# Tools list for going camping indefinate please help



## stevo6064 (Nov 3, 2013)

List some very usefull tools / survival gear for camping / livening off the grid in the mountains please help


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

This is a little like asking: "How do you do brain surgery?"

First, identify your basic needs of food, water, shelter, security, etc. Which of these is most important to you? Then think about how you handle each of these, and once you do that you will have created your own list of tools.

It would also help to know what type of area you are operating in. I would never bring a shovel with me if the mountain I am on is solid rock, correct? A different set of tools will be needed for different situations.


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

Once you have what you think you need go camping alot, in differnt seasons.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

"*Tools list for going camping indefinate*"

Honestly, I'm a little concerned that you're heading to the mountains forever and don't know what you need already.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

ZoomZoom said:


> "*Tools list for going camping indefinate*"
> 
> Honestly, I'm a little concerned that you're heading to the mountains forever and don't know what you need already.


As someone living in the mountains currently I keep hearing a little voice in my head saying "you're gunna DIE!" when I read this thread.

Troll, maybe?


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Grimm said:


> As someone living in the mountains currently I keep hearing a little voice in my head saying "you're gunna DIE!" when I read this thread.


Maybe. I'll give the benefit of the doubt; could be someone who just heard about prepping and is just getting started.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Stevo:

welcome to the board
If you were to go indefinetly which would include all seasons:

- collection of tool such as axes, hammers, lots of quality nails, a couple of saws
- water filters
- lot of spare clothes especially socks, underwear and modern non rotting synthtic fiber raingear and cold weather gear and geneours sewing supplies.
- a simple long lasting fire arm or two and lots of spare parts.
- Lots of Ammo
- quality knives for woodworking such as shaping of bows and arrows so u can save your ammo for the high payoff elk.
- fire starters, several
- high quality boots
- many strong long lasitng jeans
- lots of sewing supplies.
- outdoor survival books to keep you competent
- generalist fiction books to keep you sane

the above is just my off-the-cuff cut at alist


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

stevo6064 said:


> List some very usefull tools / survival gear for camping / livening off the grid in the mountains please help


Hi: you might add a few details to narrow the focus. Are you planning on bugging out to the mountains for an extended period! Which mountains are you talking about. The Mountains in NW Montana (where we live) require different tools and knowledge than the mountains in Nevada (where we spend most of the winter).

How many of you and what ages?

How much experience do you have in camping, survival, etc.?

Fill in the details.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

stevo6064 said:


> List some very usefull tools / survival gear for camping / livening off the grid in the mountains please help


How about an introduction? Tell us a bit about yourself, your relevant experience, etc. And that will provide some context for your questions.

For example:

I am in my 60s, living with my family in NJ. I have camping experience and have been a pilot, rescue diver, and HAM radio operator. I have survived numerous hurricanes, a tornado that jumped over my head, a couple minor earthquakes, and I was inside the WTC when it was attacked on 9/11/01. I want to learn about preparing for longer term disasters.

You don't need impressive experience. Just start a thread with whatever your situation is.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

You would also do really well to have a permanent shelter/dwelling of some sort... that (quite honestly) requires land ownership. 

Camping indefinitely is difficult because "soft" shelters (not permanent) have a very short life span (whether a tent or natural sticks & branches).


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

If you are really planning on going into the mountains now you are starting at a really bad time. With Winter coming on you have very little time to get ready for the cold. Do you have a place already set up? Are you talking about camping out in a National forest or on someone else's place? 

If you own a place you need to be sure you have a GOOD water supply. By that I mean a clean source of water. Have your water tested to be sure you are not poisoning your family. You need to consider waste disposal. You do not want to have your poop ruin your water supply. 

Do you have a shelter (Cabin, prefab building, trailer, or whatever) in place? Do you have a wood heater like the ones you can buy at Northern Tool as an example. Do you have a wood or coal supply available on site for heating and cooking? 

When you buy tools one thing is critical. Always buy manual non power tools. An electric drill does not do you much good when you don't have power. Good handsaws of all types, Brace and bits for drilling, hammers and nails, planes for smoothing wood, levels for building, concrete blocks to keep your place off the ground and away from the termites, a supply of caulk to fill in cracks and keep out the cold, a set of books on HOW TO Carpentry. I would suggest you get at least the first few books in the FOX FIRE series. 

If you have never lived outside for extended periods of time you really need a mentor to walk you through what to expect. If you are going to move outside start in the very early Spring or late Winter. If you plan to grown your own food then you need to get involved in a community garden in your area to learn the basics of planting, growing and harvesting your crops. you also need to know how to can your food you have grown. 

You need to consider what light sources you are going to use and how you will fuel them. Most of all good luck to you. GB


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

And rent "Into the Wild" with Sean Penn shows you a whole lot of what NOT to do. Id suggest some of the hands on wilderness survival courses they at l3east prepare you for the basics of survival then you can build on that and add comfort and longetivity into the mix. I grew up and spent a great deal of my time in the woods around here and I"d not worry too much about gong into the wild for a a good long time. And having done that I would already know what to put on my list. I suggest again get the basics training and books start there before trying to jump in "whole Hog" tools that I'd have on my list would serve me well. But if I suggest a doodad to you for your list and you have no idea how to use it it would really be a exercise in futility. Such as a brace and bits do you know how to use one and what to use it for? a drawshave? Do you know how to make dowel and what to make it out of and what to use it for? As mentioned you need to give a little introduction many here can holp you alot better if we know you a little. And especially the area you have your property in.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Knowledge, educated yourself outdoor cooking,sanitation,water purification food preservation ,in other words read a lot on how things where done back in the old west, the California missions , history of food , before refrigeration , I can tell you for a fact that full time camping or living of the grid is a full time job in survival.


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## PopPop (Sep 14, 2010)

Last will and testament, dog tags in your boots.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

The OP has not posted here for many days. Obviously already a goner. :thumbdown:


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

hiwall said:


> The OP has not posted here for many days. Obviously already a goner. :thumbdown:


I noticed that OP has not posted here for many days, and has only one post.

I have started several responses to his post and then deleted them. Why? It seems that there are a few one time visitors who write their question, and never return. It is not an interaction like it is for us with 100s or 1000s of posts. He/she may never return, never return the responses. Why waste my time?

How many times do people get on the forum, see the topic of a thread, write a follow up question that has already been answered in that very thread, if only they would read the thread? I have done it myself!!! But, I typically read all the responses in many threads.

Many people don't read enough to be able to read the posts in a thread. Other's don't write enough to make sense when they do. Someone like this is ADD enough that he/she may never remember that they asked the question. All of these factors may play into Stevo and his question.

Then there is the missing interaction piece. "Why thank you for your input."


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

In defense of one-time posters, sometimes their questions can cause us to think and plug a hole in our preps or learn valuable info from the other responses. 
Or a chance to post witty comebacks


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

hiwall said:


> In defense of one-time posters, sometimes their questions can cause us to think and plug a hole in our preps or learn valuable info from the other responses.
> Or a chance to post witty comebacks


Yes! This is true.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

weedygarden said:


> I noticed that OP has not posted here for many days, and has only one post. It seems that there are a few one time visitors who write their question, and never return.


Sometimes they need a few weeks to come back and check in. 
Give 'em a break.


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## InfoDude (Nov 10, 2013)

Duck tape.


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## prepper101 (Aug 24, 2014)

hard to own land when you have no money...gee that's not rocket science


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

This question shows a lack of even a basic understanding on camping. So, start with a basic learning exercise. Take everything you think you need to survive for a week and put it in a pack, put the pack on your back, and hike into your back yard and set up camp. 

Simulate a stream or lake by using the city water. Simulate a slit trench by using your bathroom, no use subjecting the neighbors to your learning experience. Take a shower and put on clean clothes before you go to work, no use subjecting your coworkers to your learning experience. Two things will happen, each time you do this you will find something you need and something that is just excess weight.

A couple take aways from the movie "Jeremiah Johnson". He had two horses, one for himself and his essentials and another for everything he wanted. Also he probably wouldn't have made it that first winter without someone to show him the ropes.

I too have noticed the lack of response from the OP. He could be a troll but that is not important. There are a lot of lurkers out there and if they are reading this thread then they are interested in an answer, if only to see if they agree.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

prepper101 said:


> hard to own land when you have no money...gee that's not rocket science


Land is just another prep. Nobody can go out and buy every prep all at once. Do what you can, as you can, on whatever priority you think best.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

LincTex said:


> This is a little like asking: "How do you do brain surgery?"
> 
> First, identify your basic needs of food, water, shelter, security, etc. Which of these is most important to you? Then think about how you handle each of these, and once you do that you will have created your own list of tools.
> 
> It would also help to know what type of area you are operating in. I would never bring a shovel with me if the mountain I am on is solid rock, correct? A different set of tools will be needed for different situations.


I agree, but if this is not hard enough, you need a back & a back up for your back up, too.
Example: water proof matches, butane lighter, steel & magnesium, dryer lint, char cloth, recycled wax & Magnifier / Fresnel len fire starter.
Bow & drill or hand drill starter with char cloth, Knowledge of 50 kinds of dry fine tinder in the wild:Birch,Cedar bark, milk weed seed fluff, Cotton wood ball fluff, Fat wood tinder. Well you need 45 more.
You said forever, so no coming back to restock.
Your #one tool is KNOWLEDGE of your area & camp site for all four seasons.
I would go camping for a weekend, then go back for a week then go back for a two-week camping trip.
This would teach you a lot about the area & do this in all four seasons.
Then write a book from your journal, you really need to keep a camp journal, so you can remember what you need to resupply between trips to the woods. 
You need to check in & tell us how it is going from time to time,too.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*No fun intented .*

Living of the grid, wow, like my cousins Lewis & Clark, those were great memories, no fast food or toilet paper or indoor plumbing or Wal-Mart or cheap Chinese shoes or washer/dryer or a 7/11 nearby .Now my cousins have to put up with all the traffic and fast food loaded with salt and chemicals not to mention the noisy washer/dryer and indoor plumbing problems and always complaining to the 7/11 clerk for not having coffee ready for them ,wow, is hard now days. So good luck in your off the grid happy mountain home because my friend you are going to need it, unless I`m wrong and you are one of those eccentric silicon valley millionaires just looking for ideas from poor old folks like me on this forum, but here is one or two. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listi...LA-_-Book_15To24-_-Q000000633-_-2670362216159
http://www.free-ebooks.net/ebook/Beginner-s-Guide-to-Camping/pdf/view
And no fun intented, I`m very serious, you need to educated yourself if you plan to ever see a 7/11 again.
:ignore:


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

stevo6064 said:


> List some very usefull tools / survival gear for camping / livening off the grid in the mountains please help


Camping, if you've never gone camping/fishing before:

Lots of ice
more water then you think you'd need, now double it! 
spare food, and then extra spare food
leashes for the dogs
toilet paper (in a ziploc bag)
flashlights. + batteries!
a lantern, you can get battery operated LED or go old school with various fuels
firewood. You would think just showing up in the forest means there's something to burn, but not so! bring firewood with you.
fire knowledge! is it LEGAL!!!!! is it SAFE!!!! to have a campfire? sometimes that's yes and sometimes its no. don't be "that guy" that starts a forest fire.
the right kind of vehicle for where you're going.
a tent would be nice, but a rental camper, trailer or if you have a van, that all works, plus truck bed tents etc...

start with a camping trip and plan for the area you're going to, then work up form there. as others mentioned the need for a list suggests its a very first time doing it, so try to practice a few times in places where safety, the comfort of home (campground bathrooms) and such are possible. Once you have some idea what's going with what you're doing, push the boundary a little bit! but never go hog wild crazy. just because those guys on TV get dropped into the amazon with a toothbrush and pocket knife doesn't mean you want to do it. 

ETA

a decent first aid kit... you don't need a squad trauma kit, but be ready to pull out splinters, use a pain killing disinfectant like neosporin and some basic wound care stuff, there are sprays and gels that have lidocaine for example. people forget to use suntan lotion and then BOOM! there it is, nasty sunburn... bring the lotion and use it, have the pain relieving gel for "that guy" that didn't think about it!

notice all the missing stuff about knives and axes and saws?

if it's really your first time (first few times) camping... avoid things that can hurt you if you use them wrong. GO! go have FUN! enjoy it and go AGAIN! then as you get used to it, expand your abilities. but... small steps.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I think the OP went off into the woods and died.

If so, I can't help but think...







I told you so.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

This is the story that sticks to my memory... if the OP or ANYONE who reads this thread sees this and thinks it through and doesn't let THIS happen to them, then it's a good day.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/0...-says-gps-left-them-stranded-in-death-valley/

that woman and her son went through hell, and she's still there.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Dakine said:


> This is the story that sticks to my memory... if the OP or ANYONE who reads this thread sees this and thinks it through and doesn't let THIS happen to them, then it's a good day.
> 
> http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/0...-says-gps-left-them-stranded-in-death-valley/
> 
> that woman and her son went through hell, and she's still there.


Um, can I just say that reliance on technology alone will kill 'you'. Learn to read a map, use a compass and navigate by the stars.

And who goes camping with just some bottled water, pop tarts and cheese sandwiches!??


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Grimm said:


> Um, can I just say that reliance on technology alone will kill 'you'. Learn to read a map, use a compass and navigate by the stars.
> 
> And who goes camping with just some bottled water, pop tarts and cheese sandwiches!??


people that ask, or unfortunately DID NOT ask on a forum like this, what they need to go camping. 

I'm not disputing her horrible choices. People on this forum would say "what were you thinking!?!?!" and that's why we get questions like... "what do I need to go camping?" except the OP was like mixing camping and off the grid I'm gonna escape suburbia and live in the forest... 

Of all the bad things I've done, never ever have any of them included putting a childs life at risk. I don't have kids and I don't personally see how someone comes back from that. I have ONE thing that haunts me daily, and I'd never trade that for negligently killing my kid.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

There was a movie "Into the Wild" about a young man that took off into bush Alaska by himself. He was portrayed as some sort of romantic adventurer. In reality this guy took off into country he did not know, with too few supplies, and fewer skills.

As sad as it is there is a lesson to be learned here. Be honest with yourself about yourself. Know your limits.


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## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

Poor Steveo, he got an ear full and seems some unwarranted assumptions. Before I "pack" for any trip I think about where I'm going, be it a Hilton or the woods or the desert, I pack for what is appropriate. 

Subject began as camping but the living off grid implies a longer stay than just camping. Camping is a recreational activity. Living off the grid is more homesteading with different intentions than camping. 

Survival is more to being forced into a situation where you are unprepared for the most part and you need to overcome conditions by adapting and improvising with what you may have available. The fewer tools or equipment you have the more knowledge, skills and confidence you will need. Training required.

I can survive in most places without anything. If you take off with a pack of goodies you're not in a true survival mode, you're camping with limited supplies. You might practice survival skills but you're not in a situation that dictates survival unless you screw up out there.

Ultra light camping can be shorts, shoes, T-shirt, sunglasses and a hat with a good knife. A knife is about the least to take. Everything else can be fabricated with work. This is still recreational and the fun is in the challenge testing yourself. 

You begin adding things to take by priority of your expected needs, first water, then shelter then food or the ability to solve these needs easily. 

I like redundancy, having a back up, but there is no need to haul 5 ways to build a fire. If you have a vehicle you have what you need to start a fire, my vehicles all have lighters, they have a battery and I can get a few drops of fuel if needed. Then I carry a lighter, never leave home without it. Having a knife means you can make a fire with a bow and tender. If I have batteries all I need is a thin wire or an SOS pad to start a fire electrically. Know the tricks and try each method, but in reality there probably won't be a need to use these skills as other alternatives are so plentiful and available to do the job much easier and quicker. 

Look into water technologies, filtration and purification techniques. Water storage and carrying methods, going light I have a camel back, vehicle has cans or a water tank. 

Hunting, fishing and gathering, you can read the forums but you need to do it, take care to understand the laws before claiming you're trying to survive off the land, trapping out of season can have issues.

Food and water can be a constant mission while you're doing other things, like gathering firewood, if you don't have food or water. 

Homesteading can begin with a clean, dry place to stand, sit and sleep and a fireplace to cook and heat the hut. From there you can build what you want over time. Improve the land, farm it and keep animals if you like. 

Whatever you do, be in shape physically and mentally to succeed, don't hike 5 miles unless you are able to hike 10 miles. Take care of yourself.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Ozarker said:


> If you have a vehicle you have what you need to start a fire, my vehicles all have lighters, they have a battery and I can get a few drops of fuel if needed


I once started a campfire with a battery, a pair of jumper cables, and a couple pieces of coat hanger wire with two drops of gasoline. My wife was thoroughly impressed!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Ozarker said:


> Subject began as camping but the living off grid implies a longer stay than just camping. Camping is a recreational activity. Living off the grid is more homesteading with different intentions than camping.


The OP titled the post and worded it to imply off the grid living...



> *Tools list for going camping indefinate please help*


Like I have said a few times in this thread he is a troll or went out into the woods and died.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

This thread reminds me of the man who was a fan of the T.V. show "Survivorman", and after watching several seasons worth decided that if the star of the show could do it, so could he. So off he went into the woods with just an axe and the clothes on his back, that night the temp. dropped to about -20* with snow accumulation of about 2'. He was found dead. A true story that shows that just because you have "tools" doesn't automatically equal survival, If you don't know what to do with the tools ( in this case an axe) to make the things you need to survive (shelter, fire, water, food) you will not survive.


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

My personal experience tells me no one can survive in the wild 
for very long in certain areas I do not care how much knowledge 
or experience it is a risk every day every minute.

The more stuff you have the more weight the more chance of 
leg injuries.

We live in a nation of 300 million when the mountain man roamed 
there were way less than 1/4 of that part of them Native indigenous tribes.
and most living in major cities or along the coasts even those were bad.
even in that day there were a lot of road agents bushwhackers
way layers Shanghaiing you name it.
Imagine a world gone bonkers, even in a normal setting the search and rescue services are always trying to find people.
The fact that most people will be using antiquated methods of 
lighting fuel and work the number of injuries would increase exponentially
severity and length of recuperation would either starve or die from 
dehydration and or infection.
even if that person has partners that would transfer the work load to 
other if they can do the work or double their work load.

as far as a camping trip I would say they can be more dangerous 
A good friend drowned when he went to save his children one fell in another went in and he went in the children survived he drowned.
other friends have been badly injured fishing hunting and trapping.
I know a few children burned broken limbs.
this is in the best time in the history of the world medically, or 
half would be dead
Even if this person is a troll it makes little difference to me answering 
a question on a forum can could be a service to someone who reads 
your reply I like to post funny crap once and a while but sometimes 
it is good for me to post serious information.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

nightwing said:


> My personal experience tells me no one can survive in the wild
> for very long in certain areas I do not care how much knowledge
> or experience it is a risk every day every minute.
> 
> ...


Nightwing I understand what you are saying, however I disagree with the first part of your post. A little bit of real Knowledge would have prevented the death of the man I spoke about above. I have hunted, trapped, fished, foraged, and have practiced survival for most of my life. In the situation mentioned above, I could have survived that little outing, instead of being found dead. With just an axe I would have quickly set up a warm shelter, gathered wood and tinder for a fire, and made a bow drill to start the fire if I had no matches, and melted snow for water until I was found.

Do bad things happen sometimes? Yes they do, People get hurt and die due to accident or mistake all the time, and even to the best of us no matter how much knowledge we have. Having a sturdy base of knowledge, however, can minimize accident and injury, and can maximize our enjoyment of the outdoors.


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

camo2460 said:


> Nightwing I understand what you are saying, however I disagree with the first part of your post. A little bit of real Knowledge would have prevented the death of the man I spoke about above. I have hunted, trapped, fished, foraged, and have practiced survival for most of my life. In the situation mentioned above, I could have survived that little outing, instead of being found dead. With just an axe I would have quickly set up a warm shelter, gathered wood and tinder for a fire, and made a bow drill to start the fire if I had no matches, and melted snow for water until I was found.
> 
> Do bad things happen sometimes? Yes they do, People get hurt and die due to accident or mistake all the time, and even to the best of us no matter how much knowledge we have. Having a sturdy base of knowledge, however, can minimize accident and injury, and can maximize our enjoyment of the outdoors.


My post was not about your post in a negative light just what I have experienced and figure would happen when people who do not have
more experience and are forced into or start to practice outdoor skills.

I had posted about knapping flint that people need to use glasses 
and gloves this is one of the popular projects on trial survival
outings as well as bow drills both can cause serious injuries.
Even as simple as they seem.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

nightwing said:


> My post was not about your post in a negative light just what I have experienced and figure would happen when people who do not have
> more experience and are forced into or start to practice outdoor skills.
> 
> I had posted about knapping flint that people need to use glasses
> ...


I understand my friend, no offense was taken.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

My 20 year old Eagle Scout just left today on a mountain camping trip to
Keowee-Toxaway state park.
He will be on his on for 5 nights & 4 days, eating MRE & cooking on camp fire.
He will sleep in a hooded hammock, it is 70-90F so no blanks needed.
Some of you Texans would call these mountains ..................foot hills, 
but not everyone can live in Texas or Arkansas or any midwestern state for that matter. :ignore:


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Grimm said:


> The OP titled the post and worded it to imply off the grid living...
> 
> Like I have said a few times in this thread he is a troll or went out into the woods and died.


Well, he has kicked off a thread that has run for multiple pages. Maybe trolls are useful.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Geek999 said:


> Well, he has kicked off a thread that has run for multiple pages. Maybe trolls are useful.


Sometimes!


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## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

There are mountains and there are mountains. It is essential for a body to figure on where and when. Elevation introduces us to 'micro climates". How high are ya goin'? Talkin' with a friend in Idaho an' she reminded
me that bein' on a south facing slope can shorten "winter" by up to two weeks. Little brother lives 250 miles due north so our spring is two weeks quicker and fall is two weeks late for us southerners.
Ifin ya haven't been there, winter can jump on ya mighty quick in the mountains. Simple known like how fast the sun disappears come night and how quick ya need ta have a jacket ta pull on can save ya a mess of discomfort.
Knowin' when goin' ta look at some pilgrim bein' stuck is goin' leave you with two burried trucks an' everybody walkin' home isn't from book learnin'. No matter how much ya spent on yur truck- gettin' it into "side-slip" is a real education. 
Best I can think on is move ta the nearest town where ya wanna be and rent a place for a spell. Then spend more time listening then ya do talkin'. When ya begin yur journey as the Finns say, "little by little".


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

headhunter, you aren't kidding about micro climates, at elevation, here even with out much elevation change as little as 6 miles west can push spring back a week and fall up the same, rain and snow fall often follow small valleys or draws, High elevation in the proximity of mountain ranges can create some pretty weird weather anomalies. Newbies running out to the mountains to survive are probably not doing themselves much of a favour, the places fit for living already have people in them, and these people may be cantankerous


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