I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel more connected to my activities when I make the accoutrements to go with that skill or activity. I enjoy my black powder shooting a lot more when I’m using little bits of gear that I have made – like a buckskin shot pouch or a hand forged patch knife. I like my bushcraft more when I’m eating from a wooden bowl that I carved, next to a fire kindled from one of my homemade flint and steel sets. I like my trailside snacks a lot more when they’re tender bits of jerky that I dried out at home. Yes, it takes time to make these things (no drone is going to drop them off at your doorstep), and sometimes the stuff can look a little rough around the edges (or very rough around the edges), but who cares!
It’s something you made for yourself, for the greater enjoyment of your outdoor pursuits – and I say we could use a little more of that in these crazy modern times. So make something for yourself, and make it great!
For more philosophy and survival tips, check out MacWelch’s New York Times Bestselling survival books:
Prepare For Anything
Hunting and Gathering Survival Manual
How To Survive Anything
And if that’s not enough, you can:
Follow Tim on Twitter @timmacwelch
Take one of his survival classes at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com
and check out more of MacWelch’s outdoor skills and survival articles at Outdoor Life Magazine’s survival site, The Survivalist.