Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man:A Field Guide to Leadership in the Great Outdoors Chapter 28

This is the twenty-eighth of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.

Chapter 28: Prepare to head into the mountains.

“Life is brought down to the basics: if you are warm, regular, healthy, not thirsty or hungry, then you are not on a mountain….”

- Chris Darwin

The purpose of this chapter is to help a person on their journey to becoming a modern-day mountain man. This is not intended to be a definitive preparation program or in any way be a conclusive training tool, as the learning process for a modern-day mountain man should be a life-long process. The program that is outlined below is a nine-day program that helps build a foundation for competency in the mountains using skills that the student may already have learned from previous good outdoor experiences. It certainly is not as easy today as it was in the mountain man’s time period of yesteryear to simply head into the mountains for an indefinite period of time. Proper instruction and preparation before heading into the mountains are essential for success. The underlying skills needed for personal sustainment when traveling in a remote backcountry setting simply aren’t present for most young men and women today as we have become very comfortable in a life of urbanization and comfort. The main goal or intention behind this program is to deliver a progressive program where the participants learn the basic skills using rudimentary skills then progress to using and implementing the tools available to modern-day mountain men.

Definition of a Modern-Day Mountain Man: Mountain Men were well known for the ability to travel over long distances and blaze their own paths. The trapper and trader period (1810-1840) was a time of great exploration and growth of a new breed of men that would pave the way for future expansion of the United States Westward. Mountain Men had to be reliable and able to provide real value in the company they traveled with. Self-reliance and skills used determined whether the Mountain Man survived and how successful the trapping expedition was. A Modern-Day Mountain Man would make decisions that would not only benefit him, but the other men in his Company and life. The confidence that comes from being self-reliant and making wise decisions based on health, spirituality and emotional needs would define him as a man that could stand above other men with a much greater resolve and desire to be a better stronger member of a community.

Goals: To instruct participants in skills that will give confidence in self-reliance. Participants will be able to use their skills to help themselves and others in their group to be self-reliant, dependable, and make useful decisions in stressful situations. A big part of the program will be discipleship in both a spiritual capacity, as well as being able to teach skills and responsible behaviors to others. Participants would be able to adapt and overcome obstacles using skills learned and through improvisation based on knowledge. Through adversity and difficulty, the men will become stronger of mind and body and spirituality. The adventure program will transition from a field training site to a remote backcountry travel experience, to utilizing modern-day equipment and techniques while accomplishing in-depth team-building exercises while conducting long-distance overland travel.

Skills: Participants will learn a wide variety of skills to include; shelter building, first aid, fire craft, trapping, improvisation of tools, navigation, knots and lashing, extreme overland travel, and companionship.

Tools Needed and Used: Knives of many different style/varieties and materials, matches, flint and steel (ferrocerium), tents, tarps, cord and ropes, map and compass, GPS, signaling devices, high and low-tech clothing layers, backpacks, stoves, and containers.

Packing list for participants:

General Clothing: - Jacket/Coat (Appropriate to time of year) - Warm sweater, preferably wool. - Pants or Jeans, absolutely no shorts allowed. - Rain Jacket/Poncho (heavy PM rainstorms can occur daily in the mountains) - T-Shirts, wool or poly is best - Underwear - Warm Hat, preferably wool or wool blend - Warm Gloves - Boots – comfortable for hiking, must be broken in and of the correct size ATTENTION!: If possible, bring synthetic or wool socks, one pair per day. No cotton.

Personal Gear: - Towel & Washcloth - Soap - Shampoo - Toothbrush & Toothpaste - Deodorant - SUNSCREEN - Pillow - Pen or Pencil

Optional Gear: - Personal Flashlight - Camera

Gear Provided by Raven Adventures and Training: - Backpack (Expedition and day size) - Sleeping Bag, Liner and pad - Knife and Ferrocerium Rod - Poncho - Rope and Cordage - Tent, ground covers and tarps - Headlamp - Nalgene Water Bottles - Camping Stove and Fuel - Water Purification Methods - Eating Utensils and Containers

Staff Needed: This program would require a highly specialized and skilled training staff that could instruct, monitor, supervise and foresee any issues and dangers to the participants and make a plan that mitigates as much risk as possible. The staff would need to be skilled in all things bushcraft and woodcraft related. These skills would need to be used and implemented without second guessing the right skill for the need on a very quick time-frame. The staff would need to be strong, reliable and without a great deal of personal needs. They must be able to endure personal discomfort and routinely go through the same conditions and program parameters as the participants. The staff would need to be of a maturity that is beyond their years as they would be looked up to from the participants, their behavior must be of the highest moral and spiritual standards.

Program Outline: This program is designed to be 9 total days in duration, with the arrival date being the evening of day 1. Days 1-3 of the program would be conducted at an easily accessible base camp site with facilities. Days 4-7 would be a remote backcountry travel experience. Day 8 would be a breakdown day with a closing meal and awards programs. The following is a detailed outline of the program from arrival to departure. The program would be limited to a maximum of 10 participants and 3 guides.

Arrival Evening (3:00-5:00 PM) (Day 1): Participants would meet at designates base camp. The first evening would be focused on getting to know one another, covering in detail do’s and don’ts, and issuing gear. The meal on the first evening would be a nice meal served using facilities at the base campsite, with sleeping arrangements the first night being in tents with sleeping pads.

First Day of Program (Day 2): The first and most important foundations that need to be taught would begin by focusing on the 7 + 1 Outdoor Skill Priorities.

Modern-Day Mountain Man 7 + 1 Outdoor Skill Priorities:

1. Introduction to a Remote Backcountry Situation (Main objective is differentiating between “camping” and “backcountry self-reliance”

The “Stranded” Game to get the groups thinking, “What should/could you do if the Modern-Day Mountain Man is in a situation where self-reliance is paramount?”

Participants will discuss the importance of the 10 essentials, with examples of several multi-use items/tools after the completion/scoring of the “stranded” game.

Discuss in detail the importance of the 7 + 1 outdoor skill priorities.

Be able to quickly and identify and define the 4 essential skill rules of 3’s.

2. Map and Compass, GPS Navigation Skills (this would be the +1 of the 7+1 outdoor skill priorities).

This would be an in-depth version of navigating/route finding with a map and compass. We would also highlight where to find water and ideal shelter placement. This program would utilize a hasty orienteering course built on the site of the base camp location. The group will also learn the basics of GPS operation and route planning. The additional hasty GPS/Geocaching course places at the base camp will be used to prove the participant’s knowledge and the usability of the learned skill.

3. Knife Skills

This is a lesson that should be taught before fire building or shelters (or possibly even first aid).

Participants will be taught proper knife handling skills, including; knife passing, sheathing, slicing/cutting, cleaning/sharpening, and different knife choices and styles.

Participants will carve on bars of soap to begin, moving up to sticks, then finally on to whittling/splitting skills.

4. Shelter Building

The most important concept of shelter building is the 4 C’s of improvised mountain shelters.

The participants will also learn about site selection and placement of improvised shelters in the environment they must work with.

The participants will learn 4 basic knots and 4 hitches/lashings to assist in their shelter building process.

The participants will focus on the utilization of resources and how to get the best bang-for-their-buck with the materials supplied and found.

5. Fire Building (this is focusing on the difference between remote backcountry fires and campfires)

Special emphasis will be placed on the responsibility and care that is needed when working with and around fires.

Participants will be taught the definitive fire building method to be utilized in remote backcountry settings (platform, brace, and rack) and how to utilize the material nature provides.

Participants will use the skills gained in knife skills to implement their knives to process wood (using the baton method) and use their knives to start fires with a ferrocerium rod.

Participants will continue to eat meals prepared using the facilities at the base campsite and will sleep in tents with sleeping pads.

6. Communication and Signaling

The group will learn how to use and implement communication and signaling devices. This would include EPLRBS (Emergency Personal Location Rescue Beacons), Radios, Mirrors, signaling fires, and markers.

Participants would learn how to signal for rescue and how-to effectively communicate with rescuers. The focus would be placed on distress signals, as well as signaling for attention and communications.

Second Day of Program (Day 3): This training day will consist of in-depth first aid, CPR, and emergency medicine training. All the participants will be trained and certified in First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens, AED, CPR, and Epi-pen. This will help the participants know when something is going wrong and the steps to help prevent injury/illness and treat it if necessary. We will conduct rescue scenarios, as well as planning and preparation for dealing with backcountry medical issues. Leave No Trace Ethics will be taught and practiced, especially concerning sanitation, disposal of waste, and campsite and selection.

The meals will be backcountry dehydrated meals cooked by the participants at the basecamp location. The participants will build their own shelters out of materials supplied. They will sleep in their hasty and improvised shelters. Participants will use sleeping bags.

Third-Day of Program (Day 4): Participants will completely disassemble their shelters in accordance with LNT ethics. Breakfast will be served at the base campsite. Assembled sack lunches will also be packed. All the gear will be assembled, and a shakedown process conducted. The group will do a final packing of gear and the group will be transported to the insertion site to access the backcountry (or another designated remote backcountry destination). Upon arrival at the remote backcountry destination, the group will establish a basecamp for the evening. The group will sleep in tents and eat dehydrated backcountry meals prepared on stoves.

Fourth Day of Program (Day 5): Participants will pack up their gear for transportation by the logistics coordinator. The participants will be left with a small day pack (possibles bag), Knife, 1 days’ worth of food, water bottle and metal cup, map and compass, rope and cord, and the clothes they are wearing. The goal will be to travel over a great distance using backcountry travel techniques to a predetermined destination/campsite. During the day's travel, the participants will be responsible for rationing their food and finding wild edibles along the way. They will need to use their backcountry navigation skills to find drinkable sources of water. When the group arrives at the predetermined backcountry campsite they will use the skills learned over the past 4 days to establish a group campsite. This will include building their own shelters using the materials they find, as well as building a survival fire and gathering other materials (wild edibles, cordage, signaling, etc.) for a one-night camping experience.

Fifth Day of Program (Day 6): The group will disassemble their shelters and fire pit areas in accordance with LNT ethics. The group will determine their best route of travel for the day to arrive at their cache site (the camp logistics coordinator will be waiting with the gear at a predetermined location). This travel day will put the group to the cache site late in the day (5:00 PM). The group will then travel another 1-2 miles to a predetermined campsite near a reliable water source. The camp logistics coordinator will return to basecamp. When arriving at camp the emphasis will be placed on setting up camp first, which would include tents, fire areas, cooking areas, etc. After camp is established, the group will be allowed to cook their meals (dehydrated meals, fruits and veggies, and dessert items). That evening a devotion focused on the wilderness experience will be conducted around the group campfire. The devotional and discipleship aspect of this program is considered the key component of the mental foundation that needs to be developed on the journey to self-reliance.

Sixth Day of Program (Day 7): The group will pack-up camp and make sure the site meets the requirements for LNT ethics. The group will plot a route to return to the base camp origin site, or another developed site if the route chosen is not a circular route. This travel day should be around 10-12 miles. The group will use modern-day (GPS) navigation equipment to travel to pre-arranged checkpoints along the over-country travel route. We will also utilize several team-building challenges along the way, including a backcountry rescue/evacuation exercise requiring the group to move 2 injured people of their party (guides) to a pre-determined evacuation site. This will include the signaling and communication necessary to complete the evacuation. The group will also practice their tracking abilities to locate a missing group member (guide), utilizing changes of terrain, track and trails left behind by the person, and backcountry lost hiker logic. The group will arrive back at basecamp to a nice meal cooked by camp logistics staff and set-up camp for the night.

Heading Into the Mountains.

Seventh Day of Program (Day 8): Participants will pack-up their gear for early morning transportation back to the group’s originating site or program location. Breakfast will consist of cereal/grain bars, fruits and veggies, and juices. Upon arrival back to the origin site, all the gear will be cleaned and checked back into by the program coordinator. The participants will be allowed a shower and a change of clothes, as well as collecting their personal items. There will be an awards ceremony for all the participants, as well as special awards given by the guiding staff. This ceremony will take place during a nice meal in the dining hall at the facility. The expected ending time for the program will be in the late afternoon or early evening on the final day.

In conclusion, while a program like this may not be comprehensive or all-encompassing, a progressive program similar to the one described can go a long way towards developing the critical thinking skills that are needed in the mountains. Since immersion in the mountains for years at a time, being totally reliant on your ability to trap, trade and hunt is no longer a feasible endeavor, especially on state and federally protected lands, learning how to use technology and modern-day tools is important to make the experience a good one for both you and the people you are leading. The best way to learn is to do; get outside and prepare to go to the mountains.