American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 323 The Four Major Poisonous Insect Defense Lines! (Seeking monthly votes.)

As Lin Yu'an spoke, he stood up and began the most important security work of the night.

“In places like the Ailao Mountains, a campfire can ward off the cold, but it can also attract curious or hungry visitors from the darkness. So before we rest, we must first build a safe defense system for ourselves.”

First line of defense: Clearing the isolation zone.

He cleared away all the fallen leaves, dead branches, and humus within a two-meter radius around the rock wall of the shelter, exposing the solid soil underneath.

"Most nocturnal creatures, especially snakes and venomous insects, rely on the leaf litter as camouflage and cover. Clearing this area is equivalent to stripping them of their 'cloak of invisibility,' leaving them nowhere to hide when they get close."

The second line of defense: building an off-ground platform.

Two thick logs, about the thickness of a wrist, were found among the collected dead wood and placed parallel to each other on the rocks in the shelter, about a meter apart. Then dozens of thinner branches were found and laid closely across the two main trunks to form a simple bed board about ten centimeters off the ground.

"Sleeping off the ground is essential when there's no tent. Don't underestimate those ten centimeters of height; it insulates you from the cold and dampness of the ground, and more importantly, it effectively prevents unwanted guests from climbing onto your body, such as..."

"...Chinese Red-headed Centipede".

He picked up a piece of charcoal and drew the outline of a multi-legged creature on the rock face. "These things are common here. They are huge and extremely aggressive. Being stung by its maxillipeds is like being burned into your flesh by two red-hot irons at the same time."

"Its venom is both hemolytic and cytotoxic, which can cause extensive ulceration and tissue necrosis in wounds. In this environment without antibiotics, a minor sting could eventually lead to amputation or even death due to infection."

The third line of defense: chemical and physical barriers.

Take out the resin that I scraped from a pine tree with a stone flake that afternoon, melt it by the fire, and then carefully apply the sticky resin to both ends of the two main trunks that serve as the platform base.

"Pine resin is a natural adhesive and insect repellent. Its strong odor and sticky properties effectively prevent insects from climbing upwards."

"Using the oldest chemical weapon—wood ash—to completely lock it in. It's dry and alkaline, something most arthropods hate. Three lines of defense, one after another, that's how I can get a good night's sleep tonight."

Then Lin Yu'an carefully scattered the fine ash from the fire, which had been thoroughly burned, in a complete closed loop on the ground around the entire platform.

Lin Yu'an paused for a moment, then turned his gaze to the dark corner of the shelter's rock wall.

"Secondly, that's why I carefully examined every crevice with a torch just now. It's because there might be a kind of evil creature that the locals fear—the red-backed widow spider, which I prefer to call the hallucinogenic widow."

"It doesn't actually cause hallucinations, but its neurotoxins have a more terrifying consequence than hallucinations. After being bitten, the toxins will cause your muscles to spasm uncontrollably and violently."

"Then you will arch your body like a shrimp, your abdominal muscles as hard as iron, and roll and writhe on the ground in pain, letting out screams that are not human."

"To outsiders, you would look like you were completely possessed, as if you were cursed by something. And in the wild, without antivenom, this painful struggle would only lead to respiratory failure and death."

He picked up the torch again and showed the camera how he took precautions.

"Therefore, the key to dealing with it is to eliminate its hiding place. First of all, when choosing platform materials, I deliberately avoided all hollow bamboo and porous rotten wood, and used solid hardwood instead."

"Secondly, all materials brought into the shelter, such as these banana leaves that will be laid on top later, must be repeatedly knocked and shaken outside to shake off any spiders that might hitch a ride."

“Every seam of the shelter and every crack in the rock wall must be thoroughly disinfected with a torch. This is a tedious but absolutely necessary task.”

Lin Yu'an's gaze returned to the damp grass and bushes outside the shelter.

"There are also two invisible killers whose defenses rely more on knowledge and behavioral habits."

"One type is the flying reaper—the black-tailed hornet. Their nests may be in tree holes or underground burrows."

“When collecting resources during the day, any unintentional disturbance can trigger a devastating swarm attack. A swarm of dozens or even hundreds of wasps can kill an adult within minutes due to acute kidney failure and anaphylactic shock.”

"To prevent them, in addition to being vigilant at all times and keeping a close eye on everything around you, the most important thing is to manage the smell."

"Before entering a new area, I will stop at the edge and listen carefully for dense buzzing sounds and look for regular flight paths. These are all signals of the presence of a hive, which can help you avoid it in advance."

“And the most insidious of all is the invisible killer—the scrub typhus.” His tone became increasingly serious. “You won’t even feel it biting you until a few days later, a black scab appears on your body, followed by an uncontrollable high fever, headache, and rash.”

"The scrub typhus it spreads has an extremely high mortality rate in the absence of a specific treatment. It lurks in the tops of grass and bushes."

"It is also worth mentioning that none of these four venomous insects are on China's list of protected animals, so you can take legal self-defense measures if you encounter them."

He walked to the edge of the camp and picked a few leaves of wormwood that had been left to smoke by the fire. He rubbed them vigorously in his palms until dark green juice seeped out, and then carefully applied the juice to all the exposed skin on his ankles, wrists, and neck.

Then, showing the green sap in his hand, he said, "So, in addition to choosing open areas and continuous fumigation, we also need to take proactive measures, which is natural repellents."

"Plants like mugwort and wormwood are rich in volatile essential oils, which can effectively repel chiggers. These were the most primitive and effective means of self-protection when there was no modern equipment."

After saying this, Lin Yu'an spread several huge wild banana leaves on the simple platform and lay down on them to try it out.

He paused for a moment, then looked directly into the camera. "So, guys, I have to say something very important now."

"The Ailao Mountains you see are a national nature reserve with open, safe, and well-equipped scenic areas. Those places are beautiful and worth a visit."

"But please remember that those places and the environment I am in now are two completely different worlds."

"I am now in an undeveloped primeval forest. This is not a park, not a tourist attraction, and certainly not a backyard where you can experience poetry and distant places."

"This is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, which means that the ecological laws here are truly primitive: survival of the fittest."

Lin Yu'an pointed to his head and then to the surrounding environment.

“Every decision I make—clearing the isolation zone, building an off-ground platform, applying pine resin, heating crevices, managing odors, and applying plant sap—is based on professional training and a deep understanding of the habits of these deadly creatures.”

"But this still cannot guarantee 100% safety."

"I urge everyone watching not to imitate any similar behavior, and absolutely not to step into any undeveloped, primitive area like the Ailao Mountains without a professional team and adequate protection."

"What you lack is not just physical strength and tools. What you lack is the knowledge to identify hundreds of species of plants and animals, the experience to cope with extreme weather changes, and the mental fortitude to remain calm in dire situations."

"When you are bitten by a hallucinogenic widow and writhe in pain, no god will come to exorcise you; when you are attacked by a swarm of wasps and your whole body is swollen and you have difficulty breathing, no helicopter will arrive within five minutes."

His voice was deep and powerful, filled with an undeniable warning.

"Here, nature doesn't give you a chance to correct your mistakes. It will simply erase those who make mistakes from this world in the quietest and cruelest way!"

Even if you are lucky enough to return to civilized society, you may still face imprisonment!

"Before I started this challenge, we collaborated with the local cultural and tourism bureau, forestry department and scientific research institutions. After communication and a rigorous ecological assessment, we were granted a special permit for this special project."

"It exists so that I can show and popularize the precious species of this land in front of the camera, and at the same time, make the minimum legal use of resources when necessary to avoid legal risks. But it is by no means a privilege pass."

"This certificate strictly stipulates which types of non-protected fungi I can collect within ten days, and even specifies the second-level protected plants that are allowed to be collected non-destructively."

"For example, when I collected the downy hairs of the golden cibotium, it not only clearly stipulated that only the downy hairs could be collected and that touching the rhizome in any form was strictly prohibited, but it even suggested a range of which leaves could be collected from the base."

"This so-called permit is a minimum authorization granted on the premise of ensuring that no observable impact on the ecology is caused."

"It's virtually impossible for an individual to apply for such a certificate. You can't provide a compelling and beneficial reason for the public like official public education. So please completely dispel any illusions that I can get the certificate myself."

“My actions were a science demonstration conducted under strict permission and supervision. If you imitate them, you are committing a blatant illegal act without any permission.”

“Every protected plant you collect, every protected animal you hunt, is laying the fuse that leads you to prison on your way home.”

He looked at the camera and gave his final summary, his tone heavy and sincere. "So please think of my challenge as a strictly controlled scientific experiment, not an adventure that can be imitated."

"I am showing you the magnificence and danger of the Ailao Mountains, and more importantly, I am using my actions to draw a clear and inviolable legal and life-saving red line for everyone!"

After a short rest, the emptiness in his stomach and his plans for the future kept him from stopping.

Lin Yu-an's gaze sharpened again as he looked at the camera. "Now that we have fire, we need tools. Civilization began with the first stone knife we ​​used."

He returned to the flat blacksmith's stone he had chosen that afternoon and moved the flint core and several hard granite hammerstones of varying sizes to the fire.

“Before I start making stone knives, I need a more handy tool.” He picked up a fist-sized piece of granite. “Using it directly to strike won’t provide enough precision and control. We need a tool that can transmit force more accurately.”

His gaze fell upon the pile of dead wood he had collected earlier for firewood. He selected a branch of extremely dense hardwood, about the thickness of an arm. He placed one end of the wood against the edge of the fire and repeatedly heated it.

“Fire is our best shaping tool,” he explained as he turned the wood. “Through carbonization, we can easily remove excess moisture and make its structure more solid.”

A few minutes later, when one end of the wood was charred black, he took it out and easily scraped off the carbonized part with a stone, revealing the hard wood core inside.

Through repeated baking and hammering, a wooden mallet, thicker at one end and slightly thinner at the other, was born in his hands.

“Look,” he said with satisfaction, weighing the mallet in his hand, “it’s lighter and more flexible than using a stone directly, allowing us to get thinner and more controllable flakes when striking the core.”

With this crucial processing tool, he officially began making stone knives.

He stood the huge flint core upright on the ground, holding it firmly between his legs. Then, instead of striking it directly with the mallet, he picked up a sharp stone.

Using a sharp stone, I carefully tapped and rubbed away some of the fragile edges of the stone core, creating a more suitable platform for bearing weight.

"A good countertop is key to successfully removing the stone flakes."

After doing all this, he picked up the wooden mallet he had just made, aimed at the newly repaired tabletop, and with a sudden burst of strength in his wrist, struck down with the mallet with precision and speed!
"clang!"

It produced a crisp sound, far more penetrating than stones striking each other!
A palm-sized stone flake with edges as sharp as glass peeled off the stone core with a snap!

Then he kept rotating the stone core, searching for a new surface, and tapped it precisely again and again with a wooden mallet.

"Dang!" "Dang!" "Dang!"

The crisp tapping sound echoed through the silent forest. Soon, more than a dozen stone shards of varying sizes, all possessing deadly sharpness, appeared before him.

"These are our most basic knives." He picked up one of the sharpest ones and showed it to the camera.

Then, he casually picked up a damp twig and used the edge of a stone to make a clean cut, which was even better than some dull metal knives.

With these stone flakes, which were barely sharp enough, he began to make more important weapons.

"For dinner, we can eat golden ear fungus and banana stems. But tomorrow we must find real protein, so I need a spear, not only to protect myself but also to hunt."

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The crisp sound continued to echo rhythmically. Under his precise control, fragments from the edge of the stone slab continued to peel away, and a symmetrical, sharp-tipped willow-leaf-shaped spearhead gradually took shape in his hand.

With the spearhead in place, the next step is the shaft.

He selected a straight and tough hardwood branch about two meters long.

They used the power of fire again, repeatedly heating the end of the branch from which the spearhead would be attached above the flames.

"Tempering with fire not only dries and hardens the wood, but also makes it easier for us to shape it."

When the wood was charred black, he used a relatively thick stone slab as a scraper to easily scrape away the carbonized surface.

Through repeated baking and scraping, he precisely carved a groove at the top of the spear shaft that matched the size of the bottom handle of the stone spearhead.

He carefully inserted the stone spearhead into the groove, and the two fit together perfectly, as if they were a natural whole.

Lin Yu-an said to the camera, "Now, we need rope. The most reliable source of rope in the jungle is the phloem of certain plants."

He didn't go far; just near the shelter, his gaze settled on a small, unassuming tree. The tree had grayish-brown bark and a smooth surface.

“This is a paper mulberry tree.” He gently made a cut in the trunk with the edge of a stone knife to show the audience. “It is very common in southern China. Its bast fibers, which are the inner layer of the bark, are extremely tough and are an excellent natural material for making ropes and paper.”

Following the principle of sustainable use, only a long strip of bark was peeled from the trunk.

Back by the fire, he began to work on the piece of bark.

“It won’t work if we use it directly. We need to remove the rough and useless outer layer and keep only the essence inside.”

Place the bark on a flat stone and patiently and repeatedly pound it with a wooden stick. This process will separate the inner and outer layers of bark.

A few minutes later, he easily tore off the tough, pale yellow inner bast fibers completely.

“That’s not enough. To make it softer and easier to weave, I need to treat it with water.”

He put the bundle of fibers into the stream to soak, and after more than ten minutes he took the bundle of fibers out, which had become as soft as wet hemp thread, and wrung out the water.

Divide the fiber into two strands, step on one end with your toes, and quickly rub the two strands of fiber in opposite directions with your hands to twist them into tight single ropes.

Lin Yu'an repeated this process over and over, and a bark rope about half a meter long gradually lengthened in his hands.

"Alright, we have a new rope." He pulled hard on the rope in his hand, and the rope made a taut sound, but there was no sign of it breaking.

He picked up the freshly made rope, glanced at the stone spearhead and shaft that had been prepared beside him, and then gave the camera a mysterious smile.

"Alright, guys, I know what you're thinking." His tone was sly. "All the materials are here. You all probably think I went through all that trouble to make this rope so I could use it to bind my stone spear, right?"

He paused deliberately, looking at the camera as if he could see through the screen and see the matter-of-fact nodding expressions on the faces of all the viewers.

"Using the most primitive ropes to bind the most primitive weapons is certainly cool and makes perfect sense."

"However, for a spear that needs to withstand tremendous impact at critical moments, the strength and durability of the bark rope are still at risk. I need a more reliable solution."

As he spoke, he made a move that surprised everyone.

He picked up the newly made bark rope, skillfully threaded it back into the eyelet of his hiking boot that was missing its laces, and tied a secure knot at the end.

He stood up, took a few steps, felt around, and nodded in satisfaction.

“See?” He pointed to his foot. “That’s its true purpose: a proper shoelace. Now I’ve freed up a more important tool.”

"This nylon shoelace is our ultimate weapon for securing the spearhead."

He showed the shoelaces to the camera, saying, "Their strength and toughness are unmatched by any natural fiber. By using them to bind the stone spearhead, I can be 100% certain that the spearhead will not loosen or fall off even under the most intense impact."

"Using natural materials to meet basic needs and modern technology to solve core problems—that is the wisdom of survival."

(End of this chapter)