At the beginning of each class we shared informal introductions and then I passed out slips of paper to each boy listing survival priorities, and discussed the “rule of threes”. I then demonstrated how to build a campfire that would would later serve to make charcloth for flint & steel firecraft. Each boy who attended the classes successfully achieved this fire method.

They also learned how to make a whistle out of acorn caps and soda bottle caps for signaling. We discussed cooking methods using unconventional tools such as cans and plastic bottles. I demonstrated how to use hand-sanitizer as fuel to cook an egg. They also learned about “Hobo” fishing and had the opportunity to cast a lure using a soda can instead of a conventional rod and reel. At the conclusion of the class I demonstrated a little flint knapping using glass from the bottom of a glass bottle.

I reflect on the days of my youth and value the folks who shared life-skills with me and hope that the information and demonstrations that I shared will be a benefit to the boys who attended my classes.

Hanging with my “celebrity” friends at Turtle Island Preserve

I arrived early enough to sit in on the morning briefing and at it’s conclusion we piled into a large “dump truck” to hitch a ride up the long gravel road to the entrance to meet the school buses. It was VERY bumpy but very memorable too. Once the students and teachers exited the buses we broke into smaller groups and hiked down the “ridge trail” to the base.

The first class of the day – great students!

I was very impressed with the attentiveness and polite manners of these kids and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. As the 8th graders will be graduating to a new school, we look forward to the return of the 7th grade class as 8th graders next year.

This year I brought a friend who assisted with transporting my gear and contributed to the content of the class by sharing his experiences from his past service in the United States Air Force branch of the Special Forces called Pararescue as well as from his recent time spent on the Appalachian Trail.

The boys this year were particularly attentive and we were able to cover a lot of material over each of the two and a half hour classes. The weather was spotty with frequent rain with only occasional sunshine which unfortunately didn’t lend itself to solar fire methods. However, everyone was able to ignite steel wool with a battery. We also discussed various fire methods within “Ken’s Five Fire Categories“. The other topics that we covered were “Rules Of three”, survival priorities, shelter, signals, edibles, cooking and more. I cooked an egg using hand sanitizer as fuel as illustrated in my video “Bottle Cap Burner“. We concluded each class by making charcloth.

I was quite impressed with the staff and counselors who do such a great job directing, feeding and teaching the boys at this camp that offers such a unique and valuable learning experience.

The interview covered a number of topics but initially I introduced myself, recounted my pursuit of bushcraft and survival skills and how I got started with Survivaltek. There were also practical questions such as “why did you want to teach people how to survive?”, “give us an idea of an emergency situation (and) what things around the house (could) you use to help us survive?” and “If you’re going out camping… what are some basic items that you feel people should take with them?”.

In addition, I was able to mention the classes that I offer which you can view on my classes page. My current plans are to hold classes the third Saturday of the month or by appointment. Those who are interested in taking a class should register ahead of time to guarantee their place in the class with associated materials.

You can view the video on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4LVLUAtGAs. I was very pleased with the interview and appreciated the great interaction with Drew and Alex.

Further research revealed an article by Tom Cutts who states that while on a pilgrimage to Israel he learned that John the Baptist’s food “…was date honey crushed from dates, and that the flour for his bread came from grinding the bean of the locust tree.” This took me by surprise as most teachings that I have heard were about the locust insect as a food source.

For most of my friends it’s unthinkable to eat an insect and yet 1/3 of the world’s population include insects in their diet. In my last “edibles” class I demonstrated how to prepare a grasshopper to eat. By grasping the body in one hand and the head in the other hand, twist the head to the 3 o’clock position and then the 9 o’clock position, then rock the head left to right as you pull it out slowly. As it detaches, it will pull out the “innards” with it and thus eliminate possible parasites. Then detach the legs and wings and skewer the body onto a stick to roast over a fire. It’s surprisingly good!

In either case, whether a legume or insect, it’s good to become familiar with edible food sources. I stress to my students that food is just the building blocks of your body and it comes in different forms.

Because of the age spread of 4-H members, I discussed two approaches: the “Hug-A-Tree and Survive” program which is a children’s Search and Rescue (SAR) prevention program aimed at children from kindergarten to Grade 6; and conventional survival skills best suited for more mature youth. Each parent or Volunteer must determine for themselves the maturity level of each child and decide which survival strategy to pursue.

I began with the basic points of the “Hug-A-Tree and Survive” program and then progressed to the “Rule of 3s” and “survival priorities”. I gave activity suggestions for each of the “survival priorities” categories that make for wonderful “hands-on” learning experiences. Each leader had the opportunity to sign up for my Newsletter and walk away with a description of the classes that I offer.

It was a great day spent with some wonderful volunteer leaders.

It’s comforting to know that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responders are equipped with proper professional tools and supplies. However, most of us are not equipped beyond a simple first aid kit for day-hike trips or car kits. These usually consist of sterile wipes, adhesive bandages, gauze and possibly a variety of ointments. These are all good supplies but are limited and don’t address the primary rule of first aid response “universal protection”.

“Universal protection” is the approach by responders to employ appropriate barriers to possible transfer of infectious diseases when attending to persons requiring first aid. More folks are becoming aware of this need and have begun to carry disposable gloves as part of their kit. However if none are available, you can use other barriers such as sandwich bags, bread bags or shopping bags as gloves.

There are other ways in which to improvise first aid supplies. Towels, new diapers, or absorptive feminine hygiene items can be used as a compress to suppress external bleeding wounds. Rolled up magazines or newspapers can be used to stabilize possible broken limbs. Bandanas can be used as slings and bindings for stabilization.

“Improvising” is a key element in survival whether for shelter, food, or navigation, but in the initial response to a first aid scenario it can make a huge difference in the victim’s chance for full recovery and in the extreme case for life or death.

During the Open House events, it’s fun to hear the rumble of the horse drawn carriage throughout the day, loaded with visitors and driven by Eustace Conway throughout the grounds. Eustace was recently featured on the History Channel program “Mountain Men” and thus has drawn quite a bit of attention. Although television tends to exaggerate events to increase viewership ratings, my experiences have been delightful, and I hope that the television series will help to increase awareness of Turtle Island Preserve’s purpose and offerings to the public. You can visit their website at http://turtleislandpreserve.org for more information.

The chain of events began last month when I heard that WXII Channel 12 Weather Man and Producer of “Austin Outdoors” segment, Austin Caviness, would be appearing in my area at a local YMCA while participating in a program called “Transformation Nation”. I felt that my bushcraft and survival skills would be of interest to his audience so I attended the event with the purpose of introducing myself and my website to Austin for his consideration. He was in fact interested and asked me to contact him later so that we could discuss details. Actually connecting with such a busy person is not always immediate, but my persistent calls finally paid off and this week when we finally connected we worked out plans to get together in Winston Salem the following day.

In preparation for any possible subject or demonstration my vehicle was “loaded for bear”, jammed with equipment, kits, and firewood. We met at the WXII television station and traveled a short distance to a park where we video taped the contents of the 2 minute segment “Living Off The Land“. The videographer Jeff did a great job capturing the event and Austin is a great sport and willing to try new things. Having done industrial video in earlier years, I can really appreciate the fine job that they did in creating the segment and the seamless editing. Now, we just have to work on my last name…