Knowledge Weighs Nothing

How To Make A Blowgun & Darts From PVC Pipe

How to make a blowgun from PVC pipe

So you want to find out how to make a blowgun? Blowguns (also know as blow pipes) can be a lot of fun to make and use, but they can also be very dangerous and lethal, so please be very careful. They are certainly not toys! This DIY blowgun can shoot through one inch plywood, so you’ve been warned! With practice you can easily take down small game with a homemade blowgun, and the fact that they are silent means you can take several shots to hit the target without spooking it.

(Want a near unlimited supply of easy to make blowgun darts?  Time to get down the store and pick up a few boxes of bamboo skewers and some cotton balls to make the fletch.)

You could purchase a blowgun, but seriously why would you? They are very simple to make, and you can make them to your own specification. Have a go with some cheap PVC pipe and if you want to get more serious with your new hobby, you can progress to steel/aluminium pipe which is more robust and doesn’t bend so easily. Check out the tutorial below and find out how to make a blowgun at home.

DIY PVC Blowgun & Darts tutorial

If you do make a homemade blowgun, make sure you send us some photos and maybe a short video of it in use. We’ll share it on the Facebook page, so other folks can check out your awesomeness.

Apparently they are considering adding a blowgun event to the Olympic games! Time to get training! From homemade DIY blowgun to representing the USA at the Olympics, now that would be very cool. Unlikely, but cool all the same…

(Image from: Enriquethefieldmouse)

How To Make An Ultra Compact PVC Compound Bow

We have done several posts about making DIY PVC bows, but this is the first DIY compound bow tutorial we have featured.

Not only is this a compound bow, but it is an ultra compact compound bow which also just happens to be very powerful! Check out the video about to see how it is made, the utilization of the toothbrush is genius! As always take care when making and using bows. They may be cheap and easy to make, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous…

(Image from: Backyard Armory)

The Fisher’s Yo Yo Fishing Reel

91KEcWzzkmL._SL1500_

What is the Fisher’s Yo Yo fishing reel?  Basically it’s a set and forget (for a little bit anyway) passive fishing method.  Each reel has an adjustable spring trigger mechanism, you fasten them to branch etc and when triggered will hook the fish automatically. You simply bait, set, come back later and hopefully find supper!

Specification

  • Very Sensitive Flat Trigger Mechanism
  • Stainless Steel (Rust Proof) Spring & Galvanized Steel Frame
  • Pre-Spooled with 9-12′ of 60# Test Nylon Line
  • Adjustable Spring Tension
  • Made In The USA

Fisher’s Yo Yo Fishing Reels are excellent for preppers, survivalists and people who enjoy wilderness camping/hiking. Their USP is that as they are a passive fishing method, this frees up the time for you to be able to do other vital survival related tasks.

Yo Yo Fishing Reels1

Purchase/more information: 6 Fisher’s Yo Yo Fishing Reels – $20 inc P&P on Amazon

(You can also purchase the reels in single, or packs of 2 and 4, but the best value come when purchasing the 6 pack)

How To Tan A Hide 101 (Via Several Methods)

tan a hide

I hate wasting a resource, especially when it involves killing a wild animal. I think it is a responsibility to choose to take an animal’s life and as such you should pay it the respect of  knowing how to utilize it as much as possible once it is dead.

If you are a hunter who doesn’t know how to tan a hide, or you are someone who thinks that one day you will need to hunt to provide food in a  SHTF survival situation etc, you definitely want to learn how to tan a hide. Animal hides can provide clothing, footwear, blankets and shelter, so don’t waste those hides… The post below is an excellent resource which details several methods of hide tanning. It is a must-read for novices and seasoned hunters alike.

How To Tan A Hide 101 (Via Several Methods)

(Photo from: pete/scavenger)

If It Crawls, It’s Canned (An Awesome Article On Subsistence Living)

salmonjar

Most of us get the majority of out food from the store; sure some of us grow and rear some of our food, but even then, a lot of our food still comes from the store, especially in the winter months. Below is a link to an awesome article about living on Prince of Wales Island in south-east Alaska. People living here have to survive largely as subsistence hunters and gatherers, and when food is plentiful, they have to can and preserve it in bulk for future use when food isn’t so readily available.

This article is a great read for anyone into prepping, homesteading and living  sustainably off-the-grid as it explains about subsistence hunting/gathering and also shows how vital canning and preserving foods is, when it is plentiful…

If It Crawls, It’s Canned (An Awesome Article On Subsistence Living)

(Photo from: Alastair Bland/for NPR)

How To Build An AWESOME 80 Pound PVC Tube Longbow

So you want to get into archery but you have been put off by the cost of traditional long bows and archery equipment? How would you like to build a long bow on the cheap, which is easily powerful enough to hunt with? Check out the two videos about from the Backyard Bowyer and see how it’s done… This guy is awesome and he shows just how cheap and easy it is to make a quality, powerful long bow, from PVC tube.

I will soon be doing a post on how to make and fletch your own arrows, which could also save you a heap of money…

Archery is a great recreational sport/hobby, and it can prove a vital survival skill if the SHTF or you need to hunt for food in the future.