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ce8da9dc-a925-42ee-abaf-2310d25151a2 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
2
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................. 3
Chapter 1. .................................................... 4
Save Money on Food ..................................... 4
Is foraged food worth eating? ...................... 5
Chapter 2. .................................................... 8
Bake your own bread .................................... 8
Making a starter ....................................... 10
Chapter 3. .................................................. 13
Cook efficiently ........................................... 13
Chapter 4. .................................................. 16
Charcoal, the miracle substance ................. 16
Chapter 5. .................................................. 21
Preserve your own meat .............................. 21 | [
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0abb5895-8d26-4626-89cb-1dc035813446 | Charcoal, the miracle substance ................. 16
Chapter 5. .................................................. 21
Preserve your own meat .............................. 21
Chapter 6. .................................................. 25
Make your own household products ........... 25
Conclusion ................................................. 29 | [
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8c30b6b6-8ee4-404b-939a-f48dacafa376 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
3
Introduction
Who isn’t worried about the risk of another economic crash? The global
financial crisis of 2008 was bad enough, but many fear that it was just an
outrider of an even bigger crash to come. The global economy is still shaky,
the growth of eastern exporters could damage American industry, and the US
government’s own bloated spending programs are creating a debt timebomb
that no politician has the guts to go near. What’s going to happen to our
affluent, complex society if a really serious financial crisis hits?
Luckily, history has some lessons here. The Great Depression started in the
US stock markets on September 4, 1929 and quickly spread round the world.
The global economy shrank by 15% and a quarter of Americans were
unemployed. Finance, industry, agriculture… every part of the economy was
devastated, and millions were thrown into poverty. | [
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ee30bb48-567a-40b5-8c51-62bde25da1bc | The global economy shrank by 15% and a quarter of Americans were
unemployed. Finance, industry, agriculture… every part of the economy was
devastated, and millions were thrown into poverty.
This was a tougher generation, though, and they didn’t give up. Instead people
used every skill they had to save money, keep themselves fed and slowly
rebuild the country. Many of the worst affected were farmers; others were rural
people, used to taking advantage of natural resources. They could make many
things that we now rely on stores to provide, and that meant they could get by
on much less income than the average person today.
If you want to maximize your chances of surviving the next financial crisis, a
good place to start is by relearning the skills that served people so well in the
1930s. They might seem archaic, even primitive – but they work. If you
rediscover the lost ways of our ancestors you’ll be able to eat better and more | [
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b4d5ea14-a77e-44f2-ac4e-14f52f99fb54 | 1930s. They might seem archaic, even primitive – but they work. If you
rediscover the lost ways of our ancestors you’ll be able to eat better and more
cheaply; you’ll know how to cook without running up your utility bills; you’ll
be able to fix things instead of throwing them away and replacing them; you’ll
be able to make household essentials from cheap ingredients instead of adding
them to your grocery bill.
Most of today’s economic threats are 21st century ones. Hacking, identity theft,
globalization – they’re modern issues. But when the crisis hits its effects on
ordinary people will be the same as they’ve been throughout history; poverty,
malnutrition, even homelessness. And if the effects are the same, the old
solutions will still work, too. That’s what this book is all about. | [
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8d0a202f-f986-4646-a935-f90da9a3a4cd | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
4
Chapter 1.
Save Money on Food | [
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906e68af-d2e9-4e05-8be1-aa91193bd68c | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
5
The grocery bill for the average American is more than $75 a week.
Even if you follow the USDA’s “Thrifty Food Plan” you’ll still be
handing over more than $50 a week just to keep yourself fed. That’s
a lot of money – and in an economic crisis it could be mone y that
you just don’t have. With mass unemployment, rising inflation and
collapsing government assistance, there’s no way you can
guarantee you’ll be able to buy those groceries.
This is the situation millions of people found themselves in during
the Great Depression. Some of them had a choice between keeping
a roof over their heads or buying food; some couldn’t afford either.
Luckily many of them were farmers and rural people, and they
knew where to find food that was free for the taking.
That’s right – there is free food all around you, if you know where | [
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9e42fbf4-8560-4e3a-a4db-cdbd9c0e5e6d | Luckily many of them were farmers and rural people, and they
knew where to find food that was free for the taking.
That’s right – there is free food all around you, if you know where
to look. Every part of the USA has a rich variety of edible wild plants
that you can harvest and eat without it costing you a penny.
Most people don’t forage for food anymore. It’s a lot m ore time-
consuming than farming, even if you’re just keeping a small plot to
keep yourself supplied with fresh vegetables. In a crisis, though,
everything changes. What if you don’t have land for a plot, or you’ve
been forced to move and haven’t had time to start planting yet? In
those conditions, foraging makes a lot of sense.
Foraging isn’t difficult and, while it takes time, it doesn’t need a lot
of strength or skill. Almost anyone can do it – so you can teach
your kids to forage for some simple items wh ile you get on with
hunting or working in your vegetable plot. Foraging can be done in | [
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7703361a-fb2e-465d-bcd8-532d5b5dbc98 | of strength or skill. Almost anyone can do it – so you can teach
your kids to forage for some simple items wh ile you get on with
hunting or working in your vegetable plot. Foraging can be done in
any spare time you get, giving you an effective way to add to your
diet.
Is foraged food worth eating?
We’re used to vegetables that have been selectively bred for
hundreds, even thousands, of years for taste and nutritional value,
so you might be wondering how wild food compares. Does the
energy needed to collect it outweigh the energy and nutrients it
contains – basically, is it even worth eating? | [
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a2bc9dce-dc5f-46a6-b696-e13353affd14 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
6
Well, some isn’t. Grass, for example, isn’t worth the bother of
collecting. There’s a reason cows have complicated digestive
systems and spend pretty much all their time eating grass – it’s a
very low value food, especially if you have a normal human
digestive system with only one stomach. No matter how hungry you
are, it probably isn’t worth expending any energy collecting grass.
There are plenty of wild plants that are useful food sources,
though, and some of them are very common. Dandelions, for
example. To gardeners thes e are a prolific and notorious weed;
hard to get rid of, and growing almost everywhere in huge numbers
unless you put a lot of work into eradicating them. But to the
resourceful forager they’re a valuable food source, and almost every
part of the plant can be eaten.
In spring, young dandelion leaves can be used as a salad green; as | [
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d978d3d5-5be6-4f03-9c4b-d25d81c986bd | resourceful forager they’re a valuable food source, and almost every
part of the plant can be eaten.
In spring, young dandelion leaves can be used as a salad green; as
summer approaches they start to become bitter, but you can boil
that taste out of them. The flowers can be dipped in batter and fried
– they’re great with either salt or syrup. L ate in the year, and
through winter, look for dead dandelion plants and dig up the roots
below. These can be boiled and eaten as a vegetable.
Chickweed is another common garden pest that grows all across
North America. It grows in patches, and these can be easily
trimmed with scissors – the roots will regrow, so you can come back
later for another crop. Flowers, stems and leaves can all be eaten
as a salad, or boiled for two minutes and served hot.
One of the most versatile plants of all is the cattail, and it grows
virtually anywhere there’s a water source. This plant is also called | [
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9136c82e-db69-4240-a20a-ef4ceb12536a | as a salad, or boiled for two minutes and served hot.
One of the most versatile plants of all is the cattail, and it grows
virtually anywhere there’s a water source. This plant is also called
corn dog grass from the shape of its flower heads – they look like a
sausage threaded on a stick. It doesn’t taste like a corn dog, but
this plant has so many uses it’s also called “the supermarket of the
swamp”.
Native Americans used cattails for many things. The fibrous stems
can be used to make cords; fluff from inside the flower heads is
excellent tinder and can also be used to insulate clothes or stuff
pillows. The pollen helps stop bleeding; mashed roots are a great | [
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bc77c112-1606-4eb3-9423-6ae3cced0593 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
7
poultice for blisters and infected cuts, and the smoke from burning
heads repels insects.
Cattails are also a really good food source all year round. In spring
the young shots can be eaten raw, boiled or steamed; they’re tasty,
rich in vitamins and minerals, and a great source of protein and
unsaturated fat. In late spring use the leaves as a salad vegetable.
When summer arrives collect the pollen by putting a bag over the
head and giving it a shake. Unlike most plants, cattail pollen can
be foraged in large quantities and it’s very useful. It can be
sprinkled on many foods, used to bulk out flour, or mixed into
soups and stews as a thickener.
In fall and winter, dig up cattail beds and collect the roots. These
are starchy and nutritious; they contain ten times as much starch
as potatoes and can be boiled, steamed or fried . Clean the roots | [
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f7f31cb2-c63b-4cce-be1e-c50da305b75c | are starchy and nutritious; they contain ten times as much starch
as potatoes and can be boiled, steamed or fried . Clean the roots
and crush them to separate the starchy flesh from the tough fibers,
or boil them and strain out the fibers as the starch breaks down,
leaving you with a thick carbohydrate-rich liquid. You can also dry
them and pound or grind them into a flour substitute. An acre of
cattails will produce over three tons of flour.
Because cattails grow in dense beds it’s easy to collect large
amounts of food from them. If you have a river or marshy area
nearby get down there with a knife, shovel and collecting bucket,
and start foraging! | [
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d6ca63eb-a2c5-4eb3-b996-61513855956f | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
8
Chapter 2.
Bake your own
bread | [
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83cd837a-a786-4367-98d3-4744e80094bc | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
9
Bread is a staple food – but it’s not a cheap one . Generic white
bread will cost you at least a dollar for a 2 0oz loaf, and what you
get for that dollar is not, to put it mildly, great bread. If you want
anything better than basic sliced white you’re quickly into the
region of three or four dollars for a loaf. Bread is expensive.
But it doesn’t have to be. A 20oz loaf has under a pound of flour in
it – and all-purpose flour costs less than $3.50 for a ten-pound bag.
Most of the rest, by weight, is water. So the basic ingredients for
bread are actually pretty cheap, and if you know how to bake your
own you can save a significant percentage of your weekly grocery
bill. Flour can be stored for a lot longer than bread, too, so you can
save even more money by buying it in bulk.
Just two or three generations ago many people most people ma de | [
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6056a96f-5a05-47c4-8fef-4b10b8f7050d | bill. Flour can be stored for a lot longer than bread, too, so you can
save even more money by buying it in bulk.
Just two or three generations ago many people most people ma de
their own bread, but most of us have lost the habit. Making bread
doesn’t take that much time, and in any case, in a financial crisis
time is easier to spare than money. Once you master home baking
you’ll be able to have fresh bread every day for a frac tion of the
supermarket price – and home-baked bread is a lot tastier than a
cheap processed loaf, too.
There are plenty ways to make bread, and the biggest differences
between them are how the bread is made to rise. There are plenty
ways to do that too; f or example, you can add eggs to the dough.
The most common way, however, is to use yeast or another active
substance that releases gas and aerates the dough. Baker’s yeast
is easy to find and not very expensive, but it has a limited life – | [
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78045d61-02c9-4264-8ed1-ae1521186a3f | The most common way, however, is to use yeast or another active
substance that releases gas and aerates the dough. Baker’s yeast
is easy to find and not very expensive, but it has a limited life –
and, in a real c risis, you might not be able to guarantee a supply
of it. Luckily there’s an alternative.
Yeast has been vital to humans for thousands of years – you can’t
make beer without it, for example – but we’ve only really known
what it was since the middle of the 19th century. Commercially
available yeast has only been around since the 1870s. So how did
we manage to make bread – and beer – before we understood what
the key ingredient was?
There’s a simple answer – we did it by accident. Now, bakers and
brewers use carefully selected strains of yeast, but there are also | [
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10045603-63fa-43b2-a2d4-104b0d822944 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
10
wild yeast and most of them will work fine for either baking or
brewing. Wild yeast can be found on the skins of fruit, they live in
the soil and they’re carried around by insects. They also drift
around in the air, so if you leave any food exposed to the air for a
while, soon enough yeast are going to land on it.
If you look at the German Reinheitsgebot – the famous Beer Purity
Law – you’ll notice something odd. It says that the only three
ingredients you’re allowed to put in beer are barley, hops and
water. It doesn’t mention yeast, but without yeast to ferment it, it’s
impossible to make beer. The Reinheitsgebot was written in 1516
though, and nobody had heard of yeast. So they just mixed water,
barley and hops, and left it to ferment. And it did – because wild
yeast landed in the huge open tubs, grew, reproduced, and
fermented the beer. | [
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a39d973c-1ced-4c78-86e7-69d34c15bc09 | barley and hops, and left it to ferment. And it did – because wild
yeast landed in the huge open tubs, grew, reproduced, and
fermented the beer.
For most of history, the most common way to make bread used a
smaller-scale version of this. Bakers noticed that if they left a mix
of flour and water exposed to the air for a while it started to form
bubbles. If the bubbling mix was added to dough, the bread would
rise perfectly; without the mix it stayed flat.
That bubbling blend of flour and water is a sourdough st arter. It
collects wild yeast from the air and starts the fermentation process,
and if you mix it into dough it releases bubbles of carbon dioxide
that raise and lighten the bread. Sourdough bread keeps better
than commercial processed stuff, it tastes bet ter, and it’s easy to
make. Best of all, as long as you have flour and water you can make
a sourdough starter, so you’ll never have to rely on being able to
buy yeast again.
Making a starter | [
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d8ea08a0-0c72-4461-8591-a9111c3d7906 | make. Best of all, as long as you have flour and water you can make
a sourdough starter, so you’ll never have to rely on being able to
buy yeast again.
Making a starter
To get your starter going you only need four things:
• A glass bowl or wide-mouthed jar
• Water – filter it, or use water from a well or spring. The
chemicals in tap water can kill wild yeast
• Flour
• Cheesecloth | [
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503e9df9-f7a0-425f-b497-a4b72e378aee | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
11
Pour half a cup of water into the bowl and gradually add half a cup
of flour, stirring constantly. Mix it well unti l it feels like thick
pancake batter. Now cover the bowl with cheesecloth. This will keep
dust and insects out, but the tiny yeast organisms will be able to
get through.
Leave the bowl on a counter or on top of the fridge for up to 24
hours, to make sure i t picks up wild yeast. Somewhere with a
constant temperature of about 70 -75°F is best. Then feed it by
mixing in another half cup each of water and flour. By this time
you’ll probably see a few bubbles starting to form. Keep feeding it
daily for the next f ew days. When it’s foaming and looking lively,
it’s ready to use. You’ll also be able to pick up a sour, vinegary
smell.
Your starter will need to be constantly fed, or the yeast will eat all | [
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fd3a1826-ca28-407c-ad3e-586c9a99f5b3 | it’s ready to use. You’ll also be able to pick up a sour, vinegary
smell.
Your starter will need to be constantly fed, or the yeast will eat all
the carbohydrates in the flour and eventually starve to death. This
is one of the great things about sourdough – the starter constantly
grows itself, so once you have it going you’ll never run out. If it
starts to outgrow its container you can just split it in half and either
throw half away or gift it to someone, so they can start making their
own delicious bread.
Once the starter is ready to use, making bread is easy. Here’s a
simple recipe using basic ingredients:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar or molasses
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 ¼ cups sourdough starter
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and knead into a stiff dough,
After eight to ten minutes of kneading, put it in a greased bread tin
or shape it on a baking sheet. Cover it with a damp towel, put a dry | [
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c5934153-8bb6-4bcf-bd31-64899ce082ac | After eight to ten minutes of kneading, put it in a greased bread tin
or shape it on a baking sheet. Cover it with a damp towel, put a dry
towel over that, then leave it to rise until it’s doubled in volume.
This takes longer with sourdough – twelve hours, at least, and
sometimes up to a full day. To check if it’s ready, gently press the
dough; if it dents, it’s ready to bake. Now just put it in an oven at | [
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3e177243-a070-4708-9174-825cf1536cd8 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
12
350°F and bake for abou t 40 minutes, or until the top is golden
brown. And there you are – tasty, and very cheap, home -made
bread. | [
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c3568d79-4923-4f38-baac-b0a505c4724a | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
13
Chapter 3.
Cook efficiently | [
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dd906c96-c049-4db0-b1cf-b868207af867 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
14
Modern cooking appliances are great – but they use a lot of energy.
If your ancestors knew how much you spend on gas and electricity
for your kitchen they’d be appalled. People a few generations ago
were much more concerned with saving fuel, because they had to
collect most of it themselves, and that went doubl e during the
Great Depression. Most of the fuel they did use went on cooking,
so they were very good at finding efficient ways to do it. A lot of
these techniques can be very valuable if you’re trying to save money
during the next financial crisis.
One way you can save on energy bills is to cook over an open fire.
If you don’t already have a wood stove to provide heat in the winter,
but there’s timber on your property or nearby that can be cut for
wood, you’re missing out on a great renewable fuel supply. Make | [
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0.03783869743347168,
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cc403f57-2c41-4123-a385-39827cbbd96d | but there’s timber on your property or nearby that can be cut for
wood, you’re missing out on a great renewable fuel supply. Make
use of it by setting up an outdoor fireplace and using it for cooking.
This isn’t just a good way to save money on gas and electricity; it’s
also the core of your survival kitchen if there’s a major collapse and
the utilities stop working.
You can do a lot with a well -designed fireplace; we’re not talking
wieners and s’mores here. Easy options are to set up a grill on it,
and a spit for cooking meat – this is the most satisfying way to cook
game you harvest. A heavy steel box at the edge of the fireplace will
let you bake, and of course you can set up pot stands as well. Get
a good bed of hardwood embers and you can cook practically
anything on a fire.
For open fire cooking, look for old cast iron cookware at yard sales
or on ebay. Iron pots and skillets are most effective at using the | [
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0.0... | {"page": 14, "source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf"} |
08f63a93-4ea0-4428-83af-68deffa506c3 | anything on a fire.
For open fire cooking, look for old cast iron cookware at yard sales
or on ebay. Iron pots and skillets are most effective at using the
heat from a fire, and they also last forever if you care for them
properly. In particular, look for the biggest iron Dutch oven you
can find. Once you get it clean it up, season it properly, and get
ready to be amazed at what you can do with it.
A proper Dutch oven has feet cast on the bottom and a deep rim
round the lid. That’s so you can stand it in a bed of embers, spread
more embers over the lid, and let the food inside soak up heat from
all directions. They’re great for cooking soup, stew, spaghetti sauce
or chilli. You can make fantastic cornbread in one, or line the base | [
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8d1807a2-6571-4330-bf3f-aa9431924715 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
15
with pastry and make a pie. You can even bake regular bread, too.
It’s a combination pot and oven, and ideal for using over an open
fire.
Dutch ovens are also ideal for slow-cooking economically. You can
do that on quite a small fire, too. Just build a fire a bit bigger than
the diameter of the oven, let it burn down, place the oven in the
embers, then steadily feed it just enough wood to keep it alive. You
can keep a fire going for hours that way without using too much
wood. The benefit of slow cooking is that you can turn tougher –
and cheaper – cuts of meat tender, which is also going to save you
money. The same goes for dehydrated meat and vegetables; cook
them slowly and you’ll get great results. A Dutch oven sitting in the
fire will also get on with cooking stews while you do other things.
Just throw whatever meat and vegetables you have handy into the | [
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0.023... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 15} |
885d8423-7712-4000-ac31-978117e0e9e1 | fire will also get on with cooking stews while you do other things.
Just throw whatever meat and vegetables you have handy into the
oven. Add water and seasonings, and let it simmer slowly most of
the day. By dinner time you’ll have a delicious, rich stew. | [
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67853eb3-f20d-4df4-973e-0bb367ebab96 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
16
Chapter 4.
Charcoal, the
miracle substance | [
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5e595bf4-3083-4290-96e8-ff2e75806487 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
17
Imagine a substance that can purify water so it’s cleaner than what
comes out of the tap, cure upset stomachs, burn hotter than wood
or coal, and kick-start a metalworking industry – but doesn’t cost
anything more than a bit of time to make. Well, there’s no need to
imagine it; that substance is charcoal.
Most people think charcoal is those little briquettes that come from
the gas station in a paper sack. It isn’t; those are just compressed
carbonized sawdust with a bit of clay or lime to bind it together.
Proper charcoal is wood that’s been heated for a long time, but not
fed the oxygen it needs to burn. All the liquid and volatile chemicals
are forced out of it, leaving a mass of nearly pure carbon. Charcoal
can be used to generate intense heat – enough to smelt iron ore or
work metal on a forge – and it creates a steadier heat than wood; | [
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6011133c-924b-435b-bc6a-1e6697a7b2c3 | can be used to generate intense heat – enough to smelt iron ore or
work metal on a forge – and it creates a steadier heat than wood;
it’s ideal for baking. It can be chemically activated to become one
of the most effective filter materials in existence. And you can make
it in your yard.
The industrial way t make charcoal is to seal wood inside an
airtight steel container called a retort, then heat it to very high
temperatures for hours (sometimes days). That’s great if you have
the equipment and a l ot of fuel, but it’s not much use if you’re
trying to make charcoal cheaply. Instead, you want to use the
traditional method.
If you pile up a lot of wood and set fire to it, you get a pile of ash.
But what happens if, as soon as the fire has a good hold, you seal
it in and shut off most of the air? The fire doesn’t go out; it keeps
burning slowly, but without a steady flow of oxygen most of the
wood can’t burn. Instead, it’s heated intensely and the water and | [
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274df8f3-1d73-4d32-bb13-dc108ff94ae2 | burning slowly, but without a steady flow of oxygen most of the
wood can’t burn. Instead, it’s heated intensely and the water and
volatile compounds in it start to boil off. Eventually you’re left with
charcoal.
The traditional way to make charcoal isn’t as efficient as using a
retort, but it doesn’t need any expensive equipment and the whole
process runs on wood – it’s both the raw material for your charcoal,
and the fuel that converts it. What you need to do is set up a small
fire (don’t light it yet) then build a tightly packed stack of firewood
around it, leaving a tunnel into the kindling in the center. Cover | [
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5bf25db7-0a04-4fcc-b38d-1eaf754aa333 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
18
the stack with a layer of turf, then a layer of soil, leaving a hole at
the top. This kind of sealed fire is traditionally called a clamp.
Now make a torch by wrapping oily rags round one end of a stick,
light it, and push it into the tunnel. When the fire has caught well,
fill the tunnel with firewood and seal the end with turf and soil.
Watch the smoke coming out the top hole until it turns to clear
blue, showing that the wood is dry. Now seal that too.
Watch the clamp to make sure the fire doesn’t break out through
the soil covering. If it does, the whole thing can quickly burn to ash
– it will be very hot inside, and if air gets in it can flare up
dramatically. If smoke starts escaping, quickly seal the spot with a
shovelful of soil – if smoke can get out, air can get in.
How long a clamp burns for depends on its siz e. Commercial | [
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3d42c2c1-9395-4342-af56-090543c09a8e | dramatically. If smoke starts escaping, quickly seal the spot with a
shovelful of soil – if smoke can get out, air can get in.
How long a clamp burns for depends on its siz e. Commercial
burners used to make clamps as large as thirty feet wide and ten
feet high, and they could burn for a week. The smallest one you
can make has about ten pounds of wood and will go for four or five
hours. Once you haven’t seen any smoke appeari ng for an hour,
carefully open a small gap in the covering. If there’s a lot of smoke,
or you hear wood starting to burn, seal it again; if not you can start
taking it apart. Remove the covering, scatter the charcoal on a hard
surface and damp it down slig htly to make sure it doesn’t catch
fire. Then just let it cool, sort out any ash and chunks of unburned
wood, and that’s it – you have charcoal.
Once the charcoal is cool, sort out the smallest, cleanest bits – look
for chunks that have no ash or unburned wood, and are pure | [
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f646d590-1226-4ca6-941d-68ff1b6d831a | wood, and that’s it – you have charcoal.
Once the charcoal is cool, sort out the smallest, cleanest bits – look
for chunks that have no ash or unburned wood, and are pure
black. Put these aside to be made into activated charcoal. Break
the rest up into convenient-sized chunks, let it dry, then use it for
grilling, baking or metalworking. Natural charcoal takes a bit more
effort to light than the stuff you buy, but it burns more cleanly and
doesn’t contain any toxic chemicals.
The best charcoal can be activated. This is a chemical process that
increases the surface area by covering it with tiny pits and cracks.
You can do that with high pressure steam, but an easier method
uses calcium chloride. This is a useful chemical for all sorts of | [
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0ac3addd-1291-43fa-8535-fe761603bc3a | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
19
reasons; it’s good for preserving meat and canned vegetables, for
example.
To activate charcoal with it, the first thing to do is grind the
charcoal roughly. Then mix equal weights of charcoal and calcium
chloride and, using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the
whole lot to a fine powder. Put it in a glass bowl, then add three
times as much water as the amount of calcium chloride you used
and mix it well.
What hap pens now is that the water reacts with the calcium
chloride to produce heat. Because you ground it together the
charcoal has tiny particles of calcium chloride impregnated into it,
and the heat causes stress that splits and cracks the surface of the
charcoal. That increases its total surface area many times.
Once the mixture cools put it in a filter made of finely woven cloth | [
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1fff52de-5472-45c8-8860-8ab7dc685853 | charcoal. That increases its total surface area many times.
Once the mixture cools put it in a filter made of finely woven cloth
and rinse it well. Then let it dry. The water you rinse it with will be
black; run that through a coffee filter, because the black co lor is
the finest (and most powerful) particles of charcoal. Dry that too,
and save it for making charcoal pills – these are good for treating
stomach upsets, and even poisoning.
Activated charcoal is so powerful because it’s extremely good at
trapping and absorbing chemicals. This makes it perfect for
making water filters that will get rid of disease organisms and
pollution, or gas mask filters that can eliminate most dangers –
including chemical warfare agents.
Being able to make charcoal is pretty much e ssential if you want
to rebuild society after a major collapse; without charcoal there
won’t be any blacksmithing, iron smelting or metal casting. But it’s | [
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97bbbe82-ac1f-4585-a2f9-84618ce5a4cf | to rebuild society after a major collapse; without charcoal there
won’t be any blacksmithing, iron smelting or metal casting. But it’s
also a good way to save money in an economic crisis.
Home-made activated charcoal water filters cost pennies, but are
as effective as expensive commercial ones; you can access limitless
purified drinking water for a couple of dollars a year. Just about
any water source can be made safe with these filters, so there’s no
need to waste money on bottled water. | [
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cdd120e5-1415-492e-bf20-3a0ac495de51 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
20
If you suffer from wind or indigestion you can stop spending money
on Tums. Just get a bag of empty capsules from your pharmacist
(they cost practically nothing) and fill them with activated charcoal.
When you swallow them the charcoal absorbs stomach acid and
relieves the symptoms.
Charcoal is one of the main ingredients of black powder, so if you
can also find sulfur and saltpetre you can use it to reload
ammunition. Many modern firearms won’t work effectively with
black powder but shotguns will, and most revolvers and bolt-action
rifles will work pretty well – just remember that muzzle velocity will
be a bit lower, and be extra careful to clean the bore, because the
residue is corrosive.
Charcoal is a simple substance that’s easy to make from cheap raw
materials, but it can be used to replace a lot of more expensive | [
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0.02455810457468033,
0.04736236... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 20} |
5dd4b2b8-c184-4c61-a556-a3b0aca58ae9 | residue is corrosive.
Charcoal is a simple substance that’s easy to make from cheap raw
materials, but it can be used to replace a lot of more expensive
things you use. That makes it an effective tool to reduce the
amount of money you spend, and saving money is always valuable
in a financial crisis. | [
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94ee66da-9ce9-4409-a9c0-f322be005437 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
21
Chapter 5.
Preserve your own
meat | [
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e7cb23df-332f-48af-89dd-ae65c807edd9 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
22
The more processing meat gets, the more it costs when you pick it
up in your local store – and no meat from a store is going to be
cheaper than buying half a pig at the farm gate. Of course, if you
raise your own pigs that’s going to be even cheaper. The p roblem
is, how fast can you eat half a pig? Unless you want to spend money
keeping a big freezer running, you’re going to have to start thinking
about preserving the meat for long-term storage.
During the Great Depression, a freezer was an unimaginable
luxury for rural Americans – but livestock still had to be
slaughtered, and the meat had to last them through the winter.
Luckily they had a whole assortment of tricks to preserve it for
months. You can use exactly the same traditional methods to
preserve meat without using electricity.
One of the simplest ways to preserve meat is to cure it with salt. | [
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0.05733419209718704,
0.0007528787245973945,
0.01886... | {"page": 22, "source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf"} |
c00daaf6-371e-45c5-936d-deab0a8e6fd5 | months. You can use exactly the same traditional methods to
preserve meat without using electricity.
One of the simplest ways to preserve meat is to cure it with salt.
Salt’s a natural preservative, and it can keep meet safe to eat for a
very long time – in the age of sail, ships would set off on voyages
lasting years with a hold full of salt beef and pork. When salt meat
is needed, all you have to do is soak the excess salt from it. It’s
perfect for making soups and stews.
Any kind of meat can be salted, even the risky ones like pork and
poultry; just make sure it’s as fresh as possible when you start the
process. Cut the meat into pieces – small game like rabbits can be
salted whole. Next, get a large container – a plastic crate works fine,
as long as it’s watertight. Put an inch of salt in the bottom of it .
Next, put the meat into the container one piece at a time and rub
each piece with the salt. Make sure you do this as thoroughly as | [
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0.004517167806625366,
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0.05249465... | {"page": 22, "source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf"} |
ce8b9943-d4f8-48f4-83b4-b191d79272b0 | Next, put the meat into the container one piece at a time and rub
each piece with the salt. Make sure you do this as thoroughly as
possible. When each piece has been rubbed, stack it in th e
container. You should finish up with some salt left in the bottom,
so add more if you need to. Don’t stack the meat too deep – two or
three layers is fine.
Now cover the container to keep insects out and put it somewhere
cool. A root cellar is ideal, or you can do your salting in fall or
winter. Around 43 -46°F works well. Now let it sit for a couple of
days. The salt will draw juices out of the meat, and that will collect
in the container. After about two days use the juice to wash the | [
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... | {"page": 22, "source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf"} |
3aa760a0-4a94-4fe0-b871-996d73a77878 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
23
salt off the meat. Then wash and dry the container, and salt the
meat again. This time you should salt it heavily enough that the
meat’s almost hidden.
Leave the meat in the salt for about two weeks, turning it twice a
day, then wash it off with its own juice again. Then you need to
make a curing broth. The basic ingredients of this are water and
brown sugar, but to give the meat more flavour you can season the
broth as heavily as you like. Add the sugar and the juice from the
meat to the water, along with any seasonings, the n boil it for half
an hour and let it cool. Then add the meat to it. To check there’s
enough salt in the broth, drop in a fresh egg; it should be about
half submerged. If there’s less than half showing, or it sinks, stir
in more salt until half the egg is above the surface.
Now leave the meat in the broth for two more weeks. After that, | [
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61402a65-8d0a-4148-8ee3-7ee1eba11671 | half submerged. If there’s less than half showing, or it sinks, stir
in more salt until half the egg is above the surface.
Now leave the meat in the broth for two more weeks. After that,
take it out, let it drain, then store it in a dry, well-aired place until
it’s needed – again, a root cellar is perfect. If necessary, make a
cheesecloth cover to keep insects off. The meat should last for up
to a year. To use it simply soak it in fresh water for 24 hours,
changing the water three or four times, then it’s ready to go.
Another classic meat preservation method uses simple lard. Lard
is another substance that has lots of uses, from lamp fuel to butter
substitute to raw material for soap, but one of the least known ones
is as a meat preservative.
You can render your own lard from pork back fat – simply cut it
into half-inch cubes and render them down in a heavy p an over a
medium heat. When the pan fills up with boiling fat and the cubes | [
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0.004654437769204378,
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... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 23} |
dc2503d1-fd98-4aeb-887b-4f2ac82f78a4 | You can render your own lard from pork back fat – simply cut it
into half-inch cubes and render them down in a heavy p an over a
medium heat. When the pan fills up with boiling fat and the cubes
start to turn crispy and golden, take it off the heat and leave it for
five minutes. Then strain out the cubes – these are called lardons,
and they’re delicious – then filter the f at, and pour it into heated
glass jars or enameled metal containers. Let it cool and solidify,
and there you go – you’ve made lard.
Raw meat can be preserved with lard for about a month; just cut it
into chunks, put it in a jar then pour hot lard over the top. Pour in | [
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... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 23} |
11102a82-6015-44d6-b009-15c17484c81c | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
24
enough to cover the meat completely, plus at least another inch. If
you use exactly the same technique with smoked meat or sausages
it will last up to a year, if you seal the jars tightly and store them
in a cool, dry place. A side benefit is that meat preserved this way
is very tender, and comes with the fat you need to cook it in!
Another way to preserve meat with rendered fat is to make
pemmican. This works best with red meat, like beef or deer. First,
cut the meat into thin strips and dehydrate them at a temperature
of under 120°F – higher temperatures will destroy many of the
nutrients in the meat. When it’s as dry as possible (it should weigh
about a third of what it did at the start) pound or grind it
thoroughly then mix it with an equal weight of rendered beef tallow.
Finally, split it into portions and bag them, or press it into cupcake | [
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0.04460924491286278,
0.027943657711148262,
-0.00555... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 24} |
ed4fb0f1-bf2a-48b4-9b9f-58eec174977c | thoroughly then mix it with an equal weight of rendered beef tallow.
Finally, split it into portions and bag them, or press it into cupcake
molds, and let it cool. You’ll end up with a solid, energy-dense meat
product that can be stored for months or even years. | [
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4746f9d6-550d-4f66-ae04-5d3654c98cf2 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
25
Chapter 6.
Make your own
household products | [
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24d88c6d-35a0-408c-936b-e66dea512814 | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
26
Look at your grocery bill and see how much of it goes on non-food
items. You’ll probably be surprised at how much you spend on
personal and household cleaning products , among other things.
The good news is that you can make a lot of them yourself, from
cheap ingredients, and free up your cash for more important
things.
One product we all buy, but that our fairly recent ancestors made
themselves, is soap. Is that worth making yourself? You probably
don’t spend that much on soap; a bar of i t doesn’t cost a lot and
lasts for a few weeks. Isn’t making your own going to take more
time and effort than it’s worth?
No, it isn’t. A lot of other products you buy are, basically, soap.
Shampoo, shower gel, dish soap, laundry detergent, shaving cream
and many household cleaners – they’re all variants on soap, and | [
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54837d76-72bd-4c39-b7d2-66bb63903e99 | No, it isn’t. A lot of other products you buy are, basically, soap.
Shampoo, shower gel, dish soap, laundry detergent, shaving cream
and many household cleaners – they’re all variants on soap, and
they can all be replaced with soap. Plain soap might take a bit more
effort than some specialized cleaners but it will still get the job
done, and it’s a lot cheaper.
Soap is easy to make; you just need fat and lye. Traditionally lard
or beef tallow was used, and processed with lye made by filtering
rainwater through hardwood ash. That’s always an option, but you
can also buy the ingredients. That has the advantage of being more
consistent, and while it does cost a bit more it’s still a lot cheaper
than buying soap-based products.
Basic soap is very simple to make. You only need three ingredients:
• 48oz oil (olive or canola are both fine)
• 15.5oz cold water
• 6.1oz lye crystals
Getting the proportions right is important, otherwise your soap | [
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-0.05674653872847557... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 26} |
e6c561de-cb77-4c25-bd40-18e918c02b1c | • 48oz oil (olive or canola are both fine)
• 15.5oz cold water
• 6.1oz lye crystals
Getting the proportions right is important, otherwise your soap
will either be caustic or won’t set (caustic soap is great for tough
degreasing jobs, so if you do end up with some it’s not a disaster).
A set of accurate electronic scales will help you out here. You’ll also
need glass or metal containers, a metal pot, thermometer and some
basic protective gear to protect against splashes of lye. | [
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5bae2eb9-b04f-4014-b957-874c93d9507d | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
27
Start by putting the water in a glass bowl or jar, then adding the
lye to it – never add water to lye, as it can explode. Add lye a bit at
a time and stir thoroughly, then add some more. It’ll start to fume;
let the gas evaporate before the next step.
Measure out your oil and heat it to around 130°F. You want it at
110°F, so by the time you’ve collected the lye it should have cooled
down to the right temperature. Now pour the lye into the oil,
stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the mix is thick enough that
you can draw on its surface.
Now pour the mixture into molds. Small Tupperware boxes are
ideal for this. You can line them with food wrap first, to make the
soap easier to remove, but it isn’t really necessary. Seal the molds
and wrap them in a towel, to let them cool slowly, then leave them | [
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0.00007... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 27} |
254aed26-a272-429d-b38d-afa0c67f5af8 | soap easier to remove, but it isn’t really necessary. Seal the molds
and wrap them in a towel, to let them cool slowly, then leave them
for a day to set. Finally, remove the blocks of soap and cut them
into conveniently sized slices with a cleaver. You can leave them to
dry for a couple of weeks – that isn’t really necessary either, but
you’ll end up with firmer soap.
A big part of coping with a financial crisis is repairing things
instead of replacing them. If you look at pictures from the Great
Depression era you’ll see the evidence of that – people wore patched
clothes and repaired shoes. They fixed up their homes wi th scrap
wood. Everything that broke or wore out was either repaired,
repurposed or cannibalized for useful materials. Nothing was
wasted.
The trouble is that a lot of repairs need glue, and while modern
glues are great, they’re also expensive. Even a simp le glue stick
costs a couple of dollars, and that isn’t even very strong. A lot of | [
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b7606261-32ce-4ca1-a057-ea38c6c965b1 | glues are great, they’re also expensive. Even a simp le glue stick
costs a couple of dollars, and that isn’t even very strong. A lot of
the time it really is cheaper to replace things, once you’ve figured
in the cost of the glue you need to fix them.
On the other hand, what if you could make glue from natural
ingredients? Good news – you can. All you need is pine resin and
charcoal, and both of these are free. Collect pine resin by tying a
can or bucket to a pine tree then cutting V -shaped grooves in the | [
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66b0fc9c-5b3c-4fd3-a85f-b08ec8e5874b | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
28
bark above it. The rate resin collects in the can will depend on the
time of year, but you can tap as many trees as you like to speed up
production. Collected resin will harden; just break it up into lumps.
While you’re waiting for resin to collect in your buckets, make some
charcoal and crush it to powder. This will act as a binder.
When you have enough resin, put the chunks in a tin and heat it
over a fire or stove; make sure it doesn’t overheat and burn. Heat
it until it melts and thins out, then filter it through a fairly large
mesh to get rid of any pin e needles and bits of bark – do this
quickly, or it will harden on the strainer. Finally, heat it up again
then stir in one part charcoal to two parts resin by volume. Mix it
in thoroughly, then pour the mixture into metal containers and let
it cool. | [
-0.008295304141938686,
0.08341053873300552,
0.0774250477552414,
-0.016809388995170593,
-0.00031951654818840325,
-0.07928291708230972,
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0.08090300858020782,
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0.061401233077049255,
-0.0757865309715271,
0.012980378232896328,
-0.04126815125346184,
0.02... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 28} |
15b2b42a-0bba-434d-8787-afa4ca18c0bc | then stir in one part charcoal to two parts resin by volume. Mix it
in thoroughly, then pour the mixture into metal containers and let
it cool.
This glue is versatile and surprisingly strong. To use it, just heat
the container until the glue melts; then use it to stick practically
anything together and just let it cool. Prepare smooth surfaces with
sandpaper first, if you can – but it will still bond p retty well even
on smooth glass. | [
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-0.03450249880552292,
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0.04... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 28} |
c700de2b-9e96-4fd6-b14e-7beba444c66b | Economic Crisis – Efficient Survival Strategies from Real People
Who Made It Through the Great Depression
29
Conclusion
We’ve had plenty of economic crashes – and the 2008 crisis was
bad – but nothing in living memory compares to the Great
Depression. The USA has never experienced anything like it before
or since; nearly 90 years later it’s still one of the most traumatic
events of the past century.
But, despite the severity of the Depression, the people who had to
live through it generally coped very well. They adapted, eliminated
waste from their lives, and used their practical skills to supplement
whatever money and resources they had. It was a tough time for
them, but in general they survived – and then they went on to fight
and win the worst war in history and kick-start the USA’s post-war
economic growth.
If we can learn to cope with hardship as well as the survivors of the
Great Depression did, we’ll be able to get through almost anything | [
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0.00170... | {"page": 29, "source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf"} |
fef7ab6a-4774-436f-833e-4c480ff99940 | economic growth.
If we can learn to cope with hardship as well as the survivors of the
Great Depression did, we’ll be able to get through almost anything
life can throw at us. A big part of that is having the skills to replace
things we buy with things we can make ourselves. Once you can
do that, you’ll find yourself spending a lot less on “essentials” – and
that can make all the difference between getting by and going
under. | [
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0.08942323923110962,
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0.008484618738293648,
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-0.002618466503918171,
-0.0399... | {"source": "Efficient_Survival_Strategies.pdf", "page": 29} |
0c582218-0375-47df-9edb-89a1e7435830 | PLETE OUTDOOR HANDBOOK
Contents
Introduction 8
Clothing 14
Personal kit 16
Undercover 18
Base camp kit 20
Cutting tools 21
Navigation 22
Using OS maps 24
Contours 25
Using a Silva compass ...26
Resection 27
Natural indicators
of direction 28
SPRING
Animal kingdoms 32
Tracks - common small
mammals and birds ....34
Tracks - large
mammals 36
Shelter 38
Making a simple shelter 40
Fire 42
How a fire burns 44
Tinders 46
Fire from sparks 48
Fire by friction 50
Organising your fire 52
Water 54
When the sap flows 56
Cordage 58
Preparing bark for
cordage 60
Plaited cordage 62
Laid cordage 64
Birch bark 66
Working with birch
bark 67
Resin 68
The pursuit of food 70
The importance of
roots 72
The digging stick 73
Salads and greens 74
Sweet roots 76
Drinks and flavourings ..78
SUMMER
Animal kingdoms 82
Droppings 84
Shelter 86
Water 88
Fire 90
Hygiene 92
The sweat lodge 94
Senses 96
Seeing more 98
Choosing your
binoculars 99
Setting up 100 | [
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0.08400096744298935,
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-0.11232031881809235,
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0.050652... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 2} |
ad66bfd5-f9f8-42c1-9913-ac5eabe2aaae | SUMMER
Animal kingdoms 82
Droppings 84
Shelter 86
Water 88
Fire 90
Hygiene 92
The sweat lodge 94
Senses 96
Seeing more 98
Choosing your
binoculars 99
Setting up 100
Finding wild animals ... 102
Basketry 104
Coiling 106
Plaiting and twining .... 108
Basketry projects 110
Pottery 112
Making a pot 114
Finishing and firing 116
The pursuit of food .... 118
Fishing 120
Fishing hooks 122
Filleting a fish 124
Drying meat and fish .. 126
Smoking meat and fish 127
Cooking greens 128
Fruits 130
Flour 132
Cooking 134
The steam pit 136
The mud oven 137
The harvest feast 138
Recipes 140 | [
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-0.0... | {"page": 2, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
64675b75-e28c-4b0b-a590-1efce049c43a | Animal kingdoms 144
Feeding signs 146
Shelter 148
Beds and bedding 150
Making a simple bed ... 151
Duvet 152
Fire 154
Nettle cordage 156
The pursuit of food .... 158
Primitive hunting 160
Skinning a small
mammal 162
Wasting nothing 164
Preparing skins 166
End-of-season-treats ... 168
Life out of death 170
Risks and dangers 171
Edible fungi 172
Utility 174
Animal kingdoms 178
Winter trails 180
Winter shelters 182
Quinze 184
Group shelter 186
Organising a bivouac ..188
Insulation 190
Heated beds 192
Fire 194
Transporting fire 196
Water 198
Cordage 200
Withes cordage 202
Clematis cordage 203
Carving 204
Carving techniques 206
Carving projects 208
Winter lights 210
Lamp 211
Special equipment 212
Snow goggles 213
Snow-shoe (Roycraft
pattern) 214
The pursuit of food ....216
Winter plants 218
Seashore foods 220
Shoreline edibles 222
Seaweed 224
Trapping 226
Storytelling 228
Appendices
1 Useful addresses 230
2 Sharpening a knife ...232 | [
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0.03262768313288689,
-0.138441264629364,
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0.0608802... | {"page": 3, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
fb573a7f-c9a8-40cd-8b9c-9fe8a29d26d3 | Winter plants 218
Seashore foods 220
Shoreline edibles 222
Seaweed 224
Trapping 226
Storytelling 228
Appendices
1 Useful addresses 230
2 Sharpening a knife ...232
3 Coppicing 234
Index 236 | [
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0.04144841805100441,
-0.13449840247631073,
-0.027417700737714767,
-0.05... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 3} |
7c3c8f32-9379-4605-aaae-aa6213e309ff | THE COMPLCTE OUTDOOR
Making a simple
shelter
There are many different types of shelter, but
for speed and efficiency few can equal these
simple bivouacs. In a good location they can
be built without a knife or any cordage from
dead materials lying around. They are small
and well insulated to help retain your body-
heat, and they will keep out even the worst
weather. If well built they are a stronger and
cosier refuge than the most modern hike tent.
They block out the sound of the noisiest gale,
letting you sleep.
Remember to keep the bivouac's size as
small as comfort will allow. Check vour
measure inside the shelter as you build it.
Given a good location, an average person
working steadily in bad light can build the solo
'kennel' in about two hours. Two people can
build the two-person kennel in half that time
- as apart from an extra ridge-pole, the shelter
contains the same amount of roofing material.
Two-person kennel
Dead leaves, humus | [
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0.00012415133824106306,
-0.05088307708501816,
0.031005071476101875,
0.0360378... | {"page": 4, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
f647dc12-b6fa-46e5-821b-35b726dc4ce4 | build the two-person kennel in half that time
- as apart from an extra ridge-pole, the shelter
contains the same amount of roofing material.
Two-person kennel
Dead leaves, humus
or turfs for thatching,
plus light brushwood | [
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0.... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 4} |
0ce56fa9-9e1e-44bd-b52c-6ba92b62b73b | SHELTER
One-person
kennel 1 Construct a strong
tripod framework.
Forked supports for the
two short legs will save a
need for cordage.
2Measure up the height
and width of the
shelter with your body. It
should provide just enough
room to turn over with all
of your bedding.
Two-person kennel
1 Construct a tripod
from two long poles
and one short pole. Again
try to avoid the need for
cordage.
2Wall as for the one-
person kennel. Close
off some of the gap
between ridge-poles with
cross-battens. Thatch and
finish as before.
4Thatch with an arm's
depth of leaves or
humus. Anchor down with
a covering of light
brushwood. Don't leave
rafters protruding from the
top of the shelter or rain
will run inside. | [
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0.0425... | {"page": 5, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
3910351d-7c57-41ed-a3ce-9b13e15cfd15 | THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR HAND
Fire
Woodsmoke! The very scent of it transports me down a trail of
memories, to campsites alive with the fire's flickering shadows, and to
friends sharing its warmth. When spirits are high, a fire's flames
provide joyful light; and when spirits are low, the consoling warmth
of the embers will thaw the frozen heart. For me, life is inconceivable
without a camp-fire.
At the practical level, a fire is essential. It dries our clothes, warms
us when we are cold, cooks our food, purifies our water, provides light
at night, drives away biting insects and much more. Being able
to start and look after a fire is a skill which must be mastered.
It is not easy - I regularly see people fail to light a fire even
when equipped with waterproof matches that won't blow out.
Morale and fire-lighting are so closely linked that I advise
people not to try to light a fire in bad weather unless they are
certain they will succeed. It is one of those skills which you | [
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0.079735875... | {"page": 6, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
ea965a53-a0d9-4ae2-8115-2922d6a37524 | Morale and fire-lighting are so closely linked that I advise
people not to try to light a fire in bad weather unless they are
certain they will succeed. It is one of those skills which you
just have to practise and practise until, night or day,
sun or snow, you can without any hesitation produce
fire. In your outdoors equipment you should always
carry some reliable means of lighting a fire. We shall
learn the ways of our ancestors who managed without
matches, because once you can light a fire by primitive
means, using modern gadgets is a piece of cake.
emergencies,
lifeboat matches
cannot be blown Starting and managing your fire
out in strong winds when starting a fire rem ember to search out the driest
or damp weather °
kindling and fuel available. This should preferably be
dead wood snagged in the branches above ground. Dead wood found
on the ground will burn but contains more moisture, making it more | [
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0.0860252... | {"page": 6, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
87dbb9d3-41a8-475c-ad11-69dbcfdad96b | kindling and fuel available. This should preferably be
dead wood snagged in the branches above ground. Dead wood found
on the ground will burn but contains more moisture, making it more
difficult to start the fire. In wet or windy weather make sure you have
plenty of small fine kindling; this burns more readily and will give your
fire a good hot centre.
a«i>
Good in | [
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cbcf91dd-0f5e-4c7a-b4cd-e393524eca8a | Remember also that fire prefers to burn upwards. Flat fires
smoulder; tall fires blaze. When lighting your fire, build upwards for
a blaze.
But just lighting the fire is only the start. Your fire is a versatile tool
which you can adapt and change to suit a wide variety of situations.
Correctly managed, it will always be perfectly matched to the task you
put it to, and in between it will burn slowly and efficiently, requiring
the minimum of looking after. With a deft flick of the
embers an experienced fire-tender makes fire manage
ment look easy; but in fact it usually takes people
several years to learn to make the best use of
this resource. Bear in mind that there is an
inherent skill involved in tending a fire, and you
will probably learn more quickly. Whether
for light, warmth, cooking or company,
there is a specifically related fire lay.
If you visit any national park or wilderness Strike-a-light: 200 | [
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9954c081-27ae-4d56-b5b0-364f83b40698 | will probably learn more quickly. Whether
for light, warmth, cooking or company,
there is a specifically related fire lay.
If you visit any national park or wilderness Strike-a-light: 200
area, you will often come across an old fire site years ago t ts was
' J the principal way
scorched into the turf beside a stream and usually people lit their fires,
filled with rusting tin cans. While the land will h striking sparks
° from a steel With a
recover from this careless abuse, it shows a great lack gun flint
of respect and spoils the sanctity of that stream-bank
for all who come after. Use of a fire brings with it a responsibility to
leave no traces behind. Always choose a location where the fire will
do no obvious damage - preferably bare earth. Be constantly aware,
too, of the danger of forest fires; camp-fires should be sited in an area
of cleared underbrush at least 4 m (12 ft) across.
While surrounding a fire with stones fits the romantic image of | [
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0.032321225851774216,
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0.08883... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 7} |
46467835-5d0a-484e-861d-b7b2c71f65f7 | too, of the danger of forest fires; camp-fires should be sited in an area
of cleared underbrush at least 4 m (12 ft) across.
While surrounding a fire with stones fits the romantic image of
camping, in reality it achieves little more than the scorching of the
rocks, which remain a testament to your presence for many years to
come. In some controlled wilderness areas fires are permitted when
there is no fire risk. If you are forbidden to have a fire, it is better for
every other fire user if you obey the regulations. Although they may
sometimes benefit the natural ecology, promoting plant regeneration,
forest fires are a serious threat to safety. With fire, safety considerations
override all others.
43 £) | [
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0.067... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 7} |
acfda98c-93d0-4929-8df7-8e0c6f7132f4 | THE COMPLETE OUTDOO HANDBOOK
How a fire burns
There are three vital ingredients to fire: fuel, oxygen and heat. For
efficient burning there must be an unrestricted supply of each. The
average wood fire consists of a fairly random lattice of fuel. This lattice
must be open enough to allow oxygen in the form of air to pass freely
into the fire, while at the same time being tight enough to allow the
heat to travel from one piece of fuel to the next. If the fuel is damp or
too large to catch light, the fire will smoulder or go out. Many a novice
has suffered the smouldering fire, the fire with too little air supply or
the one which started but then went out because the lattice was too
loose for the flames to pass.
What you need to build a fire
Extra-fine kindling
Very dry twigs 30
cm (1 ft) long and
matchstick-thin.
Should catch light
from a match
alone. Keep these
twigs at least two
hand-spans long.
Fine kindling
Thicker than a
match but thinner
than a pencil. | [
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0.017529625445604324,
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0.05... | {"page": 8, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
972543aa-042a-43ef-80c4-ed9c5abb5609 | cm (1 ft) long and
matchstick-thin.
Should catch light
from a match
alone. Keep these
twigs at least two
hand-spans long.
Fine kindling
Thicker than a
match but thinner
than a pencil.
Brittle dry. Gather
plenty.
Kindling
Brittle-dry wood of
pencil thickness.
This really gets the
fire cracking.
Again, gather
plenty. Broken into
pieces a hand-width
long, this kindling
is the best fuel to
use when you need
to control the heat
of a cooking fire.
Small fuel
Thicker than a
pencil but not
thicker than your
thumb, this fuel is
the beginnings of
the fire proper.
Main fuel
Sticks thicker than
your thumb which
you can break over
your knee. For
most trail fires this
is the largest fuel
needed. Anything
larger counts as
arge fuel' and is
more appropriate
to fixed camp use
or special fire lays.
u | [
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0.036052532494068146,
-0.054754290729761124,
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-0.07286229729652405,
0.057454... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 8} |
923d492f-fc45-4a61-8b39-56c8951b25be | 1 Choose a suitable fire site and gather
all the necessary fuel. Use small fuel
to build a platform about 30 cm (1 ft)
square. This will protect your tinder from
the damp ground and burn quickly at the
fire's heart.
3Take two full handfuls of extra-fine
kindling and position them against
the tinder with their tops overlapping
directly above the tinder.
4 Light the tinder. As the flames rise,
position the kindling in the flames
from the tinder bundle. When flames burn
through above the kindling, add the next
size up, and continue this until you are
burning main fuel.
2Place a grapefruit-sized bundle of
teased fibrous tinder on the platform
(see pp. 46-7).
Birch bark spill
If you are using a lighter to ignite your
fire it is sometimes difficult to pass the
flame into the fire without burning
yourself. An answer is to make a birch
bark spill. Birch bark burns well because
of the oils it contains, but it tends to curl
up tight as it does so. To make a spill you | [
0.020893888548016548,
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0.014380275271832943,
0.05481191724538803,
0.010095350444316864,
-0.02931993454694748,
0.0049707600846886635,
-0.07211573421955109,
-0.046345941722393036,
-0.055352259427309036,
0.0498... | {"page": 9, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
bb65d8b1-aee5-4b77-8de8-5d30a3386189 | yourself. An answer is to make a birch
bark spill. Birch bark burns well because
of the oils it contains, but it tends to curl
up tight as it does so. To make a spill you
will need to fold a small square sheet of
the bark concertina fashion to prevent it
curling up. Light this from your lighter.
1 45 | [
0.0026645585894584656,
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0.07656832039356232,
0.07718773186206818,
0.0516580231487751,
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0.05836407467722893,
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0.017143672332167625,
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-0.03688183054327965,
-0.08398151397705078,
0.028873... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 9} |
974adc10-4f32-426e-aa8e-46387e0825b9 | THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR HANDBOOK
Tinders
Tinders are in many ways the most important
part of any fire, for they create the initial flame
and enable it to grow. A large-sized tinder
bundle, soccer-ball size, will start even damp
kindling burning. A wide knowledge of what
can be used for tinder and how to use it is an
essential of successful fire-lighting. If you are
wise you will fill your pockets with good
tinder whenever you come across it.
Clematis
The tire-lighter's friend.
Provides a fluffy seed
down giving a short burst
of flame from sparks. The
bark of its stems peels
away and is easily buffed
into a superior tinder.
Dead bracken
Excellent tinder, widely
available. Readily dries out,
especially in a dry breeze.
Collect by stripping leaves
from stems. Good for
friction fire-lighting.
%
Common in hazel copses.
Naturally shedding silky
bark can be collected and
buffed into tinder for
friction fire-lighting.
Birch and cherry bark | [
0.01126653328537941,
0.050912655889987946,
0.05876665934920311,
0.0027478549163788557,
0.05325934290885925,
-0.01280093565583229,
0.09703805297613144,
0.0074221352115273476,
-0.014455464668571949,
0.04555605351924896,
-0.018110224977135658,
-0.024227680638432503,
-0.05592785403132439,
0.05... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 10} |
326eb337-c318-467e-8056-71a75a996dbf | from stems. Good for
friction fire-lighting.
%
Common in hazel copses.
Naturally shedding silky
bark can be collected and
buffed into tinder for
friction fire-lighting.
Birch and cherry bark
Burns long and hot. Bark
peels naturally in small
strips - gather and light
with a match for a long-
lasting hot centre for fire-
lighting.
Cramp-balls
Hard black fungus, often
on ash trees, excellent for
fire-lighting by friction or
with sparks. When dry,
will take a spark and
smoulder.
Bracket fungi
Various bracket fungi can
be used to produce a tinder
known as amadou. Good
for use with a flint and
steel.
Punk
The dried rotted remains
of wood, reduced to
almost a powder, can be
used with sparks, especially
if slightly charred.
Cedar bark
Fibrous and stringy, an
excellent tinder to use with
a magnifying glass. Buffed-
up fibres make good
friction tinder. | [
-0.057980719953775406,
0.005129373166710138,
0.061939090490341187,
0.01608540117740631,
0.027122467756271362,
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0.07448726892471313,
0.026971209794282913,
-0.01674558036029339,
0.0762019231915474,
-0.009937334805727005,
-0.017668932676315308,
-0.0679578110575676,
0.068... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 10} |
8cea50cf-17f9-4920-a0f1-e50cb3b1ba04 | Rosebay willow herb
Seed-heads, collected into a
tight cotton-wool-like
mass, make good tinder for
flint and steel. Improved
by a slight charring.
Char cloth
A 100% cotton or silk
cloth, set alight and then
stamped out when charred
very dark brown, was once
commonly used and takes
a spark readily.
Cotton grass
Found in boggy ground
during late spring and early
summer. Collected
together, this is another
good spark tinder.
Dry grass
Humblest of all the
tinders, dry grass can be
easily buffed into a good
tinder bundle for friction
fire-lighting.
Body drying
If your best available
tinder is damp or wet, it
may be possible to dry it
by rubbing on dry
absorbent clothing,
particularly the thigh of
polycotton trouser legs.
Placed in the pockets of
such trousers, body warmth
will drv out the tinder.
Buffing
The best tinder for friction
fire-lighting is very fine
and fluffv. Many fibrous
tinders need to be
improved in this respect. | [
-0.07970009744167328,
0.02094568870961666,
0.0736970379948616,
0.0286693274974823,
0.015413961373269558,
-0.001812419737689197,
0.08589959144592285,
-0.0076958485879004,
-0.08551538735628128,
0.09744057804346085,
-0.027724415063858032,
-0.005924398545175791,
-0.04187940061092377,
0.0552615... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 11} |
160fc056-87f2-4248-a792-3f4efe22fa07 | such trousers, body warmth
will drv out the tinder.
Buffing
The best tinder for friction
fire-lighting is very fine
and fluffv. Many fibrous
tinders need to be
improved in this respect.
This can be achieved by
vigorous rubbing between
your hands or against a
dry rock surface.
Nicheing
Using the point of your
knife, make a small
depression in the tinder
into which to drop a
glowing friction ember.
This gives more surface
area to catch and prevents
ember cooling too fast.
Amadou
Break or cut open one of
the bracket fungi to reveal
the fluffy layer between
pore tubes and cuticle.
With the other areas cut
away from it you have
crude amadou for use with
sparks.
Tinder coils
Take one or two squares of
paper-like birch bark about
22 cm (9 in) square. Roll
into tight cigars and slice
off finely to produce many
tiny coils for your friction
tinder bundle. Slightly
difficult to ignite, but burn
hot and long. | [
-0.05599021166563034,
0.062098678201436996,
0.082321897149086,
0.01410654652863741,
-0.038046080619096756,
-0.02788998931646347,
0.08930734544992447,
0.03028770722448826,
-0.020051542669534683,
0.08746916800737381,
0.015279576182365417,
-0.0473695807158947,
-0.015988415107131004,
0.0581820... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 11} |
60ef1ee9-73de-44eb-8919-b4b99ba74419 | THE COMPLETE OUTDOOR HANDBOOK
Fire from sparks
In the history of fire-lighting, self-igniting friction matches are only a
recent invention. Until their introduction in the late seventeenth
century, the most commonly employed fire-lighting method used in
Europe was the flint and steel. In civilised circumstances the tinder box
contained all that was necessary: the flint, the steel, the tinder and
usually sulphur matches and a candle. The process was to strike the
steel with the flint, showering sparks on to the tinder, which would
begin to glow. Then a sulphur match - a simple spill dipped into molten
sulphur which would not light by friction - was touched to the glowing
tinder until it caught with a blue flame. Thus the candle could be lit.
Quite a palaver if you had to rise quickly in the night. On the trail,
however, sulphur matches were hard to come by. Instead, the glowing
tinder was placed in some more fibrous tinder and blown to flame. | [
-0.05998120456933975,
0.07840915024280548,
0.10016071051359177,
0.06231367215514183,
-0.0028614194598048925,
0.013959436677396297,
0.0899362787604332,
0.01175402756780386,
0.008639642968773842,
0.06943720579147339,
-0.004404615610837936,
0.022275494411587715,
-0.022797787562012672,
0.03998... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 12} |
18f1e6aa-e3ab-4de6-b2e6-e11054c59381 | however, sulphur matches were hard to come by. Instead, the glowing
tinder was placed in some more fibrous tinder and blown to flame.
The use of sparks to light fires is today still a valid technique. Sparks
can be produced from lighters which have run out of fuel, from
synthetic flint and steels and from the ancient steel strike-a-light or the
Don't discard an
old lighter whose
fuel is used up; it
may still provide
sparks
Synthetic flint
strike-a-light
C-shaped strike-
a-light
Flint piece must
have a thin sharp
edge
G48 i) | [
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0.04355115070939064,
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0.009540488012135029,
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0.04337681829929352,
0.027966661378741264,
0.04632469639182091,
-0.011668546125292778,
0.04445... | {"page": 12, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
17498915-a250-4ae0-a832-e63f398d7ad6 | hack of a carbon-steel knife. If you have access to iron pyrites, two
nieces struck together, or one piece struck with flint, gives dull red
sparks.
The best spark-producer of all these is the modern synthetic flint
bar, which frequently comes attached to a block of magnesium. Scrape
this bar with the back of your knife with a sort of wrist-flick to produce
a bright shower of sparks which will ingite a wide range of tinders or
even light trail stoves. So good is this shower of sparks that even the
woody remains of umbellifer flowers can be drawn together and
ignited. The magnesium block can be scraped to produce a small pile
of shavings that will easily ignite from the sparks. Place the magnesium
on a pile of tinder that will take light when ignited. An excellent tinder
is the skeleton from a decomposing holly leaf. Sandwich the magne
sium between two such leaves and set it alight by showering the sparks | [
-0.0887569785118103,
0.004304387606680393,
0.0516437292098999,
0.02929873764514923,
-0.01421926449984312,
-0.025317393243312836,
0.06661608815193176,
-0.030714545398950577,
-0.02389652095735073,
0.009600038640201092,
-0.0009028358617797494,
0.014512136578559875,
-0.0077552273869514465,
0.0... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 13} |
6433db52-ac79-4e30-9931-19a9637a8771 | is the skeleton from a decomposing holly leaf. Sandwich the magne
sium between two such leaves and set it alight by showering the sparks
to fall through the leaf ribs. The leaves act as both tinder and a basket
to prevent the magnesium blowing away.
Steel strike-a-light
The most practically shaped steel was C-
shaped. The tinder was held on top of the
flint, which was held steady while the
steel was struck against it. This caused the
sparks, tiny curls of red-hot steel, to be
thrown upwards on to the tinder. Held in
this way, the tinder was protected from
the elements.
Knife strike-a-light
To strike sparks from a knife, hold the
knife still above the tinder and strike it
with the flint in a shaving action. The
sparks will fall downwards on to the
tinder. Strike only the back of your knife,
not the blade edge. | [
-0.08530968427658081,
0.05356784164905548,
0.06411183625459671,
0.07349584251642227,
0.00910087302327156,
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0.07426565885543823,
0.00021269594435580075,
0.014022930525243282,
-0.0263920... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 13} |
fb2c46ca-b573-4b77-b81e-b367c4bef3ff | P I E T E OUTDOOR HANDBOOK
Fire by friction
The truly primitive way to light fires is by friction. This undervalued
method is useful, because you are nearly always able to find the
necessary materials. Once the equipment has been made it takes only
a few seconds to produce fire. Friction fire-lighting does, however, take
some time to learn, and you have to provide the initial energy! Mastery
of this technique builds confidence and a sense of freedom.
The bow drill
String must be strong to
resist abrasion. Use nylon^
cord at first, then natural
cordage. Cord tension is
adjusted by twisting.
Drill and hearth, made from same wood
Drill: 25 mm (1 in) diameter, 20 cm (8 in
length. Ends are pointed differently -
top to reduce friction, bottom to
maximise it.
Hearth: 30 cm (1 ft) long, 40 mm
(l'/2 in) wide, 20 mm (*A in)
thick, flat on three sides
Top piece or bearing
block: held in the hand to
impart downward pressure.
Carve from hard or green | [
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0.03645715117454529,
-0.06752757728099823,
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0.08253015577793121,
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-0.05280867964029312,
0.06894... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 14} |
d1ab8c9e-beac-436a-a8c6-199629707f37 | Hearth: 30 cm (1 ft) long, 40 mm
(l'/2 in) wide, 20 mm (*A in)
thick, flat on three sides
Top piece or bearing
block: held in the hand to
impart downward pressure.
Carve from hard or green
wood to minimise friction.
The bow imparts the
rotary spin to the drill:
should be light,
strong, rigid, not
too bent.
The candescent 'coal'
of friction dust forms in
notch in the hearth.
Collect dust in strong leaf
or slab of bark beneath
notch.
I With stone or knife,
carve shallow
depression.
2Drill into depression
until it is black and
round.
3Carve wedge-shaped
notch to centre of
depression. | [
0.02820756286382675,
0.1140415146946907,
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0.021497152745723724,
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0.03781866654753685,
-0.0935596153140068,
-0.08523579686880112,
-0.06282370537519455,
0.02966... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 14} |
d2668acc-799c-41e7-9c0f-5369a6309223 | Operation
Knee positioned so as not to
impede the free suing of
your drilling arm
Bearing hand held firmly
braced against the left shin,
to prevent wobble
Drill twisted on outside of
string held vertically; foot
clamping the hearth to the
ground
1 Drill smoothly, maintaining even pressure until
smoke rises from hearth. If string slips, tighten it.
Avoid squeaking due to insufficient pressure or
dampness. As smoke rises, increase speed and pressure.
Smoke should increase in volume, and notch will begin to
fill with fine dark brown powder.
2With notch full of powder and smoke sustaining
itself, stop drilling and roll hearth away while gently
holding powder with tiny stick or pine needle. Fan
smoking heap of dust with your hand until it darkens and
glows red.
3Transfer the 'coal' now
formed to a waiting
tinder bundle of the finely
teased fibres. With your
breath, blow the bundle to
life, watching carefully to
judge how hard to blow.
People are more often too | [
0.013384937308728695,
0.061808373779058456,
0.03089473582804203,
0.00963282398879528,
-0.0942688062787056,
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-0.0014354466693475842,
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0.04698923975229263,
-0.04746484383940697,
-0.02670258656144142,
-0.05429844185709953,
0.00... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 15} |
99478520-4021-409f-9f66-02b6f55dda32 | formed to a waiting
tinder bundle of the finely
teased fibres. With your
breath, blow the bundle to
life, watching carefully to
judge how hard to blow.
People are more often too
gentle than too harsh.
a«£-
Suitable woods
Using the correct wood for
the drill and hearth is
vitally important. This
wood must be in the
correct condition - dead,
dry standing wood, light
but still strong, and not
punky (pinch soft). Many
species can be used; the
following are six good
woods commonly found.
Sycamore
Willow y
Birch
Alder
Hazel | [
0.04905864968895912,
-0.1257457733154297,
0.07479362934827805,
-0.0017142044380307198,
0.06881139427423477,
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0.0735795646905899,
-0.010345418006181717,
-0.13167963922023773,
0.063153... | {"page": 15, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
e4f1afcd-3842-4559-b6ff-e8d6cb793d88 | COMPLETE O U T D O O H A N D B O
Organising your fire
Experience in using fires shows itself most
obviously in the way a fire is managed. If your
fire goes cold midway through cooking or
persistently smoulders, you are not managing
it correctly. Looked after properly, a fire is the
most versatile provider of light, warmth and
cooking heat. Good fire control should
become second nature with practice, requiring
minimal thought, as you adapt the fire's
arrangement - its lay - to your changing
needs.
Criss-cross fire - for
cooking
Not quite as fast burning
as the tepee fire, it does
still burn quickly,
providing a deep and even
bed of embers. It can be
constructed before ignition
or more usually is simply
the method by which fuel
is arranged prior to
cooking. It also makes a
stable 'council' fire - a
social camp-fire where
ideas are passed around
and celebrations take place.
Indian's fire - for the trail
In between meals we need to keep our fire burning | [
0.024300726130604744,
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0.044753775000572205,
0.019797392189502716,
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0.0000750677427276969,
0... | {"page": 16, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
8a3d7587-c3d6-4d93-9796-6eb1863bbc04 | stable 'council' fire - a
social camp-fire where
ideas are passed around
and celebrations take place.
Indian's fire - for the trail
In between meals we need to keep our fire burning
efficiently, with a minimum of fuel gathering. On the
trail this is best achieved with the Indian's fire. Fuelwood
is gradually fed into the centre, long pieces simply burned
in half. If you are camping in the same place for a
number of days, you can improve the fire by scraping out
a shallow bowl-shaped ember pit underneath it. This
helps the embers to retain their heat for long periods.
Tepee fire - quick to get
going and to burn
This is a fire lay for bad
weather or poor fuel, and
one of the most popular
ways to start a campfire.
Arranged in this way the
fuel burns quickly along its
whole length, giving light
and, after an initial burst,
very little smoke, which
rises straight upwards. The
shape acts like a chimney,
drawing in good quantities
of air from its base and so | [
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0.0190515648573637,
-0.00955862458795309,
0.08775138854980469,
0.04785560071468353,
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0.028632480651140213,
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0.021694272756576538,
0.06315187364816666,
-0.021543340757489204,
-0.02266710437834263,
-0.03802139312028885,
0.0436740... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 16} |
09084569-4690-405d-a138-c83a23bc7626 | whole length, giving light
and, after an initial burst,
very little smoke, which
rises straight upwards. The
shape acts like a chimney,
drawing in good quantities
of air from its base and so
enabling a fast burn to
produce a deep bed of
embers. The tepee does,
however, lack stability;
hence its most common
application as the starter
for one of the other lays.
52 | [
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0.04844031110405922,
0.0379425585269928,
0.0026243182364851236,
-0.03822765499353409,
-0.... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 16} |
ee847024-59f5-4f60-93ff-f759358aa9c4 | Star fire - permanent camp
The natural extension of the Indian's fire is the star fire.
The difference between the two is the size of fuel. This
fire is built with logs at least as thick as your thigh and
often up to 7 m (20 ft) or more in length. The classic star
fire is the ceremonial fire of the Cherokee; central to
village life and tradition, it comprises four logs pointing
north, south, east and west. This lay is an excellent way
of maintaining a fire in a permanent camp.
Putting out your fire and leaving no trace
No sight so affronts the eyes outdoors
than an old fire site filled with rusting
cans and broken glass. When you leave
your campsite you have two overriding
responsibilities: to extinguish your fire
and to leave the site in good order.
Putting out the fire is not difficult, but
I1 must be done thoroughly. The first step
ls to spread the embers to allow them to
cool. If you have already allowed the fire
to die down, this is relatively easy. Now | [
0.011539625003933907,
0.08339422941207886,
0.028506234288215637,
0.07013993710279465,
0.04722454026341438,
-0.06656474620103836,
0.03577563911676407,
-0.03784853219985962,
-0.03904212638735771,
0.09630968421697617,
-0.06248212978243828,
0.02076062746345997,
0.02104252390563488,
0.038934167... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 17} |
368d7057-e22c-44dd-bfb2-a2ef570c3392 | I1 must be done thoroughly. The first step
ls to spread the embers to allow them to
cool. If you have already allowed the fire
to die down, this is relatively easy. Now
extinguish the fire by pouring water on it.
Jo ensure that no underground roots are
le tt smouldering unnoticed, allow the
w ater to soak well into the fire site;
probing with a pointed stick helps. Once
the dead embers and ashes are cool, pick
them up with your hands and scatter them
widely. Brush over the site with a branch
and camouflage it to show as little sign of
occupation as possible. Take all your
rubbish away in your rucksack. If you
have been using a ready-made stone
fireplace, as commonly found in many
backcountry areas, tidy it as mentioned
and pile any spare fuel in a dry spot for
those who come after you. Make it
obvious that you have done your clearing
up carefully. Take only memories; leave
only footprints.
G^«i)- | [
0.03066587634384632,
0.040081899613142014,
0.025716280564665794,
0.023614350706338882,
0.08571738749742508,
-0.10076312720775604,
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-0.020599734038114548,
-0.04098410904407501,
-0.052753154188394547,
0.027590716257691383,
0.0... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 17} |
4d6db097-2fa2-4389-8940-13fd15fd87a4 | COMPLETE OUTDOOR
Cordage
Cordage is a perennial need in the outdoors and a resource that takes
time to produce. This is so much the case that the experienced become
expert at avoiding the use of string or rope wherever possible. But
sooner or later the inevitable has to be faced and cordage needs to be
made. Once you start, however, like most people you will probably
find it hard to stop; for the act of making cordage is highly enjoyable.
Spring provides the ideal circumstances to gather inner bark fibres.
The flowing sap helps to loosen the bark from the wood, which enables
you to remove long strips with ease. Fibres for making natural cordage
fall into two categories by their usage: fibres best used dry and fibres
best used wet; only in a few cases does a fibre fall into both categories.
To list all of the available bark fibres would fill
volumes, so we shall investigate here two of the
best. Lime bark is best used dry but can be | [
-0.019397655501961708,
-0.04396197199821472,
0.02668246254324913,
0.01776444911956787,
0.028305795043706894,
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-0.006733973976224661,
0.007668378297239542,
0.06287875026464462,
0.05612478777766228,
0.04545823857188225,
-0.08933130651712418,
0.1162... | {"page": 18, "source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf"} |
9fdc8f4a-4102-4703-b2d1-d6436b25f05c | To list all of the available bark fibres would fill
volumes, so we shall investigate here two of the
best. Lime bark is best used dry but can be
v used wet. Willow bark is mostly used
J^V-^ wet but can be used dry. In each case it
is the inner bark, sometimes called the
bast, that we use.
With all cordage materials the gathering
and preparation of the fibres take longer
than the actual manufacture. For everything
but the most quickly made cordage it is best
to think of the three stages of gathering, preparation
and manufacture as independent activities.
The best cordage is produced from fibres which
have been allowed to dry and then are resoaked before
manufacture. This is because the fibres shrink more when dried from
green than when dried from a resoaked state, which means the weave
of the cordage will be tighter due to the reduced shrinkage. With
careful manufacture and weaving, you can produce long, even, strong | [
-0.01618405058979988,
-0.06431708484888077,
0.029275598004460335,
0.018220815807580948,
0.0087217902764678,
-0.015292814001441002,
-0.01615501381456852,
0.0006262871320359409,
-0.010128101333975792,
0.06694529205560684,
0.050621964037418365,
0.031414180994033813,
-0.06014382094144821,
0.05... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 18} |
69cc2ada-5e64-486c-bed5-1d3749ac9971 | of the cordage will be tighter due to the reduced shrinkage. With
careful manufacture and weaving, you can produce long, even, strong
lines ranging in size from fishing line to bridge-building hawsers.
Gathered and
dried, bark can be
coiled and stored
ready for use
*•£- | [
-0.08637075871229172,
0.028460150584578514,
-0.06812753528356552,
0.03177070617675781,
-0.037625182420015335,
-0.07994901388883591,
-0.07423046231269836,
0.06055387109518051,
-0.04637693241238594,
0.03323597460985184,
0.04348507896065712,
0.09155987948179245,
-0.04766494780778885,
0.030765... | {"source": "Outdoor Survival Handbook - Mears.pdf", "page": 18} |
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