Bamboo is just one of those things, like rope or duct tape, that can be adapted to create an infinite number of material items. From survival gear to homesteader equipment, bamboo’s uses seem to only be limited by the imagination of the user.
So what are the 10 best ways to use bamboo for survival?
1. First, you’ll want to get a survival shelter built in the event of an emergency. Bamboo poles are both strong and lightweight, which makes them a great choice for building shelter elements.
2. Your water needs can be satisfied from different species of bamboo. Some bamboo grows large enough to make containers inside which you can boil water. Other bamboo can actually contain drinkable water between the joints.
3. Speaking of boiling water, bamboo can help you with your fire building when split into kindling and firewood. Bamboo also shows up in several different traditional fire building methods like the fire piston and the bamboo fire saw.
4. Consider bamboo as a torch for low-tech lighting. Split one end so that it splinters into several pieces. Insert some tinder and drip a little oil on the tinder, if you can spare the oil. This will give you a bright torch that should last for 15 or 20 minutes.
5. Bring home the bacon (so to speak) by using a bamboo pole as a fish spear or frog gig.
6. Bamboo can be a sturdy yet flexible fishing pole for some old-fashioned worm dunking.
7. The hollow sections of bamboo make great containers for dry goods and wet stuff, even a water canteen.
- Build food steamers and cook pots from bamboo.
9. You can eat the bamboo. Not the whole thing, mind you, but the tender shoots of edible bamboo species can be cooked and eaten. But do your homework before you chow down, some bamboo species can contain cyanide. Consult a bamboo book to find out which species that grow in your area are safe to eat, and also how to keep from harming the plant too much during the harvesting process.
10. Get out of trouble Huck Finn-style on a bamboo raft.
Tell us what you have crafted from bamboo in the comments.
Photo: Fir0002