Why you should always be worried about the camo clad ones.

[KaiTheIronHound]

No pictures with this one, we figured we should let this chap keep some of his dignity on the day, so none were taken. Myself and a friend were running a 48 hour survival course for some city folks. Basic stuff, shelter building, fire making, water, signals, navigation, etc. We'd picked a nice spot near a dry river gully that ran down to a river about 600 meters down the way. Most of the folks were seasonal ski bunnies or bushwalkers, but there was this one bloke who showed up completely in camo gear and with a croc-dundee style bowie knife strapped to his hip. He didnt like to listen too well, but he was getting on with his job, not doing too badly for someone who seemed to have learned everything he knew of the outdoors from rambo movies. We decided that it might pay to give him a simple but important task to fulfill to get him over his all knowingness, so we sent him for water. Simple instructions, follow the gully down, about 600 meters you'll find a river, then follow it back. We gave him a map and compass just in case, and we'd already taught the group basic navigation. Off he went, and when he wasnt back in half an hour we were worried. An hour passed before we decided we needed to go look for him. We found him 2 hours later, hopelessly lost about 1.5 km from the camp.

So, the good bit. He'd set off for water, confident in his ability to survive anything easily! Seems the silly bugger saw a rabbit, and decided his best bet would be to throw his knife at it in order to secure food for the group, which would explain why we found the tip of it on his spoor as he charged out of the gully after the bunny. He apparantly made a second attempt at the thing after chasing it around for about 5 minutes, and lost his knife completely, though we did find it on the way back. When we found him, he was utterly lost, covered in mud and soaked to the bone (swam across the river because he thought he crossed it somewhere, cant figure out how you THINK you cross a river), sitting on a rock trying to knap a knife out of granite.

Always pays to keep an eye on these ones.

[CanadianMike]

Lol!!! Does he have a youtube account? :)

[Fletching]

I'd put a whistle on the Kit List in future!

:)

[KaiTheIronHound]

Alas, no youtube account, though that mountainous thread reminded me :P And yeah, whistles are now mandatory and provided when we (very rarely) run a course :P

[CanadianMike]

Is why I brought it up. Just checked Mountainous, he has guitar p(r)aying videos now, I didn't know to laugh or quickly stop watching. Lol

[KaiTheIronHound]

Mate, those videos have been more damaging to my uni grades than if i decided to drink antifreeze before every exam :P

[comanighttrain]

hahaha oh dear... I can't think of many people who would actually attempt to catch a rabbit by throwing a bowie knife at it...that is a new one!

[JEEP]

People like that scare me. They are exactly the kind of people that might accidently kill you, in a genuine survival situation...

[FishyFolk]

Hmmm....I occationally wear camo and big knife when I step of the asphalt...hope that is not to much frowned upon...lol
I love my Norwegian army jacket, and my woodland camo M-65 as well....

[KaiTheIronHound]

Scared me too, locked him down after that, gave him a mora and set him about carving trap triggers, he was more than happy, genuinely scared he was going to die out there.

[KaiTheIronHound]

Fishy, i also occasionally wear camo, cheap mil surplus gear is good and cheap, and i'm known for carrying a big blade along with a smaller one, i guess its all about the person.

[comanighttrain]

People like that scare me. They are exactly the kind of people that might accidently kill you, in a genuine survival situation...

Lol'd. So true.

[FishyFolk]

Scared me too, locked him down after that, gave him a mora and set him about carving trap triggers, he was more than happy, genuinely scared he was going to die out there.

What strikes me is that he was probably the only one who genuinely needed to take that course.
Hope you managed to rescue his self esteem enough to come back. Sometimes those people that
totally fail at first, becomes brilliant later if treated the right way...but they can be a pain in the butt until they break the code...

[KaiTheIronHound]

People like that scare me. They are exactly the kind of people that might accidently kill you, in a genuine survival situation...

Scared the living bajesus out of me mate, was so scared when we found him i thought he was going to attack, had a look in his eyes like he was in the middle of Deliverance.

[Bernie]

There's a classification for people like that: "All the gear and no idea". :)

I might also have very little idea, but at least it's matched by my equally limited kit list and non-bushcrafty clothing! :D

[JEEP]

I have sold piles of Bear Grylls knives to people like that btw...

"All the gear and no idea" people may be a pita. But, there are people who are worse off: It's the kind op people who enter the store to stack up on gear for a "survival trip" - and, despite my efforts to guide them - leaves the store with some knife (costing half their budget), a firesteel and the cheapest sleping bag (usually not nearly warm enough). Touting that they can make the trip in their sneakers and carry their gear in a sports bag, thus refusing to look at boots and backpacks.
Usually these people have no clue about what they are doing - and ends up vandalizing the sourrounding woods with their new knives, out of boredom and frustration, due to the fact that they are unable to start a fire and/or because they have bought ten times more beer than food...

[KaiTheIronHound]

Jeep, over here search and rescue calls those sorts of people "a pain in the arse" because they get us out of bed to go find/save their arses :P

[Kernowek Scouser]

This thread is Mountainous Approved T^

[KaiTheIronHound]

Nah mate, to Mountainous we are all backwards idiots who dont understand that rambo teaches many and varied skills and life lessons!

[JonnyP]

Lol!!! Does he have a youtube account? :)

lol

[AL...]

Think he is more likley to have a padded cell!! :D

Cheers
AL

[CanadianMike]

....or because they have bought ten times more beer than food...

Tread carefully there bro...... ;)

Lol, beer is food don't ya know? I can spend two to three days with just a two four and a pack of hot dogs, quite contently. :D

[KaiTheIronHound]

Yeah, you've hit a nerve with the beer comment mate, I was born in wales and live in australia. Beer is an important part of my life!

[Ben Casey]

I like camo and would never do a course as I never get far enough to do one LOL But I like the write up :)

[rich290185]

i love ex army gear cheap and hard wearing! it dosen't mater what you wear if you cont have a clue you can still get in the s$%t

[treefrog]

The guys at our hunt camp had suit jackets custom made in camo. We have a silly little awards ceremony every year before opening day and give out
prizes for the previous year such as who shot the biggest buck or who missed the most deer, etc. These jackets has are worn for the photos posing
with the various trophies or booby prizes; I must say as much as I think camo is ridiculous, I would like to have a full 3 piece suit done up just for the
shock value of wearing it to a wedding or funeral or some such thing...
But the silliest thing I ever saw was at a sporting goods store they were selling a camo generator...hmm, I hear an engine blaring at 120 db but where
is the noise coming from??

[rossolancer]

Tread carefully there bro...... ;)

Lol, beer is food don't ya know?

In Canada, it definitely is.;) I Carried a lot of bottles of "Food"????:ashamed: when, in the early 80's, I walked from Banff to Lake Louis! Yes I was in the army at the time but there was no camo insight, just awesome mountain views.:D

[FishyFolk]

but there was no camo insight,

Thats sorta the purpose of it, ain't it? :confused2:

[metal sean]

I occassionally wear camo and carry a belt knife but even though over the years I have killed and heard of people who have killed hundreds of rabbits I've yet to see this feat achieved with a knife throw......that's a you tube video I would love to see

[CanadianMike]

I occassionally wear camo and carry a belt knife but even though over the years I have killed and heard of people who have killed hundreds of rabbits I've yet to see this feat achieved with a knife throw......that's a you tube video I would love to see

Well, if you consider the fact you can kill small game with a throwing stick, if you replace the stick with a big heavy knife....... Wouldn't that be about the same? Except it's easy to find another stick. Lol

Funny exchange with a young student at work this morning, Paris is an asian university guy, early 20s, loves his cool tactical Surefire, space pens, 5.11 belt and boots, etc as EDC, but dresses low key.

Anyways, he came by my desk for some candy, asked if I had any plans at lunch, I said "Ya, going to collect some pine needles". "For what?" he asks. "Pine needle tea, I'm out of the stuff". "Pine trees? I haven't seen any pine trees around here since I got here!" he states. My reaction was "Dude, there are piles of them, you just aren't looking for trees". He then points out the window "Oh, there are some there......"

My reply............ "Ya, you didn't see them before because trees are camoflaged!"

[AL...]

Well, if you consider the fact you can kill small game with a throwing stick, if you replace the stick with a big heavy knife....... Wouldn't that be about the same? Except it's easy to find another stick. Lol

Funny exchange with a young student at work this morning, Paris is an asian university guy, early 20s, loves his cool tactical Surefire, space pens, 5.11 belt and boots, etc as EDC, but dresses low key.

Anyways, he came by my desk for some candy, asked if I had any plans at lunch, I said "Ya, going to collect some pine needles". "For what?" he asks. "Pine needle tea, I'm out of the stuff". "Pine trees? I haven't seen any pine trees around here since I got here!" he states. My reaction was "Dude, there are piles of them, you just aren't looking for trees". He then points out the window "Oh, there are some there......"

My reply............ "Ya, you didn't see them before because trees are camoflaged!"
T^ LOL


Cheers
AL