In this episode of the Skillist Podcast, hosts Matt Corradino and Brad Salon delve into the essential skill of navigation, discussing its importance for safety in the wilderness and how it intertwines with naturalist knowledge. They explore various techniques for improving navigation skills, including understanding maps, terrain association, and the significance of cardinal directions. The conversation emphasizes the need for practical navigation tools, the role of memory in navigation, and the benefits of exploration and wandering as methods for enhancing navigational abilities. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of navigation, exploring various methods and skills essential for traversing landscapes. They discuss the evolution of direction-giving, the importance of tracking animal trails, and the art of wandering without a destination. The conversation also highlights the significance of celestial navigation and practical techniques for improving navigational skills, emphasizing the need for practice and awareness in outdoor settings.

Navigation is a crucial skill for safety in the wilderness.
Understanding maps and terrain is essential for effective navigation.
Practicing cardinal direction awareness can significantly improve navigation skills.
Using a compass is a fundamental tool for navigation.
Terrain association helps in understanding the landscape better.
People often rely too much on technology for navigation.
Exploration and getting lost can enhance navigational skills.
Memory plays a vital role in effective navigation.
Learning to navigate based on terrain features is more practical than strict map following.
Wandering can lead to discovering new and interesting places. The age of direction giving has changed with technology.
Navigating without GPS can enhance awareness of the landscape.
Tracking animal trails can lead to unexpected discoveries.
Celestial navigation is a reliable method for finding direction.
Practicing navigation skills is essential for outdoor enthusiasts.
Understanding the environment can improve navigation accuracy.
Wandering without a destination can lead to unique experiences.
Using sound can aid in navigating unfamiliar areas.
Basic orienteering skills are widely available and easy to learn.
Sharing knowledge about navigation can benefit others.
titles
Mastering Navigation Skills for Wilderness Survival
The Art of Navigation: Techniques and Tips
Exploring the Landscape: A Guide to Navigation
From Maps to Memory: Navigational Skills Uncovered
Navigating the Wilderness: Essential Skills for Safety
The Importance of Terrain Association in Navigation

Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Navigation Skills
03:10
The Importance of Navigation for Safety
08:43
Understanding Maps and Terrain Association
13:18
Developing Cardinal Direction Awareness
17:40
Practical Navigation Tools and Techniques
21:43
Exploring Navigation Beyond Maps
27:43
The Role of Memory in Navigation
34:18
Wandering and Exploration as Learning Tools
35:23
Navigating the Landscape of Directions
39:40
The Art of Wandering and Exploration
43:50
Tracking and Animal Trails
49:24
Navigational Skills and Techniques
51:38
Celestial Navigation and the Night Sky
Click here to watch a video of this episode.

In this episode of the Skillist Podcast, hosts Matt Corradino and Brad Salon delve into the fascinating world of flint knapping, exploring its historical significance, the challenges of archaeological dating, and the complexity of techniques involved. They discuss the evolution of human intelligence in relation to stone tools, the differences in learning processes between past and present, and the spiritual aspects of craftsmanship. The conversation highlights the intricate relationship between intuition and systematic learning in developing skills, ultimately reflecting on how these ancient practices inform our understanding of human evolution and creativity. This conversation delves into the evolution of tool making, particularly focusing on flint knapping and its cultural significance. The speakers discuss how historical contexts, practical experiences, and the interplay of creation and use shape our understanding of primitive skills. They emphasize the importance of hands-on experience in mastering these skills and critique modern perspectives that often overlook the practical aspects of tool making. The discussion also touches on the risks associated with flint knapping and the collective creativity involved in crafting tools.

Flint knapping has a rich history intertwined with human evolution.
The oldest known flake tools date back millions of years.
Stone tools have significantly influenced human intelligence and development.
Archaeological dating is complex and often uncertain.
Replicating ancient flint knapping techniques is a challenging task.
Intuition plays a crucial role in learning and mastering skills.
The learning process in ancient times was likely more fluid and spiritual.
Modern perspectives on learning may not fully capture ancient practices.
The evolution of skills can be seen as a circular process rather than linear.
Understanding the past requires acknowledging the depth of human experience. The evolution of tool making reflects cultural changes.
Practical experience is crucial for understanding tool effectiveness.
Historical contexts influence the craftsmanship of tools.
The interplay of creation and use enhances learning.
Experimental archaeology provides insights into ancient practices.
Modern perspectives often overlook the importance of primitive skills.
Material choice significantly impacts tool functionality.
Injury risks in flint knapping are often underestimated.
Collective creativity can lead to unexpected designs in tool making.
Understanding the history of tools requires a balance of intuition and analysis.

Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Flint Knapping
02:10
The Historical Context of Flint Knapping
07:39
The Challenges of Archaeological Dating
10:11
The Complexity of Flint Knapping Techniques
18:38
Intuition vs. Systematic Learning in Flint Knapping
25:10
The Spiritual Aspect of Learning Flint Knapping
34:40
The Evolution of Flint Knapping Skills
35:04
The Evolution of Tool Making
38:07
Cultural Influences on Tool Craftsmanship
40:56
The Importance of Practical Experience
44:56
Understanding the History of Tools
49:06
The Interplay of Creation and Use
52:52
The Role of Experimental Archaeology
57:07
Modern Perspectives on Primitive Skills
01:00:57
The Significance of Material Choice
01:05:00
Injury Risks in Flint Knapping
01:09:06
Collective Creativity in Tool Making

In this episode of the Skillist Podcast, hosts Matt Corradino and Brad Salon delve into the nuances of survival trips, emphasizing the importance of practical experience in survival skills. They discuss the balance between learning and practicing essential skills like shelter building, water sourcing, and food procurement, while also highlighting the mental resilience required in survival situations. The conversation explores the significance of local knowledge and the need for structured goals in survival training, ultimately advocating for a hands-on approach to mastering survival techniques. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of survival trips, emphasizing the importance of mental resilience, group dynamics, and the necessity of commitment. They discuss how expectations can lead to disappointment and how a shift in perspective can enhance the survival experience. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced during these trips, including the impact of individual attitudes on group morale and the significance of post-trip reflections for personal growth. This conversation explores the transformative experience of survival trips, emphasizing the simplification of life in survival situations, the transition back to civilization, the importance of storytelling and reflection, navigating the post-experience hangover, and the deep connection to nature and community that these experiences foster.

Take Aways
Survival trips provide practical learning opportunities.
Having faith or a belief system can improve survival outcomes.
Focus on specific skills during survival training trips.
Shelter, water, and fire are foundational survival skills.
Food procurement is a long-term study and challenge.
Local knowledge is crucial for effective survival.
Comfort levels can only be expanded through real experiences.
Mental resilience is key in survival situations.
Setting clear goals enhances the learning process.
Survival training should simulate real-life challenges. Group trips create peer pressure that encourages commitment.
Mental commitment is crucial for survival experiences.
Expectations can lead to disappointment during trips.
The mindset of discomfort can lead to personal growth.
Morale within a group can significantly affect the experience.
Survival skills require a shift in perspective.
Discomfort is a necessary part of learning survival skills.
Post-trip reflections are essential for integrating experiences.
Nature is indifferent to individual comfort or discomfort.
Survival trips should be treated seriously, with contingency plans in place. Survival situations simplify life, focusing on immediate needs.
Returning to civilization can feel surreal and disorienting.
Storytelling helps reinforce lessons learned during experiences.
Journaling is crucial for processing and retaining insights.
Experiences in nature foster a deep connection to the environment.
Sharing food and experiences creates intimacy among participants.
Post-experience hangovers are common and require gentle self-care.
Awareness of our impact on the earth is heightened in survival situations.
Engaging fully in experiences enhances personal growth.
The importance of community and shared experiences cannot be overstated.

In our 17th Episode Brad Salon of the Roots School and Matt Corradino of Caribbean Earth Skills talk about common mistakes we and other students we teach make when approaching learning the skills. Both in short classes and over a long time there are a lot of mistakes you can avoid to save yourself time and grief.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or future topics you'd like to hear us discuss!

Check out Matt at https://www.caribbeanearthskills.com/

Check out Brad at https://rootsvt.com/

In our 16th Episode of the podcast we finally have our first guest, Ruth Ann Colby Martin. Ruth Ann was an instructor at the Tracker School in the early 2000's when Matt and I attended our Standard courses (the basic intro class). Since then she has gone on to become a midwife, a midwife instructor, an author, mother, and speaker. In this episode expect to learn what she thinks about the connections between tracking, awareness, survival, and helping to deliver babies. Her thoughts on becoming a parent, supporting birth, and how to prepare for a birth in a context outside of a hospital and much more!
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or future topics you'd like to hear us discuss!

Check out Matt at https://www.caribbeanearthskills.com/

Check out Brad at https://rootsvt.com/

In our 15th Episode Brad Salon of Roots School and Matt Corradino of Caribbean Earth Skills discuss how to keep the passion for skills and discipline to work on them once you have left a class or finished some kind of education. Expect to learn how to incorporate skills into your everyday life. How to progress your challenges to keep yourself facing new edges, and how to make the skills new for yourself once you have been at it for a long time.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or future topics you'd like to hear us discuss!

Check out Matt at https://www.caribbeanearthskills.com/

Check out Brad at https://rootsvt.com/

In our 14th episode Brad Salon of the Roots School joins Matt Corradino of Caribbean Earth Skills at his home in St Croix. In this episode we talk about survival in the tropics, and cover topics such as hazards, tropes and myths of survival, and what survival used to look like here in ages past.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or future topics you'd like to hear us discuss!

Check out Matt at https://www.caribbeanearthskills.com/

Check out Brad at https://rootsvt.com/

In our 13th episode Matt Corradino of Caribbean Earth Skills and Brad Salon of Roots School talk about Flint Knapping. Expect to learn why they love to knap, what their favorite rock sources are, their opinions about tool kits, how to approach learning it and much more.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or future topics you'd like to hear us discuss!

Check out Matt at https://www.caribbeanearthskills.com/

Check out Brad at https://rootsvt.com/