Hot Disaster Preparation How-Tos
How To: Wrap a 550 cord around the handle of a breacher bar
Breacher bars are like the much cooler older brother to the swiss pocket knife. In fact, there's little comparison between the two. A breacher bar, which is a rectangular shaped knife, is used by SWAT teams and bomb techs to easily and quickly cut through and pry open just about anything. But safety comes first.
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: Make Brazilian bushcraft survival tools: coconut containers, bamboo spoons etc
Brazil is a country rich in natural resources and splendor, making it a great place for outdoor enthusiasts. If you venture into the Brazilian wilderness and find yourself in need of precious survival supplies, or just want to make some cool stuff out of exotic plants, watch this video for instructions on making Brazilian bushcrafts like coconut containers and bamboo spoons.
How To: Make one meter of cordage from 2 leaves of Spiked Aloe plant
In a survival situation making cordage out of plants can enable you to construct apparatus you never would have been able to otherwise and save you life. This video will teach you how to make a meter of cordage out of 2 leaves from a Spiked Aloe plant.
How To: Make solid fuel for starting fires in the wilderness with cotton balls and wax
Tinder is difficult to come by in the best of conditions, but in a damp wilderness survival situation finding it can be downright impossible. Enter this video. It will teach you how to make solid fuel fire starters out of cotton balls and candle wax, which you can use to start a fire even in wet conditions.
How To: Pack basic equipment for a short trip to the wilderness
Brazil has more untamed wilderness than almost anywhere else, so you can trust their survival experts to know what they're doing. In this video a Brazilian survival expert will detail all of the basic supplies that he packs for any trip into the bush and why you should do the same.
How To: Put together a wilderness survival kit in a canvas bag
A compact survival kit is a great piece of gear to bring with you into the wilderness even if you have a larger pack as well, to serve as a backup. This video features a Brazilian wilderness survival expert detailing the contents of his compact survival pouch, a homemade canvas model.
How To: Assemble an every day carry kit, or EDC, for urban survival
Most people can barely be bothered to carry their wallets all the time, let alone a survival kit. When they're all dead from a massive natural disaster or terrorist attack, you'll know you were right to watch this video and prepare an every day carry (EDC) kit that ensure you will have the tools you need to survive with you at all times.
How To: Pack a survival backpack or bug out bag (BOB)
Whether you call it a survival backpack, bug out bag, get home bag, or 72-hour kit, having a backpack full of survival gear is a must for anyone concerned about disaster survival. This video series will show you how to pack an ideal survival backpack that contains everything you need to survive for 72 hours or more in an emergency in a package you can carry on your back.
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: Cook with an ESBIT stove for camping or survival situations
There are all sorts of small survival stoves available, and the ESBIT stoves are some of the best. This video will teach you how to use an ESBIT stove to start a fire, even in the rain, and cooke a delicious and healthy backpacking meal on it.
How To: Get the right storebought food for a survival kit
Many survivalists believe that MRE's are the way to go for survival food supplies, but they are expensive for civilians and there are storebought options that work just as well. This video will teach you about a wide variety of storebought foods that will keep for ages and make great fuel for any survival kit.
How To: Make a mini fishing kit to include in your survival gear
Fishing is a great way to acquire meat in a survival situation, but bringing fishing gear in a survival gear kit is very space-consuming. This video will teach you how to make a complete mini fishing kit for packing in your survival bag that contains everything you need for small-scale fishing and could give you the food you need to survive.
How To: Pack the 10 most important survival essential for any trip to the wilderness
If you venture out into the wilderness without at least the 10 pieces of gear described in this video, you are unprepared for an emergency situation. This is a great video for beginning outdoorspeople that will teach you about the ten most important survival gear pieces to bring with you on any trip into the wilderness.
How To: Put together an every day carry (EDC) kit for emergency survival situations
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.
How To: Pack an EDC, or every day carry, for urban survival situations
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.
How To: Start a fire on a rainy day in the wilderness
Rain hampers many survival situations by making fires both more necessary and more difficult to start. This video will give you some expert advice on how to start a fire in the rain the woods, which has a greater chance of helping you survive than almost any other survival skill you can have.
How To: Assemble a basic survival fire starting kit
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.
How To: Make an advanced fire starting kit and use it
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.
How To: Take into account magnetic declination when using a compass to navigate
If you plan on using a compass as you sole means of navigation in a survival situation, you had better be familiar with magnetic declination and how it affects compass navigation. This video will teach you all about magnetic declination and how you need to take it into account when planning your route on a map with a compass.
How To: Find and use fatwood to start fires in the wilderness
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.
How To: Make charcloth for easy fire starting with a t-shirt and a metal tin
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.
How To: Start a fire in the wilderness by using a Fresnel lens to magnify sunlight
The more ways you know to start a fire in the bush, the greater your chances of survival. This video will show you how to use a Fresnel lens, a specialized magnifying glass, to magnify sunlight and start a fire. A more refined application of the magnifying-glass-melting-ants-on-the-sidewalk principle.
How To: Make a wilderness shelter out of USGI poncho
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.
How To: Light a fire with a piece of quartz and steel
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.
How To: Make a durable piece of cord with a roll of duct tape
You're in the wild, without rope or string and you need something to tie down your tent. What do you do? Well, if you have that ever handy roll of duct tape you're in luck. This survival tip shows how to turn a piece of duct tape into a handy length of cord to use however you please.
How To: Use a ferro rod and steel wool to start a fire
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.
How To: Make and set an Asian monitor trap to catch small animals
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!
How To: Identify Flint and Other Types of Sparking Rocks to Light a Fire
If you're going to start a fire in the wild, you will need the right kind of rock. This great little video helps you identify the type of rock you'll need to light a fire in the wild successfully. You'll need some high-carbon steel for striking your sparking rock; then you'll be ready to make sparks.
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: Make a charcloth for lighting fires in the wild
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!
How To: Use cotton wood bark to light a fire with a ferro rod
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.
How To: Ignite a piece of charcloth with a knife and flint
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!
How To: Make and use an improvised bola using a cord and 2 lug nuts
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.
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: Construct and set up an Asian trail spring trap
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 ...
How To: Use your flashlight's parabolic lens to start a fire in the wild
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.
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.
How To: Put together a 10-piece emergency survival kit
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:
How To: Use the dog-bone trigger system for setting various traps
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.