Haydn_17 Survival Guide

Read this thread carefully as it may be the most important thing you read EVER!!

Basic Items
Before heading off into the wilderness you need some basic equipment, don't take soo much that you can't run fast.

1. Water
2. Sharp Hunting Knife
3. Rations, beef jerky, peanuts, bread rolls.
4. A gun (if they are legal in your country)
5. String
6. Plasters
7.Matches or small gas lighter
8. 6 volt battery
9.Flint
10 Magnesium
11. Magnifying Glasses
12. Very Fine Steel Wool




If you have no guns then here is a way to make a bow and arrow
Choose a piece of wood for the bow. Generally flexible so it can fire the arrow. Find a piece of dry, dead but not gray and cracking hardwood--oak, hickory, yew, black locust, or teak for example--about 1 meter (1 yard +/-) in length. The wood should be free of knots, twists or limbs. Green wood can be used if absolutely necessary, but it should be avoided because it does not provide the same power as dry wood. If using green wood, try for pine. It is the easiest to cut, and clean. Steel wool is usable to clean it off. Also if using green wood, skin it and soak it in hot water. This will help the bow to bend. If it is green wood once you bend it you can steam it over a fire to dry it.


2. Determine the natural curve of the stick. Every piece of wood will have a natural curve, no matter how slight. As you construct the bow, be mindful of the curve.

3. Shape the bow. Ideally, you will want the bow to be strong (and hence thicker) in the center. A thick center will also serve as a good handle. Using a knife or similar tool, shave wood off the inside of the curve (the side that faces behind you when shooting) on the thicker half of the stick until it has the same width and pull as the thinner half. If the stick is roughly the same diameter all along its length, you may need to shave both ends to some degree. You want the bow to end up with a thick, strong center portion flanked by two thinner, more flexible end segments of roughly the same thickness and length.

4.Cut notches to hold the bow string. Use your knife to cut notches about 1-2 inches from each end of the bow. The notches should be in the shape of a half moon on the outside of the bow's curve.

5. Select a bow string. The string can be made of rawhide, thin nylon rope, hemp cord,fishing line, strands of cotton or silk from caterpillars, perhaps even vines or sinew. If you are stranded in the wilderness, it may be difficult to find a suitable string, and you may need to try a variety of materials before you find one that has the necessary strength. The string should not be stretchy, as the power comes from the wood, not the string.

Select sticks for arrows. Some strong, straight plants for arrows are goldenrod and mullen. They can be found in fields.

Sharpen the arrow with the knife.


Having a weapon is essential to survival, unless you want to wrestle the animal to the ground.

Having a bow is better than a rifle, as it gives off no sound.


Location, Location LOCATION

Stay away from urban areas, try to find a fresh water river, or other water supply, remember water from rivers needs to be boiled before drinking.

To make a fishing rod, find a long sturdy stick, tie the string to the end and tie some dead fish or meat to the end.
Beware of your surroundings at all time, especially if you are in a bear area.


OH FU** A BEAR, GIANT CAT!, RABID MAN!

Living in the wild is dangerous, at all times you should make noise to not scare bears, jumping up on a bear is very very DANGEROUS! If you should come across a bear, giant cat, you should walk calmly in the other direction, DO NOT SHOW FEAR, if you run the animal will give chase!.

If you come across a rabid man, or dangerous person, people.
Dont try to go all rambo with guns blazing, observe your surrounding, put out your fire, and watch, hide somwhere and just watch and see what happens, only use your weopon as a last resort! AMMO IS PRECIOUS.

AHH NO MORE MATCHES!

Gather a variety of tinder - wood shavings, dried grass, lint, and even small twigs - before you start. No matter what method you choose for making a fire, you will always need to start with tinder. Ball the tinder up loosely to allow plenty of air flow, and shape it into a birds nest. Have plenty of bigger sticks to add once the fire starts.

Use a little magnesium and flint block: Scrape a pile of magnesium shavings on your tinder and strike a spark off the flint. The magnesium will ignite and hopefully start flame in your tinder. Once it begins to smoke, hold the tinder in your hands to allow oxygen in through the bottom and blow gently from underneath.

Use a magnifying glass on a sunny day: Angle the magnifying glass in the sun over the tinder so that the focal point is directly on the pile. Once it begins to smoke you can encourage the flame by blowing gently on the tinder from the bottom. Broken glass, bottles or eyeglasses can also work, if their focal point is bright enough.

Use a 6-volt battery and steel wool: Tear the wool into a loose mass and touch it to both charges on the battery. Doing so will connect the circuit and cause a spark, and cause the steel wool to glow. Once it's hot enough, you can place it on the tinder until it catches

Use bullets: Remove a bullet from its cartridge and pour half the powder on your tinder. Put the half-empty cartridge back in the gun (without a bullet), and fire it at the tinder. Be certain that your tinder is at the base of a tree or in an enclosed area because the gunfire will likely blow the tinder away and might put out the same flame it creates.

Or
Use Friction: Place the point of a straight stick into a groove in a piece of bark or flat wood. Ideally, both of these pieces contain no sap or moisture. Rub the stick vigorously between your hands, while the point creates friction against the other piece of wood. Eventually the wood will heat until it creates a small ember which you can drop in the tinder nest.

OM NOM NOM

WARNING: Do not eat mushrooms in a survival situation! The only way to tell if a mushroom is edible is by positive identification. There is no room for experimentation. Symptoms of the most dangerous mushrooms affecting the central nervous system may show up after several days have passed when it is too late to reverse their effects.

It is important to be able to recognize both cultivated and wild edible plants in a survival situation.

Plants growing near homes and occupied buildings or along roadsides may have been sprayed with pesticides. Wash them thoroughly. In more highly developed countries with many automobiles, avoid roadside plants, if possible, due to contamination from exhaust emissions.

Plants growing in contaminated water or in water containing Giardia lamblia and other parasites are contaminated themselves. Boil or disinfect them.

• Some plants develop extremely dangerous fungal toxins. To lessen the chance of accidental poisoning, do not eat any fruit that is starting to spoil or showing signs of mildew or fungus.

• Plants of the same species may differ in their toxic or sub toxic compounds content because of genetic or environmental factors. One example of this is the foliage of the common chokecherry. Some chokecherry plants have high concentrations of deadly cyanide compounds while others have low concentrations or none. Horses have died from eating wilted wild cherry leaves. Avoid any weed, leaves or seeds with an almond-like scent, a characteristic of the cyanide compounds.

• Some people are more susceptible to gastric distress (from plants) than others. If you are sensitive in this way, avoid unknown wild plants. If you are extremely sensitive to poison ivy, avoid products from this family, including any parts from sumacs, mangoes and cashews.

• Some edible wild plants, such as acorns and water lily rhizomes, are bitter. These bitter substances, usually tannin compounds, make them unpal

Some edible wild plants, such as acorns and water lily rhizomes, are bitter. These bitter substances, usually tannin compounds, make them unpalatable. Boiling them in several changes of water will usually remove these bitter properties.

• Many valuable wild plants have high concentrations of oxalate compounds, also known as oxalic acid. Oxalates produce a sharp burning sensation in your mouth and throat and damage the kidneys. Baking, roasting or drying usually destroys these oxalate crystals. The corm (bulb) of the jack-in-the-pulpit is known as the "Indian turnip," but you can eat it only after removing these crystals by slow baking or by drying.

I've seen other members post this link for rations:

www.survivaltabs.com...

I've kept it in favorites until I have enough money to finish putting together my BoB.

I figured I would add some stuff here.

How to make fire with an aluminum can and a bar of chocolate.

Fire from Ice

How to Make fire with steel wool and a battery.



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You may find yourself wanting to hunt and yes you killed your deer. Now what?

This is a skill I think everyone should know, just in case they have no other options.

I only did a link because this vid shows deer gore, be advised.

How to Field Dress a Deer

Sling Bow Fishing - If you have the right tools on you.