One of my main objectives when I started researching survival information was to relearn the skills that my grandparents took for granted. To learn the ways that they had gone through everyday life and lived rather happily without all of the modern "conveniences" that we now take for granted. These skills are essential to learn if we intend on surviving a day when the modern things that make our lives so easy are not available anymore.
When I stumbled upon the article over at http://www.askaprepper.com I knew I had found a diamond in the ruff. I highly suggest you click the link and head over there! Learn all of these skills that they have represented here! I have highlighted a couple that I found particularly interesting below and added some additional tips to some.
1. How to extract a splinter
www.AskAPrepper.com suggests filling a wide mouth bottle to the brim with hot water and then holding it against the skin to let the heat and the suction draw the splinter out. Now obviously this won't work on all areas of the body but out here in the foothills of California we have a lot of little picky plants. Sometimes the animals drag them into the house and then after getting stuck into your sock they end up in the bottom of your foot. They are almost impossible to get out and usually we just let time take them out, which really sucks because it's very painful until the body can do it's job and get rid of it. Now that I have this skill in my arsenal I will not be feeling that pain anymore!
2. How to Make an Emergency Water Filter
Studying survival skills like I do, I have seen a lot of filter ideas suggested. The filter that they describe in this article is simple and easy to remember. It relies upon dirt of different sizes and a suggested layer of charcoal in there as well.
5. How to Purify a Cistern (Tanning tips)
To purify a cistern www.AskAPrepper.com suggests blending in 1 Tablespoon of alum into the water within 30 minutes the particles and bacteria will bond and drop to the bottom. 1 Tablespoon of Alum will purify 16-20 gallons of water.
I found this interesting because it is another great reason to make sure you include Alum as one of your preps. Alum is what I use to tan hides and preserve them to last long into the future. To make this tanning solution blend 5lbs of ordinary salt with 10 gallons of warm water. Then add 2lbs of Alum to the solution. The water needs to be warm enough to dissolve the Alum but not hot. If you immerse your hide in this solution twice a day you will have a preserved hide. Bigger hides will take more days, for example a rabbit hide might only take two days but a deer hide is going to take six to eight days.
11. How to Secure Loose Hammers and Axeheads
Anyone who uses firewood as a heating source in the winter knows the pain of having a loose axe-head. AskAPrepper.com suggests first making sure the head is wedged in securely. Then driving in two screws into the end and for the axe-head they suggest putting a whole in the haft just below the head and further securing the head with a wire. Great idea! Can't wait to try it on my trusty hatchet.
19. How to Make a Water Fountain for Chickens
AskAPrepper.com says chickens but I don't see why this wouldn't work for other animals as well (you may need a bigger bottle though). They suggest securing a bottle with "u" hooks to a board and then placing a basin of water under the water bottle. As the animals drink from the basin the water from the bottle will fill the basin until the two water levels meet and then the water in the basin will stop anymore water from coming out of the bottle. Simple genius!
22. Keeping Plants Watered While Away
Another great idea! You take a basin of water and put it above the level of your plants. Then connect the water from the basin to the soil in the plant with a strand of wool. The water will follow the line and water your plants. You need one strand for each plant. How cool is that? I think I might set it up to happen all the time then all I have to do is make sure the basin is full.
24. How to Preserve Eggs
Having my own chickens, I have heard just about every preservation method possible: painting them with mineral oil, powdering them, pickling them, but I have never heard this. If you bury eggs in salt so absolutely no air gets to the shells they will last about a year! Then you have eggs and salt when you are in a survival situation! Great stuff!
25. Treating Sprains
Okay, last one and it's a good one. When I had surgery on my ACL I had this really cool ice pack that hooked directly to the cooler. That way the water from the cooler was constantly at work on my knee. Who knew that 100 years ago they were using a technique very similar? Once the afflicted area is wrapped you connect a piece of bandage from a cool basin of water placed higher than the patient to the patient's bandages. This way the cool water leaches down the bandage and keeps the bandages on the patient compressed and cool! Again, simple genius.
Obviously people just a few generations ago had some very slick tricks for accomplishing the same things we rely upon technology for. I find it fascinating and will keep sharing all these great tips with you! Don't forget to head over to http://www.askaprepper.com and check these skills out for yourself.