Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (25 page)

You can become a fire-building genius with a little know-how and some practice. Tinder is essential, and it’s worthwhile to know what to burn.

Use only dead stuff, nothing green, and have extra on standby. The center of your fire lay should be loaded with tinder, and it’s this you light—not the wood. Make sure to block the wind with your body when lighting.

Pine, firs, spruce, and most other needle-bearing trees have sap in their wood. This is pitch, which is usually very flammable. Select dead twigs from these trees to get your fire going quickly even in damp weather. And pine needles make a good addition to tinder at any time, because they light easily even when wet. Another tip? Douse your tinder with bug spray before lighting—it will add some serious flammability. Stand back.

Maybe you’re sitting on a bunker full of these stinky little canned fish, or maybe you just have a can or two in the pantry. Believe it or not, sardines can be used for a variety of survival applications.

GREASE LAMP

To make a grease lamp from a tin of sardines, you should start with some sardines packed in oil. Eat the fish and place a string in the oil with just 1 inch (2.5 cm) sticking out for a wick.

ANIMAL TRAP

Cut an X in the tin, secure the tin to a stake with a length of wire, and place it over a hole. If something slender-footed yet heavy (like a large fox) steps on the X, it’ll punch through and get stuck (for a little while).

SIGNAL MIRROR

A shiny can will pass for a signal mirror in a pinch, especially if you have a way to polish it, such as rubbing a little chocolate or toothpaste on the metal with a piece of paper or a rag.

TRAP BAIT

Raccoons and other omnivores love fishy things, so use the sardine liquid or actual sardine pieces to bait your traps. That coon or bobcat will give you a beautiful pelt, and it could be a welcome change in menu if times are tough.

EAT ’EM!

There’s always their intended purpose: You can eat the fish, too. A few crackers and some hot sauce will work wonders to liven up those little guys.

SURVIVAL KIT

You’ve probably seen the sardine-can survival kits that are commercially available. While the can is a good idea, the contents are usually sub-par, so make your own. Fill an empty can with your survival gear, and use a generous amount of duct tape to seal it up. Now you have a water-resistant can, quality survival goodies, and duct tape (see item 224).

MINI FRYING PAN

A large-sized tin will make a fine little frying pan for a one-person cooking set. You could also boil water in it, but it would take a while to get any reasonable volume to drink.

CAMP STOVE

Pour a splash of high-proof alcohol in and light it up. Or coil a few cardboard strips and drizzle melted wax over them for a “fire can,” which can be used for cooking or fire starting.

EMERGENCY PET FOOD

Cats and dogs could subsist for quite a while on sardines, if no other foods were available.

SHELTER SMOKER