Bushcraft

One of the most fundamental challenges in a survival situation is getting enough food. Lots of wilderness lore and survival training revolves around identifying, collecting, and preparing wild edibles safely. And though most of us think of hunting various critters, or picking safe berries and mushrooms, you might not have stopped to wonder if the … Read more

If you’re into bushcraft or experimenting with fire-making, then the Dakota fire hole is an excellent survival tool to master. If you’re a city-dweller looking to expand your horizons, well then this is an easy one to start with. To understand the concept, first picture a hand-dug-out fire pit that is fed air from a … Read more

When you’ve been lost in an unfamiliar part of town, I’ll bet you turned the sound down on the radio so you could “see better”. Joking aside, being lost is not funny. It unbalances our center, sending us into heightened awareness. Walking around a corner and seeing a familiar building across the way lifts that … Read more

Many a prepper has grand ambitions of running away into the wilderness to live in comparatively peaceful anarchy whenever trouble strikes. You have to admit, the notion is definitely romantic. Heading into the deep country with only your knife and your wits, and carving out your own home and existence from the bounty of the … Read more

Among all the many bad outcomes you can encounter in a survival situation, one that is most likely to kill you and other members of your group is simple exposure. Exposure to the elements, particularly cold weather, is one of the single deadliest threats in any outdoor survival situation, far more than any exploratory mishap, … Read more

Probably the most popular, and the most common, theoretical survival situation that preppers game out is that of a woodland survival scenario. Forests all over the world, dark, deep and enticing, all have a nearly mythic proportion in our minds. We are drawn to the woods while we are simultaneously afraid of them, and whether … Read more

One of the single most important and most fundamental survival skills is building a fire. Knowing how to build a fire will help you get dry and keep warm, as well as signaling for help and cooking food. But, in really harsh conditions you’ll need to stay inside your shelter for safety, and this begs … Read more

I don’t think there is anyone alive who has spent any amount of time outdoors who hasn’t been plagued by mosquitoes and other biting critters. Whether they are trying to suck your blood for dinner or are just biting you out of some misguided instinct of self-defense, it is always aggravating, sometimes painful, and potentially … Read more

Out of all the things you’re worried about taking care of during a survival situation, your usual oral care routine might rank pretty low on that list, if it is on the list at all. What, with concerns like water, food and exposure to worry about it is understandable why personal cleanliness and daily hygiene … Read more

Exposure is a constant threat anytime you are outdoors. Or at least it is if you don’t live very near the equator! But in seriousness, no matter where you live and no matter how seasonally warm it is you should not discount the threat you could be facing should the weather turn against you. When … Read more

Cold weather survival offers many challenges compared to other environments, but one of the perks, if you want to call it that, is the abundance of fresh water to be had in the form of snow. Since snow is just frozen water, it stands to reason that you could simply eat it to help rehydrate … Read more

You are familiar with the use of a compass and a map, and their supporting roles in defining navigation. Maps and compasses are simple to use, so don’t be overwhelmed by the huge amount of information out there. A map can only give you a relative bearing or direction, and a compass only a direction … Read more

When camping in any remote area of wilderness, preppers are often advised to build a campfire not only to stay warm, but also to keep wild animals away. good advice, considering that many wild animals can be a nuisance at your campsite and some can be quite dangerous. but some reports abound of animals in … Read more

Map work and navigation is the basis of understanding one’s environment and how to move within it. Navigation has been a part of everyday life since the dawn of time and will continue to be so, even as we enter the space age. Finding our way has always been the forerunner of exploration, the discovery … Read more

In any outdoor survival situation, acquiring water for drinking is one of your top priorities. Dehydration is seriously debilitating and can take your life in just a couple of days if you don’t have any fluids to drink. Accordingly, many preppers’ resource plans focus on locating and gathering suitable freshwater sources for drinking. One notion … Read more

If you ever find yourself in desperate need of shelter while stuck in a wintry, snow-filled environment you could hardly do better when it comes to protecting yourself than excavating a snow cave. Snow caves are reasonably simple shelters that are dug out of deep snow, usually at the base of a hill but sometimes … Read more

One of the most significant environmental threats that any of us will face when it comes to exposure is that posed by deep cold. Temperatures that are near or even below zero combined with brisk winds can quite literally freeze you solid in a terrifyingly short period of time. Staying warm is vital, but even … Read more

The juniper plant is one of the most widespread and hardiest that grows across the world. Ranging in shape from a tall tree to a low shrub, this versatile and adaptable species can be found anywhere from the frozen poles of the Arctic reaches all the way down through the blazing heat of Africa and … Read more

Hiking is an enjoyable pastime that millions and millions of people partake of every year, all across the globe. There is just something about setting out down the trail in the middle of an otherwise pristine natural environment that recharges your mind and soul. It is good to get away from it all sometimes! For … Read more

Have you ever seen a bison before? You might know them by their other name, buffalo. Whatever you call them, these huge, shaggy animals are one of North America’s most iconic species. They’re one of the main attractions at many national parks, particularly Yellowstone, where teeming throngs of tourists and nature lovers line up to … Read more

If you find yourself in the middle of a survival scenario where you run out of food and are facing starvation, you’ll be considering all kinds of things that you never would have dreamed of eating previously. Plenty of survival experts and survival manuals will recommend you scavenge for various kinds of plant life to … Read more

Pretty much anywhere you live in the world you can be assured you’ll eventually run into a snake in your travels. These slithering, cold blooded reptiles give many people the willies and often inspire panic. Though the vast majority of snakes are not venomous and nearly harmless to people a close encounter with a venomous … Read more