The blog post How to Make a DIY Survival Spear was originally published on Total Survival
A Homemade Survival Weapon That’s Great for Small Game and Fish
In this video we’re going to show you how to make a simple but effective survival spear. We’ll also offer some basic fire-hardening techniques that will prolong the life of your spear.
Stick around to the end to learn the most effective way to make this multifunctional, primitive hunting tool. Along the way we’ll pass on some important safety warnings and tips.
Whether you’re in an authentic survival scenario or just up at the lake for a weekend camping trip, you’ve got to eat.
But what if your food supplies are running low, or worse, you never had any to begin with?
That’s where your survival spear comes in.
Before we get started, you’ll need a few things.
- Spear pole. We recommend a small, green tree approximately two inches and two inches to two and a half inches in diameter, and a few inches taller than you are. (We’ll tell you why later.)
- Sturdy baton stick
- 2-3 feet of strong cordage
- Folding saw
- A good, full tang fixed blade knife
Check out the video below, and scroll down for our step-by-step guide to making your own survival spear.
Tip: When choosing a tree for your spear pole, choose as straight a sapling as possible. We recommend hard woods such as hickory, oak or maple.
Once you’ve cut your pole, saw off the fat end so that it’s flat.
Now, take you cordage and wrap the pole about 10 inches below the working end. This will help the pole to keep from splitting out once you begin the batoning process.
WARNING: Always be sure that your spear stands at least as tall as you do. This helps ensure that the sharpened points of your spear are above eye level, just in case you take a fall while out on the hunt.
Once you’ve wrapped the working end of the spear with cordage, butt the opposing end up against a tree or stump to help stabilize it as you slowly baton 8-10 inches straight down.
Turn your knife perpendicular to the first split and repeat the batoning process.
Next, find a couple of three-inch sticks about the diameter of a pencil and slide them firmly in place between the splits to keep the spear points expanded.
With your knife, sharpen each of the four points.
Once the points are sharp, remove the cordage and place the sharpened points below the coals of a fire for 10-15 minutes to speed dry or “fire-harden” the wood.
WARNING: Be mindful of your spear during this process; check it often to make sure it’s only drying and not burning.
An alternative drying technique is to hold the spear just above the flames of your fire like a marshmallow, so that the flames lick the points of the spear. While this technique may take longer, it’s easier to keep an eye on the spear points to make sure they aren’t burning.
Once the spear is removed from the fire and allowed to cool, latch the three inch wooden pegs in place to reinforce the spear during impact.
Align your cordage vertically against the shaft of the spear and create a loop.
Next, wrap cordage around the shaft while alternating over and under the wooden pegs.
After two or three times around, slip the working end of your cordage through the loop you created earlier, and give a stout tug on the other end. When done correctly, this will tighten the pegs up nicely and leave you with a durable, four-prong spear point.
You can also opt to sharpen the other end of you spear into a single, fire-hardened point for self defense against potential predators.
There you have it: a sturdy spear good for self defense and harvesting small game and fish.
What did you think of our survival spear tutorial? Sound off in the comments below!
Your DIY survival spear will work great to take down small game and fish, but when it comes to larger game you’ll need a more heavy-duty weapon. Check out our DIY compound bow tutorial to learn how to make a weapon that packs an even bigger punch!
This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Herecheck out the full article Here: How to Make a DIY Survival Spear
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