Survival is all about a good cup of tea

[Goose]

Ditch the stove and wrap the hexi tablets individually in foil.

All you need then are three pebbles to stand your metal cup on, unwrap the tablet and burn it on the foil. When cup is boiled, blow out the tablet and re-wrap the remains.

I can usually get two boils from a good hexi tablet.

I have three brew kits, bits get swapped and changed but they are different sizes. My usual is the swedish trangia, great for in my bergen and everyday "normal" use. My second is a lightweight aluminium cookset, two pans and a lid, with a folding cup and sachets of coffee, sugar and little "maccy D" milk cartons (they are good for a few months) along with a few hexy blocks, standing on a couple of stones like wayland, and this lives in my bumbag. My third is usually in my smallish metal mug(not crusader size normal mug size) with sachets and a couple of BBQ matches to use to heat it, this can sit in my jacket pocket, but is usually in my hand
The hexy and BBQ matches are a bit messy to use but are great for an emergency, completely fool proof, no getting out a stove and finding you have run out of fuel when you need it most
The usual problem I have is carrying enough water, but I have a millbank bag in my bumbag too, so in an emergency I am sorted.

[john scrivy]

interesting read >If things go wrong a cup of tea and a fag Stops you from panic makes you think BUT its like all situations STOP AND THINK it dont have to be Bush craft stuff same rules apply

[Warrigal]

I have run a couple of semiars for adult youth leaders and most recently a Survival course for some local Army cadets ( 15-18yr)
In the preceeding weeks we covered the theory the a practical week end.
The first thing I taught was
STTOP
The first "T" is for tea
Stop
Tea
think
organise
plan
In the organising phase use the rule of threes to prioritise you needs.
Carl

[Sameold]

Old Comanche saying "Survival is all about a good cup of tea. But when you can make the guys two lattes, one mochachino (no cream) and an almond danish, you have achieved mastery"

And most bush craft problems can be solved by asking yourself "Think! What would Jack Hargreaves do now?"

[Dean]

Brilliant post Stuart, most things in the outdoors can be sorted by taking the time out to have a cuppa and thinking about the situation, a little creature comfort does go a long way.

[Stuart]

thanks Dean

[Pang]

good point

[crazydave]

I've been teasing egyptian waiters by being the mad englishman having three cups of tea with every meal. similarly the americans are amazed when uk soldiers in the middle of an afghan firefight will allocate a duty brewmaster and have a cup during lulls - things are better when you can take time out and boiling the local water is a necessary evil anyway so you may as well chuck a tea bag in it

[crwydryny]

this is some good info. personaly I've never thought about stopping for a small cup of tea or something like that to help plan. then again when I go into the woods I usually make sure i know where I'm going (I know every inch of the woods and mountains in my local area) but that said I have ran into a few situations such as suddenely finding a crevass inches infront of my feet thanks to my late dog falling down it (don't worry she survived with no injuries) or almost getting trapped by a sudden snow storm while high in the mountains. thankfully when I go out I make sure I have my survival kit with me including water, knife, rope and large first aid kit in my pack with a smaller kit on my belt containing the basics needed to set up a shelter and fire.

[john scrivy]

Survival is all about a cup of tea Have gone back to Stuarts original thread Thought about this and one of our good friends on here had a mishap recently I bet he was not thinking of tea at the time I know Im back tracking on an old post my new thoughts SURVIVAL IS A STATE OF MIND

[nomade]

I just read Stuart's post which initiated this thread and reading it carfeully I haven't had the time yet to read reactions to it which kept arriving here for the past 3 years.

A lot of info, Stuart! very useful reading indeed!

I am female and I always always ask for help and in a group always suggest we ask for help, be it only to confirm I am/we are on the right track or whenever the situation is remotely uncertain. It's always the "better safe than sorry" attitude that prevails.

It could be that conservation instinct is stronger in the female, possibly through cultural influence.

But possibly too from an instinct in the female to protect not only herself but vulnerable offspring too (human and a multitude of other species).

Pride is a long way down in her list of priorities in dangerous or uncertain situations.

While in the male (human and most other species) rivalry and competition with other males plays indeed a great part in his life. Maybe it appears to him as some form of survival too (psychologically).

Stuart talked of peer pressure on the male to "be right", knowing what he is doing" etc. in our society. Of course this pressure is absent as far as women are concerned as it is expected of them to seek assistance. If this is the case, well I make full use of these expectations and instinctively seek reassurance when unsure, and seek help even in anticipation of danger, let alone when already in danger.

What an interesting difference between the genders to reflect on!

I was never aware of what Stuart tells us about: men wanting to escape at all costs from the rescue situation, from "being caught" by rescuers...

and going to such extraordinary lengths to do so, indeed to risk their life to do so and even consciously take fatal decisions...

Now last but not least, this cup of tea, this life saving "tea ceremony" to go through first in our hour of need...this is fantastic info!

It goes with the info that we want an immediate answer to our predicament and there usually can't be one, digging ourselves out of the situation is a process, not a quick-fix answer. But to remove the anguish we give ourselves a quick answer, something to do,
any answer will do, any action will do, so to speak, even the most stupid, nonsensical, the at best pointless at worst fatal one...

The cuppa is a multi-purpose saver then!

I'll keep all this in mind and make sure I always have this tea-making kit on me at most times! I already seek comfort in a cuppa as a way of life anyway...

Now one last thing: a friend who is a seasoned mountaineer and climber told me a long time ago that whenever cold has set in, in altitude, you really feel cold inside and no extra piece of clothing seems to work, ONLY A HOT DRINK can.

[traderran]

Or a good cup of coffee. never acquired the tea habit

[forestwalker]

I once saw some oldish (50's or 60's, IIRC) instructions for fording a river (in northern Sweden). Step one was to make coffee. It meant that you had some time to think, to look at the river before you plunged into it. Perhaps have second thoughts about the wisdom in fording it just then and there.

[humblebumble]

for my two cents, i'm no survivor or anything, but i was homeless and living on road protest camps for many years. if you don't know what a protest site is think "hobo camp".

these days i always carry a lighter and wherever i go i note locations of good firewood and tarpaulins or other waterproof coverings.

people think i'm a bit odd when i can produce a light despite having not smoked for 3 years, but never mind. there's worse things than being thought odd. not having a lighter, for instance

i'd carry a knife, but you can go straight to jail for that these days

i think the cup of tea thing is a very good idea, when i was reading the start of the post, it occured to me that the best thing to start doing if in doubt would be to gather firewood, but it's better to have a purpose.

in all things of course, it's better to stop and think. when preparing to weave i always have to sit down, have a cup of tea and tidy my front room before i start, or else it inevitably goes wrong and i end up swearing at my loom

hoho, i've just remembered a good survival tip. from personal experience, never take a canoeing lesson in a scottish sea loch from a very poor teacher while wearing nothing but jeans.

he took us right out into the middle of the loch and we all ended up in the water. first lesson of course, couldn't right the canoe. ended up bobbing in the water for almost an hour before getting rescued by the police, who fished me out of the water with two words: "stupid boy"

i couldn't have agreed more

[jimford]

The hexy and BBQ matches are a bit messy to use but are great for an emergency, completely fool proof, no getting out a stove and finding you have run out of fuel when you need it most.

Trouble is, that when hexamine burns it stinks like a meths drinker's underpants!

Jim

[Le Loup]

"Where the water is generally un°t for uƒe, being full of inƒe¢s. In ƒuch caƒes it is very refre¬ing when boiled and made into tea, and I cannot ƒuµciently deƒcribe the °ne ta¥e it has under ƒuch circum¥ances. It relieves a weary traveller more than can be imagined, as I myƒelf have experienced, and as have alƒo a great many others who have travelled through the primeval fore¥s of America. On ƒuch journeys tea is found to be almo¥ as nece±ary as food" (16).
This is taken from an 18th century text which this site does not accept, but the small "f" are actually an S & you can probably work the rest out.
Taken from my latest book, The New World Woodsman, 1700-1760. His clothing, arms and accoutrements.
16) Peter Kalm’s Travels In North America, Vol. 1 Pages 561 and 573(belt pouches) Page 456 (white Indians).
Le Loup.

[BOD]

"Where the water is generally un°t for uƒe, being full of inƒe¢s. In ƒuch caƒes it is very refre¬ing when boiled and made into tea, and I cannot ƒuµciently deƒcribe the °ne ta¥e it has under ƒuch circum¥ances. It relieves a weary traveller more than can be imagined, as I myƒelf have experienced, and as have alƒo a great many others who have travelled through the primeval fore¥s of America. On ƒuch journeys tea is found to be almo¥ as nece±ary as food" (16).
This is taken from an 18th century text which this site does not accept, but the small "f" are actually an S & you can probably work the rest out.
Taken from my latest book, The New World Woodsman, 1700-1760. His clothing, arms and accoutrements.
16) Peter Kalm’s Travels In North America, Vol. 1 Pages 561 and 573(belt pouches) Page 456 (white Indians).
Le Loup.

Hi Le Loup,

Could you tell us how the tea was made? Was it China or (East) Indian tea or were they using some local plants as in Labrador tea?

What went into it - sugar, salt, butter, milk?

Ash

[Le Loup]

Hi Ash. I only know that Bohea and green tea were available. I can't imagine milk being used in a wilderness situation that Kalm was in, but sugar in cone form was available and he may well have carried that for use in tea.
Le Loup.

[Paulmc13]

This is a great thread. I'm gonna go make a tea survival kit now. Just to make sure:

Tea bags
Something to boil water in
Something to make fire with
Tinder for firesteel (how I'd make the fire)
Knife (Always good for any sort of "survival kit")
Something to sweeten the tea

[Hangman]

I have to admit, I often take a flask of tea or hot chocolate, a habit from my RAF days - we always took a flask of hot drink out on sorties as it was a good way of getting something hot into someone pulled of the hills, if it was a quite shift then we had something to drink.

Any excuse for a brew !

[falling rain]

edited innapropriate comments.

[Le Loup]

No new news Stuart. I've been in the army for 6 years. Everyone knows a brew is good. I think you;ve based this (very commendable) narrative on soldiers experience. Nothing to write home about. Good on you for putting it down in writing.
You are undoubtedly a knowldgeable bloke on certain subjects.
Everyone has their 'niche'............... I've got mine'
Do you fancy a Japanese spelling competition?.. Can you write Kanji?............. Do I fancy a Borneo language competition?.............ich don't think so............ Fancy a German language spelling test? I don't want to come across as rude but I think that this is purely normal and any squaddie will know that a brew will help. It seems to have been elevated to some kind of incredible insight!

Feel free to berate me if I'm wrong, and to be honest I havn't read all the posts.
Take it easy Stuart.........I totally respect your knowledge. I think that for certain folks your wisdom will be good. No biggie though on this occasion. Not for me anyhow.

The tea post is a good one and I fail to see your problem. This is not about one-up-manship. I found this post very interesting and personally I think you are out of line.

[falling rain]

The tea post is a good one and I fail to see your problem. This is not about one-up-manship. I found this post very interesting and personally I think you are out of line.

That's a fair comment Le Loup. I wasn't intending for some one-upmanship.
I did go a bit overboard I agree. Maybe too much beer last night. My apologies.....all round

[Le Loup]

That's a fair comment Le Loup. I wasn't intending for some one-upmanship.
I did go a bit overboard I agree. Maybe too much beer last night. My apologies.....all round

Not really me that has to accept your apologie but I for one appreciate it.
Thank you.
Le loup.

[Hans van der Made]

This is an interesting development of this thread...

First, let me state that this article must be the best way to get non-survivalist people to bring kit and act sensibly that I have EVER seen - and I've read a lot, despite the post count

Let me try and explain why I feel this way:

First and foremost, people don't want to think about things going wrong, let alone prepare for it. Just pondering the possibility of things developing differently than expected is considered a "negative attitude" by many. It spoils their joyful anticipation of a perfect day in the outdoors. The subject of "emergency kit" is far beyond mental preparation, so it's definitely not on the agenda and hard to get across: "Discuss your paranoid disaster scenarios with your bush friends, not with us, we are just going out for a walk in the hills". Most people don't get a chance to reject the subject however, as it's never brought up.

Only "adventurer types" and John J. Rambo carry knives and survival kit, not ordinary people. Nobody wants to be the weird one in the group or be held responsible for its safety, and being the only one with the Shiny Emergency Kit will single you out, I'm afraid...

Tea however, brings it right back home. All of a sudden, we're in familiar territory and the suggestion of a hot cup of tea on a cold evening is a positive one, heartwarming indeed. Something to look forward to. Who wouldn't want a cup of tea? The survival kit is smuggled in, without a hint of negativity and without people even realizing what's going on. Excellent mind trick!

Of course it's nothing new if you already know, been there, or been close to it. Most people however, can't recognize when they're entering into different territory and the rules have changed.

People getting lost during a summer mountain walk don't think about survival. They think about missing dinner, angry parents, or being made fun of afterwards. The dark and cold are just a nuisance, nothing more, because they're almost there anyway. When reality kicks in, they are way behind on the facts and in a situation they've never made plans for. At this point, every single bit of useful information that has ever made it into their memory can be life saving and Stuarts advice has all the qualifications to be just that bit. Because it is so easy to communicate, has a familiar and positive ring to it, and is easy to remember for everyone. And most importantly, because there's a good chance that people will actually bring the stuff, even when it's "just a walk in the hills". And when they do, they'll probably be making tea whatever happens

Please remember: just the fact that you're reading BCUK sets you miles apart from the crowd. Consider it an accomplishment that you haven't read anything new here, because it means you've internalized what most people haven't even had the slighest thought about. No offense meant, of course.

Sorry for the rusty English - not my native language.

Best, Hans (NL)

[Wayland]

The only problem I have with this thread Is that I don't drink tea, so I'm obviously doomed.

[Hans van der Made]

The only problem I have with this thread Is that I don't drink tea, so I'm obviously doomed.

Bring coffee gear and live without even getting sleepy

[Matt.S]

Bring coffee gear and live without even getting sleepy

As an old friend of mine used to say: sleep is the thinking man's sleep. Just think how many spoons and kuksas you could shakilly whittle while awaiting resue and blinking rapidly.

[TeeDee]

As an old friend of mine used to say: sleep is the thinking man's sleep. Just think how many spoons and kuksas you could shakilly whittle while awaiting resue and blinking rapidly.

Matt , Do you want to re-check that sentence? Sounds kind wrong to me.
Should it not be ;- COFFEE is the thinking mans Sleep....




If it is , maybe you should lay off the little brown beans and get some shut-eye?

[BOD]

Hans,

Your post is a worthy addition to this thread and explains the merit of the original post.



Falling rain,

Takes a a big person to apologise. Through your other posts you have a good rep here anyway.