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 Advantages of Carrying/Using 18th Century Equipment.

The Advantages of Carrying/Using 18^th Century Equipment.

·      A flintlock smoothbore gun is versatile, you can make fire with the lock without using any gunpowder, you can use various sizes of small shot & round ball, you can if necessary use other projectiles besides lead, you can retrieve lead from shot game & remould it for further use. If the lock should malfunction it is easily repaired with spare springs, if you have no spare springs the lock is easily converted to matchlock.

·      A flintlock rifle has the same advantages as the smoothbore except that it can not use small shot without leading the barrel. A .32 flintlock rifle has more power than a .22 rimfire & is less expensive to shoot.

·      You can purchase an antique flintlock pistol now with no need for licence or registration.

·      Ball moulds can be used as heavy tweezers for removing foreign objects from the body.

·      Gunpowder (Black Powder) can be used to make fire with unprepared plant tinders without wasting ammunition.

·      A trade axe/tomahawk is very versatile. The head is easily removed to be used as a hide scraper, the tomahawk can be thrown for recreation, self defence & hunting. This axe is a good defence weapon for hand to hand fighting, for constructing shelters & traps & for hammering in stakes or wooden pegs. A new helve/handle is easy to make & fit & does not require a wedge to secure the head.

·      The awl is used for making leather items & for repairing leather items. The awl is used to make & repair moccasins.

·      The butcher knife is for skinning & butchering game & can be used for self-defence.

·      The legging knife is a back-up to the butcher knife. If you should dull the edge on your butcher knife you can continue with the legging knife. You do not want to stay around sharpening blades. Your shot may have attracted unwanted attention.

·      The clasp knife is used for camp chores & for making trap triggers. You do not want to use your main blades as utility knives.

·      Flint, steel & tinderbox will enable you to make fire anywhere in all weathers. It will not break or wear out & the process is renewable & sustainable.

·      18^th century woodsrunner’s clothing (men & women) is practicle, protective, hard wearing & renewable.

·      The housewife (sewing kit) is for making & repairing clothing & packs. The needles can be used for removing splinters & if needs be sewing up wounds. The beeswax is used to wax the linen sewing thread & can be used as makeshift tooth fillings.

·      The angling tackle can be used with a rod or set lines, it can also be used for catching ducks & large land fowl. The linen or silk lines can be replaces with hand made cordage made from plant materials. Silk lines can be used as suture thread.

·      The cooking kettle is used for boiling food, boiling water for drinks & sterilising, carrying water & for catching rainwater.

·      Cotton & linen bags can be used for cleaning dirty water before boiling for drinking or adding to your water bottle.

·      Gun tools are used for repairing the lock on your flintlock muzzle-loading gun if needs be, but these locks are very hard wearing. The tools are merely a back-up. The turn screw is used to remove the lock & barrel for cleaning.

·      The whet stone is used to sharpen your blades, as is the metal file though both could have other uses if working with metal.

·      The half-axe is optional & is capable of heavier work than the tomahawk without adding too much weight.

·      An auger is optional & is used for making holes for constructing more permanent dwellings. These augers come in a variety of sizes & weigh very little. Small versions will fit in your pack, where longer versions can be tied to your blanket roll.

·      The sword is also optional but in a hand to hand fight can be very useful. The sword is also used for cutting reeds for shelter & mat construction.

·      The wool blanket is far more versatile than a sleeping bag, & if wet the blanket retains more body heat than a sleeping bag. The pure wool blanket can be used as a matchcoat or a Great Coat & can be used in a sitting position under an oilcloth covering on the trail.

·      The oilcloth shelter is very versatile & can be used in many ways, including use as a rain coat. Used as a lean-to shelter you can use fire for warmth at night & you have good visibility on at least three sides. The lean-to is easy & quick to construct & quickly taken down. It does not need tent poles/rods & it is easy to carry.

Anyone using this equipment is advised to learn the many primitive skills that go with this type of wilderness living. If you are living this 18^th century lifestyle then your level of comfort will never drop below this level. This equipment does not wear out, anything that should break can be repaired or replaces from natural sources. You are also advised to carry a modern medical kit which should include an eye wash glass.

Failed New Australian Survival Forum. But Old One Still Exists.

Because I was not satisfied with present survival forums I attempted to start one myself. This failed miserably. Simply put not enough people were really interested in the forum, even though I bent over backwards to make it interesting & supplied plenty of choices on subjects. It was primarily a Primitive Survival forum, although modern equipment was not left out. Even so I think that most survival preppers & survivalists are not really serious about survival, they like the idea, but are not prepared to go the extra distance. Camping & playing at survival is fun, but this will not get you through a serious shtf situation.

If you can't think of anything more important to carry than modern battery operated equipment & multi-tools along with a ferocerium rod for fire lighting, then in a long term wilderness survival/living situation you are going to be in a lot of trouble. How long do you think this modern equipment will last? What will you do when your hiking boots come apart at the seems? What you need is equipment & methods that are sustainable & to a point renewable, & you need to have skills.

Modern medical supplies & equipment are a priority, no argument there. Modern firearms if they are only used for defence & you can afford to carry them without compromising your ability to hunt are also fine. But if you are only going to carry a modern firearm for hunting & defence, then you will not only need to carry a lot of ammunition, but you will also be putting all your eggs in one basket!!!

If you are serious about survival, if you think there is a possibility that a TEOTWAWKI situation may arise in Australia, then I suggest you check out our forum "The Survival Connection" on our group's 18th century Living History forum at: http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/  We have some good people on this forum, knowledgeable people from all over with whom you can share your knowledge & learn from. 
Regards, Keith.

Advantages of Prepping With an 18th Century Living History Group.

Advantages of Prepping With an 18^th Century Living History Group.

·      Participating in living history activities is fun & educational.

·      Children love living history activities & are able to share the experience with their parents.

·      Children who participate in Historical Trekking become used to carrying their own equipment & getting ready for the trek. IF a shtf situation should arise, the child knows what to do to get ready to leave, no fuss & no worries.

·      As a group member you can train with the local militia which is completely legal & does not attract unwanted attention.

·      You can learn many primitive living & survival skills including flint, steel & tinderbox fire lighting.

·      You can use a variety of period items & learn how to make your own clothing & equipment.

·      You can learn muzzle-loading, archery, sword fighting & tomahawk throwing.

·      You can participate in historical treks & get to actually use your equipment. In this way you are able to choose the right equipment to suit your needs & you will know that it all works.

·      You will learn to set up an oilcloth shelter & construct other primitive shelters.

·      Lone wolves can still take advantage of group membership either by learning from the group instructors, or by participating on the group’s internet forum.

This is the New England Colonial Living History Group 1680-1760 forum address if you are interested:  http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/