Category: Outdoor Survival

Learn a Little by Taking a Walk, by Bill H.

I am a pretty avid reader of the survivalblog.com site. I also follow many of the other sites on prepping and survival that are out there. After a few months, it becomes pretty obvious which sites lean towards sensationalism, conspiracy theories, couch prepping, and even sales and marketing. The problem lies in the fact that with the mainstream media is piling onto the prepping bandwagon and this increases the amount of information available. Some of the information available today is of little use and some of it is outright dangerous. With that in mind, I will make the suggestion that …


Selecting Equipment for Years of Use, by M.C. in Arizona

I am at home sitting safely on my couch, however, between 2001 and 2009 I was a soldier serving in the GWOT campaign. I have served three tours in Iraq, one tour in Afghanistan, and a year assisting the African theater (proxy war.) And I’m currently working for the Marine Corps as a civilian contractor. I figured I’d write down some thoughts because I have had the misfortune of twice being cut off from any re-supply or ‘rescue’. In addition the equipment issued to servicemen is not always ‘the best’ money can buy. So here are some thoughts on that …


25 Things to Always Have With You, by R. in New York

Yes, we all know that an end of world event could happen at any time.  However I look at things statistically and realistically.  I think I have a greater chance of getting into a car accident than getting hit with an asteroid or meteor.  So I first focus on my little corner of the world.  Even if there is a catastrophic event you still need to get to your “go” bag and/or vehicle with your G.O.O.D. bag and perhaps onward to your home or retreat depending on each situation.  So what do you need for day to day survival?  Because …


Emergency Response Preparedness Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI, by D.C.M. in Colorado

I recently witnessed an accident that gave me great insight into what it means to be prepared for an emergency situation and what it will mean post-TEOTWAWKI, when you cannot dial 9-1-1.  It was important for me to evaluate the situation afterwards and to share the lessons I learned with others.  I have numbered the main lessons that can be learned from my situation and I hope you will find a thing or two that might be helpful to you in the future.   I was driving from Denver to Vail after work on a Friday this past May.  Less …


Letter Re: The Wild Boy of Germany–Fact or Fiction?

Jim: There has been a lot of news about an English-speaking boy who claims to have been living for five years along with his father, camping out undetected in the forests of Germany, south of Berlin. Is this fact, fiction, fantasy? – Calvin D. JWR Replies: I was also contacted by ABC News about this, seeking an interview. I reminded them that this was actually a nine month -old news story, dredged up by Huffington Post. I did provide ABC with some background, which I will repeat here, to explain why I’m quite dubious of this boy’s story: 1.) A …


For TEOTWAWKI, Do The Easy Stuff First, by Dale Martin

There are a lot of things to be fearful of in this old world.  But, for most of us Joe Average North Americans, there are things we believe that are likely to happen, and many other events that are a lot less likely. Most of us are not all that worried about a magnetic pole shift, the Mayan calendar ending this year, the Yellowstone super volcano, or an alien invasion from outer space.  It’s not that all those things are impossible, but there are threats that are simply a lot more probable. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average (the people that …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. suggested this piece : Be Resilient, Part I: How to Measure Resilience    o o o Steve H. sent this: New FBI Surveillance Backdoors? Six Key Points    o o o North Korea ‘executes three people found guilty of cannibalism’. One man… “reportedly resorted to cannibalism after supplies to the city dwindled in the wake of the government’s disastrous efforts to reform the currency triggered rampant inflation and worsened already critical food shortages.”    o o o Ol’ Remus of The Woodpile Report recommended this piece: How Government Wrecked the Gas Can    o o o Finding a …


Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, by Slim

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived for generations by gathering the food that nature provided. Some of those plants contain natural remedies to many common problems, and in fact are where many modern pharmaceuticals come from.  In this article we will be discussing various edible plants mostly found in the north east United States, as well as a few others. Provisos: Before getting started you should be warned that some plants can be highly toxic. We will cover some common look-a-likes, but you should never eat a plant unless you are one hundred percent sure of what you’re eating. Wild poisonous plants often resemble non-poisonous …


Bugging Out About Bugs, by A.D.

After a few camping trips where I learned the hard way about preparing for local wildlife I started thinking about the bugs in my bug out plan and I’m not talking about technical flaws.  Previously I had focused much of my attention on what kind of gear to pack, how to provide food and water, and various routes to travel.  A trip to the Rockies, part of the AT and a few southeastern US adventures later I realized that people weren’t the only hostile forces I might encounter and I didn’t have much prepared to deal with the critters I …


Letter Re: Entomophagy Diet Supplementation Options

Jim, While I understand consuming insects may keep you from starving to death, there is a real concern if eating without adequate cooking. Many insects carry round and tape worms, nematodes and other parasites.  I once softly stepped on a cricket and watched several worms exit the body.  Every time I see people advocating eating insects, I think of that cricket and the nasty worms.  While the insects my stave off starvation, the worms, parasites, and so forth might well be worse in the long run. – Alan T.


Entomophagy Diet Supplementation Options, by C.N.

“Entomophagy is the consumption of insects as food. Insects are eaten by many animals, but the term is generally used to refer to human consumption of insects; animals that eat insects are known as insectivores.” -Wikipedia This subject is fairly arcane, so I’ll be relying on several authoritative sources, in fair use. I have attributed all quotes and have provided links to their sources. Please take the time to explore these web sites, for further detail on this subject. Like it or not, you’ve probably eaten some in your life.  From Wikipedia: “According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s …


My Top Five Favorite Plants

Nature is amazing, I love plants. Not only does just looking at them produce a calming effect, they are beneficial to us in every way. From food, to medicine, glue and rope, plants give us everything we need. These are my top five favorite plants because they are amazing, easy to grow or find and have many uses which are especially valid in TEOTWAWKI. Here are my favorite plants found in the wild, and in the garden, and the reasons why. 1. Garlic  Garlic is great for two reasons, it is a food and a medicine. All parts are edible except …


Hot And Badly Bugged, by J.H.L.

Protection from mosquitoes can be difficult but mosquitoes in hot weather are a particularly difficult problem. Years ago I used to know an old leather-skinned Florida Cattleman that never noticed several mosquitoes biting his bare arms; they didn’t even raise a bump. Most of us aren’t that lucky. I was a little allergic back then, a mosquito bite would often make a sore; this is more often true for children. These sores can easily get infected due to the inching and scratching over a long time period. Mosquitoes can also carry serious diseases like Malaria and Encephalitis which might not …


Letter Re: Small Unit Tactics in a Post Collapse Environment

Captain Rawles, In addition to the points you made in reference to stealth and scarce ammunition supplies post collapse, in your commentary on the named article, I would make a second point: While the squad level tactics described have proven to be rather effective for active duty military in offense;  the average Joe and his family unit will most likely not have those kinds of numbers.  The average familial size seems to be right around four, these days.  So unless one is lucky enough to have found/joined/founded a group for this purpose, when it gets to be Schumer time the …


How to Eat the Abundance Around You, by Linda Runyon

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Long before the days of supermarkets and organized agriculture, people lived.  We are the evidence.  They lived in small groups and even alone as hunter gatherers.  And remember, this was in the days before language!  How did we do it?  Trial and error?  Instinct?  If so, the instinct has been lost, but with some simple rules, it may be regained. The good news is we don’t have to watch Uncle Ogg keel over in agony after grazing on a patch of poison hemlock to know that it’s something to stay away from. Solutions to common problems such as what to …