The first few days of wilderness survival is often said to be the most difficult because you are tending to the urgent needs of your body like heat retention, hydration, and food. After making it past the critical early days, your focus shifts to creating goods that will help you sustain life more comfortably in the long term. Basketry is one such category of items. Baskets can be used for carrying food, water, shelter materials, arrows, traps, and a plethora of other things you will need. In this article / video I will show you one of the many techniques for making your own cordage baskets.

Start with eight strands

Cut eight strands of even length: divide them into two groups of four and cross them at their midpoints.

Weave in bundles of four

Use another long strand of twine to criss-cross around the bundles. Do this in several revolutions until a small platform starts to emerge.This will be the bottom of your basket and from here you are building upward toward the opening.

Switch to weaving in bundles of two

As your small platform grows, it will be harder to keep it flat and tidy looking because the distance between the bundles will grow with each revolution. When that happens switch to weaving around bundles of two strands each.

Switch again, now to one strand at a time

The platform will grow even more until you have to switch to just one strand.

Keep going

When the bottom of your basket is to the size you want, allow it to curve in the direction it wants to go. At first it will look like a small bowl, and then as you build the sides up, it becomes a true vessel. Hours and hours later, you'll have a basket.