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Make a three plant emergency field dressing

 150 150 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

During an emergency or natural disaster, medical supplies may be in short supply or run out completely. These three wild plants are widely available, and can be combined to make an effective emergency field dressing. by Leon Pantenburg In your survival gear preparations, don’t plan on improvising anything! But what about a major disaster, when the first responders are overwhelmed…

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Build a Better Brick Rocket Stove for $10

Learn how to use debris to purify water in an emergency

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Choosing a Survival Knife | 5 Things to Avoid

Here are the things you don’t want in a knife.

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3 Survival Knots for Tying Emergency Shelter

Two hitches + bowline to build a tarp shelter

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Survival Knives

The Ambush Tundra combines a Canadian style blade with a Kalahari handle.

Common-Sense Knife Choices for Survival, Bushcraft, and Everyday Readiness

 560 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

by Aleks Nemtcev Your knife is the one tool that can’t be easily improvised. It carves the stakes for your shelter, prepares the tinder for your fire, and processes your food when there are no backups. In unfamiliar terrain or emergency conditions, it becomes an extension of your hands. Believing a single blade can master every chore, from  processing tinder…

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Hunt|Fish|Camp

Leather Western Holsters Are a Top Choice for Gun Owners

 600 338 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

When regularly carrying a handgun, there a major consideration: which holster is best? And will it work for you? by Michael Turner Get a good holster. A handgun that is not comfortable to carry will eventually get left behind. And if it isn’t with you, the firearm can do you no good. Many options are available, but Western-style leather holsters may…

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Making Fire

Why Your Ferro Rod Fails: A Manufacturer’s Analysis of Common Ignition Mistakes

 541 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Ferro rod won’t light a fire? It may not be the tool, but how it’s being used. by: Viktor Sterling Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. You’re in your backyard, or maybe even in a real pinch, and that trusty ferro rod you counted on just… won’t… light. A few pathetic sparks, but no glorious flame. Frustrating, right? As…

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Emergency Shelter | Gear

best tactical pants, 511 pants, urban survival camoflauge

Review | Is the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant the best choice for tactical pants?

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The correct tactical pants can be a critical part of your survival gear. If you’re thinking about investing in a pair, the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant may be worth considering.

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Survival Gear

best tactical pants, 511 pants, urban survival camoflauge

Review | Is the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant the best choice for tactical pants?

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness
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The correct tactical pants can be a critical part of your survival gear. If you’re thinking about investing in a pair, the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant may be worth considering.

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Survival Skills

winter car kit, survive night in vehicle

Winter storms: What to do when the power goes off and it’s icy cold outside

 300 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The power goes out and you’re sheltering inside the house. Outside, the temperature plummets, the wind picks up and it starts to snow. You don’t know when the power will be restored. It might be hours or days. How will you stay warm and safe? How do you get started?

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SURVIVAL TIPS & HOW TO's

mini BIC lighter for survival fire making, survival fire making,make fire
Pimp your Bic for survival use | video
 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

There is no single method or technique for survival fire starting that works 100 percent of the time. That said, I carry a mini Bic butane lighter in my pants pocket, my coat pocket and in my pack whenever I go out. Here is what you can do to improve this product for survival use.

shelter, knots for tarps, knots
Video: How to tie three basic knots for emergency tarp shelter construction
 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Three knots: the timber hitch, trucker’s hitch and bowline, are generally all you need to quickly set up a tarp shelter. Here’s how to tie them.

All-American hunting knife review | We check out the 7Forge Orso
 400 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The 7Forge Orso is a well-designed hunting knife big game hunters will appreciate! 7Forge, in Ogden, Iowa, makes quality knifes the old-fashioned way – one knife at a time. The result is a hard-working tool that is also a work of art.

Leon Pantenburg writes a survival skills blog with tips and techniques to help typical folks survive an unexpected urban or wilderness emergency, using common sense and emergency preparedness training. Topics include survival knives, survival clothing and camp cooking, making a fire, emergency shelter, hunting and fishing, competent survival skills and survival gear reviews.