A friend of mine I knew in Germany...a VERY experienced, ex-military wilderness survivalist, and (most of all, it's how we met) he was also a very active German *AND* American Scoutmaster! "Theo", 1/2 German, 1/2 American, looked like Zeus Himself (we ALSO called him "Zeus" as well) And he had dual citizenship. And BEST of all, his German troop, which he took on co-trips with some *select* members of his US BSA troop (me included, I was lucky, since I was so inept) had *GIRLS as members!!!* In fact, 1/3 of the members were German teenage females!!!* (See "*" bellow) (And he - "Zeus" - had also had an awesome full-blood wolf he took *everywhere*...who it was my job to let take me for drags and runs and NOT let it get away...once I dropped the leash....I ran for my life after it, and thank Fenris the thing stopped to scent mark or I'd hae collapsed form exaustionand NEVER caught it - or been forgiven! That's also why, years later, *I* adopted an almost full-blood wolf-hybred myself! Beautiful creature...I *LOVE* wolves,and have been told by a shaman and chief of a Seattle tribe that the Wolf is my totem...and my oldest daughter's as well. My younget's daughter's is the turtle...) Zeus/Theo was cool - andso were the German boy/girlscouts...no cheap plastic "Official Boy Scout" tents for us - no sir, we have big canvas tepees!!! With wood stoves inside. Wod posts to keep them up - posts that weighed tons it seeemed. Food, we hunted - and gathered - at least one meal out of the day (usually the evening one). Now, AND FINALLY TO MY POINT - one day he gave me a copy of this book (the 80's edition): http://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Alive-Woods-Self-Preservation/dp/0684831015 And he claimed it as the best book of it's kind. I dunno. I have seem some inaccuracies in books of this type (like Chief Willy Whitefeather's Desert Survival Handbook for Chldren says that barrel catus are good water sources - forgeting the diarrea and dehydration it's juices can induce...so I only trust people who have BEEN out there, firsthand. And Zeus had been.) Anyway, anyone ever see or read or hear of the book? Anyone interested in wilderness survuval, and take (or taught) or wish to take or teach classes!?!?!?!? The depressing part was that back in the 80's and very early 90's, the book's authors taught wildreness survival ("paleolithic living") in Northern Arizona. Something called the Anasazi Foundation - around $350 for a week to 2 week classes, where they claim to take you out with nothing (not even a knife) just the clohes on your back, and teach you how to find and make EVERYTHING you need. Tools, shelter, clothing, etc... (They had adult classes, and "Outward Bound" type classes for troubled youth.) I REALLY wanted to take the class, but was in Germany at the time. Now to Foundation seems gone, and the classes are no longer advertised in the front of the book. Still, I want to find something like it and take it someday. Anyone else interested in some sort of serious, hard-core wildreness survival training? I am - and (with ALL due wirship and respect) no ammount of watching "Survivorman" marathons will prepare you for the real thing. Anyone here even KNOW of such classes? Linky? I REALLY ant to take some classes. *(Back to the teenage girl scouts in the German Scout organization...girls that could go toe-to-toe - and boot-to-boot? - with the boys - no selling cookies and bake sales and sewing classes for these badass chicks. I wish MY dauhters had a similar opportunity (although knowing what a horndog my 13yo girl is becoming (I overherstuff) I'd be DAMN SURE she knew ALL about protection, and saying "no" if it's something she doesn'twant -and maybe even learning how to fight back! It was hunting and fishing and everything the boys AND girls did! Another unique thing, often the kids were in charge,or at least left on their own - no adults preset on trips. You think nothing would get done but somelordof the flies kinda fighting and fucking - but the older boys and girls just took charge, and things went smoothly. Now, I was a lonely horney, single 14 - 15 year-old boy. And this guy "Theo" - BIG GUY - gave me some condoms and said "Just a precaution...these are German girls, and if they want sex, hey will *drag* youu into the hay, you almost won't have a choice. They get what they want. And he knew I was an inexperienced virgin - for a while, he was almost a dad to me. Unfortunately, despite my wishing and hoping and praying, I did NOT get dragged into the hay. *I* never got any hot teen German tail! : Still.... - And our moms never knew...at first, about the girls...but when a disaffected teen leaked it to his mom - little fucking pussy - Theo got *BUSTED* BIGTIME. Almost fired. But it passed. (There's more to this story, but I have digressed enough off the topi...er...WHAT was the topic????) ANYWAY - wildreness survival training. Anyone ever take it? Want to take it? Teach it? Know a good school or instructor????
American Scouts have those types of co-ed troops as well. But instead of being boy scouts (obviously) they are called 'Venture Scouts'. Its limited to kids between the ages of 14 and 21. They are indeed part of the Boy Scouts of America. In fact my eldest is a Venture Scout. Venture Scouts get to do all the kewl stuff that Boy Scouts arent even allowed to do. Now I haven't seen that particular book, but even though it is apparently some what inaccurate its better than nothing. I think another good book for extreme survival is US Army Field Manual (FM) 21-76, Survival. I know you said you dont think its that good but believe it or not there is a lot of good information to be had in 'Survivor Man' on the discovery channel. 'Man Vs. Wild' is Ok, but 'Survivor Man' is better in my book. Another good show that shows basic outdoor skills is 'Scouting For Adventure' which can be seen on the Outdoor Network on Wednesday evenings. Yes these are just shows, but useful knowledge can get gotten from them. Dont be so quick to discount them. Being actively involved with scouting as an adult leader, I try to teach as much as I can. But you gotta keep in mind the first few lessons taught are 1) Dont get lost 2) Make sure you pack approproiately 3) Have a plan 4) Make sure others, who can call for help, know of your plan. You do those things and you should be fine Now if the SHTF then yes, the survival skills will come in handy in order to keep you alive for rescue. There should still be survival type of courses available around the US. You just gotta find em. Just be aware, and dont get into a group like the one a few years ago where they let a student die. It has happened (link1, link2) In this case, looking for courses and seeing about the survival training course death, google will be your friend. Your best bet is to go on an easy camping trip and after you have everything set up, practice various skills you have learned. That way if your experiments fail, you still have a good campsite you can go back to and say "aww fuck it, they'll" always be tomorrow and you arent in danger. As for girls (specificaly under 14) in scouting, there is always Girl Scouts. To be honest GS isnt about bake sales and sewing any more (but thank God they still sell Cookies, and Boy Scouts sell Popcorn). That's ancient history. Problem is Girl Scouts are having a hard time breaking that perception. Girl Scouts do a lot of stuff more similar to what cub and boy scouts do (camping, cool stuff, etc..) these days. Some GS troops (like the ones my wife are in charge of) do just about anything that the Boy and Cub Scouts do (within some of the stupid restrictions that GS have). You want a hard core, FUN, GS experience, then register and become a troop leader (yes men can be leaders of GS troops). Or next year sign your daughter up for Venture Scouts. Just make sure that she is a force to be reckoned with. The boys in my eldest's VS crew (they are called crews, not troops or packs or dens) tried to run the show and shuffle the girls off to the side. My daughter (who is also uber hot, while also hard core) told those pimply faced, insecure, never kissed a girl twits, to STUF and realize that this wasnt the he man woman haters club and that they were most definately not going to run the show. She is now president of the crew and she is the HMFIC. As for roles and responsibilities, I think that GS does just as good a job ad CS and BS in getting the girls to be in charge of everything. In scouting, by the third grade, except for cooking over a flame, parents should only supervise the activities of the scouts. By the time you get to that boy scouts age (latter half of 5th grade) yeah its a case of many scouts and only a few parents for safety reasons. Since Venture Scouts are co-ed they have to also have co-ed leadership on every trip. Oh and I got all my basic survival training in the Army. Most of the stuff you learn in the Army (short of being in SF or a Ranger regiment) is paltry at best, even for the Infantry. However I did have the opportunity to take the Jungle Operations Training Course at Ft. Sherman in Panama (before we left) and that course taught me so much stuff it was amazing. But regardless, with the paltry base line the Army teaches you can easily expand on that on your own.
"Venture Scouts"...cool, I will see if there's a troop nearby. (I still see contradictions and inadequacies in "survival manuals"...many still say, for example, that you can drink the liquid in a barrel cactus...but a biologist friend of mine - who lives in the desert Southwest - says over a short time that will give you the runs and dehydrate you...)
If you can find it, the Foxfire series reigns supreme. If you can't, "Survival Wisdom & Know How" is good, as is the US Army Field Survival Guide.
