I have, over the years, mentioned the importance of a survival journal. A small blank pocket sized diary of handy information that can be carried and referred to when the brain just needs the extra help. I intend this thread to be an ongoing thread that I will visit with new information from time to time in a handy one stop spot (for easy reference). I also encourage others to add and comment on the projects, otherwise why post, right? All these projects are listed within my journal or will be added to it. Of course in mine things are not as detailed as the links I will post. Part lazy writing and part note taking to jog the memory.

I should point out that on the inside cover that I wrote my name and date of birth and added a small note that anyone finding this and my remains are welcome to this journal and any of my possessions. The information inside may be handy for you and yours. All I ask in exchange is a decent burial and a word of thanks whenever you find something useful.

If I may jump in with an idea also?

Agave plants are extremely useful also. There is one I know of where the tips of the leaves end in a very sharp, HARD, point. If you tear off one of the leaves a carefully mash the leaf, when you pull off the sharp point you can pull out a fairly long needle with fibers already attached. I have personally used this to sew up some tears while camping, the point is THAT sharp. The fibers are also fairly long, just depends on the length of the leaf. If you need a longer piece, just twist as you would to make rope.

You can also make baskets, tequila, and a substitute for sugar (called agave nectar), soap, all kinds of uses.

Casing

White spruce root can make some really durable cordage. It can be found at the base of white spruce. The roots are shallow feeder roots and can be easily split and sown or weaved or other handy uses. The Indians sowed their birch canoes and other items with the stuff, its tough and durable.

I have not slept in a bed in thirty years. In a shtf situation a bed is definitely not needed. Don't waste your resources building beds.

Some clarifications are in order it seems.

Please jump in with any and all ideas here. Just because I started it doesn't mean it is by any means "my thread". Linking to older threads is more than welcome. I sort of seen this as a one-stop, quick reference area because the survival forum has become rather large in its 46 pages.

It may surprise some of the membership to know that ATS did not have a survival forum until a few years ago. It was just a couple of threads written by a few members that a person could only keep track of by bookmarking the url for the threads.

Plus I had mentioned a journal a few years ago and the main reaction was "Why would you want to lug a whole book around?" Over the years, I have noticed quite a number of members now including the idea in their kits and BOB's. I feel that the time is coming closer when people really need to start to prepare for an alternative (to their current) lifestyle and this thread reflects a part of that pooling resources.

a great plant to have around is aloe vera it's easy to grow and it helps greatly with cuts and burns. and i've heard it's healthy to ingest daily

Howdy! I was talking to a friend about something similar to this, surviving in tough times with no electricity.

We were discussing what to do about water. I am a total survival newb so i am sorry to ask this but what are the best options for water? Do you find a stream, a lake? I always imagined a stream would be the best choice, but i am not sure.

He told me his next purchase was a UV water filter. It was a small hand held mini light saber looking thing that you stick in a container of water for 90 seconds and it kills BACTERIA only.

I thought that was interesting but on the website it didn't eliminate a bunch of other important things like iron, minerals and so on.

If there is some kind of nuclear attack where the sky and water is contaminated, what is the best solution for obtaining safe drinking water?

I remember Stephen Colbert had a guest on a few years back who created a huge device that could take ANY Liquid and make it safe to drink. Piss, mud, oil, blood, whatever. It would squeeze out any water. I am not sure if it was filtered or not but i think it was. Is there something like this that is small and ideal to buy?

What do you do about water! Thanks guys, i love this topic and that rope bed looked awesome.. makes me want to build one now!

Hey man, It may sound old to anyone that pays attention to my replys here...but "Foxfire Books" are the answer to almost all your concerns.

Pretend you are a pioneer, a homesteader and have virtually no resources except a few basic tools...an axe, a maul, a cross-cut saw, and a hand turned wood auger, a good butcher knife, a couple of cast iron frying pans, and a cast iron dutch oven... thats it. Its just about all you'll need...and yes, bring lots of rope, but don't waste it one furniture, use it like a tool and take care of it.

You can make a bed by using the auger to drill holes in the corner post/head board and making mortise and tendon joints...lock together with pegs shaped by pocket knife, use a "fro" to split slats from oak logs and run across your bed as a base to lay your matress of canvas and corn shucks on, switch out at the end of each harvest season.

Make tables and chairs and benches same way.... you can drag logs without a truck or horse by cuting a hardwood tree about 8" that splits into a y about midway up....turn the wooden "Y" upside down, tie a rope around inverted Y just above where it splits, lay it down on your log and tie end of rope around log, have enough rope at the split to pull with...the length of rope from Ysplit to log should be about a foot shorter than distance fromsplitY to ground....so that each time you pull the rope and you pull the inverted Y upright it lifts the log up and forward....once you get the hang of it, you get a rythym and can pull an 800lb log across a couple of acres with little effort. To explain it is harder than it really is.

Take 2 wooden treetrunk "Y"s, take the long single end and set it into the Y of the other, they will lock by gravity and create a 3 legged work bench...make 2 sets and you have saw horses for cutting wood, splitting wood with a fro...a fro is a L shaped tool...wooden handle and a long slender blad at the base sharpend on the bottom...use it to take logs sawn into 1-2 foot lengths, stand upright like gonna split for firewood...BUT, the fro allows you to split off shingles or shakes...use for roofing, siding, take longer pieces to make boards.

with a frow or sharp knife and a hand auger...you take a green white oak sapling trunk..about 2-3 inches across...split the end into 2...then split the splits into 2....make the cuts/splits down about 1-2' on a 6 ' pole...now you have the basis for a fork, pitch fork, or rake....cross tie by drilling small holes and cross tie with green white oak branches....while it is green/wet/fresh the wood is plyable and shapable....set aside to cure/dry and keep its shape

I could go on, but think of how your grand daddy lived about 1900...or the pioneers...the tools are out there at flea markets/auction houses.... use them know them, develope the skills now.... all of these things and more are in the Foxfire Book series... entertaining and a valuable resource to have.

My wife and I live the life...we love it...I love it more than she, she tolerates it...but I have to tell you, this knowledge has been a God-send in these economic times.

Also, don't forget a push plow...the good ones with heavy wooden handles and steel forged wheels and plows... will cost you but worth every penny, and learn to can and farm.

Go to historic homesteads and living re-enactments and pay attention to what is being done and how... why do you need a broad axe with a bent handle to shape timbers? Why is poplar good for cabins? Why is pine good for cabins?... when the bark is striped off the pine when frsh cut, the sticky pine resin will eventually dry and harden and seal the log...almost water proof...as long as 6-12" off the ground. In fact, if cut on the right side of the moon, the wood will eventually ring like steel when it cures/drys... seriously...oh, the moon? Yup, you're gonna need a good Almanac.... Blum's Farmers Almanac is the best.

Anyway, happy survivalist homesteading.