Wilderness Survival MB help --Natural Shelter vs Leave No Trace

[Stosh]

We figured we could test trap as well. Fun and a good time filler. I think we will bring some game that has gently passed away in their sleep. Dressing and cooking a bunny is a big leap for these city boys.

I was surprised at all the "fishermen" I had with me on our BWCA trip that couldn't fillet a fish. Heck, that's not even a survival skill! Field dressing a deer is no picnic either, but it has to be learned if one is going to go hunting. I'm still old-fashioned enough to do my deer butchering and not take the $$ way out and have it done at the locker.

 

Stosh

[qwazse]

We figured we could test trap as well. Fun and a good time filler. I think we will bring some game that has gently passed away in their sleep. Dressing and cooking a bunny is a big leap for these city boys.

A scout caught a nice size bass at camp this summer. He asked if I would help him cook it, and I said "Sure, here's my fillet knife..." I'll cherish that scowl forever. However; the boy sucked it up and prepared a couple of nice fillets as I talked him through cleaning it.

 

I would prefer that boys read a guide before they go on their little expeditions (the PA fishing license code book comes with a nice set of instructions), so that they understand what they're getting into. But they rarely have patience for that sort of thing.

[Tampa Turtle]

Great news! Council told us of several campsites where we are encouraged to whack down as many Palmetto branches as we can--they are planning a controlled burn early next year. As long as we make a fire ring and leave the big trees alone we can leave traces. We are also welcome to catch fish in the nearby river.

[jpstodwftexas]

LNT is wearing out it's Welcome. People are taking it to extremes. Just go back to teaching Outdoormanship. Teach Common Sense. You Can Build a Shelter without cutting down 500 Acres of Trees. We Walk on Established Trails......Cut into the Wilderness... We Camp in Sites built into the Wilderness...All Which essentially came about because we left a Trace...What we don't need to do is leave trash and graffiti everywhere we go

[Tampa Turtle]

LNT is wearing out it's Welcome. People are taking it to extremes. Just go back to teaching Outdoormanship. Teach Common Sense. You Can Build a Shelter without cutting down 500 Acres of Trees. We Walk on Established Trails......Cut into the Wilderness... We Camp in Sites built into the Wilderness...All Which essentially came about because we left a Trace...What we don't need to do is leave trash and graffiti everywhere we go

I understand your argument but that idiot out in Utah just cut the legs out under that argument.

[perdidochas]

LNT is wearing out it's Welcome. People are taking it to extremes. Just go back to teaching Outdoormanship. Teach Common Sense. You Can Build a Shelter without cutting down 500 Acres of Trees. We Walk on Established Trails......Cut into the Wilderness... We Camp in Sites built into the Wilderness...All Which essentially came about because we left a Trace...What we don't need to do is leave trash and graffiti everywhere we go

The thing is there are different sets of LNT guidelines. The guidelines for backcountry are different than the guidelines for frontcountry. The guidelines for common areas (i.e. parks and public land) are different than the guidelines for private land. The whole building shelters from natural materials for a practice exercise is appropriate with the landowners permission. Doing it on public land isnt'.

 

I pretty much agree with TT. Let's aim for the stars, and a high outdoor standard. Maybe we will achieve an overall moderate outdoor standard.

 

Also, it seems that most LNT critics are ignorant of the idea of sacrificial sites. Yes, we "make a trace" by things like established trails and campsites. However, we are sacrificing those areas for the greater good of the area as a whole. LNT guidelines are not strict rules, they are basic guidelines for what we should be trying to do.

[perdidochas]

We figured we could test trap as well. Fun and a good time filler. I think we will bring some game that has gently passed away in their sleep. Dressing and cooking a bunny is a big leap for these city boys.

Stosh,

 

As I think about it, I have some teaching left to do for my sons. They've fished for ages (not particularly successfully), but we haven't really gone into filleting or cleaning fish too much. I'll have to work on that with them. I think too many Americans these days have gotten too far from the organism in terms of food. We don't know much about cleaning animals, or even just taking the meat off of the bones. We don't do much in terms of going from vegetables on the plant to in the pan.

[perdidochas]

Great news! Council told us of several campsites where we are encouraged to whack down as many Palmetto branches as we can--they are planning a controlled burn early next year. As long as we make a fire ring and leave the big trees alone we can leave traces. We are also welcome to catch fish in the nearby river.

Palmetto fronds are one of the best firestarters, IMHO. Combination of tinder (leaves) and kindling (stem) in one piece. Our former SM used to get irritated when my son would use them for firestarting, though. Don't know why, because they work so well.

[Tampa Turtle]

If I had to do it over again the first thing I would do would be look for sites where we could harvest shelter material. Maybe the Water Management District or private land. It is a problem to teach the boys simulating one thing and they do not do it. We do tell them to ignore LNT if it was a real survival issue; you can do a mea culpa and do a whole lot of tree planting later.

[Tampa Turtle]

Had last Troop meeting before Wilderness Survival campout last night.:

 

me: "Do you have your survival kit ready?"

scout: "whats a survival kit?"

 

ARRRGHHHHHH

[Sentinel947]

Had last Troop meeting before Wilderness Survival campout last night.:

 

me: "Do you have your survival kit ready?"

scout: "whats a survival kit?"

 

ARRRGHHHHHH

Isn't that the best?

[Tampa Turtle]

I guess he must have missed all the announcements, kit review, demonstrations. Maybe he is an aspiring Marine and the only kit he needs is a knife.

[Stosh]

I guess he must have missed all the announcements, kit review, demonstrations. Maybe he is an aspiring Marine and the only kit he needs is a knife.

Kit? What kit? We don't need no steekin' kit!

[King Ding Dong]

Had last Troop meeting before Wilderness Survival campout last night.:

 

me: "Do you have your survival kit ready?"

scout: "whats a survival kit?"

 

ARRRGHHHHHH

Pop tarts.....

[King Ding Dong]

I guess he must have missed all the announcements, kit review, demonstrations. Maybe he is an aspiring Marine and the only kit he needs is a knife.

Misquote jblake. From the movie it should be.

"Kit? We ain't got no kits. We don't need no kits! I don't have to show you any stinkin' kits!"