Samuel 
Pregnancy and birth are a reality of survival that need to be addressed and prepared for adequately. No matter who you are, you never know when you might need to deliver a baby. Obviously, this might not be at the top of the list for the majority of preppers, but if you are or have … Read more
OK, maybe I’m being a little paranoid for posting more about that, but the anti-Trump protests are turning into riots in some major urban areas. Hopefully, they will die out over time, but I don’t think we can be too prepared, especially if you live in a major city like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, LA, … Read more
Being able to see at night in the wilderness is an ability that you don’t want to go without. Of course, you should always have an headlamp with you, but batteries run out, gear breaks, or you could lose it. This could put you in a situation where you can only perform necessary tasks during … Read more
If you always had the right gear at the right time, it would be called camping, not survival. But the reality is that weather changes, people get lost, and the wilderness can be unpredictable. Don’t be overly reliant on specified gear like a cold weather sleeping bag that you might not bring with you while … Read more
Violent protests and even riots are not as rare as they should be these days. Donald Trump’s victory has a lot of people upset, some of which care little for the rule of law. Protests are already occurring in several major cities around the country, and despite how the media portrays them, they are … Read more
Whether you have gotten your vehicle stuck in the mud off road, or the sand in the remote desert, or even in high snow on a highway during a bad storm, getting your vehicle moving again could be the difference between getting home and a struggle to survive. If your vehicle isn’t able to move, … Read more
Survival gear is only helpful if you have it when you need it. Selecting gear that is easy to carry will increase the likelihood that you will be willing to keep it with you more often. Building a survival tin will make it possible to carry essential items with you at all times. It can … Read more
Rules exist in combat sports like MMA and boxing for a reason, mainly to protect the fighters from serious injury or death. But there are no rules on the street, and if you are being attacked you aren’t going to have the luxury of being able to tap, or having the ref stop the fight … Read more
In the last couple of articles, we’ve talked about how to get water from vines if you can’t drink ground water, and how to manufacture a bowl to store or transport water without a modern container. But, what if you do have ground water, and no container to boil water in? You don’t have … Read more
You don’t need to have table manners when you are struggling for survival in the wilderness. But you may need to have some utensils. If you have gotten lost, stranded because of weather or an accident, then you might not have your gear with you. This might leave you without a container for water. It … Read more
You’ve trained for years. You can walk with an 80-pound pack for miles without breaking a sweat and you can shoot the wings off a fly at 50 yards. You have planned your bug out perfectly. There’s nothing that can stand in your way. Then you feel a gentle tug at your hand and look … Read more
Not every source of ground water that you come across in the wilderness will be drinkable. It could be stagnant swamp water or contaminated after a flood. If you do find a clean water source you might not be able to stay near it. For these reasons and more it is important to know alternative … Read more
Being lost in the wild is a serious threat to your survival. The fear that goes along with it can overwhelm and cloud your mind making you response slow or irrational. This is the last thing you want when you are already fighting just to stay alive. Here are some tips on what to … Read more
Some disasters come with warnings like hurricanes, but you won’t always have that luxury. You could be at work or otherwise about your daily life separated from your supplies when disaster find you. Going home might not be an option, your home might be inaccessible, destroyed, or otherwise too dangerous for you to go to. … Read more
While it would probably be a little excessive to put a toothbrush and a bar of soap on your EDC list, hygiene is a crucial factor for survival. We can see examples of how important hygiene is for survival by looking at the military. Most people think of the term “causality” as meaning someone … Read more
A struggle for survival in an urban setting could take place at any time. Massive grid failure or zombie apocalypse isn’t a requirement. Look at how many people have been shot in Chicago this year already, or how many people have been victims of mob violence in other cities. Whether after a disaster or … Read more
Recently I posted an article describing how to build a survival bow in the wilderness. Since a bow wouldn’t be much good without an arrow to fire from it today we’ll talk about how to build arrows in the wilderness for survival. Shaft Selection First, you will need to select straight, sturdy shafts … Read more
As we’ve talked about before, shelter should be your foremost concern in almost every survival situation. Many would overlook this in the desert and opt to search for water. Since finding additional water might not be likely, or even possible, your survival is going to hinge on your ability to reduce your need to sweat … Read more
If you have been watching the news much, no matter which outlet you have been getting it from, you have undoubtedly heard plenty of fear mongering over potential consequences of the outcome of the upcoming election. Liberal media will tell you that Trump’s policies will cost jobs; conservative sources will warn of government paralysis if … Read more
When looking for a survival knife the considerations are not going to be the same as for an EDC. Your survival knife isn’t going to be on your body every day, only when you are taking a camping trip, hunting, or even just stored with your survival supplies or bug-out-bag. Your survival knife should not … Read more
Without a weapon, your survival menu will be extremely limited. In this video we see how to manufacture and use a survival weapon, the shepherd’s sling, using only paracord. Having this skill added to your arsenal will make it possible for you easily carry all the necessary material to help you put food in your … Read more
Most fighting styles train under the pretense of mutual combat. This has both competitors in a fighting stance ready to engage. But street fights often don’t reflect this level of sportsmanship, the sucker punch is all too common. The effectiveness of the sucker punch relies on the intended victim being unprepared, don’t let that … Read more
One of the easiest to store and most useful survival items is a tarp. It’s primary purpose being to provide waterproof shelter that can be adapted to varying needs and available resources. Like all tools, you will get the most out of your tarp if you know how to properly use it. Here are a … Read more
If you are a CCW holder that has been forced to defend yourself, or if like me you just have an addiction to CCTV footage, you know that carrying a weapon isn’t enough to keep you safe. You need to be able to get your weapon in the fight, and you need to do so … Read more
Knowing what weather is coming can be a life-saving skill in wilderness survival. If you recognize the signs of a coming storm you can forego your planned movement, prepare shelter, gather firewood, or fish (fish feed more before storms). On the other hand, if a storm catches you off guard you could easily die from … Read more
Flint knapping is the bush craft art of making cutting tools from larger pieces of rocks like obsidian that fracture into small, sharp pieces when struck carefully on the edge. With the importance of cutting tools like knife blades and arrowheads in wilderness survival, this is an excellent skill to practice. Even if you have … Read more
Tips for Making Feather Sticks Feather sticks are bush craft fire starters that can be quickly manufactured on the spot using only a knife. They are most useful in damp conditions when dry tinder is not available. The basic premise is to use a knife to carefully create wood shavings that remain attached to … Read more
Self-defense is something that everyone needs to think about, but women are particularly vulnerable and often specifically targeted. Women can be targeted for muggings because they have less strength, have a thinner skull (making them easier to knock unconscious), or as targets for abduction and sexual assault. Because of hormonal, physical, and social differences, women … Read more
I recently wrote about squirrel poles and how to use them to catch squirrels without bait in wooded areas. The importance of being able to trap animals without bait should not be underestimated. In this article, I have posted a video showing how to make and use an “Ojibwa bird pole”. Like a squirrel pole, … Read more
Whether you are traveling by air, driving, or anything else, the laws that govern carrying and transporting weapons are not going to make it easy for you to defend yourself. Unfortunately, the criminals where you are headed are not as likely to be concerned about the laws as you are, and you will be more … Read more
The downside of most traps is that they require bait. In a survival situation, you might not have any food that you want to sacrifice, or you might not have any food at all. One trap that doesn’t require any bait to function effectively is a squirrel pole. Here’s how to make one: First, … Read more
As a defender and not an attacker you will always be at a disadvantage since the attack will always come from an ambush and not with a gentleman’s “on guard” warning. But just because a potential attacker doesn’t want you to know that they are planning an attack doesn’t mean that you can’t see it … Read more
The last thing you need when hunting in a survival scenario is getting injured or sick from your would be prey. Knowing the physical characteristics of safe prey and potentially dangerous animals is a vital bit of knowledge that can keep you safe from further danger in an already precarious situation. These are just a … Read more
The Swedish fire torch is a fire build that is said to have been invented by Swedish soldiers during the Thirty Years War so that they could keep from traveling long distances get more fuel. Fuel efficiency is not only an issue during war, but it could be the difference between a warm night and … Read more
A knife is one of the most important tools that you should always keep with you. It is also a tool with no shortage of variations available on the market. So, what should you look for in an EDC (every day carry) knife? Here are 3 important factors to consider before making your investment. … Read more
When it comes to prepping, you want have the right food stored. You also want to know what foods will last the longest. After all, one of the biggest problems that people have with food or emergency storage is the shelf life. When they are faced with a disaster, they may have goods that are … Read more
In the wilderness, exposure, dehydration, starvation, and wildlife will be your biggest threats. In an urban setting, your biggest threat could come from other people. Now that’s not to say that everyone should be out for themselves and treat all others as potential flesh-eating zombies after a disaster. But we do need to recognize … Read more
When you start gathering supplies for your survival you will probably start as most do with the basics. You probably already have a supply of non-perishable food, bottled water, and tools like knives and fire starting supplies. But where do you stop? These days there is a real market for survival supplies, and supply has … Read more
One of the very first questions in presidential debates is in regards to future supreme court nominees and what that would mean for decisions regarding the Second Amendment. Regardless of what your views on gun control might be, it is a realistic concern that our rights might be so far restricted that certain guns, if … Read more
Not every piece of gear or specific skill is going to applicable for your personal survival. If you live in the North East you probably don’t need to know more than the absolute basics of desert survival just in case your vacation to the Grand Canyon takes a turn for the worst. Likewise, if you … Read more