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If you spend enough time in the backcountry, you'll eventually run into some steep terrain. Here's how to get down ... and all you need is rope.
When a country is thrown into turmoil things can get ugly. Here's a guide that will show you how to escape alive.
 | Survive Anything!Just follow these guidelines and you’ll escape any predicament. |
 | Prepare for TravelBe ready before you hit the road. |
 | Between Life and DeathWhen you're life's on the line, instinct takes over. |
 | Stay Safe AbroadStay safe during your travels abroad. |
 | Surviving the UndeadShooting Editor John Snow showcases his choices of guns for surviving the zombie... |
 | Prepare for a Social CollapseFollow these tips and you'll survive even the worst-case scenarios. |
Rub-a-dub-dub, imagine spending 26 hours floating in the waters off Sitka, Alaska, in a 4-by-4-foot tub. That’s what Ryan Harris, 19, did late last week after the 28-foot aluminum boat he and a friend were fishing from capsized. The Coast Guard rescued Harris on Saturday, two hours after his fishing buddy Stonie “Mac” Huffman was found alive on a beach 25 miles northwest of Sitka.
The two men had been fishing for coho salmon two miles from Cape Edgecumbe when the hydraulics on their boat failed. They fixed the problem and started heading to port when a massive wave knocked the boat on its side, dumping the men into the water before they could send a mayday. “We had no radio, no cell phones,” Harris told the Daily Sitka Sentinel. [ Read Full Post ]
This snare set up is a classic. It’s just a wooden pole and a few feet of wire that gives you a reusable trap that is easily moved, requires no bait, and takes advantage of the squirrel’s natural love of short cuts.
Here’s how to make it.
Select a 4-foot to 6-foot pole that is about the diameter of your arm. It’s best if the pole has a rough, natural look to it, so don’t carve off all the bark. It’s also helpful if the pole has a fork at one end, which you can stick into the ground or pin against the tree to keep the pole from twisting out of place. [ Read Full Post ]
As Hurricane Isaac bears down on New Orleans, Gulf Coast residents are hunkering down and bracing for impact. The storm is expected to hit within miles of where Katrina made landfall seven years ago on Tuesday night, and experts say Isaac could drop up to 20 inches of rain throughout the region.
While Isaac is a Category 1 hurricane (Katrina was a Category 3), preparedness and cautiousness are still critical. If you're going to be caught in the storm, prepare yourself by reading through the hurricane survival tips listed below from The Outdoor Life Ultimate Survival Manual.
Hurricane Safety: How to Survive a Massive Hurricane
Hurricane Safety: Prepare a Checklist for Your Home
Hurricane Safety: How to Reinforce Garage Doors
Hurricane Safety: How to Rescue Someone in a Flood
Hurricane Safety: How to Build a Sandbag Dike
[ Read Full Post ]
It has been argued by more than a few outdoor enthusiasts whether a sharp knife or a dull knife is more dangerous to the user. The logic has always been that the dull knife might not plunge as deeply into you as the sharp blade, but the more jagged wound may take longer to heal (not to mention that you have to push harder to even use the dull knife, increasing the likelihood of a mishap).
So let’s take the dull knife issue off the table by learning some sharpening tricks that work at home AND in the field. [ Read Full Post ]
The weapon does you NO good if you cannot reach it. This is the bottom line.
Maybe you can’t reach it because it is buried in your backpack, or you left it in the truck, or--worse still--it’s sitting in the safe at home. This is the ultimate irony of all ironies: To own something that could save your life and not have it with you in an emergency. The topic of bears, bear spray and self-defense came up in one of my survival classes last week when someone asked if it’s smart to hike and backpack with a handgun. I said yes, absolutely, if they own a handgun that they are experienced with, and if they can safely carry it within easy reach.
If you are already walking around in your day-to-day life with a concealed handgun in a low-profile holster, then you are already halfway there. All you need to do to add a concealed carry option to your outdoor gear is to simply change the holster. [ Read Full Post ]
Survival fishing has enough problems built into it. Kinked line from storage in a survival kit and hooks that aren’t the right size for the local fish can be just the tip of the iceberg.
So if you're planning fish for dinner, a simple net can be made in minutes, if you have just a few items and a knife. This basic net will make actually landing a fish a whole lot easier.
All you need to make this net is a flexible forked stick, 8 to 10 feet of cord, and 2 or 3 square feet of survival netting (this is often sold as a “survival hammock”). [ Read Full Post ]
If you read my previous post on the possible hazards of DEET and Permethrin, you’re probably left wondering what you could use to stave off the hordes of mosquitoes that are out to drink your blood in the summer months.
Here are some DEET-free solutions.
Cigar Smoke
Folks who like the taste of cigars may find some relief by sitting in the middle of a cloud of cigar smoke. Any smoke will help keep bugs away, and cigar smoke seems to be more effective than most other smokes. But the big question on this one is whether the cigar smoke or the DEET is more hazardous to your health. [ Read Full Post ]
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