(That may be the case but usually we introduce ourselves before we start giving our opinions.)

Welcome to the board - looking forward to your input!

I would think such things are a necessary aspect of prepping and thus, they are basic in themselves. My two cents.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with those concepts ,it definatley is a good aspect, depending on what route you take with your preps. Being from North Vancouver Island , what some concider bugging out, is actually our buggin in! Being my first post within the network, I figured a lil critisim would spark up good conversation!!!

Looking forward to swapping ideas, I find with Prepping & Bushcraft , everyone, whether years experience or none at all, can teach someone a new trick!!

Thnx North Island Pr.

How basic does it get ? I will be adding another wheelbarrow of manure to my hugelkulture berm today where I am planting with pumpkin and squash . Planting new young trees in advance of harvesting older tree growth . Part way through creating a pond. Meat production, garden, orchard in place but a continual project to better all of it long with my skill set . So I assume many others are working on pretty basic things as well, whether it is insulating a house or working on their health and fitness, it is all pretty basic stuff is it not?

On the topic of back to basics.... does anyone have the "back to basics" book that was published by Readers Digest in the 70's??? i have a copy, a great read and full of lots of info on .... well damn near everything a guygal could want. If you have it, you know what im talking about, if you dont have it, they sell them at chapters book stores for about $15..ish

Have the orginal back to basics from the 70's, have the modern version and been known to send this book at presents to new homesteaders, its got a lot of good basic solid information in it..

Good book but still learn most of my skills from family members handed down. Good to listen to the old folks.

I think if people would get off the consumer threadmill and get back to basics this world would be in a better place.

But then in some areas of the world people are just trying to get up to basic standards of living...clean running water, indoor plumbing, clean and in good condition clothing on back not designer but functional, warm dry home to live not monster house, with a full belly - not over stuffed and obese.

This weekend I had my near adult sons learn some pretty basic skills, hemming a trouser leg on some coveralls and put together a cold frame using salvaged wood bedframes ( free from the recycle on Annacis Island ) basically just to get them into the thinking they can use tools to accomplish a task to build or fix something and give them some experience for a point reference where they can salvage, or be innovative to meet a need or want. I find myself learning all the time , something as simple as putting new rollers on shower doors took me 5 minutes but we had the shower doors sticking and falling off the tracks for about the last three years because I simply had no idea there were parts to fix them, once I knew I bought them and tackled it because that is how I was raised . Pretty basic stuff to look at a problem and scheme how you are going to fix something or create what you want rather than assume you have to buy a new house to get shower doors that work. I am fortunate I had a do- it yourselfer for a father ( because all I would learn from my mother is to just buy everything new , whether it is clothes or a house ! ) I recently tackled changing the oil in three vehicles and my sons who took 3 months of auto in high school did not know how to , which is ridiculous.. It is not just about learning how to do each singular task, it is about empowering yourself to know you can do things if you apply yourself . I am thinking back to basics in the opening of this thread was about building a fire or something , but anything you do that empowers your thinking of what you are capable of doing is an exercise in developing your overall confidence and initiative and innovation skills, planning etc.

This weekend I had my near adult sons learn some pretty basic skills, hemming a trouser leg on some coveralls

My wife is a seamstress and it never fails to amaze me how many people can or will not do this simple task. I learned how to sew when I was a kid, not to mention cook, do laundry, chop wood, garden (gotta admit I've kinda fallen flat on that lately) etc, etc etc.

and put together a cold frame using salvaged wood bedframes ( free from the recycle on Annacis Island ) basically just to get them into the thinking they can use tools to accomplish a task to build or fix something and give them some experience for a point reference where they can salvage, or be innovative to meet a need or want. I find myself learning all the time , something as simple as putting new rollers on shower doors took me 5 minutes but we had the shower doors sticking and falling off the tracks for about the last three years because I simply had no idea there were parts to fix them, once I knew I bought them and tackled it because that is how I was raised . Pretty basic stuff to look at a problem and scheme how you are going to fix something or create what you want rather than assume you have to buy a new house to get shower doors that work. I am fortunate I had a do- it yourselfer for a father ( because all I would learn from my mother is to just buy everything new , whether it is clothes or a house ! ) I recently tackled changing the oil in three vehicles and my sons who took 3 months of auto in high school did not know how to , which is ridiculous.. It is not just about learning how to do each singular task, it is about empowering yourself to know you can do things if you apply yourself . I am thinking back to basics in the opening of this thread was about building a fire or something , but anything you do that empowers your thinking of what you are capable of doing is an exercise in developing your overall confidence and initiative and innovation skills, planning etc.

Good idea and advice for all of us, I find myself procrastinating on may tasks simple because I am not sure where to start. When I do it usually goes a lot easier and quicker that I had first thought. As for the vehicles, all three of my daughters will know how to not only change the oil, but check and replace brakes and several other basic auto maintence tasks, not to mention how to change a flat tire on the side of the road. I can't count how many people (20 - 40 somethings) I passed on the highways when I was trucking waiting for a State Trooper or tow truck to come and change a flat tire. That being said, I always tried to stop for seniors and women, especially if they had children, as I never liked to see them stranded.

I did a survival course with the Canadian Forces up on Queen Charlotte islands around January, 2013. 4 days actual training then 4 days survival exercise.
We were giving very little tools, water and foods to survive. After that 4 days, I realize the basic & foundation is " knowledge and skills " ( yourself )
that's it.

our housing: woods, tree branches and leaves.
Our food: a pack of MRE for four days
our tools: a knife, an axe , billy cane, water purification pill

we collect garbage and woods for survival

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Now this reminds me of my engineer days, it amazing how a good imagination helps when it comes to improvisation. When trash becomes treasure.

Now this reminds me of my engineer days, it amazing how a good imagination helps when it comes to improvisation. When trash becomes treasure.

sounds like somebody went though " budget cut " days. 😉

We were picking up trash alone the beach. Some other team even made stove out of oil drum. 😀

I watched some short lived series (?) on the internet project free tv , called Naked and Afraid where they put two qualified survival experts, one man and one woman out in a remote habitat , naked with only one item ( ex. hatchet) each they can choose for survival and have to live for 21 days . I have only seen three episodes but basically they suffer tremendously but survive . Without an food or water provided that they do not forage for , they generally lose one percent of their body weight per day ( that is my guesstimate doing the math but over 21 days the women lose about 25 lbs and the men about 45 lbs. I am very surprised by some of their choices that do not seem very logical to me for instance they do not do more to immediately create some foot protection and they choose to cover their privates ( blurred on camera ) before they protect their heads or upper bodies from sun and rain etc. Anyways , if you get to see the series, it certainly seems to get back to basics in bushcraft survival .