If you have a primitive skills question that's been bugging you, the MAPS members listed below have volunteered to help you out if they can. They all know their stuff and are willing to answer your questions about the topics listed beside their names. If you click on their name, you can e-mail them your question and they will reply to you directly (please mention that you are coming from the MAPS "Ask The Aboz" page).
Doc Garcia - medicinal herbs, Hispanic herbalism
Doc is a third generation curandero (Hispanic folk healer) having learned the art from childhood. He has taken several Tom Brown Jr. courses leaning towards philosophy and healing, as well as tracking courses from others. He writes, teaches, and lectures on California Hispanic herbalism at many universities on the west coast. He also runs the California School of Traditional Hispanic Herbalism.
- Tim MacWelch - friction fire making, edible plants, general primitive technology
Tim runs Earth Connection School Of Wilderness Survival and Ancient Skills in Virginia. He's been teaching outdoor skills to the public for 7 years, and working on his skills for over 14 years. Tim has studied with the best and now teaches with them.
Rob Goebel - primitive archery
Rob is 34 years old and currently lives west of Baltimore. He's willing to provide hands on help with primitive archery (bow and arrow making), and will trade that knowledge in exchange for you teaching him a skill. If you have no skills to trade, he'll teach you anyway!
Ming Diaz - slings, food preparation and gathering, conservation of energy in primitive settings
Ming is a techie by day and abo by night who knows how to make and use a good sling, which he's been doing for the last 15 years. Besides rocks, Ming has also been known to sling a good story or two.
Phil Carpenter - self bows, traditional archery
Phil is an active traditional bow hunter. He makes his own self bows from osage, hickory, and locust. He's made a couple of dozen bows, successfully hunting with 5 or 6 of them, taking deer, rabbit, and squirrel. He also does 3D shoots with them.
Guy Neal - cordage, primitive fishing and trapping
Guy has been practicing primitive skills for over ten years and is known locally hereabouts as the "Kordage King", having an almost abnormal affinity for the stinging nettle plant. He loves to use his skills to procure food of both the finned and footed varieties.
Joe Schilling - primitive shelter construction, dry scrape tanning, primitive blacksmithing
Joe (aka Deer Runner and Pyro Joe) has been practicing and teaching primitive skills for many years. One of these days, he's going to take to the hills for good!
Kevin Haney - organizing a primitive skills club, edible plants, gourd craft
Kevin was one of the founding members of MAPS and has been organizing it for the last five years. If you need help or advice on starting your own club or having a special event, he'll give it to you.
Shawn Merritt - coal burning, shelter building, survival kits
Shawn (aka The Ridge Runner) has been practicing wilderness survival and primitive skills since his mid teens. He enjoys helping others learn how to make containers by hot coal burning, and developing wilderness safety and survival kits.
If you have a particular skill you are very good at and wouldn't mind helping out other folks with it, send us an e-mail.
