10 skills that should be learned

[santaman2000]

I have made a "debris shelter" out of nothing but brambles ... it is pretty well proof against the rain we get in Wales - density of debris thatch is the controlling factor not the materials when it comes to water-resistance.

The Seminoles used palmetto fronds (essentially just long leaves) to thatch the chickees and still make the same thatch for beach cabanas. Indeed they are very rainproof (they'll even shed our semi-tropical rains of over an inch per hour) but properly woven thatch isn't the same thing as just piling loose leaves over a frame as is usually pictured here.

 

[mrcharly]

Thatch isn't woven, it is stacked and compressed.

Can be straw or even 'bushy' stuff such as heather. The important bit is the direction of lay and thickness.

 

[santaman2000]

Thatch isn't woven, it is stacked and compressed.

Can be straw or even 'bushy' stuff such as heather. The important bit is the direction of lay and thickness.

I've seen both woven and stacked the way you describe, and yeah, long straw obviously works as well. But my point is still valid in that proper thatch isn't what's normally pictured here (in fact I've never seen it on the forum regarding quick shelters)

 

[Tony]

So, putting aside the thread drift, anyone else have a preferred list of what they think is the most important hands on skills skills?

 

[ayylmao]

1.Hunting with primitive weapons. Hunting with a gun or rifle is easy compared to with a bow or spear or primitive traps ( even with laws and regulations, these are still essential nature skills and should be practised every day

2. Foraging. Not just leaves but roots, berries, stalks, etc. How to sustain yourself with plants is essential.

3. Medicinal uses. Finding out the medicinal uses of plants, traditional medicine, etc is important in the woods.

4. "primitive/traditional skills" this covers a wide range of things, but hide tanning, basket weaving, flintknapping, etc

5. Fire making. With a flint and steel, firesteel, bowdrill, even a lighter, it is essential to be able to make fire.

6. Shelter building. Building something out of natural materials that could last you your lifetime with enough care is a very important skill indeed.

7. Maintenance. A rusty axe or blunt knife will not do you well in the woods, and is likely to hurt you. taking care of tools is essential and is very ignored in the bushcraft community.

8. Travel. Making snowshoes or a coracle are all essential for moving about in the wilds. A river will not stop you if you have a coracle and thick snow will not stop you if you have snowshoes.

9. Clothes making. This might tie in with traditional skills but this is very different. Even if you can make sandals and shoes and a bushshirt those will serve you well in the woods. WIth the buckskin or fur from traditional skills you can make a poncho or trousers.

10. Respect. Respect of everything in the woods. Hunting with primitive weapons is bad if you do not kill the animal once it has been shot or trapped, fire making is bad if you use up all the wood in the forest and make a huge bonfire, foraging is bad if you strip all the bark off a tree.


these are the 10 things EVERY HUMAN SHOULD LEARN