Survival Knives: Do You Need a Machete in Your Kit?

This machete cost $3 at a gunshow, and is a valuable survival tool!

I’m not a fan of large survival knives, simply because they are generally too big and bulky for many of the tasks associated with wilderness survival. But I carry a machete in my car survival kit, and there are some tasks that a machete is ideally suited for. If you think one of those big South American knives is only good in the jungle or rain forests, think again! Here are some thoughts about adding one to your survival gear!

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Assemble a Red Cross Approved Emergency Evacuation Kit

Most of us live in an area where a natural disaster  is possible and probable!

Nobody wants to worry about possibly evacuating your home quickly, or having to grab a few important items and head out the door.
But the facts are grim: 91 percent of us live in an area that could be affected by a major natural disaster such as a flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, tsunami, forest fire or mudslide, and you could have to leave very quickly.
So if you have to evacuate suddenly – what is important to take along?
Don’t wait until the last minute – get ready now, to minimize the chaos of an emergency evacuation. Here are some suggestions on what to pack from the Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security.

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Use a Trash Bag as Part of Your Survival kit

I first noticed trash bag shelter use at an Iowa State University football game in the early 70s. The weather got really bad during the half, with snow, rain and wind.
But one row of die-hard Cyclones pulled out a roll of plastic trash bags, cut holes for their heads and arms, and weathered the storm. I don’t recall how the football team did!
Since then, I’ve taken shelter in trash bags on a variety of outdoor activities. Trash bags are particularly valuable on hunting trips, because a large bag gives you a place to lay meat while you’re butchering.
Obviously, if you anticipate bad weather, be prepared for it, stay home or take along a  lightweight, four-season backpacking tent.
But you can adapt a trash bag into a very effective emergency shelter. Here is how to choose the right one for your survival kit and how to use it.

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Wilderness Survival Kits: Make an Altoids Tin Survival Kit

Learn how to make a pocket survival kit.

The Altoids tin survival kit is a small piece of a larger survival project, and it is by no means all you should carry for survival!!! But you need to have something in your pockets, in the event you are separated from your gear. (See related story.)
In January, 2007, I asked the late Dr. Jim Grenfell of Bend to help  develop a survival kit that would fit into a standard Altoids mint tin.  This pocket kit would be limited in size to an Altoids tin, and weigh  about five ounces. (That’s about what an iPod weighs, or my wallet,  depending on which side of payday we’re on!)
An incessant tinker, Grenfell, was also an Air Force combat veteran  and graduate of three Air Force wilderness survival schools. I made an  Altoid kit, too, and for the next several months, we added and  subtracted gear, and tested, researched and refined the final kits.
The result is here.

Scouts Learn Winter Survival Skills

The Cascades are beautiful on bright, sunny days and that was a great setting for the annual Winter Survival Skills Day south of Bend!

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Search and Rescue Vet on SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio

Todd Teicheira, a veteran search and rescue volunteer will be the guest on SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio on Jan. 21, 2010. Todd will be discussing some of the common problems and situations that get people into trouble in the Oregon backcountry

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Make Your GPS More Efficient: Clean up the Clutter

Having too many waypoints stored on your GPS is like piling all your office files into a heap and expecting to find something when you need it. In the wilderness, you don't want to be sorting through Waypoints to decide where to go!
GPS expert Blake Miller gives some tips on the efficient way to use and store your Waypoints.

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Easy Homemade Energy Bars Recipe

The idea behind including high-calorie snacks in your survival gear is to get a quick energy boost. But some of the commercial energy bar products taste downright institutional! Here's a quick, tasty whole-grain energy bar recipe.
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Free Firestarter for Your Survival Kit

I want to help you start, or add to, your pocket-sized survival kit AND add some folks to my soon-to-be unveiled weekly survivalcommonsense.com newsletter. Just contact me via email, and leave me an email address to add to my list. (NO emails will ever be sold or passed on to anyone. I promise!) I'll send you, absolutely free, a wallet-sized piece of survivalcommonsense firestarter. Carry this firestarter in your wallet, and forget about it. At some point, if you really need some survival firestarter, you'll have it and be glad to have been prepared!

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Free Survival Kit Firestarter Photo Contest

I want to help you put some reliable, easy-to-carry firestarter in your survival kit. Here's all you have to do: follow this link and take a guess at where the photo was taken. Come close, and you'll be a winner. (And you don't have to come all that close!)

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Make a Common Sense Urban/Wilderness Survival Kit

Common sense should be a critical part of any wilderness and/or urban survival kit. Gear won't save you if you don't know how to use it! Here's some thoughts on how to choose the best items for your personal survival needs.------------------------------------------
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Survival Kits You Should Always Carry!

Carry survival gear on your person to assure that you will have what you need in the event of an emergency. These lightweight, easy-to-carry items could make the difference between surviving a bad situation or the alternative!-----------------------------------------
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