Communicating in the backwoods

Long before the advent of radios our forefathers communicated with others in the backwoods using signs and symbols. Native Americans and ancient people groups the world over used symbols and markings to communicate even before written languages were commonplace. The use of signs and symbols can still be useful to backwoodsmen today. Of course, you don’t usually want everybody knowing your business so these signs and symbols can be modified by anyone to mean what only you and the people you are communicating with will understand. If you are hiking the Appalachian Trail, for instance, and you will be resupplied by someone depositing caches of supplies along the way, you don’t want a big, neon sign with an arrow on it that tells the world where your new, dry socks and cans of beanie-weenies are hidden. You may also wish to communicate about your condition, warnings about dangers and specific requests or information. The symbols and signs you employ can be as overt or clandestine as you need or wish.

You may have heard of and seen the phenomenon of the “Indian Trail Tree”, in which a sapling is bent to grow at right angles so that it can be easily identified and used to mark trails and boundaries. Such an obvious symbol is intended for all to see.

“Indian Trail Tree” used in the past by Native Americans to mark trails and boundaries

You don’t have to make up your own symbols, there are tons of them already in existence. Throughout the history of this land numerous types of symbols have been used by natives, explorers, invaders, even treasure hiders and hunters. You can find evidence of prehistoric petroglyphs, of Norse and Viking runes, of ancient Irish Ogham, and Masonic symbols, just to mention a few. Not all of those symbols were made in the ages in which they were common. Famously, pirates and conquistadors abounded along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, alternately losing, stealing and hiding treasure. Later in history, according to legend, the outlaw Jesse James was active in the Knights of the Golden Circle, AKA the KGC, and hid large quantities of Confederate gold and stolen money throughout the South and West to fund the future rebellion, which never materialized. There is a theory that the KGC was the secret organization that was responsible for the murder of President Lincoln, although history supports little of that theory. As a secret society, the KGC had its own secret codes and symbols. There is ample evidence of these symbols being used and few solid examples of them being decoded with a high degree of accuracy. Common “Hobo” symbols are very simple and useful and are often internationally recognizable. Those symbols tell the reader where food, shelter and danger are and are still in use.

Young Scouts in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Australia learn about trail signs and symbols and all of them are still useful to us big boys and girls who make a habit of wandering through the wild spaces on the planet. I’ll show you some of these. In these examples I am using sticks but you can use rocks, spray paint, surveyors’ tape, or whatever you prefer. As I said, you can be as obvious or as stealthy as you wish. I often try to situate the signal adjacent to a known terrain feature, like a creek, a type of tree, a bridge or bend in a road/trail. Creeks are good because you can find a creek and look up and down the banks until you locate the signal.

Arrow. Direction of travel

“X” = Do not use this trail

Turn this way

Cross obstacle, in this case, a creek.

Direction to cache site, in this case 3 stones = 30 paces

When using caches for supplies it is always good to communicate that the intended party received the items placed in the cache. If someone misses a cache it can indicate they are lost or injured. At the same time you can request specific items like medicine, clothing, etc., that may have been lost, soaked or damaged along the way.

Marking at cache site, MT = Empty, or “I got it”

Direction to camp, yellow crayon on bark

Stones showing direction of travel, underneath largest stone is a marking that says I need a resupply of .30 caliber ammo.

I have applied a number of well-known scout and hobo symbols to my use, as well as simple symbols for numbers. For instance, a square of sticks or stones with a stick stuck vertically into the ground is my symbol for “Danger Area”. I use it to warm friends and family during hunting season in the areas I am hunting. Anyone else that sees the symbol would not recognize it, but is trespassing and would have seen the unmistakable symbol for that; a large yellow sign with big black letters and “No Trespassing” written in English. Hard to miss and I want that one to be recognizable.

Danger sign, a square with a stick stuck into the ground in its center.

This trail leads to an open area I am hunting over.

You do not have to use signal materials that leave a permanent mark. The reason KCG symbols are so well known today is that they marked them into trees, with the intent to return and still be able to read their signs when they were ready to fund the next rebellion. You can use non-permanent markings like I often do with crayons, chalk and grease pencil. I will also make markings in sand or dirt, combined with natural material like sticks and stones, knowing they will only last a very short time, and once read by the intended recipient can be easily erased without trace.

No matter how you intend to use signs and symbols to communicate in the backwoods, remember that simplicity is the key. Use symbols that are easy to make. Complex symbols are unnecessary and only lead to confusion and time wasted. Remember the MT symbol at the cache site? Super simple to carve and makes perfect sense. A lot easier to carve than, “All is well. Thanks for the great socks and ammo!” I can also carve TP below my MT and my supplier will drop toilet paper in my next cache. Use your imagination, keep it simple and have a fun, safe time in the wilderness!