An article from my latest PM.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/adventures/4246201.html


I think this summer I'm gonna do a weekend at the farm minimalist camping and see how it goes.

A person could learn a lot from the scenario described in the article. I'm almost always prepared with the basics -- fire, minimal shelter, and a way to collect and purify at least a few gallons of water. I think I take that for granted. Perhaps having to cope while being unprepared would be a valuable lesson.

I and some friends have done it. We got really dirty and it was boring at times. Bring some method of water purification, I reccomend a filter so you don't wind up sick.

Seems to me like they are teaching the wrong things. They should be teaching people not to go into the wilderness unprepared.

Seems to me like they are teaching the wrong things. They should be teaching people not to go into the wilderness unprepared.

Yup, a simple survival kit should be in every vehicle. I spent about that much time earning my "wilderness survival" merit badge back when I was a boy scout and I lived it up during my time in the wilderness. I wasn't bored, I spent all day improving my shelter. Of course I had magnesium firestarter/flint with me so I had a nice fire every night. :D I have a half dozen "space blankets" in various kits. My SERE instructors taught me a ton about tiny but useful survival kits, and I have a bunch of them now.

Sheesh, some of you didn't pay attention.

They purposefully had them survive in a controlled setting with *nothing* for the exact purpose of driving home the concepts that they need basic survival tools and skills - such as the fact that a 2oz survival blanket and some matches are easy to carry and can make a world of difference.

Sending you out in the woods with everything you need to survive isn't exactly going to teach you muchm is it? :shaking:

I was reading that article in the bathroom at work last week

Magnesium sticks are the shit if you know how to use them. It took me like an hour to learn how to use it right. In the "directions" mine came with it said to make a nickle sized pile of shavings when in reality you need like a silver dollar size amount. Pine needles on top of leaves make the process a bit easier too

Sheesh, some of you didn't pay attention.

They purposefully had them survive in a controlled setting with *nothing* for the exact purpose of driving home the concepts that they need basic survival tools and skills - such as the fact that a 2oz survival blanket and some matches are easy to carry and can make a world of difference.

Sending you out in the woods with everything you need to survive isn't exactly going to teach you muchm is it? :shaking:

I understand that David but it comes across the same as one of those articles where a guy goes and spends the night in a shelter and then writes about what it is like to be homeless. It's disingenuous and almost patronizing.

I understand that David but it comes across the same as one of those articles where a guy goes and spends the night in a shelter and then writes about what it is like to be homeless. It's disingenuous and almost patronizing.

Your parallel is absurd, IMHO.

What they were teaching was WHY being prepared is important, not "how to survive on nothing".

Your parallel is absurd, IMHO.

That may very well be but it is how I read the article. It's not my fault that the author wrote poorly and didn't get his message across.

That may very well be but it is how I read the article. It's not my fault that the author wrote poorly and didn't get his message across.

Can you even explain how your parallel applies?

What exactly DID you get out of the article?

I didn't get anything out of the article. There isn't really any good information or useful tips. Notice that everyone has a small backpack but there is no mention of that or what a well prepared day hiker should carry. It is an unfinished work, with a couple off more paragraphs it could have been so much more. At the end of te article I was left wondering "That's it?" It comes across as some HR mumbo jumbo, corporate team building exercise than a real lesson in survival.

I didn't get anything out of the article. There isn't really any good information or useful tips. Notice that everyone has a small backpack but there is no mention of that or what a well prepared day hiker should carry. It is an unfinished work, with a couple off more paragraphs it could have been so much more. At the end of te article I was left wondering "That's it?" It comes across as some HR mumbo jumbo, corporate team building exercise than a real lesson in survival.

It was a one-page article on PM. For the intended audience - it is meant to pique interest in the subject while presenting it in an entertaining format.

It wasn't a how-to from Survivalist Weekly, so I'd not expect it to be written in that format.


Again - for the intended purpose and the intended audience, I think it was dead on. Sorry you disagree.

Along the same lines it would be interesting to drop someone in the center of NY, DC, Chicago, etc
with no money, no id, no cell phone, no wallet, no credit cards and see how they do.

Along the same lines it would be interesting to drop someone in the center of NY, DC, Chicago, etc
with no money, no id, no cell phone, no wallet, no credit cards and see how they do.

On that note, there was a ditty in the local rag today about a judge that sentenced someone to exactly that for 3 days because they had ripped off a Salvation Army donation pot. The individual had an ankle bracelet to monitor his wherabouts and make sure that were abiding by the sentence imposed and was dropped off in the center of skid row to serve their time...

D.