So I want to learn to survive.

[Mosinguy]

I'm talking more like bushcraft type survival. Where do I start looking for tips and ideas? Where would be a good place to practice bushcraft? I'm thinking of moving west after high school and I want to have practical knowledge that will help me whenever I get some land out there. I'm very interested in preserving animal hides and meat. I've never been hunting or skinned an animal so I'm pretty inexperienced in that field.

But I really want to learn everything I can. So if anyone knows of a good website to look at for tips and ideas on furthering my education I'd be much obliged. Personal advice and help here would be great too! I've learned some here but I'm talking dedicated websites. I want to learn everything and anything.

 

[snapping turtle]

Get ahold of books called foxfire series.

 

[SEIndSAM]

A Walmart or Best Buy when opening on Black Friday

 

[LtScott14]

Wilderness Outfitters has Indy sales office. I'm sure they can work a schedule for their "hands on" training. Check out their web. Won' be cheap.

 

[bingley]

Look into B.O.S.S., Tom Brown's Tracking School, Anake Outdoor School, and other established programs if you want quality training and some sort of credential. I'd encourage you to go ask around outdoors/backpacking forums rather than gun or survivalist forums. You'll see what the difference is quickly -- there is often a skewed emphasis on defense from the latter.

Or you could listen to this song:

I Will Survive - YouTube

 

[Mosinguy]

Been looking at some bushcraft forums, learned a lot already! Can't afford classes can barely afford putting gas in my truck.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

Try these videos. He has several and I believe has a school or classes as well. Dave Canterberry - YouTube

 

[Cujo71321]

My advice is to join the Guards. You will get all of the training you need to survive and will get paid for it, too. Once you get through Basic Training and get trained for your MOS, you will be able to practice one weekend per month and two weeks per year. There are many benefits, and you may find that you love the discipline of military life enough to make a career out of it. Definitely worth looking in to. Good luck, my friend...
Thanks,
Cujo71321

 

[voodoo304]

Try these videos. He has several and I believe has a school or classes as well. Dave Canterberry - YouTube

^^^This^^^

 

[seamonster]

x2 on the Foxfire series of books. I read them as a kid and they can teach you alot.

 

[Slawburger]

Venturing

How about Venture Crew 621 sponsored by American Legion Post 252 (Greenwood, IN)? Venturing is for young adults 14-20 years of age. Scouting st the various levels teaches a lot of "Bushcraft" such as: Emergency shelters, firestarting, knots and lashings, leatherworking, plant identification, canoeing, fishing, ropemaking, knife sharpening, weaving from plant materials, etc. I don't know much about that specific Crew and each Pack/Troop/Crew is a little different but they all offer the opportunity to learn "Bushcraft" along with a lot of other great skills.

Venturing Ranger award candidates must complete

1) Eight challenging core requirements: First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, Leave No Trace, Land Navigation, Wilderness Survival, Communications, Cooking and Conservation.

2) And four of 18 challenging electives: Backpacking, Cave Exploring, Cycling/Mountain Biking, Ecology, Equestrian, First Aid, Fishing, Hunting, Lifesaver, Mountaineering, Outdoor Living History, Physical Fitness, Plants and Wildlife, Project COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience), Scuba, Shooting Sports, Watercraft and Winter Sports.

 

[Mosinguy]

How about Venture Crew 621 sponsored by American Legion Post 252 (Greenwood, IN)? Venturing is for young adults 14-20 years of age. Scouting st the various levels teaches a lot of "Bushcraft" such as: Emergency shelters, firestarting, knots and lashings, leatherworking, plant identification, canoeing, fishing, ropemaking, knife sharpening, weaving from plant materials, etc. I don't know much about that specific Crew and each Pack/Troop/Crew is a little different but they all offer the opportunity to learn "Bushcraft" along with a lot of other great skills.

Venturing Ranger award candidates must complete

1) Eight challenging core requirements: First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, Leave No Trace, Land Navigation, Wilderness Survival, Communications, Cooking and Conservation.

2) And four of 18 challenging electives: Backpacking, Cave Exploring, Cycling/Mountain Biking, Ecology, Equestrian, First Aid, Fishing, Hunting, Lifesaver, Mountaineering, Outdoor Living History, Physical Fitness, Plants and Wildlife, Project COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience), Scuba, Shooting Sports, Watercraft and Winter Sports.

Are venturing crews anything like the Boy Scouts? I can't say I learned much from the Boy Scouts and I was with them for at least 3-4 years. I was with Troop 157 and I was the one who was deemed the "poorest" in the group. My dad didn't drop me off in a brand new Escalade at each meeting and I didn't have the newest and biggest tent/flashlight/knife/etc. therefore I wasn't in the "in" crowd. If I wanted to do something that was a good idea no one would vote on it unless any other kid made it their idea, then it was the best idea ever and unanimously voted in. No one really wanted to do anything either. All we ever did was tie knots. We even had campouts where all you did was tie knots.

Also, recently it was a big deal that they were letting openly gay boys into the Scouts. Let me just say in Troop 157 things were really sketchy. There were a group of boys you just didn't go into the woods with. One was the scoutmaster's son and he was the worst of all. It got tiring after awhile being on your guard all the time.

I just don't want to spend the money getting into a Venture Crew and it turns out it's the same thing. If it's a better and more active version of Troop 157, then yes I'd be interested. It's just that I don't have much time and I want to get in as much info as possible.

 

[bwframe]

Try these videos. He has several and I believe has a school or classes as well. Dave Canterberry - YouTube

Another vote for Dave, but don't limit yourself to just him. There are a lot of prepper/survival/SHTF YouTubers.
Like anything else Interweb, be sure to have your grains of salt nearby along with your BS meter.

 

[Mosinguy]

Another vote for Dave, but don't limit yourself to just him. There are a lot of prepper/survival/SHTF YouTubers.
Like anything else Interweb, be sure to have your grains of salt nearby along with your BS meter.

I've been looking into Dave, he seems to know his stuff.

 

[the1kidd03]

Watch Dave's videos online for free. he's got videos on nearly everything you're looking for. FREE
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfa-XVztQrDlf-2v1UUdkwg


EDIT: that's what I get for not viewing the second page before posting. Obviously, seconding everyone else's "Dave vote"

 

[Slawburger]

Are venturing crews anything like the Boy Scouts?

I am sorry you didn't have a better experience in your Troop. Someone should have suggested finding a different one to you.

In Cub Scouts the adults run everything and there are a lot of them.
In Boy Scouts the youth have a lot more say in what happens and there are fewer adults.
In Venturing the youth run everything with a couple of adults (adult meaning over 21) as advisors.

Every Troop or Crew is a little different. I know there are Venture Crews that specialize in historical re-enactments, hunting, woodscraft, high adventure, search and rescue or whatever the under 21 members want to focus upon. Visit several Crews and see which one "fits" best. Some are better than others, some are different and neither better nor worse. Did I mention that Venture Crews can be co-ed?

I took the "Powderhorn" training because we wanted to start a Crew after some of our Boy Scouts got a little older and I wanted to be a properly "trained" Advisor. We had to rappel off a tower, Scuba dive, use various watercraft (canoe, kayak, sailboat), use firearms (pistol, rifle, shotgun), learn about horseback riding, navigate with compass, maneuver on a ropes course and a lot of other stuff just to be trained. The program offers a lot if you find a good and active Crew.

As for the other, we take youth protection very seriously. I just took my refresher training last month. I don't care how many firearms someone has or what they do on the weekend, that is their business, but I would turn someone in over violating the Youth Protection Guidelines in a heartbeat.

 

[sloughfoot]

I'm talking more like bushcraft type survival. Where do I start looking for tips and ideas? Where would be a good place to practice bushcraft? I'm thinking of moving west after high school and I want to have practical knowledge that will help me whenever I get some land out there. I'm very interested in preserving animal hides and meat. I've never been hunting or skinned an animal so I'm pretty inexperienced in that field.

But I really want to learn everything I can. So if anyone knows of a good website to look at for tips and ideas on furthering my education I'd be much obliged. Personal advice and help here would be great too! I've learned some here but I'm talking dedicated websites. I want to learn everything and anything.

I am from there. I used to live "out west". I was born and raised there. I just went to Wal-Mart or Target if I needed something. I admire your fantasy,but it has been gone for a long time.

The western frontier disappeared probably before you were born. It exists only in the movies.

God bless you son, you exhibit the natural human need for freedom and self reliance. I hope you find your dream.

Watch the Movie "Jeremiah Johnson". And keep dreaming.

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

I am from there. I used to live "out west". I was born and raised there. I just went to Wal-Mart or Target if I needed something. I admire your fantasy,but it has been gone for a long time.

The western frontier disappeared probably before you were born. It exists only in the movies.

God bless you son, you exhibit the natural human need for freedom and self reliance. I hope you find your dream.

Watch the Movie "Jeremiah Johnson". And keep dreaming.

Ouch dude. A little harsh eh? The guy never said he wanted to live off the land away from human contact for the rest of his life. He just said he wants to learn a bunch of practical skills and techniques that are lost on most people in today's world. What's wrong with someone trying to expand their knowledge. A lot of benefits come from expanding knowledge and learning as many practical skills as one can.

Just because he mentioned the west doesn't mean he wants to be a frontiersman from the Pioneer era. I'm pretty confident he knows the "wild west" doesn't exist and I'm also pretty confident he wasn't even talking about that.

Unnecessary comment IMO. Totally missing the point...

To the OP: the SAS Survival Guide, while not necessarily a how to, is a great little book with tons of little tips on survival that will give a good base knowledge of many small but important things. It's a great guide along the lines of a reference type book.

 

[Sticky]

Tom Brown's Guide to Wilderness Survival by Tom Brown | Paperback | Barnes & Noble has a lot in it that you can practice. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking by Tom Brown Jr. ? Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists is also full of some good tips and hints.

Bradford Angier has some nice books on the subject, too.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Don't need to go out west, read forums, watch youtube videos, read books...hit the library, get some self education. Most of all, what you learn, try it until you have perfected it. Get you a good knife, and learn all about fire starting is a good starting point.

Esee (randals survival) has a forum, zombie squad forum has quite a bit of information, there is a ton of BS out there, see what works. I'm in the process of self sufficiency myself.

Plenty of these books are available in PDF forum on the net if you search hard enough.