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
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
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
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
Having an ax in the wilderness can be the difference between surviving or thriving. But like all gear, it can’t take care of you if you don’t take care of it. To keep your ax in optimal shape for a long life (of both your ax and you), follow these easy steps. Handle These … Read more
The main advantages to survival in the tropics are warmer weather, higher availability of water, and higher availability of food. But simply because water and food are available doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be able to access them. Having the right equipment helps, but having the knowledge of what to look for and how … Read more
Fishing is a great way to get food for survival. But one drawback to fishing for survival is that the most common method of angling requires specialized equipment. A pole without line won’t catch any fish, and in a long term grid down scenario fishing gear will not be widely available. Even if you do … Read more
Wilderness survival in the cold means heat retention above all else. You can last for 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, but can die in 3 hours from exposure. Your clothing is going to be your primary protection against the elements. But what happens if your clothing gets wet? Wet clothes will not … Read more
When most people imagine themselves in a survival situation, they picture themselves in a beautiful forest at the edge of a lake. While that might be nice, it might not be the reality for everyone. You might find that you need to survive in the swamp, which is one of the most dangerous and difficult … Read more
Being able to properly identify animal tracks and determine their approximate age is a great skill to have for wilderness survival. It can help you to hunt or trap game, find water, and avoid potentially dangerous animals. But what about the times when tracks aren’t present? Well, even when the ground or weather makes tracks … Read more
Given that these days you can get a paracord bracelet that has a fire rod incorporated into the design for less than $10, I don’t usually write much about primitive friction fire techniques. However, knowing how to start a fire from only the material in the wilderness is a valuable knowledge and a skill that … Read more
Trees are a valuable source of wilderness survival necessities. From firewood, shelter material, cordage, food, and even water, trees can provide nearly all of your needs in a wilderness survival scenario. But not all trees offer the same resources, or any at all. In order to get the most out of the trees in your … Read more
Pine isn’t usually the first tree that comes to mind for wilderness survival, especially for food. But the humble pine tree doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Nearly every part of the tree contains edible material, from the root to the needles. Pines are full of food! That being said, the amount of food … Read more
Clear, clean-flowing steams will not always be available to you if you are in a wilderness survival situation. Even if you do come across a source of water that looks clean, you would still have to boil, filter, or treat the water before consuming it to avoid dangerous parasites such as cryptosporidium. This may be … Read more
If you kill anything much larger than a squirrel you won’t be eating it all at once. If you manage to kill large game like deer, you could have meat enough for months. But without a refrigerator, the meat will spoil if you don’t properly preserve it. One of the oldest methods of preserving … Read more
When most people think of arctic shelter they probably think of an igloo. Igloos are great shelters for arctic conditions, but they require just the right snow, tools, and specified skills to build. An easier survival shelter that can be built with only a shovel, and without any prior experience is a quinzhee. A quinzhee … Read more
Winter can be a tough time to survive in the wilderness. Not only will you initially face the dangers of hypothermia, but forests will seem to be completely barren and devoid of any source of food. While many wild edibles are going to be off the menu in winter, one of the best sources of … Read more
In a survival situation, one is much more likely to die from hypothermia or dehydration than from animal attack, but that’s not the case for backpackers. Backpackers should have the gear necessary to protect them from the elements and a water filter keeping them safe from the two biggest dangers of the wilderness. They also … Read more
The last thing you need when already fighting for survival in the wilderness is to have your strength and abilities diminished by illness or infection. Knowing how to make use of some of the plants around you for medicinal use can more beneficial than knowing how to forage for wild edibles since infection can kill … Read more
As I always say, if you have all the gear you need, it’s called camping, not survival. The same is true when it comes to acquiring water in the wilderness. Preferably you will have a water filtration device and a container with you, but in reality, you might not have anything with you at … Read more
If you are stranded in the wilderness and trying to get to safety, you may come to the point where you need to cross a river. Or if you are backpacking you may choose to cross a river, but if you don’t do it safely you can quickly find yourself fighting of survival. Whether you … 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
Humans are at the top of the food chain due to our intellect and social structure, not necessarily our physical prowess. When you are in the wilderness, or even outdoors in your neighborhood, you can come in contact with animals that have the potential to kill you. Here are a few tips on how to … Read more
If you are outside when a thunderstorm comes, the safest thing you can do is to get inside a house or a car. But these options will not always be available to you. Whether you are hiking, camping, or already struggling for survival while stranded in the wilderness, you will be without any meaningful safe … Read more
It can take 3 weeks to die of starvation, 3 days to die of dehydration, but in cold weather you can die in 3 hours from exposure. Shelter is the number one priority in any cold weather survival scenario. Not every situation will offer the same resources or have the same threats, but these are … Read more
Chances are, you’ve already got a big jar of petroleum jelly in your bathroom. But did you know that you should have one in your survival stash or bug-out bag as well? This is a list of a few survival uses for petroleum jelly that might raise your appreciation for the seldom used, 12-year-old jar … Read more
In a wilderness survival situation, you can’t count on things going your way. This time of year, cold will be a main concern if you find yourself stranded outdoors, since exposure too cold can kill within hours. Fire is the obvious solution, but there are a number or reasons why you might not be able … Read more
Bears are common throughout North America, and when camping, hiking, or bugging out, it’s very important to familiarize yourself with basic bear safety tips. Know the difference There are two types of bears in North America: black bears and grizzly, or brown bears. Black bears are obviously often darker, but they also have taller ears, … Read more
It’s an ironic twist of life that the situations where you most need a fire for heat and light are often the situations in which it’s hardest to start one. When the weather is wet, windy, cold, icy, or just downright miserable, fire doesn’t like to cooperate. But in these situations, staying warm and getting … Read more
Did you know that the first grocery store only opened its doors 100 years ago? Before then, people bought their food largely from local producers, or they hunted, grew, or found their own. Many people today are getting back to hunting and growing large portions of their food stores, but the practice of foraging hasn’t … Read more