memes

Sounds like your grandfather was a wise man. That's a great story!

Luckily, I've never ended up in a survival situation. However, I have a few habits. I keep a fire source or two in my truck, zippo in my jeans. Feel naked without a pocket knife and keep a knife or two in my truck. I also keep a piece of pine heart in my truck bed. Has come in handy many times and I've built fires in southern February thunderstorms.

Taught my kids how to build a one match fire with just a knife and a match when they were in elementary school.

Also taught them to never go in the woods without a knife, fire, and water. Taught them how to find pine heart. Probably time for a refresher course for my son on fire building.

I've been trying to teach my son how to sharpen knives, but it requires a level of stubbornness that he doesn't have yet. (I don't see the point in all those fancy angled sharpeners.) Use a flat stone, diamond preferred for speed and sharpness. You can make any sort of edge you want. Get good, and in a pinch you can sharpen a knife or other piece of metal with a brick or flat rock.