Before venturing into the wilderness, it is wise to acquire and hone survival skills by practicing in a secure and convenient environment like your backyard. This will equip you with fundamental abilities needed to confront any situation that may arise in the wild.
BUILDING A FIRE
If the weather is damp or overcast or if you are in a survival situation with minimal supplies, building a fire can prove to be more challenging than expected. Nevertheless, fires serve multiple purposes such as keeping you warm, deterring predators, and offering heat for cooking.
In order to prepare for an emergency, it is advisable to test various fire-building skills in your backyard. It is possible to create fire without any gear using innovative methods, but it does require practice and patience.
In order to find or create dry tinder, you can follow these step-by-step instructions: carve a feather stick or search for amadou, a fungus that grows within the bark of coniferous trees. Another option is to explore the soil in your backyard to uncover quartz, which can be utilized for making a flint capable of producing a spark.
CREATING POTABLE WATER
The ability to obtain clean drinking water is likely the most crucial skill required during a survival scenario. Regrettably, not all natural water sources are clean and can contain harmful organisms such as parasites, viruses, and bacteria. However, there are straightforward methods to produce safe drinking water in the wilderness, and you can readily practice them at home.
The most convenient method to purify water in nature is by boiling it, however, there may be residue or other particles that can alter its taste. To address this, you can pass the water through a t-shirt as a filter or construct a filtration system with charcoal, sand, and small river rocks within an inverted PET bottle.
If you are unable to locate a water source, you can create a solar still to extract water from the ground. To construct a solar still, start by digging a hole that is around two feet wide and one foot deep. Position a container at the bottom of the hole and use a tarp or plastic sheet to cover the hole, ensuring the edges are tightly sealed with dirt or sand. Finally, place a small rock in the middle of the cover, causing moisture to condense on the bottom side and trickle into the container.
FORAGING FOR FOOD
In your backyard farm or around your neighborhood, it is astonishing to discover the abundance of edible wild plants. In situations where survival is necessary, these plants play a crucial role in providing essential nutrients and serving as a sustainable energy source with minimal environmental impact.
It can be difficult to identify edible plants because some toxic species share similar characteristics with non-toxic ones. However, there are several common plants found throughout the country that are both nutritious and tasty, such as stinging nettle, dandelion, lamb’s quarters, and miner’s lettuce.
If you have little experience in foraging for food, it is recommended to stay away from fungi and mushrooms since numerous species can be lethal. Additionally, you can improve your ability to recognize them by referring to a local botanical guidebook while exploring your backyard.
BUILDING A BUSHCRAFT SHELTER
If you become lost in the wilderness, one of the initial things to do is to search for shelter, although finding a secure place to protect yourself against the weather can be challenging. Utilize your fort-building abilities from your childhood and try creating a makeshift shelter in your backyard as a way to practice.
There are various choices for shelters that can be built depending on the terrain, environment, and season. You can begin with a simple lean-to or tarp-tent, and steadily improve your skills until you feel confident in constructing a teepee by using long branches and lashings. In regions with intense winter snowfall, you can utilize the cold weather to learn how to dig a snow cave shelter.
While bushcraft and wilderness survival are often seen as the same, there are distinctions between them. Bushcraft does not necessarily require lengthy expeditions confronting harsh conditions; it can be as basic as constructing a shelter in the forest or igniting a fire with a ferro rod during a future camping excursion.
BUSHCRAFT TOOLS
There is a wide variety of bushcraft tools that you can include in your arsenal. For example, an axe is useful for splitting wood. A ferro rod and steel are essential for starting a fire. A bushcraft knife is a crucial tool because it can be used to create other tools, such as a bow drill made up of a fireboard and a spindle, which is used for friction fire-making. Additionally, a metal container is helpful for boiling water and cooking food. Finally, a tarpaulin is always a good item to have.
During the period I am teaching people, I bring a large amount of equipment to the woods for my bushcraft course. However, my students do not require all of it. The brain is considered the most crucial tool in bushcraft, regardless of how many other tools you possess, as knowledge is what truly matters. I particularly appreciate the saying, “knowledge weighs nothing.”
SHELTER BUILDING
Another crucial element of bushcraft is the construction of shelters.
“Is it just something you want to sleep under or relax around a fire in? What is your objective for it? Is it meant to keep you dry while cooking?” she inquires, considering the purpose and usage of the item.
Afterward, you should take into account the resources available to you. Have you brought a tarpaulin to the woods? If you haven’t, you’ll need to rely entirely on the materials in your surroundings.
There exist several kinds of shelter, with the A-frame and lean-to shelter being two of the most fundamental ones.
To create a lean-to shelter, begin by horizontally lashing a wooden pole between two trees. Then, lean additional logs against it at a 45-degree angle to form a triangular space below. Alternatively, a basic lean-to shelter can be fashioned using a tarpaulin. This construction method is swift and particularly suitable for pleasant weather or to provide some protection while cooking.
In the meantime, an A-frame shelter is constructed by using diagonal posts that cross each other for the sides, along with a ridgepole beam to offer support. Although it requires more labor, it is considerably more durable and offers better protection from the elements. Regarding making either shelter waterproof, it ultimately depends on the level of effort you are prepared to invest.
TYING KNOTS
An often-overlooked skill, knot-tying can help your chances of survival by helping you build a shelter, set snares, and create tools. Learning how to tie secure knots takes time and practice, so grab a rope and brush up on your knot-tying skills.
MAKING A WEAPON
If you are in the wilderness without a weapon, you are vulnerable to predators seeking an effortless meal. However, you can create a slingshot using common household materials such as a forked stick, rubber tubing, and either leather or canvas for the pad. This tool is often overlooked but it is simple and fast to construct.
After constructing your slingshot, make sure to set up some targets in your yard and proceed with practicing aiming and shooting. Remember to wear eye protection and ensure that no one crosses your line of sight while you release your ammunition.
