Category Archives: Survival Skills

sausage tortillas
Cooking

Camping Meals and Recipes

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If camping is one of the activities that your family loves, then you will certainly want to make sure that you serve them a great meal on your next camping adventure. Cooking and eating in the great outdoors can make your camping trip so much more enjoyable.

Recipe #1: Sausage Tortilla

To help get their day off to a delicious start, scramble 500g of breakfast pan sausage in a skillet. You can add chopped onions and green onions to the sausage while it’s browning if you’d like. Once the sausage is done, add enough eggs that have been beaten up for everyone. Scramble the eggs and the sausage together until the eggs are done. Wrap the egg and sausage mixture in a flour tortilla and sprinkle grated cheese over the egg and sausage mixture. Roll up the tortilla so that it resembles a burrito. Now you can serve your family homemade breakfast burritos.

This is a great camping recipe because you only need one skillet to prepare it and it’s great for eating on a paper plate or even a paper towel.

Recipe #2: Ground Beef Gravy

Another great recipe that you may want to try on your next camping trip is to take enough ground meat for everyone and brown it in a skillet with some chopped onions. Once the meat is browned, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour over the meat and continue to cook it until it becomes a rich brown color. Add a cup of water at a time to the meat so that gravy forms. If the gravy is too thick for you liking, you can add a little more water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once it has cooked for a few minutes, it is ready to serve. You can serve it over plain white bread. You can toast the bread if you have the means or you can use it right out of the package whichever you prefer.

S’mores

There are a lot of great meals that you can prepare while you are camping besides the same old hot dogs and sandwiches. You can just about prepare anything on a camping trip that you would prepare at home. However, you may want to continue to bring all of the ingredients that you normally bring on your camping trip to make those must have smores that everyone craves. After all, a camping trip isn’t the same without the great taste of smores being included. To jazz up your smores, bring along a little coconut or peanut butter to spread or sprinkle on your smores to create a great new taste.

Your family is going to love these great new camping recipes that you have prepared for them. It is going to be just what they need to make their camping trip a great adventure. You may find that they will be asking you to prepare these meals again once you have returned home.

 

hiking-dangers
Hazard

Common Hiking Dangers and How To Prevent Them

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Hiking is a summertime activity enjoyed by families and individuals all around the world. Even an activity as casual and seemingly harmless as hiking in the woods has its dangers though. Below are three of the most common dangers encountered while hiking and tips on how to prevent them.

Dehydration

It might seem like common sense, but it really is surprising how many people forget to bring an adequate amount of water when they go on a camping trip. Many campsites have water spigots these days, but it is always smart to bring along an extra jug or two. In addition, it is always a good idea to bring a water bottle (or maybe even two of them) along if you venture onto the trails for a day hike. The human body can become dehydrated in as little as 3 hours in the heat so it is essential to have something to constantly sip on.

Getting Lost

It’s all too easy to get lost when you’re in the woods. If you’re hiking with children, then it is especially important to teach them to recognize area landmarks. It is also a good idea to never leave a marked trail. Urge your children not to wander around if they become lost and to stay in one spot.

Carrying a whistle is also an intelligent thing to do as it can lead rescuers towards you if you wander off on your own.

Proper Clothing & Equipment

Weather can be a fickle thing, especially in the wilderness. Oftentimes, nighttime is much colder than people expect. In addition, even the sunniest of summer months can bring on unexpected rainstorms. It is always smart to be prepared for all sorts of weather conditions while on a hiking trip. Warm clothes, waterproofs, and a rain cover are essential even for a summertime foray into the wilderness.

Hiking trips are all about fun and that is why it is so important to be prepared and prevent common hiking dangers. The above three tips will help ensure that your hiking trip remains fun while staying safe.

mosquito bite
Hazard

How to Treat Insect Bites with Household Items

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If you enjoy spending time outdoors, then you’re probably tired of insects spoiling your fun. Insect bites are not only uncomfortable but can be dangerous if left untreated. You can treat insect bites with commercial products, but home remedies may work just as well. If you prefer natural treatments, then a quick check of your refrigerator or cupboards is usually all it takes.

Rubbing Alcohol

While several household items such as toothpaste or banana peels will relieve the itching associated with insect bites, rubbing alcohol has the added benefit of being antibacterial. If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol, then vinegar also kills germs and is a good substitute. To reduce swelling, use an onion or an ice pack, but be sure to call a doctor if the swelling worsens. This may indicate an allergic reaction.

Baking Soda

Combining vinegar or water with baking soda will not only relieve itching but can help to remove stingers. If you’re squeamish, then this method is also much less painful than using tweezers.

Whether you’re camping, hiking or just hanging out in the backyard, insects can ruin your day. Learning to treat insect bites will help to ensure your outdoor activities are as fun and safe as possible.

duct-tape
Tool

Survival Kit Component: Duct Tape

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When feces hits the fan, it’s best to be prepared. While it’s a good idea to have plenty of supplies at your disposal, few are as ubiquitously handy as duct tape. This semi-miraculous invention has been a mainstay in the tool kits of do-it-yourselfers for decades. Here are some of the ways that you could use duct tape in a survival situation.

1. Crack Sealant

If you’ve got radiation or biohazards to contend with, they will easily seep into your home through the spaces around your doors and windows. Using duct tape in these trouble spots can keep you and your family safe by keeping airborne threats sealed out.

2. Wound Dressing

In a survival situation, your chances of running into a skilled doctor with large bandages and iodine are slim. Large, gaping wounds can easily become infected or cause you to bleed to death if not dealt with. Fortunately, you have duct tape! It’s wide, durable and sticky enough to secure even the most grievous of injuries and keep out marauding insects and bacteria.

3. Food Safety

Many people who are prepared for emergency situations have food tucked away in plastic totes. However, these containers have a limited ability to protect food from radiation, moisture, biohazards and bugs because they’re not airtight. By applying a few layers of duct tape around the lids, food is kept safer and fresher.

4. Restraints

In an emergency, it’s every man for himself. In desperate times, there is a high chance that someone else will come along and try to take what’s yours. If you catch someone in the act of trespassing or trying to loot from your home, they can be incapacitated with a generous helping of duct tape.

5. Repair Materials

No matter how rugged and sturdy your clothes, tents and packs are, they will still wear out with heavy use. Duct tape is the perfect way to fix these things quickly.

6. Repair Tools

Tools are an essential part of a survival kit, but like anything else, they are susceptible to damage. Blades can come loose from knives, axe handles can split and ropes can fray at the ends. A little bit of duct tape might be all that is needed to make these tools usable once again.

7. Hand Protector

When you have to use your tools a lot, it’s easy for your hands to become sore and blistered. Wrapping the handles of your tools with duct tape provides not only a better grip but also superior padding. Duct tape can also be wrapped around your hands if you have to climb things like rocks or trees that can easily injure you without protection.

8. Water-Resistant Sticky Notes

Occasionally, people get separated from their loved ones in an emergency. If you want them to have a chance at finding you or your path, you can use duct tape as a sort of makeshift sticky note, especially if it’s fluorescent or very shiny. It will stick to smooth rocks and can be wrapped around trees and plants to mark where you’ve been and leave notes as to your whereabouts and plans.

fire making methods
Fire

6 Fire Making Categories

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There are numerous ways to light a fire but you can categorize them in 6 classes.

1. Fire By Friction

Friction methods create fire rubbing linearly or rotationally a surface against another surface.

Fire Plow

In this method a stick is rapidly rubbed against the groove of a long piece of wood to produce hot dust. Then the hot dust is transferred to the tinder, and blowed until it ignites.

Fire Saw

The fire saw method produces friction by using a piece of wood as a saw over an other piece.

Fire Thong

A strong piece of wood is kept in position with your foot, and a narrow thong of cane or other appropriate material is looped around it. The friction is generated by pulling the ends of the thong alternately so that it is sawn across the stick or post producing a fine hot dust.

Hand Drill

The hand drill method requires a thin stick to be quickly rotated with the hands against a fire board. The fire board is simply a flat piece of wood with a notch. The prolonged rotation combined with downward pressure generates a black hot dust in the nick of the fire board. The dust is properly transferred on a tinder nest and blown gradually until a flame starts.

Strap Drill

To make the hand drill method easier you can add more pressure by looping cordage between two thumbs and over the top of the fire drill

Bow Drill

The bow drill method uses a bow to rotate a spindle against a fire board. The Bow drill requires less effort because the bow transforms the linear movement of your arm in a powerful rotation, and with the free hand you can apply much more pressure downward.

Fire Pump

A fire pump is enhancement of the bow drill. A rope is coiled around the spindle to create friction on a fire board.

 

2. Fire By Compression

This methods uses the heat of compression to ignite a tinder. In modern days, the same principle has been used to develop the Diesel engine.

Fire piston

A fire piston is a device composed by a tube with one sealed end and a piston that can run inside the tube. The piston has a small depression where the tinder is placed. When the piston is swiftly pushed into the tube, the air is violently compressed igniting the tinder.

 

3. Fire By Percussion

Percussion is a kind of friction that happens in an instant.

Flint & Steel

Flint is a family of very hard rocks (8 on the Mohs hardness scale). When a flint is stricken against a piece of steel (5-6.5 hardness), it peels a tiny piece of steel off and ignite it.

Ferrocerium rod fire starters

This method is definitely the modern version of the Flint & Steel method. The flint is replaced by a hard scraper while the steel is replaced by a ferrocerium rod. Ferrocerium consists of an alloy containing Cerium, Lanthanum, Iron, Magnesium, Praseodymium and Neodymium. When it’s scraped it produce very hot (1650 °C) sparks.

 

4. Fire By Sun

This class of methods employs a condensing reflector to focus sun’s rays to a single point, producing an intense heat. The condensing reflector can be:

  • a lens (solid or liquid filled) such as magnifying lenses, a plastic bag filled with water or a very clear piece of ice.
  • a concave mirror such as a pop can bottom

5. Fire By Electricity

Electric Resistance

This method employs electricity on an object with electric resistance. When the object is red hot it ignites the tinder.

Spark

Electricity is used to generate a spark to ignite a gas or a fluid.

 

6. Fire By Chemical Reaction

There are few ways to produce fire by chemical reaction:

  • potassium permanganate and glycerin (few drops of water can accelerate the reaction)
  • acetone, sulfuric acid and potassium permanganate
  • sodium chlorate, sugar and sulfuric acid
  • ammonium nitrate, zinc and hydrochloric acid

Modern Mixed Methods

Modern fire methods as matches o lighters fall in more than a class (friction/percussion and chemical classes). Matches are small piece of woods coated with chemicals and ignited by friction. Lighters employ ferrocerium or electricity to spark butane or gasoline fuel.

 

 

preserving-food-outdoor
Preservation

How To Keep Your Food Cool In The Outdoors

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There are various of methods for preserving food and keep it cool in summer. In the outdoor the most practical methods are:

  • evaporation
  • pit coolers

Pit Coolers

  • Dig a pit 50 centimetres large and 90 centimetres deep in the ground, in a shady location.
  • Support the sides of the pit by placing thin branches or wide bark strips.
  • Fill half of the pit with pebbles from a stream bed or tiny rocks of any type.
  • Twice a day pour 2-3 buckets of water onto the pebbles and place the food containers on the top of them.
  • To protect from the above ground heat, carefully cover the surface of this storage pit with soaked newspaper sandwiched between two layers of wet cloth.

This kind of cooler may have an inner temperature of around 10° C below the outside air temperature.

Evaporation Methods

To make an evaporation cooler:

  • Place the container that will contain the spoilable food over few flat stones inside a stream
  • As a precaution, weight down the container with rocks.
  • Pack food which can be spoiled by water in waterproof containers before placing in the cooler.
  • Use a cloth to cover the container so that the ends hang down into the stream, absorbing water to maintain the container and its contents cool.

You can make another type of evaporation cooler by hanging a small container under a bucket suspended from a tree.

  • Fill the bucket with water, cover the bucket with a large cloth and sink it to the bottom of the bucket by putting a heavy rock in its center.
  • Drap the ends of the cloth over the sides of the bucket and down over the food container directly below, which is kept fresh by evaporation, assisted by any air flow which is blowing.
earthquake-survival
Hazard

In Case of an Earthquake: What You Need to Know and Why

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In school, many young students are taught a few basics about an earthquake:

  • There’s a lot of shaking going on from under the ground.
  • It’s caused when two big plates under the layers of the earth suddenly bump into each other.
  • Their jagged edges get stuck on the fractures of the fault line, releasing huge vibrations.

In adult terms, an earthquake occurs through the constant motion of the earth’s surface. This motion produces buildup and releases stress stored in rocks at and near the earth’s surface. Earthquakes are the sudden, rapid shaking of the earth as this energy is let go.

The bizarre thing, is that an earthquake doesn’t usually last more than one minute, but can leave so much destruction behind and loss of life in those mere 60 seconds.

Probably the most frightening aspect is that you never know when one is coming. Scientists have tried in every possible way to predict an earthquake’s arrival, but at this time, the experts have been unsuccessful.

That means, preparation is of utmost importance.

Before An Earthquake

  1. Put together an earthquake survival kit.
    • Experts say you should have enough supplies for three days, should such a disaster strike.
    • Telephones, running water, and other basics will probably not be working.
    • Have a gallon of water per person each day.
    • Pack away food that doesn’t require much but a can opener, or foods that you don’t have to heat up.
    • Have a basic first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
    • Add a solar/hand-crank powered flashlight, weather band radio, & USB device charger that doesn’t require batteries for keeping smart phones up and running.
    • Have blankets, sturdy shoes or boots, clothing, and cash on hand, and a few tools for repairs.
    • Also pack such items in the trunk of the car, should an earthquake hit while you are traveling away from your home.
  2. Learn how to shut off water, gas, and electricity.
  3. Anchor very heavy items to the walls or floors, including furniture, major appliances, and cupboards.
  4. Think about purchasing earthquake insurance. Have this discussion with your agent.
  5. Have a plan on where to meet up with family after an earthquake strikes should you become separated.

During An Earthquake

  1. If you are outoors, stay there and get into an open area. Do not be near power lines or buildings that could topple.
  2. If you are indoors, stay indoors. Drop, cover, and hold on! Stand against an interior wall, or hide under a table. Do not be near glass, windows, mirrors, fireplaces, or tall furniture.
  3. If you are driving, stop the car, parking away from bridges, overpasses, trees, structures, power lines, etc. Stay in the car.
  4. If you are in the mountains, watch out for landslides, which can develop. Do not stand near cliffs or uneasy slopes. Get away from trees and try to look for open space.
  5. If you are at the beach, get to higher ground, because an earthquake can cause a tsunami to develop.

After An Earthquake

  1. When the shaking stops…. Check for injuries and administer first aid to those who need it.
  2. Turn on the radio. Try landlines and smart phones.
  3. Check if there are any downed power lines or fires burning. For small fires, use the fire extinguisher to put them out.
  4. Look at the gas, electric, and water lines for damage. If you find damage, shut down the valves. If you smell gas, turn the valve off and open the windows and door and leave. Report it it to authorities immediately.
  5. Check your home for structural damage. Be very careful around broken glass, big cracks in the floors and debris. Put on your emergency kit boots or sturdy shoes on to walk around in.
    Aftershocks will probably happen. Be alert.

Even if you don’t live in an earthquake risk area, you should be prepared about this unsettling, powerful act of nature, should you travel on vacation or business, and happen to be present when an earthquake strikes.

Statistics show that about 120 destructive earthquakes occur per year. That’s one every 3 days. Incredible, when you think about it. Be prepared!

sunshine health benefits
Health

Eight Benefits of Sunshine

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All things in nature thrive when given proper amounts of sunshine. It is estimated that we spend 90% of our time indoors out of the heat and sunshine during the summer months. Just like plants wither up and die without sunshine, we do too. We need sunshine to regulate our moods, lower stress levels, help us sleep, and over all just help us to be healthier people.

  1. Boosts the immune system, aides in weight loss, and speeds up the metabolism.
  2. Lowers stress levels. Chances are that you know already that stress is hard on you, both physically and mentally. Sunshine is one way to lower your stress levels and provide a multitude of other health benefits. If you are feeling stressed about life, try going outside and just laying down in the sunshine, going for a walk or working outside.
  3. Increases your levels of deep sleep at night. Spending time outside during the day in the sunshine can help your brain figure out when it needs to sleep and when it should wake up. Getting your schedule figured out can help you sleep better at night. Also if you are doing active things outside during the day you are much more likely to sleep well at night.
  4. Increases bone, muscle and heart strength. If you struggle with a heart condition or poor bone health you should spend a lot of time outdoors soaking up the sunshine and fresh air. It can transform your life.
  5. Reduces your chances of developing cancer. Now this one can go both ways, if you get sunburned badly you almost double your chances of getting skin cancer, but if you can manage to spend time outside and not get burned you lower your risks.
  6. Lowers your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. Not only are you more likely to be doing some kind of physical exercise when you are outside enjoying the sunshine, but you also lower your risks by increasing your levels of vitamin D.
  7. It help alleviate depression. Sunshine is natural mood booster and can help eliminate symptoms of depression such as sleepiness, sadness, and irritability.
  8. Can help with acne or other skin problems. Sunshine helps the skin to heal naturally and is recommended for any type of skin outbreaks or rashes.

Now that you have read that list, doesn’t it make you want to run outside and soak up some rays? Go ahead, take a break from your busy life for 15 minutes and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

 

fire-from-soda
Fire

Outdoor Survival: How To Start Fire With A Pop Can And Chocolate

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Extreme situations call for extreme solutions. If you happen to find yourself in an outdoor survival emergency and have a pop can and a chocolate bar you’re in luck. You can make fire. That’s right, with a pop can, a chocolate bar, and tinder you can find at your location (and may even have in your pocket) you can start a fire even with no lighter as long as you have some sun. Read on to learn how simple this process is and how it could save your life in an emergency.

Materials You Need For A Pop Can Fire Starter

You can use any pop can. What you want is the bottom of the can, which you are going to turn into a reflective mirror-like surface by polishing it with chocolate. You will also need a chocolate wrapper, or bit of cloth such as a torn piece of denim or an abrasive wrapper. In addition, you need pocket lint or other tinder to catch the reflected heat from your pop can. Then you need to prep the materials and wait for the sun to come out.

How To Polish Your Pop Can Fire Starter

It’s actually easier to polish the pop can if it’s full – so save that precious liquid until later. Unwrap the end of your chocolate bar and smear it liberally over the bottom of the pop can. If it’s too hard, you can warm the chocolate it by placing it in your pocket for about 10 minutes first. You will be using the chocolate as a polish, but the denim, wrapper or piece of torn cloth you will be using to rub in a circular motion is very important. This is creating an abrasive force which will polish your dull aluminum can into a mirror-like reflective finish.

You want a clear finish free of chocolate when you’re done, but you will need to add chocolate and move your cloth around to get more abrasion over time. If there’s sand nearby you can add some in periodically to help with the shining process. In general it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to get a good reflective surface going but the end result is well worth the effort.

How To Use Your Pop Can Fire Starter To Create Flame

Once your pop can is polished, you will need a source of tinder. However, before your get that first spark igniting you will need to collect dry branches, pine boughs, and items such as thrush, grasses, cat-o-nine tail fluff or birch and oak galls to burn. When you have your wood and grasses stacked to create the fire, it’s time to drink your pop and seek the sun.

Hold the empty, polished bottom of your pop can up to the sunlight tilted at an angle where it will reflect the sun. In front of the “bowl” of the pop can you will need to hold a piece of tinder. Paper from inside the wrapper can catch fire, or you can use a cat-o-nine tail fluff, dried grasses, or your pocket lint if nothing else is available – wind it around a dry stick and it will catch fast. Since your pop can is essentially a mirror now it will catch the sunlight and begin smoldering or get a spark of fire going. Then all you need to do is to transfer the lit tinder to your fire pile and keep it going by adding in your collected kindling and wood.

 

 

family hike
Hazard, Travel

5 Keys to a Safe Family Hike

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Summer is here and with it comes an almost endless amount of fun outdoor activities and adventures to try with your family. For many, a favorite summertime activity is the family hike. Though hiking is a highly enjoyable family activity, heading out for the hills unprepared can have seriously bad results. It’s very important to be well-prepared before you head out so that your entire trip remains fun and safe. Below are five of the keys for a safe family hiking trip.

1. Tell Someone Where You’re Going

Even if you aren’t going hiking in a remote area, it is always smart to let a friend or family member know exactly where you are planning to be. Accidents happen, emergencies arise, and weather conditions can change quickly. If something does come up and you need help, then having someone back at home who knows of your general location is instrumental to your survival.

2. Stay on the Trail

When on a family hike, you should never leave the marked trail. For one thing, it is all too easy to become lost if you venture out into the unmarked wilderness. In addition, leaving the trail is harmful to the natural plant and animal life.

3. Bring Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things that you can do when on a family hike, especially in the warm summer months. Always bring enough water for each member of your family – but not too much more than necessary. While it’s never bad to have extra water, it does weigh a lot. A litre weighs in at 1 Kg, so plan accordingly!

4. Wear Comfortable Hiking Shoes

It’s always a smart idea to wear hiking shoes on a hike. While other types of shoes or sneakers will do, they are more likely to leave your feet a blistered and painful mess. It’s especially important to fit your children with a pair of high-quality and comfortable shoes if they are going along for the hike. Children’s feet are especially sensitive and you don’t want to have to carry them down part of the trail after a long day of trekking.

5. Teach Your Children the Dangers of Wild Animals

Even if you’re hiking in a fairly populated area, there is always the chance that you might stumble upon a wild animal. Even animals as relatively tame as raccoons, can be dangerous. Make sure that your children know not to get too close to or feed any sort of animal encountered on the trail. If you are hiking in an area frequented by dangerous animals (bears, wild boar, etc), then take extra time to inform your children what to do in a situation involving one of them.

 

Family hikes are a great way to spend a summer’s afternoon or a weekend, but preparation is needed. The tips above should ensure that any hike you go on this summer stay fun, and, most importantly, safe.