Chinaberry tree – how to identify this poisonous plant and diagnose/treat Chinaberry poisoning.

Melia azedarach Chinaberry berries, flowers, and leaves

The poisonous Chinaberry tree (also known as bead-tree, Persian lilac, white cedar, Texas umbrella, pride of India, or Cape lilac) has a round, spreading crown and grows up to 14 meters (42 feet) tall. It has alternate, compound (odd-pinnate) leaves with toothed (serrated margins) leaflets that are dark green on top and light green underneath.

The castor bean is a semi-woody, flowering plant with large, alternate, star-like leaves that grows as a tree in tropical regions and as an annual in temperate regions.

Sea survival is perhaps the most difficult survival situation. Short- or long-term survival depends upon rations, equipment available, and your ingenuity. You must be resourceful to survive.

Introduction to Cold Weather Survival One of the most difficult survival situations is a cold weather scenario. Remember, cold weather is an adversary that can be as dangerous as anything else you can encounter. Every time you venture into the cold, you are pitting yourself against the elements. With a little knowledge of the environment,…

The five layers of vegetation in the jungle

Introduction to Tropical Survival Most people think of the tropics as a huge and forbidding tropical rain forest through which every step taken must be hacked out, and where every inch of the way is crawling with danger. Actually, over half of the land in the tropics is cultivated in some way. A knowledge of…

Desert with sand, mountains, and little vegetation

To survive and evade in hot, arid or desert areas, you must understand and prepare for the environment you will face. You must determine your equipment needs, the tactics you will use, and how the environment will affect you and your tactics. Your survival will depend upon your knowledge of the terrain, basic climatic elements,…

Using wood, bamboo, and even animal parts, you can use many materials to make equipment for the cooking, eating, and storing of food.

About making clothes in the wilderness You can use many materials for clothing and insulation. Both man-made materials, such as tarps and tent materials, and natural materials, such as skins and plant materials, are available and offer significant protection. With the right materials and skills, it is possible to create clothing that will help you…

Rucksack (Backpack) Construction The materials for constructing a rucksack or pack are almost limitless. You can use wood, bamboo, rope, plant fiber, clothing, plastic bags, tarps, animal skins, canvas, and many other materials to make a pack. There are several construction techniques for rucksacks. Many are very elaborate, but those that are simple and easy…

The bola is made from weights (typically heavy rocks) on the ends of interconnected cords. Bolas are especially effective for capturing running game or low-flying fowl in a flock and does so by entangling their legs.