Use desert survival techniques to gather water during a flood

An  irony of floods is that muddy, filthy water inundates everything, but there is generally a shortage of drinking water! People stranded by standing water may be able to adapt desert survival skills to gather potable water. by Leon Pantenburg Widespread flooding is ravaging  Louisiana. BATON ROUGE, La. –  An act of God is how …

Go squirrel hunting to learn wilderness survival skills

How do you learn  the basic survival skills of marksmanship, stalking, concealment and skinning and processing game animals? Take up squirrel hunting. by Leon Pantenburg Many people don’t know how to get started hunting. But they may be thinking it’s time to learn. There could be a variety of reasons – to supplement your diet, …

Go-to recipe: How to make squirrel mulligan

Some recipes, like this one, are old friends. by Leon Pantenburg Recipes trigger memories sometimes, and that’s what happened when I came across this mulligan recipe. The date on it is December 16, 1989, it has a 3.5 star rating out of a best possible four.  I remember why I cooked it. My favorite hunting …

Best survival firemaking method | Use cotton balls, Vaseline and ferro rod

Here is my go-to firemaking method for survival situations and how to use it. by Leon Pantenburg It has been over 15 years since I started any wilderness campfire using any ignition method other than flint and steel. Part of the reason is to keep my survival skills polished, and the other is that flint …

Check out these 12 top knives for deer hunting

A perennial reader favorite every fall is the update on the best hunting knives for deer. Here are some blades worth checking out. by Leon Pantenburg We’re not looking for the best survival knife or the best bushcraft blade here, but rather a cutlery tool that can do the job of gutting, skinning and quartering …

Check out these 12 nutritious edible weeds available just about everywhere

Gardening can be hard work. Here’s some edibles that grow wild – and free. by Leon Pantenburg Who doesn’t want free food? If you know what you’re doing, you’ll  find all sorts of goodies to supplement your diet. If you know what you’re doing. Take cattails, for example. All parts are edible, and the plant …

Leave a note and save your life!

If nobody knows you’ve gone, or where to look, or when you’re expected back, it could be a long wait  to be rescued! by Leon Pantenburg A detailed note, left behind before any outing, should be Standard Operating Procedure. The note could end up being a lifesaver. A memo book could be one of your most …

Four more maps for emergency evacuation survival

A recent post “Survive this: Six maps you should have for urban disaster evacuations” was very popular. Here’s four more maps. by Leon Pantenburg Last week, we published a story on six basic maps to have when planning an urban evacuation. Apparently, a lot of you were interested – the post went viral, and got …

How to choose the right knife for small game hunting

You can skin and field dress squirrels, rabbits, upland game and smaller animals with many different styles of knives. Here’s how to pick one that can do the job, without breaking the budget. by Leon Pantenburg Harvest a limit of squirrels, rabbits or upland game, and you’ll soon learn what knife works best for field …

How to start a survival fire with a flintlock rifle

The frontiersmen, longhunters and settlers who relied on a flintlock rifle, shotgun or pistol knew how to start a fire with the firearm. Here’ one way to do it. by Leon Pantenburg A died-in-the-wool history nerd and old time equipment fanatic like me is always checking out new old gear, and trying to figure out …