|  However destructive may be the policies of the government and the methods and products of the corporations, the root of the problem is always to be found in private life. We must learn to see that every problem that concerns us as conservationists always leads straight to the question of how we live. The world is being destroyed, no doubt about it, by the greed of the rich and powerful. It is also being destroyed by popular demand. There are not enough rich and powerful people to consume the whole world; for that, the rich and powerful need the help of countless ordinary people. We acquiesce in the wastefulness and destructiveness of the national and global economies by acquiescing in the wastefulness and destructiveness of our own households and communities.
— Wendell Berry An Internet forum is a descendant of the old non-Internet Bulletin Board Systems or BBSs that flourished on home computers from about 1985 to 1995. A bulletin board was basically a newsgroup hosted on a single dial-in server, usually the provider’s home computer. The model was the bulletin board found in the local supermarket, with notices posted offering or seeking, say, lawn work or child care. Nowadays, there are several different ways in which Web sites provide forums for their members. Some sites buy the forum software – for example, Ultimate Bulletin Board -- and make it an integral part of the site on its Web server. Some sites use the free hosting services provided by Web-based servers such as EZBoard, in return for being allowed to put advertising banners on the forums and have incredibly annoying advertising windows pop up. And some sites compromise, using external hosting services but paying a fee in order to avoid the advertising. Featured Forum   Hoodlums Our featured forum is run by survival instructor and video maker Ron Hood of Hood’s Woods. There is not a doubt that the members of this forum have become a true community, largely due to Ron’s own careful guidance and outgoing personality. Originally focused on issues related to Ron’s Woodsmaster videotape series, the discussions have expanded to include politics, tall stories, jokes, and even the personal lives of its members. Disagreement is almost always expressed politely, but be aware that the political bent of the members is largely conservative, libertarian, antiauthoritarian, and in favor of gun rights and self-sufficiency. The level of discussion on wilderness topics is generally very high, beginners’ questions are treated respectfully, and members often report on their experiences and experiments. In addition to Ron, significant wilderness survival experts such as Christopher Nyerges and Joseph “Aboman” Bigley drop by to participate; the late David Alloway was a regular contributor.
Other Forums Countrylife This forum is sponsored the Countrylife Web site, “the online simplicity village,” a resource for the practical arts of simple and self-sufficient living. The site is connected with the famous Lehman’s store, the source for old-fashioned, hard-to-find items such as pickle kegs, grain mills, wooden barrels, hand water pumps, wood cookstoves, heating stoves, and canning supplies. Discussion sections in the forum cover baking and cookery, gardening, herbs, home dairy, homesteading, livestock, and off-grid power. The Hide Out Organized by Matt Richards, author of the classic Deerskins into Buckskins, this forum is devoted to traditional tanning methods, leather craft, and related arts. Regular participants include professional tanners, craftspeople, researchers, and regular folks from around the world, who share an interest in traditional brain tanning, bark tanning, rawhide, parfleche, leather crafting, and dying hides. Our Country Haven Run by CountryLady, this forum is dedicated to country living, self-reliance, gardening, disaster preparedness, homesteading, and food storage and recipes. There is very little directly related to the wilderness, but some of the ideas and discussions might turn out to be useful, especially in a long-term wilderness living situation.  Outdoor Forums Jeff Randall, of Randall’s Adventure and Training, runs this forum on wilderness survival, primitive skills, and self-reliance generally. There are discussion areas for outdoor gear, guns, knives, self-defense, and wilderness medical care, in addition to survival, primitive skills, and edible plants.
OutdoorEd.com This Web site is intended to provide professional outdoor and experiential educators a place to share their knowledge, ideas, questions, and issues. The forum reflects this professional orientation, with sections for discussion of risk management; transportation, vehicles and driver training; wilderness first aid and emergency care; and college and university outdoor programs. The site also mirrors the AEELIST mail list of the Association for Experiential Education. PaleoPlanet A community forum for those interested in prehistoric technology to gather, discuss, and share thoughts and ideas. Pine Home Survival Forums This is Ridge Runner's forum devoted to primitive wilderness survival, hunting, shooting, knives and edged tools, disaster preparedness, and general outdoors activities. Plainsman’s Cabin The focus of this bulletin board is primarily survivalist, with interesting and often quite sophisticated discussions of field medicine, hunting and trapping, survival gear, emergency communications, and homesteading. The rules of the cabin preclude any political discussion – “No Politics, No Religion, and No Foul Language.” The Survival Forum This bulletin board is associated with Doug Ritter’s outstanding Equipped to Survive Web site. The discussions – like the site itself – tend to focus on issues of practical survival under a variety of circumstances, including ditched aircraft. The discussions are at a consistently high level. Wilderness and Backcountry This forum appears to be new and as yet little used, but it is nothing if not ambitious. Proposed topics include news, travel and trip experiences, gear reviews, outdoor photography, environmental and conservation issues, mountaineering, kayaking, and ice climbing. Wilderness and Survival Skills Nominally run by Brian Jones and Ron Hood, this forum proceeds more or less autonomously, and provides high quality discussion of wilderness and survival issues, with virtually no political digressions. It is located on BladeForums, which hosts a number of high-quality bulletin boards dealing with all aspects of knives, and the discussion tends to be relatively gear oriented – what kind of blade steel is best? what binoculars do you recommend? what’s your favorite folding knife? what’s the best way to purify water? In addition to Brian and Ron, experienced wilderness experts, such as Greg Davenport and Jeff Randall, drop by from time to time to participate in the discussions. Wilderness Guides Council This is the forum – little used at present, unfortunately – of the Wilderness Guides Council, a network of leaders offering modern wilderness vision quests or vision fasts, rites of passage in nature, and other earth-centered healing activities, with a commitment to maintain and improve the health of wilderness ecosystems. Wilderness, Wildlife, and Ecology This forum is for discussions about wildlife, camping, bird watching, fishing, and ecological issues, and for questions about hunting gear, best camping sites, and observing and photographing wildlife. Experienced birders, campers, and fishermen are available to give advice. |
