Field journal

Skills that keep you alive.

Researched, field-tested how-to's and survival tips, free like everything else we write.

LatestSep 3, 2026

How to Build a Signal Fire for Wilderness Rescue

A rescue fire is not just a smoky campfire. Build it where rescuers can see it, fuel it so it smokes on command, and control it like your life and the hillside both matter.

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How To'sAug 27, 2026

How to Identify Poison Ivy Before It Ruins Your Hike or Campout Most poison ivy advice is too lazy. This guide teaches the field marks that actually matter before a hike or campout:... Read it →

How To'sJul 16, 2026

How to Make a Survival Shelter for Cold Wind and Rain Most field shelters fail because they look good and perform badly. This guide teaches fast shelters for wind, rain, a... Read it →

How To'sJul 9, 2026

How to Remove a Tick Safely: Field Steps, Tools, and Aftercare Most tick-removal advice online is either folk medicine or panic dressed up as first aid. This field guide gives you ... Read it →

How To'sJul 6, 2026

How to Use a Compass Without GPS Compass work isn’t mystical, and it isn’t optional when GPS quits. This field guide teaches bearings, declination, to... Read it →

How To'sJul 2, 2026

How to Sharpen a Knife in the Field: Stones and Strops Most field sharpening advice is kitchen-knife advice wearing boots. A survival knife needs a tougher edge, controlled... Read it →

How To'sJun 29, 2026

Flint and Steel: How to Start a Fire with Char Cloth and Natural Tinder Traditional flint and steel is not a ferro rod, and treating it like one is why most people fail. The reliable method... Read it →

How To'sJun 25, 2026

How to Make Char Cloth That Catches a Spark Every Time Most char cloth failures come from bad fabric, bad oxygen control, or a tinder bundle nobody bothered to prepare. Thi... Read it →

How To'sJun 18, 2026

How to Make a Fire in the Rain: Wet Weather Survival Method Rain does not beat a fire because sparks fail. Rain beats sloppy prep, wet tinder, oversized kindling, and bad airflow. Read it →

How To'sJun 15, 2026

DIY Fire Starter: Waterproof Methods That Actually Light Most homemade fire starters are craft-table junk. These waterproof fire starter methods are built around spark igniti... Read it →

How To'sJun 11, 2026

How to Build a Campfire That Works in Real Conditions Most bad campfires fail before the match is struck. This field method focuses on legal site choice, dry tinder, stage... Read it →

How To'sJun 8, 2026

How to Start a Fire Without Matches: 7 Methods That Work Most no-match fire advice is bushcraft theater. This field guide ranks the methods that actually work when the ground... Read it →

How To'sJun 4, 2026

How to Use a Ferro Rod: Start a Fire in Wind, Rain, and Real Survival Conditions Most ferro rod failures are tinder failures, not spark failures. This is the field-tested way to prep, strike, and bu... Read it →

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