[rangerjd]

How old are you? I mentioned that in post #17 above. You must have taught me that. back when I was a young troop. I carry them in that little medicine bottle. now. I think you also taught me that you could use them for a wound dressing, chap stick or even wipe down that rifle. I don't remember if I learned it there or dreamed it but you can put a half dozen fish hooks in that bottle with them and not hurt a thang. And a couple sewing needles fit in there and do not hurt a thang either. And as Nascar Lady has reminded us, you can wrap that high strength braided 50 pound fishing line around that little bottle and get 40-50 feet on there in no space at all. It work great for sewing and of course, fishing. and I suppose snares and you always need to hang stuff but do not want to use up your paracord.

I do still have some 40-50 year old purple fuel that we heated our canteen cup with, you remember them I am sure.....memories..

I'm 61 years old, I taught mountaineering and survival at Huckleberry Creek Mountain Training Camp (HCMTC) in 1984-1985, primary survival instructor for the Sapper Leader Course 1987-1989, and primary survival instructor at Desert Phase Ranger School 1994-1995. I attended SF SERE School in 1983 and AF Survival School in 1984. When I was assigned to HCMTC in the end of 1983, the primary Survival Instructor taught me the cotton ball method and I've been using it every since.

 

[Ranger4]

I'm 61 years old, I taught mountaineering and survival at Huckleberry Creek Mountain Training Camp (HCMTC) in 1984-1985, primary survival instructor for the Sapper Leader Course 1987-1989, and primary survival instructor at Desert Phase Ranger School 1994-1995. I attended SF SERE School in 1983 and AF Survival School in 1984. When I was assigned to HCMTC in the end of 1983, the primary Survival Instructor taught me the cotton ball method and I've been using it every since.

Well, guess it was not you. I enlisted in the Army Halloween day 1969, and exited the Air Force April 96. I learned the Vasoline cotton ball method long long ago. I was not in Boy Scouts, so musta been from my uncle, Sam.... I have taken to putting everything in those left over pill bottles I get from the VA, just too easy to keep stuff dry and not smashed in the pack. They work great for spinner baits too.

I watch that show Naked and Afraid all the time and wonder how folks can be so, limited, they have had several that claimed to be experienced and do dumb stuff I like it when they put out one (1) snare or one fish line and then are surprised when nothing is there the next morning. Or they see clouds coming and they do not have enough dry wood to make it thru the rainy night. Or they go to some place that gets 100 inches of rain per year and they put about one layer of brush up and call it a roof and then surprised when it lasts 22 minutes. Not saying I could survive now, but I darn sure would have a different approach. Even the folks on there who were prior military sometimes do not far well. And then some mom with 3 kids does just fine. Go figure. I watch it anyway...

In the Army I had 3 mos, 95B, MP, 11B Infantry and I forgot the artillery one I had in the reserves. In the AF I was in Special Investigations, 8025, Humint and Applications Intel, they changed all the specialty codes now, so I guess I was a 14N, a 17 and a 71s. LOL my last several years were at AF Special Activities Command out of Ft Belvoir, and when Desert Shield came along I volunteered for a magcom change and went to US CENTCOM. Looking back, I was a lucky guy. Good units, good people, honorable work. Not sure the new guys have it as good as I did. Thanks your service by the way.​