I work for a company that places constant improvement as one of its core values. We are always trying to find ways of improving the quality of our work. So I read with some interest a blog post by Paul Kirtley titled: Ten Ways to Boost Your Bushcraft Skills through the New Year.
Paul’s essay reflects some of the same principles that have made our company successful. The first is the basis for constant improvement; take small steps in the right direction but take them every day.
Use those small steps to work on your weaknesses first. I’m not sure I agree with this in general. I have gotten real good at my job by focusing on my strengths. I have worked hard to improve some things that I do well so much there are few people that do them as well. However I understand his aim with this. In fact this blog is part of my working on a weakness, writing. So I’ll pick things that I don’t do well and work to improve them.
Paul also admonishes his readers not to set their goals too high. Bite off just enough to make progress not so much that it is intimidating or that it takes too long. Over time the bar can be lifted. Use small steps to continuously improve.
And lastly he sees that getting a result is only part of improving, work on improving the processes that lead to improved results. He encourages improving technical details to realize improvements in results.
As I mentioned I don’t find the concept new, but it is important. Last year I focused my efforts on improving my natural cordage making, fire starting, and twining techniques. But I did this without a specific plan. I had no targets, no goals, and no plan for evaluating improvement. This year I’ll continue working on those techniques in the background, but here I’m documenting a specific plan, with measurable objectives to achieve ten specific improvements.
1. Five new knots
As I already know and use many useful knots, this might be harder than I expect. But I’ll spend some time looking through my knot books and pick five. I will learn, practice, and tie these knots on each of my outings this year. I envision starting with two on the first outing and then adding two more for the next. On subsequent outings I’ll be using them all.
2. Identify two new plants
This also will be adding to my knowledge. But on last year’s trips I felt that I was sadly out of practice on identification. There is a yellow flower that I see in the high desert that I’ve looked up repeatedly but I can’t seem to remember its name. I have the tree species down very well. I need to concentrate on shrubs and herbs. I plan to pick a couple on my early trips are watch them develop through the season.
3. Practice camp cookery
This is one place where I am very deficient. I have never really had much interest in spending my time in the woods cooking food. I typically bring prepared meals and then might spend some time heating water, or perhaps re-hydrating a dried package. But this year I’m going to branch out and try baking more than bannocks, and cooking more than Ramen noodles.
In support of this goal I purchased a new pot, a Firebox Stoves cook set, and a Trangia stove. The pot is a Zebra one quart pot modified with steel bail holders. The cook set includes a pan with covering dish, a small cutting board, and a set of Toaks titanium tongs all in a nylon drawstring case.
Some of the things that I plan to practice are: cinnamon rolls, Mary McDougall’s noodle soup, and probably chili. Last year I worked on bannock. This year I’ll branch out to biscuits and other simple pastries.
The goal with this is to become familiar with cooking, but also to learn how to finely control a fire’s heat. This year in Bend we were provided with split pine. It was dried but not seasoned so it burned a bit reluctantly and never made any coals. My partner thought it could be burned in a cross log fire. However the damp wood wouldn’t generate enough heat to maintain fire in that position; it went out. It would only maintain the fire when there was sufficient wood exposure in close proximity. Burning the logs parallel to each restricted the air flow producing a smoky fire. He would twist the logs to get more air in and the fire would die, I would twist them back and it would flare up for a while and then smoke. There was no perfect solution.
4. Practice with my new camera
Last summer I purchased a new camera. I’ve been slowly learning to operate it and have managed a few good photos. I’ve also learned to find the self-timer and the video function. This season I would like to learn to learn to operate the manual focus and exposure controls. While the device takes wonderful autofocus and auto exposure shots there are times when I would like to override its choices.
5. Practice low, and no, technology land navigation techniques
It has been some time since I have practiced with map and compass. While I still remember the ideas I feel that I require more practice in making them familiar habits. To this end the goal here is to complete a compass bearing circuit of no less than a mile on each edge on at least three occasions during the year. A circuit is a planned route that leads away from a point and returns to it using a different route. Think of a circle that is warped for topography.
I will also complete one circuit using no aids. This one will not rely on following roads, streams, or ridges. It will consist of planning a route on a map, and then following the landscape from memory.
6. Practice greenwood carving
To practice my greenwood carving I will make a couple of camp utensils; a spatula and a stirring/serving spoon from local materials. This gives me the chance to practice choosing appropriate materials from the wild, process them to a desired end, while working on carving skills.
7. Try Stick
I downloaded instructions for Mors Kochanski’s try stick. The try stick is a collection of common bushcraft cuts on a single stick. Mors’ try stick is a bit more complicated than I need, so I plan to skip the whistle part. The rest of the cuts consist of one’s that I can use in my explorations. The goal of this is to complete one try stick on each of three outings this year.
8. Tracking
I feel that I lack speed in tracking. I’m going to try some of the speed improvement techniques given in the SAS Guide To Tracking. Specifically casting ahead and anticipating paths of travel. This is more natural in tracking humans but it will challenge my understanding of animal behavior.
9. Cut new poles
I need six new poles; three for my new tent and three for a hunting display. The hunting display tripod would eventually do dual duty, holding a lazy back as well as setting the foundation for my static hunting display. I’m looking for straight slender poles about 12’ for the shelter poles and about 8’ for the display poles. This really isn’t a weakness in process, but it is a weakness in equipment.
10. Practice awareness
My awareness isn’t a particular weakness either. I think that I pay attention to my surroundings, but I’m sure that can always improve. I do find it a challenge to be mindful of both sounds and sights. When I focus on sound I seem to lose peripheral vision. The same is true with focus on sight. So I want to practice being aware of a broad field of vision while at the same time listening intently. Here are some suggestions for improving awareness.
Constant improvement
In keeping with Paul’s cautions for success, these are not large steps, and they are made to be repeated. On my trips to the woods I’ll have this list to guide my improvements. I may not work on all of them every time I’m in the woods but the goal is to have taken these steps to improvement by the end of the season.
The refuge has opened a trailhead not far from my home. This will offer me an opportunity to practice awareness, tracking, and photography without playing chicken with local traffic.