How to Survive the Wilderness With Just a Knife
Find water., Make friends with trees., Cut some Basswood bark., Go mudding., Invite some friends., Make fire., Build a shelter., Stay conscious of the fire., Look for breakfast., Tighten that belt., Follow that water.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find water.
First things first, you are stranded somewhere in a temperate wilderness during late morning, the worst case is that you do not know where you are.
That is not a problem.
You don't know where you are, but you know where you want to go...downhill.
This is because water is held stringently by the laws of gravity and you want water first as you can only survive three days without it.
Move to the lowest point you can find. -
Step 2: Make friends with trees.
On your way downhill, educate yourself of three different trees.
White Birch.
Look for a white tree with a paper-like material coming from it.
This is an important tree, it's called the White Birch.
Not only is the inner bark edible, but the outer bark can be used as a waterproof container (if it doesn't have any holes in it).
Also, most people don't know this but you can cut a hole in the tree and get a spicy sweet sap a lot like a maple.
Some other useful attributes are a follows:
One can cook soup in birch bark as it will not burn with liquid inside it.
Birch bark can be used as temporary rope Birch bark, the white papery layer, makes excellent tinder for fire lighting The white birch can be carved into a good walking stick.
Birch bark has been used in the making of native canoes.
American Basswood The second tree you should know is called a Basswood.
This tree is really easy to recognize.
It has grey, sometimes veiny bark and some of the largest heart-shaped leaves to boot.
Do not get this tree confused with a moose maple, which has leaves with three points.
This tree is important, as it is going to be your source of rope, snares, straps and ultimately your backpack.
You will start to see this tree as you get closer to water, it's thirstier than you are and can also be a source of water if you don't feel daft sucking on the side of a tree.
Common Maple.
The third and final tree you need to know is the common Maple.
This is going to be your walking stick as well as your protection.
It is a very hard wood with a clean grey-looking bark.
Now picture a Canadian flag in your head, that is a maple leaf.
If you don't know what a Canadian flag looks like, suggestion is to pick up a book and find out before you go into the woods. , If there is no water, move to the base of a hill or a mountain where a stream or river will most likely run near its base.
This is where that tree lesson will come in handy.
Find a Basswood.
As stated above, they love water and high banks.
Use your knife to cut a horizontal line all the way around the trunk.
Do this at the bottom and about four feet above that.
Now cut one straight vertical line from the top line to the bottom one.
Observe that the top line looks like a T where the two lines meet.
This T is where you will dig your two thumbnails into the tree.
Now gently pull these two flaps away from the white wood below.
You should now have a curved floppy rectangle.
Now the easy part:
Cut this strip into as many smaller vertical strips as you can.
Ideally they should be about 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) wide.
Now flip these strips over to reveal a wet shiny layer.
This the layer you will use for the rope.
Carefully pull the green outer bark away from this thin sheet of wood.
Observe that the green part will be significantly thicker than the thin material that you want.
Wrap these thin strips around themselves so that they each make a ring about 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter.
Use your green junk to wrap up about three quarters of your new rope.
Place this wide jumble of rope around your wrist so it will be out of the way.
Use the other 1/4 of your rope to make shoulder straps, a belt, and most importantly a bicep strap to go on your upper arm for your knife.
All your green bark scrap should be saved and strapped to you otherwise, using your new lashing or other strips of bark.
After all that work you will most likely be thirsty.
Luckily all you have to do is go downhill to get some much-deserved water. , While you're getting some water, there is a very important step that will save you a lot of grief latter.
While you're near water, it is important for you to cover yourself in a thin sheet of blue clay or dirt if no clay is available.
This layer must cover every piece of open skin.
This layer will be your only defense against black flies, deer flies and ticks.
The best advice that can be given is to enjoy yourself, this step is very important and seriousness will not help your morale nor your situation.
Enjoy the inner child you left behind. , After you have your armor, it's now time to set some snares.
Find game trails, which should be littered all around the banks of your water source.
Take off around 6 of your strips and tie a 1-inch diameter loop at the end.
Slip the other end of your Basswood snare through this loop and prop it up above the ground at a level appropriate for the game trail you are occupying.
Small trails speak towards small game, large trails should be avoided.
For rabbit, raccoon, quail and partridge, place the snare 4–10 inches (10.2–25.4 cm) above the ground.
For added measure, one can rub mud around this loop to disguise the scent and the appearance of the freshly wrought basswood. , Now if the day is getting late, your best bet is to make a fire.
It is often best to gather a lot of dry wood first, with sizes ranging from twigs to small logs.
For multiple fire starter methods, type "how to make a fire" into the LifeGuide Hub search directory.
The fire bow method works particularly well with basswood.
Before lighting your fire, clear a 6-foot circle around your fire site.
Choose a location without branches immediately above the fire.
Collect as many head-sized stones as possible to ring the fire and keep it from spreading.
However, a ring of rocks will trap and reflect heat inward making it easier to keep going.
One of the most important aspects to remember about fire is to respect it.
Keep it contained.
Once you have your fire, it is important to keep the flame below two feet, that way your fire will not take much in the way of fuel.
You do not want to go back into the forest for more wood.
Insects will maraud you.
Your thin coat of mud or clay will block their bites but not their sound.
On a psychological level, the simple fact that they could still get in your eyes and ears should keep you well stocked before you start your fire. , One does not really need a shelter in average conditions.
However if you do need one, or expect rain, the main thing is to keep it small, dry and off the ground.
Never spend time building small cabins or even a shelter bigger than your body.
This is a waste of energy and resources, and it's easier to keep heat captured in a smaller space.
Large clumps of moss that you can use to cover a small wooden skeleton work well.
Also, Birch bark makes for an excellent shingle.
Your best bet, however, is to use massive amounts of softwood and ferns.
If you are quick, you can gather enough for a six-inch barrier that will shed rain as well as hold heat.
Dry leaves also work very well for water-proofing.
If you are expecting rain, make the layer of leaves and whatever as thick as possible. (3 feet is almost completely water-proof.) In two hours one cannot only sleep comfortably but dry and warm. , As you sleep, make sure you are aware of just how far away your fire is.
Grogginess could have you lying right on top of it with no one there to put you out.
If you do not feel comfortable with a fire going while you sleep, you can put it out and dig a hole where you are to sleep and fill it with the coals.
By putting a layer of dirt over this spot you can lie on top of it and sleep very comfortably. , When you wake, be aware that insects come out a dawn.
Now is the time to pick up your metabolism and move quickly, as the insects can still get in your eyes.
Also, movement trains your body to provide its own heat through exertion.
The only problem is that one's motivation to move is usually lacking.
Your motivation should stem from the fact that you had set 6 snares the previous day and one of them might hold breakfast lunch and dinner.
So to raise your body heat, move from snare to snare.
You may have gotten lucky. , Now it is important to prepare yourself for two contingencies.
The first is that you got absolutely nothing and have a very hungry and downtrodden demeanor.
If this is the case, simply go to your nearby Birch tree and cut a 4-inch triangle out of the bark.
Turn one point towards the ground.
You can eat the underside of this bark, as it is very nutritious.
Also, a small trickle of sugary sap comes out of the bottom point of this triangle.
Don't worry if it's not much.
Surprisingly, a human can survive off a tablespoon of food a day for a limited time.
The second contingency is that you got something, most likely a rabbit or a small game bird.
There is a pretty good rule for eating things on animals:
Don't eat anything that looks inedible.
Otherwise, almost anything's fair game if you cook it well enough.
Here's another rule with food:
Don't eat where you sleep or sleep where you eat.
Scraps and entrails will attract predators (ie bears).
Discard bones, entrails, beaks, etc., far from your shelter. , Now that you know how to gather food and water, it is important to recognize the other use of rivers.
Humanity was not build upon the backs of man, but on the banks of rivers.
To find humanity, simply follow your river downstream.
Remember not all streams lead to civilization, the stream could end up going underground for miles and then you would have wasted a lot of your energy on nothing.
Using all of the things stated above, a person can live indefinitely in the woods. -
Step 3: Cut some Basswood bark.
-
Step 4: Go mudding.
-
Step 5: Invite some friends.
-
Step 6: Make fire.
-
Step 7: Build a shelter.
-
Step 8: Stay conscious of the fire.
-
Step 9: Look for breakfast.
-
Step 10: Tighten that belt.
-
Step 11: Follow that water.
Detailed Guide
First things first, you are stranded somewhere in a temperate wilderness during late morning, the worst case is that you do not know where you are.
That is not a problem.
You don't know where you are, but you know where you want to go...downhill.
This is because water is held stringently by the laws of gravity and you want water first as you can only survive three days without it.
Move to the lowest point you can find.
On your way downhill, educate yourself of three different trees.
White Birch.
Look for a white tree with a paper-like material coming from it.
This is an important tree, it's called the White Birch.
Not only is the inner bark edible, but the outer bark can be used as a waterproof container (if it doesn't have any holes in it).
Also, most people don't know this but you can cut a hole in the tree and get a spicy sweet sap a lot like a maple.
Some other useful attributes are a follows:
One can cook soup in birch bark as it will not burn with liquid inside it.
Birch bark can be used as temporary rope Birch bark, the white papery layer, makes excellent tinder for fire lighting The white birch can be carved into a good walking stick.
Birch bark has been used in the making of native canoes.
American Basswood The second tree you should know is called a Basswood.
This tree is really easy to recognize.
It has grey, sometimes veiny bark and some of the largest heart-shaped leaves to boot.
Do not get this tree confused with a moose maple, which has leaves with three points.
This tree is important, as it is going to be your source of rope, snares, straps and ultimately your backpack.
You will start to see this tree as you get closer to water, it's thirstier than you are and can also be a source of water if you don't feel daft sucking on the side of a tree.
Common Maple.
The third and final tree you need to know is the common Maple.
This is going to be your walking stick as well as your protection.
It is a very hard wood with a clean grey-looking bark.
Now picture a Canadian flag in your head, that is a maple leaf.
If you don't know what a Canadian flag looks like, suggestion is to pick up a book and find out before you go into the woods. , If there is no water, move to the base of a hill or a mountain where a stream or river will most likely run near its base.
This is where that tree lesson will come in handy.
Find a Basswood.
As stated above, they love water and high banks.
Use your knife to cut a horizontal line all the way around the trunk.
Do this at the bottom and about four feet above that.
Now cut one straight vertical line from the top line to the bottom one.
Observe that the top line looks like a T where the two lines meet.
This T is where you will dig your two thumbnails into the tree.
Now gently pull these two flaps away from the white wood below.
You should now have a curved floppy rectangle.
Now the easy part:
Cut this strip into as many smaller vertical strips as you can.
Ideally they should be about 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) wide.
Now flip these strips over to reveal a wet shiny layer.
This the layer you will use for the rope.
Carefully pull the green outer bark away from this thin sheet of wood.
Observe that the green part will be significantly thicker than the thin material that you want.
Wrap these thin strips around themselves so that they each make a ring about 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter.
Use your green junk to wrap up about three quarters of your new rope.
Place this wide jumble of rope around your wrist so it will be out of the way.
Use the other 1/4 of your rope to make shoulder straps, a belt, and most importantly a bicep strap to go on your upper arm for your knife.
All your green bark scrap should be saved and strapped to you otherwise, using your new lashing or other strips of bark.
After all that work you will most likely be thirsty.
Luckily all you have to do is go downhill to get some much-deserved water. , While you're getting some water, there is a very important step that will save you a lot of grief latter.
While you're near water, it is important for you to cover yourself in a thin sheet of blue clay or dirt if no clay is available.
This layer must cover every piece of open skin.
This layer will be your only defense against black flies, deer flies and ticks.
The best advice that can be given is to enjoy yourself, this step is very important and seriousness will not help your morale nor your situation.
Enjoy the inner child you left behind. , After you have your armor, it's now time to set some snares.
Find game trails, which should be littered all around the banks of your water source.
Take off around 6 of your strips and tie a 1-inch diameter loop at the end.
Slip the other end of your Basswood snare through this loop and prop it up above the ground at a level appropriate for the game trail you are occupying.
Small trails speak towards small game, large trails should be avoided.
For rabbit, raccoon, quail and partridge, place the snare 4–10 inches (10.2–25.4 cm) above the ground.
For added measure, one can rub mud around this loop to disguise the scent and the appearance of the freshly wrought basswood. , Now if the day is getting late, your best bet is to make a fire.
It is often best to gather a lot of dry wood first, with sizes ranging from twigs to small logs.
For multiple fire starter methods, type "how to make a fire" into the LifeGuide Hub search directory.
The fire bow method works particularly well with basswood.
Before lighting your fire, clear a 6-foot circle around your fire site.
Choose a location without branches immediately above the fire.
Collect as many head-sized stones as possible to ring the fire and keep it from spreading.
However, a ring of rocks will trap and reflect heat inward making it easier to keep going.
One of the most important aspects to remember about fire is to respect it.
Keep it contained.
Once you have your fire, it is important to keep the flame below two feet, that way your fire will not take much in the way of fuel.
You do not want to go back into the forest for more wood.
Insects will maraud you.
Your thin coat of mud or clay will block their bites but not their sound.
On a psychological level, the simple fact that they could still get in your eyes and ears should keep you well stocked before you start your fire. , One does not really need a shelter in average conditions.
However if you do need one, or expect rain, the main thing is to keep it small, dry and off the ground.
Never spend time building small cabins or even a shelter bigger than your body.
This is a waste of energy and resources, and it's easier to keep heat captured in a smaller space.
Large clumps of moss that you can use to cover a small wooden skeleton work well.
Also, Birch bark makes for an excellent shingle.
Your best bet, however, is to use massive amounts of softwood and ferns.
If you are quick, you can gather enough for a six-inch barrier that will shed rain as well as hold heat.
Dry leaves also work very well for water-proofing.
If you are expecting rain, make the layer of leaves and whatever as thick as possible. (3 feet is almost completely water-proof.) In two hours one cannot only sleep comfortably but dry and warm. , As you sleep, make sure you are aware of just how far away your fire is.
Grogginess could have you lying right on top of it with no one there to put you out.
If you do not feel comfortable with a fire going while you sleep, you can put it out and dig a hole where you are to sleep and fill it with the coals.
By putting a layer of dirt over this spot you can lie on top of it and sleep very comfortably. , When you wake, be aware that insects come out a dawn.
Now is the time to pick up your metabolism and move quickly, as the insects can still get in your eyes.
Also, movement trains your body to provide its own heat through exertion.
The only problem is that one's motivation to move is usually lacking.
Your motivation should stem from the fact that you had set 6 snares the previous day and one of them might hold breakfast lunch and dinner.
So to raise your body heat, move from snare to snare.
You may have gotten lucky. , Now it is important to prepare yourself for two contingencies.
The first is that you got absolutely nothing and have a very hungry and downtrodden demeanor.
If this is the case, simply go to your nearby Birch tree and cut a 4-inch triangle out of the bark.
Turn one point towards the ground.
You can eat the underside of this bark, as it is very nutritious.
Also, a small trickle of sugary sap comes out of the bottom point of this triangle.
Don't worry if it's not much.
Surprisingly, a human can survive off a tablespoon of food a day for a limited time.
The second contingency is that you got something, most likely a rabbit or a small game bird.
There is a pretty good rule for eating things on animals:
Don't eat anything that looks inedible.
Otherwise, almost anything's fair game if you cook it well enough.
Here's another rule with food:
Don't eat where you sleep or sleep where you eat.
Scraps and entrails will attract predators (ie bears).
Discard bones, entrails, beaks, etc., far from your shelter. , Now that you know how to gather food and water, it is important to recognize the other use of rivers.
Humanity was not build upon the backs of man, but on the banks of rivers.
To find humanity, simply follow your river downstream.
Remember not all streams lead to civilization, the stream could end up going underground for miles and then you would have wasted a lot of your energy on nothing.
Using all of the things stated above, a person can live indefinitely in the woods.
About the Author
Dorothy Bailey
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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