Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (16 page)
Read Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual Online
Authors: Survival/Camping
Tie 7 Simple Knots
Knot tying has always been one of those key outdoor skills that the inexperienced take for granted. The experienced outdoorsman, however, has had enough success and failure to know that there are right and wrong knots for certain jobs.
A good knot can save lives when you’re dealing with a survival situation, performing first-aid tasks, or working over heights or water. But you have to know how to tie it. So make sure you know what to do with your rope the next time you head into the wild by learning these simple yet essential knots. Want more? See items 191 and 315.
SQUARE KNOT
This is a classic for connecting lines. Whether you are tying two ropes together to make a longer rope, or you are tying up a bundle of firewood to carry, the square knot is a winner. It’s much more secure and stable than its cousin, the granny knot.
HOW TO TIE
You can tie a solid square knot by lapping right over left, and then tying again in the reverse direction—left over right.
TWO HALF HITCHES
Here’s a handy way to secures a line to trees or poles (or to itself, in the case of the trucker’s hitch—see item 315).
HOW TO TIE
This knot is pretty easy and can be used to secure tarps for shelters and hang up hammocks. Once you have wrapped the free end around the standing end to make the first half hitch, wrap it around the line in the same direction again to make the second half hitch. Pull it tight and you have two half hitches. An overhand knot in the free end will keep them from slipping.
CLOVE HITCH
This easy-to-tie knot secures a line to a tree or post quickly, but it does slip when used alone, without any other knots as a backup.
HOW TO TIE
Make a loop of rope around a tree, branch, post, or stake (or form a loop in the rope and slip it down over the object in question). Make another loop, and then pass the free end of the rope under the second loop before tightening.
FIGURE 8
Use this handy option (also called the Flemish knot) as a stopper knot at the end of a line. Spoiler alert: It’s also the basis for some of the complex knots we’ll cover later in the book.
HOW TO TIE
Simply pass the free end of a line over itself to form a loop. Continue under and around the line’s end, and finish the knot by passing the free end down through the loop.
TIMBER HITCH
Here’s a useful knot for securing a rope to a cylindrical object for hauling or as a support.
HOW TO TIE
All you need to do is to run the free end of the rope around the log you intend to pull. Then wrap the free end of the rope around the standing end of the rope. Wrap the free end around itself three or four times. Finally, tighten so that your three or four wraps are tight against the log.
WATER KNOT
When you need to safely join webbing, belts, and straps together, this knot is your friend.
HOW TO TIE
Start with a loose overhand knot in the end of one strap. Pass the other strap in the opposite direction, mirroring the route of the first overhand knot. Take the ends of two straps and pull the knot tight.
BOWLINE
Here’s a way to create a loop at the end of a rope that cannot shrink or expand. This knot is often taught as a rabbit coming out of a hole, hopping in front of a tree, then behind the tree, and back down the hole.
HOW TO TIE
Form a loop on top of the long end of the line. Pass the free end through the loop and around behind the line. Bring the free end through the original loop, and maintain the secondary loop, which becomes your Bowline loop. Once the “rabbit” is back down his hole, pull the “tree” up and the Bowline is tightened.
Have a Financial Plan
Whether the economy gets a little shaky or society totally collapses in the wake of a local (or larger-scale) disaster, you should have a plan for your finances as well as your health and safety. At the least, learning to closely manage your money and funds will help your day-to-day expenses and let you afford the cost of other disaster preparedness or financial hardship. Handling your finances means being able to control and plan for other events, such as disability, retirement, home renovation, and more.
SPEND LESS
Live below your means, and you’ll have more to spend or save elsewhere. Take a look at your finances and reduce your spending in unnecessary areas, from dining out to entertainment. There’s also no shame in buying used instead of new, finding good deals, collecting coupons, or going for bulk discounts.
SAVE UP
If you suddenly find yourself without a job, whether due to economic trouble or disaster, you’ll still need a way to pay for things. Save a minimum of 10 percent of your gross income, and plan and save for a buffer of at least three months of funds. If you can, look six months ahead. Start with your basics: mortgage or rent, utilities, and food, and go from there to personal supplies, transportation, medical care, more extensive disaster preparedness, and other expenses.
CASH & CARRY
It’s easier to manage finances if you have less debt. Pay off credit cards, starting with the one with the lowest balance, and renegotiate interest and payment rates if you have a good track record, until you’re debt-free. Meanwhile, create a budget that lets you pay for everything with cash or debit, instead of further relying on credit.
