Hot Survival Training Posts
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: Use a magnesium fire starter
This is how to use a magnesium fire stick. Steps:
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: 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: Make an Emergency Blanket from Recycled Chip Bags
What You Need: 6-9 empty chip bags
How To: Build an emergency portable car heater for emergency situations
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...
How To: Make a cheap billy can out of an empty paint can
A billycan can be used as either a water tight container, or as a pot for cooking food or boiling water. You can make a billy can for less than three dollars using an empty and clean paint can, a drill and a few small pieces of hardware.
How To: Make a quick bow in the wilderness
John Campbell, from azbushman, demonstrates how to make a quick bow and arrow in the wilderness by collecting natural materials and constructing them with cord. He starts by finding seep willow (also called coyote willow) that grows in clumps near rivers. He cuts ten willow sticks and ranges their lengths from about five feet down to about one foot, each a couple of inches shorter than the next.
How To: Boil water on a leaf in the wilderness
This video shows a tip on how to boil water on a leaf in the wilderness. If you are stuck out in the wilderness and you don't have a plastic bottle for water you can use a leaf to boil water for drinking. Build a fire first. Then find a large enough leaf you can hold it over the fire without burning your hands. Fill the leaf with water and hold it over the fire. Only let the flames lick up against the leaf so it won't burn. The edges will curl up closed but the water will boil in about ninety...
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 your own compass
Matt Preye shows you how to make your own emergency compass. Here are two ways of making your own compass: If you have a sewing needle and a magnet you can magnetize the needle by running it down the magnet a few times. Find some stagnant water and set a leaf in it. Now set the pin down on the leaf, and the leaf will swing just like a compass. If you don't have anything other than the sun, you can do the following: Put a stick in the ground and then add more sticks at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm and ...
How To: Set a racoon snare
You will need a snare made of aircraft cable. Snares are relatively inexpensive. Remember that most likely you will only get one catch out of a cable as they kink when an animal is caught.
News: DIY Penny-Powered Stove
Light-weight, tiny, and easily doable, Mark Jurey's penny stove instructional demonstrates how to make a sleekly simple (and cheap) camping stove.
How To: Safely use a knife, saw and ax as a Boy Scout
Second Class Boy Scouts work on building their outdoor survival and camping skills. Compass work, nature observation, camp tools, and swimming are areas where new skills are mastered and demonstrated. A second class scout, having completed all the requirements, should be able to lead a hike, care for his own equipment, set up a campsite, and perform basic first aid.
How To: Recognize when to use a cooking fire as a Boy Scout
Second Class Boy Scouts work on building their outdoor survival and camping skills. Compass work, nature observation, camp tools, and swimming are areas where new skills are mastered and demonstrated. A second class scout, having completed all the requirements, should be able to lead a hike, care for his own equipment, set up a campsite, and perform basic first aid.
How To: Rescue someone in the water as a Boy Scout
Second Class Boy Scouts work on building their outdoor survival and camping skills. Compass work, nature observation, camp tools, and swimming are areas where new skills are mastered and demonstrated. A second class scout, having completed all the requirements, should be able to lead a hike, care for his own equipment, set up a campsite, and perform basic first aid.
How To: Discuss constitutional rights as a Boy Scout
As a Boy Scout, when the First Class rank is attained, a scout has learned all the basic camping and outdoors skills of a scout. He can fend for himself in the wild, lead others on a hike or campout, set up a camp site, plan and properly prepare meals, and provide first aid for most situations he may encounter. A First Class scout is prepared.
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 seven basic scout knots
How good of a scout were you? This how-to video goes over seven different knots that every boy scout should know how to tie. 7 knots every scout should know is filmed from the knot tying point of view. The bowline, clovehitch, sheetbend, tautline, timber hitch, square knot and two half hitch are covered. Watch this video knot-tying tutorial and learn how to do seven essential scouting knots.
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 a double fisherman's knot or double overhand knot
The double fishermen's knot, as demonstrated in this how-to video, is a safe knot to secure to separate lengths of rope together, forming high-strength loops of cord. This makes it useful in rock-climbing and in search and rescue, especially as a backup for other knots. Check out this video survival training tutorial and learn how to tie a double fisherman's knot or double overhand knot.
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: Survive interrogation
Andy McNab survived six weeks of torture and interrogation in Iraq. He gives us an exclusive guide on how to get through it and win the physical and psychological battle. Watch now! Survive interrogation.
How To: MAKE FIRE with a MAGNIFYING GLASS
90 seconds that could save your life. How to actually MAKE A FIRE with a lens, rather than just burning a hole in a leaf. (Or frying ants, which seems to be the other thing that kids like to do with magnifying glasses.) By forming your target material into an efficient ball, you will be able to start a fire even with very small lenses. Like less than an inch across small. The finer the individual fibres, and the more densely they are packed, the more effective is your ball of smigtin (smoulde...
How To: Terrorist Cheatsheet Explains How to Avoid a Drone Strike
The expanding U.S drone war in the Middle East has sparked controversy back at home, with many Americans protesting against the unmanned airstrikes. The attacks, which are carried out from a network of secret bases around the world, have been scrutinized for their lack of transparency with their "kill list" and ability to supersede the judicial system and assassinate any U.S. citizens that are involved with terrorist groups. To top it off, many are incensed with the accidental killings of civ...
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: 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: Make dogbane cordage or Indian hemp
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 br...
How To: Survive on a cold and snowy mountain with a storm shelter
If you can't find your way back from your hike up the snow covered mountain, and there's a winter storm brewing, you better hope you have your storm shelter in your sack! This video will show you what a storm shelter can do for you when stuck up high on a mountaintop with a windy snowstorm coming in. There's not much to it. Just have one on you, any size, rip it out of the bag and cover yourself up.
How To: Get a pattern for a wool blanket shirt
In order to pattern a wool blanket shirt, you'll need a blanket, scissors, a needle, and thread.
How To: Make a neck knife survival kit
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a neck knife survival kit. This is good to have so you can use it for eating and making shelter as well as protect against wild animals. The neck knife should be a small kit and able to hide underneath a shirt. It should be adjustable with a paracord knot so you can make sure it doesn't snag against something. The knife should be a simple one that has a decent point on it. Make sure the pouch that the knife is in is thick enough not to let the knife poin...
How To: Make natural long burning torches in the forest
In this tutorial, we learn how to make natural long burning torches in the forest. First, use a dead tree limb and rip off all the bark that is on it. Next, gather up the bark from the tree and tie it together with wire you carry with you. Also, gather up a dead stick and connect this to the dead bark as well. Use a multi-tool to cut the wire if you are in a hurry. Once finished, light the bark on fire and you will have a natural torch that will burn in the forest! Be sure to use a dead tree ...
How To: Tie a double bowline knot step by step
In this Disaster Preparation video tutorial you will learn how to tie a double bowline knot step by step. Robert Segundo, knot tying expert, presents this video. This knot is stronger than the regular bowline knot. When you put a knot on a rope, its strength reduces. This knot will retain about 70-75 % of the original strength of the rope. For this knot you will need a piece of rope or twine. Start off by putting a loop on the rope and then put a double loop. Then take the working end of the ...
How To: Use pitch tinder
John Campbell shows us how to use pitch wood to create a fire. This is a good method to use when you have dead pine trees available. Pitch wood can be found in the first three to six inches of a branch of the dead pine tree. This area is covered with pine resin. You want to pick a branch on the dead tree, then cut this branch off from the main trunk. The area closest to the trunk should be soaked with the resin. Next, split the branch in half. Using one half, scrape off a bit of the tinder us...
How To: Locate water in a dry desert water bed
When trying to locate water in a dry desert look around to see if there are any disingenuous trees since these trees are usually near lakes and falls. Once you have located one find a low spot or a damp area near the tree. Using a stick or another tool available dig a hole into the area until you find water. Make sure to keep the edges of the hole your digging nice and round so that the hole won't fall in on it self. When you've found water it should flow into the hole. The water is usable so...
How To: Construct a debris hut shelter
Surviving in the wilderness can be tough. But for anybody who is smart enough and has learned a few tricks, they can make it out alive and well. So in this video tutorial, you'll learn what it takes to construct a debris hut shelter. Enjoy!
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: Survive a zombie apocalypse
Worried about a zombie apocalypse? Of course you are, we all are! This tongue in cheek video divulges the steps you'll need to take should zombies begin roaming the earth. Using clips from horror movies, this video shows you the right way to hide from zombies and even explains who you can trust. Learn what weapons work on zombies and how to cripple them and most importantly, destroy their brain! Nobody wants to get bitten by a zombie, learn how to escape, travel and even how to recognize if o...
How To: Tie a rising sun knot
In this beautifully crafted video by Tiat presents the keyhole weave method of tying the rising sun. Grab about a yard of smooth decorative twine and you are ready to follow along. You will end up tying both the double coin and the ring of coin knots to make create the rising sun. But, fear not, the demonstration is clear and simple to follow.
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 ...