Field Guides

Rainwater Catchment From Your Roof

Size, plumb and protect a rain barrel system so every storm refills your water reserve.

Half day · Intermediate

Fire & HeatFree

Start a Fire Without Matches

Ferro rod, tinder bundle and the teepee lay—a fire you can light in wind and damp weather.

30 minutes · Basic

Cinder-Block Rocket Stove

Cook a full meal on a handful of twigs with a stove that burns hot and almost smokeless.

20 minutes · Basic

Small Solar + Battery Power Station

Wire a 100W panel, charge controller and battery to keep lights, radios and phones running indefinitely.

3 hours · Intermediate

One-Year Food Storage Without a Fridge

Plan and protect dry staples without assuming every food or packaging method guarantees decades of shelf life.

Weekend · Basic

Stay Warm in a Home With No Heat

Shrink your living space into one insulated warm room to survive winter without the grid.

2 hours · Basic

Wound Care When Help Isn't Coming

Clean, close and monitor cuts to prevent infection when hospitals are unreachable.

Reference · Intermediate

Communicate When Phones Are Down

Hand-crank radios, GMRS and a family comms plan for when cell networks go dark.

1 hour · Basic

Size a Solar System for Your Home

Work out how many panels and batteries you really need by listing every device and its daily watt-hours.

1 hour · Basic

Keep Solar Panels Working for Decades

Cleaning, angle adjustment, snow and storm protection, and diagnosing a dead panel with a multimeter.

30 minutes / month · Basic

Inverters, Fuses and Safe DC Wiring

Run household AC devices from a battery bank without fires: wire gauges, fuses and inverter choice.

2 hours · Advanced

Bicycle Pedal Generator

Convert an old bike and a DC motor into a human-powered charger for when the sun doesn't shine.

Weekend · Advanced

Build a Cardboard Solar Box Oven

Reach 250–300°F with two boxes, foil and glass—bake bread, cook rice and pasteurize water with zero fuel.

2 hours · Basic

Windshield-Shade Panel Cooker

The fastest, cheapest solar cooker: a reflective car sunshade, a bucket and a black pot in an oven bag.

20 minutes · Basic

Parabolic Solar Cooker for Frying & Boiling

Focus sunlight to a hot spot that boils water in minutes and can fry eggs—like a stovetop with no fuel.

Half day · Advanced

Haybox (Retained-Heat) Cooker

Bring food to a boil for 5 minutes, then let an insulated box finish cooking it—cuts fuel use by up to 70%.

1 hour · Basic

Solar Still: Distill Drinkable Water

Turn salt water, urine or contaminated water into pure distilled water using only sunlight and plastic.

1 hour to build · Intermediate

WaterFree

Disinfect Water: Boil, Bleach, Iodine, SODIS

Compare boiling and chemical disinfection, with product-specific directions and important limits for water safety.

Reference · Basic

Find Water When the Taps Run Dry

Hidden water inside your home, plus springs, dew, transpiration bags and reading the land.

Reference · Basic

Biosand Filter for a Family

A long-life filter where a living biological layer removes up to 99% of bacteria—serves a household for years.

1 day + 3 weeks to mature · Advanced

Store Water Safely Long-Term

How much to store, what containers to use, and how to keep stored water drinkable.

2 hours · Basic

Forage 10 Safe, Common Wild Edibles

Dandelion, cattail, clover, plantain and other easy-to-identify plants found nearly everywhere.

Reference · Intermediate

Fishing & Small Game Basics

Survival fishing kits, trotlines, and legal snares for rabbits and squirrels—high-protein food with little effort.

Reference · Intermediate

Preserve Food With No Electricity

Dehydrating, salting, smoking, fermenting and water-bath canning—keep your harvest for months.

Varies · Intermediate

Backyard Chickens for Eggs & Meat

Six hens give a family ~30 eggs a week from kitchen scraps and forage.

Weekend setup · Intermediate

Plan a Survival Calorie Garden

Grow high-calorie staples—potatoes, beans, squash, corn—to actually feed a family, not just make salad.

Season · Intermediate

Save Seeds for Next Year

Collect, dry and store seeds so you never need a store again.

Reference · Basic

Make Compost: Free Fertilizer

Turn food scraps, leaves and manure into rich soil in 2–3 months.

1 hour setup · Basic

Grow Food in Containers & Small Spaces

Balconies, windowsills and 5-gallon buckets can still produce real food.

1 hour · Basic

Gravity Drip Irrigation From Rain Barrels

Water the garden with no pump and no power, using as little water as possible.

Half day · Intermediate

Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning

Prevent heatstroke during summer blackouts with shade, airflow and evaporative cooling.

Reference · Basic

Sanitation When Toilets Don't Flush

Contain waste, protect safe water and follow local emergency sanitation instructions when toilets stop working.

1 hour · Basic

Treat Dehydration & Diarrhea

Homemade oral rehydration solution and warning signs—the top killer when water goes bad.

Reference · Basic

Build a Long-Term Medical Kit

What to stockpile, how to store medicines, and natural backups like honey for wounds.

Reference · Basic

Secure Your Home in a Long Blackout

Stay low-profile, harden entry points and organize with neighbors.

Reference · Basic

ShelterFree

Start From Nothing: Your First 72 Hours

The order to do things in when you have no power, no water and no gear — and what to skip until it matters.

Reference · Basic

Dress for Cold: The Three-Layer System

Base, mid, shell — how to stay warm without sweating, and why cotton clothing gets people hurt.

Reference · Basic

Sleep Warm With No Heat: Pads, Quilts and the Bottle Trick

A ground-insulated sleep system that keeps you warm in a freezing room or shelter using what's already in the house.

1 hour to set up · Basic

Build an Insulated Debris Shelter

Turn a fallen tree, branches and a pile of leaves into a shelter that holds body heat — the technique that saves people in real cold-weather survivals.

3–5 hours · Intermediate

Heat One Room and Keep It Warm

Stop trying to heat a whole house with no power. Gather into one insulated room and hold the heat your bodies and one stove make.

2 hours · Basic

Candles, Clay Pots and Space Heaters: What Actually Works

Honest numbers on candle heaters and the safe way to use them when the power is out and it's freezing.

30 minutes · Basic

Stay Dry in a Downpour: Tarps, Ponchos and Condensation

Wet is the fast road to hypothermia even at 50°F. How to keep your body, your bedding and your spare clothes dry for days.

1 hour · Basic

Dry Wet Clothes Without a Dryer

Five ways to get a soaked layer wearable again in a few hours — and the one that works when it's below freezing.

2–8 hours · Basic

Melt Snow for Water Without Burning Your Fuel

Snow is water you have to pay for in fuel — here's how to cut the cost and why you should never eat it straight.

Reference · Basic

Eat for Cold: Calories, Fat and the Bedtime Snack

Cold makes you burn far more than you think. How to ration, what to prioritize, and how to keep food and water usable.

Reference · Basic

Use the Cold as Your Freezer (and Stop Your Water Freezing)

Turn an outage freeze into an advantage for food storage — while keeping your drinking water and batteries liquid and alive.

1 hour · Basic

Recognize and Treat Hypothermia

The signs people miss, the numbers that matter, and the exact order to rewarm someone without killing them.

Emergency · Intermediate

Frostbite and Trench Foot: Prevent It, Treat It

Two cold injuries that come from different problems — freezing and wet — with different first aid.

Emergency · Intermediate

Heat Exhaustion vs Heatstroke

The difference between 'get this person in the shade' and 'cool them now or they die', with the steps for each.

Emergency · Basic

Hot Weather

Sleep Through a Heat Wave Without Power

How to dump the day's heat out of the house and get through the night when the fan and AC are dead.

30 minutes · Basic

Hot Weather

Cool Your Body When the Air Is Hot

Evaporation is the only free air conditioning you have — how to use it, and when it stops working.

Reference · Basic

Hot Weather

Keep Food Safe Without a Refrigerator

Track safe temperatures, protect food with ice and use official discard guidance instead of trying to rescue spoiled perishables.

Reference · Intermediate

WaterFree

Iodine Water Treatment: Know the Limits

Use labeled iodine water disinfectants correctly, understand what they cannot treat, and know when to choose a safer alternative.

Reference · Basic

Treat Cloudy or Cold Water Safely

Sediment and low temperature make chemical treatment harder. Prepare the water, choose a dependable method, and prevent recontamination.

Reference · Basic

Choose Water Treatment for the Hazard

Compare boiling, filters and disinfectants instead of assuming one bottle or filter handles every possible water hazard.

20 minutes · Basic

Build a Pantry You Actually Rotate

Turn ordinary groceries into a usable emergency reserve with meal planning, first-in-first-out shelves and a paper inventory.

2 hours · Basic

Food Dates, Shelf Life and Storage History

Understand why a printed date, a sealed package or a long shelf-life claim cannot replace safe storage and inspection.

30 minutes · Basic

Dehydrate Fruit and Vegetables Safely

Use tested drying methods, proper preparation and moisture-resistant storage instead of guessing from a food's appearance.

Varies by food · Intermediate

Jerky Safety: Drying Is Not Enough

Why raw meat, cold smoking and low drying temperatures can leave pathogens alive—and how to follow a tested jerky process.

Follow tested recipe · Intermediate

MREs: Choose, Store and Use Ration Meals

Compare ration meals by actual nutrition, package condition and preparation needs—not by a blanket shelf-life promise.

30 minutes · Basic

Freeze-Dried Food: Read Beyond the Serving Count

Choose commercial freeze-dried meals by calories, safe-water needs, allergens and handling instructions rather than advertising alone.

45 minutes · Basic

Home Freeze-Drying: Capabilities and Limits

Understand the equipment, sanitation and packaging needed before relying on home freeze-dried food as a long-term reserve.

Planning reference · Advanced

Plan No-Cook Meals When Water Is Scarce

Build a mixed food reserve that still works when you cannot spare water, stove fuel or refrigeration.

1 hour · Basic

Emergency Food for Allergies and Special Diets

Make sure every household member has safe, usable food instead of discovering unsuitable ingredients during a shortage.

1 hour · Basic

Your First Day of a Blackout

A household action sequence for danger checks, safe power, food, water and vulnerable people in the first hours.

Immediate reference · Basic

Make a Family Evacuation Plan

Prepare destinations, alternate routes, paper contacts and responsibilities before a hurried departure separates your household.

1 hour · Basic

Shelter in Place or Evacuate?

Match your action to the actual hazard and official instructions rather than assuming staying home is always safest.

Decision reference · Basic

Handwashing and Waste Safety Without Plumbing

Set up safe handwashing, keep waste away from water and follow emergency sanitation instructions when normal plumbing fails.

30 minutes · Basic

Keep Essential Medicines Available in an Emergency

Plan refills, paper medicine records, safe storage and temperature-sensitive care with your pharmacist or prescriber.

1 hour plus care-team discussion · Basic

Earthquake-Proof Your Home

Secure the heavy things that injure people, know your gas and water shutoffs, and set up a kit before the shaking starts.

1 weekend · Basic

During and After an Earthquake

Drop, Cover, Hold On — not the doorway. Then check for injuries, gas, fire and aftershocks.

Immediate reference · Basic

Hurricane Prep: The 72 Hours Before Landfall

Know your zone, store water (bathtub included), protect windows and decide early whether you are leaving.

2–3 days · Intermediate

Find the Hidden Water in Your Home

Your water heater, pipes and toilet tank hold gallons of usable water when the taps stop.

30 min · Basic

Tornado Safety: Watch vs Warning

Know what the alerts mean, pick your safe spot ahead of time, and never ride one out in a mobile home or car.

Immediate reference · Basic

Floods: Turn Around, Don't Drown

Never walk, drive or take transit through floodwater. A few inches is enough to knock you down or float your car.

Immediate reference · Basic

After the Storm: Coming Home Safely

Most post-disaster injuries come from cleanup, chainsaws, generators and downed wires — not the storm itself.

First days after · Intermediate

Plants & WildlifeFree

Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac: Identify, Avoid, Treat

Know the three urushiol plants, how the oil really spreads, and what to do in the first minutes after contact.

Reference · Basic

Foraging Rule #1: 100% Certain or Don't Eat It

The identification discipline that keeps foragers alive — and the killer lookalikes that punish guessing.

Reference · Intermediate

Mushrooms: There Is No Safe Shortcut

Every folk test for edible mushrooms is a myth. Species-level identification is the only safe path.

Reference · Intermediate

Bear Encounters: What Actually Works

The Park Service playbook: how to leave an encounter safely, and why "play dead" is only sometimes right.

Reference · Basic

Mountain Lion Encounters: Stand Your Ground

Running triggers the chase instinct. Face the cat, look big, and fight if it comes to that.

Reference · Basic

Snakebite First Aid: What the CDC Says

The right moves in the first minutes after a venomous bite — and the folk remedies that make it worse.

Immediate reference · Basic

Ticks and Rabies: The Small Bites That Matter

Prevent tick bites, remove ticks the right way, and never wait out a possible rabies exposure.

Reference · Basic

Small-Game Hunting: Tools, Law and Safety

An honest look at snares, .22 rifles, slingshots and bows — plus the laws and safety rules that apply to all of them.

Planning · Intermediate

From Field to Table: Wild Game Meat Safety

Field dressing hygiene, the real cooking temperatures by species, and why freezing does not make bear meat safe.

Reference · Intermediate

Insects & PestsFree

Repellent That Actually Works: DEET, Picaridin and Friends

Which repellent ingredients CDC and EPA stand behind, what the percentage on the bottle really means, and how to apply it without hurting your family.

Reference · Basic

Mosquito Barriers: Nets, Screens, Fans and Standing Water

Sleep under netting, seal your screens, and dump the water that is breeding the next generation a few feet from your door.

1 hour + weekly · Basic

Tick Defense: Permethrin, Pants Into Socks, and the Tweezers Rule

Keep ticks off your body, find the ones that get through, and pull them out the way CDC actually says — not the way the internet says.

Reference · Basic

Sting First Aid and the Signs That Mean Call Now

Ten minutes of correct care for an ordinary sting, and the short list of symptoms that mean anaphylaxis.

Reference · Basic

Living Near Bees and Wasps Without Getting Stung

What to do when one insect finds you, what to wear and skip, and when to leave a nest to a professional.

Reference · Basic

Mass Bee Attack: Run to Enclosed Shelter

The advice that saves you from a defending colony is the opposite of the advice for one curious bee.

Reference · Intermediate

Fire Ants: The Pustule You Must Not Pop

Fire ants sting repeatedly, the blister that follows is a normal venom reaction, and popping it is how you get infected.

Reference · Basic

Bed Bugs and Fleas When You Can't Run a Vacuum

What still works during an outage, why the bug bomb makes things worse, and the two methods power is holding back.

Half day + follow-up · Intermediate

Pantry Pests: Tight Containers, Four Days at 0°F, and the Bay Leaf Myth

Keep weevils and pantry moths out of stored food, and drop the cupboard trick extension services have actually disproved.

2 hours + freezing · Basic

Make Pemmican-Inspired Meat & Fat Portions

Learn the history of Métis pemmican and make a modern meat-and-tallow adaptation for refrigerated or frozen storage—not an untested years-long ration.

30 minutes with prepared jerky · Intermediate

Make Beef Jerky With a Tested Heat Step

Turn safely handled lean beef into jerky using controlled heat and drying, rather than hanging raw meat in the sun or smoke.

Several hours; follow tested method · Intermediate

Salt-Cured Meat: Tradition, Limits & Safe Cooking

Understand old-time dry salting and brining, why salt alone is not a safety guarantee, and how to cook commercially cured corned beef.

Reference plus several hours cooking · Intermediate

Cook Cornmeal Mush From Pantry Staples

Make a simple hot cornmeal cereal with safe water—a practical pantry meal inspired by old-time staple cooking, not a preserved ration.

About 25 minutes · Basic

Three Sisters Soup: Corn, Beans & Squash

Cook a convenience adaptation of a First Nations Development Institute recipe, with prepared beans and hominy to reduce the preparation burden.

About 45 minutes with baked squash · Basic

Bannock: Food Traditions & a Modern Baking Recipe

Explore Métis bannock history and an attributed modern Sagkeeng recipe, without treating wheat-flour bannock as a universal pre-contact food.

About 40 minutes · Basic

Bake Hardtack: An Old-Time Ration Demonstration

Try the National Park Service's Civil War hardtack recipe and learn why a historic biscuit is not proof of a safe decades-long food reserve.

About 75 minutes plus cooling · Basic

FishingFree

Shore Fishing With Almost No Tackle

A stick, a length of line and a few hooks is a real fishing rig. What state agencies tell beginners to carry, how to rig it, and where to stand.

Afternoon · Basic

Handlines, Limb Lines and Trotlines: Rules and Hazards

Passive lines catch fish while you sleep, and they are also the gear most often restricted. Verified limits from Texas and South Carolina, and the line injuries nobody warns about.

Reference · Intermediate

Fishing Nets: What Is Actually Legal to Set

Cast nets, seines, dip nets and gill nets are treated very differently by state agencies. Verified dimensions from Texas, Florida and South Carolina, plus the bycatch problem.

Reference · Advanced

Fish Traps and Minnow Traps: Build, Set and Check

Funnel traps are the most buildable survival gear on this page — and the one most likely to be illegal where you are. Verified size, tagging and checking rules, and the drowning risk inside.

Daily checking · Intermediate

Cleaning, Bleeding and Chilling a Fish

The difference between a good eating fish and a spoiled one is mostly the first ten minutes: stun, bleed, gut, chill, and keep it cold from there.

20 minutes + chilling · Basic

Eating Fish Raw: What Freezing Actually Does

Raw freshwater and saltwater fish carries worms and flukes. FDA's parasite-killing freezing schedules are specific, and 'it sat in the snow overnight' is not one of them.

7 days freezing · Advanced

Vacuum-Packed and Oil-Packed Fish: The Botulism Trap

Removing the air is what lets the dangerous organism grow. Why sealed and oil-covered fish is not a shelf-stable food, and how to thaw a vacuum pack safely.

Reference · Advanced

Mercury and Contaminants in Your Own Catch

Your own fish is not automatically safe fish. What FDA and EPA say when there is no advisory for the waterbody, and why cooking does not fix mercury.

Reference · Basic

Protected Species and Bycatch: What You Must Not Keep

A turtle, a seabird or a sturgeon in your gear is not automatically food. How to release them without killing them, and who to call when you cannot.

Reference · Basic

Ice Fishing: Thickness Numbers and Carbon Monoxide

Two things kill ice anglers: thin ice and a fuel heater in a closed shelter. Minnesota DNR's thickness guidelines and ventilation rule, with the caveats attached.

Full day · Advanced

CommunityFree

Build a Document Kit That Survives the House

Ready.gov and the CFPB disaster checklist name the records to copy, where the copies go, and why one home safe is not a backup.

Weekend · Basic

Cash and Small Change When Cards Stop Working

Ready.gov says keep a small cash reserve and small bills because ATMs and cards may fail — and gives no dollar target. Here is the honest version.

30 minutes · Basic

Barter and Local Exchange Without Money

What you can actually do when money is scarce: small, inspectable exchanges, fair pricing against ordinary prices, and the scam patterns Ready.gov warns about.

Reference · Basic

Mutual Aid: Organizing Your Street Without Becoming a Target

Ready.gov and the CERT manual describe what neighbor networks actually do — needs inventory, roles, meeting places — and where the armed 'security' posture has no support.

Evening meeting · Intermediate

Hygiene Without Power: Soap, Menstrual Supplies and Laundry

CDC's handwashing and menstrual-hygiene rules, ATSDR's lye hazards for soap making, and the honest answer on bleach ratios for laundry.

Reference · Intermediate

Pets and Livestock When the Grid Is Down

Water needs that vary by species, Red Cross's rule on evacuating animals, heat limits for horses, and the feed and disease controls that hold up.

Half day · Intermediate

Dental Emergencies When There Is No Dentist

ADA and MedlinePlus first aid for toothache, a lost filling, and a knocked-out tooth — plus the jaw swelling that means stop and evacuate.

Reference · Intermediate

MedicalFree

Infected Wounds: Spot the Spread, Clean It Safely

What normal healing looks like, the red streak that means go, five minutes of running water for a puncture, and why kitchen honey and garlic are not treatment.

Reference · Intermediate

Medicines and Insulin When the Power Is Out

FDA's emergency insulin limits (59–86°F for up to 28 days), why never freezing insulin matters, and the paper medication record to make before the outage.

1 hour · Intermediate

Feeding an Infant Without Power or Clean Water

CDC's emergency order of preference — breastfeeding, then ready-to-feed formula — the 2-hour and 1-hour clocks, and why homemade formula hospitalizes babies.

Reference · Intermediate

Sprains, Strains and Suspected Fractures

Splint in the position found, include the joint above and below, check circulation twice — and why being able to walk proves nothing.

Reference · Intermediate

Burns: Cool 20 Minutes, Cover Loosely, Know When to Go

Red Cross's 20 minutes of cool running water, the palm-size trigger for emergency care, and the butter, toothpaste and ice habits to drop.

Reference · Basic

Diarrhea and Dehydration: Rehydrate at Home

WHO's exact household rehydration recipe, the 2-hour and 1-hour rules, the signs that mean evacuate, and why loperamide is not for babies.

Reference · Intermediate

MobilityFree

Bicycles as Transportation When Fuel Is Gone

Inspect before you load, carry a kit that matches this bicycle, and know which repairs are field repairs and which are structural.

Reference · Intermediate

Hauling Cargo by Bicycle or Handcart

The lowest applicable rating wins. Burley's 2023 Flatbed: 100 lb cargo, 2–20 lb at the hitch, 15 mph on smooth roads and 5 mph in turns.

Half day · Intermediate

Walking Long Distances With a Load

A thumb's width of boot fit, wool not cotton, stopping at the first hot spot — and NPS's honest pace: about 1 mph climbing in the Grand Canyon.

Reference · Basic

Storing Fuel Safely — and Keeping It Usable

Lehi's 5-gallon recommendation against a 25-gallon code maximum, Briggs' 30-day deterioration onset, and EPA's honest account of ethanol and water.

Weekend · Advanced

Knots, Lashings and Cordage That Hold

Samson's 5:1 or 10:1 safety factors, a bowline near 55% of unknotted strength in the 9 mm study, and why none of those numbers make climbing on them acceptable.

Practice evening · Basic

Hand Tools and the Repairs a Household Can Actually Do

Gränsfors's very dry wedge, iFixit's stitch choices, Tenacious Tape's ½-inch overlap and 24-hour cure, and G/flex's 24 hours before any load.

Ongoing · Intermediate

PreservationFree

Pressure Canning Low-Acid Foods Without Botulism

NCHFP's 240–250°F under pressure, 10 minutes of steam exhaust, a dial gauge tested yearly, and the rule that a seal proves closure — not safety.

Full day · Advanced

Water-Bath Canning High-Acid Foods

pH 4.6 or lower, tomatoes acidified with 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice per quart, 1–2 inches of water, and a full boil that never stops.

Half day · Intermediate

Safe Vegetable Lacto-Fermentation

Sauerkraut at 2.25–2.5% salt by cabbage weight, 70–75°F for 3–4 weeks, vegetables held 1–2 inches under brine — and why white mold is not a safe skim.

3–6 weeks · Intermediate

Smoking Meat and Fish: Cooked Is Not Preserved

Alaska Extension's 160°F internal for at least 30 minutes for hot-smoked fish, refrigeration below 38°F for 10–14 days, and why vacuum or oil makes it worse.

Half day · Advanced

Rendering and Storing Lard or Tallow

Fat preparation, not meat preservation: extension permits room-temperature storage for pure rendered fat but publishes no validated duration — and warns about meat in the jar.

2 hours · Intermediate

Eggs Without Refrigeration: What Agencies Actually Support

Penn State rejects water-glassing, no validated months-long room-temperature method was confirmed, and a float test cannot detect Salmonella.

Reference · Intermediate

Root Cellars and Passive Cold Storage

Purdue's crop table — potatoes 40–45°F at 90%, onions 32°F at 65–70%, squash 50–55°F at 50–75% — plus ventilation, perforated bags and ethylene separation.

Weekend · Intermediate

Cold Frames, Row Covers and Extra Weeks of Growing

Colorado State's 'up to 10°F' row-cover margin, the difference between a radiation frost and a wind-driven freeze, and why tunnels must be vented.

Weekend · Intermediate

Sprouts and Microgreens: Safe Emergency Greens

FDA's warning that bacteria inside seed cracks can't be washed out, who must avoid raw sprouts, and why cut microgreens need refrigeration or immediate use.

1 week · Intermediate