Boondocking.... 1,000 years ago without your Oliver 1 or Oliver 2

[BoondockingAirstream]

The Anasazi Indians Boondocked long before Olivers.  Had they the opportunity to have an Oliver... they would have been the envy of the entire Southwestern USA.  This was their home without... wheels, or horse, or... all foot powered.

 

I include some photographs of a number of Pit Houses in New Mexico at 6,500 feet elevation.  They survived without the many things we require in our trailers.  This is just one example of a community of five or six Pit Houses... the ancestors to the Cliff Dwellers.  Although they could also been the 'summer homes' away from the Cliff Dwellings.

 

This is what you and your Oliver can discover... just by reading about what requirements these Native Americans needed such as Shelter, Water, Food and supplies needed for maintaining and preparing these in their vicinity.  Many Pit Houses will have large trees growing from them.  The pit houses were originally circular when you stumble across any.  At the beginning you may be standing on top of a Pit House and not realize it, until you see the pot shards and agate or Obsidian flakes... you would have never known.

 

Many of these ancient dwellings were 'pot hunted' for their contents in the 1890's once the area was opened for logging.  If you find stumps of large pine trees... expect the ancient contents dug out and taken.  As you get further away from easy access, the Pit Houses are very impressive.  Any of the wood used for a roof has rotted a thousand years ago, but you can see the shape, the entrance and as usual... one or more pine trees growing from them.

 

The broken pot shards are examples of a talent in these primitive conditions... to us, that is.  One photograph shows pottery and chips washing out of the dirt, away from the pit houses.  They, for whatever reason, would break a damaged pot into smaller pieces and toss them aside.  Find a pot shard... the Pit House can only be a short 'toss' from where you are standing.

 

Have a wonderful 2017 Olivercamping Season!

[John E Davies]

Cool, thanks for posting. I like that part of the country.

 

I assume that rattlesnakes are a worry there? It looks like the Rattlesnake Ritz from where I sit. Any concern about your doggie getting bit while scouting those rocks? Do you carry a snake bite kit along with your emergency kit?

 

I never bothered until I got a dog. I am fairly comfortable hiking around rattlers, which are super common in the basalt rocks of the areas around me, but our two dogs are 100% oblivious. I like this one and carry it in a small day pack along with dog (and human) first aid supplies. You can use it for a spider bite or yellow jacket sting, there are lots of possibilities. You still need professional attention, regardless of if you used the kit for a snake bite....

 

https://www.rei.com/product/407144/sawyer-extractor-pump-kit

 

Thanks for your interesting posts.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[tstorm5]

Great story. Add that to the long list of things I never knew. I've found a couple hundred arrow heads in south Texas and always wondered, where did these Indians camp in this thorn infested country and what in the world did they have for foot wear.

 

 

 

As far as snakes go, was dove hunting with a friend and his Lab was bit in the neck by a 4 foot rattler. Got him right below the jaw line. The dog laid around for about a week and swelled up pretty bad. No vet visit or medicine and after that week swelling went down and the dog returned to normal.  That was a great hunting dog before and after the bite.