Friday, June 5, 2015

Modern Man as a Feral Woodsman, Chapter 10 of 18




I want my grand kids to learn how to be a Feral Woodsman. In their life time, agriculture as we have known it, could very well not exist. If we dont self destruct, an adaption of  major importance will be needed. I don’t claim to have all the answers, or even all the questions. Climate change is a fact and could affect all of us. We are so narrowly focused, we have lost the ability to function without the industrial complex. If one can move themselves to the wild lands learning the lessons of the hunter gatherers of the world, the complex might not matter much. I’m not talking about dropping out, rather moving in. What ever hell civilization brings down on us, many will just dance in place, while others will dance away if they know a way to go. In the right now, many are just fed up with the rat race of lies.
The American dream has been ripped from so many. The few who are hanging on are stuck to the old values that are disappearing faster than we can keep up. The headache and the heartache of watching the crumbling of America has become a way of life, that envelopes us in its strangle hold. So long as we don’t choke and die, we keep chugging along. The big picture is no longer clear and no escape seems in view. I really wish we could always count on things to go our way, that would be fine by me. History says that all great nations do not last, they collapse and crumble away. Sometimes they leave no trace.
The peoples who still live on the land can teach us many lessons. Some are very much nomads, caring for herds as they move different kinds of critters. I have written in the past about the use of pack goats. They are easy on the land, leave hardly any trace and trained they will follow you. As a double duty, you could have milk and the other things and on occasion meat. Goats will not be an answer for many, but just the aspect as a pack animal is interesting to my mind. It allows for a more nomad kind of life. that fills the bill for the pioneer Feral Woodsman.
A practice of feeling out the Feral Woodsman, or the practical woodsman experimental lifestyle, if that fits better for you, would be to “train” on weekends. This way you are not committed to just up and leaving it all, but are preparing like you would for any other life event for the upcoming future. It is just a trek or a hike with more than one purpose in mind. At the least you are becoming aware on a different level than ever before. By going over the same terrain several times a year you will get to know the best place for different camps and what they offer you through the seasons. By using the art of the cache, you could even find you are going lighter and lighter, that is a worthy goal. In addition, you will be learning the plant life and when is best to harvest. I would also be doing some stealth gardening as well. Most have very little connection with the earth and I ‘m not talking in a tree hugger way. By being out in it, at a slower pace as has been mentioned, you will get the feel of what life is. You become one with the pulse of life. For the modern man, it is easing into a foreign mode, not going cold turkey. Culture shock is to to be avoided, almost like when you were a kid and just playing in the dirt.
We are fortunate at his point that we can buy bargains at thrift stores. What with the cheap clothes around, you can cache some real duds for future use. If they wear out and everything is gone, you can make a transition at that time. Heavy duty work clothes, wool and so on can be had at a great savings. By stocking up you will be ahead of the game. And when you make a trek to town you are presentable. Even in the wildwood, you want to feel good about yourself, and clothes help with your own self image.
Speaking of town you may want to dodge out to a movie or a burger. That’s fine you are still part of society. If you are alone, it might prove too tough to do all at once, if ever. Like anything else, you are just living your own life. Granted it is a little odd, but so are lots of peoples lives. Being alone has all kinds of problems, most obvious injury and illness, so teaming up with at least one other person could really be a huge plus. Three or four might be the ticket. In that manner, chores are divided and you have company and adventures to share. Work load is easier, problems can be solved, and the extra input can be a blessing. And, you avoid the psychological impact of lonliness, unless you are already geared for the being alone time. Some are some are not.
What it means, really, is you have to “own the skills” and be willing to put in the tenure. You will not begin to cover everything in a short time. For the weekend Feral Woodsman, who is sick and tired of the combat of competition in the work place and all it does not satisfy, it can be tempered by the exercise of your freedom, to learn all we have talked about in past articles in this experiment of a real life. As you gain knowledge, you will also gain confidence in yourself. Mastering the Feral Woodsman’s skills is an art form that just could be one hell of a lifestyle statement and could be salvation for you and yours. As I hope it could be for me and mine.
I sure cannot predict the future. I don’t even have a crystal ball. The future is a thing we know nothing about and there are many ways one prepares for what they think might, could happen. Most follow the survival plan of stocking up on food and water and all the other goodies, but we need a viable alternative and I feel this is as good a plan as any theory I have come across. The Feral Woodsman might be in your future…. The new modern man.
By Dude McLean

Please feel free to post comments on my articles, I enjoy hearing from and responding to my readers. When you're finished posting your comment please click PUBLISH to share your comment with me and my readers. 

No comments:

Post a Comment