Weekend Training

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Primitive Shelter
Well today was building a primitive shelter using what we carry and what natural resource are available. Now anyone can run a string and throw a tarp over it but let an normal Okie wind of 30+ blow, let a small hail storm that breaks windows hit or get 6inches of snow and you are toast in that and besides when it

[Matt In Oklahoma]

We then added the tarp for water/wind resistance. The tarps always come up short it seems LOL



We collected grass material for bedding and insulation. This takes a lot!



Even made a pillow cause a feller is getting old and gets stiff!



We then began insulating it and shingling it with cedar for water flow and camouflage as well.



We discussed that one might want to be found sometimes and that the 3 things that attract the eye are color, movement and contrast. Color needs to be bright and different. Contrast needs to be at a level that can be seen like waist high and above where you make sharp lines to contrast the rough edges of nature. Movement could be something waving in the wind. One can take that used Mountain House bag that is silver on one side and blue on the other and hang it a little higher than eye level on a string that will flap on the wind and you can see that a long ways off.



We covered passive defensive measures, against man and beast, of which you all don’t get to see cause thems mine to keep held close :)
This is a base and every day you should work to improve your place and make it better and more efficient. One of the things learned was the amount of time it takes to build a GOOD shelter and how early in the day or how many hours before a storm you should start, yep hours.

CONT:

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Bags
We also went over our bags today. We covered what we carried and the difference between the BOB and GMHB. We have a wide variety of bags and belongings in them. Cimarron brought a scale and we weighed them all. I see a lot of improvements and a lot more thought into what folks are carrying as we progress. Some bags (like my BOB) are huge and some are small based on what the individual is able to carry. After the day of using some tools in them I think some folks might make a few changes not because of right or wrong but because some tools meet needs better.





It was a good day and it was good to spend time with everyone. I always enjoy it and we brought another one over the the right light side with his new rifle too :)

[Grand58742]

I always enjoy it and we brought another one over the the right light side with his new rifle too :)

And where's that picture? Think that was a mighty fine looking rifle if I say so myself.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

And where's that picture? Think that was a mighty fine looking rifle if I say so myself.

Yep not a bad job there:)

Feller might still be smiling and is probably sneeking around in his multicam footed PJs like a ninja clearing the chicken house ready to spray deadly 556ers at the nearest would be 2 or 4 legged varmint cause i can't get no text back to see if he got it sighted in ROTFL

I know this cause I gots me a Grand present of a BCM Medium Gunfighter Charging Handle and have been sneaking around and dropping mags and recharging like a tanned and muscled specop ninja on call of dukie

[Cimarron]

Awesome training session! We had good skills practice, company, weather and food! I added "tools" to my skills toolbox and updated my lists of what I will be adding to my GMHB, and removing from my BOB.

Also practiced with using char cloth and even though the grass looks dry it isn't.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Also practiced with using char cloth and even though the grass looks dry it isn't.

Yep but we found a decent substitute in the thistle heads that requires very little effort huh?

[Cimarron]

Yep but we found a decent substitute in the thistle heads that requires very little effort huh?

yep, like igniting gasoline!

[Cimarron]

Weekend hike with a twist.

I thought it was a good time to practice some of the skills the kids and I have picked up. I decided to plan a short hiking trip this morning but with a twist. I downloaded and copied a map of the area we were going to be in but didn't mention it. I also let them pick the gear they would bring. we've been in this area before so they knew what to expect and I told them it would be hot.

Two (17 & 9 year old) decided on a molle pouch and 20-24oz canteen. The third (15 yr old) took his BOB and 3litre bladder full. I brought my GMHB with 2litre bladder and canteen.

We head out as usual following hiking trails except this time I get them to cut cross country hitting other trails without raising too much suspicion. 45 minutes into the hike I ask them if they have been paying attention to where they are and how to get back? One looks at a compass and tells me which way we were basically heading and which way was the car.
He was mostly correct and then I ask him could he find his position on a map? Blank stare. I pull out the satellite map and hand it to him...they are not positive but fairly close to right.


That's ok, we were in the middle of a forest. I tell them they have the lead back that I don't know where to go.
So on the way back I start quizzing them on material along the way like what could be eaten, what could be used for fire starting and the most likely places we could find water.

Found a cactus that was not edible or had water in it even though the 9 yr. old seen that on TV lol.


Puffball mushroom. Don't know the real name but all the kids knew you can't eat that.

Tried some different material with a blast match and talked about what was dry or wet or too dense and just smolder with a spark.

We talked about finding natural shelter and adding to them or creating our own from nothing. We practiced hand signals and staying alert and walking distance if we were on a patrol.

All in all it was a good day and two of them learned they didn't have near enough water. Good day to be out practicing and talking about different things. Kids can and will ask pretty good questions and sometimes it's nice to find out they were paying attention and had retained some of what they learned.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Too cool! Thats a good day right there
Next time your down I'll show you how to safely eat that prickly pear cactus

[Cimarron]

Too cool! Thats a good day right there
Next time your down I'll show you how to safely eat that prickly pear cactus

Um..yeah.. that would be interesting. When the daughter unit and I were handling the cactus it had a fuzzy feeling to it that later we found out was tiny needles! You could barely see them but definitely feel them when rubbing your fingers together!

[Cimarron]

We cut one open and tried getting liquid and I tasted it, which there wasn't any flavor to. Sister tells me she still has a sticker in her hand from that cactus and I told her you were gonna show us how to eat em. She says "oh cool"..

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Um..yeah.. that would be interesting. When the daughter unit and I were handling the cactus it had a fuzzy feeling to it that later we found out was tiny needles! You could barely see them but definitely feel them when rubbing your fingers together!

Thats the danger of prickly pear is the small hairlike needles that must be scraped or burned off. It put one of my soldiers in the hospital who didn't listen to ALL of the instructions on needle removal.
It's a bland taste on the leaves and the fruit is where it's at. That fruit is fantastic!


the fruit

http://www.livestrong.com/article/390785-prickly-pear-nutritional-values/

the leaf

http://www.livestrong.com/article/416888-benefits-of-cactus-leaf-in-the-diet/

[Matt In Oklahoma]

So this weekend was more about a family campout than anything. It wasn't designed to be the uber tier 1 training event. We went to a local lake and spent the weekend and while it got a little wet Saturday morning it was a good weekend.

After the hard rain subsided we did do a small solar build with some panels that will charge battery packs and cell phones led by Sharpshooter.







I managed to find some small treats for the hardened steely eyed survivalists LOL


There are few things better


Cont:

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Once things dried a bit we went on a small hike to stretch the legs and see what we could see. The trail was a little less than maintained and we lost it a time or two and had to relocate it. The civilian map left alot to be desired as well.







Youngster was taught to collect along the way and not wait till nightfall to find starter material for the night fire


Saw some deer along the way as well and discussed tracks

cont: