The protein in meat is essential to survival. However, raw meat spoils quickly and introduce dangerous bacteria into one's system if stored improperly and then eaten. There are a number of ways to preserve meat when in a survival mode.
The first method for preserving meat in survival mode is to keep the "meat"a live. Snaring small game like rabbits or squirrels allows you to keep them alive until you're ready to eat them. Obviously, this will require some kind of cage. One can be built from green sticks. It's also important to recognize that live small game is likely to draw larger, carnivorous game. This can be advantageous if you have a means of killing larger carnivores like coyotes, wolves, bears and the like. On the other hand, there is a distinct possibility that these animals may make off with your small game and leave you hungry. Worse yet, the live game may draw large carnivores to your location and put you in danger.
Another method of preserving meat is to dry it. This method also has the same potential drawbacks of keeping live small game. However, once the meat is dried, it is much less likely to draw carnivores to your camp as it will have little scent left. To avoid losing drying meat to carnivorous pests, dry it at least 12 feet off the ground.
To sun-dry meat, simply hang thin strips in the sun. If you carry snare wire in your BOB or pack, string the snare wire from one tree to another. Skewer the meat onto the snare wire after you've attached it to the first tree and before you attach it to the second tree. For best results the strips of meat should not fold over on themselves or touch other strips of meat. Sun-drying meat may take several days depending on humidity and temperature. The meat is ready when it is dark and brittle.
A third way to preserve meat is to smoke it. Smoking takes considerably more work and resources than sun-drying. However, smoked meat will most likely keep longer than sun-dried meat.
To smoke meat, cut the meat into thin strips. Build a tripod from three poles (tree limbs that are about 1-3" in diameter work well). The tripod should be about 6' tall. Attach snare wire around the three poles in a tiered fashion. Make sure the bottom wire is at least 2' off the ground. As with sun-drying, you can skewer the meat with the wire as you wrap the wire around the legs of the tripod. If you must drape the meat over your wire or string, try to make sure that it doesn't fold over and touch itself. Also, make sure individual strips do not touch one another.
Cover the tripod with any available material. A poncho or large pieces of tree bark works well. Make sure you avoid contact between the meat and the covering. To ensure proper ventilation, leave a small opening at the top of the tripod.
Gather an armload or two of green, deciduous wood. Alder, willow and aspen work well. Either break the branches into small pieces or use an ax or large knife to cut larger pieces into chips.
Build a fire next to the tripod. Once your fire is started, use hardwood to develop your coal bed, if possible. After you've build up a good bed of coals, transfer them to the ground in the center of the tripod. Continue to transfer coals as needed.
To smoke the meat, place small pieces or chips of green wood on the hot coals. As the green wood begins to heat up, it should create smoke. Do not allow the green wood to flame up. Fire will ruin the smoking process. If the green wood flames up, put out the flames. Try to avoid disturbing the coals and smoking chips if you can. Continue adding chips until the meat is dark and brittle. Smoking usually takes between 24 and 48 hours.
The first method for preserving meat in survival mode is to keep the "meat"a live. Snaring small game like rabbits or squirrels allows you to keep them alive until you're ready to eat them. Obviously, this will require some kind of cage. One can be built from green sticks. It's also important to recognize that live small game is likely to draw larger, carnivorous game. This can be advantageous if you have a means of killing larger carnivores like coyotes, wolves, bears and the like. On the other hand, there is a distinct possibility that these animals may make off with your small game and leave you hungry. Worse yet, the live game may draw large carnivores to your location and put you in danger.
Another method of preserving meat is to dry it. This method also has the same potential drawbacks of keeping live small game. However, once the meat is dried, it is much less likely to draw carnivores to your camp as it will have little scent left. To avoid losing drying meat to carnivorous pests, dry it at least 12 feet off the ground.
To sun-dry meat, simply hang thin strips in the sun. If you carry snare wire in your BOB or pack, string the snare wire from one tree to another. Skewer the meat onto the snare wire after you've attached it to the first tree and before you attach it to the second tree. For best results the strips of meat should not fold over on themselves or touch other strips of meat. Sun-drying meat may take several days depending on humidity and temperature. The meat is ready when it is dark and brittle.
A third way to preserve meat is to smoke it. Smoking takes considerably more work and resources than sun-drying. However, smoked meat will most likely keep longer than sun-dried meat.
To smoke meat, cut the meat into thin strips. Build a tripod from three poles (tree limbs that are about 1-3" in diameter work well). The tripod should be about 6' tall. Attach snare wire around the three poles in a tiered fashion. Make sure the bottom wire is at least 2' off the ground. As with sun-drying, you can skewer the meat with the wire as you wrap the wire around the legs of the tripod. If you must drape the meat over your wire or string, try to make sure that it doesn't fold over and touch itself. Also, make sure individual strips do not touch one another.
Cover the tripod with any available material. A poncho or large pieces of tree bark works well. Make sure you avoid contact between the meat and the covering. To ensure proper ventilation, leave a small opening at the top of the tripod.
Gather an armload or two of green, deciduous wood. Alder, willow and aspen work well. Either break the branches into small pieces or use an ax or large knife to cut larger pieces into chips.
Build a fire next to the tripod. Once your fire is started, use hardwood to develop your coal bed, if possible. After you've build up a good bed of coals, transfer them to the ground in the center of the tripod. Continue to transfer coals as needed.
To smoke the meat, place small pieces or chips of green wood on the hot coals. As the green wood begins to heat up, it should create smoke. Do not allow the green wood to flame up. Fire will ruin the smoking process. If the green wood flames up, put out the flames. Try to avoid disturbing the coals and smoking chips if you can. Continue adding chips until the meat is dark and brittle. Smoking usually takes between 24 and 48 hours.