It is only normal that you should want, and even need, to know the basis of the information that you are getting. After all, you are trusting your life with this information.
My name is Elmer Whitten. My love of the wilderness and outdoor living began as a child.
As a Boy Scout, I earned every survival badge that was available and as many merit badges as I could. I was very fortunate that our family lived out of the city (Los Angeles) … we lived in the Angeles National Forest.
The house we lived in was located in the semi-wilderness and I was able to learn and practice my outdoor skills every day. Not as a matter of survival, but as one of the only forms of recreations that we had. We did not have a TV, there weren’t any computers, and the closest neighbor was over 5 miles away. Our main heat source was a fireplace; gathering wood and starting the fire were a daily task. I not only learned, but was able to practice several methods of fire-starting and fire management every day … with and without matches or lighters.
Every boy likes building “forts” and tree houses, and this was the perfect world for young boys. Being in this environment, my brothers and I built all forms of wilderness shelters; we used to have contests to see who could build the best, the fastest, and the most inventive. Among our other games was the building of tools and toys; we made stone tools, bows and arrows, slings and slingshots, snares, traps, deadfalls, hats and shoes, pouches and canteens … the one hard-and-fast rule … everything had to be made from natural materials that we must find in the field … and the items had to be completely functional.
When I was a teenager our family moved to Nebraska. This move gave me the chance to learn to hunt, track, and trap. I became proficient in the art of food-gathering. We had a great garden and there were many edible plants in the pastures and old abandoned homesteads. Still without a TV, I studied and practiced the “Primitive Arts”. This environment gave me the opportunity to learn and practice winter outdoor skills and survival tactics, as well as the building of snow shelters.
When I graduated High School I joined the United States Marine Corps (oohrah). I was an infantry rifleman. Upon completion of my Survival Training in the Philippines (as well as Escape and Evasion training), I received additional Combat Survival training in Okinawa; the ability to survive behind enemy lines without resupply. As a Marine I was trained and qualified as a Forward Observer … the use of map and compass to call in Artillery, Navel Gunfire, and Air Strikes (I can call in supporting fire with an accuracy of 10 sq. meters … about the size of a 10 ft circle); we didn’t have the technology to “Paint the target”, we had to use manual calculations and physical map and compass skills. The final year of my military service was spent teaching Land Navigation (map and compass), Tracking, Evasion, Cover and Concealment, and Survival.
My most recent use and application of these skills were as a member of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s Search and Rescue (Arizona). As a Seven-Year member of the Search and Rescue Team our most common call-out was to locate and rescue/recover lost or stranded hikers, hunters, and campers. Our secondary mission was to instruct outdoor and survival skills (Mountain and Desert, summer and winter).
As you can see, I have not only trained, lived, and survived in jungle, mountain, desert, and plains … I have taught others to do so as well.
I find it distressing, but entertaining, to watch the TV Survival shows … generally, if you follow their lead you will suffer greatly or die. Notice on these “Shows” that they travel with support teams and post a disclaimer “don’t try this at home”.
You need to learn tried-and-true survival skills that you can trust your life with, which I hope you practice often and never NEED. The greatest result of learning and practicing outdoor and survival skills … the more proficient you become, the less equipment and supplies you must carry.
