The Practical Woodsman
Education • Travel • Preparedness
The Practical Woodsman is a way to share love of the wilderness, as well as my observations, thinking, and approach to what folks today are calling 'bushcraft' and 'survival'. The focus is on what is practical, as well as pointing out certain things being demonstrated by 'bushcrafters' today that are not practical at all.
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August 12, 2025
War History Teaches Practical Survival

I found this video interesting as it relates to conversations we have about the true nature of things, what is really important and what is not, and how little importance some things have depending on the needs of the moment.

For example, this guy and his fellow soldiers, while being shot at would just dump their blankets - the blankets were totally unimportant to the immediate goal of staying alive. This meant later suffering, but at least they were alive.

I think about this sort of thing all the time when seeing guys building elaborate, beautiful shelters in the woods. When you’re hungry and lost, or simply traveling through the wilderness, nobody is going to care about building an elaborate shelter. You’re only going to care about conserving energy and using energy for only things that are absolutely necessary in any given moment.

This means sleeping under a rock outcrop, or a fallen tree, or just trying to get through the night under your sweater and some leaves you scrounge together. You’ll want your energy for hiking the next day, you will not be willing to use it all up just to build some elaborate shelter that can’t travel with you.

00:02:14
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What else you may like…
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Posts
My Aunt Ruby

…the myth, the legend.

#AppalachianLegend #AuntRuby #BackwoodsBars
#ThePracticalWoodsman #AppalachianCampfireStories

00:00:55
September 12, 2026
Two People Dying

WARNING: This is a brief video of two people dying. The wife thought she was taking a picture of the event, but it was actually a video.

I have been in these intimate, private circumstances many times before with my own brain.

00:00:16
September 08, 2026
Yotes (Coyotes)

In Appalachia they get confused as ‘haints’ or otherworldly creatures roaming the dark woods. Hearing this, you can probably understand why. They make a downright spooky sound in the dark, Appalachian backwoods!

00:00:24
September 17, 2026
Wallpaper Share

A wallpaper for your phones and tablets, for those interested.

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September 16, 2026

This tomater out of my garden doesn’t like you looking at its butt.

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September 15, 2026

Nothin’ is better than round, uniform tins for hauling certain things. I’m really fond of them because they stack neatly and can save quite a bit on space. I get them off Amazon in two different sizes at a low price - a small, snuff-size can, and a larger can.

The only real drawback about them is that they can get beat up fairly easily, because they’re made out of really light aluminum. But for their low cost, I reckon it’s no big deal, since they’re easy to replace.

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