Show Note
I start this week
with the Blizzard Survival Discount Offer, Ribz Discount Offer and the
Wilderness121 Discount Offer, So can We Catch Parasites from Foraged Foods? 5 More Survival Uses of Pine Resin, How to Make Hardtack, Pine
Pitch for Fire Lighting, Britons Must Dig for Survival, support these
companies, Pine Needle Tea, How to make hardtack, Survival Fishing Kit,
Survival Gadgets, Survival and Stress, Surviving SHTF, some more companies to
support, How to Stop Bleeding With
Black Pepper, Knowledge and Training, Survival Trapping, Surviving in the Wood,
further companies to support, Tips for Over Night Survival, Survival Napping, Survival
Preparedness, A Rough
Guide to Radioactivity, How to Use the Internet When the Internet Is Gone.
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A front pack is a pack or bag that allows for access of
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access of gear without the removal of any equipment.
In many adventure outdoor activities it can be critical to
the sport to have the ability to reach essential gear fast without the removal
of a backpack. Simplicity is the foremost purpose of the front pack but there
are many additional benefits as well.
Weight distribution and balance is a key element in the
utility of the front pack. Shifting weight forward in situations when carrying
heavy loads can be critical to the comfort and balance of an individual.
Backpacking is a sport where in many situations it is
critical to both minimize and maximize the contents of your load for a longer
or lighter duration of stay. The ability to move small amounts of weight to the
frontal region significantly reduces overall stress on a person’s shoulders and
back.
Moving a small amount of heavy equipment forward to a front
pack can allow for an individual to either maximize or minimize the overall
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In all there are unlimited uses for the front pack. Front
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Can We Catch Parasites from Foraged Foods?
Foraging for food in the wild is in. Let’s be honest; it’s
never really been out. Nothing tastes more exotic than a tender spring
fiddlehead cut by the river and steamed right away. Who wouldn’t reach for a
plump ripe blackberry at the edge of the trail, or a low-hanging apple in the
autumn?
I suppose you could say that recent interest in edible wild
plants and wild meat has, however, made foraging fashionable.
Is foraging safe? Articles about foraging often focus on
identification of wild plants, when to pick them, and what species to avoid.
It’s true that whether or not a mushroom or green is poisonous is of more
immediate concern than whether it might transmit a parasitic disease, but
organisms like parasites rank high in food safety issues too.
Think back to the days before plant and animal
domestication; our distant forebears were hunter-gatherers. They foraged for
everything, and this was how they acquired most of their parasites (those that
they weren’t sharing directly person to person, such as lice).
Picking up parasites from contact with soil, drinking water,
and the wild foods that they ate was the norm. Make no mistake, those parasites
haven’t gone away; so far as I know science does not record any instance of a
parasite infectious to humans going extinct.
If anything, we have made things worse. Domesticating crops
and animals has given a lot of parasites unprecedented opportunities, but dense
human populations, large numbers of domestic animals, and our environmental
impact have changed things in the wild as well. For example:
All surface waters, everywhere, should now be considered
contaminated by intestinal protozoa of humans and cattle.
Human communities in North America support unusually high
populations of raccoons, carriers of a deadly roundworm.
Roaming and feral house cats have contaminated soils
worldwide with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.
Migrating humans have spread lots of parasites to places
where they were formerly not found.
Where droppings from grazing animals wash into streams,
liver fluke larvae infest watercress.
With foraged Food
there is a Risk of Parasitic Diseases
While studies of the risk of parasitic disease faced by
foragers as a group may be lacking, mountains of literature document the risks
of eating and drinking, and even walking, in the wild.
The risk you face while foraging for wild food depends a lot
on what you’re looking for, and where you’re looking for it. Eating wild
animals can be the source of diseases such as trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, and
intestinal flukes and tapeworms.
Plants may be contaminated with human or animal faeces, or
they may harbour larval forms of parasites. In some places, picking up a
zoonosis – a disease of animals – is the major worry; in others, parasites of
humans are more common.
In tropical developing countries, sanitation is often poor
and faecal contamination of the environment intense, let’s be honest outside
toilets are merely one of the places where we accidentally sow the seeds of
wild plants that we eat.
These outside toilets
are also good places to pick up parasitic infections; forage there at your
peril.
In industrialized countries, wild plants are relatively safe
as long as they are not contaminated with animal droppings (although, here too,
aquatic plants such as watercress may transmit liver fluke) as I have
mentioned.
Pick with clean hands, leave anything questionable, and wash
thoroughly. If you want to eat anything raw, wash it with running potable
water.
Thorough cooking will kill just about everything, but be careful
to clean surfaces that have come in contact with the uncooked food. Wild
animals can carry nasty parasites in both meat and faeces so, again, cook well
and clean thoroughly (and don’t feed raw trimmings to the family dog).
Foraging for
Parasites
No discussion of foraging and parasites is complete without
noting that, in many cultures, people deliberately forage for parasites.
Some fish, and shellfish such as oysters, are particularly
tasty when infested with certain parasites; pea crabs, parasites of oysters are
eaten as gourmet foods in North America. Robin Overstreet describes tasty
caterpillars, nut-like botfly and warble fly larvae, fried “sweet meat” (liver
flukes) from deer, and both fish and mammal tapeworms eaten raw, among other
things.
Thus, in the true spirit of foraging in the wild, when we
come across a parasite, the first question is “will it hurt me?” and the second
is “can I eat it?”
How to Make Hardtack
You’ve
all heard of hardtack. It’s a great survival food,
because it is very nutritious and tasty, and also keeps extremely well when
stored in the proper conditions. I will tell you how to make hardtack
using a simple recipe, and tell you how to cook it to make a delicious survival
food.
Hardtack is an ideal survival food
What
makes a good survival food? Well, first off, you need to be able to store it
for long periods of time without spoiling. Second, it needs to be nutritious.
And third, it should taste good. Tasting good is not really a necessity, but it
sure is nice if you end up living off the stuff for a long time.
Hardtack
satisfies all three conditions. Once it’s dried thoroughly, it will keep for
years, provided it stays dry and away from pests. If you make it with natural,
healthy ingredients, it’s very nutritious.
And if
you know how to prepare it, it tastes delicious. Because it is completely
dehydrated, it is relatively light and easy to transport, but because it is so
dense, it packs a lot of nutrition in a small package.
Hardtack history
Hardtack
has actually been around since the time of Egyptian sailors, but you probably
know it better from the Civil War period. During the war, 3×3 inch squares of
hardtack were shipped to both the Union and Confederate armies, making a staple
part of a soldier’s rations.
Typically
made 6 months beforehand, it was as hard as a rock when it actually got to the
troops. To soften it, they usually soaked it in water or coffee. Not only would
this soften it enough for eating, but any insect larvae in the bread would
float to the top, allowing the soldiers to skim them out.
Simple
hardtack recipe
You can
make hardtack almost identical to what sailors, troops, and pioneers have been
eating (minus the weevils!) by following this simple recipe:
4-5 cups
of flour
2 cups of
water
3 tsp. of
salt
Mix the
flour, water and salt together, and make sure the mixture is fairly dry. Then
roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness, and shape it into a rectangle. Cut it
into 3×3 inch squares, and poke holes in both sides.
Place on
an un-greased cookie or baking sheet, and cook for 30 minutes per side at 375˚
(or 350˚ if you have a convection oven).
When it’s
done, you’ll want to let it dry and harden for a few days, just out in the
open. When it has the consistency of a brick, it’s fully cured.
Then
simply store it in an airtight container or bucket. To prepare for eating, soak
it in water or milk for about 15 minutes, and then fry in a buttered skillet.
You can eat it with cheese, soup or just plain with a little salt added. Any
way you do it, it’s delicious!
Britons Must Dig for Survival
Farming Minister David Heath has urged families to grow
their own to cope with food shortage crisis
The Government is promoting the famous WWII slogan 'dig for
victory'
Our fruit prices up almost 11% since March 2012, vegetables
7% higher
And farmers warn Britain is running out of wheat after year
of bad weather
Families have been told they will have to grow more of their
own fruit and vegetables to cope with food shortages.
Mr Heath warned
Britain could not rely on cheap imports to meet its food needs.
Disruption to the food chain triggered by disease, conflict
or bad weather hitting harvests would drive prices even higher.
Britain is on the verge of running out of wheat after a year
of terrible wet weather, with more than 2million tonnes lost in last summer's
deluge.
Farmers have also struggled to sow crops for the 2013
harvest, which is already predicted to be 25 per cent down on potential
production.
Households will have to consider becoming more
self-sufficient to limit the impact of high costs and bare shelves, Mr Heath
warned.
He said: ‘with an increasing population, increasing demand
not just in this country but across the
World, we are going to have to increase food production. We
made a huge mistake a few years ago when the idea got around that we didn't
need to produce in the agricultural sector any more, that we would be able to
buy our way through whatever was necessary to feed the country.
Once we used to “dig for victory”. There may come a time
soon when we need to “dig for survival”.’
New inflation figures published today show how food prices
have impacted on the cost of living.
While the headline Consumer Prices Index figure remained
unchanged on 2.8 per cent, a detailed breakdown showed how food costs have
leapt in the last year.
Bread and cereals have risen by 3.6 per cent, meat 2.4 per
cent and items like sugar, jam and chocolate were 4.1 per cent year-on-year.
Mr Heath told the Daily Telegraph that that the idea of the
public ‘digging for survival’ was ‘not overstating it by a lot’.
He added: ‘We need to be able to produce enough to deal with
the requirements in this country. Food security is going to be an issue of
increasing relevance.
‘There is nothing that provides more classical insecurity
across the world than not being able to feed populations adequately so we need
to be aware of that and we need to respond to it.’
He suggested that the use of genetically modified crops
could be significant in securing food supplies in the future.
Well Mr Heath you are wrong as nobody wants scientifically
designed and mucked about food. But we have and we will provide for our
families not because you say so, but because it is the right thing to do.
Pine Pitch for Fire Lighting
Pine
trees are
probably one of the three best trees in the wilderness for starting a fire.
The other two (each for different reasons) are cedar and birch trees.
Pine trees have great characteristics that make it useful in a wilderness
survival scenario.
One of
the useful qualities of pine trees is that the sap (also called pine pitch)
is flammable. It burns very well and can be added to other natural tinder
like dried pine needles to make a very effective fire starter.
Some possible
uses of different parts of the Pine Tree:
1. Pine
needles can be boiled to make a tea, which can also be doubled as an antiseptic
wash for minor injuries.
2. The
inner cambium layer of the pine tree bark can be eaten. Although
it doesn’t taste great raw. (Neither does the tea, for that matter, but
it is high in Vitamin C).
3. The
wood grain of the pine tree is typically straight and easy to break down
for fire wood and kindling.
4. The pine
nuts in the pine cone can be eaten.
5. Low
hanging small dead inner branches can be used for kindling in a fire.
6. Larger
dead branches hold pine pitch in the 4 to 6 inches closest to the trunk
of the tree which can be used for starting fire.
7. The
base of a large pine tree can be used as a partial shelter in a high
snow area winter situation. They can also partially shelter you from
rain.
8. Old
dead pine tree stumps will have shards of un-rotted wood sticking up out
of the ground that are saturated with pine pitch.
9. Bark
from a large pine tree can be used as a platform for building fire or
other tasks in the wilderness.
10. Pine
Trees attract wildlife such as squirrels for hunting and trapping.
11. Pine
pitch can be melted and infused on to a cloth, wrapped around a green stick
and used as a torch.
12. The
smell of freshly crushed pine needles (rubbed in clothing) can act as a
scent masking agent to help reduce human scent while hunting. Be careful,
this could be a bit messy…
13. Dried
pine needles can be used as a tinder and or kindling.
There are
probably tons more uses, but those are the ones I can think of right now.
If you
need a fire and have an ignition source (lighter, metal match, matches,
etc.) then pine pitch could help you get your fire going. Try it for
yourself.
If you are looking
for some new kit then please Support these Companies
The following
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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
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Multi lite Multi-tool
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The Survivor knife
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Day Ration Pack
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It runs on water, it really does
Pine Needle Tea
I thought that would introduce you to a simple tea that is
delicious, healthy and a great immune booster.
For those of you who are new to the world of plants, a safe
and simple tea can be made from the common Pine trees that surround us.
Pine Needle Tea has long been a favourite of traditional and
indigenous peoples, both for its refreshment and for its medicinal values.
You may not realize that Pine Needle Tea contains 4-5 times
the Vitamin C of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and is high in Vitamin A. It is
also an expectorant (thins mucus secretions), decongestant, and can be used as
an antiseptic wash when cooled. So not only does it taste good, but it's good
for you!
Each variety of pine has its own flavour to impart, so
experiment and see which needles you like best. And feel free to mix and match!
Just remember that while all Pines are evergreens, not all
evergreens are Pines! So head out to the local woods or park, positively
identify your pine trees, bring back some needles and give this one a try!
Step-by-step Instructions for Making Pine Needle Tea:
Collect a small bundle of green needles, the younger the
better. (A small handful will be plenty.)
Remove any of the brown, papery sheaths that may remain at
the base of the needles. (They just pull right off.)
Chop the needles into small bits, about ¼ to ½ inch long.
For a Refreshing Tea:
Heat about a cup of water to just before boiling.
Bring water almost to
a boil
Pour the hot water over about a tablespoon of the chopped
needles.
Allow to steep (preferably covered) for 5-10 minutes, until
the majority of needles have settled to the bottom of the cup. Enjoy your
delicious tea!
Steeping Tea Allow needles to settle enjoy your refreshing
tea!
For a Medicinal Tea:
(This process releases more of the oils & resins that
contain the medicinal compounds, and tastes a little like turpentine.)
Bring about a cup of water to a full boil. Add approximately
one tablespoon of chopped needles to the boiling water and cover. Allow the
needles to boil in the water for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow the tea to continue to steep,
covered, until it is cool enough to drink. (Most of the needles should sink to
the bottom.) Pour the tea into a mug, leaving the needles behind, and enjoy!
Drink this tea several times a day for maximum medicinal
effect. (Make it fresh each time.
Enjoy your tea!
With cold & flu season approaching Pine Needle Tea is a
gift of health as well as an enjoyable experience.
And since Pine is best used fresh, it's a perfect excuse to
get out & enjoy the change of seasons!
5 More Survival
Uses of Pine Resin
Pine resin has multiple uses for survival. This sap is
produced by the pine tree to seal up cuts or damage to the tree. If you ever
find yourself lost in a wooded area, having a pine tree will really make a difference to your survival chances.
There are many different species of pine trees but they
generally prefer open and sunny areas. They are found abundantly throughout
North America, they are also found throughout Central America and Europe.
Native Americans used pine sap for medicinal purposes. The
resin is either chewed on or made into a beverage by mixing with water. It is
known to be very effective in treating stomach ulcers and rheumatoid arthritis.
To find pine resin look for the damaged part of the pine
tree because that will be where the resin secretions are. The resin will be dry
and hardened but can be softened with heat. Look for damaged or fallen limbs
first before you purposely cut into the pine tree’s bark for the sap.
If you have to damage the tree, do it in a small area on one
side only. Also, take only as much resin as you will need and leave some on the
tree to protect the cut from boring insects.
The Survival Uses 0f Pine Resin
1. First aid.
When you’re outdoors camping or in a survival situation,
cutting accidents will almost always happen. Pine resin can be applied directly
over the wound to stem blood flow almost at once. The resin will also inhibit
the growth and spread of bacteria because of its sticky nature which denies the
bacteria the moisture it needs to survive.
Just leave the resin in place until it dries out. The resin
will close the wound up the same way stitching it up would. You may reapply
resin as needed. You can also use the sap to treat blisters, burns and
abscesses.
2. Use the resin to make shoes and other items
waterproof.
Heat the resin to liquid form and then apply it to the
material you want to make impervious to water like the lower half of your
hiking boots. You can also use resin to seal seams, repair holes in shoes,
boats or structures to prevent leaks. When heating the resin, use a deep
container to keep the sap away from open flame. Pine resin can ignite easily.
3. Light and heat.
Pine resin can be used to make a lamp. Look for a stone with
depression, a can, a shell or anything that can be filled with resin. For a
wick, use some twisted cloth. Fill the depression with the resin, lay the wick
on top and ignite the wick. The wick material will ignite the resin which will
burn like a candle. Feed more resin to maintain the flame.
To use the pine resin as a heat source, get a metal
container and punch holes in its side. Place it over the ignited resin. The
metal will absorb the heat and conduct to the surrounding area. This will not
heat a large area but you get enough heat to warm hands and feet.
4. Make glue out of pine resin.
Heat the resin to liquid form. While the pine resin is
heating, crumble some charcoal from the fire to fine powder (or as fine as you
can make them). When the resin is ready, remove from heat and stir in the
powder charcoal – the amount of the charcoal powder should be about 1/3 of the
resin’s volume. Dip a stick repeatedly in the mixture to form a ball of pitch
on the end. Store the glue like this until it is needed. Heat the
hardened glue until pliable.
You can form fishhooks with the glue, repair holes in water
containers, repair the soles of shoes, apply feathers to homemade arrows or
harden the ends of hunting spears to keep them from splintering, etc.
5. Start a fire with pine resin.
You can use pine resin to start a fire especially in damp
conditions. Look for some hardened pine resin and some pine sticks. You will
see streaks of resin when you split the pine sticks. Lay some dried pine
needles near the resin. When you ignite the resin, it will burn long enough to
dry the pine needles and you can add small pieces of the pine sticks
which will burn even if somewhat damp because of the resin. Once you’ve got a
sizable flame going, you can start drying out other wood.
Survival Kit Fishing
Although many survival kits include items for fishing
purposes, time should be taken to learn how to use them. As with any area of
survival, nothing can take the place of experience that comes from practice.
Knowledge of fish patterns and habits can be as useful as the proper equipment.
The larger kits, obviously contain more articles. Some
fishing kits are as large as a complete survival kit. Choosing the size of the
kit will depend on many variables. A backpacking kit while on the trail, should
not look like a kit in a sail boat in the Caribbean.
The same mentality used when building a custom survival kit
should be used when adding fishing items to your survival kit.
Items usually found within kits are:
Fishing line
Sinkers (split shot)
Pre-tied links
Flies
Hooks
Swivels
The deluxe kits also include:
Leaders
Floats
Fishing Lures
For the purpose of this piece, I will cover items usually
found within a survival kit and techniques for using them.
During my last backpacking trip, we found a drinks can on
the edge of a lake. While we were commenting about the lack of respect humans
seem to have for nature, we decided to try can fishing.
I tied some fishing line to the can and used a small lure.
The beetle spinner is a small, reliable and efficient lure. It has enough
weight for casting without a fishing rod.
There are two techniques I tested for casting the lure. One
technique uses centrifugal force by spinning the bait. The other, we simply
swing the arm and let go of the bait at the apex.
If able to use structure over the water, the lure or bait
can be lowered into the water.
With some practice I was able to get the lure out approx. 25
yards. The time to practice the technique is when your life does not depend on
it as with anything else in survival.
You will find it not only to be challenging but also fun.
Knowledge of fish patterns, feeding and breeding behavior’s will all help
increase your chances.
Search the water for structure, submerged trees jetty’s etc.
Although many fishermen would consider most small fish as an inferior catch, I
would gladly use it in a survival situation.
With two small brown trout in less than thirty minutes I
don’t think it’s too bad for survival fishing. In a survival situation the
nourishment provided from this meal would be invaluable.
You can improvise a branch with the bark removed and shaped
(like a tin can) to do the same job if there is no cans about. In the second
method for casting I use my index finger to hold the fishing line with the same
hand pitching the lure.
Use your most powerful weapon the mind, put your imagination
to work.
I have built fishing kit was built using a baked bean tin,
fishing line and a small spinner lure. I was able to catch four Perch for dinner
in less than an hour during the summer.
Keep in mind that the water temperature affects where the
fish are located and how aggressive they will feed.
Night Line Fishing
Night line or trout line is another great method for
catching fish in a survival situation. There is a great difference between
fishing for sport and fishing for survival.
A night line is something we would only use in survival. You
use fishing line, several small hooks and weights to build a trot line.
I prefer to use this method because in most survival reasons
we would not have a boat to help us string the line across the body of water.
By using a weight on one end of the line and trying the other end to a tree
root we create a modified night line.
This night line was built using thirty feet of fishing line,
four hooks and sinkers to weigh one end. We used small insects and worms for
bait. After tying one end of the night line to a tree, I tossed the weighed end
towards the water. The fish were caught in less than thirty minutes.
One great advantage of a night line is that it allows us to
catch fish while we accomplish other tasks or rest.
Survival and Stress
We've all commented at one point or another about having a
stressful day. But most of us don't have a clue as to how debilitating stress
can be especially in survival situations.
To reduce its impact and to increase the chance of survival
in the wilderness, it's important to not only understand stress but to also
overcome it. The environment, your physical and mental condition, and the
availability of materials all affect the amount of stress you will have to
manage.
Environment Stress
There are three environmental factors that will directly
impact you in a survival situation. They are the climate (temperature,
moisture, and wind), terrain (mountainous, desert, jungle, arctic), and life
forms (plants and animals).
At first glance these obstacles may seem insurmountable and
history has provided plenty of examples of people perishing as a result of
unfavourable environmental conditions.
Still, there are other stories of survivors that
successfully adapted to the given conditions or travelled to another location
that was better equipped to meet their needs so we know it can be done.
Understanding how the environment might affect you is the
first and necessary step to overcoming the unpredictable hardships of nature.
Physical and
Psychological Stress
Both the physical and psychological stresses of survival
will directly affect your outlook of your situation. If you're not careful, you
may lose all hope virtually guaranteeing your death. These stresses may also
end up dictating the order in which you meet your needs which is not the ideal
way to prioritize.
Instead, it is
important to make decisions based on logic and not emotion.
Physical stresses are brought about by the physical
hardships of survival. Overcoming them requires proper preparation. The six Ps
provide a good rule for all wilderness travellers: prior proper preparation
prevents poor performance.
So what does preparing mean? It involves the following:
ensuring that your immunizations are up-to-date, staying well hydrated both
before and during any outback adventure, and being physically fit prior to
traveling into the wilderness.
The amount of time a survivor goes without rescue will have
a significant impact upon his will or drive to survive. As time passes, the
survivor's hopes of being found ultimately begin to diminish.
With decreased hope comes increased psychological stress.
This sort of stress is much more insidious than other forms and you need to be
on the lookout for it.
The basic stresses that will affect you, the survivor,
psychologically are as follows: pain, hunger and thirst, heat or cold, fatigue,
loneliness, and fear.
Overcoming Survival
Stress
The most important key to surviving is the survivor's will.
The will or drive to survive is not something that can be bought.
However, your will is
directly affected by the amount of stress associated with a survival situation.
Prior preparation, keeping a clear head and thinking
logically, prioritizing your needs, and improvising all will help alleviate
some of this stress.
When a problem
arises, remember the acronym STOP:
S: Stop - Clear your thoughts and focus on the problem.
T: Think - Identify practical solutions. Consider each in
detail.
O: Organize - After looking at your options, pick one.
Develop a step-by-step plan from beginning to end.
P: Proceed With Your Plan - Be flexible and make adjustments
as necessary.
Survival Gadgets
If your idea of a fun day or exciting holiday involves
roughing it in the wilderness, you know how important it is to have the proper
tools and equipment with you.
There are basic things you need to maintain safety and
well-being while out in the wild, and there are also some extras that make
wilderness survival less challenging and more fun. The next time you’re
planning an outdoor adventure, include some of these gadgets and tools for
emergency preparedness and survival.
Basic Survival Skills
The best tool for
survival is of course first and foremost yourself.
Make sure you know basic survival skills. The first skill in
basic survival is to ensure that a bad situation doesn’t escalate and become
worse.
To deal with an emergency situation one must be able to make
decisions, improvise and remain calm. Great for the amateur and hard-core
enthusiast, who better to learn survival tactics from than the British Army.
The SAS Survival Guide not only teaches you how to build a
fire but also how to build a fire with wet wood! Includes information on all
the basics for food, water, shelter – plus first aid, identifying edible and
medicinal plants, animals, navigation, psychology of survival, and so on.
Compass or GPS
A compass or GPS system is vital, even if you know the area.
It’s easy to get turned around when you’re deep in the wilderness and
everything starts to look the same. If you’re using a mobile phone-based GPS
system such as Compass Professional make sure you’ll have access to a signal.
Sun & Heat
Protection
You may not think that lack of sun protection can lead to an
emergency, but overexposure to heat and sun can place your health at-risk when
you’re out in the wild. In addition to having sunscreen and a hat, carry a
water purification system so you can keep hydrated with water that’s safe for
drinking.
The Weather Channel app provides all type of weather reports
including interactive maps with animated radar, weather alerts for your
locations, videos of breaking news and weather coverage and lots more.
Knowing if a storm or cold weather is coming in will help
you prepare in advance for potential weather related issues.
Torch or Headlamp
Even if you’ve made camp by nightfall, you’ll still want to
have a torch or headlamp handy to navigate around your campsite. A headlamp allows
you to remain hands-free while hiking or finding a spot to relieve yourself.
The Coleman Lantern app lets you choose from 10 different
lanterns that fill your campsite with bright, white light. It also lets you
choose how bright you want it to shine. You can use it in the car, walking at
night and reading in bed. It’s free to add to your iPhone.
First Aid Kit
A proper first aid kit is another wilderness survival
must-have; a well-stocked first aid kit will help you to be better prepared for
emergencies and natural disasters. The contents should change to match where
the kit will be stored and how it will be used.
In addition to carrying a fully stocked, compact first aid
kit, there are also first aid apps, such as GotoAID, which provide a person immediate
access to first aid information. With 420 total topics the information on
GotoAid ranges from treating a bee sting to delivering a baby.
Waterproof Matches
and Fire Starters
No matter how good you are at starting fires, there are
always times when the wood’s too wet or too green. Carry waterproof matches as
backups to your lighter and have fire starters to get the kindling going enough
to build a good fire.
Mess Kit
Carry a mess kit that serves multiple uses, such as cooking,
eating and washing your utensils. One that contains a bowl/pot, plate, cup and
eating utensils should do the trick. Food hints and recipes for mess kit
cooking can be found on-line, however when you fancy a touch of extravagance,
although costly, try the MRE which now almost reach gourmet standards.
Tarp and Blanket
A tarp is another multipurpose item that can help you
maintain your well-being while out in the wild. Use it as a tent in inclement
weather, to cover your food or as a ground cover. Bring along a thin, wool blanket
to ensure a good night’s sleep and sufficient warmth.
Knots and lashings are useful both around camp and in a
survival situation to construct an improvised shelter. A right knot can save
your life, that’s why Knot guide app, using photographs, shows you how to tie a
neat and clean knot and takes you through tying eleven most common general
knots for different situations.
Know Your Wilderness
Edibles
Even if you’ve brought sufficient food or are catching your
food out in the water or woods, you may be tempted to enjoy those luscious
berries or tasty-looking mushrooms. Before you add any wild fruits or
vegetables to your wilderness meals, check them on a wilderness edibles app,
such as Wild Edibles Database, to ensure they’re safe to eat. Even those who
consider themselves to be wilderness experts can experience mishaps in the
outdoors that can cause an otherwise exciting adventure to turn sour.
Make sure that you have the basics you need, as well as any
extra gadgets, equipment or tools. The items you bring with you will vary
depending on the season, your location and the length of your adventure. Take
time to anticipate all your needs in the wild so you can prepare accordingly.
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
Nubé: (new-bay) The Ultimate Hammock Camping Shelter
How to Stop Bleeding With Black Pepper
When it comes to survival and wilderness first aid, I highly
recommend you carry a blood clotting agent with you in your first aid kit,
personally I believe that CELOX produce the best consumer available blood
clotting agent, as unlike many other brands, CELOX is also effective for people
on blood thinners such as heparin and warfarin etc. You can purchase CELOX from
Amazon. It is quite expensive, but simply put – it could save your life one
day…
If you do not have a clotting agent such as CELOX, you can
in fact use simple ground black pepper to stop bleeding quickly for small to
medium sized cuts/wounds. Black pepper
is naturally antibacterial and makes blood coagulate quickly and stops
bleeding.
Black pepper was commonly used by soldiers in the Second
World War, and even today it is often used in professional kitchens (probably
due to its availability) to stop cuts from bleeding.
It couldn’t be simpler to use black pepper to stop bleeding
– simply pour a generous amount of ground black pepper onto the wound and apply
pressure (and bandage if necessary) and it should quickly stop bleeding (please
use common sense though as serious cuts may still require the attention of a
doctor). Note: Finely ground black pepper works best, and no, black pepper does
not sting when put on a cut!
Personally I keep some Black Pepper in my first aid kits for
emergencies, and for day-to-day and around the home, black pepper is a useful
alternative for smaller wounds.
By the way I am not a medical expert, this information is
based on my own experience and research. Please do your own research and
exercise common sense before trying this. If you have an existing medical
condition or allergy, please check that this won’t interfere with your
condition or medication.
Knowledge & Training
To be
honest emergency preparedness isn't all about storing food and water,
It’s
about knowing what to do and being ready for anything. If you don't know what
to do in different situations you won't last very long. You need the knowledge,
the training, and even the practice of different skills to be prepared.
What's
the point of having supplies if you don't know what to do with them?
What's
the point of having canned food storage if you don't know to rotate it? What's
the point of having a water filter if you don't know how to use it? Yes, all of
these examples are common sense things, but it is a real problem.
Some
other things do need more practice and knowledge however. Do you know
exactly
how to make meals from scratch, shoot a gun accurately and consistently, have
the skills of an outdoorsman and know how to catch your own food? There are
countless numbers of different skills that you can have and it would be wise to
at least learn a little of each of them.
Of course
the good skills to have are outdoor survival skills. Things that you would use
on a camping, hiking, or fishing trip, skills you would need if you were lost
in the
wilderness.
Things
like making fires, finding or building shelter, hunting and fishing, and
harvesting,
cooking, and cleaning food all could mean life or death at some point.
These
skills are not too hard to get the basic understandings of.
By no
means do you have to be a master at anything. You just need to know what
you are
doing enough to survive. Survival doesn't mean perfection, as just getting by
works. As long as you have a basic understanding of different things and are a
well-rounded person, you will be much better off.
The
University of YouTube will teach you just about anything you want to know.
Be sure
to pass on your knowledge and things that you know to your community
and
group. Share ideas with them, plan, and learn from them.
They can
help you and other people will definitely know things that you don't. Teach
your children valuable skills and imprint the ideas of preparedness on them
early so they will grow up knowing it and being familiar with it.
Don't
overload them and make them crazy, but make sure that they realize the
importance of emergency preparedness.
Go out to
the gun range and practice, go on camping trips where you are cut off
from the
world, use some of your stored food. Get a sense for how life would be if you
ever needed to use your preps.
Make sure
you practice with everything you are preparing for, so when the time comes you
will know what to do.
If you
know what you're doing it will be much easier to stay calm and in control. If
you have never done something before you may start to panic, and panic leads to
failure.
Knowledge
and training are just another form of preparation, and in the ultimate
quest to
be prepared, this is something that cannot be overlooked. Know what you are
doing.
Know how
to survive
Survival Trapping
Trapping or snaring is a simple process. Your goal is to
hold, contain, or kill the intended target species.
Without real traps or snares, you have to use your head. The
better your understanding of wildlife, the better trapper you will be.
I have a friend who just started trapping and she told me
she used to think you just put traps anywhere in the woods and the animals
would be caught!
This is a very important statement if you are a beginner. To
understand trapping, you have to understand what estate agents say all the time
- "Location, location, location."
To become an expert trapper, you must study every piece of
written material on the target animals. I am not just talking about trapping
books and videos, but wildlife studies.
Have you seen the movie with Alec Baldwin and Anthony
Hopkins called "The Edge"? I think that is what it was called,
anyway.
This is the movie where they are stranded up in Alaska. They
make that little cage trap out of sticks and twine to catch the squirrel. Then
they catch a squirrel. The funny part was the squirrel the movie shows getting
caught in the trap doesn't even live in Alaska!
I have seen animals in traps, and I laughed my head off when
I saw that part! A trapped squirrel would have jumped and pushed at the cage.
That cage, having no weight on it would have fallen open,
and the squirrel would have escaped. Don't rely on Hollywood to teach you any
survival skills!
Pine Sap and Birch Bark Trap. I will now discuss some
different emergency trapping techniques. One of my favourites is a century old
way of trapping birds. For centuries, the Indians knew that trapping fed them
better than hunting, and they developed this trap.
You use a smooth,
easy-to-form type of bark, like Birch or any pliable, soft, inner bark.
Form a cone like an ice cream cone, and tie strips of inner
bark around the cone to keep it together. Score a pine tree by cutting off a 4
x 4 inch square in the bark, until you can see the inner bark. The sticky sap
will flow out.
Take a stick and get a good glob of sap, then smear it onto
the inside of your cone. Using whatever the birds - like grouse or pheasants -
are feeding on (berries, corn, etc…), make a small trail leading into the cone,
and fill the inner cone with the bait.
The bird will eat the bait and follow the trail right into
the cone! Once they stick their head in, the pinesap will stick to their
feathers.
The bird is now blind. But, just like a bird in a cage that
you place a cover over, these trapped birds will lay down, thinking it is night
time, and go to sleep.
It is very important
to make sure no light can be seen inside the cone.
Approach the trapped bird slowly and quietly. Once you grab
the bird, hold on tight, because it is going to freak out! Quickly grab it and
wring its neck.
Stovepipe Bird Trap.
The stovepipe game bird trap is so simple, it makes me laugh
every time I think about it. The principle behind it is that birds can't back
up. Have you ever seen a bird walk backwards? Neither have I!
A friend told me about it when I was in school. There was a
farm inside the village limits loaded with pheasants! He used to train his dogs there. The
pheasants were just too tempting for me, so I had to try it.
So, I made a trap, baited it with corn, and the next day,
sure enough, there were fresh pheasant tracks going right into the pipe!
Man! This is great, I thought! I lifted the pipe, expecting
the weight of a bird, only to be disappointed upon finding it empty.
Mice must have stolen the bait, I thought. After two more
days of tracks going into the pipe and no pheasants, I figured it out. I was
using an 8-inch pipe, and the birds could turn around.
I went back to the scrapyard, found some 6-inch pipe, and
the next day, the pheasant was waiting!
Of course, I had to try it on the grouse, and found that a
4-inch pipe works for them. My guess for quail would be the 2- or 3-inch pipe.
Materials needed:
6-inch diameter, 24-inch long stove pipe
A piece of chicken wire, about 12-inches square and some
duct tape
That's it. You take the chicken wire, form it around one end
of the pipe, and duct tape the overlay nice and tight around the pipe. Place a
trail of corn going into the pipe, and a pile or cob in the back.
This has to be the easiest trap to make, and man does it work!
Be careful when you pull the pheasants out. They are a feisty bird, and you had
better have a good hold on them. Otherwise, they will fly off.
A Pit Trap. This
is a neat trap. A friend who enjoys (poaching) told this me about this one, on
catching pheasants.
You take a coke bottle, or a small shovel, and dig a hole 6
inches in diameter, 10- to 12 inches deep. Make a trail of corn leading to the
hole, and cover the bottom with corn.
The pheasant, or grouse, will come up and reach down to get
the corn. Then, they fall into the hole. Their wings are stuck at their sides,
and their feet are hanging up in the air! You just pull them up by the feet,
and wring the neck.
Fish Trapping.
One of the oldest methods of catching fish is used in small
rivers and streams. You find a shallow spot next to a deep hole. At night, the
fish come out to feed, and will swim in the shallows.
To take advantage of this, you can narrow down the opening
into a "V". Behind the "V" is a solid wall of rocks. The
fish will swim in and get caught or confused, and lay in the trap until
daylight.
When you go to check the trap, approach quietly from the
front. Place a large rock, or rocks, blocking the hole in the "V".
This is to keep any from escaping.
Netting is the best way to catch the fish in the containment
area. If you don't have a net, make a spear. Clubbing fish is a waste of time
in the water.
All that happens is you get very wet, and the fish could get
so scared they will jump over the back wall to escape. Yes, I found that one out
first-hand.
If you are serious about trapping, get real equipment, and
real snares. Real traps and snares will always catch more than these homemade
traps.
Trapping is a skill that takes practice. You have to learn
to walk into the woods and recognize what type of animal lives there.
Then you need to learn where they travel for food, water,
and shelter and set your traps and snares accordingly.
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.
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 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.
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 be at a rolling boil for at least a minute.
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.
Close in your shelter
on as many sides as possible.
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
Lightload Towels
Nuclear Fallout Shelters
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 it, 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.
Survival Napping
As expert survivors we often think in terms of taking action
in order to survive.
For example we have
our bug-out bags pre-packed and are ready to go, so that we may walk or drive
many miles with enough supplies to get us there.
Survivors know how to build a fire in many different ways
under a variety of adverse conditions. Survivors can obtain drinkable water and
forage edible foods from a plethora of sources.
As survival experts
we can defend ourselves and our property to the best of our ability.
And that is just the beginning. When the going gets tough
the experienced wilderness and urban survivor springs into action, taking
adversity head on.
But not always. A wise old friend of mine once told me,
“Sometimes the best thing you can do - is do nothing!”
When the going gets tough sometimes the best thing to do is
to take a long nap. During very bad weather or social unrest it is often not
wise to continue on with your plans.
Rather than flail about in wind and storm or risk
altercation during social unrest, simply go to sleep and wait it out! You will
save your energy, reduce the risk of injury, and get a good rest besides.
Sometimes the best
thing you can do- is do nothing!
This strategy has been employed by experienced wilderness
survivors such as the northern Native Americans during foul winter weather,
arctic explorers, and high mountain expeditions like those on Mount Everest and
K2.
Even the very squirrels and other animals, natures
experienced survival instructors, will curl up during the worst of conditions.
They simply curl up in their dens and go to sleep.
During a survival situation of any kind, the ability to
sleep warm, dry, and comfortable is very important and can mean the difference
between health and the ability to take action during waking hours or possibly
not making it out alive.
If you have the proper survival gear and knowledge, your
outdoor sleep system can get you through the most trying of times with little
expenditure of precious energy or exposure to danger.
Survival
Preparedness
Natural disasters and terrorists’ attacks create great
danger for people. Natural disasters and terrorist attacks produce not only
destruction, but can turn cities in chaos, bring disorder and even mass riots.
It is now that you must prepare yourself and your family for
probable emergency survival situations.
In order to be able to react quickly, and get through the
crucial early hours of a crisis, you should prepare a 'family survival
emergency kit'. This survival kit should contain a first-aid kit and first-aid
instructions, emergency food, water, water-purifying chemicals and a water
filter, some source of light and the other items that you may want or need in
order to survive (like duct tape to seal off the room, a radio, medicines,
hygiene necessities, baby needs, candles, matches, a tin opener...).
The survival kit should also contain an emergency
decontamination kit. You can buy ready-made survival kits or you can also take
care of preparing them yourself. Ideally, you should have enough identical
survival kits, so that each member of the family can easily access one: at
home, at work or school and in the car.
At a minimum, you should have at least one kit in your 'safe
room'. Everyone in your family should know where to find the kit, what it
contains and how to use it. Family emergency drills are an excellent way to
familiarize everyone with use of the survival kits (they can also be fun and a
great psychological help if a real crisis ever occurs).
It's important to periodically change the food and water of
the kits with fresh food and fresh water. Your family emergency drills can also
be an opportunity to consume outdated supplies before they are replaced. You
should also check that all the other contents of the survival kit are in good
shape and functional.
Preparing emergency water supplies
There are three things a body needs to stay alive:
- Air: A person can go without air for only a few minutes.
- Water: A person can survive without water for up to three days.
- Food: A person can go without food for up to three weeks.
- Air: A person can go without air for only a few minutes.
- Water: A person can survive without water for up to three days.
- Food: A person can go without food for up to three weeks.
Let us firstly assume that the air is not contaminated and
that you can breath safely
This leaves us with water and food. Water is considerably
more important than food for our ability to survive a reasonable length of
time. This means that having a supply of safe water is essential to surviving a
sustained crisis situation.
When it comes to water storage, you have basically two
options: 1) buy bottles of water to store or 2) store tap water. The first
option is the most convenient. But, if you are to store enough water to ensure
your entire families survival over a sustained period, then this will be
expensive.
If it's stored properly, tap water is every bit as good as
bottled water and, of course, it costs a lot less.
Choosing the proper containers to store your water is important. There are several options:
- Buy plastic containers which can be found on most high streets.
Be very careful to make sure that they are appropriate for water storage. If not, there is the risk that chemicals will penetrate the container and contaminate the water.
- Disposable plastic soft drink bottles.
Start collecting your soda and water bottles and build up your supply. Glass bottles are also safe, but are more difficult to store and too easily broken.
- Use camping thermos jugs.
Carefully wash the container and let it completely dry before filling it. Add some chlorine bleach, or hydrogen peroxide (about ten drops per gallon of water). This will kill most microorganisms, without having too much impact on the taste.
Choosing the proper containers to store your water is important. There are several options:
- Buy plastic containers which can be found on most high streets.
Be very careful to make sure that they are appropriate for water storage. If not, there is the risk that chemicals will penetrate the container and contaminate the water.
- Disposable plastic soft drink bottles.
Start collecting your soda and water bottles and build up your supply. Glass bottles are also safe, but are more difficult to store and too easily broken.
- Use camping thermos jugs.
Carefully wash the container and let it completely dry before filling it. Add some chlorine bleach, or hydrogen peroxide (about ten drops per gallon of water). This will kill most microorganisms, without having too much impact on the taste.
Fill the container completely to the top, to force out all
air. Store the water off the floor, in a place where it can't freeze (frozen
water will expand and break the container), away from direct sunlight, and away
from chemicals.
No matter how much water you store, in a sustained crisis,
you risk running out. For this reason, it's important that you have the means
to purify more water. There are some water-purification chemicals available and
even simply boiling it can be effective. However, the easiest and most reliable
way to make water safe to drink is by using a water filter.
The most common filters are ceramic filters impregnated with
tiny quantities of silver that kill harmful bacteria. Some ceramic filters are
operated by hand-pumping action. A hose is placed into the unfiltered water,
and the purified water exits via a spout into an appropriate container.
Others rely on gravity. Two thermos jugs sit on top of each
other. The dirty water is poured in the top one and the filtered water drips
into the bottom one. Some filters are a combination of a ceramic filter with a
carbon filter that removes dangerous chemicals. Some filters also chemically
treat the water to kill disease-causing Viruses. I recommend the Purificup.
The recommended quantity of water to store is one gallon (4.5
liters) for person per day, and ideally another gallon for cooking and washing.
Use your judgement when deciding how big a stock of water you can reasonably
keep. Probably the best approach is to stock enough water to keep your family
going for a week or two and have a water filter ready in case this isn't
enough.
If you feel that you can reasonably stock enough water to
keep your family going for a longer period, then go ahead and do so. The more
the better.
Like food, stored water doesn't keep for ever. Rotate your stored tap water every six months. Mark the fill date on each container so that you know when it's due to be updated. Empty the containers, clean them as explained above, and refill them with fresh water.
Like food, stored water doesn't keep for ever. Rotate your stored tap water every six months. Mark the fill date on each container so that you know when it's due to be updated. Empty the containers, clean them as explained above, and refill them with fresh water.
Preparing emergency food supplies
The food currently stored in your refrigerator and in your
pantry has a relatively short shelf-life. This type of food will not keep you
going very long in the event of a sustained crisis. To be properly prepared,
you need to store food specially formulated for survival situations.
As a minimum you should aim to store enough food to meet the
needs of your entire family for a week. Again, as with water, if you can
reasonably build up a supply to keep you going over a longer period, then do
so. The cost of preparing a large stock of food is inevitably quite high.
Consider buying a little each week and building it up over
time.
There are different types of food can be considered to include into your survival store:
- Canned Goods
Ready-to-eat soups, meats, vegetables and fruit. Stock a minimum of 3 cans per person per day.
- Survival Food Bars
One bar will provide you with more than the normal daily requirements for vitamins and minerals. Survival food bars are very high in protein which will help you cope with stress. A typical bar contains 400 kcal. They have a long storage life (often 5 years) and can be stored without deteriorating even in very cold or very warm environments.
- Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MREs)
Meals-Ready-to-Eat are army-style rations, sealed in triple-layered foil or plastic packs. They have a long storage life (usually 5 to 7 years) if stored in a cool environment (storing MREs at normal room temperature will cause the taste and nutritional values to deteriorate). Meals-Ready-to-Eat don,t require the addition of water (except to the drink base) and they don't need any cooking or preparation.
- Camping Pouch Products
Camping pouch products are either freeze dried or dehydrated. They are packaged in an aluminized foil pouch and have a shelf life of about 2 years when stored at room temperature. Many of these products don't require any cooking and only involve adding hot (or cold) water.
- Long Shelf-life Food Supplies
This is the type of food you will want to store to prepare for a long term survival situation. This food is either freeze dried or dehydrated, packaged in double-enameled cans and has an expected shelf life of 10 to 15 years.
• Keep your food up to date. If some products are approaching the end of their shelf-life, then replace them with new ones.
• Don,t forget that you'll need a can-opener!
• Don,t forget to also store food for your pets!
• Keep in mind that dehydrated and freeze dried survival food need the addition of water.
There are different types of food can be considered to include into your survival store:
- Canned Goods
Ready-to-eat soups, meats, vegetables and fruit. Stock a minimum of 3 cans per person per day.
- Survival Food Bars
One bar will provide you with more than the normal daily requirements for vitamins and minerals. Survival food bars are very high in protein which will help you cope with stress. A typical bar contains 400 kcal. They have a long storage life (often 5 years) and can be stored without deteriorating even in very cold or very warm environments.
- Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MREs)
Meals-Ready-to-Eat are army-style rations, sealed in triple-layered foil or plastic packs. They have a long storage life (usually 5 to 7 years) if stored in a cool environment (storing MREs at normal room temperature will cause the taste and nutritional values to deteriorate). Meals-Ready-to-Eat don,t require the addition of water (except to the drink base) and they don't need any cooking or preparation.
- Camping Pouch Products
Camping pouch products are either freeze dried or dehydrated. They are packaged in an aluminized foil pouch and have a shelf life of about 2 years when stored at room temperature. Many of these products don't require any cooking and only involve adding hot (or cold) water.
- Long Shelf-life Food Supplies
This is the type of food you will want to store to prepare for a long term survival situation. This food is either freeze dried or dehydrated, packaged in double-enameled cans and has an expected shelf life of 10 to 15 years.
• Keep your food up to date. If some products are approaching the end of their shelf-life, then replace them with new ones.
• Don,t forget that you'll need a can-opener!
• Don,t forget to also store food for your pets!
• Keep in mind that dehydrated and freeze dried survival food need the addition of water.
Emergency electricity
In the event of a power failure, you will need to have a
portable generator. When choosing one keep in mind what needs to be powered
(the refrigerator, a few lights, a radio). A portable generator is used where
the device requiring electricity is plugged directly into the generator’s power
outlets using an extension cord. Generators are available fuelled by gasoline,
diesel, and propane. Keep in mind that the use of a generator is a short- term
solution due to the amount of gasoline or other fuel you can safely store.
NOTE: Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide and so should
be placed outside the house where there is sufficient ventilation.
Electricity can also be generated using alternative sources
like wind energy or water energy. However, the most efficient source of
alternative energy is generated from solar power. Solar electricity is
generated when the sun shines on solar (Photovoltaic) panels.
Solar panels range in size and power capability from a very
small panel, capable of charging a couple of AA size batteries or powering a
small radio - to larger panels that could power several essential appliances.
Another approach to using solar power is to equip yourself with a number of essential appliances (radio, lighting, etc.) with their own built-in solar panels.
Another approach to using solar power is to equip yourself with a number of essential appliances (radio, lighting, etc.) with their own built-in solar panels.
Emergency lighting
In order not to find yourself in the dark, the very minimum
you need is:
• A supply of candles. Ordinary candles are fine, but long-burning candles are recommended. Don’t forget to also store water-proof matches and/or a few cigarette lighters.
• A few flashlights/ torches (battery operated, windup or solar powered).
• Emergency lighting. Ideally, your emergency lighting should be left plugged into strategically selected outlets in your home so that it will turn on automatically when power fails. Don’t forget to also store spare batteries and bulbs.
• A supply of candles. Ordinary candles are fine, but long-burning candles are recommended. Don’t forget to also store water-proof matches and/or a few cigarette lighters.
• A few flashlights/ torches (battery operated, windup or solar powered).
• Emergency lighting. Ideally, your emergency lighting should be left plugged into strategically selected outlets in your home so that it will turn on automatically when power fails. Don’t forget to also store spare batteries and bulbs.
Emergency communications
If a crisis situation occurs, you need to know what is
happening around you to help you plan. The minimum you need is an AM/FM radio.
A radio capable of receiving short-wave bands is recommended. Of course, a
mobile phone can be indispensable in this kind of situation. A CB radio can
also be useful in a long-term survival situation. A police scanner can be
useful to stay abreast of the developing situation.
A Rough Guide to Radioactivity
The word
radiation covers a lot of ground but in the nuclear context we’re talking about
‘ionising radiation’, which basically means streams of invisible waves or
particles with sufficient energy to knock electrons out of atoms, creating
ions, resulting in chemical changes to materials at the molecular level.
There are
three different types of naturally occurring radiation, designated Alpha, Beta
and Gamma.
Alpha
particles are the biggest and composed of two protons and two neutrons but they
are also the weakest and cannot penetrate more than a few centimetres of air
and even have trouble getting through a few sheets of paper. However, that
actually makes Alpha radiation quite dangerous -- at close quarters and in very
high doses -- because the particles are so big they are more likely to
interact with and cause chemical and biological changes to whatever they happen
to smash into
Beta
particles are essentially loose electrons or positrons, they have more
energy and penetrating power than Alpha particles and can punch through a few
millimetres of wood or metal. Like all radiation, if there’s enough of it, it
will change or damage whatever it comes into contact with.
Gamma
particles (or waves) are essentially high-energy photons -- the same stuff as
light and the gamma radiation family also includes X-Rays. Gamma radiation has
no charge but it packs a lot of energy. However, because the particles are so
small they can pass right through matter without hitting anything, but once
again if there’s enough of it then it can and will cause chemical and
biological changes
Ionising
radiation sounds like a bad thing but the fact is we are being constantly
bombarded with natural radiation, from the food we eat (Brazil nuts are notoriously radioactive),
rocks and minerals, water, air, cosmic rays from outer space and a wide range
of consumer
products in and
around the home, from smoke alarms and fluorescent lamps to old clocks and
watches with luminous hands.
Even our
own bodies are naturally
radioactive, and it's not just the nicotine
and tar in tobacco that can kill you. In the
past sixty years there has been a small but measurable increase in the
background radiation from such things as nuclear power generation, fallout from
nuclear weapons, moreover your exposure to ionising radiation is significantly
increased if you have an X-Ray, travel regularly by air or undergo radiological
treatment.
The point
is the human race has been exposed to low level doses of radioactivity since
the year dot. We have evolved to deal with it, it may even have had a part to
play in the evolutionary process, and it’s when we get too much of it that
things can go wrong.
Scientists
can say with some certainty how much radiation will kill you outright, and the
sort of exposure that will make you sick but these tend to massively large
doses that we are never likely to encounter in our normal day-to-day lives.
When it comes to very low levels exposure no one can say exactly how much is
bad for you.
SO HOW
MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Unfortunately no-one
knows. It depends on a multitude of factors including age, gender, genetic
makeup, where you live, what you
eat and needless to say, which experts you talk to. There are clear
beneficial effects and controlled exposure to high doses of ionising radiation
is a cornerstone of modern Nuclear
Medicine; some even suggest that
small doses can be good
for you, therapies, like those offered in
this Radon
Mine are claimed to date back 6000
years.
Nevertheless
it is generally accepted that most of us, on average, receive a dose
of between 100 and 200 millirem (1- 2 millisievert) of radiation per year (the
millirem is a measurement of absorbed radiation dosage and 100 mrem = 1
millisievert).
We live
to tell the tale because almost all of it comes from natural sources and
it is a part of our normal environment.
Around 70
to 80 mrem comes from purely natural sources, as much as 11% of that from
naturally-occurring materials in our own
bodies. Apparently you will receive an 0.05 microsievert
dose sleeping next to someone for 8 hours, even porcelain
crowns and living within 50 miles
of a coal plant produces a measurable dose.
The rest
is man-made with the bulk of it coming from hospital and dental X-Rays and
medical treatments, 4 - 6 mrem comes from nuclear power plant emissions and
leakage and fallout from nuclear weapons plus 1 to 2 mrem from consumer
products, such as smoke detectors and so on.
The
internationally agreed limits for exposure to radiation for those working in
the nuclear industry is a maximum whole body dose of 5,000 mrem (or 5 rem) per
year. For the rest of us exposure levels are significantly lower.
A chest
X-Ray, for example typically gives a surface dose of 50 to 80 mrem, abdominal
X-rays can be up to 600mrem whilst a full body CT Scan can be as high as 1000
mrems. For the record a whole body dose of 500 rem will be enough to kill you,
usually within one to two weeks whilst a dose of 100 rem will cause severe
radiation sickness.
How to Use the Internet When the
Internet Is Gone
OK, here's
the scenario: A storm hits the area you live in, knocking out the electricity.
Your lights go out, and with it you’re Wi-Fi. Your laptop, still charged, is
without Internet.
The local
mobile phone networks are both degraded by the weather and instantly overloaded
as thousands of people around you call their friends and family to ask,
"Hey, did your power just go out? You OK?"
Your
phone is getting service, but just barely. Calls are patchy. 3G and 4G Internet
aren't working at all, so neither are your apps. All you can depend on is the
most resilient, and limited, feature of your mobile phone: Text messages.
Here's how to access the Internet
without the Internet:
You can
still use Google even if all you have is SMS access. Just add 466453 (GOOGLE)
to your phonebook, then text to it as if you're searching.
Here's
something you may not have known about your phone number: It has an e-mail
address. Almost every carrier operates what's called an e-mail gateway, meaning
that you can send and receive e-mails via text.
Here's
how to figure out your phone's e-mail address:
If you’re on Virgin, its number@vxtras.com
If you’re on Orange,
its number@orange.net
If you’re on 02, its
number@o2imail.co.uk
If you’re on
Vodafone, its phonenumber@vodafone.net
Now, to
receive your e-mail via SMS, you'll need to forward it to your gateway address: Most e-mail services offer this
for free in the settings page. Here's how to do it in Gmail, for example. You'll have to
turn this on before you lose Internet access. So, like, now.
Gmail
lets you automatically forward incoming mail to another address.
- Open Gmail.
- Click the gear symbol in the
top right.
- Select Settings.
- Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Click Add a forwarding address in the “Forwarding” section.
- Enter the email address you want to forward to.
- For your security, we'll send a verification to that email address.
- Open your forwarding email account, and find the confirmation message from the Gmail team.
- Click the verification link in that email.
- Back in your Gmail account, refresh the page.
- Select the Forward a copy of incoming mail to option and make sure your new forwarding address is listed in the first drop-down menu.
- In the second drop-down menu, choose what you want Gmail to do with your messages, such as keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox or archive Gmail’s copy.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Note: While multiple email addresses
can be added as forwarding addresses in the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab,
Gmail can only auto-forward mail to one address at a time. The address that is
currently in use is shown in the drop-down menu next to “Forward a copy of
incoming mail to.”
If this
doesn't work, and in
my experience it may not, depending on your carrier and e-mail provider, you
can try an automated forwarding service such as TXTJet.
To send
e-mails via text, you can
usually just enter an e-mail address instead of a phone number. These same
e-mail gateways work in reverse, meaning you can either respond directly to
messages forwarded through the gateway or send a new message by entering
"email_address@whatever.com" in the recipient box in your texting
app. This works on many older phones, too, though typing out email addresses on
a T9 keypad will be a chore.
It's not
the most graceful process, but it works.
You can
do almost anything on Twitter via SMS, which, if you're interested, you can
read about here. But in the event of an outage,
there are really only two Twitter SMS features you'll need.
To get
simple updates from any account, set up an SMS Fast Follow. This does not require
your Twitter account, and will keep your text volume low. Just send
"Follow [username]" to 40404. (No @ symbol required.) This will let
you receive updates from important accounts, but won't let you post. Some
suggestions and example for Fast Follows, though yours will be
location-specific:
How to
add your phone to your existing Twitter account via SMS:
—
Send a text to your Twitter code [40404] with the word START.
— We'll
reply and ask you to text YES to the Twitter short code.
— Text
your username to the same number. Do not use the @ symbol or quotation marks.
Send your username ONLY. For example: larrybird
— Next,
text your password. This is case sensitive, so be sure you are sending your
password correctly.
— That's
it! You're ready to go!
Your
account can now be used with the whole range of Twitter text commands. A few
important ones:
ON: turns
ALL your authorized Twitter updates and notifications on.
OFF:
turns ALL phone notifications off.
Otherwise,
anything you send to 40404 will be posted from your account. (These
instructions only work for Verizon, AT&T, and affiliated MVNOs.)
This used
to be more functional, but you can still have Facebook forward you
notifications and private messages via SMS, as well as post status updates. You
can also respond to private messages, which is potentially valuable if you
don't have someone's phone number but happen to be Facebook friends.
To activate
Facebook via SMS, go to
your Facebook account settings and click "Mobile" on the left side of
the page. Turn on Facebook Message forwarding and Notifications. (You can
customize which ones get through in a submenu.)
Once this
is set up, you can also post a status update by texting it to 32665 (FBOOK).
So set
these up now just in case.
