However the hot wire of this article is heated by friction and can be accomplished by using simple materials found at home or perhaps with your camping gear. This method has been described in military survival manuals using wire, wood, and gun powder.

This is very similar to the fire thong method that uses natural materials, particularly a rattan vine used as a thong to rub a light dry wood to develop char that is heated by rubbing to create a live coal/ember.

The difference here is that a thin wire is used instead as a thong and is rubbed long enough to heat the wire so when it is removed and layed in contact with a pile of gun powder a flame results.

In this case the gun powder has been removed from a cartridge ahead of time to recieve the hot wire for ignition. Tinder is placed adjacent to the gun powder to catch and sustain the flame.

This is a survival method and removing a bullet from a cartridge to obtain gun powder can be risky so care should be taken, especially with center fire ammunition. I disassembled three .22 caliber rim fire cartridges by holding the casing by hand and removing the bullet with pliers.

I set out to acquire some at the local grocery store and discovered that today’s version differed from my childhood variety which were wax with an infused wick. This current type appears to be a very thin infused plastic rod so I purchased it to see what it could do.

To begin my experiment I stood at the kitchen sink and lit one, and was sorely disappointed that there weren’t more sparkles. I watched as it burned down and blew it out with sadness but was taken back when it relit by itself! Now this showed promise!

Next, I stepped outside but it was a drizzley day so I pulled a dead juniper branch from within a bush and kneeled under an overhead cover and set up the tinder in a lean-to configuration using a rock. I placed the sparkle candle underneath the branch and lit it. Slowly it began to sparkle and then I blew it out. Almost immediately it relit by itself! I repeated that process several times.

The concept was validated but a more robust fire starter (vs. igniter) would be more reliable, especially in survival situations. Nonetheless it was a fun experiment to explore more firecraft possibilities.

LIGHT – Most folks keep flashlights for various needs but it’s important to make sure that the batteries are fresh. Most smart phones have a flashlight app that works quite well. I buy prayer candles at a dollar store that provide long term light and a feeling of hope in darkness. You can make slush lamps using small cans with vegetable oil and a wick.

HEAT – The first line of keeping warm is layered clothing and blankets. Conserving body heat is primary. You can make a room heater by placing a roll of toilet paper in a tin can and pouring isopropl alcohol (denatured is better) into the roll and place it on an open oven door to isolate it and light it. A personal heater is quite effective when using a lit tea candle at the bottom of a tin can that is placed between your feet where you are seated and wear a poncho or wrap a blanket around your neck and cover your knees like a tent to capture the heat.

WATER – In an urban setting city water will most likely be available vs. well pumps in rural areas that need electrical power to operate. It’s a good idea to keep bottled water on hand. A house’s plumbing system is actually a reservoir of water and can be accessed at the lowest valve and used sparingly. A water heater is also a reservoir that has a drain valve at it’s base. If you use this source, be sure to turn off your circuit breaker first to avoid burning out your heating elements for when the power is restored. If you have a creek or other natural water source it can be filtered or boiled. Snow can be melted.

FOOD – Food that is stored in a refrigerator or freezer in the short term should have limited access to keep the cold in and heat out. If you have snow you can simply fill a plastic bin or cooler with snow and pack the food items in it. Cold water can also serve the same function. It’s best to keep food stuffs on hand in a pantry that are either canned or dry like beans or noodles.

COOKING – A gas grill is an easy way to cook or boil water. Charcoal grills can be used in the same way. On a smaller scale a chimney charcoal starter can be used with a baking rack to cook on. There are various types of camp stoves from gas canisters to wood gasifiers. A rocket stove can be made from concrete blocks. Then there’s always a classic campfire using grills or pots. It is also possible to make and use an alcohol burner.

COMMUNICATION POWER – Some land-line phone services carry their own independent power but cable service phones do not work when the power goes out. It seems that the majority of phones in use today are cell phones that can access transmission towers that are independently powered or outside of an outage area. However, cell phones run on a battery that eventually will need recharging. They are usually charged using a USB cable that can use various power sources. I recently used my laptop computer to charge our cell phones. A vehicle usually has either built-in USB ports or 12V adapters. A 12V to AC converter can charge laptops or other electronic devices. I have a hand crank charger that works on my phone. A 9V battery can be used in conjunction with a 12V USB adapter by placing the adapter’s tip on the positive terminal and using a paper clip to touch the battery’s negative terminal to the side terminal on the adapter.

These are just some of the things that I have experienced during an occasional Winter power outage but for some folks this is an annual event. I would welcome comments on other tips that can be helpful during their Winter power outage.

It’s in me to share my passion of outdoor skills and knowledge with others and so I attended the church service the next day. Afterwards they fed the boys and men some grilled hot dogs and beverages and when we were finished we headed over to the pond. Various men brought gear to lend to those who didn’t have some. I decided to show the boys “hobo fishing with a soda can” I knew that the first line in the water usually gets the fish but I wanted to set up the young man in the photo first so that he could begin fishing before I made my first cast.

With that task completed I made a couple of casts and got a bite but while I handed in the line it broke and my lure was gone. I tied on another lure but without any further success. I could hear the men in the distance say “I guess that can rig sure costs less than a rod and reel but if it works, why not?”. The bait of the day was chicken livers, worms, and power bait. Out of the total group effort who fished that day only two fish were reeled in. the young fellow that I had helped to set up had two strong bites, one of which also broke his line. He was using the loaner pole from the library and the line was too light for the size of the fish. Lesson learned… bigger fish require bigger line.

I was prepared to demonstrate flint and steel firecraft at the end of the fishing session but a downpour of rain sent us all scurrying to our cars for cover. It just wasn’t going to happen that day, but there’s always the future. When folks get together for outdoor activities it’s alway fun to share my craft and help to teach and prepare the next generation basic skills for survival, not to mention it’s just fun!

1 Waterproof EDC container
1 Paracord
3 Fishing lines
2 x Hooks
2 x Weights
2 x Floaters
2 x Sinkers
2 x Swivels
1 Knife
1 Tinder cotton
1 Ferrocerium rod
2 Safety Pins
1 cable saw
1 Whistle
1 Carabiner

I decided to take this PSK to a private pond to see what it could do. Knowing that it had fishing gear I decided to use the cable saw to cut a fishing pole from a nearby sapling. Although I chose to just hold ends of the saw in each hand it could be implemented with toggles at each end or affixed to a curved branch to make a bow saw. I found that the cable should be kept under a ninety degree bend for best cutting results. It did a great job of cutting my pole.

 
The hooks and line came in three parts: 12 feet of just line and two 12 foot lengths with hooks attached. The single line unwrapped easily but the lines with hooks became tangled and took some time to untangle before I could use them but no matter how long that took they were vital parts for fishing so definitely worth the effort. I attached one of the hook lines to the end of the fishing pole, attached a worm and began to fish. I caught a bass!

I decided to try and make a fire with the ferrocerium rod and used the saw/knife blade as a striker. I gathered some dry fluffy weeds for tinder but was unable to get a flame. Then I remembered the tinder cotton and fluffed out one end. It caught the sparks immediately and I had a fire going right away.

I was able to cut a fishing pole, attach a line and hook (and caught a fish!), and built a fire upon which I could cook. The paracord and cable saw could have been used to construct a shelter. I was impressed that a kit so small had so much to offer in providing food and shelter in a survival situation.

Click HERE for more information about this EDC Keychain. Survival Hax is offering a discount to my readers so if you decide to purchase one (or more) be sure to use the promotional code EDCKEY50 on the checkout screen.

The first thing that I examined was the LED light. It was surprisingly bright. It uses button batteries that are stored within the head portion. To turn the light on you twist the head clock-wise and tighten it down. The connection was quite loose so I got some Teflon tape and made a wrap around the threads that snugged it up so that it wouldn’t unscrew and accidentally come off as so many of my mini lights have done in the past. The Teflon tape also acted as a moisture barrier. If the light is lightly tightened it can be turned on by just pressing it downward and could be used to send Morse Code signals by tapping with your thumb.

Next I examined the glass breaker. At first glance you might mistake it for being the pen tip but it is much wider with a more robust tip. A few days later I went to an auto junk yard and got permission to test the glass breaker on a car window. The window was penetrated instantly and easily when struck. The glass breaker portion covers the pen portion and is unscrewed and removed to reveal the pen.

The pen’s ferrel portion located above the pen tip is ringed with concentric grooves so it stays in position between your fingers as you write and is quite comfortable. The cone shaped transition piece between the ferrel and point can be removed in order to replace the ink pen cartridge.

Just above the pen is the junction to the knife blade. Just screw off the lower glass breaker/pen assembly and withdraw the blade. It too was a little loose so I put some Teflon tape there too. It is one and a half inches long with a sharp straight edge on one side and a serrated edge on the opposite side. The point of the blade has a swedge or false edge that allows it to have good penetration when thrusted. The knife blade was quite sharp and the serrated edge worked well when cutting cordage and other items.

Another feature of the pen is a strong clip that keeps the pen secure whether clipped inside a pocket or on a lanyard.

The Tactical LED Pen when fully assembled doubles as a Kubotan and can be used as a self defense weapon. Self defense methods using this are best learned from professionals before engaging this way.

I was very impressed with this Tactical LED Pen and it has become my new Every Day Carry (EDC) buddy. Click HERE for more information.

I received the Survival Shovel in just a few days and I immediately opened the shipping box. The product box is labeled “survival shovel”, “folding shovel with pick axe, saw and fire starter”. I eagerly opened it and withdrew the contents. The shovel comes in a pouch that measures roughly seven by ten inches with a total weight of two pounds. I removed the shovel from the pouch and saw that it comes in two parts; the shovel head assembly that included a short handle and a handle extension that screws into it. The un-assembled shovel measures eight and a half inches in length. The extension handle was so smooth that I initially had a little difficultly attaching it but finally accomplished the connection.

By loosening the bright orange collar (a good identifier when laid on the ground) you can extend the shovel blade and pick. Once oriented into your desired position it is re-tightened for secure operation. When the shovel blade is extended 180 degrees the total length is two feet. If the shovel blade and pick are extended to the 90 degree level it measures seventeen inches. I was impressed with the quality of production and the solid feel in my hand.

The pick side is used to break up hard soil which is then scraped together with the shovel blade for removal. When soil or debris is soft the blade alone can be used. One interesting feature of the shovel blade is that it has a serrated edge on one side. This design element was included to enable it to cut away brush or make kindling. I was able to cut through a half-inch sapling but the thick paint coating on the blade limited it’s effectiveness. In lieu of a knife, notches could be made in wood for construction purposes of camp-craft. I also used the shovel to trim my gravel driveway and was pleasantly surprised at it’s effectiveness by alternating the pick and shovel blades. I did notice that when I used the serrated side of the blade in the pick axe configuration the handle would tend to unscrew and occasionally needed tightening but when striking with the center or left side of the blade there was no issue.

The third component of this survival shovel is a ferrocerium rod that is fastened inside the end cap of the handle extension. The end-cap is knurled so it is easy to remove. In my opinion this is a bonus element of the shovel but not the main function. Because of the robust paint job on the shovel the edges of the blade were blunt and I was unable to use it to make a spark from the ferro rod initially. It takes a sharp edge to scrape a ferro rod in order to get a spark. Because I was determined to have success at making a fire I scraped the paint off the blade edge by scraping the blade on a rock. Because ferro rods can be brittle I held the knob in one hand while laying the rod flat on a stump for support, then gave it a glancing blow with the blade using the other hand and eventually produced a spark that was caught on some cattail fluff and nursed into a flame. If you had a knife or sharp rock they would be easier to use as a striker but having a handy ferro rod stored in the handle is a good idea.

I give this survival shovel a thumb’s up for it’s sturdy construction and effectiveness as a compact trowel and pick axe. This would be a great addition to your vehicle’s emergency kit and as a camping tool for trenching as needed. Survival Hax offers more outdoor and survival products and is worth visiting them online.

I began our session by handing out wallet-sized pieces of paper on which were printed seven points of survival priorities. We moved on to some edibles. I brought a prickly pear (or nopales) cactus paddle as seen on many survival shows and prepared pieces for sampling. Earlier upon my arrival I caught a grasshopper and then demonstrated how to prepare it for roasting. A young lad volunteered to eat it later with a nod of approval.

We progressed on to firecraft where I built a campfire from scratch so that everyone could see the progression of materials from thin to thick and lit it with the sparks from a broken flint-wheel lighter. Then I shared my “Five Fire Categories” of optical, electrical, chemical, percussion, and friction, and proceeded to demonstrate each one.

Optical – The sun had already set so I could not demonstrate optical fire methods but I did show the different optical devices and described how they are used. I gave each one a wallet magnifier of their own to experiment with on a sunny day. I always keep one in my wallet as a solar fire starter.

Electrical – I pulled off a piece of AAAA steel wool into a strand and crossed the terminals of a lantern battery. Nine volt batteries work well for this. I placed an ignited piece into a paper towel and coaxed it into a flame. Later in the evening I located a AA battery and created a flame using a strip from a foil gum wrapper.

Chemical – I poured out a small mound of Potassium Permanganate (KCO3) and made a small impression in the middle whereupon I added a little bit of anti-freeze (containing glycol). After a few moments smoke appeared followed by an erupting flame. This demonstrated how exothermic reactions of chemicals can create a flame.

Percussion – I showed the materials used for Flint & Steel fire making. I showed different strikers and various rocks. I demonstrated how to make “quick charcloth” by burning a piece of 100 percent cotton cloth until black and extinguished it between two blocks of wood. I then placed it on the flint to catch a spark from the steel striker. Later in the evening I demonstrated a fire piston using the quick charcloth as tinder.

Friction – My last demonstration was Bow & Spindle fire method. This took a few tries but demonstrated the nature of different woods and what to look for in developing proper char powder for the creation of a live coal.

By the end of the meeting the men had gained a greater knowledge of survival and firecraft skills that they can now pass down to their children and future generations.

Some of the activities included blacksmithing, buggy rides, chicken processing, fire by friction, knife sharpening, spoon carving, salt making, shingle riving, all of which comprised only a fraction of the educational classes offered.

As usual, I provided demonstrations of primitive and survival skills. Many of these demos centered around the use of available resources that can turn typical “trash” into survival tools. I turned a coffee can into a suspended cooking pot, a soda bottle cap into a whistle, a soda can into a hobo fishing rig, a broken headlight into a fire starter, a hacksaw blade into a flint & steel striker, and bottle bottoms into a cutting blade and an arrowhead. I also demonstrated the traditional bow & spindle fire by friction method and shadow-stick directional navigation.

Turtle Island Preserve is a great environment to experience heritage skills and self-sustainable living skills. You can learn more about TIP at their website and keep up with their activities on their FaceBook page.

Hanging with my “celebrity” friends at Turtle Island Preserve

I arrived early enough to sit in on the morning briefing and at it’s conclusion we piled into a large “dump truck” to hitch a ride up the long gravel road to the entrance to meet the school buses. It was VERY bumpy but very memorable too. Once the students and teachers exited the buses we broke into smaller groups and hiked down the “ridge trail” to the base.

The first class of the day – great students!

I was very impressed with the attentiveness and polite manners of these kids and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. As the 8th graders will be graduating to a new school, we look forward to the return of the 7th grade class as 8th graders next year.