Simple DIY Projects for Survivalists

Survival is all about being prepared for the worst. You don’t have to live in a forest to survive. Every day, I find and learn new ways and techniques that would make any life threatening moments manageable. I can even apply them to my everyday life. I will share some of my simplest and easy to make survival DIY projects that could save your life.

1. Fire Starter

There are many different ways of starting a fire; we know some ways better than others. But, what would you do if you only have cotton balls and petroleum jelly to start a fire?

Simple! Gently rub the cotton balls to coat them with the oil jelly. Do not over saturate the cotton balls. Now throw sparks on it, and you instantly have your flame. Sparks can be generated by the friction between two solid objects such as a rock and wood. It’s that easy.

2. Homemade Water Filter

What if you didn't have or couldn’t afford readymade water filters? According to one green planet, tap water is not safe for direct consumption. To make a water filter, you need a couple of items.

First of all, obtain a water bottle and cut the bottom side of the bottle. With the bottle inverted, insert a clean piece of cloth so it lies on the removable cap. Place activated charcoal on top of the piece of cloth making sure its compact. Then add sand, and finally, the topmost layer should be gravel. With that, your DIY homemade water filter is ready for use.

3. Pallet Workbench

A pallet workbench in your garage could come in handy. By using a multi tool, like an oscillating tool, you can construct your pallet workbench in less than two hours.

Cut three pieces of your two by four timbers to the length of your table and align into three rows with separated spaces that make up your width. Attach the panels to the two by four.

Measure your table legs’ length and cut four pieces. Attach the legs to the table using a drill and then attach eight gussets to the table legs and table top. Your workbench is ready.

4. Non-Electric Refrigerator

Cutting down the number of hours you connect your refrigerator to the power supply can greatly reduce your electricity bills. To make an improvised non-electric refrigerator, you will need wet sand, a small and a large pot, and a wet washcloth.

Place the smaller pot inside the larger pot. Then fill the space in between them with wet sand. Cover the top using the wet washcloth. As the water in the sand evaporates, heat from the inner pot is pulled out thus cooling effectively. Place your food in the inner pot, and you have storage for up to 3 weeks.

5. Shortening Candle

Sometimes blackouts can get you off guard. In case you’ve ran out of candles, a shortening candle will come in handy. Stick a piece of string in the vegetable shortening and make sure it is generously coated. Now light it up and voila, there goes some light.

6. Toilet Paper Heater

Picture this; you are the middle of winter, and suddenly there is a power blackout. All your heaters use electricity by default. What do you do? This is where a toilet paper heater comes to your rescue. You require a coffee can, a roll of toilet paper, and alcohol.

Loosen the toilet paper by kneading, remove the center cardboard, and collapse the roll making sure there is no space at the center. Then put the toilet paper roll in the coffee can and pour alcohol on it. Light up the toilet paper roll, and there goes your heater.

7. Milk Jug Lamp

In situations where you only require little light to maneuver, a milk jug lamp might be your answer. These situations include a night camping. Using duct tape, strap a flashlight onto the opening of a milk jug that is filled with water. Within minutes, the entire room will lit up.

The Takeaway

With these simple DIY projects, life becomes way easier. You can afford a smile even in the most stressful moments and still live to see another day. Therefore, you should never let a bad moment ruin your life. By knowing these, and much more, hacks, you will always be prepared.