prep « Robin Writes

So I’m coming up with an idea, based on my fantastic Sunday afternoon, for a class for kids on survival and outdoor living. It’s a simple plan, teaching the basics over a two- or three-day period. Take a look and tell me what you think:

First, what are the essentials? Water, shelter, food. Second, what type of situation is this? Long-term, or lost? This makes a huge difference—in the first, you’re prepared, or should be, before it starts; in the second, you’re planning (or hoping) for a rescue within a short time.

Day One: Learning Skills

Let’s start with becoming lost in the woods, because at this time it’s the far more likely scenario. And let’s assume that the individual—although it could be a couple or a group of any size—has no communication devices, or at least no cell service.

Just like anything, you could do things the hard way or the easy way. The easy way is to be prepared ahead of time for that day hike and carry a few of the basics with you: matches or firestarter, knife or other weapon, water purification tablets, heat blanket, rain poncho, compass, whistle. Think that’s a lot? Nope, it’ll all fit in your pockets without being bulky or constraining, but if you think it’s too much, carry a small pack. Throw in some protein bars and an extra water bottle, and you’re set. And, if you carry a pack, you can add a few more things, like a small, collapsible container—heat-proof, of course—and a first aid kit.

Set for what? To get lost, of course!

Anytime you go into the woods, you have to assume you could be there for the long haul. Don’t pass up something potentially useful, like an old, empty bird’s nest for example, or a few wild strawberries. I’m not suggesting picking every plant you see, or dragging around a log for firewood, just in case, but be smart, and be nature-friendly.

Skills covered: observation, useful items, packing, planning, fire-building, tools

Day Two: Practice and What to Do When

Hiking is more than walking: it’s pacing yourself, limiting your impact on your surroundings, showing restraint, and much more. Keep an even, steady stride; step ON logs, not OVER them—Mr. Copperhead could be sunning himself on the far side of that log. Watch and listen. Sip your water. Conserve your resources: water, food, energy.

Take what you need, but not all that you want. Don’t uproot plants. Step carefully to avoid injury; test your path before you commit. Sound travels—which is good when you become lost, but not so great for others who want to enjoy the woods too.

Role-playing: what do if you get lost in the woods—first, second, third; splitting up—good or bad; when and where to settle down for the long haul.

Day Three: What To Do

Practice makes perfect! You know how the reality survivor shows work, right? Those people aren’t really alone, there’s a camera crew present. They aren’t allowed to interfere except in life-and-death situations. Now, with kids, you have to have a certain parameter which would also include injury, but Day Three is about getting lost. For real.

So, readers, what do you think? Feasible? Fun? Useful? Comment below!

Seriously—I don’t watch this show on a regular basis, but sometimes my husband does. Last night’s episode (or maybe it was recorded), featured a couple dropped into Madagascar and having to survive—naked, naturally—for 21 days.

Typically, on each show, there’s a man and a woman, strangers, and they must survive with one tool each and make their way to the pick-up point. Tools of choice usually include a firestarter and a knife, and both have at least a 7.0 on a 10-point scale of skill level.

So, last night, we have a devoutly religious man and a woman who’s an environmentalist. Problems One and Two.

This is one deserted place—no wildlife spotted, apparently, except snakes and lizards. Ick. And I mean “ick” as far as dinner in concerned. But before that . . .

Now, in a situation such as this, your first priority is a water source; second is fire, then shelter. Now, I’m not saying I would or could ever do this, and being an armchair survivalist is all well and good, but . . .

First, Dude wanted to grab an empty bird’s nest for tinder, for later when they were planning to build a fire; Chick said no way, you’re harming the bird population. Duke acquiesced, and they moved on.

Guess who had a hard time finding tinder later on?

Huh.

The temp’s about 100 degrees, and they keep walking. They come upon a cave, nice shelter, but there are a dozen or so sacs of black widow eggs. Dude says they should knock them down and squish them, Chick says no way, you’re harming the environment.

Seriously??

A few days later, a scorpion crawls under her during the night—she smashed the hell out of that thing, and then decided the spiders were next.

Huh.

There’s a tiny pool of water near the cave, and a trickle over the rocks, and naturally it took forever to find tinder/build a fire. Then they stay put, mostly, to wait out their 21 days.

Sadly, fires have a way of going out when no one tends them; and Dude had promised his new wife that there would be “no cuddling.” Temps at night were in the 40s. Yep.

And EIGHT DAYS LATER, they’ve had no food. None. A tiny lizard succumbs to a day’s hunt; a snake is killed, and Chick is now all about KILLING. Ha. Long story short, they overcooked the snake.

Next hunting trip, they find and kill another snake; for some reason, they decided to smoke it, but hallelujah—the fire’s going great now and THIS one gets burned up. Completely. So they scope out the guts and find—eggs. Ick.

I swear, if I ever had to do this, my “tool” of choice would be a case of granola bars.

Back to being an armchair survivalist:

Find water. A lot of it, if you’re in a desert situation. Gather fire material, to purify said water—doesn’t do any good if you have a ton of undrinkable water OR, as in Dude and Chick’s case, you find no way to store and carry it as needed. Most importantly, if it’s you against the flora and fauna, YOU win, not the birds, not the spiders, etc.

Keep warm at night, so you can rest. Keep in shape. Find or make shelter. Tend the damn fire.

And don’t be so cocky that you think it’s a game. It’s not. At least, not in real life.