A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

NZSAS: First Among Equals is a world first – an exclusive documentary series about the inner workings of this country’s most famous elite, the “top 1 percenters” of the new zealand defence force – better known as the NZSAS. Based on 3 years of unprecedented access, this New Zealand series includes never before seen footage of the successful few who’ve earned a place in New Zealand’s leading military unit. It observes them under pressure as they struggle to learn a multitude of expert skills including parachuting, marksmanship, demolitions, infiltration, survival techniques and communications – all to the SAS benchmark.

After watching several videos and reviews about survival and bushcraft knives I came to the conclusion just to use an old and almost antique traditional billhook as my survival knife/tool. This blade is in the hands of my family since decades and as the video shows, there´s nothing wrong with it. This video has as well the purpose to demonstrate why using a heavy blade has advantages over carrying the small and lightweight style utility knifes labeled as “bushcraft knifes”.

Our outdoorsy college student gets an advanced course in outdoor survival when we put her into the heart of the Washington wilderness with an expert USAF survival trainer.

How will this Frosts Mora knife hold up to some hard use? Watch this review/demo to find out.

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Ray Mears (born 1964) is a British author and TV presenter on the subject of bushcraft and survival techniques. He grew up in Southern England, and started tracking foxes at a young age. It was his Judo teacher who gave him the idea to learn survival skills. He has been teaching survival skills since 1983, when he founded the “Woodlore” School of Wilderness Bushcraft. His Outdoor Survival Handbook was published in 1990, and his first TV appearance was in 1993 in the BBC2 series Tracks. His presentation style is often praised as authoritative but relaxed and friendly. His love of his subject and his sense of communion with nature are evident in his programmes, as is his respect for indigenous cultures. He has developed something of a cult following amongst students in the United Kingdom. Ray Mears has become synonymous with survival and wilderness bushcraft through his television series Tracks, World of Survival, The Essential Guide to Rocks, and Extreme Survival. He spent his life leaning these skills and is a master of the subject. Wanting to be able to sleep out on the trail and unable to afford camping equipment, he resorted to a Robinson Crusoe approach to solving the problem. Digesting every scrap of information relating to survival that he could find in his local library, he soon began to re-learn skills that had not been employed on the North Downs for hundreds of years. Since those early days Ray has expanded his horizons by travelling the world. He has won the …

Rivers, Lakes, Coast, Mountains, wild life, bird life, fishing, sailing – experience the great outdoors.  All these can be seen and enjoyed from a kayak.  Take along a camera to capture unforgettable moments. 

Kayaking is fun, and it’s exercise too.  Sometimes dangerous, (don’t try whitewater until you have some experience), often exhilarating and there is always something to strive for.  The Eskimo roll for instance, is how you right yourself when you find yourself upside down in the water while still in your kayak.

The origin of kayaks is with the Eskimos.  They used them for hunting walrus and seals in the coastal waters of the Arctic. You can imagine how very cold that was.  Their kayaks were made of sea lion or seal hide sewn over a frame of wood.  A hunter sat facing forward on the floor of the kayak, and a watertight ‘skirt’ was constructed around the body which sealed him in (is that where our word ‘seal’ came from?).  This was very necessary as he had to be able to get back to shore.  You don’t survive easily when you’re stranded in Arctic waters. 

“Can anyone paddle a kayak?” you ask.  Anyone can start to paddle a kayak.  Take it slow.  Start on still water on inland lakes.  Wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device – like a life jacket), and get one your size.  Take along a cell phone and a compass.  Oh, and insect repellent!

“Where do I start?” you ask.

Actually, two places.  The first is to decide where you want to go.  Phone up your local authority and find out where the nearest popular place for still water is.  Ask what rules and regulations apply to kayaking there. (Usually you do not need a licence or certificate.)  Check where you can launch your kayak from – there should be some spots where it’s possible to go down to the waters edge and launch, without joining a club.

The second step is to decide what type of kayak to buy.  There is such a wide choice today.  Perhaps, as it’s a first, start at the inflatable kayak level. Inflatables weigh very little, so they are easy to transport.  If you are conscious of being environmentally friendly – deflated – they may be transported by bicycle.  They also very easily fit into a car boot or a roof-pod, widening your choice of destinations, since you will be able to go places which might be difficult if your car was pulling a trailer.  And, if you really don’t want to splurge a lot of money on a sport you’re only just trying out, then here are two suggestions.

For under $100, the solo K1 Challenger by Intex, weighs in at 27 ¾ lbs.

For 2 people, at under $120, there is the Challenger K2, 40lbs, by Intex or the Sevylor Tahiti Classic, 25lbs.

Some points to note:

1.  The oars don’t necessarily come with the kayak.  They usuall need to be bought separately.

2.  If you’re going into out-of-the-usual places, pack a picnic and check the weather report.

3.  Check out the pump which comes with inflatables.  Some of them are said to take a while to do their work.  Customer comments give a good idea of the pros and cons of some deals.

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