I inquired about what motivated her to use one and her response was that it was inexpensive to make, easily repairable, and somewhat a renewable resource.

This made a lot of sense. Duct tape is such an amazing resource, and any prepper generally keeps some in their provisions.

She demonstrated how to adhere 5 layers together to form the outside and 4 layers to attach on the inside, allowing the outside edges to fold over inward to create a sealed edge.

Duct tape is so versatile that additional pockets or flaps can easily be added. Her wallet is quite durable and easily repaired.

This wallet is just a sample that illustrates the many crafts that can be fashioned i.e. cups, straps, cordage, etc.. Please leave comments on your crafts and other ways that you have used duct tape.

If you have a knife, you wouldn’t want to use it to dig in the dirt and make it dull. A sharp knife is very important and can be used to create other tools for a variety of purposes, in this case, for digging a hole. Holes of course might be needed to anchor posts, make trenches to divert rain water, to make Dakota hole fire pits, etc..

In the region where I live there are bamboo groves… an excellent resource for primitive projects… a virtual hardware store. However, saplings and trees are the general rule throughout the U.S. and have been used for constructing projects and crafts throughout history. In this case I used a Bowie knife to make these digging sticks but a pruning saw would have been a great asset.

A bamboo stick can be cut halfway through a single node, on opposite sides of the shaft towards each end, then split at the mid-line. This will create two scoops. I used my knife to do this and batoned it with a stout stick. The knife has a full tang so it can be struck on the end of the knife’s handle to drive the point down into the shaft to initiate the split between the two cuts. The end of the scoop can then be sharpened. To make a hand spade, include a single node to be used as a handle. When more leverage is needed, you can include more nodes for a longer handle. A single pole can thus produce both types of digging sticks.

When using a branch or sapling, you can make a cut several inches from the end and split from the end down to the cut line where is can then be sharpened. A blade shape is more effective than a round sharpened end because it allows you to scoop out the soil instead of just poking a hole into it. If the wood is green, you can harden the wood by heat treating it by a fire to eliminate the moisture.

The expression “the more you know the less you carry” applies here as you can use your primary tool to make others. As usual, I encourage you to practice now so that you will be prepared in an emergency situation.

I grabbed a paddle and headed down to the local river. Being that it was late January it was very cold which may have contributed to the challenges that lay ahead. I decided to “put in” water deep enough so that I would not “bottom out” once I stepped inside. As I entered the bin it was quite wobbly and before I could completely sit inside the bin it cracked all the way down one side! I wondered if it was the cold weather or old age that may have caused the plastic to become brittle and if this perhaps would have been better attempted at a warmer time.

I had to abort the plan, climb up the river’s edge and retrieve the sunken bin from the cold water using my paddle. That night I reflected on the day’s event and decided that I would test the virtues of duct tape and make a repair to the damaged area while fortifying other possible weak areas as well. In addition, I would “put in” the bin in shallow water so that my entry would be stable and I could “push off” to deeper water for total flotation.

I returned the next day with the repaired bin, ready to test my ideas. I successfully placed the bin over the shallow river bottom and as I sat down inside I heard a crack! I could tell that the bottom was compromised and it slowly began to take on water. I began to push off to deeper water but it became apparent that my back end began to lower as my foot end began to rise.

I tried to even out the load by scooting forward while placing my legs over the prow but it only proved to be insufficient and unmanageable. It became apparent that even without the breach of the plastic bottom the improper balance of weight would not allow the bin to be used as a plausible vessel in the water.

In the end it was a fun experience and I was pleased that at least my duct tape repairs and reinforcements held. I walked away with that satisfaction of having tried another proof-of-concept experiment that added to my experience base while providing a very memorable occasion.

Many hammock enthusiasts are familiar with “whoopie slings”. They take an end of a braided cord such as Amsteel and insert it into the side of the cord further down and direct it into the hollow core of the cord for several inches and then redirect it back out again. This is known as a spliced choker. The cord’s length can be changed by adjusting the size of the loop that is created using this method. You might be familiar with a Chinese finger trap toy that uses the same principal of constriction. The compression of the outer sheath caused when a load is applied to the primary line holds the woven portion of the cord in place.

Similarly my fellow instructor’s cordage loop operates on a compression basis as well but instead of being routed down the core of the cord it takes a serpentine path that waves back and forth through the main line. As illustrated in the photo it has several cinch points. You may also notice that the end of the cord has been fused using a flame but formed into a point. This point acts as a needle for weaving the cord’s end back and forth through the primary strand. I call it a serpentine compression weave.

Whereas making a spliced choker often requires tools, the serpentine compression weave is accomplished very simply by using the built-in “needle” and only requires a way to fuse the pointed end. This would be an easy campsite project using braided synthetic cordage and can be used in a variety of ways.

Start this project by selecting the largest clean leaf and pluck it off where the stem meets the branch. On the stem, estimate a distance of about 2 inches away from the leaf and break off the end. To accomplish this I pinch the stem with my fingernails while rotating my hands in opposite directions. Some folks may prefer to cut it off with a knife or scissor accessory blade. Then break the remaining stem into 2 – 1 inch pieces. This creates 2 pins that will be used to hold the folded leaf parts together and can be temporarily held between your lips in ready position for installing during the next step of folding the leaf.

For esthetics, I prefer to fold the leaf with the top surface facing outward. To begin, position the stem edge facing upward with the underside facing you. fold the upper left lobe inward, aligning the bottom of the lobe at the same level as the notch on the opposite side, then lift the bottom 2 lobes up, making a horizontal fold line connecting the left and right notches. These folded parts become tabs that overlap and are joined by stitching one of the stem pins in and out of the leaf tabs. Repeat the process with the right upper lobe, tucking it under the bottom tab and joining it with the remaining stitched pin.

This is definitely a short term implement but can be easily and quickly constructed whenever it’s needed. Click HERE to view a video to see how it’s done.

Primitive crafts traditionally use primitive tools, materials and methods, but if you understand the construction process, you can speed up the process with modern day counter counterparts. This is the path that I chose while constructing the wing bone turkey call that is illustrated in the photo.

I used the cooked bones from my Thanksgiving Dinner turkey. After cleaning off the meat, I used a band-saw to cut the knobby ends off. I suppose that a hacksaw or multi-tool saw would work too. Next I cleaned out the bone marrow using a break-off blade utility knife and a “Hercules hook” that is used for hanging objects on drywall material. The hook has a sharpened point on a log shaft that works well in the narrow bone.

The three bones of graduated diameters will nest in consecutive fashion and may need to be trimmed to accommodate bone circumference irregularities. I chose epoxy putty to seal and glue each joint. A primitive approach would be “abo epoxy” made of pine pitch mixed with carbon ashes.

To operate the turkey call place your puckered lips on the tip of the small diameter bone and make a sucking squeak sound similar to the sound that you may make to call a squirrel or small pet. The graduated bone segments act like a megaphone and amplifies the sound so that it is remarkably loud.

If you would like to pursue making one of your own calls, Click HERE to view detailed instructions that are excellently written and illustrated by Bernard Dunn.