Inevitably, at every firemaking seminar I teach, somebody suggests using dryer lint as firestarter. According to some folks, you should carry dryer lint and a flint stick in your survival kit. My response is that I have tested and tried dryer lint, don’t carry it, and recommend you don’t either.

by Leon Pantenburg

You stake your life on your firemaking kit components. Let’s apply the common sense filter to this dryer lint firestarter idea.

This dryer lint ignited, then for no apparent reason, just went out. Dryer lint is unreliable as a firestarter.

Here’s some related information: According to a 1999 report (the last information available) developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 14,500 dryers catch fire every year, killing 10 people. Two years ago, a dryer fire at an Alabama day care center claimed several children. (How many millions of dryers are used every day?)

Experts cite “failure to clean” as the reason for 70% of dryer fire operational contributing factors. And a standard construction practice is to run the exhaust pipe through the drywall with a 90-degree elbow. This can cause the lint to accumulate at that angle, next to the hot dryer.

So the question might be, based on the evidence from the house fires: Is dryer lint really that flammable? Or is it the combination of heat, improper venting and an accumulation of dry lint next to a hot dryer that causes house fires?

Our concern is survival firemaking though, so let’s consider the pros and cons of dryer lint as it could be used as a survival situation firestarter.

Proponents of dryer lint firestarter claim:

• Dryer lint is easily ignited with a match, lighter and/or flint stick.
• Dryer lint is  compact and easy to carry.
• Dryer lint is free for the taking, compact and easy to carry and apparently flammable. There are multiple internet postings showing the material being ignited, along with directions for making lint-based fire starters.

My first concern about dryer lint has to do with reliability. In 2002, as part of a project for Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, Oregon, the late Dr. Jim Grenfell and I set out to find the ultimate, practical fire ignition method that would work for the average person.

We also tested practical firestarters. Dryer lint was one of the initial items tested and it never made the first cut.
The material used for the field trials came from my dryer, and I tested the lint from virtually every load of clothes for week or more. That ended up being a lot of testing! At the time there were three active teenagers and a Lab in the house, along with all the clothes drying associated with skiing, hunting, snowboarding, winter sports and school athletics.

Cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly and a flint stick are effective firemaking tools.

The testing method was to take whatever handful of lint was in the filter, go out into the garage and ignite it with a flint stick. This is where the reliability issue surfaced. (Dog hair was a constant in all the test samples!)

Some lint, such as that from a load of  cotton jeans, ignited readily. Lighting lint from a mixed load of natural fabrics and wool and microfibers was iffy, and sometimes the flame went out before burning up the lint completely. And several times, the lint from a load of polypropylene, wool and various synthetic microfibers didn’t ignite.

My recommendation is to substitute cotton balls in any application where you might currently be using dryer lint.

Here’s why:

• While dryer lint is free, a jumbo 100 percent cotton ball will cost less than a penny. The cost of filling a 35-mm film container with five cotton balls is less than a nickel!
• Cotton balls start out as a sterile medical item and can also be used for first aid needs, such bandaging or cleaning a wound or abrasion. Among the particles in dryer lint is dirt, dust, allergens and all sorts of airborne spores and microbes.
• Both cotton balls and dryer lint can absorb moisture from the air. The difference is that cotton has long fibers which can be dried easier than lint, which is composed of small particles, pet and human hair, pieces of plastic and other, unknown materials.
• Dryer lint mats and compacts more than cotton, making it harder to light. It’s more difficult  to fluff up to light.
• I carry cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly as one of the firestarters in my survival kit. If I start
  to feel a hot spot or blister rising from a boot chaffing, I rub the area with the cotton ball and petroleum jelly. In a pinch, a petroleum jelly and cotton ball, along with duct tape, has been used to create a makeshift band aide. Never rub any skin abrasion, or try to stop a blood flow, with lint!

Grenfell’s and my conclusion was that there is nothing dryer lint can do that a cotton ball can’t do better. The advantages of cotton balls over lint easily make up the cost difference.
If dryer lint is still in your survival kit, please test before trusting it! Personally, I’ll spend an extra few cents and use cotton balls. My life is worth that to me!

For more info on making survival kits, click here!

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

An essential part of learning how to survive is reading and studying books and articles by reputable sources. But the problem is always in deciding who is a reputable source, and if what they’re writing is information, to sell books or promote a TV show or a waste of your time!

This is a real concern if you don’t have much experience, are researching to learn and don’t yet know what might be  fact and what is fiction.

Here are some things I look for in a survival book. If I find any of them, the rest of the information is highly suspect and probably regurgitated material:

• Making a fire with a knife blade and piece of rock. (Yeah, I know, I’ve seen the YouTube videos that show how to perform the technique and all that. But I can’t do it, don’t know anyone who can and for my purposes, it is not a viable survival technique. And if the knife and rock do create a spark, just how will you catch it? With what?)
  
• Advocating use of  solar stills: (I learned this from Peter Kummerfeldt and tried it out myself! )
• Mylar blankets as part of the survival kit: (Again, Peter pointed this out to me first, I field tested them, and now crusade against  including such blankets in any survival kit!)
• “Throw up a quick lean-to shelter, made of natural materials before the storm hits…”: There is no such thing as a “quick” lean-to. Try building one some time!
  

This photo demonstrates how a trash bag can be used as a quick, effective emergency shelter. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

In this review, survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt  comments on Les Stroud’s “Survive: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere.” (Peter is the author of my go-to survival book: “Surviving a Wilderness Emergency.” Check out his credentials at the bottom of this post!) – Leon

by Peter Kummerfeldt

“Survive”  by Les Stroud. I finally got around to reading this book and, for the most part, thought it a useful addition to a person’s survival library.

And then I got to the part where Les writes:

“A good signal mirror can also serve as a fire starter by reflecting the sun’s rays.” (Page 28)

How do you do that?

How do you concentrate the rays into a spot hot enough to ignite tinder using a flat surface? A highly polished parabolic reflector can be used, but not a flat surface!,

On one level, this kind of miss-information just irritates me. On a more serious level,  it angers me since it confirms for me that the writer hasn’t tested the process and has just accepted someone else’s information as factual!

The problem being that when you present yourself as an expert, (particularly as an author,) whether you deserve it or not, people accept your word as gospel!

When reading an article or book on surviving there are two or three things I look for that tell me if the author has done his homework or is just regurgitating what others have written about previously.

The use of solar still to obtain water in a desert survival scenario is one. They don’t work!

Advocating the use of a space blanket to wrap up in when surviving in a cold experience is another. And once again they don’t work.

Suggesting that, when fire is needed, one can be ignited using one of the many methods of “rubbing sticks together.” It can be done, but not by a victim who needs fire now! Particularly an injured person!
As I have said so many times before the techniques and methods of surviving you select must be easy and the equipment that you plan on using must function properly under difficult conditions! Then you have a chance.

The aboriginal skills presented in most of the survival literature have little practical value to the average person

Peter demonstrates making fire by rubbing two sticks together. In reality, such skills may not be practical in a survival situation!

faced with a cold night out in the mountains.

Four books, Alone by Richard Logan and Tere Fassbender, Black Wave by John and Jean Silverwood, Overboard by Michael Tougias and Left for Dead by Nick Wood increased my understanding of survival after catastrophes at sea.

If you were to pick just one of these books to read pick Alone.  Tougias is an excellent writer and storyteller, and his account of five people sailing from the U.S. east coast to Bimini is gripping.

For those of us who are “land-lubbers” it is difficult to imagine the horrors of being caught in a fierce storm in a sailboat that is disintegrating around you.
Then, two of the group, the captain and the first mate, ended up in the water leaving the others in a sinking boat!

Those of you who sail should read these books and learn from them. It is too late to prepare when you’re already in the storm.

Sift out the “lesson learned” by those that survived and adopt them. Identify the reasons that caused
others to die when they might have survived with better training and equipment.

For those of you who don’t sail they are still worth reading if for no other reason than gaining an insight into how people cope and react in very stressful situations!

Peter Kummerfeldt has walked the talk in the wilderness survival field for decades. Peter grew up in

Peter Kummerfeldt has taught wilderness and emergency survival for more than 40 years.

Kenya, East Africa and came to America in 1965 and joined the U.S. Air Force. He is a graduate of the Air Force Survival Instructor Training School and has served as an instructor at the Basic Survival School, Spokane, Washington; the Arctic Survival School, Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Jungle Survival School, Republic of the Philippines.

For twelve years, Peter was the Survival Training Director at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He retired from the Air Force in 1995 after 30 years of service.

In 1992, concerned with the number of accidents that were occurring in the outdoors annually and the number of tourists traveling overseas who were involved in unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening incidents Peter created OutdoorSafe.com

He is the author of Surviving a Wilderness Emergency and has addressed over 20,000 people as the featured speaker at numerous seminars, conferences and national conventions.

Check out Peter’s blog at: OutdoorSafe.blogspot.com

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Get some FREE firestarter for your survival kit. All you have to do is participate in this contest, 

which features the images of professional photographer Pete Erickson, and guess where this photo was taken!

Take a guess - where was this photo taken?

Pete of  Bend, OR, specializes in weddings, portraits and scenics.  (Check out his website.) 

If you have a favorite wilderness spot, or a great outdoor photo you’d like to see featured here, send it in by email for consideration. 

Contributors of selected photos will be published here, receive a byline and a free sample of firestarter! 

This photo contest is supposed to be fun. But, let’s also remember that making a survival kit is serious business. During a disaster or emergency you may be literally be staking your life on whatever survival equipment you have on your person. Think about these survival tips:

• Don’t let a survival kit give you a false sense of security!
• The best survival knife in the world, or any survival item, is useless without the skills to use it.
• No piece of equipment will ever be able to replace a survival mindset. Mental preparation is paramount!
• No collection of gear can replace knowledge and practical survival skills. Get the gear, then practice with it.
• NEVER think your pocket survival kit can replace a full-blown Ten Essentials kit.

 To participate in the weekly photo contest, send your guess to: survivalsenselp@gmail.com. Participants will entered into the weekly email update list, but you can unsubscribe at any time, and your email address will never be sold or shared! Winners will be notified by email.

For more related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• The importance of water to survival.
• Make a practical hydration system part of your survival kit.
• Product test: the Sport Berkey Water bottle.
• Effective methods of carrying water.
• Keep your water bladder storage system smelling and tasting great.
• Where to find water in the desert.
• Find water in vines.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Here’s another addition to your survival kit: a recipe for duck or goose gumbo. 

by Leon Pantenburg

A successful waterfowl hunter may end the season with a bunch of ducks and geese in the freezer. So how do you cook them so everyone can enjoy them?

My favorite waterfowl dish is gumbo. There are dishes, such as this one, that just don’t taste as good unless you use a gamebird such as a pheasant, chuker, duck or goose in them!

A key ingredient for gumbo is on the way! (Kcoy.com photo)

If you do the initial cooking at home, you can de-bone and pack the meat in a plastic bag. Then, at hunting camp, you can add the rest of the ingredients to make a quick meal.

The beauty of this recipe is that it can all be done in one large Dutch oven or pan, as long as you have a heat source. The simplicity and ease of cooking makes duck gumbo a valuable wilderness survival recipe, while the flavor makes it a gourmet meal!

I’ve been doing variations of this basic recipe for years, and you can mix any number of  game birds to create a delicious gumbo. This is a favorite with the Troop 18 adult patrol on Boy Scout campouts!

Duck Gumbo
3 large, or 6 small ducks, or 2 geese

1 large onion, diced

1/2 Tbs black pepper

Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Seasoning (If you can find it! Other Creole seasoning may have to be substituted!

Place waterfowl in a large pot with enough water to cover. Add onions and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce
heat and simmer two to six hours. Removed meat and let cool. Reserve stock. Bone waterfowl and chop meat coarsely. Season generously with Creole seasoning.

1 c vegetable oil, mixed with 1 c flour

2 large onions, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb okra, chopped or 2 10-ounce packages of frozen chopped okra

4 crumbled bay leaves

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp red pepper

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp Tabasco brand pepper sauce

salt and pepper to taste

dash of file powder

cooked rice

Make a roux by cooking flour and oil in large skillet, stirring constantly, until it is peanut butter brown. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic and okra. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes. Add meat and cook another 20 minutes. Skim grease from the reserved stock and add to the mixture. (There should be enough liquid to fill the pot about 2/3 full; If not add water to bring to that level.)

Bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, Worchestershire sauce, red pepper thyme, TABASCO, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; cover and let simmer for one hour. Sprinkle with file powder and serve over rice.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

By Leon Pantenburg

Massive, old-growth trees in a temperate rainforest; a rippling creek that cascades over and between massive boulders, steep basalt canyon walls and most of all, gorgeous waterfalls…

The massive, old-growth trees at Silver Falls State Park can make you feel small!

That’s what my wife, Debbie, and I found last week when we took a mini-vacation on the Oregon coast while our daughter was at Girl Scout camp. Silver Falls State Park has on my list of places to go since we moved to Oregon 12 years ago, and the area didn’t disappoint me! In fact, it was more spectacular than I had imagined!

Silver Falls, Oregon’s largest state park at 9,064 acres, is located on Oregon Highway  214, 26 miles east of Salem. While the park is an easy drive from several metro population areas, solitude is just down the trail.

More than thirty miles of trails meander through Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar stands placed in the forest floor carpeted with ferns, mosses, and wildflowers.

As day hikes go, the 8.7 mile-long Trail of Ten Falls/Canyon Trail, ranks very

highly in my personal list of favorite dayhikes and “Hikes I would Do Again at the Drop of a Hat.” Here’s why.

Nestled in the lower elevation of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains is a temperate rain forest where the Trail of Ten Falls/Canyon Trail is found. The Canyon Trail and the falls descend to a forest floor covered with ferns, mosses, and wildflowers. There are also stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar.

More than 30 miles of hiking trails are within the park boundaries.

The Canyon Trail is a nationally-recognized trail system that leads hikers along

the banks of the north and south forks of Silver Creek. It takes you to 10 waterfalls, ranging from the 177-foot South Falls, to Drake Falls (27 feet). Four of these falls have an amphitheater-like surrounding where (current park regs permitting) you can walk behind the falls and feel the spray.

The trail is easily traveled, with only a slight elevation difference. On  a hot day, the rushing water cools the air and makes the canyon a great refuge from summer heat. Sections of the trail are available to virtually everyone.

And there are plenty of locations that inspire those “Pinch-me-I’m-really-here-and-seeing-this” moments.

SurvivalCommonSense.com generally deals with urban and wilderness survival, survival knives, preparedness and other topics of  interest to a prepper, survivalist or anyone interested in a common sense approach to survival. But sometimes, you need to see things that nourish your soul. Silver Falls can do that.

Here’s a video with some great views of the Silver Falls State Park area. Click on : park video

The veiw down the valley from underneath North Falls.

The trail goes behind the north waterfall.

There are ten waterfalls on the 8.7-mile Trail of Ten Falls.

For more related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
• Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
• Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
• Find the most effective fire ignition system.
• How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
• Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
• It can kill you: Hypothermia
• Hardtack: A great emergency food
• About Leon Pantenburg

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Summer is here, and people like me are attracted to those empty spots on the map that indicate an arid desert region. Always take lots of water along, and never depend on being able to find it! But it’s a really good idea to know where to look for water in the event of an emergency. Here are some tips for finding water in the desert  from survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt. – Leon

This spring in the Central Oregon high desert is the only water for miles around. The vegetation around it makes the site easy to spot.

by Peter Kummerfeldt

Throughout much of North America, water is usually available and easily obtained from open sources such as lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Fundamental to finding water is understanding that it will always seek the lowest level possible. If water is present, some form of vegetation will probably show its presence.

A good strategy for locating water is to  find a vantage point from which you can scan the surrounding countryside. Slowly and methodically, search for any water indicators such as green vegetation, birds flocking to specific areas, trails left by both domestic and wild animals, and even large rock formations from which springs may originate or where water becomes trapped. Man–made sources of water such as windmills, tanks, dams and irrigation canals might also be observed.

Look for water in low lying areas, such as depressions, sinks, or tanks, where rainfall or melting snow is likely to collect. Water can often be found in these areas long after the last precipitation, especially if they are shaded. A pair of binoculars can save you a lot of walking!

Don’t risk your life trying to climb or reach the water’s edge when safer strategies can be used. Tie a line to a water bottle or other container and throw it or lower it into the water from a safe vantage point. Since many water containers do not come with a reliable attachment point when the container is uncapped, make one by duct taping a loop of parachute cord or other line to the side of the water container.

Do not use the retaining strap that connects the cap to the water bottle. Sometimes this strap will pull free from the full bottle as it is being retrieved from the water source. The  result could be a lost bottle.

Water in some lakes, particularly many found in the western United States, contain high concentrations of calcium carbonate and calcium bicarbonate in solution which makes the water non-potable. Lakes of this nature are usually easily identified because the calcium salts leached from the soil form deposits of white powder around the perimeter of the lake as the water evaporates. Water containing high concentrations of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate taste terrible and should not be consumed!

The water quantity produced by seeps and springs varies tremendously. In some situations the amount will be only a

The green grass in the middle of an arid area is an indicator that water might be present. This seep doesn't produce much water, but every little bit helps!

few teaspoons per hour. In other cases, gallons of water can flow from the ground in minutes. Where the quantities are small, the flat edge of the mouth on a plastic bag can be used to scoop up the water from a shallow source, or if it is flowing, to collect the water as it runs into the bag. (editor’s note: This is one reason I always carry a cup or wide mouth container!) A short piece of vinyl aquarium hose also works well for sucking up water from shallow collections or to recover water from narrow cracks in the rocks.

Following rain, water collects in low lying areas and may be found long after the last storms have passed through the area. Check out any depressions, sinks or other low places where water could gather. Water sources like these should be checked carefully since they are frequently contaminated with debris that has been washed into the drainage.

Finding the remains of animals that have died nearby or in the water and other similar contaminants will necessitate boiling the water, the use of halogens (iodine or chlorine) or the use of a mechanical pump to purify it.

It may be possible to locate abandoned open wells from which water may be obtained. Commonly the rope and bucket typically used to lift water from these wells will be missing and a person will have to improvise a means to lower a container down into the well to retrieve the water. Lacking a container a clothing item can serve as a sponge when lowered into the water. Windmills that could provide a ready source of water are a common sight across North America especially where little surface water exists. Commonly the water pumped to the surface is collected in a nearby tank or pumped directly into a trough from which livestock can drink. Where an open source is not available it may be necessary to dismantle or damage the piping associated with the windmill to gain access to the water. Without tools, this may not be possible.

The Nalgene bottle, center, has a piece of parachute cord secured with duct tape. This would allow the bottle to be tied to a rope and lowered into a pool. The nalgene is flanked by two soft, roll-up water containers.

In arid areas, particularly in the western and south-western United States, rainwater collectors called “guzzlers” may be found. These are designed to gather precipitation and feed it into a holding tank where it remains until it is either consumed by thirsty animals or eventually evaporates.

Rain water can be easily collected using a sheet of plastic or similar material. Water collects on the upper surfaces of any material (it doesn’t have to be waterproof) and drains to the lowest point where it is collected.

Even though water is not visible on the surface of the ground, it may still be present in the soil in sufficient quantity to be collected. Locate low lying areas where water is most likely to have accumulated and dig down until damp layers of soil are found. Over time, water may seep into the hole where it can be collected.

If no indicators of sub-surface water are present, dig a hole in the outside bend of a dry river bed. Look for a location where the centrifugal force of flowing water has eroded the outer bend of a river bank creating a depression where the last remnants of water flowing downriver will have accumulated.
A person’s ability to collect water trapped by plants, or contained within plants can be a valuable aide to combating dehydration. Once again, a line must be drawn between methods that are practical and those that are more survival legend than fact!

Barrel cacti for example, long featured in survival literature as a source of water in arid regions, should not be utilized. The quantity of fluid that can be extracted from a barrel cactus is very limited and the fluid that is obtained is not beneficial and may in fact be detrimental to your health!

 Surviving a Wilderness Emergency
Build the Perfect Survival Kit

Related Product Links:
desert survival books
water filtering systems

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Good, practical recipes can help you make the most efficient use of basic food staples in a survival situation!

Hardtack is easy to make, has a long shelf life, and the texture of a fired brick! It is definitely a survival food, but you wouldn't want to eat it for long periods of time!

by Leon Pantenburg

One my best learning experiences was serving a year in VISTA on the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Nebraska. The experience was life-changing for me, and stories of the rez would fill a book!

My Omaha friends and I delighted in our cultural differences, but when it came to food we all loved the traditional Omaha dishes of corn soup, beans and fry bread.

Here’s the story I was told about the food: As the Omahas were forced onto reservations in the late 1870s, they were also forced into survival mode. The people would be issued monthly rations of flour, beans, parched corn or cornmeal and, if they were lucky, a few cattle. That would be it until the next distribution.

So the Omahas and other tribes created recipes to use the government-issued food. Beans were simmered with salt pork. Parched corn became the basis of corn soup, along with some sort of meat. Fry bread only had three ingredients.

My friend, Norma Leigh Dixon, made the best fry bread. She laughed when I asked for the recipe.

“What recipe?” she said. “You just mix flour, baking powder and water and fry it. That’s why it’s called fry bread!”

Some useful recipes should be included any prepper/survival/ Bug Out backpack. It’s one thing to have staples, such as flour, but another to be able to consume them. What happens during a survival situation, when you end up with a bag of flour, some baking powder, a campfire and hungry children?

You could eat flour out of the bag, I suppose. Or, you could mix it with water and make a sort of pasty gruel. But you’d have to be really hungry to choke that mess down, and at some point, the youngsters might just quit eating.

One way to make the best use of basic food staples is to have good recipes! Here are a couple of suggestions to make flour and water into a more tasty survival ration.

Bannock is the traditional bread of Canada and the Northwest. Native people had no access to flour prior to the arrival of European traders, although some flour substitutes existed, like wild turnips or corn, dried and ground to a powder.

Bannock actually originated in Scotland. Because bannock could be quickly prepared from readily available ingredients, and because these ingredients lasted a long time without spoiling, bannock became a staple of European fur traders and subsequently, the native people also.

Bannock is quick to make wherever you are. These were baked on the spur-of-the-moment when I needed bread for lunch.

Bannock recipe

1 c flour

4 tsp double-acting baking powder

2 Tbs powdered skim milk

Stir ingredients together; stir in water to make dough moist. Knead dough until smooth. Place in greased cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and bake it about five to 10 minutes over the campfire or on coals until it is brown on the bottom, then flip it, and brown the other side.

A handy way to prepare for a backpacking or hiking trip is to mix all the dry ingredients in a Ziplock bag. Just add 1/2 cup water and knead in the bag. Then take out the dough, finish kneading and spread it in the pan.

(Practice baking the bannock by the campfire. Put the dough in a greased skillet, and place it near the campfire, propped at about a 60-degree angle with a stick. When the side nearest the fire browns, flip the bread and brown the other side. In a pinch you could bake it on a plank!)

Fry Bread

To quote my friend Norma Leigh: “What recipe?” Use essentially the same combination of ingredients as for bannock, and fry in hot oil in a Dutch oven or skillet. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Hardtack

Hardtack is one of the original trail and emergency foods. Hardtack is simple to make, transports easily and will last a reasonably long time if stored in plastic bags or containers. The disadvantage is the bland taste, and traditional toughness.

(It only takes a few additional ingredients to turbocharge  the nutritional value of hardtack. To each cup of flour in the recipe, add one tablespoon of soy flour, one teaspoon of wheat germ and one teaspoon of powdered milk. There is no difference in the taste, and these ingredients combine to make the bread a complete protein.)

Hardtack Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour (preferably whole wheat)
• 4 teaspoons salt
• Water (about 2 cups)
• Pre-heat oven to 375° F
• Makes about 10 pieces

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches and ½ inch thick.

After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker.  Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side.

Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides.

The fresh crackers are easily broken, but as they dry, they harden.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Leon Pantenburg is a wilderness enthusiast, and doesn’t claim to be a survival expert or expertise as a survivalist.

Leon Pantenburg

As a newspaperman and journalist for three decades, covering search and rescue, sheriff’s departments, floods, forest fires and other natural disasters and outdoor emergencies, Leon learned many people died unnecessarily or escaped miraculously from outdoor emergency situations when simple, common sense might have changed the outcome.

Leon now teaches common sense techniques to the average person in order to avert potential disasters. His emphasis is on tried and tested, simple techniques of wilderness survival. Every technique, piece of equipment or skill recommended on this website has been thoroughly tested and researched.

After graduating from Iowa State University, Leon completed a six-month, 2,552-mile solo Mississippi River canoe trip from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minn., to the Gulf of Mexico.

His wilderness backpacking experience includes extended solos through Yellowstone’s backcountry; hiking the John

A much younger Leon at a silver mine in the Beartooths.

Muir Trail in California, and numerous shorter trips along the Pacific Crest Trail. Other mountain backpacking trips include hikes through the Uintas in Utah; the Beartooths in Montana;  the Sawtooths in Idaho; the Pryors, the Wind River Range, Tetons and Bighorns in Wyoming; Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the Catskills in New York and  Death Valley National Monument in southern California.

Some of Leon’s canoe trips include sojourns through the Okefenokee Swamp and National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, the Big Black River swamp in Mississippi and the Boundary Waters canoe area in northern Minnesota and numerous small river trips in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Leon is also an avid fisherman and an elk, deer, upland game and waterfowl hunter.

Leon and hiking partner John Nerness pitched their tarp in this Death Valley "forest" during Christmas of 1977.

Since 1991, Leon has been an assistant scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 18 in Bend, and is a scoutmaster wilderness skills trainer for the Boy Scouts’ Fremont  District.

Leon earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and competed in his last tournament (sparring and form) at age 49. He is an enthusiastic Bluegrass mandolin picker and fiddler and two-time finalist in the International Dutch Oven Society’s World Championships.

Contact Leon at: survivalsenselp@gmail.com

Survival Tips from SurvivalCommonSense.com have been featured on BendBroadband’s  “Good Morning Central Oregon!”  television show. To view a segment about choosing the best winter clothing, check out the video below:

 

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com