How a Knife Could Save Your Life

What are the most essential uses of blades in survival? Here are 5 survival tactics that we can employ to attain several physiological necessities:

Shelter: You can use the knife to cut branches to the right lengths for building a shelter structure. Once branches of similar sizes are gathered for your survival hut, you can also skillfully put notches into the building materials so that they stay together better. Keep the shelter small and simple, covering the internal stick structure with leaves and debris.

Water: To fashion a vessel for water, the knife can be used to slice bark from a large, non-flaky branch in a rectangular shape (essentially skinning it and peeling the bark off gently). You can fold up and pierce holes in the edges of the rectangle and tie those edges together for a more bowl-like shape. A split stick and small strips of bark can act as clothes pins for each corner.

Warmth: Keeping yourself warm is critical for survival in cold weather. To make a fire, a bow, spindle, and fireboard will do the trick. Firstly to make the bow, a flexible branch is selected and split on both sides so that a twisted string of bark can be strung through both ends. A spindle piece can be carved into a point on both ends. This bow and spindle can then drill into a fireboard that you pre-poke a spot for the spindle to rotate in. The coal produced from the friction that the spindle creates is deposited into shreds of fine bark tender.

Food: After collecting some edible plants or trapping some animals, a knife is used to field dress and cut up portions of food. The knife can also be used as a shovel to dig up roots. In order to create a fishing rod, fishing line can be made by stripping off appropriate plant fibers and weaving them. Antler can be ground in into hooks and grubs can be found to attract hungry fish. Fish can then be processed using the knife to slit the belly and take out the internal organs. If you’re not a fan of sushi, you can put a stick up through the mouth (piercing through to the end of the fish) and roast them over the fire.

Self Defense: In efforts to avoid close contact with predators, pointy spears can be fashioned from sturdy branches. Not all predatory animals are well nourished and may see you as an opportunity for a meal. It’s life or death when fending off dangers like mountain lions, bears, and boars. Having a knife is definitely better than nothing.

You never know when you may find yourself in a rough situation. With the right knowledge and adept skills, a knife can make a huge difference. I know we can all appreciate the many facets of knives! If you like this content, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below and subscribe for more!