Table of Contents
Introduction ix
Choosing a Knife and Handling It Safely xv
Part 1 Secrets Of The Woods
How to Outrun a Bear 3
Forecast the Weather 6
Tap a Maple Tree 11
Find a Wild Snack 16
Ten Things to Do with Tree Pitch 24
Using Bird Language to Track in Real Time 28
Eat a Bug! 32
See Animals before They See You 37
"STOP" to Survive a Night in the Woods 42
How to Navigate by the Stars 45
Make a Friction Fire 48
Be a Winter Explorer! 57
Part 2 The Best Camping Trip Ever
Ten Essentials for the Great Outdoors 63
Find the Best Spot to Pitch Your Tent 66
How to Poop in the Woods 69
The Six (and a Half) Knots You Can't Live Without 73
Protect Your Grub 77
Thirty-Three Ways to Use a Bandana 79
Build the Perfect Fire for Cooking Stuff 82
Bread on a Stick 85
Make a Feast without Any Dishes to Wash! 88
Outdoor First Aid 91
Make Your Own Fruit Leather 94
Make a Dakota Fire Hole 97
Transform a Tarp into a Tent 100
String Up a Chicken 103
Brush Your Teeth with a Stick 108
Part 3 Make Really Cool Stuff That's Actually Useful
Willow Basket 113
Shepherd's Sling 118
Debris-Hut Fort 122
Birch Bark Knife Sheath 126
Cattail Visor 130
Birch Bark Container 134
Cordage 139
Log Raft 145
Felt Hat 149
Part 4 Turn The Ordinary Into The Extraordinary
Turn Willow Branches into a Deer 157
Make a Whistle from a Stick 161
Create a One-of-a-Kind Journal 165
Yo, Make a Yo-Yo! 168
Make a Viking Game out of Sticks 171
Make a Birch Bark Ring 176
Create Your Own Beads from Twigs 178
Turn an Acorn Cap into a Whistle 181
Turn Turkey Feathers into a Kite (That Actually Flies) 183
Acknowledgments 187