BOIL WATER IN A LARGE LEAF
Boiling is hands down the most effective primitive survival method of water purification. It effectively kills all viruses, protozoan cysts, and bacteria. However, a metal pot or canteen isn’t always available in a survival scenario. Believe it or not, you can still boil water in plastic bottles, paper cups, and even leaves! To boil water in a leaf, shape it into a cup, place it into the coals of a fire, and quickly fill it with water. You have to fill it with water fast because it’s only the water that prevents the leaf (or plastic and paper) from burning. This is possible because of conduction; the heat from the fire is conducted away from the leaf and into the water. The edge of the leaf may burn but the parts touching water will not. Primitive cultures have been boiling in leaf containers for centuries! Hint: Practice this at home using a large cabbage leaf.
GATHERING HACKS
SINK FILLER HACK
If you’re on the move and have to fill up canteens or containers from public restrooms, you may find it difficult to fit them under the sink faucet for filling. One quick hack is to cut a small hole in the bottom side of an empty water bottle and place it under the faucet stream. The water will go into the bottle through the hole and then drain out the mouth, which can be directed over the sink lip into your container. A dustpan (cleaned first of course) can be used as a quick diverter as well. Allow the stream to fall onto the pan and it will flow through the gutter-like handle into your container.
DRINK WITH A BANDANA
Many people completely overlook one of the best sources of water in a survival scenario—dew. The dew that collects on grass, rocks, and leaves is 100 percent safe to drink without purification. The trick is collecting it. I’ve experimented with many ways and have found the best collection method is to mop it up with a bandana or T-shirt and wring it out every few mops into a container. I have collected more than 2 gallons of water in under 1 hour using this method in a small meadow near Willow Haven (my survival training facility). Grasses are not poisonous so there is no general risk with mopping dew from meadows, fields, or transition areas that lead into forests. If you’re wearing clothing, then you have a means of collecting dew.
2-LITER RAIN COLLECTOR
The ability to collect rainwater, especially if stranded on an ocean island, is critical. Here’s a great hack about how to turn plastic water bottles into powerhouse rain collectors. Start by cutting off the bottom of the bottle (be sure it has a cap to seal the mouth). Next, cut vertical slices down the side of the bottle about halfway down starting at the bottom. Make the slices 1"–2" apart. Fold the sections out, giving the bottle a flower-like appearance. Heating up this bend to make it more pliable speeds up the process and helps keep the petals in place. Finally, secure the cap of the bottle a couple inches in the ground and wait for rain. This is modeled after nature itself. The leaves on many plants and trees help funnel rainwater toward the main trunk. These plastic “petals” help to funnel rainwater into the central reservoir. The water can then be drunk with a straw or piece of hollow reed grass.
UMBRELLA WATER FUNNEL
Most people think of umbrellas as a tool to keep them dry. In this hack, we flip an umbrella’s function on its head—literally! Rain is one of the best sources of survival water. It is one of the few natural sources of water that can be consumed without filtration or purification. Collecting it, however, can be a challenge with limited resources. Gathering rain is all about one critical detaiclass="underline" surface area. The larger your collection area, the more rain you will gather. You can create a very effective rain collector by flipping an umbrella upside down and placing it on top of a bucket. Then, poke a couple holes in the middle. Now, you’ve turned an umbrella into a giant funnel. In my tests, a 3'-diameter umbrella can harvest around 3 gallons of rainwater per 1" of rain. That’s enough for 3 days for one person in a survival scenario!
MAKE A SOLAR WATER BLANKET
Water vapor evaporates from plant and tree leaves through a process called transpiration. It’s very similar to perspiration for humans. This process is accelerated when a plant or leaf is covered in clear plastic sheeting in full sun. An easy way to gather transpired plant water is to lay a sheet of clear plastic on a patch of grass as if it were a blanket. There must be full sun or the process does not work. After a couple of hours the underside of the plastic will be covered in small droplets of drinkable water. Carefully turn over the plastic sheet and mop the water with a bandana or T-shirt and wring it directly into your mouth or a container for travel.
Chapter 3
Fire Hacks
MAKING THE MOST OF MATCHES AND DISPOSABLE LIGHTERS HACKS
Make “The Beast” Match
A Perfectly Minty Lighter Box
Cardboard Triple Threat
P, B, & F(ire)
Salvation for Wet Matches
Match Feather Stick
IGNITION HACKS
Cotton Fire Cigar
Make a Striking Surface
Jumper Cable + Pencil = Fire
Make Fire from a Busted Cigarette Lighter
3 Bow-Drill Bearing-Block Hacks
9-Volt Razor Hack
Antenna Bellows
Give Your Bow Drill More Energy
SOLAR FIRE HACKS
Light Your Fire with a Light Bulb
POM Pyro
Fire from Ice
A Mylar Emergency Survival Blanket Lens
Make a Fire Pipe
Bad Eyes = Good Fire
From Flashlight to Flame
Romantic House Fire
FIRE TINDER HACKS
PET Balls
The Fire Pick
Make Tinder from a Busted Lighter
Use a Pop Can to Plan for Future Fires
Gum Wrapper Fire
Makeup Aisle to Fire Tinder
Wallet-Sized Fire Squares
Make Your Own Lint for Tinder
Amp Up Your Solar Fire Starting with Caffeine
Windproof Candles
Rotten Wood = Fire Gold
Moose Poop Could Save Your Life
When Your Zippo Goes Blippo
Saved by the Q-Tips
Snack Food Could Save Your Life
Fire Feathers
Tinder Parmigiano
Fire is directly related to every other survival priority. It helps regulate core body temperature as well as makes up for a lack of proper sheltering knowledge or materials. It can boil and purify water, cook food, signal for rescue, and even help make tools such as containers and spears.