Disaster Preparation

An every day carry (EDC) kit could be the difference between life and death if you are caught away from home in a disaster. This video will show you what you should include in a EDC that you will carry with you at all times, ensuring that you are never unprepared in case the worst happens.

An EDC, or every day carry, is a survival it meant to be carried at all times in case of a disaster. This video will teach you how to assemble a compact and effective EDC that will make you prepared for most urban survival situations.

In a survival situation, one of the most vital pieces of gear you can have is a fire starting kit. If you aren't adept at starting fire and want to be prepared for a disaster, watch this video for a guide to assembling a basic waterproof fire starting kit that will start a fire for you in a wide variety of survival situations.

A fire is the second most important thing you need to have in most survival situations, so having a good fire starting kit in your wilderness survival gear is crucial. This video will show you a variety of great fire starting tools you can include in your survival gear and how to use them best. These include tea light candles, waterproof matches, cotton balls, and ingenious combinations thereof.

Fatwood is an immense boon for any wilderness survival situation. It's a type of tree that has soaked up tons of nutrients from the ground and is perfect for starting fires. It can be broken down into kindling that will start fires for you time and time again. This video will teach you how to find fatwood and how to use it once you find it.

Charcloth is basically charred cloth (surprisingly enough) that doubles an an excellent tinder source for starting fires. This video will show you how to easily make charcloth out of an old t-shirt, a metal tin, and a fire. Now you'll be able to start fires much more easily at home and in the bush.

The USGI poncho is a vital part of nearly every US soldiers gear, and can be used for more than just protecting you from the rain as clothing. It can also be fashioned into a shelter for wilderness camping, and this video will teach you how to do it.

Come on baby light my fire! If you're going to be a survivalist, the first thing you'll need to know is how to start a fire. This simply video shows how to use a piece of quartz and a piece of steel to build yourself a fire and stay alive! In addition, the video shows how to pack it all together in a nifty little Altoids tin.

Spark it up and learn how to light a fire with steel wool and a ferro rod. This is another method of fire starting which is simple, easy and effective. With your ferrocerium rod, some dry brush, leaves and a gentle breath you'll be on your way to heat, warmth and survival.

If you're going to survive in the wild you're going to need something to eat. This video shows how to build what's called an Asian monitor trap, ideal for catching small animals. With a few tree branches, some cord and bait, you could be dining on squirrel tonight!

Lighting a fire in the wilderness can be tricky, but having a piece of charcloth can make the task easier. Charcloth is carbonized cotton fiber, which lights easily when exposed to a spark, making your task of lighting a fire in the wild, much, much easier. You'll need a fire, a metal container with a lid and a piece of cotton fabric. Voila, charcloth!

When building a fire in the wild you'll need some hard steel, a sparking tool, such as a ferrocerium rod and something to actually light on fire. If you have access to it, cotton wood is a great choice. It's dry fibers light easy when exposed to a ferro rod spark and this video shows you how it's done.

Building a fire in the wild is key to survival. A simple way to get the job done is with a piece of charcloth (carbonized cotton fiber). Charcloth makes for a highly effective piece of tinder to ensure you'll have a warm fire tonight. You'll need your hardened steel, your sparking stone, dry leaves or sticks and of course your piece of charcloth. Get cooking!

Originally used by Spanish cowboys for rounding up cattle, the bola is a simple and effective hunting tool. This video shows how to construct and use this weapon so that you can defend yourself, or hunt something, while trying to survive in the wild. You'll need a piece of cord and two equal weights, like some heavy lug nuts.

When you're surviving in the wild there's no running to 7-11 to grab some snacks. It's all up to you. This excellent instructional video teaches you how to build and set an Asian trail spring trap. Primarily, this trap would be used for medium sides animals as they make their way along a forest trail. The trap requires a heavy object near the trail (ideally a rock, or fallen log), a length of fine, strong cordage, a 4ft piece of sapling and several small branches for this device's triggering...

OK, your flashlight just died, but wait, don't throw it out! In this quick and simple video, you can learn how to use the parabolic lens from that dead flashlight to start a fire in the wild. You'll need a parabolic lens, some dry ignition material for kindling and you'll need a bright, sunny day.

Wilderness survival requires smarts, know how and a well equiped emergecy kit to make sure you stay dry, warm and fed. This excellent video tells you what you need to know to put together the essential items of your personal emergency/survival kit. The items include:

There are a multitude of traps you can set when hunting in the wild, but you've got to understand proper trigger theory or you won't be bringing home the bacon, or the grouse. This informative how to introduces you to the dog-bone trigger, which can be used in ten or more different traps. You'll need a sapling, some bankline cordage, a t-bone stick and a handful of twigs. Learn it up your chances of survival.

If you've ever gotten your car stuck in a blizzard or been lost on a wilderness drive in winter, you know that keeping that car warm is vital to your comfort and even survival. Using the heater means keeping the car on though, and that means consuming precious fuel. And what if the car breaks down? Watch this video for instructions on how to make a portable emergency heater for your car that will keep it between 60-70 degrees for about 24 hours burning only rubbing alcohol. It could save your...

A bug out bag, or BOB, is a prepared bag, usually a backpack, designed to sustain you for up to 72 hours while your escape wherever you are in case of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other catastrophe. This video will teach you everything you need to know to prepare an effective BOB that will help ensure your survival.

Though it's unlikely you'll ever have a need for hostage survival skills, it never hurts to take in a few tips on what to do in the event of being accosted by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa. Wired has tracked down a HowTo guide that addresses such a scenario. Though most of the advice is fairly general, one important point addresses the dangers of lighting up with the enemy:

How far would you go to save your life?

In this how-to video from the TyingItAllTogether Channel, learn how to tie Clifford W. Ashley's flower knot. Ashley is the author and illustrator of a book he wrote about tying various types knots, including ones that he created himself. In his book, Ashley shows how to tie this knot, but does not show in his illustrations how to actually hold and tie the knot in one's hand. This video tutorial seeks to clarify those steps. You will need to begin with a piece of rope folding it in half to...

For all of you who are knot fans, here comes a video tutorial showing step by step and in detail how to tie an Emperor's hat knot that realistically resembles one of the hats worn by Chinese emperors in the old days. In this video, a white piece of rope hanging from a hook is used against a black background. You will see each one of the twists and turns in slow speed (not in slow motion) so that you can easily follow what is being shown. The final result is a complex knot done in less than five...

In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie bush bar belt and belt knots with parcord. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying these knots yourself, watch this video guide.

In this knot-tying tutorial, we learn how to fasten a perfect "good luck" knot—a knot so named because it is said one requires quite a lot of luck to tie it properly. Not so, says video creator TyingItAllTogether. For all of the relevant details, and to get started tying this knot yourself, take a look.

In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie a knarr knot. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying perfect knarr knots yourself, watch this video guide.

In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie a KBK bar fusion knot. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying KBR bar knots yourself, watch this video guide.

In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie a stitched switchback strap. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying round stitched switchback yourself, watch this video guide.

In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie a round brocade or "six-petal" knot. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying round brocade knots yourself, watch this video guide.

The normal body temperature in humans is 98.6 degrees. At 95 degrees, hypothermia has already set in. At 86 degrees, you're unconscious. Next, is death. So, when you're on an frozen-over lake, use extreme caution on that seemingly solid ice, because if you fall through, it just might be your last swim.

In this tutorial, we learn how to make dogbane cordage. Dogbane is also known as Indian hemp, which is a plant which is used to make cordage. Once you identify the plant outside, you can process it into a raw and finished product. First, you will simply peel the bark off of a branch of the dogbane. After this, you will squeeze along the inside of it and start to peel the layers back. You will then get a bushy type of wood that looks like it's hair. After this, you can tie these together or...

California is struck by earthquakes everyday, but the biggest ones, on average, appear every 150 years, just south of the San Gabriel Mountains. The last super-destructive earthquake in California was over 300 years ago, which could mean a long overdue Californian earthquake is on the horizon.

In this video, we learn how to modify your machete for the bush. First, you can sharpen your blade on a piece of wood. You will produce wood shavings that will produce fire as well. Push down on the sides of the knife as well as base and on the tip and middle. Make sure you slightly sharpen the back as well so you can use it to open up coconuts. Once you do this, you will have five useful edges on your machete that you can use for many different purposes while you are out traveling. You can...

Whether it's research, a school project or term paper, going on an expedition, what have you, having to preserve animal tracks should be a part of your bag of tricks that you can do. But don't just grab some random plaster of paris and just start pouring. Check out this video first and learn how to properly preserve the animal tracks that you find in the wild.

Porphyra umbilical. Most know it as laver, a type of edible seaweed found along the Wales coastline, and also other areas in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Porphyra umbilical is best known for the Welsh delicacy of laverbread.

In this tutorial, we learn how to make your home safe and secure with tips from Lowe's. You should do a safety check on your house at least once a year. Start with the entryway, making sure you have an insulated wood door in the doorway. Make sure there is a lock and a deadbolt lock on the door as well. Once inside, make sure you have timers to control your lighting, so it can come on even when you're not at home to detract any robbers. In the garage, make sure you have an electronic door...

Lightning storms are beautiful to watch but deadly to be out in. If you find yourself caught out in a thunderstorm there are several easy guidelines you can use to stay safe, and this video will teach them to you.

A swarm of locusts might be a biblical plague, but they really can't hurt people directly. They can destroy your farm or garden in no time though, so watch this video for tips of protecting your garden or farm from a swarm of locusts.

The snake belly bar, in essence, is a product of multiple snake belly knots, tied together in series. This great bar makes a great bracelet or strap and is easy to make if you know the right pattern. In this video you will get an up close look at how to tie this knot from start to finish.