Mountain Men.

[gil]

Hello,

Anyone watched that show on Netflix? One guy trapping in Alaska, one old man in Montana and one on a large 1K acres property in North Carolina. I like the show very much, as these men live the way I would like to retire.. Lots of hardships and weather challenges, bears, wolves and isolation..

None of them seems to have heard of a two-way radio!

The guy in Alaska receives messages from his family via AM broadcast radio. He can't answer them. If only he had an 80m SSB transceiver.. Both the Montana and NC guys would greatly benefit from VHF handhelds to stay in touch with their family and friends.

I guess there are a multitude of people living in isolated areas who just don't know any better and how easy it is to get an amateur license. Maybe they think "no cell service, no contact.." They live on the edge, in a state of constant semi-emergency, and can't communicate. Or maybe not mentioning it makes the show more entertaining and the situtations more dire.. Still, I am sure many "mountain men" and other bushmen have no idea that you can get a very small radio for cheap and powered it with a small solar panel.

Anyway, I just thought I'm post my musings before watching another episode!

Gil.

[underhill]

But if they used 2 way radio, they're lives would start to smooth out, the drama, the drama!  Drama would drop, ratings would plumet.

Underhill

[gil]

For sure, if you remove the dramatic commentary, it just looks like regular life in the woods..

Gil.

[hank scorpio]

Eustace Conway owns/operates the Turtle Island preserve in Boone NC. He teaches primitive skills and had a partnership with Appalachian State University. He got into some trouble a while back when a young lady who had no business leaving a dorm room much less primitive hunting put her eye out with a slingshot and sued. He refused to pay and once the show came out and the checks rolled in Watauga County took legal action against him. Some of this is documented in season 1. It's not well represented in the show(for drama's sake I suppose) but he's actually great at what he does.

Other than that, it's badly scripted and an inaccurate representation of Appalachian life at least from Eustace's angle. If you like it though, check out another show called Hillbilly Blood. It feature's a buddy of Eustace, Spencer Bolejack. There's no drama, just lots of neat improvisation of cast off equipment and old timey ways to do stuff. It's great.

[Jim Boswell]

Here in New Mexico every year people die in the wilderness. They step out of their "known" world and enter a hostile environment. Even with the hostile wildlife, many times they die just yards from a known trail or almost in sight of their car. People have become so dependent on technology they lack the most basic survivor skills. Cell phones have lead they to think help is always just moments away. Large parts of this state don't have cell phone coverage. If you can make a distress phone call, the response time may well be over 30min.
Yes, amateur radio can help out in some of these areas, but amateur radio can't fix stupid. That wizz-bang GPS unit is real nice until the batteries go dead, then it is just a door stop. A compass and map will always get you home, if you have the most basic outdoor skills. This is much like the "prepper" shows that sell all kinds of gimicks. What they should be doing is teaching outdoor and survivor skills. If you honker-down in the city "cammo" may be a basic gray sweatshirt. 73'S  KA5SIW

[gil]

Hello,

Conway certainly seems to know what he is doing, as do all the other guys. Total reliance on technology is a trap, but having a little can make a big difference, especially a radio. I guess radio is too old for some to consider and too new for others... A cell phone is a radio that doesn't always work when you need it. Even a VHF handheld isn't any good if no repeater is within range. HF on the other hand will always work. There will be someone listening somewhere...

We are indeed very disconnected with nature. I remember my ex girfriend's 10yo son replying to my suggestion to go fishing "I hate it outside," and looking back down on his iPod. For kids of that generation, all the outdoors mean is discomfort. Adults aren't much better. I was lucky to have a grandfather, WWII hero and outdoorsman, trapper, hunter, to teach me a few things, but more importantly, being outside was all I wanted to do. I'd take my air rifle and go on "safaris," sometimes bringing back a bird and asking my mother to cook it! The air rifle was later replaced by a Mini-14, which was a bit too loud for the neighborhood, but that rabbit Pâté my grandmother made was so good! The sound was upsetting a neighboor's horses though, and I was getting older, it was the end of an era, but I knew a lot by then. Today, who even still goes camping? With a firearm? Four years ago my girlfriend (ex) and I went on a two-month trip across the West. She had refused to bring a gun. One night we were camped in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho. I complained about not having anything to defend ourselves with. She said "defend ourselves from what?" Clueless... Not only wildlife, but there were signs around that people had been shooting. Anyway I told her that she should just run away while the bear mauled me... It is hard to deal with someone who had a long sheltered life in these circumstances. Even when people go camping, they bring everything but the kitchen sink, sometimes even a TV, air conditioned and generator! Of course their car and the road are mere feet away... Not camping.

When shit hits the fan, as it always does, I fear there will be a lot of suffering because of the lack of skills in the general population, and there will be someone ready to take advantage of it. As to radio, I think the world was better prepared in the late 70s, at the height of the CB craze...

Gil.

[KK0G]

Sort of like folks who go "camping", at the "camp ground" at the lake, in their 400 square foot "camper" with dual roof air conditioners, all while hooked up to a 50 amp shore line, running water, and sewer. If that's what floats your boat, have at it, it's a free country, just don't fool yourself into saying you're "camping". :-)

[RadioRay]

When I live in Idaho, there existed Idaho Back Country Radio.  It was HF, USB (4634.5 & 4637.5) using battery powered sets (many were 10 Watts) at remote homesteads and etc.  It was used for everything from ordering groceries to be delivered by bush plane, checking on mail (also by bush plane) an checking in on neighbours.  The standard antenna was a dipole in the trees.

We Hams used the 60 meter band because NVIS got signals into/out of the deep mountain valleys and narrow canyons.


>RadioRay ..._  ._

[gil]

Hello Ray,

Was this a licensed band? I've never seen one of those radios. Sort of like CB but on a lower band?

Gil.

[Jim Boswell]

Alaska had back-county radio also. Gil, you are right, HF will almost always get the message through. Too bad we are scattered all over the county. Man if we could arrange a meeting somewhere what a great event that would be.
Talking about Mountain Men, for years I went to Rondevou and entered different events. What fun to throw knives and hawks. I still keep a target set-up and  practice. Neat thing about blackpowder rifles you can ship them around the country without all that legal mess. That .490 lead ball will still take lots of meat. Talk about a time when skill and stealth was more important than a .300magnum and a 12 power scope.
One of the best campers I have known would only carry a sleeping bag, a foam sleeping pad, a 10x10 painters tarp, canteen and a skillet. Those were the days. When skill and smarts outperformed technology.
73'S  KA5SIW

[gil]

Hello Jim,

Very true, technology will never replace skills. We have newer materials today, and new tent designs that make a significant difference in comfort, even survival, and I use them. I admire the purists for sticking with old tech, but I wouldn't do so with everything. The same skills are still required of course. The only issue I have with some modern equipment is that it is not designed to last. Most campers these days don't stay out more than a week-end and stay close to civilization. Their equipment doesn't need to last a whole winter. You need to spend a good chunk of money to get something durable, or go the military surplus route, if you don't mind the weight.

I am a big fan of black powder guns, owned quite a few, shamefully let a handful rust out as a teenager.. I would not feel under-gunned anywhere but Alaska with a good BP revolver. The Italian copies have come a long way since the first ones I bought thirty years ago. Now you can get a very well built Remington 1858 or Colt 1860 Army revolver for about $220, which is incredible. A .454 round ball at 1000fps packs a wallop, especially made of pure lead, which flattens nicely on impact to the size of a nickel! The Remington, Ruger Old Army, and Dragoon/Walkers can push them even faster or shoot heavier bullets. These days if you read gun forums, it seems like nothing but a .500 magnum will kill a skinny little deer; ridiculous. Bisons were hunted on horseback using Dragoons and cavalry revolvers were designed to stop a horse at a hundred yards. Yes, they are much slower to reload, but otherwise offer the same service as a modern firearm, for half the price and no paperwork.

In some regards technology hasn't changed much when it comes to backwoods living. Probably because complexity creates a whole set of new problems. It is something to keep in mind when prepping; you are in for the long haul, hopefully. I would get a flintlock rifle and learn to make my own black powder.. Just in case.. I would also stock up as much .22 rounds as possible for hunting. Aside from tents, sleeping bags and clothing, all other gear is pretty much unchanged from two hundred years ago.

As to radios, again I think that many radio preppers do not think of the long haul.. How to build your own batteries and recharge them.. Low current draw radios are a must and that is probably the most common issue I see. Forget gas powered generators.. Solar panels are the way to go, even 7W is enough. I would back that up with a hand-cranked or pedal generator. Weight is also a big issue if you are forced to relocate. I am more and more leaning towards 80m as a prepper band. Antenna lenght is the only issue. I chose 80m for the last band on my MTR-5B for that reason; now I just need to finish it! That is CW-only of course. I wouldn't mind building a Weber Survivor for SSB. I have two kits to fix right now though, so that will be for later.

Gil.