There are many things we can do to mentally and physically prepare for a SHTF moment, whether it is a situation where you need to get out of dodge ASAP or if you get lost in the wilds. I'm busy working on improving my practical skills that could be used if I ended up in that type of scenario. I thought I'd share my experiences as they may be useful to someone else too.
Most of these are simple things that you wouldn't normally think about, but in a bad situation could potentially save your life or could just make your outdoors experience better.
Simple Live Trap
This weekend I decided to try my hand at trap making. This is by no means advanced, in fact this particular method is simple and easy as long as you have some cordage and access to straight sticks (simple enough to make, I was surprised at how easy it was).
My prototype is not very big (about A3 in size) so wouldn't be able to catch anything sizeable but this trap can be upscaled according to your needs and I would imagine it being quite successful for mammals and birds alike.
To start you need to find two sticks of a good length and then have cordage slightly longer than your longer stick length. You can see here I have used simple cotton thread in three strands. I have chosen to not use anything synthetic as I think that cotton has a much better grip than something that is plasticized.
Once you have the two sticks tied together with the string, pick up the two branches and turn the one upside down. This will create an X with the string. This is what you are going to use to keep your laddered cage rungs together.
Start to insert sticks at right angles underneath the cordage first vertically and then horizontally layering them on top of each other and pressing them out to the maximum they can go to keep the chord taught.
You can see in the third picture how this layering starts to take on a shape and the higher you go, the tighter the string will become. Adjust it as needed as you go and once you have gone all the way to the top, you will have a trap.
Making the Trigger
Now you will need to make a trigger for the trap. Cut a section of branch roughly 2 to 2,5cm diameter and maybe 12cm long. Using a saw (or knife if that's all you have), cut a slit half way through the stick a third of the way up. Turn the stick over and cut another slit at 180 degrees to your first now at two thirds the way up. Then use something that you can gain leverage with and break the stick to make two puzzle pieces that should fit together quite nicely. Tidy up the break with your knife or axe and smooth it out. You are now creating a hair trigger. Make a small opening between the top of the one and the indent of the other - this is where you will insert your trap detonation stick.
Basically you are going to then use your trigger to pitch up your trap to create an opening and when the detonation stick is moved by an animal or bird, the trap will fall down over it.
So that's a very quick and easy way to create a live trap.
Please don't use this trap illegally and check your own local laws regarding the usage of this outside of a survival situation.
Have you used one of these traps before? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments.
Images all belong to me