BUSHCRAFT WISDOM PUT TO EVERYDAY USE

10 Survivalism Tips That Could Save Your Life

Image: Denise Jans

Survivalism tips aren’t useful only in life-or-death situations. Granted, water purification might not be the kind of skill that you will be using in an everyday situation, but knowing how to start a fire might come in handy if you need to start your barbecue fire and no matches are available. And you can benefit from knowing how to tie a sturdy knot that won’t come undone until required.

Many of these bushcraft skills have daily applications that can make life easier and they resolve in a matter of seconds situations that otherwise would require a trip to the store or the help of a handyman. Stay with us and take a look at these 10 tips. We guarantee you will be adding at least one to your skill set.

Image: Sebastian Pociecha

Imagine you are on a camping trip and you forgot the matches. What do you do? There are several methods you can try to start a fire without matches or a lighter. One of the most simple ones is friction.

Get together some dry grass, or dried leaves. Cut a straight groove along a dry piece of wood and place the dry grass and leaves at the end of the groove. Move a stick up and down the groove, pressing down. When heat builds up, the dry grass and leaves will catch on fire.

Image: Miguel A Amutio

Say you went on a walk with your dog and remembered that you need something from the store. But the store doesn’t allow pets inside so you must tie your furry friend with its leash somewhere outside. How do you do it safely, without creating something impossible to untie?

The Siberian Hitch is a good option for this kind of event. Pass the rope over your hand, around the tree, and back across your hand. Then pass the rope under your hand, over both ropes, and back under both ropes. Tuck a bight between your fingers and pull this bight through the loop. Tighten the resulting slipped knot. Finally pull the knot tight against the tree or pole, or knob you are using.

Image: David Ballew

You don’t need to be McGyver to appreciate the value of a properly sharpened knife. And, let’s face it: how many of us have a sharpening stone at home? To those who do, we commend you on your foresight; and to the rest of us who don’t, we say: do not worry, for there are simple solutions.

This one might surprise you but it is quite effective: place a hand towel over a table. Over the towel, put a ceramic coffee mug face down, exposing the underside. Slide the knife on each side over the exposed ceramic, just as it is done with a sharpening stone.

Image: Jamie Street

The GPS in your phone can prevent you from getting lost. But what if your phone runs out of battery? When going for a hike on an unfamiliar terrain, it is always a good idea to bring along a compass and a map of the area, just in case. You don’t know how to use those relics? No problem!

Set your compass in a flat position and move until the rotating arrow coincides with the N. Then spread your map and place it in such a way that the North on the map coincides with the North on your compass. Once you have done this, you can orient yourself on the map, knowing that it is facing in the right direction.

Image: Mohan Murugesan

As we said when we started, this one might seem a bit far-fetched but it is the kind of thing that if needed, can determine the difference between life and death. Making drinkable water is extremely important if you don’t have access to pure water sources. Lucky for us, it is not that difficult to achieve.

You will need some container made of glass, steel, or any other material that can handle high temperatures. Place the water in it and cover it with a transparent piece of plastic, make a hole in the middle of the plastic, and set a tube that goes into another receptacle. Place the contraption under direct sunlight. The water in the first receptacle will evaporate, steam will flow through the tube, condense, and become pure water, that will drip into the second receptacle.

Image: Alejandro Piñero Amerio

This one might seem a bit obvious but we guarantee that if you do carry one of these things around, you will find yourself using it at least once a day. Having a knife, scissors, a bottle opener, screwdrivers, a corkscrew, and quite a few more things in your pocket is extremely useful not only in a survival situation but in everyday life as well.

And, aside from having infinite applications, it is a cool object to have.

Image: Julia Zyablova

As the saying goes, bad things never happen to those who are prepared. While that is not entirely true because bad things happen, no matter who you are, it is true that, when you are prepared to face a situation, the consequences of it are much less significant than if you are not.

You don’t need a whole medic kit or anything fancy. Yes, that would be ideal but, let’s face it: it’s probably not going to happen. Just keep a few bandaids, pills for the most common pains, like headache, and stomach pain, and something to lower the fever, a thermometer and you’re covered for the most part.

Image: Jason Mavrommatis

This is an interesting little trick to know how many hours of daylight you still have ahead. It can be used anywhere, as long as the sun and the horizon are both visible.

Hold your four fingers out horizontally to the horizon, aligning the top of your index finger with the bottom of the sun. Your pinkie should be closest to the horizon. Each finger represents 15 minutes. So, if you have your pinkie resting at the horizon and your index finger is right below the sun, you have roughly an hour left.

Image: feey

A big part of staying healthy involves not subjecting your body to uncomfortable temperatures for long periods. Whether you are on a camping trip or at home, it is important to stay warm when the weather is cold.

You can ramp up your body temperature by moving and eating. To stay warm, make sure to wear the right amount of layers. But, try to avoid sweating, since being damp can cause you to lose body temperature. Try to stay dry as much as possible.

Image: Atlas Green

Whether you’re planning a short hike or a long trip, always inform a friend or family member of your itinerary. At the very least, this includes where you plan on hiking and when you plan to return.

This very simple act of informing someone can save your life if you become lost in the wilderness and rescuers come to look for you.

PASS THE FISH SAUCE

Go Beyond Mayonnaise, Ketchup & Mustard: 10 Condiments To Spice It Up!

Image: JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN

Sure, there is nothing wrong with good old mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. But those classic flavors would be even more appreciated if given a rest for a while. And, in the meantime, here are ten condiments from all over the world that have been waiting on the benches for their day on the spotlight on your diner table. Did you ever hear about oyster sauce? Or lingonberry jam? Take a quick look and see if any of these flavor enhancers tempt you!

Image: Davide Cantelli

Let us start this list with a sauce that is served throughout the Balkan nations as a relish or a side dish. The so-called "Serbian Salsa", ajvar is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants.

The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is made of roasted peppers. Ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish. Ajvar has a few variations. One variation contains tomato and eggplant, and another green bell peppers and oregano.

Image: Viviana Rishe

Hoisin sauce gives a tangy glaze to any dish. Essentially a Chinese barbecue sauce, this condiment lies at the intersection of brown sauce and hot sauce. Peking ducks are almost always dressed with hoisin sauce.

This is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as a dipping sauce. It is dark-colored, sweet, and salty. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic.

Image: Nick Karvounis

A Korean sauce, gochujang is a savory and spicy hot pepper paste that gives many dishes from its country of origin their unique taste. It is made from chili, fermented soybeans, sticky rice, and salt, it’s mostly combined with other condiments when used.

Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in ceramic vessels on an elevated stone platform in the backyard but these days it is prepared in a more industrial environment.

Image: Caroline Attwood

As the name implies, fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish. Its pungent smell may come as a shock to the first-time user but it is a flavor one gets used to. It helps enhance the taste of the ingredients it touches.

It is mixed with sugar, chili, lime juice, and garlic, and due to its ability to add a savory umami flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. It can be used as a seasoning during or after cooking and as a base in dipping sauces.

Image: NordWood Themes

A familiar name to many, chutney is made of fruit or vegetable marinated in vinegar, spices, and sugar, chutneys can be sweet, savory, or spicy. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion, or mint dipping sauce.

Vinegar was added to the recipe for English-style chutney that traditionally aims to give a long shelf life so that autumn fruit can be preserved for use throughout the year or to be sold as a commercial product. In Western cuisine, chutney is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats.

Image: Ashim D’Silva

Miso is a byproduct of soy sauce, but it has a life of its own. Apart from being used to make soup, the paste can be served directly as a topping on rice.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, it is used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables, fish, or meats. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.

Image: Kiyoshi

Another familiar name on the list, aioli begins with a ground garlic paste before whipping in egg yolk, olive oil, and mustard. The emulsion is sometimes seasoned with lemon juice, saffron, or chili. It is a perfect dip for seafood, veggie crisps, or french fries.

The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal. It is found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and France.Some versions of the sauce are closer to a garlic mayonnaise, incorporating egg yolks and lemon juice, whereas other versions lack egg yolk and contain more garlic.

Image: Tyson

Perhaps it is more than "just" a condiment, as it also has steamed, fried sausage, usually pork, typically cut into bite-sized chunks. But in this case, we are highlighting the curry ketchup that goes with it.

Currywurst sauce is based on spiced ketchup or tomato paste topped with curry powder, or a ready-made ketchup seasoned with curry and other spices. The dish is often served with french fries.

Image: Raphael Nogueira

As exotic as the name sounds, it is not a rare condiment. Oyster sauce is a viscous dark brown condiment thickened with corn starch, made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt, and water.

Oyster sauce is saltier and is used more often in everyday cooking than hoisin sauce. It’s as suitable for marinating a steak at home as it is for dressing boiled choi sum.

Image: Fábio Alves

Lingonberries grow on a short evergreen shrub in the Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. And, in Sweden, these little berries are used to make delicious jam that is used as a condiment for meat courses, such as meatballs, beef stew, or fried herring.

Traditional dishes such as potato pancakes, spinach pancakes, and black pudding are commonly combined with lingonberries. The jam can also be paired with oatmeal porridge, mashed potatoes, and some desserts.