# Survival Skills Practice Thread



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I like to practice my survival skills often. I can read all day about how to do this or that but in my opinion you have to get out there and try stuff to see how it works for you. If anybody is interested post up pics or a detailed description of things you have tried. Doesn't matter if you were successful or not. It's all about learning. I practice fire starting every week when I burn my household trash. I will update occasionally if a new to me method was tried.

Today I was reading about using the sun to get water from plants so I ran 2 experiments to test the theory.

Trial 1: I dug a hole in the fire pit and placed a small cup inside. Then I stuffed a bunch of plants around it and covered it with a sheet of plastic wrap. The sheet was weighted with a pebble in the middle in the hope that the condensation would drip into the cup.

Trial 2: I filled a 1 gallon zip lock bag with plants and hung it from a black riding mower. I cut the corner off the bag a put a cup under it to catch the water.

Both were put out around 1 pm today and left until 5 pm. Conditions were bright and sunny with temps around 72.

Results for trial 1: total failure. No water in the cup but the plastic had condensate on it. Dirt got in the cup when I pulled off the plastic.

Results for trial 2: fail. I only got about a 1/2 ounce of discolored water.

I may rerun this test at a later time and try to set it up better. This was smaller than recommended in the sas guide and only left out for 4 hours. For now I would not rely on this method. Pics below.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Pics didn't load. Will add them later when I have a better cell signal.


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I stopped reading/caring when I came to the 72 degree temp.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Doing a hike with the family setting up a tarp camp making a fire and cooking a lunch are great way to spend a Saturday early morn to afternoon. Trying out different bits of kit learning to tie knots and shooting. All fun stuff. My son is better with fire steel than I am lol.


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I think the best way to get the results you're looking for would be to take a grocery store type bag or maybe even a small trash liner and cover the end of a tree branch then tie it off. Don't even bother cutting a hole in the corner for run off. Just let it the water gather in the bag. It doesn't produce a lot of water but in a dire situation you might get a mouthful.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> I think the best way to get the results you're looking for would be to take a grocery store type bag or maybe even a small trash liner and cover the end of a tree branch then tie it off. Don't even bother cutting a hole in the corner for run off. Just let it the water gather in the bag. It doesn't produce a lot of water but in a dire situation you might get a mouthful.
> 
> View attachment 9765
> 
> ...


I will definitely be trying this on the next test. I also like the idea about not cutting the corner of the bag. I will try that also. Thanks Squatch!


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> Doing a hike with the family setting up a tarp camp making a fire and cooking a lunch are great way to spend a Saturday early morn to afternoon. Trying out different bits of kit learning to tie knots and shooting. All fun stuff. My son is better with fire steel than I am lol.


That what I'm talking about! Folks, get out there and try this stuff. Then post up your results.


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Do we have a thread to post results when we do try stuff out? Might be something we should start.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> Do we have a thread to post results when we do try stuff out? Might be something we should start.


That is exactly why I started this thread!!! Add your own to it...


----------



## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Last time I was out cutting wood at the BOL I tried a couple of the portable tinder ideas I'd read about.

Test: Firestraws: cotton mushed with petroleum jelly, stuffed into a length of soda straw and melted shut to make it waterproof. Slit side and tease out some cotton to use.
Result: Failure. Sure, it burned, but Waaaayyy too much effort for the ease of lighting compared to Plan B.

Test Plan B: Cotton mushed with petroleum jelly, stuffed into a waterproof medicine bottle. Holds several cotton balls. Pull one out, yank to stretch, and light beneath bigger tinder.
Result: Total win. Dead easy to light, kept going long enough that even damp material probably would have caught. Didn't tend to blow out in a mild wind.

Tinder storage, Plan A: Fill a watertight plastic box with various sizes of tinders, seal it up and leave it in the cabin so I'd have an easy fire light even if it's wet/dark/nasty when I arrive.
Result: Even crispy dry leaves and sticks produce condensation when sealed. They were more *obviously* damp when I went to use them than when I'd sealed the box.

Tinder storage, Plan B: Just leave the lid off the box, leave the box in the cabin.
Result: Much better. Didn't get soggy from humidity, easy to light.

Yeah, yeah, that's a pretty lightweight beginning, but I gotta start where I am.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

On my next hike the plan is to find some fat wood and get a chunk in everyone's emergency bag as well.


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> That is exactly why I started this thread!!! Add your own to it...


Yep. Didn't notice until I went back and saw the thread header again. My bad.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Here is another good skill. Tippy tap conserves water and lets you wash your hands without recontamination. tippy tap video - Bing Videos


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Spice said:


> Last time I was out cutting wood at the BOL I tried a couple of the portable tinder ideas I'd read about.
> 
> Test: Firestraws: cotton mushed with petroleum jelly, stuffed into a length of soda straw and melted shut to make it waterproof. Slit side and tease out some cotton to use.
> Result: Failure. Sure, it burned, but Waaaayyy too much effort for the ease of lighting compared to Plan B.
> ...


I've used dryer lint with a firestarter and it lit instantly. I always carry a small amount with me in a water proof container when I go out in the woods.

If you are in an emergency situation and don't have that stuff use lint from the inside of your pockets, socks or scrape some off of jeans if you are wearing those. Works great as well but tough to gather a lot so make it count.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Dryer lint - a good swath of it - mixed with some petroleum jelly works pretty good too. Same as cotton balls but takes a spark way better. Works best if mix one batch and then the next batch in dry. Store in ziplock and it sits flat stores easy.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Dryer lint.. does it matter what kind? Cotton or polyester? Does one make a better tinder than the other?


----------



## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

AquaHull said:


> I stopped reading/caring when I came to the 72 degree temp.


Yeah. If I want to get water all I have to do is chip it off my car. 

I'll enjoy this thread next spring. LOL


----------



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

We brought our toilet paper rolls w/dryer lint and petrol.jelly with us when we went camping this past fall. They do work really well to start a fire!
I just keep collecting them and now have a bag full.

I use a butter knife to put the petroleum in the tp roll, then push the lint in the roll.
Put in zip lock.


----------



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Pic's or it's not true...lol


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Dryer lint.. does it matter what kind? Cotton or polyester? Does one make a better tinder than the other?


That's a good question that I don't have an answer to. I usually just collect the lint in a large zip-loc bag and pull out whatever I need. It's all mixed as far as I know but it hasn't failed me yet.


----------



## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Gee, my solar clothes dryer doesn't make lint...I feel Tinder Deprived!


----------



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Spice said:


> Gee, my solar clothes dryer doesn't make lint...I feel Tinder Deprived!


Don't feel bad, our dryer doesnt make ice!! You lucky dog , you.


----------



## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Some like candles for backup lighting. But they can easily be knocked over even when in a holder. Use small jars for candles & make sure the wick is centered. The glass is a good insulator from the heat.


Jars yeast comes in are also great to use.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Dryer lint.. does it matter what kind? Cotton or polyester? Does one make a better tinder than the other?


Hehe and it works best when wind is coming from a north southerly direction over the ocean. Dont forget to burp.

If your actually being serious ive never noticed what was in the dryer. Just stole the lint away like gollum with the ring lol


----------



## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

Found this video last night looking for ways to improve my technique. Looks promising, I'll try it out tonight if shoots let's me. (I pissed her off last night being a know it all)


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> Hehe and it works best when wind is coming from a north southerly direction over the ocean. Dont forget to burp.
> 
> If your actually being serious ive never noticed what was in the dryer. Just stole the lint away like gollum with the ring lol


In my experience, sometimes the lint doesn't work very well. Won't hold a flame or is hard to get started. Seems it depends on what went through the dryer. Towels seem to work the best. Those experiments were using straight lint and a firesteel, no Vaseline. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter. Just an observation.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> In my experience, sometimes the lint doesn't work very well. Won't hold a flame or is hard to get started. Seems it depends on what went through the dryer. Towels seem to work the best. Those experiments were using straight lint and a firesteel, no Vaseline. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter. Just an observation.


No offense intended please dont see it that way i purely jest. I just take it all - all the time. The jelly burns off and the dry lint catches easily as we all know. Maybe i just have more cottons overall than synthetics in the house. And 4 people burn through towels fast. Light flamable free. Its the super tinder.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Pics from yesterdays test.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Today I tried something new. I made a couple traps which I have never done before. It was a learning experience for sure and I will need to practice more to get it down. I picked 2 designs from the SAS Survival Guide: the pocket sized edition. Only tools I used for both traps were a Leatherman Wave and some bank line.

Page 123-The spring snare. Good for rabbit sized game. It uses a sapling to snare the animal and lift it off the ground.









When I set it off it had a surprising amount of force! It was actually pretty easy to make and setup. I took me about 10 mins of carving to make the stake and trigger. Had to adjust the notch so it wasn't too tight. I used a clove hitch to attach the bank line to the sapling. A simple loop was used to make the snare. I used some small twigs to support the fist sized loop and hold it open for Thumper.

Page 129- The Figure 4 Deadfall. Good for rat and squirrel sized game. It smashes the animal and traps it. Requires bait.

















This one was much harder than anticipated. It took a lot of carving adjustments to get the level of sensitivity where a small critter messing with the bait would set it off. Not sure I like this one or not. I had to adjust the length of the support bar in order to make sure the weight would not land on the vertical stake when it was tripped. I just used a piece of wood for the weight, probably better to find a good sized rock instead.

I am calling these a success since I was able to get them to work as advertised. I wanted to leave them out and see if I could catch something but the wife said NO!... No big deal. Ill just wait till she goes out of town, hehe. These will never replace a real trap such as a connibear but I know that I can make these if I have a knife and some cordage. Thanks for reading.


----------



## Makwa (Dec 19, 2014)

I trap for about 8 months every year for various species so........ pretty much practiced up on that. Use snares a lot for coyote, lynx and squirrel. Also use underwater snares for beaver occasionally. Snares for bunnies when I get the urge. No bait needed to snare squirrels or rabbits for food, just set on a run, pole by a midden for squirrels. You can carry quite a few feet of snare wire for rabbits and squirrels rolled up and in a shirt pocket......... and it can usually be reused quite a few times.

I often carry birch bark for fire starter. If you are in pine forests or near some spruce it is usually easy to find a pitch tree to use for fire starter. Lots of options out there.


----------



## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Pics from yesterdays test.
> 
> View attachment 9774
> 
> ...


Ark, your supposed to smoke that stuff...layful:


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Glad yall did not hurt any of God's Creatures. We buy our meat at the store where no animals have to die.


----------

