Dan Stanchfield, or as many know him Tracker Dan, is a warrior, artist, and scholar who is deeply experienced in wilderness survival, foraging, and hunting. His custom knife designs and his training services are based on years of field-testing and innovations out of necessity – across growing up in the outdoors to Tom Brown’s Tracker School to active and now reserve duty serving in the US Navy SEALS. Dan is also keenly interested in fitness and nutrition for health and longevity. The challenges of the coronavirus pandemic make this visit ultimately timely and valuable.
You can also find this one in video format on YouTube at https://youtu.be/uRJ9XlMpHBc
“The guy who taught Tom Brown, the old Apache, was all about finding the common thread of truth that runs through all philosophies, all survival skills, cutting away the stuff that wasn’t necessary.”
– Tracker Dan
This episode is accelerating to release almost a full week early in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the potential need to tap into Dan’s vast knowledge of emergency water purification, common and generally safe and abundant wild edibles in North America, personal safety, and ways we can look after nutrition and health and fitness in a survival situation or everyday life. It’s tough to scratch the surface of the knowledge even in an extended length episode or to substitute for his many years of experience in the field. Nonetheless, Dan generously shares numerous interesting and potentially life-sustaining tips.
“Tracking ties in with pretty much any aspect of life even in you’re not in a survival situation. It’s very crucial to hunting and looking for danger.”
– Tracker Dan
Dan also talks about his custom, hand-made knife and blade products and civilian and law enforcement training services. As with the backcountry experience, it would take hours to even start to understand all of the real-world experiences, success, lessons, and necessities that have gone into components as seemingly simple but critical as a sheath. On the business side of things, we also cover the unfortunate situation of ending up in collaboration or partnership with shady people.
“Tracker school taught me how to become one with my environment and experience it instead of labeling it as this is negative or that is negative. You just experience it. You do what you can. But you’re not putting yourself in a negative mindset.”
– Tracker Dan
DAN STANCHFIELD
“Tracker” Dan Stanchfield has been a wilderness survival and tracking instructor since 1995 and a Navy SEAL since 2002, currently serving in the active reserves on SEAL Team 17. When at home, he teaches survival and tracking, marksmanship and tactics, and hand-to-hand combat and provides personal protection for celebrities, businessmen and politicians (those who are worth their salt). One of his major activities is designing and making sheaths, holsters and edged weapons/tools.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
- Growing up in harmony with nature
- Courage to follow heart over societal expectations
- Excelling in BUD/S and other SEAL training at 31 years old
- The mindset that allows kids to have fun playing in cold water
- A water meditation to experience in synch with environment
- Extensive training services Dan offers to public and LEO
- Experiences driving his blade, sheath, and clip designs
- Finding the common thread of truth
- Note of caution on brotherhood as a business
- Challenge to sharing an art in a profit-based world
- Appreciating the work, time, iterations behind innovation
- Where to find authentic Tracker Dan blades
- AM routine – 3g quality salt, hydration, mobility, katsu bands
- Benefits of blood flow modification for rehab & training
- Diet style sustainable for transition to survival mode
- Water safety in wilderness and survival
- Is there a perfect food?
- Risks and impacts of oxalic acid toxicity
- Three most nutrient dense wild edibles
- Replacing nutrients missing from modern farming
- How often men should donate blood to reduce iron
- 3 main plant features used to identify them
- Big 4 of edibles readily available in the US
- Source of vitamin C that is 4x an orange
- What part of grass can you eat?
- Fungus that may have caused the Salem Witch Trials
- Fat adapted fasting for body detox
- #1 key thing for personal safety
- Everyday items as force multipliers for protection
- Survival triage timing – safety, shelter, water, food
- Resetting priorities and use of our time during COVID
- Making plans and making changes to carry forward
PERFORMANCE KICKSTART
The COVID pandemic may mean you have more time and flexibility or maybe you have even greater commitments but what we all have is an opportunity – an opportunity for a reset, to reprioritize, to shed what’s not working, and to double down on what’s most important. That’s where Performance Kickstart comes in.
A year ago the Man of Mastery brand launched, building a loyal tribe of men who are dedicated to mastering themselves in service to their families, businesses, and communities. This training course is the first I’ve offered to the public and in it will be pulling back the curtain on the wins, the obstacles, and the lessons. You’ll get direct access in weekly live video sessions, assignments, challenges, and accountability. All of this is designed to help you take immediate action and kickstart the changes at least part of you already knows are needed to get back in alignment or level up your performance.
WARNING: Simple and easy aren’t the same thing. Change takes work. Are you ready? These tools come straight from some of the grittiest guys out there – ordinary men doing the extraordinary. You owe it to yourself and those you care about to realize your full potential, how you show up and perform every single day.
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IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
This article may contain product/service recommendations based on my own trial, error, and what I’ve found works well for me. Again, these are my own opinions from my personal experience. Your mileage will vary. For your convenience, I’ve provided links – mostly to Amazon because I’m a fan of the shopping and shipping ease. Some of these are affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to make a purchase then I will earn a small commission – at no additional cost to you. Please spend your hard-earned dollars wisely and only consider those products that are right for you. If you choose to purchase any of these items, I’d be honored if you do so through the affiliate link as the commissions will help to further the mission here at Man of Mastery. For more about affiliate links please see this page on our website.
- Tom Brown Tracker School
- Eds Manifesto
- Wim Hof Method
- Blood Flow Restriction Training
- Squatty Potty
- How Dangerous are Oxalates (Weil)
- Intermittent Fasting
- Ample Meal
- Episode on Keto w/ cookbook links
BOOKS
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