The cost & importance of learning. Clubs, Groups & Schools. Plus the advantages & disadvantages.

The cost & importance of learning, clubs, groups & schools. Plus the advantages & disadvantages.

When it comes to long term survival, the skills start with choosing the right clothing & equipment. After that you have to learn how to use that equipment & you need to learn how to manage if you should lose that equipment. Survival schools are generally expensive, this is because they have to put in a lot of time teaching people the skills, & time cost money if you are running a business. Some schools will teach you primitive skills, others will not. Some schools will teach you how to survive if you get lost in the bush, others may teach you how to survive long term. But it will all cost you money.

Bushcraft groups are good & they will teach you some survival skills. Again, some may promote the use of modern tools & equipment, where as others may teach you more primitive skills. In general, you will pay a yearly fee which is used to pay for your insurance cover. Survival groups fall roughly into the same category as the bushcraft groups, a mixed lot which may or may not teach you what you need to know. Basically it depends on the individual members, some will be more knowledgeable than others, but in the long run they can’t teach you what they don’t know themselves.

It is well known that in order to survive long term in a wilderness situation, you will need to learn primitive skills, & your equipment & tools will need to be low tech. Modern equipment is not made to last, batteries will go flat, items will break & wear out. You need sustainable methods & primitive gear. If you start off with pre 19^th century equipment you will never drop below that level of comfort. But if you start off with all modern gear, then sooner or later you will be thrown back into the stone age.

Now let’s look at another kind of club or group, an 18^th century living history group. Most again will charge a yearly membership fee, & it must be said that not all living history groups are equal in the benefits that they offer the survivalist. But, the potential for learning is still there, you simply may have to put in more effort to gather some members together who have the skills that you need to learn.

Our group, the New England Colonial Living History Group does not charge any membership fees or training fees, it is all free. However, we do not carry any insurance either, our members are covered by the Civil Liability Amendment (Personal Responsibility) Bill 2002. For many years I payed for our group insurance out of my own pocket so that lower income families could afford to join our group. Eventually, I had to stop paying out of my own pocket (there never were any accidents or insurance claims). When you think about it we go with groups of friends out bush for various recreational activities, & no one ever questions if there is insurance cover. We all take personal responsibility for ourselves, & we watch out for the safety of others.

The advantages of joining a group like ours is that our activities cover a wide range of interests. We can advise on equipment & clothing, & we teach people all the skills they may need for free. Individuals do not have to participate in any activity if they do not wish to, but remember, in a shtf situation, there will be NO insurance, NO doctors & NO hospitals. If you want to cover yourself, use your money to purchase a good modern medical kit & take it to group meetings. Also carry a personal first aid kit in your pack. That way if you cut yourself or smack yourself in the head whilst learning archery, you can patch yourself up & keep going.

Kids in general love participating in living history. It is an opportunity to do something which is fun & educational & they get to share this experience with there parents or carers. In shooting clubs, archery clubs & fishing clubs you will learn only so much, very little of what you do learn will prepare you for survival. In a group like ours though you get to learn everything; you learn what is the best equipment & how to use it. You learn how to repair your equipment & in the case of archery & fishing, you learn how to make your own from scratch with no modern tools.

Some living history groups have splinter groups such as a militia group where you can learn battle tactics. Some groups are purely Ranger groups & again, battle training is a normal part of their activities on top of all the other skills you can learn. All Living History groups are family oriented, so all the family gets to join in one way or another. On top of all this learning & training, living history groups are a lot of fun. If you are serious about long term wilderness survival, I recommend you inquire in your area for a living history group, be it medieval period or 18^th century or somewhere in between.
Keith.

Our Group's Official Forum: http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/  

You will also find links to other groups in other areas & countries on our forum.

The Survival Value Of Oral And Written Traditions, By K.B. A Link.

http://carolynbaker.net/2012/03/24/the-survival-value-of-oral-and-written-traditions-by-k-b/#comment-1534

Misinformation, Pride, & Jealousy. The bane of forums.

Misinformation, Pride, & Jealousy. The bane of forums.

Forums are good for sharing & learning, but unfortunately it is my experience that on nearly every forum there are people that for one reason or another make participating on the forum an unpleasant experience. In my experience there are three types of person which should not be allowed on a forum, 1) those that spread misinformation. These people have very little real experience in the field that the forum represents, yet they want people to think that they are very knowledgeable, so they make lots of posts which are mostly bullshit & misinformation. This not only poses a danger for newbies who are trying to learn the ropes, but it can also cause beginners to spend money on items that are not of any real use.

2) Prideful people who think they know more than they really do & are not prepared to admit they are wrong. These people will never learn anything new, because they hate being wrong to the extent that they will defend themselves by totally discounting any new information that contradicts their own beliefs. What is worse is that they will try to prove you wrong & make out that you don’t know what you are talking about. Whilst these types of people are pretty harmless, they can be annoying & stressful & are best avoided.

 3) Jealous people; these people think they know it all & will never listen to reason. If they come across a post that indicates that their own beliefs are wrong, then they will discount the information & post comments that are rude & often spiteful. They hate to think that anyone should know more than they do. Like the prideful person these people will never admit to learning anything new, especially if it contradicts their own beliefs.

What To Do.

There is no point trying to help these people, to try & educate them is a futile & stressful experience. The best thing you can do is go to your control panel on the forum & list these people on your “Ignore” list. In this way you will no longer see their posts or their replies to your posts.

Others that will not learn.

These are people who are totally harmless to others but do pose a threat to themselves. They are not really into the finer points of what the forum is all about, but they do find participation fun. They purchase gear that is not suitable & not sustainable & having purchased this equipment they are not about to admit that they have made a mistake. Again, they will defend their choices & beliefs by discounting any other advice or recommendations. You can simply ignore these people or you can add them to your “Ignore” list. These people rarely cause any problem on a forum, & are not usually the sort of people to pursue an argument or try & put anyone down, but occasionally some of them will!

Best of luck on your forums.
Incidentally, the ONLY forum I have come across to date that does not suffer this problem is one that I started & run myself. I have to date NEVER had to reprimand someone or cancel their membership. They are the best people I have ever come across & I am proud to have them all on my forum. This forum is an 18^th century Living History forum & you can find it here:

http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/