old time survival skills
 

I've uploaded the first 5 of the fox fire series

this is based on real life skills of folks who lived in the upper Appalachian Mountains in the early part of the century

everything from making butter churns to making butter sewing crops and using nature to assist you

http://jack404.minus.com/mbrIkcMiII/1g

Re: old time survival skills
 

interesting Jack! Wife was born and raised in W VA and we live there for 10 yrs..deep in the heart of Appalacha. many of the practices in that series are still used there. there are still familys that you almost never see in or around a town. not many but still a few.

Re: old time survival skills
 

Its part of the US i like and try to get too,

folks talk of SHTF and such and what to do

you need to know stuff like this from folks who some would call "backwards " or "hill billies" but who had little but faith and ingenuity and did a lot

folks like that tamed the land and made wilderness farmland and raised their families while doing so , and while they where cash poor they where knowledge rich

and its a knowledge anyone who contemplates SHTF or similar, should obtain

Re: old time survival skills
 

I will be buy the books. If the shtf my puter most probably won't do me any good at all. http://www.backwoodshome.com/store/files/ssfoxfire.html

Re: old time survival skills
 

I had some of those old foxfire books before moving to Alaska and we've been here 20 years. I came from rural Pennsylvania and learned how to find ginseng & goldenseal from a few old timers. They were too old to drive but did they ever like to walk in the woods with me, for miles too; up the sides of small mnts. One guy was an old farmer, everybody in his family was too busy with the farm to spend time with their dad & grandfather; so I got the pleasure. I remember we looked several times about a mile back in the woods for this old homestead. Two old bachelors had lived there before WWI and they grew ginseng. They died, homestead fell down and woods took over. Old Irwin and me never found that overgrown place, but he was sure it was still there somewheres and he was sure we'd find all kinds of old ginseng if we did find it. Two years later, I found it on my own, just old foundation stones & well and all the ginseng that had went wild. I went and got Irwin and he said he couldn't walk well enough until I told him that I found the homestead, ha ha. He jumped right up, ha ha. We spent a day in there digging roots, found roots that had 50 year old neck rings, and we made tea all winter with them. Those oldtimers really do have stories to tell if we'd only pay attention.

Here in Alaska, traditional knowledge is how most people survive. It is a valued part of the lifestyle out here in the rural parts. Sure is nice to be able to live off the land to some extent. I put a fish net in for salmon, but have ate so much salmon, I've lost the taste for the stuff, kinda like eating too much brocculli. Last fall, our family got 3 moose and a bunch of caribou which provided most of our meat. Trouble is now I like chicken & shrimp more than anything. Too expense to transport scratch & wife doesn't want to move down along the coast. I was once offered a teaching job at Yakutat and wife said no way. You wouldn't believe the seafood free for the taking there. Then I'd probably lose my taste for shrimp too, ha ha.

Re: old time survival skills
 

Thanks for access to the downloads Jack. Interesting reading and alot of good knowledge
that for the most part, only a few still practice or even know about.
Other than those from the Appalacha region.
I'm pretty well surround by it, as alot of people (lol) consider me to be a "hillbilly"!
Been called alot worse,(lol) but when times do get tough(er) or SHTF we'll see who laughi'n
last!
My Grandparents were 'old timers' and didnt much like the "modern ways" even when I was
a kid as they were raised in hard times and had to make due with what they had.
I spent a many of summers at their place growing up and they taugh me alot on how to make due and be happy with what you have. Heck, I still think that in the early '80's they
wernt all to keen with the with the idea of elcetricity.There was always a lamp buring at night mowi'n sigh (spelling) always got used or a hand sickle for trimming.

Re: old time survival skills
 

well i'm off for a week in september to with some friends , give myself a work out , i'll take a knife my machette and a rifle and tinder box and bed roll tea and a billy and a water bag , we'll walk in from the set off point and walk 2-3 days , camp for a day or two and head on back , not real hard to survive where we are heading , lotsa tucker ;) and having tools and being with two koori gents , i think we'll be living well , and coming back with way more than we go in with , but not everyones up for that heck , i'm finding out if i'm still up for that to be honest.. but i hope the info helps , i've seen city kids pass carter courses and advanced survival courses based on book info

i'm thinking about taking some coffee this time though , tea is ok ..

Re: old time survival skills
 

That sounds like a great upcoming trip.

SHTF is a popular topic among the gun owning public here in the USA. There is even a tv show on the cable networks about Doomsday Preppers. And slightly less radical than they is everyone else, who feels the need to have a kit, make a plan, stay informed.

The USA with its precarious financial deficits seems poised to collapse anytime, and this would be a blow to the security of the rest of the English speaking world (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, etc.)

I like to practice my SHTF procedures in the woodlands of the California Sierra Nevada. I have 3 backpack trips planned for the coming year, as well as at least two pre-hunting season recon hikes as well.

I am sure your pack trip will be idyllic. Bring a digital camera so we can all compare notes. Here are a few photos of my neck of the woods.

Re: old time survival skills
 

my pack trip is a bit closer to home ,i'm in Australia so heading a bit north to the black stone mountains area ..

Re: old time survival skills
 

Ah, I see. I misread. Edited my post.

Still dying to see photos from your upcoming trip as well.

Every year, I go to the same place here.

It's a place I discovered on my own where there are many buck deer.

It is a full day's backpack trip to get up there.

Nobody bothers me there.

Not even Thulsa Doom (as Subotai would say, in Conan The Barbarian).

Re: old time survival skills
 

I did a fly in about 15 years back and it rained for 2 weeks. Weathered in, ran outta food; soaked to the bone, couldn't get anything to dry out, and bears kept breakin into what food we still had and chewed holes through the plastic emergency canoe; pretty miserable 10 day hunt. We ate a few rabbits and finally the rain stopped, the moose came out, and I called a couple bulls in. That was the best moose meat I ever ate I do believe, was so hungry. I never forget to take some snares as I can always get a few rabbits whenever I go camping.

The Indians around here eat things I'd never want to and they really consider it good too. They really like them porkys. Gut one sometime, then barbecue over a big fire, the quills all burn off. Porcupines are easy to run down and a man can survive for a while on them if need be.

I have a few places downriver then back in a few miles, nobody around for miles and miles. My favorite places are up on the summits, glassing, and waiting with the 30-378.

Re: old time survival skills
 

Awesome reading Jack,
Appreciate it!

Re: old time survival skills
 

The only thing I miss from Califorina is the Mt's

Re: old time survival skills
 

I'm a redneck hillbilly type from KS and I won't go into what all I've eaten on here, 'less asked. My wife bless her heart (from KC) has tried almost everythin I've et. My thinkin is that BEFORE I need to eat it to survive that I'd best know IF its edible and how to best cook it. Found I like some of it and will eat it if I've got it.

Re: old time survival skills
 

No worries Zane , theres another 7 books in the series

between that and a old farmers almanac, should be most of what folks need to know to scrape through if they put in the effort and have a bit of luck

Re: old time survival skills
 

Well a pretty Chinese girl I used to date said rat meat tastes pretty good and that Americans are just too finicky eaters!

I have had squirrel, which is a tree rat, and that tastes pretty good.

A nice fat tree squirrel was on my balcony snooping around the other day, and I was tempted to string my bow and skewer it. I just did not want to risk the neighbors. In Calif archery is treated the same way as firearms, and you may not shoot archery within the city limits.

But otherwise my state hunting license is good.

Re: old time survival skills
 

The only thing I miss from Florida is the warm ocean waters.

Re: old time survival skills
 

rats ok , nothing to rave about , cat too , its how they cook it

toss in some prime pork or lamb and its great

but roo is real nice , blessed that way with em

Re: old time survival skills
 

I bought three of them in the seventies when the last end of the world came. I bought the one on how to set up a still first! Priorities, you know! Now I can finish my collection. Thanks, Jack.:D

Re: old time survival skills
 

well if it do go bad alcohol will be needed for lotsa stuff

preserving , fuel , trade ,

what would a bottle of scotch be worth in apocalyptic type future .. ?

if like the rationing of ww2 a bottle of scotch was a sheep , butchered and dressed ..

or 10 pound a bottle after the yanks came to town and raised the price from 6 quid ;)

a weeks labourers wages was 5 pound

Re: old time survival skills
 

[QUOTE=Shoobee;925105]Well a pretty Chinese girl I used to date said rat meat tastes pretty good and that Americans are just too finicky eaters!

I have had squirrel, which is a tree rat, and that tastes pretty good.

Yep MOST Americans are. I agree squirrel is good.

jack404 rats ok , nothing to rave about , cat too , its how they cook it

I've had cat and I thought it was good, but a bit stringy.

We should be so finicky most stuff is good IF you know how to cook it. It's just that too many people don't know what they are missing by being diversified. I've had people tell me I am disgusting fer what all I have eaten and I've had people say that they'd come live with me 'cuz they knew they wouldn't starve. Just might not like what they would be eatin but they'd live and that's all they care about.

Re: old time survival skills
 

Great books. My mother used to read them and try different things. Made soap, cooked different critters. Old ground hog was the worst, think we left some glands in it or something. Dad was mad for a week. I raised my sons to survive in the wild. Taught them how to hunt and fish, make a fire in the rain, and a shelter in the snow. It paid off as all three are hard working young men who love the outdoors. Raised them on a cross between the Foxfire books, the boy scout books, and pat mcmanus's stories. Worked for me.
thanks jack.

Re: old time survival skills
 

Thanks for the link Jack!

Re: old time survival skills
 

Great books. I have two in the series gifted from my grandma.

Re: old time survival skills
 

If you always have a knife, then with that and a bootlace you can always make a fire-bow.

I carry extra boot laces with me as part of my survival gear.

And I always always have a knife with me. That is the first thing my father taught me.

Magnesium fires starters are good to have along too.

As well as a couple of butane lighters. They are more reliable than matches.

Warmth being our second most important need, next to only the air that we breathe, being able to start a fire in any conditions is a critical survival factor in any game plan.