Show Notes
After the Blizzard
Survival offer I move onto How to choose a BOL, Survival Mistakes, Preserving your Food, Support these
companies, Surviving SHTF, more companies to support, Eating Road Kill, Crayfish
Trap Guidelines, Surviving in the Woods, Having some fun with Basic and Simple Cooking Methods, further
companies to support, The Threat of Wild Dogs Post SHTF, Tips for Over Night
Survival, Wilderness Gathering, Wilderness Survival Cooking,
Blizzard Survival 20% Discount Offer
Blizzard Survival .com have a fantastic offer for you the
listener they are offering a 20%
discount on all goods bought from them at www.blizzardsurvival.com
The Ultimate in
Lightweight Thermal Protection.
The Blizzard Survival Brand incorporating Reflexcell™
material has become the new standard where ever thermal performance in a
lightweight compact package is essential - for military use, casualty care,
emergency preparedness, disaster relief, personal survival, outdoor
activities...and more.
Reflexcell™ products are totally unique: weight-for-weight
far warmer than goose down, yet 100% weatherproof, tough, ultra-portable and
re-usable.
Life-saving technology has never been so affordable.
Their product represents a step change in the way both
civilian and military users prepare for emergencies and treat trauma cases.
Here is an exciting
New Product from Blizzard Survival
Blizzard has launched the Blizzard Heat Blanket an insulated
and active warming system for the whole body. Utilising its unique 3-ply
Reflexcell™ material in a reflective insulating blanket with self-activating
heating pads it incorporates front & side vents for easy access, and
integral hood for head protection. Now is the time to visit www.blizzardsurvival.com
All you have to do to get a 20% discount is enter the code
“PREPPER” at the checkout, it is that simple. Thank you Blizzard Survival.
How to Choose a BOL
When disaster strikes, you need a safe place for you and the
ones you care about to keep your heads down: your bug out location.
The basic idea is to get out of harm’s way to a prepared
area with supplies and gear which can sustain you. Choosing where to locate
this prepared area is an important decision that requires planning
Before getting into your personal remote location belonging
to you, it is important to note that depending on the kind of disaster and its
reach, your best bet may be to drive to another county to stay with a relative.
Your bug out location does not need to be an isolated piece
of owned property, and if you do have family connections you can leverage, it
may be your best bet.
This is one of the
first things you need to consider carefully.
At first thought, a bug out location would be as far away as
possible from your home to ensure the best odds that whatever disaster it is
will not impact you. While there are definitely some merits to the very remote
location, there are some drawbacks to consider.
First, if your intention is to stock this location with
supplies, you have to understand how difficult stocking it will be if you live
extremely far away. If it’s too remote, stocking it from the nearest shop may
also be an ordeal.
While you should have extra fuel anyway, an extra-long
journey presents greater fuel risks, and at minimum, forces you to carry a
little more.
If your location is very far from your house, you may be
very unlikely to ever want to go to it when there is no disaster.
If you are spending hard-earned money on rural land, you
should want to be able to take advantage of it as a quiet, natural holiday
space, and so if it’s prohibitively far away, you lose that advantage.
If there is a disaster where you’re on the fence about
whether or not to bug out, the pain in the bum distance might dangerously deter
you from leaving.
That said, quite obviously the location has to be a decent
distance away from your main home, otherwise there’s a risk that whatever
disaster has convinced you to bug out will impact your bug out location as
well.
Depending on where you like, a good two hour drive is
probably sufficient.
How you choose you’re Bug-Out-Location will depend on
further factors, such as:
Can you afford to purchase your own location?
Do you have a trusted group of people that can purchase a
location together?
Is it easy for you to get to?
Can you get there if you had to walk?
Is it safe from the same or other potential hazards?
If you’re lucky enough that you can afford to purchase your
own location or to get in on one with some other people you will want to look
for a location that is preferably in a different region from your main living
location.
The best site will be property you can purchase that also
has access to water, hunting, wood, and enough space to grow your own food.
Also take into consideration the security of the location as well.
If others can find it or know where it is, and you have
supplies stocked up there is the chance that they could be gone before you get
there or even worse taken over and occupied.
Again, as I have already said consider how long it would
take for you to get to the location. If you’re traveling alone and have the
knowhow to survive the more remote and further away you can make your location.
If you have a family that you need to take care of you MUST
consider locating your Bug-Out-Location closer and will likely have to make it
more accessible.
What if you’re not lucky enough to be able to afford your
own property? The first thing I would do is find a relative or even a friend
who lives in a remote rural location.
At the very least find a relative or friend that lives
outside of the region in which you live that will not be impacted by the same
event that would cause you to leave and seek shelter.
Once you choose the relative or friend, talk to them about
your plans, and as a start offer to set them up at your location if something
should happen to cause them the need to leave their location.
Once you agree to work together in this respect, you can
work together to get supplies and set up your Bug-Out-Location.
As a last resort you can always use the option of Bugging-In
which is when you choose to stay put and wait out any event.
Not the best option especially in a fire or flood situation
and you’ll be taking your life into your own hands.
Survival Mistakes
Wilderness survival techniques are arguably a matter of life
and death. Turning into a self-sufficient survivor does not happen at the snap
of a finger.
It takes knowledge, proper gear, and preparation. By
planning for the worst before it happens you could be saving your life and
other's.
According to some of the top wilderness survival websites,
there are eight common mistakes that can cost you big in the wild. The first is
no shelter, which really turns into a double barrelled mistake. If you do not have
a proper shelter with you or lack the knowledge to build one with what is
around you-you might be in trouble.
It is vital to create
a shelter that keeps you dry and limits exposure to the elements, especially
the wind.
The second biggest wilderness survival mistake is being
caught without a working navigational tool. It is easy to get turned around in
the middle of thick bushes and trees. A map and a compass are failsafe
standards any wilderness adventurer should pack.
Thanks to technology, a GPS is a handy tool as well. GPS
devices are small, compact, and generally able to work for a descent time
period if kept at full charge. Keep navigational tools with you at all times.
Another common mistake that can cost you is lack of
knowledge and preparation.
There are five key things you should be knowledgeable of
first:
How to build shelter
How to signal for assistance
What is safe to eat and how to find it
How to build and maintain a fire
How to locate water
and safely prepare it
Never underestimate the risk factor. The most innocent of
outdoor excursions-fishing, hiking, hunting-can turn into a wilderness survival
situation. Always be prepared.
Don't be caught with the wrong clothing. A rule of thumb is
to always dress in layers, making the outer layer warmer than what you should
need. Research indicates that most hypothermia cases develop in temperatures
over 40 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to lack of proper clothing.
Water is essential to
survive.
The problem is finding drinkable water. Waterborne organisms
can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which increases dehydration. Carry a
supply of pure drinking water along with the ability to filter water by
boiling, chemical tablets, or filters.
Finally, be sure to have a signal plan and know how to
create and maintain a fire. Almost any outdoor/camping supplier has sections
dedicated to signal devices. Whistles, mirrors, high beam
torch, and fire starting devices are all easy to carry
signal devices. Couple these with learning how to create your own emergency signal
by using trees, rocks, dirt, or even snow.
Fire is vital to wilderness survival. It can warm, protect,
and heat food or boil water. You can even use it to signal for help.
Do not underestimate learning how to make and maintain a
fire. Take time to prepare for your outdoor excursions and you will be able to
tackle whatever kinks come your way.
When it comes to survival skills, the smallest of mistakes
could have a huge impact on your ability to stay safe.
However, there are a few things which can help to avoid
making such mistakes, and will ensure that your survival skills are as
effective as possible.
If you find your survival skills being put to the test
unexpectedly, then the natural reaction can be to panic.
However, this is often the worst thing you can do, as you
need to be thinking as clearly as possible in such situations.
You might not be able to simply google ‘survival techniques’
whilst checking your facebook page and playing cheeky bingo, but if you have
done your research, then you will already be well prepared.
You simply need to
keep a clear head, and remember all the skills which you have learnt.
Often, people panic the most when it comes to putting up a
shelter, and tend to rush the process. In actual fact, it is worth spending
extra time making sure that your shelter is safe and secure, and unlikely to
collapse without warning, OH! And water and wind proof as well.
Preserving your Food
I would like to cover some of the traditional food
preservation methods that are available to the prepper.
BURIAL
Most people don’t immediately associate food and burial, but
it just goes to show you that assumptions don’t get you anywhere useful in
life. The constant temperatures, darkness, and humidity levels associated with
burial are ideal for preventing spoilage of root crops in particular, but also
foods like onions and cabbages and foods that have been previously dried.
The root cellar, a wonderful way to preserve root vegetables
and other hardy vegetables such as cabbages.
Cache pits used by Native Americans is a form of food
preservation via burial.
Other forms of burial storage include the storage clamp and
the cache pit. Storage clamps recreate the conditions found in a root cellar
where top soil is scraped to create a shallow, rectangular depression, food
such as potatoes are piled into a ridge-shaped heap, then covered with about
six inches of straw or hay. On top of this is placed the soil that was removed
during scraping.
The cache pit, used by agricultural Native American tribes
such as the Mandan and Hidatsa, is a combination of a root cellar and a storage
clamp that was used for winter food storage. Pits were dug into the ground to
store the important crops of corn, beans, sunflower seeds, and dried squash.
Burial has been used in conjunction with fermentation, and
was common in the making of kimchi and sauerkraut. Desiccation (drying) has
also been associated with burial in deserts, such as in Egypt.
In fact, drying was first used in ancient Egypt as a food
preservation method after it was noticed that burial of food caused it to be
dried and, therefore, preserved.
Ultimately this method included mummification of humans and
not just food.
Candied fruits can take a fair amount of time, but it is a
sweet way to preserve treats.
CANDYING
Candying fruits, also known as Glacé or crystallized fruit,
involves placing whole or pieces of fruit in a heated syrup, then draining it,
and repeating this cycle using increasingly strong concentrations of syrup over
weeks or even months. It is the intense saturation of the fruit in sugar that
enhances desiccation and creates an environment unfavourable for bacterial
growth. Plus, it’s tasty!
CANNING
Canning is probably the best known method of home food
preservation using glass jars (or metal cans) with pressure-sealed lids, and
includes processing by water bath or pressure canner.
The water bath method of canning can be used with foods such
as high-sugar jams and jellies or acidic tomato products and pickles.
Water bath canning is accessible to most preppers who have
the desire to dip their toe in food preservation methods. Canning a fruit jam
is a recommended first step for the beginner who is interested in stepping into
the world of home food preservation.
Pressure canning of foods is needed for non-acid foods
including many vegetables like beans and potatoes, and meats. A pressure canner
(as opposed to a pressure cooker) is required for canning these items, and it
is recommended that someone have some water-bath canning experience under their
belt before purchasing and using a pressure canner. But the versatility a
pressure canner brings to the home storage kitchen is worth its weight in gold.
CURING
Curing involves using salt (sometimes in combination with
sugar) to preserve meats and fish. Curing is one popular way to make sure meat
is available in winter for the home larder. Salt at different concentrations
inhibits the growth of dangerous food bacteria such as Listeria,
Staphylococcus, and Salmonella.
Salt can be added to meats as a liquid brine (strong enough
to float an egg), or as a dry cure, such as with sausage making. Dry salting is
also known as corning, because in early British history Anglo Saxons preserved
meats with “corns” (coarse pieces) of salt.
Irish corned beef is the most famous example of this, but
any meat can be corned in this way for preservation.
Nitrites can also be used in meat curing because they allow
meats to retain a pink colour, and they help to prevent the growth of bacteria
such as botulism. However, nitrite use can be a tricky business as it is toxic
at high enough levels.
(Note: nitrates are no longer allowed for commercial meat
curing, with the exception of dry-cured, uncooked meats. It is a suspected
carcinogen.)
But not all salt curing can prevent the growth of bacteria;
because of this it is recommended that home meat curers start out their curing
adventures by using pre-made mixes, which have been tested for food safety.
Potential sources for ready-made curing mixes include sites
like http://www.homecuring.co.uk
But there are other sources for cures, and I encouraged you
to seek out other trusted sources.
DRYING
There are several ways to dry food, and drying food is
arguably the most efficient, and oldest, method to preserve food.
It is not uncommon to find dried fruits and vegetables in
Egyptian tombs that are thousands of years old, and still edible.
Dehydrating food removes enough moisture to prevent decay.
The secret to good drying include heating the food so the moisture is
eliminated quickly enough to not affect food flavour, but not so hot that it
cooks the food.
But getting the heat to the right point is important; if the
temperature is too low bacteria can grow, yet if it’s too high the food may
harden on the surface before the inside has had a chance to dry. Air
circulation is also paramount when it comes to properly drying foods.
Hanging herbs must have good air circulation to dry
properly.
Dried food can come in many forms — from fruit to jerky —
and they can all be dried using the power of the sun, electric dehydrators, or
the oven.
But all methods must have good air circulation to carry the
moisture away from your food. If you live in a drier climate, the sun may be
all you need to dry foods.
If solar dehydration won’t work for you, you can always
purchase an electric food dehydrator.
Electric food dehydrators can cost anywhere between £30 and
£100 on Amazon for example. You can also use your oven to dehydrate foods,
though this method can be tricky as ovens can run too warm.
The oven should be about 140F and the oven door should
remain open the entire time to allow moisture to escape. And since ovens
frequently don’t hold the temperature accurately, the use of an oven
thermometer (and frequent checking) is advised.
One last method of dehydrating food involves just leaving
the food “on the vine.” Beans such as lentils, lima beans, kidney beans and more
can be left in their pods on the plants until the plants and pods are dried and
shrivelled.
At this point, the beans can be shelled and stored, but be
sure that the beans are completely dry before storage, or they will mould.
If you feel the beans are not dried enough, dehydrate them
more using one of the methods I have already mentioned.
FERMENTING
This might be one of the all-time favourite methods of
preserving nature’s bounty! From beer to wine and spirits, fermentation can be
our friend.
But most people don’t realize that there is a huge array of
food preservation via fermenting; even sourdough starter is considered a
fermented, preserved food (it lasts for hundreds of years)!
Alcohol is just one form of fermentation, but fermentation
by different types of bacteria include lactic acid, alkaline, and acetic
fermentation.
Lactic acid fermentation produces foods like yogurt,
sauerkraut, and kimchi. Vinegars are the most common form of acetic acid
fermentation, and include apple cider vinegar and wine vinegar.
In alkaline fermentation, protein in foods is broken down
into amino acids and peptides, and during the process ammonia is released
giving the foods a distinct smell.
Alkali fermentation is popular in countries in Southeast
Asia and Africa, such as a soybean dish called natto in Japan, or dawadawa from
African locust beans.
JELLYING
Jellying does not refer to the making of sweet fruit jelly
(that’s a form of canning). Instead, jellying is a form of food preservation
where the food to be preserved is cooked in a substance that forms a natural
gel, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth by decreasing oxygen levels.
The gelatinous substance is typically something like
gelatine, arrowroot, or agar. Aspic is probably the best known form of
jellying, where meat is potted in a combination of gelatine and meat broth.
PICKLING
Pickling is the use of an anti-microbial brew to preserve
produce and meats. Typical pickling liquids include vinegar, brines, alcohol,
and oils, and additional ingredients to flavour the food include salts, herbs,
and spices. (Note: pickling in oil is not recommended for canning.)
Pickling can be a form of fermentation for foods such as
kimchi and sauerkraut, but in these cases the food itself is the preservative.
Popular forms of pickles include just straight-up cucumber
pickles, but also delectable dishes from all over the world pickled onions and
eggs in British fish and chips shops, pickled herring in Scandinavia, and Achar
in India, a pickle made from mangos, lime, vegetables, and an assortment of
other ingredients.
Pickling, hot peppers, can be accomplished with vinegar,
oil, or alcohol.
POTTING
Cooked meats were sometimes placed in hot earthenware crocks
and pressed to eliminate as much oxygen as possible to preserve them.
Then the meat was covered with a hot fat that hardened at
room temperature, such as lard. The fat prevented oxygen from reaching the
meats.
Duck confit, potted shrimp, and Pâté are forms of potting,
though potted meats traditionally were eaten by the British.
It is crucial that as much oxygen as possible is eliminated
from the meat, or bacteria will grow.
SMOKING
No discussion on food preservation would be complete without
smoking, where meats and fish are cure-smoked with smouldering wood, which also
serves to add a layer of desiccation to the preserving qualities of the smoke
itself.
Smoking is one of the oldest food preservation methods along
with drying and burial, when food was cooked over open fires.
Smoked meats traditionally were sliced thin and placed over
a fire where three modes of preservation took place:
The heat of the fire killed harmful microorganisms, some of
the chemical compounds in the wood being used for smoking had an anti-microbial
actions, and dehydration prevented degradation.
I have not ventured to deep into this subject and that is
something I see as a failing to be honest, perhaps this is born out of living
in a plentiful society.
However then the brown stuff hits the propeller and I find
myself with too much of one type of food then it preservation would play its
part, so it is something I must practice with.
If you are looking
for some new kit then please Support these Companies
The following
companies have supported this station and I will support them they are:
You will never need to boil water again
For I-shields UV Protection
For top quality 550 Paracord
For Survival Knives and Survival Kits
For the Nano Striker fire starter
For tasty MX3 Meals
The Lifesaver bottle
For the Knot Bone Lacelock
For the Wild and Edible Nutrition E Book
Browning Night Seeker Cap Light RGB
Multi lite Multi-tool
For the Ghillie Kettle
For the Blackbird SK-5 or his handmade leather sheaths http://www.hedgehogleatherworks.com
For the Farside Outdoor Meals
The Survivor knife
For the Chris Caine companion survival tool
You are listening to
the UK preppers Radio network on KPRNDB-UK I’m your host Tom Linden
Surviving SHTF
Nuclear warfare is not necessary to cause a breakdown of our
society. You take a large city like London, Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds—
their water supply comes from hundreds of miles away and any interruption of
that, or food, or power for any period of time you're going to have riots in
the streets.
Our society is so fragile, so dependent on the interworking
of things to provide us with the goods and services that you don't need nuclear
warfare to fragment us anymore than the Romans needed it to cause their
eventual downfall.
While some may consider such a discussion a waste of time,
more and more people are coming to the conclusion that preparations of some
sort are warranted in our current troubled environment — on many fronts.
Surviving Economic Collapse is about how much preparation
individuals are willing to do and is usually in direct correlation to their
belief that something catastrophic could happen, making life as we know it a
much more difficult task.
It is a proven fact throughout history that when disruptions
of any kind occur, those who made even the smallest preparations typically fare
much better than those who gave no thought at all in this regard.
I want to share with you a list I have compiled of the
things that could potentially happen — and that threaten our way of life in a
small or large degree.
There is no way to predict these things, but anyone with common
sense can see that the possibility is likely we could experience one or more of
these events at some point in the future...
Any single event or combination of events could cause
terrible and debilitating circumstances for a short or long period of time:
Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornados,
volcanic eruptions, solar flares, earthquakes, and other geophysical events
happen across our world daily.
There is the every present possibility of wars, nuclear
wars, nuclear reactor meltdowns, and radiation fallout.
Then we have the coming financial meltdown (derivative, debt
crisis, economic collapse and/or bond implosion) causing currencies to implode
and governments to topple
There are problems with the exploration, delivery, or
production of oil, the lifeblood of modern economies
We are seeing a spread of disease such as the Black Plague
or a bird flu pandemic more and more often
We have frequent
Power cuts
And you could even say that political anarchy or revolution
is a possibility too.
Racial strife or civil war is on the cards that is for sure
Electromagnetic pulse events are in the news even more now.
With any of these scenarios listed above (and there is a
host of others I have probably not even thought about), you could have
localized, national, or global unrest and even war for an indefinite period of
time depending on the scope and duration of the event(s).
An item that is not on the list — but could be equally
devastating to individual families — is the loss of a job.
Losing a job can be a catastrophic event if one is not
properly prepared. Most families find themselves living pay day to pay day with
little in the way of savings and almost nothing in the way of preparations.
For years, I had
brought up the issue of preparedness to a close friend of mine.
When I first started talking about it, my friend and his
wife basically blew me off... but I kept bringing the topic up.
Eventually they thought it prudent to at least get some sort
of food storage together. Their family was accustomed to an upper middle class
income and living comfortably in suburbia with their three children...
About a year after making their food preparations, the
breadwinner of the family lost his job and ended up working a series of almost
minimum wage jobs trying to make ends meet.
He kept applying for better-paying jobs in his field of
expertise — but no matter how qualified he was nobody was interested in hiring
someone at his previous salary level or his age (late fifties).
The family's
lifestyle was devastated and they eventually lost their home...
In a recent conversation with this friend, he told me that
without their food storage, things would have been immeasurably more difficult.
He thanked me for being a good friend and pushing the issue when he and his
wife weren’t listening.
The family is now living a greatly reduced lifestyle, but
keeping their heads above water and continuing with their preparations.
I share this story because on an individual basis, there is
a host of things that can happen in which being prepared could make a huge
difference.
We often, as a people in general, terms take things for
granted and think 'this' or 'that' will never happen to us. In addition to a
major job loss due to a myriad of reasons, you could lose your health or the
ability to do your job.
Unfortunately, things of this nature are happening to more
and more people every day. In fact, I'm certain all of us have been affected to
some degree by similar stories of friends and relatives.
Our Current State of
Affairs
The world in general seems afflicted on so many different
fronts.
When you look at the list above, any rational person could
easily see one or more of these scenarios occur within their lifetime.
Aside from the geophysical things that seem to be going
haywire, and could be explained simply as the planet’s cycles, there are plenty
of man-made catastrophes that loom on the horizon...
Never has the planet had as many people as it does now. With
increased population numbers, there is increased pressure for resources.
More countries seek nuclear devices than ever before and
recent advancements in technology make this much easier than any time before in
history.
Biological and chemical weapons are also much easier to
manufacture — and are being stored by an increasing number of very scary
countries.
Oil markets are tighter than ever as demand from countries
like China and India increases, but new supply cannot keep up with the
increasing demand.
The financial debacle of the world economies needs no
introduction to my listeners. In short, bad times — really bad times — for any
number of reasons could and probably will be coming to a location near you.
Unless you and your family take this possibility quite
seriously, if and when something does happen, you could very well find yourself
in some extremely difficult circumstances...
Just look at the latest news coming out of Greece, as
reported by Reuters.
This is happening
right now — and it’s only going to spread.
When the political and economic systems of entire nations
collapse the consequences are devastating.
Earlier this year pharmacies and hospitals in Greece were
unable to provide lifesaving medicines due to a shortages caused by a freeze in
the flow of credit from manufacturers to distributors to patients.
A collapse in the country’s economy has forced many Greeks
to turn to black market barter economies and has left millions financially
devastated, with no hope of finding an income stream for the foreseeable
future.
The credit system of the entire country is in shambles. So much
so that reports are emerging about food shortages and hunger within the Greek
prison system, suggesting that serious problems in the food delivery chain have
begun to materialize.
Today the news gets even worse. Greece’s Regulatory
Authority for Energy (RAE) announced an emergency meeting to deal with what can
only be construed as a tell-tale sign that this crisis is very rapidly reaching
critical mass and may spiral out of control in the very near future:
Greece’s power regulator RAE told Reuters on Friday it was
calling an emergency meeting next week to avert a collapse of the debt-stricken
country’s electricity and natural gas system.
You may have thought the financial collapse of 2008 was
bad.
That was just a
warm-up.
The main event is staring us in the face, and the whole of
Europe has front-row seats.
What is happening in Europe is just a precursor for what
will eventually be happening to the United States..
The following are Items to consider that I feel are prudent
as you make your own preparations based on the problems that could potentially
threaten our way of life.
Each of the items below could fill a book... but my intent
is to at least get you thinking about the most important things related to
being prepared.
Should I stay or
should I go?
Many have already decided where they will go if and when any
such disaster occurs. I hope they get there but…
Personally, I know many who have already left the United
Kingdom — and they have never looked back. I have been invited to their
retreats in Spain, Australian, New Zealand, and the Greek Islands, and they
seem very happy with their decision to leave.
This is a huge
decision. My hope is that the following discussion may be of some help when
thinking about this topic.
Because I have travelled internationally so much in my
previous life I often compare notes on my trips with other folks (Drivers,
tourists etc.) about their travels...
One of the realizations you see first-hand as you travel
extensively worldwide is the extreme wealth, extreme poverty, and extreme
corruption that exists in all of its world flavours.
If you think the United Kingdom is corrupt, you should try
going to Peru, or Bolivia, or Panama. And if you think those countries are
corrupt, you haven’t see anything compared to Russia, Haiti, India, or some
places in Africa...
The fact is
corruption and the growing global police state is EVERYWHERE!
So while we certainly see much to complain about in the
United Kingdom, which is definitely going the wrong way fast, from what I have
seen in most other places on the planet, the U.K. is still less corrupt than
most.
There are bad apples everywhere throughout politics, local
police, special agents, and most certainly the court system — but for every bad
apple, there are probably three times as many honourable people who are truly
just trying to do their jobs.
Leaving the country is a decision you must make before the
event takes place due to the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to
accomplish such a task.
You must also think about being away from family and friends
who don’t share your enthusiasm to leave the country and what affect that could
have on everyone over time.
For most, I think it’s probably best to just hunker down in
your own country and prepare as much as you can. If you can afford a retreat
cabin somewhere far away from the big cities, that would probably be best — but
again, you still need to get there once the event occurs.
Studies have clearly shown that once a SHTF event occurs,
you have two to three days to get to where you ultimately want to hunker down.
After that, travel becomes extremely dangerous and it is unlikely you will
reach your final destination.
Highways will become kill zones targeted by the bad guys. To
a gang of armed looters who forgot to prepare or plan ahead before the event,
there is not a better target than an RV loaded down with stored food, ammo, and
gold.
Don’t be foolish and attempt travel once things have gone
south: If you need to get somewhere, plan to leave the moment the event happens
and arrive where you want to be within 72 hours.
This may require several false starts (meaning the situation
looked bad at first, but didn’t materialize, and you need to return home) on
your part as events start to unfold. But it's better to be safe than sorry if you
are planning to get somewhere when an event happens.
Military strategists know from historical accounts of what
happens when governments fail or when SHTF events affect a country: The rule of
thumb is that roads are to be avoided at all costs.
If you cannot afford a retreat cabin of some sort, there are
things you can do to hunker down in your own home...
First, you need to stock up and find a way to defend it.
Like-minded friends and neighbours can be a huge support
network — as long as they have prepared as well.
There is a great book (it's not well-edited, but has solid
content) on how to live in your home and defend it called
Holding Your Ground: Preparing for Defense if it All Falls
Apart by Joe Nobody, which in itself is a lesson in laying low.
This book isn’t about turning your home into a concrete
bunker armed to the teeth; it's more about using cosmetic deception to fool
would-be marauders into thinking your place has already been hit. It includes
plenty of clever techniques that go far beyond "shooting back."
Ultimately, everyone must decide for themselves based on
finances, family concerns, and individual preferences what he can or cannot do
in his preparations.
Hopefully, this discussion will help you make the best
choices for what is in your best interest.
Hope for the best,
but prepare for the worst.
This is a good motto to live by, despite how you think about
things.
Individuals can still hope for the best (that things can and
will eventually work out), but what good is your prosperity going to do if you
don’t have anything to eat or a safe place to hang out for an extended period
of time?
Why not prepare while you still can — when things are
readily available and can still be purchased at cheap prices? The coming
hyper-inflation will make any such purchases beforehand look very
intelligent...
To prepare for the worst, you need a plan. Why are most
people so against doing basic preparations that could be the difference on how
they survive — or whether they survive?
History shows time and again that those who prepare always
fare better than those who did not. Having a plan and being determined to act
on that plan will always be the best way to handle any contingencies, should
they occur.
After disaster strikes, your mind is going to be racing around
like a car on a race track. Pre-planning and having a written set of measures
to take will make someone’s life go much smoother when the SHTF.
Your own personal plan is ONLY what best fits what you are
going to do during and after a disaster.
People should also have back-up plans — Plans B and C, at
least — because nothing ever seems to go as planned.
Haphazard approaches to the aftermaths of catastrophes are
kind of like a chicken running around without its head.
Here are some more companies
to support
72 hour survival pack
Blizzard Survival jacket
Survival Ration Packs
SOL Complete Survival Kit and SOL Bivy Bag
The answer to rough ground sleeping
For all your military equipment needs
NEW MRE’s
The Fire Piston
Great tasty MRE’s
The 95 Puukko Survival Knife
Gold Standard Whey Protein Isolates which are 90% pure
protein by weight
The RIBZ Front Pack
You are listening to
the UK preppers Radio network on KPRNDB-UK I’m your host Tom Linden
Eating Road Kill
Road kill is edible and people have been living off it since
horse coaches and cars have been killing wildlife in the hundreds of thousands.
If you're squeamish about the idea of consuming road kill, then it's not going
to be for you but for a growing number of freegans, foragers, back-to-nature
life stylers, and for those with budgetary constraints, eating road kill can be
a great source of nourishment, as well as being a form of treating the killed
animal with respect by using its meat, skin, and fur rather than leaving it to
rot unceremoniously by the roadside.
Plenty of people are doing it, it's not wrongheaded or
bizarre, and it's a good way to not let good meat go to waste. If you're
interested, here's what to do.
Overcome your squeamishness. While eating road kill isn't
going to seem like an attractive option for many people, look if you're the
slightest bit curious, at least learn about it and then make up your mind.
Road kill has been consumed by people in impoverished
situations or for ethical, environmental, and pragmatic reasons for as long as
there have been roads and human vehicles to knock over animals.
Eating road kill offers an affordable means of obtaining
meat it's a plentiful food source. It can be a chance to eat meat you'd never
normally contemplate, like rabbit or squirrel meat.
And for a growing number of people around the world, it's an
environmentally responsible and considerate way to dispose of animals killed on
our many roads. Even vegetarians and vegans have been known to enjoy a feast of
road kill.
Finally, for those who are still feeling squeamish, there
are people who argue that knowing how to eat road kill is an essential survival
skill for those times when disaster strikes or you're hopelessly lost and
hungry.
As one commentator has stated: "As long as the meat is
reasonably fresh and well cooked, it will not matter one iota how the animal
met its end." In fact I would say that you are very lucky as someone has
done the hunting for you.
Investigate the possibilities. The best thing you can do at
the start is to get to know people already foraging for road kill and learn off
them.
They can show you how to find the road kill opportunities in
your area and they can teach you the signs of what to look for to assess the
safety or otherwise of the road kill for consumption.
Look for adverts in local papers or ask around for
skill-sharing workshops which are enthusiastically promoted by those who
believe in the value of eating road kill. Such workshops teach you about how to
spot good road kill, how to skin it, how to cook it, and how to store it.
Know which animals are probably the most suitable. Road kill
animals that are considered edible include:
Badger, hedgehog,
otter, rabbit, pheasant, fox, beaver, squirrel, deer (venison) and rabbit,
etc.
Rats may carry Weil's
disease and are therefore best avoided as with feral pigeons.
The grey area is eating cats and dogs; for some, this is too
squeamish as these are pets (especially when they have their collars on); but
for others, they're not really concerned.
On balance, it's probably the kindest to pull the pet off
the road and to alert the owners to come and collect it that is what I would do
if I could.
Know the law. It's important to check the laws as to road
kill collection and eating. For example, it isn't legal to eat road kill if you
ran it over yourself, in other words if you hit it you cannot legally pick it
up and remove it. Learn the signs of healthy road kill.
Learn the signs of healthy road kill. Road kill is safe to
eat in many instances but there are risks of rotting, rabies, and disease. You
can avoid these risks by knowing what signs to look for and using common sense.
Look for freshness. Obviously, if you have witnessed the
animal being hit, it's fresh. In terms of coming across road kill, signs of
freshness include clear eyes, fleas still active on the fur or hide of the
animal and general signs of it looking fresh. Rigor mortis sets in quickly, so
stiffness of the body does not mean that the animal is not fresh.
Use the temperature as a guide. Road kill in winter is
likely to remain fresher longer than road kill in summer.
Avoid road kill that has maggots, fly, or other scavenging
insect infestations, as this indicates a lack of freshness. However, the
presence of fleas is a good sign and means that the animal is probably still
edible.
If the animal's eyes are milky, clouded, or white, it is
less fresh but may still be edible.
If it stinks of rotting flesh, trust your nose but be aware
that there will be some stench just as a result of the impact, as wind,
excrement, etc. is forced rapidly through the body.
This odour may release when moving the carcass too, so odour
isn't the sole indicator of the state of the meat.
Look for whole road kill. Road kill that has to be scraped
off the road because it has been flattened or is so crushed up as to be
unrecognizable is not worth it and won't be healthy for you to consume. Avoid
road kill in the middle of roads. Instead, look along the side of roads, on the
hard shoulders and beyond, where bodies often end up from impact or after
crawling away from the hit point.
In a survival situation, don't eat road kill you aren't sure
is fresh. Why risk your health? If the road kill seems to be in good shape, you
could still use the hide though.
Avoid getting rabies.
Avoid getting rabies. Although rabies dies quickly once the
host is dead, it's advisable to wear gloves when handling, gutting, and
skinning warm-blooded animals and to ensure that you don't have open wounds
that could be infected.
The cooking process kills rabies but it is probably a good
idea to boil known rabies carriers first including foxes in the UK.
Butcher the carcass. Field Dress a Deer or other large
animal to cool it promptly so it doesn't spoil.
You'll need an easily-cleaned place such as the back of a
truck to put it.
Whether the animal is big, like a deer, or small, like a
squirrel, or even a bird, like a Pheasant, you'll need to skin and gut it
before cooking.
You could tan or even stuff the skin for a unique souvenir
or practice for making a proper hunting trophy in the future. The organs are
often just thrown away, but the heart and liver are often eaten. Organs spoil
quickly, so do not eat them unless the meat is absolutely fresh.
Cook the meat thoroughly. This step is vital to ensure that
you kill off pathogens or parasites (such as worms) that might be present in
the meat. Use a temperature that's higher than usual to ensure that the meat is
well cooked. (Always beyond "well done".) Use a Meat Thermometer.
Make it a part of the occasion; have a Bar-B-Q party while the meat cooks well.
Enjoy
In a SHTF scenario you will have to think outside the box
concerning this subject matter, as there will be a number of people out there
trying to do the same thing that you are doing, trying to hunt, fish, trap and
gather food from any source that they can find or locate.
This will entail a whole new set of skill sets to incorporate,
as well as your basic hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering skills that have
been mentioned by all the other fine writers on this subject.
One important item to look at is the population density of
the area that you live. Look at the population of your county or that of your
BOL County then do a Google search on the number of game animals in that county
or one specific animal.
As an example the UK human population is about 63M and the
estimated deer population is around 1.5m
Also do a search for the population density per square mile
for your county and this will give you a picture of the number of people you
may have to deal with.
Once people start getting hungry, these people are going to
be out there, a very high number of people, depending on the county that you
live in doing what you are doing, hunting, trapping, fishing, gathering and any
other way they can think of to get food and water.
Once they get hungry enough, and much of the game be it
either wild or domestic is gone, many of these people depending on how they
view life, their criminal factors, etc. will be looking at you as a game
animal. There are many documented cases of this and one case in point of a
localized SHTF event is the battle of Stalingrad during WW II, do a Google search;
Stalingrad cannibalism.
Other points to
consider are;
Where you live, are their areas close by to do this hunting,
fishing, trapping and gathering?
Because chances are high that after a total SHTF event there
will not be any fuel to get you to areas to find this food, unless you have
stored fuel in advance.
Then you will have to weigh the factor of will it be in your
benefit to use this precious fuel to travel to these places. Do you have bikes
or horses to travel on, or maybe a street legal dirt bike that gets 70 to 80 or
more mpg?
What will be your security arrangements for this endeavour
due to other very hungry people being out their along with refugees.
They may not be at the point yet to eat you, but if you do
take some type of game they may sure be to the point of killing you for it be
it a big deer or small squirrel or even for what you are carrying down to the
water in your canteen and your weapon and ammo.
Obviously the lower the population density of the county
that you live in, then the higher your chances of survival will be after a
total SHTF event. Less people equal fewer problems you will have to deal with
and more animals for food. Also take into consideration that the military may
take over certain areas, such as all available fuels, and they may have
roadblocks set up restricting movement and your ability to obtain food by
hunting, trapping, fishing, and foraging. From FM 19-25;
You may want to have plans or an SOP in place to deal with
all of the items covered in this write-up. Some items to consider including in
your skill set are. Have at least 15 to 20 salt blocks at your place so that
after a SHTF event you can set 1 or 2 out at a time and have the game come to
you with a plan in place for taking of this game that come into the salt
blocks.
This plan may entail the use of bow, crossbow, a .22 with accurate fire to the head for
large game or other calibre you may own.
Other items that may come in handy are 2 way handheld
radios, night-vision gear and hunting dogs. Look to see if there are cattle
that are there feeding. You may want to take these first as fat will be hard to
come by in a SHTF type of event.
Realize that depending on what causes this SHTF type of
event there will be a large number of people that will die.
They will die from dehydration, cold, disease, i.e. typhoid,
dysentery, cholera, etc. starvation, gunshot wounds and any number of other
things that will happen.
If you have a store of food that can get you by till these
people are gone then your chance of survival will go way up. This is another
area that you could look at in depth due to the fact that once the population
goes down there will be more game available in certain areas.
Many of the items I have written about are illegal and you
may be held responsible so act accordingly.
Even in a SHTF event there will be witnesses, and things may
get back to a normal state with a fully functioning criminal justice system and
law enforcement. If you are prepared with a plan for water, food, fuel, guns,
ammo, security, et. then the chances that you will have to break the law will
go down.
Look at it this way as an example; take an average family
with 3 or 4 kids and the father is watching his family slowly starve to death,
how far would most people go to feed their family in this type of situation?
Now is the time to
begin prepping.
Crayfish Trap Guidelines
As you need the Environment Agency’s written consent to use
a crayfish trap, it’s sensible to get permission from them before you buy a
crayfish trap. You must make sure that the trap you buy is legal for crayfish
trapping.
There are strict rules about the size and design. This is to
protect other wildlife such as otters.
The entrance to the trap must be no more than 9.5 cm across
If the entrance is more than 9.5 cm across, there must be an
otter guard or restriction on the funnel leading into the trap
The holes in the mesh
must not be more than 3 cm across
The trap itself must
not be more than 60 cm long or 35 cm wide
If you want to use a trap that does not comply with these
rules, you will need written permission from the EA. Phone the National
Customer Call Centre on 0370 8506506 and ask to speak to your local Fisheries
Officer. They refuse many applications because of the risks to otters and water
voles. These are protected species. Don’t break the law.
Please note: The owners of fish farms, and their employees,
do not need our written consent to use crayfish traps on their fish farms.
However all traps have to comply with these rules so please contact your local
fisheries officer before you start trapping.
Water voles
If there are water voles nearby, the EA may refuse your
application to trap crayfish. This is because trapping can put these protected
animals in danger.
You are breaking the law if you:
Use illegal traps, recklessly allow water voles to drown in
crayfish traps place traps in the entrances to water vole tunnels
Sites with lots of water voles are unlikely to have many
crayfish – they prefer different habitats. But if there are water voles where
you want to trap, we may ask you to use baited drop nets. These are open traps
that are safe for water voles, unlike the more traditional, funnelled, closed
traps.
You must not block a water vole burrow with a crayfish trap
If it is safe to do so, position your traps away from the banks. (Traps in the
middle of a stream or watercourse are less likely to catch voles)
If you do accidentally catch a water vole, stop trapping
immediately and let your local Fisheries Officer know
You can modify your trap by cutting escape holes into the
roof. Holes that are 6–8 cm across will be Remember:
Do not put traps near
water vole burrows
Crayfish are generally suitable for the same treatment as
large prawns or langoustines. With such sweet meat, simplicity is key: eat
cooked fresh crayfish with mayonnaise and a dash of lemon juice, or fry them in
paprika, garlic and plenty of olive oil and stir into pasta.
Why not try boiling crayfish in salted water with a healthy
dose of bronze fennel, for flavour, and serving them alongside thin slices of
buttered granary bread. Crayfish are also delicious in risottos, soups and
stews.
I enjoy mine in a fresh rocket salad with crispy Parma ham
and a chilli sauce.
However in England recipes for cooking crayfish are few and
far between since they are a comparatively unknown delicacy.
It is to France that one has to go seek out the finer points
since in that country the crayfish is considered a great subject for culinary
art. So check out the internet for recipes.
Surviving in the Woods
Ever been on a hike admiring the wild flowers, gazing up at
the tips of the trees--and suddenly found yourself completely alone and lost?
No of course you have not, but what if? What would happen to you if you couldn't find
your way back to safety? While being lost in the woods can be a frightening
experience, surviving alone in the
wild is generally a matter of common sense, patience, and
wisely using the gifts that nature provides.
To survive in the
woods, you must use these guidelines and tips.
Plan ahead. Don't just trek off into the wilderness; do some
research first. There are a lot of resources regarding survival, both online
and in libraries.
Knowledge of the local plants and animals can save your
life! If you need any medication or injections, bring them along – even if you
don’t plan to be gone for long enough to need them.
Every time you go into the wilderness, make sure someone knows
where you are going and how long you intend to be gone. That way someone will
realize that you are missing, quickly alert rescuers, and be able to tell them
where to start looking for you (much like a “flight plan,” which pilots always
file before leaving).
Similarly, don't forget to call the person(s) you notified
to tell them when you are back. Like the boy who cried wolf, a false alarm
wastes rescue resources and may be.
Bring survival gear. Basic survival tools such as a knife, a
fire steel (metal match), some matches (in a waterproof canister), some cord
(550 paracord is best), a Whistle, a space blanket, a signalling mirror, water
purifying tablets, a compass, etc. this
can mean the difference between life and death.
However if you decide to bring something like a knife make
sure you have permission and don't give people the wrong impression. Even if
you are only out on a day hike, be sure to bring the essentials.
Having all this equipment is nothing if you cannot use it
properly. Make sure to practice many times in a safe environment before
venturing into the wilderness, somewhere like your back garden Also, know how to catch and cook fish if the
need arises.
Forget about catching game; this is a painstakingly slow,
energy-consuming process that will divert your attention from your real goal,
trying to get home.
Learn how to use a compass. If you have a map and can spot a
few prominent landscapes, you can actually use the compass to triangulate your
position and, from there, figure out where you need to go.
When choosing a space blanket (a light, thin sheet of
extremely reflective Mylar), spend a little extra to buy a larger, more durable
model.
A space blanket can be used to block wind and water, wrapped
around the body prevent and counteract hypothermia, or even placed behind you
to reflect a fire’s heat onto your back, but none of this is useful if the
blanket is too small or tears the moment you unwrap it.
Bring a means of communication. A mobile phone with spare
battery or a portable CB radio can be your best, quickest means of rescue if
you are truly lost or injured.
A mobile signal may only be obtainable from a hill or tree
(be safe if contemplating a climb) but it is better than nothing.
Don't panic if you’re lost. Panic is more dangerous than
almost anything else, because it interferes with the operation of your single
best, most useful and versatile survival tool: your mind.
The moment you realize that you are lost, before you do
anything else, stop. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Even if you're hanging
from a rope halfway down a mountainside with a broken leg, remind yourself that
people have survived exactly this situation.
Stand still and look around carefully! Wherever you are will
become your "point zero." Find a way to mark it using a spare piece
of clothing, a pile of rocks, a sheet of paper, or anything else easily visible
from a distance.
Stay in one place. This not only increases your chances of
being found, but also reduces the energy your body expends and the amount of
water and food you will need. Hunker down and stay put.
Chances are that
someone will be looking for you, especially if you let someone know your plans
Build a good-sized fire with sufficient coals to stay hot
for many hours, and make sure that you have plenty of extra dry wood.
Start the fire before you think you need it, even if the
weather is warm; fires are easier to make under stress less conditions than in
a panic as the sun sets – to say nothing of the fact that having a fire nearby
will give you a sense of comfort and safety as you get your bearings.
A good rule of thumb is to gather wood until you think you
have enough to last the night, then gather three more piles of the same size,
after which you might have enough to get through the night.
In the wilderness, you should have access to dry wood in the
understory of the forest. You can also use bark or dried dung.
If you build a fire that is hot enough, you can also burn
green wood, brush, or tree boughs to make a signalling fire (one that makes a
lot of smoke).
The best wood for maintaining a fire is dead wood that you
pull off a standing tree. Regardless of what type of woods you are in, there
will certainly be some dry wood available.
Remember that a small fire is easier to keep burning than a
big fire, though, because it requires less fuel. Once you have sufficient
embers, keep the fire to a manageable size so you don't spend too much time
looking for fuel.
Don't build a fire in an area where it is unsafe to do so.
Your fire should be well away from flammable trees and brush, preferably in a
clearing. Be careful with your fire. While you want to feed it, you shouldn't
overdo it.
Consider the weather and other factors and remember, a
forest fire is a lot harder to survive than just being lost!
Signal your location to maximize the odds that someone finds
you. Make noise by whistling, shouting, singing, or banging rocks together. If
you can, mark your location in such a way that it's visible from the air.
If you're in a mountain meadow, make three piles of dark
leaves or branches in a triangle. In sandy areas, make a large triangle in the
sand. In a forest, you might want to prepare three small fires ready to ignite
at a moment's notice, with heaps of wet leaves nearby in order to make smoke.
Three of anything in the wilderness is a standard distress
signal. The space blanket can also be used as a signalling device.
Start scouting your area, carefully keeping track of your
location. In your immediate area, make sure you look around carefully for
anything useful. You could find things someone left there before, be it a tin
can or small lighter, it can be helpful significantly.
Be sure you can always find your way back to your
"point zero" as you search for water, shelter, or your way home.
Find a good source of water. In a survival situation, you
can last up to three days without water, but by the end of the second day
you're not going to be in very good shape; find water before then.
The best source of
water is a spring, but the chances of finding one are slim.
A running stream is your next best bet; the movement of the
water reduces sediment. Be advised that drinking water from streams can lead to
some sicknesses, but when you're in a life-or-death situation, the risk of
illness is a secondary consideration and anything you may get can be treated
when you return.
You must purify your water. A crude method of water
purification is to take your handy pot and heat the water. For this to
effectively kill bacteria, it must come to a boil.
You can also put (clear) water in a clear plastic bottle and
set it in the sun for six hours to kill most of the organisms.
However, if the water is so full of sediment that the sun
can’t penetrate it, this method will not work. If you have any, add a pinch of
salt to the water to try to bring the sediment to the bottom.
Find or create shelter. Without adequate shelter, you will
be fully exposed to the elements and will risk hypothermia or heatstroke,
depending on the weather.
If you are not properly dressed for the conditions, finding
shelter is all the more important. Luckily, the woods are filled with tools and
resources to make both shelters and fires (for warmth, safety, and signalling
purposes).
Here are some things
you can use:
Look for a fallen or leaning tree. You can build an A-frame
shelter by by stacking branches along both side a fallen tree, then over the
branches with brush, palm fronds, leaves, or other plants.
Use brush or green branches (boughs) from trees to repel
water, block wind, keep out snow, or create shade.
Remember you must close
in your shelter on as many sides as possible.
Having some fun with Basic and Simple Cooking Methods
Egg in an Orange
Cut an orange in half. Scoop out the flesh inside and eat it
– be careful not to cut through the skin!
Now crack an egg into the skin and place on the embers of
the fire until the egg is cooked.
Onion eggs
Cut the onion in half after removing the outer skin. Remove
internal contents except for the remaining three outer layers. Break egg into
shell and place on embers. When cooked eat the onion container as well as its
contents after removing the outer scorched layer.
Spud Egg
Cut the top off a potato of and scoop a hole in the middle.
Crack the egg into the hole, put the top back in place and secure with small
wooden pegs. Bake until the potato is cooked.
To make spud-eggs, cut potato across short axis, hollow out
both halves, break egg into it, replace top and spike in place with sharpened
match stick, bake in embers for about 15 minutes.
Potato
Perhaps the easiest to cook in the field. Take a potato and
place it in the embers of the fire. When it
is cooked , after about 25 - 30 mins slice open the skin and
place a piece of cheese or butter on top.
Wilderness Mince
You can cook mincemeat inside all sorts of vegetable
containers: orange peels, hollowed-out
Potatoes, onions, gem squash, butternut, or even cabbage
leaves.
Kebab
Use a green stick to spear slices of bacon, mushrooms,
sausage, carrot, tomato, peppers, and
Pieces of pork. Support the skewer over glowing embers
turning occasionally. Eat when the meat is
Crisp and golden brown.
Alternate thin slices of apple, bacon, potato, spiked on a
thin green stick and roasted slowly over
Hardwoods. (Potato generally takes longest to cook).
Cut any type of meat into cubes, place onto a long peeled
green stick add onion, mushrooms,
Pepper, pineapple etc. to taste, cook till ready turning
frequently
Use the same method as above using fruits add a syrup sauce
before eating
Cabbage hot dogs
Lay sliced onion on a cabbage leaf, add a sausage or two and
place more onions on top. Wrap up
The cabbage leaf tightly and secure with a number of small
green sticks. Place in embers for about 7
To 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Further Companies to Support
Uses natural fuel
EDC steel tools
Highlander Trojan Hydration Pack – Multicam
CUDEMAN HEAVY DUTY OLIVE WOOD BUSHCRAFT KNIFE - 111L
Alum Crystal and natural spa products
Tool logic Survival 11 Credit Card
BackHawk Web duty Belt
Guppie Multi=tool
Go Survival Pack
Beautiful Handmade Catapults
1 Person BASIC Backpack Survival Kit, the back pack that
does it all
DD Hammock –The ultimate in Travel Hammocks
Elzetta ZFL-M60 Tactical Weapon-Grade LED Torch
Ultimate Adventurer Survival Kit everything in one kit
Adjustable Knife Lanyard Review
Handmade knives by James D. Sanders
Mini alarm Device with an Ultra bright White LED
The Threat of Wild Dogs Post SHTF
I have seen with my own eyes packs of wild semi feral dogs
roaming around two very different European countries.
The first was on the island of Corfu where the tourist feeds
the pups of these dogs “they actually time their breeding to coincide with the
tourist season” and every open air restaurant had feral dogs under the tables
begging for food scraps, these dogs roam wild on the island in the winter
attacking sheep and goats.
The second time was in Italy on the Adriatic coast near the
town of Atessa where packs of wild dogs roamed industrial estates and the
outskirts of towns and villages.
This was of course pre-SHTF but imagine what would happen to
these dogs and how they would act post SHTF.
In any kind of a large-scale emergency, whether financial,
EMP or some something else that causes large scale disruptions, a lot of people
will turn their pets lose. Now I know
that many of you will suggest that they should eat them and I am with you.
However many of the animal loving liberals will turn their
pets lose because they won’t have the heart to kill them. In addition if there are wide spread deaths
many animals will escape.
Now most animals don’t present too much of a problem, except
maybe around zoos or exotic animal farms, but dogs can easily go feral. Feral dog packs are already a problem in
areas of the U.S. and Mexico. Look at
the following from just a few news items I checked.
Mexico City killings are blamed on pack of wild dogs. The pack of marauding wild dogs is blamed for
deaths of five people found with horrific flesh injuries.
St. LOUIS, Mo. – Ten years after a fourth-grade boy was attacked
and nearly eaten alive by wild dogs in north St. Louis, city leaders are
scrambling to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed is sounding
the alarm.
“I’ve witnessed packs of dogs, 10 and 15 dogs running
together, and all these dogs I’m talking about don’t have collars, they don’t
have tags, these are truly wild dogs,” he said.
Detroit, City of Strays
an epidemic of 50,000 abandoned dogs – In Detroit, packs of free-roaming
dogs have posed such a danger that a postal service spokesman said they
considered stopping mail delivery to some areas last year because carriers were
“constantly being bitten” or injured eluding vicious animals.
Maryland – Pack of
vicious wild dogs killing other dogs
Canada – Volunteers
struggle to reduce wild dog population plaguing native reserves
In appearance, most feral dogs are difficult to distinguish
from domestic dogs. Like domestic dogs,
feral dogs come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and even breeds.
German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, and collies are breeds
that often become feral. It is not just
pit bulls as most people think.
Feral dogs are usually secretive and wary of people. They are active during dawn, dusk, and at
night much like other wild members of the canine family. They often travel in packs and may have
rendezvous sites like wolves. Travel
routes to and from the gathering or den sites may be well defined.
Food scraps and other
evidence of concentrated activity may be observed at gathering sites.
A survey by the National Agricultural Statistics Service in
the USA in 1999 found that feral dogs were partly responsible for killing cows,
sheep, and goats worth about U.S. 37 million dollars.
Farms aren’t the only place where these animals may be
found. Low-income, high-crime
neighbourhoods in cities like Los Angeles, St. Louis, New York, Santa Fe,
Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, are being overrun by tens of thousands of unwanted
dogs, says Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue in St. Louis, a non-profit
organization that saves street dogs.
We in the UK “A nation of pet lovers” have a very high
population of dogs, In April 2011 there were approximately 10.5 million owned
dogs in the UK and 39% of UK households own at least one dog.
Packs of feral dogs will be a danger to your family and
animals, in particular young children.
If they are hungry, they will stalk and hunt you.
I strongly suggest that you have adequate fencing for
animals and the means to defend yourself and your property from packs of feral
dogs. Methods of controlling feral dogs
include shooting, trapping, fencing and baiting.
Tips for Over Night Survival
In the UK, most people who become lost are often day hikers
or climbers who fully expect to sleep in their own bed (or at least in their
own sleeping bag) that night.
But a turn onto the wrong trail or an extra twenty minutes
of late afternoon climbing can result in an unexpected overnight stay. Not
forgetting an injury event either.
If you don’t carry a “survival kit” as such, there are a few
inexpensive yet essential items I seldom venture far from home without.
Among these are:
A reliable, sturdy knife (I recommend the Chris Cain
Survival knife).
A good-quality multi-tool.
A length of Parachute cord.
A competent knowledge of how to use these three items will
allow you to cut poles, prepare kindling, lash together a shelter, make a
bow-drill fire, and perform a host of other tasks.
Other items include:
A foil emergency blanket can also be used as an improvised
poncho, ground cloth, or tarp.
First aid kit. It should include gauze, bandages,
butterflies, antibiotic cream, plasters etc.
Compass: Worthwhile if you know how to use it, or know the
approximate direction of nearby major landmarks.
A Woolley hat (even in warm weather). In addition to keeping
you warm, it can be used as a bag.
A magnesium striker
A method of water purification (such as a Purificup or
lifesaver Bottle).
A whistle. In really remote areas, a signal mirror is also a
worthy addition.
Tips:
Learn to construct a simple cold-weather survival shelter.
It doesn’t take a freezing night to bring about fatal hypothermia. Temperatures
even in the fifties can be disastrous if you are improperly dressed or wet.
Always carry or wear a bandana. It can be used as a bandage,
sling, or carrying bundle. A belt is useful, too.
Wrap a quantity of duct tape around your water bottle. Use
good quality tape.
Stay put: You arrive
at “lostness” from one direction, a single degree out of 360.
You have 359 chances
to depart your situation in the wrong direction.
Make a base camp: As humans, our sense of well-being is
improved when we have a place to call home, even if it is a temporary one.
Locate it in an area
that is out of the wind, and where it won’t be flooded during a rainstorm.
Learn how to tie and use half a dozen or so simple but
useful knots. Overhand knot, square knot, clove hitch, bowline, sheet bend, lark’s
head, timber hitch, and variations on the half-hitch are good suggestions.
Customize your list: Include items specific to your needs
such as daily or emergency medications, inhalers, or epi-pens.
Practice your skills and become familiar with your gear
before you need them, so you know what to expect! When the time comes to use
them, as it is then too late to learn them.
Having to night –out even with what some would see as
sub-standard kit is not the end of the world so don’t panic.
Having clothes on is better than being naked, being behind a
wall, hedge or tree is better than being exposed to the elements.
Being under a poncho is better than being wet, being in a
cheap tent is better than being in a poncho, being in a sleeping is better than
being without one, I think you get the message.
Any shelter is better
than none.
You main priority in finding shelter is to defend your body
from the weather that is it you must keep dry and warm to have a chance of
survival.
And as long as you understand the basic principles you can
go on survival exercises even without the top of the range designer kit,
because people have survived with far less before they were invented and I
promise people will continue to do so in the future.
THE ELEVENTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2013 15th to 18th August
The Wilderness Gathering has over the years become a firm
date in the diaries of those who enjoy bushcraft, nature and wilderness
survival skills. The previous ten years have seen this event grow from a small
event in one field with some traders and schools sharing bushcraft skills and
knowledge to a festival of wilderness living skills encompassing
bushcraft/survival and woodland crafts.
The show has grown into an event with something for all the
family with stories and music by the campfire in the evenings and skills
workshops and activities throughout the three whole days of the festival.
The Wilderness Gathering has without a doubt become the
premier family event for all those interested in bush crafts and the great
outdoors.
The show has bushcraft clubs for all age groups of children
to get involved in plus more activities for all including den building and
wilderness skills classes for all.
There are hands on demonstrations of game preparation, knife
sharpening, basha boat building, bowmaking, greenwood working, archery and axe
throwing and primitive fire lighting to name just a few. There are talks on
survival phycology, classes on falconry and wilderness survival fishing. All of
these skills are there for everybody and anybody to participate in.
You can probably pick up information on nearly all the
skills needed to live in the wilderness and prosper at The Wilderness
Gathering.
There is a wealth of good quality trade stands that are
carefully selected to be in theme for the show selling everything from custom
knives to tipis and outdoor clothing to primitive tools. The organisers have
even laid on a free service bring and buy stall where you can bring along your
used and unwanted kit and they’ll sell it for you.
There are local scout and explorer group’s onsite promoting
the World Wide Scouting Movement as well helping out with some of the classes
and site logistics.
The catering is within the theme of the event with venison
and game featuring on the menus plus organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and
open field camping facilities (with hot showers) giving you the option to visit
for the whole weekend or just to attend as a day visitor.
Check out www.wildernessgathering.co.uk
or call 0845 8387062 you really won’t regret it.
Wilderness Survival Cooking
Wilderness survival camping is a skill that is useful to
know and is even fun to practice. Here are 10 tips to provide you with
information on cooking when in a wilderness survival setting.
Obviously the most important wilderness survival skill is to
be able to make a fire. A small magnesium sparker can be carried on a keychain
or placed into a pocket. Practice with it in the back garden before relying on
it in a wilderness survival situation.
Both fairly stiff, thick wire and thinner, more flexible
wire is always a good thing to have in your survival kit. The stiffer wire can
be used to impale an object to be placed over the fire, such as a fish.
The more flexible wire can be used to wrap and dangle less
secure items over the fire, such as a piece of meat. Both types of wire can be
utilized for other wilderness survival skills other than cooking of course from
snares to shelter construction.
In a wilderness survival situation, always be certain to
properly cook any meat that you are going to eat. Minor illness such as
diarrhoea can quickly dehydrate you in a wilderness setting, while more serious
illnesses can be deadly.
Overcooking meat is
much better than undercooking.
If you have ingredients to make bread, pancakes, or anything
like them here is a wilderness survival tip. With bread dough, roll it into a
strip and wrap it around a stick to cook. Pancakes can be made in the same way
with a little less efficiency.
Try to thicken the batter as much as possible. Dip in a
stick and place it over the fire while rolling it fairly quickly to keep as
much as possible from dripping off. A heated rock could also be used to make
pancakes or bread. Scavenging a piece of metal to cook on is best if possible.
Use you fire to clean your wilderness survival cooking
utensils. Clean water may be at a premium but fire will kill germs well.
Learn about edible plants that exist in your area. Just
eating what other animals eat will not work as their digestive system is
different than ours. This is knowledge that you must gain in the field (with a
proper guide!).
Canned food can be warmed up (though not necessary) simply
by ripping off the label and placing it beside the fire. Stir the contents often
to avoid scorching.
While it is best to cook them in aluminium foil, potatoes
and other vegetables can be cooked by placing them directly on or near hot
coals. Honestly, I think that the potatoes cooked in its skin and not foil
tastes better.
The skin is not fit to eat if cooked bare (unless you are
starving!).
If you are lucky enough to find corn to eat, do not remove
the husk. Place the entire ear, husk and all as close as possible to the coals.
You can also suspend it above the coals. Try to avoid catching the husk on
fire.
Field corn (grown for livestock) is edible as well.
An important skill in cooking in the wild is being able to
dry meat. Dried meat can be carried in pockets for a quick and easy meal.
Remember, practice these skills now and hope to never have
to use them. But if you ever find yourself in a wilderness survival situation
you will be ready.
Now this may be stating the obvious, but survival cooking is
about survival. We are not talking the type of cooking you see in cookery books
and magazines.
Recipes
You can forget any fancy ideas about recipes. The word
“recipe” means “take thou”, as in “take thou a dozen eggs and half a pound of
flour”. If you can get to the supermarket and buy the stuff demanded by a
recipe, then it’s not survival.
When you are in the wilderness, surrounded by sheep, cows,
pigeon, water fowl etc.s, you could starve to death looking at recipes
instructing you to take lemon grass, raspberry leaf vinegar and organic tofu
cutlets.
On the other hand you can be realistic and say, “I have
access to all this food, which shall I eat first and how shall I cook it?”
Survival cooking is realistic cooking, and realistic cooking
relies on a basic understanding of the FACTS about food and an accurate
analysis of your own situation.
Mushrooms
A really good big mushroom identification book is a great
aid to survival preparation. Tear out the pages one by one, crumple them into
little balls and practice lighting fires. Lighting fires is a useful skill.
Identifying mushrooms isn’t.
Mushrooms are delicious but they got their name, “the food
of the gods” when the Emperor Claudius died after eating poisonous mushrooms,
thus becoming a god. The French, who go in for wild mushrooms in a big way, peg
out with monotonous regularity.
The risk might be worth it if mushrooms had some nutritional
value. They don’t. You will expend more energy carrying a pound of mushrooms
100yds than you will get from eating them.
Add in the genuine risk of snuffing it, or at least being
“hors de combat” for a couple of days, and eating wild mushrooms becomes the
survival cook’s equivalent of shooting off your toes.
Remember, in the real world, calories are good. Only a
society ludicrously preoccupied with the shape of celebrities’ bodies could
come up with idiotic concepts like empty calories. A calorie is a measure of
the energy available in a food. This is your personal fuel we are talking
about. No calories = no energy = death.
So forget all the health crap you hear. Look at the guys
doing hard physical work without the benefit of million pound salaries and
personal trainers.
When they want energy
they get stuck into some calories.
Lesson one in survival cooking: assess the nutritional
energy against the energy used in collection and preparation. To assess the
energy level of an ingredient, ask yourself if a women’s magazine would
recommend the product. If they would, forget it – you’ll starve.
Gathering food
If you are hungry in an inhabited area, the most energy
efficient way to gather food is to go and raid somebody’s larder to be honest.
The skill lies in taking the right things when you raid the
larder. Number one priority is fat. Fat gives 9,000 calories per kilogram. That
means half a kilo per day will keep a man doing heavy physical work.
Tinned tomatoes on the other hand, while an invaluable
kitchen product, only produce 160 calories per kilogram. So thirty kilos a day
should keep you going (and they would!).
Sugar has half the calories of fat, but is a lot more
palatable and digestible than fat. However as a long term diet it can get
boring.
Flour gives 3500 calories per kilo and about 10% protein.
Dried beans, peas, lentils etc. give about 3,000 calories and 25% protein.
But before you start worrying about protein levels,
cholesterol, vitamins, free radicals and all that crap, think how long you are
going to need to survive before you can get back to civilisation and a few
pints.
If it’s less than six months before that badly needed pint,
the only relevant factor is calories.
When raiding the larder, take fat, sugar, flour, lentils and
salt. Salt has no calorific value but is a useful preservative and flavour
enhancer. You are also more likely to suffer from salt deficiency than from an
excess.
Survival trapping
Forget any romantic notions of setting horse hair traps for
rabbits in the pale dawn and then settling down to tickle trout from the mossy
banks of the stream. This makes great television but the sheep or cow in the
next field will make better food for less effort.
I don’t intend to waste any time on how to catch prey. When
you get hungry enough you’ll figure out a way. If I was hungry and carrying an
SA80 I would shoot it.
Herding it into a corner or driving it off a cliff work
equally well. Essentially what you will catch and eat depends on how hungry you
are and how squeamish.Squeamishness is a luxury you can’t afford in a survival
situation. Snails, worms, insects and slugs are all good sources of precious
calories.
Before you start saying “yeugh, slugs”, I strongly recommend
you study the dietary habits of lobsters. Now few people would say “yeugh,
lobster” – but lobsters are remarkably partial to corpses.
I am still looking for a business partner for my company
combining burials at sea with a lobster fishery. I like the idea of charging
500 quid to chuck lobster bait over one side of the boat while I haul up
lobster pots the other side.
While my idea may be tasteless, I assure you the lobsters
would be delicious. Remember, your food’s eating habits have little or no
bearing on the taste of the end product.
No-one worries about throwing large quantities of dung on
the fields to feed the wheat which, when turned into bread, does not taste of
sh1t (OK, sliced white is pretty bad, but that’s another story).
Survival cooking
Cooking is simple. So why is so much effort put into making
it sound complicated?
Where can you learn survival cooking? In the kitchen.
There’s no point trying out techniques outside until you are competent indoors.
You learn to shoot a rifle on a range first. The flash stuff
– running around shooting from the hip and all the other ways of missing the
target – follow on from when you are competent with firing a rifle from a rest.
Non cooks want details that are meaningless and unnecessary.
You should select a cooking method which holds good for ever, and which you can
adapt to whatever ingredients you have.
I have eaten fish and rice cooked in vines in Greece and
trout cooked in wet newspaper in England. They use the same technique.
Sweetcorn cooked in the husk is the same. This is one of those classic
techniques which works almost whatever you use.
Be careful to judge when it is done, and don’t burn it up…
In survival cooking you do not need to consider the heat of
the fire or the weight of the food being cooked. God gave you a nose and a
memory. Try using them.
On the whole, if it smells cooked, it is. So try it. If you
are right, you have learned how to judge when it is done. Congratulations. Now
you are a cook.
If it’s not ready, try again and see if you can work out how
much longer it needs. The only way to judge is from experience.
