Hot Disaster Preparation Posts
How To: Make a Slammin' Fire Piston for Under a Buck
Did you know that there's a way to start a fire by squishing air? In this project, I'll show you how to build a tool that does exactly that—and I'll give you a sneak peak into the principals of how a diesel engine operates!
How To: Make a coiled basket to carry water in
Making a coiled basket can have be used for a variety or reasons, including the ability to carry much needed water. This four part tutorial teaches you how to make a coiled basket using the wilderness around you.
How To: Make rope from plastic bags in an emergency
Need rope, but don't have any. This is a great emergency trick for making rope with plastic bags. This video demonstrates a simple method for converting your used plastic bags into rope. It requires only bags and a working set of hands.
How To: Make an emergency fire with bamboo friction
In this video, you'll learn about friction fire lighting using wild bamboo sticks. So, if you're ever stuck out in Thailand on a cold and damp night, cut down some bamboo and light your own campfire to stay warm! This video shows you this very common technique in Southeast Asia, but takes a little work… and a sharp knife!
How To: Use the yucca plant to care for feminine hygiene
Being in the wilderness for an extended amount of time can be bad for your health. One thing it can do for you is cause major problems in the personal hygiene department. Find out how to keep yourself nice and clean by using a yucca plant.
How To: Make safe drinking water
Using only a plastic bottle, a lighter, a string, and the step-by-step instructions in this how-to video learn how to turn any water into safe, potable drinking water. This is a vital skill for camping, hiking, and even emergency situations when there's something wrong with your running water at home. Check out this video survival training tutorial and learn how to purify water.
How To: Tie a knarr viking merchant ship knot
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.
How To: Make sparks without matches or a lighter
How to make sparks without matches or a lighter
How To: Stay Warm During a Winter Storm Without Any Electricity
It's that time a year when winter storms begin causing havoc across the United States, and when "rotating outages" are common to help sustain the electrical grid during intense cold periods. That means pretty much anybody with snow and ice in their backyard can succumb to power outages. And no electricity means no electric heat.
How To: Suture a wound in an emergency
This two part tutorial will teach you exactly how to close a wound like a doctor would. This is a good skill to master for emergency situations where medical help may not be immediately available. Watch this video for step by step instructions on how to suture.
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: Make a sleeping bag from a wool blanket
This video is about making a mummy type sleeping bag or an over bag for a hammock with a woolen blanket. The first task is to make coat rings and hooks. Take a piece of flexible wire and bend it into a ring of diameter 1 3/4 inch or 2 inches with a overlap of about 1 1/2 inches make 6 or 7 rings. Now take a small straight wire and make a hook of 1 or 1 1/2 inch, make the tips of the wire pointed so that it can penetrate. Overlap the edges of the blanket by 2to3 inches. Fix the rings with the ...
How To: Building and setting an arapuca live bird trap
Need to catch a bird? Only have sticks? This is an intricate method of trapping birds using stick weaving arrangements. This trap is common in Brazil and can be made quickly without tools and only using material on hand. It will result in the live capture of a bird.
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: 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: Purify water 3 different ways
Purify water 3 different waysThere are three water purification methods demonstrated: Chlor floc tablets, 2% tincture of iodine and a MSR hand filter.Gather water into your plastic bottle. Add one chlor floc tablet to one liter of water. Close the top and shake the bottle for one minute. Wait seven to ten minutes. The floculation agent in the tablet takes the dirt out of the water so that it can be separated. Strain the water using a bandana over the cup to trap all loose sediment. The water ...
How To: Start a fire with a battery and a staple
This young fellow demonstrates how to start a fire using a battery and a staple. He suggest you begin with a staple or any thin wire, a AA battery and a knife. On the negative terminal of the battery, he cuts off a piece of the insulation by following the small ring on the battery. Pay attention to the small ring between the top of the terminal and the casing. Look for the gap that has some paper material and pry that up. Insert the staple below the paper into the gap. As you move the staple,...
How To: Tie the caterpillar sinnet
Learn tot tie the caterpillar sinnet with this video tutorial. 1. To start the sinnet, place rope in hands with one piece in your left hand and the other in your right. 2. With the rope piece in your right hand, create a loop with the top of the loop being the piece from your left hand. 3. Take the piece of rope in your right hand and slip a small piece of rope through the loop. 4. Gently pull the rope in your left hand tight. This will have created a new loop and link below it. 5. To create ...
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: Tie a slip bowline knot
A bowline knot can tighten up really easily, in such a way that it's a headache to get the rope untied. The slip bowline knot, however, has a pull tab that releases the knot when you're ready. Watch this video knot-tying tutorial and learn how to tie a slip bowline knot.
How To: Tie hammock hanging knots
The knots demonstrated in this how-to video are a good way to hang a hammock, because it makes it so easy to adjust your hanging height. The whipping knot around the tree will not slip if tied correctly. Make sure to tie the second half hitch or the knot may slip and come loose. As with all knots, use your own discretion and be safe. Watch this video survival training tutorial and learn how to tie some sturdy knots useful for hammock-hanging.
How To: Make a hammock without sewing
No place to sleep tonight? In a pinch, a little bit of rope and some fabric can be transformed into a hammock bed. This is a great skill for camping, emergency situations, or even communal living. Make sure to use a sturdy enough cloth, and replicate these same knots so that the hammock will support the weight. Check out this video survival training tutorial and learn how to make an emergency hammock without sewing.
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: Make Fire-Starting Char Cloth from a T-Shirt Using a Tuna Can
For this project, I sacrificed some of my kids' clothes and a can of tuna to make some high-quality fire starter! Here's how to make a great batch of char cloth to add to your emergency survival kit.
How To: Protect Your Home from Criminals
I am the crime watch co-chairman for our neighborhood crime watch committee of our home owner's association. Instead of making a boring "do this, do that" video, I decided to make a funny video from the eyes of a criminal that specializes in stealing from homes, just like mine. This is meant to teach homeowners what to look out for when keeping their homes safe from criminals.
How To: Make an Emergency Blanket from Recycled Chip Bags
What You Need: 6-9 empty chip bags
How To: Make and set an Asian bird trap snare
All North American birds are edible and therefore a good source of meat if you're trying to survive in the wild. This detailed video shows how to construct and bait an Asian bird trap snare. You'll need some 150lb test bankline, some twigs, an available young sapling and something to bait your trap, such as wild berries.
HowTo: Bound and Gagged Laptop Hack
Bondage isn't just for sex acts. If you got a coil of spare rope hanging around, and your out one messenger bag, here's a knot tying tutorial for a quick, wearable harness. (P.S. it works quite well with large objects, too).
How To: Tie a perfect round crown sinnet
In this handy knot-tying tutorial from JD of Tying It All Together, we learn how to tie a round crown sinnet. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started tying round crown knots yourself, watch this video guide.
How To: Survive a Deadly Tornado (Preparation Tips, DIY Safe Rooms & Aftermath Secrets)
Deadly natural disasters can happen at any moment— earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, fires and especially tornadoes. That's why you have to be prepared.
How To: Tie a genoese zipper sinnet knot easily
The Genoese Zipper Sinnet is actually a fusion of both the single Genoese Bar and the Zipper Sinnet, obvious reasons for the name. This knot can be great for making a strap, bracelet, or necklace. In this video you will learn how to tie the knot up close and personal, giving the video great detail and insight into the knot tying process.
How To: Use a parang knife (Malayan machete) in the tropical wild
If you're ever stuck in the jungles of Southeast Asia, then your only hope for survival is the parang knife, which is a Malayan type machete. This is the ideal tool for the jungle, especially in Malaysia, where the typical vegetation is more woody, and needs something thicker for stronger chopping action. A parang has three different edges: the front is very sharp and used for skinning, the middle is wider and used for chopping, and the back end (near the handle) is very fine and used for car...
How To: Make a survival fishing float bobber from a plastic soda straw
Okay, so you're fishing and you forget the basic essentials… you're fishing pole and your bobber. How are you going to catch a fish with just some fishing line? The answer? Plastic straw.
How To: Tie the Celtic heart knot
In this video, we learn how to tie the Celtic heart knot. Start off with your rope and make a loop in the middle of it. Now, bring the working en on the right side into the loop so you have a circle. Now, bring that end back into the knot and braid it through the other loop. Next, push this through the bottom loop, then braid it through the lines that are on the shape. After this, you will see a heart shape start to form. Pull gently on the heart with both sides of the rope and shape the midd...
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: Cook under a tarp in rain
This is a video about shelter cooking. We are shown how people who are hammock camping in the rain are able to cook under their tarp. This is important because you have to have some way to cook under your shelter when it rains, and there's no way you can have a fire under there without getting smoked out. It makes life easier if you can set up a stove inside your shelter to cook on. We are shown two ways to do this, and both systems work well. One way is to use an alcohol stove. You can make ...
How To: Tie a diamond ring knot
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to tie the Diamond Knot. The diamond knot (or knife lanyard knot) is used as a decoration and joining knot in a cord with a loop. The Diamond Ring Knot is the fusion of an Overhand Knot and a tying technique called circling. The video contains a visual demonstration that allows viewers to have an example and easily follow along. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy tying rope and to use knots to decorate.
How To: Tie a bloody knuckle knot
A bloody knuckle knot is the result of a row of half hitches fused with a blood knot--this video teaches you how to tie one. Make two loops with your rope then loop them over your thumb. Take the tail of the rope and keep making loops and adding them to the others on your thumb, to produce a row of loops. When you have five loops, slide them off your thumb, take the end of the rope and pass it through the loops. Pull out the slack but do not tighten, then take the other tail and pass it throu...
How To: Determine whether wild plants are edible or poisonous
In this video Reggie Bennett from the Mountain Shepherd Survival School teaches us a lot about finding edible plants in the wild. If you find yourself forced to survive in the woods, picking the wrong berry to eat could be deadly. Bennett goes over common misconceptions about foraging for food, and shows us the right way to do it.