A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

A craft in the bushes, Bushcraft is all about the ability and the skills to thrive and survive in the raw environment. It necessitates the achievement of such capabilities and knowledge to manipulate resources manually. It is having the taste of how our ancestors lived some thousand of years ago.

Bushcraft as a term is widely known in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The term was introduced in Australia by Les Hiddins, also know as the “Bush Tucker Man,” who also spread its popularity in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mors Kochanski made it known to the northern part of the world. Ray Mears, with this survival television shows popularized it in the United Kingdom.

Skills in Bushcraft include:

Environmental Education

It is the knowledge of wildlife behaviors, like for example foraging, a branch in science that actually studies the behavior of animals.

It can also be the knowledge on the identification of wild plants, how to use them, and ability to perceive weather conditions.

Tracking

Tracking in the wild denotes following animal’s track with the actual marks to be able to get hold of them. The skill will allow you to get to them close enough to kill them for food.

Hunting

Bushcraft hunting denotes the pursuit of animals for food. Fishing also falls under this category. One must also know how to obtain and purify water that is safe enough to drink.

Fire craft

The ability to start a fire is a life-saving skill. Fire serves a lot of purposes, most especially in the wild. It gives comfort and warmth. It is very important not only to be able to cook food, but also to be able to preserve things. It can be used to sterilize bandages, to boil water for purification, provides protection from wild animals, and for rescue signals.

Shelter-building

It is the ability to use all possible resources to create a shelter from environmental forces, animals, and any danger in the wild.

Use of Bushcraft tools such as:

? cutting tools, knives and axes
? carving tools
? bonfire cooking pot
? bonfire tripod
? bungees
? paracord spools, etc.

Rope Twine-Making
It is the ability to twine ropes to be used as pulleys, to redirect pulling force to the opposite direction. It is also used as a means to have a mechanical advantage. Different kinds of knots are invented with different purposes, namely:

? pulling
? fastening
? hunting
? attaching
? fastening
? lifting
? carrying, etc.

One must also know how to join sticks or poles by lashing. To be able to do all of these things one must know how to look for raw materials that can be used to make a rope. Materials for rope making can be found just about anywhere, from palms, grasses, vines, barks, and even animal hair. Any material can be used as long as it is fibrous; it has enough length and have moderate strength and flexible.

Bushcraft will enable you to find inner harmony with the environment. It is not only a skill essential for survival, but also has become a skill to support other recreational activities, such as wild-life watching, hunting, nature photography, and the like.

If you or a loved one is lost while camping or hiking, the thought of survival should never enter your mind. In this day and age, someone who is lost should only be thinking about being rescued. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that too many people that go missing in the wilderness are not found until it is too late. The National Association of Search and Rescue estimates that there are more than 50,000 search and rescue missions launched each year in the United States alone. The majority of them are for victims whose location is unknown. Sadly in many cases the rescue turns into a retrieval. While camping and/or hiking, you should always be prepared for anything. Your camping  equipment should always include a solar blanket, a waterproof fire starter, and some type of signaling device. Never use a conventional flare gun, as it can start fires.

There are different types of electronic signaling devices, but it all comes down to basically two kinds, that depend on satellite technology. Personally, I can’t always rely on my satellite TV, so I’m not sure I want to put my life on the line, based on finding a signal in bad weather. Also, these units are quite cost prohibitive for the average camper. A GPS can run in the neighborhood of $500-$ 700 each. The other electronic option is the new Personal Locator Beacons, also known as PLBs. At first glance they seem to be very cost effective. However, the $150 price tag has additional monthly fees, that could ultimately exceed a regular GPS unit. These kinds of devices don’t pin point your location, so you will still need something to signal with. The other thing that seems to be overlooked is the fact that this kind of electronic equipment does noone any good, if for example dad has the unit and it’s his thirteen-year-old who has suddenly gone missing. He could be miles away from the signal, so where do you go from there?

I don’t feel that the future must all be electronic. I have come up with a patent pending concept that is so cost effective, an entire family of four can outfit themselves, for what one GPS unit will cost. The LifeTracker makes it possible for people to be found before panic on both sides will ever set in. It not only will save lives, but millions of dollars in search and rescue man hours. The LifeTracker is a device that in case of an emergency will, with the pull of a cord, jettisons a heavy  gauge red balloon attached to a 1000 ft fishing line up high enough for searchers or a rescue plane to see. The LifeTracker is a series of 3 different products designed to locate anyone lost in the wilderness, in hours rather than days.

The LifeTracker Belt… 4″ wide with pockets on the outside to store a thermal blanket and other survival supplies.

The LifeTracker Vest… Using the same concept as the “Belt” the vest inner side unzips to release a folded lean-to tent complete with telescopic 3 ft poles. Some people will prefer a vest and are willing to pay extra for the complete survival package. This offers a great option, and like the “Belt”, is very marketable.

The LifeTracker Flare Gun…Flare guns are very expensive and, of course, the flare only has a short life. With a small adjustment to the LifeTracker Device, it can easily be kept in a lightweight pistol, that can be stored in any backpack, vehicle, boat or plane.  It might even have military use.

The LifeTracker Series can be manufactured and sold inexpensively enough so that anyone who camps, hikes, rock climbs, or just ventures into the wilderness, will want to include it as part of their gear. In this day and age of electronics, it’s refreshing to find something that is completely mechanical. There are no batteries or bad reception to worry about. Also, both the “Belt” and “Vest” have practical use. Even if the rescue device is never activated, the gear becomes part of  everyday wilderness attire.

Please help my dream come true. Go to:    The LifeTracker

and click on Contact and let me know what you think.