Girl on log - The Stand Up Paddleboard as a bushcraft tool.

[Realearner]

Ah it's just a topic I'm really fascinated by...

One of many I would think. Would love to have a conversation about the many interests you have.

[susannewilliams]

46 years of experience camping etc. in the Canadian wilderness makes me an expert on that. An authority, yes. Unassailable, no.

Will you elucidate then?

You made the following statements:
Paddleboards belong at resorts not in the back country.
There is so such wrong with this idea, I don't know where to begin.

I presented evidence that paddleboards have proven very capable in the backcountry and have quite a long history of use in various setting.

I am seriously interested in your reasoning...perhaps you have some bad experience with them, or insights that have not yet been explored....

Up to now it's just been a discussion on definitions...

[susannewilliams]

One of many I would think. Would love to have a conversation about the many interests you have.

I started wilderness related stuff when I was about 6 when my Dad first sent me into the woods on my own for an overnighter.
String, cup, pocket knife, plastic sheet, water bottle, matches.
(I am pretty sure he followed me... *grin*)


Since then I've developed several areas of interest

• Forestcraft / Mountaineering
• Ultra distance mountain running and other endurance sports - (which for me is just a synthesis of other skills)
• Sailing / Diving / Paddlesports
• SAR - Wilderness Emergency Medicine
• Martial Arts
• International business at a high level

But really I see them all as different expressions of a few basic competences.


When you have core skills you can apply them flexibly in all sorts of terrains (physical terrain, mental terrain, emotional terrain, social terrain, aesthetic terrain, even spiritual terrain)


Mental / emotional management skills

• Direct perception
• Grit, equanimity, creativity
• Situational Awareness - (incl risk assessment / management)
• Problem Solving / Improvisation
• Nature engagement
• Working with animals - horses / dogs
• How to learn quickly and reliably - specific skills and methods for that

Physical capability

• Skills to move over various kinds of terrain - run, climb, swim, ski, dive, ride, paddle, bike, motorised transport, boats, etc (still working on flyers)
• Physical toughness
• Capacity management
• Breathing (Tactical breathing for management of your state, but also freediving for example. Hold my breath for 4:45min)
• Healing
• Qigong
• A direct/shamanic interaction with things

Specific skills

• Tool learning / management (hand tools, rigging/ropes, powertools, weapons, etc)
• Machines
• Weather management (Cold - routinely down to -50c, Heat - desert travel, Storms - ocean/mountain)
• Terrain awareness and skills (sizing up landscape, route choice (mountains/forest/desert/rock), river reading, ocean/waves reading, avalanche assessment, etc)
• Gear management
• Navigation in various terrain
• First Aid - Medicine (both core and specialised to terrain & activity: High Altitude, Drowning management, Hypothermia. Special medical challenges associated with endurance sports, firearms, blunt trauma in the mountains, etc)

and very importantly - LOVE - I actively cultivate a state of wonder, about everything. WOOOWWWW - look at THAT!

• Love for the nature
• Love for people - (compassion / leadership in stressful situations/wisdom of indigenous peoples)
• Love for beauty - I am an aesthete.
• Love for life and just an intense hunger for experience

We teach some of these skills in a series of workshops.

We take people into the Arctic, onto volcanic islands, sailing, diving, into caves, hunt them deep into the forest....but mostly deep into themselves. It is brilliant to see what happens to people as they discover themselves in the Wilderness/Adventure. Friends for life!

(Definition of Wilderness/Adventure - Where the outcome is not a given...)


The absolute mainstay of it all:

Just Notice!
...
And Express (Commuunicate...create...art...music...bonds....)
Make Nice-Nice...
and Yes, you need the friction
BTW - Enjoy the Ride

Haha

All you need:

• Skillz
• Napz
• Hugz
• Snax
• Toyz

OK that was probably a bit more than expected...

Here's the site for our seminars:
http://www.lightningpath.co/gallery/...ic-adventures/
http://www.lightningpath.co/about/

This year I have been trying to get out to the UK but scheduling has been a bit of a bugger...

Still working on that...

Thanks for asking man...

S


Back to Basics - Heated Tarp Shelter Winter / Alps
http://youtu.be/AHSrhMhhCS8

Alpine Winter Hammock -- the solo girly bushcraft way...
http://youtu.be/IUPnxiXxAd8

Solo Alpine Winter Bushcraft - no tent, no sleeping bag, just skillz...
http://youtu.be/-8TxVTnxejA

Finnish fire Torch and Strawberries - warm socks all the way...
http://youtu.be/E_W-YSsRxI0

Freediving
http://youtu.be/1cDUimMcKuU

[Realearner]

Love for life and just an intense hunger for experience

Skillz
Napz
Hugz
Snax
Toyz

Well I see you have the toyz in all your video clips, as for the rest I will leave that to the imagination.
And looked at seminars and a bit beyond my price range, but look interesting
And yes what conversations there would be with that list, very deep on some subjects

[susannewilliams]

Love for life and just an intense hunger for experience

Skillz
Napz
Hugz
Snax
Toyz

Well I see you have the toyz in all your video clips, as for the rest I will leave that to the imagination.
And looked at seminars and a bit beyond my price range, but look interesting
And yes what conversations there would be with that list, very deep on some subjects

Haha yes. The toyz. Very broad interpretation, that one. Trees, water, rock, wind...all some type of toy to me. :-)

We talked before about getting over to do some hammock stuff. What if we pulled it much broader and just did a weekend smorgasbord.

Get a larger audience that could possibly be interested
Grab 10 topics from the list
Do a weekender

I still am having trouble scheduling but something in the late Summer / Autumn would give us all enough lead time.

I'll PM you with some suggestions

OK?