Post your, Quick tips for all things survival: Here

I was thinking what we need was a section for all those little things, quick tips that on their own do not warrant a thread unto themselves... kind of like a field guide something for quick reference...
this collection comes from 50 years of reading and studying bushcraft as well as being an avid hunter and fisher... some of these you'll have seen before... others probably not... well lets get started...


Fish Detectors

When you're fishing a strange body of water and don't have a clue where to start, locate some fish-eating birds. Herons and loons know exactly where to go to find baitfish - and where there is forage, there will be hungry game fish as well.

The One-Match Fire

Always try to light a fire with a single match -- even when an entire box of matches is at hand. This skill could some day mean the difference between a warm, comfortable camp and a chilly, miserable one. Place a softball size piece of tinder on a dry bark or on the ground. Good tinder ingredients include lint, cotton threads, dry wood powder, bird or mouse nests, dry shredded bark or pine needles. Around the tinder, pile a handful of dry twigs. Over this nucleus, lean a few slightly larger, seasoned branches in tepee-fashion. Over the branches, lay some bigger pieces of deadwood. With the pile sheltered form the wind and rain, ignite the tinder so the flames eat into the heart of the pile. Once the fire gets going, shape it however you want.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/07627f4864ef.jpg[/atsimg]
Catch a Frog

A Jawed spear is great for catching fish, frogs and other aquatic creatures. Split one end of a green sapling 6 to 8 inches. Carve sharp, rear angling teeth into each flat side in the split. Use cordage to bind the split's upper end so it won't split further. Open the "jaws," and separate them with a twig strong enough to keep them apart. When the spear is thrust at a fish or critter, the twig is knocked out and the jaws snap shut, holding the quarry.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2a0c530258c1.jpg[/atsimg]
Cane Pole

When fishing with cane poles, some anglers make the mistake of tying line only to the end of the cane. If the tip breaks, the fish is gone. Instead, run line along the whole length, starting just above where you'll hold the pole. Tie the line here, then wrap a piece of electrical tape around the tie to secure it. Tape the line at several evenly spaced points along the pole, concluding with a piece of tape that secures the line at the tip of the pole. Leave a length of line beyond the tip that's equal to the length of the pole. Once the line is rigged with terminal tackle, you can adjust the length as necessary by wrapping or unwrapping it at the tip. Tie it off with an overhand knot.

Tree Well Shelter

Snow is not necessarily an enemy to a person stranded or lost in a blizzard. In fact, it is a great insulator, and if you know how to build a propper snow shelter, it'll keep you safe and warm for a short period. One quick, and effective snow shelter can be made in a tree well (the depression around a tree's trunk that is protected from snow by the canopy of branches above it). First, construct a framework of branches and bows around the lowest branches. Then, dig a side cave in the well by tunneling away form the tree. Evergreen boughs laid on the floor of this cave make a comfortable sleeping place that can be as much as 40 degrees warmer than the temperature outside.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4565be744a69.jpg[/atsimg]
Clay Oven

You can make a camp oven in a clay stream bank. Hammer a sharp pole, about as thick as your forearm, straight down into the bank about three feet back from the edge. Then, a foot or so down the side of the bank, scoop out the size oven you want. The entrance should be narrower than the inside. Dig as far back as the pole, then pull the pole out to form a chimney. Give the interior a hard coating by smoothing and resmoothing it with wet hands. Kindle a small fire within to harden this lining.

Reflector Oven

Reflector ovens are great for baking biscuits, casseroles, pies and more. You can buy one in a store, but it can be bulky to carry to a campsite. A makeshift reflector oven can be made by cutting two forked sticks and driving them in the ground near your campfire about 2 to 3 feet apart. Lay another stick between the two forks. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the top stick three or four times to secure it, then stretch it from the stick to the ground at an angle, securing it at the bottom with a heavy stick laid across it side to side. Now cover the sides with additional pieces of foil and you're ready to bake.

Whistle Stop

When you jump a cottontail from its cover, stop it in its tracks with a loud, shrill whistle. Some rabbits totally ignore the sound, but many will freeze where they are the moment they hear the whistle, allowing extra seconds for you to shoot before the rabbit disappears.

Build a Solar Still

A solar still is one of the best methods for obtaining water in apparently dry areas. In a low, unshaded area, dig a hole 1.5 feet deep and 3 feet in diameter. Place a can or jar in the center of the hole and cover the hole with a large sheet of plastic, sealing the edges with dirt and rocks. Put a rock in the center of the plastic directly above the container. Moisture is drawn from the earth beneath the sheet. The water then runs down and drips into your container. Greenery, such as chunks of cactus, lining the hole will increase production. Depending on conditions, you might produce one pint to one quart of water daily.


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/af74cdf1c4cf.jpg[/atsimg]
Make A Tip-Up

A very simple but ingenious contrivance enables a single ice fisherman to tend fishing lines dropped in several icefishing holes. Fasten a small signal flag at the end of a light rod 1 to 2 feet long; a piece of any brightly colored material will do. The rod is bound with twine at a right angle to a second stick, with the majority of the rod, including the end to which the flag is tied, to one side, and merely a few inches of the rod to the other. To this short end, the line and baited hook are fastened. The contraption is then place across the ice hole, with the ends of the larger stick lying some inches upon the ice at either side, and the line is dropped into the hole. When a fish is hooked, it struggles raise the flag, signaling the angler.

Moo-Ving in for the Kill

A quiet day and you're trying to approach ducks by crawling through thick reeds, the noise you make will invariably spook birds before you're in range. If cattle are around, try this: say "Moo" loudly as you sneak, being as cowlike as possible. Don't laugh - it works like a charm. Ducks will tolerate cows, but not you.

Trap Fish

Fish Weirs are very useful for catching both freshwater and saltwater fish. Drive stakes into the bottom in shallow water to create a rectangular fence with three sides, the open end facing downstream. Next, create an angled wall that points to the middle of the trap, allowing fish to enter, but not exit.

Stop Scratching

The wide-ranging jewelweed plant, also known as impatients and touch-me-not, has long been used to stop the itching caused by poison ivy. Gently rub the affected area with the juice from the jewelweed's leaves or stems and let dry. Some practitioners boil cut-up leaves, stems and flowers and then swab the blisters with the resulting orange decoction, a treatment as effective as cortisone creams for itch relief.

Hunting for the Birds

Incoming foxes and coyotes and mountain lions are often accompanied by magpies or other birds. Stay alert if you see a squawking bird approaching you. Chances are good an unseen predator is nearby and closing in.

Look For Blood

When tracking a wounded animal, don't stay focused only on the ground. Look for blood higher up on the sides of trees, on grass heads, and on stems of brush. Sometimes we're so intent at looking for traces on the forest floor, that we completely miss clues off the ground.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/43d71839b93d.jpg[/atsimg]
Camp Vise

Should the need for a vise arise in camp, you can make one by cutting a sapling 5 or 6 inches in diameter about 2 feet above the ground, and splitting the stump downward through the center. Pry open the jaws of the split with an ax or wedge to insert the article you wish to work on. Then remove the wedge and the object should be secure. If there's not enough pressure to hold the object, put a rope around the stump just below the object, rig a tourniquet with a stick and twist the stick to tighten.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/944becf94aaf.jpg[/atsimg]
Spit Roasting

Here's how to properly turn a hunk of spitted meat over flames. It is one of our oldest and simplest cooking methods, ideal for preparing anything from a haunch of venison to a bluegill. For the spit, choose wood like green oak or hickory that won't impart a bad taste to the food. Ideally, it'll have a fork at one end so you can use it for turning. Shave the spit to flatten it along two opposite sides (this prevents the stick from rotating inside the food). Turn the food as it broils, basting with drippings caught in a pad or curved slab of bark placed beneath it.

Well I guess that's enough for now... I'll let our members continue this with there own special little tips and tricks and maybe we can get quite the collection going

hmm


keep one bullet in the chamber for when SHTF day starts


End the misery put one in your head ...


Why survive in misery ?

When you can die in peace?


After all your only delaying your death with the survival?

What are you lookng forward to a destroyed earth at the age of 80?


no thanks....


if its meant to be then its meant to be


don't like it talk to the ones running the show after you die

S&F
I love this stuff
I'll be back with some ideas
Sound mental health is very important to survival
if you don't have that you'll end up putting a bullet in your head like the poster above.
I think Love is important to survival.
If you have love it will help you survive anything.

I'm an eagle scout, I can provide first hand experience in survival techniques. When the time comes, I'll be in the woods. Not a concentration camp.

Originally posted by Gwampo
I'm an eagle scout, I can provide first hand experience in survival techniques. When the time comes, I'll be in the woods. Not a concentration camp.

Enlighten us then
what are some things you've learned young eagle?
I love the woods
there are so many things that are useful

Can't embed from here



Bird Pole:

Pound a medium sized post into the ground, drill a hole through the top where you want to have your perch. Choose a perch that will fit loosely enough to break away when the bird lands, yet, tight enough to hold the string and weight stationary. Place the loop on the perch with some bait.

The hardest part to this trap would be drilling a hole through the post, choosing the right perch is essential also.

Book marking to add some of my own tips in a few...

My quick tip, observed countless times, is discipline.

Your wife, your children, yourself, all need to have the right mindset.

If Daddy says, "quiet", he means NOW not when you feel like it. If he says, "run", go NOW, don't ask why...

It was the biggest difference between civilians and military that I noticed when I went in. It's also more and more apparent our children are even worse than we were with the whole discipline thing...

It's free but valuable and very difficult to build. Like getting in shape.

www.instructables.com...
Found this site from another thread so i'll post it here so the ideas are accesible.
Thought it was a cool site with some good ideas.

this thread is coming along nicely...
here's one more

Flies are repelled by stinging nettle plants. Use bunches of freshly cut stems as a repellant in food cupboards, coolers or around the sack you hang from a bear pole... Replace them when they dry out..

Feed stores to buy 50 pound bags of raw rolled oats and cracked corn. $14 for 50 pounds of emergency food is cheap insurance. Can be used as mulch in the garden if it goes bad. Use as bait for small creatures if it does all go bad (and eat it too yourself).

Basil keeps mosquitos away

Originally posted by tkwasny
Feed stores to buy 50 pound bags of raw rolled oats and cracked corn. $14 for 50 pounds of emergency food is cheap insurance. Can be used as mulch in the garden if it goes bad. Use as bait for small creatures if it does all go bad (and eat it too yourself).

great tip but make sure that fed store doesn't sell you scratch...
Scratch... chicken feed... will also have crushed rock in it... all birds have gizzards to break up the food before it gets to the stomach... tiny rocks do that for them and that is added to Scratch... great for the birds, bad for us humans

Originally posted by A por uvas
Basil keeps mosquitos away

Do you have to rub it on, or just stay really close to the plant. I have a basil plant and the mosquitoes still eat me up. Or, as there are different types of basil, is there a specific type of basil that keeps the mosquitoes away?

Ha....survival....lol. Well...when the shtf I will hunt, kill and eat the most prolific game in my area.....man (or woman or child....lol). While the idiot masses are rioting and looting places like walmart I will be smiling knowing that I have a nearly endless protein supply all around me. Bonus...if I kill and eat/freeze and entire family I get to keep any belongings I find. Additional bonus: sometimes when hunting a human for food you will get another human coming to his/her aid. BONUS! Its like a twofer....lol. How many deer have you killed where you can wound one and wait for other to show up and get them too? Handy is you have many mouths to feed....


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by Skada


Try using a more concentrated version...
Castor Oil; Rosemary Oil; Lemongrass Oil; Cedar Oil; Peppermint Oil... esp Cedar....
eating foods with things like Basil, Thyme, Allspice, Soybean, and Garlic are supposed to help too...

also don't do things that attract em... no dark clothes... no sweet smelling perfumes or deodorants stuff like that

How to Purify Water
There are four ways to obtain safe drinking water in
the wilderness: filtration, chemical treatment, boiling,
and distillation.

Filtration
Filter water from all sources in the wild—mountain
stream, spring, river, lake, or pond.
Find or make your filter.
Coffee filters, paper towels, ordinary typing paper,
or even your clothing can serve as filters (the more
tightly woven, the better). You can also make an
effective filter by filling a sock with alternating layers
of crushed charcoal, small crushed rocks, and sand.
Pour the water through a filter.
Do this several times to clean out impurities.
Be Aware
• Filtration will only remove some of the water’s
impurities. It will not kill bacteria or other microorganisms.
The best procedure is to filter water
first, then treat it with chemicals or boil it.

Chemical Treatment
Add two drops of household bleach for each quart
of water.
Use three drops if the water is extremely cold or
cloudy.
Or
Use one iodine tablet or five drops of drugstore
iodine (2 percent) per quart of water.
Mix the water and bleach or iodine, and let it sit for
at least one hour.
The chemicals will kill microorganisms; the longer
the water sits, the purer it will be. Leaving the water
overnight is the safest course of action.

Distillation
A solar still uses the heat of the sun to evaporate
water trapped in the ground and funnels it into a container
for drinking. To build a solar still:
Dig a hole about a foot deep, and wide enough to
hold your container.
Place a clean container at the center of the hole.
Cover the hole with a piece of plastic.
A tarp or a section of a garbage bag works well as a
cover.
Place sticks or stones around the edges of the
plastic so that it is flush with the ground and air
cannot escape.
Poke a 1⁄4-inch to 1⁄2-inch hole in the center of the
tarp and place a small stone next to the hole, so
the tarp looks like a funnel.
Make sure the hole is above, but not touching, the top
of the container.
Wait.
The heat from the sun will cause water in the ground
to evaporate, condense on the plastic, and drip into
the container.While your solar still will not produce
much liquid (less than one cup), the water is safe to
drink immediately. The process can take anywhere
from several hours to a full day to produce water,
depending on the water in the ground and the
strength of the sun.

Boiling
Boil water for at least one minute, plus one minute
of boiling time for each 1,000 feet above sea level.
If fuel is abundant, boil water for 10 minutes before
drinking it. The longer the water boils, the more
microorganisms that are killed. Beyond 10 minutes,
however, no further purification occurs. Be sure to let
the water cool before drinking it.

S&F! Thank you so much for this thread! I am a beginner to this area and love learning all the new techniques!
I personally have started a mini farm and vegetable gardens. What I am learning I believe could very well one day help my family survive.....

I am collecting seeds and learning how to store food.....

A lot of people do not have the ability to build an underground cellar, but you can buy an aluminum trash can and dig a hole 6 ft deep and bury it, cover the top with dirt or straw and it should keep veggies cool in summer or warm in the winter...

Here is a video about how to make a pot in pot refrigerator!
www.youtube.com...

Also I found this website from Buffalo Bird Woman which is an in depth gardening site from the native americans, well worth researching: digital.library.upenn.edu...

Also building an outdoor clay oven would be beneficial! Found some plans and many links:
ovencrafters.net...
clayoven.wordpress.com...

Also my recommendation, (if you can afford it) water filtration: Kayadyn pocket water filter! Good for up to 13,000 gallons and gets rid of all the bugs. www.katadyn.com...

Of course you can use fire sand and charcoal but I am not educated on that process yet.......Looking forward to all the replies!

EDIT: Also my chickens are a blessing! I encourage EVERYONE to have a few ! They are soooo easy to raise and can be used to eat, harvest eggs, fertilize the gardens, eat all the dirty nasty bugs, and if raised as pets keep you quite entertained!

reply to post by MainLineThis


According to the book The Hundred Year Lie by investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald, our modern diet is so full of additives and chemicals that it would be toxic to consume human meat.... just so you know...

Informative post Daddybare, thanks!

My only quick advice is simple:

Always carry a sharp knife!

A sharp knife will keep all your advice handy.
I take a knife with me everywhere I go.
Having a multitude of sizes helps too.
From a Ka-Bar, to a Swiss Army they all have their uses.
Sharp knives work the best and it's easy to learn how to.