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Preparedness + Bushcraft = True(?)
From doomsday dismissals to a preparedness revolution – the new frontier isn’t just about gadgets, but the ancient wisdom of survival skills.
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Bikepacking: Adventures on two wheels
Going bikepacking on adventures into the wild is a great way to experience nature. Different bikes shines in different environments!
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Camping chairs, hammocks and squatting like a slav during breaks
Sit back, relax, and enjoy nature on a comfy chair, hammock or a foam mattress! What is your perfect outdoor seating?
In short:
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When wolves became man’s best friend
I think we can all agree on that man’s best friend – the dog – can trace its ancestry back to the wolves. How this came to be is a completely different story that researchers haven’t entirely come to agree on. Was it humans or wolves that took the first s
Read more✖Read lessWhen wolves became man’s best friend
I think we can all agree on that man’s best friend – the dog – can trace its ancestry back to the wolves. How this came to be is a completely different story that researchers haven’t entirely come to agree on. Was it humans or wolves that took the first step into the interspecies relationship?
Timeline
Today’s dogs have wandered quite far from their original form in the wolf. Even today’s wolves have to some extent devolved into a smaller version of their once larger statures. We’re not entirely certain when this process actually began, but some estimates say it started between 20,000 to 40,000 years ago in Europe and Asia. Studies also suggest that this might have happened in different geographical locations.
Leading theories
The Self-Domestication Theory suggests that at some point wolves began to scavange near human settlements, attracted to the delicious remains of hunting trophys. Over time, the wolves who wandered further into the presence of man in his camps were rewarded with more spoils, warmth from the campfire, and a true bond of friendship.
Another theory, Directed Domestication Theory, suggest that the friendship wasn’t mutual but that early humans captured wolf pups and raised them as their own. They were then selectively breeded for desirable traits.
Whether one subscribes to the theory of mutual benefit or that it was a forced relationship, we can all probably agree that it has been a good one at that!
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Using AI to talk to whales
Recently OpenAI released a much improved version of their LLM, called ChatGPT-4o. The main focus seem to have been on language and conversation, where it answers significantly faster, in any language, and with more “human” emotions in speech, text…
Read more✖Read lessUsing AI to talk to whales
Recently OpenAI released a much improved version of their LLM, called ChatGPT-4o. The main focus seem to have been on language and conversation, where it answers significantly faster, in any language, and with more “human” emotions in speech, text, or image. Such an improvement does pose the question where it all ends. Will we be able to translate animal speech with an app on our phones in coming updates?
Project CETI and Earth Species Project
Scientists working on Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) and the Earth Species Project have been working on deepening our understanding of sperm whale language and communication. To this end, they’ve used AI tools in which they’ve created a LLM (Large Language Model) with vast amounts of data on whale talk. The goal is to be able to understand the language of the whales and even to reply to them.
Whale communication
Sperm whales apparently have a very complex communication system with sequences of clicks (called codas), of which the researchers have identified several distinct sequences, believed to function like an alphabet. Their language and “way of speaking” also isn’t random, but very dependant on the context of their interaction.
Conclusion
If we can learn how to communicate with sperm whales, there’s no reason to believe we cannot learn to communicate with other animals. Or plants and fungi, for that matter.
The interesting question here is, whether this will open up to new kinds of deeper knowledge about our environment.
Will we be able to continue to eat animals that we can communicate “meaningfully” with? What does your cat really think of you? Do you really want to know what the crows and seagulls are screaming about?
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Birbs are stealing anti-bird spikes and building nests from them
Birbs are becoming ungovernable! They’re using our own weapons agains us, building their own gated communities.
Read more✖Read lessBirbs are stealing anti-bird spikes and building nests from them
Birbs are becoming ungovernable! They’re using our own weapons agains us, building their own gated communities.
Birds have since long been revered and viewed as having the ultimate freedom in the feat of sky-faring. Ever since man took his first stumbling steps on the savannah he’s been at awe of the avian raptor descendant slowly gliding at unimaginable heights peering down at the club-wielding grunt stuck with his two feets firmly attached to the ground.
The airborne fowl seem to have understood this fact and have decided en-masse to simply become ungovernable. Deconstructing what humans frenetically put up to keep the soaring animals away.
Nature always win.
Bushcraft, eh?
Bushcraft is about the art of surviving with less in nature. Surviving on nature’s conditions and at the same time minimizing the amount of gear you need.
The more you know, the less you carry.
Mors Kochanski
To practice bushcraft is essentially the same thing as practicing survival in nature, while at the same time being comfortable. Instead of trying to get back to civilization as quickly as possible, perhaps you create a small shelter with the comforts you need; a campfire, a chair, a nice bed with protection against the envorinment.
Lookin’ for the articles in Swedish?
Bookshelf
Reading is good for you! We recommend that you always have a book with you in your backpack. Get a fire going, make some coffee and sit yourself down comfortably and read for a bit.
Here are some books on bushcraft and the outdoors that we believe you might be interested in (more books can be found here):
Elsewhere in the digital forest
Bushcraft
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Mysterious 30 cm long piece of mammoth tusk ‘Magic Wand’ with drilled holes into it, from 14,000-year-old grave in Poland finally explained as the oldest music instrument ever found, similar to a flute or whistle, symbolises the importance of music for the people of the ice age, researchers suggest
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Temperature is not the only thing that makes a place feel warmer or colder, our perception is affected humidity, wind, altitude, clothing, our bodies, which regulate heat by adjusting blood flow, sweating and shivering, and our perception of temperature, which is influenced by factors such as expectations, memories, emotions and social cues, and can easily be tricked by illusion
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Relying on skills one does not yet possess is not a valid, albeit common, way to prepare for emergencies, like farming, survival and bushcrafting, author argues, recommending stockpiling for the vast majority
Gear
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Hammocks are a popular choice for camping, but generally don’t perform as well in colder climates, something the author claims can be remedied with proper bottom insulation, which keeps the cold air and wind off the sleeper’s back, suggestion insulation in the form of foam sleeping pads, insulated inflated pads, or an insulated quilt that hangs outside the hammock, creating a protective barrier against the elements for colder conditions
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Luke from the Outdoor Gear Review have finally struck gold and found the best sleeping ever, combining comfort, packability, weight and warmth in a way that no other sleeping pad can rival after 10 years of testing
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Recommendations on ferro rods are given by world renowned bushcrafter Paul Kirtley, who draws on extensive field experience and testing
Skills
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Winter backpacking offers benefits such as solitude, beauty and freedom, but poses challenges like cold, wet and heavy gear, having good gear, skills and strategy is essential for having a good time in the Arctic areas of northern Europe
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Wildlife tracking is a great way to connect with nature and learn to understand animal behaviour, explaining the basics of identifying and interpreting tracks, scat and other sign left by different species to help the reader learn more about this ancient art
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Starting a warming fire in wintertime is more difficult and unreliable, hikers should first and foremost prepare with other heat sources and insulation, argues author, who shares his own experience trying to, and failing, to get a fire going in snowy conditions
Forest
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Researchers at Scripps Research have made a significant stride towards creating a universal antivenom that can neutralize venom from any snake species, using an engineered a lab-made antibody, named 95Mat5, which effectively blocks the venom’s harmful effects, unlike traditional antivenoms which are species-specific and often come with severe side-effects
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Starboard, an orca living outside the coast of South Africa, was observed in a remarkable event preying on a great white shark, normally a fierce predator itself, showing the orca’s ability to incapacitate and consume the shark within two minutes, specifically targeting the shark’s liver, a behaviour that have been observed in orcas since 2015, helping us to a greater understanding of the marine food chain
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Teamwork is crucial for survival and being able to thrive in the wild, something both bees and chimpanzees have taken to heart, learning from each other what they cannot learn alone, suggesting they possess a form of culture, challenging the belief of human exceptionalism and that the roots of culture and complex learning goes deeper in the evolutionary tree than previously assumed
History
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Eating our own is a practice that have haunted us for at least 1.45 million years, according to new study, which noted cut marks on old tibia or shin-bone, suggesting our ancient ancestors might have consumed each other for sustenance
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New research suggest that the civilisations of the ancient Mayas collapsed due to complex combination of factors such as a change of climate, overpopulation and human-made large-scale landscape alterations, which led to the abandonment of many Mayan cities
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Bizarre prehistoric predator fish breathed air, had fangs and four ‘limbs’ was recently found in fossils from the Devonian period about 400 million years ago, revealing insights into the diversity and evolution of complete bony fish, of which the Harajicadectes zhumini was one of the first known
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Survival Cannibalism: Navigating the Depths of Desperation
Discover the extreme measures people take when faced with life-threatening situations and the risks associated with survival cannibalism.
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Winter Jackets for Different Climates
In winter you need to stay warm and dry. There’s a winter jacket out there for every type of climate…
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Knife safety and Children
There’s a first time for everything, especially when it comes to wielding the wild’s most trusted tool. Learn how to…
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Hydrate or Die! Hydration Bladders vs. Bottles
A silent war rages between outdoor enthusiasts, as a 34-year-old bike race set the stage for the Bottles vs. Bladders…
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9 Essential Bushcraft Skills
9 essential bushcraft skills for survival in the wilderness, including building a shelter, starting a fire, foraging, and more!
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The Swedish Fire Torch: A Fire for the Ages!
The Swedish Fire Torch has kept people warm in the cold, from the 17th century soldiers to today’s bushcrafters!
Never trust a thought that comes to you indoors
– Friedrich W. Nietzsche
Being able to relate to your environment is an essential part of Bushcraft, be it identifying plants or different methods for catching fish and small game!
Flora
Flora contains no less than all of the plants you find in nature! All trees, bushes, and herbs, down to the smallest summer flower. In Sweden we have about 250 edible plants, of which we only use a small number in our diet. Some of the plants are even great, or even nessecary for our well-being. A couple of examples of plants are: Ledum Palustre, a plant that some people are praising for its positive effects, while some claim it’s the viagra of the forests! Rosa Dumalis is one of our most C-vitamin rich plants in Sweden. Its berries can be picked fresh of the bush during the whole of winter!
Fauna
Fauna, on the other hand, are members of the animal kingdom, of which we ourselves are actually included. However, people usually talk about the natural ecosystem in the forest, from which man has now distanced himself a bit. The wolf is a much-debated part of the natural system, but has come to compete with man in recent times.
Fungi
This category includes all mushrooms, lichens, slime mold, and more! This is a very interesting group that we learn more about on a daily basis, everything from new natural remedies for various ailments to its properties for the shamanic rites of our ancestors. Some fungi have even been observed hunting their prey with everything from poison to arrows and traps, while others are helping scientists to streamline subway systems.
Bushcraft.nu is a website about bushcraft, survival and other similar outdoor activities.