Category: Skills / Knowledge / DIY
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50+ Homemade Staples PDF Download
I decided to make a boxed cake last week mid-afternoon. I’m no gourmet cook, but I can follow directions when pressed. But then I realized that a plain cake just isn’t that good, so I meandered to the basement and grabbed a vanilla frosting, one of the store-bought kind that comes in little round jars.…
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If I Were a Thief…
I recently read about a bank heist in Germany where thieves made off with the contents of numerous safe deposit boxes. The audacity of it got me thinking about a different scenario entirely. What if you knew a major SHTF event was imminent (say, an EMP strike or massive solar flare) when most people didn’t…
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Eye-Opening EMP and Solar Flare Presentation
Not that I’m trying to ruin your Thanksgiving week, but I watched this eye-opening presentation below late last week and, although I knew some of the details, I was shocked at the full scope of the problem should a solar flare or EMP occur. In fact, while I mentioned how problematic a solar flare could…
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DIY Rodent Bait – Only 3 Ingredients
I always appreciate homemade alternatives, though they don’t always work well. But according to this guy (he’s a pest removal expert), this idea works great! It uses primarily two parts baking soda and one part cornbread mix. For mice, add a bit of syrup or honey and some cocoa powder for sweetness; for rats, add…
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9 Knots That Solve Problems
The title speaks for itself. He demonstrates the bowline, trucker’s hitch, halter hitch, clove hitch, timber hitch, tight line hitch, taut-line hitch, uni knot, and Prusik knot. Honestly, I’ve only ever used a few of these, like the bowline and trucker’s hitch, and probably couldn’t have told you what the last few were even for.…
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20 Ways to Increase Sleeping Bag Warmth
It must be getting colder outside because I’m on the hunt for ways to keep warm lately … either that or the YouTube algorithm sent me down a rabbit hole because every other video they recommend has something to do with cold weather survival, lol. (Or maybe they know something I don’t and are trying…
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DIY Gel Fuel: How to (Sterno)
I’d never considered what gel fuel was made of, but apparently it’s only three ingredients: calcium carbonate (antacid tablets, egg shells, or chalk), acetic acid (white vinegar), and alcohol (denatured alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, methanol, or grain alcohol). And while I’m not sure I’ll ever try this idea considering it’s just easier to buy Sterno cans,…
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Forgotten Bushcraft Skills That Still Matter in a Modern Survival Situation
The 21st century is the century of technological development, and this applies to bushcraft as much as it does to informational technology. We’ve become perhaps a bit too reliant on our phones as the ultimate survival devices, with GPS, compass, and a wealth of survival knowledge all available on a small rectangle that we carry…
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Recycling and Repurposing: Turning Trash Into Survival Resources for Preppers
When retail stores become unreliable, the resources around you—even trash—become your lifeline. Nothing goes to the landfill in a survival mindset. What you would usually consider junk, when seen differently, becomes gear, tools and storage. Recycling and repurposing become handy strategies. Aluminum, plastics, fabric and glass can be converted into essentials that keep you fed,…