I was very happy to get a fire going, there was a standing sapling basswood, that had no bark, so most the water had run off it.
Made cordage from basswood bark,
I cranked and cranked the bowdrill, to dry the wood, then got a coal and blew it to flame with tingle taken from inside my hut..
I’ll just dry some debris by the fire. Wrong!!!!
As soon as the leaves close to the fire pit would dry they’d cat afire, the ones behind the first layer stayed soaked,
Banked the fire to have coals in the morning, and made a roof over the fire pit with a flat rock,.
Would have lost the fire if I hadn’t done that,
Light rain they the nite.
Stiff and shivering cold, up by 4 am to rouse the fire, it was still spring in upstate NY. And in sleeping on the dirt without debris beneath me, a loin cloth , buckskin shirt and mocs. Was, All I wore.
The entire time out I didn’t figure out how to dry debris for a nest in my shelter.
Here’s how, you build a drying rack! Heat rises.
My moccasins, being conservative of my brain tanned leather. I made the toe of on and heel of the other too close to the thin belly skin, the stitches tore out, and no way to repair them. They worked fine, till they were soaked, then they tore.
A big open hole in footwear catches on every thing!
Ended up going barefoot. Stepped on a sharp stob and gashed my instep.
Oh my was I ever learning.
And it was my choice, was it suffering?
Or an adventure?
Each time one learns more. Going out freezing autumn nites with just a shirt and dungaree jacket, you’d think I’d have had sense to heat rocks and roll them inside my debris shelter, I already knew that one, or stuff myself with debris.
If not, the debris hut better be a sleeping bag, and not like a tent.
Mine wasn’t yet.
My door leaked, I didn’t create a nest to snuggle down into, grasses over the top of the nest, and I would have been toasty.
Tom in my standard class, teaching shelter- I never put a door on my debris hut till it got down to zero!
I’m not there yet.
Anyways, I’ve just shortened the learning curve for those who desire to be shifted into the spirit that moves in and thru all things by day two.
Ego hates this game, the 600 lb gorilla, is ready to go home in the first few hours, because even though it pretends to be in control, it doesn’t know s—t about full survival. And it can’t fail if it doesn’t do it!!!!
By day two, it gives up and the force takes over.
Tom- if you have to choose between a vision quest and full survival, choose survival, you will learn so much more.
Have done both, I agree.
Vision quest is a cake walk
Tarp, sleeping bag, rain gear, warm clothes,water, lighter and cigs.
Or you get a knife, and are in charge of taking care of all one’s needs for the next 4 days and nites. No surrender, to momma, and it’s a constant struggle.
And, these skills could be very useful in the not so distant future.
But if you just read all my mistakes and don’t use what I’ve shared, the mind discards it within a month.
And it’s all a choice.
Enjoy your day in paradise!️
Sent from my iPhone