Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Traversing the Hinterlands – Part 1, by Iowa Farm Boy

I have lived in the Midwest all of my life, 90% of which was spent in the Central Iowa region. I’ve traveled the roads and byways from Toledo, Ohio to Denver, Colorado and from Minneapolis, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri, and more. Most of this was via the Interstate highway system, so I can’t comment too much about what is too far off of the main road, except in my immediate region. It must be noted that there is a specific reason why the original Lincoln highway (Hwy 30) and Interstate 80 go right through the center of this part …


Letter: Zippo Lighters

HJL, It has been mentioned that Zippo lighters tend to dry out. While this is true, the effect can be minimized by cutting a piece of bicycle inner tube to slip over the case, sealing the joint where the lid and the body come together. The lighter fluid is simply naphtha, and you can purchase that in quarts at WalMart much less expensively. – S.F.


Bugging Out “Alone”, by Professor Prepper

There have been many articles written about the folly of bugging out into the wilderness in a TEOTWAWKI event. However, if you want to see what it will be like to bug out alone in the wilderness to try to survive, then you need to watch the History Channel’s new show Alone. The concept of the show is to drop 10 survival experts off on Vancouver Island alone, with minimal supplies. The last man on the island wins $500,000. You can read the ten men’s bios and the list of the 10 survival items that each chose on the History …


Letter Re: The Importance and Art of Fire-Making

Hugh, I’m in agreement with pretty much everything in N.P’s excellent article; everything except his repeated reliance on a Bic lighter, especially in the sub-zero conditions he described. Butane lighters become useless below about 15°F, at which point butane won’t vaporize. A better choice would be the tried and true Zippo lighter, which will light at any temperature and is wind-resistant. The only downside to the Zippo is that the fuel in it will evaporate over time and will need to be periodically refilled, whether it’s used or not. If you find yourself in the conditions N.P. described and a …


The Importance and Art of Fire-Making, by N.P.

Obviously, being able to make a fire in a SHTF scenario is of utmost importance. In addition to providing warmth and cooking capabilities, fire also provides a psychological boost. As an avid outdoorsman, who is originally from Canada, I’ve got a lot of experience and training, but I’m by no means claiming to be an expert. I just want to share some of my findings that may prove useful to others. I have several stories about the importance of fire-making. Here’s an example: I was in the Boreal Forest in Canada and noticed a large billboard containing the writing “Nature …


God’s Natural Provision- Part 2, by Dr. Z

White Willow Bark The second widely available and brilliant plant God made that will be useful in a SHTF situation is one I recommend my patients use instead of aspirin, which according to research can damage and weaken the body. It is white willow bark, which has been used in medicine for 6000 years, since the time of the Egyptians, and has been used effectively for reducing pain and as an: anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, anti-oxidant, and analgesic. It also has immune boosting capability to keep your body from getting sick. It has been used on a wide range of problems, …


God’s Natural Provision- Part 1, by Dr. Z

I am a chiropractor and former Recon Marine 3rd Recon Battalion, writing this article as a little ray of hope to help those who at some point find they have been thrust into TEOTWAWKI and have either lost access to the stores or didn’t prep well or maybe did everything right but when the SHTF they lost all of their prep work or access to it because of some unforeseen circumstance. “Never give up” should be one of your mottos. This comes with a little bit of knowledge and experience. I have been in survival situations as a Recon Marine, …


Letter Re: Dogs Tracking Someone

JWR, HJL, SurvivalBlog Readers: I have a few thoughts about tracking dogs. My wife does canine search and rescue for the local CERT team in our rural county. There are two main types of search dogs– area and trailing. A trailing dog will follow a scent from weakest to strongest along a track. They may cut, circle back trails, and follow the strongest scent trail. Area dogs look for the strongest scent, not worrying too much about a specific trail but concentrating on an area. Over many years (doing training) the dogs have always found me. The team dogs have …


Letter: Dogs Tracking Someone

Hello, I l liked your books. Recently a wanted felon in our small town eluded a canine unit whereas many others have not. God forbid it should happen under the wrong circumstances to anyone not deserving to be hunted down. I did wonder though how the one that got away might have done that. I went to the Internet and found a few answers, but when I searched your site I could find nothing about it. I wondered if any of the readers out there have any practical solutions on the topic. It seems like the knowledge might be of …


Range Brass to Finished Cartridge, Tips For The Ubiquitous .223 Cartridge, by R.W. – Part 3

On full charge cartridges, you need to watch for defects, so: Look for any swelling, cracks, splits, or thinning of the brass. Check for fouling, debris, or dirt jammed into the cavity of the shell case. It may be generally noted that discoloring around the top of the case at the neck radius is common with most military surplus brass and will often be polished off in the cleaning of the shell cases. Watch for any heavy corrosion or pitting, as this should be a warning that the bullet has lost some ductility and integrity due to the oxidization process, …


Letter Re: Mushrooms

Hey Hugh. I would like to add some personal information to the interesting article on mushrooms. A few years ago my wife was diagnosed with asthma. We quickly learned that the standard medical treatment was not going to work for her. Our friend at a natural foods store suggested she try a commercially available product called “Breathe”. The capsules contain a combination of mushrooms that apparently help to better or more completely utilize the available oxygen. What sold me was that high altitude climbers use these mushrooms when training for their climb in the thin air. My wife began to …


“Wild” Gifts For Children’s Survival, by Linda Runyon

Childhood these days is a lot different experience than when I was that young. I have photographs of me, as a baby, sitting on a blanket outside our home and looking at the weeds and grass around me. Even then I was fascinated with wild growing plants, and that was the foundation of my lifelong affinity for wild food survival. These days it seems that childhood is an ongoing assault on the senses, from TV to constant, loud music to vaccination needles that contain mercury, and on into school, where there’s the confusion of ill-advised curricula that discourages actual learning. …


The Importance of Bushcraft and Survival During TEOTWAWKI, by M.R.

You’ve all seen it. Hollywood makes films of a plane crash or shipwreck that cause only one or a few survivors to end up on a deserted island. He or she– the main character– frantically panics at first, maybe even screaming. Then a few months go by, the camera cuts back to him or her, and now this person is an advanced survivalist with a wide variety of skills and gear. They seamlessly kill and eat animals and make impractical but cool looking shelters. Then, he, for the sake of drama, is faced with some dire problem and has to …


Letter Re: The Care and Feeding of a Woodstove

Hugh – I enjoyed Jim’s article “The Care and Feeding of a Woodstove“. We have a Blaze King Sirocco free-standing wood stove that, so far, we are very well pleased with, and, no, there is no financial interest involved. As the good ‘ol (sarc on) EPA has proposed new, tougher rules on emissions, this one was the best we could find with the lowest emissions. Like Jim, we heat a lot with wood, with propane back-up, our home is approximately 2500 square feet, and seems to be well insulated. We use mostly pine and fir; our kindling is split from …


Letter Re: How To Obtain Protein From Alternative Sources Without A Firearm

Just a note about small animals: Don’t count on them for the bulk of your diet. Take for example crayfish: The calories for your effort may be very small. There are approximately 3.5 calories in a crayfish tail. (There’s more if you eat the head but not much more.) I’ve seen traps bring in around 50 crayfish on a good day. Therefore, for enough crayfish for a 350 calorie snack, you’ll need at least two traps, and that’s on a good day. Double that for average days. If you want 1/4th of your calories of a family of four to …