Primitive Innovation.

I think we should avoid any sort of dogmatism in the world of wilderness living skills.

For example... One of my teachers frowns upon the use of two-stick hearthboards, but they work, and their use in a wilderness situation could mean the difference between life/death/thriving/having needs met, so it behooves us to know the technique, eh?

The basic principle in primitive fire-starting is usually to make a pile of hot, dry dust from natural materials, which becomes a coal, which you put into a tinder bundle to start a righteous fire. Hand drill, bow drill, fire plow, whatever.

It's ALL ABOUT having a grasp of the basic principles!!

I've talked about fire, but the same applies to other aspects of wilderness living, like shelter...

With shelter, you primarily want to shed water/moisture and retain body heat. If you're really awesome, you'll leave an open space up top to vent exhaust from an inside fire. WOOT!!! Take this understanding and use your own creativity! It's downright fun.

Learn WHY a certain method works and you're free to experiment and innovate!