

How To: Start a fire without kindling
You don't need a stock pile of kindling to hold the flame and really get your fire started. There are a variety of creative yet effective substitutes. Leftover chips from lunch, an extra toilet paper roll, these are only a few ideas on how to start your next fire.

How To: Make a cheap woodburning stove for camping
Finding yourself in the wilderness where there is no chance of possibly making a fire outside is pretty dangerous. But you can avoid the danger by making your very own cheap woodburning stove for the inside of you shelter. Enjoy!

How To: Lash a bamboo tripod
In this tutorial, we learn how to lash a bamboo tripod. First, you will tie a clove hitch by taking one piece of bamboo and wrapping the rope around it, then crossing the two sides of the string together to make a hitch. Next, you will secure the clove hitch around the third piece of bamboo. Now, you will rap all the pieces of bamboo together with the rope. Continue to do this until all the pieces feel secure together. Wrap the rope several times around each of the pieces, then wrap it in the...

How To: Make an All-Night Campfire with Just One Log
The next time you're out camping, whether it's outdoors in the wilderness or right outside in your own backyard, try this hack out for an effortless campfire all night long. While there is definitely some prep work involved, it's well worth it if you don't need a huge bonfire, and more so if you plan on cooking meals over the flames.

How To: Use Diagonal Lashings to tie poles together
Diagonal lashings are a popular type of knot for building structures with wooden poles that allows you to join two poles at a 45-90 degree angle. It can replace a square lashing, but not vice versa. This video will show you how to tie a diagonal lashing yourself, which can be used in all sorts of outdoor construction projects.

How To: Sharpen a swiss army knife
Learning how to maintain and sharpen your Swiss army knife is an important skill for campers and backpackers. You will need to have a sharpening stone that can be dry or wet. To use a wet stone simply add a little bit of water or homing oil. Keep the blade at an angle of 5 to 7 degrees from the surface of the stone and move the blade back and forth or in a circular motion.

How To: Make a stone rocket stove
To build a stone rocket stove, you will need the following: stones, wood, a tender pile, and lighter (or something to start a fire)

How To: Use round lashing to build a flagpole or A-frame
Round lashing refers to a knot that you can use to hold two poles together easily and securely. This is useful for constructing a flagpole, as the creators of the video did here and building a-frames. This video will show you how to use round lashing quickly and easily for your next outdoor project.

How To: Keep Mosquitoes & Other Annoying Bugs Away from Your Campfire or Backyard Fire Pit
I'll be honest—I've never been a huge fan of camping. It's not that I have anything against nature, I'm just partial to showering and sleeping in my own bed. In fact, the only part of camping I've ever really enjoyed is sitting around a campfire. Outdoor fires are perfect for socializing and cooking hot dogs, but they're also great at helping remove one of camping's biggest annoyances.

How To: Use a propane tree to operate a camp stove and light
In this tutorial, we learn how to use a propane tree to operate a camp stove. Start off with your propane tree that connects together simply. Attach this to the propane adapter so you can use the propane for both the stove and lantern. The lantern will be able to stay on around 10 minutes with the tree. Next, connect the eight foot adapter to the propane tree and place it on an attachment into the stove to use for heat. It only takes about five minutes to hook all of this up, and it will maxi...

How To: Build a campfire in snow
Building winter campfires is a great way to stay warm, cook food, and have fun! Learn all about how to make a campfire, from gathering kindling and cutting wood to lighting and fanning the fire, in this free cold weather camping video guide series.

How To: Tie the Miller's Knot (bag or sack knot)
In order to tie a Miller's Knot, which is also known as the bag or sack knot, you should begin by wrapping the rope around the object you wish to bind: the Miller's knot is a binding knot. It is used to bind things. Next, wrap one of the free ends around it. You are, basically, wrapping one end around a second time.

How To: Make clean burning fire starters with non-toxic materials
It's really easy to take lazy route and purchase fire starters at a grocery or hardware store to aid you in creating campfires, but storebought fire starters tend to have massive amounts of environment polluting chemicals and toxins that you probably shouldn't be anywhere near.

How To: Bind poles together with a Japanese square lash
This clip presents an introduction to the ancient Japanese technique of square lashing. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find it's quite easy. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started doing square lashing yourself, watch this video tutorial.

How To: Tie two ropes together with different knots
For those who didn't learn any knot-tying skills in scouts, or have forgotten them all now, this video demonstration shows how to do knots from basic to more advanced knots such as Sheet Bend, Fisherman's Knot, Square Knot and Thief's Knot. Knot tying is essential for camping, sailing, fishing, and even when you least suspect it. Watch this video camping and outdoor preparation tutorial and learn how to tie two ropes together with several different styles of knots.

How To: Build a comprehensive chuck box for camping
In order to build a good chuck box, you will need to do a lot of planning in advance, in order to make sure that you have the essentials and keep the weight of your chuck box down.

How To: Make a camping sitting stool
There's nothing greater than being in the outdoors and away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. Of course that doesn't mean you should be without basic necesseities. In this two part tutorial find out how to make a sitting stool used for camping. Enjoy!

How To: Protect food from animals while camping
Getting back to nature can be an incredibly rewarding experience – unless critters come along and ruin it! Here's how to keep your food from being plundered. To keep your food protected while camping out in the great outdoors, try bringing along a cooler, a cloth or nylon sack, a sock, some rope, and sealable, waterproof plastic bags. Keeping your provisions safe will decrease the risk of animal attack, and make your journey out into nature a fun experience.

How To: Secure a Kayak on Car or SUV Using J Bar Roof Rack
Video: . This video will show you how to secure your kayak to a J bar roof rack carrier.

How To: How the Hookup or Connect a Battery to Your Camper or RV
Video: . This video will show you how to connect the positive and ground wire on the battery of your RV or camping trailer.

How To: Clean your dishes using dirt while camping
Using dirt for cleaning dishes? It can be done! If you're camping in the great outdoors and don't have dish soap, using dirt is a natural method of washing dishes. All you need is some dirt and boiling water to practice this valuable sanitation skill.

How To: Make and cook with camp fires
This video demonstrates the tripod method of setting up a campfire for cooking in the wilderness. In order to set up the tripod, you will need three large branches of hazel, some copper wire, and a hooked branch to be used to hang a pot from the tripod. The copper wire will be used to attach the hooked branch to the tripod setup and cord or rope may be substituted. Another method of cooking which is demonstrated is to cook food in a pot over some embers. A hole is dug in the ground and a fire...

How To: Cook with various types of camp fires
There are some basic tips that you will need to know in order cook over various types of campfires. Hazel wood is a good wood to use, because it is a quick growing wood. Make a tripod with 3 wood posts and copper wiring. You will also need 2 hook sticks. Reserve them, when you are scavenging for wood for your fire and your tripod. These will be useful tools.

How To: Find edible wild food to stay alive in the wilderness
If you were on the hit show "Lost," would you be able to survive? While most of the main castmembers on the show tough it out through learning how to eat the island's vegetation, we know that most of you probably would have no clue as to how to distinguish between a poisonous mushroom and a non-poisonous one, and which plant growths are edible and which aren't.

How To: Use the common rope seizing knot
Rope seizing is a technique that is used when two things need to be held together with rope, like two pieces of timber for example. This video from ITS Tactical demonstrates how to use some cord to perform rope seizing on a big, heavy rope so that you can use it to suspend an object or perform other heavy rope-using tasks.

How To: Make a fire with chapstick and cottonballs
This is a survival video which shows how to make a fire out of chap stick and cotton balls. This is called the wicks/wax principle. For the wick, cotton balls are used. For the wax, any petroleum based product is good. In this case chap stick is used. Take a big chunk of chap stick out of the tube, about 1 inch. Smear the chap stick into the cotton ball. This will evenly distribute the chap stick throughout the cotton ball. Spread out the chap stick filled cotton ball so that it creates a big...

How To: Make char cloth to start your fire
In this weekend project, MAKE and KipKay show you how to make a char cloth to start a campfire in a hurry. Char cloth is cheap and effective stuff. You need a metal container, an old t-shirt, and a can of Sterno, and then you're pretty much good to go.

How To: Dehydrate spaghetti sauce for camping
This video shows you how to dehydrate spaghetti sauce in your oven to take on your next backpacking trip. This can be a great space saver for those long backpacking or camping trips.

How To: Making a handcuff knot
Learn how to tie the handcuff knot. This is for entertainment purposes only. Using restraints, especially making them too tight, can cut off one's circulation and cause very serious injuries.

How To: Pitch a terra nova laser competition tent
We show you how to pitch a single pole Laser Competition tent. This is a must-see video for all those camping lovers as we show you exactly how to pitch a tent effectively. Pitch a terra nova laser competition tent.

How To: Loosen or Unstick Frozen RV or Camper Stairs That Will Not Fold In
Video: . This video will show you how to free-up manual folding RV stairs that are frozen and will not fold in or retract for you.

How To: Get Your Camper or RV Toilet to Stop Smelling
Video: . Nobody likes an RV or camper toilet that smells, this video will show you how to prevent your RV toilet from smelling.

How To: Pack Personal Gear for a Canoe Trip
The basics of how to pack personal gear for a canoe trip. This video doesn't cover food or larger gear like tents and canoes, but the rest is covered. Enjoy!

How To: Fix or Replace a Broken Clearance Light on PopUp Camper and Utility Trailer
This video will show you how to fix or repair a broken clearance light on your popup camper. This will also work on a utility trailer.

How To: Set Up Popup Camper or Tent Trailer
This video will show you how to set up your popup camper also known as a tent trailer.

How To: Make a Survival Light Source
This is just a simple survival light source. You can use a cheap outdoor solar yard light like the one in the video from walmart. There only about 3 to 5 bucks but you can use them not only as a light source but a way to recharge AA rechargeable batteries.

How To: Make a Swedish Torch (AKA Canadian Candle)
It's known that during the Thirty Years' War that took place in Europe between 1618 and 1648, soldiers used Swedish fire torches (also called Canadian candles) for heating, lighting, and cooking meals.


News: Brooklynites Build Skull-Shaped Igloo Fortress
What better place to brave the Snowpocalypse than in a snowy simulacrum of a human skull? For those of you old enough to remember He-Man, yes, that's Castle Grayskull. And, oddly enough, the artist, Kilroy III, has actually done this before—nearly 20 years ago:

How To: Make a survival belt out of paracord using the cobra knot
All you need is a single long piece (at least fifteen meters) of sturdy paracord, as well as a clasp for either end. You can also use this technique to make a rifle sling or something else for which you will need a long length of woven paracord. The knot itself is not difficult - just watch carefully and make sure you've given yourself enough time to finish this project. A great project to make for yourself, or the survivalist in your life.