THE TRAILHAWK JOURNEYS: Iloilo Wilderness Survival Class

THIS IS NO ORDINARY CROWD that I am facing today, April 7, 2018. This is the cream of the crop of Philippine mountaineering and the legends of the Philippine underworld. I should be intimidated, shaking with stage fright, but I feel nothing. Instead, I sense kinship with these guys as if I am on home ground.

The Iloilo Mountaineering Club (IMC) is one of the oldest mountaineering organizations in the Philippines. It was established in 1970 and became one of the original founding clubs that signed the charter of the National Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, now known as the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc. (MFPI).

IMC is quite active despite their preference to be in an inactive status, for the time being, from the MFPI. In fact, they are in the midst of euphoria after they have finally completed the Panay Trilogy, a project that took them many decades to accomplish. This is their banner year and I could feel the energy of everyone flowing.

The Panay Trilogy is the crowning glory of IMC. It comprises Mount Madia-as, Mount Nangtud and Mount Baloi Daku, spanning all the four provinces of Panay Island. The final and successful expedition lasted 18 days and involved the entire club either as the exploration team, the four supply teams or the standby reserve team.

The Western Visayas Caving Association (WVCA) covers both Iloilo and Negros and was established in 1995. WVCA is one of the founding clubs of the Philippine Speleological Society (PSS). WVCA is very active in explorations, trainings, assessments and participation in the annual PSS Congress. Their strict adherence to caving safety, ethics and ecology protection created the benchmarks on how caves ought to be managed.

IMC and WVCA are feathers from the same parents. Their members could do both mountaineering and caving with ease. Credit that to the founding fathers who are all close friends like Vic Pison, Dodot Pison and Fred Tayo Jr. for IMC and Fred Jamili for WVCA. This is a great community of passionate people who love the outdoors.

Today is the first day of the Araw ng Kagitingan Wilderness Survival Camp which would end on April 9. All would sit and listen to me talk and discuss the BASIC WILDERNESS SURVIVAL COURSE. Most of these guys had been to the mountains for a long time and each could have personally collected their own knowledge about survival. This training would refine that and guide them to the best practices of survival.

I would be assisted by Ernie Salomon and Jonathaniel Apurado who both came all the way from Cebu with me. Carrying us here last night is Randy Salazar of IMC and WVCA, driving his Nissan Strada, and would probably also help me if I need his expertise. Then Derek Manuel of Derek’s Classic Blade Exchange would also have a part during the training. Together we represent the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild.

After an opening address by Sir Vic, this blogger proceed to explain the purpose of the training. It is designed for tropical wilderness settings of dense jungles and rugged highlands, which I first offered to the mountaineering community in October 2013. It is open to all individuals or groups of any interests and purpose. The training is done inside a local resort of Alimodian, Iloilo.

The first chapter is Introduction to Survival. Survival situations demand that you stay tough after the initial impact. Mental stability and toughness are very important characteristics of a survivor. You must develop a survival mindset. Do not engage in prolonged mind games of fantasy and false hopes. You should rein in your mind so you would not release excess adrenaline and cause you more confusion in a very stringent moment.

The best thing to do is stay still and fill up your lungs with oxygene. Your brain needs it most to help you process thoughts. You are now in a high state of agitation and so does your brain. Your brain will be in hyper mode, collating and processing many thoughts all at the same time which is beyond human capacity. We can do so one thought at a time. Just stay still and breathe regularly, supplying your blood system with oxygene.

In the hierarchy of needs and of nutrition in a survival situation, water is always on the top of the scales of both. Rightly so, for we are in the tropics and humidity plays a big role. With that, we surrender perspiration by the acts of our exertions and by what the climatic conditions imposed on us. Along with the lost moisture, is our body heat which we let go without our knowing.

When you stay still in one place, you lessen wastage of moisture and body heat. Then you confine the latter by setting up a shelter (if you still have one) or make one from scratch. That is the second need. The third would be food then warmth. Although food, and even water, would give you warmth, but heat from a naked flame or from the rays of the sun or from a person’s body is solace. Last is security which would complement well with the rest.

Our body has four hypothetical storage tanks that need to be replenished from time to time during survival. First is constant rehydration that would offset dehydration. Second is food that would give you nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins. Third is sugar which is converted by enzymes for your adrenaline rush. Fourth is fat, hardest to find in the tropics yet are wrapped as tissues in our body.

The topic for the next chapter is about Water Sanitation and Hydration. The first chapter had mentioned the importance of water during survival. Water could be sourced from natural springs, water seeps, man-made water holes, flowing streams, the atmosphere and from plants. It could be refined through boiling, by chemicals, exposure to heat, through filtration and by desalination. It is wise to cache water in your survival camp or just travel early and take advantage of shady places and breeze if you happen to have less.

We move on to the third chapter which is about Knife Care and Safety. The knife is a tool and should not be used to what it was not designed for like digging holes and as pry bars. It is a vital piece of equipment that should be properly handled and cared for because it is your link to your surviving. In all my training, knife etiquette is learned first before you touch a knife, so as to lessen accidents.

Besides that, there is a knife law that forbids the display, even of concealed carrying, in public places unless you are in a lawful activity, which we are in right now. A knife should be in a sturdy sheath when travelling and should be unsheathed when at home to keep it from rust. There are many kinds of knives and it is important that you know the parts, blade shapes, grind styles and the tang designs. You must also learn how to field sharpen a knife.

During this moment, Derek added his specialty to the lecture by showing the participants the different shapes and the different grinds. Derek further illustrate with a graph what are the most popular and the best grinds and what are the tools to grind or hone an edge. He also discuss how a knife edge behave when being grounded and the best way to remove burrs.

I was able to finish three chapters in the morning and noonbreak is mandatory when the clock struck twelve. There is no cooking as food is prepared by the family-run resort. After lunch, the hammock is an inviting proposition and I sneaked into its comfortable grip for a quick nap. I needed the rest since I did not feel well and the participants would be handling knives later. Refreshed after 45 minutes of siesta, I continued with the activity.

After the much appreciated instructions about the knife in the morning, we moved on to Survival Tool Making. Using a tool is essential in survival or even when not in that situation. I showed them the most basic of tools like the digging stick, traps and snares from pieces bamboo that I prepared, and the batoning stick. I let each carve a spoon on bamboo to practice their dexterity with a knife while supervising the practical exercise.

Following this is the chapter on Notches. There are five basic notches that are used regularly in bushcraft. These are applicable in shelters, furniture and tools. Again, this is another exercise in knife dexterity but it can only be achieved with the use of another tool, the baton stick. On a single stick that served as an art canvas, each participant carved their five different notches, starting with the easiest up to the most complicated.

At the last hours of daylight, the first day lecture ends. We have accomplished much for the day, simply because we started at 09:00. After supper, the socials on Campfire Yarns and Storytelling proceed. The evening start with individual introductions and, fueled by moderate supply of alcoholic drinks, it metamorphosed into funny tales which progressed towards the scary ones as the night approach midnight.

The second day, April 8, start with Customizing the Survival Kit. It is better that survival kits are made from scratch than bought commercially because a survival kit’s size and its components depends upon the type of the activity you are indulging in and the kind of environment you are going to visit. Your personal preference still matters. The components should include the medical kit, the replenishment pouch, the repair kit and a small knife. It could all be integrated in one container and should be waterproofed.

At this juncture, Jonathan, Ernie, Randy and Derek lent their survival kits to the lecture. Each one describe the items and how it could complement with the other items with little ingenious hacks. The individual survival kits came in different sizes, which ranged from a kit which focused more on first aid and to another which is for everyday carry (EDC).

Next is Fire, Fuel and Campfire Safety. You cannot make a fire if one or all elements are not present, namely: fuel, heat and air. Lately, they added a fourth element – chemical reaction. Fire-making is 80% common sense, 10% skill and 10% perspiration. We are talking about the friction methods. Your fire can start if you can acquire and identify the right tinder, if you are in a dry place, and if you have the patience.

Aside from friction, there are the conventional methods which are matchsticks, lighters, ferro rods and the flint and steel. Then there is solar magnification which can be done with any lens, reading glasses, water and even ice. Then you have pressurized air, exemplified by the fire piston. I first give a demonstration of the flint and steel, which I paired with charclothe, and then with the ferro rod.

Everyone tried the flint-and-steel and the ferro rod but they were much successful with the latter, simply because it is much easy to achieve. Embers caught on soft fuel became instant flames and it was a smoke-filled mid-morning affair. Then I showed them how a tinder bundle is made. Popularly called as a “bird’s nest”, it is the material by which you transfer ember or a small flame so it would progress into a useful flame.. 

I start with the bow drill method and showed them how it is made and spun. Unfortunately, I could only make thick smoke as sawdust embers refused to light up my tinder. Humidity plays a big role here since it rained many minutes ago. I let others try the bowdrill. Three teams tried their best coaxed by morale-boosting chants but all to no avail. I tried with the bamboo method but I also failed until Randy came at the right moment and saved the day.

Noonbreak came but there is no meal prepared. Everyone is on fasting. It is part of the training. Everyone will have to experience the pangs of hunger during survival situations. When you are hungry, you get irritated by the humidity, the warmth, the uncomfortable position, crawling insects and you tend to be sleepy. Fighting off that demands great concentration and will power. All will avail of food right after the fruits of their night foraging later.

After a one-hour siesta, the participants go back to listen to the next topic which is about Foraging and Plant Identification. Foraging food in the wilderness or on unfamiliar terrain can be very taxing to the mind. When you are stressed and hungry, you tend to remove all caution. Looks can be very deceiving in the tropics like fruits, leaves, nuts, roots, flowers and mushrooms. Likewise, you need to evade harmful plants while travelling your way in a jungle.

Short term food would be grub, tree snails, fresh-water shrimps and crabs and frogs. These can be picked by hand. Cook it if you must to remove parasites and bacteria. Long term foods are meat from mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. For that, you must use a weapon or traps and snares. Traps could be anything designed to lure prey into a simple contraption of a hollow bamboo or a dam of rocks. It must work with the terrain, with gravity and the habits of creatures, including its anatomy design.

Snares are more complex. It has a spring-and-trigger mechanism which would be initiated by the prey. Showed the students a very common snare employing a pressure-trigger mechanism. It could catch anything from birds to goats. Another is a tube snare. You must use bait so prey would be lured to set it off. A single trap or a single snare would not yield you a catch but a trap line of 20 to 30 of these, after ascertaining where prey would most likely pass or visit.

Related to these is the chapter on Food Preservation and Cooking. If you can eat a deer all in one setting, well and good. You are very fortunate to still possess a healthy appetite. Meat rots in a short span of time. During survival, meat can be preserved and its edibility can be extended for a few more hours to several months. You can boil it. You can dry it. You can smoke it. Or you can cook it with its own oil from its fat.

Fish can be preserved by drying and by smoking. Fruits can be digested after a drying session and provide you natural sugar. Common rootcrops has high starch value and should be cooked, by all means possible, to remove toxins. Famine crops need to be immersed in running water for five days before cooking. Salt and vinegar are good food preservatives. Vinegar can be sourced from any palm.

Since there is still a few hours of daylight, I collected bamboo poles and teach them how to create an improvised cooking vessel, specifically designed to cook anything save frying with oil. I employ my Trailhawk System for this which also includes how rice is cooked, which is so different from the rest of the country. It is a Visayan technique which finds its origin in cooking milled corn.

 

After assigning them into seven groups of six persons each, the participants begin the process of making bamboo cooking vessels and, as a community; they use one firepit to cook all seven bamboos in a line. Everyone lend their hands for their group by feeding more firewood or peering into the chamber to observe the tell-tale bubbles. I leave them to their devices and seek out the comfort of my hammock. I am so tired. 

When I receive news that the rice is all cooked, we proceed with Nocturnal Hunting. There is an assigned area for this and all would hike in darkness with headlights and hand torch looking for edible tree snails. After an hour, each group returned empty-handed. There is not much left. I was hoping even though our camp is near human habitations. I later found out that the area is a man-made forest of introduced trees which no indigenous fauna would make home.

Anyway, the catering service provided Plan B and everybody made amends with their hungry stomachs while half of them made many trips to the buffet table. A campfire is lighted up early by the youngsters when we went foraging leaving us with just a few firewood to start another Campfire Yarns and Storytelling. We decide to ditch this night activity so all could sleep early and recover from the torture of a hungry day.

The final day, April 9, is the one marked as an official holiday. Before, it commemorates the Fall of Bataan, and was named as Bataan Day. Then they changed that to Araw ng Kagitingan, which is “Day of Courage” if you translate it into English. To honor our fallen heroes, we raise the Philippine Flag and sing the National Hymn. We follow it up with the Oath to Flag and Country.

After the formalities, the Blade Porn begins. I have never seen so many blades before when I started my bushcraft camps eight years ago. The whole of Panay, comprising the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Antique produce their own distinctive battle and utility blades which are laid before me side-by-side with branded blades and those from other regions. It filled to the brim one 8-ft. by 8-ft. laminated nylon sheet and needed another sheet to accommodate more. It is a collector’s delight.

I have to finish the rest of the topics and proceed with Navigation and Understanding Trails. This is more on traditional navigation which use the natural terrain, shadows and the sky fixtures for travel; avoiding obstacles and exposed areas; and knowing how to identify signs on trails made by both animals and humans.

Following that is Understanding Cold Weather. During survival, exposure to the elements is expected. There are five physical mechanisms that steal away body heat and the things that we should do to keep us constantly warm.

Last topic is Outdoors Common Sense. This is based from my yet unpublished book, ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. It is about trail courtesy and behavior while on the trail; choosing the best campsites; practicing stealth camping; increasing individual safety and security; wildlife encounters; and introduce people to the idea of Blend, Adapt and Improvise.

After the training, there is the giving of training certificates for the participants and the certificate of appreciation for me, Randy, Derek, Jonathan and Ernie. Then the most awaited part, the giveaways, is raffled off to the participants. At the top of the ladder is a beautiful Schrade knife, courtesy of Classic Blade Exchange. Then you have more ESEE knives, Marbles Arkansas stones, survival items by SOL and UST from CBX.

More blade giveaways came from the Knifemaker of Mandaue City and locally-made blades courtesy of Filipino Traditional Blades begun to find new owners, as well as camping and hiking accessories from Silangan Outdoor Equipment and from PAC Gear. This is the highlight of the day and, after lunch, everyone break camp and made it to their cars and pickups. 

I have a long day ahead tomorrow with Randy, Ernie and Jonathan but it would be another adventure and another article, perhaps. My grandfather’s journey came full circle as I delivered the survival instructions for IMC and WVCA, which I came to understand was the most I handled in my many years teaching this. I counted and signed 49 certificates.

Oh, I almost forgot. My grandfather taught me these skills when I was 6 years old until I was 8. He was from Lambunao, Iloilo. He left his hometown when he was 12 on a one-way trip to Cebu. He lived by his own wits there and almost fought in Europe during World War I as a Philippine Scout; he became a three-term municipal councilor, a lawyer, started a family, a professor and survived World War II as a most-wanted guerrilla officer in Bohol.

I cut my teeth under him. He is no other than the late Gervasio Lavilles, the wellspring that made Cebu a Chartered City. It is an honor to impart what I learned from him back to his native soil. It came at a most appropriate time, Araw ng Kagitingan. He was an unsung hero. 

Document done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer

Photos courtesy of JM Alabe Mejorada of IMC/WVCA

NAPO TO BABAG TALES CXXX: A Different Kind of Wilderness Survival Camp

THIS IS A STRANGE CROWD that I am facing today, March 23, 2018. Ricky Petiluna, the event organizer had assembled one which looked like it came straight out of Bohemia. Ricky himself is a front act of a local death metal band, the Kryptic Skulls. I assume the rest of the band are here and the rest are its fan base.

This band has a different philosophy. They are enchanted with nature and the outdoors. Everytime they have out-of-town gigs, they make it sure that, after the klieg lights, after the ear-splitting music, after the exhausting performance, after the shrieking crowds, they go straight to the hills of their hosts and launch their own nature appreciation therapy.

It has a different energy and it travels through their soundbytes. This event and the participation is testament to that. A couple of Boy Scouts took the opportunity when it was posted in Facebook and hanged on to the call of the wild. The venue would be at a place I designate as Camp Xi, easy to access but tricky to find.

 

All the participants are accounted for at the parking lot of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. We all proceed to the trailhead of Napo, the gateway to the Babag Mountain Range, Cebu City, Philippines. Going to assist me are Ernie Salomon, Jonathaniel Apurado and Randy Salazar. Their mere presence already elicits awe among participants as they have created names for themselves in our small outdoors sub-culture of bushcraft.

After a hike of an hour through the beautiful trails of Sapangdaku Valley, we cross a stream and ascend a ridge leading to Camp Xi. The campsite is ready with a good water source 150 meters away – spring, waterfall and stream; separate latrines for men and women; a firepit with adequate firewood; and a grassy meadow to welcome individual shelters.

The participants set up their tents and simple shelters. Some opt to find places to hang a hammock. After claiming their spots, I let them prepare their meals for lunch. Ernie and Jon cook the food for the four of us camp staff. I would start the training after siesta and that would be at 13:00. The weather is warm and humid assuring us sunshine all the way.

Before proceeding to the first topic, I talk about the purpose and the design of the BASIC WILDERNESS SURVIVAL COURSE. You see, the mountains consist of harsh environments, steep inclines, high elevations and unpredictable weather patterns. It is remote yet people visit these places to chase passions and desires. Accidents are most likely to happen there in a flash.

After that, I proceed to the Introduction to Survival. Survival is different from bushcraft. It is immediate and would bend rules and morality in the pursuit of life – of surviving. That is a hard reality which all survivors must live with while in the course of their dire consequences and the thereafter.

While nobody has that ultimate technique to survive accidents and calamities, a prepared mind would, at least, be blest by chance. Surviving the initial impact is one half of it while ensuring your survival until help comes in is the other half of that. In between, the mind controls everything from the way you think and even to the release of adrenaline. Your brain is a supercomputer but, unfortunately, it could only process one thought at a time.

Survival situations demand that you stay tough after the initial impact. Mental stability and toughness are very important characteristics of a survivor. You must develop a survival mindset. Do not engage in prolonged mind games of fantasy and false hopes. You should rein in your mind so you would not release excess adrenaline and cause you more confusions in a very stringent moment.

The best thing to do is stay still and fill up your lungs with oxygen. Your brain need it most to help you process thoughts. You are now in a high state of agitation and so does your brain. Your brain will be in hyper mode, collating and processing many thoughts all at the same time which is beyond human capacity. We can do so one thought at a time only. Just stay still and breathe regularly, supplying your blood system with oxygen.

In the hierarchy of needs and of nutrition in a survival situation, water is always on the top of the scales of both. Rightly so, for we are in the tropics and humidity plays a big role. With that, we surrender perspiration by the acts of our exertions and by what the climatic conditions imposed on us. Along with the lost moisture, is our body heat which we let go without our knowing.

When you stay still in one place, you lessen wastage of moisture and body heat. Then you confine the latter by setting up a shelter (if you still have one) or make one from scratch. That is the second need. The third would be food then warmth. Although food, and even water, would give you warmth, but heat from a naked flame or from the rays of the sun or from a person’s body is solace. Last is security which would complement well with the rest.

Our body has four hypothetical storage tanks that need to be replenished from time to time during survival. First is constant rehydration that would offset dehydration. Second is food that would give you nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins. Third is sugar which is converted by enzymes for your adrenaline rush. Fourth is fat, hardest to find in the tropics yet are wrapped as tissues in our body.

The next topic is about Water Sanitation and Hydration. The first chapter had mentioned the importance of water during survival. Water could be sourced from natural springs, water seeps, water holes, flowing streams, the atmosphere and from plants. It could be sanitized through boiling, through filtration and by desalination. It is wise to cache water  or travel early and take advantage of shady places and breeze if you happen to have less.

We move fast to the third topic of the day which is Knife Care and Safety. The knife is a tool and should not be used to what it was not designed for like digging latrine holes and as pry bars. It is a vital piece of equipment that should be properly handled and cared for because it is your link to your surviving. In all training I conducted, knife etiquette is learned first before you touch a knife.

Besides my rules, there is a knife law that forbids the display, even of concealed carrying, in public places unless you are in a lawful activity, which we are in right now. A knife should be in a sturdy sheath when travelling and should be unsheathed when at home to keep it from rust. There are many kinds of knives and it is important that you know the parts, blade shapes, grind styles and the tang designs. You must also learn how to field sharpen a knife.

After the much appreciated instructions about the knife, we move on to Survival Tool Making. Making a tool is essential in survival or even when not in that situation. I showed them the most basic of tools like the digging stick, traps and snares from pieces of bamboo that I was able to obtain, and the batoning stick.

I let the participants practice their knife dexterity by making their own spoons, jugs and cooking pots from poles of bamboo. They work in groups of five and closely supervised. Before 17:00, the groups managed to finish their tools. The first day lecture just end and everyone goes to prepare their dinner.

The first evening of the day is reserved for the Campfire Yarns and Storytelling. This had become tradition after it had its first introduction in 2011 during the first Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp. With the campfire as the center of social life, participants sit in a wide circle listening to funny tales and anecdotes, usually fueled by a moderate dose of alcohol. This last activity for the day ended at 23:00.

The second day, March 24, begin with Notches. There are five basic notches that are used regularly in bushcraft. These are commonly used in building shelters and creating tools. Again this is another exercise of knife dexterity together with the baton stick. Another stick is supplied each participant and they proceed to carve the five notches there.

The next chapter is Foraging and Plant Identification. Foraging food in the wilderness or on unfamiliar terrain can be very taxing to the mind. When you are stressed and hungry, you tend to remove all caution. Looks can be very deceiving in the tropics like fruits, leaves, nuts, roots, flowers and mushrooms. Likewise, you need to evade harmful plants while travelling your way in a jungle.

Short term food would be grub, tree snails, fresh-water shrimps and crabs and frogs. These can be picked by hand. Cook it if you must to remove parasites and bacteria. Long term food are meat from mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. For that, you must use a weapon, traps and snares. Traps could be anything designed to lure prey into a simple contraption of a hollow bamboo or a dam of rocks. It must work with the terrain, with gravity and the habits of creatures.

Snares are more complex. It has a spring mechanism and a trigger mechanism which would be initiated by the prey. Showed the students a very common snare employing a pressure-trigger mechanism. It could catch anything from birds to goats. Then again, you must use bait so prey would be lured to step on it. A single trap or a single snare would not yield you a catch but a trap line of 20 to 30 snares or traps would after ascertaining where would the prey would most likely pass or visit.

Related to these is the chapter on Food Preservation and Cooking. If you can eat a deer all in one setting, well and good. You are very fortunate to still possess a healthy appetite. Meat rot in a short span of time. During survival, meat can be preserved and its edibility can be extended for a few more hours to several months. You can boil it. You can dry it. You can smoke it. Or you can cook it with its own oil from its fat.

Fish can be preserved by drying and by smoking. Fruits can be digested after a drying session and provide you natural sugar. Common rootcrops, has high starch value, and should be cooked, by all means possible, to remove toxins and poison. Famine rootcrops need to be immersed in running water for five days before cooking. Salt and vinegar are good food preservatives. Vinegar can be sourced from any palm.

Last chapter for the day is Fire, Fuel and Campfire Safety. You cannot make a fire if one or all elements are not present, namely: fuel, heat and air. Lately, they added a fourth element – chemical reaction. Fire-making is 80% common sense, 10% skill and 10% perspiration. We are talking about the friction methods. Your fire can start if you can acquire and identify the right tinder, if you are in a dry place, and if you have the patience.

Aside from friction, there is the conventional method which are exemplified by the use of matchsticks, lighters, ferro rods and the flint and steel. Then there is solar magnification which can be done with magnifying glass. Then you have pressurized air, exemplified by the fire piston. Showed them how to use the flint and steel, which I paired with charclothe, and the ferro rod. I also showed them how to make a tinder bundle. 

Showed them how the bow drill method is made and spun. Unfortunately, I could only make thick smoke as sawdust embers refused to light up my tinder. Too humid. Likewise, for the bamboo method. It is now late afternoon and dusk is just around the corner. I let others try the bowdrill, the bamboo, the ferro rod, and the flint and steel.

In this second day, all the participants are exposed to a whole day of fasting. They have to experience the pangs of hunger. The stomach would crave for food and would challenge their concentration. It would increase drowsiness, decrease attention span as the humidity, the uncomfortable situation, even the crawling insects place them in an irritating mood.

After securing the fire, the four groups consisting of 5-6 participants each, begin their quest for dinner. Rice is cooked inside bamboo poles and when it is done, they go to the next phase, which is Nocturnal Hunting. No food, no dinner. All looked for edible snails on trees and fresh-water crabs on the stream. There was good foraging and Ernie cooked it for them, gourmet style. 

The second edition of the Campfire Yarns and Storytelling starts and wonderful tales begun to unravel, much more so when bottles of local brandy mysteriously appeared from out of nowhere, courtesy of two very resourceful participants, who hunted something different other than snails and crabs. The night extended well beyond midnight until the last drops have been consumed.

The third and last day, March 25, start with Customizing the Survival Kit. It is better that survival kits are made from scratch than bought commercially because a survival kit’s size and its components depends upon the type of the activity you are indulging in and the kind of environment you are going to visit. Your personal preference still matters.

Next comes Navigation and Understanding Trails. It is more on traditional navigation which use the natural terrain, shadows and the sky fixtures for travel; avoiding obstacles and exposed areas; and knowing how to identify signs on trails made by both animals and humans. Following that is Understanding Cold Weather. During survival, exposure to the elements is expected. There are five physical mechanisms that steal away body heat and the things that we should do to keep us constantly warm.

The last chapter is Outdoors Common Sense. This is the subject matter that I based from my yet unpublished book, ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. It is about trail courtesy and behavior while on the trail; choosing the best campsites; practicing stealth camping; increasing individual safety and security; wildlife encounters; and introduce people the idea of Blend, Adapt and Improvise.

After I have closed the training camp, I let them witness how the Blade Porn looks like. This is another bushcraft tradition which is unique in itself and is not found in any outdoor disciplines. This is a staple of good conversations and Randy explained to the crowd the innate qualities of each blade. A few of the participants place their blades to the collection and they begin to understand the purpose of this.

After an early lunch, we break camp and walk down the ridge to another different ridge, crossing a bit into Kalunasan. We finally reach the road at 14:00 and a transport begins to transfer the participants back to Guadalupe. This was one of the best survival training camp put together by an independent organizer. The participants are provided an event t-shirt and a badge plus a giveaway. Congratulations Ricky, I see one future bushmaster in you. Some day.

Document in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer

THE TRAILHAWK JOURNEYS: Sumilon Island Survival Training

MY COUNTRY, THE PHILIPPINES, is composed of many islands and it is in both the “ring of fire” and the “typhoon belt”. Our own eastern seaboard is facing the Pacific Ocean and is susceptible to rising sea water during climatic changes and during catastrophes, which could induce tidal waves and storm surges. The same with our western, southern and northern coastlines.

A strong earthquake from across the Pacific and from any direction would generate a tsunami, like in Southern Mindanao in 1977. A Category 5 cyclone, meanwhile, could overwhelm large coastal cities and communities typified by Typhoon Mike (Ruping) in 1990 and by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. In fact, these same calamities have struck many years ago and memories of its magnitude cannot be appreciated anymore by this present generation.

Coastal and island communities found in between inland seas, bays and straits are also not safe anymore. Islands are now experiencing unprecedented great floods, frequent landslides and massive erosion which we could very well attribute to large-scale deforestation, unabated quarrying and strip mining. We also have a long history of man-made disasters, ship collisions and faulty maritime navigation and a world war which is still in our memories.

Let us talk about the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Communities living along foreshore areas and to as far as 1,200 meters inland were swept away by gigantic storm surges with an untold destruction, the likes of which was never before seen nor felt in our lifetime.  Unbelief and shock were written on the faces of every survivor. For the first few days, there was no outside help nor contact. Communications and transportation infrastructures were severely damaged, further isolating surviving communities.

 

Food and water ran low after two days and survivors resort to pillaging stores and those they thought were stocking vital supplies to feed for their survival. Law and order broke down as the stench of the dead began to add to the desperate situation. Government control was totally absent and everyone, including the dead, were left to fend for themselves on the streets. Anarchy ruled as armed mobs appeared everywhere even infringing inside the sanctity of private homes.

It was a hopeless situation for all other survivors who lived in desperate moments day by day. Slowly, the national government with its limited resources brought stability to some of the affected areas. The situation became normal only after six months as international humanitarian organizations poured in billions of dollars worth of aid, food and housing to give solace and normalcy to the lives of the affected communities.

The post-typhoon mayhem on the eastern coasts of Leyte was unexpected. Filipinos are known for their tenacity and resiliency when it comes to coping with disasters and other life-threatening moments. In such situations, they would retrieve and utilize their primitive-living skills which they learned from the older generations. During those desperate moments, everyone acted like feral animals. Human decency and respect broke down.

People seemed to have lost their will to think and resorted on primeval instinct. This could have been avoided if they have listened to government exhortations to abandon their homes before the storm came. Casualties would have been mitigated or avoided. Productive skills like people relations, community mobilization and communal survival would have lurched positively from the aftermath of the deadliest storm of the century.

 

It is situations like these that spurred me to give up the privilege of owning a knowledge that had been bequeathed me by my first teacher – my grandfather – and share it to people, communities, organizations, government agencies and corporations. Even before these calamities came, I was already teaching people bushcraft and survival. I have taught just enough and then people realized that they have to go back to the basics.

This survival training is prepared and designed for use in a post-disaster scenario like storm surges and tsunamis, even consequences from a maritime accident. This course aims to develop the participants of the basics of survival in island and foreshore setting of sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, limited water resources and sparse vegetation, without disregarding the proper procedures that would ensure the chances of survival of an individual.

Preparation for any survival situation should be given premium by anybody, regardless if the individual is an experienced one or not. As much as we would like the serenity and aesthetic joy and the privacy of an island surrounded by an emerald sea, the fact is that islands present its own hazards coupled by unpredictable weather conditions which could spawn a calm sea into a roaring monster in just a few minutes.

I always emphasized that a person can be an island on his own contrary to the general idea. I would always encourage that every individual should be self-sufficient and could sustain his ability to survive alone when facing real survival situations. He should be able to fend for himself during the most trying times and, in the absence of equipment, compensate this with knowledge. Knowledge of survival skills enhances one’s standing in a group of survivors and, through his guidance, a community could arise from despair.

My training is designed for island visitors, backpackers, tourists, resort workers, residents and water sport enthusiasts and would complement experience, skill, safety and good common sense. Its main purpose is to educate and to give an idea about what to expect when faced with a situation of survival on an island and foreshore environment and, consequently, prepare a person for the worst conditions.

Bluewater Resorts, a Filipino company operating the world-renowned Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort in Lapulapu City, the Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort in Bohol and the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort in Oslob, Cebu – all “green” resorts – took a good step forward by encouraging their resort officers and staff to actively participate in a three-day BASIC ISLAND SURVIVAL COURSE this writer had offered for May 23, 24 and 25, 2017 at Camp Bermejo of the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort.

Camp Bermejo is named after Fr. Julian Bermejo, a Spanish priest who was the architect of the construction of a series of watchtowers in Southern Cebu that fended off Moro raids early in the 19th Century. One of these surviving towers is found on the eastern part of Sumilon Island. Its stone masonry withstood the test of time as well as a few hardwood buttresses. Gone is the wooden platform that would have supported the defenders and their instruments of warfare.

Beside the old Spanish structure is a round concrete tower that supported a navigation light. It is about 75 feet tall. It is not a lighthouse. Vegetation dominating the interior of the island is a forest of white leadtree (Local name: ipil-ipil), introduced many years ago as sanctuary for birds and to prevent erosion. Along the edges of the island are bare rocks and pocket forests of indigenous coastal hardwood varieties and mangroves.

A network of paths was established by Bluewater management to access the interior and Camp Bermejo and along the fringes to approach isolated beaches and hidden nooks. The campsite, the lecture area and the kitchen are located near the man-made structures of Camp Bermejo. Seven Bluewater staff attended this training, which is geared for traditional outdoor and casual setting.

Introduction to Survival was the first chapter of the first day, May 23, and it is where the survivor’s mindset were explained thoroughly, along with the hierarchy of needs and of survival nutrition. Next was Water Sanitation and Hydration which is very important since islands and foreshore areas always bore the brunt of abrupt changes of weather from uncomfortable warmth to lashing sea sprays and wind chills. These places rarely host natural springs and fresh water sources.

Knife Care and Safety came next after lunch and siesta; and the participants learned our country’s knife law, ethics, safety carry and use, sharpening and proper storage. Then they get to test their dexterity with a knife through the practical chapter of Survival Tool Making where they carved spoons and drinking jugs from bamboo. Lectures ended at dusk. Participants helped each other out to cook their dinner. The campfire became the social hub of the yarns and storytelling episode which ended at around nine.

Second day, May 24, was a test for the participants and also was the most exciting. They fasted that day. Their concentration were challenged by hunger, thirst, humidity, drowsiness, annoying insects and the warm sun. First part of the morning was the chapter on Notches. It was another practical session with a knife but aided this time by a batoning stick. Five different notches had to be carved from a stick with the last one needed to hold another object like a rock or metal.

After that, everybody relaxed to listen to the section on Foraging and Plant Identification. They were shown photos of harmful plants and samples of simple traps and snares. Then we proceed to Fire, Tinder and Campfire Safety. On this episode, the participants were taught how to identify and chose the best firewood and kindling, manufacture tinder and test their skills on the ferro rod and the flint and steel. Later, they witnessed how fire is made through the bow drill.

Last lecture for the day is Food Preservation and Cooking. Their appetite for food which were denied them became possible by cooking rice in improvised bamboo pots. When that done, they proceed with Nocturnal Hunting. They caught five big land crabs with bare hands and sticks. They now have food to pair with their rice. However, we decide to release the crabs and eat food provided by Bluewater Sumilon. They had proven their worth and the campfire was now more lively.

Third day, May 25, the participants packed their things and, once finished, they sat around and listened to the lecture on Customizing the 72-Hour Bag. Different kits and items are shown to them of what it looked like and how does one design it to the type of environment and activity one is engaged in. Then came Traditional Navigation. Floating on seas, constellations, the sun and moon matter very much. Last one for the day was Outdoors Common Sense. It talked about protection, safety, wildlife encounters and well-planned travels.

The day wrapped up with giveaways courtesy of Mr. Jose Neo of the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. A Seseblade Sinalung was raffled out and it went to a lucky Bluewater staff. This blogger is thankful for Mr. Erik Monsanto of Bluewater Resorts for making possible this training in a protected marine sanctuary of Sumilon. My thanks also goes out to Mr. Neo and Camp Red; and to my patrons whose names I carried and endorsed: Seseblades, Silangan Outdoor Equipment, KnifeMaker, Derek’s Classic Blade Exchange, Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos, Pacing’s House of Barbecue and Tingguian Tribe.

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES CXXIII: Bukal Outdoor Club Goes Survival

IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD INVESTMENT for an individual to sit, listen, watch and participate actively in outdoors training. Much more so if it is a survival class. That individual would know exactly what to do in an ugly situation. With people around him, his presence would be McGyver-like. Perhaps not. Unlike others who prioritized equipment and gear over training, knowledge does not get stolen nor get damaged. Its value does not depreciate because it is priceless. It becomes part of you.

A group investing in survival training is much better. Everybody knows what to do when SHTF comes. We know that no activity is perfect. No trip is seamless even if it is well planned. A number of trained people caught in dire straits would weather that out much better than on another group who have none or even with one. I would cast my fortunes on the former any time, any day and on any place. With a group, a member would complement another in clockwork precision.

MCAP and CLIMBER, legitimate outdoor organizations based in Luzon, had previously harnessed my know-how in preparing their members or participants in survival education. It improved the participants’ stock knowledge and raised their confidence and understanding a few notches higher. Same with PECOJON, an NGO composed of journalists I trained in bushcraft; emergency response units like the ones maintained by the Archdiocese of Capiz and the Municipality of Liloan, Cebu; and an Army reserve unit.

Here in Cebu, BUKAL OUTDOOR CLUB is the first outdoor recreations group to cross over that line which separates a club that values their members’ well-being and those that do so only during Christmas Day. It is a collective sacrifice. A group investment. But it shall reap dividends, not only for themselves, but also covers to those who are with them. They shall become more responsible campers, they would have more time to think and would appreciate better the dangers nature present.

BUKAL OUTDOOR CLUB have undergone my standard three-day Basic Wilderness Survival Course on the dates May 13, 14 and 15, 2017. I held it at Camp Xi, another mythical nook found within the foothills of the Babag Mountain Range, Cebu City. They brought their usual camping gear and were just by their normal selves. No fanfare like subjecting them to cosplay and act naked and unafraid. Nor did I let them crawl on dirt to eat raw bulbs dug from the earth.

The camp we used was the ones that I used for the Bushmasters’ Camp last April 28 and 29. The campsite is accessible but is not along a route frequently used by mainstream activities. A path less taken. The campsite is on a high ground, wide and grassy, below the tree line, near a small stream, a small waterfall, a small pond and a natural spring. It has bamboos and dry firewood. Perfect requirements of a bushcraft camp.

There were fourteen excited participants sitting before me on that first day (May 13). Joining me as my assistants are Dominic Sepe, Leomel Pino, Jonathaniel Apurado, Denzen Delima and Jenmar de Leon. They are all with the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild and have taken the Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp on different occasions between 2011 and 2017, except for Denzen who is a product of the Bonifacio Day Bushcraft Camp of 2015.

As usual, I always start the day on a light mood with my patented selfie with participants. In a few minutes, I got serious. Really serious. I explained the purpose of this basic seminar and how it will change their paradigms. It is meant to open the eyes of the participants on the real possibilities of these chain of events that would go beyond anybody’s control since the outdoors, the mountains, the weather and everything that is in nature, can never be controlled when things go wrong.

The first topic is about Introduction to Survival. During times of accidents and calamities, nobody has that ultimate answer when to survive such. A prepared mind would, at least, be blessed by chance. Surviving the initial impact is one half of it while ensuring your survival until help comes in is the other half of that. In between, the mind controls everything from the way you think and even to the release of adrenaline. Your brain is a supercomputer but, unfortunately, it could only process one thought at a time. 

When in a survival situation, your brain works double time and, in the process, use up huge amounts of body heat, water and oxygen and inadvertently release adrenaline for no apparent reason just like you would experience when getting lost or just plain hiking in darkness. It is best that you stop and sit still, relax and breathe deeply, then gather all your thoughts and rehydrate. You would need water and it is your first priority to keep your blood flowing so your brain would work properly.

In the Hierarchy of Needs and of Nutrition in a Survival Situation, water is tops on both. Why? Because we are in the tropics and the body is surrendering perspiration due to humidity and by your exertions. Along with that, goes our body heat also which you do not know. To sit still would minimize losing body fluids and keep it confined by setting up a shelter – if you still have one, or make one from scratch. This is the second need. The third would be food then warmth. Last is security which would complement well with all.

Our body has four hypothetical tanks that needs to be replenished during survival. First you have to rehydrate often so you could offset dehydration. Second is food that would give you nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins. Third is sugar converted by enzymes for your adrenaline rush. Fourth is fat, hardest to find in the tropics yet are wrapped as tissues in our body. Then you make sure your body is supplied with adequate oxygen. Keep those air passages free of obstacles. Then, by all means, you should practice personal hygiene during survival. It helps to have a healthy body and a healthy mind.

Topic for the next chapter is about Water Sanitation and Hydration. The first chapter had mentioned the importance of water during survival. Water could be sourced from natural springs, water seeps, man-made water holes, flowing streams, the atmosphere and from plants. It could be sanitized through boiling, by chemicals, exposure to heat, through filtration and by desalination. It is wise to cache water in your survival camp or just travel early and take advantage of shady places and breeze if you happen to have less.

The last topic for the day is Knife Care and Safety. I would like to change the perception about the knife and it is important that people relearn why our ancestors invented it, generally, to aid them in their daily activities and made their living better. The knife is a tool and should not be used to what it was not designed for like digging latrine holes and as pry bars. It is a vital piece of equipment that should be properly handled and cared for because it is your link to your surviving. In all the training I conducted, knife etiquette is learned first before people touch a knife.

Besides my rules, there is a knife law that forbids the display, even of concealed carrying, in public places unless you are in a lawful activity, which camping and hiking are. A knife should be in a sturdy sheath when travelling - for safety - and should be unsheathed when at home to keep it from rust. There are many kinds of knives and it is important that people know the parts, blade shapes, grind styles and the tang designs because, from those qualities, you would know how to achieve maximum work. People must also learn how to field sharpen a knife.

The participants troop to their shelters at 17:00 to proceed with their food preparations and to answer the call of nature. The campsite is located on a wide meadow and shielded by mango trees. Above us is the ridge and the trail. Over on the other side is the latrine facing another valley. Walking uphill a trail would lead you to a small stream where there is a natural spring. Most of the people visit this other side while I spent my free time, splitting firewood for tonight’s campfire. After dinner, everyone sit around the fire and the Campfire Yarns and Storytelling proceed as planned until 24:00.

The second day (May 14), the participants eat a full breakfast. After this they fast and are obligated to use all their attention and concentration listening and understanding the lectures. Denying them a meal for the rest of the day would, at least, make them feel of what is it like to be in a survival situation outdoors. They would feel the pangs of hunger but they could rehydrate as they wished. Humidity, drowsiness and crawling insects would torment them as they use all their power to remain alert.

First lecture is Customizing the Survival Kit. It is better that your survival kit should be made from scratch than bought commercially because a survival kit’s size and its components depends upon the type of the activity you are in to and the kind of environment you are going on to. Your personal touch on certain items are very important to you should it be needed. Redundancy is its best attribute especially fire-making tools, lighting gadgets, water-purification methods and cutting tools.

The components are the medical kit, the replenishment pouch, the repair kit and a back-up knife. It could all be integrated in one container or it could be separated from one another in their own containers. As much as possible, avoid clutter. In a survival situation, you could misp second lace things. Make it waterproofed, dust-proofed, insect-proofed and keep it away from direct heat.

Next is Cold Weather Survival. Since the outdoors is about mountains and high elevations, exposure to the elements are expected. There are five physical mechanisms that steal away body heat and there are ways to keep us constantly warm. Then comes Survival Tool Making and, after the lecture, they can use their knives. Tool making is essential in survival or even when not in that situation like a missing utensil or tent peg.

I showed them the most basic of tools like the digging stick, cordage from bamboo skin and coconut midribs, traps and snares from bamboo, and the batoning stick, which they would need when cutting up bamboos for their cooking pots and for their spoons and drinking jugs. I assign 4-5 participants each to three groups for this knife-dexterity exercise for better supervision.                                     

                      

This activity would run through the early afternoon, crossing over a one-hour siesta break, where another topic, Traditional Navigation, begins. This technique was perfected by our ancestors and uses the natural terrain, shadows and the sky fixtures for travel; avoiding obstacles and highly-exposed areas that cause possible hypothermia; and knowing signs on trails made by animals and by humans. This chapter also talks about how to effectively use visual and audio signals.

Last for the day is Foraging and Plant Identification. During survival, you would need to gather food and non-food items. Food could be meat and proteins which would only be sourced from animals and insects. Catching animals would be very tricky and you would have to make use of traps and snares. Food can also be sourced from edible plants. It is fundamental that you know these because it is everywhere. It is also important that you know the harmful ones. Showed them photos of stingy, thorny and poisonous plants.

The participants, exhausted by hunger and by the long and warm day, are released from sitting for long hours and proceed to the business of cooking rice in the improvised bamboo pots they made during the tool making session which employ the Trailhawk System of cooking. Their dinner would materialize after the fruits of their Nocturnal Hunting which would be done on the small stream I mentioned ago.

All the participants and camp staff, including me, use this moment to tidy up at the small stream where there is a small waterfall and a pond upstream after two days without bath. They were able to forage fresh-water crabs and a few tree snails and it becomes their dinner. They also cook food from their supply and add it to the late feast. The campfire becomes alive again and another session of Campfire Yarns and Storytelling which goes past midnight.

The last day (May 15) start early. The discussion also start ahead of time and it is about Firecraft. This is the most expected part. You cannot make a fire if one or all elements are not present, namely: fuel, heat and air. Lately, they added a fourth element – chemical reaction. Fire-making is 80% common sense, 10% skill and 10% perspiration. We are talking about the friction methods. Your fire, done with any method, can start if you can acquire and identify the right tinder, if you are in a dry place, and if you have the patience.

Aside from friction, there is the conventional or modern method which are matchsticks, lighters, ferro rods and the flint and steel. Then there is solar magnification which can be done with any magnifying lens, reading glasses, water and even ice. Then you have pressurized air, exemplified by the fire piston. I proceed in demonstrating the flint and steel, which I paired with charclothe, and the ferro rod, which the participants tried and successfully produced ember and flame. 

I showed them how to make charclothe and how to make a tinder bundle, popularly known as the “bird’s nest”. Then I demoed how the bow drill method is made and spun.  Unfortunately, I could only make thick smoke as sawdust embers refused to light up my tinder. I let others try the bowdrill. I showed them another friction method using bamboos.  Just like my bowdrill, only burnt smoke emitted. The humid conditions might have something to do with that. Staff and participants tried their hands on these primitive gadgets but all to no avail but they now gained an idea how it is made and worked.

The last discussion topic is Outdoors Common Sense.  This is the latest topic that I added and it is but excerpts from my yet unpublished book, ETHICAL BUSHCRAFT. It covers trail ethics, travel and campsite, using the time-tested principles of Blend, Adapt and Improvise. It also talks about wildlife and farm animal encounters and how to react in such situations. That sums up this three-day outdoors course which I first introduced in Luzon last 2013 and is now one of the cornerstones of my training programs.

Giving of certificates follow and the imparting of giveaway items courtesy of Seseblades and Jhurds Neo of Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. Brunch gets served at 10:00 and after breaking up of shelters, it is time to leave the campsite. We will take another route, crossing Sarapia Creek and following a less-trodden trail to Mapawon Peak and Katugasan Peak and going down to a road where a signboard says we are now in Kalunasan. A wait of an hour for motorcycles brought us all to Guadalupe.

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