Survivalist titles
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Previous message: mailto:michael_o._patterson@HUD.GOV: "Re: Robinson Crusoe- A Challenge to Subscribers"
Message-ID: <9901059155.AA915547655@hudsmtphq.hud.gov>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 09:39:19 -0500
From: mailto:michael_o._patterson@HUD.GOV
Subject: Robinson Crusoe
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
To: Wilbur Streett <mailto:wstreett@mail.monmouth.com> AT INTERNET@CCMAILDOM
cc:
Subject: Re: Robinson Crusoe
The Apache Sacred Order was "Shelter, Water, Fire, Food"
on a tropical island, you can violate it. In a snowstorm, you will
die if
you violate it.
Beyond that, there are basic tools that would be helpful. If you
assume
that you can't have tools, then you are in a Stone Age technology.
The
Bulletin of Primitive Technology [POB 903,
Resburg, ID 83440] is one place to start. Tom Brown, Jr., and several
British SAS folks,
have authored books on survival technology. Avoid books by people who
haven't lived the skills, you risk your life.
Linda Runyon and Tom Brown, Jr., are among folks who have identified
the
top 50 and 100 edible wild plants. Interestingly, they are generally
more
nutritious than anything in the grocery store, and generally more
prolific. There are many, many books on herbalism, from John
Christopher
to Richard Schultze to many, many others.
Reader's Digest used to put out a coffee table book on basic
technology.
19th century formularies are very interesting, as they were written
for
people who "did it themselves".
You really don't know anything, though, until you've been in a full
survival situation. It is quite an eye-opener. Cordage is easy
enough to
make, but it takes time. A fishing net, in a survival situation, is
an
investment comparable to a car.
A short listing, which desperately needs updating, follows, of some
resources. Absolutely no endorsement of any product or contractor is
implied by sharing this info, this is FYI only as examples of what is
available.
Also, no book can tell you everything. If, for example, you go
hunting,
you want to do it on an empty stomach, but I've never seen that in any
book. Also, Stone Age living is based on a radically different world
view, which is difficult to communicate in print. "Journey to the
Ancestral Self", by Tamarack Song, is an example of this world view.
A
bow that you buy in a store is
a bow. If you make it yourself, with power tools, it is an artifact.
If
you use hand tools, of metal,
you start to feel its life, and if you make it with stone tools, it
becomes an extension of your arm.
That makes no sense until you have felt it in your body. Stone Age
technology is very kinesthetic, most of it makes no sense until you
experience it. I studied flintknapping for years, and it looked so
difficult. I was shown how to do it in 2 minutes, and turned out a
usable
arrowhead in the following 20 minutes.
RESOURCE LIST TO SUPPORT LOW COST YOUTH PROGRAMS [Stone Age
Technology]
DRAFT
OF FEBRUARY, 1996
This listing is probably very incomplete, especially with the
explosion of
books being published in these areas nowadays. Try your public
library
first. If you can't find the specific book
you want, at least search the subject area on the shelves. There
might be
another book there even better for your purposes. Some of the authors
below have written many books. If you
really like one book, try looking up the author's name in Books in
Print,
which many libraries and bookstores have, to see what else they've
written. Books below are listed in the first
category that applies. They might fit others as well. Always try
your
library first.
RESOURCE GROUPS:
MAGAZINES/PERIODICALS
REMAINDER BOOKSTORES [which can be a great way to find skills books]
STORYTELLING
SCHOOLS
EQUIPMENT
BOOKS
BASKETRY
BOWS
METALWORKING
PLANT USE
TECHNOLOGY, GENERAL
STONEWORK
SURVIVAL TECHNOLOGY
TRACKING, ANIMAL
MAGAZINES/PERIODICALS
Bulletin of Primitive Technology Society of Primitive Technology,
POB 903
Resburg, ID 83440-0903
STORYTELLING
[this is how cultural values are passed on, even today, and is one of
the
very few
forms of entertainment available in a Stone Age culture. The entire
universe of meaning
is formed by stories, and I would make it part of any survival
program.]
National Assn. for the Presvn & Perpetuation of Storytelling POB 309,
Jonesboro, TN 37659-9983
Yellow Moon Press, POB 1316, Cambridge, MA 02238-1316 (800) 497-4385
orders, (617) 776-2230 Storytelling Books and tapes
Story Stone/Another Place, Rt. 123, Greenville, NH 03048
SCHOOLS others listed in Bulletin of Primitive Technology
Pathways School Of Primitive Living Skills, 3 Grandview Ave,
Stockholm,
NJ 07460
Tracker School, Tom Brown, Tracker, Inc., POB 173, Asbury, NJ
08802-0173
Prairie Wolf, POB 96, Randolph, KS 66554-0096
The Fiber Studio, 9 Foster Hill Rd., POB 637, Henniker, NH 03242-0637
(603) 428-7830
ASD, POB 28, Danville, VT 05828-0028 Tapes of Conventions from:
Goodkind
of Sound, Rt 3 Box 365AA
Sylva, NC 28779, annual conference in August.
Karlis Povisils, POB 747, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060-0747, 609 589 9114
Two Suns Earth School, Rt 1, Box 318, Fulks Run, VA 22830, 703 867
9338
Blazing Star School, POB 6, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370-0006 (413)
625-6875
SAGE, POB 420, E. Barre, VT 05649-0420
EQUIPMENT
Capotes, Hudson Bay type blankets/Oilcloth:
Mound Builder Arts & Trading Co., POB 702, Branson, MO 65616-0702
NW Traders, 5055 W. Jackson Rd, Enon, OH 45323, (513) 767 9244
Western Trading Post, POB 9070, Denver, CO 80209-0070, (303) 777 7752
Johnson Woolen Mills, Johnson, VT 05656, Spec. Hudson Bay Point
blankets
Allen Weaving Co. 501 W. Fayette St. Syracuse, NY 13204 [oilcloth,
Australian drover's coat patterns][good poncho material to cover
capotes
with]
Woolen Clothing:
David Morgan, 11812 N. Creek Parkway N., Suite 103, Bothell, WA 98011
800 324 4934 206 485 2132
Gohn Bros., POB 111, 105 S. Main St., Middlebury, IN 46540-0111,
(219)
825-2400
Drycleaners- some sell items left more than 30 days
Sheepgate, Otis Stage Rd [Rt 23], Blandford, MA 01008, (413) 848-0990
wool batting
MUSEUMS
Check w/ your State's Tourism bureau for these. Many museums offer
skills
courses
BOOKS
The Wholesale by Mail Catalog. New York: Harper & Row. mailto:@ least 30%
off
list price.
The Next Whole Earth Catalog.
Journey to the Ancestral Self Song, Tamarack. Station Hill Press,
1994.
BASKETRY
Natural Basketry. C & D. Hart. New York: Watson Guptill Publ., 1976.
Fiber Basketry H. Richardson. Kenthurst, NSW, Australia: Kangaroo
Press,
1989.
The Nature of Basketry E. Rossbach. W.Chester, PA:Schiffer, 1986.
BOWS
The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vols. 1-3. Ed. Jim Hamm. Publ Bois
d'Arc
Press, POB 233, Azle, TX 76098-0233 distr. by Lyons & Burford, 31
W. 21
St., NY, NY 10010. His
Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans is also good, though he says
the
Bowyer's Bibles are better.
The Bent Stick. P. Comstock. POB 1102, Delaware, OH 43015, $12.
The Bowyer's Craft. J. Massey. POB 429, Girdwood, AK 99587-0429 $19.
METALWORKING
The Making of Tools. A. Weygers. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co.,
1973.
PLANT USE
Stokes Nature Guides: A guide to Nature in Winter. D. Stokes.
Boston:
Little, Brown & Co.,
Peterson Field Guides:
Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. S. Foster. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin
Co., 1990.
Edible Wild Plants. L. Peterson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1977.
Edible Wild Plants. T.S. Elias. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.,
1990.
Audubon Society Nature Guide: Eastern Forests. A. & M. Sutton. New
York:
Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
Handbook of Edible Wild Plants. Gibbon.
Weeds in Winter. Brown
The Tree Identification Book. Symonds
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Moore.
Linda Runyon, Wild Foods Co., 13239 Shadow Hills Dr., Sun City West,
AZ
85735, (602) 933-8675, offers perhaps the most concise & useful
guides;
her field guide is awaiting printing.
New Age Herbalist. Richard Mabey.
TECHNOLOGY, GENERAL
Foxfire Books:
The Foxfire Book, Vol. 1-6. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1972.
The New England Indians. C.K. Wilbur. Chester, CT: Globe Pequot
Press.
Survival Skills of North American Indians P. Goodchild. Chicago
Review
Press, 1984.
Pioneer Book of Nature Crafts H.G. Metcalf. NY: Citadel, 1974.
A Brief and True Report of the Newfound Land of VA T. Harriot. NY:
Dover, 1972, reprint of 1590 edition.
Survival Arts of the Primitive Paiutes M. Wheat. Reno: University of
Nevada Press, 1967.
Indian Fishing H. Stewart. Seattle, WA: University of Washington
Press,
1977.
Indian Handcrafts C.K. Wilbur. Chester, CT: Globe Pequot, 1990.
Crafts of the North American Indians R. Schneider. Stevens Pt.,
Wisconsin: 1972. [Also: craft books of the Iroquois, Ojibwa,
Blackfeet,
and Pueblo.]
Bushcraft R. Graves. NY: Warner, 1978.
Iroquois Crafts Iroqrafts, RR2, Ohswekon, Ontario, CANADA N0A1M0,
1988,
reprint of 1945 edition.
Iroquois Foods Same as above, reprint of 1916, 1977.
Naked into the Wilderness J. McPherson. Prairie Wolf, POB 96,
Randolph,
KS 66554-0096. 1993.
Woodcraft and Camping B. Mason. NY: Dover, 1974, reprint of 1939.
Camping and Woodcraft H. Kephart. Knoxville, TN: University of
Tennessee
Press, 1988, reprint of 1917 edition.
Northern Bushcraft M. Kochanski. Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA: Lone
Pine Pub
lishers, 1987.
Wildwood Wisdom E. Jaeger. Bolinas, CA: Shelter Publications, distr.
Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 1992, reprint of 1945.
STONEWORK
The Art of Flintknapping. D.C. Waldorf.
SURVIVAL TECHNOLOGY
Tom Brown's Field Guides [TBFG]:
TBFG to Wilderness Survival TBFG to Nature Observation and Tracking
TBFG to City and Suburban Survival TBFG to Living with the Earth
TBFG to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants TBFG to the Forgotten
Wilderness
New York: Berkley Books, various years.
The Tracker, The Search, The Vision, The Quest, The Journey,
Grandfather
John McPherson's Primitive Wilderness Skills series:
books, Videos: Naked into the Wilderness Deer from Field to Freezer
American Indian Survival Skills. W. Ben Hunt. New York: Meredith
Press,
1991. Adapted from The Complete How-To Book of Indiancraft.
TRACKING, ANIMAL
Stokes Nature Guides: A guide to Animal Tracking and Behavior. D. &
L.
Stokes. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1986.
Peterson Field Guides: Animal Tracks. O. Murie. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin
Co., 1954.
Tracking and the Art of Seeing. Paul Rezendes
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN. IT IS FREE, AND CAN
OCCUPY
THEM FOR HOURS. THE APACHE STARTED THEIR CHILREN OUT TRACKING
MICE AND ANTS, WHICH CAN BE FOUND MOST ANYWHERE.
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU AT INTERNET@CCMAILDOM
cc: (bcc: Michael O. Patterson/HSNG/HAR/HUD)
Subject: Robinson Crusoe
Let's see.. if I end up stranded on an island, without any resources,
the
first thing that I would do is look at the environment and try to
figure
out the basic essentials.
Food, water, shelter..
The people with me would already be educated and have their own
opinions
about how things should be done, so I don't think that I'll have the
opportunity to dictate to them what doctrines they should follow in
attempting to build a sustainable environment.
The first thing that I'd do is find out what they already know and
what
skills they bring to the effort. I'd find out their names, what their
general background is. I'd try to find out if they want to
participate or
not in the creation of a sustainable environment. Then I'd try to
form
some sort of consensus as to what the tasks are that need to be done
and
the priorities..
A book about the types of food that I'm likely to find would probably
be
helpful. Maybe one of the general survival style books..
Given the scenario, there's not much else that can be specified as far
as
books, doctrines, etc.. I don't know what sort of people I'm with,
and I
don't know what sort of resources are available on the Island. What
sort
of tools did I bring with me?
The reality is that given the scenario, the question of "what books"
and
what education being asked inside this particular medium is bound to
be
misleading. Education in the traditional context would be almost
useless.
Books aren't going to help the people get along, and no one is going
to
abide by what is written in the books. If the people that I'm with
require a book then they probably aren't going to be very helpful in
the
creation of a sustainable environment. Education in terms of physical
ability, ability to work with tools is going to be much more useful.
Education in terms of socialization is more important. That's the
"education" that I'd like to see them have.
The question of "what books" in a text based media is likely to create
false conclusions. Only 2 people out of 100 can learn from a text
book
sufficiently to pass a college course. With those sorts of
statistics, I
wouldn't be basing anything that I'd be doing on "books".
Yes, books would be useful in those areas where I don't have specific
knowledge, like what sort of food is edible, but the assertion of
being
able to "select" books means that I'd have previous knowledge of the
location and the fact of the creation of a sustainable environment,
and
then I would base the selection of books specifically on the
environment
that I would end up in. You don't say how many people, how much time,
whether contact with the outside world is possible or not. How much
do I
get to bring in from the outside world? Can I bring along an Oil
Tanker
and a pre-fab house? Or is this a "naked and alive" scenario?
But since the scenario is made up, not much meaning can be found
anyway.
Or put another way, what education would I want the people to have?
Having done it before.
Wilbur
--------------------------------------------
Putting A Human Face On Technology ;-)
--------------------------------------------
Next message: Ernani Sartori: "(no subject)"
Previous message: mailto:michael_o._patterson@HUD.GOV: "Re: Robinson Crusoe- A Challenge to Subscribers"
no subject
Date: 2004-02-18 01:09 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-19 08:45 pm (UTC)I'm also interested in Seasteading and the Free State Project. For a potential sea-steader, the relevance is obvious -- what do you do when your supply lines are disrupted? Similarly, I expect that if the FSP enjoys a modicum of success, the Federal government will implement some sort of trade sanctions. The more self-sufficient you are, the less susceptible to such pressure you will be.
Finally, natural disasters and global wars are not unheard of in the past century. Although the U.S. is currently at the height of global power, large scale war is still possible. Hunry, illpaid soldiers still control the Russian nuclear arsenal, and Pakistani/North Korean nutjobs also control nuclear weapons. A nuclear war would have a devastating effect on the U.S. economy, resulting in shortages, riots, etc. While I think the prospect of such a war is currently fairly remote, I would still rather be prepared if it does happen. And preparing for such a war would also prepare one for many other kinds of disasters, including personal disasters (bankruptcy, loss of job, etc.).