Okay, obviously this is not going to be a very effective discussion using a broad sense of the subject. So, I'd like to request that you, raydarkhorse, provide some examples to what you are talking about so that we have a better idea as to what you are bringing to our attention.

As far as I can tell, many explanations have already been given as to why there might be more discussion of equipment than knowledge, and there have also been several post pointing out that this site/forum provides a vast amount of knowledge as well as equipment.

You did a fine job the first time ben, but the second time is generally smoother.

I won’t mention their names but two members in this discussion have asked about a fuzz stick, a basic skill they knew about it but not it’s practical application or how to make it. I have seen pictures of a campsite where they had hung their food in a tree to avoid bears, that’s good basic knowledge but they hung it almost directly over their tent (and instead of pointing that out tactfully jokes were made about a potentially deadly situation). This is a good example of having the knowledge but not knowing how to use it practically. This is just two examples that came to mind I can find more if you want me to, but I’m to busy this morning. Also there are threads where people are complaining about the weight of their BOB (more equipment is not always better), if and when tshtf and its time to bug out you may have to carry it. If it weighs too much you either move slow or not at all. I never intended to give full-blown survival courses on line my point is that some people need to be reminded from time to time that they need to look to the basics for the answer instead of adding another pound or two to their pack. Also I wanted to say again I like my equipment but you also need to consider what happens if you loose that equipment or it doesn’t work as advertised.

I may be totally off base with the discussion raydarkhourse is attempting to encourage, my interpretation of his post is, perhaps illustrated as follows.

In the EMS field, it is often the case with newer providers to fixate on gear/equipment instead of the patient. Present in EMS, one can see the new EMT/Paramedic with a belt full of gear, which after a number of calls is pared down to what becomes truly essential. Why is this so, because as one becomes comfortable/experienced, one learns to rely more upon the basics and less so on the equipment. All ALS providers have been taught to read and interpret EKG/ECGs, which is critical. However, in all skill reviews/refreshers I have attended, it has been drilled into us that you treat the patient, not the rhythm – the basics.

This is even more apparent in technical rescue (at least to me), where there is great emphasis on gear dependency or the latest and greatest piece of gear. We have newer members with the newest, greatest piece of gear on the planet, but become flustered under the pressure of a working rescue and have trouble tying a simple knot or selecting appropriate anchor points. They are so turned on by the gear, they forget the basics or are unable to improvise if they lack a particular piece of gear. On a positive note, as with most things, training and experience overcome the overt dependency on things (gear) and knowledge (basics) becomes the driving force behind why things are done in a particular fashion.

On the other hand, as it has been pointed out, it is difficult at best to teach someone a technique/skill in a format such as our forums. In my humble opinion, that is why it is so important to at least try some of these skills for yourself. With that said, I like many, do not often have the time or opportunity to practice these skills. Therefore, I do rely in large part upon the many experiments/trials/experiences that various members perform. For that I thank every member who has posted their successes as well as their “failures”, for in reality they are not failures, but the time proven result of experimentation.

Just my 2 cents-
Pete

You are right on target; maybe I should have contacted you to write my initial post. thank you.

Yep, Pete's analogies do hit the nail. My only disparity is that I would prefer that people interested in learning survival techniques do the work and research it properly. I reckon for most of us, when a person asks a question, the appropriate answer seems to be the one that most directly addresses the issue. As you suggest, the responsibility of the content of the interrogative and therefore the response rests mostly on the individual in the conversation asking the question. It may be a bit presumptuous and challenging for the person addressing the question to attempt to qualify the capabilities of the questioner in order to set the context of the response or otherwise determine if the person asking the question is even qualified to ask it. That would tend to put the questioner on the defensive, at least it would me. I rather prefer to answer questions as directly as possible, though at times this is more challenging. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

This forum is a good place to answer specific questions, or to get help with specific issues, but really I think it is far better and more desirable for a curious individual to go to the source, ala Doug's front page of the ETS website, and get the in-depth information and detail they really need on the subject. That way they are more likely to get all the facts and information they may need, and there's a good chance they will dig deeper and discover even more useful information that they hadn't considered, and which the forum answers may not address. At least then, once they've done their work, coming to the Forum to ask questions won't end up being a continuous iteration of people asking over and over for the same info, which happens from time to time. Once researched, then more pointed questions can be asked in a better context from a more common reference.

I would rather encourage people to make use of all the tools available to them to learn survival skills, and not just take the shortcuts and limit their exposure by asking specific questions and assuming that's all there is to the subject.

Still, as you suggest it is awfully darned handy to have the forum up where someone who is pushed for time or may be confused and needing a little direction can come and ask even the simplest, most basic questions and expect to get the help they are looking for, or at least a good start. Perhaps it is this versatility you are looking to capitalize on more often? I can definitely get behind that effort as well. I was simply trying to answer your question as to why it has been the way it has been. That's not to say the emphasis has to remain the same, so gear oriented. It's just a matter of fact that gear seems to be the issue most people want to talk about here. I don't know as anyone's ever been ignored or turned away for wanting to talk technique, just that it doesn't come up as often for the reasons I cited previously, not that it couldn't in the future. I did not intend my explanation be considered a defense of why it is the way it is. Just more an observation and a conclusion. That's all.

If more folks want to talk about technique, then so much the better as far as I am concerned. I may just learn something myself, as I am prone to do now and then. I would like to see more traffic on the Forum. It makes for good reading when I am bored and want to find something worth doing.

It would be a lot of help if I could post pics directly, but forum mechanics are another issue altogether, and so far I've been able to get by without them. I am happy just to have a place to discuss points of interest.

Hopefully that puts us on the same page. My apologies if it seems I put you on the defensive. That wasn't the intent.

Cheers mate.

Interesting statement. Taken at face value it suggests a person wouldn't be capable of using a flashlight to find their way out of a subway tunnel during a power outage unless they've first been able to make fire by friction.
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

-Blast the Sleepless

Naw that’s like apples and oranges. A better analogy would be using a knife to whittle a toothpick out of a stick versus carving a swan out of a stick. They each take different basic skills but with the same knife you can do both. If all you can do is make the toothpick buying another knife won’t help in making the swan. You can use just about any equipment to a point but the more you know the better you can maximize your equipment.

Ah, much better analogy.

One thing about this site, it isn't just wilderness survival/bugging out to the boonies. There's a lot of people who come here to learn how to calculate what size generator they would need after a hurricane, how to make an emergency shelter if trapped in their office building, what information should they have copies of in a safe-deposit box in case of a house fire, and other equally valid, gear-based quests for knowledge. Over time we actually cover everything from animal attacks to Zulu hide-tanning techniques. Stick around for a few years and you'll see a lot of your statements were just based on too small of a sample size.

I am looking forward to your future "basic skills" posts.

-Blast

One of the reasons I joined this forum was the varied topics. But if you know some Zulu tanning techniques I would love to know them.