The Darkling Wilderness

The Métis are a distinct people, and it can be complicated to define Métis identity. “Being Métis” is as unique as each individual human. Métis share European and First Nation ancestry. They were known as children of the fur trade with new communities formed in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Métis lived off of the land and travelled all throughout Canada acting as guides, interpreters, trappers and entrepreneurs. Métis are hunters, gatherers, artists, musicians, dancers, and most of all, family. In other words, there are many ways to be Métis. Living off of the land meant that we were hunters, gatherers, trappers and fishermen. As such, we followed the seasons travelling all across the continent in search of buffalo, fishing grounds, and harvesting areas. Some of these trap lines and harvesting grounds are still active today. We have recorded history and traditional knowledge from Métis individuals and self-determining Métis communities throughout what is now called British Columbia...

  15 Rules for Living a Self-Reliant, Honest & Compassionate Life  At the 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis, a strict ethical code was established for all hobos to follow: 1. Decide your own life; don’t let another person run or rule you. 2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. 3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos. 4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again. 5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. 6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos. 7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than y...

Hobo signs were made by the nomadic workers who roamed the United States, taking jobs wherever they could, and never spending too long in any one place. The Great Depression (1929–1939) was when numbers were likely at their highest, as it forced an estimated 4,000,000 adults to leave their homes in search of food and lodging. To cope with the uncertainties of life, hobos developed a system of symbols they’d write with chalk or coal to provide fellow hobos with directions, help, and warnings. We don't see these signs too often today, but occasionally they do appear. The hobo signs, symbols, and language are a unique part of American history, that may still be useful today. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo )  The WayPoint Survival YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@WayPointSurvival ) has a number of interesting videos on the hobo lifestyle and survival on the road.

The 28 "Rules of Ranging" are a series of rules and guidelines created by Major Robert Rogers in 1757, during the French and Indian War (1754–63). The rules were the result of Rogers' blend of Native American tactics and his own innovative combat techniques, ideas that were considered revolutionary by military standards of the time. Combined with intensive training and live fire exercises, these rules created a mobile, well trained force that was capable of living off the land around it in order to sustain itself for long periods of time. I. All Rangers are to be subject to the rules and articles of war; to appear at roll- call every evening, on their own parade, equipped, each with a Firelock, sixty rounds of powder and ball, and a hatchet, at which time an officer from each company is to inspect the same, to see they are in order, so as to be ready on any emergency to march at a minute's warning; and before they are dismissed, the necessary guards are to be draughte...

Before there was the CIA, there was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).  With the onset of World War II, the OSS's secret operations—espionage, counter-intelligence, disinformation, and guerrilla leadership—expanded. The places where they trained for their dangerous mission are now national parks. ( https://www.nps.gov/articles/series.htm?id=16D749F1-1DD8-B71B-0B65F7F40FA87A5E ) At Camp X, near Whitby, Ontario, an "assassination and elimination" training program was operated by the British Special Operations Executive, assigning exceptional masters in the art of knife-wielding combat, such as William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes, to instruct trainees. Many members of the Office of Strategic Services also were trained there. It was dubbed "the school of mayhem and murder" by George Hunter White who trained at the facility in the 1940's. Prince William Forest Park in Virginia was once a training ground for spies ( https://www.historynet.com/this-ordinary...

Native tribes in the Nahanni Valley of the Northwest Territories of Canada have long spoken of an enormous wolf-like beast that stalks the frozen wastelands and is called the Waheela. The Waheela is usually said to look very similar to a wolf, but much larger, more muscular and heavily built, and with shorter, stockier legs that are longer in the front than in the back. Indeed the Waheela’s body is said to be almost bear-like in its shape and massive quality, and it is also often described as having disproportionately large feet that are almost like snowshoes with widely spaced toes, a broader, more formidable head than a normal wolf with smaller ears, and sometimes is mentioned as having long white fur. At least one eyewitness sighting has described the beast as being like “a wolf on steroids,” and standing around 3 and a half feet at the shoulder, which is far larger than a typical wolf. The legends surrounding this creature say that it is a solitary hunter rather than a pack animal ...

Trails just don't spontaneously appear. They are planned, built and blazed so people can travel safely from trailhead to summit and beyond. The National Trails System Act, passed on October 2, 1968, established four trail categories: national scenic, national historic, national recreational, and connecting trails. Under the act, either national trails agencies or private trail stewards are required to keep trails clearly marked The purpose of a trail marker (or blaze) is to help hikers follow a given path. It is used to indicate things such as the beginning and end of a trail, a change of direction or an intersection. Although the distance that separates two blazes on a trail is highly variable, you should be able to always have some form of trail marker in sight or within a short distance along the trail. Blazes are found on prominent trees that are easy to spot on the trail. They are usually placed just above eye level - or slightly higher in areas that receive snow. Paint is mos...

The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument, located in  Confederation Park, Ottawa, ON, is reflective of all Indigenous peoples in Canada: First Nations, Métis and Inuit. The richly symbolic sculpture symbolizes the strength of the Indigenous peoples' beliefs as drawn from the natural world around them. The four warriors (two men and two women) depicted on the monument represent the diversity of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, are facing the four cardinal directions. The four animal figures are spirit guides associated with qualities that are admired by Indigenous cultures: the elk, for its sharp senses, the buffalo, for its tenacity, the bear, for its healing powers and the wolf, for its family values. A triumphant eagle is perched at the top of the sculpture. It represents the Creator (known as Thunderbird), and embodies the spirit of the Indigenous peoples of Canada.

The Leshy (Leshi, Leshiy) is the "Old Man of the Forest," a tutelary deity and protector of the wilderness. Being the embodiment of the forest, the Leshy can appear in various forms associated with the forest itself, such as animals (often a wolf or a bear), trees, or even a whirl of leaves on the wind. According to some accounts, the Leshy is a shapeshifter who can appear as any element of the forest — a mushroom, a log, a rock, any woodland creature — or simply not at all, should he choose to remain invisible. All the phenomena caused by gusts of wind in the forest: howling, the crackling of trees, and the rustling of leaves can be attributed to the Leshy. Leshy dwell in old dry trees (such as fir and willow), in hollows, in stumps, in upturned roots, in fallen logs, in woodland huts, in secret caves, and even underground. It is said that a person will inevitably get lost near a Leshy's dwelling. According to other beliefs, the Leshy resides deep within the forest, prot...

The Mountaineers Ten Essentials dates back to our climbing courses of the 1930s. The Ten Essentials was formalized in 1974 when the iconic list debuted in the third edition of “Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills.” The ninth edition of “Freedom” presented a thorough modernization of the Ten Essentials, to prepare today's Mountaineers for their wilderness adventures. The Ten Essentials list has always sought to answer two basic questions: 1. Can you prevent emergencies and respond positively should one occur? 2. Can you safely spend a night (or more) outside?     The classic Mountaineers Ten Essentials list included the following: Map Compass Sunglasses and sunscreen Extra clothing Headlamp/flashlight First-aid supplies Fire starter Matches Knife Extra food Over the years the ten essentials have evolved from a list of ten specific items to a list of ten essential systems. The 2017, 9th Edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills ( https://amzn.to/3XwDRgT ) listed ...

1. Don’t step on anything you can step over.   2. Don’t look for deer; look for movement (and remember, it’s what they’re looking for, too).   3. Always approach downwind. In the cool of the day, move uphill; in the heat of the day, move downhill.   4. The best camouflage pattern is called, “Sit down and be quiet!” Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat. Think about that for a second.   5. Take only the gear to the field that allows you to hunt longer, harder, and smarter.   6. A rainstorm isn’t a reason to quit the hunt. It’s a reason to stay.   7. Camouflage your appearance, your sound and your scent.   8. Be sure of your shot. Nothing is more expensive than regret.   9. Hunt where the deer actually are, not where you’d imagine them to be.   10. Next year’s hunt begins the minute this season’s hunt ends.

In his 1935 book Deadfalls & Snares , A.R. Harding wrote: “In my opinion trapping is an art and any trapper that is not able to make and set a deadfall, when occasion demands, does not belong to the profession… Trappers always have the necessary outfit (axe and knife) with them to make and set a deadfall that will kill the largest animals… It is a safe proposition, however, that not one-half of the trappers of today can build a deadfall properly or know how to make snares and many of them have not so much as seen one.” Many survival manuals include illustrations and descriptions of improvised traps, but unless one has practiced constructing these traps in advance, the likelihood of successfully using them to catch game whilst attempting to survive in darkling wilderness is at best low. I have included some of these illustrations here, and while they show the basic design of each trap you must practice constructing them if you hope to be a successful trapper.

Caching is the process of hiding equipment or materials in a secure storage place with the view to future recovery for operational use. Caching considerations that are vital to the success of the caching operation may be done in a variety of operational situations. For example, cached supplies can meet the emergency needs of personnel who may be barred from their normal supply sources by sudden developments and who may need access to supplies for a quick escape from a hostile or non-permissive area. TC 31-29/A 'Special Forces Caching Techniques' (available as a PDF from Mick's Athenaeum - https://archive.org/details/@mick_s_athenaeum ) details caching techniques used by the military. However, caching is not just to support military operations. A cache can be used to meet your own emergency needs, or simply be used to support an upcoming hunt, camping trip, or long-distance hike. Caching a few cans of high-calorie food, along with a some bottles of water can provide you wit...