For people who desire to get into the field of wilderness survival, I cannot express enough of how much of an invaluable tool Mors's Kochanski’s books are. He is truly someone who has spent a lot of time sincerely creating a pathway of knowledge and direction in how to achieve the goal of learning wilderness survival for people.
 
If you are someone like me, you like to spend a lot of “dirt-time” out there learning and perfecting your own skills. However, maybe you don’t have a clue where to start but once you do, you know what you need to do to figure things out by asking questions or getting help and guidance if you begin to discover problems down the road. Although there are some great survival schools out there, sometimes it is just not feasible, practical or attainable to be able to do so. In addition to paying several hundreds of dollars to go to these schools, you might have to fork out tons of money just to get there, a cost that can get extremely expensive. However, if you are willing to research things out and humble enough to ask the questions you need to ask to obtain understanding and clarity in regard to your learning, then you can learn anything you sincerely want to know without going to a survival school. Not everyone has this confidence to go search things out and ask questions and if you don’t, that’s ok. As for me, I am an adventurer at heart and willing to take risks to learn. I know that failure just means you have to keep trying over and over again and if you get hurt, just don't do it that way next time..ha ha! I believe in doing all I can to know what I am doing before I take those leaps, so it's not like I just jump without looking either. And yes, at times you hit a wall and you are stuck asking those pesky questions, "How on earth do you solve this one?" Don't be proud, ask and learn.
 
I personally enjoy the learning process and frankly I prefer to not have to worry about spending a lot of money on a three-day class while trying to cram all the info into my head. Instead, I get to do it all on my own time and pace while enjoying the journey that most of the survival experts did themselves. I read and learn from those who are good at what they do and take my time practicing and memorizing those things until it finally “clicks.” But, remember how many of the survival experts learned things from others by seeking out solutions, asking questions and learning to figure out new ideas to incorporate for themselves. Some even took the time to write about those experiences to pass on to others. I also believe in passing down my own journey and the things I have learned in order to encourage and help others along the way. Sometimes things just cost more money than they are worth when you can learn the very same skills on your own. As you challenge yourself in these things, you will be able to grow and perfect them.

Not long before joining the Marine Corps, I will never forget suffering a massive ankle sprain that left me bedbound for a month. Oh man was it a horrible time! My ankle was so swollen that it was twice the size of my normal ankle. Well, during that time, I was determined to do everything I could to get back on my feet and running again, especially since my goal was to get into the Marines. Well, it hurt like heck and every time I had to stretch it there was a huge burning sensation and stiffness that was forced to exist because I was not able to walk on it for a whole month. Yet, I was determined to get my ankle completely recovered and did so within another month. Although my leg felt like this stiff pole that didn’t want to bend at the ankle when I ran, in the end I had full rotation and movement again and like brand new.
 
After I went into the Marines, I was training with my unit one morning and was running early in the morning before the sun was up. Out of nowhere and before I could do anything, I saw a rock directly in my path and knew my next step was going to be inevitably tragic. As I was laying there on the ground after wiping out hard, I knew I had once again hurt my ankle really bad. What was worse is the thick-headed sergeant I had was trying to act all tough and yelled, "come on, get up and get on your feet!" I told him, "I can’t, I need you guys to help me get up without letting me walk on it. I know it’s really bad." Unfortunately for me, they refused to listen to reason and forced me to walk on it all the way to the medical station where the first words of the doctors were, "You didn't make him walk on this did you?" Yeah I know ironic right? Well, about a month later, my unit decided to have me start running and doing all the things I did before but before my ankle was fully healed and recovered. Despite my ankle's ability, my own knowledge and personal experience, I was still forced to function how they wanted me to so it never healed like my first ankle injury did. It’s sad but true, but sometimes people are just too bone-headed to see and understand what you know is best for you and what you have done to get where you are. They don’t realize how much determination you have to get it done right. Sometimes, people try to hurt your growth on the way by trying to press you to do something you’re not ready to do. So don't let others ideas get in your way, but rather, let your drive and determination push you to succeed in what you are wanting to accomplish. 

When I was in the School of Infantry (SOI) at Camp Pendleton, Calif., we learned all the skills of being an Infantryman that we needed to know but in a slow pace. It was not until we got to the fleet that we realized how quickly we were able to act in the knowledge and skills we learned and that is how it should be. Learn really well the skills and tasks and when you have mastered them, put them to the test. If classes were set up where you spent the time learning all the skills on your own time that you were to cover before the class and then show your proficiency while gaining a higher level of understanding in the material you had to cover, before coming, I would really enjoy such a class as long as it was somewhat local and cost effective for me. However, this is not how classes are set up. Most, if not all, seem to be set up where you learn the curriculum right when you get there where it is a cram session. I don't like cram sessions and don’t believe you learn well if you are being forced to do things you know nothing about.
 
I love learning things in a more progressive and at-your-own pace. Some skills you can certainly learn in a few days, but let’s be real about learning wilderness survival. Ten percent of your wilderness knowledge should consist of knowing the different types of animal behavior you might encounter in the wild; 20% should be based on your body needs, gear you will use in survival training, gear for survival; and 70% is based upon the subject of plants and geology. This is all laid out by Mors Kochanski in his book "Boreal Survival" which basically shows you that 70% or your learning is knowing all you can about plant life, rocks, dirt, etc. Think about it, the core knowledge and training for survival is based upon flora with only 10% on understanding animal behavior and 20% performing skills so you can see where the main weight of the skills are.

What I found intriguing was what Mors said he believes one should have skill-wise in order to become a wilderness Instructor. In his Grand Syllabus he said, "One should be able to become certified through the process of challenge without necessarily having to take a formal prescribed course or clinic...Simply attending a school, clinic, workshop, ect., should not be considered sufficient for certification. A certification granting agency should not necessarily be responsible for training candidates. Training and certification are two separate functions that may best be met by separate agencies...In order to become certified, a candidate should have to meet a minimum standard of achievement in each area of competency and meet a higher minimum when all the components are tabulated." (Boreal Survival Pg 50-52)

Today, there is no such thing as being a certified survival instructor as there is no governing agency that oversees and governs such things. Rather, it’s more of an honor system with those who instruct and are considered the core group of wilderness survival instructors teaching today. Although most of them are self-learned men themselves have become instructors because of their competency and skill sets. I sincerely agree with Mors’ ideas that "Simply attending a school, clinic, workshop, ect., should not be considered sufficient for certification," as one could also argue that if one were sincerely knowledgeable in these skills, able to prove their competency in those very skills without having any formal schooling, as long as they are able to show competency in these skill sets and the areas concerning core survival skills, then that alone should be sufficient proof of authenticity. If one can carry them out, and show their complete ability and competency in them what would be wrong with them being a survival instructor themselves? 

Another point to think about is survival schools should never be about the money as these skills should be open to anyone willing to come and learn them and allow people the ability to grow in their skill sets without forcing a huge financial or physical stress upon a person. Let’s be real, these are life skills not some trade one could go out and make a product from like making Coca-Cola. The more others are able to learn these skills, the more educated as a society people will become, which will alleviate the burden and stress on the EMS services when tragedy arises. And that sincerely is a big problem when tragedy arises. The ignorance of people who do not know how to survive creates huge burdens on everyone, such as food procurement, water and shelter that become a big issue when individuals lack the knowledge and survival skills. Sadly,  most people may not take advantage of that wisdom and knowledge due to social programming. But that should never be the deciding factor as to why the focus is diverted and the goal of any survival program is altered. 

I once heard David Wescott in a video interview, tell a story about Cody Lundin who once came down to learn from him with some of his buddies. After finishing his first course David said “Cody wanted to sincerely take the course however, he had already run out of funds. But there was this fire in his eyes and well I knew he crafted things and said to him if you craft this for me I'll say we are even. Well, he finished the course and later made this glass fixture which still stands today in our building." I was taken back after hearing this but, hold on, there is more to tell.

I had the privilege of talking to Mors Kochanski one day and was curious to ask him some questions. I elated to him a story I was hoping he could fill me in some concerning a time Cody Lundin had once come up to Canada to spend some time with him. He told me in our conversation that Cody had indeed come up for about three weeks to pick Mors’ brain some and explore his library and files while doing some word crafting with Mors. When I asked him if he had taken any courses while being up there he replied, "No he was here because he wanted to learn about what sources I used in my learning and wanted to learn about things he himself was not  familiar with and just wanted to spend some time with me." When I heard this, I was like, wow, this is not common for people today to even have this approach, let alone, when it comes to what teaching survival skills should actually look like. That takes true character and a sincere heart and love to have such a passion to help and reach out to truly mentor those who are hungry to learn. 

After talking to Mors and listening to his journey the events that led him to ultimately teach survival skills, I could not help but think that taking your own journey to learn, to be driven to study on your own yet being willing to listen and learn from others, is just the path I feel one should sincerely take. And for this reason, I encourage you to seek this path yourself. 

I am in no way against the schools out there that teach survival skills as I feel there is a need and a huge place for them out there and important purpose for their existence as well. If it was not for those schools I would not have been taught the skills I got while in the Marine Corps when I went to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility in Bridgeport, Calif. What I'm sincerely trying to express is how passionate I am about encouraging others to spread their wings and take the journey to learn by yourself and enjoy the process. The value of it all is bound up in the process and taking the steps it takes to achieve the individual growth and self-discipline one gets from it.

It is also for this reason that I decided to make a huge outline based on Mors Kochanski's "Grand Syllabus" to learn, achieve and dictate what skills I myself am seeking to grasp, grow in and ultimately master to the best of my ability. In Mors’ book he does a fine job of laying things out, however I took the liberty to reorganize it in a way that helped me and I think will help you. Each category is divided into parts where, part one focuses on learning the tools of survival, part two is on learning the skills of survival, part three is on doing different activities in the bush, part four is on learning about the dangers and hazards, and lastly part five is focused upon dealing with group morale.
 
Below is the outline I created for you to use in order to self-pace your own learning. You can also use it as a check list in which you can see what portions you have mastered and what you need to spend more time on to learn. I have added sources throughout it and also will be adding more in the future to this article, so by all means, keep your eyes peeled for those updates to help you know where you can go to learn and acquire the needed skills found in the sections. The sources are all books I have come across and use myself. 

                                   GOALS: LEARNING THE TOOLS OF SURVIVAL

PART 1. SURVIVAL GEAR NECESSITIES

SECTION 1:1 CLOTHING
1.1 General uses and understanding clothing design features for the use of summer/winter conditions
1.2 Differences men and women react to cold and heat and their in needs
1.3 Clothing hygiene and cleanliness, insulation and the use of environmental layers
1.4 Extreme cold weather needs and the use of Five insulation layers max layer thicknesses weave types used between any of the layers 
1.5 Garment hoods and their effectiveness and convenience and the  scarf or neck tube
1.6 The effectiveness of using wool for heat and the use of other clothing combined to perform in a similar fashion
1.7 Wet weather clothing
     1.7a Wool
     1.7b Poncho
     1.7c Jacket
1.8 Gloves
1.9 Head wear
1.10 Footwear 
     1.10a Wool socks
     1.10b Wet weather shoes
     1.10c Cold weather shoes
     1.10d Jungle boot
     1.10e Leather boot 
1.11 Ear wear
1.12 Clothing repair and repair kits

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 1:2 AXE AND HATCHET
1.1 The bigger the safer and more effective
1.2 Choosing a survival axe
1.3 General features of a good axe
1.4 The felling axe
1.5 The medium axe
1.6 The carpenter’s axe
1.7 Axe safety training
1.8 Field replacement handles
1.9 Axe sheaths
1.10 Splitting firewood methodology
1.11 Splitting with wedges
1.12 Axe sharpening
1.13 The hatchet

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 1:3 THE BUSHCRAFT KNIFE
1.1 The “survival” knife
1.2 Knife safety
1.3 Choosing a knife
1.4 Knife skills
     1.4a The try stick
     1.4b The netting needle and gauge
     1.4c Eating/stirring spatulas
     1.4d Four curls or more in the making of feather sticks
     1.4e Making replacement sheaths for knives
1.5 Cuttings poles
1.6 Cutting trees
1.7 Knife sharpening
1.8 Knife protection
1.4 Skills when there is no knife to cut with

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Complete Survival Manual (National Geographic) by Michael Sweeney
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 1:4 SAWS
1.1 Survival saw
     1.1a wood
     1.1b snow
1.2 A saw belt
1.3 Saw safety
1.6 Sharpening and setting saw teeth
1.7 Saw construction
1.8 The folding saw
1.9 Folding buck saw
1.11 Wire saws

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Complete Survival Manual (National Geographic) by Michael Sweeney
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell


SECTION 1:5 BUSHCRAFT TOOLS
1.1 Tools for long term wilderness living
1.2 The E-tool (shovel)
1.3 Auger bits
1.4 The spoke shave
1.5 Wood carving items
     1.5a Spoon gouges
     1.5b The crooked knife
1.6 Wood chisels
1.7 Metal cutting chisel
1.8  Hacksaw blades
1.9 Gimlet bits
1.10 Awls of all sorts

SECTION 1:6 TOOLS FOR MAKING FIRE
1.1 bow drill (friction fire)
1.2 flint and steel w/ char clothe (protect from water)
1.3 mag lens (sun/daytime only)
1.4 ferro rod (protect from fire)
1.5 magnesium bar (protect from water rust)
1.6 paper matches/wood matches/waterproof matches
1.7 bic lighter
1.8 gun powder

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Complete Survival Manual (National Geographic) by Michael Sweeney
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 1:7 SLEEPING/ THE SLEEP SYSTEM
1.1 Understanding the definition of adequate sleep
The minimum amount needed
1.2 Why one needs a restful sleep
1.3 Why do I need to have sleeping gear in my survival kit
1.4 How to choose a appropriate sleeping bag
1.5 How sleeping bags, mats, beds, fire and clothes are inter connected
1.6 The Mat
1.7 The Leaf Bed
1.8 Bough Bed
1.9 Understanding how convection effects the need for an open cell and closed cell mattresses
1.10 The different types of Beds made of natural materials
1.11 Understanding how to function without a sleeping bag
1.12 How to make a mat from a loom
1.13 The multiple purposes of a bed/stretcher
1.14 Waterproofing ones bag
1.15 Bag maintenance
1.16 The survival scarf

Book Resources: 
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

                                   GOALS: LEARNING THE ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL SKILLS

PART 2. SURVIVAL TRAINING

SECTION 2:1 FIRST AID KNOWLEDGE
1.1 The Human Body
    1.1a The Musculoskeletal System
    1.1b The Respiratory System
    1.1c The Circulatory System
    1.1d The Nervous System
    1.1e The Endocrine System
    1.1f The Skin
    1.1g The Digestive System
    1.1h The Urinary System
    1.1i The Reproductive System
1.2 Baseline vital signs
    1.2a Breathing
    1.2b Pulse
    1.2c Skin
    1.2d Pupils
    1.2e Blood pressure
1.3 Patient assessment
1.4 Infants and children
    1.4a Common medicines used and their dosages
1.5 Face, eyes and neck injuries
    1.5a Tooth emergencies
1.6 Soft tissue injuries
    1.6a Dealing with cuts that require stitches
    1.6b Natural remedies
1.7 Burn injuries
    1.7a Natural remedies
1.8 Bleeding and shock
    1.8a Natural remedies
1.9 Bites and stings
    1.9a Insects which spread disease
    1.9b Insects which cause harm
    1.9c The useful insects
    1.9d Natural remedies
1.10 Allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock
1.11 Poisoning emergencies
    1.11a Poisonous plant identification
    1.11b Avoiding poisonous plants
1.12 Hypothermia
1.13 Hyperthermia
1.14 Stroke
1.15 Fall injuries
     1.15a Crutch construction and use
1.16 Bone injuries
1.17 Head injuries
1.18 Spine injuries
1.19 Moving and lifting an injured person
     1.19a Stretcher construction and use and the transportation of the injured
1.20 Penetrating injuries
1.21 Chest injuries
1.22 Drowning emergencies
1.23 Respiratory emergencies
1.24 Abdominal pain emergencies
1.25 Stomach
     1.25a Natural remedies
1.26 Genitalia injuries
     1.26a Natural remedies
1.27 Stab injuries
1.28 Gun shot injuries
1.29 Cardiac emergencies
1.30 Vehicle injuries
1.31 Elderly

Book Resources: 
Prehospital Emergency CARE Brady publishing
The Merck Manual 20th Edition (Diagnosis and Therapy) Merck Publications
Dictionary of Medical Terms Barron's publications

SECTION 2:2 THE FIRST AID KIT

SECTION 2:3 SURVIVAL KITS

SECTION 2:4 NAVIGATION
1.1 Understanding the different compass types
1.2 Basic compass and map use and navigation knowledge
1.3 The zigzag navigating through forest stands
1.4 Reading the terrain features and traveling on safe routes
1.5 Understanding how to make a pace count
1.6 The P.A.U.L method of navigating
1.7 Navigating without the need of a map
     1.7a Self mapping
1.8 Using alternative navigation methods
     1.8a Using the sky for navigation purposes
            1.8a-a Using the big dipper to find the North Star
            1.8a-b Using Cassiopeia to find the North Star
            1.8a-c Using Orion during the winter to find East and West
            1.8a-d Using the suns shadows to find North South East and West
            1.8a-e Using the stars movement to find general North South East and West
             1.8a-f Making a sundial
      1.8b The Swedish pole-compass
      1.8c Shadow-pole method of determining direction
      1.8e The use of a watch as a compass
1.9 Understanding how to deal with disorientation
     1.9a Using the 360, 90, 270, and 180 method
     1.9b blazing and making nature markers

Book Resources: 
Marine Crops Institute Land Navigation MCI 03.81a
Guidebook For Marines 17th Edition
Marine Corps Institute Desert Operations MCI 03.54b

SECTION 2:5 RADIO COMMUNICATION
1.1 Tech License 
1.2 General License
1.3 Amateur Extra License

Book Resources: 
ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 4th Edition (Spiral Bound)
ARRL General Class License Manual 9th Edition
ARRL Extra Class License Manual 11th Edition


SECTION 2:6 MAKING FIRE/LIGHT FROM PRIMITIVE METHODS
1.1 The many types of wood used in fires
1.2 Wood processing with an axe, saw and knife
     1.2a Splitting methods
     1.2b Using a flip-flop winch to move heavy logs
1.3 Materials used for kindling a fire
     1.3a Materials which catch of fire easily
     1.3b Using pine resin saturated wood
     1.3c Making feather sticks
     1.3d Using twigs
          1.3d-a the hand full
          1.3d-b twig bundle
          1.3d-c the large bundle
          1.3d-d the twig torch
1.4 Processing pine resin to make turpentine
      1.4a Making an oil based lamp with wick
      1.4b Making a survival torch
      1.4c Making a twig torch
1.5 Making a wax candle and lantern
1.6 Teepee style fire stack for light
1.7 Where to make a safe fire
1.8 The art of making a well constructed fire
     1.8a What causes smoke
     1.8b The tactical fire
1.9 Making fire in inclement weather
     1.9a Getting dry tinder from wet material
1.10 The science behind using the heat of a fire the inverse cube law
1.11 The many types of fire uses
     1.11a Cooking
     1.11b Cooking and eating utensils for the outdoors
     1.11c Fire types when group cooking
     11.1d The fire pit
     1.11e Different suspension systems
      1.11f Cooking Pots and Pot Hanging
1.12 Cooking for a group
     1.12a Basic needs
     1.12b How to tend a large group
     1.12c Easy recipes
     1.12e The morning and even meal need
1.13 Cooking on the move
1.14 The affects of food odors
1.14 Keeping bears at bay
1.16 Sealing food properly
1.17 Disposing food and garbage by means of burning
1.18 The unwanted animals
1.19 When coals are needed
     1.19a Making charcoal for blacksmithing
     1.19b Making casting molds
     1.19c Making a forge
1.20 Making simple tools - knife, cooking utensils
     1.20a Suspending containers
     1.20b Staking food
1.21 Purifying
     1.21a Metal
     1.21b Water
1.22 Incinerating fires
1.23 Warmth
1.24 Drying clothing
1.25 Smoking meat/jerky
     1.25a Insect repellent fires
1.26 Extreme light
1.27 Many fire lays
1.28 Tent fires
1.29 Fire injuries
1.30 Fire signals
1.31 Fire Stoves
     1.31a Hazards
     1.31b Cooking, heating, drying

Book Resources: 
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Complete Survival Manual (National Geographic) by Michael Sweeney
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 2:7 CACHING METHODS
1.2 Smell proof containers
1.3 Underground caches
1.4 The tree cache
1.5 Rodents issues
1.6 Bears issues
     1.6a The hazards of caching near bodies of water

Book Resources: 
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell

SECTION 2:8 THE NEED FOR WATER
1.1 The physiology of our need for water
1.2 How to monitor dehydration
1.3 Stages of dehydration
1.4 Water Fasting
1.5 The importance of drinking enough water
     1.5a How much is required for summer and winter time
1.6 Water sources in the wilderness
     1.6a Lakes
     1.6b Wells
     1.6c Streams/Dry beds
     1.6d Springs
     1.6e Rivers
     1.6f Rain
     1.6g Trapping Water
     1.6h Snow
           1.6h-a Melting snow for drinking water
1.7 Looking for water in scarce locations
1.8 Water containers for storing and carrying
1.9 Water-borne diseases and why water needs to be purified
1.10 Water purification kits
1.11 Ways to purify water 
     1.11a Boiling
     1.11b Distilling
     1.11c Charcoal, sand and rock filter
     1.11d Chlorine drops
     1.11e Iodine drops
1.12 The affects when drinking hot, lukewarm and cold water
1.13 “Oxygen Activated” water
1.14 When water is unavailable
1.15 Oral re-hydration methods
     1.15a Making and electrolyte solution
1.16 How food and water fasting effects the body
1.17 Water fasting and dealing with hunger

Book Resources: 
How to Read Water Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea by Tristan Gooley
Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook by Mors Kochanski
Complete Survival Manual (National Geographic) by Michael Sweeney
Camping & Survival by Paul Tawrell
Marine Corps Institute Desert Operations MCI 03.54b

SECTION 2:9 FOOD PROCUREMENT
1.1 The difference between food deprivation, starvation, and fasting
1.2 When to live off the land
1.3 The difference between hunting and acquiring food
1.4 Edible animals and insects
     1.4a Land animals
     1.4b Flying animals
     1.4c Edible insects
     1.4d Water animals
     1.4e Fishing Gear
     1.4f Fish hooks and lures
     1.4g Fish nets and traps
           1.4g-a Constructing fish nets and using them
     1.4h Fish spears
     1.4i The hobo fishing pole
1.5 Wild edible plants
1.6 Wild medicinal plants
1.7 Poisonous plants
1.8 Trees as a source of food
     1.8a The trees which can be used as a supplemental food source
     1.8b Trees which can be tapped for water
1.9 The medicinal trees
1.10 Edible shrubs
1.11 Lichens
1.12 Ferns
1.13 Sphagnum moss
1.14 Edible mushrooms
1.15 Wild medicinal mushrooms
1.16 Wilderness gardening
1.17 Long and short term food preservation
       1.17a dehydrating 
       1.17b smoking
       1.17c fermenting
       1.17d salting
       1.17e canning
       1.17f storage

Book Resources: 
Wilderness Medicine 7th Edition by Auerbach 
National Audubon Society Feild Guide to North American Trees Eastern Region
Field Guide to Trees of North America National Wildlife Federation
The Forager's Harvest Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer
Incredible Wild Edibles by Samuel Thayer
Nature's Garden Edible Wilds Plants by Samuel Thayer
Edible Wild Plants by John Kallas
National Audubon Society Feild Guide to North American Mushrooms Eastern Region
National Audubon Society Feild Guide to North American Wildflowers Eastern Region
Food and emergency food in the circumpolar area by Kerstin Eidlitz Kuoljok
Edible Wild Plants A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods By Elias
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

SECTION 2:10 WEAPONS /SELF DEFENSE KNOWLEDGE
1.1 Self defense knowledge
1.2 Bow and arrow
1.3 Sling
1.4 Spear
1.5 Rifle
      1.5a AR-15
1.6 Pistol
     1.6a Revolver
     1.6a 45 Caliber

Book Resources:
Guidebook For Marines 17th Edition

SECTION 2:11 BEING ILL-PREPARED
1.1 The Cause of carelessness and mistakes
1.2 Lack of knowledge about ones physical limits
1.3 False beliefs in ones abilities
1.4 Falsely imposed confidence of oneself
1.5 Disinformation
1.6 Inefficient experience, ill-equipped, and inadequate knowledge
1.7 The quitter attitude 

Part 3-5 will be added so stay tuned.....
​

If you have read Dave Canterbury's "Bushcraft 101" but have not yet read Mors Kochanski's "Bushcraft," then you really ought to! Mors wrote his book back in 1988 and has been one of the leading survival instructors out there teaching wilderness skills for more than 30 years in Canada. What is unique about Mors's book is that he goes into areas and details that Dave's book does not cover completely. And yet, what is awesome about Dave's book and what he focuses covers the areas and points that Mors's book didn't. It's very evident that Dave indeed admires Mors and his knowledge as you can see his influence in his own direction of bushcraft yet is still his own. However, you can see they share a similar bond at the same time.

When structuring the direction of his book, Dave, places emphasis on the importance of understanding your essential gear and its purpose, while incorporating his own take on bushcraft survival basics, What I like about his book is how he wants you the reader to understand how to get started and what you should consider so that you can literally take the book and physically do what it says to get out into the woods. Whereas, Mors's focus of his book is directed at understanding the dangers of environmental conditions which can lead to further problems that he would rather a person seek to avoid all together, as he guides the reader to understand the essential knowledge of firecraft and the needed foundations of it. Now, when I say "firecraft" I am not merely talking about just making a simple fire, but that it dives right into the subject to cover all the needed points. He goes into detail of variables such as how to make fire, what tools to use to construct one, how to use those tools, what type of fire lays exist for both group camping as well as individuals, how to perform different cooking methods with fires, warming fires, what advantages do some fire lays have over others, wood processing, tinder bundles, where to make a fire, where not to make a fire and so on.

When you begin to see the layout of each author you begin to realize more about their woodsmen knowledge and perspective. Dave wants you to know where to begin before venturing out in the woods and where to start. Mors wants you to be careful and know the importance of being safe and smart as he guides you to know and understand things like proper axe and knife skills while giving you tons of pictures to demonstrate his points. Sure, Dave is not in any way against safety as he himself brings up these points now and then such as knife safety, the four W's and other topics. What I really like about both their books is they completely compliment each other. It would be like spending time with Dave for some time when reading his whole book and then being trained under Mors afterwards as he goes into more depth covering certain topics in his book that Dave didn't spend as much time in. But after finishing you really feel the overlapping of issues both spoke about, to the point it really begins to click and sink the very points the made inside you really well. and that is priceless!

I was watching a YouTube channel called Bushradical one day, which is done by a guy name Dave Whipple, who brought up an interesting points asking the question of what is Bushcraft and how he defined it. I was indeed impressed by his ideas and even inspired some to the point I myself began to jot some ideas down to add to his postulating points. I personally wrote him a letter when he first brought up the point and even sought him out if he would desire to contribute some by possibly collaborating together a little? Although he never replied, and I felt no hard feelings seeing he has some twenty-three thousand followers on his channel, I felt it best to bring up the points here in order to add my two cents to the table a bit. 

When I first heard his points he made I in some what agreed with him that essentially bushcraft, camping and survival all can in truth have some common connection to each other. And that there indeed are a set of skills that they all have essentially in common when viewed individually as well as together. But that's as far as I was able to continually agree, and well, it is also where I began to veer away from his points some. Although he would agree he probably only in part touched the issue, and to be honest he himself said he was not fully confident that he explained everything, and believed other people might probably argue out the points even better. It was just that very thing that made me think about what points he did not bring out in order to add to his initial point. So let me explain some of the points I felt needed to be fully addressed. And for those curious to know what he said by all means click the link and check out the video yourself as he sincerely made some very important points I could not help resist getting myself involved into this discussion.

If you look at the picture above you can use this as a visual idea to see where I agree with Dave and where we differ. The middle portion represented to me the actual skills, knowledge, and experience we should have outside of the subject of bushcraft, survival and camping. Lets call these skills simply "Basics Life Skills." These things are the stuff we should naturally be taught as well as pass down as basic knowledge to our kids, to know and do with ease. Instead of the lame garbage we have been passed down today, most if the electricity were turned off or the city water was some how got compromised, would be going crazy. Because the main ideas being taught are further from the skills and mindsets people had in the 1800's. If people today were forced to live in that environment they would most likely not even make it through the winter as many reality shows are beginning to see. And this is not good at all.

So in order to understand things in my eyes, I feel the middle must indeed be the skills we need regardless of whether one goes camping and or if someone is seeking to go into the path of bushcraft. For indeed life itself is all about survival yet survival also can be defined in different categories as well. So for this reason I feel its best to lay out each point as they relate to the different parts of the diagram above.

Basic Life Skills:
1. Making a fire
2. Procuring and purifying water.
3. Making shelter
4. Navigation
5. Knife, axe, saw  and tool skills 
6. Bind skills
7. Fauna
8. Wild edibles and medicinal plants
9. Emergency care
10. Cooking and preparing food (slaughtering/skinning ect.).

Without fire you cant cook. Without the knowledge of procuring water and how to purify it you can drink to survive. Without shelter you can keep yourself from the elements. Without knowing navigation you can travel accurately. Without fauna you don't know the animal dangers surrounding you. Without edible plants knowledge can't know what is there to eat around you. Without the knowledge of emergency care you can't solve the basics of injuries and how to deal with them. Without cooking you cant prepare food as needed. Therefore all of these essentially are the basis of everyday living. Every person should be a medic of their own home. Why is it we pass this knowledge off to others and simply worry about getting medical help when we should know how to close up a wound with stitches? Why are we pay and relying upon some company to give us water to drink and to purify it for us? Why is it we want to rely on some GPS transmitter and not learning how to pace count and navigate ourselves? The more dependent we as people become the less knowledge and ability one has to be socially independent. 

When the topic of survival comes up its best defined as these listed below.

Survival:
1. Natural Disasters
    Earth Quack
    Hurricane
    Tornado
    Floods
    Famine
    Blizzards/Snow Storms
    Lighting Storms (Fire/Power Outages)
    Wild Fires

2. Tragedies
    War
    Plane/Train/Boat/Car crash
    Stranded/Lost
    Homeless

Camping:
1. Hunting, fishing
2. Exploring the outdoors
3. Hiking, rock climbing
4. Spending time with ruffing it

Bushcraft:
1. Learning to do more with less
2. Practicing primitive technology skills
      2a. Using clay to make an oven
      2b. Primitive blacksmithing
      2c. Leather processing
      2d. Clay vessel and brick making
3. Learning how to use natural resources and produce items from it

If you eliminate the basic skills I listed above you are in survival mode. Where as if we know these skills and hold on to them tightly then bushcraft becomes something in itself altogether as well as survival and camping. Having myself been in natural disasters when a huge hurricane hit I was by no means concerned as I had the skills to do what was needed when no electric or water was available. And yes I was in my own mind camping. As the needs I had were compensated by the skills I had and thus what could have been a survival situation became a camping adventure. However, when someone does not have those skills even a homeless situation becomes a survival one. And this is where life becomes real hard for someone who is suffering and cant even function in an environment where he is deeply now socially needing others but is even worse off because he does not have the skills to be socially independent as much as humanly possible. And its for this very reason I myself could not agree with Dave who called those skills bushcraft skills, because without them we as people would only become extremely helpless and social dependent and for this reason we must define these skills as "basics life skills." and not "bushcraft skills."

When we separate these skills from that of bushcraft the direction of bushcraft becomes either completely its own entity and or it draws from the basic life skills first in order for its ability to be carried out. Therefore, when being carried out those skills needed to be performed are themselves their own class of skill sets one must learn in order to perform them, but without the basic life skills one can not initiate these skills at all or they themselves are skills outside of the basic life skills set for example:

Proper knife knowledge is required before cutting into a tree and stripping the back off so as to procure bark strips for making cordage. Therefore, the knife skill it self is a basic life skill where as the skill of making cordage from bark is a bushcraft skill of its own. The same can be said in relation to survival if a huge winter storm were to surge in but one is not trained in the basic life skills of making fire one will die of hypothermia. Where as, the skill of knowing what wood is best for longevity and which ones are best for heat one can take that survival skill and knowledge and by it use the basic life skill of making fire to survive the winter storm by applying his survival skills he has learned to his basic life skills. Where as rock climbing and rappelling requires knowledge of ropes, carabiners, knots, harnesses,  ect but do not require the skills found in the basic life skill set. However, if one had become injured while climbing such skills as emergency care skills would require one to draw from the basic life skills  in order for its ability care for the injured person.

And for this reason, this is why I argue that the skills many are calling buschcraft, or woodland survival, or just survival skills actually should be placed into their own category which should be called "basic life skills" and this is what we have lost as a whole and are the reasons we today have become socially dependent in so many dysfunctional ways. It's these skills all people should be actually should be taught from their youth till 12th grade. As even Mors Kochanski said, "If teaching of plants was started in kindergarten and was done more systematically than it is now, a student graduating out of grade twelve...they would already know the names of all the plants in their general locale." (pg253 Boreal Survival 2013) So if you ask me we need to redefine what really is bushcraft and begin passing down to our children the real life skills they need in order to break away from social dependency and ultimately away from being ignorant to the skills of basic life living and survival as the old Swedish parable goes "Only the dead fish are those which move down stream"

A well know wild edible expert named John Kallas brought up a very important fact that most people refuse to seriously consider in regard to ones health. When I was reading it, it just rang so true his words about the reality of how animals both land and water can and will indeed make your body ill. In the Torah there is a Hebrew word "Tameh" which can literally translated poisonous. And those who eat them will make their bodies filled with disease or also meaning seriously ill by them. The idea that is first portrayed is how it will effect us in a physiological way, brain wise, in that of ones mental state is altered and effected when these creatures are ingested internally. While the secondary point refers to their physical state and affect made upon the human body which thus causes us internally to become ill and this does not have to be immediate for the effects to manifest itself.

Think about it when you eat what ever it is that you swallow once it goes into the esophagus then is absorbed into the walls of the small intestine which is then transmitted into your blood stream. And from there it begins to circulate all over your body, including your brain. When one eats an animal like a rat the actual problems that most survivalist and educators are not telling you as you may have learned but forgot in biology class is that that animal as it is being digested into your small intestine and later broken down into a form that is transferable into the blood stream and what are those things? Try  carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, hormones and vitamins. Yeah that right the rat's hormones? And however that rat may have been physically also will impact the reality of how its internal health or lack of it will add to your internal problems.

So what was it John Kallas said which rings so true in relation to these points made above?In his book "Edible WIld Plants (2010)"? In his book page 38-40 he said, "The hidden toxicity demonstrates the difference between an acute toxin and a more subtle or underlying one. An acute toxin is fast-acting and dramatic. You may not die from it, but you feel symptoms as soon as the toxin starts to affect the body. With an acute toxin, you know that you've been poisoned. You may totally recover from an acute toxic incident, you may retain some permanent damage, or you may die from it. An underlying toxin is one that works at a less obvious level. The toxin may build up over time to produce more dramatic symptoms later or may continually damage some organ or physiological process, thereby degrading function. It may also have a temporary effect. That is, your body heals over time if you stop being exposed to it; or the toxin may cause permanent damage even if you stop being exposed to it. An underlying toxin can cause death by damaging vital system over time. These toxins are the reason you cannot assume that just because a plant part taste good, it is edible" 

His point being made is so true in regard to what people call false survival food. As the diet people may allow themselves to be put under will indeed affect their physical health and mental state of being. It reminds me of an old saying I once was told growing up "You are what you eat." This literally is so true in every way. What we eat is the cause of many mental altered states most do not even think about let alone attribute to their eating habits and overall health. Being a Jew this is one of the most important physical aspects of life is our diet. The Torah does not just focus upon what creatures are unclean or poisonous and abominable or something that makes you seriously ill, but also how the behavior of these creatures effect the mental state of those who eat these very creatures. And what makes this even more important is the more subtle or underlying effects are the very things most do not even think about. For example a lobster is a creature that will eat dead decaying animals and prey on its own weaker buddy therefore being cannibalistic. Which when ingested, causes a chemical dis-functionality in the brain which is then produces effects in a persons behavior. Very much like drugs do when ingested cause moods and behavioral issues to exist as well as physical affects which drugs are also known to contribute to. Such mental effected behavior would be signs like mental aggression against others, increase feelings of hatred, bulling behavior just to point out some. Where as the eating of pig meat (an animal which eats literally anything and has literally a simple digestive system which causes toxins to remain in the pigs body without being expelled out); such mental effected behavior would be signs like opened mindedness to ideas that are toxic, lack of concentration, struggle to effectively make good decisions and so on.

Its without a doubt people understand that things we ingest such as alcohol when taking in larger doses causes mental impairment, as well as slow motor reflexes and poor decision functionality. Yet despite this knowledge people still chose to become intoxicated none the less. Yet even when we are faced with the facts that mollusks carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Shellfish are known to have tropomyosin which produce allergies. Shrimp carry a parasite called Pleistophora mulleri which is known to increase higher levels of cannibalism in shrimp let alone the affects it would place upon humans ingesting such things. To be brutally honest our society which eats tons of shrimp the literally affects socially are points of proof at how cannibalistic people are at seeking to destroy each others character, and sleazy acts used to humiliate and degrade others at grave proportions. And can be defined as cannibalistic psychological social acts.

So when you think about the normal things people all over are calling food just think about the serious problems people portray out in the field as being called survival food?  

Cockroaches and lobsters are literally relatives. In an article written by Albertha Ladina on the site called "bugsinourbackyard" She writes, "The American Lobster, Homarus americanus, is a crustacean found along the Atlantic coast of North America. Crustaceans shares a common ancestor with all insects, including the household cockroach, Blattaria. Insects and crustaceans belong to the phylum Arthropoda. The class Insecta, contains insects (no way!) such as mosquitos, beetles, and ants. Insects all have six legs, two antennae, three body parts, and most have two pairs of wings. The six legs of a cockroach serve as a locomotor system, which gives them the ability to run under couches, refrigerators, or old baseboard molding. Insects breathe through a tracheal system, which brings oxygen in air to their cells, through tiny tubes with openings at on the sides of each body segment. Many insects are short-lived creatures, but some, like cicadas, can live for more than a decade! Lobsters are comparatively very long-lived creatures. They can live up to 50 years in the wild! Although these organisms appear to be very different, plenty of evidence suggests that the lobster and the cockroach are more similar than many people might think! They are both arthropods with segmented bodies, exoskeletons made of chitin, and a need to molt as they grow. Both groups have compound eyes, jointed legs, and muscle fibers gathered into bands. On a more superficial level, lobsters and cockroaches are both active at night and omnivorous, consuming a wide variety of foods. And while the arthropod phylum contains lots of other creatures, such spiders and centipedes, anatomical and DNA evidence all support the idea that insects and crustaceans are more closely related to one another than to the other arthropods. It may therefore not be so weird to think of lobsters as ‘cockroaches of the sea."

When you begin to listen to the wisdom that most animals are not edible and plain toxic to our bodies you can't help but realize how important our health is, and should be the very thing you deem important to yourself as well. I will never forget the impact I underwent when changing my diet. As I myself once thought it was ok to actually eat those things. But once I realized I was being socially programmed and changed I went from eating them to actually being disgusted at even smelling these animals carcasses. I will never forget talking to a lady who was use to eating blood sausages and in her eyes these were such her favorites she would go crazy anytime her friends would bring her this as a gift. Until she learned it was toxic to her eating it. Then one day her friend who had traveled to meet her after her no longer eating it. She thought to herself I know its not good but oh my I haven't had one in a long time and began to think about her enjoyment she once had eating them. The minute she took a bit she immediately was repulsed physically and threw up. She was totally stunned, "How is it possible? How did I once eat this but now my taste buds are completely repulsed by it now?" When she finished telling me her story she said, "I never ever desired to touch let alone eat that again." And she said, "It truly is real that when you stop eating bad things your body recovers from it and no longer wants to have it and is even repulsed by it." Ask any person who removes junk food from their diet, and begins to eat healthy how in truth your body rejects physically those things and functions properly and healthy without it.

So is there a real survival food? Indeed there is, and the only ones which are edible and non-toxic to our bodies are a four types of grasshopper which has wings, four walking legs and two back legs which are used to leap with, as well as their characteristics which are defined by their very names סָלְעָם Salam (swallow up -in reference to their eating up vegetation)  אַרְבֶּה Arbeh (to multiply -in reference to their numerous proliferation abilities) חַרְגֹּל Chargol (run right and left, run swiftly -in reference to their characteristic movement) חָגָב Chagav (to veil or conceal, hide- in reference to their covering the sky like a blanket). Thus meaning all other species of insects are completely toxic and will cause harm to our health both mentally as well as physically.

For many who are out there they when they think of what is taught in relation to what is typically regarded as survival food you might be thinking of these ridiculous statements such as, "You can, with relatively few exceptions, eat anything that crawls, swims, walks, or flies." (The Army Survival Manual) Uh? No! Not true unless you want to sincerely neglect and just pass off the idea that an underlying toxin is worth suffering any disease that will make you ill, sick and that which you can eventually die from, you should say to yourself "My life is worth more than that nasty bug being in my belly." Let's be real by falsely calling a grub worm protein is a huge misguided world wide false teaching. Just think a grub eats  dead decaying vegetation before turning to root feeding, Would you feast on dead decaying vegetation well eat this and you already have. Yuk!  

So what is Protein? It is basically nitrogenous organic compounds of amino acids. And it is the only nutrient that supplies the bodies cells with what they need to grow, build muscle and stay healthy. So let's think here a bit, does this mean if something has protein its inherently edible? No! Even your own poop literally has 2-25% protein in it. Does that mean it's edible? So Why would someone call a worm protein? What about all the other crap it has in its body and cell wall tissues? I mean lets be real, lobster eat dead decaying matter and well what ever drops to the bottom of the sea even. and including, dead human bodies of those who drowned in the ocean. But hey just each 6-ounce serving of lobster contains: 28 grams of protein right? If your not already disgusted by now and or searching for the nearest trash barrel, you at least should be by now. So before you think of taking that first bite just remember it is not worth it in the end.

But if that does not bother you let me continue on this mission to help encourage you from eating these unclean animals like snakes, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake carries what called ectoparasites, such as the iguana tick (Amblyomma dissimile) and a host to endoparasites such as a nematodes (Acaris nuda, Hexametra boddaertii), American colubrid pentastomes (Kiricephalus coarctatus), and North American porocephalus (Porocephalus crotali). But what are you going to just decieve yourself and say but wait it has 16.3 grams of protein and 11.2 grams of fat and 469.1 calories. You see this is how dumb society has become they refuse to outline the parasites and diseased things that are in these filthy animals and try to spoon feed the public a false idea of edibility by merely referring to some small biological points. So if your wise you won't eat the garbage you being feed in survival shows and videos. And you will learn to think smart and eat healthy. 

When I was going through my old Marine Corps gear, pictures and other things I accumulated back then, I found a gear list I once used before heading out into the field. I thought to myself that this list is a perfect place to start in relation to a basic pack/gear set-up for long term/short term outings. Back then we called it our "Junk on the Bunk" list which was basically comprised and depended upon, what our mission was and what the needs were at the time. Were we going to the field? Were we being deployed? Was it for an inspection and so forth? 

When we went to the field, we always had a gear list which consisted of all the things we needed, or shall I say, the gear that was mandatory. Although we did not always use every item we were required to have, we still had to carry it with us.

A gear list may fluctuate based upon mission needs but these items which are called 'basic" are those we never removed from our packs or LBV list. As you would not go out into the field without those items period. As opposed to those which can fluctuate based upon weather conditions and other possible mission changes and needs are those which are also listed as (optional).

Below is a gear list of those items we had to carry.  Those items which were mandatory will be listed as (required); and those listed in which we had the freedom to take of our own accord will be listed as (optional); those items which are things I have added to fit today's needs will be listed as (changed); and those items which where required in regard to our basic needs will have (basic) as these items will express the main core of what we carried at all times.

(BASIC)
-On Body 

(1) Flack Jacket
(1) Kevlar Helmet

-On The LBV (Load Bearing Vest)
(Required Gear List)
​
(1) LBV Load Bearing Vest 
(1) Butt Pack
​(1) First Aid Kit 
(2) Canteen Cups
(2) Canteens
(2) Canteen Holsters 
(1) Compass and Case
(1) Pistol Belt
(1) Bottle of Water Purification Tablets

​The vest itself came in two types: the infamous Y-Harness, and the LBV. The LBV was mostly worn because it held eight thirty-round magazines and two hand grenades. Whereas the Y-Harness pouches only held six thirty-round magazines. The butt pack seen in the picture below was where gloves, duct tape, writing gear, MRE's, eating utensils, water purification tablets, and other things were stored.

(1) Flash Light w/extra batteries 
​(1) Pair of Gloves w/liners 
(1) Pack of Baby Wipes 
​(1) Cammo Face Paint 
(1) Field Mirror 
(1) Poncho w/ Poncho Liner 
(1) Foot Powder 
(2) Pairs of Socks 
(1) E-Tool Shovel w/ Case
(1) Writing Gear
(1) Large Black Trash Bag 
​(1) Waterproof Bag
(1) Sleeping Bags w/outer cover 
​(1) Shelter Half (Half of a Tent) /with tent pegs 
(1) Towel 
(1) Clothing Repair Kit
(2) Pair  of Boot Laces
(2) Pairs of Boot Bands 
(1) Hygiene Kit
(1) ISO Mat (Insulation Mat)
(1) Extra Pair of Cammies (Blouse, Pants and Cover) 
(1) 5/50 Cordage
(1) Ear protection
(2) Pairs of Underwear
(2) Skivvy Shirts
(2) Bungy Cords (To keep the ISO Mat attached to the bottom of the pack)

​(Optional Gear)
(1) Gas Stove or Sterno Fire Gel (If allowed when not training in a tactical environment)
(1) Bandanas
(1) Camel Water Bag
(1) 2 qt Water Bladder Canteen
(1) Leatherman Multi-tool
(1) Bic Lighter w/ Cigarettes (Only if allowed when not training in a tactical environment)
(1) Soap w/case
(1) Mosquito Net 
(1) Electrical Tap (To make gear quite for tactical reasons)
(1) Knife
(1) Jacket Liner (Only when during cooler seasons)
(1) Gortex All Weather Gear (Only during cooler seasons)
(1) Can Opener (Only if you brought tuna to add extra protein to your diet)
(1) Wrist Watch
​
(Changed Gear)
(1) Axe w/ Cover
(1) Folding Bucksaw w/ Cover
(1) Bushcraft Knife /w Case
(1) Whistle
(1) Solar Calculator
(1) Map w/ Case
(1) All-weather writing Gear
(1) Plant and Tree Identification Material
(1) Wrist Watch

For Fire Starting
(1) Firebox Stove
(4) Fire Sticks
(2) Ferro Rods
(2) Magnesium Bars
(1) Stormproof Matches
(1) Bic Lighter
(1) Mag x 5 Lens

You will notice the gear listed above which we used in the Marine Corps Infantry units covers all the 10 C's of survivability which is used by David Canterbury in his Bushcraft Courses.

Cutting Tools: knife, axes, saws
Combustion Devices: ferro rods, lighter, mag lens
Cover Elements: clothing both summer and winter, wool blankets, sleeping systems, tents, hammocks, and tarps
Containers: canteens, water vessels, cooking gear
Cordage: 5/50 Cord, bankline, rope, webbing, tape
Cotton Materials: shemaghs, bandanas, pieces of cloth
Cargo Tape: Duck Tape, Gorilla Tape
Candling Device: lamps, candles, headlamps
Compasses: Lensatic compass, flat protractor compass
Canvus Repair Needle: Speedy stick sewing awl

Mors Kochanski's Tools of Survival which is taught by Karamat Wilderness Living Skills and Survival Course in Canada:

The Tools of Survival
1. Clothes
2. Fire
3. Knife
4. First Aid Kit 
5. Navigation
6. Sleep System
7. Cooking Pot
8. Shelter
9. Bindcraft
10. Pack Frame and Bag 
11. Saw, Shovel and chopping tools

It makes complete sense why our mission as Marines was to have all the necessities needed to remain self contained out in the field for long periods of time. Some times while training we would literally stay out in the field for a month, and the only thing we got replenished with was food and water. All the other items were all in our packs, or on us. 

If you are like me you probably don't even take anything you watch serious. And why? Well unfortunately there is an agenda in much of anything media produced, and well those who desire to pollute their desired agenda upon the masses will use their money to do it at all cost. Sean Penn who both directed and produced this horrible version of the story of Christopher McCandless  whose sad life ended do to starvation, desired to pervert the idea that eating wild edibles was the real cause of his young ended life. And well according to this lame movie the bad guy of the story was Mr. Wild Sweet Pea (Hedysarum mackenzii). Why oh why does the public have to continually get feed garbage instead of the truth? The whole focal point is they want to demonize wild edibles so as to no allow people to think "their is gold to be found in them woods."

So how did this all come about? Well according to Wikipedia "On July 30, McCandless wrote a journal entry which read, "Extremely Weak. Fault Of Pot[ato] Seed" Based on this entry, Krakauer hypothesized that McCandless had been eating what he thought was the roots of an edible plant, Hedysarum alpinum, commonly known as wild Eskimo potato, which are sweet and nourishing in the spring but later become too tough to eat. When this happened, McCandless may have attempted to eat the seeds instead. Krakauer first speculated that the seeds were actually from Hedysarum mackenzii, or wild sweet pea, instead of the Eskimo Potato, which contained a poisonous alkaliod, possibly swainsonine (the toxic chemical in locoweed) or something similar. In addition to neurological symptoms, such as weakness and loss of coordination, the poison causes starvation by blocking nutrient metabolism in the body." And well this false idea went raging mad all over thanks to his stupid 1996 book "Into the Wild" which reported this non-factual idea.

But special thanks to Edward M. Treadwell and Thomas P. Clausen who did a study at the Ethnobotany Research and Applications and wrote in their research their wonderful findings, which finally discredited the stupid lie Krakauer who began his version in 1996 and Sean Penn promoted his version in 2007 was finally laid to rest in 2008.

Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Hedysarum mackenzii (wild sweet pea, bear root) is widely regarded as toxic and warnings about confusing it with its edible cousin H. alpinum (Eskimo potato) abound. To find the chemical basis for this claim, we performed an exhaustive comparison of the secondary chemistry between the two plants as well as a search for nitrogen containing metabolites (alkaloids) in both species. No chemical basis for toxicity could be found. These results were consistent with a subsequent cytotoxic assay performed on an extract of H. mackenzii. Finally, a critical examination of the literature could find no credible evidence that H. mackenzii is toxic in spite of these widespread rumors.

What is even sadder is how Sean Penn went about this by falsifying and completely altering reality as he portrayed to the public a book entry which never actually existed in the first place. And we can give thanks to Samuel Thayer for this information as he records in his book Natures Garden pg 43-60

Natures Garden By Samuel Thayer

​Tanaina Plantlore (Kari 1987)

The book live found in the movie Into the Wild "The lateral veins, nearly invisible on leaflets of wild sweet pea plants poisonous seedlings. If ingested symptoms include partial motor paralysis, inhibition of digestion, and nausea. If untreated leads to starvation and death. Another way to distinguish is that the stem of the wild sweet pea is mostly unbranched."

The actual book "Tanaina Plantlore (Kari 1987)" page 128 says

"The lateral veins of the leaflets of wild sweet pea are hidden, while those of the wild potato are conspicuous. Another way to distinguish between the two plants is that the stem of the wild sweet pea is mostly unbranched, while that of wild potato is definitely branched."

If your like me you can't help but want to see the actual source I went to my local library and searched for it. And here it is.

​Why was this plant ever thought to be toxic? Well in the report from Edward M. Treadwell and Thomas P. Clausen findings they went back into the deep archives to bring to light how this false conclusion ever got started in the first place in saying;

​"Statements of H. mackenziei’s toxicity can be traced back to a journal entry by Sir John Richardson of his exploration of the Alaskan interior in the early 1800’s. According to Richardson, H. mackenziei tubers were included in a stew for dinner one night, and the next morning the expedition was so ill that no progress could be made. A published version of this journal is available in University of Alaska’s Rasmunsen library (Houston 1984), and in it the incident is reported, as well as other episodes where the Richardson party included ledum and cranberries in their meals (both of which are known to cause sickness if consumed in large quantities). Even more disturbing, there are descriptions of the party feeding on lichens, leather, rotten meat, warble-fly dung, and fish entails dug up days after the original meal of fish. The party was not well-prepared for boreal exploration, and were often at the point of starvation, and thus any claim of “poisoning” by Richardson is circumspect, to say the least." (Is Hedysarum mackenziei (Wild Sweet Pea) Actually Toxic? by Edward M. Treadwell and Thomas P. Clausen 2008)

So there you have it people don't always believe what you see and hear let the research prove what is and what really isn't.

In my joy of learning trees, plants and mushrooms, I will never forget reading about the infamous Sassafras tree that unfortunately, has been tarnished by the continued misinformation and hearsay about this tree. If you were to google the name sassafras, you would undoubtedly come across this:

"Sassafras contains an element called safrole which is found in the root bark and oil of which can cause cancer and even liver damage. Consuming just 5 mL of sassafras oil can kill an adult. Even “safrole-free” sassafras used in medicinal amounts has been linked with tumors. Thus in 1960 the FDA banned this as a potential carcinogen."

Oh my, this indeed sounds very serious, doesn't it? Why would anyone even want to get near this plant let alone use it? Well, we can be thankful for people like Samuel Thayer who before daring to speak about this plant did his homework, unlike all the people who merely run with the crowd yelling, "Stone her, my lord, stone her!"
 
It's sad that few people out there actually prefer the truth rather instead prefer regurgitated words passed down with no knowledge or facts to back up the real claims.
 
As Thayer points out, "The decision to ban safrole was made based upon weak findings and very limited data from the FDA study (Long et al. 1961) in which groups of rats were fed safrole at different doses for two years. Only at the highest dose 5,000 ppm of diet (the equivalent of me drinking about 25 cups of sassafras tea per day), did rats show a significantly elevated frequency of malignant liver tumors. Two other studies were reported about the same time: Homburger et al. (1961) found benign liver tumors in protein-malnourished rats fed safrole as 1% of the diet for 200 days. (To get that does I would have to consume fifty 8 oz. cups of sassafrass tea per day.) Abbott et al. (1961) found that when rats were continuously fed safrole as 1170 ppm of diet, some of them developed cancers after 22 months." (Incredible Wild Edibles by Samuel Thayer pg. 332) 

So, if you are like me saying to yourself what the heck is ppm, here is what it means. It is an abbreviation for "parts per million" and also can be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L). So, yeah, like it says above, 5ml of sassafras oil can kill an adult, however mind you, this is if your being fed this like a rat for 200 days straight and or how about continuously for 22 months straight, I mean seriously, this is called being scientific?! Hey Bob, want to be told milk is bad for you because someone used this as their sole source of food for a year? Please, these people should seriously be rejected as being anything but a scientist. If they had made sassafras tea and fed it to rats from time to time and gave them a normal diet then we have something worth looking into. Let’s really get to know the facts about what this really means when it comes to producing this stuff.
 
So what does this 5ml actually mean? Well, as Thayer points out, the 5ml was actually pure safrole, yeah you got it, pure safrole. Which means, they were being given safrole oil that was produced through distillation, a processes that requires a minimum heat of 293-302 degrees Fahrenheit to extract out 100% pure safrole oil. You can’t extract it out at that level if you are only boiling the sassafras root in 212 degrees Fahrenheit water. For a full understanding of the distillation process of safrole oil and how it is achieved, you can click here.

​What is so frustrating are those who are purporting all this false information about false dangers while running around screaming to the public things that are not logically sound. I don’t know about you, but I don’t see myself or anyone else for that matter, going and drinking some 25 cups of sassafras tea per day, let alone coffee. LOL!
 
Anyhow, If you are curious to learn more about this subject then, trust me, buy the book! It is worth every penny as I have greatly enjoyed learning about this as well.
 
If you want to make a cup of Sassafras tea for yourself, boil the root twice as the first boil will taste bitter, but the second boil will taste awesome and then add the sweetener of your choice with a little creamer.
 
So, despite all of the crazy claims and information out there, just chill and laugh and well, take a moment to think about those poor rats who died in vain.

When I was serving with 3rd Bn. 7th Marines, Lima Company as a grunt, getting "down and dirty" was normal for me. Having only my pack and essential gear showed me life was best lived simple! Sure, it was nice to get a hot shower here and there or sleep in a nice comfortable bed but I also knew it wasn't essential. I learned that simplicity in life was really what made me feel normal and frankly, happier. The more we went out into the field the more I started to analyze and change what things I carried with me. I started to adjust my gear to what was actually practical to bring, gear-wise as opposed to just the mandatory junk we had to carry..lol!
 
When I went to go train in Bridgeport, CA for Mountain Warfare Training, it was there that I really got to learn a lot about bushcraft and survival. Being stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA most of my enlistment, which was in the middle of the Mojave Desert, we mainly focused on desert survival and tactics so getting to go train up in the mountains was a nice change of pace and learning experience for me.
 
When I reflect upon those days and the training I received, a lot comes to mind about the reality of how you define survival. On one hand, I wished we had spent more time out there being able to do more and experience more. On the other hand, the real mission of military training is based on a collaborative and group affect where this just doesn’t transfer over real well into civilian life where you don’t have this massive support system and tons of people to be right there with you working together.  As service members, we are dependent upon the government to supply, train, support and take care of all of us who are serving. Whereas, in civilian life, what you know and are able to do or carry out rests completely upon you alone and the resources you are able to get a hold of.
 
After being in the military, I feel there are a lot of crazy ideas that surround people’s ideas of survival or prepping. Some view it as some kind of preparation for a civil war trying to invade our homes and property or to take away our freedoms. While others have this fear that the government will enact Marshall Law and put people in concentration camps while removing whole groups of people. So they stock up on guns and create these bunkers and so on. And yes, I do think these ideas are completely crazy and unrealistic and fueled by foolish ideas and fear that plague people’s far-out imaginations.
 
So, when I think about how survival is defined through my own journey and thoughts, I think of it as simply doing the best that you can to survive by educating yourself and preparing for difficult things you might be forced to face. Also, when I think of survival skills, I frankly see them as the skills you need and should have in order to use in any kind of difficult circumstances you could find yourself in. You want to be able to protect your life and those around you such as your family and loved ones.
 
Mors Kochanski once said, "I have yet to find anyone, even myself, accurately define survival," which makes complete sense. How can we sincerely define it since the variables one could encounter are indeed immeasurable and innumerable? It could be you get caught in a huge winter storm with little resources, or go camping and someone gets injured in the process, it could be losing your home and becoming homeless, the possible variables are just endless but very real.
 
However, if we were to list the many possible dangers or challenges, one thing would become evident is that compiling a list of skills and gear would be needed in order to lay out how each problem should be solved or what actions should be carried out to help deal with those dangers.
 
Rethinking things in my own life was what began my own personal journey to earnestly seek these things out for myself. It also became a sincere desire to teach and pass down to my children the real skills they need and can use for the rest of their life and pass down to their children as well. I tell my kids all the time, ignorance is not bliss, it’s what affects your ability to know how to do something, and it’s the disadvantage of not knowing there is a solution that’s the problem.  
 
Teaching my children the Bible has always been my first priority. Helping them learn to live morally and ethically with others has been my passion. But, the more I delved into those things the more I felt I was missing other parts I needed to have as well. As I began to sincerely see and ponder how those in the Bible lived, I began to see the skills they had and we don’t that I began to search out and learn these lost skills. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, King David, the list goes on, were truly the ultimate Bushcrafters! Unfortunately, I realized I had become much like everyone else out there who are a product of their own environment. A generation left to reclaim and learn the skills, we were not taught, nor given by our elders as we ought to have been.
 
As a whole, my own generation has not been learning nor preserving these skills as those of long ago generations once taught, passed down and lived by. But rather, we have been forced because of our previous generation’s failures to preserve this knowledge and pass down these things down to us to search out these answers for ourselves. And those who have sought out these things have had to toil severely to acquire this knowledge which we owe a sincere gratitude for that. It’s hard to see how the morals and values of each generation can be lifted up one minute then completely gone the next. I thank God for His moving the hearts of people who are out there who aren't following the social norms of life but are teaching people, what some may call primitive skills, and passing them down for others to hold onto and learn.
 
However, in all this there still lies huge gaps and disconnections in survival methodology. Because of these gaps I have been on a journey to learn and grow and hopefully, if possible, I can help in any way I can with what I have learned and hope to learn to bring about positive change.

One thing I find people do not mention as they ought to is the restrictive qualities you will run across when it comes to kindling. Here are some of the needs and/or weaknesses you will find in these types of kindling methods and when they work best:

1) Friction (bow drill): Your first need is to find dry wood and to determine if the inner bark is damp or not. The longevity and amount of rainfall will determine your ability to successfully acquire dry wood for your bow drill. So if the conditions are too wet in theory they are not the best to use unless in a dry environment. This also will require knife carving skills, paracord, bank line or some rope like material to use to construct the base, the spindle, the bow and the socket for the spindle to rotate freely upon. The good part, however, is most of what you need can be found in the woods and doesn't require you to carry it in your gear bag, except for bank line or paracord and your knife. Remember only use soft wood for your bow drill material!!!