Pair rescued on rural road

[Rejigger]

3 day course. 2 nights
1 change of clothes. 1 wool blanket each, 1 steel can/ military mess kit,hunting knife, pack of matches (with only 6 matches remaining in pack-makes it real)- in 1 small back pack. (I'd include a proper survival kit for everyone with snare wire, fish line hooks etc)
1 day of snacks- the real food comes off the land. Snaring/fishing/ berries/roots
Leave cell phones, city attitude, and political correctness at home.

Don't forget one lengthy Waiver, signed and dated by the attendee, and police background checks for all.

That sounds pretty hard-core. Maybe you should consider offering different levels? Basic baby level is too much for me.

[oneh2obabe]

Pretty sure I understand the start small with grasses and small branches, then kindling can't be hard to do. Just never actually did it. Maybe next time I find a fire pit in some rec site campground I'll try my hand at it for fun.

The pair who got rescued may not have had anything to use, not everyone carries matches, lighters and butane.

Queen, keep a bag of Doritos in the car and you've got a fire starter.

[oldtrucker]

A disposable bic lighter in a waterproof container. Don't get sucked in with fancy gadgets and life hacks. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best.

I always keep 5- 10 of them in my" nuclear war I'm never coming back again SHTF survival backpack" in plastic containers. Backpack is over 50lbs without food- has everything needed to survive for a long stay... build a structure, hunt, gather, all of it. Wind up radios to garden seeds. It's ready to go in a moments notice....just grab documents like passport etc and go.

[normaM]

Oldtrucker - might I suggest you start us on Pioneer Living Lite?
I'm thinking 2 hours, coffee, you show us how to start a fire.. what side of the trees moss grows on
And we go out for Chinese Food

[Queen K]

Both my vehicles have a knife, multi tool, bit of wire, emerg. blanket. One might even have matches. I've started fires with the cigarette lighter, although some vehicles today don't have them.
I've cut the top 2" of my sock for both TP and fire starter.

X-country wax bag I take with me every time I go out has matches and a bit of tp. Day hiking pack, same.

Really not difficult to build and make a fire. Try it a few times...

On the same day? Did we need this image in our heads?
You got that NormaM? 2 inches of sock is all you'll need should you get stuck in a rural road situation.

I have been inspired to get wooden matches, once I found a lighter on a FSR and it worked. But I'm not that lucky all the time.

[dogspoiler]

Brain fart, when I travelled late at night 6 hrs on highways. Smoked then always had a lighter. My father used to pass me a 26 of BREW. He'd recommend, if your fuel line iced up, pour three ounces into the tank. If you end up in the ditch, a sip every now and then will warm you up....

Oh those good old days.

That was truly in the olden days. Now you take plastic 40 ouncers.

[Queen K]

Is alcohol and being cold such a good idea?

[dogspoiler]

Yes

[Queen K]

I'm confused, I always thought alcohol was the great killer of people out in the cold, giving a false sense of warmth when in fact hypothermia can set in fast.

[Queen K]

Blasted double post.

Okay, I wonder if the pair will come out with a public statement for Castanet about what went wrong for them and how to correct it. For those of us dying of curiosity of course.

[oldtrucker]

Is alcohol and being cold such a good idea?

Yes. Especially if your fire is so huge and hot you can't be within 100 feet of it in 40 below.
BTW I don't drink like-ever. Only around a huge hot fire in 40 below.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Way harder to build fire with snow on the ground...
Then, a knife and hatchet will be a great help... for making firestarter and kindling.. small saw good idea too.
The one on a Swiss army knife should be good an branches to about 3/4 -inch.. just don't break it. .

[oldtrucker]

Oldtrucker - might I suggest you start us on Pioneer Living Lite?
I'm thinking 2 hours, coffee, you show us how to start a fire.. what side of the trees moss grows on
And we go out for Chinese Food

Norma, on the first day you would hate me and you would fear the mountain we were stepping on. On the 3rd day, the mountain would fear you as you would be a different person with a new found confidence. Coming back into town you would be thinking to yourself " I don't need this place".

[AlienSoldier]

Oldtrucker - might I suggest you start us on Pioneer Living Lite?
I'm thinking 2 hours, coffee, you show us how to start a fire.. what side of the trees moss grows on
And we go out for Chinese Food

Norma, on the first day you would hate me and you would fear the mountain we were stepping on. On the 3rd day, the mountain would fear you as you would be a different person with a new found confidence. Coming back into town you would be thinking to yourself " I don't need this place".

As long as I can still wear skinny jeans, flannel jacket and keep a cool looking beard I am in! Oh and I don't like eatting outdoors, so maybe we just need to bring a phone with skipTheDish app. Then I am in too!

[Queen K]

Maybe you haven't thought this out Alien Soldier, when Skip the Dishes delivers, you'd still need a tent or cabin. Maybe OT can throw in Lean-To instructions for you eat in the lean-to? Then you won't be so "outdoors". Or Skip the Dishes can deliver a tent for the group?