Measure Distance Using Compass

Your compass is a measuring tool that can be adapted to a variety of needs. As shown here, it can be used to measure more than just direction.

You can use your magnetic compass to determine the width of a stream or small body of water without having to get wet. This quick and easy method of determining distance using a compass may just come in handy. In any case, it is always a good trick you can use to amaze your fellow survivors.

Here is how it is done.

1. Standing at the edge of the water, sight an object directly across from you on the far bank. Take a compass reading on this object and mark the spot where you are standing.

2. Walk along the stream until the compass reading to the same object across the stream changes by 45-degrees and mark this spot also.

3. Now measure the distance between the two marks you set. This will be equal to the distance between the first mark and the object you sighted across the stream.

For example:

Say you are standing next to a stream and directly across from you on the opposite bank is a large tree. Take out your compass and sight the tree. 

Let’s pretend the compass reads 300-degrees (Azimuth type compass) or S30W (Quadrant type compass). Mark this spot and then walk either downstream or upstream until the compass sighting on the same tree reads 45-degrees in either direction from your first reading (either 255-degrees or 345-degrees on an azimuth type compass, S15E or N15W on a quadrant type compass). 

Mark this position also. The width of the stream is equal to the distance between your two marks on the ground. If you have practiced pacing (and every survivor should) you can count the number of paces between the two marks and calculate the width of the stream.

The best survivalists are skilled in using whatever materials at hand in novel ways that give him an edge over his environment. "Thinking out of the box" is a trademark of the true survivor.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Grass Seeds As A Survival Food Source

P.S. There is a survival quiz in this video to test your knowledge. 

From Just One Cluster Of Grass

Despite there being hundreds of varieties of bladed grass found in the Americas, almost all (99% of them) can be eaten. This ranges from wheat, oats, and bamboo to the wild meadow varieties.

The young shoots up to 6 inches tall can be eaten raw and the starchy base (usually white and at the bottom when you pluck it) can be eaten as a trail nibble. The more mature the grass plant gets, the more fibrous the plant becomes. For older plants the base can be chewed and spit out — extracting the beneficial juices in the process. Or a tea can be made from the fresh or dried leaves.

The best part of the grass plant to eat are the seed heads, which can be gathered to make millet for breads or filler for soups & stews. 

Of the 99% that can be eaten raw, about 1% have toxic seeds and require that you roast or cook the seeds first.

Ergot fungus

As a word of caution, stay away from blackish or purple colored grass seeds. This is a good indication of toxic fungus. Just make sure they are green or brown. Also use common sense when gathering. Don’t gather where there has been recent spraying of weed killer.

Ergot: Dark-purple or black grain kernels, known as ergot bodies, can be identifiable in the heads of cereal or grass just before harvest. In most plants the ergot bodies are larger than normal grain kernels, but can be smaller if the grain is a type of wheat. A larger separation between the bodies and the grain kernels show the removal of ergot bodies during grain cleaning.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Field Craft Survival- The US Army Way

Above is an excellent video created by the US Army on wilderness survival field craft. The video show great examples of shelter, traps, fire starting, water procurement and much more.

The techniques, even though designed for the soldier in the battle field, can be adapted for everyone who may find themselves in a survival situation or are being chased by some sort of enemy.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Mini Personal Survival Kit

This segment is about making your own mini personal survival kit from items you may already have on hand. I will be using an Altoid candy tin that I save as my container due to its compact size. They fit perfectly in a back pocket or  jacket pocket or even a purse.

When building your survival kit, you want items that will address the need to accomplish the following tasks:

Make Fire
Make Shelter
Obtain Food/Water
Navigate
Medical needs
Make weapons (if needed)

The container should be sturdy and be made water tight. Your choice of items should able to perform more than one  function, if possible. This saves room to carry more items in your kit. Choose items that are durable. Remember, you get what you pay for. Your life depends on the strength of your equipment.

My mini kit contains the following items with a short explanation of each. The video left out the fishing hooks and sinkers and a few other things that I added later. This kit was made for use in the Southwestern parts of the United States, but can be used  anywhere.

If you know you will be traveling to a tropical place, you may want to design a kit specific for that area.

Contents:

Altoid Tin- holds your items. Can be used to make charcloth or a tinder box for starting fires. Can boil water and  cook food.
Medical Items: Alcohol pads (2)- cleaning wounds; fire starting/ Band-Aids (2)- would protect; tape/ Butterfly strips (2) for cuts (act as minor stitches)/ Alieve pain pills (4) or your preferred pain and fever reliever/ Imodium (4) for diarrhea
Water Purification Tablets (12) to purify up to 6 quarts of water
Note Paper- to make maps or leave notes behind for rescuers; also for fire starting.
Pencil/Pen- to leave messages (you can burn the end of a twig and make your own pencil by using the black charcoal end.
Lighter- for fire starting; water purification; cooking food.
Fresnel Lens- for fire starting; locating splinters.
Small Knife or razor blade- for cutting; for shelter making; fire starting; weapon making; trap making; medical needs.
Duct Tape- for shelter needs; medical uses; weapons making; clothing and equipment repairs; fire starting.
Electrical Tape- same as Duct Tape.
Compass- for navigation
Para-cord (4 feet)- for shelter making; hunting; traps; fishing; sewing; weapons.
Flashlight- navigating; signaling.
Survival Whistle- signaling
Ferrous Flint Rod- fire starting.
Arrow Heads- for hunting and fishing; protection.
Rubber Band or Ranger Band- for securing survival kit; making weapons; medical needs.
Fishing Kit- (hooks (3), sinkers (3)- for fishing and trapping. ( use para-cord inner cordage for fish line and thread)
Sewing Needles (2)- Mending clothing; medical needs; navigation
Safety Pins (2)- Mending clothing; medical needs; fishing.
Large Paper Clips (2)- trap making; lock picking; tool/equipment repairs.
Aluminum Foil (18 inches length)- cooking; containers; signaling; fishing.

This list is a lot of items that fit within the Altoid container. And as you can see, each item has more than one use. There may be more uses than are listed here.

Practice using your kit items so that when the need arises, you will already be familiar with their uses. Remember, knowledge is power. The saying goes, "that with more survival training and knowledge you have, the less survival items you may have to carry". For example, I can start a fire with rubbing two sticks together.

So, basically, I have less need for a lighter or fire starter in my kit if I can expertly start a fire without them. But, I would rather have the lighter or match to make things faster.

Strive to learn more about basic wilderness survival. Your life and the life of a loved one or friend may depend on it.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie