How to make a bow drill in the wild (for starting fires and drilling holes)
A bow drill is most often used for starting a fire – it’s the most efficient fire starting method – but a bow drill can be used for drilling too. A bow drill consists of five basic components – spindle (or drill), board, socket (aka handhold or bearing block), string,…
Flax plant – the many uses of the flax plant in the wild
Flax plant identification The flax plant is an excellent source of food, natural fibers, and oils. Flax grows to about 4-feet tall and 2-feet wide. Leaves are wider in the middle and shaped like a lance tip and grow alternating on the stalk. Leaves are typically bluish, pale green,…
How to escape a car that has been submerged under water
About 400 people die each year from drowning inside their own submerged vehicles. Here’s how to escape a car submerged under water. Prepare for impact First, if time permits, prepare yourself for the impact. The total area of an automobile causes enough resistance to the surface of the water…
How to break your fall in combat situations to minimize injury and quickly maintain fighting advantage.
It is quite common to fall or be thrown during a combat situation. To minimize the chance of injury, and ensure you can bounce back to your feet quickly, you must use falling techniques to absorb the impact of the fall and allow use of your body’s momentum to…
How to forge metal in the wild – building a forge (foundry) from clay
If modern civilization fails, one of the first pieces of equipment required to bring mankind back from the stone age will be the means to forge and form metal tools. To do this requires a forge or a foundry. A forge provides the means to heat metal so it can…
How to make a clay container (bowel) in the wild
In a wilderness survival situation, clay can be used to construct bowels, cups, ovenware, and other utensils. It is especially useful when the need for a waterproof container arises. Clay can be found in most environments - near lakes, ponds, river ways, or anywhere the ground has been cleared to…
Gunshots wounds and stopping power – myth vs. fact regarding bullet impacts will surprise you
Forget what you see on TV. The reality of gunshot wounds and terminal (death inducing) gunshot injuries is remarkably different from what is shown in the movies where the gunman appears to have an unlimited supply of bullets, gunshots knock the enemy off their feet, and gunshot victims make long,…
How to create a EMP generating device and how to protect yourself from a EMP attack
An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, is a fascinating phenomenon. Caused by a rapid acceleration of charged particles travelling at the speed of light, an EMP can easily disable electronics including household electrical equipment, automobiles, and even electric utility power grids. Inherent properties of electronic components make this possible. Electronic…
How the British lost their guns – a historical lesson every freedom-loving American should be familiar with
British gun laws today – will America follow their example? Composed of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the citizens of the United Kingdom live under extremely restrictive gun laws – and they have a low rate of violent homicide. This is often used as an argument for tighter gun…
Genius! Columbia introduces new stainless steel clothing labels that double as survival tools
Popular outdoor clothing manufacturer Columbia knocks it out of the park with new clothing information hang tags, cut from stainless steel, that double as survival tools. The steel tags are templated 4” tags with components that can be snapped out to form tools such as a sun dial, handsaw, water…
How to make a homemade blowgun and darts
About blowguns Many cultures have utilized the blowgun as a tool to capture or stun wildlife or as a weapon to defend their tribes. Various indigenous peoples of South East Asia, the Amazon and Guiana regions of South America, and Guatemala in Central America are best known for its use.…
How to build a simple foundry (forge) and mold metal objects
Introduction In a survival situation, tools and weapons made from stone, bone, or wood will suffice but those same tools and weapons constructed from metal may prove overwhelmingly useful. However, metal construction requires use of a forge or foundry, a special furnace used to generate extreme heat – enough to…
Make your own compact, portable survival/bugout bag – as small as a fanny pack!
When creating bugout bags, a collection of supplies required to survive an unexpected event, most survivalists use a backpack to hold the survival supplies. The size and maneuverability of backpacks make them ideal choices for survival kits. Their large size however, can be a constraint. That doesn’t have to…
How to make gunpowder in the wild (all it takes is charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate)
In a survival situation, primitive tools will get you by but for maximum survivability, you need mechanical weapons and explosives – and nothing beats the time-tested combustive mixture – gunpowder. Gunpowder is the earliest known chemical explosive. It burns fast (flash fast) and if placed inside a sealed container…
A study of assassination- purported CIA guidebook to assassinations provides self-defense lessons for survivalists.
The 19-page document below is a transcript of a file title "A Study of Assassination". It is believed to have been published by the CIA in 1953 and as the title suggests, acts as a rudimentary guide to assassinations. For survivalists, it serves as a useful countermeasure and tactical…
Scary – To get gun license, Massachusetts city requires written essay, graded solely by police chief
Firearm restrictions are tightening like a noose in Lowell, Massachusetts with the heavy arm of the law pulling tightly on the rope. Gun rights advocated are livid over a new city law which requires residents applying for a gun license to write “an essay” explaining why they believe they…
How to build primitive weapons and tools from natural bone, rocks, shells, antlers, or animal teeth
Man has been working rocks, stone, and bone into tools, utensils, and weapons for millions of years. Given its abundance in nature, rocks and bone are perfect materials for making tools and weapons in an emergency wilderness survival situation. How are tools and weapons constructed from rocks? All stone-working methods…
Complete list of supplies needed for a backpacking/hiking/camping trip
To become a proficient survivalist, you must practice and there's no better way to put your survival skills to use than backpacking and hiking treks into the wilderness. Even for a simple day hike, you will require supplies, tools, and sustenance for the trip. Below is a complete list of…
The CIA provides details on NBC/CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) attacks
The following was taken from a CIA pamphlet published in 2007 warning of potential Al-Qa'ida terrorist attacks. The pamphlet lists various CBRN attack vectors with details on the agent used in the attack, symptoms and signs, and treatment (first aid) options. More information on NBC/CBRN attacks can be found in…
What the Army Field Manual tells us about surviving nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks
The following document is an appendix taken from the US Army Field Manual. The topic is tactical and emergency operations in a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attack (see this CIA report for details on various types of attack vectors). The document, which provides excellent insight into the tactics and procedures…
Top 120 cities at risk for a Nuclear, biological, nuclear (NBC/CBRN) attack
A Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attack, also known as a CBRN or NBC attack, is an attack against an area using hazardous material to promote widespread damage, typically utilized in a terrorist-type attack. The US Army’s domestic preparedness division lists the following cities/states as the top 120 cities at…
How to defend against a car bomb – all about explosive devices and how to protect yourself from their deadly blasts
About car bombs Car bombs are a commonly used weapon for assassinations, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare. They are easy to hide, cheap to construct, and leave behind little forensic evidence. In addition, the gasoline in the automobile’s fuel tanks magnify the force of the explosion. Where car bombs are typically…
Guns, violence, and mass shootings in the United States – the real reason behind America’s shooting epidemic
The question of gun control Naturally, when a mass shooting occurs and the media bombards the public with anti-gun rhetoric, we become concerned and wonder, “Would the country indeed be safer if gun ownership was restricted – or more tightly controlled?” The truth is, with regards to the level of…
How to communicate with Morse code (using visual, audio, and pressure forms of communication)
About Morse Code Morse code (not "Morris code") is a method of transmitting textual messages using a series of patterns. Each text unit in the pattern can be represented (or reproduced) using on-off tones (sound), flashing lights, or clicks representing "dots" and "dashes" (known as dits and dahs). The traditional…
How to use hand and arm signals (visual signaling) to communicate silently
In a military or survival situation where silence must be maintained in order to mask your presence from an enemy, foe, or target, several types of non-verbal communication (visual signals) are available including flags, pyrotechnic, chemical lights, ground-to-air signals, and hand and arm signals. The United States Army Field Manual 21-60 lays out the…
