Let's play a game...
A Survival game. I give you some information, and you tell me what you would do. I will take your information and let you know what has changed. What were the results of your efforts? The benefits or consequences of your efforts. We continue along, back and forth, you, explaining your actions; me, describing the results, which may include random, unexpected events.
My results will be based on good old knowledge, experience and confidence in the actions. Coincidentally, you will begin this quest, but rating yourself on some different skills of survival. You will rate your knowledge of the subject, the experience you have had practicing or implementing this skill and your confidence in how you can use this skill in the current scenario.
For the first two traits, you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5. For the confidence trait you will prioritize each skill as to whether it is a priority A, B or C. A being essential/very useful, B being useful and C being nice to have.
So, you want to play?
Let's do Skills first. For each of the following woodcraft skills, assign a knowledge factor, an experience factor and a confidence/priority factor.
Scenario introduction:
It is late July. The temperature has been in the 80s in the day and dropping to the 60s at night for the last week. You are heading to the eastern woodlands, the trees are full and the streams are still flowing, but some springs have gone dormant.
The plan is to park at a remote trailhead in a vast wilderness area that has plenty of trails, but the blazing is sporadic at best and nonexistent more than not. The forecast for the next five days are typical for a summer day. Daytime temperatures in the 80's with a chance of scattered thunderstorms each day.
You will travel by foot to an area that is perfect for camping and has a nice swimming hole for cooling off and a nice waterfall for atmosphere. The hike is only about five miles in. You plan on staying a few days in the area, enjoying the flora and fauna and then you will hike back to the car and head home. You are hiking alone.
In the section below, rate your skills as to your knowledge, experience and confidence for the above scenario introduction. Think carefully and try to be honest with yourself.
1. Fire Making
2. Shelter Building
3. Navigation and map skills
4. Water gathering and disinfecting
5. First Aid
6. Weather Signs
7. Edible Plants
8. Snare/Trap Making
9. Cordage Making
10. Sharp Object Skills
11. Positive Attitude
Now we need to select your gear. For this scenario, since it is a planned multi-overnight trip, we will concede that you have a shelter (tent, tarp or hammock, depending on your preference), sleeping gear, such as a sleeping bag and pad, quilt or wool blanket and a pack to carry everything in.
List up to ten gear items that you wouldn't want to forget. You may bring more than 10 items and we may flush those out later, but remember that you have to carry everything on your back, but only list ten for now.
First, state your shelter type and sleeping gear choice and then list up to ten other items that you would bring. The pack also is assumed to be a standard sized pack in the 50 to 70 liter range. This isn't fantasy. The pack has a limit and also there is no magic in this realm, except possibly Trail Magic.
If you want to start telling a story of how you rated yourself and the gear choices you made and why you made them, that will just add color to this little... game...
If I get any comments... This will continue... or maybe I'm just talking to the Internets and we all know the Internets can't hear...
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