Segment Ideas

May 16, 2013 By Creek Leave a Comment

Segment Idea # 1: How 5 Random Everyday Items Could Save Your Life

(** Creek also does a great SEGMENT about the SURVIVAL USES FOR A TAMPON!!!!!! Here’s that link if you want to see: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/can-a-tampon-save-your-life)

5 everyday items that could save your life

Segment Idea # 2: How To Build a Primitive Survival Shelter – LIVE

How and why to build a Debris Hut

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Creek Stewart is the Owner and Lead Instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor - a leading Survival and Preparedness Training Facility located on 21-acres in Central Indiana. For more information on Survival Courses and Clinics offered at WHO, click HERE. Creek is also author of the new book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit. His book is currently available for preorder on AMAZON.COM for only $11.20 - LIMITED TIME ONLY. If you enjoy Creek's Blog Posts, you will also enjoy his new book. You can contact Creek directly at creek@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Filed Under:

What can Creek do for you?

March 7, 2013 By Creek Leave a Comment

Survival Training: Individual, Corporate, Non-Profit, Government

Survival skills training is where Creek got his start. Since the age of 21, Creek has been hosting survival skills courses. He is well versed in Primitive and Modern Survival Skills including shelter, water, fire, food, signaling and self-defense. In additional to his regularly scheduled survival courses at Willow Haven, Creek offers customized survival training. Whether personalized one-on-one training or for a large group, Creek can build a custom training course that fits your goals. He’s trained individuals, adventure groups, churches, corporations and government agencies in a variety of survival skill sets. Each client is unique and Creek customizes his training to fit these unique needs. From 2 hour programs to multi-day courses, options abound. E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Public Speaking

Have an event that would benefit from a Survival Themed speaking engagement? Whether on the topic of disaster preparedness or preparing for an outdoor adventure, Creek is a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker who is a natural behind the microphone. Speaking topics are only limited by your creativity. Book Creek to speak at your event today. E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

See a list of Creek’s Popular Public Speaking Topics here: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/creeks-prepared-speaking-topics/

*Did you see Creek’s presentation “The 7 Priorities of Survival” at the Quiet Sports Expo in Indianapolis, IN?

Viral Blog & Social Media Product Placement

Over the years Creek has established himself as a writer capable of delivering staggering results – in the form of measurable viral exposure. It’s no secret that the most effective form of advertising is on-line and, specifically, in the blog and social media realm. When someone is sharing your brand or product, it’s not considered advertising – at least not to the reader. The line has been blurred between traditional advertising and editorial content. There is a way to effectively do both. Creek is the master of writing survival themed articles that present how a completely random product can be serve as a multi-function survival tool to help someone meet basic human survival needs. These article go viral – EVERY TIME. From tampons to condoms to busted cell phones, Creek can incorporate your product into a seemingly random survival blog post that will be shared and viewed by hundreds of thousands of on-line surfers. He has an established network of blogs, newswires and social sharing web-sites that eagerly await each article of this type. Are you ready for your brand to go viral in a survival related post? Pricing varies depending on product and Creek’s estimation of traffic. Submit your product ideas with the SUBJECT LINE “BLOG PRODUCT PLACEMENT” to publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Example: Creek’s TAMPON Survival article featured: WillowHavenOutdoor (54K shares), Artofmanliness.com (160K subscribers), Huffington Post On-line, Bob & Tom Radio Show, Bethany Frankel Show called to get all the scoop, Shape Magazine Tweeted it, thechive.com (410K facebook fans), thedailybeast.com, jezebel.com (149K facebook fans), MSN News, LifeHacker.com and hundreds more : TOTAL IMPRESSIONS = MILLIONS

Can your product use a viral shot in the arm?

Trade Shows & Events

Could your trade show or event benefit from live hands-on survival product demonstrations? Let Creek demonstrate your products or bring his own survival themed props to hold mini training seminars at your event. This not only generates buzz but is a great way to thoroughly explain product details, benefits and features. E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

*Look for Creek doing product & survival demonstrations at THE BLADE SHOW in Atlanta, GA June 2013.

Survival Related Consultation

Need help with a survival or preparedness related topic? Creek is available for consult. Whether over the phone or in person, your project may benefit from expert consultation. Examples include educating restaurateurs about foraging local wild edibles to training professionals in high profile terror-target cities in building ‘Get Home Survival Bags’. Are you working on a survival themed television project? Creek has experience both in front of and behind the camera. Whether staging survival scenarios or training actors in survival skills, his expertise can make any production, regardless of scale, look more authentic and believable. Put Creek’s experience to work for you! E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

Expert Commentary

Creek’s knowledge has been sought out by countless television, radio, magazine, newspaper and on-line outlets. From weighing in on local disasters to providing comic relief about how to kill zombies, a Survival Expert who is well versed, engaging, camera friendly and creative could be just what your project needs. Creek is that person. E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

* Creek has appeared on/in: Fox & Friends, Discovery.com, Backpacker Magazine, Men’s Fitness, Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, WISH-TV 8, WGN-TV, MANCOW Radio and more.

Writing

Creek is a best-selling survival author. He is the author of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide, and the Young Adult survival fiction novel RUGOSA. Several other titles are in the works. He also writes survival commentary for countless print and on-line publications. With over 10 viral on-line articles, Creek is no stranger to generating content with mass appeal and staggering click-thru stats. Are you in need of a knowledgeable and creative survival expert to write copy for your project, web-site, magazine, event? No one writes original survival copy like Creek. E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

*Creek has written articles for: ArtofManliness.com, WND.com (synicated commentator), Live Ready Magazine, and has contributed both photos and survival writing to a variety of educational books and publications.

Brand/Product Endorsements

Do you think Creek would be a good fit to promote/endorse your product or brand? Creek is always open to partnerships that make sense. Whether a one-time web promotion or a long-term brand relationship, how can your brand or product benefit from partnering with Creek? E-mail your ideas to: publicrelations@willowhavenoutdoor.com.

* Check out Creek’s Bug Out Bag promotion with The Sportsman’s Guide in April 2013.

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under:

Creek Stewart: Survival Television Segments

January 30, 2013 By Creek Leave a Comment

Surviving a fall from a Physical Cliff	Survival Kit and great gift ideas	How to make a frog gig
Survival Fashion Accessories	Can a Tampon save your life?	Willow Haven Outdoor
TEST	TEST	TEST

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under:

DIY: Make a Romantic Bacon Scented Survival Candle

December 23, 2012 By Creek 18 Comments

Hey all of you bacon fanatics, did you know you can enjoy your bacon even after the meal is over? That’s right! Keep reading for a quick tutorial on how to make a Bacon Grease Survival Candle.

When you fry bacon, the resulting grease is nothing more than rendered pork fat. A common word for rendered animal fat is ‘TALLOW”. The word LARD is most often used for rendered pig fat. Tallow can be used for all kinds of things, including a wax-like fuel for homemade candles. Tallow can also be used for making pemmican, as a waterproofing agent and also as a lubricant. It also makes an excellent bait for attracting animals.

After you’ve fried a big skillet of bacon, pour the grease into a jar. You can filter it if you want but I’ve found it works just as well unfiltered. The little bacon bits aren’t going to hurt anything.

BE CAREFUL! Hot bacon grease will burn you – so take it easy. As the bacon grease cools it will solidify. Before it goes solid you will want to drop in a natural fiber wick. I use cotton twine for all of my wicks, but a little strip of cotton t-shirt will work equally as well. Got a mop? Mop heads are typically made of cotton fibers and make perfect wicks. You can pick up a replacement mop head at the dollar store for $1 and have all the wicks you’ll ever need. I had a bunch of tampon strings left over from my SURVIVAL TAMPON post so I just used one of those for this candle .

I used a tooth pick to suspend the wick in the bacon grease until it turned solid. 5 minutes in the fridge and it’s ready to go, otherwise you’re looking at a half hour or so.

THAT’S IT! It’s really that easy.

Now, just sit back with your favorite book and enjoy the subtle faint aroma of the best smell on Earth – BACON!

In a wilderness survival scenario you can easily make a camp candle using a mussel shell or make-shift clay bowl.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Featured, General Survival

11 Ways A Condom Can Save Your Life: Multi-functional survival uses for a CONDOM.

November 28, 2012 By Creek 77 Comments

I’ve just come out of hibernation from writing another survival book (details to come soon). I really need a fun ‘creative’ and not too serious survival project. I figure since my SURVIVAL TAMPON post went over so well (did you know I was featured on the OFFICIAL TAMPAX FACEBOOK PAGE – my Mom was so proud) I would keep this project in the same spirit. Hope you enjoy.

Including CONDOMS in survival kits is not a new idea. People have been packing them in mini survival kits for as long as I can remember – using them primarily as an expandable WATER CONTAINER. Don’t worry, I’ll get into details later. While a little taboo, I’ll ask that you set aside any preconceived notions you might have about condoms. In this post, I’ll argue that as far as multi-functional survival uses are concerned, the condom offers an incredible BANG for your buck. Sorry – I couldn’t resist.

I’ll break down the many uses within each CORE SURVIVAL CATEGORY.

WATER

As I’ve mentioned, including condoms in survival kits is not a new idea. They make amazing compact water containers that can hold as much as 2 liters of water if handled properly. They are, after all, designed to be water tight. The elasticity of latex condoms is SHOCKING.

These little suckers will stretch to sizes that will surprise you. Check out how big this one got?

However, while it excels in elasticity, it lacks in durability. The thin latex walls are very susceptible to sharp objects and puncture. Especially when filled with water, the slightest prick (even from a blade of grass) will split it open almost instantly. Then, you’ve lost your water AND your container. No fear – there is a strategy for carrying water in a condom. The easiest I’ve found it to take off your sock and fill the condom inside of your sock. Not only does the sock provide stability but it also provides protection. It still needs to be coddled like a little baby but it’s not AS delicate. Other options are to wrap it in a t-shirt and even fill it inside a backpack or helmet. It helps to stretch the condom a little bit first – kind of like you do when getting ready to blow up a balloon. Condom balloon animals anyone?

A Condom is easier to fill when water is falling into it versus just sweeping it through the water. In nature, if you can find a little water fall or fast moving water it will make your life a lot easier. Tie the mouth of the condom off around a stick about the diameter of your thumb. This way, you can fairly easily untie it. Just knotting it off with no stick makes it very difficult to open back up again. You may need to use it over and over again so don’t rush it.

We sell NON-LUBRICATED Survival Kit Condoms in the Willow Haven E-Store. Here’s the link to order: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/store/products/non-lubricated-survival-kit-condoms/

Just because you’ve collected and contained water doesn’t mean it’s OK to drink. Once your condom is full, you must now consider purification options. Boiling is not an option unless you have a metal container. But, maybe you have a metal container and you’re just using the the condom to transport MORE water from point A to point B. If so, great. If not, you can purify the water chemically with Iodine, Bleach (Chlorine) or store bought water purification tablets. Learn how to purify water with bleach in this POST I WROTE HERE. If you are packing condoms in a small survival kit, be sure to include a handful of purification tablets for a complete water purification system. Need some great water purification tablets? I sell some HERE for only $7.98. Stocking stuffer anyone? I can see it now, a box of condoms and some water purification tabs sticking out of a Christmas stocking. There’s something just not right about that picture.

FIRE

The most obvious way to use a condom to aid in survival fire is to protect DRY fire tinder. Just because the weather is great NOW doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. Finding dry fire tinder in wet and rainy conditions can be very difficult. Protecting dry fire tinder during inclement weather is very easy – when you have a condom. Simply stuff the condom with your best tinder and tuck it away for a rainy day. No rocket science here.

One condom even protects this entire bracket fungus – which contains a load of excellent natural tinder.

The condom ITSELF also makes excellent fire tinder. With an open flame such as a match or cigarette lighter, a latex condom will ignite almost instantaneously and burn furiously for several minutes – allowing you plenty of time to build your fire. Below is a quick video I shot to demonstrate how well a latex condom burns:

But what if you don’t have an ignition source? Fire requires 3 elements: IGNITION SOURCE (HEAT), FUEL and OXYGEN. If you don’t have matches or a ferro rod, then I guess you can fill the condom with water and use it as a magnifying glass on a sunny day like this guy did:

Anyone ever tried this? It’s fall here in Indiana and the sun isn’t hot enough this time of year to make it work but you can guarantee next summer I’ll try it. But, I’m not going to let NO SUN stop me from getting a fire by using a condom so I resorted to a more primitive method – the thumb loop hand drill. The hand drill is probably the hardest of all primitive fire starting methods. Without practice, it can be very difficult to get the right combination of pressure and spindle speed to generate enough heat to create an ember. However, thumb loops really help facilitate this process. Thumb loops allow the user to apply more pressure on the spindle and also spin their hands in pretty much one place. Below is a video of how I used condom thumb loops to help generate a coal with a hand drill set.

I also used a handful of condoms as a engine for a traditional Bow Drill Fire Set. Notice in the video below that the condom engine replaces the typical BOW in BOW Drill. I call this the CONDOM DRILL FIRE by FRICTION SET:

Any other ways you can think of to start a fire using a condom?

Like Survival Skills? Consider purchasing my new book, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide, on AMAZON and where all books are sold.

FOOD

Seriously, how can a condom provide you with survival food? In more ways than you might think actually…

I’m a huge fan of sling shots. I’ve been working on a small game hunting post featuring sling shots for several months and this was the perfect opportunity to test out an idea I had – the Condom Small Game Hunter Sling Shot. Sounds funny, right? Condoms aren’t that much different from the latex bands that come stock with most small game hunting sling shots. Remember, your ability to improvise is your most valuable survival skill!

I started my build with a natural tree fork.

After a little detailing and carving I ended up with a nice little pocket sized Sling Shot Frame.

Next, I used 3 condoms on each fork to provide the force necessary to kill small game. I put the condoms inside each other with a little wad of cattail fuzz at the bottom and used duct tape to hold each condom band on the frame. The wad of cattail fuzz prevents the condoms from pulling out of the duct tape.

I decided rather than launch imperfect rocks with a leather pouch, I would use a loop of bank line as a anchor point to nock a hand-carved mini dart. I wrapped the other end of the condoms around the loop of bank line and again duct taped it in place.

Below is a maple branch I used to carve some of the mini dart projectiles.

As you can see, some of the darts are tipped with a Honey Locust thorn using Pine Pitch. It’s not necessary, but I’m really digging how deadly these darts look, aren’t you? To see how I make an all natural Pine Pitch Glue, read THIS POST.

Those are some sick looking little arrows aren’t they? I know what you’re thinking. Cool looking sling-shot, but there’s no way you can actually kill small game with it in a survival scenario. Oh, ye of little faith.

In the 1 minute video below, you can see the condom sling shot in action.

FIRST AID

Worse case scenario, a condom can be used as a crude rubber glove while dealing with any first aid related issues. It will protect the wound from your nasty hands as well as protect you from the wound if you’re dealing with someone else.

MISCELLANEOUS

Protect Your Muzzel

I’ve heard 1st hand accounts from soldiers who’ve attended courses at Willow Haven that they used condoms to protect their rifles while serving in the Middle East. They would cover the muzzle of their rifle to prevent sand/mud/water from getting inside – very simple and effective.

Fishing Bobber

While there are many natural options for a fishing bobber, a make-shift condom bobber is pretty darn effective. I’ve found that rather than just tying off an air bubble in the condom, it works a little better if you stuff in some cattail fluff (called ‘cattail down’) instead. Cattail down is naturally buoyant and also water-resistant so it’s the perfect bobber filling. Did you know that life-jackets used to be filled with cattail down before synthetic materials were invented? You may need to know that if you ever want to construct a survival life-jacket! The cattail down adds a little weight to prevent your bobber from just blowing around in the wind.

Companionship

Anyone ever seen CAST AWAY with Tom Hanks? Remember his little buddy WILSON? I’ve got a survival companion too. I just call him Lil’ Cody. He debuted in the sling shot video above when I put a mini-arrow through his face. He’ll keep you company when you are alone, starving and freezing in the woods while trying to make a Condom Sling Shot.

I have to say, I did feel a little pressure to perform when he was watching me carve out the Condom Hand Drill set below. I always do better in front of an audience anyway. I think there’s something to this “WILSON” idea.

Ok, so what did I miss? What other survival uses for a condom can YOU think of? And, what’s NEXT? What is another product we can brainstorm for survival functions?

If you like my posts, you will also like my book. Check it out on AMAZON here: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

PS – Buy non-lubricated & no spermicide condoms. These can be hard to find. We sell them here: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/store/products/non-lubricated-survival-kit-condoms/

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Featured, General Survival

WISH-TV : IndyStyle : Creek Demonstrates 3 Ways a Tampon could SAVE your LIFE.

July 5, 2012 By Creek Leave a Comment

I was interviewed on the show IndyStyle yesterday on WISH-TV about my FAVORITE survival TOPIC – TAMPONS! You’ll have to check out the interview in the link below:

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/can-a-tampon-save-your-life

On a side note – I wore a shirt just for you guys. Check it out!

That’s my SHOUT-OUT to all you survivalists out there – GOT EMBER?

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: News & Updates

This one’s for the ladies! Improvised Purse Survival

June 6, 2012 By Creek 10 Comments

When I was a boy I can remember when my Mom would dump the contents of her purse on the kitchen table a couple times a year for a thorough (and much needed) cleaning. I couldn’t believe all the stuff she would accumulate in her purse over the course of a few months! It was always a mystery what was going to spill out onto the table. My brother and I would anxiously watch for any random candy pieces that might scatter. Mom’s ‘MYSTERY PURSE DUMP’ is my inspiration for this post – except now I pretty much look at everything through a survival colored lens. So you know where this is headed…

So the photo above is probably representative of an average “MYSTERY PURSE DUMP” – give or take a few 100 items

Can the contents of an average purse be used (directly or indirectly) to meet basic human survival needs? Let’s explore and see.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

DENTAL FLOSS

My Mom always had a spool of waxed dental floss. This is some serious cordage. The spool pictured above contains 55 YARDS of floss – DANG! Waxed floss is incredibly strong – surprisingly strong actually. Some flosses have a tensile strength of nearly 20 pounds! It can have 100s of uses to a survivor. Below are just a few ideas that come to mind:

Fishing line (also detailed below)
Lashing cordage (also detailed below)
Snare lines
I guarantee I can make a bow-string out of dental floss – note to self – TRY THIS!
Tent tie downs
Cordage for lashing shelter frameworks
Sewing and/or gear repairs
Clothes line
Hang a Bear Bag!
Wrap and whip other rope ends to prevent fraying
And the list goes ON AND ON…

Hand Sanitizer, Chap Stick & Bic Lighter

These 3 items all have something in common. Each are excellent FIRE MAKING TOOLS! Whether you smoke or not, a BIC lighter is an excellent piece of survival kit to keep on hand. Hand sanitizer is not only a great personal hygiene item (which is also very important to survival) but it is also a very effective accelerant when starting fires. It burns fast but it can help in a pinch – especially in damp conditions. Chap stick and Lip Balm are outstanding FIRE EXTENDERS. I’ve done a post on this already – YOU SHOULD READ IT HERE. Mix this stuff with fluffy fire tinder such as cattail down and you’ve got an amazing fire starting aid.

MAKE-UP MIRROR

Almost every girl has one of these in their purse. Mirrors are the quintessential signaling tool and still used around the globe as an emergency rescue tool. A reflective flash from a signal mirror can be seen for miles by a rescue team – air, water or land. There is an art to effectively ‘aiming’ the flash from a signal mirror. It all starts with the peace sign.

Place your target (a rescue plane for example) in the V of your peace sign. Then, holding the signal mirror back toward your face, flash the sun’s reflection across your fingers back and forth – always keep your target in between them. You will be able to see the reflection on your hand – confirming to you that the reflection is flashing in the direction of your target. See the reflection on my hand below?

Signal mirrors can even be used with the light from a bright moon. They are incredibly effective survival signaling tools and have saved many lives throughout history. What other reflective objects can you think of besides a make-up mirror?

Feminine Hygiene Products

If you’ve not read my SURVIVAL TAMPON POST, read that here: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/featured-wilderness-survival-blog-entries/yes-thats-a-tampon-in-my-mouth-the-swiss-army-survival-tampon-7-survival-uses/ I’ve even added a few survival uses EXCLUSIVELY for Artofmanliness.com in an article here: http://artofmanliness.com/2012/06/05/survival-tampon/ Tampons make excellent:

Improvised first aid bandages
Crude water filters
Fire tinder

Hair Clips and Bobby Pins

These look almost exactly like items in my fishing tackle box. Either can be fashioned into a crude improvised fishing lure or fish hook. If you bend them in one spot repeatedly the metal will eventually break. Don’t forget your dental floss line. Scratch up some live bait and you’ve got some pretty descent chances of landing a fish or frog.

I found that wrapping the bottom bends of the hooks made them almost impossible to bend out flat. I couldn’t do it with all my strength so there is no way a fish can bend it out. I hope Blue Gill like MINT FLAVOR!

CELL PHONE

Whether working or busted a cell phone is an incredible survival resource. I’ve done a couple of posts on this already that you should read if you haven’t already: http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/survival-by-cellphone/

I’m currently working on a very detailed post about BUSTED CELL PHONE SURVIVAL SKILLS that I am sure you will enjoy – look out for it soon!

Tweezers & Nail File

Women keep all kinds of little working tools of the trade in their purses. Of these, my favorites have to be TWEEZERS and NAIL FILES. These just look like little weapons and I love any kind of weapon. After a little thought, I determined that both of them would make excellent frog and fish gigs… so I went to work.

I used a 1 inch willow sapling for the gig shaft and tapered down the end. Then, I split the end and fitted it with the gig tip (either tweezers or nail file). Waxed dental floss made the perfect lashing cordage and held the hardware on surprisingly well. I’ve gigged many a frog in my life and I have no doubt what so ever that this would be a very effective frog (or fish) gig. These tweezer points are really sharp!

CONCLUSION

So, what’s the lesson here. There are 2 actually. First, it’s another look at creatively using everyday items as survival tools to meet basic human survival needs. Innovation is at the CORE of survival. Whether the end use is practical or not, it’s important to always challenge yourself to think creatively about products and items – TRAIN YOUR BRAIN. Second, pack actual SURVIVAL TOOLS in your purse. Don’t rely on improvising. Heck, you’re already lugging it around anyway. Toss in a few light-weight survival items just in case.

So, ladies, what did I miss? Anything else that can be used as survival tools in YOUR purse?

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Featured, General Survival

Artofmanliness.com Runs Creek’s Survival Tampon Article

June 6, 2012 By Creek 1 Comment

Artofmanliness.com just picked up my SURVIVAL TAMPON article for an adventure series sponsored by DOCKERS. I added a few more TAMPON SURVIVAL USES exclusively for AOM. To see them, read the article here: http://artofmanliness.com/2012/06/05/survival-tampon/

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: News & Updates

Yes, that’s a Tampon in my mouth : The Swiss Army Survival Tampon : 7 Survival Uses

March 27, 2012 By Creek 74 Comments

Do me a favor for the next 5 minutes. Try to forget everything you know about a TAMPON. I know, it’s hard. But pretend that this is the first time you have ever seen or heard of the item below and it is a new survival product on the market: the Tactical Adventure Medical Preparedness Outdoors Necessity (T.A.M.P.O.N.)

All kidding aside, a TAMPON really does have a ton of uses to a survivor. One could even argue to include a couple in your survival kit. Ultimately, I’ll let you be the judge.

Before I get into the details of this post, a brief history of the tampon might surprise you.

The tampon is actually regulated in the US by the Food & Drug Administration as a Class II Medical Device. The word ‘tampon’ is a derivative of the French word tampion which means “a piece of cloth to stop a hole”. My research indicates that tampons were used as early as the 19th century as battle dressings to plug bullet holes. It wasn’t until later that they were used as a feminine product. There are even accounts of tampons being used as wound plugs in modern warfare. A friend of mine told me that it’s not uncommon for Army Medics to carry tampons in their med kits. Tampons are sterile and come very well packaged in their own water proof container. This only adds to their survival utility.

I’ve high-lighted a few survival uses below:

TAMPON Survival Use # 1: Medical Bandage

Not only are these little tactical bandages packaged in a waterproof sleeve, but they are designed to be ultra absorbent – making them the perfect first aid bandage. They can be taped or tied over a wound as an improvised dressing. And, as I’ve already mentioned, they can be used to plug a bullet hole until more detailed medical attention can be administered. Accounts of this use date back to World War I. Many items in modern society were first developed as a facet of military research – tampons being a prime example. The internet being another. The list goes on and on.

TAMPON Survival Use # 2: Crude Water Filter

Another excellent tampon survival use is as a Crude Water Filter. While it will not filter out biological, chemical or heavy metal threats, it can certainly be used to filter out sediments and floating particulates. This would be considered a 1st Phase Filter and can drastically increase the life and efficacy of your main water filter. You can also use a filter like this before boiling to filter out larger particulates. In this example, I’ve pushed a tampon into the neck of an empty water bottle. I poked a small hole in the cap and then poured in dirty water to filter through the tampon and into the container below.

The water dripped out nearly crystal clear.

TAMPON Survival Use # 3: Fire Tinder

Nearly everyone knows that cotton makes an excellent fire tinder. When the dry cotton fibers of a tampon are pulled apart and hit with a spark or flame it will burst into a nice steady fire. If you’ve done the right amount of fire prep-work you can easily split 1 tampon into 3 or 4 fire starting tinder bundles. Add in some chap-stick or petroleum jelly and you’ve got an even better fire starting tinder.

TAMPON Survival Use # 4: Crude Survival Straw Filter

Yes, I have a tampon in my mouth – don’t laugh. As a last ditch water filter, you can make an improvised Survival Straw from the plastic housing and cotton from a tampon. As you can see in the photos below, just tear off a bit of the cotton and stuff it into the plastic housing. I find it better to leave a little bit sticking out to make the housing pieces wedge tightly together.

Again, this filter will not PURIFY your water by removing biological, chemical or heavy metal threats but it will filter out sediments and particulates. This would be a last ditch effort if no methods of water purification were available.

TAMPON Survival use # 5: Wick for Improvised Candle

In the photo above I used the string on a tampon as a wick in an improvised candle which I made from rendered animal fat and a fresh water mussel shell I found down by the creek at Willow Haven. After the string soaked up some of the fat, this candle burned solid for 20 minutes while I took the photos and still had plenty of wick left. Pine sap would have also worked as a fuel.

Like Survival Skills? Consider purchasing my new book, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide, on AMAZON and where all books are sold.

TAMPON Survival Use # 6: Cordage

The string attached to a tampon is a cotton twisted cord typically made up of several 4-6″ pieces of twine. Though it’s not much, it is usable cordage. This amount of cordage could easily be used to make a Paiute Deadfall Trap.

I’m sure there are also numerous other uses for small amounts of quality cordage. For example, I also use this cordage in the next Survival Use below…

TAMPON Survival Use # 7: Blow Dart Fletching

The Blow Gun certainly has it’s place in survival history. From Native Americans to tribes in New Guinea, the Blow Gun and primitive darts have put food on the table for 1000s of years. They are silent and deadly hunting tools – especially for small game. Oftentimes, especially here in the US, natural cotton was used as Blow Dart Fletching. Thus, the cotton from a Tampon is a perfect candidate to make cotton fletched blow darts. I used the string on the tampon to lash it into place on this bamboo skewer.

Watch out BIRDS & LIZARDS – you may get shot by a tampon fletched blow dart! For a great article about how to make natural cotton fletched blow darts check out this page: http://sensiblesurvival.org/2011/05/14/make-a-cotton-fletched-blow-dart/

CONCLUSION

So what did you decide? In the kit or not in the kit? The only part of the tampon that I didn’t mention was the wrapper/packaging. What uses can you think of for it? Or, are there more uses that I didn’t mention….? Below are a couple shots of the wrapper.

If nothing else, this post is another lesson in the importance of looking at every day products through the eyes of a survivalist. Creativity and innovation are critical.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN,

Creek

PS – Was talking to another friend of mine yesterday, Bill Szabo, who happens to be a medic in the National Guard. He also confirmed that it’s common practice to include tampons in military field medic bags and confirmed that he has 2 in his medic kit for emergency use.

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: Everything FIRE, Fan Favorites, Featured, General Survival, Survival Cordage, Water Purification

In the News

December 13, 2011 By Creek Leave a Comment

May 2, 2013: Creek & Clint build a Survival Debris Hut LIVE on WISH-TV 8

Creek Stewart, owner of Willow Haven Outdoor shows you how to build and emergency shelter. Plus we take a look his new book The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide.

How and why to build a Debris Hut

SPRING 2013: LivingReady Magazine publishes an article by Creek

Creek’s Condom Survival Tips have officially hit the newsstands nationwide. LivingReady Magazine published a great spread titled Prophylactic Preparedness highlighting Creek’s tips! Available now on-line, at Barnes & Noble and at Border bookstores. For more information about LivingReady Magazine visit: http://www.livingreadyonline.com/

April 4, 2013: Creek discusses WHY NOT to drink WILD WATER on WISHTV-8

Best case scenario a person can live 3 days without water! That’s not very long in a disaster situation. Survival expert Creek Stewart explains why we should not drink unfiltered/unpurified water in the wild and demos different survival water filters.

Willow Haven Outdoor Talks Survival Water Purification

April 1, 2013: Creek teams up with Catalog Giant The Sportsman’s Guide on a big Bug Out Promotion

PRESS RELEASE : 3-9-13

RE: Bug Out Bag Event Press Release

The Sportsman's Guide(r) Creating Online Bug Out Bag Essentials Section
For Preppers and Survivalists! 

Sub-head: The Sportsman's Guide is teaming up with survival expert Creek
Stewart, founder of the Willow Haven Outdoor Survival Training Facility.
New vastly expanded selection offers tactical and emergency preparedness
gear for any disaster or event. 

ST. PAUL, MN - Recognized for having the largest selection of military
and government surplus anywhere, The Sportsman's Guide is launching a
new online section made up of emergency and survival surplus gear,
augmented by many new disaster/survival/emergency supplies, for
assembling a wide variety of event-specific Bug Out Bags. 

According to experienced survival instructor Creek Stewart, an effective
Bug Out Bag contains everything required to survive disaster for 72
hours. To that end, The Guide's new section provides items like backpack
and hiking packs, water purifiers, fire starters, MREs and food storage,
emergency first aid kits, survival knives and tools, emergency shelters,
pepper spray, weather radios and other survival supplies grouped into 4
categories...Food, Fire & Water, First Aid & Hygiene, Shelter & Tools
and Self Defense and Communication.  

The company introduced the new "Bug Out!" gear section for preppers in
the April Military HQ catalog, in a 9-page section offering more than 50
items related to emergency preparedness. The selection includes Creek
Stewart's book, Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster
Survival Kit. The first 100 copies of the book sold will be autographed
by the author.

The offerings in the catalog have been supplemented by an expansion of
the selection and categories on the company's website, aimed at making
it easy for customers to assemble the emergency preparedness gear,
clothing and tools that fit their own personal survival, recovery and
comfort strategies.

"Our customers have been requesting more urban and field survival tools
and essentials so they can be prepared for any disaster, situation or
conditions, " said Sportsman's Guide CEO Jay Berlin. "So we've put
together a dynamic selection of gear for the smart survivalist, made up
of items carefully designed to provide relief in the face of adversity,
with survival, recovery and comfort in mind. Without breaking the bank."

The company plans to continue expanding the selection with items that
can be kept close at hand, with easy access, for preparedness
"come-what-may."

March 18th, 2013: Bloomberg Businessweek Interviews Creek about How to Survive A Cruise Ship Disaster

Are you saying a stranded cruise ship can get apocalyptic?

It may not come to murder, but tensions will be high. “The biggest challenge with being on a cruise ship that’s not moving isn’t surviving Mother Nature,” says Stewart. “It’s surviving being packed on a boat with 4,000 people who are hungry and angry.” He suggests staying isolated from your fellow passengers, if only to avoid the cooped-up hostility and battles for limited supplies.

Read the entire article here: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-18/how-to-survive-a-busted-cruise-ship

March7th, 2013: Creek demonstrates how 5 random everyday items COULD save your life. WISH-TV8

Creek Stewart shows you how everyday items can be used in a sudden and unexpected survival scenario. Some of the items are going to surprise you! See the video below or directly at this link: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/in_indy_now/5-everyday-items-that-could-save-your-life-Creek-Stewart-urban-preparedness

1: Pop Can – show how to make a survival fishing hook from the tab
2: Dental Floss – AMAZING survival cordage and can be used as fishing line, for example
3: Fritos Bag: Excellent fire starting tinder
4: Condom: Unbelievable survival water collection container
5: Bra: Very effective makeshift dust & debris breathing mask

5 everyday items that could save your life

March 4th, 2013: Creek featured on National Television News Show “The List”

Creek Stewart shows Mike Brookbank with The List how to use a busted cell phone to meet basic human survival needs if lost in the woods! Check it out the video here: http://www.thelistshow.tv/the-list/localist/cleveland-localist/a-broken-cell-phone-can-still-save-your-life

February 7, 2013: Creek Talks about Survival Lessons from Hansel & Gretel: WISH-TV 8 Indianapolis

Survival Lessons

January 3, 2013: Creek shows WISH-TV 8 how to Survive the ‘Physical Cliff’

Check out the full video below or click here for the full article: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/in_indy_now/surviving-a-fall-from-a-physical-cliff

Surviving a fall from a Physical Cliff

January 2013: Creek joins WorldNetDaily (WND.COM) as weekly Survival Columnist

“I appreciate WND’s commitment to preserving and protecting that which is at the core to survival: individual freedom and liberty,” Stewart said. “Self-reliant skills deserve a stage in legitimate media, and I am humbled to be that voice at WND.”

Look for Stewart’s latest, “It’s time America redeclared independence,” now and his “Not if, but when” column every Wednesday on WND’s Diversions page.

December, 2012: Creek interviewed about EDIBLE INSECTS by Indiana Green Living

Read the entire article here: http://www.indianalivinggreen.com/ants-and-the-apocalypse-its-not-the-end-of-the-world-to-eat-bugs/

FALL/WINTER 2012: Creek’s book BUILD THE PERFECT BUG OUT BAG featured in AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE as the #1 Best Selling Survival Skills book!

December 19th, 2012: Creek interviewed by WFFT-TV about the potential END OF THE WORLD on Dec. 21, 2012

Watch the FULL 3-Minute video here: http://fortwaynehomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=76882

December, 2012: Creek Interviewed on HEALTH WATCH

Click on the following link to watch Creek and other preparedness experts weigh in on preparing for unexpected natural and man-made disasters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp23wa8brNs

December 6th, 2012: Creek on WISH-TV8 Indy Style

Survival Kit and great gift ideas

Check out Creek Stewart showing how to make a Bottle Survival Kit on WISH-TV8 Indy Style. http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/in_indy_now/survival-kit-and-great-gift-ideas?ref=scroller&categoryId=10022&status=true

December 1, 2012: Creek Interviewed on 21st Century Homekeeper Radio Show

Sylvia Britton, host of 21st Century Homekeeper Radio Talk Show, interviews Creek Stewart about Bugging Out and Bugging In. You can listen to the interview here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/12/01/21st-century-homekeeper-2

November 27th, 2012: MEN’S FITNESS article: 12 OUTDOOR SURVIVAL SKILLS EVERY GUY SHOULD MASTER

Who does MEN’S FITNESS call when they need Survival Tips? Creek Stewart, of course. Check out this awesome article on-line here: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/12-outdoor-survival-skills-every-guy-should-master

November, 2012: Creek’s Book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag Reaches Amazon Top 100 and takes Rank # 1 and #2 (paperback & kindle) in the Survival Skills Category

October, 2012: GunDigest Magazine Chooses Creek’s Book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag as Editor’s Pick

See Gun Digest’s Editor’s Pick article here: http://www.gundigest.com/editors-picks/build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag

October 30th, 2012: WIRED.COM Features Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag

Like ZOMBIES? Wired.com thinks you should read Creek’s book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag. Check out the link here: http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/10/zombie-activities-list/

October 2012: Backpacker Magazine Features Creek Stewart

Backpacker Magazine features Creek Stewart in October 2012 Issue: http://www.backpacker.com/creek-stewart-survival-expert/survival/16881

September 26th, 2012: Marika Flatt Travel Blog Feature

Renowned Travel Blogger, Marika Flatt, featured Willow Haven Survival School on her hit blog today as a great travel destination. Thanks Marika! Her feature here: http://www.marikaflatt.com/are-you-prepared-for-survival/

September 6th, 2012: WISH-TV 8

Creek busts out a Split Tip Gig How-To Segment on WISH-TV 8 in Indianapolis. Watch below:

How to make a frog gig

August 22, 2012: MANCOW Radio Show

Creek was a radio quest today on the MANCOW show – a nationally syndicated morning talk show. Click here for more info: http://www.mancow.com/

August 2012 – Indianapolis Monthly Magazine Features Willow Haven Outdoor as a GET SMART Midwest Destination

Indianapolis Monthly Magazine featured Willow Haven Outdoor in their August 2012 issue. To accompany the video they also filmed a video of Creek demonstrating how to make fire with the Bow Drill. You can watch that video below:

August 2012 – Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Bureau Selects Willow Haven Outdoor as an Adventure Partner

For more information visit: http://visitindy.com/indianapolis-sports-recreation-adventure-willow-haven-outdoor

August 2nd – WISH-TV Indianapolis

Watch as Creek Stewart discusses how you can incorporate SURVIVAL FASHION ACCESSORIES into your every day wardrobe on WISH-TV 8 Indianapolis.

Survival Fashion Accessories

July 4th – WISH-TV Indianapolis

Creek talks about his FAVORITE Survival topic – TAMPONS! Watch below as Creek demonstrates 3 ways to use a TAMPON to save your life!

Can a Tampon save your life?: wishtv.com

The full link is here: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/can-a-tampon-save-your-life

July 4th – WGN-TV

Creek Strikes Again on WGN-TV. Creek discusses some local wild edibles and also stresses the importance of a Bug Out Bag. Click this link to watch the video: http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/wgntv-midday-fix-creek-stewart-build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag,0,2213263.story

June 19th

Grist.org runs Creek’s new [BUSTED] Cell Phone Survival Post from ArtofManliness.com: http://grist.org/list/how-to-use-a-broken-cell-phone-to-survive-in-the-wilderness/

June 19th

When the Indianapolis Star want to know how to kill Zombies – who do they call? CREEK STEWART, of course! “When it comes to the zombie apocalypse, it’s all about weapons,” Stewart said.

Read the complete article here: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120619/LOCAL07/206210307/When-zombies-strike-runners-must-ready-fast?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|IndyStar.com|s

June 18th

Creek interviewed on The Ella Speakes Show on KTLR Radio about Survival & Disaster Preparedness.

June 18th

Creek’s Fox & Friends Bug Out Interview featured on Yahoo News! http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag-29694818.html

June 17th

Creek Stewart was interviewed for a special Bug Out Bag segment on the National Show Fox & Friends today in New York City! Creek shared some great Disaster Preparedness info LIVE for over 2 Million Viewers! Here’s the link: http://video.foxnews.com/v/1693410592001/build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag/

June 13th

Willow Haven Outdoor: wishtv.com

Creek was interviewed in TWO segments today on Channel 8 WISH-TV Indianapolis: How to Build a Bug Out Bag & Wild Edibles

Watch the interviews HERE: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/in_indy_now/willow-haven-outdoor

June 13th

TheChive.com kept it calm when they featured Creek’s Survival Tampon Article today: http://thechive.com/2012/06/14/so-a-survivalists-guide-to-using-tampons-exists-24-photos/

June 12th

The DAILY BEAST beasted out a feature for Creek’s Survival Tampon article today: http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/06/surviving-with-tampons.html

June 12th

Wow! JEZEBEL.COM jumped on the Survival Tampon Band-Wagon – Check it out! http://jezebel.com/5917477/the-swiss-army-tampon-a-life+saving-wilderness-survival-tool

June 11th

Tim MacWelch, survival expert for Outdoor Life Magazine, says Creek’s new book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag is realistic, contains legitimate skills and will be helpful to people!

Tim’s review just posted on OutdoorLife.com at : http://survival.outdoorlife.com/blogs/survivalist/2012/06/survival-book-review-build-perfect-bug-out-bag Check it out!

Below is a quote from the review:

My next question was, “Does the book contain legitimate skills?”

Again, the answer is yes. The author obviously knows his stuff. Many of the skills explained in the book are presented the same way that I teach them. Creek Stewart has been teaching survival roughly the same amount of time that I have—about 15 years—and it shows. His ease in providing explanations and his turn of phrase show a level of experience that cannot be faked.

June 11th

The Bob & Tom Show talked about Creek’s Survival Tampon article on their morning show this morning. Who knew this article would get so much attention! http://www.bobandtom.com/

June 8th, 2012

BoingBoing.com highlights Creek’s Survival Tampon article on their web-site: http://boingboing.net/2012/06/06/why-you-should-keep-a-tampon-o.html

June 8th, 2012

NEATORAMA.COM thought Creek’s Survival Tampon article was so ‘neat’ they featured it! http://www.neatorama.com/2012/06/05/10-uses-for-a-survival-tampon/

June 8th, 2012

MSN.COM spreads some of Creek’s Survival Tampon love on their web-site today! See it here: http://now.msn.com/now/0606-survival-guide-tampons

June 8th, 2012

The OFFICIAL TAMPAX FACEBOOK page shared Creek’s 10 Survival Tampon uses with 300,000+ TAMPAX Fans!!! http://www.facebook.com/tampax

June 8th, 2012

Lifehacker.com picked up Creek’s Survival Tampon article: http://lifehacker.com/5916389/use-a-tampon-as-an-emergency-bandage-nosebleed-killer

June 8th, 2012

The HUFFINGTON POST runs Creek’s Survival Tampon article: Check it out here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/08/survival-tampon-how-feminine-products-wild-camping_n_1581922.html

June 7th, 2012

Creek gives Bug Out Bag presentation a Benchmark Outdoor Outfitters in Cincinnati, OH.

June 7th, 2012

Creek Stewart interviewed by The CW! He discusses his new book as well as 3 wild edibles featured in the HUNGER GAMES book.

June 4th,2012

Creek featured in News-Sentinel! Read the full article here:

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120604/NEWS/120609890/1012/LOCAL

May 26th, 2012

Jessica of SaltnPrepper.com reviews Creek’s new book: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Read it HERE: http://saltnprepper.com/build-perfect-bob-review-giveaway/

May 25th, 2012

Todd of Prepperwebsite.com reviews Creek’s new book: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Read it HERE: http://www.prepperwebsite.com/build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag-your-72-hour-disaster-survival-kit

May 24th, 2012

Bernie of apartmentprepper.com reviews Creek’s new book: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Read it HERE: http://apartmentprepper.com/?p=5137

May 23rd, 2012

Lisa of thesurvivalmom.com reviews Creek’s new book: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Read it HERE: http://thesurvivalmom.com/2012/05/23/care-to-build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag-book-review/

May 21st, 2012

JJ Johnson of RealitySurvival.com reviews Creek’s new book: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Read it HERE: http://www.realitysurvival.com/build-the-perfect-bug-out-bag-2/

May 12th, 2012

Creeks conducts Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag Seminar at Bass Pro Shops in Clarksville, IN

May 11th, 2012

Creek’s book BUILD THE PERFECT BUG OUT BAG skyrockets to the top of Amazon! Amazon.com ranks Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag book # 290 out of 8,000,000 books!

May 11th 2012

Megasite LIFEHACKER.com just picked up the HOW TO BUILD A GET HOME BAG article from ArtofManliness.com today. It’s been liked by over 480,000 people. Awesome!

May 10th 2012

ArtofManliness.com posted an article written by Creek today about HOW TO BUILD A GET HOME BAG: Check it out here: http://artofmanliness.com/2012/05/10/how-to-build-a-get-home-bag-book-giveaway/

May 6th, 2012

Creeks conducts Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag Seminar at Bass Pro Shops in Bolingbrook, IL

May 5th, 2012

Creek as live guest on ESPN Chicago’s Chauncey’s Great Outdoors

May 5th

Creeks conducts Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag Seminar at Uncle Dan’s The Great Outdoor Store in Chicago, IL

April 9th, 2011

Creek Stewart interviewed by DISCOVERY.COM about some guidelines to building an Urban Bug Out Bag and Urban Get Home Bag. This can be seen on their site by clicking the image below: http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/how-to-build-your-own-urban-survival-bug-out-bag.html

March 15, 2011

Creek Stewart speaks with Mark Cope on the “Going Home Show” on KXYL-FM in Abilene, TX about the importance of building a Bug Out Bag.

November 29, 2011

ArtofManliness.com published an article written by Creek Stewart titled How to Choose the Perfect Survival Knife

November 27, 2011

Willow Haven Outdoor SurviVacation Clinics featured on ArtofManliness.com 2011 Holiday Gift Guide

July 2011

ArtofManliness.com published an article written by Creek Stewart title: Build the Ultimate Survival Shotgun: Modify Your Pump Shotgun Survival Style

June 2011

Creek appears as Expert Survival Guest on the JJ & Ron Morning Radio Show on the American Family Radio Network to discuss the importance of building a disaster survival kit.

June 2011

Creek Stewart contracted to write book titled Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag – Release Date 5/2012

March 2011

ArtofManliness.com published an article written by Creek Stewart titled How to Make a Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Emergency Evacuation Survival Kit

About Willow Haven Outdoor & Creek Stewart

Filed Under: