Outdoor Survival Info

Archive for August, 2008

Outdoor Survival Tips – Ten Uncommon Ones
By Steven Gillman

The outdoor survival tips you’ll find here are not the usual fare. They come from the unusual techniques that myself and others have experimented with. Keep them in mind in case the day comes when you are lost in the wilderness.

Outdoor Survival Tips – Fire Making

1. Pull a piece of pack rat nest loose to use for tinder. These are usually found under rock ledges and in small caves, so they are dry even when it is raining. They are commonly full of plant fuzz, dry grass and other flammable materials.

2. Polish the bottom of an aluminum pop or beer can, and you can use it to focus the sun’s rays to start a fire. Chocolate has been used to do the polishing, but you can also experiment with various natural substances. This is not easy, and probably not possible if the sun is too low, or the can not shiny enough, but I have seen it work. Point the can-bottom at the sun and focus the rays to a small point of light on a piece of natural tinder or paper (a dollar bill works well).

3. Another good source of dry tinder is from old milkweed pods. These often cling to the stalks all winter, and some of them usually have silky seed fuzz still in them, which can be dry even during pouring rain. Any source of flame, or even a spark will ignite this.

4. Bottles and other glass can be used like a magnifying glass to start a fire. Ever since the first forest fire investigator traced the cause of a fire back to a discarded pop bottle, we have known that in bright sunlight, various types of glass can focus the rays to start a fire. You might want to try your own eyeglasses as well, especially if they are a thick prescription.

5. Another source of dry tinder during wet weather is under things. Specifically, look under leaves for dry leaves, or under large logs for anything dry and flammable.

More Outdoor Survival Tips

6. Keep batteries against your body, or at least in your clothing during cold weather. They lose their power more quickly if they are cold, and depending on what they are for, they may be crucial to your survival.

7. To cross a stream on a slippery log, throw some sand, grainy dirt or gravel on it. It will provide some traction. Using any stick for balance helps as well.

8. Lost in the desert, but still have your tent? Use it to collect water. Let the rain fly drape over it, directly against it, so moisture won’t escape as it is normally supposed to. The resulting condensation may collect in small puddles on the tent floor. Scoop it up or drink it directly. You can also mop up moisture on the walls with a small piece of cloth and then wring out the water to drink it. This works especially well on cold nights.

9. Need food? Trout often hang out where faster water dumps into pools, so look there first. You can sometimes chase them into shallows and catch them by hand, which usually means scooping them up quickly and throwing them onto the shore. As a child, I regularly caught fish of several types by hand.

10. No shoes? Losing or destroying your footwear is always a possibility in a survival situation. If it happens, find pine trees that are oozing sap. Scrape it off with a piece of bark or wood. Spread it thickly on the soles of your feet, using it to glue strips of a soft bark to them. Cedar bark works well. It will provide some protection while you are walking. In cold weather, you may also want to cover your feet with plastic bags full of cattail seed fluff, to keep them warm.

Copyright Steve Gillman. See the Wilderness Survival Guide for more tips, and get a free backpacking and outdoor survival book, as well as photos, and gear recommendations, at: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com/wilderness-survival-guide.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Outdoor Survival Tips – Ten Uncommon Ones

Here’s a little slide show video I put together of my scope base project:

Rifle: Marlin 336

Hardware: Weaver two-piece scope base for Marlin 336

Tools: 2 flat head screwdrivers – one tiny, one regular

I’ve decided to put a scope on my beloved Marlin 336 .30-30 lever action rifle. It’s such a great rifle, but I want to improve my chances of filling the freezer with venison this year. Here’s how I did it.

First off, Marlin 336 comes drilled and tapped for a scope. But there isn’t a base and there aren’t any rings. So you’ll have to buy them if you want to mount a scope. And, of course, you’ll have to buy a scope, too.

First, locate the screws:

The screws are small, so you’ll need a small flat-head screwdriver. I used the largest one in my little jewelry-type driver set.

Here are the removed screws:

Now we can see the mount points clearly. They go all the way through the receiver. If you are going to use some type of screw adhesive, do it very carefully! You don’t want to get any in the action.

Here is the two-part base I’m going to mount on the rifle. It’s a Weaver base made for the Marlin 336 and similar rifles. The package lists all compatible rifles on the back. Here are the mounts:

I just used a standard small-ish flat-head driver to mount the bases. It was super easy. They line up just right, and I can still use the iron sights if there is no scope mounted. Here are a couple of shots of the completed job:

and

The job took only a couple of minutes total, and that includes stopping to take some photos. Now I just need to decide what scope I want on it. I’m on a budget this year, so it will have to be an inexpensive model. I guess it’s back to Wal-Mart after I get paid again!

Maxpedition gear is now available at BDR Gear. Here’s the page with all the current products: Maxpedition Gear. Based on all of the reports and reviews I’ve seen so far, the Maxpedition line is top notch. I’m talking gear suited for both every day use and while working in hostile conditions.

I’ve been carrying all of my daily gear around in a messenger bag, but after seen the Maxpedition gear, I think I’m going to have to upgrade. Even though it’s big, I’m going to go for the Maxpedition Colossus Versipack. That should have plenty of room to carry my gear…and then some.

Sure, I’ll have a man-purse, also known as a “murse,” but who cares? I usually have to wear something with cargo pockets every day, just so I can fit all of my gear. If I start carrying around a gear bag everywhere, then that means less junk for my pockets. And that means two things: 1) I’ll be more comfortable while carrying my gear around, and 2) I’ll have more style choices when choosing my pants.

On top of all that, this bag will probably make a really good get home bag. Well, I guess that’s what it will end up being if I use it as an EDC (every day carry) bag.

When I get it, I’ll take some pictures and write up a review. I might even get adventurous and video the review for you. In the mean time, head over there and take a look. Who knows… you might find something you’ve gotta have.

If you haven’t already, head over to the Survival Video page and check it out. Learn how to make shelters and see a bunch of other outdoor and survival oriented videos.

The video content is updated regularly, so check it out and see what’s there!

Notice the last Outdoor Survival Info newsletter? I’ve changed the subject line a little bit so that you can more quickly see what’s in the issue.

“Outdoor Survival Info” takes up a lot of space. So I’ve changed the format. From now on, the subject line will read “[OSI] – main article subject.” I think this will help you guys out a bit. You will be able to, at a glance, decide if the article is something you want to read now, later, or not at all.

If you have any questions, just let me know.