Combat Hunter Series: 1. the seven deadly sins.

I have decided to do a bit of a changeup, in both my writing and the lesions I share… We’ve covered most of the basics on outdoorsmenship… now it’s time to take it to the next level…to do that I can only teach you what I know… and what I know best is how to be a Combat Hunter…A Marine Combat hunter is not just a lean green fighting machine… he or she, is also a forager a path finder, recon, planner, organizer, teacher, guide and a million and one other little things that come up, out in the field…Realistically I cannot teach you to be a Marine Combat Hunter with just a few internet posts… regardless of how good my writing skills may be…All I can hope to accomplish is add to your ever growing list of brushcraft skills and inject a few common combat skills to augment your chances of survival…

Before we start this lesion I want all you to start putting together your Combat Hunter field kit…
A smallish belt pouch or fanny pack will suffice.
It should contain a small folding knife, a small compass, a signaling mirror, a whistle for signaling, fishing line, hooks, three or four lures, snare wire, a waterproof container of strike-anywhere matches, a flint and steel for starting fires, a container of waterproof and wind-resistant matches, two cubes of chemical fire starter or char cloth in case no dry tinder can be found, needles and strong thread, and a couple of sticks of freeze-dried meat or salami.

Besides this field kit a Combat hunter should carry on his/her person a good knife plus a fairly sophisticated compass and a small pocket stone in a leather sheath for touching up the Knife’s edge. A knifeless man is a lifeless man!

The very first lesion to be a successful Combat hunter is proper mind set… To know and recognize your own limitations… To see in yourself and other’s… those things that can keep you alive or cost you your life….I’m not going to treat you like children, I assume were all adults here… so to kick off this new series of mine I want to talk about the seven deadly sins in survival… and they are

Fear
Loneliness
Pain
Cold
Fatigue
Hunger
Thirst

Singly or in combination, they can rob you of your self-confidence or, even worse, of your desire to struggle for life.



Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. Only a fool is never afraid. The point is to control your
fear and not let it get control of you. If the feeling of panic or fear starts to creep up on
you, think of positive things …. Your ability as an outdoorsman…. your skill in the woods…A
man on the verge of panic cannot think logically…. He is prone to rash actions that may be
foolhardy and dangerous…If your too focused on what might be coming up behind you might miss the deep ravine or ambush that’s right in front of you… if you’re in charge of a party and you notice fear starting to take hold in other’s… you need to step in right away and take control… talk to them… Alay their fear by sharing your thoughts, your plan… Make them understand as long as you all work together everything will be just fine…Whatever you do, don’t ignore it…Fear will spread like wildfire consuming everything and everyone.

Loneliness is a second cousin to fear… They frequently travel together…. The worst thing
about loneliness is that it strikes without warning... Suddenly you realize that you are
alone…. This will gnaw at you, lowering your resistance and vitality…. If you feel loneliness
coming on, keep busy … sing, whistle to yourself, go out and gather food, do anything to
keep your mind off the fact that you are alone…I do make a habit in talking to myself… Mostly because I’m the only one I know who listens… surely my kids don’t…I do have some good stories… but when I’m alone in the woods or out on the dessert… the sound of human voice is its own form of comfort… Oddly enough you can be surrounded by hundreds of people and still feel loneliness… that is an early indication of depression….if that takes hold… you’re halfway to being dead… the best cure… try to stay busy…

Pain is nature's signal that something is wrong…Usual cause… you did something stupid… In moments of excitement, you may not feel pain…like when someone is shooting at you…. But when things calm down a bit, pain surfaces…. Tend to your wounds, but do not let pain get the best of you… It can weaken the desire to go on…Keep walking… it’s a lot harder to get moving again after you stop… Runners call this “The Wall”… when you hurt so badly and your mind tells you to quit…but you keep going… and just like breaking down a wall… that feeling is gone and you’re halfway to the finish line… Yes Pain is there to tell you to take it easy… be more careful… don’t do any more stupid s**t… but like anything else pain can be overcome…

Cold can be a severe threat to survival. It numbs the spirit as well as the body... If you are out in the winter months, plan your shelter and fire in such a way as to minimize the effects of cold temperatures. A person freezes to death only when he is overly tired and sleepy; otherwise the cold will not let him fall asleep… Frostbite can cost you fingers, toes; even the tip of your nose…but of all the seven deadly sins, cold is the easiest to overcome… In an emergency, ammunition can be used to start a fire. How? It's easy. Simply remove the bullet or shot and wad from a round, and pour half the powder into a bed of tinder. Then place a bit of cotton, soft cloth, or dry moss or lichens into the cartridge as wadding… Don’t replace the bullet… Fire the gun, at fair distance, towards your fire-pit… The wadding should burst into flames and can then be placed on the tinder... FYI… if you hold the barrel up against the tinder all you’ll manage to do is scatter your tinder everywhere…

Fatigue reduces mental ability… It can make you thoughtless and uncaring. Fatigue is not always the result of overwork or overexertion. Many times it is the result of a mental attitude… frustration, hopelessness, or lack of a plan…. Do not exert yourself, but keep making plans as to how to survive the crisis… Did you know the most common malady on the battle field is not gunshot wounds but simple mental exhaustion…

Hunger makes all of us more susceptible to cold, pain, and fear. A man/woman with a full belly rarely loses his optimism. Conserve your food and, if you get a chance, add fish, game, and edible plants to your larder… Set snares, build a fish trap, pick some berries… in North America there are only two types of tree bark that are uneatable… it may not taste great but there’s no excuse to go hungry. Remember that any bird or mammal can be eaten… even such fur-bearing animals as mink, martens, fishers, foxes and wolves. The various ground squirrels, marmots, and woodchucks are all edible. Animals like otters, lynx, bobcat, and cougar have a reputation of being very tasty. Owls are said to be indistinguishable from grouse in a stew pot…If you let yourself go hungry it’s probably because your suffering from one of the other, deadly sins.

Thirst can be maddening. It can dull the mind and promote panic. A man can survive a week or longer without food, but not without water. In dry country, do not leave a water source. Beware of dehydration even when there is plenty of water around you… Be proactive… build a solar still... set out cans to collect rain water… if you find a dry wash… look for damp spots … that’s where you dig… and where you’ll find water close to the surface.…

Those are the seven deadly sins of survival… Now that you know them, you have learn to see them in yourself and those around you… Well there you go… you have taken your first step as a Combat Hunter… that was the easy part… the real challenges are yet to come…

reply to post by DaddyBare



Explanation: S&F!

So to summarize...

No Fear = Thinking positive thoughts!
No Loneliness = Focusing on the job of saving lives!
No Pain = Being more careful and taking ones time to get things right! Recovery is an on going process!
No Cold = Knowing basic fire making skills [HINT: Fire Piston] and or blanket weaving skills!
No Fatigue = Having and or sticking to the plan!
No Hunger = Storing and eating what ever is available and edible!
No Thirst = Collecting, distilling, filtering and then drinking our own pee + any other local water supply!

Personal Disclosure: Uhmmm? What are the 7 saintly virtues of survival?

reply to post by OmegaLogos

Personal Disclosure: Uhmmm? What are the 7 saintly virtues of survival?

Hummm...
number one... keep your pants on... no one wants to see you naked????


good to be back... was having ATS withdrawls there ya know

Originally posted by OmegaLogos
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

Explanation: S&F!

So to summarize...

No Fear = Thinking positive thoughts!
No Loneliness = Focusing on the job of saving lives!
No Pain = Being more careful and taking ones time to get things right! Recovery is an on going process!
No Cold = Knowing basic fire making skills [HINT: Fire Piston] and or blanket weaving skills!
No Fatigue = Having and or sticking to the plan!
No Hunger = Storing and eating what ever is available and edible!
No Thirst = Collecting, distilling, filtering and then drinking our own pee + any other local water supply!

Personal Disclosure: Uhmmm? What are the 7 saintly virtues of survival?

Distilling takes quite a bit of liquid for the beneficial outcome. i do not think you will get much with just your pee.

2nd line

Ohhh, DB I've am self admitted fan of pretty much every thread you've started but I'm really looking forward to this "series."

S+F of course

reply to post by PW229


I'm really looking writing it... I already posted number 2
sorry if it got a little long... sometimes I dont know when to stop...

reply to post by Eavel


Explanation: Sure! Drink it straight then! It is not recommended to do so though ok!

Urine: Survival uses [wiki]

Numerous survival instructors and guides, including the US Army Field Manual, advise against drinking urine for survival. These guides explain that drinking urine tends to worsen, rather than relieve dehydration due to the salts in it, and that urine should not be consumed in a survival situation, even when there is no other fluid available. In hot weather survival situations, where water is also hard to find, soaking cloth in urine (a shirt for example) and putting it on one's head can help cool the body.

Personal Disclosure: Every little bit helps when out in the wild!

reply to post by Eavel


Okay so Distilling is not the best...
but doing nothing to correct you situation... that my friend is fatal

reply to post by DaddyBare


I'm certainly not going to sit here and criticise how you decide to release your threads but I will say this, "Don't rush it." Maybe a thread a day? Give you some decent time to edit etc. I started a series myself many moons ago:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Never bothered carrying on with the series though, wished I had now.

Great thread DB.
I really enjoy reading your threads and posts.
I have learned alot, and taken a new perspective on a few things thanks to your words.



I would offer to add, I personally prefer a couple of bic lighters ( however, I do have a firesteel/mag firestarter) over WP matches.
I used to make Waterproof matches when I was a scout by dipping Stike-anywhere kitchen matches in fingernail polish.
* warning!! married men ask permission before using your wife's fingernail polish.. if you like yer meals hot.
Mini bics will give you alot more dependable strikes than a pocket full of macthes, they are cheap, light, tiny,and dependable.
Even wet, the flints can be dried in a few minutes by blowing on them.


I also personally try to avoid eating many plants in the wild. In north america, if it has fur or feathers, it's edible. all freshwater fish as well.
We have a ton of plants that will kill you (or worse) if you eat them

Unless I am intimately familiar with the specific plants in the area I am in.. I avoid them at all costs.

In the desert and hot humid countries covering the head with a cloth or hat will keep the brain cooler helping you think clearer. I have seen many a guy "loose his cool" by simply not wearing a hat in the sun it 's very simple. If you can dip your head in water it helps the thinking process and remove the heat fog. Heat fog leads to irritability and in Australia we call the condition going Tropo.

Great tips as always. I look forward to reading your next post/article

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by Eavel

 

Okay so Distilling is not the best...
but doing nothing to correct you situation... that my friend is fatal

Absolutely, first bodily filter is drinkable., second is salt riddled and will dehydrate you!

Better solution? Goodand small filtration system. Then boil the water. Dont have to lug around gallons of water and the filter is light. i have one that will do 300 gallons before filter change. cost me 50 bucks and weighs about 1 pound.

reply to post by Eavel


Explanation: Starred!

Personal Disclosure: I agree! I'd also suggest a simple large plastic bag and something to tie it closed around some appropriate flora's foliage in the sun to collect water with!

I am surprised "heat" is not on the list.

Where I live I don't have to worry about cold very often but the heat will kill you quick.

It will wear you out and fatigue you where you make really bad decisions.

95 - 115 degree weather will take most people down in a hurry and if you don't have a water source then you are in serious trouble.

reply to post by DaddyBare


Hi DB. I also heard that pine nuts are a good source of food. But how would you get them out of the pine cones? Yes...I really would like to know. Also in a pinch I was told that you could boil pine needles as a veggie. I haven't tried this, but will if I could find out that it's true or not...

reply to post by DaddyBare


Yet again DaddyBare, a superb and well written post. I am glad there are people like you writing the things you do so we are all able to take on board what adice you pass down.

Thanks again

reply to post by maryjo44


Pine cones should be roasted near a fire on a large, flat rock. The heat will open the cone allowing the seeds to pop out.
You don't eat pine needles, you boil them to make tea that is quite tasty and high in vitamin C. You can chew them and swallow the juice but eating the needles is not recommended.
Keep 'em coming Daddybare.
You always have some great insights to share.
Thanks!

Originally posted by maryjo44
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

Hi DB. I also heard that pine nuts are a good source of food. But how would you get them out of the pine cones?

Yes...I really would like to know. Also in a pinch I was told that you could boil pine needles as a veggie. I haven't tried this, but will if I could find out that it's true or not...

Nut's yes needles no...
God has it really been three years since I posted my thread on pinon (Pinyon) nut harvesting???
2009...I guess it has... anyway...
go read this www.abovetopsecret.com...
I have a lot of great memories of family outings just to gather pinons...

As always, your generosity in sharing your knowledge and time with us is very appreciated.

The deadly sin of loneliness penetrates the strongest of us, both in survival and everyday situations. We all need to be there for each other, even if only to hear another's voice and know it's directed to us. We're social creatures and we can't help it.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Thanks Ask, and you too DB...I think I'll give it a try...pine nuts yes...needles no, just boil for tea, high in vitamin C...got it.