I always wanted to learn the fire plow method to start a fire.

I really want to learn to use a bow drill

I love your web site. Recently I taught a community preparedness class and used your ideas on prepper sanitation. We have used many other of your ideas also and always refer our class members to your web site

I want to learn to use a bow or cross-bow. I took archery in college as a phys ed requirement, but that was too many years ago. I’d also like to learn to make my own arrows.

Until you pointed it out; I never realized all the survival skills and tricks told about in the book series. There are quite a few.

As being an Eagle Scout and being one of the first people to obtain the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge back in the day, have learned that even though you use your skills at the time, you will lose your abilities fairly quickly when not using them. Having survived Vietnam and being Special Forces you learn even more skills about how to escape and evade. Skills you do not use on a daily basis or at least monthly you will lose fairly quickly. You have to keep your skill levels up and this includes fire building and all aspects of survival. Just remember people a skill lost is just as bad as a skill never learned, it’s to late when you need it and don’t have it. Have always wanted more time to inhanse the skills me already has, and learn more about the area I am in for each part of the country, the world is different.

Hopefully the chapter on hydration does include some info on how to purify the water you find. Is the book written for young adults? If so, awesome. YAs (ie, teens) tend to get scared or intimidated by survival books written for adults – a YA version would be a great way to get them started thinking about being prepared.

From the books, I do like that the use of herbs and alternative healing methods are shown in a positive light. IE, when Gayle was whipped, using snow packs to reduce the inflammation and numb the pain. Not many people would think of that.

What do I want to learn? Snare making for small game.

I’d have to go with learning to use a bow drill too.

Survival Mentality is, I think, the most important skill to have. Everything else just follows. If we don’t have the right mentality then we don’t have the desire motivation (Time?) to learn the other skills that follow.

As far as one of the skills in the movies, I would like to become much better at archery. I have not read any of the books so not sure if it is mentioned but I would really like to learn how to build and use snares for trapping.

I loved the Hunger Games because it really got you thinking about the importance of being self reliant. Since first hearing about it, I have not been able to get out of my mind the desire to learn to use a cross bow. I have been researching them both on line and in stores and figure that son I will have enough saved to buy one.

My daughter already picked up love of Archery from the books, this should boost her existing interest in survival even more.

I’m already working on my archery skills, so I’d want to learn plant ID. What I can eat, what would poison me, what I can use as medicine. Awesome this came up though. Re-read the first Hunger Games as a refresher before reading Catching Fire in anticipation of going to see the movie. Thanks!

TSHTF and I am lucky enough to escape to a (somewhat) nearby woodsy/forested
area. I look down this valley. Where do I go? The base of the valley where there’s a creek? Look for a feeder stream? Set up camp on the sunny side of the hill? Find a secluded area for OPSEC reasons? Find a spot where I have good visibility in all 360 degrees? Look for well-used animal trails and signs for food availability? Where’s most important?

A survival skill I never hear mentioned is how to tunnel underground without disturbing the surface or having a cave in that traps you. I have always wanted to know how to do this.

Escape and evade, building a fire when when it is wet.

In my Physical Education classes I have been exploring the idea of teaching a survival class. Some of the skills I am hoping to learn/pass-on, are shelter building, starting fires, food gathering, and finding water.
From I movie hunger games, I would like to also teach my students the art of building survival tools.
I have a long way to go before I can introduce this, but, with-in a few years I would like to have the skills for this to become a reality.

Finding “food” in the wild….edibles and how to tell them from their toxic lookalikes.

I am currently making a blow gun and darts. I would like to get good enough with it to hunt small game.

I was glad to see the poison berries in the Hunger Games. So many people just awesome it’s safe to eat just about anything you come across. Proper plant identification is something I’ve wanted to learn for a long time.

I poured through the Hunger Games series, fun read. I am constantly trying to get my girls to at least think about skills ranging from water procurement to situational awareness. I will have to pick up this book for my daughters since they loved the books and movie. The skill that I need to improve on is trapping. Passive hunting is a game changer when calories and time are low. Thanks for the heads-up on the book.

Great review. It has prompted me to re-read the Hunger games.

I’d like to learn more about tying different knots for different situations.

I’d like to get a bow and begin working on archery skills. I currently hunt with shotgun/muzzleloader, but they would a little too noisy for my liking in a SHTF situation.

I have zero intention of reading those books, however I would like to learn how to forage for edible local plants and bow hunting skills wouldn’t be too shabby either.

As a Scout leader for years now, I know fire is at the top of the list of skills. Always have more than one technique in your basket of skills. I like bow drill, fire piston, & flint/steel. Persevere, and remember to keep your cool.

Hi, Thanks for doing this. Personally, I could benefit from the first aide, field medicine components. Thanks, C

I’ve been attending a local archery range recently, and want to improve my skills with bow and arrow. I’d also like to learn more about plant identification – although dandilions are edible, I don’t think I’d want my entire diet to revolve around this little diuretic weed!!!

I really appreciate your work and share with several conacts nationally. My skill is survival structures and wilderness shelters. I have incorporated your techniques into my tool bag and readily share with others via Hootsuite.

Thanks for the review. Although I haven’t read or seen the Hunger Games, I look forward to doing so. Probably the use of snares and preparation of wild edibles and cooking them to make them palatable.

As a long time avid archer, The Hunger Games helped to refocus a lot of attention on archery as a sport and life skill. As to the survival guide, refreshing my avoid and evade skills was what I really liked to focus on as a skill to practice. If you have to bug out, it’s the first essential you would definitely need. My dad was a career AF Sgt. The other basics survival skills are second nature to me, from shelters, water sources, foraging, etc. But then, as former law enforcement officer, I win has always been my favorite game of all!! LOL

I would go with the snares and traps for small game.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to make good snares and traps.

I, too, could use some more info re. snares and traps. And maybe some fishing tips.

I have hunted for years but do not know how to snare animals. Learning to snare is my summer project

I always wanted to learn archery and snaring animals.

I’ve always wanted to know how to properly skin and prepare an animal before cooking.

I’d enjoy learning how to utilize every part of an animal for survival, not just the meat.

When my kids started reading the Hunger Games, I did too. I think having the survival mindset and some abilities is most important. When stuff gets rough you need to know that you don’t have to curl up and die.

I would love to learn methods of water purification and plant identification. I am new to prepping, so I pretty much need to learn everything.

I would like to learn more about plant and mushroom ID. And how to use the poisonous ones as well as the safe ones.
I really like your site and your e-mails that I receive.
Thank you

I’ve always wanted to learn plant identification and the use of snares I know a few snares but I’ve never caught anything with them.

I would like to learn what wild plants are edible in my local area.

My favorite wilderness survival skill that was mentioned in the Hunger Games books/movie was the edible/medicinal plant identification reference manual created by the family.

I want to learn how to make comertable bedding in the wilderness.eat also what is ok to eat ,what nutrition that plant to berry has ect.

I am very new to all of this, but I really want to learn about hydration and shelter building, then evade and food. I think water is most important as we can go longer without food than water.
Hope I win.

I want to learn how to hunt and prepare game for my family from the hunt to the table and even how to make my own weapons/hunting devices. And I want to learn how to find water and make sure its treated properly.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to track prey and properly carcass game.

In the movie, I thought it was neat how they were advised to not ignore survival skills during the training sessions, but the girl who camped on the ridge and lit a roaring fire was quickly discovered and dispatched by the pack of other tributes, while Katniss watched from a hide spot.

Bottom line: the girl with the fire might have survived if she used a Dakota fire hole instead. 🙂

The survival skill of bartering played a huge role in how Gale and Katniss were able to provide for their families. They were poor and didn’t have money to buy the things they needed so they bartered. In a real emergency money will mean very little. Fresh meat or medicinal plants are worth way more.

I always wanted to learn how to build/use a dew water collection system!

I think bow hunting skills are great — I hope to develop mine this fall.

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I would like to learn the plow method of fire starting. I would also like to learn more about primitive hunting techniques: atlatl, sling, spear and trapping.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to kill an animal and tan the hid with the brain. (That may be beyond my 50 year old abilities at this point but I wanna do it some day.) And then make old school jerky from the animal. Is that a survival skill? LOL!

Constructing the Ultimate Forage Bag. A woman has to eat, doesn’t she? 😉

Even though I’m an adult I read all the Hunger Games books, twice. They reminded me of all the times I went camping as a kid and imagined what it would be like to survive on my own without the comforts of a tent, etc. The skill I would like to learn the most is hunting with a bow, its on my list of things I want to do this year. Oh, and of course learn to evade and escape our crazy government – just kidding. (sort of)

Thanks for the opportunity!

I’d really love to learn how to hunt.

Would definitely like to learn plant ID. The versatility from plants is amazing, and can help heal you (medicinal uses), feed you, kill you, or be used as shelter and fire fuel.

I’ve always wanted to learn to hunt with a bow.

I always wanted to learn the bow drill as well as how to shoot with a takedown bow.

I’ve always wanted to know how to tan hides with no technology or modern chemistry. I’ve heard of using brains and using urine, but never seen actual instructions.

I’d like to learn how to track and trap.

I’d love to know which plants are safe to eat or have healing properties, and which ones are poisonous.

I loved the way Catniss climbed to tall trees to be away from her adversaries. As a child I used to compete with my sisters to find who would climb faster and higher to the trees in our backyard. I was allways the winner. I tried to teach my kids to climb to trees, but haven’t beig very succesful, maybe because they are a lot bigger and less flexible than me.
I personally would like to learn how to make a fire and how to make and use bows and arrows.

Dana…

Interesting comment… I’m a “student” of the blow gun as well. I’m using a 1/2 inch copper pipe 5 feet long with a PVC 3/4 inch to 1/2 inch reducer as the mouth piece. I have been making darts out of bamboo skewers. I roll the sharp end of the skewer in JB Weld and let it dry. JB Weld can be filed / sanded so it makes the tips pretty solid and very durable for multiple uses plus it adds a bit of weight which in turn adds to penetration power. Using cotton balls and white glue for fletching on the darts also. I’m interested in hearing about your gear…

The best method for building a semi permanent shelter in the woods.

I personally feel these are skill everyone should know and sadly we’re loosing in this new age of technology first. I find it all worthy.

My favorite part is how before the games, Katniss learned how to hunt, forage, feed her family, and otherwise survive. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have stood a chance in the arena. I’ve always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow. Hopefully I will.

After reading The Hunger Games I bought a compound bow for one of our survival tools. Bow is better than guns, quieter and you can reuse the ammo. Camouflage might be pretty important depending on the circumstance.

I would like to work on my medical abilities. Though widely covered, it is hard to learn how to, say, set a bone, from a book.

I would love to get better at archery, but mostly I need to get more confident snaring. I think this book would get my son interested in survival techniques as he is a big fan of the Hunger Games.

The line in the movie “pay attention to the survival skills, especially fire”
is a good intro to talk to non survivalists.

I am always wanting to learn more about foraging. Shelter isn’t a problem, but food and more importantly water is what I want to make sure I am prepared for in survival situations.

I used to love making forts in the woods as a child, and I would enjoy learning the skill on a more advanced level–as well as foraging for wild edibles.

You can get a good field guide to wild edible plants in your area. Any book store or on line will have them. I studied my field guide (Northeast) this past winter to get ready for a five day survival challange next month. There are lots of things to consider when foraging for plants. I found it much easier to pick which season you want to start in and learn no more than ten plants for that season that are abundant in your area like the garlic mustard. Learn them backwards and forwards so when you are out there you will have no doubt about what you are picking. If the illistration in the book does not give you the confidence you need to identify then look for photos on line and study all photos. Look for hints of smell and texture. I also keep another field guide in my BOB. If you are in a survival situation there could be no worse mistake than getting sick or even death by making a bad choice.

I really like reading a post that can make
men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment!

Love what I’ve seen of Creek’s other lessons. This would be very valuable.