What gear would you take with you thread and why.
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I think it is called Bitrex or something?
I do know it adds a horrible, bitter flavor. Not sure about the smell?
No, I did not drink it, but the half filled burner leaked out the stuff and it drenched the pans ( and some other stuff) in the backpack.
Being mid winter, I could not sacrifice enough water to wash the pans properly.
Everything tasted disgusting for the rest of the week....
I do know it adds a horrible, bitter flavor. Not sure about the smell?
No, I did not drink it, but the half filled burner leaked out the stuff and it drenched the pans ( and some other stuff) in the backpack.
Being mid winter, I could not sacrifice enough water to wash the pans properly.
Everything tasted disgusting for the rest of the week....
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Hello. So variation in situation - I want to enjoy nature with as little discomfort as possible. I tried camping, hated it. I just want the skills to survive in the wild should I ever unfortunately find myself in that situation. I can imagine people like me will be the first to die in an Armageddon situation heh
Actually, the first to die will be the ones at ground zero 
And you don't get to choose where the asteroid hits, so you can draw what comfort you can from that 
Welcome to the forum. You could be an interesting case. In order to acquire skills in survival techniques, are you prepared to accept a level of discomfort at least comparable to your camping experience? One can read about staying warm and dry, making fires in wet weather and finding/building shelters, but until you have done them in at least somewhat uncomfortable conditions you won't fully appreciate what you have read. Knowing that you can do things in less than ideal conditions, knowing that they may be harder than the books make them sound, because you have done them before in those conditions, will help a lot with your mental fortitude, which is probably the biggest factor in survival.
Having said that, if you stick to the UK you can survive just fine with some extra warm clothes, a blizzard bag, some cash and cautious approach to hiking alone.
And you don't get to choose where the asteroid hits, so you can draw what comfort you can from that Welcome to the forum. You could be an interesting case. In order to acquire skills in survival techniques, are you prepared to accept a level of discomfort at least comparable to your camping experience? One can read about staying warm and dry, making fires in wet weather and finding/building shelters, but until you have done them in at least somewhat uncomfortable conditions you won't fully appreciate what you have read. Knowing that you can do things in less than ideal conditions, knowing that they may be harder than the books make them sound, because you have done them before in those conditions, will help a lot with your mental fortitude, which is probably the biggest factor in survival.
Having said that, if you stick to the UK you can survive just fine with some extra warm clothes, a blizzard bag, some cash and cautious approach to hiking alone.
Actually, the first to die will be the ones at ground zero
Welcome to the forum. You could be an interesting case. In order to acquire skills in survival techniques, are you prepared to accept a level of discomfort at least comparable to your camping experience? One can read about staying warm and dry, making fires in wet weather and finding/building shelters, but until you have done them in at least somewhat uncomfortable conditions you won't fully appreciate what you have read. Knowing that you can do things in less than ideal conditions, knowing that they may be harder than the books make them sound, because you have done them before in those conditions, will help a lot with your mental fortitude, which is probably the biggest factor in survival.
Having said that, if you stick to the UK you can survive just fine with some extra warm clothes, a blizzard bag, some cash and cautious approach to hiking alone.
The reason I'm really here, is I love watching Ray Mears, Les Stroud as odd as that might sound, hehe. and I really want to have the skills to survive like they do. Would you say this website can help? I even got myself a flint/steel to test myself in a very limited setting (my local park LOL)
Yeh you're not wrong. the idea of surviving an asteroid haha, but what if its something more mild, say massive civil unrest/nuclear war/zombies lol
Anyway, thanks for the welcome, I'm here to learn!
Like anything else in life you have to learn how to camp. It doesn't just come. If you hated it, you weren't doing it right.
Learn to camp first, then start on the survival skills. I've been learning for &! years now and I still haven't learned it all.
Remember, if you get into a survival situation, you put your rescuers at risk as well as yourself.
Don't worry fella, I'm not going to take stupid risks and put myself and others in danger, I know my limits. For me its just about at least having some BASIC survival skills should the world happen to go to **** heh. Sure its unlikely, and Im not a full blown prepper, but I imagine its a huge motivation to why some people learn bushcraft. - May I ask what your motive was?
Didn't have a motive. Its been part of my life since I was a child in the post WW2 period when camping and basic survival was part of everyday life.
Over many years I've seen people at risk who were totally unaware of the fact. I think you should stay indoors where it is safe, cosy and warm and watch nature on TV. Alternatively start again with summer camping for a few seasons then a winter camp and learn the skills from experienced practitioners. Maybe take a course such as offer by Paul Kirtley. You can find recommendations of such courses on this site, along with much other advice, but it is a huge subject. It may cost you to take a short cut but it may be worth it. And it will be fun- if only in retrospect!
Two points to ponder:-
"If you think tuition is expensive, try ignorance".
"When the boat is sinking it is too late to learn how to swim."
Over many years I've seen people at risk who were totally unaware of the fact. I think you should stay indoors where it is safe, cosy and warm and watch nature on TV. Alternatively start again with summer camping for a few seasons then a winter camp and learn the skills from experienced practitioners. Maybe take a course such as offer by Paul Kirtley. You can find recommendations of such courses on this site, along with much other advice, but it is a huge subject. It may cost you to take a short cut but it may be worth it. And it will be fun- if only in retrospect!
Two points to ponder:-
"If you think tuition is expensive, try ignorance".
"When the boat is sinking it is too late to learn how to swim."
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I think the first to die outside Ground Zero will be the Preppers.
Suffocating to death, locked in their hermetic bunkers, eating all those beans!
haha they might turn into ghouls or supermutants and dominate the wastelands!!! What a lovely fate. If you don't get the reference, sorry, I'm a bit of a Yoomer, gen Y - Fallout franchise is set in a universe which saw a devastation of a nuclear fallout and the chaotic aftermath of humanity. Entertaining if you're into that sort of thing.
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Thanks for the advice oldtimer, taken on board!
Dan, if you do travel up to Scotland you're welcome to get in touch, if you want, to meet up, just send me a PM.
Winter is definately here! Temps here at the moment are just above zero, Monday and Tuesday last week were circa -8°.
I've been up here for 17 years, originally from Dorset, in that time the coldest it's been, at about 800' above sea level, was -21°, lovely clear blue skies and still. I had a friend visiting around that time and he went to start his car one day at about 11a.m. and couldn't believe it was -16°. My lowest camp out temp. was at a friends birthday bash where a few folks had said they'd camp out, in the end I was the only fool left outside at -18°, not a bad nights kip but, 1) I had previous experience, one of the reasons for moving up here, and 2) I was properly equipped!
As others have said, It really isn't the place to start off with in the winter, I had some truly awful nights camping in the winter in Dorset when I was a teenager, inexperience and very, very basic camping equipment being the causes, I'll bet the kit you've got is better that what I had then though!
I'd recommend spring and autumn for your first trip up here, nowadays I very rarely camp out in the summer, I just leave it to others to feed the midge's and ticks!
There's some lovely places near you to get out for a night or two, take what you've got, don't go too far from your vehicle and find out what works for you, or doesn't, enjoy yourself and be safe.
Winter is definately here! Temps here at the moment are just above zero, Monday and Tuesday last week were circa -8°.
I've been up here for 17 years, originally from Dorset, in that time the coldest it's been, at about 800' above sea level, was -21°, lovely clear blue skies and still. I had a friend visiting around that time and he went to start his car one day at about 11a.m. and couldn't believe it was -16°. My lowest camp out temp. was at a friends birthday bash where a few folks had said they'd camp out, in the end I was the only fool left outside at -18°, not a bad nights kip but, 1) I had previous experience, one of the reasons for moving up here, and 2) I was properly equipped!
As others have said, It really isn't the place to start off with in the winter, I had some truly awful nights camping in the winter in Dorset when I was a teenager, inexperience and very, very basic camping equipment being the causes, I'll bet the kit you've got is better that what I had then though!
I'd recommend spring and autumn for your first trip up here, nowadays I very rarely camp out in the summer, I just leave it to others to feed the midge's and ticks!
There's some lovely places near you to get out for a night or two, take what you've got, don't go too far from your vehicle and find out what works for you, or doesn't, enjoy yourself and be safe.
Okay folks, I know I posted, but we are kind of getting a long way off topic. I think that Blufor might be better served with a new thread in the Bushcraft and Survival Skills sub forum.
I recall that there were a number of threads that talked about what skills people should practice, what was a good place to start. I think search is still broken, but I will have a look around using Google and see if I can find something.
I recall that there were a number of threads that talked about what skills people should practice, what was a good place to start. I think search is still broken, but I will have a look around using Google and see if I can find something.
To that end, I have created a new thread with Blufor's post as the start and all the replies.
Please use this new thread for continuing this conversation....
https://bushcraftuk.com/community/index.php?threads/survival-skills-without-camping.153921/
Please use this new thread for continuing this conversation....
https://bushcraftuk.com/community/index.php?threads/survival-skills-without-camping.153921/
