addendum; Chris, sometimes I climb on the soapbox or podium to quick. Native skills and materials ( I hate the perjorative "primative" ) are the result of generations of trial and error. There is a very compelling emotional desire to mimic this "Noble Savage" purity. But these are social values and have nothing to do with simple survival. My complaint is with the people that promote this over modern skills and materials. My two associates on our island misadventure are recent examples. I know many of these skills, use these skills. Still, I wouldn't ( or probably would) be caught dead without my contemporary tools.