DiY Cigar Survival Fishing Kit

by Todd Walker

Every year I get older and my backpack gets heavier. To trim some weight, I began downsizing items in my bag. Here’s a great stove that weighs less than 6 ounces and runs on twigs.

I humped my backpack the other day through the woods with DRG. I immediately noticed the extra strain on my hips. Not overbearing, but noticeable. As I age, I look for ways to lighten my load on stuff I carry – body weight included Here’s a great way to shave a few ounces off any fishing kits you pack for your bug out bag, walk-about bag, or hunting bag. It fits in a glove box in your vehicle nicely too.

The idea for my last fishing kit for my bug out bag came from Dave Canterbury. It was made of PVC, which was very sturdy, but weighed more than I liked. This summer I wanted to trim the weight on my BOB. It’s not going to be ultralight, but every pound I trim only makes humping that thing easier. The first piece I tackle is my…well…my fishing tackle.

First, assemble materials. I looked for a lightweight tube for a couple of weeks. I didn’t want glass. Plastic would work. Aluminum would be even better. I found a plastic tube that held a watch on a shopping trip with my wife. I bought it for $5.oo and ditched the cheap watch. The problem with the plastic tube is that I would not be able to use it for boiling water in a survival situation.

Then we stopped by the adult beverage store for some wine. This place also has a nice humidor with a great selection of cigars.

*Aha Moment*

We spent the next five minutes rummaging through stogies looking for the perfect candidate. I needed it to be long enough and with sufficient diameter to hold the necessary fish-catching supplies. I found a cigar, which I enjoy from time to time, with a great tube. It measures 1 inch in diameter by 6 1/4 inches long tube. Being aluminum, I can use it to boil water in a pinch. The picture below shows the difference in sizes of the old PVC kit (bottom) and the new one completed.

Here’s what I used to assemble my kit: Cigar sleeve, duct tape, bank line, electrical tape, 10# fishing line, strike anywhere matches, fire starter, dry flies, artificial lizard, non-lead weights, 3 types of fishing hooks, metal leader, swivels, 2 floats/bobbers, and a snack size zip-lock baggie.

Assembly Process

Step A: Wrap the screw end (or non-rounded end) with about 3 or 4 feet of duct tape. Do I even have to tell you about all the uses for this miracle survival material?  I keep strips of it in my cars, wallet, desk, almost every where I go. Duct tape may not help you catch fish, but I’m sure it’s possible with a little creativity. It’s a utility player that should be on and in every preppers gear and bags.

Step B: Tie a slip knot on the end of your bank line (don’t forget to burn the nylon end to prevent unraveling) and tighten it around the tube next to the duct tape. Wind about 50 to 100 feet of line onto the tube. I used closer to 50 feet to keep the profile of the tube even. Bank line can be used for limb hooks and trot lines in a true survival situation. This allows for passive fishing while you attend to other tasks. [NOTE: Check your local fishing and game laws during rule of law times before using these methods.]

The bank line can also be used for a makeshift fly rod (and other cordage needs). Simply cut a sapling about 8 feet, attach 10 feet of bank line to the end, add a piece of mono filament line to the bank line with one of the dry flies in the kit and you have a hillbilly fly rod rig. When no bait is available for your hooks, use this rig to catch smaller pan fish to use for bait on limb hooks. This is very enticing for larger fish and turtles.

Step C: Secure the bank line to the tube with a couple of wraps of electrical tape. Again, more tape to use as needed.

Step D: Now you’re ready to add the mono filament fishing line. I used 10# line. I wouldn’t recommend anything below 6# line. (Update: I used 50 lb spider wire for our son’s Christmas stocking). In a survival situation, the last thing you want to see is a decent sized fish run with 4# line and snap it off.

An old technique I’ve used for years is to lay the line inside a book and feed the line onto the tackle. I did this for the cigar tube as well. Tie a slip knot on the end of the fishing line and secure it to the tube where you taped off the bank line. Start rotating the tube to add line. I guess you could wind the line on the tube with you free hand. I prefer to roll the line on by rotating the tube with my finger tips from both ends of the tube. I’m a little OCD. I think the line might accumulate more kinks if you wind it with you free hand.

Add line until you get within one inch of the rounded end of the tube, then double back over the existing line. I added about 50 feet of line to my rig. Next, add a layer of electrical tape to secure the line to the kit. A wide rubber band might work, but I like the tape.

Below is the finished exterior of the kit. By the way, if you haven’t purchased and read “Boston’s Gun Bible“, do so now. I read it yearly.

Step E: Place the strike-anywhere matches, fire starter (more details about this item later), dry flies, artificial lizard, non-lead weights, 3 types of fishing hooks, and swivels in a snack size zip-lock baggie. Squeeze the air out by rolling it toward the top of the bag. Seal the bag and slide into the tube.

Step F: Screw end-cap onto tube and wrap with electrical tape for a water-tight seal.

Fire Starter Note: I made the fire starter a few years ago. It’s jute twin that was saturated with paraffin wax. It literally only takes a spark to get a flame going. Just cut a one inch piece, unravel, and “fluff” to create more surface area for your spark. Another added bonus is that it even lights in wet conditions. I have bundles in all my bags. You never know when you’ll need to cook up those fish you just caught with your new Cigar Survival Fishing Kit!

The only modification I’d add is to make a paracord loop extending from the end of the cap. I’ll add pics when that happens.

Your turn. Got any suggestions to make this better? Please add them in the comment section.

Follow me on Twitter for the latest on our journey to self-reliance, preparedness, and resilient living: @SurvivalSherpa

 

 

Where There Is No Kitchen: Cooking When The Grid Goes Down

Editor’s note: P. Henry offers some very practical tips to cooking in a SHTF scenario. He even added a tip for washing dishes from a 1880′s homesteading manual – I’ve never heard of or tried this one. Check out the other practical advice over at their site – The Prepper Journal. 

by P. Henry

Source: The Prepper Journal

Many of you are familiar with the nearly famous books “Where There Is No Doctor” and “Where There Is No Dentist” that are the most widely used health education books in tropical and sub-tropical developing countries. These are great references that you can download from our Resources page that cover basic medicine and dental care from a perspective of a people who aren’t able to drive to the doctor or see the dentist whenever they have a tooth ache.

The concept of “Where there is no” popped into my mind as I was preparing to write this post. In a grid-down scenario we may not have the easy access to our kitchen tools that we have relied on in the past. Most kitchen appliances are powered by electricity or gas and if those both go out due to an emergency you could find yourself living “where there is no kitchen”.

Not having access to your microwave shouldn’t cause you any panic though, because people have been living pretty well without these conveniences for a very long time. Even if you have stored 30 days worth of dehydrated food and water, chances are you will want to eat something warm before it is all over. Even in the military we only ate MRE’s once a day when we were out in the field. MRE’s will keep you alive but eventually you get tired of that and want something hot and delicious. I know that MRE’s can be heated up too, but the contents of a regular bag of MRE’s can’t hold a candle to a nice venison stew that has been cooking slowly over a fire all day.

With some simple planning and preparation you can cook just about anything you need to keep you alive and healthy through any disruption. There are a few considerations and lots of options for cooking that we will discuss below.

Cooking Options

We are going to assume that any cooking that you will be doing is outside in this grid-down scenario. No cooking with open flame should be done indoors and that includes using your big stainless steel propane grill. Fumes are toxic and can hurt you so keep it outside for safety.

Wood stoves – These are about the closest you can come to the power and convenience of a range or oven inside your house or retreat location. Yes I know that I just said to cook outside, but your stove is vented outside already. This is a winter solution though because you won’t likely want to fire up the big wood-stove in the living room in the middle of August.  In much older homes, the kitchen was in a different part of the house because the heat would stifle everyone else. During the winter a wood stove is a perfect solution for cooking and you can easily fit a couple of pans on the top and regulate the heat easily. You can cook on a wood-stove with your regular pans without any problem.

Backyard Grill – This is my personal first line of defense if the power goes out. It is simple to use and already set up outside. The main drawback is the need for propane but I keep an extra 50lb. canister of propane at all times so that if my main source runs out I still have a spare. This spare propane would be on my list of basic household items that you need to stock up on also. Some people use charcoal so an extra bag or two would be wise. It won’t last as long as a can of propane but having the ability to cook for a few days is always a smart idea. Optionally, if your house is heated with propane, you can purchase an adapter to run your grill but you probably are already using your oven in the house. It’s nice to have options.

Campfire – Since the dawn of time people have been cooking over an open fire on the ground. This would be my fallback option after the propane was gone or if I had something that was larger and needed to cook for a long time. Campfires don’t need to be fancy but having a pit surrounded with rocks to contain the fire is preferred. To cook on a campfire, you will want to invest in at least one piece of cast iron cookware. Two would be the best giving you the option to fry or cook a big stew. You will also want to have a method to suspend your cookware over the flames. This is where agreat tripod like the one on the left here or a grate you can set on the ground over the coals. I prefer the tripod, but the grate is much simpler when you are using a skillet.

Camping stoves – These are a great solution too and use the same type of Coleman propane cylinders your lanterns take. They do have the drawback that the grill does though, and once your fuel is gone, they are worthless. You can use the grill grating itself over a regular campfire so don’t throw that away. We will talk about that more later. Backpacker stoves also come in handy in a pinch, but that would not be ideal for cooking larger meals. It will heat up single portions nicely though, and there are a lot of fuel options for the short-term emergency.

Rocket Stove – Rocket stoves are simple to build using materials you may have lying around or in the shed. These can be fueled with sticks and twigs and make a great surface that produces a lot of heat without a big footprint. There is an article about how to make a rocket stove out of a few cans that you should check out also.

Lanterns – Anything that produces heat can warm your food and some lanterns give you the ability to use the heat escaping from the top to boil water or heat soup. This is yet another good option that may work for some people. Candles can also be used but this would be my last resort. They take forever but you are already using your candle so this is a way to get two uses out of your preparations.

Solar – I saved this one for last but solar cooking shouldn’t be discounted at all. If you have sun and dry weather this is a great way to heat up and cook meals if you have time to wait. You will want to build your own solar oven which is fairly simple or there are several you can buy online. If you just need to warm up a can of soup you can sit that in the sun on the driveway for 30 minutes and voila!

Solar ovens can be made in numerous ways with lots of material. Here is a video for a funnel solar oven by LDSPrepper that cost only $5.

 

Cooking Necessities

The first place we look is to our cooking containers, or what we are going to hold over our source of heat to contain this wonderful food you are getting ready to cook. Cast iron is my personal favorite but that isn’t practical if you are on the move. You can also cook with #10 cans if needed, just be sure that the plastic coating on the interior melts out first.

Aluminum foil is not only useful for creating a solar oven, but you can form bowls out of this to cook with or boil water in a pinch. Aluminum foil is a second cousin to Duct tape I believe, because it has so many uses and should be on your list of supplies for your household. Can and bottle openers are nice. They aren’t necessary because if you are hungry enough, you will get that can open, but they are very convenient and do not cost anything at all. You will also want to have plenty of capacity for making fire in the first place. Lighters are simple and cheap, but flint and strikers should be in your survival kits also.

Other tools you could use are oven mitt or pot holders to handle the pots on these cooking surfaces. Wooden spoons and spatulas won’t melt like plastic and you can even make these yourself if you have plenty of time on your hands and a sharp knife.

Cleanup

Now that the group has been fed how do you clean up? Sanitation is something that becomes more important with the severity and duration of the emergency. Germs are easily passed so cleaning your food utensils is an important consideration for the health of your survival group.  Assuming you have some water on hand for cooking, we can look back at how the pioneers cleaned their dishes.

The rare 1881 Iowa settlers manual has a tip for washing dishes when you’ve run out of soap. It’s in the cleaning chapter of the book and was written for some of the first people moving into Iowa to homestead in the 1880′s.

“To wash dishes without soap, have your dishwater hot and add a very little milk, as this softens the water, gives the dishes a nice gloss and preserves the hands. It removes the grease, even that from beef, and yet no grease is ever found floating on the water as when soap is used.“

For the most part, hot water and a sponge with abrasive on one side will do the trick. Boiling dishwater before doing dishes would be the safest way to make sure you’re not scrubbing your pots with Giardia. But as for me, 99% of the time, I’m content with just getting it hot enough to cut the grease. Your call. After scrubbing, strain your dishwater through a fine mesh strainer (or a bandana) and broadcast the waste-water. In other words, fling it far and wide. You can use the rest of whats left for compost.

Related articles

• Sustainable System: Rocket Stoves (survivalsherpa.wordpress.com)
• Sherpa Gear Review: The Idiot Proof Emberlit-UL Stove (survivalsherpa.wordpress.com)
• Daily YouTube – Very Simple Brick Rocket Stove (thesurvivalplaceblog.com)

 

DiY Fire Starter in a Drinking Straw

Hank over at Sensible Survival is at it again. Check out his DiY fire straw and make this your next project.

 

This is one of the best and most convenient fire starters that I’ve come across in a long time.  Many of us know that cotton balls rubbed with petroleum jelly make great fire starters, but they are messy and not real convenient to carry.  This method makes it easy to carry these little fire balls and they won’t leak and get on your clothing or other gear.  All you need to make these is some cotton balls, petroleum jelly, a plastic drinking straw, a pair of scissors, and a small stick.

Start off by taking a cotton ball or two and rubbing them thoroughly with petroleum jells.  While you’re at it go ahead and pull apart the cotton into thin shreds.  Pictured below: top, Rubbing petroleum jelly into cotton balls: bottom, shredded up cotton.

 

Now take the drinking straw and cut it into two 3 inch tubes, and four ½ inch tubes.  Pictured below: Cut up drinking straw

 

The next part is a little hard to describe, but the pictures should make it easier to understand.

1. Use your thumbnail to crimp across the straw about ¼ inch from one end, then fold that end down.

 

2. Now use your thumbnail to make a length-wise crease in the part that you folded down. Then pinch the end together.

 

3. Now take one of the ½ inch pieces of straw and slip it down over the end to hold it closed.

 

4. Turn up the open end of the straw and start stuffing it with the soaked cotton.  I find that it is easier if I kind of roll the cotton between thumb and fingers to make a string out of it.

 

5.  Use the stick to tamp the cotton down tight in the straw.

6. Fill the straw to about ½ inch from the top, then fold the top end down the same way you did the bottom.  Crimp it, put a ½” collar on it, and you’re finished.

 

Wipe off any petroleum jelly that you got on the outside, and you now have a leak proof, waterproof, convenient fire starter that you can add to a survival kit, put in your glove box, or drop in your pocket.  To use the fire starter just cut it open, fluff up the cotton and light it up.  This stuff will ignite easily using a metal match type fire striker.

Sherpa Gear Review: The Idiot Proof Emberlit-UL Stove

by Todd Walker

A light load is your friend. Whether camping, or if necessary, getting out of dodge.

This past weekend, DRG and I unpacked our old bug out bags to re-winterize supplies and set up our new BOB’s. Thanks Santa! After unpacking, I realized how many shiny survival objects wouldn’t make it back in our new bags. Prioritizing and finding redundancy in items is my plan to lighten our loads. With DRG’s body weakened by her year-long battle with cancer, I’ll be carrying the bulk, if not all the weight if we had to hump on foot to our designated safe retreat.

I’m middle-aged (50 is the new 30, right?), in good physical condition, and could carry the weight in my old BOB. But why put my body through undue stress. I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. But if I did, I’d make losing weight my number one priority. NOT, body weight – weight in my BOB and other burdens weighing heavily on my mind, soul, and spirit. Let’s deal with the physical bug out bag first.

Ounces count – and add up in a bag. I’ve looked for a camp stove that doesn’t require the added weight of fuel containers – something light, self-sustaining, and tough. I’ve built alcohol stoves before, but they require fuel (extra ounces). Presently, I pack a MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove. It’s just over 3 oz. and very compact. Then there’s the pesky added weight of a fuel container. I love my little stove. It’s just not sustainable unless you pack fuel. I wanted a stove that could run on stuff we walk past and over – sticks and twigs.

Enter the Emberlit-UL (Titanium) stove. Made in America (Utah), this 5.45 oz. stove arrived in my mail box three days after ordering. It would have been sooner except for the holiday on January 1. I ordered from Amazon. Before pressing the buy button, I sent a question to the company concerning whether this model on Amazon came with the Crossbar Pot Adapters shown on the Emberlit website. Within just a few minutes, I had my answer in my inbox. The crossbars come with it.

Upon arrival, I unpacked my new stove excitedly. When disassembled and stacked it measures just over 1/8 inches thick. Instructions for assembling the stove are idiot proof. Being a guy, DRG knew I wouldn’t consult the “destructions” before assembly. I put it together in under a minute, placed it on the open palm of my left hand, and showed her my new creation. Test time.

5 pieces plus the crossbars

My backyard is loaded with an assortment of oak trees constantly dropping dead limbs. Perfect. I collected a small bundle of twigs, pencil sized sticks, and a few finger sized branches. I set the stove on my fire pit and commenced to make fire. Using wax-coated jute twine and unraveled plain jute for my nest, two strikes on my ferro rod produced fire.

I added my smallest twigs on top of the burning nest to feed the fire in my stove. Then, pencil size sticks were added. The vent holes in the sides of the stove worked well to draft air up the chimney. At that point I added a few shavings of pine fat lighter (fatwood) before adding the largest fuel. I love fatwood for fire starting – not necessary – just fire starter insurance.

Once I had a decent fire with a few coals in the bottom of the stove, I added water to my Army canteen cup. I advise using the crossbar inserts on top of the stove for smaller cooking containers. The crossbars allow containers smaller than 3 inches in diameter to be utilized.

On other top feeding stoves, one must lift the cooking container off the stove to feed the fire. With the Emberlit design, the feed door allows you to leave the container on the heat source and feed the fire at the same time. The chimney design works well to draw air and efficiently burn the fuel. As the fuel burned, I simply pushed the longer sticks into the stove to maintain the fire. My water reached a rolling boil in 5 minutes. Tea time.

The company claims the stove’s ability to support cast iron cookware. I fetched a cast iron skillet, bacon grease, and an egg from the kitchen. No, I don’t pack cast iron in my BOB. I wanted to test the claim of strength from the company. If the stove is on a level, stable surface, it will indeed support a heavy cooking container. I fried one egg with no problems – the way I like them – over easy.

I’m very pleased with the performance on my first run in the backyard. I see no reason why it wouldn’t stand up to more demanding, prolonged use. The stove’s sturdy and simple design, weight, and compact size make the Emberlit Camp Stove my favorite. I only wish the storage sleeve was included with the stove instead of being sold separately.

The same stove is available in stainless steel for about half the price of the titanium, but over twice the weight (11.3 oz.). I’m thinking of ordering a stainless steel model for our vehicle emergency kit. The titanium stove cost me $68 including S/H. The overwhelming demand has caused a back order on this item. Go ahead and get your order in if you want one.

The company offers personal customer service and guaranteed satisfaction. Here’s their warranty statement:

“WARRANTY: I want you to be happy with your purchase. Emberlit Stoves and accessories come with a lifetime guarantee. Should your stove fail I will refund or replace it. If you ever have any trouble whatsoever with your stove or questions about your order contact me, and I’ll make it right.”

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. By the way, I have no financial interest or benefit in this company except that I’m really impressed with their product. I bought my stove with my own funds.

 

Review: Henry AR-7 US Survival Rifle

Today’s article is reprinted with permission from JJ Johnson (USAF – Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Instructor – class 97-02), owner/author of Prepper Skills, a site devoted to sharing skills and experiences with other preppers. JJ’s other survival related blog is Reality Survival. I recommend both sites for survival, bushcraft, preparedness, and self-reliance training.

Doing the stuff,

Todd Walker

—————————————

by Tony

AR-7 Survival Rifle

Upon discovery of my love of firearms and my passion for survival, everyone always asks the inevitable question: What do you recommend for a wilderness survival weapon? Well, you just had to open that can of worms, didn’t you?  That would be like asking me what kind of knife I use in the kitchen!  Am I slicing tomatoes from the garden, slicing bread, cutting through a rack of ribs, making a pb&j?  My point is that there is a perfect tool for nearly every job.  If I am in hostile territory and may encounter several ne’er-do-well individuals, I’d really like to have my M-4.  If I can pick the terrain of the encounter, I might like to have my M-110, or if they have light trucks and heavy weapons, then I’d prefer my M-107 .50 BMG.  All of that being said, for a good, all around wilderness survival rifle, that you can pack small, take anywhere and put meat on the fire with, I’d recommend the Henry U.S. Survival rifle. It’s the current version of the Armalite AR-7 survival rifle that was developed from the AR-5 used by USAF pilots way back in the 1950’s.  The AR-7 has gone through many changes since Eugene Stoner (moment of silence) invented it back in the late 50’s.  It has been manufactured by Armalite, Charter Arms and currently Henry Rifles has the rights to the AR-7.

How Has The AR-7 Changed?

Recently the AR-7 stock has gone from plastic to polymer and the newest versions can hold three, yes three, 8 round magazines in the stock.  The current version of the AR-7 also has a picatinny style rail system grooved into the top of the receiver to accept optics.  Keep in mind if you mount an optic, it will no longer fit in the stock for storage.  Also as you see from the pictures, my AR-7 is camo, the current version sold by Henry Rifles comes only in black.  The reason I recommend this little survival rifle for everyone is its size, simplicity, accuracy. Also because it fires .22 LR (long rifle).  One can carry a plethora of ammunition for just a little added weight and minimal cost.  The .22 LR may not be ideal for a sustained firefight with hordes of zombies, but it will surely put food on the fire spit.  Rabbits, squirrels, birds and even varmints of the two-legged variety can be put down with an accurate placing of a 36 gr hollow point through the left eye socket or chest cavity.

AR-7 Disassembled

Read the rest here

Mosquitoes – More than Just a Nuisance

Why sweat the small things in prepping? Because it’s the little things that can kill you. Hank writes at his blog Sensible Survival. With over 25 years of preparing for the worst under his belt, he offers common sense preparedness for sensible individuals. Stop by his site and check out over 125 articles on sensible survival and preparedness.

Doing the stuff,

Todd

———————-

by Hank

 Note: I wrote this article a couple of years ago but never posted it.  It really is hitting home this year, so I am posting it now.  We have had over 80 cases of West Nile virus and 5 deaths in East Texas this summer; so mosquitoes are a problem even in the “developed” world.  Read, and be warned about these little killers.

Nearly anywhere that you live in this world you will encounter mosquitoes.  Most people these days think of mosquitoes as a nuisance; but the fact is, they are a deadly danger to human health.  Mosquitoes are fairly well controlled in most developed nations, so the diseases that they carry are no longer a major health risk.  In developing nations mosquitoes are responsible for huge numbers of illnesses and deaths, and the cost to these nations is very high in terms of dollars, lost production, and weakening of future generations.

What would happen in developed nations if government agencies could no longer carry out mosquito control programs.  Well just look at the mosquito related health problems in some of the developing nations around the world.  According to a 2010 report of the World Health Organization there are over 225 million cases of malaria (a mosquito borne illness) throughout the world every year. Nearly 800,000 people die from malaria each year.  The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and most of these victims are children.

Because of changing climate, some mosquito borne diseases, like West Nile virus, that were once considered “tropical” diseases have begun to spread to the temperate zones.  I live in Texas, and in recent years there have been several cases of West Nile virus. This is a disease that has never been known in this area, and it has appeared in spite of the aggressive mosquito control programs that we have.

So the bottom line is: government break-down equals no more mosquito control programs which equals you’re on your own as far as preventing mosquito borne illnesses.  You need to prepare for this.  What are some things that you can do to prevent mosquito borne disease?

1. Drain standing water where mosquitoes can breed.

2. Avoid going out at dusk and nighttime (the time when mosquitoes are most active).

3. Wear protective clothing.

4. Wear insect repellant. (You need to lay in a good supply of DEET)

5. Make sure that you have screens on all windows and doors.

6. Sleep under a mosquito net if you are out doors.

Most of these precautions against mosquitoes used to be common place in the USA and other now developed nations, but with modern mosquito control we have fallen out of the habit of protecting ourselves.  It’s time to start thinking about them again, because a mosquito can kill you just as dead as a bullet from an AK-47.

Gear Review: Pathfinder Water Bottle & Cup

Source: Straight Forward in a Crooked World

When I was a kid I carried this old school WWII/GI surplus canteen and web belt, the ones wear the canteen pouch was felt lined and the whole thing was khaki. By the time it came my way it was easily forty years old and, it escorted me on every summertime bike and creek adventure, squirrel hunt and, deer hunt of my youth (and more than a couple of my professional adventures as an adult).

There were (and are) a lot of things I liked about it, first I’m a sucker for old school stuff, second it was a metal canteen that sat in a metal cup. As a teenager I was caught up in everything “survival”, reading every Tom Brown Jr, Bradford Angier, or Army Survival Manual I could get my hands on. My favorite “trick” so to speak was that I could boil water to purify it in my canteen and drink it in the cup that it was wedged into (do that with a plastic canteen).

Then I grew up and abandoned the old G.I. canteen to the plastic Nalgene bottle trend at the start of this century. It did however leave me wanting.

See I’ve got this slightly different perspective on the whole SHTF scenario in that I’ve been there when it’s happened on those micro occasions as opposed to the “big event” we all talk about and plan for.

Which having come through those situations combined with my survival skilled-and-filled youth left me liking to be prepared. The down side was in all that over prepping I developed the bad habit of over packing or rather packing in redundancy.

Over time I’ve learned to shed the extra gear and not be so African fetish about it in the process… it just took more than a few layovers, custom officials and back breaking runs to airplanes to learn how to stream line and find multiple uses for single pieces of gear.

Fortunately, when you sometimes spends hours and… days alone you get a lot of time to think and mentally sort out details of your personal kit, perfecting it along the way. You also mentally write a lot of blog posts that show up two years later…

One of those stream lined pieces of gear I wanted to find was a wide mouth stainless steel water bottle (like a Klean Kanteen), with a cup to go with it. Like all things I added to the basic idea.

I wanted a way to also turn it into a portable coffee maker for those times when gear REALLY had to be limited. Nothing complicated, just be able to put the bottle on a small stove or straight into a fire, boil water, then add a bandana full of coffee. That thought developed into wanting to design a French Coffee Press for my new kit I didn’t have.

Then on one expedition to a local sporting good store I saw it. A french press kit for a Nalgene bottle….which of course meant you had to pour boiling water INTO the Nalgene bottle then make your coffee in it. As opposed to…oh I dunno….that aluminum camp coffee pot I already had trucked all over the world, and done the same thing with.

But a fool on a mission is undeterred. I bought it. And no other piece of gear ever sat so beautifully unused on my equipment shelf.

But a patient man I am. I knew….I just knew…one day.

A few years ago when he was still on youtube and before “Dual Survivor” hit the Discovery Channel, I had enjoyed Dave Canterbury’s Pathfinder school vids. By happenstance earlier in the summer I came across his on line store. Low and behold Dave had a 32oz stainless water bottle and, 25oz cup combo for $35.

Done and done.

Ordered on a Friday it arrived on the following Tuesday.

Let’s be honest, there isn’t really anything overly exciting about a water bottle or a cup but it is the combination I’ve wanted for a long time at a price I like. The measurement gradients inside the 25oz cup (GSI’s is 18 oz by the way) may prove useful in cooking some remote meal at a future point and I thought they were a good inclusion.

So what about the whole “French-Pressed-coffee-over-an-open-fire” thing (see pics below). It works rather well actually. The only hiccup in the plan was the lid/top of the press is made to Nalgene specs and wouldn’t screw down but, it proved to be unnecessary anyway. The press part works in the bottle superbly and….I can always buy an extra lid and drill a hole for the press rod, another for a spout and, a third for airflow and be good to go (life ain’t perfect).

The truth is what I like is that I’ve got a make shift way to purify water or sterilize med gear or cook in a situation where I’m working with minimal gear in a shit situation. I also like that I’m not out a ton of cash in the process which is nice for the bottle’s main purpose in my life.

My primary Go-Bag is a BlackHawk! Mobile Operations Bag (size medium). In one of the three side pockets are a stainless steel Thermos (no handles) and the PathFinder waterbottle/cup combo. Both sit idle but ready in the bag until it’s time to roll out…which doesn’t seem to be slowing up anytime soon for me.

“But is it THE BEST!” you ask.

Because you know the Internets demand all your gear be THE BEST.

Dude, its a metal water bottle that seals up tight with a metal cup on the end what else does it need to do?

As for the coffee makin’….

pics are below. How much coffee does it make? By the mark of my coffee pot in the kitchen, seven cups which works out to roughly four mugs of coffee. Note: the smaller mug in the blue Nalgene bottle is an 18 oz GSI Camp mug shown for comparison.

 

Finding Direction at Night Using the North Star

Source: Sensible Survival

It is not a good idea to travel at night in the wilderness unless you are in desert terrain, but night-time is a good time to orient yourself and figure out directions.  In the Northern Hemisphere the North Star (Polaris) has been used for thousands of years to establish which direction is north.  Contrary to popular belief, the North Star is not the brightest star in the night sky.  In fact there are forty-seven stars that are brighter than the North Star, so we must use some method other than brightness to locate the North Star.  The North Star is at the end of the handle of the constellation we call the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor).  Unfortunately, the stars of the little dipper are not very bright, and this constellation can be difficult to locate.  Two easily identifiable constellations will help you locate the North Star.  One of these is the constellation that we call the Big Dipper (Ursa Major).  If you draw a straight line through the two stars at the end of the cup in the dipper (called the pointer stars), the line will point toward the North Star.  The distance to the North Star is about five times the distance between the two pointer stars.

Depending on the time of night, the month of the year, and your own latitude; the Big Dipper may not be visible to you.  If this is the case you can look for the constellation Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia also revolves around the North Star and is located on the opposite side of the North Star from the Big Dipper.  Cassiopeia looks like the letter “W” or the letter “M” depending on where it is in its path around the North Star.

Once you have located the North Star you can take a sharp stick and draw a line on the ground.  Draw the line from where you are standing so that it points toward the north.  Label the end of the line that points toward the star with an “N”.  Label the other end of the line with an “S”.  Now draw another line that crosses your north/south line at a ninety degree angle.  As you face the north, the right end of your second line will be pointing to the east.  Label it with an “E”.  Label the other end of this line with a “W”.  Now get a good night’s sleep and when you wake up in the morning you will have a compass drawn on the ground that will help you get started in the direction you want to travel.

DIY: Drinking Straw Sewing Kit

From time to time I need to repair equipment and clothing while outdoors. Finding the right tools in nature is like searching for the illusive needle in a haystack. It’s much easier to spot a drinking straw. Size matters! This is a simple way to stock several kits with this essential equipment when you don’t have time to make needles out of scavenged critter bones.

Here’s what you’ll need: Straw, needle, tread, safety pin, and electrical tape.

If you don’t have drinking straws, stop by a fast food haunt and grab a few…for free. The brown thread pictured is a heavy gauge waxed thread I’ve used it to repair equipment in the past. It was in a sewing box I bought at an estate sale. Great find! Dental floss would also work very well.

Steps 1: I made two straw kits. One for equipment, one for clothing. Thread the needle with about 6 feet of thread. I tie a knot in the end of the thread and pull it to the eye of the needle. This ensures that you don’t have to thread the needle in less than perfect conditions in the woods. It also lessens the chance of dropping the needle in the pine needles you’re standing on. Plus, you don’t have to employ fine motor skills to thread a needle and tie a knot with tiny cordage.

Cloth needle and thread on left. Equipment needle and waxed thread on right.

Step 2: Insert a safety pin about an inch into the end of the straw. Fold the end over and close it with electrical tape. I guess super glue or melting would work for closure. I like the tape. It gives more options in the field.

Step 3: Insert the threaded needle into the open end of the straw. Bend it over and tape it off.

Insert needle and tread into straw

Step 4: Wind the tread around the straw in a coil. This is your bobbin.

 

Once wrapped with thread, cover it with you tape.

 

Step 5: Make another straw sewing kit for your clothing needle. Tip: use a different color straw or label them somehow.

That’s it. These are lightweight and will double as drink stirrers when you stumble upon the moonshine still down by the creek. Hope you enjoyed.

Doing the stuff,

SS

 

4 Light-weight Collapsible Survival Water Storage Containers

[SS Note: Creek Stewart, author of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag, has a great article on water storage containers on his site. Check out his site and book.]

Source: Willow Haven Outdoors

March 5, 2012 By Creek

There  is a reason why I post so much about WATER.

WATER IS CRITICAL TO OUR SURVIVAL!

Some experts say that the next greatest world resource shortage will be WATER.  In many parts of the world, access to clean drinking water is already almost nonexistent.  The ability to source, carry, store and disinfect water should be at the top of your survival preps and skill sets.

There are all kinds of different skills and products that are relevant to a discussion about SURVIVAL H2O.  Today, I’d like to discuss 4 SMALL Collapsible Containers with BIG Potential.

First, why COLLAPSIBLE?

In many aspects of survival, portability is key.  Containers that are collapsible make sense to the survivalist for several reasons:

• They weigh less
• They take us less space
• Can be carried easily in a BOB or BOV

Collapsible containers, however, are typically not as durable as their rigid counterparts.  You will have to decide when portability outweighs durability.

Below are 4 Collapsible Water Containers that I own – each have a slightly different place and purpose in my survival tool chest of products.  I detail why I own them, what I plan on or currently use them for, and where you can get them should you decide to add them to your survival preps.

The Water Bob

As you can see in the photo above, the Water Bob is a collapsible water liner that fits in your bath tub.  In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, the Water Bob can be deployed in a matter of minutes and holds a staggering 100 gallons of water.

The Water Bob also comes with a siphon for drawing out smaller portions of water.  Sure, you can just fill your bath tub up with no liner if you are desperate, but the food grade liner protects the water from A) Your nasty bath tub and B) Dust, debris, insects and air-born particles.

If you are limited on space for water storage in your house or apartment and you have a bath tub, the Water Bob might be a good solution for you.  If you see this fitting into your survival mix, you can order one at http://www.waterbob.com/  for $24.95.

The 5-Gallon Collapsible Container

I bought this container from http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MLT4945-1.html for $9.97.  Versions of this style container can be found in almost any camping section at any big box retailer.  I’ve seem them in hunting stores like Gander Mountain and even Wal-mart.  These are a great light-weight, portable solution for toting water from a water source back to camp or a Bug Out Location.  They can also be frozen.  This one is fitted with an easy ON/OFF spigot which is a nice feature.

The Jolly Tank

The Jolly Tank is my new favorite survival water storage container.  My friend (and occasional Guest Author on this site and owner of www.realitysurvival.com)  JJ Johnson recently introduced me to the Jolly Tank.  I’ve been in the survival biz for 15 years and have never seen this particular product.  It holds 2 gallons of water or fuel (6 hour limit on fuel) and folds down to about the size of your wallet.  And, it only weighs a few ounces.  I’ve added one of these to my BOB, my Bronco and also to my in-home safe room.  Trust me, I need one in my Bronco – that thing SUCKS THE GAS.

JJ has done an excellent review on this item at http://www.realitysurvival.com/jolly-tank/.  He also sells them for $10.  Other than his site, I don’t know of anywhere else to get them.

The Platypus Water Bottle

I’ve used a Collapsible Platypus Bottle ( http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus ) for as long as I can remember.  I use it as 1 of my 3 Bug Out Bag water containers.  I have the 2 liter version and it literally rolls up into nothing when empty.  It’s the best use of space I can think of in a BOB.  I’ve used the same one for over 10 years so I can attest to its durability.  I love that I can reduce the bulk in my pack as I consume the water in this bottle.  It is just one of those items that makes sense.

The Big Drawback

The obvious drawback of collapsible containers in their thin walled design.  Though most of them are surprisingly durable, they are definitely more susceptible to being cut or punctured.  This needs to be taken into consideration when using and packing these types of containers.  In a survival scenario where weight is critical, the pros of these containers certainly OUTWEIGH the cons.

Are you using a collapsible container that the rest of us should know about?  If so, tell us about it in the comments below.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

Similar Posts:

• Bug Out Bag Water Procurement Kit
• Bug Out Vehicle: Creek’s Former 1968 Ford Bronco
• Turn Your Stainless Nalgene Water Bottle Into a Hunting Tool
• Someone’s Trash Could Save Your Life: How to boil & purify water in a plastic bottle
• 1972 Ford Bronco Bug Out Vehicle

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Creek Stewart is the Owner and Lead Instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor – a leading Survival and Preparedness Training Facility located on 21-acres in Central Indiana.  For more information on Survival Courses and Clinics offered at WHO, click HERE.  Creek is also author of the new book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit.  His book is currently available for preorder on AMAZON.COM for only $11.20 – LIMITED TIME ONLY.  If you enjoy Creek’s Blog Posts, you will also enjoy his new book.  You can contact Creek directly at creek@willowhavenoutdoor.com.