Category Archives: Survival Skills

Into The Wild

How To Survive In The Wild

Watching the film; Into The Wild, recently, I was immediately struck by a key element. If I were stranded in the wild, would I actually be able to survive?

Mentality

The will to live is an important factor in survival. If you manage, in your lifetime, to speak to any survivors, you will discover that they discuss the will to live. The will to live being so great, that there was simply no other option, than to survive their ordeal. A positive mental attitude is essential for survival.

Four Basic Needs – Water, Shelter, Warmth, Food

There are four basic needs to surviving in the wilderness. If you can provide for these needs, then your chances of survival are greatly increased.

Water

Three days. Three days is the average time a person can survive without water. After that, you start to feel some serious effects. Dehydration is the biggest threat. One of the first things you need to do, when you realise you will be in the wild for some time, is to source a location of clean desalinated water and ensure you can access it easily and conveniently.

Shelter

Shelter is incredibly important in the wild. It can provide some much needed warmth, but it can also provide a safe haven from wild animals and insects. Do ensure you place your shelter on dry, flat land. If you are lost, it is perhaps best not to camouflage it too well. You want to be found after all! Use foliage and ferns to fashion a bivouac between two trees; use the natural materials around you if you are lost without camping equipment. Once you have built your shelter you can dig out a trench in front with which you can build a slow burning fire to keep you warm throughout the night. A good shelter will also help you to sleep. Sleep is imperative to maintaining a rational, clear head. An important factor if you find yourself in the wild for long.

Warmth

Keeping your body warm is very important. If you have not packed essentials such as thermals or a waterproof or windproof jacket, for your duration in the wild, you may need to use whatever materials are at your disposal. Use leaves and grasses to insulate your body against the cold and to furnish the base of your makeshift shelter to make warm strong covers against the cold. Hypothermia is a critical problem for survival and your core temperature should be maintained at 36.5 – 37.5.

Food

A week is the average duration that an adult can survive without food. Therefore, this doesn’t seem like the first priority you will have to consider straight away. There are some great books such as the SAS survival guide by John Lofty Wiseman which will instruct you what sorts of berries and mushrooms are safe to eat and how to fashion rabbit traps. A key component of creating a great trap is hiding any evidence of its placement. Animals have a keen sense of smell and can detect human activity which will trigger alarm. A great trick is smoking a trap to mask your scent – as fire occurs normally in the wild. There are many types of trap such as drag noose, twitch-up snares, each with their own ingenious ways of crushing, throttling or catching your prey.

Whether you have planned a trip to the wild, or find yourself there by accident, you will discover a whole new way of life. A simple way, life stripped bare. Consider your basic needs and find ways to provide for them to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. Survival often depends on basic instincts. Your instinct is, naturally, to survive.

 

Jenny Sampson wrote this guest column on behalf of Sealskinz.com – the UK’s leading stockist of waterproof walking socks, gloves and hats.

 

Sustainable Harvesting

Sacred Earth: Sustainable Harvesting

There are few but essential things to keep in mind when gathering live plants:

1. Gather the plant in the right time, for instance when it’s blooming, producing fruits, or accumulating resources in the root.

2. Make sure to not over harvest an area. Some plants prosper after being harvested while others can’t survive losing some of the same species. You have the responsibility to research and study each plant before collecting.

3. Obey the law of natural selection, taking only the plants and trees that are struggling to thrive and will probably die as a result of insufficient sunlight caused by tough competition. Remember: predators eat the weakest preys, so that the remaining prey population become stronger and healthier.

The bottom line is that Mother Nature provides all the necessities of life to each and every being but if we want to continue to receive her gifts, we have to respect and appreciate her abundance.

As you collect any material from the landscape such as wood from living or dead trees, it is a good practice to give thanks for the gifts you have been given.

 

curly birch handled fire striker  steel ferocerium rod

Survival Kit Component: Ferrocerium Rod

Many of us go on trips far away from the comfort of civilization without always thinking about how to correctly prepare ourselves should the worst happen. But nobody ever plans to be in a survival situation, so we should always carry a basic survival kit with us on these types of excursions.

A basic survival kit means just that. It’s a basic kit, separate from the normal provisions you would carry, because it’s something you will hopefully never use. You should consider the basic things you would need to keep yourself alive.

You should carry something to transport water (condoms without spermicide work well), something to catch or trap food, something to help keep dry (a tarp will do) and something to start fires with.

One of the hardest, yet most essential skills in survival situations is to start a fire. There are numerous ways to start fires without equipment, yet many of these methods take many years to perfect. They also often rely on you being in an environment which is suitable. For example; you could be in an environment where the ground is sodden, after many days of consecutive rain. Even after many years of practice with fire-starting techniques, you are not guaranteed to be able to start a fire in these conditions.

How to always guarantee a fire in a survival situation with a ferrocerium rod.

Two of the best items you can pack into a survival kit is a ferrocerium rod and some kind of kindling. The ferrocerium rod will give off a number of very hot sparks when struck with an object such as; a knife or a sharp stone. You should ensure that these sparks then land on your kindling. Cotton wool will work well as kindling and packs easily into a small survival kit.

Once the kindling begins to ignite, you should then try and spread the fire to the smallest and driest twigs and fauna you have been able to gather. Eventually you will be able to start burning logs and keep the fire going. Sheltering the fire and surrounding it with stones can help keep it going for many days, in all conditions.

 

So why is fire so important?

There are several reasons why it ranks so highly on the list of things to consider in a survival situation. The first, is obviously warmth. In a cold environment, the effect of the cold can quickly accumulate, with your core body temperature staying low throughout the day, even with the sun in the sky, from the night before. As night falls this may leave you prone to hypothermia. Which is one of the biggest killers in the great outdoors.

Secondly. It’s important for cooking food. In winter months, it may be that the only food you can find is that which you have trapped, or fished for. You should obviously cook meat before eating.

It’s also important because passing aircraft, or someone a few miles away may be able to see the smoke and come to your aid.

Amongst the other benefits are for hygiene (smoke cleanses the clothes and the body), allowing you to boil water (which can kill some harmful bacteria) and also as a moral booster.

All of this can be achieved by packing a small ferrocerium rod and a bit of kindling. Which is light to carry and only costs a few dollars.

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infusion

Herbal Preparations: Infusion

Infusions are one of the prominent herbal preparations. The main difference between an infusion and a simple herbal tea is in time and quantity.

  • An ordinary herbal teas is made with 1-2 teaspoons of herbs per cup and brewed for a few minutes.
  • Infusions are made with 1-2 tablespoons of dried herbs per 1 liter of water and brewed for several hours or even overnight.

How To Prepare An Infusion

When making them, it is advisable to infuse each and every herb on its own instead of mixing the different herbs together.

I like to use a container that has a tight lid because it retains the essence. When compared to a teapot, a container that has a tight lid is much better because it retains the essence. Jars that come with a screw top are the best and especially if they are warmed first.

You should first of all place a cup of herbs into a 1 liter jar and seal tightly after filling to the top with water that is boiling. You should leave this to brew for around 4 hours for leaf infusions and 2 hours for flower infusions. Once you are done with brewing, make sure that you strain off the liquid well on a muslin cloth by pressing out the last drops and pouring them into a jar or bottle.

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spring snare - survival skills

Everything You Ought To Know About Spring Snares

Spring snare components

Manmade and natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, pandemics, and terrorist attacks, can occur at any time, so learning the vital survival skills necessary to protect you and your family is very important. Food, unlike water and shelter, is not a critical concern for the first few days of survival, but if you find yourself in a survival situation for an extended period of time, knowing how to find your own food is essential. However, without significant experience, hunting game can often expend more energy than it gives back, so most survival experts suggest using traps and snares instead.

What is a Spring snare?

Spring snares are among the most basic of snares setups, and because of this they are also one of the most effective. Once you have set up your camp and collected enough water, you can begin setting up your snares. The more you set, the more likely you are to catch something. You can use the time waiting for a catch to do other important tasks like foraging for edible plants or strengthening your shelter.

What Animals Should You Target?

The best animals to target depend both on your level of experience and the resources you have available. Small game, such as rabbits, squirrel, quails, and geese, are a more realistic target for relative newcomers. You can also set up many small traps instead of one large one with the same resources.

Where To Place Your Snare

The placement of a trap has a significant influence on its success. To maximize your chance of catching an animal, place your spring snares across game trails and the entrance to burrows. These can be spotted by looking for footprints, droppings, scratches, and nearby water sources.

Materials Needed For Spring Snares

The materials you are most likely to need when creating spring snares, are a knife and some wire. Fortunately, these tools are staple components in most survival kits because they have such a wide range of uses in addition to snaring. Here are the materials you will need for the various components of the snare:

  • Noose – Strong but flexible string, cord, or preferably wire, it should be about 50-60cm long
  • Hook and base – Carved from two separate pieces of hardwood to form the trigger mechanism
  • Engine – Bent over sapling
  • Leader line – Any sort of cord, the length will depend on the engine

If you find yourself needing to make the snare without these materials, there are a lot of natural and manmade alternatives available. Consider using shoe laces, fishing wire, headphone wire, or natural cordage for your noose and leader line. A weighted rock strung over a tripod setup can replace a sapling.

Step-By-Step Guide To Creating Your Spring Snares

To create the noose:

  1. Tie a small loop, about the diameter of a pencil, at one end of your wire.
  2. Thread the other end of the wire through the loop to finish the noose.

To create the trigger:

  1. Cut a notch out of one hardwood stick near the top to create the ‘base’
  2. Carve a notch near the bottom of the second stick to create the ‘hook’. This should slot into the notch in the ‘base’ when the two are held end to end.

To assembly the spring snare:

  1. Drive the bottom of the ‘base’ into the ground
  2. Tie the ‘leader line’ to the top of the ‘Hook’ and tie the ‘noose’ to the bottom.
  3. Bend the sapling over so that its end is directly above the ‘base’
  4. Tie the free end of ‘leader line’ to the top of the bent over sapling
  5. Slot the ‘hook’ and ‘base’ together
  6. Position the ‘noose’ in the game trail

After setting your traps it is wise to check them regularly. Not only does this reduce the suffering of the animal, but it will also reduce the chance that your catch is eaten by another predator.

There are many variations on this snare, so if you need to, experiment and think outside the box to suit your surroundings.

 

Suggested spring snare variations. On the left: use a natural base. On the right: create a hook using a pin or a fishing hook.

Some expertise and skill are needed to create a spring snare so it is a good idea to practice making them before you get into a situation where your life may depend on them (check that this is legal in your area before you begin). Pre making some triggers and packing them into your survival kit is also a time saver.

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cause and effect

Awareness: The Cause and Effect Web

Practically nothing can move without influencing everything else. Nature is similar to a spider web. When a bug falls into the web, there is an instantaneous vibration that lures the resident spider to his victim. Spiders can understand these waves so well that they can distinguish vibrations produced by their prey from vibrations generated by a leaf.

Nature features its own web vibrations. You need to recognize and know how to interpret these vibrations to keep yourself alive. Vibrations can let you know what is taking place, even if it’s out of the range of sight and sound.

If you enable yourself to be able to read vibrations, you will have not just an advantage in a survival situation, but also a better understanding of the interconnected nature of all things. You will experience a deep, strong and growing awareness that will enable you to travel far away without moving.

As Lao Tzu said: “One may know the world without going out of doors“.

Understanding vibrations isn’t as simple as it may appear because you aren’t studying a quiet and sticky web, but a living, always transforming and multidimensional web.
There is a regular beat in each environment that varies with the time of day, the weather conditions, and other factors.

Your first move is to discover this baseline rhythm. The moment the rhythm is recognized, you’ll notice any disruption in the form of a distinct vibration. This anomalous disturbance may occur as a louder, or quieter, vibration; any minimal change means something.
Whenever a change happens, go quietly over to observe what has generated the perturbation and from what distance the vibrations can be detected. While moving, make an effort to not produce a vibration that interferes with what is going on.

The more you train, the more will be the prizes of understanding what is happening far, far away.

A final note: don’t try to verbalize or describe the single vibration, but instead try to discern the overall pattern. See the chain through the links.

nature is happines

Avoiding Survival Mistakes

When it comes to survival skills, the smallest of mistakes could have a huge impact on your ability to stay safe. However, there are a few things which can help to avoid making such mistakes, and will ensure that your survival skills are as effective as possible.

If you find your survival skills being put to the test unexpectedly, then the natural reaction can be to panic. However, this is often the worst thing you can do, as you need to be thinking as clearly as possible in such situations. You might not be able to simply google ‘survival techniques’ whilst checking your facebook page and playing cheeky bingo, but if you have done your research, then you will already be well prepared. You simply need to keep a clear head, and remember all the skills which you have learnt. Often, people panic the most when it comes to putting up a shelter, and tend to rush the process. In actual fact, it is worth spending extra time making sure that your shelter is safe and secure, and unlikely to collapse without warning.

If you are keen to return home, then don’t make the mistake of refusing to stop searching for the right route back. If you are lost, it is usually far safer to stop before nightfall and step up camp, even if you’re almost certain that you do not have far to go. After all, being out in the wilderness can be more dangerous after dark, but even more so if you have not organised a place to stay for the night. If you are travelling as a group, then never split up in order to try to find help more quickly. It is always much safer to stick together, and make sure that all members of your party stay safe.

Always learn a skill before you need it: practice, practice, practice!

 

fishing equipment

Survival Kit Component: Fishing Equipment

Whether it is for leisure and adventure, preparing for brutal wilderness areas or steeling yourself for TEOTWAWKI, an appropriate survival kit may mean the difference between life and death. The basic stuff usually come in handy in emergency scenarios, especially if it is in dire situations. You may have warmth, safety and direction but without food, these items don’t mean much if you cannot fend for yourself. If and when your food supply runs out, fishing gear such as fish hooks, lures, and split shot leads will go a long way in keep you alive and healthy.

The best way to acquire the necessary survival skills is to appreciate Murphy’s Law that “anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong“.

Real expertise comes from knowing how to use each item in the kit and learning all there is to know about fish and fishing. Most people know how to use a hook with live bait; but the conventional miniature kit usually catches few small fish that may not make a sufficient meal. Only strong reliable yet lightweight fishing equipment will help in an actual survival situation.

Fishing Line

A superior line catches sizeable fish without breaking or losing hooks. An 800-meter line weighs about 200 grams and reels up to the size of a tennis ball. Before you compromise on quality, you should know that strength is the essence of the line. A single-thread line cannot hold bass or catfish without snapping, whereas smaller fish are startled by thick lines. Fluorocarbon lines with 20-plus breaking strength form a multipurpose alternative because they are virtually obscured in water. A braided line is tougher and supports more weight than fluorocarbon with constant abrasion.

Hooks

Survival kits contain excellent fishing hooks with diverse strength, styles, sharpness, and applicability. Straight and treble hooks are extremely effective and reliable. If you find yourself without a hook, handcraft a few from wood, wire or bone. In a future post, I’ll explain how to make primitive but reliable hooks.

Lures

Most commercial kits are complete with fish hooks, lures, and split shot leads but very few people know how to use lures or how to improvise if you have none. Enticing prey towards the snare has excellent bonuses; fish are no different.

Without worms, bugs or raw meat for bait, proper use of artificial lures can efficiently fool fish. Using nylon with frayed edges at the hook and constantly tugging the line usually resembles several fish delicacies. Also, paperclips are very effective lures. Learning how to pitch the lure now when your life does not depend on it, is a sure way to survive when the tables are turned.

Sinkers

Split shot leads for fishing in survival situations are invaluable when there is no raft. Sinkers have multiple uses, mostly renowned for providing weight to the end of a trot line being tossed into the water.

A substantial length of a strong line tied to a tree on the bank and securely fastened hooks with bait or lure, sank into the water catches fish in no time. It is not only easy but also allows you to complete other tasks as food streams in.

In Summary

You may have an all-inclusive fishing kit but if you haven’t got the first clue how to use it, you are certainly a sitting duck. Nothing can be more precious than understanding fish behavior, practical experience in using fish hooks, lures, and split shot leads, and more importantly how to improvise if need be.

hunting with a rabbit stick

Survival Skill: Hunting With a Rabbit Stick

It’s a fact that meat gives a greater return of calories and energy than plants. One of the most effective hunting weapon is the throwing stick, also known as the rabbit stick. The stone and the throwing stick are the simplest of all the meat harvesting tools to obtain but the rabbit stick is larger than a rock and more likely to hit the target with a little of practice.

Build Your Rabbit Stick

Essentially, you can grab any sturdy stick, from 2.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter, that you can throw with ease and which is long from 30 to 60 centimetres. It will definitely be all you need. This length is a just a guideline. Keep in mind that the smaller the stick, the faster you are able to throw it but with lesser accuracy. A larger stick can be thrown with higher accuracy although not as fast. To find what is best suited for you, play with different size and weight.

Many modifications can be made to improve the performance of the rabbit stick but you can refine the stick to a more effective tool choosing between two different design:

  • the evenly weighted aerodynamic stick
  • the hammer stick

The Evenly Weighted Rabbit Stick

The best thing about this aerodynamic rabbit stick is that you can throw with more power thanks to the leverage created by its angle, and that means you transfer more energy to the target.

Use any green sampling or branch naturally bent at about a 45° angle. You can use a heavy hardwood such as oak or a stick of softwood like cedar. Remove all the bark and cut any branches.

A stick with an elliptical cross-section or flat like a boomerang fly faster and more silently giving less warning to your prey. Shave off two opposite sides.

Also, you can sharpen the two points of the stick to increase the damage by cutting or piercing.

All these tweaks take very little time by using a knife or by abrading the stick on an abrasive rock.

The Hammer Rabbit Stick

Choose a branch that features one end heavier than the other. Remove any side branches and bark it.

This hunting weapon is perfect for short distances because it can penetrate through low-growing plants, saplings, and shrubs to hit your prey.

Final Touches: Hardening and Camouflage

After you have reshaped your wooden weapon, you can fire harden it to increase its life span: Fire hardening is the process of driving out moisture from wood using the heat of a fire. The best way to do it is by burying your stick into the sand close to, but not in, the fire. If the stick is too close, it will burn; if it is too far from the fire, nothing will happen. Without sand, you can keep the stick above the fire or simply near to it, however you must keep an eye on it and rotate it almost continually or you may burn and damage the weapon.

You should camouflage the carve scratches making it more difficult for the animal to notice the stick’s motion as it comes near. You can either darken it with smoke or rub it lightly with charcoal to conceal any bright marks.

How To Throw The Rabbit Stick

You can throw a rabbit stick overhand, from a sidearm position, and anywhere in between. A sidearm throw is effective in open fields or any other place where there is plenty space between trees to allow for unobstructed flight. Overhand throws are useful in areas in which there is modest space between trees.

To throw the rabbit stick, extend the non-throwing hand toward the target, then propel the stick either side-armed or overhand. Train both the techniques for accuracy, precision and speed. Try to generate power with your whole body.

The challenging part is getting ready to launch your weapon. You simply can’t stalk your target and then, when you are in range, move the throwing arm back and prepare to whip your rabbit stick – you will alert your prey. Instead, you should slowly and gradually rotate your body and the throwing arm into the launch posture while you move toward your quarry.

Remember: the evenly weighted type should rotate like a frisbee while the Hammer type should go straight like a comet.

The Sidearm Throw

Move your rabbit stick behind your neck and rotate to the right until your fully extended left arm is aiming at your target. Then, in a fast and smooth movement, move your body forward, and release the weapon as your hand comes to point at the target. Pay attention to adjacent trees with low branches.

The Overhand Throw

First of all, aim at the target by extending the left arm. Move your rabbit stick back over your shoulder. Shoot the right arm until it’s just a little above and parallel to the left arm. This will be your release point. Train slowly and regularly.

It’s easy to learn how to use the rabbit stick. Just practice, practice and practice. Throw your stick frequently at targets until you become effective in acquiring food.


survival kit checklist

Camping in the Woods Using Survival Gear

Campers and hikers all across the country buy millions of dollars worth of safety equipment and field supplies every year. This provides a protective edge if the ultimate challenge arises. Being stranded, lost or injured in unfamiliar territory can be very disturbing not to mention life threatening.

It is obvious that we cannot carry everything we own but a true list of essentials is a must any time you are in-country. Camping survival depends on it.

Light weight and dependability is the most important part of your survival kit.

  • A survival knife should be sharp and strong.
  • 15 to 20 meters of high strength nylon cord, 1/4 inch in diameter is easy to carry and could come in handy.
  • A 3×3 meters plastic tarp helps keep you dry even in wind driven conditions. Night time is the part of any camping survival adventure that will truly test your skills. And if you haven’t perfected them, you could be in a real life-threatening situation.

A safe place to sleep, out of the elements, and protected from the creatures that inhabit the woods is a must. Locating an area that can provide protection on at least 2 sides should be a top priority. Stones and rocks can be turned into a hearth for survival cooking and warmth, and should be stacked at the entrance of your shelter. Limbs cut from green pine trees can be woven into an almost water tight roof system and the tarp can be added for further weather proofing. A heavy layer of boughs will create a reasonably comfortable and dry bed.

Begin building your bed toward the back of your shelter. The fire ring will keep you warm and provide important light if done correctly, and will also discourage the wild life from wanting to share your sleeping arrangements. At this stage of the game getting through the first few hours is the most important part.

Your survival kit should include:

  • a compass,
  • medium first aid kit, and
  • small mirror. Signals with the mirror can be seen for miles.

Hopefully preparations for your excursion into the wild included some form of food. Survival cooking can be accomplished if you have a survival knife to work with.

Natural springs and streams supply water, but it should be filtered and made safe with a convenient water purification kit; this is a must for the outdoor adventurer.

Camping survival must begin with a good plan. If you are really prepared you charged your cell phone and made sure your GPS was accurate, and of course you notified your party or family as to the general area where you intended to hike. Never go into the woods without informing somebody of the time in and the time you should be returning. Be sure to stay in that general area. If you are lost, moving from place to place can only compound the problem.

Finally, pick a safe large area where you can build a large smoky fire, don’t start a forest fire, but do build a good signal fire by first clearing the area of any debris that could ignite the surrounding area. Remain calm, and don’t let yourself get hurt. Listen for any sounds of man, and if your survival gear included a loud whistle start using it at first light. If the beginning of this adventure was well planned, you will have some great stories for the grand kids.