A few years ago, tired of the cost and potential environmental hazards of commercial laundry soap, I started making my own detergent from washing soda, borax, and Fels-Naptha bars. It wasn’t long before I started wondering about making soap from scratch. I was a little intimidated by the prospect, remembering my grandmother’s harrowing accounts of making soap. I knew that homemade soap was made from lye, a potentially irritating, volatile substance, and animal fat. Still, I thought, why not give it a try? Making homemade soup is not as hard to make as you might
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When you think of emergency supplies, you probably think of the most critical preps like food and water.  And while these are certainly important, for extended emergencies, you’ll want more of creature comforts. If you can’t or don’t want to get personal care products from a drug store or other retailer, you’re not doomed to being dirty, smelly, and unkempt. You can easily create your own personal care products from simple ingredients in your kitchen. To add fragrance to your personal care products, you’ll want to use essential oils. While it is possible to distill
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The great outdoors can be a wonderful place, full of beauty, peace, and majesty; however, it is still dangerous, even for the most experienced woodsmen.  That is why it is important to carry a pocket-sized insurance policy with you wherever you go: your first-aid kit. Having a first-aid kit doesn’t mean that you have to carry a $120 suitcase-sized kit that can address everything from a paper cut to Ebola.  However, it is important to know the most common ailments and injuries that may occur on the trail.  Also, you will need to know how
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Making fire and sanitizing water are perhaps your most important skills to utilize in the wild.  Coming straight out of the U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76, your survival depends upon the “rule of 3’s.” You can survive three minutes without air (this shouldn’t be a problem in the woods, as oxygen is rather abundant).  You can survive for three hours in the cold without shelter.  You can survive for three days without water.  Finally, you can survive for three weeks without food. Keeping this “rule of 3’s” in mind will help you know how you
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Sewing has much in common with other crafts that let you create something special out of basic materials. People who already love to knit, crochet, build, or design will find that sewing comes naturally to them, and anyone looking for a first crafty hobby will find that sewing offers something for everyone. You may choose to undertake basic hand sewing skills and learn to do your own repairs on clothes and other household fabrics that need occasional fixing. This takes very little commitment, as you only need a basic sewing kit and knowledge of a
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Gathering food (trapping, hunting, fishing, and foraging) is probably the most difficult aspect of bushcraft.  While it is not as difficult as it sounds, it is still something that requires practice.  Where things get tricky for folks who dabble in survival craft –yet have no experience in gathering food– is that it takes more than a few times hunting in order to become proficient enough to stay nourished. While the human body can survive for three weeks without a meal, you will begin to feel the effects of hunger within seventy-two hours.  You will feel
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To help you understand a day in the life of a wild-hearted bushcrafter, here is a schedule (of sorts) from morning to evening… First, you awake from under your tarp to the sounds of animals calling for the early morning sun to rise.  As you rub your eyes, the chill of morning breezes prods you to get a fire going again.  You take a quick bath in the smoke to remove your human scent (which is very important for your daily activities), and then you are off to go fishing before the sun breaks over
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Living off the grid becomes much easier when you have the sewing skills to craft clothes, towels, linens, and other household items that you use on a daily basis. Instead of heading out to the mall several times per year to buy staples such as clothes for a growing child or new towels to replace worn-out ones, you can maintain a stash of fabrics, patterns, and supplies and sew what you need, when you need it. If you have the confidence and the materials, you can make, modify, or repair nearly anything and avoid retail
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In the last City Slicker’s Guide, we discussed “Bushcraft on a Budget.”  Basically, we told you about the items you should have in your kit if you hope to get out there and really enjoy the woods.  Well, you’ve got the pack together… so now what? Just because you have the right tools doesn’t mean you are ready to forge ahead blindly. You still might need a little extra guidance on tips and tricks about basic things you can do once you’ve pitched camp in a patch of woods.  You’re probably going to start getting
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Before the advent of electricity, candles and oil lamps provided light indoors and out. Candles are still valued for their soft glow, although they’re rarely used for utilitarian purposes these days. From a survivalist perspective, though, knowing how to make candles and stocking up on them is a smart strategy. If you’re without power, candles provide an economical, constant source of light. And even when there is no emergency, candles create a peaceful ambiance that no electric light can duplicate. Stock up on candle making supplies and try your hand at homemade candles. Chances are,
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