Post your, Quick tips for all things survival: Here

S&F

My father taught me this trick when I was a little girl back in the early 60’s.
In those days, all we had was a tent, sleeping bag, and pillows to keep us warm.

In the evening while sitting around the campfire, we placed a river rock just inside the fireplace rim but not directly in the fire. River rocks are very dense and will hold heat for ~8 hours.

Once the evening was through, we took the hot river rock and wrapped it in a bath towel. We then placed the rock/towel at the bottom of our sleeping bags by our feet. Stayed warm the entire night!

Just be careful not to overheat the rock or it can burn/singe the towel.

I used this tactic last winter in the house. Just used my fireplace to heat the rock.
I took the rock to bed and kept warm the entire night allowing me to turn the heater down for the night.

Enjoy this tip and sleeping with Mother Nature while she keeps you warm!!!!

A good old Aboriginal (aus) Time Trick.

Any time after Midday (season dependent sun just past highest point of sky) and you want to know how many more hours of light until sunset:

Make sure you are a patch of land where the horizon is flat as possible not facing mountains etc or an valley, horizon as close to sea level as possible.

Put one of your arms straight out not bent in front of you, fingers straight, pointing directly away from you, with palm
exactly 90 degrees from the horizontal.

Move your arm straight up until just by bottom of sun, keep your palm flat but use your wrist to move your hand so your palm is now facing you, arm still straight. Place thumb in middle of palm.

So at this point your arm is straight away from you, your palm is facing you, you are standing straight facing the sun looking in its direction with as clear a view to true horizon as possible. Your thumb is bent down to middle of palm.

At the VERY bottom of the sun move your hand up until the top finger of your 4 facing you touchesor just kisses the very bottom of the sun.

Now do it for the other arm exactly the same, and place the top finger so it would just kiss as such the bottom finger of the first hand.

Keep doing this until a finger kisses the horizon, straight down from the sun to horizon.

Each hand down = 1 hour or each finger 15 minutes until sunset.

Used it much in my life dont like watches, always works in the UK and also Europe, tried it in Africa all exact, can freak people out good trick when everyone wonders how long till sunset, not watches or time tables, and can get it within 15 minutes from any time after midday, just dont let them see you do it, takes 5 seconds or so when practice to have an exact time till dark!

Hope it helps all a real life saver, allows shelter in time or fire.

Amazing wisdom due to the Golden Mean/Ratio etc does not matter how tall, short etc you are, natures numbers will make sure each person gets the same result, quite amazing.

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Good thread Daddy thanks s+f

Kind Regards,

Elf

Here's a gem from the field of social psychology:

If you're attacked and being watched by a crowd of people, do NOT just scream for help. Everyone in the crowd will assume (and as history has sadly shown) that someone else is going to help in some way. Psychology calls this "diffusion of responsibility" as in, the responsibilty to help someone who's getting their *ss beaten is diffused over all witnesses.

The way out: Point at one person in the crowd and tell THEM to help you. I know this might seem unfair. However, social pressure from the rest of the crowd will put so much pressure on the person you pointed at that they will do something. Nobody wants to be the witness that totally left you to die.

Background: in 1981 a woman was brutally raped and stabbed to death in the courtyard of her 11-story apartment complex. She died as witnesses watched from their balconies. Not one person called 911.


Peace

In the cold
When you make a fire put some granite rocks at the bottom
the bigger the better
When it's time to go to sleep
take the rock out of the fire and put it near where you are sleeping
or even bury it under your bed
You'll stay nice and warm
You can sear some meat on it too.

Great thread! One of the best I've seen on here to date! I love it! Thank you!

Only thing I can think of? Never make a cooking fire where you sleep - that is unless you're not worried about giving yourself away.

There's another way to make a 'smoke-less' fire hole - let me go dig up a photo and I'll be back to post!

GREAT THREAD! S&F!

peace

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If you're in the desert
dig a hole and sleep during the day
bring a book to reaad or something
and then travel at night.

Watch what the animals do
there actions speak volumes
they will show you what is useful

reply to post by SkunkSense

Never ever put river rocks directly into a fire!!!!! Ever!!!

Some rocks may have micro cracks and inside the stone have collected water...
if that water becomes super heated, as in thrown into a fire... it may explode just like a hand grenade!!!!

hunting rabbits is easier at dawn and dusk because they all come out to forage in the open and aren't afraid of movement.

rabbits and deer don't like windy or rainy days and are harder to find during those times

Build a Self Feeding campfire

Of course you will need an ignition source and tinder of any kind. I keep mini bics in a variety of locations in addition to a ferro rod and a carbide striker repurposed from a single edge carbide garden tool sharpener. The sparks really shower of the ferro rods with the carbide striker.

Envision your self feeding fire as a giant candle. Candles burn down through the fuel. Build your fire with that principal in mind.

Your base should consist of your largest fuel elements then gradually work your way up through medium and small sized fuel. Cap it off with a small tee pee fire that will ignite your top row of fuel.


Stack each layer flat and perpendicular to the previous layer. This gives you large and stable platform for your tinder bundle and starter Tee Pee fire.

The fire will burn for hours with little or no attention needed depending on how large you build it. But, even if you build it small, this fire generates lots of heat for cooking and will give you a nice bed of coals.

Other than that..

I always have an emergency blanket packed somewhere. One big enough for two people and a first aid kit of some sort.

reply to post by DaddyBare


The rocks we used were not in the river itself, but higher up on the banks where it was dry.
The one I use in the house has been in the house for two years so I am sure it is dry!

Maybe I used the wrong term for the rocks. When I say river rocks, it is the round, smooth and dense rocks that are not necessarily found by the river. They were just shaped by the river over thousands of years and can be found through out the woods.

Very good point that you make though. I could see how that could happen.

reply to post by SkunkSense


Well you know me... big ole worry wart....

just making sure no one gets hurt...

BTW in the Construction Biz those round rocks are called round rocks... normally they are sorted by size like a one inch round for little rocks or four inch round or bigger for the rocks your talking about

Fish Tips

1. If you do not have a fish scalar with you, a metal spoon is quite effective at removing fish scales.

2. After you gut the fish, open the stomach to see what the fish is feeding on. This will give you an idea of what to use for bait as well as what other edibles you will find along the river/pond/stream such as frogs, turtles, crawfish. If the fish is eating them, then they are in the area. I think I would rather eat these things than bugs! Bugs are last on my list to eat.

Oh just one more. This time you have to think outside of a wilderness scenario and think Urban/Suburban Survival where most of us live. Any number of single events or a combination of them can really wreck your day or week.

Summer storms bring tornadoes, wind damage, floods, power outages, mud slides etc Winter of course brings wind, snow, ice and just as many power outages and road closures.

Consider taking practical steps to harden your home against would be intruders looking for your useful stuff.

Entry Doors
-Solid Steel no windows
-quality deadbolts
-3 inch screws in your hinges and strike plates
-reinforce your door jamb with a 6 foot piece of thin steel bar stock fastened to your framing with 3 inch screws. This spreads out the force of a kicked entry.
-if you do have glass around your door consider strengthening it with security film

Windows
-double locks reinforced with steel through pins
-precut pieces of 3/4" plywood for each window if things really get bad. You can preinstall hanger bolts to your exterior trim and predrill your panels accordingly to speed installation.

Exterior motion activated lighting
Beware of dog sign
NRA sticker for your window
Glass Block basement windows
Small stash of additional 2x4, 2x6 lumber for additional reinforcing if needed.


The possibilities are endless. Above all use your head and try to thing like a desperate thug or desperate neighbor who laughed at all of your prep work.

reply to post by jibeho


One more thing a person could use, (I did see this from another poster on another thread) is the inside doors such as closet doors, bathroom & bedroom doors. Take these down to place/nail across windows if you do not have plywood.

A few other items that come in handy…

1. Vinegar: Has so many uses all the way to relieving itchy areas on the skin to cleaning/disinfecting, relieving medical conditions such as sore throat and sunburn.
More uses for Vinegar: 150 uses for Vinegar

2. Dental Floss: Use as fishing line, clothes line, make a fish net and sewing.
More uses for dental floss: 30 Uses for Dental Floss

3. Solar lights: Great at home or out in the wilderness. If electricity goes out, the solar lights are great to use as night lights. I prefer to use the solar lights first before using up batteries or matches to light candles.

Single ladies - to deter burglars put a used pair of men's work boots next to your door. Put a guns and ammo or better yet Soldier of Fortune magazine on the table or chair outside in obvious sight.

To start a fire in the rain: Cut tiny strips of rubber from the outside of your shoe or boot sole and place them together lengthwise in the middle of your tinder, once lit it stays burning even in heavy rain.

the only tip i can think of is camp location.

never ever put yourself in a flood zone. and stay away from dying trees or lmbs that can fall and CRUSH you when your alseep.

reply to post by seedofchucky


Lol thats grim! I genuinely believe 50% of survivalists cant wait for it to happen because they love the thought of the challange, the other 50% just want it to happen so they can be smug and think ahhh 'I told you so' to everyone else!

reply to post by clintdelicious


Or like me... an avid outdoorsman....and when I'm not out there hunting and fishing... I'm writing and talking about hunting and fishing...

Why I write all these little article is simply because it's damn hard to get straight answers from from people who know and are not looking to make a quick buck...

now for another tip...

Know your calls
Grunt: Best during pre-rut, when bucks are challenging each other.

Doe Bleat: Anytime to arouse curiosity. Best used during early bow season.

Distressed Fawn Bleat: Anytime. Best for attracting does -- it can bring'em running.

Buck Roar: Possibly during the pre-rut, to challenge another, larger buck.