The Great Outdoors

Without airplanes, boats trains and cars I believe humans would be made up of seperate sub-species due to their geographical isolation and morphological differences. but this doesn't mean we should treat them with disrespect. An australian aborigine might score lowly in an IQ test, but he could still survive in central london. A stockbroker would be unlikely to survive alone in the australian bush.

We have massive amounts to learn from all the different cultures of the world. Our councils spend thousands of pounds on maintaining and cleaning our streets, giving us smooth pavements and getting rid of the broken glass and last nights vomit... and yet we all wear shoes. In winter time this makes perfect sense, but why in summer. Why not go barefoot. They can do so on rough broken and rocky roads in Sri Lanka and yet some of us will barely put a bare toe into the grass without thinking its 'icky'.

The Great Outdoors has so much more to offer us than we are taking. The equivalent to a man standing in the street, offering you £1000 and you taking money for the bus. We know the mango as a sweet and succulent fruit. but its leaves can cure menstrual cramps and headaches. We use coffee as a tasty hot drink and a stimulant. It can also be used to cure insomnia, muscle spasms, backache and hysteria. A type of palm in central america, as well as having the central edible 'heart' is superb at stopping bleeding.

99% of Western medicine comes from plants, but only 0.01% of plant species have been exhaustivly tested for medicinal uses and yet extinction rates due to deforestation is only just starting to slow down.

I can go for a walk around my town and identify several species of 'weed' that make a tasty snack on the way to and from lectures, or can just be added to a dish once I get home. I know of a handful of people who do this sort of thing. It is a shame we have wiped out so many of our forests, when we could simply live underground. I yearn for the day I can hunt freely without prejudice or persecution. I love to make things, make my own cutlery, wooden ornaments as presents, tools and my skills to make fire primitivly are great party tricks.

1) Getting lost. This is easiest in wooded areas as paths can be covered up by fallen leaves and your view is restricted by the trees. While working in america, I got lost in a small forest. I knew the forest was small and thought I would stick to a path for a quick walk. The path soon dissappeared both infront and behind me. I attempted to loop back, but with no compass, it wasn't easy... The first thing a lot of people do is panic. If you feel this happening, stop, sit down and think of something else. Contemplate the clouds.

Then walk until you find water. If it is safe to drink then do so. This way the woods have given you something, as well as hydrating you and most importantly, a moral boost. Then just follow the water. Water always leads out. I did this and found a lake, by the lake was a path, the path lead to a road and the road lead home. When lost on a path have confidence in your choice, never keep going backwards and forwards or try and double-guess yourself. It wastes time

2) Hydration. Although food isn't always key to a bad situation (10 days without food is the lower limit of human survival, with recorded cases up to 25 weeks) water is. Taking a drink can calm the nerves and allow for your mind to work properly to make the correct decision. As soon as you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

When drinking water from an unknown source such as a stream or a lake think first. If the water is stagnant you will need to filter it and eliminate pathogens. Think about what is upstream. Any civilised areas that might be polluting the water. Upon finding a clean river that you are sure is not polluted, try and take water from where it is airated from flowing over rocks. This means it is less likely to have sediment and bits in it, as these stay at the bottom. Always take your own fluids with you.

3) The Wildlife. Before entering an area, research the fauna and flora. Make sure you are aware of any dangerous animals and their habits and how to deter them. With plants, if in doubt, leave it out (A very common saying). If you are not 100% sure what it is then don't touch it and definetly don't eat it. For example the pictured monkey came onto our car to sunbathe and absorb the warmth of the engine. This is not normal behaviour for a monkey (there being no wild cars) and so we acted with caution, knowing there are several brain parasites which cause abnormal behaviour. The behaviour could have been caused by overlap of the wild home of the monkey and the invading humans... or a contagious parasite or disease such as rabies.

Also be realistic. If there is a venomous snake present in the place that you will be, but it is rare and nocturnal and very shy then there is very little need to be carrying anti-venom.

Remember that although wildlife can be cute and cuddly it can still be very very dangerous. Whilst in Belize my family and I encountered a small, white, hairy caterpillar. It looked like an inch long oblong covered in long, silky, white, hairs. My sister went to touch it and myself and the guide stopped her. I didn't know what it was and was therefore wary. The guide knew the hairs could give people horrible itchy rashes, fevers and other symptoms that last around 3 days. From a cute white caterpillar

Fire is one of humanities most crucial discoveries and one of our most valuable tools. It can be used on a large and small scale, for cooking a small meal to slash and burn farming.

The australian aborigine people light a fire whenever they stop for a break. This can warm them up, cheer them up and although the light attracts moths in the dark, the smoke deters the biting insects.

In the 'cultured' western world, the most visible use of fire is when people smoke and these people most often carry a small lighter, which uses friction to ignite a highly flammable fluid.

When stuck in a survival situation, try and start a fire. This will warm you up and ward off hypothermia, which can affect your decision making. Also it will provide a massive moral boost, key to survival.

There are 5 main techniques that can be used to light a fire; friction such as rubbing sticks or stricking flint against steel, Chemicals such as mixing anti-freeze and potassium permanganate, Light where one uses a lens and focuses the energy to a single point, Pressure in the use of a fire-piston and finally the use of electricity.

Fire by friction using wood based techniques is very difficult and takes years to master. I have about a 20% success rate. My biggest bit of advice for the bow-drill method is to make sure your drill bit is plenty thick enough as you will often have to trim bits off to make sure it rotates properly. Fire by friction using a Flint Striker is my favourite method. Once at a bonfire near where i live, everyone was using matches and lighters and toilet paper and newspaper and cardboard to try and start a fire and none of them could get it to stick. I wandered into a nearby forest, peeled off some birch bark and used that and my firesteel to light a fire that worked and stuck and kept us warm all evening.

The most famous case of starting a fire using chemicals is matches. Although originally smelly and unreliable they are much safer and cleaner. I always carry waterproof matches in my survival/emergency box

My favourite use of the light method is to scorch onto bark and therefore be able to scribe messages. this can be both useful and just plan fun

Fire pistons are notoriously unreliable and difficult to use and require maintenance

The use of a 9V battery and wire wool is the standard use of electricity to light a fire, this can be combined with a fire cigar and soon have a lovely fire to keep you warm. The use of a car battery is acceptable, but more dangerous. Make sure you pack your 9V battery properly or when it comes to using it, It won't have any juice.