Survivalism / Woodcraft/Bushcraft / Primitive ways / Prepping

PART I: Survivalism / Woodcraft/Bushcraft (skills for the woods)

• basic cold weather survival tips
• C.O.L.D. rule. Keep your clothing Clean, avoid Overheating, wear your clothes Loose and in Layers and stay Dry
• wear or carry 100% wool underwear with your gear (e.g. undershirt, long johns, shocks or footwraps). Cotton and synthetic thermal wear are not that smart a choice. Also carry second pair of pants and shirts in case you get wet
• mittens are way better than gloves in protecting your hands from frostbite. A full face or a neck gaiter will protect the neck and nose from frostbites. Jacket hood and a fur hat too for really cold weather
• a light windproof jacket is ideal for windy cold weather. Mind thar wind proof jackets increase body temperature and sweat if worn on mild cold weather
• stuffing dead grass under your jacket and pants is an excellant form of insulation
• prioritise keeping your head and extremities (hands and feet) warm. Extremities are sources of heat loss and prone to frostbites
• seek shelter and do not travel if there is a blizard or even a snowstorm which can cause a windchill. Windchill causes very fast and extreme temperature drops, which also means dangerous body temperature drops
• if there is an avalanche you cannot escape, drop your gear and start swimming diagonally towards the closest edge
• if you fall in freezing water, swim towards the point you were walking before you fell and do not pull yourself out. Instead, get horizontal and swim-drag yourself out of the hole. Once out, do not stand up but roll away from the hole. Once in safe ground, remove wet clothes, wear dry ones or cover yourself with a mylar blanket and tarp and start a fire
• to avoid hypothermia, dress for C.O.L.D., avoid staying too long in sub-zero temperatures, seek shelter, start a fire. To detect hypothermia, keep in mind the five basic warning signs: Confusion, Shivering, Difficulty speaking, Sleepiness, Stiff muscles. To treat hypothermia, seek shelter, cover head and extremities, lie down, use warm bottles to the neck, armpits and groin and drink warm drinks. Do not start a fire, do not drink alcohol, do not rub, do not submerge in hot bath
• to prevent frostbite, cover face and extremities, keep dry, be well fed and well hydrated, use loose footwear and clothing, avoid staying too long in sub-zero temperatures, avoid moisture, sweat and drinking alcohol. To detect frostbite check for the signs: Stage 1 (Frostnip): cold, sore, red and painful skin, Stage 2: Feeling of pins and needles and patches of peeling skin, Stage 3: Numbness and hard, black skin. To treat frostbite, do not rub, do not put over fire, drink warm fluids, put hands in companion's armpits or groin, wear gloves
• shelter site selection tips
• close to (in order of importance) your site building material, your fire fuel, your water source and even your foraging source if possible
• protected from the wind by a natural windbreak like a big rock or a tree grove
• not in the sleeping area of a dangerous animal like a wolf or a bear. Look for tracks, scat and other indicators
• insect free. Not too close to a swamp, a marsh, a lake or insect attracting bushes
• not prone to flood, away from the path of an avalanche or a land slide, away from the potential fall of a dead tree or a rock
• shelter and resting types and tips
• cave
• lean-to. A horizontal pole lashed about 2m high on two trees or two poles and a series of poles leaning against the horizontal pole. Cover by shingling bark sheets, leafy branches or pine boughs. Cover again with brush, pine needles, etc
• debris hut. Two stakes about 1m long and about 1m apart stuck to the ground diagonally so as to meet on top and a third pole (ridgepole) 2m long leaning to the top of the sticks. Lean large sticks on both sides of the ridgepole to cover the sides. Create a ridge with soil so as to prevent rain water from comming into the shelter. Then cover in shingling layers as with the lean-to. Make at least 1m thick insulation. Insulate raised bedding with branches and brush, pine needles, etc
• dirt trench. Dig a "grave" that fits you in a sleeping position. Cover with a layer of strong branch poles or light logs. Then cover with 30cm of soil and leaves. If it big enough to stand, sit or move around it is called a "scout pit"
• wigwam. Stick long, flexible saplings in the ground in a circle or oblong shape. The more saplings the better. Bend the opposite saplings and tie them toghether creating a sapling dome. Cover by shingling birch bark sheets or tarp. You can leave a sheltered opening on the top for the fire smoke
• brush shanty. It is basically a garage shape with inclined roof and no door. Frame with branch poles and cover can be made by branch layers or tarp
• tepee. Can be no-pole (hanging from tree), one-pole (center), three-pole, and so on. It can be ground-tight or raised. It can have smoke flaps
• tent. All sorts of designs, shapes and sizes
• tree-pit. Dig out the snow around a healthy tree trunk to make a quick shelter from snowstorm, blizzard, overnight sleep or in geberal. It should fit you sitting and barely standing. Cover the ground with evergreen brush and boughs. You can use a small pyramid fire to stay warm
• snow trench. The equivalent of a dirt trench for snow
• igloo. For a quick shelter from snowstorm, blizzard or overnight sleep. Need deep and hard snow. Many designs can be used. The fastest and easiest is the debris-hut looking one. Cut the blocks. Lean them against each other. Pack with snow. Make evergreen bedding
• fire bed. Dig an area the size of a single bed mattress and no more than 30cm deep. Start a fire and place medium sized rocks inside and around it. Once hot, spread the rocks evenly around the dug area using a couple of sticks and cover with the soil you dug out. Lie down and use a light or heavy blanket according to weather
• branch bed. Lay two logs on either side for head and leg base. Lay 2m branch poles on top. Stick 4 poles on the ground to keep the poles in place and cover with brush, boughs or pine needles
• swamp bed. Can be usefull in more than the swamp case. Stick 4 stakes or poles in the swamp or ground in a rectangle shape. Lash 4 poles on the four sides on top for a frame. Fill and lash the frame with stakes and branches. Make bedding with brush
• hunter's chair. Find a strong tree trunk. Lash the edge of two 2m poles in either side of the trunk at about 50cm height. Lay and lash a few stakes on top of the two stakes near the trunk for a seat
• tarp chair. Make a tepee with three poles of 2m each. Lash a shorter pole on two of the vertical poles at about 50cm height to make an A-frame. Tie a tarp on the horizontal pole and on the top of the vertical poles
• tarp hammock. Tie one side of a tarp on a tree at about 1m height and the other side on another tree at the same height or a bit higher
• hammock chair. Same as with the hammock, only one side of the tarp is tied significantly lower on the tree
• open shelters (lean-to, tepee and brush shanty) are better for mild and less windy weather because they avoid the moisture/damp build-up and the CO2 build-up of tents, and they are in direct contact with campfire heat. Tents are better in cold windy weather (Beaufort 5+ or 30+ km/h), alpine altitude and arctic cold
• fire building types and tips
• at building fires extreme care should be taken for windy conditions, flammable ground (e.g. dead, dry pine needles), clearing the fire site area from other flammable debris, laying stones around the fire site, ideally, building the fire on the cobbles of a river bank, etc
• tinder-kindling-fuel. Tinder is the dead, dry grass to catch the fire. Kindling is the small to medium, dead, dry twigs and branches to sustain the first fire. Fuel is the thicker branches and logs to keep the fire going
• feather sticks. Used if all is wet and there is no dry tinder or kindling or no tinder/kindling at all. Feather sticks are made by splitting and shaving the inside of dead standing wood
• tepee. Most basic type. Used for wet wood. Pile a tinder heap in the center. Arrange a cone of small kindling around the tinder. Add a second cone layer of larger kindling sticks
• Dakota fire pit. For windy conditions. Dig a hole and built a tepee fire in there. Bore a diagonal hole on the ground to meet the fire hole from side of the wind in order to provide air/oxygen to the fire
• pyramid. To last all night. Layers of logs and branches from thicker to thinner from layer to layer
• wet pyramid. For wet soil or snow. Layers of logs and branches from thicker to thinner from layer to layer. The first layer with green logs
• Siberian log fire. To reflect heat towards the camp/tent, for maximum heat and to last all night (with occasional log adjustment). Lay the bigger log that you can carry horizontally and parallel to the face of the camp/tent. Lean smaller (but big enough) logs on top the big log in a hand fan layout that extend a little over the base log. Start the fire from the sides and not the middle. If the soil is too wet or snow, lay a few branches in front of the base log to light the fire on them
• Swedish fire torch. Quick, small fire to cook. You need a saw. Cut a piece of log with both ends flat. Saw off a cross halfway through the log and use tinder and sap to light a fire in the middle
• fire reflector. Stick four 1m branches into the ground in order to hold a wall of poles or small logs. According to the camp/tent setup, two walls making a 45 degree corner might make a better reflector
• fire starting ways and tips
• fire plow. Rubbing a hardwood stick on a softwood board. Collect the ember on a broad green leaf or piece of bark, or flat wood, or flat rock, or even thin feather stick shavings. Put the ember into the middle of a tinder bundle and fold it. Blow the bundle or hold it with two sticks and move it back and forth to ignite
• hand drill. Drilling a softwood board with a hardwood spindle spinned by hand. More information on the more efficient bow drill method below. Ember collected and used as above
• bow drill. Drilling a softwood board with a hardwood spindle spinned by a "bow". Find a straight piece of hardwood sapling or branch and carve a spindle about 2-3cm thick out of it, 30cm long, with one end (bottom) a little rounded and the other (top) thinned out a lot. Find a solid concave rock the size of your palm, or carve a handle out of a piece of hardwood to use as spindle socket, or even use a ball of well compacted snow covered with dead grass. Make a flat piece of softwood like a small plank by splitting a fat piece of wood. Either cut "V" notches on its side or burn side notches into it with the spindle. Optionally, carve a little dimple over every side notch to guide your spindle. Mind that your spindle diameter should end a little over where the side notch ends. You can also use a naturally forked "Y" piece or wood or a half split "V" piece of wood instead of a plank. Make a "bow" by tying a piece of cordage or bramble or grass or bark strip on one end of an arched stick and hold together the other end of the cordage and the stick. Instead of tying the cordage to the stick, you can make a knot on one end of the piece of cordage, carve a notch on the stick like the bow nock or split it a little, and stick the knot in the notch. If you are right-handed, hold the socket and spindle with your left hand and bow with your right, loop the cordage once or twice around the spindle, step on the plank with your left foot to keep it steady and secure your left arm (which holds the handle and spindle) against your knee. Start to "violin" with your right hand with light pressure and low speed. Do not change pressure or speed to get rid of the squeaking. When you create some black dust (after about 1 minute), increase a little speed but not pressure. Squeaking should reduce or even stop in this step. When enough black dust is accumulated, pick up speed and pressure for a few seconds to ignite the dust and create an ember. The whole process should take no more than 2-3 minutes. Ember collected and used as above. The bow drill is effective even with live/green wood and even soaked wet wood, but not punk wood
• flint and steel. Any flint/chert/qartz/obsidian/jasper/marble-like, high-pitched (when tapped) stones that look smooth and glassy will do (prefer red ones). Any piece of steel will do (knife, saw, axe, etc). You can throw a spark on a tinder bundle, tinder fungus, birch bark, feather stick, etc, or you can hold the stone over or under the fungus in one hand and strike the stone with the steel piece (or scrape the steel against the rock)
• ferro rod. A metal alloy rod that when scraped with a steel piece it throws a spark directly on a tinder bunch
• magnesium rod. The same as a ferro rod with the adition of a magnesium bar. Magnesium dust makes a more efficient fire starter as it produces bigger, hotter initial burst of flame
• common natural material used to catch the spark of a steel or rod are tinder bundle, tinder fungus, birch bark (scraped in-side), punk wood, feather stick and char cloth (not as great a choice as advertized)
• matches and lighters do not make a safe choice. Matches get wet or break. Lighters do not work if they get wet or on very cold conditions. Both matches and lighters will eventually run out
• water procurement tips
• look for signs of hovering mist, brighter area, lusher vegetation or birds
• look for gullies
• pick up the morning dew from the grass using a clean cloth
• solar still. Dig a hole. Put a container in the middle to collect water. Add enough, freshly cut, green, edible plants around the container. Cover with a cellophane or similar material airtight. Place a little rock in the middle to make a cone to lead water into the container
• transpiration bag. Tie an airtight bag in the last part of an edible tree branch
• sap of edible plants like maple and vine
• if you are close to sea level, dig a hole and it should fill with water
• if the water is muddy make a filter. Use a plastic bottle or built a cone with saplings, bark or broad leaves. Tie a clean cloth in the bottom end and fill the filter with layers a few cm thick each, as such (bottom to top): charcoal, fine sand, pebbles and coarse sand, rocks. For better results make a double filter
• boil the water for ten minutes to kill any bacteria
• foraging tips
• know your botany
• choose plants that are in abundance in the greater area to worth your effort
• when trying unknown plants use the Universal Edibility Test. Step 1: Discard if it has strong, unpleasant odor. Step 2: Place a piece of the plant on your inner elbow or wrist for 8 hours. If your skin burns, itches, feels numb, or breaks out in a rash, wash off your skin and don’t eat the plant. Step 3: Touch the plant to your lips to test for burning or itching. If there’s no reaction hold it for 15 minutes. Step 4: Take a small bite, chew it, and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. If the plant tastes very bitter or soapy, spit it out and wash out your mouth. Step 5: If there’s no reaction in your mouth, swallow the bite and wait for 8 hours. If there’s no ill effect, you can assume this part of the plant is edible. Repeat the test for other parts of the plant
• you can foarge wild edible flowers, berries, fruit, nuts, pine needles and cones, tree leaves and cambium, roots, cereals, grains, herbs, tinder fungus, acorns, honey, bird eggs, etc
• acorn leaching. Method 1. Put whole, unpeeled acorns in a sack and submerge them in a river for a few days. Method 2. Peel or even coarse grind them and submerge them in a pot of water for a few days. Change the water daily. Method 3. Peel or even coarse grind and simmer the acorns for 30 minutes. Then drain them and put them in another pot with pre-boiled water (not cold water). Repeat until they're not bitter. Method 1 and 2 (cold leaching) for making acorn flour products, while method 3 (hot leaching, sweeter) for making roasted acorn snacks, coffee, etc. For faster leaching, do not just peel the husk but scrape off a little of the dark skin layer as well
• fishing types and tips
• spear fishing. There are many types of spear configuration
• bow fishing. Aim a little lower due to light refraction
• shore trap. It is a miniature fishing weir for a single river fish
• fishing weir. Can be used in river or sea, upstream or downstream river and it can be circular shape or straight shape (ramp)
• basket trap. Follows the weir logic
• snare. Twitch-up snare (see below) with hook instead of noose
• rod. All kinds of shapes and sizes
• hooks from thorn, bone or antler, wood, wire
• fishing line from bark strip or cordage
• worm, cricket or frog for a bait


• cordage info and tips
• plants. Depends on the area. There is a vast variety. From grasses, nettle, thistle, bramble, wild oat, white clover. From trees, the phloem (bast) of willow, oak, elm, juniper, aspen, maple, hazel, birch, poplar, ash, lime
• harvest. For grasses, best at the end of growing season. Let the stems dry. Pound them. split them open. Peel the outter wood to leave the fiber. Rub the fibers in your hands to completely clean and separate them. For trees, best at spring or summer. Harvest phloem strips (just before the cambium). Strip the outter bark from the fiber. Soak in hot water or even boil. Hang to dry. Rub to separate. If dried completely, soak and then work them
• methods. Take your first piece of ply and bring between your fingers not the center but a little off. Start twisting the ply in opposite direction to make a kink. Method 1, keep twisting that way and the cordage will form itself. Method 2, twist a ply and turn wrist to reach the other ply to bring to that position. Repeat. Method 3, twist them both on a surface (thigh, rock). In any case, keep them a little moist while twisting, not completely dry. Add new fibers well before you run out. The points where you add new fibers should be uneven for the two plies, not at the same height. Keep each ply the same thickness
• basic practical braiding
• braids can be used for makeshift bramble rucksack straps, rope, etc
• For a 3-strand flat braid, take the left strand and go over the middle and under the right strand. Now, the previously middle strand has become the new left strand, the previously right has become the new middle and the previously left has become the new right. Repeat until it is enough
• For a 4-strand flat braid, take the 4 over 3, 2 over 1 and new 2 over new 3. Repeat until it is enough
• For another method for a 4-strand flat braid, take 4 over 3, 1 over 2 and new 3. Repeat
• For a 4 strand round braid, take 4 under 2 and 3 and then over 2 to make it the new 3. Do the same starting from the other side. Repeat until it is enough
• For a 6 strand round braid, take 4 under 3, 4 and 5, and over 3. Do the same starting from the other side. Repeat until it is enough
• basic practical splicing
• For a 3-braid back splice, take, say, braid 3 and, going counter-clockwise, place it over the previous one, braid 2. Take braid 2 and place it over braid 1. Take braid 1 and pass it through the loop of braid 3. Then tighten up the knot you created. Now start the back splice. Pick any of the 3 loose strands, find the nearest twisted rope strand next to it, untwist the rope a little and go over it and under the next. Repeat the back splice starting again from any of the 3 strands
• basic practical knots
• to make a bowline knot. From a hanging rope ("tree"), make an upward "rabbit hole" with your right hand. The "rabbit" (rope end) goes up the hole (under-over), behind and around the "tree" and back down into the hole
• Farrimond hitch (for tying adjustable rope to object, e.g. tent poles, hammock, etc). Pass the rope around the tree with standing end on the left and running end on the right. Make an underhand loop (running end under) on the running rope. Place the loop on the standing end rope. Wrap the loop around the standing rope twice and through itself like the prusik knot. Take the running end, double it (bight) and pass it through the remaining little hole of the loop and tighten
• Evenk knot (aka Siberian hitch, for tying fixed rope to object). Pass the rope around the tree with standing end on the left and running end on the right. Hold the standing end with your left hand palm up. Using your right hand, place the running end on the fingers of your left hand and loop it around the fingers once. In one motion and without dropping and ropes, move your hand to the left under the standing end and flip it over to face palm down. With the loop still around your left hand, insert your thumb into that loop and reach for the running and and pull it through the loop of your left hand and tighten
• prusik knot (for hanging stuff on a rope). Closed loop that is wrapped around a rope and through itself 3 times
• basic practical hitches
• clove hitch (standard lashing start and finish). Pass the rope around the pole once. Pass it around again not on the same side, but diagonally. Pass the running end under and through the rope at the pole. Alternatively, using your left hand, make a loop with a counter-clockwise motion (running rope over loop). Using your right hand, make another loop also with a counter-clockwise motion (running rope under loop). Place the right loop on the left loop, pass the loops through the pole and tighten
• timber hitch (standard round pole fastening). A simple knot where the end of the end of the rope is looped in itself a few times before tightening
• basic practical lashings
• square lashing (e.g. for a swamp bed, raft, hunter's chair, lean-to, etc). Start with a clove hitch on one side of the bottom pole. Do three times wrapping (over-under). Do three frappings. Finish again with a clove hitch
• diagonal lashing (e.g. for a Roycroft frame, etc). Start with a timber hitch that grabs both poles. Do 3 wraps and then 3 cross wraps. Begin frapping (loop around the ropes in between the poles). Finish with a clove hitch
• tripod lashing (e.g. for a teepe, tarp chair, etc). Lay the poles side-by-side. Start with a clove hitch on one of the outside poles. Do 4-6 turns over and under the poles not too tightly, in a figure of eight pattern. Make 3 frapping turns between each pole. Finish with a square knot using the standing end of the original clove hitch. Alternatively, end with a clove hitch instead of a squre knot
• shear lashing (e.g. for sawhorse, table, toilet seat, etc). Start with a clove hitch on one of the poles. Wrap six times. Frap twice between the poles. End with a clove hitch on one pole
• flint knapping
• stones. Same as for flint and steel above
• percussion flaking. If you strike straight down on a flat and somewhat uniform stone it will break into a 100 degree base cone (hertzian) and other parts. To cut an oval stone in two flat halves, tilt the oval stone at 45 degrees and strike straight down at its middle. To produce a flake from that half stone, tilt again at 45 degrees and strike straight down at the edge. Changing the angle of the stone will produce different shape and size flakes
• pressure flaking. Use tools like antler, bone, hard and fire-hardened hardwood, metal, etc. First, abraid the edges from weak and fragile chips by sanding the edges with another stone. Do that every now and then to have controlled flaking. To carve a flake, sit on a chair, cover your thigh with a piece of hide or thick cloth, hold your flake in a horizontal position with a piece of hide or leather to protect your hand, press both hands against your covered thigh for better control, place your tool's tip where you need a small flake to be removed and press down
• basic animal tracking tips
• signs
• large scale (habitat, landscape (cover, food, water, transition areas), routes (trail, run, escape), sleeping area (bed, lay, den, burrow, etc), feeding area)
• medium scale (rub, hair/feathers, gnaws/chews, scratches, debris/disturbance, scat:
• tubular = canine/bear/skunk
• tubular+tapered ends = fox
• tear drop/tapered end = feline
• oblong = deer/goat/sheep/boar/hog
• M&Ms = rabbit/hare
• fattened threads = weasel
• pencil lead = rodents
• hair in contents = carnivore/omnivore, seeds in contents = herbivore/omnivore
• aging (comes with experience)
• small scale (compression/sideheading)
• ghost scale (morning dulling, daytime shinning and depression)
• tracks
• shape (true track, feline:round track, canine/fox:oblong track, feline:no claw marks, canine/fox:claw marks, dog:larger inner toes, jackal:larger outer toes, wolf/fox:equal size toes, fox:heel pad ridge, deer:outside larger toe)
• measure (size (length, width), stride (front to back toe), straddle (gap between reft-right track lines), pitch (angled foot like beaver))
• register (direct registers (felines, fox), indirect registers (all others))
• pattern (diagonal walker (canines, felines, fox, deer, boar), galloper (rabbit/hare, squirrel, rodent), bound walker (marten, weasel, mink, otter), pacer (bear, beaver, badger, skunk, porcupine))
• sex (for diagonal walkers only, males:wider front tracks than rear, females:wider rear tracks than front)
• sidedness (if one front foot is behind the other over 4-5 tracks, the animal will have a tendency to circle in that direction)
• aging (comes with experience)
• basic hunting traps, snares and tips
• baiting (depends on the targeted game)
• deadfall (figure 4, Paiute). A configuration of sticks to barely hold a big stone over a loosely positioned bait
• simple snare. A cordage noose concealed in a trail or run and secured on a sapling or pole driven into the ground
• drag noose. The same as above, only instead of the noose being secured on a sapling or pole driven into the ground it is tied in the middle of a stick that is blocked by the bushes
• twitch-up snare. A cordage noose concealed in a trail or run and secured by a trigger on a bent over sapling which will spring back up when triggered
• squirrel pole. A cordage noose secured on a branch
• bird pole. A pole driven into the ground with a pointed tip on the top and a hole under it. A rope is passed through the hole. On one side of the rope a heavy stone is tied. On the other end a noose is made. The noose is close to the hole and is laid on a little stick that is slightly poked into the hole. As soon as a bird lands on the stick, the stick will fall, the stone will draw the rope and the noose will fasten on the bird's feet
• bow trap. An armed and loaded bow on the ground with a trigger cordage to set off when a boar or deer crosses it
• pig spear trap. A sapling tied high on a tree trunk with spikes on the other end, drawn and ready to strike when a boar or deer sets off its cordage trigger
• the last two traps have better been avoided if not supervised at all times. Someone might cross and get killed
• basic bow hunting tips
• descenting (wash clothes and shower with natural no-scent soap, slightly smoke clothes over a fire, do not use deodorants/aftershave/toothpaste/gum/etc, do not eat garlic/onion/sauce/etc, do not dress to sweat, rub charcoal and ash on clothes (not skin), rub non toxic hunting area fragrant plants or pine needles on clothes and skin, carry a misting bottle of a strong local tea)
• camouflage (wear any non-geometrical, non bright clothing (e.g. Realtree, Mossy Oak, BDU, ACU, OCP, ABU, DCU, etc), break your silhouette to be part of the surrounding image, make and wear a brush or fabric strips ghillie suit), soot to conceal skin glare
• stalking (wear silent clothes (no fabric/boot squeaking, no zippers ringing, etc), hunt downwind, stealth moving (fox-weasel-stalk))
• fox walk. 1. Lower the foot to land on the outside of the ball with light pressure. 2. Roll off the edge of the foot onto the ball laying the whole foot down still with only partial weight. 3 Place full weight on foot
• weasel walk. 1. The body is over the thighs, knees bent. 2. Lower the foot to land on the outside of the ball with light pressure. 3. Roll of the edge of the foot onto the ball keeping the heel off the ground. 4. Place full weight on the ball. The heel can land but only for temporary balance
• stalk. Very slow. 1 min per step
• spot and stalk hunting
• ambush hunting (need bait, ground ambush, bush cover, blind, treestand)
• shot placement (right above and just behind front leg (shoulder) when broadside or quartering away)
• blood trailing
• light/bright red or pink and frothy = heart/artery or lungs : wait 30mins min
• dark red = liver/vein/muscle : wait 3hrs min
• brown/green/yellow and stenchy = paunch (stomach/guts) : wait 6hrs min
• other shots include ham, leg, shoulder, neck and spine. In all these cases, throw a second arrow if possible and start immediate pursuit to wear animal down. There will be little or no blood and for only a little while
• determine side of bleeding to detect potential backtrailing
• splatter configuration reveals animal's fleeing speed
• simple bow types and tips
• bundle bow. Tying toghether thinner green or dry sapplings. Longer on the outside to shorter on the inside
• self bow. Any bow made from a single piece of wood (examples below in order of ease to make)
• sapling bow. Any raw or elementary prepared green or dry branch
• English Longbow (ELB)
• Danish flatbow
• Native American Flatbow
• American Longbow (aka American Flatbow - AFB)
• specs (e.g. 167cm, 25kg@70,5cm)
• cordage backed
• bow length. For traditional longbows and flatbows, roughly 1,5-1,8m
• draw length. Holding a measure tape, stretch your arms horizontally. Measure the distance from tip to tip of your middle fingers and divide by 2,5
• tillering. Fine tuning the symmetrical bending of the two bow limbs and other tuning (split-finger vs 3-under, centered grip/shelf (riser) or not, elevated rest or not, string silencers, etc)
• draw weight. Depends on age, sex and strength. For example, an average of 25-30kg draw weight for a medium size and strength man. An average of 40kg+ for a large or strong man
• common bow woods. oak, yew, juniper, ash, elm, mulberry, black locust, maple, cedar
• Janka. Common wood hardiness: olive:2700, pistachio:1930, apple:1730, black locust:1700, mulberry:1680, pear:1660, european yew:1520, european ash:1480, maple/european beech:1450, ailanthus:1420, english walnut:1220, sweet cherry:1150, english/sessile oak:1120, sycamore maple:1050, wynch elm:990, english elm:810, european lime:700, sweet chestnut:680, black pine:660, white willow:570, italian cypress:560, black poplar:460, white poplar:410, spruce/european aspen:380, silver fir:320
• stave harvesting. late fall/winter for shorter and safer seasoning (less prone to checking), spring/summer for easier debarking, straight sapling/log, no bends, no lumps, no wounds, no knots, no rips, straight grain, no twists, longer to compromise for ends checking, at least 10cm diameter, the wider the better. Split into staves at harvest day, debark it the same day and immediately seal ends with glue, paint, varnish, pine pitch or wax
• seasoning. Place staves in cool, dry shade for at least 1 year. To speed up the standard process, after splitting the log into staves, roughly carve the shape and size of the bow and place the staves in salt. This will reduce seasoning to a few months. Force drying like kilns and ovens do not sit well with the bow
• bow string
• natural cordage, paracord 550, Dacron B50 (standard industrial bow string)
• sinew. Twisting and plying the same way as making cordage
• animal gut. Get some animal gut. Trim off the fat chunky side all along the way as well as any excess fat, so you're left with just the clean, uniform membrane. Take one end of 3-4 plies according to the desired string thickness and tie them together on a wooden stick or metal ring. Do the same for the other end of the plies. Hang one ring high on a wall and start twisting the other ring. When the gut is twisted in a solid uniform appearance as much as it can go without tearing apart, secure the bottom ring as well so as the gut is in a little tension and let dry for a week or so
• basic tips for arrows
• arrow length. The distance from the nock throat (not nock ears) to the front of the shaft without the point. To determine that, measure the distance from the nock throat (not nock ears) to the front of the bow at full draw. It should roughly equal the draw length. Add 4-5cm of arrow shaft for broadhead hunting arrows
• draw weight. See above
• arrow weight
• GPI. Arrow weight measured in grains per inch. Only the shaft is weighed, no point, feathers, etc. Light (5-6 GPI or 127-153mg/cm), midweight (7-9 GPI or 178-229mg/cm), heavy (10+ GPI or 255+mg/cm)
• GPP. Grains Per Pound. Arrow total weight (point, feathers, etc) divided by draw weight. Light (5-6,5 GPP or 0,714-0,928gr/kg), midweight (6,5-8 GPP or 0,928-1,14gr/kg), heavy (8+ GPP or 1,14+gr/kg), wooden (at least 10 GPP or 1,42gr/kg). To find your proper arrow weight, multiply your draw weight (e.g, 25kg) by the targeted GPP (e.g. 1,42gr for wooden). Thus, 25kgx1,42gr=35,5gr or 550 grains)
• For wood arrows, a light arrow is 350-400 grains, medium is 420-500 grains and heavy is more than 600 grains (or 0.05-0.57 lbs, 0.06-0.072 lbs and more than 0.085 lbs respectively) or (22,5-26 gr, 27-32,5 gr, 38,8+ gr)
• Lighter arrows are faster, fly straighter and longer but are louder and do not do well on wind. Too light are also dangerous. Heavier arrows penetrate more and are more quiet. Hunting requires arrows towards the heavy side
• FOC. Front-of-center. The difference between the midpoint of the shaft and the balance point of the complete arrow. FOC determines accuracy. Ideal FOC is 7-15%. To find FOC, measure the length of the shaft. That is the distance from the bottom of the nock groove to the shaft’s end (not point). Divide the shaft length by 2. Then find the balance point where the complete arrow (point and all) balances perfectly and mark it. Measure from there to the nock’s throat. Subtract the center of the shaft measurement from the balance point measurement. Multiply by 100. Divide by shaft length E.g. 5-10cm FOC for 70cm shaft ( ((balance-(length/2))x100)/length => ((40-(70/2))x100)/70 => ((40-35)x100)/70 => ((5x100)/70 => 500/70 => 7,14 )
• arrow spine. Arrow stiffness. Proper spine is important for accuracy. Low stiffness will shoot right, high stiffness will shoot left. Static and dynamic spine. Static spine is the deflection of an arrow in inches when 880 gr (1,94lbs) of weight is suspended at its center. Thus, smaller spine number means stiffer arrow and vice versa. So, spine numbers mean for example, for 250, .25 inches or 6,35mm deflection. For 700, .7 inches or 1,778cm deflection. You can increase or decrease dynamic spine by changing your arrow length, adjusting your bow’s draw weight, or adding/removing weight from the ends of your arrow. For example, adding weight to the front of the arrow weakens its spine
• archer's paradox. The arrow will land where the eyes-bow aim. Not where the arrow aims. The arrow does not fly in a straight line but like a fish
• feather harvesting. Keep feathers from left wings separate from right wing feathers. Quill splitting. Cut to the desired size and shape, leave a little bare quill on both sides. Sand the quill down
• fletching. Feathers on an arrow all from left or all from right bird wings. Feathers should start 3-4cm from the arrow end (nock). Three 10-12cm feathers at helical (3 degrees) or offset (1,5-2,5 degrees) setup. Optionally, carve a shallow indentation on the arrow to help guide the positioning and gluing of the quill. Glue the quill with hide glue (not pine pitch). There are two ways to measure the degree:
• By looking down on the shaft from the nock. Use the radius of the shaft diameter. For a 9mm diameter arrow shaft, the 3 degrees mean (2πr/360)x3 => (2x3,14x4,5/360)x3 = 0,2355mm distance. For 1,5 to 2,5 degrees the distance is 0,11775mm to 0,19625mm
• By looking at a standing shaft from the side. Use the radius of the imaginary circle that the vane creates. For a 10cm vane (feather not quill), the 3 degrees mean (2πr/360)x3 => (2x3,14x5/360)x3 = 0,26mm distance. For 1,5 to 2,5 degrees the distance is 0,13mm to 0,21mm
• . Either by looking down on the shaft from the nock, or by looking at a standing shaft from the side. For the first method we use the the radius of the shaft diameter, while for the second we use the radius of the imaginary circle that the vane creates. Therefore, for the first method where we have a 9mm diameter arrow shaft, the 3 degrees mean (2πr/360)x3 => (2x3,14x4,5/360)x3 = 0,2355mm distance. For 1,5 to 2,5 degrees the distance is 0,11775mm to 0,19625mm. For the second method where we have a 10cm vane (feather not quill), the 3 degrees mean (2πr/360)x3 => (2x3,14x5/360)x3 = 0,26mm distance. For 1,5 to 2,5 degrees the distance is 0,13mm to 0,21mm
• broadhead best for hunting (tip nock, flint head, cordage, pine pitch)
• arrow wood. pine, spruce, cedar, poplar, ash, maple, etc. Hardwoods make heavier arrows (see Janka hardiness above)
• straightening. Heat-straightened right after harvest, at green state. Drill a hole or carve a groove in a hardwood or antler or stone and use it as a straightening wrench
• seasoning. Seal both ends as with bow woods and tie them with their bark still on into a bundle to dry for six months
• basic clothing procurement skills (sewing, bone sewing needle, etc)
• basic game prepping skills (dressing (gutting), skinning, butchering, preserving, jerky, cooking)
• field expedient improvised cooking utensils (spit roast, rock plate, adjustable pot suspender, boiling stones, earth oven, turtle/coconut/sea shell, rock/trunk/bark bowl, wood fork/spoon, bow-drilled spoon, etc)
• basic practical orientation tips
• North. Shadow stick method. Drive a stick in the ground and mark where its shaddow ends. After a while mark its new shadow tip. Stand with your left foot towards the first mark and your right foot towards the second mark. You are facing North
• time. Sundial method. Find the straightest sapling you can. Find a location as clear away from threes and rocks as possible that is as flat and horizontal as it can be. Drive the saplnig to the ground. Mark the first shadow in the morning, the smallest shadow at noon and the last before nightfall. You won't have true time reading but you can place yourself at any given moment in the daytime range. Moreover, it is a way to determine how close or far away you are from summer solstice and thus determine time of year, season and even month
• Polaris. The Big Dipper is like a pot with its handle bent properly, downwards. The Small Dipper is like a smaller pot with its handle bent the wrong way, upwards. If you extend the front end of the Big Dipper's pot you will meet the end of the Little Dipper's handle, which is the Polaris. Where you locate the Polaris, it is North
• tree moss. Tends to grow more on the North side of trees in the Northern Hemisphere
• tree tips. Especially pine tips will bend towards the South in search of more sunlight
• practical GPS
• hemisphere. If you can see the Big or Little Dipper in the night sky you are in the northern hemisphere. If you can see the Southern Cross in the night sky you are in the southern hemisphere. Also, if your compass needle tilts towards the ground, you are on the northern hemisphere. If it tilts towards the sky you are on the southern hemisphere
• latitude. The closer to the equator the more the jungles and rain forests. The more you move away from the equator you meet broadleaf and coniferous forests and the further north you go you see more spruce, birch, larch, tundras, elk, bison, reindeer, etc
• longitude/continent. Animals are a good indicator of longitude. Alligators only in Americas and China. Alpaca and llama in South America. Roe deer and pine martens in Europe. Lion and zebra in Africa. Sun bear and clouded leopard in Asia. Kangaroo and koala in Australia. And so on
• altitude. Low altitude indicators are carob trees, citrus trees, pomegrante trees, almond trees, olive trees, walnut trees, pear trees, foxes, jackals, hares, etc. Middle altitude indicators are apple trees, cherry trees, boars, wolves, deer, etc. High altitude indicators are chestnut trees, fir trees, wild goats, rock partridge, bear, etc. Alpine altitude indicators are the absence of trees, etc
• the better you combine the above indicators from your surroundings the better chance to make an educated guess even about a specific country
• improvised traveling equipment and tips
• waterskin. Plain bark-tanned leather flask or coated with pitch or with the addition of deer bladder inside
• horse shoe pack. Lay your stuff in line inside a tarp/coat/blanket and rolled like a saussage. Piece of cordage secures each end and a couple in the middle if needed
• tarp pack. Lay stuff in the middle of tarp and fold it forward similar to the horse shoe. Take a piece of cordage about 1,5m long and tie one end to one side of the pack with a self-tightening knot (e.g. Farrimond hitch) as close to the pack bulge as possible and the other end to the other pack side. Then the sleeves are brought together and tied by a veshmeshock fastening loop. The excess cordage is the shoulder straps
• Roycroft frame. An equilateral triangle made by 3-4cm-thick sticks/saplings lashed together
• Evenk frame. A Roycroft frame made by a "V" branch and a bottom stick
• rucksack straps. From bark strips or 3-strand flat braided bramble (each strand can consist of 2-3 bramble stems) or 4-strand round braided bramble
• tarp raft. For easy, fast, short-distance use. Fill two or more tarps or ponchos with dead grass and tie them well. Lay them with the solid side down and lash a sapling frame on them. Eventually, the tarp will get too much water and will start sinking fast
• log raft. 1. lay a series of loose logs and tie 4 perpendicular saplings to secure them, two on each end, one over and one under 2. For a double floor raft, lay two parallel base logs for the sides and lay the raft logs on them. Start with a timber hitch on one side of one of the base logs. Move the rope over the first perpendicular raft log towards the side the log continues, not the ending side. Then go down and under the base log to come out the other side. Now you should be on the ending side of the raft log. Make a bight with the rope and pass it through the raft log. Repeat until you lash all the raft logs and end with a clove hitch on the other side of the base log. Do the same for the other base log. You can add one or more base logs in the middle depending on raft size, secured by square lashing. In both designs you can add a second perpendicular layer of thinner saplings for more comfort
• snowshoes. Method 1. Tie an evergreen branch under your foot. Method 2. Cut 4-5 3-4cm thick saplings, no more than 1m long and two more pieces about 25-30cm long. Place the long saplings down and parallel to each other and evenly spaced to the meet the 25-30cm of the short sticks. Place the the two short saplings on top of them, perpendicular, not right in the middle but a little off to one side and with enough space between them to properly, safely and comfortably support your boots. Lash the small sticks on the long saplings with a square lashing. Lash the saplings in each end toghether to make two pointed-like ends. Add cordage to use for lacing for the front of your boot. Method 3. Take a flexible sapling and fold it to a racket shape. Weave more flexible saplings onto it
• snow goggles. Wood or bark strip with a horizontal slit carved for each eye. Drill holes or carve dovetails or notches to make for head cordage. Soot from campfire charcoal on the inside of the goggles reduces snow glare
• the leeward side of a mountain is drier and warmer while the windward is wetter and colder (winds, rain, snow). Leeward and windward sides are not determined by north, south, east or west. If you have a mountain in front of your route that you have to cross, choose the windward side if water procurement is an issue or the leeward side for safer weather conditions
• cloud reading
• isolated, wispy, or very high clouds are an indication of fair weather
• crowded, dense, dark, and towering clouds indicate changing or worsening weather
• the sharper the edge of a thundercloud and the darker its color, the more violence it may contain. Don't go below or near it
• if cloud color, shape, and size change, so will the weather
• as puffy cumulus clouds darken, enlarge, and become dark cumulonimbus clouds, expect squalls within two hours
• other field expedient skills (basketry, pottery, scarf key, ice glue, bone tools, etc)
• basic practical hygene and safety tips
• soap. Wash with white hardwood campfire ash and water, and/or rub with water and sand and/or rub with evergreens tea and/or rub with moss. Rinse well. White hardwood ash works well in degreasing stuff like frying pans, greased hands or knives, etc
• tiolet paper (sorry). Dead grass and/or non-toxic broad leaves, wash with pine tea and/or moss, rinse well with water. Always bury No2
• tooth brush. Use a soft twig with crushed end
• bandage. Non-toxic broad leaves and bark strips (e.g. plantago)
• wolf/bear encounter. Highly documented. If you are right-handed, consider an arm guard for your left arm and vice versa
• there are many plants and remedies for snake bites, ticks, fleas, bugs and insects (e.g. rubbing chrysanths, wild garlic, wild onion or pennyroyal on your clothes and skin repel most insects like mosquitoes and flies)
• basic practical general health tips
• The most important health tip is to live by the spiritual laws of the Church. These include to not be proud, selfish, criticize, envy, hate, revenge, to fast, to receive the Holy Blood and Body of Christ as often as possible, and to not excess in anything. No excess fasting, eating, sleeping, working
• The more time you spend outdoors in the natural elements the more you strengthen your entire immune system and mental health
• The more exposure you get to sunlight the more D vitamin you produce. Among many benefits, D vitamin boosts the entire immune system and prevents infections and inflammations
• The more time you spend outdoors breathing fresh oxygen the more you strengthen your immune system
• Manual labor and especially that which takes place in a natural environment boosts your immune system, boosts the absorption of calcium and prevents muscle, bone and joint health issues
• A stress-free, calm, quiet, daily routine living in nature boosts the immune system, as opposed to a stressed, fast, noisy life in digital, concrete and asphalt cities
• The happier your day and the more you laugh, the more you boost your immune system
• The more you fast and avoid meat the more you boost your health. The best diet is based on olive oil, wild grasses and herbs and fish
• Nature offers a wide variety of highly concentrated C vitamin sources such as pine needles and dog rose
• Nature offers a wide variety of very powerful natural antibiotics and immune boosters such as hawthorn, rock rose, blackthorn, dog rose, sow thistle, dandelion, nettle, milk thistle, ironwort, and many more

Examples of valuable herbs

• Hawthorn. Cardiovascular and digestive protection and regulation, anti-inflammatory, immune booster
• Rock rose. Immune booster, toxic cleansing, protects from cold and viruses, expectorant
• Blackthorn. Laxative, blood cleansing, protects from cold, cough and stuffy nose, protects lungs, cardiovascular and bowel protection and regulation
• Dog rose. High concentration of C vitamin, mild laxative, prevents infections and cold, immune booster
• Sow thistle. Antioxidant, rich in vitamins and minerals range and concentration
• Dandelion. Boosts bone, heart, liver, brain, nervous system and metabolism health, high concentration in C and A vitamins (A vitamin is antioxidant)
• Nettle. High in C vitamin, calcium and iron, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
• Milk thistle. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, blood cleansing, liver and bone protection
• Ironwort. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune booster, prevents and even partially cures Alzheimer’s

• glues and sealants uses and tips
• pine pitch. Collect the pine resin in a can to the bottom of which you have previously drilled or punched holes with a nail. Put that can in a wider, bigger can which is able to fit both the first can and the molten resin that will come out of it. In a safe environment (e.g, cement or rock ground), light a small fire (or any other heat source), secure a grill rack or a pair of steel bars over it and place the two cans on it. Resin is extra volatile and burns vigorously. Do not get it too hot or into big flames. If the bottom/outside can is aluminium it will melt if resin does not flow into it fast, so, pre-heat the resin can. Help the resin sink by gently pushing it with a stick. Use pliers, tong or pipe wrench pliers, to remove the cans away from the fire. Remove the smaller, inside can making sure it has drained as much as possible. Take the big can back on the fire and heat it to full liquid. Pour some of the liquid to a third, clean can. Add a couple of pinches of ground herbivore dung (e.g. hare) or sawdust, or bonedust, or hardwood ash or animal hair or dried and ground stem hearts (e.g. thistle, bramble, etc) or anything similar to make it stronger. Then add a little fat, tallow, lard, butter or beeswax to make it more elastic and less brittle. Take the mix back on the fire and stir carefully with a pointed stick. Remove the can from the fire and keep stirring. The mix will cool and harden fast. Pick some tar with the stick, wet your hands with water and work the tar into an oblong shape at the end of the stick leaving the stick tip sticking out free. Adding charcoal will make it harder and less sticky (1:4 to 1:1). Pine pitch can also be made in the wild, just not so easy, not so fast, not so effective and not in greater quantity since you won't have the pots to work with
• hide glue. Can be made by boiling rawhide, hooves, sinew or bones. Cut the rawhide to as smaller pieces as you can and soak it in water overnight. Put the pot over the heat source and heat it for a few hours (just before boil). Allow it to cool. If it is ready it will cool into a solid gelatinous piece. If not, continue heating. At the cooling test which the gelatin will be ready, cut in small chunks, throw back into the pot with a little water, heat up, skim the rawhide pieces and simmer it a little to concentrate it a bit more. Allow it to cool, slice it into thin slices and allow it to dry in a cool place. Using a fan will be ideal to speed up drying and avoid spoiling. After drying you can also grind it to powder
• bark canoe. Minimal wooden frame either holding a single bark sheet in place or covered with shingled spruce or birch bark sheets and sealed with pine pitch
• animal skin uses and tips
• fur clothes. After game hunting, move the animal in a cool shade on site, skin it, scrape off the excess meat and fat from the hide, rub fine, non-iodized salt (not rock salt) into the hide to prevent hair loss and rotting (a kilo for a kilo). You can mix 1 cup boric acid to 50kg salt for best results. Spray flea/tick/bug killer, roll it and carry it back home hanging, and not inside bags. At home, submerge it in a non-metallic bucket in a solution of 10lt water, 2-3kg non-iodized salt (pickling salt) and 150ml Dettol. Some add citric acid to it but it might make it too strong for the hide. Proper pickle bath is at pH 1,5-2. Quantity of bath and ingredients depends on hide size. Put the bath at normal, warm temperature. Stir the hide around each day for a couple of days. Then take it out, rinse it well and flesh it in the direction from head to toe. Put it back to the same bath or a new one for another couple of days. Then take out again, rinse well, flesh again and submerge for another couple of days. Before you tan it, take it out, rinse it well and submerge it in a water-baking soda-pickling salt bath for an hour and stir every 10 minutes. Then wring it good and hang to dry, not all the way but remain damp. Brain tan it (see below), smoke it and oil it
• storing hides. When home from hunting, lay the hide open, change the salt, and change the salt again after a few hours or the next day according to hide moisture
• brain tanning. Tanning of hides with animal brains to make soft leather clothing like pants, jackets, etc. Spray flea/tick/bug killer, return home and on the same day, skin it, cut any dangly pieces or very thick parts (e.g. neck), lay the hide on a beam and scrape off the excess meat and fat from the hide using a somewhat dull draw knife. Submerge in water in a non-metallic bucket for a few days. If it is a preserved/dried/salted hide wash it in fresh water to remove salt. Either on a beam or stretched on a frame, scrape the hair, follicles and epidermis layer. Rehydrate and scrape off the membrane of the other side. Wring it by twistng. In a non-metallic bucket, heat water and add either 1 deer brain or 0,5kg of any other brain or 12 egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Submerge the hide and work the solution in it. Let it soak for a few hours or overnight. Wring it back into the bucket. Soak again and wring at least 2-4 times. Stretch the hide on frame, beams, posts, poles, by pulling, etc. Smoke the hide (e.g. punk wood). Oiling
• bark tanning. Tanning of hides with tree barks to make hard leather for boots, belts, bags, containers, aprons, etc. Harvest live bark at spring (oak, fir, chestnut, oak galls, birch, alder, willow, etc). Grind 20kg of bark. The finer the better. Boil 80lt of water and put it in a plastic barrel. Throw in the bark chips. Let it sit for 15-20 days to extract the tannins. Meanwhile, prepare your hide and salt it to preserve when finished. Drain the bark chips. In another plastic barrel add 20lt of bark solution and 55lt of fresh water and stir. Add the hide and stir for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes and stir again for 10 minutes. Repeat this process for 1 hour. Then let the hide sit for 1 week. After the week, remove 20lt of used solution and replace them with 20lt of unused bark solution. Let it sit for another week and repeat until you run out of bark solution. Remove the hide from the barrel and rinse for two hours with cold, running water. Twist-wring it as with bark tanning. Apply neatsfoot oil, olive oil, tallow, bear fat, or fish oil to a cloth, then rub the cloth onto the surface of the hide. Rub a thick coat of oil onto the surface until the leather looks somewhat shiny. Hand the leather to dry for 24 hours and wipe any excess oil
• tips on waterproofing your gear
• turpentine. Dilstilled pine resin
• canvas waterproofing. In low heat, melt 2 parts beeswax and then add 1 part boiled linseed oil and a little over 1 part turpentine (or white spirit). Apply with a brush. Hang the canvas to dry in a cool outdoors space for at least a couple of weeks. If you cannot find boiled linseed oil, buy regular, raw linseed oil and boil it outdoors, which is VERY dangerous since the desired boiling temperature (315,6 ^oC) is very close to its spontaneous combustion temperature and also the fumes are very toxic. Also mind that linseed oil on rags can spontaneous combust at temperatures as low as 48^oC, and in some conditions even lower. This happens because linseed oil does not dry out by evaporation but by oxidation, a process which generates a lot of heat
• wool waterproofing. Either do the above method using less (or even no) beeswax or soak the wool in a lanolin-turpentine solution
• leather waterproofing (e.g. boots). Either same as cavas, or beeswax-pine tar combo (best), or ready-made, natural, beeswax-pine tar combo products like Ole Time Woodsman Boot Grease (beeswax-pine tar-tallow-cod oil), Huberd’s Shoe Grease (beeswax/propolis-pine tar-oils?), or ready-made beeswax products like Foggy Mountain Bear Guard (beeswax-bear fat), Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (beeswax/propolis-oils?), Otter Wax Boot Wax (beeswax-lanolin-oils?), etc, or even mink oil. No neatsfoot/cocconut/mineral/olive oils, or paraffin/petroleum based products like Sno Seal (petroleum-paraffin-beeswax), etc. As a field expedient solution, just melt some pine resin into tar and apply on clean, dry, sun-warmed boots
• linseed oil. Boiled has bigger molecules, penetrates less, dries (oxidises) much faster (15+ days). Raw has smaller molecules, penetrates more, way longer drying times (a few weeks at best)
• cold soap making tips
• hardwood lye (aka sodium hydroxide, NaOH). Boil white hardwood ashes for half an hour in a non-aluminium pot. Let the ashes sit and collect the lye. Boil the lye until it can float an egg. For a continuous supply of lye make a lye barrel. Take a wooden barrel, drill a small hole in the bottom, lay a few cm of gravel in the bottom, then a few cm of straw and then a few cm of white hardwood ash and fill with water. Place a non-aluminium container under the barrel to collect the lye. The slow rate of draining will provide time for the ash to turn the water into lye. Just add water daily as it drains
• soap. Add meat fat, cooking lard or vegetable oil in a pot and melt it. When molten, pour it slowly and carefully into boiling lye and keep stirring. Avoid inhaling the toxic fumes. When ready, pour it in 2cm shallow molds to make soap bars
• carpentry/joinery/roofing, log cabin, hand tools (felling axe, splitting axe, broad axe, carpenter's axe, curved pruning saw, bucksaw, crosscut saw, coping/fret saw, draw knife, axe chisel, brace drill, plane, chisel, gouge, mallet, etc)
• cob building. Ratio clay:sand, 2:1 to 1:3 plus some straw. 15-25% clay in soil = clay soil. Finger clay soil test
• blacksmithing
• basic practical map-and-compass navigation tips
• latitude. The Earth is divided in imaginary horizontal lines called Parallels. There are 181 Parallels. 90 Parallels north, 90 south, plus the equator. Imagine there is a dot at the center of the Earth. If from the dot you draw a line to the north pole and a line to the equator, then you have a 90 degree angle in the dot corner, hence the 90th Parallel of the poles, the 0 Parallel of the equator and all the decimal numbers in between. So they can go as far as 90N and 90S
• longitude. The Earth is divided in imaginary vertical lines called Meridians. There are 360 Meridians. 179 east, 179 west, the common 0 (Prime Meridian or IERS) and the common 180th (Antimeridian). Again, there are all the decimal numbers in between. So they can go as far as 180E and 180W. IERS is now set at 102,478m east of the former Greenwich Meridian
• coordinates. There are many Geographic Coordinate Systems (GCS) like Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS), Decimal Minutes or Degrees Decimal Minutes (DM/DDM), etc. For example, the same location in DD (41.606N 041.6E), in DMS (41°36’21.6″N 041°36’00”E), in DM/DDM (41°36.36N 041°36.00E)
• North. There are many kinds of North. The three basic ones are Magnetic (where the compass points), Grid (where all Meridians meet, used in maps) and True (aka Geodetic or Geographic, Earth's imaginary axis). Grid and True vary so slightly that the difference is mostly ignored and the terms interchanged
• magnetic declination. Declination is the difference between Magnetic and Grid/True North. Magnetic North moves at speeds that range from 15 to 60 km per year. In 2013, the distance between the Magnetic and the Grid/True north pole was approximately 800 km. That is why compasses need adjustment of declination after purchase and when travelling abroad. Good hiking or topographic maps (those with contour lines) usually include declination information on the bottom. Since the magnetic north pole moves so fast, maps need to be relatively new. The closer you are to the Grid/True north pole the more crucial it is to use a recently adjusted compass. Adjustment varies according to your location on the globe. For as long as the magnetic pole travels on the same meridian you are, you need zero compass adjustment. Someone who is positioned on a meridian perpendicular to the magnetic pole's line of travel, needs yearly adjustment (or even sooner if he is closer to the poles) if he wants a precise compass. In 1859 the magnetic north was at King William Island, Canada. By 2020, the magnetic north pole had travelled some 2500-3000 km from King William Islad towards Siberia, to about the area of the Grid/True north (less than 400km away from True North). Today, 2023, the north magnetic pole is located on coordinates 86.146N 146.826E and has picked up a lot of speed to about 44km per year
• magnetic inclination. Inclination (dip) is the angling of the compass needle as it moves away from the equator and towards the poles. Needle points upwards (towards the sky) in southern hemisphere (negative dip) and downwards (towards the ground) in the northern hemisphere (positive dip)
• compass types. Baseplate (easiest to use, can be used with a map), lensatic (more accurate bearing), mirror
• baseplate and map navigation
• map orienting. 1. Place your compass on the map with the direction of travel arrow pointing toward the top of the map. 2. Rotate the bezel so that N (north) is lined up with the direction of travel arrow. 3. Slide the baseplate until one of its straight edges aligns with either the left or right edge of your map. (The direction of travel arrow should still be pointing toward the top of the map.) 4. Then, while holding both map and compass steady, rotate your body until the end of the magnetic needle is within the outline of the orienting arrow. The North of the map is now oriented towards the Grid/True North, which means that the map and your physical surrounding landscape are alligned
• map bearing. 1. Set your compass on the map so that the straight side of the baseplate lines up between your current position and the map location for a destination like a campsite. 2. Make sure the direction of travel arrow is pointing in the general direction of that campsite (in other words, it's not upside down). 3. Now rotate the bezel until the orienting lines on the compass are aligned with the north-south grid lines and/or the left and right edges of your map. (Be sure the north marker on the bezel is pointing north on the map, not south.). 4. Look at the index line to read the bearing you’ve just captured. 5. Hold the compass perpendicular to your chest with the direction of travel arrow pointing away from you. 6. Rotate your body until the magnetized needle is inside the orienting arrow. The direction of travel arrow is now facing the bearing you captured and you can follow it to your destination
• field bearing. 1. Start by finding a landmark that you can also identify on your map. 2. Hold your compass flat with the direction of travel arrow pointing away from you and directly at the landmark. 3. Now rotate the bezel until the magnetized needle is inside the orienting arrow. 4. Look at the index line to read the bearing you’ve just captured. 5. Lay your compass on the map and align one corner of the straight edge with the landmark. 6. Making sure that the direction of travel arrow remains pointed in the general direction of the landmark, rotate the entire baseplate until the orienting lines are running north/south and the north marker on the bezel is pointing to north on the map. 7. Now you can draw a line on the map along the straight edge of your compass. The point where that line from the landmark crosses your trail is your location
• triangulation. Use multiple field bearings that are at least 60 degrees away from your first landmark and from each other to verify and pinpoint more accurately where you are on a map
• shotshelll reloading
• and many more things...

• Go Bag: 5-10lt bag or backpack, place to go for a while (friend or family)
  Keys, IDs, cash, credit cards, cell phone/chargers, personal hygene (hair brush/comb, tooth brush/paste, "shampoo", prescription meds, ...), laptop/tablet/backup USBs/drives, couple of day's change of clothes, etc


• Get Home Bag (GHB): 10lt backpack, preps for a day to get you back home
  Water, dry food, cash, credit cards, xtra cell phone battery/charger, rain coat, mylar blanket, flashlight/batteries, FAK/IFAK, etc


• 72-hour Bag: 20-30lt backpack, preps for 2-3 days
  
  • pocket note book (see below)
  • rain coat set, 2 tarps or a tent, sleeping bag, wool (foot wraps, mittens, beanie, underwear, fur hat, scarf, balaclava/full face, neck gaiter, etc), jacket, mylar blanket, ground mat
  • aluminum cold water canteen, 2-piece inox mess kit, spoon, fork, enough dry food and water bottles
  • magnesium/ferro rod, tinder pouch (punk/fungus/...), char cloth/can, lighters
  • full tang bushcraft knife, 6-tpi curved-blade pull-hand folding saw, folding bushcraft knife
  • fishing line, fishing hooks
  • never enough of speargun line, paracord and polyester rope (not nylon)
  • FAK (betadine, bandages, aspirin, aloe, hydrocortisone, pain killer, lions, antibiotics, etc), homemade soap bars, toilet paper, wet wipes
  • waterproof flashlight/batteries
  
  
• Bug Out Bag (BOB) (aka Get Out of Dodge (GOOD) bag): 35-40lt rucksack, preps for up to a week
  
  • pocket note book (see below)
  • rain coat set, 2 plash-palatkas or 2 tarps, tent, sleeping bag, wool (foot wraps, mittens, beanie, underwear, fur hat, scarf, balaclava/full face, neck gaiter, etc), jacket, mylar blanket, ground mat
  • aluminum cold water canteen, 2-piece inox mess kit, spoon, fork, dry food
  • magnesium/ferro rod, tinder pouch (punk/fungus/...), char cloth/can, lighters
  • full tang bushcraft knife, 6-tpi curved-blade pull-hand folding saw, pocket hatchet, machete, folding bushcraft knife, whet stone
  • fishing line, fishing hooks
  • never enough of speargun line, paracord and polyester rope (not nylon)
  • FAK (betadine, bandages, aspirin, aloe, hydrocortisone, pain killer, lions, antibiotics, etc), homemade soap bars, toilet paper, wet wipes
  • compass, waterproof flashlight/batteries
  • duct tape, rubber patches/glue
  
  
• I'm Never Coming Home (INCH) bag: 70lt rucksack, beefed up BOB, preps for indefinite time
  
  • pocket note book (see below)
  • rain coat set, 2 plash-palatkas or 2 tarps, tent, sleeping bag, wool (foot wraps, mittens, beanie, underwear, fur hat, scarf, balaclava/full face, neck gaiter, etc), jacket, mylar blanket, ground mat
  • aluminum cold water canteen, 2-piece inox mess kit, spoon, fork, dry food
  • magnesium/ferro rod, flint/steel, fire plough/drill set, tinder pouch (punk/fungus/...), lighters
  • full tang bushcraft knives, 6-tpi curved-blade pull-hand folding saw, pocket hatchet, machete, folding bushcraft knives, whet stones
  • fishing line, fishing hooks, solar still sheets, transpiration bags, game/fish wool cloths
  • never enough of speargun line, paracord and polyester rope (not nylon)
  • FAK (betadine, bandages, aspirin, aloe, hydrocortisone, pain killer, lions, antibiotics, etc), homemade soap bars, toilet paper, wet wipes, arm guard
  • compass, waterproof flashlight/batteries, monocular/binoculars, N/V goggles, topo maps
  • duct tape, rubber patches/glue, sewing thread/needle
  • pipe shotgun, hand gun, ammo
  • SAM bag (see below)
  • ...
  
  
• Cut and Run (CAR) bag: 5lt chest bag to go along with INCH bag, if need ditch the INCH bag and run [hostile environment]
  
  • pocket note book (see below)
  • aluminum cold water canteen, 2-piece inox mess kit, spoon, fork, dry food
  • magnesium/ferro rod, flint/steel, tinder pouch (punk/fungus/...), lighters
  • full tang bushcraft knife, 6-tpi curved-blade pull-hand folding saw, folding bushcraft knife, whet stone
  • fishing line, fishing hooks
  • speargun line or paracord
  • FAK (betadine, bandages, aspirin, aloe, hydrocortisone, pain killer, lions, antibiotics, etc)
  • waterproof flashlight/batteries
  • sewing thread/needle
  • hand gun, ammo
  
  
• Scavenge and Meet (SAM) bag: 10lt backpack, if need hide INCH and CAR bags for scavenging or meet new people [hostile environment]
  
  • low value items as red herring:
    pet water bottles, dry food, lighters, plain knife, clothes, worn out/broken stuff, scrap, pots, etc
  
  
• Recreation backpacking
  • contents according to:
  • activity (camping, fishing/hunting trip, hiking, trekking, etc)
  • season (summer, winter, ...)
  • outing type (free outdoor camp, organized indoor camp, log cabin, etc)
  • duration
  • personal needs
  
  
• Ultralight backpacking: under 5kg gear weight
  • e.g.
  • pocket note book (see below) (100gr)
  • poncho, sleeping bag (1500+2000gr)
  • water canteen, mess kit (550gr)
  • flint/steel (100gr)
  • bushcraft knife, folding saw (480+180gr)
  • fishing line/hooks (100gr)
  • paracord (100gr)
  • FAK (betadine, bandages, aspirin, aloe, hydrocortisone, pain killer, lions, antibiotics, etc) (100gr)
  • Total: 5,21kg
  
  
• Pocket Note Book
• small note book containing condensed... notes, e.g.:
• edible cambium/sap trees, etc
• best cordage plants by season
• blood trailing waiting times
• medicinal plant uses/remedies (stuffy nose, sore throat, chest cold, wounds, bites, etc)
• vitamin C plants, protein plants, etc
• yew vs firs, hemlock vs wild carrot, poison ivy vs raspberry, smilax vs cynanchum, etc
• practical knots and braids sketches
• pitch:filler:wax ratios
• etc
• it could contain for example this entire webpage. It would be no more than 25 A5 sheets (half an A4) or 50 A6 sheets (post card size). And if you condense the text into to-the-point phrasing, it would take up even half that space. Just 6 sheets with covers if printed in booklet form through Adobe Reader (.pdf sample1). Or even an illustrations-based notebook (.pdf sample2) [Disclaimer note: The purpose of sample2.pdf is strictly, as the name implies, to trigger one's imagination into creating his/her personal booklet. For this purpose, it contains 70 images and photos randomly collected from the web. It is not meant for publication, reproduction and distribution]
  


• Order of importance of equipment to hit the woods with and why


[ pocket note book (100gr) ] [not equipment, but maybe the most important item, especially for the novice woodsman]

PRIMARY ESSENTIALS (water, woodcrafting, cooking)

1. inox water canteen [the most difficult item to procure in the woods. Allows for travel away from water source]
2. small hatchet [all-round tool. Felling trees, shelter, fire, carving triggers, bow/arrow, skinning fish, etc]
3. inox mess kit [difficult to procure in the woods. Allows for feeding on herbs, grasses, bark, acorns, purify water, etc]

SECONDARY ESSENTIALS (weather protection, fishing, hunting, travel)
4. rugged tarp [elementary protection from wind, cold and rain (used as coat, raincoat, tent, bedding, raft, rucksack, hammock, etc)]
5. fishing line, bow string, paracord [exceptional experience in needed to procure effective cordages for fishing and hunting]
6. rugged rucksack [disengages your palatka from rucksack use and adds for effective equipment and food carry while travelling]

COLD WEATHER PROTECTION
7. winter clothing (e.g. fur hat, mittens, jacket, long johns, full face, neck gaiter) [basic protection in a cold environment]
8. windproof tent [advanced protection in a cold environment]
9. winter sleeping bag [advanced protection in a cold environment]

HYGENE AND CONVENIENCE
10. change of clothes (e.g. briefs, undershirt, foot wraps, jeans, shirt) [unhealthy to wear filthy clothes, clothes eventually wear out; you'll need to tan hides/furs, washing/drying/nude prevents other tasks]

THE MORE THE BETTER
11. ...anything else, secondary to no value...:
• secondary value: FAK, fixed blade (see below), bow/arrows, can of hooks/flies, folding saw (see below), nail clippers, cheap high carbon steak knife, monocular 10x25, insect/bug repellent, dry food (beans, rice, egg noodles, buckwheat, wheat, jerky, hardtack)
• medium value: boonie hat, sheaths, whet stones (see below), xtra boots/laces, work gloves, rubber boots
• low value: tooth brush, soap bars, magnesium/ferro rod or flint/steel, transpiration bags, pillow case (empty), wash cloth, pocket knife, lighters, rod, bow drill, tinder pouch, sewing thread/needle, compass, CAR bag, SAM bag
• zero value: camping stuff (stove, spade, foods, cookware, cutlery, fixed tents, axes, saws, rods, canoe/kayak, etc)

ALTERNATIVES
• foot wraps as alternative to socks: way less washing times, way longer life, wash/dry much faster, easier to mend and even make from scratch, never shift place
• jack boots as alternative to lace boots: no worry for laces, higher leg protection. Downside, more sweaty feet in the summer, not for demanding tasks like running and climbing
• sleeping bag vs bed roll: In order of importance, compared to a bed roll, a sleeping bag is way lighter, insect/scorpion/snake free (all-round zippper and mesh hood), waterproof, can be rated for crazy minus degrees
• aluminum-oxide water stones vs oil(aluminum oxide or silicon carbide)/Arkansas(novaculite)/natural/diamond stones: just water (vs oil/Arkansas), sharpen faster (vs oil/Arkansas), produce razor sharpness (vs oil/Arkansas), eat up less blade metal (vs diamond), widest grit range (vs all other), cheaper (vs Arkansas/natural/diamond). Downside, they wear faster
• inox vs aluminum water canteen and mess kit: the only advantage of aluminum over inox is its significant light weight. Inox on the other hand won't melt if accidentally forgotten empty over fire and it won't corrode if washed or used to make or carry lye
• Weight will become a very serious issue when your hiking trip, trekking trip or survival situation calls for a lot of walking and you have favored everything on the heavy side. For example, canvas over synthetic rucksack, canvas over synthetic tarp, bed roll over sleeping bag, inox over aluminum gear, axe over hatchet, large over standard bushcraft knife size, multiple vs minimal blades (e.g. machette, survival knife, bushcraft knife, folding knife, pocket knife, axes, hatchets, hand saws, folding saws, etc), excessive, or low, or even no real value gear, and so on. Weight is of no issue in a fixed camp that is close to the parking area or where all the gear is transfered by off-road vehicles or animals


• Personal favorite equipment
• Vintage surplus military rucksacks (natural and rugged canvas and looks)
• LK70 Swedish military canvas rucksack (pros: metal frame, pockets, waist harness, cons: too big)
• M39 Swedish military canvas rucksack (pros: metal frame, waist harness, cons: no pockets)
• LK35 Swedish military canvas rucksack (pros: metal frame, cons: no pockets, no waist harness)
• M60 Czech military canvas rucksack (pros: pockets, cons: no metal frame, no waist harness)
• Veshmeshok Soviet military canvas rucksack (pros: pockets, cons: no metal frame, no waist harness)
• Vintage surplus French military F2 nylon tent (waterproof, windproof, olive drab color, mesh protected summer ventilators, compact, lightweight, waterproof carry-bag)
• Vintage surplus Soviet military plash-palatka canvas poncho (unique design, unique convenience, incredible versatility)
• Mil-tec 3D HollowFiber Mummy German military winter sleeping bag (lightweight, compact, -10 ^oC rating (15 ^oF))
• Vintage surplus US military M-1910 1lt water aluminum canteen (metal, rugged, compact, convenient)
• Vintage surplus German military M44 aluminum mess kit (rugged, versatile, compact, minimalistic)
• Finnish Suunto M-3 NH baseplate compass (ease of use, map compatible, best make, reasonable price model)
• Swedish Hultafors Agelsjon Mini Hatchet (most compact and low weight oriented, reliable make, poll used for crushing, hammering, etc)
• Any 6-tpi, curved-blade, pull-hand, folding saw (e.g. Silky F180)
• 6 tpi. Saws easily from 2cm to as thick as its blade allows (and much more if done properly). More tpi means difficulty in sawing large logs. Less tpi means difficulty in sawing small saplings
• curved blade makes sawing with less effort, much faster and safer for the blade
• standard pull-hand is more appropriate and safe for woodcraft
• folding saw makes for an easier and safer carry for both user and blade
• USA OKC RAT-1 (the best folding knife to meet most standards below save from its stainless steel and 8,89cm blade)
• Any fixed blade bushcraft knife which meets the following standards (by order of importance)
• full tang. It will last as long as its blade. You can even do batoning work. If the handle scales break and drop off the knife is still usable and the scales can easily be replaced by cordage or carving new ones
• high carbon steel. 1075 is best as it is much less brittle (no edge chipping), easier to razor-sharpen, it wil bend instead of break. 1095 is second best
• full flat grind. Easier to use with either hand, easy to use on either side, stronger lower blade and edge (no chipping, as opposed to scandi which has only stronger upper blade), needs less sharpening so it wears slower (as opposed to scandi), you can even do batoning, better all-round work range (scandi only better for novice users on shallow, soft wood)
• straight back. Stronger and long lasting knife tip, easier tip to use in carving, field dressing, etc, even batoning (as opposed to bowie or drop point)
• double bevel. Easier to use with either hand, easy to use on either side, easier to control while carving
• 10-15cm. Below 10cm it will make some tasks like reaching in to cut something, debarking, carving larger saplings, splitting wood or batoning (not the work of a knife though) more difficult, plus, it willl wear out sonner. Above 15cm it will make some tasks like small game and fish handling, small carving, etc, more energy demanding and tricky to perform

Examples:
• USA OKC TAK-1 (114mm, 1075)
• USA OKC Old Hickory Outdoor Fish & Small Game (102mm, 1075)
• USA ESEE-5 (133mm, 1095)
• USA ESEE-4 (114mm, 1095)
• German Boker Little Rok (104mm, SK85/1095)
• Ukranian BPS Savage CSH (115mm, 1066)
• USA Cold Steel Drop Forged Hunter (102mm, 52100)

• Rough weight check example of basic personal rucksack setup
• Vintage surplus Swedish military metal frame canvas rucksack LK35 - 2000gr
• Vintage surplus US military M-1910 1lt aluminum water canteen - 50gr
• Swedish Hultafors Agelsjon Mini Hatchet - 700gr
• Vintage surplus German military M44 aluminum mess kit - 500gr
• Vintage surplus Soviet military plash-palatka (poncho) - 1500gr
• 50m fluorocarbon 0.14, 10m Dacron B50, 50m paracord 550 - 400gr
• Fur hat, mittens, jacket, long johns, full face, neck gaiter - 500gr
• Briefs, undershirt, foot wraps, jeans, shirt - 500gr
• Vintage surplus French military F2 tent - 3400gr
• Mil-tec 3D HollowFiber Mummy German military winter sleeping bag - 2000gr
• Total weight: 6,15kg (rucksack+contents) + 5,4kg (tent+sleeping bag) = 11,55kg (13.55 + 11.9 = 25.45 lbs)


• Selected item weights for reference (by weight)
• Ellis Cowboy Bedroll (lightest version) – 4,5 kg (10 lbs)
• LK70 metal frame rucksack – 3,5 kg (7.7 lbs)
• F2 tent – 3,4 kg (7.5 lbs)
• LK35 metal frame rucksack – 2 kg (4.4 lbs)
• M39 metal frame rucksack – 2 (4.4 lbs)
• Mil-tec 3D HollowFiber Mummy sleeping bag – 2 kg (4.4 lbs)
• M60 rucksack – 1,4 kg (3 lbs)
• Plash-palatka (poncho) – 1,4 kg (3 lbs)
• Hultafors Agelsjon Mini Hatchet - 775 gr (1.7 lbs)
• OKC TAK-1 fixed blade knife – 453 gr (1 lbs or 16 oz)
• ESEE-5 fixed blade knife – 453 gr (1 lbs or 16 oz)
• M44 aluminum mess kit – 350 gr (12.3 oz)
• ESEE-4 fixed blade knife – 227 gr (8 oz)
• Silky F180 folding saw – 180 gr (6.3 oz)
• OKC RAT-1 folding knife – 139 gr (4.9 oz)
• OKC Old Hickory Outdoor Fish & Small Game knife – 110 gr (3.9 oz)
• Monocular 10x25 – 70 gr (2.5 oz)
• Suunto M-3 NH baseplate compass – 46 gr (1.62 oz)
• Veshmeshock rucksack – N/A
• US aluminum water canteen – N/A


• Outdoors top performance footwear
• Arctic cold boots: Baffin Impact
• Winter rubber work boots: Pinnip Snow Conquer
• Summer rubber work boots: Pinnip Infinix, Carolina Mud Jumper
• Work boots: Carolina Bruno Lo, Carolina Thermoset
• Hunting, hiking, trekking boots: Salomon Quest 4


• Shopping list
• Hunting/fishing, hiking, surplus, tactical
• Rucksack
• Stainless steel water canteen
• Stainless steel mess kit
• Stainless steel water bottle
• Fluorocarbon 0.14
• Fishing hooks
• Dacron B50
• Paracord 550
• Tent, tepee
• Sleeping bag
• Ground mat
• Tarp
• Rain coat, poncho
• Mylar blankets
• Fishing rod
• Fixed spade
• Bed roll
• Compass
• Monocular
• Realtree/Mossy Oak/BDU/... clothes/fabric
• Bug repellent
• Machete
• Bushcraft knife
• Folding knife
• Swiss knife
• Flint/steel, ferro rod, magnesium rod
• Rubber boots
• Hiking boots
• Leather work boots
• Leather jack boots
• Wax-tar boot grease
• Maps
• Waterproof flashlight
• Lighters, zippo pocket stoves, etc
• Tent stove
• Farming/hardware
• Hatchet
• Axe
• Folding saw
• Aluminum-oxide whet stones
• Polyester rope (not nylon)
• Leather work gloves
• Kitchenware
• Stainless steel water bottle
• Spoon, fork
• Iron skillet
• Stainless steel pots
• Clothing
• Wools: socks, undershirt, long johns, mittens, fullface, neck gaiter
• Other: briefs, fur hat, pants, shirt, jacket, boonie hat
• Footwear
• Rubber boots
• Hiking boots
• Leather work boots
• Leather jack boots
• Wax-tar boot grease
• Crafts
• Wool fabric for winter foot wraps
• Linen fabric for summer foot wraps and for storing cooked or dried game
• Realtree/Mossy Oak/BDU/... fabric
• Sewing needle and polyester thread (not cotton or nylon)
• Household
• Cotton towel
• Cotton wash cloth
• Linen pillow case (empty)
• Drug store
• Natural, no scent, green soap
• FAK: aloe, betadine, antibiotics, hydrocortisone, aspirin, bandages
• Personal hygene
• Nail clippers
• Tooth brush
• Food
• Rice, buckwheat, beans, wheat, hardtack, egg noodles, jerky, tea, rough salt (for tooth paste)
• Packaging
• Transpiration bags
• Solar still sheets
• Pouches and cans for storing resin/tar, hooks, salt, foraged food, tinder, etc
• Library/bookstore/map shop
• Edible flora identification books
• Maps

1. first aid (cold weather, snake bite, etc)
2. botany (edibles, poisonous, medicinal, hygene, etc)
3. fishing
4. trapping
5. bow/arrow making and hunting
6. travelling (cordage, basketry, braiding, knots, etc)
7. tannery

AT HOME OR IN THE FIELD


• Find Polaris using the Big and Little Dipper
• Observe and try to read the clouds
• Find North with a shadow stick. Make a sun dial
• Make a horse shoe pack and a tarp pack
• Make some braids, splices, lashings and knots
• Cold leach some acorns
• Make some cordage
• Make a Roycroft frame and an Evenk frame
• Make snow shoes and snow goggles
• Split wood and make feather sticks
• Start a few fires with flint and steel and with a ferro rod
• Make a bow-drill and start a few fires
• Make an adjustable pot suspender, carve a wooden fork and a spoon, bow-drill a spoon
• Get some meat and air dry some jerky. Make some smoked jerky
• Weave a basket from saplings, brambles, reed or other
• Make a cob oven or other small structure
• Make a flint knife and an arrow head
• Make a self bow and arrows
• Make a bow string from animal gut and sinew
• Make a beeswax-boiled linseed oil-turpentine solution and waterproof some canvas
• Make a beeswax-pine tar-boiled linseed oil-turpentine solution and waterproof old, leather, outdoors work boots
• Make some cold soap
• Make hide glue and pine pitch
• Brain tan a hide
• Make a notebook
• Experiment to find your favorite equipment
• Make a Go Bag and an INCH Bag

IN THE FIELD

• Make a trip to your local backwood area to familiarize with baseplate and topo map navigation
• Research your local flora very well and forage a few edibles
• Rub some insect repellent plants on your clothes to see how they work
• Dirty your hands and wash them with white ash and water or sand and water
• Go tracking and identify local fauna
• Harvest acorns, tinder fungus, punk wood, dead bark, material for the five components of a bow-drill, cordage plants, flint stones, pine sap
• Make a solar still and use a few transpiration bags
• Make a Dakota fire pit
• Set up a hammock, a hammock chair, a tarp chair, a hunter's chair, a tepee, a tent
• Mold some clay pottery and cook them in an earth oven
• Build a debris hut, a dirt trench, a lean-to and a fire wall
• Make a Siberian log fire
• Find a proper tree and make bow staves for seasoning
• Make a log raft
• Overnight sleep in tent
• Overnight sleep in open shelter
• Research your local laws and practice spear fishing, bow fishing, trapping and bow hunting

• Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) survival. e.g.:
• diy Geiger counter
• find non polluted water in closed-circle pipes and tanks
• canned food is safe
• a carbon-soil filter holds radioactive particles
• etc
• Evasion tips, e.g.:
• Night vision (infrared - IR) cannot see through brick, rock, soil, wood, foliage, even a good camo suit (e.g. ghillie)
• To fool a thermal (e.g. FLIR) cam, cover behind a live animal, a big working chimney, a big working engine (e.g. CAT), crowd, a rock, a mylar blanket, big and thick trees, break human body outline (e.g. half covered and in fetus position)
• etc

• Examples of text sources
• Woodcraft Handbooks
• Woodcraft (George Washington Sears)
• The Book of Camping and Woodcraft (Horace Kephart)
• Camping and Woodcraft Vol.I & Vol.II (Horace Kephart)
• The Book of Woodcraft (Ernest Thompson Seton)
• Military Survival Manuals
• FM 21-76 Survival (1957)
• FM 21-76 US Army Survival Manual (1992)
• Arctic Survival PAM AIR 226 (UK, 1957)
• TC 21-3 Soldier's Handbook for Individual Operations and Survival in Cold Weather
• FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual
• Notable Websites & Blogs
• Primitive Ways
• Wilderness Survival
• Bushcraft USA
• Wilderness Awareness
• Primitive Archer
• Bowhunting
• Bowhunter-ed
• Trueflight Feathers
• Notable Youtube channels
• NW Primate
• Far North Bushcraft and Survival
• Survival Russia
• Bertram Craft and Wilderness
• Keith H. Burgess
• Notable old-timers
• George Washington Sears ("Nessmuk")
• Horace Kephart
• Ernest Thompson Seton
• Ellsworth Jaeger
• Bradford Angier
• Henry David Thoreau
• Notable authors and practitioners of today
• Andrew Price
• Ray Mears
• Brian Leggat
• Lonnie & Connie
• Lars Grebnev
• Rune Malte Bertram-Nielsen
• Keith H. Burgess

Local short radius wild forage examples

• Picea abies (norway spruce, ερυθρελάτη): needles, cambium, pollen catkins (male cones), immature female cones, seeds, shoots [roundish needles]
• Pinus halepensis (aleppo pine, χαλέπιος πεύκη): needles, cambium, catkins, cones, seeds [roundish crown, cones backwards]
• Pinus brutia (turkish pine, τουρκική πεύκη): needles, cambium, catkins, cones, seeds [roundish crown, cones forward]
• Pinus nigra (black pine, μαύρη πεύκη): needles, cambium, catkins, cones, seeds [pyramid spacey crown, cones transverse]
• Pinus pinea (stone pine, ήμερη πεύκη/κουκουναριά): needles, seeds [mushroom crown, cones roundish transverse]
• Fagus sylvatica (beech, οξιά): leaves, seed (toxic in large quantity)
• Pyrus amygdaliformis (almond-leaved pear, γκορτσιά): leaves, fruit, twig decoction
• Ulmus glabra (wynch elm, βουνοφτελιά): leaves, samaras, cambium
• Ulmus procera (english elm, ψηλή φτελιά): leaves, samaras, cambium
• Ulmus minor (field elm, καμποφτελιά): leaves, samaras, cambium
• Pistacia terebinthus (cyprus turpentine, κοκορέτσα): seed, leaves cooked
• Tilia tomentosa (silver lime, φιλύρα/τιλιά/φλαμουριά): leaves
• Tilia cordata (small leaved lime, φιλύρα/τιλιά): leaves, sap
• Tilia platyphyllos (large leaved lime, φιλύρα/τιλιά): leaves, sap
• Tilia rubra (red twigged lime, φιλύρα/τιλιά): leaves, sap
• Acer sempervirens (Cretan maple, σφένδαμος): leaves, samaras, sap
• Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore/maple, σφένδαμος): leaves, samaras, sap
• Populus alba (white poplar, λευκή λεύκη): leaves, cambium [lobed leaves]
• Populus nigra (black poplar, μαύρη λεύκη): cambium [spade leaves]
• Populus tremula (trembling aspen, λεύκη η τρέμουσα): cambium [roundish cerrated leaves]
• Morus alba (white mulberry, λευκή μουριά): leaves/shoots cooked, berries, shoots tea, sap, cambium
• Morus nigra (black mulberry, μαύρη μουριά): berries
• Salix alba (white willow, λευκή ιτιά): leaves & shoots (may be toxic), cambium
• Salix triandra (almond-leaved willow, αμυγδαλόφυλλη ιτιά): leaves, shoots cooked, cambium
• Salix purpurea (purple osier willow, πορφυρή ιτιά): leaves & shoots cooked (may be toxic), cambium
• Salix eleagnos (bitter willow, ελαίαγνος ιτιά): shoots, cambium
• Salix babylonica (weeping willow, ιτιά κλέουσα): leaves & shoots cooked, cambium
• Salix cinerea (grey willow, σταχτοϊτιά): N/A
• Salix amplexicaulis (stem clasping willow, περίβλαστη ιτιά): N/A
• Quercus coccifera (kermes oak, πουρνάρι): acorns leached [small thorny leaves]
• Quercus petraea (sessile oak, δέντρο): acorns leached [no acorn stalk]
• Quercus robur (english oak, ρουπάκι): acorns leached [long acorn stalk]
• Quercus aegilops (valonia oak, βελανιδιά): acorns leached [fluffy husks, no acorn stalk, serrated leaves]
• Qercus cerris (turkey oak, τσέρο): acorns leached
• Castanea sativa (european chestnut, καστανιά): seed
• Juglans regia (english walnut, καρυδιά): seed, sap
• Ceratonia siliqua (carob, χαρουπιά): seeds, seed pods
• Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree, κουμαριά): fruit
• Ficus carica (fig, συκιά): fruit
• Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust, ψευδακακία): seeds cooked only, flowers
• Juniperus drupacea (syrian juniper, συριακή άρκευθος/δενδρόκεδρος): cones (berries)
• Cupressus sempervirens pyramidalis/horizontalis (italian cypress, ορθόκλαδο/πλαγιόκλαδο κυπαρίσσι): green cone decoction
• Fraxinus ornus (manna ash, μικρός φραξός/μελιά): processed sap
• Fraxinus oxycarpa (narrow-leaved ash, στενόφυλλος φραξός/μελιά): N/A
• Taxus baccata (yew, ίταμος): only the red aril, all other parts including the seed are poisonous
• Medicago arborea (moon trefoil, δενδρώδης μηδική): leaves, shoots
• Rubus fruticosus (blackberry, βατόμουρο): berries, shoots, leaves tea, root cooked
• Smilax aspera (rough bindweed, αρκουδόβατος): leaves, shoot, root
• Phragmites australis (reed, καλαμιά): leaves, stem, shoots, seed, root
• Prunus spinosa (blackthorn, τσαπουρνιά): berries, leaves tea
• Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn, κράταιγος): leaves tea, berries, shoots, flowers, seeds coffee
• Rosa canina (dog rose, κυνόροδο/αγριοτριανταφυλλιά): berries, flower, seed
• Laurus nobilis (grecian laurel, δάφνη/βάγια): leaves & fruit dried
• Cistus creticus (rock rose, κουνούκλα): leaves tea
• Clematis vitalba (evergreen clematis, κληματσίδα/κούρμπενο): leaves & shoots cooked (may be toxic to some people)
• Sonchus oleraceus (sow thistle, ζοχός): leaves, stem, root
• Taraxacum officinale (dandelion, πικραλίδα): leaves, flower, root
• Reichardia picroides (galatsida, γαλατσίδα [για τη δηλητηριώδη γαλατσίδα βλ. πιο κάτω]): leaves, root
• Cichorium spinosum (spiny chicory, σταμναγκάθι): leaves
• Cichorium intybus (chicory, ραδίκι): leaves, flower, root
• Portulaca oleracea (little hogweed, αντράκλα): leaves, seed
• Eruca vesicaria sativa (rocket, ρόκα): leaves, stem, flower
• Tordylium apulum (mediterranean hartwort, καυκαλήθρα): leaves
• Melissa officinalis (lemon balm, μελισσόχορτο): φύλλα
• Urtica dioica (nettle, τσουκνίδα): leaves, shoots
• Amaranthus blitum (slender amaranth, βλίτο): leaves, seed cooked
• Amaranthus retroflexus (pigweed, άγριο βλίτο): leaves, seed
• Rumex acetosa (sorrel, λάπαθο): leaves, flowers cooked, seed, root cooked
• Foeniculum vulgare (fennel, μάραθο): leaves, stem, seed, flower, root, [mild toxic to some people]
• Capparis spinosa (caper, κάπαρη): leaves, shoots, buds
• Parietaria judaica (Pellitory Of The Wall, περδικάκι): leaves, stem
• Vicia cracca (bird vetch, αγριόβικος): leaves cooked, seed cooked
• Silybum marianum (milk thistle, γαϊδουράγκαθο): leaves, stem, flower, root
• Cynara cardunculus (cardoon, αγριαγγινάρα): leaves, stem, flower, root cooked
• Allium neapolitanum (white garlic, αγριοκρέμμυδο): leaves, flower, root
• Asparagus officinalis (asparagus, σπαράγγι): shoots, stem, seed coffee
• Muscari comosum (tassell hyacinth, βροβιά): root cooked
• Daucus carota (wild carrot, αγριοκαρότο): dried flower, root cooked, seed coffee
• Galium aparine (sticky willies, κολλητσίδα): leaves, shoots, seed coffee, dried plant decoction, mild toxic sap
• Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard millet, μουχρίτσα): leaves, shoots, seed cooked or flour or coffee
• Mirabilis jalapa (Marvel Of Peru, νυχτολούλουδο/δειλινό): leaves cooked
• Avena barbata/byzantina/sterilis (slender/red/sterile oat, λεπτή/ερυθρά/άγονη αγριόβρωμη): seed sprouted or cooked or flour
• Hordeum murinum (wild barley, αγριοκρίθαρο): seed sprouted or cooked or flour
• Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass, πολυετής ήρα): seed cooked
• Lolium subulatum (ryegrass, ήρα): N/A
• Sorghum halepense (johnson grass, καλαμάγρα): seed raw or cooked or flour
• Papaver rhoeas (poppy, παπαρούνα): leaves, flower, seed
• Sideritis (ironwort, τσάι του βουνού): leaves/flowers/stem tea
• Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile, χαμομήλι): flowers/shoot/stem tea
• Salvia officinalis (sage, φασκόμηλο): leaves, shoots, flowers
• Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary, δεντρολίβανο): leaves, shoots, flowers
• Origanum vulgare (oregano, ρίγανη): leaves, stem, flowers
• Thymus vulgaris (thyme, θυμάρι): leaves, shoots, flowers
• Satureja hortensis (summer savory, θρούμπι): leaves, shoots

• Malus domestica (apple, μηλιά): leaves, fruit
• Olea europea (olive, ελιά): leaves, fruit, sap
• Castanea sativa (european chestnut, καστανιά): seed
• Juglans regia (english walnut, καρυδιά): seed, sap
• Pyrus communis (pear, αχλαδιά): leaves, fruit
• Prunus cerasus (sour cherry, βυσσινιά): fruit
• Prunus avium (sweet cherry, κερασιά): fruit
• Prunus amygdalum (almond, αμυγδαλιά): seed
• Corylus avellana (hazel, φουντουκιά): seed
• Cydonia oblonga (quince, κυδωνιά): fruit, flowers
• Vitis vinifera (grape vine, αμπέλι): leaves, grape, flowers, shoots
• Triticum aestivum (bread wheats, σιτάρι): seed
• Vicia sativa (vetch, βίκος): leaves, shoots, seed
• Vicia villosa (winter vetch, βίκος): leaves, shoots
• Trifolium repens (white clover, τριφύλλι): leaves, flower, root

• Abies cephalonica (greek fir, κεφαλονίτικη ελάτη): no edible parts, toxic needles
• Platanus orientalis (oriental plane, πλάτανος): no edible parts
• Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven, αείλανθος ο υψηλότατος): no edible parts, toxic and poisonous
• Vachellia farnesiana (sweet acacia, μιμόζα/γαζία): no edible parts
• Nerium oleander (oleander, πικροδάφνη): no edible parts, all parts highly poisonous
• Hedera helix (ivy, κισσός): no edible parts, toxic and poisonous
• Euphorbia peplus (petty spurge, γαλατσίδα [για τη βρώσιμη βλ. πιο πάνω]): no edible parts, toxic sap
• Scilla maritima (squill, μποτσίκι): no edible parts, toxic sap, poisonous bulb
• Spartium junceum (spanish broom, σπάρτο): no edible parts, toxic, poisonous seeds
• Cynodon dactylon (bermuda grass, αγριάδα): no edible parts, toxic
• Cuscuta campestris (dodder, κουσκούτα): no edible parts
• Lolium temulentum (darnel, μεθυστική ήρα): edible seed but usually infested by very toxic fungus
• Datura stramonium (thorn apple, διαβολόχορτο): no edible parts, all parts highly poisonous
• Xanthium strumarium (cocklebur, αγριομελιτζάνα): no edible parts, toxic and poisonous
• Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem Sage, ασφάκα): N/A

• wild carrot vs poison hemlock: hairy stem vs smooth stem, uniform stem vs purple spotted stem, smell like carrot vs smell like urine
• poison yew vs conifers: yew has flat leaves with a central spine underneath and grow lateral or spiral on the stem, reddish-brown flaked trunk
• poison ivy vs Rubus species: poison ivy leaves have smooth surface and edges, no thorns, no serrated parts, grows in leaves of three, no side by side triplets
• smilax vs toxic dog-strangling vine: smooth and shiny leaves vs dull leaves, thin leaves vs meaty leaves
• toxic darnel vs ryegrass: darnel's ears are so closer to each other than ryegrass' that they make the stem to zig-zag
• laurel/bay vs poisonous oleander: leaves light green, little wide, somewhat serrated vs leaves dark green, thin and long, smooth on all sides [not because they look alike but because they share the same name in Greek]

• Picea abies (norway spruce, ερυθρελάτη): roundish needles
• Pinus halepensis (aleppo pine, χαλέπιος πεύκη): roundish crown, cones backwards
• Pinus brutia (turkish pine, τουρκική πεύκη): roundish crown, cones forward
• Pinus nigra (black pine, μαύρη πεύκη): pyramid spacey crown, cones transverse
• Pinus pinea (stone pine, ήμερη πεύκη/κουκουναριά): mushroom crown, cones roundish transverse
• Populus alba (white poplar, λευκή λεύκη): lobed leaves
• Populus nigra (black poplar, μαύρη λεύκη): spade leaves
• Populus tremula (trembling aspen, λεύκη η τρέμουσα): roundish cerrated leaves
• Quercus coccifera (kermes oak, πουρνάρι): small thorny leaves
• Quercus petraea (sessile oak, δέντρο): no acorn stalk
• Quercus robur (english oak, ρουπάκι): long acorn stalk
• Quercus aegilops (valonia oak, βελανιδιά): fluffy husks, no acorn stalk, serrated leaves

• Land, 2021
• The Call Of The Wild, 2020
• The Silencing, 2020
• Togo, 2019
• Leave No Trace, 2018
• Walking Out, 2017
• The Mountain Between Us, 2017
• Wind River, 2017
• Into The Grizzly Maze, 2015
• The Revenant, 2015
• Blackway, 2015
• A Walk In The Woods, 2015
• Backcountry, 2014
• Big Game, 2014
• Killing Season, 2013
• The Grey, 2011
• The Hunter, 2011
• The Way Back, 2010
• The Donner Party, 2009
• Into The Wild, 2007
• The Contract, 2006
• The Edge, 1997
• The Postman, 1997
• To Brave Alaska, 1996
• Rugged Gold, 1994
• Cliffhanger, 1993
• Call Of The Wild, 1992
• A River Runs Through It, 1992
• White Fang, 1991
• Survival Quest, 1989
• The Bear, 1988
• White Water Summer, 1987
• Stand By Me, 1986
• Never Cry Wolf, 1983
• First Blood, 1982
• Death Hunt, 1981
• The Mountain Men, 1980
• Klondike Fever, 1979
• The Adventures Of The Wilderness Family, 1975
• Jeremiah Johnson, 1972
• Man In The Wilderness, 1971
• Sometimes A Great Notion, 1971
• My Side Of The Mountain, 1969

(του editor)