Ham Radio Marksmanship & Fieldcraft By Off-grid Ham Radio OH8STN “Ham Radio Marksmanship and Fieldcraft are critical tools in preparedness. Considering how it's said that society is only nine meals away from anarchy, combining or Cross-training in this skills makes sense. Our trip to Puolanka, Finland was about testing that truth through cross training. We combined HF radio, fieldcraft, and marksmanship to build real redundancy, because radios and power alone are not enough. Using the Lab599 TX-500MP HF radio and LiNK500MP with an N9SAB end fed antenna, we established reliable HF comms from a cabin buried in a valley surrounded by foothills. JS8Call and Winlink kept us connected across Scandinavia, Europe, Iceland, Canada, and the United States, all on 10 watts and internal batteries. Fieldcraft training took us deep into the räme swamps of Finland, hunting black grouse and testing our ability to move quietly, observe patiently, and stay functional in cold, wet, and unforgiving terrain. When we weren’t in the swamp or on the move, we were at the rifle range putting rounds downrange with the Sako 75 .22-250 bolt rifle, confirming point of impact, group size, and velocity for practical field dope. These sessions tied directly into our marksmanship and hunting skills, rounding out the weekend’s focus on efficiency and precision. These lessons in communication, fieldcraft, and marksmanship remind us why cross training matters. It’s how we turn fragility into freedom. 73 Julian, OH8STN #HamRadio #Fieldcraft #OH8STN “