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[Guest]

[Roz]

[savage727]

Smoked worms taste great especially when you are hungry!!    Roz remind me to tell you the story of eating rabbit eyeballs and drinking its blood during winter survival school.  

[Roz]

In case anyone didn't see the connection between my post and Ed's here is the explanation



Euck!

But really Ed? I don't think I'll join you on the survival "courses" I'd eat them in a real emergency situation but in training? Well only if it was my profession  

[savage727]

Hi Roz:

The Winter Survival School was run by Navy Seals and they taught Aircrew how to survive should they become shot down behind enemy lines.  This included constructing shelter and obtaining food both of which is very difficult to do in Winter with the limited gear we carry on our survival vests.  The Seals taught us how to use elements found in nature to help overcome the shelter and food situations.  It is amazing what you will do and eat to survive.

[Roz]

Very true.

I went on a very kiddies version when I was younger, building your own shelter etc... for example if anyone saw our shelter they wouldn't be out looking to kill us so it didn't have to be inconspicuous..

But it was great - half way between camping and survival. It was also a "managing sustainable forests" learning type week ...looking back on this Ed it's no wonder I became an Environmental Geographer is it?

[savage727]

It is amazing how things in our younger days leave impressions and lean us in a direction in life or career.  

[Roz]

Very true.

Perchance  - dod you ever havea remote control chopper as a kid

The Geography department thought it would be good for me to use one of those and hang a camera off it to take pics...

1) I believe they are a nightmare to control

2) THe minute I got it out there it would career into the mud and never work again

3) Could it take the weight of a high quality camera??

So I decided it was a bad idea!

[ferdinand_the_yak]

When I was in high school I participated in our school army cadet course and one of our tasks was to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere in the bush, find a target and navigate our way back to a set camp. It was done over 4 days and we had to survive on what we were rationed at base camp. I guess the terrain is very different to what you would have in the States Ed, dry eucalyptus, steep hills, etc typical Australian terrain, but it was quite challenging all the same (not to the extent of your training obviously!). Of all the platoons, all of them got lost except for one - thanks to the fantastic navigational skills of their navigation officer I thought it was quite good for a 15 year old

Thats the extent of my 'army' experience - tough but quite exhilarating at the same time

[savage727]

Hi FTY - that was some great initial training you had there.  I have been in very similiar terrain to what you describe in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada undergoing training.  Sounds like you did better than most there - congrats!!  

Roz:

I never had a remote control chopper as a child but I did fly radio controlled aircraft.  You just have to get the feeling and concept of flying the craft.  It is fun.  Yes there are models out there that will accomplish what you want done but not the basic type available to the general public.  Have you checked with your University?  Do they have any type of programs which would utilize this type of craft for observation and research?  If not why don't you make a proposal to the school to fund your request to the point that the equipment could be utilized by other Departments as well for their observations.  Like they say "Nothing ventured, nothing gained"!  

There are firms out there with the right gear and the training to teach people to operate the equipment.