White Oak

The white oak tree is another one of the great medicinal trees. The size and shape of the tree can vary from area to area. The white oak  also grows acorns that have many uses. The most used part of the white oak tree is the inner bark.
It also provides numerous minerals and nutrients including vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc, helping to replace needed compounds in the body while it helps your health conditions to improve.

The inner bark can be used for many things from an anti-diarrhea tea to a mouth wash to help with bleeding gums. You can also boil the inner bark and use it was a compress to sooth bug bites, poison ivy and poison oak. It will also promote the healing of minor cuts and scrapes. Drinking white oak bark tea and using the bark itself externally can help to combat varicose veins. It has been shown to help remove gallstones and kidney stones as well as helping internal bleeding of the stomach, rectum, and lungs. Gout and other inflammation related problems may benefit from the use of the tea as well.

It should be noted, that if you are allergic to aspirin you should not take white oak tea. It is recommended that you take oak bark 4 hours before or 4 hours after any prescription medication. To avoid negative side effects.

Black Walnut

Today is the start of my medicinal plant series. As a disclaimer: as with any plant, you should know for sure what it is before using it for any type of medicinal purpose, also as with anything allergic reactions could occur. Black walnut trees are found virtually across all the the United States. Almost all the parts of  the Walnut tree can be used as a medicinal purpose, and has been for many many years by the Native Americans.

Identification: The sight of the nuts on the tree is a dead giveaway obviously. There are other ways to identify the tree, breaking a piece of bark off will also give off that distinctive walnut smell.


Medicinal Properties: The leaves can be crushed to help relieve itches from bites and rashes. The leaves can also be soaked and wrapped around the affected area.

The green hulls can be used for many things.  When the hulls are green, they are NOT edible, but a great source of iodine for external use. Uses for cuts, scrapes and other external body injuries. They can also be boiled to make a tea for intestinal problems. It can also help cure athlete's foot. 

The black or over ripe hulls have more uses, they can be crushed into a fine powder and diluted and used for parasitic worms. It can also be used for mouth sores. Probably the coolest thing that the black hulls can be used for in dried powder form is taking care of cavities in your teeth. You can either brush your teeth with the powder or just simply swish it around in your mouth to help rebuild tooth enamel. Incidentally the black hulls can also be boiled to be used for wood stain or cloth dye.

The bark  can be pulverized and used to stun fish in a dammed up stream. The bark can also be used in hide tanning. The wood can be made into tools that you can use such as throwing sticks and handles for hatchets and hammers.

I hope that you will find this series informative and useful. Please leave comments below if there is something you would like to discuss.

Off the Beaten Path

Christmas is just around the corner, so let me wish you all A very Merry Christmas! I know that it has been a few days since I last posted, things get a bit busy for me now and then. Before I get started, just a couple things, I have in the works (beginning stages) a survival/prepping school that will be here in Iowa. I have been teaching people on an individual basis, but I am seriously looking into doing groups. Ok, enough about me, on with the show.

Today we are going to focus on truly being prepared. You have to ask yourself some serious questions when it comes to being prepared. Sure, you can go with out your cell phone, blackberry and other things for a couple days here and there. but are you really prepared to going without them long term? Computers are another staple in today's society that are such a big part of our lives, I mean I am obviously not writing this on a stone tablet or carving it in a chunk of wood. Being prepared is just that, not only to have everything ready but to ALSO have the knowledge to use the things around you. One thing that I have done is to make a 3 ring binder with information in it on the things that i might not be as familiar with. Things such as medicinal plant uses with pictures of the plant and or leaves. Maybe the directions to a simple recipe that your able to make in a survival situation using the things in your bug out bag or 72 hour kit. There is all sorts of good information out there, and while we are all able it might just be a good idea to take the time and put together your own preparedness binder. Sure you could always buy one, but the chances of it having the information in it for your area of the country could very well not be in it. Over the next few posts, i will be a series of posts on medicinal plants and trees in case you do not have the time to do the research your self. I hope that you will all find it helpful and informative.


Until next time!

Seeds and saving them

A bit off the normal posts today for something else that my family does. As it looks to me more and more people are returning to gardening, with that people are learning that you can save your own seeds. This is something that my family has done for nearly 10 years. It is one of the easiest things you can do but it does take some time and dedication. It might be easier for some just to go out and buy the seeds, but for my family, it is our way of knowing our seeds and what we can expect. One important note, hybrid seeds should not be saved, as they will not turn out like their first year parents.

Best seeds to save:
The things that are the best to save seeds back from are tomatoes, peas, beans and pretty much all peppers. Each of which have a bit of a different way that is best to preserve and save the seeds. Since these are all self pollinating they make about the best plants to save seeds from. Heirloom seeds are just that, passed down from generation to generation. These would make the best ones to save! If you have a certain plant that does exceptionally well, this might be one to think about using for your save.

Tomatoes:
Saving tomato seeds does require a bit of time and a trick to knowing how to do it correctly. The first step is to allow the fruit to ripen completely. Cut the tomato into either sections or slices and scoop out the seeds along with the protective gel that covers them. Put them into a glass jar and cover the seeds and "goo" till the jar is about 1/3 to 1/2 full depending on how many seeds you are saving. Put the lid on it and let it sit on your counter out of the way. Each day take the lid off and give the seeds a gentle stir. On or about day 6 the protective gel will have degraded and the seeds will have fallen to the bottom of the jar. There could be a bit of scum on the top during this process, don't worry that is natural. Once the seeds have all been de-goo'd place them into a small holed wire strainer or something similar and rinse them well. After they have been rinsed, spread the seeds out onto a plain white paper towel and let them dry for 2-3 days. Once the seeds are dry, simply put them in an air tight container, label as to what they are and the date you put them in and store them till your ready to use them.

Peppers:
Peppers seeds are one of the easiest to obtain and save. The best way is to allow them to fully ripen on the plant until they just start to wrinkle. Pick the peppers and cut the seed pods out. Gently pull the seeds off the pod and spread them out on a white paper towel to dry for 2-3 days. Once dried, just like above place them in a labeled air tight container and store. Pretty simple huh.

Peas and Beans:
These do take a bit longer to harvest. Wait for about a month after you would normally harvest both of these. You will need to wait until the pods turn brown and are very dry. You should be able to hear them rattle around a bit. once you can hear them rattle, bring them in for final drying. Usually a week or so. You can either remove them from the husks or store them in the pods until you are ready to plant them.


Storing your seeds in a cool dry place is the best way to do it. you may also think about placing a silicone gel pack in the container to help ward off moisture.

As with all my posts, feel free to ask questions or leave me a comment. I do my best to answer them all.

Canning your own food is a lost art.

The way the world is today and the state of the economy are you really preparing or are you just going through the motions? Think about it, if something were to happen at this very second, could you make it? Could you keep your family warm and safe? Unless you live in the tropics or some place where it is warm this time of year winter is about to rear it's ugly head and hard. Picture this, January, the dead of winter, an infrastructure failure. This means, no lights, no heat and no water among other things. What are your going to do now? There will probably be little to no communication so if shelters are set up you will not know about them. How will you feed your family? Sure you might have your 72 hour kit ready to go, but what happens if it goes into days or weeks or heaven forbid longer than that. How will you provide food for your family?

Canning:
Canning your own food has been around for a long time and in my opinion it is becoming a lost art. Personally our family cans as much as we can during the summer from tomatoes to corn (freeze) and most other vegetables. Home canned foods will last up to a couple of years. Home canned food provides  safe nutrition, there are no additives or preservatives in any of it. Best of all it is not hard to do at all. I know that when people think of canning, they think they have to have all of the fancy pressure cookers and all the gadgets but you don't HAVE to have them.

Jars, rings and seals:
If you are just starting out usually a case of quart jars will run anywhere from 7-10.00 for a dozen. Your first set generally comes with the seals and rings. While they come made and look clean, to be sure, you should wash all of the things in HOT soapy water (as hot as you can stand), rinse them very well. Set them upside down up on a clean dry towel. They do not have to dry. In a very large pot fill with water and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, place a couple jars, seals and rings in the water for about a minute to sanitize them. You can use a long set of tongs, or a jar lifter to get them out of the water and set them back on the towel.

Preparing your veggies, is pretty common sense and easy, simply wash, cut to desired size and fill the jar to within an inch of the top: In a separate pot, bring to a boil 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each 1 qt of water. Using a funnel, fill the the jar with the water/salt until it covers the veggies or within a 1/2 inch of the top. Dip a clean cloth into the water that you used to sterilize the jars and wipe off the rim of the jar to make sure it is clean for a good proper seal.

Sealing your Jars: Place a seal on the jar and screw on the ring pretty tight. Use a towel to hold the jar in place as it will be very hot. Repeat this till all of your jars are full that you have veggies for. Once that is done, place 2-3 jars right side up into the sterilizing pot making sure that the water level is about 3/4 up the side of the jar. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for 15 minutes. When the time is up, carefully remove the jars and set them in an area where you will not have to move them for 24 hours. Depending on the temperature of your home, it could take as long as 5-6 hours for them to seal. You may also hear them "pop" when sealing themselves. Once they are completely cooled and sealed, store them in a cool dark place like a basement or the bottom of a closet. If by chance, you have a couple that do not seal, put them in the fridge and use them up in a week or so.

Not only does canning food provide an emergency food source, it will also save you money in the long run as the rings and jars can be reused year after year. The only thing that you can not reuse is the seals.


I hope that my blog is giving people the insights to help themselves, not only in prepping but also other little tricks. As always, feel free to comment on anything that you might have a question on.

Simple Water Storage

 What if I told you that there was no reason to go out and buy gallons and gallons of pre-bottled water. There is such a simple and cost effective way of storing water for your family. How many people now days go out and buy soda in the 20 oz bottles? I would be willing to bet there are many many people that do so. Or how about those gallon jugs of apple juice. Instead of buying the 20oz, why not buy the 2ltr bottles a few times. Not only water, but there are so many uses for these bottles, that it is worth hanging on to a few of them.

Water Storage: It is pretty simple when you think about it. Wash the bottles out with hot soapy water, the hotter the water the better so you can rinse all of the sugars and things out of them. I personally put about 2 cups of really hot water in them. Be a bit liberal with the soap and shake the ever lovin crap out of it, trying to fill the bottle with suds. Let the bottles sit until the suds are all back in the bottom of the bottle. Rinse the bottles very very well. Now, depending on if you have city water or well water will determine the shelf life of your water store.

If you will be filling your bottles from a municipal water source you do not have to do anything special to it, just fill and place the cap on tightly.The water has already been treated and therefore will be safe. Store it in a cool dark place such as the back of a closet or in the basement.

If your going to be using well water for your storage. It is best to put 4-5 drops of bleach in the water to sanitize it. As well water has not been treated, and over time things may start to grow in it that you do not want to drink and could become harmful. Again, store it in a dark cool place where it is easily accessible.

Having said all of that, I truly think that there is no reason to buy "commercial" water. You can save lots of money in doing it yourself.

TIP: When it comes to storing your water, I would suggest writing a date on the bottle so you know when you filled it. If you do not use the water within a years time, empty them out and refill to maintain as fresh of water as you can.

You never know when disaster may strike, wouldn't you rather be prepared, than be the poor shlub down the street that looses his or her mind because they didn't prepare?

Call Me Simple Minded

     I didn't get to bed very early last night but, still I woke up this morning way before anyone else in the house thought about stirring for the day. For some reason I just laid there and started thinking to myself about all of the people who are not even remotely prepared or those that live in the big cities. ya know, the ones that go through life thinking that each and every day they wake up they will be able to go and turn the coffee pot on, or stop at the next fast food place and grab breakfast. How many of them could go and catch fish or trap an animal. Hell or even think about the simplest things like heating up soup or cooking by candle right in the house. yup, you read that right, cooking with candle power. It does take a little bit of time, but has worked for me in the past when the lights have gone out and I didn't want to break out all of the "good gear".

Candle cooking: If you are like me (or not) I am sure you have plenty of candles in your house in case of emergency. Believe it or not, all it takes is three of the about 4 inch diameter candles (unscented). Are you laughing yet? You shouldn't be it really does work. Depending on the heights of your candles, you will need something about an inch taller than they are to hold your pan on at least 2 sides. Lite the candles and set it above the flame and wait a few minutes and there you have hot soup.

Folks, there are so many ideas and common sense solutions to any problem that you face in ANY kind of a survival situation. You do not always have to follow the path that others have made. Be bold and make your own trail, use your own ideas it is the only way that you will learn and hone your skills.

If there is something specific that you would like to know about, please feel free to leave a comment. I will be more than happy to help you out with it.

Urban Area Bug Out Tips

We all know there are millions of people that live in urban areas in the country and around the world for that matter. If and when something happens, whether that is another attack, natural disaster or a financial collapse, what are you and your family going to do? I will highlight some tips or questions to help keep your family safe should you decide to bug out and get somewhere else other than your Urban or Suburban home.

Decisions:
Is it safe to move around? If it is safe do you have a preplanned area you are going? Know the risks is the route safe to travel? Remember the more urban the area the more it could be broken down and the people desperate. All people have an instinct to help others, but would you help someone if it endangered your family?

Be Prepared:
Having your Survival bags ready or your 72 hour kits in a place where they are easily accessible is a good start. Should the need arise, you should be able to carry your bag on your back, such as a backpack or a long handled duffel. I would also advise for those that do not know how to use any item in your kit to get familiar with it.

Your Location and Travel
As most of us prepare for anything can be headed our way, we all should have our meeting place planned out. I know that my family has a place in the woods picked out that is complete with a cave on a hill. Over looking a water source. You should also try to map out the best routes to take with back ups if needed. Depending on where you are heading, infrastructure that could be down and so on. How will you be getting there? Will there be gates locked along your way? I would suggest keeping a pair of bolt cutters in your car along with other common tools. Most people sleep at night even in bad situations, your best time to travel is at night especially on foot. Be careful to travel quietly, stick to the shadows as much as possible.




I am a firm believer in taking care of your own, I could offend someone by saying this, If I do I am sorry in advance, but when it comes to a survival situation my family and I will come first. If we have extra I will be more than willing to share. Each family should be prepared on their own. We all know that there are people who are so dependent on things in their everyday lives they just will not make it. I have pitty for those but, at the same time I must protect my own.


Anything that i write is not meant to scare people it is meant to keep people safe in a time where they have no knowledge.

Your biggest and BEST Survival tool.

Take a look through all of your survival things. What is your biggest, best "go to" tool you have? Could it be your knife? It can be used for many things, cutting, carving, chopping and skinning. Or could it be your fire starter whether that is a plain old lighter, flint, ferro rod or any of the commercial fire starters. Nope, neither of those are what you should be using as your "go to" tool. I know your sitting there racking your brain trying to figure out what else it could be, maybe a water purification system of some kind? No, still not it.

Ok, here it is, the single greatest survival tool you have is your mind. I know it was kind of a trick question. Seriously think about it, your greatest tool is your mind and knowing how to use it will keep you from just curling up in a ball sucking your thumb and waiting to die when faced with a survival situation. When faced with a survival situation, whether it is because you were hiking and got lost, or for any other reason, your mind is your biggest asset. Here are some things to think about to keep you safe.


Stop and calm down, you will just make mistakes when your not thinking clearly. Look around you, can you see anything that looks familiar like, landmarks, trees or roads etc. If nothing looks familiar now what? depending on the time of the day you will have different priorities.( will cover in a later post) The first thing you should decide, is what can I do to better my situation and be able to survive for a couple days if you had to. You need to find shelter or construct one. The weather will help you determine the type of shelter you should build BUT, I always say build it once and do it right so you are ready for anything. Look around you, are you in a low lying area or a water run off area, this would not be a good place for a shelter in the rain.

Fire, if you are out hiking you should have a way of making fire with you such as a lighter, flint or other means. This and a knife are the 2 things that I do not leave out on a hike or fishing trip without. Fire does many things, most of which provides warmth, sometimes even more than that, it provides you peace of mind. There have been times I have been out and didnt have a fire for one reason or another. You will hear all sorts of things all around  you, some of which you can even call into question your sanity.

Water, you need to find a water source, in most places water can be found fairly easily. You have to have water (no brainer). Find it, purify it and drink, stay hydrated, stay alive. Not sure I really need to expand on why you need water.

The bottom line, is that your mind and knowledge are the greatest tools you have, without remaining calm, thinking clearly you will lessen your chances of survival.



As always, feel free to leave me a comment if you do not agree with something, I will be happy to talk about anything, we are all here to learn from each other.

Winter Driving Kits

People from the big cities should head this and take it seriously. How many of your friends live in a warmer climate but go to the mountains to ski or to just get away? Do any of them actually go prepared for an emergency or a blizzard? Like it says in my profile, I will tell things like it is, I will tell them as I see them. This post in particular is not meant to offend anyone at all. How many times have we traveled the roads and seen some yuppie broke down or in a ditch or stuck in the snow? How many of them are really prepared, I would venture to guess not very damn many of them. Take for instance, the late winter of 2011 that hit Chicago. There were and estimated 700 people stranded on Lake Shore Dr. How many of them even gave it a second thought to keep water, or even some food in the car with them? Another thing to remember, NO matter the vehicle with all that metal surrounding you it will act like a ice box in cold weather, if you can not run the engine, it will be very cold in there.

Winter Kits and Why
Food: such as Granola, candy bars and dehydrated fruits will keep for a bit longer than most things and do not need to be cooked to eat and provide a decent amount of nourishment.

Water: There is no need to go out and buy bottled water to keep in your trunk or behind your truck seat. Most people drink soda, so why not buy a couple of 2 liter bottles wash them out good and refill them.

First Aid Kit: If you are stranded in bad weather, it could take a long time for medical help to get to you, bandages, gauze and medical tape will help you out until medical services can get to you.

Booster or Jumper Cables: You should have a set of these in every vehicle regardless of the time of year. I Don't think I should have to explain why.:)

Extra Blankets or a Sleeping Bag: If you travel with your family depending on the size you may have to bring more than one. this can be one of the more important items in your kit. If you get suck in the snow and you are low on gas ( which you shouldn't be) a sleeping bag will allow your gas to last far longer than if you didnt have one.

A small shovel: There are many uses for this, such as, digging your self out if you are stuck. you can also use it to clean out around the exhaust of your vehicle to keep from getting covered thus reducing your chance for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Cat litter: I say cat litter over sand for a couple reasons, one is the particles are bigger and you will get better traction over sand. Also in case you have a cat with you ( ok just kidding) Because Cat litter is bigger, it is also much easier to clean up if you gets broke open or it spills.

Flash Light: I prefer to use a rechargeable flash light with a regular battery flash light as a back up. You could use it to signal someone in a rescue situation, for light obviously.

Infant care Items: If you travel with small children, keep them in mind, a few extra diapers and a change of clothes should also be added over and beyond an normal diaper bag.

Extra clothing items: These should be hats, gloves and boots.

A can of Fix a Flat: A can that you can temporarily repair a flat tire.

You should always keep your gas tank full when venturing out in the winter time, not only will it give you more piece of mind, but keeping your tank full will also reduce the chances of moisture build up in the tank. As with all of my tips these are not set in stone, I give you what my kits and strategies are for all kinds of survival, you may have to tailor to your individual needs.

Your Own Cold Room

I will start this off by saying that I may not always be the most grammatically correct, but I put things in the most simple terms as I can so that anyone can understand.

What is a cold room you ask? A cold room is somewhere in your home or on your property that will stay dry and well,... cold. If you do not have a basement in your home it can get a bit more expensive to build. Cold rooms can be used to store a variety of things such as potatoes, squash, onions all of your home canned goods amongst other things. You can also store all of your food storage in it (except frozen) safely. The best part is, you do not have to buy a commercial grade one, you can build it yourself. For arguments sake we will assume you have a basement. Pick the driest corner that is the least used away from the most direct heat source ( furnace-water heater) Since you are putting it in the corner you will only need to build 2 walls and a door. Bare in mind that in some states you may have to obtain a building permit and check the local codes.

Building your Cold Room 

What will you need: Note: all room sizes will be different so there is no set materials list.
2x4's
1/2" plywood
Rolled Insulation
Screws/Nails
Level
Hinges
Door pull

Your cold room does not need to be fancy with drywall and the whole nine yards. It just needs to be able to hold in the natural cold. Start by building the walls making sure to leave room for a door. The door size is determined by the amount or size of the containers you will be taking in through it. Once the walls are built, it might be easier for you to put in the ceiling now. Just simply take plywood and cover the top to make the ceiling. Once you have that completed, line the walls with plywood on the inside and the rolled insulation between the 2x4's on the outside. Cover the outside walls with plywood. There is no need to buy a premade door, although you can if you want, but there is really no need. If your cold room is very near an existing light there may be no need to install one as it may give off enough light. If this is not the case a simple mechanics corded light that you can hang on the wall and take in with you will work just fine.

Depending on what you want to store, you can build shelves in all or part of it. I would though recommend leaving space on the floor to be able to store things such as plastic boxes for potatoes, onions and other such things. 

Food Prep

Have you ever really thought of how much food you would need to sustain your family for a year? Below is a guide for a 4 person family. This list can be adjusted to fit you families needs. All of the items listed below are measured in pounds unless otherwise stated.


GRAIN
Wheat 450
Flour 74
Corn Meal74
Oats 74
Rice 150
Pasta 74

LEGUMES
Dry Beans 90
Lima Beans 12
Soy Beans 30
Split Peas 12
Lentils 12
Dry Soup Mix 12

OIL & FAT
Shortening 12
Vegetable Oil 6g
Mayonnaise 6qts
Salad Dressing 4qts
Peanut Butter 12 pounds

COOKING ESSENTIALS:
Baking Powder 4
Baking Soda 4
Yeast 2
Salt 16
Vinegar 2g

DAIRY
Dry Milk 120
Cans Evaporated Milk 120
Other Dairy 90

SUGARS
Honey 8
Sugar 120
Brown Sugar 8
Molasses 4
Corn Syrup 8
Jam & Jelly 8
Tang Type Fortified Fruit Drink 18

FRUIT

Dried Apples 120
Applesauce 120
Banana Chips 90
Fruit Mixture 105
Juice 120

VEGETABLES
Corn 90
Peas 90
Green Beans 90
Carrots 90
Potatoes 120
Onions 15
Tomatoes 60

Most of these things can be done in your own home, you may consider even building a cold room in your basement if you have one.

72 Hour Kit

Do you have a 72 hour kit, if not you should have one! A 72 hour kit is one of the most important kits you can have in your home, office truck or RV. Imagine yourself caught at home or at the office with no power, no water. Now what do you do? For most people the first thing is complete and utter panic, sure you can handle it for a few hours but then what, you get pretty hungry and thirsty after that. Depending on the time of the year, you could melt snow to drink.You might have food in the freezer but no way to cook it. What happens if you don't get snow where you live, if you don't have a 72 hour kit your up a pretty good creek without the proverbial paddle.
A 72 hour kit is just that, it is a kit that will sustain you and your family for 72 hours if needed. I will list things that you should have in your kit. Keep in mind that when something is listed, you must consider your family size and adjust it accordingly.

1. Water 2gal per person (pretty obvious I know)
2. Food-Things such as prepared soups, pork and beans canned fruit or even MRE's (don't forget a can opener)
3. First-Aid Kit
4. Your normal medications (do not put them in the kit, Just keep them in one place that you can get you easily)
5. Clothing
1. 2) Shirts, 1) Pair of sweats, 3) Undergarments, 3) Socks, 1) Towel, 1) Washcloth, and  1) Jacket per person
6. Light-Flash lights, candles or oil lamps (extra batteries, Lighters and oil)
7. Blankets
8. Hygiene Products-Toothbrush. feminine hygiene products, combs, brushes, deodorant, bar soap and travel size shampoo. (diapers and wipes if necessary)
9. Games ( card games work the best, they take up less room)

This is the list that we use at our house, you can add to, or take away from depending on your families needs. Bear in mind, that if you have small children, your kits should be gone through and the clothes rotated out as they may not fit them when you need them.
I would highly suggest that EACH person have their own kit containing their things that can be easily carried. Back packs are great for kids to use. Store each pack under the child's bed or in the bottom of the closet for easy access.
I would welcome any and all comments or suggestions, we can all learn from each other!

3 Things No Matter What

When caught out in the elements, what is the biggest cause of death when it comes to exposure? Think about this for a few minutes before you read on. We all know you can survive for some time without food and even less time without water. There is one thing that is nearly essential to have both of these safely. Now for the answer to the question. the single biggest killer via exposure is the cold. Even if you are not caught out in the middle of winter you can develop hypothermia. Hypothermia begins to set in when the body's core temperature falls to 95 degrees or below, at 90 degrees or below hypothermia can become life threatening. If you are an outdoors man of any kind you should always carry some sort of fire ignition source. There are so many different things on the market for making fire from flint and steel to just a plain old lighter. I have made fire from many different methods but by far the easiest is just a plain old store bought cheap lighter. Can these get wet, well sure they can. Will they run out of gas to fuel them, absolutely. You might be asking yourself, why fire. to me the biggest reason for a fire if you get caught in a survival situation is peace of mind. Fire does so many things, keeps you warm, give you light, cooks your food and purifies your water.
Picture yourself, like me, out for a day of spring fishing. I normally go to a secluded part of the local river and either wade or walk the river bank and fish for the whole day. I travel as light as possible carrying what I need in a backpack that isn't packed to the gills so to speak. Inside of my pack no matter where I am going are at LEAST 3 things. A knife, a lighter and a water bottle. My knife is always sharp, it isn't anything that is high priced, it is a plain fishing fillet knife. A plain bic style lighter that I keep in a watertight zip lock bag. The last thing that is always, no matter what in my bag is my metal reusable water bottle.

Since this is my first blog post, I will not go into depth on more things, I would like you to get a sense of who I am and why these things are important to me.