When it comes to backpacking the most important thing is using gear that you enjoy and know how to use. From my experience in minimalistic camping and bushcrafting, I have found that bucket style mess kits, or as our English friends call them, "Billy cans" seem to work the best compared...

The straw mat is a simple and effective method of staying warm in the bush. It can be made out of virtually any dried and nonpoisonous plant. It is may be used as a poncho, a blanket, or an insulating pad to keep the cold earth from sucking the heat through your body. First, one must...

The fiddlehead is perhaps one of the most well-known wild edible. It is very tasty and cooked like asparagus. Usually, when one says fiddlehead they mean the Ostrich Fern fiddlehead. This time, we are instead harvesting the bracken fern, an incredibly common fern in the north woods....

Cattails are a nutritious plant that are packed full of starches and in a survival situation, that means a good find. The cattail is found throughout most of the US near slow moving or standing water. Almost all parts of the cattail are edible at some time of the year and were depended...

As always, check with your local laws before using bushcraft and primitive methods in a non-survival situation.   The Paiute Deadfall is a fast acting kill-trap that uses cordage rather than solely sticks as seen in a figure-four deadfall. For the kill weight, it must be around...

The throwing stick is one of Man's earliest weapons and was found throughout nearly all primitive cultures. Many people are familiar with the throwing club in the form of the returning boomerang used by the aboriginal peoples of Australia. The throwing club is intended to to be used as...

The Dakota Fire Pit was first developed on the plains. It was used to hide fire, which could be seen for miles on the plains, burn with minimal smoke as it provides enough oxygen to prevent most smoke, and to burn in a manner that is incredibly efficient as fuel came scarcely on the...

  Fire is an important element to wilderness survival. After getting a fire going the first time, it is important to never allow it to go out in a survival situation. The Long...

Out in the bush we get many scrapes and bruises. It is not a foreign thought that one day you may sprain your ankle on a hike with no help around. Here is a method that could give you an edge to fight the pain and make it back alive. Poplars contain a compound known as salicin in their...

Water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink. It is well known in the survivalist and outdoors community that even freshwater is unfit for human consumption without treatment. Here are some tips and tricks on how we lose water, fighting dehydration, and how to stay hydrated in the...

Sphagnum moss has a fairly acidic pH and high absorbency. It collects a large amount of water from dew and rain; water may literally be wrung from it. This water should be sterile with the rare exception of a halophile that has only shown up in very rare cases…so it is a calculated risk...

Winter Cress is a simple to identify plant that is great for beginners. Though it is easy to confuse with different types of mustard plants, I have not found, through research, any poisonous look-alike. The best and true way to identify this plant is by its leafs. You may notice the leafs...

A simple oil lamp can be made from numerous materials found in the bush or around the home. Sustaining light away from the fire or when the power goes out may be difficult especially if candles are not on hand. This is an easy solution of using spare oil or rendered fat to keep the...

  Usnea is the generic and scientific name for several species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae that are found throughout most of the world. It is commonly referred to as Old Man’s Beard and Beard Lichen, favoring to grow on trees rather than...

Making a debris shelter is a very personalized thing. One has to make them several times to get the specifications fit to one’s spacial/dimensional needs. Site selection is also very important. I chose an area that was on a bit higher ground than the surrounding area to prevent water...

Clay has a variety of uses in primitive living. Today we will talk about making clay pottery and how to go about firing clay in a primitive type setting. Clay may be found in a variety of places. From the dry ground itself, river beds, and lake floors to searching puddles accumulated...

Here's how to tell the difference   You will see the coyote tracks are longer & elongated vs the dog track  Also notice that the pads are alot closer together than on a dog Coyote's front tracks are usually slightly larger than the rear...

We all know how absolutely important it is to take good care of your load bearing life dependant ropes are.  Whether you use the for climbing rock faces & trees, effecting a rescue,  or descending steep faces or even hills; it's imparitive to take good care of them. Having vast...