John W
Hello All. A bit of a challenge
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 13:32

In my online classroom my students have been reading the novels by Gary Paulsen.

Before the quarantine we finished the novel, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. If you are a parent I am sure that your child read the Newberry Award winning story about the fourteen year old boy from Long Island NY who crashes in the Canadian wilderness and manages to survive two months on his own.

It is a big hit, so to speak, in schools. So. Paulsen wrote five books in a series.

I am on the next book, The River. To help generate some interest I made a You Tube video on survival kits for my Google Classroom. Hey. I have to do what is necessary to generate interest. All of our students are at home and we have to somehow get them to complete the requirements of their education so bear with me.

I proposed a challenge of sorts. I plan to record my experience overnight in the wilds with just three items. Well actually I will have a fourth and that is where I will let you all know what that "extra" item will be.

I told my students I will take one cutting tool, one fire starting tool and one insect repelling tool.

So here it goes.

1. Fire starting

a. Ferrocerium rod.
b. Life boat matches
c. Tiny BIC lighter
d. Flint and steel

2. Cutting .

a. Light My Fire Scandi grind belt knife.
b. SPAX hatchet made by Ontario.
c. Buck 110 folder( in the book that is what the main character has for a cutting tool in The River.)
d. A 6" ESEE Rowan sheath knife.

3. Insects

a. headnet
b.Thermacell
c.Insect repellent
d. Nothing. Make a fire and suck it up.

Now. For the unmentioned thing to carry.

a. Ruger Single Six 22 WRM that Gary reworked with the PPP and .002 cylinder gap.

b. Ruger SP 101 4.25 inch 357 magnum that Gary reworked with the PPP and .002 gap.

c. Ruger SR 1911 in 10 mm. Straight from the factory.

d. Your personal choice. Bear in mind I will be "roughing it" in the wilds of Central Massachusetts.

Again. Thanks and I do hope that this is entertaining and may make the younger members question whether or not to enter the field of education in this day and age.