Koulutuspalveluita ja blogiartikkeleita ulkona liikkuville
In part 1 of “Island Trek” we left off at “Blackjack” campground. That evening and late in the afternoon the little Catalina Kit foxes made their way into our camp, stealing a few unsecured items sniffing around. My youngest son Jarrod was awoke by a little furry friend sniffing his face, they nearly touching his nose. [Lue lisää…]
My best friend, Paul came up with the idea of backpacking Catalina Island a couple of years ago, after a High Sierra trip backpacking he hatched the plan. The “Trans-Catalina trail” is approx. 51 miles in length (including the walk back to the closet shuttle boat at two harbors) and cuts through the length of the Island. [Lue lisää…]
I must extend my apologies, due to a few classes and unforeseen circumstances this article is coming to you a bit later than expected. This article will illustrated another cognitive aspect of Tracking Humans. The previous two articles the emphases were placed on the Average Pace Count and Comparison Methods of how we can assess the number of humans passing through an area. This month we will elaborate on a different method called the Direct Count Method.
The Direct Count is the simplest of all the counting methods. Find the Most Visible Prominent
Track. Draw your first line using the rear edge heel impression of the first Most Visible Prominent Track. This line should be horizontal, and perpendicular to where that person’s left (right) foot came in contact with the surface. That line should be drawn across the entire width of the prints in question. Say for example, the left heel came in contact with the surface. At this time measure the stride of that person, (heel-to-heel) which should lead to the right heel. Draw the second line crossing the entire width of the footwear impression in question. Use the right foot’s rear edge of the heel as a forward point of reference. Now you can start calculating the number of persons in question. Just directly count every print and partial print within the two lines. This method is intended for numbers ranging from 1 to 6 people. In a heavy forested area, where no footwear impressions can be seen, one must count the number of Flattened are, Ground Signs, consisting of live or dead vegetation. These Flatten areas are areas where someone dwelled for a period of time. It can be a sleep, surveillance, hide site, temporary, extended, communication, or meal halt. If you see rope marks around the tress indicating the use of hammocks, count the number of marks and divide by two. Hammocks usually utilize two trees, but do not forget that the same tree may be used for more than one hammock. If the footwear impressions are very noticeable and/or of different distinguishable patterns, there is no need to find the Most Visible Prominent Track. Just directly count the different impressions. If all the footwear impressions are of the same pattern, from the same manufacture, two or more are the same size, then finding the Most Visible Prominent Track will make the Direct Count Method easier and more accurate.
I recently acquired camouflage suit for hunting and other applications. I have had them now for about 6 months and used them in hunting activities as well as general use during my regular assignments. The “Kaltio Camo jacket”: I have used this on two hunting trips so far, high elevations in mountainous areas of the United States above 10000 feet or 900 meters. [Lue lisää…]
Finland Trackers, good day! In this article, again I will demonstrate to you that you do not have to be indigenously born to know the art of Tracking Humans. This is a cognitive skill that can be learned, and with some soil and vegetation time you too can track as good or better than many aboriginals. [Lue lisää…]
Good day Finland Trackers! I have not forgotten you. Here is a start in a series of article that I will write reference Human Tracking and Anti-Tracking. I hope that you enjoyed the last article on Anti-Tracking. This coming year until April of 2015, I will be basically writing a series of article on the “How to of Tracking”. [Lue lisää…]
By: David Diaz
llusion: An erroneous perception of reality – The American Heritage Dictionary
“Co-coo-cooo-cooo.” “Whirr! Whirr!” “Beep! Beep!” “Beep! Beep!” El Corre Camino – This is the name bestowed by the Mexicans. The scientific Rico Suave Latin term is Geocococyx Californianus.
While teaching the art and science of Human Tracking, Anti and Counter Tracking throughout the Southwest El Corre Camino was a sight to see for a city slicker boy like me. This phenomenal bird runs on the roads and desert lands of the Southwestern United States while uninterruptedly crossing in and out of the Mexican frontera. [Lue lisää…]
The instinct of man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursue him. –Voltaire
Tracking has been around since the beginning of time. It probably began when men realized they were hungry. They tracked their Chase by learning the flora and fauna in their geographic environment. Through trial and error, and loss of life, tracking was refined over the centuries. Families, tribes, and colonies with their scouts used tracking skills for their survival, commandeering needed commodities and control of their domain.
Leaders, spies, and undeserving fugitives, with knowledge of the wilderness, its danger, and its food sources, survived when others perished. A memoir by U.S. Army officer Homer Wheeler captured the skill of a scout named Poor Elk, trailing renegade Cheyenne near Yellowstone in 1874:
“Poor Elk followed about a mile to where the pursued party had camped. He brushed away the ashes from the dead fires and felt of the earth underneath, examined the droppings of the animals, counted the number of fires and noticed, by marks made by the pins, the size of the lodges; carefully scrutinized some moccasins, bits of cloth, that has been thrown away; noticed that the moccasins were sewn with thread instead of sinew and were made as the Sioux made them… A sweat-lodge had been built, indicating that they had remained in camp at least on day, and droppings of the animals determined that the stay had been but one. The position of the camp, the tying of the animals near the tepees and the wickiups, the number of lodges, the care taken by the Indians in leaving, all these things furnished evidence as to the number of Indians and animals and the number of days since they had camped there. Though moving steadily, yet they were in no special hurry; were Sioux and not Cheyennes; had recently left an agency; had not crossed the Yellowstone at the time reported, but two days earlier; were evidently a party of Sioux who were on the way to join the Indians north of the British line. In fact, the record left by these Indians was as complete as though it had been carefully written out.” The Soldier, The Old West Series (New York: Time Life Books, 1974) 117.
What is the SPOT device? It is a hand held personal satellite signaling device. Carry it on your person and send signals to pre-designated people to update your location and situation. It is simple and relatively cheap. There are several types of services to choose from and plans available. The device sends a remote signal to a mark your exact location and a predetermined message via e-mail or text message to a maximum of ten different people. [Lue lisää…]
At age 52 and as of today 53, sadly, I consider every pound that goes in on my backpack. Approx. 1 year ago I purchased a new backpack for leisure use and extended trekking. I relegated my Military Large ‘ALICE” to hunting and rough country hard use trips. As I said this is for leisure, not military combat operations, and contracting / mercenary type applications. I hiked the Grand Canyon for a week recently, the Eastern Sierra, Kings Canyon and a little bit in Israel with it so far. [Lue lisää…]