“Going to the woods is going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally.”
– JOHN MUIR, US naturalist, 1838—1914
The word origin of ‘Primitive’ comes from prime – meaning first. The foundation of man’s ‘first skills’ are cutting tools, cordage, and fire.
From these three tools you can start to build everything else you “need.” Steve Watts and a few others teach a class, “Abo 101,” that address these skills. As a part of this list, I would include “Plant Practicality.” Cordage, Fire (and many other things) require a practical knowledge of plants. This doesn’t necessarily mean being able to identify a plant by name, but having a practical knowledge of the plant properties that can make cordage, fire, and so much more.
Here is a little more on each…
Cutting Tools. Man was not born with Fang or Claw. When one of our ancestors accidentally cut himself with a rock for the first time and said “OW!” he realized the potential he could do in piercing things and separating matter. Cutting Tools also include things that abrade, scrape, and grind. And it is not just stone, “cutting” tools can be bone, shell, and even wood. Good rock can be a limited resource in some areas. It can be tens of miles (or more) in one direction before you find an area with rock sharp enough to slice. This is why a knife (or axe) is a most critical tool. Nonetheless, every Woodsman should know how to make a sharp edge from rock should they lose their knife. This is not a difficult thing once someone shows you how to do it the first time. Worse comes worse, bash some rocks and let the chips fall where they may.
Cordage. Before the nail was invented, man’s world was held together by cordage. Its uses, like duct tape today, are limitless, here are few; fire making, shelter, traps, snares, clothing, footwear, fishing line, bow stings, tool construction, crafts, containers, etc. Knowing how to make cordage from plants, animals and even manmade materials is a valuable skill. Some natural materials include hides, sinew, inner tree bark, woody stalks, leaves, grasses, rootlets, root bark, vine, and wood fiber.
Fire. What can you say… it is one of the sacred elements. Fire is woven through a Woodsman’s relationship to nature in so many ways it seems we are always trying to master it, no matter what our skill level. Knowing how to make primitive fire should be a top priority (after mastering modern survival). Although we don’t think about it in our modern world, fire is just as important to modern man… he just doesn’t realize it because it comes through a copper wire and he doesn’t see the flames under the hood. How soon people will learn if the lights ever go out. Check out this list of uses from from stoneageskills.com
While “Abo 101” is the place to start, there is much more to being Primitive.
The following is a Primitive Skills Checklist from an article entitled Going Wild – Organizing a Primitive Living Experiment by Alice Tulloch in the Fall 2007 edition of the Society of Primitive Technology’s Bulletin of Primitive Technology.
Per the article, it is for discussion purposes only and it is not intended for one person to have every skill mentioned. Nor is it supposed to be a complete list. A person would bring a set of skills to the tribe and hopefully the tribe could meet its goals.
Social Skills
Ability to work in a team, for the common good
Ability to receive criticism and to effectively offer constructive criticism
Desire to work harder than others, and take the initiative to get things done for the common good
Ability to maintain a positive attitude
Knowledge of primitive games, fun, music and celebrations
Travel
Ability to hike solo over unfamiliar terrain without getting lost
Ability to guide others, physically and verbally, to a location unknown to others
Ability to read the landscape to anticipate the easiest route of travel, and the location of water, game, plants and useful materials
Knowledge of safe stream crossings, snow crossings and rough terrain travel
Knowledge of long distance travel strategies and the economic calendar of the area
Good physical condition, moderate body fat, tough feet
Ability to hike 5-15 miles per day with a 30-lb. pack
Awareness of wildland fire behavior and safety measures
Has developed their intuition and woods savvy
Awareness of changes in natural flow (bird and bug chatter, wind direction, etc)
Knowledge of collection, preparation and use of pitch and glues, mineral pigments
Knowledge of useful knots including fisherman’s, bowline, square, clove hitch, tauntline, and stopper knots
Knowledge of lashing and splicing
Knowledge of telling time by the sun and stars
Healthcare
Knowledge of primitive hygiene concerns, preventative measures and remedies
Thorough knowledge of back-country first aid, CPR and evacuation methods
Knowledge of infectious diseases, adverse syndromes, hypothermia, parasites and poisonous plants that occur in the area; preventative measures and modern treatment
Knowledge of how a wild diet and primitive activities impact nutritional needs