Simple is Best

Is there anywhere that this adage doesn't hold true?

I spent some time last night thinking about the bungee cord versus tied ridgeline issue. In a true survival situation you'll have a rush of adrenaline that could cloud your judgment and ability to do things like tie a few simple knots but wrapping a bungee cord around a tree is something my four year old can easily do.

Perhaps that is the bar to which I should try to learn/teach.

I've always tried to simplify processes for my daughter to keep things easily remembered and easily accomplished. Her survival kit consists of only a couple of pieces and her instructions, in case of getting lost, were kept brief and simple. Just one situation where she needed to rely on that gear and those skills could make the difference between her making future trips to the woods and her becoming a couch potato--not even accounting for the potential life and death aspect.

I can see the risks that bungee cords present with their metal or plastic hooks under tension but the speed with which I had a shelter pitched yesterday will probably remain unbeaten for some time. Sure I could have done it with paracord and just a couple of tied knots pretty easily but the bungee cords would even work when fine motor skills have abandoned you because of frozen hands, shock, or other trauma associated with the "situation."

This is definitely a topic I'm going to try and explore more fully going forward. I'm sure there are things I do in the woods that could easily be simplified to a lower level.

Thanks for reading,


B