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#215934 - 01/30/11 12:43 AM survival skills practice
Hookpunch Offline
Member

Registered: 06/11/07
Posts: 128
Hello, just wondering which skills everyone thinks should be practiced regularly.

I usually practice knot skills and fire making skills (usually for the weekend barbecue), practiced with the signal mirror when I first got one. Did jiu-jitsu regularly for about 10 years, now I am doing boxing regularly.....do them mostly for fitness though.

That is about it for me.....doesn't sound like much...any suggestions?

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#215935 - 01/30/11 01:04 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
JOEL Offline
Stranger

Registered: 01/20/11
Posts: 21
Hi.

Anything is better than nothing, I think...

I do "bushcraft" when I can, fishing, bow shooting, and no much more...

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#215938 - 01/30/11 01:57 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
unimogbert Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 882
Loc: Colorado
I get out and go hiking as much as I can, including winter.
Keeps me proficient with my clothing choices.
While hiking I think about shelter & fire building materials and of course I practice navigation.

I don't get a chance to practice camping much. Would like to but it's not in the recipe right now.

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#215939 - 01/30/11 02:09 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3823
Loc: USA
Shooting skills are fungible and must be practiced regularly.

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#215941 - 01/30/11 02:33 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: chaosmagnet]
Crookedknife Offline
Stranger

Registered: 06/15/10
Posts: 24
Loc: Washington
I hike, and often when I hike I also collect edible plants. It's usually enough to make a salad at home, but when I grew up we'd collect massive quantities, enough to preserve and help see us through the winter. I practice map reading and orientation skills, and always volunteer to build a fire for picnics & campouts, using the same tools I would usually carry.

Beyond that, I'll sporadically be involved in martial arts or I'll go shooting. I read books and articles, and recently have looked into taking CERT classes. Like most people, I really could be doing more.
_________________________
"Let us climb a mountain, hanging on by low scragged limbs." - Roger Zelanzany

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#215944 - 01/30/11 03:30 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
- Firemaking. Without a lighter or matches, fire making with a Swedish firesteel et al takes some practice in adverse conditions and I am always amazed when people show their kits that their fire steel looks like it has never been used.

- Route finding. Can never have too much compass and map practice.

- Someone already mentioned edible plants. Living in the temperate PNW there is an abundance of edible plants year round. This is an area that is currently of interest to me and something I intend to invest more time in.

As for fitness; Monthly membership at the local community center which has the usual weight room and related cardio equipment. I also take full advantage of using the pool and do 50 metre laps every day. To me, swimming is a survival skill and most people know how to swim but to swim any fair distance, it takes a lot more practice then you would realize.

Other fitness; Mountain Bike riding, hiking almost every weekend (laid up with a borked right ankle right now that I cannot put a lot of weight on yet)
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#215946 - 01/30/11 03:39 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Teslinhiker]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Get out into the outdoors; survival situations will present themselves in due course. If you wish to take it up a notch, get involved in SAR. You will be out frolicking in the hills at times and in conditions when sane folks are staying home....


Edited by hikermor (01/30/11 04:10 PM)
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

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#215954 - 01/30/11 06:14 AM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
I practice knot tying and fire starting a lot. I practiced with a signal mirror when I first got one. I also practice shooting skills with stationary targets, trap, skeet, sporting clays, etc.

As for fitness, I jog-walk hills around my neighborhood. It keeps me in decent shape if I have to hike and generally keeps me healthy. I also practice "Grease the Groove", instead of regular weight training. For busy people like me, Grease the Groove is a Godsend. Google it.

I'd like to improve my skills in shelter making, water purification, fishing, trapping, snaring, hunting, plant identification (for food).
_________________________
If you're reading this, it's too late.

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#215968 - 01/30/11 01:57 PM Re: survival skills practice [Re: Hookpunch]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
as Chaosmagnet commented... shooting skills, especially handgun skills take some time to develop and maintain...I've been a competative IPSC shooter for 30years...skeet/5 stand when we shot the Sportsman's Team Challenge, and for the last 15 or so years, 3 gun (rifle/shotgun/pistol) so I shoot 2 pistol and 1 or 2 3gun or practical rifle matches a month...

I try to walk at least an hour a day and visit the YMCA 4 times a week...did some rotator cuff damage with the last motorcycle accident..

I'm usually pretty good at pragmatic solutions to practical problems, and enjoy most of the challenges offered by forum members...

living in Florida, my major survival concern is the tropical storm season, and a maximum bug out duration of a couple of weeks, and that hopefully will be "car camping"

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#215974 - 01/30/11 03:25 PM Re: survival skills practice [Re: LesSnyder]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
As a Boy Scout Scoutmaster, I help the boys learn and teach each other almost every survival skill, sometimes weekly. We camp at least once a month and use at least some of the time for survival skills practice. For all interested in outdoor and survival skills, I highly recommend volunteering with the Boy Scouts. It can be very rewarding, and it is always educational. It is always good for the kids.

Finding or constructing Shelter
water procurement and purification
Signaling
First Aid
Navigation
Fire
Planning
Risk Assessments
Communication skills (a valuable survival skill)
Leadership (a critical survival skill)

And many others which are very helpful.

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