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Milkweed & Dogbane: A Comparative Guide to Their Practical and Medicinal Value
At first glance, Milkweed and Dogbane might seem like twins in the wild—both flaunt clusters of delicate flowers, thrive in similar habitats, and exude a milky white sap that hints at their toxic nature. But beneath their botanical resemblance lies a compelling story of ecological roles and practical significance. This article explores the subtle yet vital differences between these two native North American plants.
Milkweed (genus Asclepias) is a perennial herb recognized for its milky sap and vibrant clusters of pink to orange flowers. Native to North America, it is best known as the host plant for monarch butterflies. I often find it growing abundantly near ditches and along roadsides in West Michigan.
Historically, Native American tribes used various parts of milkweed to treat: • Respiratory infections • Digestive disorders • Skin wounds • Rheumatism
The roots were commonly brewed into teas to ease coughing and asthma-like symptoms. I’ve been told the white sap can be applied to warts. Like dogbane, milkweed stalks contain fibrous layers that can be reverse wrapped into cordage. The silk from the pods makes excellent tinder when dry—a practice I regularly teach during the fire portion of my courses. The ovum inside the pods will catch a spark and form an ember, much like char cloth.
How to Reverse Wrap Milkweed Stalks:
1. Harvest and Dry the Stalks • Collect mature stalks late in the season. • Strip off leaves and lightly crush the stems. • Allow them to dry completely for easier fiber extraction.
2. Extract the Fibers • Split the stalks lengthwise. • Peel away the outer bark to expose the fibrous strands. • Separate and clean the fibers by hand or with a comb.
3. Prepare the Strands • Group fibers into two bundles of roughly equal thickness. • Slightly moisten them to enhance flexibility.
4. Begin Reverse Wrapping • Hold the two bundles together at one end. • Twist the top bundle away from you (clockwise), then wrap it over the bottom bundle (counterclockwise). • Repeat: twist one strand, wrap it over the other. • Continue until you reach the desired length.
5. Finish and Use • Tie off the ends or splice in additional fibers to extend. • Use your cordage for bowstrings, snares, fishing lines, or shelter construction.
Milkweed cordage is remarkably strong—two-ply yarn-thick rope can hold over 50 pounds, and thicker versions have even been used to tow vehicles. If you want to try your hand at making cordage from milkweed, join us at Arcturus Primitive Skills Institute.
Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), also known as Indian hemp or wild cotton, carries a dual legacy—revered for its robust fibers and cautiously respected for its potent medicinal properties. Though toxic in large doses, it has long been used for both healing and crafting.
Historically, Native American tribes used various parts of dogbane to treat: • Heart and circulatory issues • Intestinal worms • Syphilis • Rheumatism
Although it has medicinal applications, I generally avoid using it this way due to its toxicity. Instead, dogbane is my top choice for wild-sourced cordage.
Step-by-Step Guide to Reverse Wrapping Dogbane Cordage:
1. Harvest Dogbane Stalks • Collect mature stalks in late summer or fall when the plant has dried. • Strip off leaves and break the stalks to access the inner bark.
2. Extract the Fibers • Split the stalks lengthwise and peel away the outer bark. • Carefully separate the silky inner fibers—these are your cordage material. • Let the fibers dry, then rehydrate slightly to improve flexibility.
3. Prepare the Bundles • Group fibers into two equal bundles. • Tie a knot at one end or pinch it between your fingers to anchor the starting point.
4. Reverse Wrap Technique • Twist one bundle clockwise (away from you). • Wrap it counterclockwise (toward you) over the other bundle. • Repeat: twist one strand, wrap it over the other. • This creates a two-ply cord with opposing tension, making it strong and durable.
5. Splicing for Length • When a bundle runs short, overlap new fibers and continue twisting. • This allows you to extend the cordage indefinitely.
6. Finishing • Tie off the end or burn it slightly to seal. • Use the cordage for lashing, fishing, bow drills, traps, or crafting.
Tips and Insights: • Dogbane fibers are stronger than cotton and rival commercial twine in durability. • Reverse wrapping creates a rope that resists unraveling and handles tension well. Try it with other plants, stalks, fibers, and even bark. • This technique also works beautifully with nettle, yucca, and other fibrous plants.
I’ll see you in the wild. Learn more at survivalschoolmichigan.com
Gold Over Bitcoin: A Survivalist’s Investment Outlook
As of October 21, 2025, gold is priced at $4,134 per ounce and projected to rise by 58.14% over the next year. In contrast, Bitcoin is expected to increase by only 8%. While this surge in gold may benefit investors, it also signals deeper instability in the U.S. economy. Will physical gold become a better investment than Bitcoin or other cryptocurrrencies?
When gold hits $5,000 per ounce, experts warn of potential disruptions to the banking system. Here’s what that could mean for your financial survival:
Key Impacts of Surging Gold Prices
• Growing Demand for Physical Gold: As prices climb, demand for tangible assets like gold bullion and 1 oz. coins (e.g., American Gold Eagles) is expected to spike. This could lead to production bottlenecks and supply shortages.
• Risk of Bank Runs Rising: Gold often reflects declining confidence in fiat currency. If Americans begin withdrawing funds en masse, banks may face liquidity crises. Gold’s inverse relationship with the dollar means that as gold rises, the dollar weakens.
• Rising Interest Rates: To combat inflation and maintain stability, banks may hike interest rates on loans. This could make borrowing more expensive and slow economic growth.
• Market Volatility: A sharp increase in gold prices may trigger panic or speculative behavior in financial markets, leading to unpredictable swings in asset values.
What Should You Do?
If survival and wealth preservation are your priorities, it may be time to reassess your investment strategy. Bitcoin, like stocks and bonds, is a digital and speculative asset. In uncertain times, hard assets like gold and silver—both showing strong upward trends—offer tangible value and resilience.
Final Thought
What will the U.S. economy look like in one year? In five? No one knows for sure. But if history is any guide, those who prepare early with real assets will weather the storm better than those who don’t.
Buckle up. The ride ahead could be turbulent.
Disclaimer: These are just my thoughts; I am no financial expert. BUT, wait and see if my assessment is correct.
DIY IFAK
Build Your Own Budget IFAK—Save Cash, Stay Ready
If you’re serious about preparedness but tired of overpriced gear, this guide is for you. We’re breaking down how to build your own Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) without draining your wallet. I’ve already shared a list tailored for gunshot wound treatment, but this time we’re going full DIY—budget-conscious, battle-ready.
And yes, I’ll be selling these IFAKs at my store. You’ll find my prices beat the competition, hands down.
Step 1: Choose Your Container
Start with a pouch or case. I found MOLLE-compatible tactical pouches on AliExpress for $1.99. Temu wanted $6.99 for the same thing. Want to go ultra-cheap? Use a gallon-sized Ziplock bag. It’s not fancy, but it works.
Step 2: Add a Light Source
A Surefire flashlight is top-tier, but if you’re cutting costs, grab a budget flashlight or toss in a glow stick. Visibility matters—don’t skip this.
Step 3: Stock the Essentials
Here’s what you need to pack. No fluff. No filler. Just gear that works:
Combat Gauze (Quick-Clot preferred; S-rolled gauze is the budget alternative)
Hyfin Chest Seal
Israeli Emergency Bandage or Olaes Bandage (cheaper: 4″ Emergency Trauma Dressing)
Mylar Blanket
Nitrile Gloves
Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA) – carry multiple sizes for different individuals
Tourniquet – go with a genuine CAT, not the knockoffs
Trauma Shears
4″x4″ Gauze Pads
This setup covers the basics for trauma response in the field. Whether you’re building for personal use, or training, this guide keeps your costs low and your readiness high.
Wintergreen: A Survivalist’s Ally
Wintergreen is an evergreen plant native to North America and the Eastern Woodlands. Renowned for its potent medicinal properties, this plant’s leaves and oil contain methyl salicylate—a compound with remarkable pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Historically, Wintergreen has been used to address a wide array of ailments, including muscle pain, headaches, nerve pain, sciatica, arthritis, joint pain, menstrual cramps, colds, and flus. Beyond its pain-relieving abilities, Wintergreen boasts antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal properties, making it an invaluable resource in the wild.
At Arcturus Primitive Skills Institute, I’ve introduced many students to the delights of Wintergreen tea—a soothing, minty infusion that offers both flavor and medicinal benefits. Typically, students enjoy two or three cups, and I often brew this tea when dealing with headaches during camp. The plant’s dark green, waxy leaves and vibrant red berries make it easy to identify. While the berries are minty and edible, it’s said that consuming just one is equivalent to taking a single aspirin. Interestingly, the strongest medicinal properties are derived from Wintergreen leaves harvested between late winter and early fall, when they take on a purplish hue.
In one experiment, I combined an infusion of Wintergreen tea with a poultice of the same plant to treat my aching knee. Used in tandem, the tea and poultice proved highly effective at alleviating my pain—a testament to the plant’s dual functionality.
Preparing Wintergreen Tea:
- Gather a small handful of Wintergreen leaves (5–10 should suffice).
- Place the leaves on a hard surface, such as a skillet, clean log, or flat rock, and gently crush them using the back of your hatchet or knife. Alternatively, chop the leaves finely.
- Simmer the leaves in a cup of water to create the tea.
For brewing in the wild, I often use an improvised setup, such as an empty energy drink can suspended over a fire on a tripod stand. For an enhanced infusion, try adding White Pine needles and honey to your Wintergreen tea. This combination offers a powerful winter medicine, blending the vitamin C from pine needles (an immune booster) with antimicrobial, expectorant, and pain-relieving properties. The honey adds its soothing touch to the throat—perfect for colds and sore throats.
The Wilderness Delusion: When Fantasy Meets Reality in Survival
Are You Really Prepared for the Wild?
I always enjoy when people dive into conversations about their “survival plans” for when disaster strikes. It’s fascinating how many tell me they’d grab their bugout bag and head for the vast wilderness of North America. Some even imagine escaping into Canada’s untamed frontier.
But before you romanticize living off the land, consider these 10 critical survival questions:
1. What’s in your bugout bag? Are you carrying the essentials or just guesswork?
2. Have you attended any survival schools? Do you have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive?
3. How will you find safe drinking water? Without it, your plan ends quickly.
4. Do you know North American plants? Can you name five with medicinal uses or find a plant to treat a deep wound?
5. How will you start a fire without matches, lighters, or a ferrocerium rod? Fire is life in the wilderness.
6. What’s your food plan when hunting or gathering fails?
7. What kind of shelter will you build, and how? Shelter is critical to protect against the elements.
8. What happens if you’re injured or ill while alone in the wild?
9. Can you handle threats from wildlife (like bears or wolves), hostile humans, or severe weather?
10. How will you navigate without GPS or a cell phone? Do you understand land navigation and map-reading?
The reality? “Bugging out” into the wilderness is not the glamorous survival strategy many imagine.
Here’s why:
• Most people underestimate the sheer difficulty of regulating core body temperature. The majority of wilderness deaths stem from hypothermia.
• Food shortages are inevitable. The knowledge to forage or hunt enough calories is rare, and even small groups can quickly deplete local resources.
• Survival is brutal. From starvation to broken tools to severe illness or infection, the odds stack up against the unprepared. Something as simple as a cut can lead to life-threatening sepsis.
• And let’s not forget the competition. Countless others will head to the same wilderness, untrained and desperate. Overhunting and overforaging will exhaust the area’s resources rapidly.
Even with my experience, after just a week in the wild, I’m tired, hungry, and craving a hot shower and comfortable bed. The idea of vanishing into the forest to “live off the land” is more a dangerous fantasy than a viable plan.
Want to actually prepare for life’s unexpected disasters? Learn real, life-saving survival skills by visiting survivalschoolmichigan.com. Whether it’s building shelters, mastering fire-making, land navigation, water purification, or understanding foraging, we’ll equip you with practical knowledge to face the toughest challenges.
I’ll see you in the wild!
The Best Wood for Bow Drills in the Eastern Woodlands: Your Ultimate Guide
In the Eastern Woodlands of the United States, selecting the right wood is critical for successfully making a primitive fire using a bow drill. Among the various options, tulip poplar and cedar are my go-to choices for creating friction fire with a bow drill due to their superior performance.
There are five key factors to consider when choosing bow drill wood in the Eastern Woodlands:
- Softwood: Opt for softwoods. Refer to the list below for the most suitable types of wood for bow drills.
- Dry Wood: Ensure the wood is dry. Seek out dead branches hanging from trees, wood from dead standing trees that have been exposed to the elements for extended periods, or baton a section of wood to access the dry core. The latter is especially effective in wet conditions, such as during rain.
- Availability: Familiarize yourself with the local tree species and their uses. Understand the resources available in your specific forest area. For example, in the forests of Michigan, where my survival school is located in West Michigan, tulip poplar is rare, but poplar and cedar are common and effective choices. Interestingly, I once found a tulip poplar along Wildcat Creek, south of Whitehall, Michigan, which was surprising since this tree is generally more prevalent in southern regions.
- Non-resinous Wood: Avoid pine, as the resin can hinder friction when using a bow drill. Pine can contain up to 20% resin, which can be found in branches, needles, cones, stems, and roots. While some success has been reported with white pine, it is not my preferred choice for a bow drill set.
- Consistency: Typically, using the same wood for both your hearth board and spindle yields the best results, although exceptions exist. For instance, pairing a poplar hearth board with a willow spindle can be effective.
Below is an alphabetical list of the best types of wood for a bow drill:
- Aspen
- Basswood
- Cedar
- Cottonwood
- Juniper
- Poplar (known as “popple” in Michigan)
- Staghorn Sumac
- Tulip Poplar
- Willow
- Yucca Stalk (referred to as Adam’s Nettle in Michigan)
Discover the art of primitive fire-making with a bow drill, and much more, at Arcturus Primitive Skills Institute. Join us for a transformative course—visit our website at survivalschoolmichigan.com to learn more. See you in the wild!
Grid Down Ready: Top Strategies for Ensuring Power Continuity
When the Grid Goes Down: Be Prepared
It’s not a matter of if, but when. In the event of a grid-down scenario, having a reliable power source for various applications becomes essential. Picture this: batteries for flashlights to investigate that strange bump in the night. Let’s prepare!
First, invest in a couple of Surefire flashlights. Stock up on CR123A lithium batteries to ensure you have a powerful, tactical flashlight at your disposal.
Next, purchase lithium-ion batteries and 18650 rechargeable batteries. Additionally, stock up on AAA, AA alkaline batteries, and size D batteries for various applications. For extremely reliable power, consider nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Then, acquire both a tri-fuel generator and a diesel-burning generator. Make sure to have fuel for each generator. For the tri-fuel generator, keep a supply of gasoline, propane, and natural gas on hand.
Don’t forget to buy some battery banks, such as the Dewalt 1600 Peak Amp Jump Starter. This will give you power and enable you to jump-start your vehicle if needed.
Consider investing in solar panels to charge those battery banks and portable solar chargers for charging smaller devices like phones and radios.
Note: In a grid-down scenario, the sound of a generator may attract unwanted guests who realize you have what they need. Hence, the Surefire flashlight for investigating those strange bumps in the night is a wise investment. Pro tip, black out those windows to prevent prying eyes from seeing that you are prepared.
Lastly, stock up on candles and lamps. Kerosene lamps work great. Ensure you have plenty of lamps, wicks, mantles, and chimneys. Here are some recommended lamps:
- Lamplight Large Paraffin Oil Indoor Lamp
- Dietz Original 76
- Feuerhand Hurricane Lantern
- Firefly Fuel Wine Bottle Lamp
- Aladdin Genie III Oil Lamp
Prepare now and stay ahead of the game!
Primitive Power-Lighting a Fire with Tinder Fungus and a Ferro Rod
In this video, I show how to light a fire with tinder fungus, a ferrocerium rod and the spine of my knife.