| Just in Case: 7 Methods for Fishing Without Fishing Gear Posted: In a survival situation, you may be called upon to catch fish without having any fishing gear. Fortunately, the old fashioned art of fishing without gear has been perfected over the centuries and there are many ways to capture fish with only a few simple tools--or even with your bare hands! Steps Improvised hook The odd paperclip can come in handy - Paperclips
- Broken pop-tops
- Sharp twigs
- Bobby pins.
Simply unbend the paperclip for a ready-made hook Cord from clothing works really well - Shoelaces
- Unraveled thread from clothing
- Twine, string, or yarn
- Long strong grass, flax, or seaweed stems.
No meat? Try a shiny bracelet! - Food scraps (meat is ideal)
- Bits of colorful plastic
- Leaves
- Dead insects
- Jewelry.
Dipping the improvised rod into the water - Wait for a fish to bite. Once a fish does bite, scoop it up. Don't try hauling it in with the line, which will likely break. Use your hands or an improvised net made from clothing or other items you have on hand.
With a trap -
Empty a food container if you have one - Clothing
- A bucket
- Jar or plastic container
- Plastic bag
- Lay your trap in a likely fish hideout. Wait for a fish to swim in. If possible, hold the trap so that your hands will cease to alarm the fish as they grow used to your presence–be patient!
- When a fish swims in, pull up your trap with the fish inside.
By cornering the fish This method is best if you have assistance. You will need to get something to block and corral the fish, such as a length of cloth. Unfold clothing or cloth to a good length - Move slowly towards the fish, backing them into an area, such as a bend in the river, or the end of a tidepool, where they cannot escape.
- Once you have backed the fish into a sufficiently small area, grab for them. It is a good idea to have a container handy to either scoop them, or to toss them into.
With scoops This method requires speed and dexterity. - Get two scooping devices, such as buckets, empty containers, even plastic bags.
- Find a group of fish in a relatively contained space, such as a tidepool or small pond.
A dry land depiction of what you might catch using 2 scoops
With a spearing device - Get an object with which to spear the fish. Useful improvised items include:
- Pocket knives
- Scrap metal, glass or hard plastic
- Scissor blades
- Use twine, shoelaces, or other string to attach the sharp object to a stick or pole. Alternately, sharpen the stick itself.
Test the distortion with your hand to teach your senses - Find a fish in a relatively contained area. Be aware that you will only get one opportunity to spear the fish successfully.
- Aim and stab quickly.
Collecting by hand This method requires the most patience and skill on your part. First, select a fish hideout, and check for fish. It is best done in shallow water, such as low tide, or a shallower stream or river, although some people are adept at fishing in this way in deeper waters.[2] - Stand in the water if safe.
- Slowly lower your hand into the hideout, palm up, with your fingers extended towards the fish.
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Keep the hand perfectly still -
Be patient while you trick their trust -
Gills are around where these fingers close; on bigger fish, you will be able to dig your fingers into the gills
Bailing out This is a traditional method known well in Africa and Southern Asia.[3] This method is not beneficial if you're low on energy, however. - Find a small pond or small water area. This could be rock pools, tidal pools, smaller areas of water off a lake, lagoon, or river, etc.
- Bail out the water from the pool using a container.
Fish caught in the bailing bucket
Video Tips - Always bring basic fishing gear on outdoor expeditions as part of your survival kit.
Warnings - Raw fish contain many parasites, such as tapeworms, which are dangerous to humans. Cook thoroughly before eating, unless you're in a dire survival situation.
- Be careful when standing in or entering water. Check that it is safe and isn't going to sweep you away or dash you against rocks.
- Many fish species are protected by law. Don't fish without a licence, or fish for endangered species. Penalties for doing so without a defence can include jail time and heavy fines.
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| The average American produces 4.5 lbs of trash per day. 10+ tips for reducing that Posted: Landfills are expanding every day. Between 1960 and 1990, trash production has doubled, and since then remains at about 4.5 pounds per person per day [1][2]. Despite a growing push to recycle and reuse, we must try to correct not the symptoms but the disease, and to do that, we should all reduce. Consuming intelligently and putting pressure on companies to use biodegradable and recyclable material without over-wrapping their products is part of the solution. The other part is using less in the first place. Here are some things you can do right now. Steps - Think about whether you really need that item before you buy it. Can you make do with something you already have? The more you buy, the more trash you will create, so if you can make the items you already own do double duty, you will create less trash in the long run.
Refill a small soap dispenser from a larger container. - Don't buy things packaged in individual serving sizes. Buy one larger bottle instead of four or eight smaller ones.
- Buy one larger container instead of many smaller ones. Since you are paying for less packaging and shipping, you may also pay less by buying in bulk.
- Ask your butcher to wrap your meat in peach paper only, then attach the price on top to keep the paper folded. Peach paper is a strong, water and oil proof beef or pork wrapping paper normally used to split stages of meat inside a styrofoam tray. It is available in rolls or in sheet.
- Buy fresh, unpacked, fruits and vegetables.
- Buy grains, pasta and dried fruit in bulk.
- Look at whether the package is recyclable in your area before you buy.
- Use your own bags when you go grocery shopping. Both paper and plastic bags do the environment little good.
- Bring a canvas bag with you to the store.
- Ask that store clerks not bag items that have their own handles (milk, bottled laundry detergent) or already have bags (produce) or packages (cereal). Often, the package an item comes in is just as convenient as putting that package in another bag.
- Ask for no bags if you only bought items that you can easily carry or if the items are going straight from cart to car to kitchen.
- Pack your purchases yourself. You can pack them your own way and save time and bags.
- If you cannot avoid getting a plastic bag from the store re use it as a trash bag for the bathroom, bedroom or kid's room.
- Go Paperless! Paper constitutes about 30% of average American's garbage[3].
- Don't print things if you can see them on screen.
- Receive and process bank statements, pay stubs, bills, and many other documents entirely electronically.
- Read newspapers and magazines online if they are available there.
- Avoid collecting brochures and flyers. Were you going to read them, anyway?
- Use reusable gift bags. You can even make your own out of fabric.
- Stop your junk mail. A few phone calls can work wonders. It will save you time, clutter, and quite possibly money, too.
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Used but still usable books at a garage sale. - Purchase used products from garage sales, classified ads, or anywhere else they are available. You'll save money and reduce the demand for new products. Buying used is a direct form of recycling.
- Choose to reuse.
- Use fabric napkins instead of paper napkins or paper towels. Find two or three per member of your family (hint: thrift stores and garage sales are a great source). If they don't all match and they're not too dirty, family members can use them for more than one meal.
- Pack a waste-free lunch. Use a lunchbox, not a paper bag.
- Use reusable food containers instead of plastic bags or prepackaged drinks, both in your lunch box and at home. If you do use plastic zipper bags for food storage, you can wash and reuse them several times. Don't reuse bags that contained meat.
- Avoid using paper plates, paper or plastic tablecloths, and plastic, disposable flatware.
- Use a washcloth instead of a disposable face wipe.
- Use fabric, not paper, towels, in the kitchen and bathroom.
They're sturdier and more absorbent, besides. Some cloth diapers have evolved. - Use a menstrual cup or washable fabric pads.
- Use less.
- Buy only as much of something as you know you can use before it spoils. This may mean a one-week supply of perishable foods.
- Cut dryer sheets, paper towels, tissues, and other things into smaller pieces if you do not need the whole thing.
- Empty the trash without replacing the liner, unless the liner is heavily soiled. Separating out especially messy trash, such as vegetable scraps for compost, will keep liners usable for longer. Reuse grocery bags for trash can liners wherever possible.
- Use only as much soap and detergent as you really need. Open your washer during the cycle. If the water feels slippery, and (in a top-loader) looks sudsy, try cutting back just a bit on the amount of detergent you use, regardless of what the cup says. See how little shampoo and dish soap you really need, too. Many products are very concentrated and, past a certain point, more soap does not mean cleaner.
- Cook at home. Raw ingredients often come with less packaging than prepared, boxed foods.
- Compost and mulch your garden with what you grow there. It will cut down your yard and vegetable waste tremendously (often around 15% of the waste that households produce [4])and it will improve your soil and your garden without the use of chemical fertilizer. If you can use mostly materials you were producing anyway, such as grass clippings and fallen leaves, you will also save many trips to the nursery or hardware store to buy mulch and soil.
- Borrow, lend, rent, and share. If you and your neighbor both do your own gardening, do you each need your own lawnmower? Could you rent a tiller (or pickup truck) for the one week in spring when you really need it?
- Use your local public library. Borrow books, music, movies, magazines, newspapers and then return them to share with others instead of creating more.
- Maintain and repair instead of replacing. Don't throw out your vacuum cleaner if it isn't picking up. Check the bag and the belt and make sure the hoses are free of clogs.
- Buy for durability. Whenever possible, choose a product that you will use for a long time and be able to maintain and repair should it be necessary. It may cost a bit more up front, but it will save waste and money in the long run.
- Durability goes for style and fashion, too. It's not always possible to tell before buying something how soon it will be hopelessly out of date, but it is usually possible to buy simple, classic styles that you like and can wear or display in your home for a long time.
- Reuse and Recycle!
Tips - Reducing waste can often save you money. Washing your own cloth diapers is less costly than buying disposable or paying for a service. Bringing your own lunch from home in reusable containers saves you purchasing bags and buying lunches at school or work.
- Find out if you can reduce your garbage bill if you reduce your waste. Many municipalities charge by the can or bag or offer a lower rate for using smaller or fewer bins for weekly set-out.
- Sometimes, disposable items really are the best solution for messy or temporary situations. Some amount of packaging is needed to keep foods safe and fresh and to ship and deliver delicate products without damage. Use your judgment to vary your approach appropriately.
- Washcloths, towels, sheets, etc. can be recycled to your local animal shelter or veterinarian - they'll be glad to have them!
Warnings - Launder things like washcloths, fabric napkins, and towels regularly. Have enough on hand that you can replace them as they get wet or dirty and wash them with your regular laundry every week or so.
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| How to Install a Sling on a Civil War Musket (Reenacting) Posted: Installing a sling on an American Civil War musket can be quite difficult and confusing. Since they are not made like a modern rifle sling, you have to install it differently. This article demonstrates how to do this correctly. Note: The images are of a 1861 Springfield, though all American Civil War muskets have virtually the same sling design. Steps - Unfold the sling and locate the loop end, hook end, and retainer loop.
- Remove the retainer loop from the sling by sliding it up and over the hook end.
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Slide the hook end through the bottom sling loop -
Slide the hook end through the loop end - Pull the hook end until the loop end is tight against the bottom sling loop of the musket.
- Slide the retainer loop back over the hook end and slide it down to the bottom of the sling. Keep the sewn side toward the musket.
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Slide the hook end through the top sling loop - Hook the hook end into the desired hole in the sling.
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Slide the retainer loop up as far as it will go
Tips - Punch some holes farther up the sling with a leather punch to make it taut so that it stays out of your way during a battle.
- Just like anything made of leather, keep it oiled and in good condition so that it will not develop cracks or become brittle.
Warnings - If the leather is too dry, the sling could crack while installing.
Things You'll Need - Sling
- American Civil War musket
- Leather conditioner
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