Wilderness Skills

How to Assess Dehydration in the Wilderness

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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People often overlook dehydration as a cause of illness or injury because the symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses. Be vigilant for the signs of dehydration and treat early... more »

How to Build a Signal Fire

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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In a survival situation, all members of the party should gather fuel for a fire immediately. You need to build signal fires and keep them going as much as possible in order to attract planes flying overhead. Three fires are a recognized distress ... more »

How to Build a Simple Desert Shelter With a Poncho or Blanket

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Survivalists know how to construct shelters with whatever is available. In the desert, a shelter can mean the difference between life and death. Follow these tips to build a simple desert shelter from a poncho or blanket... more »

How to Catch Catfish on a Trotline

By Doodlebugs

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For catfish trotline fishing is one of the easiest and most popular methods. For typically less that $50 bucks you can get everything you need to get started... more »

How to Conduct a Secondary Survey of the Head During First Aid

By eHow Health Editor

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One of the most frequent causes of death in the wilderness is injuries to the head, including scalp, brain and skull injuries. Carefully examine the head to assess whether to immediately evacuate the injured person and whether to treat for brain ... more »

How to Cook on a Fry Rock in the Wilderness

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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You can make a frying pan out of a rock over your campfire... more »

How to Cook on Hot Rocks

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Knowing how to cook on hot rocks can come in handy if you're camping or stranded in the wild. This cooking method works best if you're cooking small foods for just a few people... more »

How to Deal With a Bullet Wound in the Wilderness

By Ynot

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Say you're camping in the woods, far from civilization and the bad guys are after you. Suddenly, they're shooting at you and one of the bullets hits you and lodges in your arm. Here's How To deal with the bullet. Dealing with the bad guys is ... more »

How to Float the River

By CCrock

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One of the best ways to spend a hot summer day is floating the river with your pals! Don't forget sunscreen, drinks and keys!.. more »

How to Fold and Care for a Topo Map

By eHow Travel Editor

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It's hard to navigate accurately with a dirty, grimy, wet or damaged map. Take care of your map and your map will take care of you... more »

How to Get Unlost in the Wilderness

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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If you're lost, try not to panic like those losers in "The Blair Witch Project." The best thing you can do is stop, relax and think about your course of action. No matter how dire the situation may seem, there are smart moves you can make... more »

How to Hand Make String From Yucca Leaves

By DogMan7

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Learn the handicraft of spinning string from a natural fiber. With a little practice you can acquire the dexterity to make a strong cord from the leaves of the yucca plant. With this skill you can make a charm or bead bracelet for someone ... more »

How to Handle a Sandstorm at Burning Man Festival

By christinevand

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The Burning Man Festival takes place each year on a stretch of the Nevada desert that, for one week, becomes known as Black Rock City. But sometimes it looks more like Dust Storm City. At the 2007 event, there were at least three such storms, ... more »

How to Identify a Douglas Fir

By DogMan7

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A Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga mensiesii) stands as one of the biggest trees in North America at 329 feet in height and 11 1/2 feet in diameter. It is also one of the easiest to identify. Found mainly in the West, wood from this tree has served man ... more »

How to Identify Burdock

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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You have probably seen burdock before but may have thought it was wild rhubarb, or perhaps pulled it from your garden as a weed. Burdock, though, can be a useful plant for wilderness survival. If you know how to identify burdock and prepare it, ... more »

How to Identify Chufa

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Chufa is a common plant throughout the world. It usually grows as a weed, but is sometimes grown as a food crop for animals. It is a nutritious plant; but because harvesting technology has not been refined, the edible tubers usually remain in the ... more »

How to Identify Indian Potato

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Wapato, or Indian potato, grows throughout North America and has been harvested for food for hundreds of years. Some hobbyists wade for wapato from fall to spring, seeking their delicate, yet familiar taste. Its abundance in wetlands, as well as ... more »

How to Identify Skipper Moths

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Although skippers appear to be moths, they are actually a third group that is related to both butterflies and moths. Skippers, like moths and butterflies, are found worldwide. Skippers share characteristics with both moths and butterflies and ... more »

How to make a crossbow out of house hold items

By nmg12345

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You can probably build your very own mini crossbow without getting up from your desk. No knives, wood, electric appliances or any other expensive equipment are needed. All you need are some basic office supplies, ten minutes, and these instructions... more »

How to Make a Rucksack

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Knowing how to make your own rucksack can come in handy if you find yourself in a survival situation and need to keep up your strength and stamina by carrying your belongings on your back. It is also useful if you broke or lost your own backpack ... more »

How to Make a Steam Pit for Cooking

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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A steam pit allows you to leave camp while your food cooks. You can forage for other food, hike, or try to find help, instead of wasting valuable daytime hours cooking. Animals won't get it while you are gone. And the steam pit keeps in the ... more »

How to Make Bean Hole Stew

By DogMan7

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You are camping in the woods and plan a whole day of activity. You don’t want to spend the afternoon cooking a meal, so you prepare your favorite stew recipe, then let it slow cook all day in a bean hole. When you return at dinnertime, a hearty ... more »

How to Make Pemmican

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Pemmican was used by Native Americans to preserve meat back before freezers were invented. This is a technique that many survival guides teach now for the same reasons. It's important to be able to gather food when it's available if you're in a ... more »

How to Make Seasoning Packets From Drinking Straws

By Mark Corgan

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As a backpacker, you know that carrying very small amounts of things like tooth powder, salt, or chili powder can be tricky. Here's a method for packing individual servings using plain old drinking straws. If you can find paper straws, you won't ... more »

How to Make Yellow Jacket Soup

By jesusfish7

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The following is an ancient cultural recipe derived from several Cherokee cookbooks published by respected Cherokee elders. You can use this as a real recipe (if you are brave enough) or just use it as a creative way to get revenge on those pesky ... more »

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