“We have included some GREAT video resources in this article we think you will enjoy!”

My dad and I were talking the other day about a video he saw on southernprepper1 on Combat Multipliers. We started brainstorming some things which would multiply your effectiveness in a survival situation. Our goal for this article is to share some good effective techniques of multiplying yourself in a survival situation. With each piece of equipment or idea we will include a video or link for you guys to check out in more detail.

We wanted to add a bit of a personal touch to each of our future articles, so from now on we will highlight our own personal additions to the articles in separate colors.

Johns (son) Comments in Red                                    Tony’s (father) Comments in Blue

Our requirements for a technique or piece of equipment to fit into this category is that it can multiply your efforts. This makes what you do act like two or more different people are working with you. For instance if I set ten fishing yoyos, I can be catching fish at the rate of ten people while I hunt.

It’s obvious that setting traps is a good idea, and most of you know this. We found that thinking specifically on the equipment and techniques which multiply our efforts, we can devise plans to greatly increase our food collection.

Equipment and Techniques

Modern equipment will play a huge role in the life of a prepper. We went through our gear and a few websites to find some of the best equipment for multiplying your survival effectiveness. Here are a few examples of some of the gear we are using, or plan to get in the near future.

 Traps

 Fishing yoyos.

Most of you might not know what a fishing yoyo is, but my dad and I both have and love them. They are a small metal reel hooked to some fishing line. You have to pull the line out manually (which tightens the spring) and it latches, however at the slightest tug it pulls back in. This essentially catches a fish while you are doing something else. A pack of these costs 10-20 bucks on Amazon.

VIDEO: Yo Yo Trap Sigma 3 Survival School

 

Conibear traps.

Conibear traps are tough body traps. They come in a few different sizes from squirrel or rabbit to beaver and coyote. They run from 10-25 bucks on Amazon. There are SEVERAL ways to use these traps but our main way is to dig a small hole in the ground, put some bait in the hole and set the body trap in the entrance. This is a very simple and very effective way to multiply your efforts with inexpensive traps. They also work perfectly fine under water, which allows you to make fish and beaver setups. One note to add is that they can get heavy in large numbers, so keep that in mind.

VIDEO: wildernessoutfitters Body Grip Traps and Safe Handling

Rat Snap Traps.

                Rat snap traps aren’t ideal due to their poor quality of construction, but they are much lighter than conibear traps and can be used in similar ways. These could be used more effectively if you are trapping a large area and need some lighter gear for those long treks. I have personally used these traps to get squirrels. My technique was to set them inside or on the back side of a hole that the animals were using. No bait was required because they were traveling the route anyway. Literally every time I checked the trap I had a mouse or squirrel.

VIDEO: The Rat Trap The Backwoodsman’s Institute

Pre-made crawfish traps.

Crawfish are almost everywhere in North America. They may not be the most beautiful of God’s creatures but they do have meat on them and they are very easy to catch. You can use the leftover guts and body parts of your prey from the previous traps as bait for your crawfish traps. It’s also good to note that some of the traps on the market are light and can break down to be close to flat. This is perfect for the mobile survivor or prepper. Some of the traps are bulky and should be pre-positioned or cashed at your survival location.

VIDEO: Make your own Crayfish, Crawfish, Traps. Step by Step instructions. JoeandZachSurvival

Water

Water is the most important resource for survival. Most of you should know where local sources of water are. One thing to keep in mind is that there may be thousands of other people going for these exact water sources. We live in the desert / high mesa zones so we need to know where every drop of water is. Some of the ways to get to water without much work are listed below. These methods are generally cheap and should be looked into by every prepper.

Water Catching

The idea of water catching is to use a large surface to guide water into a container of some sort. The realm of water catching is large and can include modifying landscapes to fill ponds or even setting a tarp out angled to a bucket. Some of the more modern communities in Texas have resorted to setting up extensive water catching and filtering due to a lack of potable water sources. Side note: This can be illegal where you live, so keep that in mind. We wrote a brief article covering a basic home rain catching barrel. You will need some equipment but it’s very cheap and easy to install on a house or barn. This is worth checking into even if you just use it to water your garden on the cheap.

VIDEO: How To Create A Rainwater Collection System Love Your Home

Water solar still

Solar stills are an old survival method. Really all you need is a piece of plastic, a rock, and a cup. We like this because it’s a super effective way to gather water even without rain. Keep in mind, you can teach kids and elderly family members to set these up. Simple and safe for kids, no lost fingers or any need to send them out far.

VIDEO: Emergency Water Source – Evaporating with a Solar Still 1all4adventure

VIDEO: Solar Still – Arizona Bushman

Natural Techniques:

Natural methods of survival multipliers have existed for thousands of years. Below we include a super list of things you should become familiar with. Each link will be to an associated YouTube video showing you how to make and implement each trap. Each of the traps listed below will be useful in some manner when you try to multiply your efforts. These are also great ways to keep family members busy during scary times.

List of Natural Technique videos on YouTube.

Promontory Peg Deadfall Trap – MerkWares

The Ultimate Primitive Basket Fish Trap – Sigma3Surival

Deer Spring Snare – Sigma3Survival

The Feather Spear Trap – NorthSurvival

 How To Make 20 Snares for Under $2 – CommonSenseOutdoors

Knowledge and Planning:

Train yourself properly

Training might be one of the most important parts of prepping. During a SHTF situation you want to be ready to go. You never know what kind of scenario you will be put in. So take the time to do two things. Research proper gear and when you get it, TEST IT! We think it is vital that you are prepared before something happens. So please test the equipment you buy, and if you would, let us know if you like or hate a specific piece of equipment. Feel free to comment or email us!

Train each member of your family or survival groups to be effective survivalists.

Each member in your family could be trained as extra effective survivalists. Also, think of a small group of people, each working with the above methods. Think also that one person could focus on a specific thing, thereby getting more experience and ultimately mastering their technique.

Summary:

Research the equipment and techniques above. Train yourself and your family to use the equipment well while practicing the techniques. If you utilize our survival multipliers your survival group or family will produce more like a small village.

 

Special thanks to Tony for finding the videos! Email us if you have any others.

John@ fathersonpreppers.com