Hot Disaster Preparation How-Tos
How To: Finish of the end of a rope with back braiding
Back braiding, as demonstrated in this how-to video, is used instead of a whipping to hold the strands at the end of a rope together. Back braiding is the simple process of braiding the loose strands of a piece of rope. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to back braid a rope.
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: 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: 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: Use a machete in the jungle
Myke Hawke shows you why a machete is one of the most important things to have in the jungle. He illustrates how to use the point, middle bow and the fine curved whittler. Use a machete in the jungle.
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: Make sparks without matches or a lighter
How to make sparks without matches or a lighter
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 supposedly was invented in Britain, but eventually spread throughout the world, going beyond the prisons, even into our own homes. But the hangman's knot isn't all doom and gloom. There are plenty of useful (and non-lethal) applications for the hangman's knot, like as a fishing or boating knot. Everyone should know this roped knot, and this tutorial will show you the knot-tying process. Just remember, to be...
How To: Light a match without a matchbook cover
When your matchbook cover is shot, you can still get a light from a match. Learn how to light a match on the bottom of a coffee mug. Fun survival skills when you have a match and no cover - the ceramic of the mug provides the friction necessary to light a match.
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: Tie an eye splice loop into the end of a rope
An eye splice is the best way to create a permanent loop on the end of a multi-strand rope. Whether you need an eye splice loop to hold a hammock up in your backyard or need one for your nautical voyages, this survival training video will teach you step by step how to tie one.
How To: Make a Fire by Rubbing Two Sticks Together!
Here's a survival technique for making a fire with the most basic of resources—assuming you can find two sticks to rub together!
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: 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: Start a fire using potato chips
Did you know that there is enough fat and oil in most chips that they can be lit on fire? See how a potato chip (or similar chip) can be used to start a fire in a survival situation in this instructional video. Just don't burn up all your food.
How To: Start a fire with quartz
Making a fire is important in order to stay warm and more importantly stay alive. In this video tutorial you'll find out how to use a quartz, old file, and the back end of your knife to help start a fire. And again, remember that fire can be dangerous and cause major damage to not only you but to the environment. So be careful!
How To: Create a grip with paracord
When is a knot not a knot? When it's a grip. The knot outlined in this video isn't a knot per se but a way to wrap objects to increase their grip and also to store extra paracord. Specifically, this video demonstrates how to County Comm Micro Widgy Bar, which is a miniature pry bar. It’s made from hardened D9 steel and is around 3? in overall length.
Campfire Secrets: How to Start a Fire Using a Pencil, Jumper Cables, & Car Battery
What happens when you need to build a fire, but you forgot your matches and lighter? What if you don't know the fire-plow method, the bow and drill method, or even the flint and steel method (not that you would have flint, because you forgot your lighter)?
How To: Make a fork and spoon in the bush
In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to make utensils in the wilderness. You'll see how to make a wooden fork, spoon, pot hanger and support when out in the woods. Also, learn how to clean your knife using moss. A nice piece of hazel wood is what you'll want for this survival bushcraft technique.
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: Survive a knife attack from behind
This video details how to survive a knife threat from behind. When threatened from behind with a knife, do not attempt to move the body first, this will result in the attacker maintaining the capability to thrust the knife into the body. When threatened, place arms out and low in a submissive position, this is to be followed by moving the left arm backward in a sweeping motion to push aside the arm which is holding the knife. Once the arm is moved, turn the body and bring the elbow up into an...
How To: Build a RanDome Geodesic Emergency Shelter
This method is easy, intuitive and requires very little math. You will need:
How To: Make a bandana into a sling for wilderness hunting
You're out of ammunition, you've lost your knife and you need something to hunt with. If you've got a bandana you're still in luck. This short video shows you how to turn your bandanna into an improvised sling for hunting in the wild.
How To: Wrap a tagelmust /shemagh /keffiyeh /pashmina to protect from the sun
What's the best way to learn how to tie an efficient and sturdy pashmina/shemagh? Why, ask someone who ties one every day, of course. Take a gander at this helpful tutorial to learn how to tie one of these babies on your head quickly from your Middle Eastern instructor.
How To: Construct and set an Asian bird trap from Laos
Here is a clear, step-by-step guide for building and setting a an Asian bird trap from Laos. This simple and effective trap requires some seeds, a small piece of bamboo, 4ft of cordage, and a young sapling. This trap can catch everything from small birds up to a jungle chicken.
How To: Build your own hidden safe
With over 6 million break-ins across the nation a year, Here's a cheap quick and easy way to hide your smaller more valuable goodies! Build your own hidden safe.
How To: Make a fishing spear survival weapon
Check out this video from Forest Monkey Productions on how make a survival fishing spear. This little tool can mean the difference between eating and dying in the wild. The steps are shown and described in great detail, including what kind of strokes to use while cutting your spear.
How To: Disable an attacker
Ever wanted to know how to disable an attacker? The trick to getting away from an assailant – even one who's bigger and stronger than you are – is to hit 'em where it hurts.
How To: Make an emergency candle from a crayon
When you're without power, and, you don't have conventional lighting, you can use crayons for candles. See how it's done.
How To: Assemble a 72-hour load-bearing equipment (LBE) survival kit
If you find yourself in a wilderness survival situation that demands a high degree of mobility, you're better off with a load-bearing equipment (LBE) system than a traditional survival backpack. This video will teach you how to assemble an LBE that will allow you to survive on the move for 1-3 days until you can find a more permanent solution.
How To: Tie the spinal sinnet
Quick easy steps to create a spinal spinnet by TyingItAllTogether. Using a good length of thick cord, create a small loop. Put one end of the cord on top of the other, bringing the top cord over and around the bottom cord and slipping a bit of the cord into the loop, creating another small loop. Pull on the bottom cord until the first loop closes into a knot. Slide the end of the cord into the new loop and pull on the cord to close the loop, creating a new loop. Twist the new loop and again b...
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: Use an empty lighter to create fire in an emergency
Even when your lighter (whether piezo or flintwheel) is empty, you can get another light or fire! The Isobutane propellant and flammable base gives you a temporary ignitable fuel source.
How To: Survive hiking in the Appalachian mountains
In this survival video series, learn how to survive hiking in the Appalachian Mountains from hiking expert David Jackel. David will teach you how to survive hiking in the Appalachian Mountains with camping tips and survival techniques such as how to pack for a camping trip in the Appalachians, how to choose footwear for hiking in the mountains, how to find firewood in the Appalachians, how to start a fire, how to find shelter when hiking, how to handle rain in the Appalachian Mountains, how t...
How To: Recognize and avoid poison ivy
Life is not always a walk in the woods, but when it is, make sure you don’t step in the poison ivy. Leaves of three, don't touch me or Leaves of three, let it be is a pretty good rule of thumb as poison ivy comes in many colors and varieties. This video nature safety tutorial shows how to look out for and prevent the uncomfortable burning that results from any contact with poison ivy.
How To: Tie a two-color switchback strap
Switchback straps are an easy, efficient way to carry around a lot of cord, rope, or string. They also look cool, especially the two-color version demonstrated in this video. They may look simple to tie, but as you know if you've tried to tie one without instructions before, they certainly aren't!
How To: Survive spiders, snakes, & scorpions
Watch Ray Mears from the BBC explore the most dangerous threats in the desert--spiders, snakes, and scorpions--with a desert ranger. Learn how to avoid black widows by observing an area before you sit down! Do not "mess with any animals you know nothing about." If stung, stay calm.
How To: Make Your Own Charcoal
Hello, all. In this article, I will be showing you how to make one of the most useful products known to man. I am talking, of course, about charcoal.
How To: Open almost any door with this easy lockpicking trick
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to open almost any door with an easy lock picking trick. Begin by prying open the door top. To do this, users will need to use a knife, the end of a hammer, crowbar or any other kind of tool that can pry. Slide the tool through the door stop. Once you pry open the door stop, take a thin, sharp object, such as a knife or credit card and slide it through the latch. Now push the door to open it. This video will benefit those viewers who have accidentally...
How To: Open a locked zippered luggage bag
In this how to video, you will learn how to open a locked zippered luggage bag. This is very useful if you plan a trip and forget the key to the lock of your luggage bag. All you need is a normal pen. Remove the lid of the pen. Apply pressure in between the zipper. Once you get through, slide the pen all the way around to open the luggage. This will open the luggage and you will have access to the entire inside. Once you are done, you can close it back with the pen or the zipper. It will be u...
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