Yes, I'm talking about the common "Asian" plant. In my too brief studies in the field of botany, and later in JEST, I learned about this remarkable (borderline "miraculous") member of the grass family. It is a very hardy, extremely fast growing evergreen, which holds many of the records in the world of flora (i.e. largest member of the true grass family, fastest growing woody plant in the world, and indeed the fastest growing plant in the world). How fast? bamboo has been observed under optimum conditions (soil, humidity, temperature) to grow as much as 1 metre per hour. A more normal, but fast rate, is about 1 metre per day. Basically, it grows to full maturity in just one growing season and an individual plant lives out it's life cycle in about 5 years. Because it recycles so fast, bamboo is correctly considered a sustainable, renewable resource. Anecdotally, fast growing bamboo has even been known to grow through living animals/humans.
Bamboo thrives in verdant, steamy jungles, but scattered groves have been seen growing in a wide range of climactic conditions well into temperate zones and even in high cold mountains. I see them existing (probably under expert care) all over North America. I believe Europe (and Antarctica) are the only continents that do not have bamboo plants.
When you start to learn a bit more about the versatility and universal utility of bamboo, you cannot help but to marvel that such a coincidentally useful plant exists. Bamboo reminds me of Al Capp's Schmoo from the "Lil Abner" comics. The fictional Schmoo was a lifeform seemingly perfectly made to serve all the needs of humans (food, clothing, shelter, fuel, and were happy to serve humans in those capacities).
In terms of survival, I would say bamboo is the single most useful naturally occurring plant in the world (with profuse apologies to Dr. Carver and his peanuts, and the enthusiastic "Hemp Movement"). If you learn how to use bamboo and imagine it's possibilities an entire culture can be based on bamboo technology (and believe me, there actually are). Bamboo can be a source of food, water, clothing, tools, shelter, weapons including rockets and firearms, armour, lumber (incredibly strong materials for construction and fabrication), flotation and transportation, music and recreation, storage, irrigation, plumbing and toilet systems, weaving, textiles, tableware, sewing needles, tattoo needles, furniture, and possibly most significant for culture.... the first durable paper so that history and knowledge could be recorded. Clothing made from bamboo fibers are naturally warm (trapping air), anti-bacterial (due to plant chemistry), hypo-allergenic, naturally UV resistant, and when woven into mats and towels are very water absorbant. Bamboo fibre shirts are just starting to become available at outdoors outfitters.
When bamboo is young, wet and green, it is easier to peel, split, shape and work with (not to mention edible). Sliced, soaked bamboo shoots are delicious and have a very palatable (not strong) taste similar to a crunchy root vegetable.
Because it's hollow, bamboo is relatively lightweight (to carry) and it floats. The wood though is extremely hard and fibrous once it dries (usually into a yellow or brown shiny surface). Because of phototropism and geotropism, the wood of bamboo also tends to grow almost perfectly straight. Skilled horticulturists have discovered ways to make bamboo grow in curves, spirals and circles, and by placing growing bamboo culms in a tight form, they have been able to make square cross-section bamboo, instead of the usual round.
Because it is configured like a hollow tube, bamboo is incredibly strong in it's lengh-wise direction and still fairly strong and still flexible in it's circumferential plane. In some Asian countries bamboo has been used to build scaffolding as high as 20 stories!! But probably the most "useful" characteristic of bamboo to mankind is that it is naturally divided into these multiple airtight, watertight cylindrical chambers. Like nature's own Lincoln Logs, Legos and Tinker Toys all rolled into one construction toy, bamboo can be broken down into durable, waterproof, insect resistant hollow pipes, poles, tubes, cups, bowls, air-filled chambers, containers, and combined infinitely for bolstered strength. When split or splintered, it makes thousands of useful weapons and tools, household goods, from flame throwers, spears, and blowdart guns to chopsticks, hair combs, and toothpicks.
Half of jungle survival school was about identifiying asset plants by sight, and bamboo was the most important of them. Once we found some bamboo, we knew that we would be ok. We built an entire (fairly comfortable) camp out of bamboo products, rice steamers, hats, floor tiles, plates, shovels, woven mattes, musical instruments, chairs, and even wheels. Remember in SE Asia, some cultures build whole houses and boats out of bamboo.
Bamboo thrives in verdant, steamy jungles, but scattered groves have been seen growing in a wide range of climactic conditions well into temperate zones and even in high cold mountains. I see them existing (probably under expert care) all over North America. I believe Europe (and Antarctica) are the only continents that do not have bamboo plants.
When you start to learn a bit more about the versatility and universal utility of bamboo, you cannot help but to marvel that such a coincidentally useful plant exists. Bamboo reminds me of Al Capp's Schmoo from the "Lil Abner" comics. The fictional Schmoo was a lifeform seemingly perfectly made to serve all the needs of humans (food, clothing, shelter, fuel, and were happy to serve humans in those capacities).
In terms of survival, I would say bamboo is the single most useful naturally occurring plant in the world (with profuse apologies to Dr. Carver and his peanuts, and the enthusiastic "Hemp Movement"). If you learn how to use bamboo and imagine it's possibilities an entire culture can be based on bamboo technology (and believe me, there actually are). Bamboo can be a source of food, water, clothing, tools, shelter, weapons including rockets and firearms, armour, lumber (incredibly strong materials for construction and fabrication), flotation and transportation, music and recreation, storage, irrigation, plumbing and toilet systems, weaving, textiles, tableware, sewing needles, tattoo needles, furniture, and possibly most significant for culture.... the first durable paper so that history and knowledge could be recorded. Clothing made from bamboo fibers are naturally warm (trapping air), anti-bacterial (due to plant chemistry), hypo-allergenic, naturally UV resistant, and when woven into mats and towels are very water absorbant. Bamboo fibre shirts are just starting to become available at outdoors outfitters.
When bamboo is young, wet and green, it is easier to peel, split, shape and work with (not to mention edible). Sliced, soaked bamboo shoots are delicious and have a very palatable (not strong) taste similar to a crunchy root vegetable.
Because it's hollow, bamboo is relatively lightweight (to carry) and it floats. The wood though is extremely hard and fibrous once it dries (usually into a yellow or brown shiny surface). Because of phototropism and geotropism, the wood of bamboo also tends to grow almost perfectly straight. Skilled horticulturists have discovered ways to make bamboo grow in curves, spirals and circles, and by placing growing bamboo culms in a tight form, they have been able to make square cross-section bamboo, instead of the usual round.
Because it is configured like a hollow tube, bamboo is incredibly strong in it's lengh-wise direction and still fairly strong and still flexible in it's circumferential plane. In some Asian countries bamboo has been used to build scaffolding as high as 20 stories!! But probably the most "useful" characteristic of bamboo to mankind is that it is naturally divided into these multiple airtight, watertight cylindrical chambers. Like nature's own Lincoln Logs, Legos and Tinker Toys all rolled into one construction toy, bamboo can be broken down into durable, waterproof, insect resistant hollow pipes, poles, tubes, cups, bowls, air-filled chambers, containers, and combined infinitely for bolstered strength. When split or splintered, it makes thousands of useful weapons and tools, household goods, from flame throwers, spears, and blowdart guns to chopsticks, hair combs, and toothpicks.
Half of jungle survival school was about identifiying asset plants by sight, and bamboo was the most important of them. Once we found some bamboo, we knew that we would be ok. We built an entire (fairly comfortable) camp out of bamboo products, rice steamers, hats, floor tiles, plates, shovels, woven mattes, musical instruments, chairs, and even wheels. Remember in SE Asia, some cultures build whole houses and boats out of bamboo.
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