Preserving meat in the wilderness is not an easy task, but if you want to be able to live off the land like your ancestors did, then you need to learn how to preserve meat in the wild without refrigeration. 

Otherwise, it’s practically pointless to hunt for big game. If all of your meat is going to go bad in less than a day without refrigeration, then you might as well stick to hunting small game such as squirrels and rabbits. 

And if you’re anything like me, that’s not going to happen. I plan on being able to provide my family with a good source of protein for more than a meal at a time. But what is the best way to preserve meat in the wild in order to stop it from going bad?

Preserving meat in the wilderness without refrigeration is going to require something that can extract moisture from the meat while simultaneously killing the bacteria at the same time. Smoke, salt, and heat can all be used to accomplish this. With these three ingredients alone you can successfully preserve your meat without refrigeration through the methods known as salting, smoking, and drying. 

Are you still confused?

If so, don’t worry. When I first began the process of learning how to preserve meat without refrigeration, I was confused too. Fortunately for you, I’m going to make this whole process as simple as possible. Everything you need to know to preserve meat in the wild without refrigeration is laid out below.

What Do You Need to Preserve Meat in the Wild?

While it may seem complicated to preserve meat in the wild, it’s actually quite simple. The only tools you’ll need are the following:

• Knife – The first step to preserving meat in the wild is to properly butcher your animal. Then cut its meat into thin strips so that it can be quickly dried. This will require a sharp knife.
• Water – You may need water to wash any dirt off the meat.
• Fire – A fire will be used to create smoke and heat. Both are needed to preserve meat in the wild.
• Sunlight – Sunlight will be used to extract moisture from the meat and to dry it out over time.
• Smoke rack – A smoke rack is used so you can lay out strips of meat on the rack. Place or build your smoke rack over a small fire and let the smoke do its thing.
• Time – One of the most important tools you’ll need to preserve meat in the wild is time. The whole process of preserving meat in the wild is going to take a while so be prepared and have patience.

Something else that’s required to preserve meat without refrigeration is good weather. If there’s not enough sunlight, or too much rain in the forecast, then you’re going to have trouble keeping your meat dry and not full of moisture. 

How to Preserve Meat in the Wilderness (3 Best Methods)

The three best methods for preserving meat without refrigeration are smoking, drying, and salting.

The goal of all three of these methods is to remove moisture from the meat so that the growth of bacteria will be dramatically slowed down. The slower the growth of bacteria, the slower your meat will spoil. It’s as simple as that.

Remember, the optimal growth zone for bacteria is between 41° to 135° Fahrenheit. In this temperature range, bacteria can actually double in just 20 minutes. And once the bacteria has  reached infectious levels, it simply cannot be reversed.

The main types of bacteria that you’re trying to stop from multiplying are e-coli, salmonella, shigella, staphylococcus, and listeria. Ingesting any of these five strains of bacteria will result in food poisoning and lead to symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pains, fever, and chills.                                                                                                                                                                                      

To help you avoid these symptoms, let’s discuss the three best ways to preserve meat in the wild.

Salting

Before the invention of refrigeration, meat was primarily preserved through a process known as salting – also referred to as curing or corning. Salting is essentially the process of covering meat and vegetables with a thick layer of dry salt (dry cure) or a salt-water mixture known as a brine (wet cure). 

A brine can also be mixed with sugar, herbs, and spices to help add flavoring to your meat and/or vegetables. Sugar is also used to help reduce the harsh taste of salt and to promote the growth of the good bacteria Lactobacillus.

The reason salt is so effective at preserving meat is because it slows down the growth of microorganisms by extracting water out of the microbial cells of the meat through a process known as osmosis. This lack of moisture helps to create a less hospitable environment for bacteria.

The only downside of using this method to preserve your meat in the wild is that you’re going to have to carry a lot of salt to make it possible.

Drying

The easiest way to preserve meat in the wild is to simply use the heat from the sun to dry it out. Just make sure to cut your meat into thin strips so that it can dry itself out as quickly as possible. Thicker cuts of meat will take much longer to dry out. 

If you do plan on drying your meat out in the sun, then you need to set everything up in an open area where there’s nothing that can block out the sun. Once I find the perfect location to dry out my meat, I then build a rack (typically made out of wood) so I can lay my thin strips of meat out to dry. 

You could also dry out your meat on something such as a flat rock, just make sure to flip your meat over halfway during the drying process. The entire drying process will typically take somewhere between 12 to 16 hours. 

You may also want to invest in some meat bags (bags made out of fine mesh) to help keep the flies and other annoying insects away from your meat.

Smoking

While smoking can be used to help preserve meat, it’s typically done in combination with the other two methods (salting and drying) to achieve the best “shelf life” possible. It’s also a great way to add some flavor to your meat.

The two different types of smoking are known as hot smoking and cold smoking.  Hot smoking is the quicker of the two variations (1 – 24 hours), since it uses heat in conjunction with smoke to both dry and cook the remaining moisture out of the meat. Cold smoking, on the other hand, takes a lot longer than hot smoking does (12 – 48+ hours), since there is no heat used to cook the meat.

To ensure that you’re cold smoking your meat the proper way, you want to make sure the temperature surrounding your meat never goes above 100° Fahrenheit. When hot smoking, however, the temperature around your meat can easily reach between 200° to 300° Fahrenheit. 

You also want to make sure to use the right kind of wood when smoking your meat or else it could possibly ruin the taste or even poison you. I recommend using hardwood such as Apple, Cherry, Oak, Hickory, Maple, Pecan, Mesquite, or Pimento. Avoid using wood from conifers such as Cypress, Cedar, Fir, Pine, Redwood, and Spruce. 

To set up the hot smoking process, simply build a rack over a small fire, and then let the smoke slowly dry and cook your meat over an extended period of time. It also helps to cover the rack holding your meat with a covering of some kind to help hold in the heat and smoke.

If cold smoking is more your style, then just ditch the covering and maybe add some more space between the rack and the fire. Or build a smaller fire. Really anything to reduce the heat down to 100° Fahrenheit or lower. 

Watch the video below if you want to see how our ancestors performed the hot smoking technique in the wild. 

What You Should Do Before You Preserve Your Meat

Before you begin the process of preserving your meat in the wild, there are a few steps you first need to take to ensure your meat gets the most shelf life possible. 

For starters, you want to make sure to keep your meat clean, cool, and dry. By following these three simple steps, you have a much greater chance at successfully preserving your meat in the wild.

Why clean, cool, and dry? 

It’s essentially the opposite of being dirty, warm, and wet. All of which create the perfect environment for bacteria to spoil your meat.

If you’ve just finished butchering your animal, then the first step you can take to cool down your meat is to cut off all of the bone, connective tissue and extra fat. This removes the insulation from the meat that helps to keep it warm. You can also cut the meat in thin strips to help it cool down even faster.

The next step you want to take is to clean your meat using water so you can both cool and clean it off at the same time. If you have a river or stream in your area, then that’s the perfect place to clean up your meat.

The last step you want to take is to dry off your meat. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to dry off your meat than the three methods we’ve already discussed (smoke, sunlight, and salt).

How to Store Meat in the Woods

After your meat is clean, cool, and dry, you then need to figure out how you’re going to store your meat while you’re in the woods. 

Without a refrigerator, there isn’t much you can do to stop your meat from spoiling. Fortunately, you can help slow down the growth of bacteria by taking a few proper precautions. The main precaution you want to take is to prevent your meat from coming in contact with any moisture whatsoever.

You can accomplish this by storing your dehydrated meat in airtight containers. For the best shelf life possible, you should also store your containers in a location that’s cool, dry, and preferably dark. 

But what should you do if you’re constantly on the move and can’t afford to carry heavy containers in your bag? Your best bet would be to wrap your meat in some form of plastic foil such as cellophane. While this might not give your meat the shelf life of an airtight container, sometimes you have to do the best with what you’re given. 

Remember, your main goal when storing meat for longevity is to prevent any moisture from coming in contact with your meat. As long as you can accomplish this goal, you should get a little more shelf life out of your preserved meat.

The best part about fishing is that it’s always a great way to put some food on the table.

You don’t need to go out and buy an artificial lure from the store just to go fishing either. Just get yourself some good ol’ reliable worms from the ground and you’ll be good to go and ready to catch some fish.

Some of the freshwater fish you can catch with worms include bluegill, bass, catfish, crappie, perch, trout, walleye and more.

And while you can buy live worms from virtually any place that sells fishing equipment (or online), you can also save yourself some money and learn how to catch worms yourself.

The main benefit of knowing how to catch worms is that you’ll always have access to some good fishing bait. As long as the ground is somewhat wet in your area then you should be good to go.

So how do you catch worms for fishing bait?

Let’s find out..

How to Catch Worms In Your Backyard

Listed below are seven different methods for catching worms. 

The best part about these seven different methods is that you should be able to do all seven of them from your own backyard.

Don’t have your own backyard? 

Then you’ll have to ask permission from someone who has a plot of land you can use for catching worms. 

However, if you plan on using state land for catching worms then make sure to check state laws before you do anything such as cutting down a small tree. It could be illegal.

Stomp On The Ground

One of the simplest methods for catching worms is what I refer to as the “stomp on the ground method”.

To perform the stomp on the ground method all you have to do is.. well, stomp on the ground.

How I personally perform this method is I move side to side while stomping on the ground rapidly the whole time. I typically create my own pathways on the ground by stomping on the same ground over and over.

After stomping on the ground for a minute or so you should start to see worms popping out of the ground all around you.

And if not, then you may want to try this method in another area where worms are more present. 

Look Under Rocks and Leaves

A common place that worms like to hide is under big sized rocks.

But make sure to be careful when looking under large rocks or boulders as there could easily be a snake hiding under there as well.

Another common place that you can find worms is under leaves. Especially if it has rained recently and all of the leaves are nice and damp.

Shake a Shovel In The Ground

A weird method that you can use to attract worms to come out of the ground is to simply stick the spade end of a shovel into the ground and then shake it back and forth. 

I’m not exactly sure why this attracts worms to come out of the ground, but there’s no denying that it definitely works. 

Typically this method works best when the soil is fairly wet.

Worm Grunting

Worm grunting is the act of placing a stick or a rod into the ground and then causing that stick or rod to vibrate rapidly. The rapid vibrations then attract the worms to come out of the ground so you can catch them.

Once again, I’m not exactly sure why worms come out of the ground when vibration is present, but something about the vibration definitely draws them out.

Maybe they think that it’s raining and they’re coming out for a drink?

Who knows?

But one thing is certain, there are a wide variety of tools you can use for worm grunting. While some like to invest in a product such as the Worm Gitter, others will either make their own grunt stick or find their own way to force vibrations into the ground.

Here below are a few different ways you can perform worm grunting. 

• Rub a handsaw against the top of a wooden stake in the ground
• Rub a metal flat iron against the top of a wooden stake in the ground
• Rev up a chainsaw on the top of a wooden stake in the ground

You can also cut down a small tree sapling to where there is only a foot or so left out of the ground and use that instead of a wooden stake (make sure you have permission). I imagine you can also use a metal rod instead of a wooden stake and still accomplish the same goal. 

As long as there is vibration running through the ground you should be good to go!

Soak the Ground with Dish Soap and Water

A common method for catching worms is to fill a container with dish soap and water and soak the ground with it where you believe worms are residing. 

Worms hate soapy water for some reason so they will come out of the ground as quick as they can and then you can easily catch them.

Just make sure to wash the soapy water off the worms when you’re done catching them so they don’t die from the soap. Make sure not to keep the worms in water for too long either as worms can and will drown.

Soak the Ground with Walnut Tea

Now if you want to be more environmentally friendly then you can soak a bunch of walnuts in water to create “walnut tea” and then soak the ground with that instead of dish soap and water. 

Walnut tea is an extremely dark liquid that for some reason is poisonous to worms.

Make sure to wash off the worms after you’re done catching them with walnut tea as well.

Use a Worm Taser

Now if everything else fails, you can always shock the worms out of the ground!

While I’m not particularly a fan of this method myself, it is a method you can use to catch worms for fishing bait. 

A worm taser is nothing more than a metal rod (or multiple metal rods) that you stick in the ground and then turn on the electricity. The electricity doesn’t seem to kill the worms but it does draw them out of the ground to where you can then catch them.

Just make sure to wear rubber boots and possibly gloves when searching for the worms so you don’t accidentally shock yourself.

And just to be clear, I take no responsibility if you hurt yourself trying this method. It’s one I personally avoid just because of the dangers involved.

Knowing how to build a fire is something that every outdoor enthusiast should know how to do. No matter whether you’re into camping, backpacking or even if you just want to live off the land – you have to know how to create your own fire.

But how do you create a fire when it’s been raining and all of the wood is soaking wet?

Well if you’re anything like most people, then you’ll probably just grab a gasoline can and some matches and go to town like it’s the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, you won’t always have access to something as flammable as gasoline. 

That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeves if you want to be able to make a fire with wet wood.

Let’s learn these tricks..

How to Build a Fire With Wet Wood

A human being truly only needs three things for survival: food, water and shelter.

And it just so happens that a fire is beneficial for two of these three needs.

But not only can a fire help you cook your food and boil your water, it can also provide you warmth, comfort, light, insect repellent and animal repellent. You can also use a fire to help sterilize utensils, cauterize wounds and even to make a smoke signal if the time ever comes for one. 

Unfortunately, building a fire isn’t always so easy. Especially if all of the wood in your area is soaking wet from rain.

But don’t you worry! These 7 simple tips below will teach you everything you need to know about building a fire with wet wood.

Step One: Use Lots of Tinder and Kindling

Have you ever tried to start a fire with nothing but big logs?

If so, then you know exactly how hard it can be.

Now imagine if it’s wet outside and you’re trying to start a fire with nothing but big logs. Or even worse, it still is raining.

Wouldn’t be so easy, would it?

That’s why you need to use lots of tinder and kindling to help you get a fire started when using wet wood.

So what is tinder and kindling? 

Tinder is a type of material that is highly combustible and can catch fire with only a small spark. Common examples of tinder are dry grass, dry pine needles, dry wood shavings, dead leaves, cattails, shredded birch bark, paper, vaseline-soaked cotton balls, dryer lint, etc.

Kindling, on the other hand, is small pieces of twigs and branches that are easily combustible but still require a little more heat than tinder to fully catch on fire.

Step Two: Perform a Snap Test

The best way to find good kindling and tinder is to perform the “Snap Test”.

The snap test is performed by snapping a small branch or twig in half and listening for a loud and crisp SNAP. The louder the snap the better.

Now if there’s no snap, or barely any snap at all, then the branch is either extremely wet or it’s not dead enough to make for good kindling. 

Step Three: Cut Off Wet Parts of Wood

If you can’t find any dry wood in your area then you’re going to have to get creative. 

What I would recommend for you to do is to cut off the wet parts of a log until you’re left with nothing but dry wood. Then you can use the dry wood left behind as either the main fuel for the fire, or you can cut it down even more and use it for tinder or kindling. 

One of the easiest ways to split wood open so you can get to the dry insides is to insert a sturdy fixed-blade knife into the middle of a log and then hammer the handle end of the knife until the log splits in half. This is known as the baton method and only works for small sized logs between 1 – 6 inches in diameter. 

For even smaller pieces of wood such as twigs and branches, you can just use a regular pocket knife to shave off the wet outside of the wood until you’re left with dry tinder or kindling. 

Step Four: Use the Right Kind of Wood

While the snap test is a great method for finding suitable firewood, you also need to make sure to use the right kind of wood if you want to make the best fire possible. 

So what is the best type of wood for making a fire?

Hardwoods such as Oak, Maple and Birch typically make the best firewood. This is because hardwoods are extremely dense and typically burn longer and hotter than softwoods. 

Now this doesn’t mean that softwood can’t be used in a fire. In actuality, one of the best types of wood to use for kindling is small, wiry branches on a dead pine tree. The small branches and twigs that come off a pine tree tend to dry out very quickly and even work good even when they’re a little wet.

Another great piece of advice for gathering firewood is to avoid using any wood that is considered alive or “green”. Green wood will take much longer than dead wood to catch fire and will typically only cause smoke and trouble.

Now if you’re having trouble finding wood dry enough to pass the snap test, then I recommend looking for wood that is somewhat covered from the rain. Checking underneath fallen trees is a good place to start.

You also should do your best to avoid using wood that is laying on the damp ground, as it will likely be soaking wet. Instead, you’re better off gathering wood that’s hanging above the ground or on dead standing trees.

Step Five: Keep Your Wood and Materials Dry

If you’re trying to build a fire and it’s been raining outside, then you need to do your best to keep your wood and materials as dry as you possibly can. 

An easy way to keep your wood dry is to build a small platform of some kind to keep your tinder and kindling off the wet ground. You can build the platform with dry logs, branches, twigs, kindling, etc. Anything that will keep your wood off the wet ground will work.

If you’re having to split open wood for a fire, or just need a place to set your firewood while you continue looking for more, then you may want to set up a shelter of some kind to prevent your wood from continuously getting rained on. 

Now if there’s no shelter nearby and you don’t have a tent, then you’re best bet is to find out what direction the rain is blowing and try to use your body to block out as much of the rain as possible. 

Step Six: Stack Wood Efficiently

While there are many different ways to build a fire, I’ve found the method below to be best when using wet wood.

• Set up a layer of dry sticks on the ground to build a platform
• Add tinder on top of platform and light it on fire
• Slowly start adding kindling on top of the lit tinder
• Slowly start stacking small branches on top of the lit kindling in a teepee design
• Build a “Log Cabin” around the teepee of sticks

A Log Cabin is made by placing two decent sized sticks on opposite sides of the fire and then criss crossing two more sticks on top of the other two sticks to create a square shape around the fire. If you continue stacking the sticks you’ll eventually build a “Log Cabin” around the fire.

The reason for stacking sticks in a square shape around the fire is so you can use the heat from the fire to dry out the sticks that make up the Log Cabin. This way you can add the sticks from the Log Cabin to the fire once the fire begins to die down.

Step Seven: Have Everything Prepared

You need to make sure to have everything prepared before you start trying to light your fire.

This means you need to have your platform built, tinder and kindling ready to go, firewood stacked correctly, and anything else you could possibly think of prepared and ready for you to start your fire.

This will prevent most of the problems you could possibly encounter when trying to build a fire with wet wood.

Conclusion

Building a fire with wet wood isn’t easy, but as long as you follow the 7 simple steps listed above then you should have no problem getting a fire started next time you’re using wet wood.

Don’t just take my word for it though, get out there and build your own fire next time it’s raining outside and get yourself some actual fire building experience. While anyone can sit on their phone or their computer and read articles online, not everyone can successfully build a fire using wet wood.

You never know when a dog may attack you out of nowhere. 

It could happen while you’re out running around the neighborhood, hiking down your favorite trail, or while doing any other random activity outside. You never know.

If a canine feels threatened by your presence or happens to confuse you as prey, then it could attack you at any time.

So how do you defend yourself against a dog attack?

There are many different ways of handling a dog attack, but your best bet is to avoid the dog at all costs if possible. If not possible, then you’re going to have to either fight off the dog or figure out how to disable the animal or distract it long enough for you to escape. 

Let’s start off with how to avoid a dog attack.

How to Avoid a Dog Attack

The first step you should take after encountering a hostile dog – or pack of dogs – is to try to avoid the dog(s) at all costs. 

Sometimes it may be possible to avoid a dog attack, and sometimes it may not.

But you should always do everything in your power to avoid a dog attack if at all possible. Because if you do have to defend yourself against a big dog such as a rottweiler or a pit bull, there’s a good chance you aren’t going to win that fight. 

Follow these 10 steps below if you want the best chance of avoiding a dog attack. 

1. Do Not Panic. While dogs may not necessarily be able to sense fear, they can sense when something is wrong through other means such as body language, tone of voice, etc. So stay calm at all times and try not to panic!
2. If a dog is on a leash nearby then make sure to keep enough distance away from the other dog in case it tries to attack unexpectedly. 
3. Never approach another dog unless given permission from the owner. You never know what that dog is capable of or if it’s raised properly. 
4. Always be careful around dogs that are either sleeping, eating or nursing their puppies. Be extra careful around dogs that are eating if you have your own dog with you as some canines can be extremely defensive about their food.
5. Always be on the lookout for signs that another dog may attack. Obvious signs include barking, growling, snarling and raised fur on their back. Be warned though, a wagging tail doesn’t always mean they’re friendly. Pitbulls will shake you like a ragdoll while wagging its tail the whole time. 
6. Never stare a dog in its eyes. Some dogs will take this as a sign of aggression. 
7. Rotate your body sideways to appear smaller and less intimidating. 
8. Do not run away. The dog may instinctively assume that you’re its prey and attempt to chase you.
9. Try to keep something between you and the dog (tree, vehicle, etc.) to slow them down.
10. If you were moving quickly when the dog started to chase you then try stopping and standing perfectly still. Just make sure to avoid eye contact and keep your hands in a fist to avoid finger bites and hopefully the dog will leave you alone. 
11. Never smile at a hostile dog. Showing bared teeth may signify aggression. 
12. Do not yell or use a dog whistle. It may rile up the dog and cause it to attack. 
13. Set up a distraction. Throw something heavy that will make a loud noise to get their attention away from you.

Being able to avoid a dog attack may not always be possible, but if you can avoid the battle with man’s best friend then it’s certainly the best option to take. 

How To Defend Against a Dog Attack

While a dog attack may be avoidable nine times out of ten, sometimes you’re going to be left with no other option but to defend or protect yourself. 

And when faced with the reality of a dog attack, you’re going to have to act fast if you want to survive the encounter without too many stitches. 

Here below are the most helpful tips I could find while researching how to defend myself against a dog attack.

• Always protect the most sensitive areas on your body such as your face, neck and chest.
• Use your weight to keep the dog pinned down. Then place pressure on the dog’s neck with your forearm until they lose consciousness. 
• Find something heavy nearby to use as a weapon.
• Wrap something (such as a sweater) around your non-dominant arm and attempt to get the dog to bite it. Once latched on, use your free hand to gouge the dogs eyes out. Do this only as a last resort. 

Sometimes the best defense against a dog attack is to simply protect yourself. The best way to do this is to act calm and lay face down, pull your knees up to your chest, clasp your hands behind your neck and hide your face as best as you can behind your elbows.                                                                  

Best Weapons to Defend Against a Dog Attack

There are two types of weapons you can use to defend yourself against a dog attack – lethal and non-lethal. 

The best lethal weapons to use against a dog attack would be the firearm and the knife. Both of these weapons can be quite useful when facing off against a hostile dog, but you could also easily miss or even hurt yourself if you’re not lucky.  

The best non-lethal weapons to use against an attacking dog are pepper spray, stun batons and baseball bats (could be lethal). 

There’s a specific type of pepper spray made just for dogs that contains 1. 0% Major Capsaicinoids – the maximum strength allowed by the EPA to be used against dogs. To give an example of how strong that is, bear spray (pepper spray for bears) contains s are2.0% Major Capsaicinoids.

Stun batons are another great weapon to use for self defense against dogs since they pack a punch powerful enough to temporarily subdue a dog without injuring them. Just turning the stun baton on and setting it off in the air is intimidating enough to scare some dogs away just by itself. And if the bright light paired with the loud “BZZZZ” noise doesn’t stop them, the jolt of 1,000,000+ volts of electricity certainly will!

How to Protect Your Child From a Dog Attack

Unfortunately, most dog attacks happen to children under 10 years of age. 

Why?

Young children simply lack the self awareness to realize when they’re enticing a dog to attack. A lot of children and toddlers also aren’t taught how to properly act around dogs, so they’re prone to accidentally provoke the dog to attack without meaning too. 

This is why it’s so important to teach your children how to properly act around dogs. While it’s true that most dogs just want to get their belly rubbed and maybe a treat if you have one, some dogs will see you and instantly want to attack for no reason whatsoever. 

Here are some useful tips that you should know and that you should teach to your kids to help protect them from a dog attack. 

• Never try to ride a dog
• Never wake up a sleeping dog
• Never interfere with a dog that’s eating
• Never approach a dog you do not know

Because some dogs are hostile for no reason, always make sure to place yourself between a dog and your child to ensure the dog bites you instead of your kid(s). And NEVER leave a baby or toddler alone with a dog without supervision. Even if you know the dog and it’s always been friendly it still isn’t worth the risk.

How to Protect Your Dog From Another Dog

If you’re anything like me, then I imagine you’ll do anything to protect your dog from getting hurt. 

But how do you protect your dog from getting hurt by another dog?

Before I tell you what to do, I’m first going to tell you what NOT to do. 

The main thing you don’t want to do when another dog is coming towards you and your animal best friend is to panic. If you begin to panic and start yelling frantically then the other dog may see this as a sign of aggression. 

Instead, simply speak in a tone of voice that is both loud and authoritative. And if you can’t stop the dog from attacking with just your voice, then you’re going to have to use other means to stop the attack. 

One of the best methods you can use to stop a dog attack is to catch the dog off-guard by lifting its hind legs in the air as high as you can. By grabbing a dog’s hind legs and lifting them in the air you will both confuse the dog and hopefully make it forget to continue attacking altogether.

Just make sure to watch out for the dog lunging at you while you’re dangling their body in the air.

What to Do After a Dog Bites Someone

Not only do you need to know how to defend yourself or someone else against a dog attack, but you also need to have a plan of what to do after someone is bitten.

The first step you need to take after someone is bitten by a dog is to ask yourself these three questions.

1. Did the dog bite an adult, child or animal?
2. Does anyone need stitches?
3. Is there a lot of blood loss?

Knowing the answer to these 3 questions will help you decide what to do next. If someone needs stitches or there is a lot of blood loss then you need to go to the hospital or the veterinary right away. 

Even if the injury isn’t serious you still may want to go to the hospital or vet if you’re not sure if the attacking dog has been vaccinated for rabies or not. Now if you know the owner of the dog then all you have to do is ask, but if you don’t know the owner then you’re basically out of luck and have to go to the hospital or vet no matter what. Even if the bite is extremely minor you still have to go and check for the possibility of rabies.

Below are 12 steps you can take after a dog bites another dog. Now if a human is bitten then just skip the few steps meant for dogs and go to the hospital instead of the veterinary.

1. If your dog is stressed out try to keep them calm to prevent further injury. 
2. Check for wounds and see if there is any bleeding.
3. Apply pressure with any type of fabric (washcloth, towel, etc.) until the bleeding stops. Estimated time of 5 minutes. 
4. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
5. Stitch up the wounds. Simply skip this step and take your dog to the vet unless you have the knowledge and tools necessary to apply stitches.
6. Place antibiotic ointment on the wound and use a sterile bandage to prevent bacterial infection.
7. Continue cleaning the wound several times a day with fragrance-free soap and water.
8. Keep your dog from licking or scratching at their wound. Might have to use the “cone of shame”.
9. If your dog is hurt from being bitten you can help ease the pain by soaking a washcloth with cold water, ringing it out, and then placing the cloth over the wound and applying an ice pack on top.
10. Ask the owner if the dog has their rabies vaccination.
11. Consider hiring an attorney if your dog is seriously injured by another dog.
12. If the attack takes place on someone else’s property then their homeowners insurance may cover some (if not all) of the medical costs.

Now that you know what you need to do before, after and during a dog attack, you should find yourself better equipped if you’re ever in the midst of a scuffle with man’s best friend.

Hopefully, you’ll never have to use this newfound knowledge that’s been bestowed upon you, but at least you’ll be better prepared if there’s ever a ferocious dog charging your way.

A common question that I often read on prepper/survival forums is can you drink water from a swimming pool in the event of an emergency? 

I figured this would be a great topic for me to research since I’m thinking about building an underground swimming pool in the near future.

And knowing the average backyard swimming pool can typically hold around 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of water, it should make a great form of water storage if I ever need it.

But the question still remains, is swimming pool water safe to drink?

Is Swimming Pool Water Safe to Drink?

After a couple of hours of research, I was able to come to the conclusion below.

If the water in your swimming pool has a chlorine level of 4 ppm (parts per million) or lower then the answer is yes, the water should be safe to drink as long as it’s only consumed in small quantities. However, if your swimming pool water is treated with salt then the answer is no. Unless you plan on running the saltwater through a desalinator or solar still.

So why should you only consume swimming pool water in small quantities?

While the chlorine in the water may not be overly dangerous by itself, some of the other additives in pool water (such as cyanuric acid) can make you terribly sick if you drink too much. 

In addition, if your swimming pool water has been contaminated with certain germs then it may cause a laxative effect if consumed. This can be detrimental in a survival situation.

Can You Drink Pool Water With a Lifestraw?

No, I would not recommend using a Lifestraw to drink water from a swimming pool.

The Lifestraw personal water filter is only designed to remove bacteria, parasites, dirt, sand and microplastics from water. 

This means that the Lifestraw won’t be able to remove any of the chlorine or other chemicals/stabilizers that are typically present in swimming pool water.

Now you can invest in a Lifestraw Go water bottle or a Lifestraw Steel personal water filter and be able to remove chlorine from the water, but you still won’t be able to remove all of the other nasty chemicals that are harmful to your body.

Of course, if you do happen to run out of safe drinking water and pool water is all you have left then using a Lifestraw water filter may be better than using nothing at all. Just try to only consume enough water to hold you over until you find a better source of water that is safe for drinking.

What Should You Use Swimming Pool Water For?

For the reasons above, I would only recommend using swimming pool water for non-potable purposes such as washing clothes, dishes, etc.

Using swimming pool water for cleaning purposes only will allow you to save all of your safe drinking water for either cooking or drinking.

One key aspect of being a survivalist is knowing how to start a fire. Of course there is always the conventional way; a striker and some tinder, but what if you don’t have the resources available? Maybe amidst the chaos you lost your matches or misplaced your striker. What if you had to ditch everything to get out of a sticky situation?

Would you know how to start a fire?

If not, don’t fret. I’m here to tell you 5 ways to start a fire without matches or a striker.

Side note: I always keep a Swedish FireSteel striker in my bug out bag, as well as my last ditch kit so I can avoid this situation, but just in case, I learned these ways to start a fire without matches if the need arises.

1. Solar Magnification

Many of us have used our parents magnifying glass when we were young to terrorize ants and burn leaves.

By using some form of focal lens, like a magnifying glass or Fresnel lens, you can focus the sun’s rays onto tinder to produce a flame. If you take the lens or magnifying glass and focus the light to a single point, you will bring all the heat from the sun rays refracted through the lens and be able to create fire. This can be fairly quick if it is bright out, but not so great of an option if it just so happens to be a cloudy day.

Although its not the most optimal way to produce a flame since it depends primarily on the current weather conditions, it is still a great fire starting technique to know. Especially since a Fresnel lens can be tucked away in your bug out bag due to its small size and low weight. You can snag one here. (Use the book stuffing technique for storing. If you are not familiar with this technique you can check out this article for more information.)

2. A Fire using the Reflector from a Flashlight

Ever wonder how flashlights are able to produce a wide span of light?

This is because the light from the bulb is reflected by a cone shaped reflective component known as none other then the reflector.

Much like solar magnification, you can ignite some form of tinder by placing it where the bulb usually goes in the flashlight.

First, just pull open a flashlight and remove the reflector from around the bulb. (Most flashlights will turn open from the top where the bulb is housed.)

Next take your tinder and put it in the hole where the bulb should be. *Make sure the tinder partially sticks out where the bulb sits in the bowl.

Last, just hold your reflector in the direction of the sun and, if weather permits, you should be able to produce a flame. *Careful! The reflector will draw heat and become very hot to hold.)

3. Aluminum Foil and Batteries

Another outstanding way to start a fire when you don’t have a fire starter is using batteries and aluminum foil.

In order to do this, you will need:

• Two batteries (I recommend at least 1.5v AA’s or larger)
• Two pieces of aluminum foil
• Tinder

First step to this electrical concoction; make a flat rectangle with one of the aluminum pieces. Place your batteries on top of the aluminum a few inches apart with one battery upside down (positive on foil) and the other up right (negative on the foil).

Next, you want to take the other piece of aluminum and make another rectangle. Take this rectangle and cut a small chunk out of the center but make sure you do not cut all the way through. I know this can seem confusing, so a good way to remember how it should look is think about a butterfly band-aid when trying to make the top foil connection.

So now you have all the components and you are ready to make a flame!

Take your band-aid-shaped piece of aluminum foil and place it across the other positive and negative on the battery.

Lastly, take your tinder and touch it against the narrow portion of the aluminum foil. Hold it there for a few seconds and you will create a flame.

This can sometimes be a confusing process, especially getting the top portion of the aluminum foil correct. If you run into a snag or get confused, here is a great video to watch to get a better idea about this fire starting technique.

3. Chlorine and Brake Fluid

***Caution! This is a chemical reaction and can be very dangerous. Only use this process if you are in an emergency situation!

This fire creating technique just requires chlorine and some type of brake fluid.

First, take the chlorine and pour a small amount into some form of container. (Make sure that this is not a container that you drink or consume food from!)

Then take a small amount of brake fluid and pour it into the chlorine. The chemical reaction will begin and a fire will start. Just add in your tinder.

It is important to note that since its a chemical reaction, it is not and good idea to cook food or breath the fumes from this fire. If you have no other option, wait until the chemical reaction has burned out and the tinder and wood are solely burning.

4. Starting a Fire Using Air Pressure

This is a very difficult method of starting a fire and can require a lot of time and patience, but aside from the technicalities, it is definitely a great survival skill to have. If you have never created a fire using a fire piston, I definitely suggest practicing it.

In order to create a fire using a fire piston, you will need a few things:

• A straight and sturdy stick, about 1 foot in length
• A hollow piece of copper, sealed at the top so air cannot get out
• A rubber o-ring (Make sure its just small enough to fit inside the piece of copper)
• Some form of tinder (Char cloth works great for this)
• A knife for cutting the stick

The first step to this process is so cut the stick down till it is just small enough to slide into your piece of copper.

Next, take your stick and notch out a small portion on the top to hold your tinder.

Now you are going to notch out a spot for the o-ring. Start about 1 inch from the top of the stick and carve all the way around. This will take some time to get just right. The first few times the o-ring might come out of the notch, but just keep taking a little more out of the stick until it slides into the copper and air does not escape.

Once its in place you are ready for fire. (A good indicator that you are ready for the next step is the copper will become difficult to push down onto the stick.)

Take your tinder and place it on the top notch. (I personally use char cloth, its the most proficient tinder for this fire starting technique and relatively cheap, you can get some here.)

With your stick prepared, take it and put it into the copper until the o-ring is just far enough inside that you cannot see it.

Now for the tricky part! You are going to slam the wood into the copper and quickly pull it off. If the air compression is good you should be able to produce a spark and ignite your tinder. (This might take quite a bit of tries!)

Don’t get discouraged! Keep trying and as soon as you ignite the tinder quickly place it on more tinder and start your fire.

*If you are not able to get all the materials, there is an option to purchase a kit which includes everything you need to practice this technique yourself. You can grab one here.

Methods such as this one definitely help me appreciate my Swedish FireSteel striker!

5. The Hand Drill Method

Another tedious way to start a fire is the primitive hand drill method. Now keep in mind, this will tear up your hands and expend a good deal of energy. Although in an emergency situation, having the knowledge to start a fire this way is a plus since it only requires a flat piece of wood, a stick, a knife, and some tinder.

What your going to do is cut a V-shape into the flat piece of wood and then a small notch at the bottom of the V.

Next, take your tinder and put it underneath the V you just cut.

Place the stick in the notch. *The stick should be around 2 feet in length.

Take your hands and press them against the stick with your palms and rotate the stick back and forth by moving your hands back and forth repetitively. Keep doing this until you ignite the tinder.

How to Keep Your Fire Burning

After you master these fire starting techniques you’re going to want to keep that fire going. Gotta stay warm through the night. Here are a couple tips on how to keep a fire burning.

• Use DRY firewood

This is the most important component for any long burning fire. If you use wood with moisture, there is a good chance your fire will go out and you will be left with a pile of smokey half-burnt logs. I go by the acronym D.R.Y.

Dead – Usually dead logs and trees are dried out and can be used as good starting logs.

Rotten – Rotten logs are especially dried out and can be broken up to make adequate tinder.

Yank it – If you can Yank a branch from the tree, chances are the branch is dead or dying and not much water is present.

Now sometimes finding dry logs isn’t always an option and if there is moisture in your logs a proficient way to combat this is to add more tinder. This will create a hotter fire and evaporate some of that moisture.

• Allow room for oxygen

Fires feed off of oxygen, so when you are building a base to your fire, leave room for the air to get underneath the base of the logs and fuel the flame. By knowing good strategies for your log base, you can allow for a more even burn and ultimately a longer burning fire.

There are multitude of different ways to build the base of your fire, here are just a few examples:

1. Dakota Fire Hole

Draws air from hole in the ground to provide oxygen to fire.

2. Square Stack

Allows for airflow underneath. Can place cooking pot on top logs.

3. Teepee

Allows for airflow all the way around logs