The folks that predict the
weather said we were likely to get some showers overnight. That would really
dampen things for our class Saturday morning. I thought about throwing a tarp
over the woodpile but decided against it.
My reasoning? Simple.
I may indeed be able to
manipulate some things in a relatively controlled environment to make things
easier for the class. But that would be cheating them. We do, after all, in
real “out there” conditions have to work with Ma Nature on her terms. Sometimes
she rains on us. And when she does we have to know how to deal with the
dampening that wet conditions factor into the equation. If we do not know how
to work with what she gives us … she will flat out beat us.
No overnight rain. The worst we
had to deal with was a little dew and that large thriving flock of mosquitoes.
Most of the dew had fairly well dried off before class and the smoke from the
fire that I started a little early kept most of the mosquitoes hiding in the
woods. The fire that I built? One good spark from a SPARKFORCE Mini ferro rod
touched off the well prepared tinder nestled beneath the lay.
Proficiency, at anything, takes
practice. None of us can become proficient at any skill without personally
investing time and energy.
Identifying the basic life-essentials
is simple … fire, water, shelter, food … and we have outlined what we need to
sustain life. Becoming proficient in effecting and procuring the four
essentials takes more involvement than being able to outline them on paper and
parrot them back to an instructor.
A one-spark fire does not just
happen. A one-spark fire does not always happen.
Skills demonstration was the
focus of our class time. Each student took their turn constructing a rain
resistant shelter and a self-sustaining fire using items from their kits. One
at a time affords me the opportunity to casually observe, assist, and advise
one-on-one at point of individual need. The single largest thing that I needed
to work with them on was getting their fire lay in order to achieve a
self-sustaining fire … finely processed tinder, small kindling, larger
kindling, small fuel, larger fuel.
We went about all of this in a
relaxed fashion but I explained afterward that the whole process of
constructing a shelter and having a fire going ought to be accomplished in
twenty minutes or less. We are not timing things at this point. Another
practice or two and we will start keeping a record of their time. Not that we
are trying to establish any kind of pecking order or set any speed records. The
reason is that real conditions in the wild may indeed insist upon skills
proficiency.
I spent a few minutes talking
with the guys about what we will be doing over the course of the fall and winter months
… that the repetition is designed to make the skills they are learning more of
a “first nature” than something they simply know a little something about …
that these are all small steps equipping and preparing them for the early
winter and late winter three-night trips we have planned this winter.
The three-nighters.
That is where the rubber will
really meet the road. Out there … real wilderness … no water faucets … no light
switches … no central heat and air … no indoor toilets … no radios,
televisions, or computers … no cell service … . It involves a psychological
adjustment for folks to make the jump from living civilized to living woodsy.
It was an interesting culinary
change.
I have introduced the guys to
some new foods cooked over the fire. Caleb pulled some peaches off the tree and
made peach-kabobs. Yep. That was interesting.
