Living off the grid or trying to reenact some Bear Grylls Survivorman fantasy out in the wilderness is not something to be taken lightly or romanticized. It requires experience, knowledge, and the ability to adapt and know when to call it quits. Without the proper supplies, shelter, and preparation, even the most well-intentioned attempts can turn tragic, as was the case for Rebecca Vance, her 14-year-old son, and her sister Christine Vance. Their story serves as a warning for those who think living off the grid in the wilderness is as simple as they make it out to be on T.V.

The Vance family decided to disconnect from the world in July 2022. Motivated by media-driven fears stemming from the global COVID pandemic, they sought refuge in the rugged terrains of the Colorado Rockies. A year later, they were discovered dead in those same mountains.. All three died of malnutrition and hypothermia, according to autopsy reports.

The U.S. Forest Service lists the campground where they were found as “closed due to inaccessibility.” It sits 27 miles northeast of Gunnison near the 13,266-foot Henry Mountain at the southeastern edge of the Fossil Ridge Wilderness.

Despite being convinced that they were saving themselves from COVID by fleeing into the wilderness, the Vance family was woefully unprepared for the challenges they would face. The remote campsite where they were discovered was littered with empty food containers and survivalist guides. Sadly, no amount of reading can replace real-world experience, especially when it comes to surviving in the wilderness.

The family set up camp at an elevation of approximately 9,500 feet. For anyone familiar with the region, this height brings its own set of challenges: freezing temperatures, snowfall, and a scarcity of easily accessible resources. During harsh winters, survival becomes even more complicated, and even with experience things can turn bad quickly.

The family had been missing since October 2022. They were discovered in July when a hiker found the boy’s remains outside of a tent in a remote campsite in the area of Gold Creek Campground, east of Gunnison, in the Colorado Rockies, the reports said. The next day, investigators discovered the remains of Rebecca Vance and Christine Vance inside the tent. Evidence at the campsite suggested that the family was trying to live off the grid but desperately struggled, Michael Barnes, the Gunnison County Coroner who authorized the autopsies, told The Times.

The family members were all “very thin,” and wearing several layers of clothes when found, the autopsies said.

In wilderness survival, knowledge is not just power—it’s matter of life and death. Before making a drastic life decision, educate yourself, gain real-world experience, and never underestimate the power of the wilderness and of Mother Nature. Your life, and the lives of those you love, may depend on it.

Trap For Your Life, Part 3: The Trigger Snare

Previously in the Trap for Your Life Series (part 1 and part 2), I showed you the basic snare, which is great for trapping small animals like squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. In this article, I will teach you how to construct the trigger snare. The trigger snare can be used for larger animals than just squirrels and rabbits.

You can trap raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, and skunks. If you’re in a survival situation, you will eat any animal you trap due to your need for nourishment. Believe it or not, the raccoon doesn’t taste too bad, as I have eaten it before. The trigger snare can also trap smaller animals as well. This being said, let’s get started.

 You need:

• Two sticks
• 18 to 20 gauge wire
• Paracord
• Bait (if you have any)
• A knife
• Pliers
• A pencil

Note: There are laws regarding trapping; check the laws in your local area.

Step By Step Guidance

Step 1

This part may take some time. Get your knife and the two sticks, and sharpen the end of one stick. The stick that will have a pointy end should be at least two feet long.

Using that same stick and your knife, cut a one-inch long groove at the top of the stick. Get your other stick and cut a portion of the stick in half, but leave an inch as it is. Now see if the groove and the other stick fit within one another, like the picture below.

Step 2

Using your pliers, cut about 15 to 30 inches of wire. Grab your pencil and the wire, and loop the wire around the pencil twice. Twist-tie the loop to the other part of the wire.

Pull the pencil out. Put the normal end of the wire through the loop, and make that loop 3 to 10 inches in diameter, depending on the size of your targeted animal. Attach the snare onto the bottom of the stick that is mostly cut in half.

Step 3

Get your paracord and tie it onto a sapling that is flexible. Then find a good and tight length from the sapling to set snare.

Once you find your length, tie the other end of the cord to the top of the stick that is mostly cut in half.

Step 4

Put your grooved stick in the ground, pushing in the pointy end. Pull down the other stick. Push it down to the sharpened stick and set it in the groove.

It should hold; if not, cut the groove in the stick deeper. Make sure your snare is upright.

Step 5

If you have bait, it two feet in front of one side of the snare’s noose (loop) and two feet in front of on the other side.

If you don’t have bait, you may remember in our last article, The Basic Snare, we talked about snare location. Be sure to set your trigger snare in one of those locations. Your trigger snare should look like the diagram below.

Never stop…no matter how hard it gets…keep trapping for your dear life!

Want to learn more about trapping? Check out the rest of our series below:

Part 1

Part 2

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 21, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

If push comes to a shove and you need to find the true north without a compass, you must know how to do that to survive. We’ll tell you how today!

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I have had my Kindle Fire for a little over a year and I felt that enough time had passed that a review was in order.

Amazon Kindle Review

From the standpoint of an average reader, I’d have to say that the Kindle more than serves its purpose.

From the standpoint of a tech geek, the Kindle Fire is a little slow when compared to a powerhouse like the iPad.

When it comes to Survival, the Kindle has some major ups and downs.

The good:

Instant access to over 1 million books, and that number is continually growing.

100’s of books are available for free every day, and many sites are available that have daily updates on what books have been made free. My favorite one is freedigitalreads.com

The Kindle Fire is a tablet computer that offers reading as well as video and games that can provide entertainment for yourself as well as your children.  This is a great thing to have in both disaster situations and long road trips.

Most books have a ‘Preview” feature that allows you to get a good look inside before you make a purchase.

Libraries are now offering free online rentals of books.  This has saved me from having to spend a ton of money on books that end up not being that good.

Books are stored directly on the device as well as in the cloud. This lets you read even without an internet connection.

The Bad:

It is Wifi only which leaves you tethered to a wifi hotspot when you want to make a download.

The most obvious drawback to the Kindle for a survivalist is that when the battery runs out, you are cut off from accessing your library.

The Kindle is tough, but in a survival situation, you will have to take extra time to make sure that the tablet doesn’t get broken.

Using it for anything other than reading or watching videos will quickly show you just how watered-down a tablet is compared to the iPad.

The bottom line:

If you are an avid reader and want to have total access to an ever-increasing library of books, then you need a Kindle.

I realize that it is nowhere near the same as having an entire library filled with books that entertain you as well as improve your skills.

While it is true that you are out of luck when it runs out of juice, you can still use it during normal circumstances to increase your knowledge right up until the lights go out.

If you don’t care about apps and only want to use the Kindle for reading, the new “paperwhite” version of the Kindle takes a major leap in the right direction for survivalists. It boasts up to 8 weeks of battery life on a single charge.

It is becoming harder and harder to find an actual bookstore to browse and at any used bookstore you are never guaranteed that the book you want will be in stock.  With the Kindle you can preview almost any book before you buy the digital version and most books also offer physical copies for purchase.

A Kindle won’t feed you or provide fresh water, but it will provide a wealth of information and entertainment that is instantly available at the push of a button, in a package that will fit in your back pocket.

What are your thoughts on digital books?

* Just to make a note, the Kindle software can be downloaded onto a PC/Mac and is also available as a free app for smartphones.

Want more? Check out other articles we have for you from our site:

7 Key Points to Consider When Living Off the Grid

29 YouTube Survival Skills that Could Save Your Life

65 Survival Lessons from the Great Depression

Any chicken owner that has ever let their chickens touch grass before has doubtlessly already noticed that their birds don’t just pick through the grass looking for choice morsels of food, but they actually eat a little bit of the grass too.

It’s almost a little strange when you think about it; chickens eating grass? It’s true, chickens do eat grass.

But that begs another question: can chickens eat grass clippings, and are they safe for them?

Grass clippings are safe for chickens as long as they are dry, and haven’t been contaminated with fertilizers, pesticides, fuel or other chemicals which could pose a health hazard.

Grass is a natural source of nutrients for chickens, but far from nutritionally complete.

There’s a fair bit of contention on the internet regarding whether or not you can give grass clippings to chickens. Reasons vary, but a few people have blown the topic way out of proportion.

Grass is a safe and natural food for chickens, and you can give your grass clippings to them so long as you apply a little bit of common sense.

I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the topic down below.

What Benefits Do Grass Clippings Have for Chickens?

Grass is only of marginal benefit to them, but it does have a part to play in chickens’ diet. It can provide them with a few calories and a little bit of various vitamins and minerals that they need.

Grass is also beneficial for helping to clear out a chicken’s intestinal tract, and it can potentially firm up their poop if they are experiencing loose, watery stools.

Chickens generally don’t eat grass all the time if they have any other choice, but when they do eat it, by necessity or otherwise, they will invariably seek out more grit to help them break down the tough cellulose present in it.

Grass Clipping Nutritional Info

Grass is only a marginal food for chickens, and though it contains nutrients that they need, it does not contain very much of them at all.

Although the nutritional profile of grass does vary somewhat depending on the specific type, typically grass will offer chickens some carbs and fiber, a little bit of vitamins A and E, and a smattering of B-complex vitamins.

Are Grass Clippings Safe for Chickens?

Yes, grass clippings are safe for chickens. There is nothing in grass that is inherently harmful to your chickens unless it is fed them excessively.

This also assumes that your grass clippings are dry, and also free from chemicals such as fertilizer and pesticides, which could be toxic. More on that in just a bit.

Are Grass Clippings Cut by Power Mowers and Tools Safe for Chickens?

Yes, as long as they are dry and have not been contaminated by any chemicals. As we just discussed, grass clippings are perfectly safe for chickens, and the same holds true for grass cut with a power mower or similar tools.

But, this is a contentious point for some keepers: Many chicken owners are wary of feeding their chickens grass clippings cut by a power mower or other lawn tools.

The reason is, power mower can theoretically release harmful chemicals into the grass it cuts, things like oil, fuel, grease and so forth, or even pesticides and herbicides picked up from previous mowing.

These chemicals would then be consumed by chickens when they eat the clippings, leading to potential illness or even death.

Although certainly possible, the actual threat is way overblown if the mower in question is in good repair and working order, and if the grass is cut from any property that you have had full control over, i.e. a property where you know exactly what and what has not been sprayed on the grass.

Then again, grass cut down by a manual push-reel mower or scythe won’t entail this worry at all, so do keep that in mind if it is a concern for you!

Are Grass Clippings Safe for Baby Chicks?

Grass clippings are of dubious safety for chicks. Chicks’ digestive systems are not yet mature, and their crops are much more prone to blockage, especially from tougher vegetation like grass.

You could give grass to your chicks, but you should wait until they are around 6 weeks old – or even older – before you do, and only then in small amounts of finely chopped grass bits.

Something else to keep in mind is that grass has nowhere close to enough nutrients or calories for chicks, so it really is just taking up space in their tummies that could be filled with something more nutritionally useful.

How Frequently Can Grass Clippings be Fed to Chickens?

Grass clippings are a novel snack for chickens, or if you are being very charitable a dietary supplement.

You should give them grass clippings (deliberately), no more than once a week, and only in small quantities.

Additionally, chickens that are allowed to wander around and free-range can and will get lots of grass all on their own when they want it.

They don’t need you to give them extra grass at all because they are already eating plenty themselves.

Be Careful: Too Much Grass in the Diet Can Harm Chickens

In all cases, be wary when feeding grass clippings to chickens, no matter where it came from.

Grass has a bad reputation for causing crop impaction issues in chickens, and though some keepers just seem to be avowed haters of the idea of serving grass to chickens, there is merit in the concern.

Specifically, wet grass is far more likely to cause blockages in the chicken’s crop. If you give your chickens grass clippings, make sure they are dry before serving, and never be too hasty to serve chickens grass that is wet from dew or rain.

Do keep in mind that chickens do best when their food is dry, or damp at most. Truly moist and wet foods of all kinds, not just grass, are disproportionately likely to cause crop and other digestive problems in chickens.

What’s the Best Way to Serve Grass Clippings to Your Flock?

Assuming the grass clippings are fresh, dry and free of contaminants like pesticides, herbicides, and oil or fuel residue, the best way to serve them is loose in small amounts. Your chickens will eat their fill and leave the rest, most times.

It is rarely worth it to try and bulk up other foods by mixing them with grass clippings, so don’t waste your time.

Be Careful of Chemical Contamination that Might Be on Cut Grass

I’ve harped on this topic throughout the article, but just in case you skipped ahead to this part, allow me to be perfectly clear: you should never, ever feed grass clippings to chickens if they have been treated with any kind of pesticide, herbicide, or other common lawn chemicals.

Those chemicals can remain in the grass basically forever, and persist long after rain and cutting. Any of them could make your flock sick if you feed them, or maybe even kill them.

Remember that all birds, and that includes chickens, are highly sensitive to toxins and poisons. 

If you’re unsure whether a batch of grass was sprayed or chemically treated in any way, just do not give it to your chickens. It is just not worth the risk!

The post Can Chickens Eat Grass Clippings? Is it Safe? appeared first on Modern Survival Online.

Learn from these Native American survival skills from the past and learn more survival hacks you can use in the future!

RELATED: Native American Survival

This thin, dried meat can keep for a very long time and was an essential food supply for Native Americans. We put together a guide to preserving meat in the wilderness.