She explained that she had gone fishing recently and during the quiet moments she busied herself by rummaging through the tackle box. She found some brass barrel snap swivels that are used as a convenient attachment between a fishing line and lures. Having several in her hand she began to connect them in daisy-chain fashion into a closed loop. She found that four swivel snaps fit nicely around her wrist.

She offered a number of applications for it’s use in an emergency situation. Here are a few as examples: as a fishing hook, as a retrieval grappling hook, as a safety pin, as a clasp to secure opposing zipper pulls on luggage, or as a zipper pull. Other uses might include using it as a fashion accessory or for attaching small items to your Every Day Carry (EDC) keyring.

I would love to hear your comments on other ways that you may have used them or perhaps suggestions for their potential use.

Although my survival skills span both modern and primitive, I chose to demonstrate the primitive skills throughout the day to compliment the historic air set by the teepee. My initial demonstration was given to a group of Boy Scouts using the bow and spindle fire method to start the campfire for the day. A little later I was excited to demonstrate flint knapping for the first time. for this craft I showed the traditional tools used by indigenous peoples, but I also showed the counter-part tools made of modern materials.

I always enjoy meeting folks who stop to chat. I have often learned new things that often turn into articles that I post. As usual, I try to replicate or apply what I learn from others to validate it and add insights for clarification. Although W. Kerr Scott Reservoir has only one 50th Anniversary, they offer great programs and provide wonderful facilities for organizations and individuals throughout the year. You can learn more at: http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/wkscott/index.htm

Recently I had the opportunity to teach a combined class of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts filled with bright kids who came packaged with a short attention span. Being able to handle different plants and taste them did help to keep them focused. But what drew the most attention was when I took out a container of mealworms and announced that I would be cooking some for everyone to eat.

I used a small wood burning trail stove for my fire source and heated a bit of cooking oil in a Sierra Cup. while I prepared the stove, the Scouts separated the mealworms from the cornmeal that they come packaged in. when the oil got hot as evidenced by the wavy/watery appearance, I dropped the mealworms in that produced quite a crackling sound that drew everyone’s attention. After a short time they began to brown and I let them cool a little before offering them to the Scouts and their parents. To my delight, after first sampling a few myself, almost everyone clambered for their own to taste. The consensus was that they taste a lot like pork rinds which is a familiar taste to this group who grew up amidst the Southern cuisine. I heard one parent say “most people don’t realize how many mealworms they have eaten that were inadvertently included in their corn bread over the years.

In an emergency situation, you can eat bugs raw, but if at all possible, I recommend roasting or frying them first to kill any potential parasites or bacteria. You might be surprised to know that 1/3 of the world’s population include insects in their diet, so you can see that mealworms are a viable food source.

As the day progressed I met many wonderful people, some of whom had stories and techniques to share from their life experiences. This is one of the elements that I really enjoy – learning from others… and of course, I enjoy sharing with others some facts and techniques that I have learned. During one of these moments I explained that there are edible plants all around, and that I often sample them as I find them, so that I can continue to develop a taste and appreciation of them. On the lawn I picked up some clover blossoms which were surprisingly sweet, and some narrow leaf plantain. Later, a woman came to me and mentioned that while she was standing in line at a food concession, she observed a man chewing on a clover blossom. She questioned why he was eating it, and he directed her to my area and was delighted with what she found.

It turned out to be a great day, and I would like to express my thanks to those of you who are accepting my invitation to visit this website. Browse around and let me know what you think.