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Best Ways to Keep Your House Warm – New Construction and Remodeling Tips

We aren't at the North Pole, but we get plenty of cold weather here in Northeast Wisconsin. We're in USDA hardiness zone 4/5 and we have wind 9 days out of 10. (Our area is one of the windiest in the state.) Our home is built with the local climate in mind. We did a lot of research before building, so we put together a post to share what we feel are the best ways to keep your house warm in winter.

This post is part of our Winter Home Heating Series, which includes:

Keeping Warm – Winter Prep Check List for You and Your Home

25 Cheap Ways to Keep Your House Warm in Winter

Emergency Heat During a Power Outage and other Winter Storm Preps

Best Ways to Keep Your House Warm in Winter

The best ways to keep your house warm in winter combine preventing heat loss and generating heat. A well built house keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. It holds up during emergency situations like extended power outages. Money invested during building or remodeling smart will pay you back many times over in reduced heating and cooling bills.

US map showing recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood-framed buildings

Good Insulation is Critical

Seriously, insulate! Good insulation matters in the winter and summer. It will pay back especially if fuel prices increase. You can do it yourself. See the national map and insulate based on where you are.

Remember, wall insulation is as important as attic insulation. If you are building new, make sure to insulate exterior walls. Start with 2×6 walls with high R factor roll insulation. Then add 2″ exterior rigid foam insulation. Place the exterior insulation so that the seams don't align with the seams in the OSB sheathing. If you are re-siding a home, consider adding 2 inch rigid R10 foam boards on the outside of walls under new exterior siding to improve the wall insulation (R value).

You want to avoid air flow paths through the wall, so make sure outlets and any other wall penetrations are well-insulated. Select windows and doors that exceed the insulation requirements for your normal weather. Add foam insulation in nooks and crannies during construction to reduce airflow and eliminate insulation gaps. Potentially insulate interior walls if you have areas of the home that could be unoccupied during a winter emergency. Insulation can also be added to reduce noise transmission in the home.

Our walls are ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms), which is concrete sandwiched in foam insulation. This creates a very good thermal mass and excellent insulation. If it's in the budget, ICF is a great option for reducing heating and cooling costs.

Recommended Home Insulation R– Values Table
Source: EnergyStar.Gov

Zone	Add Insulation to Attic	Floor
Uninsulated Attic	Existing 3–4 Inches of Insulation
1	R30 to R49	R25 to R30	R13
2	R30 to R60	R25 to R38	R13 to R19
3	R30 to R60	R25 to R38	R19 to R25
4	R38 to R60	R38	R25 to R30
5 to 8	R49 to R60+	R38 to R49	R25 to R30
Wall Insulation: Whenever exterior siding is removed on an Uninsulated wood-frame wall: Drill holes in the sheathing and blow insulation into the empty wall cavity before installing the new siding, and Zones 3–4: Add R5 insulative wall sheathing beneath the new siding Zones 5–8: Add R5 to R6 insulative wall sheathing beneath the new siding. Insulated wood-frame wall: For Zones 4 to 8: Add R5 insulative sheathing before installing the new siding.

Add Thermal Mass for Heat Storage

Keep your house warm by adding mass that holds the heat. If you use wood or wood pellet heat, add a brick chimney INSIDE the envelope of the home. Place it near the center of the home if possible, so chimney heat loss radiates inside the envelope of the house. A sealed combustion fireplace or masonry stove will act as a heat reservoir in the heat of your home.

Lay heavy insulation under sand, under the basement floor and along the foundation walls, with radiant tubing (hydronic tubes) to permit in floor heating. Deep heat in the basement floor really keeps the house warm. Insulation under the sand bed reduces heat loss into the soil under and around the foundation. Even if you don't insulate, make sure to put a moisture barrier under your basement slab. This will reduce mold and mildew issues in the basement.

Fish tanks, big plants, heavy furniture, filled book shelves – all of these can add a small amount of thermal mass to help store heat in your home. For those building with alternative materials like cob or strawbales, building in benches or large planters can add a much larger amount of thermal mass.

Two Heat Sources are Better Than One

If possible, have more than one source for heat. The old adage, “two is one and one is none” can keep you from freezing your tail off. If once heat source fails, you can still keep warm. Mixing heating options also makes it easier to get the heat right where you need it.

Home heating options include:

Ben Franklin type stoves from manufacturers such as: US Stove, Englander, Lopi Endeavor or Drolet
Pellet stoves
An Amish stove, which can provide heat, cooking, and hot water.
Standard forced air heating
Boiler system with hydronic heat for baseboard heating or in floor heating
Masonry stove, fireplace or rocket mass heater
Geothermal heating and cooling
Propane space heaters
Electric space heaters

Note: If possible provide an exterior air feed for the fireplace/stove, to reduce interior heat loss to the fireplace. If you have a wood burning fireplace or stove make sure you are closing it down appropriately and keeping the chimney clean.

Choose the Right Windows and Doors

Consider storm windows and storm doors. Even a small gap between the exterior door and the storm door reduces heat loss (and gain). Vinyl window frames transfer less heat than metal frames, and are more durable than wood. Triple pane or argon filled windows may be appropriate for the north side of the home where you don't get winter sun and you want to minimize heat loss. Look for high r-values and tight seals, and make sure the windows and doors are properly installed. The best window on the planet won't keep out the cold if there are air leaks all around it.

Add an Enclosed Porch

Consider adding a “portal” to enter and exit the home. An old fashioned enclosed porch entry allows entry without exposing the interior directly to the outside. That area also provides seasonal storage. We keep our big compost bucket in our enclosed porch, as well as winter squash and some other fruits and veggies.

You can also put your attic access through the porch ceiling, so you don't lose heat inside your house to your attic.

Get a Backup Generator

Get a generator, or if you have the money, a solar electric system. In the winter, a generator is a better bet, as the days are short and gray in the coldest of the winter. A duel fuel generator is a handy option, because they can run off of gasoline or propane. Size the generator to keep critical services running – such as electric ignitions on heating systems, blowers and pumps. See “Emergency Power Options for Your Home – Gas Generators and More” for more detailed information.

Take Advantage of Passive Solar Heating

Put the sun to work for you with smart placement of your home. Lay the house out so the main living area faces south. Place the majority of windows on the south side of the house, and pair them up with an overhang to keep out summer sun. Check out “Passive Solar Heating Basics – A Free Energy Way to Heat Your Home” for more info and photos of how we use passive solar heating in our home.

Use a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV)

A very tight house can tempt you to open windows or doors in the middle of winter because the house gets stuffy. Instead, consider a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). An HRV vents stale inside air and pulls in fresh outside air. The two streams pass inside the unit, and heat is recovered from the outgoing air and transferred to the incoming air. An HRV with higher CFM is better. (CFM = Cubic Feet per Minute. )

In our home, the fresh air is routed up to the bonus room above the garage to promote circulation throughout the home. Stale air is pulled in via return vents around the home. We turn the HRV on periodically in the winter to reduce the chance of mold and freshen the house.

Reduce Wind Heat Loss with Plantings, Berms and Fences

Airflow past your home can wick heat away, so adding outside elements that reduce the wind can also help reduce your heating bill.

Treelines

Plant a treeline to protect from prevailing winds. Organizations such as the Arbor Day Foundation and soil stewardship groups supply trees at a big discount, but quality may vary. For more info on windbreaks, see: https://lincolnconservationdistrict.com/windbreak-considerations.

Here are a few sources for less expensive windbreak trees (remember you need to buy for your zone and local climate)

We recommend ColdStreamFarm. We bought most of our windbreak trees from them. The trees arrived safely and are good quality.
If you are looking for food crop trees, we like:
- St. Lawrence Nursery – wide variety of unique hardy trees
- Grandpas Orchard – apples, pears, peaches & plums
- Stark Brothers Nursery – wide variety of edible and decorative trees, plants and shrubs.
Arbor Day

Berms

If you have the space for it and don't mind the asthetics, add an earth berm the north and west sides of the home. This means building basement walls roughly 4ft higher, so earth can be up against the side of the 1st floor of the house just under the level of the first floor windows. The earth berm reduces heat loss and provides ground temperature (earth stays in the 40s so it measurably reduces heat loss on the west and north.

Snow Fencing or Permanent Fencing

A snow fence is a fence that is put up seasonally to control where snow drops and change drifting patterns. See the post How to Put Up a Snow Fence for more information. Even a small snow fence can break the strong winds somewhat. A permanent fence may be the best choice if you want privacy and reduced winds. If you want the winds in the summer to cool your home, a seasonal fence is a better choice.

Side note on this series – August started writing one really crazy long post, which Laurie broke into several posts to hopefully make it more user friendly. Leave a comment to share your tips or questions about building for warmth.

You may also find helpful:

Emergency Cooking – 10 Ways to Have a Hot Meal When the Power Goes Out

5 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy a Wood Burning Stove

Winter Vehicle Maintenance Checklist and Preparing a Winter Vehicle Emergency Kit and

other posts in the Common Sense Preparedness series

The post Best Ways to Keep Your House Warm – New Construction and Remodeling Tips appeared first on Common Sense Homesteading.

This Article Was Originally Posted at commonsensehome.com Read The Original Article Here

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Homemade Weapons You Can DIY To Awaken Your Inner Caveman

Learn to make your own homemade weapons so you’ll have a fighting chance in a survival situation where all you have is nature.

[You Get One FREE] Weird Little Knife Drives TSA Crazy!

How to Make Homemade Weapons

Why Should You Learn to Make Homemade Weapons?

Let’s say you got lost in the wild, and you somehow forgot or lost your Cold Steel Leatherneck Tanto 39LSFT (or whichever is the best survival knife for you). What do you do?

While your situation is most likely not quite as bad as Tom Hanks had it in Castaway, let’s face it. The only way you’re gonna get out of this situation in good shape is to let out your inner caveman.

Let me explain. Our very primitive ancestors lived in a time when every day was a survival situation. Any tools or weapons they needed had to be made from scratch.

So, should you be unlucky enough to have only the shirt on your back while you’re lost in the wilderness, you’ll have to follow suit. Let the training of your inner caveman begin.

Today’s lesson: how to make DIY weapons in the wild with only the resources nature provided you.

How to Make a Knife | Homemade Weapons

Having a knife, any kind of knife is probably one of the best things to happen should you suddenly find yourself in a survival situation. You can use it to help you find food, build a shelter, and defend yourself against wild animals.

So it’s highly fortunate nature is waiting like a momma at a craft table with lots of materials you can use to create one.

1. Stone Knives

Bone, shell, bamboo, wood, or even an old aluminum beer can may work to perform the puncturing function of a blade. You know you’ve seen these a million times when you’re out hiking.

They’re easy to crack or break or shape into a fairly sharp point which will do in a pinch. Unfortunately, you’re not going to be able to use a chicken bone or an expertly-shaped aluminum can point to skin, chop, baton, or any of the other necessary functions of a survival knife.

This is where the stone comes into play. I’ll start by saying making a knife out of stone isn’t easy, but it can be done.

You’ll need three things: a core rock, a hammerstone, and a pressure flaker. Remember, you’re going to be smashing these together in true caveman fashion.

So, having stones you can reasonably grip in each hand is going to make your life a lot easier. Although, it’s definitely an option to stand poised over one rock smashing down on it.

You, with a two-hand grip, pounding until you’ve chipped away at it a bit. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

2. The Core Rock

rock formation background | Homemade Weapons You Can DIY To Awaken Your Inner Caveman | homemade weapons | deadliest ancient weapons

The core rock is what you’ll be making into a blade. Find any large stone, preferably made from obsidian, slate, chert, or flint with a relatively flat side.

In case you weren’t a rock collector in any of your previous lives, here’s another way to decide if a rock meets the requirements for good knife-making material. Tap or click a rock together with another rock and listen for a ringing sound (like glass).

The more rock sounds like glass, the better it is as a material for your core rock. If you can, choose a rock which is already a bit sharp to reduce the amount of time you’ll need to shape it.

3. The Hammerstone

The hammerstone is a medium-sized, spherical rock, preferably made of granite. It will be used to smash, chisel, chip and shape the core rock.

You’ll be using it to chip off pieces of the core stone and to narrow the edges to a blade shape.

4. The Pressure Flaker

The pressure flaker, or flaking tool, is a rock with a sharp point to help you refine the blade’s edges. You’ll use your flaking tool after you’ve thinned the edges of the stone with the hammer stone to make the “blade” sharper.

When you start making your knife, you’ll want to be sure to wet the core stone to shorten the time it takes to shape it into a blade. Begin by striking glancing blows near the edge of the core rock with the hammerstone.

Chip away at the core rock until you get the general shape of a blade. Then, use the flaking tool to refine the edges you need to sharpen.

You can also use a stone with a rough surface such as a sandstone to sharpen the edge. Use some rope, cloth, or leather to lash the base and create a handle.

If you are having troubling shaping the rock into a knife, you can opt to create stone blades instead. Check out the videos below to learn how:

Part One:

Part Two:

How to Make a Spear | Homemade Weapons

south african zulu spear | Homemade Weapons You Can DIY To Awaken Your Inner Caveman | homemade weapons | deadliest ancient weapons

We’ve talked about how to make a spear using your best survival knife in a previous article. The same principle applies here.

Even without your Cold Steel Leatherneck Tanto 39LSFT or whichever survival knife you normally bring with you, you can still make a spear using your newly made stone knife. To make a spear, you’ll need to find a five-foot-long stick tough enough to endure repeated short or long-distance throws.

First, pick the end of the stick which has a more rounded tip and use your stone knife to start shaving to create a spear. Once you’re done, be sure to heat the spear over some hot coals to make your spear sharper.
As an alternative, you can also make a spear by tying your knife onto a stick. Find a stick which is about an inch wide.
Measure about 2 inches from one end of the stick. Mark the point, then split the stick into two until you reach the 2-inch mark, creating a sort of Y shape.
This will create a space where you can stick your stone knife before you lash it on with some twine, cord, or rope. To lock the blade in place, put some moss or lichen in the remaining space.
If you haven’t had time to fashion your knife out of stone yet, you can also use broken pieces of shell or glass or splintered bamboo or bone and secure it to the end of your stick.
If you find a way to split your stick without a knife, you can insert the splintered bone or bamboo into the wedge and tie it off like you would when turning a knife into a spear.

How to Make a Weighted Club | Homemade Weapons

While sharp pointy tools are all well and good, you can never go wrong with a blunt homemade weapon. You can use it for hammering or bludgeoning something such as a weighted club.

The weighted club could be one of the deadliest ancient weapons. To make one, you’ll need the following: a piece of wood around 14-16 inches, a medium-sized rock, and some rope.

Once you have all the materials, you’ll need to wrap some lashing 6-8 inches from the end of the stick.
Split the same end until you reach the lashing in order to create a V-shaped notch. The rock you picked out should be shorter than the length of the split.
Insert the stone then lash it securely (above, below, and across the stone). The lashing on the stick above the stone clamps both sides of the split together providing the first point of security, so it’s especially important to create a good, tight lashing above the stone.
You’ll want to make sure you bind the split ends securely so the stone won’t fall off whenever you use it to hammer or pound on something.

This video from Wannabe Bushcrafter will show you how to make a bamboo knife:

Now, hopefully, you never find yourself in a situation where making homemade weapons is going to be a necessity for survival. But, if you do find yourself in such a quagmire, this little bit of information and inner caveman training may be what saves your life.

Which of these homemade weapons do you want to make? Tell us your progress in the comments section below!

Up Next:

Go to our Survival Life Store to shop some of our favorites self-defense tools and gear!

***Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.***

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 11, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

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5 Home Remedies For Chigger Bites

Know these home remedies for chigger bites, or better yet, avoid the bug's bites in the first place with helpful tips included here!

In this article:

Home Remedies For Chigger Bites

What Is a Chigger, Exactly?

Chiggers are members of the arachnid family. They are extremely tiny, and my guess is you won’t even see them as they jump from the tall grass onto your skin and/or clothing.

Adult chiggers are about 1/60 of an inch and have eight legs. The larvae are red, wingless, six-legged creatures which measure less than 1/150 of an inch.

Because of their red color, you might be able to spot the larvae when they cluster together, especially on white clothing.

What Is the Arachnid Family? It is a large group or class of invertebrate animals where the spiders and scorpions belong.

Where Do Chiggers Live?

Chiggers reside in tall weeds and grass, berry patches, and wooded areas. They could be in your backyard, by the lake, or your favorite hiking trail.

They are most active in summer and fall afternoons – the warmest part of the day.

Identifying Chiggers Bites

Only the larvae bite humans and they tend to choose warm, moist areas of the body.

Chiggers also have claws which help them grab onto your skin. The chigger then attaches its mouth to the skin and injects saliva.

The saliva contains an enzyme which breaks skin cells down to liquid form. Your body responds by hardening skin cells around the saliva, creating a tube (cyclostome) through which the chigger sucks the dissolved skin cells.

Chiggers can stay attached and feeding for several days before falling off.

When the chigger falls off, you are left with reddish bumps. You may notice a bright red dot in the center—this is a remnant of the tube your skin formed in response to the chigger's saliva.

The bumps may look like welts, blisters, pimples, or hives. Bites generally appear in groups and get larger for several days to a week.

While many insects bite exposed skin which is easy to get to, chiggers like to bite in folds of skin as well as places where clothing fits tightly on the skin. Most chigger bites occur around the ankles, waist, armpits, crotch, or behind the knees.

Home Remedies for Chigger Bites

Just remember, no matter what, DO NOT SCRATCH THE BITES! I know, easier said than done. But, breaking the skin on a chigger bite can lead to infection.

Here are 5 home remedies to help with the itching and swelling.

1. Vicks Vapor Rub

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Vicks Vapor Rub can put an end to itchy chigger bites immediately and will even reduce the risk of blisters. It’s the cooling menthol in it which relieves itching by affecting itch receptors in the skin.

Steps:

Take a hot shower (use antibacterial soap.) Pat dry your skin with a soft towel.
Take a small amount of the vapor rub and add some table salt to it.
Mix well and apply to the affected area.
Repeat if the swelling continues (otherwise, there is no need to repeat the process)

2. Cold Compress

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A cold compress can help reduce the itching associated with chigger bites. Its numbing effect helps reduce the sensation of itchiness.

Steps:

Wrap some ice cubes in a thin cloth.
Apply the compress to the bites for 10 minutes. Repeat if needed to relieve itching.

3. Baking Soda

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Baking soda is another effective remedy to reduce rashes as well as itchiness. It acts as a natural acid neutralizer which helps relieve itching and reduces the risk of infection.

Steps:

Add 1 cup of baking soda to a bathtub filled with cool water.
Stir well and soak in this water for 15 minutes and pat your skin with a soft towel. (Do this once daily)

Another remedy using baking soda:

Prepare a thin paste of 2 teaspoons of baking soda and a little water.
Apply the paste on the affected areas and leave it on for about 10 minutes.
Rinse it off with cool water.

Note: Do not use this remedy more than once or twice a day. Never use baking soda on broken skin or open wounds.

4. Oatmeal

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Oatmeal contains anti-irritating, anti-inflammatory and soothing properties providing instant relief from itching–one of the common symptoms of chigger bites. It is recommended to use colloidal oatmeal, meaning oats which are ground into an extremely fine powder.

(You can accomplish this yourself by grinding regular oats in a sealed Ziploc bag, using the backside of a spoon to crush the oatmeal.)

Steps:

Add 1 cup of colloidal oatmeal to a bathtub filled with warm water
Stir thoroughly
Soak in this mixture for at least 15-20 minutes
Repeat 2-3 times a day

5. Olive Oil

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Olive oil can also be used to get relief from the irritation and inflammation. It is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants which reduce itching and facilitate healing.

Steps:

After rinsing the affected area with water, apply olive oil to the chigger bite.
Reapply several times a day.

Another option using olive oil:

Mix a few drops of tea tree oil in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and apply on the affected area.
Repeat a few times a day.

Tips to Avoid Chigger Bites and Chigger Bites Infection

As summer and fall are prime time for chigger bites, it is best to take the following precautions:

When hiking, stay in the center of the trail and avoid brushing up against vegetation.
Wear long sleeves and long pants when going into the woods.
Apply mosquito repellent on your hands, feet, and exposed skin on your arms before going outside.
Shower immediately after being outdoors and use antibacterial soap.
Wash your clothes in hot water.
Resist the urge to scratch because breaking the skin on chigger bites can lead to a possible infection.

This video from Online Pest Control will show you tips to avoid chiggers and ways to get rid of chiggers:

Chigger bites much like other insect bites aren't only discomforting, they can be dangerous too. Many of these insects including chiggers carry diseases in some cases.

The best way to deal with these bugs is to avoid them or control them with our tips here. But, if you're so unlucky, you also now know the best home remedies to chigger bites!

Have you had to deal with chigger bites before? Tell us how, including more useful tips which worked for you in the comments section below!

Up Next:

Go to our Survival Life Store to shop some of our favorites self-defense tools and gear!

***Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.***

Home Remedies For Chigger Bites | https://survivallife.com/5-home-remedies-for-chigger-bites/

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 28, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

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9 Good Reasons To Carry A “Survival Stick”

Arm yourself with a survival stick, get savvy with it, but first, find out why as you read on!

In this article:

Survival Stick: An Underrated Multipurpose Tool?

The Survival Stick in History

A walking stick or a survival cane were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries as a decorative show of power and a defensive replacement for a sword. Yet, the truth is our ancestors have been using them for thousands of years, and for good reason…

…They work! Even the animal kingdom is smart enough to know just how useful these are:

(It may be hard to see, but this gorilla is holding a walking stick to gauge the depth of the water as she sloshes along)

A walking stick is not a new or revolutionary idea. In fact, the use of a walking stick predates history and its use continued on for generations including this present time.

Yet, it is one which is more often than not overlooked. When most people think of a walking stick, it is usually paired with a top hat or seen as a crutch for someone with a walking disability.

Far too few people even realize how important a walking stick can be, especially to someone in the outdoors. We will dig a little deeper into the many uses of a survival stick and maybe safely say, it could be the first multi-purpose survival tool.

Practical and Survival Uses for a Survival Stick

Walking sticks are also known as trekking poles, pilgrim's staffs, hiking poles and hiking staff have quite a few different uses:

1. Survival Hiking Stick

Hold the survival stick in front of you and you can use it to clear your way by parting brushes and branches or leaves and thick tall grasses. You can also use it to clear spiderwebs, especially if you're not too fond of spiders.

Other insects, animals, poisonous plants, and even animal dung can get in the way. Use a survival stick to inspect or poke at those things if you are unsure, and never ever your hands or your feet.

2. Survival Stick for Support

Hiker in Caucasus mountains is crossing mountain river | Good Reasons To Carry A "Survival Stick" | hiking staff
Making your way through an uneven terrain will be more manageable with a walking stick for support. Whether you're going up or down, use the walking stick to either slow you down or hold you up.

You can use your walking stick like breaks to keep you from speeding down or use it to latch on to a rock or crevice when you're climbing up. Besides for yourself, you can also use your multipurpose stick as a support for your tarp emergency shelter.

3. Fetching/Reaching Things

It happens–a supply or gear falling on water, mud, puddle or in an area you dare not walk into. You can fetch or reach for those items with a stick.

It also happens where you need an item over a physical barrier and only a stick can fetch the item for you. You can also reach for fruits, nest, or other food sources up a tree or high structure with a stick.

4. Walking Staff Weapon for Self-Defense

To use a survival stick as a weapon, make sure it's a sturdy stick with a finished look and not just any stick you found along the way. You can use it to defend yourself from an attacker whether it's human or animals.

I would suggest to train yourself in some form of martial arts using a stick like a baton as a weapon to have a better handle at it.

You can also fashion a spear with your stick by tying a survival knife on one end. Don't throw this spear though or you risk damaging or losing your knife and stick.

Hold on to your homemade spear and only use it to thrust at your target.

5. Balance

Hiker is crossing the river in Sweden | Hiker in Caucasus mountain | Good Reasons To Carry A "Survival Stick" | survival hiking stick When you're crossing a log bridge over a stream or you're going through the stream itself or other bodies of water, a walking stick can help you balance so you don't fall over. If you're walking through a muddy or rocky waterbed, a walking stick will help you up.

If you're up for it and if the body of water isn't too wide across, you can also use a long stick like a pole vault to cross over so you don't get yourself wet.

6. Gauging Depth

Relative to crossing bodies of water, a survival stick is handy in identifying dips beneath the waters which could cause you to stumble. You can also use the stick to identify where it's safe to take the next step.

You can also use this simple trick with the stick when you're traveling in deep snow, marshland, and even the dessert.

7. Carrying Gear and Supplies

Use your survival stick to help you carry gear and supplies. Pack your supplies with a shemagh, tie it tight to one end of your stick then place the stick over your shoulders in hobo fashion.

You can also carry more supplies with your survival stick. Even today, a carrying pole is used by indigenous people all over the world to carry heavy supplies you never thought possible.

Hang bags of supplies or jars of water on either side of the pole or stick, putting a stopper like a notch or tie on both ends so they don't fall off. Place the center of the stick over your shoulders and balance your load to your destination.

8. Club

Man carrying blue backpack | Good Reasons To Carry A "Survival Stick" | walking staff weapon
Use your survival stick like a club to knock obstacle down. A pillar of rocks or other objects may be on your way and a sturdy stick can help you safely knock those.

If you are in a building with glass doors or windows or inside a car, you can break the glass with a stick. Make to knock over pieces around your entrance or exit with the stick, too.

9. Fishing Rod

You only need to bring a fishing kit and your survival stick will make a good fishing rod. Tie a line on one end of your walking stick and fish away.

A DIY fishing pole is actually effective and many a fish has been caught this way.

As you guys and gals already know, I am a stickler for carrying things only if they have multiple uses. This guy managed to fit almost an entire survival kit into a walking stick he built from scratch, for under $20.00.

Check out this video from SOS 2054 I found, and find out for yourself, too:

A humble walking stick will indeed surprise you with what it can do for your defense, convenience, safety, and survival. Since you know now the practical and survival uses of this primitive multi-purpose tool, it won't surprise me if it lands a top spot on your list of survival tools for camping, hiking, or SHTF.

What other uses can you think of for carrying a “survival stick”? Let us know in the comments section below!

Up Next:

Go to our Survival Life Store to shop some of our favorites self-defense tools and gear!

**Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 11, 2013, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here