Survival Skills To Teach Your Kids During Summer Break

School days are winding down, so now is the time to start making summer plans to keep kids busy. So why not teach them some survival skills?

With summer quickly approaching, you are probably already starting to think of things to keep them busy and entertained during the summer.

You are probably like me and don’t want them glued to a TV or playing some video game for hours on end.

You probably want them to learn, explore and get off their butts and do something. Well I have the perfect solution for you: Teach them some survival skills.

Most of these are important lessons that younger generations are not learning anymore, which is a crying shame if you ask me.

Some of these suggestion could even possibly be skills that they find they enjoy and pursue that as a career one day.

And since they are out of school and they don’t have to worry with homework and studying, this will be the perfect time to get out and do some of these survival projects and learn some skills that one day may save their lives.

Activities To Do During The Summer

Go Camping – Camping is a great family fun way to enjoy each other’s company while your kids are inadvertently learning great survival skills and learning how to live in the wilderness if need be when the SHTF.

Go Off Grid – This is great for older kids, teens, and adults especially. Have a whole day with no cell phones, no internet, no TV, and even no electricity. Don’t order out and sleep through the whole day either. Try to play games and come up with dinner without power. This is a good way for kids to learn that they can live without all those electronics. Also, try incorporating this with your camping trip for an even better learning experience.

Go Over What To Do In A Disaster – Write out plans of what to do in different disasters. Remember to add details like what to do if you are home and where you should meet up with other family members. Also remember natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes.

Build A Basic Shelter – Teach your kids how to make a shelter using sticks, grass, paracord and other materials. They will love having a little ‘fort’ to play in for a while.

Learn To Store & Preserve Foods – Make your own jams and jellies, ketchups and BBQ sauces by canning them together. Kids will love to try their very own condiments. Teach them how to properly store food and water.

Read Children’s Survival Books – This will improve their knowledge about what needs to be done in a crisis. It’ll help prepare them for when the SHTF.

Plant A Small Garden – Heck, it doesn’t need to even be a garden. Just plant a vegetables in a planter if you want. Teach them to know when it needs watering and how to know it is ready to be picked.

Make Your Own Bug Out Bags – Skim through this list for items you may need for your bug out bags. If you already have a bug out bag go through it to test and check everything like flashlights and other battery powered items and check clothing items you have to make sure it still works, fits and etc.

Practice Some Archery – Build a bow or buy a bow and some arrows and have at it. Teach your kids how to aim and focus on the target. Always have someone to  supervise though!

Build Food Buckets – They will get a kick out of making these survival buckets.

Go Fishing – Going to the lake or pond and fishing is the ultimate way to start the summer. Older kids may like to try survival fishing with some fishing line and a hook. Get them to try to find something to make a fishing pole like a stick or a tree limb. Younger kids can be taught how to tie knots and flip over rocks to find worms and bugs for tackle. Try to teach them to feel when they get a nibble since in a survival situation you are more than likely not going to have a bobber.

Get Water From Trees – They will love to see a demonstration about how to get water out of a tree. Here’s a handy guide that will show them.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few things you can do with your kids during the summer to teach and prepare them for disasters.

A lot of these are skills that they should learn anyways but this is doing it in a fun exciting way to keep their attention and teach them without them knowing. Make it fun and exciting.

Source: https://besurvival.com/guides/survival-skills-to-teach-your-kids-during-summer-break

10 Essentials for Wilderness Survival

Having been camping since I was a boy, I've gained much experience in preparing for such events. Through this experience, I have developed a list of basic gear I bring so I will "be prepared" (BSA motto) if I am caught in a survival situation.

Please note, these items will not keep you comfortable, they will keep you alive. Feel free to add or change any of these items to suit your specific needs. As you gain more experience, you will begin to learn what does and doesn't work for you, and can adjust accordingly.

Step 1: Knife.

The number one most important thing I make sure to bring is a knife. They have so many uses in every day camp activities and life in general. If you find yourself in a survival situation, your chances of survival are infinitely increased with a knife. I always have a pocket knife on me for everyday use and camping.

Fixed blade knives are ideal. They are more durable and resilient than folding knives as they do not have mechanical movement. They are also better for cutting large objects such as branches. Folding knives are great for a backup and less demanding tasks.

Uses:
- cutting rope
- creating weapons
- opening packages
- boredom relief
- creating fire starters (ie: bow drill)
- building emergency shelters (cutting branches, cutting tarp, etc)
- cutting cloth for bandages (if you don't have a first aid kit)
- cutting bandages
- so much more; you discover many more uses through experience

Knife maintenance:

- If your knife becomes dirty during use, be sure to clean if off before you put it in your pocket. Ideally you would use a damp towel or rag, but if that is not readily available, I wipe it off on my pant leg. Never leave your knife wet as it may rust.

- Before I leave for a camping trip, I always check to make sure my knife is sharp. This will keep you safe during usage as you will not have to apply extra force in order to cut things. Dull tools are dangerous!

- Be sure that your knife blade is not loose (if it is a folding knife). Folding knives can loosen over time, and this dangerous. If your knife becomes loose, there should be a screw which attaches your blade to the knife housing. Just tighten this screw.

General safety:

- Don't cut toward yourself

- Make sure people are out of your "blood circle". This is the area within range of your knife in hand while your arm is extended.

Step 2: Cordage

Rope is also useful for camping, especially if you find yourself in a survival situation.

I prefer 550 parachute cord. It's lightweight, strong, and takes up little space. I am always wearing a paracord bracelet and usually bring an extra one camping, in addition to a large length of unused paracord. My extra bracelet has a side release buckle which makes it easy to attach to a strap on my pack.

One neat property of 550 paracord is how it lengthens when wet. This is useful when you need a tight hold on something. Get it wet, then secure the object. When the cord dries, it will tighten. This is great for making grips on walking sticks and fixed bladed knives.

Uses:
- hoisting food to keep away from wildlife
- building emergency shelter
- making splint for broken bones
- lashing poles
- tent repair
- climbing
- attaching gear to pack
- fishing line
- trap for hunting
- many more


I like this addition to the paracord bracelet, it adds some "stitching" with smaller cord. This smaller cord can be used for traps. The more cord the better!

Step 3: Beanie/stalking Cap/touque

Yes, touque is funny, but I have grown fond of the word. It is a word commonly used by Canadians instead of beanie.

No matter what the weather is, I always bring a touque. Touques will keep your body warm at night, it is always cold at night. Warmth is very important. Your body can focus it's energy on keeping your body moving and your brain functioning fully instead of generating heat.

I've been using this flaming hat for years, I really like it!

Step 4: Water Bottle/hydration System

Nothing to explain here. Without water you die. I have a carabiner hooked on mine so I can attach it to my pack.

Don't buy those weird canvas water, eh, sacks. They are easily punctured.

I recently purchased a Camalbak which is nice, but not ideal when on a backpacking trip because you can not fit all of your gear in them. However, Camelbaks (or similar hydration systems) are great for day hikes. They are nice to bring camping (in addition to a regular camping pack) so that you can go on a day hike without having to lug around all of your gear, just a few things for the hike. They are also great for mountain biking because they are low profile, provide easy water access, and can carry some bike repair tools (depending on the size).

Step 5: Signaling Equipment

If you are caught in a survival situation while camping, it is because you are in the wilderness and have no way of contacting people. If you have a cell phone with service, it is not a survival situation. So, you need alternate means of communicating with people.

The flash from a signal mirror can be seen for miles by aircraft. This flash will catch the pilot's attention. If you flash it across the sky in some sort of pattern, the pilot will be more likely to realize that there is a person in danger, especially if you flash S.O.S.

My signal mirror has instructions engraved on the back so I never forget the proper way to use it. It also came with a foam pouch to prevent it from scratching.

Whistles are also useful. The sound of a man-made whistle is unmistakable. Even if you get to a road, cars may be few and far between. If you happen to get to the road as a car is passing, you can use the whistle to catch their attention. Whistles are also good in the wilderness; for all you know, there may be other campers nearby to help you.

For signalling, you can use any source of light to do Morse Code. A flash light is perfect for this. You can also use for, you know, seeing in the dark, because it isn't advised to carry a burning stick with you; it has a short range, and you might accidentally make a giant signal fire ;)

Matches or lighter. Use this to light a signal fire. Green leaves have a lot of moisture in them, and will let off a lot of smoke. Be sure to add these to the fire once it is big enough, otherwise they will put it out. Not to mention that the fire will keep you warm.

Even if you are not in a survival situation, whistles can be used to tell others in your camp that danger is nearby, or that you've been injured. 

Step 6: Compass (and the Knowledge to Use One)

A compass will help you find your way to civilization. If you have a map of the area you will be camping at, it will be even more helpful. You will be able to find a road or other sign of home on the map that you can get to by navigating with your compass.

View this Instructable to learn how to navigate with a compass and map.

Step 7: Shelter Building Material

This can be as simple as a tarp or large garbage bag. If you are in a survival situation, finding a (relatively) safe place to sleep for the night is a great thing. Shelter will keep you dry and warmer.

You can build a simple lean to with rope, some branches, and a tarp. You don't want to end up like Survivorman, building a roof with leaves. This takes up a lot of time which could be spent hunting for food and building a fire.

Step 8: First-aid Kit

First-aid kits will greatly simplify the healing of injuries. You don't want to make things complicated with dangling skin, infections, and gushing blood. First-aid kits include gauze, bandages, alcohol cleaning wipes, gloves, and other supplies that will help you heal.

I take a small one that I purchased from Wal-mart, a big one is unrealistic.

Step 9: Change of Clothing

I always bring at least one change of clothing. If you get wet, it is important that you get dry. Moisture pulls heat away from your body, causing it to focus energy on creating extra heat to compensate. This will make you fatigued and lose brain functionality.

If your shoes and socks get wet, it is likely that you will get blisters because your feet will slide around in your shoes. You will lose your ability to get out of the bush if this happens. So, make sure you have extra socks!

Synthetic clothing is highly advised. Cotton clothing will keep you wet for a long time.

Step 10: Camping Pack

And, of course, a camping pack. I mean come on, where are you going to cram these things. In your pockets? A lot of it you can, but that would impede the movement of your legs, and having a pack is just so much easier. It also allows you to pick up useful things along the way, such as a crafted weapon, bow drill, and other things.

A pack also provides extra material for bandages, fire building, splints, etc.

Step 11: Wrapping Up

There is one more thing that I must add to this list, even though it exceeds ten items: a buddy. I can not stress enough the importance of having another person with you when you go into the wild. You should never be alone. You will help each other make decisions, and keep each other out of harms way. If something happens to you out there, such as breaking a leg, you will have no chance of getting out without another person. 

Just make sure they aren't as irresponsible as those two. I even hid their faces because they were acting so dumb.

So, that's the list of things you should bring so you are prepared for many situations that might occur. This would also be a good start for a 72 hour emergency pack for you to keep at home and/or in your vehicle.

Please comment about anything, to say hi, give suggestions, criticism, whatever. Just let me know you're alive (and not like those two)!

Again, this is in the Great Outdoors Contest, please vote for it if it is super duper awesome :)

I hope this helps you be more prepared for your future endeavors in the wilderness :)

Cheers,
Darman12

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/10-essentials-for-wilderness-survival/

12 Pieces of Crucial Survival Gear

OCTOBER 10, 2013 BY EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS 

For many people, building a food storage supply is an incremental process. We start with the basics, buy what we can when we can, save up for larger purchases, and watch happily as the stash grows month by month or year by year. So, it only makes sense to apply the same principle of patience to our supply of emergency survival gear.

 

At Emergency Essentials, we recommend that you build your supply by starting with the survival gear that will meet your most basic needs first. Get high-quality items that will last a long time when you can. But if you’re on a budget, get the most basic survival gear to meet each need until you can afford to upgrade.

So here are my Top Twelve recommendations to start your collection of emergency gear:

1. Emergency kit – The contents of the Basics Emergency Kit can be stashed in plastic freezer bags until you find just the right backpack—at which point, you can also start adding heavier-duty elements, like LED flashlights and a multi-tool and a good knife.
2. Water Filter – The Katadyn® MyBottle microfilter is a water bottle with a microfilter built in—and it’s a great starting point for water filtration. If you need water for a few people or you want to upgrade to something that can filter thousands of gallons of water, something like the Combi would work well. If you really want to pull out all the stops and provide water for a large group, get the Expedition.
3. Emergency food – Still saving up for the big freeze-dried entree variety pack? In the meantime, get more calories for your buck with high-energy emergency food ration bars.
4. Shelter – I want the four-man, two-vestibule tent with taped seams and a rain fly. But a rip stop tarp will do in a pinch. Don’t forget the rope .
5. Warmth – They may look inconsequential, but a reflective emergency bag   and pocket hand warmers stash efficiently, are cheap enough to buy in bulk (less than $2 each), and could very well save your toes.
6. Light – I buy little lightweight LED flashlights almost every time I pass one in a store. Super long-lasting, surprisingly bright for their size, and frequently on sale, they’re a great value for the money.
7. Communications – This may be the most expensive item on my list of ‘basics,’ but in a true emergency, a shortwave radio  is an absolute must. And for $20-30, you can get a workhorse with radio, LED light, USB charger, and three different ways to power it all (solar, crank, battery).
8. Power – Another example of multiple uses in a single product is a solar battery charger. You won’t be able to run the freezer, but you can keep all the vital little things operational. Recharge radio batteries or charge cell phones—with a single device.
9. First aid – Two approaches: A) Find a small, basic kit and keep that on hand until you can afford something more comprehensive; or B) collect individual components, like bandages  and pain reliever, as you find them well priced, and add to the collection gradually.
10. Cooking – Start small with a basic collapsible stove  for outdoor cooking. Or start even smaller with fuel and some matches.
11. Sanitation – Travel size shampoos, toothpaste, and hand sanitizer are logical place to start here. But if the idea of doing your business behind a tree stresses you out, peace of mind can come with relatively little expense. I love this toilet seat  that fits over a bucket. Seriously, genius.
12. Storage and tools – Absolutely, without doubt, the first instrument you want in your supply is a multi-function pocketknife. The second is a multi-function tool. The pricey ones will definitely last longer, but the value options will do the job. Lots of jobs, for that matter.

Source: https://beprepared.com/blog/9708/12-pieces-of-essential-survival-gear/

Wilderness Survival: Make a Quick Survival Shelter

This could well be life saving, do always carry a survival bag as part of your kit, no matter how long you are planning to be in the Great Outdoors :)