Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Notes from “The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs”, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

Did you know that you can get an estimate of distances and elevations conveniently using nothing more than your eyes and your hands? It’s really quite amazing and useful; hikers, hunters, and preppers really need to learn these skills. Ol’ Remus at the Woodpile Report (www.woodpilereport.com) recently recommended a book by Tristan Gooley entitled The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: outdoor clues to find your way, predict the weather, locate water, track animals and other forgotten skills. It sounded downright intriguing, so I’ve been reading it on my Kindle and enjoying it quite a bit. The first Appendix had …


How to Make and Utilize the Most Excellent Tinder Sticks For Starting Fires, by D.A.

Okay, when the lid comes off civilization and things are fun again, you don’t want to be the numbskull sending up a smoke signal that can be seen from space, just trying to get a fire going. You want to be the guy who kneels down for a bit and brings forth fire, like Prometheus or somebody that gets things done. I am going to teach you to make tinder that will stay lit and accelerate your fire. It will be inexpensive, too. Then you will achieve success in building a fire so you can finally crack open that can …


“Recycle, Repurpose, and Reuse”, by Regan and Hawk

My husband and I fall into the category of people known as “preppers”; we store food, weapons, supplies, and money for when it will be needed in the not too distant future. We track our stores and make sure that we won’t be caught short on many different things. However, one thing both of us have found is that all this prepping is not really enough. What do you do when something breaks or wears out and the stores are closed or it just can’t be found? What happens when you need something out of the norm for a project? …


Letter Re: The Fallacy of Hunting as a Survival Technique

HJL, In the article he omits two important points: Are you willing to leave your safety, family, and supplies to wander out into an “anything goes” environment? You can bet there will be no one wearing fluorescent orange. You are not the only one “hunting”. You are also “game”. When you are dragging home your equipment, weapon, and your kill as well as possibly a few bits of yourself, who is going to stay home and guard your door? When it goes up, all bets are off. All the “rules” are no more. Better to store than go out in …


Friction Fire- Part 2, by N.E.

Some people like to carve this ember notch before the hearth and drill have mated. I do not. The reason I do not carve this ember notch earlier in the process is that you can ruin the ember notch before the drill and hearth have mated. This can happen from applying too much pressure too soon, causing the drill to kick out of the mate and then splitting the hearth or ruining the ember notch. Also, where the mate actually takes place may not be aligned perfectly with the ember notch, which means more carving. If you ruin the ember …


Friction Fire- Part 1, by N.E.

I believe fire by friction is one of the most valuable skills we can have in our bag of tricks. Beyond “simply” making fire, the process provides a sense of freedom that people interested in prepping, survival, and outdoor skills no doubt highly value. It also provides important insight into human ingenuity. It can enhance appreciation for those who came before us and exposes how dependent we have become on the modern, consumer-based system. In this post I will demonstrate how to successfully create a bow drill set. To demonstrate fire by friction, I have made a bow drill set …


Occupy Wall Street Versus Occupy Malheur: Clear Cases of Selective Prosecution

This news headline makes it clear that the BHO Administration is widening their net:  Nevada Standoff Indictment Names Bundys, Five More.  These “add-on” indictments are quite troubling. I believe that the assessment by Brandon Smith’s (previously mentioned in SurvivalBlog) may be correct:  A Warning To The Feds On Incremental Prosecutions Of The Liberty Movement.  There may be dozens of more indictments of people who attended the Bundy Ranch protests in 2014 that filter out over a the next six to nine months. Let’s draw a comparison: There were overt and quite visible physical threats and considerable actual violence in the …


Sarah Latimer: Unrealized Expectations – Part 2

In continuing with the idea of not relying upon others for the “sweet” wants and needs we have, here are a few more ideas that you can provide for yourself (and feel quite good about your independence in doing so!): Fresh and Dried Fruits and Vegetables– Want organic, highly nutritious fresh or dried fruits and vegetables year around, economically? Plant fruit trees and bushes and grow a garden as well as consider using a greenhouse for winter produce. Then, can, freeze, dehydrate, and/or freeze dry your excess produce for later seasonal use. We are still enjoying freeze-dried cubed tomatoes from …


Letter: Advice on Establishing Retreat Group SOPs

Dear Mr Rawles: I wanted to reach out. I am now reading your novel Patriots and in it the topic of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is addressed. Do you all have a good template example to help me get started in this arena? Thanks, – Jon B. JWR Replies:  There are no “one size fits all” SOPs. Your SOPs should definitely be tailored to your particular circumstances. Military SOPs are usually a good starting point.  (These include: immediate action drills, perimeter security (including challenge and password), patrolling, field sanitation, communications CEOI procedures, OPSEC, COMSEC, et cetera.)  I don’t want to …


Noisy Cows and Other Animal Noise Issues, by B.O.C.

I will start this by saying my farm experience range from South Florida to Maine and in climates in between. I also have experience from hobby farming to production on a large scale. From rabbits, chickens, pigs to beef and milking animals. My tenure in these areas has encompassed about 30 years of my life in one form or another. A lot of this is some common sense as well, so forgive me if I dumb this down too much. A few days ago I read an article on this site about the farms in Venezuela and their government taking …


Bees and Lavender: The Perfect Symbiotic Relationship Yielding Health and Healing, by K.T.

Many survivalists have found their bit of land, and it is deeply inspiring to read online the various journeys of men and women turning those plots into small Edens, into havens of self-sufficiency, or even into comely places to make a final stand. But for those of us who will not be planning to bug-out, or who aren’t lucky enough to have an extended guerrilla skillset, it is wise, I think, to find activities or projects that are multi-faceted in their rewards. I would like to suggest that anyone who can, consider the pairing up of two simple elements whose …


How to Use Old Cooking Oil: The Floating Wick

A few months ago, one of my consulting clients mentioned that she had over-stocked her supply of vegetable oil. She had also neglected to store it in her freezer, to extend its storage life. The result after four years was 10 quarts of corn oil and two quarts of olive oil that had gone rancid. She asked if there was anything she could do with the oil. (She bemoaned the fact that that olive oil was particularly expensive.) My reply: Buy some floating wicks, and burn up that oil as a source of light and heat, during power failures. Floating …


Letter Re: Bug Out Boats (Inflatables) and Folding Bikes

Dear Editor, I notice you have been running a lot of comments regarding Bug Out Boats. Overlooked in the discussions is any mention of small inflatables. If a person has a folding bicycle and a small inflatable, they have an option of being able to travel by land or water very quietly. If you do some research, it is very possible to find a small freshwater river or lake that has a small island or inaccessible shore line that can be used as a place to stay in case of widespread civil unrest. If a person went to the area …


Attaining Food in Urban Locations (From Land and Sea)- Part 5, by Cracker Makk

LOBSTER Lobster are a delicious source of protein and can also be found in locations that have structure. They forge around hunting for food at night and tend to take shelter in the day time. Look for them in cracks and crevices, and look carefully for their antennas sticking out of the hole where they have taken refuge. Remember that lobsters swim backwards, so if you are using a net to catch one then make sure you set it behind them. I have always caught them with my hands. If you choose to do it this way, make sure you …


Attaining Food in Urban Locations (From Land and Sea)- Part 4, by Cracker Makk

IMPORTANT LAND NOTES If you live close to or just above sea level and you get a significant amount of rainfall in a short amount of time, like in the instance of hurricanes and tropical storms, try to get out to some wooded or wildlife management areas as soon as the weather lets up. Explore lowland areas that have limited high areas. The deer, hogs, rabbits, and many other animals will be on high ground, like roads and dikes. They will be in herds, as the water will be too deep for them to move in the lower areas without …