Websites That I Highly Recommend

Survival Resources™ is a unique firm that specializes in survival kits, components for survival kits and bug-out bags, and emergency preparedness products. Our goal is to provide our customers with various options and resources to enhance their ability to survive in an emergency situation, whether in the wilderness, while traveling, or during a natural disaster. http://www.survivalresources.com/


ABOUT PRIMITIVE LIFEWAYS
Primitive Lifeways was originally developed and organized by Jeff Martin and Kiowa Sage with the common goal of helping our clients reconnect back to nature and a more natural way of life. 

Why the name Primitive Lifeways?
When examining modern culture we see how far we have become disconnected to what is true. We put our faith in politicians, advanced technology and money–all which disconnect us from the earth. Long ago primitive man/woman thrived off of a strong community, spiritual balance and deep connection to the natural world. Knowing how different life used to be and how humbled primitive people were, Martin and Sage were compelled to base our teachings and lifestyles off of primitive man/woman who invented and mastered the connection to nature. In doing so Primitive Lifeways was born.
“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”
– Sitting Bull

What is unique about your school?
We do not base our teachings out of fear.Instead of focusing on survival, we focus on adaptation. We strongly feel nature will cleanse, humble and humiliate us in a positive way that helps us find our true inner being. Indeed, this way of teaching helps us evolve as a species in a positive way. 
“A man who goes afoot, prepared to camp anywhere in any weather, is the most independent fellow on earth.”
– Horace Kephart

What skills will I learn at your school?
We offer a wide variety of skills and mentoring services–including the following: wilderness therapy, rehabilitation services, bow and arrow making, primitive fire, shelters, primitive traps and snares, weaving and fiber arts, atlatl and dart making, rock art, edible and medicinal plants, stone and bone tools, animal tracking, ancient jewelry and much more! 
“Everything on earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.”
– Mourning Dove

What are your views on preserving the planet?
We feel it is more important than ever before to preserve what we have here on earth. Yes we do harvest vegetation, but we do so in an ethical manner that promotes new growth and natural development. Furthermore, we understand how quickly modern people are depleting our natural resources with mass development and infrastructure.

“Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught we will realize we cannot eat money.”
– based on Cree saying

Granny's Country Store

http://www.grannysstore.com/


About Silver Star, Montana
     Silver Star is located in southwestern Montana along the Jefferson River on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Lewis & Clark passed through Silver Star in early August 1805 in their search for a water route to the Pacific. On August fourth William Clark and the main party of men with the canoes camped just across the river from present day Silver Star, while Meriweather Lewis was scouting the route ahead on foot. Read more about Lewis and Clark on the Jefferson River.

      Silver Star is the third oldest town in Montana, a story which began in 1866 when a prospector named Greene Campbell discovered gold on the side of a hill about 1 1/2 miles west of the present town site. He filed a mining claim under his name, and the "Greene Campbell" became No. 1 in the book of Montana patent records. Read more about Silver Star History.

      Today Silver Star is a quiet little town of at least 30 people, probably more like 60-- if you include the outlying "suburbs" and ranches. Tom & Renee Elpel operate their internet bookstore through Granny's Country Store, where they also run the post office and keep a handful of groceries available for the locals. Other Main Street businesses in Silver Star include an antique and clock shop and a taxidermy studio.

      Silver Star is rich in local personalities, several of which have been profiled in the Three Rivers Edition of the Montana Standard, including:



Blades & Bushlore





Welcome to the web's best place to discuss knives and the great outdoors! Feel free to pull up a chair by the fire and share stories and information about trips and gear with other enthusiasts.

Christopher Nyerges 


The School of Self-reliance arose from Christopher and Dolores Nyerges’ dream to live and to teach practical skills to mostly urban folks who’ve lost touch with our most basic roots.  The School was founded by Christopher and Dolores, now (since Dolores’ passing in 2008) carried on by Christopher and peripatetic faculty of uniquely-skilled individuals.  [Click on Memorial to read about Dolores].
            Since 1974, Christopher Nyerges has taken over 30,000 children and adults on his Wild Food Outings, Survival Skills Outings, and other field trips and outdoor programs.
            He has worked with such groups as Sierra Club, Tree People, Southwest Museum, Boy Scouts of America, Elder Hostel, home schools, public and private schools, churches, libraries, etc.
            He is the author of 10 books, including Self-Sufficient Home: How to Go Green and Save MoneyHow to Survive AnywhereEnter the Forest, and Guide to Wild Foods. He was the editor of Wilderness Way magazine for 7 years, and has authored several thousand newspaper and magazine articles in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star News, Pasadena Weekly, Whole Life Times, American  Survival Guide,  and others.
The classes and workshops of the School of Self-reliance have been featured on all Los Angeles-area television stations, including KCET’s “Life and  Times” and “Visiting with Huell Howser.”  For two years, Nyerges appeared on Fox TV’s “X show,” where he demonstrated survival skills on the streets of Los Angeles.


Bearfoot Ted Adventures











So, you wanna start running barefoot?

Firstly, before you begin, you want to evaluate what it is that is leading you to even accept the logic behind the concept of barefoot running. We all know that barefoot running has gotten a lot of attention lately. Much of it is valid and deserves your attention.

Yet, one must still ask: is this a viable option for me?

Before you answer that question, let me explain why I think barefoot or minimal footwear running may not be good for you. It is not good if you are thinking it is some sort of cure-all that only requires taking off your shoes and starting to run injury free without radical changes in the way you may have been thinking of running up to now. If your running strategy has been about very specific time or distance goals, and you have been willing to push through pain to injury, then I would caution you: your bare feet will not allow you to continue this way.

Alas, the hallmark of my barefoot running philosophy is regaining connectedness, mindfulness, and presence in your running and in your body.

Barefoot running is not about blocking or pushing through pain, or at least it shouldn't be. Rather it is about tuning-in to your own body's highly sophisticated set of integrated awareness systems, systems that communicate through feelings and senses that are being collected in real-time as you move. From my perspective, learning how to run well means learning how to tap into the feeling of running well, which more often than not requires baring the foot to get the full feel of what happens when you move.

However, even if you decide that barefoot is the route for you, take one step backward and realize you are most likely in the process of rehabilitating your feet and legs from years of being differently-abled, shoed, and cast. Atrophy, loss of range of motion, weakness, neglect, the foot has not been treated well lately. All the padding and support and protection has not led to stronger feet...sadly.

So, the first key is to start slowly, incrementally and avoid over-exuberance, avoid being driven by your ego. Think orchard growing, not fast food. Think lifetime of development and growth. Think joy.

So, what are my secrets, what is it I share with clients who take my Introduction to Barefoot Running Clinic?

My goal is to get people to learn how to feel what good running feels like. I want them to develop a feeling for it. One of the primary feelings becomes an awareness of the texture and hardness of terrain and of impact. This awareness is the beginning.

To master this awareness, I have clients learn to move on hard surfaces first. Not focusing on distance or speed, I have my clients first walk and then trot on hard, fairly smooth surfaces. I work with them to focus on and begin to master three goals: quiet, quick, in-balance.

The Three Goals

1. Master gentle, quiet, forefoot-centric landings, silent and smooth.

Learn to move with no hard edges, no pounding, by learning how to have the impact of landing flow through the entire foot, starting in the forefoot and quickly spreading through the legs smoothly. Notice how silent your movement becomes. Imagine the movement of a big cat. Watch your dogs trot. Let them be models for tuned-in, flowing movement that wastes little energy on pound or sound.

2. Quicken your cadence: Running in bare feet encourages this naturally.

Some shoe runners are plodders. You can hear them coming. Lots of wasted energy on poorly timed impact. Quicker cadence ends up making sense when you realize that your ability to absorb and recoil energy through elasticity in your body dissipates quickly and is lost if not used. Learning how to get back in touch with the sweet spot of optimal recoil efficiency is easier to find when you can feel your feet, feeling that encourages a landing phase with foot more in line with your center of gravity (thinking about how you land if you jump down onto a hard surface in barefeet, not on your heels!). Over-striding is discouraged, nearly impossible barefooted.

3. Stable upright posture: balanced head, core engaged, unbent torso, the feeling of balance, relaxed, yet strong.

I think that good running can be judged aesthetically. It should look good, not painful. When you see someone moving or running well, it looks smooth and fluid and graceful and efficient. The opposite looks painful, when someone is hunched and stiff, robotic and plodding. Indeed efficient running is tall and stable, the upper body acting as the fulcrum from which the legs and arms can move freely with a serious lack of bouncing or swaying of the head.

Ultimately my coaching goal is to help people perfect what I call a persistent hunt trot...a gait not purely about speed, but about smooth, flowing, efficient, sustainable movement, movement that leaves you ready to hunt or play another day.

Barefooting itself is all about mindfulness and presence. Running like an upright Primate, not like a Robot. Aware of your body and your environment AT ALL TIMES.

Listen to your body...learn to hear what it is telling you. Adjust accordingly. Advance accordingly.

Best Regards, Barefoot Ted

PS.  Be sure to join the Minimalist Runner Google Group, link below:

http://groups.google.com/group/huaraches

Eco Hawk Knives


http://www.hawks.equinoxcoronado.com/


 = 2.5"
ECO HAWK KIT INCLUDES:
ONE (1) ECO HAWK, ONE (1) TOPS FOLDING SAW, ONE (1) HANK OF PARACORD,
ONE (1) LANSKY SHARPENER, ONE (1) TOPS MAGNESIUM FIRE STARTER,
ONE (1) MOLLE AND BELT COMPATIBLE POUCH,
ONE (1) SURVIVAL WHISTLE
FULL KIT PRICE: $85 plus SHIPPING and TAX where applicable
TO PURCHASE, PLEASE CONTACT ERICA:

The ECO HAWK is more than a Good Knife,
and it is more than a Proper Hawk.
The ECO comes as a complete Get Outta Dodge Kit

It's a great knife in the Bush or when in the Urban Jungle...
No longer do we have to always carry a full-sized Hawk
We can build one readily with the ECO Hawk System

We have lots of plans for the ECO HAWK SYSTEM
but as you can see below, it is ready to go
All our work is covered with the unconditonal warranty that we call:
The Happiness Guarantee
 michealg@equinoxcoronado.com 


From Jim Robertson's Website

About Jim

“It’s all about relationships and communication.”

Jim Robertson has been an instructor of aboriginal skills and wilderness survival training for over a decade. He is a volunteer naturalist for the Santa Monica Mountains. The skills that Jim teaches help people to connect in a very deep, meaningful, fun, and personal way with their natural environment (and themselves). This connection motivates and inspires people to become good stewards of the land (and themselves)… which is Jim’s goal.

Learning Aboriginal skills is a pathway to a deeper, more intimate and meaningful relationship with the natural world. Practicing these skills greatly enhance your personal unique connection to the natural environment. As a result you will become a healthier, happier, and more peaceful person. This will guide you into becoming a protector for the land that loves us all unconditionally.
https://sites.google.com/aboriginalskills.com/home/home
Robin Blankenship

Earth Knack Stone Age Skills for the 21st Century

Primitive and modern life skills training: Don’t just survive. Thrive!


Earth Knack has been offering primitive skills courses, wilderness treks, and sustainable modern life skills teaching to people of all ages since 1990. The Earth Knack school site is near Crestone, Colorado, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park.


ROBIN BLANKENSHIP owns and operates Earth Knack and has been working in the outdoor field since 1978 when she began leading horse packing trips into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness for Adventure Unlimited Ranches, eventually directing their mountaineering program. She began teaching for Larry Olsen’s School of Urban and Wilderness Survival in 1984, the National Outdoor Leadership School and Outward Bound. She holds a B.A. in English Literature, a minor in Spanish from the University of Colorado, Boulder, as well as a B.S. in Education with a Colorado elementary teaching certification. She is the author (and illustrator) of How To Play In The Woods, published in 2016 by Gibbs Smith, Publishers, and co-authored and illustrated Earth Knack Stone Age Skills for the 21st Century, also published by Gibbs Smith in 1996. Robin made a friction fire for Katie Couric on The Today Show, has been featured in publications including Outside Magazine, The Chicago TribuneThe New York TimesThe Denver Post, and appeared on Channel 4 news programs in Denver featuring self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyles. See our Earth Knack in history page under Earth Knack In The News.

2 comments:

  1. All of these sites have very knowledgeable folks and you can learn a lot from them, .

    Dude...

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete