Introduction: How to Survive in the Wilderness: Altoids (STR8) Survival Kit + Compact Stoves & Hunting.
Did you watch some nice survival videos on youtube about making a shelter, primitive weapon (bow & arrow, slingshot, etc), how to get water, ideas of compact stoves, make a fishing pole out of safety pins, rope or w/e you have and a piece of wood?
Or you just want to create a survival kit that will have all the items you need, but will also be compact? Then, I guess you came to the right place. Here I will explain what to put in your tin can (Altoids, or from the STR8 perfume I used), I will tell you how to make and use a compact stove, how you can make an easy shelter + how to hunt and fish.. This is going to be exciting!
Step 1: The Backpack.
A backpack is a good thing to bring in a survival situation. I found a lightweight backpack from a few years ago, still in one piece and looks new. I placed all my stuff in it and it doesn't weight one bit. It doesn't really matter what kind you get, but I prefer a compact backpack for compact stuff!
Step 2: The Basic Survival Kit.
The kit I'm about to show you is not the best, but certainly is good and can save your life.
A good, basic kit has to contain:
1. Fire
2. First aid
3. Sharp tool - Knife recommended
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1. Fire. Fire is one of the most essential thing in survival. Without fire you won't be able to boil the water you gathered which is full of bacteria, cook your food, keep warm, feel cosy in the night and scare away predators. Without fire you CAN'T survive. So always bring at least TWO-THREE fire starters. I bring matches and a lighter. You could bring a magnesium block aswell.
2. First aid. You always risk getting cut or get bit by something, so what do you do? First, pack some bandages. You will need them for small cuts and wounds. A good thing to bring is ethanol, you can kill the bacteria off your wound. Get pills like paracetamol for fevers, headaches, etc. Also, if you have allergies (like me) or just to be on the safe side, get a few of anti-allergic pills from pharmacies, you don't want anaphylactic shock after all.
Avoid snakes and don't run if you see one, take light steps and pass it. Look at your feet and avoid tall grass + rocks. If you get bit by a snake tie your shirt tightly just a big higher than the area and go to the nearest hospital or ER. Don't lay or sit down, keep your legs/arms lower than your heart.
3. Sharp tool - Knife. Not much to say here, you need something to sharp to cut ropes, string, wood, etc, start a fire with your magnesium block, etc. One of the most essential tools for survival.
My Kit:
My kit contains the following items:
1. Matches
2. Lighter
3. 3 Straw fire starters (there is an instructable about them, look it up!)
4. Cotton
5. Knife
6. Compass
7. A compact stove (an empty tin/aluminium can, will introduce in the future steps)
8. String, rope or whatever you can find. Paracord works well, unfortunately I don't have any.
9. Lots of safety pins & paperclips. For instance, you could make a fish hook out of a safety pin or paperclip.
10. Important pills: Paracetamol, Zyrtec (for me), whatever you need. I follow alternative medicine, but I can't pack herbs in a tin can.
11. Sterile compresses. (I have one inside)
12. Bandages. 5 in my kit.
Step 3: The Hobo Stove.
I will explain the hobo survival stove. It can be made by taking a soup can, tin can, whatever you can find. If you are too lazy and don't have any cans or can't find the right one, you can use another ALTOIDS CONTAINER!
In my case, and possibly in yours, the can is too thick to cut. I don't have any tools to cut it at the moment, so I just use the "stove" by placing wooden sticks from the top and lighting them.
If you want to use the ALTOIDS or any other tin container as a stove, just place sticks inside and light them. Put your food or bowl of water on top of it and wait for it to boil/cook. Easy, right?
Step 4: Hunting and Fishing
In order to survive, you need food. Food can be gathered by hunting or fishing. I will explain hunting first.
For hunting, I got a slingshot which you already saw in the other photos. I prefer a slingshot more than a bow & arrow because it's easier to hit and the ammo is free, you can just pick up rocks and spring them to your target. If you are in a situation in which you don't have anything but a knife and some firemaking tools, then read the following:
Sometimes, it happens. You don't have much and you need to survive. Well, there are a few options. You could get some rocks and hit your targets with that, either by throwing or smashing them with it. For instance, frogs. But is usually a poor way and unreliable way of hunting, but it still works.
Fishing, which is also hunting, lol: For fishing, you can use the safety pins or the paperclips from your kit which you just made, Bend the safety pin or paperclip and tie them onto strong string that you also packed. Then, tie the string to a sturdy, but bendable stick and put a worm or some other kind of live-bait and fish. It's not that hard, and it's efficent. When you use your improvised fishing pole, it's best to be quiet and to not move, or you will scare the fish. Look for signs of your string moving radically or dropping down fast, but don't pull yet. If it starts to really push it down then pull out, but be careful not to do it too fast or it might go off your "hook" and escape! Use force, but pull in a steady pace.
Fishing melee style: This is an really easy way to do it. It's called spear fishing, and anybody can do it, even if you had no supplies at all. Just find a stick, has to be sturdy but not too big, then you grind one of the ends in a rock until it has a sharp, arrow-like point. You'll get the idea when you actually try it. Then, just go and throw it, or stab the fish with it. You have to be really fast! Can also be used for self defence, walking stick and hunting other animals with it!
I am sorry for the poor way of explaining the technique, but I am a 14 year old boy from Bulgaria. I hope it's not too bad, thank you.
Step 5: Ready to Go!
If you followed the steps and made your kit, stove, backpack then congratulations! Post your pictures in the comments, rate it and tell me what you think. This is my first instructable and I'm happy to help! Good luck in the adventures that await you!
