Simple Survival

Simple Survival

by Josiah Bohn

In this modern age we have a love affair with the newest coolest wonder gadget to hit the market. We quickly adopt these items and they become "necessities" until they are replaced by next year’s newer shinier model. This mindset has taken root in society and can be found in the survival and preparedness community as well. We have a techno-centric mindset that i believe can be detrimental to us at times. While I admit that I am not an expert I believe that it would be beneficial to us all to simplify our thinking.

             

 Our ancestors have survived and thrived on this planet for millennia with very little in the way of possessions and what we would call "necessities", never the less here we are to prove that they were indeed successful. I believe that the two most important things they had going for them were skill and imagination. These two things are necessary to overcome any obstacle and they both weigh nothing. I believe that we need to recapture this part of ourselves. One of the many ways that these two qualities were put to use is making do with what was available. Being able to make do with what you have takes both skill and imagination. Those who came before us did not let the shape or preconceived notion of an object limit its uses, they used very simple things for many many useful purposes.

           

The first example of this that comes to mind is a simple garment from around the 16th century in Scotland. This particular item is called the great kilt or belted plaid. This garment is made from thick woven wool about 7 yards long and 54-60 inches wide. To wear this you would leave a flat space and then gather most of the material into pleats on top of your belt until it would fit your waist and then leave another flat panel. After this you would lay on top of this with your waist in the middle of the fabric and bring the two flat panels you made over your front to overlap and buckle the belt around it and stand up. This left a lot of fabric which would hang down over the top of the belt which was gathered in many different ways but most often slung and pinned over one shoulder. Now this item is a functional garment but its uses were many. In bad weather the part over your shoulder could become a cloak to ward off rain and cold. It could also be tied into a backpack to carry items. If you came across smaller items like berries or other items of interest you could make it into a pouch. At night this garment would become a blanket and tent to keep you warm. One other benefit of this garment was the fact that it would help the Scottish to blend in with their surroundings. In George Buchanan’s History of Scotland from 1581 he states "Their ancestors wore plaids of many colours, and numbers still retain this custom but the majority now in their dress prefer a dark brown, imitating nearly the leaves of the heather, that when lying upon the heath in the day, they may not be discovered by the appearance of their clothes; in these wrapped rather than covered, they brave the severest storms in the open air, and sometimes lay themselves down to sleep even in the midst of snow.".

            

In this case the Scottish used a very simple item in the form of a large length of cloth to clothe themselves, provide concealment, shelter from bad weather, and also to carry various items. While they did not have lots of gadgets and things to help them they made use of a simple technology to do many tasks for them.

            

 In a similar way the kerchief is another useful item that spans many cultures and time periods and goes by many other names some popular ones being Shemagh, head scarf and snipers veil. This item is sometimes confused with a bandanna or handkerchief. The bandanna and handkerchief are the smaller less useful grand-kids of the kerchief. Bandannas are quite useful and have many many uses; however the kerchief is capable of doing what the bandanna does and more. The kerchief is about 3 feet by 3 feet square and is made from cotton most of the time. This item serves many many purposes including first aid tasks such as tourniquet, sling, bandage, secure a splint, cool off a person with a fever etc. This can also be used to keep you from breathing in dust, to keep your head and neck warm, signal for help, wash cloth or towel, camouflage if appropriately colored, made into a firewood toting device and much more. The best thing about this item is that it can be made for very cheap in a variety of colors and patterns and it is not difficult to carry more than one. All you need to do is to get a yard of your desired cotton fabric and cut to size then hem the edges and you are done. This kerchief folds up small and is very light and serves a multitude of purposes. This is another example of a low tech item that through imagination and skill can be used to help get you out of a tight spot.

             

There are many other examples of simple yet effective thinking that I can give but the point here is just to get us thinking about simple things we can have on hand that serve multiple purposes. Not only to have simple things on hand but to remember that the most complicated or technical device is not guaranteed to save your life what matters most is your attitude your skill, your imagination, and your determination to endure.

"Josiah has lived in the desert, midwest, and New England. He enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his family of five. Blacksmithing and metalwork are one of his major passions as well as history and good books. Quality craftsmanship is another of his passions, whether it be a well made tool or a masterfully told tale."
You can find out more about Josiah at his own blog: http://dwarvenheartforge.blogspot.com/
or on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dwarven-Heart-Forge