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misssissippi river fishing, smallmouth bass, fish recipe book

Three surefire freshwater fish recipes for outdoor gourmet cooking

 600 387 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The next best thing to catching fish is eating them. If you’re wondering how to cook those fish outdoors, here are three of my go-to recipes that work every time

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knivesshipfree.com, best knife store, best knives

Survival Knives

Mora knives, best beginner knife, best survival knife

What makes a good knife review?

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Before you invest in a tool that might save your life, look around for a thorough, knowledgeable review.

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Hunting and Fishing

This pocket-sized box holds all the lures I need for a day of smallmouth bass fishing on Oregon's John Day River.

Should you include fishing gear in a pocket survival kit?

 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Many commercial personal survival kits include hooks, sinkers and fishing line. I don’t see much value in fishing equipment as part of an emergency survival tool. Here’s why.

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Make Fire

mini BIC lighter for survival fire making, survival fire making,make fire

How To: Combine charcloth and a non-functional lighter for ignition

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Suppose your butane and/or Zippo-style lighter both fail, but continue to spark. Here is how you can use a piece of charcloth to catch a spark and get that initial ignition.

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Clothing

wool mittens, wool, wool clothing

Five wool clothing tips to keep you from itching

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Can’t wear wool because it makes you itch? Here are some things to consider before you give up on the natural fiber.

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Survival Skills

find water, desert water techniques during flood, Peter Kummerfeldt

Find drinking water during floods with desert survival skills

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness
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During a flood, there may be water everywhere, but none to drink. Here’s some survival tips on where to find potable water during a disaster.

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Survival Gear

Review: Pak-Lite compact backpacker/survival nine volt LED flashlight

 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

A good, reliable flashlight is essential, IMHO. And getting one that is light, convenient to carry and reliable means you will most likely take it along on dayhikes or longer excursions. I found this Pak-Lite at a preparedness show, and it is worth taking a look at.

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Camp Cooking | Storage Food

Tasty food improves morale: A WWII Chicken Dinner Story

 558 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Tasty food has an incredible impact on morale. My dad told this story from World War II, where he joined a Louisiana family for a Sunday chicken dinner.

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Emergency Shelter

survival tarp shelter, cheap tarps, best tarp shelters

How to choose the best tarp for survival shelters

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Tarps can be really valuable survival tools. But what if your budget is limited and you need several that will do the job? Here are some tarp materials that have worked for me.

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VIDEOS | TIPS & HOW TO's

Video and Review: Camp Chef Explorer Double Burner Propane stove
 300 225 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Among the preparedness products I wouldn’t be without is a Camp Chef Double Burner. It can’t be beat for preparedness and/or camping

solar lamp, make solar lamp, best solar lamp
Video: Make your own solar powered emergency interior lights
 258 145 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Have some of those solar-powered outdoor garden lights on the path outside? Here’s how to adapt them to an interior emergency lighting setting.

Video: How to find dry firemaking tinder in wet weather
 448 325 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The ability to start a fire under survival conditions can save your life. The inability can cost your life. Here are some tips for finding dry tinder under wet, stormy conditions.

RECENTLY FEATURED POSTS

For Wilderness and Urban Safety: Attach a whistle to your child
 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

You can only yell for help as long as your voice lasts. Here’s why you need to carry a whistle.

Crappie are a prolific panfish, widely distributed and fun to catch and eat! (ODFW photo)
Recipe: Crappie chowder, a tasty way to cook panfish with storage foods
 289 174 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

A great comfort food on a cold night, or in camp after a successful day of fishing is chowder. If you can use some of the catch to make dinner that night, that is an added bonus.

heat, stay cool when power goes down
10 tips for staying cool during a power outage/heat wave emergency
 300 163 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

An emergency situation caused by a summer storm may be made worse by the hot weather! How will you stay cool during the heat wave/disaster? Here are some tips.

Leon Pantenburg writes a survival skills blog with tips and techniques to help average people survive an unexpected urban or wilderness emergency, using their 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.