Knowing how to start a fire without matches or a lighter is an important skill to have. One fun way to start a fire without matches is to use a magnifying glass. Now, in case you didn’t do this to poor little bugs as a kid, don’t worry–you can make up the learning curve pretty […]
Archives for August 2012
Canning Quick Tip: Let the Canner Make the Syrup
When you’re canning fruit, most methods require that you mix up a light to heavy syrup to add to the jars of fruit prior to canning. This entails measuring sugar into water in a pot and heating it all up, hoping you didn’t make way too much or not enough, and dripping sugar-water everywhere while […]
How to Make Great Char Cloth
When you’re lighting a fire with a flint and steel or other striker that makes fire from sparks, char cloth is your friend. Char cloth can make the difference between getting a fire started and just throwing sparks around. Char cloth is blackened fabric that catches a spark, starts burning, and won’t blow out until […]
Make Your Own Fish Stringer
When you’re fishing, you’ll need some way to hold your first fish while you’re working on catching more. You don’t want your fish to dry out or get too warm. Keeping them on a stringer helps you transport them between fishing spots and gives you a way to secure them in the water to stay […]
Preparedness Quick Tip: Re-use School Backpacks
I don’t know about you, but my kids think they need a new backpack every school year whether the old one is worn out or not. My Jr High student actually wore his out last year, but most times we just end up with extra backpacks around the house, some still in excellent condition. If […]
Common and Not So Common Ways to Prepare for the Rest of This Hurricane Season
Guest post by Lee Flynn. September is National preparedness month and we are in the eye of hurricane season. Let’s talk about some common and not so common ways you can prepare your home and family in case a big storm starts to take aim at you. National Preparedness Month Every year the country celebrates […]
Finding Directions Using the Stars: Northern and Southern Hemisphere
Finding directions using the night sky is a valuable skill if you ever become disoriented long enough that you are stuck outside somewhere during the night. It could mean the difference between finding your way back to your camp/vehicle/etc. and becoming increasingly more lost. Northern Hemisphere: The North Star In the northern hemisphere, we’re kind […]
The Two Best Methods to Make Waterproof Matches
Regular matches that get wet turn into little wet sticks that do nothing in no time flat. To avoid having your matches become useless due to moisture, you’ll want some waterproof matches. You can purchase waterproof matches, or if you want to save a few bucks you can waterproof your own matches. There are a […]