[DelTex]

I've always really enjoyed little survival/bushcraft "knowledge nuggets". Bellow I'll list a few of my favorite.

What are some survival / bushcraft tips and tricks you know of and find interesting?

1.) How to tell general direction with a wrist watch.

You can tell roughly what direction North and South is (and subsequently East and West), if you are wearing a wrist watch, the time is accurate, and you know which hemisphere you are in! It's a lot of text to explain here (and I'm lazy) so I'll just link you to a WikiHow if you're interested.

WikiHow - Use an Analog Watch as a Compass
Spoiler (Click to View)
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Analog-Wa...-a-Compass


2.) Match splitting.

Something I found highly interesting is the seemingly stupid by interesting fact that you can split a match in half, and have both halves work. I've even heard storied of people in history, fighting in trench warfare, splitting matches up into 6 different workable pieces.

All you need to do this, is a match, and a bladed object to split said match (the thinner the blade [ie a razor] the better/easier this is to do). Just split the wood, starting on the wooden holding part and working toward the striking end. You can also split those flat packing paper matches as well, and they are actually easier to split (don't need a knife) where as the wooden ones are a bit harder and might take some more practice.

If never needed for a survival situation, this is still a pretty cool party trick.

3.) Start a fire with a condom, because not many of the HF users are likely using them for anything else. 😋

How many of us carry a condom around on us for that spur of the moment activity with the wife? Or in hopes of having a lucky day with the ladies?

Well, if you have one on you in a survival situation (assuming you have one in your wallet and your wallet is on you as it should be), you can use one to collect around a quart of water and carry it fairly easily without risking spilling it. Probably best if it's not a lubricated condom though, those aren't too good for you anyways and you don't really want to be drinking lube if you can avoid it. Just get some of those water-based lubricated ones instead.

Now you've got a condom full of water. But no fire to pasteurize the water with! Well' assuming it is day time and you can see the sun, you can use the condom, with the water in it, to start a fire the same way you would with a magnifying glass by focusing the light passing through it onto some prepared started material.

Some bonus info on fire starting and how to pasteurize water to a drinkable state:

One way to get some starter material is if you're wearing jeans. All you need to do is scrape them (if they are dry) with the blade of your knife like you're shaving hair that isn't there and you'll get a ball of fluff perfect for just this.

Finding a way to hold the water to boil it, without busting the rubber condom, is another matter. Generally speaking, if you can get the water to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, it'll kill pretty much anything you gotta worry about giving you the Hershey squirts or pukes. You can use a turtle shell, snake skin, a plastic water bottle (from the right distance from the flame) or anything that can hold the water that you can drop heated rocks into to raise the temperature of the water.

[Olmost]

Number three had me rolling 🤣

[DelTex]

The condom thing, no way it's legit haha?

Sure does. Latex condoms also hold a flame well for a good amount of time. At least long enough to pop one on the end of a stick and use it to move your fire from one location to another, not dreadfully far away, as a make shift fire torch.

[shakur123]

Wow nice tips bro, did u ever try it for yourself? do u camp a lot?. Post more about surviving heat tricks, do u know any of those?

[finish]

Finally i have a use for all the condoms school gave us.

[DelTex]

Wow nice tips bro, did u ever try it for yourself? do u camp a lot?. Post more about surviving heat tricks, do u know any of those?

I've tried some things myself, and yes I do love camping. I have never been in a life or death survival situation though.

Some odd ball, off the top of my head, "surviving heat" tricks I have heard though, are:

- Limit how much you're talking/breathing out of your mouth. You expel more moisture this way, and as a result dehydrate faster.
- Heat escapes on your body in many places. Feet, hands, groin, and armpits. But most of all, your head. If you have any lighter cloth that you can wet and loosely wrap around your head (so not to restrict air flow, but to allow the air that does pass between you and the wet cloth to cool) you'll stay cooler as a result. If your core body temp surpasses 110 degrees Fahrenheit, your internal organs will start to shutdown (the opposite of hypothermia - hyperthermia). So taking steps to avoid this is important if the environment you are in could poise such a threat.
- Your body NEEDS water to break down carbs, fats, but most of all CALORIES. If you do not water, try your best to avoid eating. If you must eat, avoid high calorie foods until you do (greens, roots, identified fungus, etc...).
- You dehydrate faster in water. If you are in a humid, hot, environment the avoid being submersed if you can. (like in a swamp where water is plenty but not healthy or easy to pasteurize)
- Don't roll your sleeves up! If you have a loose fitting long sleeve shirt and you're going to be in dry heat, utilize it. It can shade you from the heat, but again allow air to pass between the cloth and your skin (cooling your body).

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Finally i have a use for all the condoms school gave us.

If it's ribbed or colored, ditch it. It'd probably just make the process harder. Also, the liquid needs to be relatively clear, to allow light to pass through it. As a result, you could even use your own urine to start the fire (as long as it's not to clouded from dehydration).