Survival

This page is all about how to survive when you get caught out unprepared in the wilderness.

Shelter

Snow Shelters

In winter conditions, snow shelters become a viable option. They are very warm and windproof compared to other kinds of shelters. A well executed snow shelter is superior to a tent in many ways. There are many kinds of snow shelters including snow caves, quinzhees and igloos.

Fire

Tinder is the smallest stuff that catches immediately with a flame.

Home-made options:

Cottons balls saturated with Vaseline (waterproof, catches with a spark, each burn 2-3 minutes).

Ranger bands (1 cm wide cuts bike inner tube; waterproof, burn 2-3 minutes each).

Commercial options:

Coghlans emergency tinder (sort of like the cotton balls above, but not as messy; http://www.coghlans.com/images/productBig/392.jpg).

Coghlans fire sticks (basically wax and saw dust; http://www.coghlans.com/images/productBig/164.jpg).

Other options:

Strips of foam seeping mat or padding in pack shoulder straps or back panel.

Insect repellant saturated bits of cotton.

Suggestions for packing Vaseline saturated cotton balls:

Stuff a whole bunch into a film canister.

Cut a section of drinking-straw a couple inches long. McDonald’s straws are good because they are wide. Using a q-tip or toothpick, push the Vaseline cotton ball into the straw, and then carefully melt the ends shut. When it is time to light, cut off a tip, pull out a bit of the cotton and it will light with spark and burn for a few minutes.

A good introductory reference to firecraft is chapter 7 of the US Army Survival Manual: http://rk19-bielefeld-mitte.de/survival/FM/07.htm