Many people who have chosen to carry a firearm for self-defense only go to a standard pistol range. They stand in their lane and they fire one round at a time, one magazine at a time, and then bring their target back for inspection. This is not without its benefits, but it is one-dimensional training. … Read more
If you have “bugged out” into the wilderness, then one of your major motivations for this strategy was undoubtedly to avoid potentially hostile people. But you might not have been the only one with this in mind, and some of those that took the same course of action might themselves be hostile. So, what do … Read more
The name is pretty self-explanatory. A throwing stick is a stick that you throw at things you want to eat. There’s a little more to using it successfully, but basically, you throw the stick at what you want dead. One of the animals that a throwing stick can be successfully used to hunt is … Read more
It would always be nice to come across a live chicken in a wilderness survival situation, but the next best thing is “chicken of the woods”. Not a chicken at all, it’s a mushroom, several species of mushrooms really, from the genus Laetiporus. They are commonly sought after edible mushrooms not only for their … Read more
With approximately 1/5 of the world’s land area being classified as a desert, it’s worth considering when learning about survival even if you don’t live in the desert. As with all survival scenarios, you will first need to take care of shelter, then water, and last of all food. Here are a few tips to … Read more
Blunt objects are one of the most common weapons of opportunity, but that means that not only should you familiarize yourself with using them offensively, but that you are likely to need to defend against an attacker using a stick or a bat as a weapon while you are unarmed. In this video, a … Read more
If you are stranded in the wilderness near a body of water, fish are a potential source of nutritious food. But if you don’t have any line or anything to manufacture a hook from, you are going to have to come up with an alternative method to acquire your meal. One possible method that … Read more
I recently watched a news broadcast that featured a story where a woman came to a man’s door asking to use the phone because she claimed to have car problems. He ended up sending her away, only to have to shoot at her and her accomplice when they came back to rob him. The man … Read more
Long term survival is going to require the ability to manufacture clothing and other products from the natural materials available. Brain tanning hides to make soft leather is one method that will make this possible. This video demonstrates each step necessary for the process and gives insights into why they are required and what … Read more
In a post-disaster scenario, medical supplies will be limited to what you have on hand, or what you can make. The risk of infections will be much greater than normal circumstances, the disaster itself could cause injuries, debris will make necessary movement dangerous, and clean water will be hard to come by. For this reason, it … Read more
If you’ve spent any time running, jogging, or hiking, then you understand blisters can be a real pain. In today’s modern world, if you get a blister, you simply go home, put your feet up and rest. Of course, when you are in a survival situation, things are far different. You need to make sure … Read more
When you need to make fire, one of the most important elements is some good tinder. We feel it’s important to always have some tinder material available. Put it in some airtight containers, such as an old Altoids tin and put it your bug out bag, your tackle box, your hiking pants pockets, your car … Read more
Even if you have all the food and items you need to bug out in a hurry, are you ready to survive in a wilderness survival scenario right now? How would you create a shelter if you don’t have a tent with you? It’s very important that you take the time to learn how to … Read more
While it might come just short of fulfilling the expectations one might have given it’s common name, Prunella Vulgaris, or “heal all”, is a great source of both wilderness survival food, and medicine. It is widely distributed throughout the world, being found in North American, Europe, and Asia. It can be found in grasslands, or … Read more
Clean, flat ground and sharp right angles all around can make camouflage difficult in an urban setting. But after a catastrophic disaster things will look a little different. Garbage and debris are likely to be scattered all over. You can use this to your advantage to camouflage yourself when you out scavenging after a disaster. … Read more
Most people would not think of things as unhealthy as cigarettes and liquor as items that should be stored for survival, but they are not without their uses for post-disaster survival. Here are just a few ways in which you can make use of these items usually associated with unhealthiness so that you can increase … Read more
Generally when one thinks about items to include in a survival kit a knife, fire rod, iodine tablets, and things like that come to mind. But not all items that are valuable for survival are the ones that first come to mind or usually make the list for camping. One such item is a … Read more
Needing to escape from having your hands zip tied behind your back might seem like an unlikely scenario if you are not prone to engaging in riots. But the unfortunate reality is that people in their own homes have been zip tied and beaten by intruders, others have been restrained for kidnapping using zip … Read more
Insects are the most abundant forms of animal life on the planet, and should not be passed up as a source of food in the wilderness. Ants are a great insect for survival food because they make colonies with massive populations. But with their small size, it can be difficult to gather up enough … Read more
It’s not unusual to find plants that offer more than one benefit for survival, but few come close to the versatility of the cattail. Cattails can be used to start fire, build shelter, manufacture tools, and for nutritious food. They are widely distributed, growing in almost any environment that water can be found. Coming across … Read more
Having a stash of non-perishable food on hand is absolutely essential for preparedness. It’s probably the first thing new preppers start with. But there is some debate on what should make it into that supply, and what should be left out. Some people just have a hard time giving up their junk food despite … Read more
Versatility in an important quality for all survival equipment and skills. That goes for your pistol as well, and your defensive shooting skills and strategy. One of the major considerations for versatility in defensive pistol shooting is low light shooting and target acquisition in low light. Three pieces of gear that help with this are … Read more
In a time when it is not unusual to see kids as young as two years old using a touchscreen device to entertain themselves while being pushed around in the shopping cart through the store, it should be obvious that most kids are disconnected from the real, natural world around them. Children of this generation … Read more
It’s a shame when hiking in a remote area with pristine wilderness to find trash that careless people have left behind. But if you are struggling to survive in that same wilderness, that trash might look a lot better. One common item that can be found even in remote areas that has potential for … Read more
Fishing is a great way to get meat in a survival scenario. But it can be difficult to do if you need to spend your time tending to your other needs like gathering wood, building shelter, or hauling water. You could always just tie a line to a stick and leave it with bait in … Read more
The physical threats to your survival like temperature loss, dehydration, or starvation are obvious to just about anyone. But less obvious, and just as dangerous are the psychological factors that can erode your ability, and even your will to survive. Just as with the physical threats, the psychological threats to your survival can be dealt … Read more
In most cases of wilderness survival shelter will be your number one concern since hypothermia can kill you much faster than starvation or even dehydration. One of the easiest and fastest shelters that can be built in the wilderness is the debris shelter. One person, with no equipment, can put one together in less … Read more
Water is one of the three most important elements for survival, and in some circumstances, it might be the most important. Even in temperate environments with plenty of vegetation, it can be hard to find sources of water. But if you have a plastic bag, all you need to do is find the vegetation. I … Read more
As I’ve said before, if all you know about fire is the tee-pee camp fire, then you don’t know enough about fire to survive in anything be the most ideal scenario. The more versatile your fire building skills are, the better chance of survival you have in a variety of scenarios. The amount of, and … Read more
Recently I mentioned in an article that I don’t recommend keeping sizable amounts of cash stored for disaster, and why I don’t think it would to you any good to do so. One of those reasons is that after a disaster there will be extreme inflation on the items that people will need most. One … Read more
If you are stranded in the wilderness for any length of time, hygiene will quickly become an issue. It won’t matter so much how you smell, since nobody ever died of body odor. But poor dental hygiene can lead to serious issues that could have you incapacitated and dying a slow, painful death. As always, … Read more
Not every fire building technique will work for every situation. The lean-to fire is a great design for windy situations. It provides a built-in wind block and allows for you to continually add fuel as the fire grows. Here’s how to build one. Gather all your tinder, kindling and fuel before trying to start … Read more
Some things aren’t going to change much in the wilderness; you are still going to need toilet paper. You might even have a greater need for it. The toilet paper that you bring with you won’t be safe like it is hanging from the wall in your bathroom. You are going to have to protect … Read more
Being able to start fires and build lean-to shelters will keep you alive for short-term survival in the wilderness, but if the world as we know it comes to an end it’s going to take a lot more to make it. You will need to be able to repair and replace your gear, your clothing, … Read more
There is no tool that can equally perform all tasks. But the more versatile the tools that you carry are, the fewer tools you’ll need to carry and the lighter you pack can get. One tool that is compact, light, and versatile is a folding saw. Without suggesting that it can replace the time-tested ax, here … Read more
Pig nuts is not the most appetizing name, but Conopodium majus doesn’t sound that tasty either. Regardless of what you want to call them, pig nuts can be a great source of survival food in the wilderness. They can be found all over Europe and North America. You can gather then using only your fingers, … Read more
There is no price that one can put on their life, and therefore their safety. But that being said, it’s not cheap. The cost being armed adds up, and many don’t calculate the cost prior to beginning. This can leave you struggling with bills, and still not able to legally carry your firearm. Let’s … Read more
If you are surviving in the wilderness, especially in the forest, you are likely to have greater access to plant based food than meat. But meat is going to be crucial to provide you with protein, fat, and the energy you need to perform exhausting tasks like covering miles of rough terrain, gathering wood, and … Read more
Whether triggered by post-disaster looting or by “peaceful protests” turned riots, you could find your home targeted for attack. With proper planning, you can protect your home from a myriad of attacks. Your location, home design, and access to resources will determine your implementation, but here are a few basic themes that can be adapted to … Read more
