Last month at RLBC proved again how practice does make progress. While teaching at the Survival Camp, it became clear that both the interest in and the practice of survival skills pays off. Yet, as life often reminds us, practice doesn’t always guarantee perfection — sometimes the real world results differ from what we expect.
There was one particular camper who focused on building a ‘Canadian Candle’ fire – great for cooking over when wood supply is limited. He chose to stick around at free time and practice this skill. Then he went above and beyond. He took out his HOSS Log book and began to make notes and even worked with Hoagy to draw a picture of the firelay.
Later in the week, during the overnight expedition, this same camper wanted to create a pyramid tarp shelter. It wasn’t optimal for the size and shape of tarp that was available, however, he felt it was worth trying to see what would happen. As it turns out the shelter did not survive the night, but the camper showed resilience by trying rebuild in the dark and went to plan B when that didn’t work.
During the week of Survival Camp, as campers and leaders explored new survival skills, one lesson stood out: the value of practice cannot be underestimated. When individuals commit to learning and building confidence to survive, one principle remains true — consistent practice leads to consistent progress.
Survival skills aren’t just for the wilderness — they’re for right now! Here are some fun ones to practice.
- Know the North Star
Clear summer night skies are perfect for camping or even just stargazing in the backyard, and it’s a great time to practice you navigation skill. Finding the North Star (Polaris) takes a little practice, but the process is straightforward. First, locate the Big Dipper — which is usually easy to spot in Saskatchewan’s skies. Then, draw an imaginary line through the two stars at the edge of the Big Dipper’s bowl; this line points directly to Polaris, the brightest star in the handle of the Little Dipper (although not the brightest in the night sky). The horizon directly below the North Star will be your north direction. Remember that from our viewpoint all stars will slowly rotate around the North Star, so throughout the night the constellations will be in different positions.
- Keep a fire source handy at all times – and be proficient with it!
FireCraft is one of the most foundational survival skills you can learn! Don’t just rely on lighters or matches — carry a small ferrocerium rod and striker that fits in your pocket or on a keychain, and practice using it in different conditions. This summer, turn every opportunity to light a fire into a chance to challenge yourself. With consistent practice, your confidence and skill will grow.
- Got a tent? Set it up!
Nothing really grows a relationship like setting up a tent together after sunset or in the rain, right?!? Why not try setting up the tent in the backyard a few times to become familiar with the layout and jobs required to get it functional — all under the best circumstances. The more you practice, the less of a show it will be when you’re setting up in the campground after hours… with an audience.
Have you ever practiced using Google Maps’ offline mode? Did you even know that was available?
- Use Google Maps offline so you can still navigate even without a connection
If you’re driving or adventuring between locations and don’t have a data connection, use Google Maps’ offline mode. It’ll still give you directions and useful information like the distance to your destination, what streets to take, and how long it’ll take to get there.
You can also download a map of your places of interest ahead of time, and then you get to use it anywhere – even in remote rural areas! Just be aware, downloaded maps can expire after 15 days or less. To keep your maps offline indefinitely, you need to go to the Google Maps offline settings and activate automatic updates.
Practicing skills does not have to be a stressful experience, but challenge yourself to always do things a little better than last time.
What skill do you need to practice often to keep from getting ‘rusty’? Share it in the comments below!
