(14 December 2013, 00:14)Midnitemo Wrote: [ -> ]thats a cool achievement , is your partner upto your level of bushcraft too....if you mistakenly ate a toxic plant and were laid low with a raging fever and torpor would she be able to function aswell on minimal kit whilst waiting your recovery or demise
Another assumption there mate.
My kit is not minimal. I have a tent, 1kg of beef jerky (she's a veggie so has veggie jerky stuff), about 100 litres worth of water purification tablets, more water purification gear including survival straw, a sleeping bag with 3 liners, a bivi-bag, a space-blanket mylar mummy sleeve (imagine a large sleeping bag liner that's made of space blanket material, tarp (yes a tent and a tarp in the same bag), micro stove, gas for the stove, a small pot/mug thing that holds my cooking gear, and a few other lovely items e.g. spare boxers and socks, toilet paper, soap, as well as thermals in the wife's BOB. Obviously there are the knives and other such that are basic requirements (include chocolate and sanitary products for the wife). Add mobile phone, iPod, solar charger, headphones, UV3-r, Pebble battery pack, and a few other "nice to have's"
The thing is mate, you're making another assumption. My kit is not minimal at all!
I can make a damn good camping area while I go primitive and make a small log shelter/cabin. If any of my gear is broken or ruined that's not a problem because I have the skills. Also the comment with the 'accidentally eat a poisonous....etc' that's why you restrict your diet to the things you know and know well. Of the mushrooms, I can recognise 1 of them PERFECTLY without mistake. The reason being, there is only 1 mushroom in the UK that takes that size and shape, so you can't mistake it for anything else. As for other plants, I only stick to what I know, and I'm learning more everyday! There are some plants that look 'similar' to poisonous plants, I steer well away from both!
Let's play a simple enough game called "Sod's law" again. If you lost your gear or a member of your team was separated from the group. Or your fire starting equipment doesn't work (you lost your flint and steel, lighter isn't lighting, etc) would you and your group be okay? Would that separated member be able to survive?
It's not a walk in the park, living off the land caveman style, but the more you know, the easier it is (which is kind of off the thread now, we'll start another thread to discuss this in a minute). I know that my wife is able to do about 75% of the skills I have and a few I don't have, and 100% of the basics e.g. shelter, water, fire, food (in that order). I also know that she is able to smoke food and air dry it to make jerky that'll last us a long time. She was taught to tickle trout by her uncle and has done so as a kid and can still do so....yes, I think she'd be fine mate (we have a couple of streams here that do have trout for definite).
When I see a back-packer, I look at them and see a scuba diver. They're reliant on their kit. As soon as their kit fails them, they have a short time until they're dead.