How to make equipment. How to make iron armor

Trips

If a big city isn't your thing, you like to travel or want to get started, then you might need some information on what to do in extreme conditions, to survive.

There are many ideas on how to make things that will help you on your trip.

You can do a lot with your own hands useful tools, and you can find out about some of them below.

1. Quickly ignite a fire for active tourism

In wet weather, you may have problems starting a fire. So that this does not bother you, make preparations that will help you quickly and easily light a fire.

You will need:

Fuzz (threads) sticking to clothing or cotton fiber

Cardboard packaging for eggs

Wax from old candles

1. Place the fiber into the egg holes.

2. Melt the candle wax.

3. Pour the melted wax onto the fibers in the carton.

4. Wait for everything to cool and dry.

5. Cut out the blanks as shown in the image.

When lit with a match or lighter, each of these blanks will burn for up to 20 minutes.

You will need:

Two identical plastic jars

Baking paper

Wire or rope to create a handle

Small battery operated candle

Glue stick

Adhesive tape

Drill or awl

Super glue

1. Clean the jars of any debris and grease. You only need one jar lid.

2. Measure and cut three pieces of baking paper to fit inside the jar.

3. Glue the ends of all three parts together to form a tube that can be conveniently inserted into the jar.

4. Make a hole on opposite sides of one plastic lid (from a jar).

5. Insert the wire into the holes and bend it to form a handle.

6. Do big hole in another cover. This time the hole is on top.

7. Insert the candle inside the hole (there will be a switch outside). Secure the structure with glue.

8. Now glue the lid with a handle to the bottom of the jar, and simply screw the top lid (with the candle) back to the jar.

3. What should a tourist do in the cold - hand warmer

You will need:

Calcium chloride (or something that contains it)

2 packages different sizes with clasp

1. Pour some calcium chloride into a large bag.

2. Take some water into a small bag.

3. Place the small bag inside the large one.

4. Upon contact with coolness, calcium chloride begins to heat up, and you get a comfortable hand warmer.

4. Wood-burning stove made from tin cans for lovers of outdoor activities and tourism

You will need:

2 tin cans (diameter approximately 7.5 and 10 cm)

Metal cutting scissors

Can opener

Screwdriver or awl

Ruler

1. Cut the bottom from a large jar. Make holes in it to turn it into a ring.

2. Place the ring on a jar of smaller diameter.

3. Make several holes in a small jar (top and bottom, large and small).

4. Insert the small jar into the larger one.

5. Mobile stove for lovers of extreme tourism

You will need:

Small metal box

1. Cut the cardboard so that it fits comfortably in the tin box.

2. Melt the wax.

3. Fill the cardboard with wax. Fill so that there are no empty holes.

Ready. It will burn long and hard.

6. What a tourist needs: one thing fresh coffee bags

You will need:

Paper for straining coffee infusion

Dental floss

Measuring spoon

1. Place straining papers in measuring spoon.

2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of coffee.

3. Use dental floss to secure the coffee paper.

4. Cut off the excess (if the tail of the paper is long).

5. Place all pouches in a ziplock bag to help them last longer.

To brew coffee, use coffee bags in the same way as tea bags:

1. Place the bag in a cup and pour boiling water over it..

2. Wait a few minutes.

* Boiling water can be poured for you free of charge on the plane, airport, cafe and other places.

3. Before drinking coffee, remove the bag and throw it in the trash.

7. Very interesting ideas: mobile toilet paper holder

In the rain toilet paper may get wet. But if you make a holder like this, you can get rid of this problem.

1. Prepare a wide plastic jar.

2. Remove the lid and put toilet paper inside.

3. Make holes at the top and bottom and insert wire to make a handle.

4. Cut an oblong hole to insert the paper.

8. How to make an organic spray to repel bugs from plants

You will need:

1 head of garlic

1 small onion

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 liter of water

1 tablespoon liquid olive soap

1. Place the garlic and onion in a blender and blend until liquid.

2. Add 1 liter of water and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to the contents.

3. Cover the mixture and leave for 1 hour.

4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and add 1 tbsp. l. olive soap.

5. Fill your spray bottle and you can use the contents to repel bugs from your plants.

9. DIY compass

This craft can be done with your child, it is so simple.

You will need:

Plastic cover

Magnet (bar)

A piece of cork or foam

Some water

1. Use a knife to cut a piece of champagne or wine cork.

2. Pass the needle along the magnet several times, but only in one direction. If you did this enough times, the needle will also become a magnet.

3. B plastic cover pour water.

4. Place the cut circle from the cork on the water, and place a needle on top. Take your time, make sure the needle lies flat.

Soon the needle will begin to rotate slowly and its tip will begin to point north.

10. DIY snowshoes

11. DIY water filter

12. DIY hammock

I have long wanted to try making some equipment with my own hands. My first pathetic attempt is documented here :)

I went to the Epicenter hardware store (there are three of them in Kyiv) in search of interesting materials for work. I found there a number of lightweight moisture-proof materials that are used in the construction of houses. They may not be as durable as , but they'll probably last a couple of hikes. Bought 5 linear meters insulating film Strotex from a 1.5 m wide roll. The material is shown on the right. One side is white, the other is covered with aluminum film, which should reflect heat well.

I cut the piece as follows and glued the two pieces together with tape.

I then brought the diagonal edges together and glued them together to form a three meter long tube. Weighs approx. 580 g, and there's enough room for two. Field tests will take place tomorrow night...

Balcony test
I put the sleeping bag into the tube and pulled it up to chin level. The fabric was just lying on the sleeping bag. I didn't lift it with a rope or anything else. As a result, condensation from my body soaked the top side of the sleeping bag, even though I was breathing above the tube. But inside the tube it was 3 degrees warmer than outside it.

Afterword
The idea of a pipe-shaped shelter is not new. The raised entrance, of course, makes the shelter more comfortable. However, materials like Strotex can get wet in heavy rain or snow. They are much inferior to ordinary polyethylene in this regard. The main disadvantage of this design is the accumulation of condensate. I will not use this shelter, since I have a better one, but for some this solution may be quite satisfactory, especially for short trips (1-2 nights), where the issue of condensation is not decisive.

Izomat 120 grams January 2008

Isomat was originally intended for insulation and soundproofing of floors. I cut it up and taped the pieces together so it folded up and fit in my backpack. Successfully used in . The material is quite fragile, but its thermal insulation properties are more effective than travel rugs (per unit weight).

Report, 2008
Subsequently, the isomat broke and came unglued. But the fact remains: the thermal insulation is excellent.

Case for cats February 2008

The simplest project. I cut out a piece and sewed the edges to make a cover. Then, when I purchased sewing machine, altered the seams. Weight - 8 grams. very resistant to punctures, which is superior to silicone and other ultra-light fabrics.

Report, 2011
I still keep my cats in this case. Great use of Tyvek. The fabric becomes softer and softer, but does not pierce.

Snowshoes February 2008

My simplest and most naive project. Unfortunately, I didn’t get further than the first stage due to the inability to try these snowshoes on the snow! That way I would know what is needed to improve them. The basis for snowshoes is cheap aluminum dumplings weighing 260 grams each. I liked their shape and excellent grip. At the hiking site, I was going to tie straight branches with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm and a length of 60-70 cm to the dumplings. The fastening system shown here is too flimsy to withstand large and multidirectional loads. We should have come up with something more complicated.

Conclusion, 2009
Snowshoes should not be shaped like a circle...

Silicone vapor barrier socks March 2008

Quite a complex project. I took the pattern from polar socks, “by eye.” Each sock contains three pieces of fabric. They work well, but they slip. You need to add a tie or elastic band. The weight of the pair is 16 grams.

Report, 2009
Sewing socks turned out to be quite difficult. These socks are suitable for sleeping, but not for walking.

Duffel bag 110 grams March 2008

Explain, What is this, very difficult 🙂 You have to see and feel it for yourself. Fabric - volume - about 40-45 liters, weight - only 110 grams. There are drawstrings at the ends of the duffel bag, and things can be easily reached along the entire length of the bag. There are several perpendicular seams.

Report, 2010
I haven't gone camping with him yet. I doubt that I will like it, but it would still be worth trying to go with him at least once.

Failed windpants March 2008

I ordered a kit for sewing these ultra-light pants from thru-hiker.com. Fabric (“Momentum” - ultra-light breathable polyamide with water-repellent impregnation), accessories and pattern are included in the set. Due to my inexperience, I did not check the resulting pants size in the early stages and sewed too tight pants with wide waist. By the time I realized that my pants didn’t fit well, it was already too late. I decided to contact the studio to have pants sewn for me from another piece of Momentum I ordered (and also in a less disgusting color). The pants turned out great and weigh less than 80 grams. By the way, I abandoned the side zippers. The lightning can be seen in the second photo.

Report, 2010
Momentum is definitely a very advanced fabric. For most windproof products, as well as bivouac bags, Momentum is ideal. But for trousers, I advise you to use heavier fabrics, because... When hiking, you often catch branches and thorns, sit on rocks, fall on snow, etc. Momentum can tear, and sewing up a tear or hole in such a light fabric can be difficult. I still wear trousers (this is my second pair) from Momentum, but I decided that my next pair will no longer weigh 70 grams, but 100 or more.

Bag for map and camera No. 1 April 2008

For the next ultra-light hike in Crimea, I decided to get rid of many of the covers that I was used to hanging on the straps of my backpack (see), and carry only the most necessary things in front: a map and a camera. For them, I came up with a special silicone bag measuring 30 x 25 x 8 cm with two compartments (so that the card can always be put inside, even if the second compartment is filled with things). Product weight - 30 grams.

The bag was supposed to work like this. While you are looking at a map or using a camera, the bag hangs in front of your stomach. When the map and camera are no longer needed, you tighten the hole and dashingly throw the bag over your head back so that it hangs behind you. When you need the bag again, you take the rope from behind your shoulders with your hands and use it to pull the bag over the top of the backpack.

No matter how much I tried, I could not find a place to tie the rope to the backpack so that the bag would hang at the desired height both in front and behind, and so that it could be easily reached from behind. If you wear it only in front, it dangles and hits your stomach with every step. Over time it gets boring. And so, the design is not bad.

Conclusion, 2009
Is the design good? I don't agree. I wonder how many hits my camera would have withstood on the backpack when the bag was thrown? :)

Bag for map and camera No. 2 April 2008

Continuation of the previous topic. This bag corrects the shortcomings of the former. Now the bag with the map and camera hangs under the arm in a place where the map (for example, “Atlas of the Crimean Mountains”) is still easy to take out and put in without removing the backpack, and at the same time the bag does not interfere with the use of a trekking stick. In addition, it does not hit the body at all, since the line of attachment of the bag is parallel to the trajectory of movement.

The design is now flat, with two compartments, a drawstring and four loops to allow the bag to be hung in different ways (only the side two are used in the photo). Attaches with ultra-light carabiners to the loop on the backpack and to the shoulder strap. I'm very pleased with the result. During this time, this handbag was my constant assistant and did not interfere with the movement of my hand at all and did not hit my body. Weight including carbines - 23 grams.

Report, 2010
Over time I cut out a divider inside the bag. She was clearly superfluous. In fact, now the bag is practically no different from a regular case for hiking items. Only by the presence of loops and the stupidity of the seams :) As a rule, I attach the front part lower than shown in these photographs. An improved model is presented. Nevertheless, the bag remains one of my most successful inventions and has accompanied me on numerous hikes, incl. and by . Thanks to it, the map is always at hand, and looking at it on the go is not difficult.

Mosquito net April 2008

Many means have been invented to protect against insects without using a traditional tent. It's worth searching on Google, for example, "bug bivy". At one time I bought a simple, lightweight and relatively cheap mosquito net from Gossamer Gear (70 grams). In anticipation of summer hikes, I decided to make a mosquito net that would weigh less and more reliably protect not only from mosquitoes, but also from ticks and ants that can crawl up to you from below.

The mesh I developed can be used with equal success both on the ground and in a hammock. It can also be used as a mosquito net for the head. The shape of the mesh is an envelope tube, tightened at hip level. Made of ultra-fine mesh (“no-see-um”), through which midges and ticks cannot crawl. Weight - 50 grams. Suspended from an awning, branch or rope. In the photo below, the net is raised 20 cm above the head of the imaginary sleeper. This option is ideal for lightweight athletes who walk like this: they came in the evening, set up camp, immediately went to bed, then got up in the morning and walked.

Report, 2008
I used the net while hiking on. The idea may be a good one, but it turned out to be very difficult to climb inside the mesh while sitting in a sleeping bag. From such muscle tension, at the end of a 12-hour day's march, you become completely exhausted.

Super-ultra-light backpack June 2008

How light can a backpack be? I think it’s not much lighter than my latest brainchild, which weighs 45 grams and holds 22-24 liters. The body of the backpack is made of a single piece of silicone (75 x 75 cm and 24 grams of weight). The backpack is designed for summer hikes in Crimea with a base backpack weight of up to 1-2 kg and a maximum load of 6-7 kg.

Report, 2010
Subsequently, this pathetic backpack visited the top of Elbrus behind the shoulders of my friend. My next ultra-light silicone backpack will have a double bottom, external pockets and thicker foam in the straps. A full-fledged backpack for summer PVD can weigh about 100 grams.

Mosquito net for two November 2008

Now I gravitate towards the most simple and functional equipment. I wanted to do mosquito net for two, which could easily be used at rest stops as well as at night. The size should be large enough for two people to sit and dine under the net. In Colorado, we already realized how inconvenient it can be without such protection from insects, and decided that we would have to come up with something for our next trip. I had been eyeing a mesh tent from Ray Jardine's site for a long time, but gradually I abandoned this design. Firstly, the tent requires pegs and trekking poles or branches to set up, which makes it useless for short rest stops. Secondly, it is too low to sit in. We had to come up with something simpler and more convenient.

In the end I came up with this design. Essentially it is a pyramid with the top shifted forward and the bottom open. The length of the structure is 2.6 m, width - 1.8 m in front - 1.5 m in back. Top height - 1.2 m. Weight - 200 grams. Pieces of nylon are sewn to the bottom corners, and the bottom edges of the mesh can be held either with something heavy (say, sneakers) resting on the pieces of nylon inside the corners of the tent, or with pegs. Loops for pegs are sewn to the corners and the middle of the long sides. You don’t have to stretch the edges, but simply hang the mesh at the top, on which there is a special tensioner, so that the mesh can be easily raised or lowered without tying knots. It is enough to find a branch to hang a tent in half a minute and protect yourself from mosquitoes. If the awning has a loop at the bottom, then you will attach the mesh to it. We will try this design at the end of December.

Report, 2010
Subsequently, this grid underwent a number of changes. First I added a vertical zipper at the entrance. Then I cut off pieces of mesh at the sides and back and sewed loops around the perimeter of the mesh. But I went too far with reducing the size: I no longer fit under the mesh. I added new pieces of mesh and sewed the entire structure to the rescue blanket for full protection from insects (in particular ticks). However, we didn’t like how the walls of the “interior” sagged and touched our faces. We leave experiments with mesh and move on to using a two-person bivouac with mesh or shelters with integrated mesh (like the “Hexamid Twin” from Zpacks), that is, essentially, ultra-light single-layer tents.

Rain skirts December 2008

How to protect yourself from such rain, which falls from morning to night at temperatures of 10 degrees or lower? The umbrella protects the torso well, but the pants (shorts are cold) invariably get wet. Gore-Tex rain pants don't breathe enough and get hot under heavy loads. A poncho is good if you are alone, but if you are alone, you will want a large awning instead of two poncho awnings. The simplest and, it seems to me, effective solution is a “rain skirt” or a kilt made of silicone. The design is a partial cone (imagine a glass without a bottom, with a wide end at the bottom). Fixed with Velcro. As easy as pie. It can also be used as a cover for a backpack or a small bedding for rest stops. It is not hot in such a skirt due to good ventilation. I made one for myself and one for a girl. Weight is 70 grams for me and 55 for the girl. The main difficulties when sewing are to determine the most convenient length, make the bottom wide enough, draw the bend correctly (see photo on the left) and choose the optimal places for the Velcro (and so that they match at both ends of the skirt!).

Vapor barrier gloves December 2008

There was a need for vapor barrier gloves for girls, because... her hands often get cold. The mittens were sewn from pieces of silicone left over from rain skirts. We were lucky with the size of the mittens: they fit both her and me. They are loose enough to be worn as tops over thin gloves. This way they protect from rain or snow. True, in this case the hand does not breathe, but in certain conditions this can even be a plus (if the hands are cold). Having outlined the hand and 5-10 cm of the wrist on paper, you need to add about 2 cm around the perimeter and a little more in the wrist area so that the hand can fit through the hole formed. Then we cut out the resulting pattern and apply it to silicone or other fabric and outline it with chalk or a marker. Cut out four “handles” to make two mittens. Well, then everything is clear, I hope. The mittens work. Now I want to add elastic at the wrist area to prevent the mittens from slipping. The weight of a pair is 8 grams.

Report, 2010
You don’t need to add 2 cm, but 3-4, depending on whether you wear mittens over gloves. The elastic is a necessary thing, but you need to sew it on before sewing two pieces of silicone. Sew on an elastic band - it’s not a field to cross :)

Waterproof pants August 2010

Numerous moves and the inconvenience of using strangers sewing machines over the past two years they have prevented me from developing self-tailoring projects. But now these issues have largely been resolved. In addition, I feel that the accumulated experience and understanding allows me to sew more intelligently than before. I'm starting to design new equipment... Waterproof pants are designed to correct the shortcomings of the rain skirt. They protect the entire length of the legs from precipitation and do not interfere with stepping over obstacles. You can wear Gore-Tex socks underneath without the risk of water running down your feet and getting inside the socks from above. The trouser legs weigh 66 grams (from 50 for shorter people).

Report, 2010
Preliminary result after testing in: I like it. When combined with Gore-Tex socks, they protect the entire foot from external moisture. Pants should be worn in conjunction with a poncho or raincoat, the lower edge of which is below the groin. Otherwise, moisture will get under the legs from above, and your legs will gradually get wet from the inside. Putting on pants legs in the wind can be difficult. I partially solved this problem by sewing a thin jumper between the legs (see photo on the right).

Card bag No. 3 October 2010

It seems perfection has been achieved! The bag weighs only 11 grams without carabiners and has easier entry and tightening than the old one. Now the fabric does not get into the lock, and the “Atlas of the Crimean Mountains” slides in easily. In addition, the bag can also be used as a cover for things.

Windproof mittens October 2010

Why windproof mittens, even 15 gram ones? And then to a) protect your hands from cold and wind on summer hikes, b) protect your hands from mosquitoes and c) wear over warm, breathable gloves in cold weather. This combination now weighs only 57 grams. When sewing the mittens, the hardest part was sewing on the elastic. As it turns out, this needs to be done before sewing the two handles. I only got it right the third time. Not counting the first failure of the gauntlet, the project took two hours. By the way, the fabric for the mittens was taken from my wife’s worn-out windpants.

You will need

For forging plates:
1) Workbench with vice
2) Wooden hammer with rounded corners (kiyaka)
3) Brass hammer with rounded head
4) Brass hammer with a flat wedge-shaped head
5) Forging stump or thick layer of dense rubber
6) Metal scissors
7) Sheet metal 0.5 mm thick
For weaving chain mail:
1) Two pliers
2) A device for winding rings (a steel rod with a diameter of 10 mm, bent in the form of a handle, with a through hole at the opposite end for clamping the wire).
3) Steel wire 2mm thick
For assembly:
1) Narrow leather straps
2) Leather straps 1.5-2 cm wide with buckles
3) Tight-fitting jacket made of thick cotton fabric (not synthetic)

Instructions

Making -underarmor. Made from an ordinary jacket. It should be made of thick cotton fabric, not synthetics, and should fit tightly to the body. To prevent the jacket from restricting movement, alter it. Cut off the sleeves at the shoulder seam. Finish the edges. Attach the sleeves back on leather straps 1-1.5 cm wide (1-2 straps on each side, should go along the shoulder, leaving a free cut at the armpits). Replace the zipper/buttons with a set of 4-5 straps with buckles. Sew these straps on the chest and stomach (the lowest one is just below the navel).

Attach the chainmail fabric to the following locations. Fasten it with lacing through the holes made with an awl in the jacket.1) fully chain mail sleeves from the shoulder to the wrist or below the elbow (including bracers)2) chain mail stripes 6-8 cm wide from the armpits to the bottom on the sides3) chain mail “wings” on the floor - round in shape at the back (covering the shoulder blades), and at the front (covering the breast? along the line covering the nipple). 4) chain mail collar with lacing at the neck.

Forging a cuirass. The semi-cancer plate cuirass consists of a chest and back plate, a segmental lumbar/abdominal part and two segmental legguards. Make patterns. The chest plate should be the length of the diaphragm and have wide semicircular cutouts at the shoulders - along a line running from the collarbone to a point below the armpits at the nipples. A cuirass with smaller cutouts will restrict arm movements. The back plate should meet the chest plate on the sides (in the area of the ribs) and on the shoulders. Her shoulder cutouts should be smaller - so that the back plate covers the shoulder blades. Cut out metal plates and forge them into a convex shape, following the shape of your body (based on the jacket you are wearing). Make a stiffening rib in the center of the chest plate. The dorsal plate has a lesser degree of concavity.

The segmental abdomen/lumbar region consists of separate abdominal and lumbar parts, each of 3 stripes called plastons. Make the width of the plastons so that the abdominal part, assembled from three overlapping plastons, covers the area from the diaphragm to the pubis. Give the plastons their shape using forging. Drill holes in the finished plastons 0.5 cm from the edge and connect them with free rivets (4 rivets for each connection). Make and assemble the lumbar part corresponding to the abdominal part.

The legguards are rectangular in shape, slightly curved along the leg, and cover the thighs to the middle, in front and on the sides. The leg guards do not cover the groin area and the back of the leg. Each legguard consists of 3 rectangular ones, connected with loose rivets. Forge them into a curved shape along the leg.

Assemble the cuirass. Use furniture hinges for connecting the chest and back plates on the shoulders. Connect the chest (back) plate with the abdominal (lumbar) part using loose rivets. Loosely attach the legguards to the lower plaston of the abdominal part on a strip of chainmail fabric 5 rings wide. The worn cuirass is tightened at the waist with a belt.

Making leggings/bracers. They should protect the legs below the knee and the arms below the elbow respectively. The patterns for them should be narrower at the bottom (at the ankles/wrists) and widen towards the knee/elbow. The length of the leggings is from a point below the knee to protruding at the ankles. Bracer - from a point below the elbow to the wrist. Take measurements based on the jacket you are wearing. Make patterns, cut out blanks from metal and give them a curved shape. Bend the leggings stronger than the bracers (for leggings wider, since they cover almost the entire leg) and make stiffening ribs in the center. At the bottom of the leggings, make a semicircular cutout where the leg meets the foot (including shoes). Leggings and bracers are held in place by two straps with buckles each.

As you understand, once you find yourself in autonomous survival conditions, you must first think about what you will eat and drink.

If survival is delayed, you will need weapons for hunting. And also for defense against too annoying predators who themselves would like to dine on you.

Of course, if you have a license or hunting license, you can simply go to a hunting gun store ahead of time and purchase whatever you need. But as a rule, in survival conditions, you may not have factory-made weapons and will have to make them yourself. Therefore, today we will look at how to make primitive weapons of our distant ancestors from improvised means.

Onion

The most effective weapon that you can make with your own hands. It can be made and mastered in a fairly short time.

Seasoned wood is best for onions. People, long time in conditions wildlife, would set aside the chosen tree to withstand it. Tension in unseasoned wood does not last long, so you should make several bows and change them as they lose elasticity.

The ideal material for making bows is yew, but it can be successfully replaced with juniper, oak, elm, cedar, birch and willow.

Preparation for onions. Choose a flexible branch. To correctly determine the size of the future bow, place the end of the branch against your thigh with one hand, and straighten the other hand and move it to the side. Mark your arm span on the branch: this will be the length of the bow.

Giving the workpiece the desired shape. The width of the bow in the center should be 5 cm, and at the ends 1.5 cm. Grooves for the bowstring are cut at a distance of 1.25 cm from the ends of the bow. The bark from the workpiece must be removed. After giving the onion the proper shape, it should be rubbed with oil or animal fat.

Bowstring. The bowstring can be made from a strip of rawhide 3-4 mm wide, cord or twisted fibers of nettle stems. If the bow bends well, use a shorter string. The string should not be tight - the main tension occurs when you pull it to shoot. The string is tied to the bow at both ends with a full turn and two half-loops. If the wood from which the bow is made is not seasoned, then the string on one side of the unused bow should be untied to relieve its tension.

Arrows. Only smooth wood is suitable for arrows. Birch is best suited for this purpose. The length of the arrow should be 60 cm and its diameter 6 mm. The arrows should be as even and smooth as possible. At the end of the arrow tail, make a slot 6 mm deep and a width equal to the diameter of the bowstring

Arrow fletching:

Split the feather down the middle of the shaft, starting at the top
Leave 20mm of feather shaft on each side so that half of the feather can be tied to the arrow shaft.
Tie the three halves of the feather to the arrow shaft at an equal distance from each other. The plumage increases the accuracy of hitting the target. Arrow fletching can also be made from paper, plastic and hard leaves.

Arrowheads. The arrow itself can be sharpened and burned over a fire for strength, but it is still better to make a tip from tin from a tin can, bone or flint. Split the end of the shaft, insert the tip into the slot and tightly wrap the end of the arrow with wet tendon - when it dries, it shrinks and holds the tip tightly.

Archery technique. Place the arrow on the string. Raise the bow at arm's length so that its middle is at eye level. Keep your bow under your arrow. Without bending your bow arm, pull the string back evenly so that it passes your chest. In this case, the arrow must be at eye level and in line with the target. After taking aim at the arrow, release the string.

Please note that arrow fletching that hits your hand or cheek can cause severe skin abrasions when fired. Cover your cheek with a piece of cloth wrapped around your face, and wear a leather gaiter or pad to protect your arm from the elbow.

Sling

A sling is a throwing weapon, which is a belt or rope with a leather pocket in the middle (if there is no leather, then any durable fabric will do). The whole belt is pulled through the slits at the edges of the pocket, or its halves are tied or sewn to them.

Sling throwing technique. As throwing projectiles, use round smooth pebbles, reaching a diameter of 2 cm. Spin the sling over your head so that the plane of rotation is directed towards the target. Release one end of the belt and the stone will fly towards the target. Accuracy and the required striking range can be achieved by selecting the length of the sling.

Slingshot

Take a strong, elastic branch with a fork (hazel is best suited for this purpose) and a piece of elastic material (a tube from a wheel or an elastic band from clothing). Secure a pocket in the center of the rubber strip, and tie the ends of the strip to the branches of the fork. Use small stones as projectiles. on birds, load your sling and slingshot with several stones at once.

A spear

For piercing, a straight stick 1.8 m long is best suited, for a throwing spear (dart) - 90 cm long. To improve the accuracy of the throw, make a wooden throwing device, which should be half as long as the spear. The spear tip can be made from flint, bone or tin can. You can also tie a knife to the spear, but if you only have one, then it’s not worth the risk.

Throwing device

Find a piece of wood with a branch that will serve as a handle. The diameter of the piece of wood should be twice the diameter of the spear. Split it down the center using a knife as a wedge.

Select a smooth groove on the mostly flat surface of the throwing device. The untouched part will become a stop that will strengthen the throw. Holding the spear at shoulder level, point it at the target, and then throw it with a sharp movement, sending the handle of the throwing device forward and slightly downward.

The simplest hunting device also includes a bolas, which is a forked rope with stones tied to each end. A skillfully thrown bolas entangles the animal's legs and deprives it of the ability to move.

Well, let us remind you...

Never, under any circumstances, point a weapon at people, even as a joke. Otherwise, a bowstring falling from your fingers could shorten someone’s life, and send you to jail for several years.

At the end of last season I tested the Term-a-rest Neoair xlite inflatable and really liked it. The advantages include high thermal insulation properties (R-value > 3) with low weight (350-460 g) and a huge plus for sleep comfort. Of course, he also has his shortcomings, but that’s not the point now. You need to inflate this mat with your mouth, which is quite simple, but there are several nuances: Firstly, the temperature of the air from the lungs is higher than the surrounding air and, therefore, after some time the mat is deflated due to air compression during cooling. Secondly, moisture from the lungs enters the mat and is deposited there on the walls, reducing thermal insulation and increasing weight. I have no idea how to dry this rug, so I thought about a pump. On the American Internet I found very good option ultra-lightweight mat pump. But, as usual, we don’t have all the goods from the nearest supermarket, which by some miracle, in terms of diameters and threads, are ideal for camping equipment (this is not the first time I’ve encountered this). Therefore, I modernized the design to suit our realities.

To make a pump for a mat we will need:

plastic lemonade bottle - any
Garbage bag, I used a 60 liter
A piece of rubber or neoprene ~3mm thick, rubber is better, but I only had neoprene

Tools:

Fine tooth hacksaw - I used a hacksaw
Knife with a narrow blade
Scissors
Sandpaper

Let's get started (I apologize in advance for the quality of the photo - my daughter helped me take pictures, it was a debut for her :)). The first step is to saw off the neck of the bottle just below the ring on the neck. The safety ring that remains from the plug after the first unscrewing must also be removed. Carefully sand the cut area or cut off the burrs with a knife.

The next step is to cut a hole in the plug with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the valve on the mat. An exact match is not necessary here, the main thing is that the flap of the mat fits easily into the hole. This operation is convenient to do with a short thin knife.

Next, you need to cut a washer from neoprene or rubber with an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the plug, and an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the mat valve. Our American colleagues are deprived of this step because you can buy this washer from them in the plumbing department and it will fit perfectly with their bottles and rugs.

If you make it from rubber, then you can give a small allowance. I made it from neoprene, so the first version of the hole turned out to be too large, the neoprene stretched and let air through. I had to make the second option - smaller.

Now we need to make a chamber in which air will be pumped. Any package can be used for this. I took “extra strong” garbage bags. The bottom corner of the bag needs to be cut off so that the resulting hole can be pressed onto the neck of the bottle.

All that remains is to insert the rubber washer into the cork and screw it onto the neck of the bag.

If you made the gasket from rubber, this is the end of the process; if you made it from neoprene, like me, you will have to tinker a little more. The fact is that neoprene is much softer than rubber and when pumping air the pump can fly off the valve. Therefore, for control, I also put on a rubber band for money to hold the pump on the valve

Now you can pump up. This is done by capturing air through the neck of the bag and then squeezing the bag itself (below there will be a video demonstrating how to do this). Don't forget to open the valve on the mat. There is no need to rush, otherwise you may damage the package. Pumps up pretty quickly. I only tested it at home, I wonder how this pump will behave in the forest, where there is rain and other weather conditions.

The weight of the entire product was less than 20 grams, which is noticeably lower than the proprietary solution. The maintainability of such a pump is very high; if you are afraid that the bag will burst, you can use two bags, inserting one into the other, or take a spare one with you.

As a result test trials It turned out that with my mouth I inflate a size L mat (196x63 cm) in 1 minute and 16 seconds and in 16 breaths, although my lung capacity is larger than the average. At the same time, I begin to experience mild hyperventilation. And with the help of a pump, I inflated the same mat in 5 minutes and in the end the neoprene gasket could no longer withstand the pressure and released air. I had to blow through my mouth a couple more times. Apparently, it will be necessary to replace neoprene with rubber and repeat the experiment. Here is a video demonstrating how this pump works.

To summarize, we can say that the prototype turned out to be quite functional, but in the end the pump cannot cope with the increased pressure, requiring a final pumping with the mouth. There is still room for improvement here. But overall, I’m pleased with the preliminary results; I’ll test it in the fields.