquity. For some cultures it was a main staple for food. The earliest writings describing animal trapping is from the Dao De Jing. It was written in the 4th century BC.
     For those of you who have taken my Basic Bushcraft Course I introduce the art of primitive trapping. We show you both the figure four trap and what we have called the "modified figure four" trap.

Yoga and Bushcraft

Yoga and bushcraft are two very different hobbies. At first they appear to be completely different. The average person going to a yoga retreat will be dressed nicely, have clean hands, had a shower that morning, slept in a warm comfortable bed the night before, and have a look of calm serenity.
   On the other hand you see the average bushcraft enthusiast. He has been sleeping outside all weekend, his hands are somewhat clean but has scratches and they look rugged, he dipped in the mountain creek for a bath that morning, slept in a warm and comfortable bed that he made from debris and moss, and also has a look of calm serenity.

The Five Minute Fire

     Can you build a small fire within five minutes? How about if you fell into a winter stream and are now facing hypothermia? Suddenly, those five minutes feel like a lifetime. How do you build a life saving fire quickly?

Finding Food in Winter

   As we embrace the long winter nights, finding wild food becomes tricky at best. Most of the plants have retreated deep underground and are patiently waiting for the warmer longer days.

   This is the time to get out into the woods and challenge yourself to find wild food now while it is difficult. Anyone can eat well in the woods in August while berries run amok. Go out now and enjoy some wild edibles.

Hydration and the Kelly Kettle

   A few days before Christmas saw some very rough weather here in South Kerry, Ireland. The temperatures were far below the zero mark and I was beginning to get flashbacks of living in Alaska. There was ice everywhere. Even the bog felt solid.
   The minus temperatures froze our water pipes as well. We were without water. No problem, we would just grab a bucket of creek water and boil it for our breakfast and tea. But when we tried to turn on the cooker no gas came out. The propane cylinder was frozen as well. The easy fix is to pour hot water over the canister to loosen up the gas. Well, we needed the gas to heat the water to pour over the cylinder.