Actually, the best frogging spear I've found is a narrow willow switch, about as big as thick as an arrow shaft, with a field point on it. Either as a thrust spear, or an elastic driven spear, it's extremely effective. So, if you're bow hunting (or have a bow in your LT gear), remember that frog is good food. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

ironraven I agree that you can still lose a blade even wiyh a thrusting spear. No problem there. And yes a hog will climb a spear unless you have a very strong cross bar.

I don't really advocate spear hunting as the primary mode of food gathering. But when checking your traps or fishing sets you can use it on targets of opertunity.

A spear is simply another option to have in your bag of tricks.

To Leigh Yes I like bows better myself. But it takes much more skill, pacience and time to construct even a green stick bow. Let alone someting well shaped and seasoned one.
I can build a spear in a few minutes with a simple wodden point or with a metal point if I have one in a couple of minutes. A fire hardened point in a couple of hours resting by a fire at the end of the day. Making even a green bow takes a while to get even reasonable balance and something close to an even draw.Also it takes 2 hand to use a bow. If one is out of the action you are up the creek.

While it works better with 2 a spear can be wielded as a thruster with a single hand. If you practice you can even become reasonably proffecient throwing with your off hand.

That I don't doubt! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But if anything might be a'tuggin, I'm definately happy with the thumb lashing, compared to the wrist lashing. At the least, it gives you a final option even if your wrist, elbow, and shoulder are absorbing a big pull.

This reminds me a lot of Get Tough by William Fairbairn where he describes the psychological and practical advantages of having a small stick as a weapon if no other weapon is available. I wouldn't want to have to fight an animal or another person with an improvised spear, but if I found myself in a survival situation one of the first things I would do is make a spear or club to carry. In other places I've seen people discuss rabbit sticks, and I think its a good idea to carry a weapon you can defend yourself with or throw at game if you have the opportunity. If nothing else the psychological value of being armed should add to your ability to survive.

Cold Steel makes the Bushman. As well as spears. I carry a spear head and a modified harpoon from an old Jungle King knock off survival knife. But I also carry enough spare ammo for my side arm to make spears obsolete. I do however enjoy playing with them at home. And a young lady who had been in track recently taught me a new way of throwing them. I'm still trying to build up power and range with it the new method but it is accurate.

Sometimes I think that, at it's very core, preparedness is driven by some ancient memory of hunting mastadon while wearing a loin cloth and carrying a spear. As the mother of a nine year old boy, I can attest to the fact that there is something very primal about carrying a spear. Whether for protection, balance or hunting, a good spear often seems like an instinctual thing to have when we're getting our Jungle Book on.

A good spear can also be used as a walking stick, bear scarer, frog gigger, throwing stick, snake basher, light sabre, shelter pole, water level tester, drowning victim teacher, fire poker...

Santa left a stone arrowhead in my son's stocking this year, and he's itching to get down to the creek, lash it to a branch and try some spear fishing with it. (Check your local fishing and hunting rules and regs... yada yada...)

Holy resurrected thread Batman! From 2006? That might be a record around here.

Yup, that was me. I like taking a stroll through the 200-400 pages of posts to see what's interesting or useful that I've missed or forgotten.

Maybe some details will help.

1. What do you envision using the spear for? If you want to hunt with it, how do you propose to train for that? Someone points out in the thread that spear hunting is a specialized skill

2. Where do you plan to get your spear from? Do you think we should have one ready at home, or do you think of it as the sort of thing that you make once you find yourself in a survival situation?

3. It seems to me that a throwing spear (javelin, I suppose) is different from a spear for boar hunt, and that's different from a spear that could fend off a swordsman (don't worry -- in a survival situation you're unlikely to run across a medieval warrior). What kind of spear are we talking about?

Does anyone here actually have experience of doing stuff with a spear?

I think I would rather carry a sling shot and bow adapter and a few take down arrows, and a few different style points. The sling shot can be used with rocks or with the arrows. In Sling-Bow form, it is capable of taking big game if you can get within 15 or 20 yards. At the least, carrying a set of bands can fit in almost any kit.

David Enoch