Recently in skills Category

This is a video demonstration of the firing of an improvised 12 gauge shotgun. Pellets and wadding have been removed for safety. The gun showed no signs of stress following several test shots. This model can be adapted for fully autonomous use. Plans can be found in the DIY section of the site or seen here.

Starting a fire is easiest with good tinder. This video demonstrates my favorite method of producing tinder using shredded currency (useless in a long-term RECESS situation).

Here is a demonstration of a modified paiute deadfall. Please see the DIY for this animal trap to build your own.

There are many methods of cooking food and sanitizing water in a crisis situation. Fuel is the great leveler. Fortunately, the sun is a reliable and abundant fuel source where I come from.

I built this solar oven from recycled cabinetry and a windshield deflector. You can build yours out of a shoebox. It's easier than you think.

*DIY coming soon*

This is a test of my steel bunker door design. The door held up well against .22, .45, 9mm, and 5.56mm carbine AR15 fire.




The design uses 1/8" angle iron welded into a continuous plate, multiple sheets of plywood, and a 3" square tube steel inner frame. As evidenced in the video, this design very effectively traps and destroys small arms fire. I recommend this door design for anyone building a home survival shelter or bunker.

Shotguns are great tools, and no RECESS should be without one. In a pinch, you can build your own. This shot-by-shot video DIY will show you how to make* an improvised 12 gauge shotgun from common household implements.




This design is a variation on a classic (1969) method from the US Dept. of the Army Improvised Munitions Handbook (TM 31-210).

*WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: The contents of this blog should not be considered a safe and reliable source of information.  This video/DIY/drawing is for illustration purposes only. Building a weapon of any kind is extremely dangerous and my be unlawful where you reside. Do your own research, and place your safety and the safety of others above all else.

Hit the jump for a supply list.

Starting a fire is easiest with good tinder. This video demonstrates my favorite method of producing tinder using a waste product from my home... and yours, too.

A tiger is a solitary animal, opportunistic in its hunt, and moving with a stealth belying its strength and mass. A tiger kills out of necessity, carefully defending life-giving resources found within its territory.

Knowing where to find strategic resources is essential survival knowledge. Efficient and effortless access to those resources is equally critical. If the name of the game is resources, than what does it mean to be resourceful? One definition is "having the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulty." In a RECESS situation, most "difficulty" will arise from the sudden competition for waning resources.

It's foolish to attempt to hoard all the resources you and your family will require in a life-threatening scarcity. The smarter survivor will have ample knowledge of their surroundings. Learn from the tiger: stake out your territory and take stock. I call this Tigerwalking.

When the shit hits the fan, safe travel may be limited to just a few blocks in any direction. Maintain a careful record of known food/water stores, strategic vantage/defensive positions, and equipment worth commandeering within a few mile radius of your home or place of work.
Like a tiger, you should pick and choose out of necessity, and defend your territory with you life.

Today, knowing the shortest route to a store that sells groceries, tools, or ammunition is useful. If that store is 15 min. from your home by car, your knowledge is of little use in a RECESS situation. In a crisis, there is little chance you will ever reach that store on foot, and an even greater chance that if you do it will be empty. If you are just now realizing the untapped potential of the tremendous heap of "stuff" contained in your own home, imagine that potential as you expand your territory to your block - or your neighborhood. The accumulated results of literally decades of weekend shopping trips are all around you.

Take notes,map key resources, and most importantly - practice discretion. Tigerwalk habitually - carefully scanning the contents of open garages, parked vehicles, and obvious new resources. Practice constant vigilance. Look around - then look again.

I've walked my dog along the same route for years. Just yesterday I noticed a home security camera that I'd never seen before. It wasn't new; the camera was well weathered. This camera is a clear sign of two possible scenarios:

1. The house contains something of value
2. The owners are paranoid - and as such, more likely to be elderly.
   

In a RECESS situation, this house would be elevated to a location of interest and low risk.

Be observant, be prepared, and be organized. I use this Google Map and Flickr mashup designed to keep track of resources I spot while tigerwalking. When I see something worth remembering I use my iPhone and an application called MobileFotos to upload geo-coded photos to the map for later study.
 
I've recently started streaming live video from my cell phone while tigerwalking. The performances are unscheduled and impromptu. You can can watch them here.

A short demonstration of the essential skill of fire-making. Practice is everything. Info about my fire starting tool of choice is here

A short demonstration of the slingshot arrow gun. DIY here