How To: Eat & extract water from a cactus

John Campbell demonstrates how to eat and extract water from a cactus. You can eat a cactus from the hedgehog plant family. First, cut off the top of the cactus and skin down the sides, cutting off the cactus spines. Cutting the cactus will not hurt it because it can heal itself. The cactus meat will be like a sticky cucumber. Try to avoid the central core because it is stringy but you can eat the cactus meat. Wrap the meat in a bandana, squish it and wring it out to extract the water from th...

How To: Purify Urine for Drinking with an Emergency Solar Still

It’s called Urophagia—the art of consuming urine. There could be any number of reasons for having the desire to drink your own urine (or somebody else’s). There’s the so-called term “urine therapy,” which uses human urine as an alternative medicine. In urine therapy, or uropathy, it’s used therapeutically for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes. There’s also those people who drink urine as sexual stimulation, where they want to share every part of each other. And then there’s the o...

How To: Build & Hide a Campfire from Your Enemies — The Dakota Fire Pit

Fire.  It’s everywhere— always has been.  From the Ordovician Period where the first fossil record of fire appears to the present day everyday uses of the Holocene.  Today, we abundantly create flames (intentionally or unintentionally) in power plants, extractive metallurgy, incendiary bombs, combustion engines, controlled burns, wildfires, fireplaces, campfires, grills, candles, gas stoves and ovens, matches, cigarettes, and the list goes on... Yet with our societies' prodigal use of fire, t...

How To: Start a fire with the "fire piston" method

Nick Spadaro shows how to make a fire with a fire piston. This device creates fire by compression, just like a deisel engine. You can find these online. Lubricate the gasket with just about anything, including chapstick or animal fat. Then put it in and make sure you have a nice fit. Pick your tender, preferably birch tender fungus, a nice spongy material. Put it in the piston, and put the piston on your leg. Your going to want to strike the piston sharply, straight down, so as not to break t...

How To: Tie a Great Hangman's Noose (Or Hangman's Knot)

The hangman's noose is infamous for its use in hanging prisoners during executions. It was supposedly invented in Britain but eventually spread throughout the world, going beyond the prisons and even into our own homes. But the hangman's knot isn't all doom and gloom. There are plenty of practical (and non-lethal) applications for the hangman's knot, like a fishing or boating knot. Everyone should know this roped knot; this tutorial will show you the knot-tying process. Just remember, to be a...

How To: Make a primitive spear in the wild with only a knife

If you are in the wild and have nothing to do, just to play around with your knife , then you should surely watch this video. First, you have to find a knife. After that you must find a good branch or piece of wood that's the same size as a spear. After that you must take the branch or piece of wood and sharpen one of the ends. Then , you must put the sharpened end in the fire so it begins to turn black. After that cut it again and this time cut it so it will be sharp enough to cut. It can se...

How To: Coil 550 parachute cord

Here is a technique for coiling parachute cord or any other thin rope / twine. Learn how to survive in the wild. You never know when you'll be stranded on a desert island, lost in the deep woods, or be a contender for Survival, the TV show. This series of videos, by Hedgehog Leatherworks, brings you the basics in outdoor survival. Wilderness survival skills include fire starting, deadfall traps, primitive fishing, making jerky, rope & cordage skills, and more. For the outdoor enthusiasts, enj...

How To: Tie a tensionless hitch with a knot tying animation

Watch this knot tying animation (fast or slow) to learn how to tie the tensionless hitch. This animated knot tying tutorial is the best you'll find. With this knot tying how to, you can tie the tensionless hitch Knot fast or slow, or pause it at every step along the way. Learn to tie knots for your next outdoor trip. Tie a tensionless hitch with a knot tying animation.

How To: Make a simple coyote well water filter

When you're trying to survive in the wild, clean water is an absolute must. This video shows you a simple and easy method to build a basic water's edge, water filter device called a coyote well water filter. Though this filter will NOT remove toxins or pathogens, in an emergency it's an effective way of filtering out the big, nasty stuff.

How To: Make a survival fire from a battery and staple

Check out this how-to video to start a fire using an AA battery and a staple. You can do this while listening to the classical guitar piece, "Malaguena" if you feel like it. It could save your life! With your battery: start by cutting the plastic away from the negative terminal. Watch the video survival training tutorial for more tips on starting an emergency fire!

How To: Tie an Arab-style shemagh two different ways

A shemagh, or a keffiyeh, is a traditiona Arab headdress that's worn by Arab men. Made from a square scarf, it protects their heads and face from desert wind and sun. It's also multifunctional - warm at night and lightweight during the day. These scarves have even become adopted by the U.S. Cavalry to protect themselves during long treks outdoors.

How To: Tie the basket weave knot

In this video, we learn how to tie the basket weave knot. First, place the string on a hook, then cross the two sides and make a loop. Next, make the loop wider and take the right and left strings up, then pull the loops down to make a pretzel shape. Now, twist the bottom loops around and place one on top of the other. After this, push them on either side of each other, then bring the right string around and loop it through the left loop, then bring the left string into the right bottom loop....

How To: Escape from Dual Zip Tie Handcuffs

You are not having a good day. You've been abducted by sinister folks, and your hands are tied by a pair of zip ties bound together. How will you escape? In this tutorial, the guys at ITS Tactical show you how to escape from these bound cable ties, which are frequently used as makeshift handcuffs by police and military personnel, along with mischievous kidnappers. To break free, believe it or not, all you need is a little force.

How To: Tie a right angle knot like Navy SEALS

You're underwater, and you need to tie a knot. (Hey, it could happen!) What do you do? In this tutorial from the folks at ITS Tactical, you'll learn how to tie a right angle knot. This is a knot used by navy SEALs, and if you ever end up needing to tie a knot underwater, you'll be very glad you watched this video.

How To: Fight off a vampire

You never know when you'll have to defend yourself against one of these bloodsuckers, so be prepared to bring a vampire to his knees. While you may not believe in vampires, there are those that do. In any case, prepare now for a hypothetical attack from the un-dead and you won't have to kick yourself later. You will need garlic, a cross, rice, grain, or seeds, holy water, a wooden stake, an axe, matches, and some water. Watch this video survival training tutorial and learn how to fight off a ...

How To: Make your own fire piston

Watch this how-to video and make a lighter that never runs out of fuel and that's so simple, it can't break. It works just like a Diesel engine - as air is rapidly compressed it heats to over 800 degrees. You can make one for just a couple dollars. This video tutorial will show you how to be prepared in the wilderness, or the apocalypse. Just make your own fire piston.

How To: How the Headrest in Your Vehicle Can Potentially Save Your Life One Day

If you ever find yourself in a car that's submerged under water, your first instinct should be to try and open either the window or the door in the first few seconds of touching water. Unfortunately, if you wait any longer than that, the lopsided ambient water pressure subjected to the car will make it impossible to open the car door, and the now ubiquitous power windows will likely short out. Sure, you could wait until the pressure has equalized on both sides of the car, but this usually hap...

How To: Build an Emergency Rucksack with a Poncho & Rope (The Horseshoe Pack)

There’s a good chance that you’ll be alone in life one day, and no... I’m not talking about a couch-bound, dateless loser with a pocket pussy and a bag of potato chips. I’m talking about alone. In the wilderness. Hungry. Cold. Lost. You can’t stay in one place too long, so it would be nice to have something to carry your belongings in. Maybe it’s post-apocalyptic land where you’re the sole survivor, and all the backpacks and rucksacks in the world are but mere ash. Either way, knowing this si...

How To: Make a wooden spear from scratch

Making a wooden spear requires a between medium and small thick stick, a rectangular piece of board, a hatchet and a wood clipper. The branches off the stick is removed and thrown away. The stick is clipped at the smaller end. It is then placed on the board and the larger end is cut off with the hatchet, while the stick rotates in a circular motion on the board to remove the outer skin. Closer attention is paid the shaping and cutting of the point of that larger side to get it in formation. T...

How To: Boil water without pots or pans

This video illustrate how to boil water without pots or pans. Here are the following steps:Step 1: You need fire, water and any plastic container with lid.Step 2: Now take water and fill it in the bottle so that there is no air present in the bottle.Step 3: Now put on the fire and put the seal bottle on fire with a distance of around 12 inch.Step 4: Now let the heat warm up the bottle and be careful while handling the bottle.Step 5: After the water has heated up, bubbles will appear in the bo...

How To: Make a primitive wilderness loom

Staying warm is important to making sure that you survive. Whether it be the end of the world or you find yourself lost in the wilderness, keeping dry and warm is key to survival. In this two part tutorial find out how to make a primitive wilderness loom and a mat to sleep on.

How To: Make a teepee from an inexpensive tarp

Ever wanted to build a backyard teepee? Here's your chance! In this two-part tutorial, learn how to contruct an inexpensive teepee out of a tarp. Easy to set-up, this teepee is roomy and fun to play in no matter what age you are! If in the wilderness, use this teepee for reliable shelter from cold or warm weather.

How To: Create an Ojibwa bird trap

The Pathfinder School offers bird enthusiasts this video tutorial that shows how to construct an Ojibwa Bird Trap. Using a series of sticks, anyone can learn how to create this bird trap, which works when a bird's weight triggers a snare. Learn the tips and techniques of what works and what doesn't in terms of materials to create a successful Ojibwa bird trap. The tutorial will explain what size sticks you need and how the trap should be constructed to successfully catch a bird.

How To: Start a fire with your cellphone

Ever wanted to know how to make a fire with your cell phone? All you need is a cell phone, a brillo pad, and material for tinder. First take the battery out of your phone and find the positive and negative contacts on the bottom of it. Next tear off a chunk of the brillo pad, roll it up until you have a twisted piece about an inch long. Bend the steel wool over and touch an end to the positive and the other end to the negative contacts on the battery. That causes the steel wool to smolder--no...

News: Make Fire With a Condom

From Wildwood Survival, how to make fire with a condom and water. Okay, so article author Rob Bicevskis doesn't use a condom (he suggests any kind of "plastic wrap"), but I think a condom makes it a little more fun. Nicely photographed how-to, click through for the text steps. Additional fire-condom How-To video further down.

How To: Construct an improved figure four deadfall trap

Learn how to construct an improved version of the figure four deadfall trap. Learn how to survive in the wild. You never know when you'll be stranded on a desert island, lost in the deep woods, or be a contender for Survival, the TV show. This series of videos, by Hedgehog Leatherworks, brings you the basics in outdoor survival. Wilderness survival skills include fire starting, deadfall traps, primitive fishing, making jerky, rope & cordage skills, and more. For the outdoor enthusiasts, enjoy...

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