COMPETITION TIME
To WIN the prizes
below all you have to do is guess the number of Sago Worms on the plate, then
email you answer to kprndbuk@gmail.com
The three closest to
the real number will win the prizes below, the nearest getting prize one, the
second, prize two and the third prize three.
The prizes for the competition are as follows
1st Prize - 7 piece
bush tucker banquet - with free UK shipping.
2nd Prize - 5 piece
bush tucker banquet - with free UK shipping.
3rd Prize - 3 piece
bush tucker banquet - with free UK shipping.
Prizes are supplied
by and will be shipped by Peter at http://www.buggrub.com/
The competition ends
on Saturday the 24th May 2014 winners will be notified on Sunday 25th
May 2014.
GOOD LUCK
Don't forget USE THE CODE "PREPPER" TO GET 10% DISCOUNT
Show Notes
I start this week
with the Bushcraft Show Press Release, Blizzard Survival 20% discount offer,
Support these companies, Midimax 10% discount offer, THE ultimate Emergency
Survival Fishing Kit, RIBZ 30% discount offer, UK Cross Bows, Wilderness121’s
10% discount offer, Prepping for Beginners, Buggrub 10% discount offer, Prepared
for disaster, Field leisure’s 10% discount offer, More companies to support, Buggrub’s
10% discount offer, Signal Crayfish, The Humble Bandana, The Will to Survive -
The Mental Challenge, Finding Food, Further companies to support, How to Prep
Cost-Effectively, 4 Reasons to Add a Pellet Air Gun to Your Survival Gun
Arsenal, Fire Starting with Cotton Wool and Vaseline, Fire Starting with Cotton
Wool and Vaseline, wild Garlic.
My show is transmitted to 97 countries around the globe and
that figure is growing weekly as new listeners join us and if you are new to
the show, welcome.
THE BUSHCRAFT SHOW
PRESS RELEASE
When: 24-26 May 2014
Where: Catton Hall,
Derbyshire
The Bushcraft Show is
set to enthral and entertain families and individuals of all ages in a
celebration of all things bushcraft over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Visitors are
travelling from around the world to attend the most exciting, entertaining and
educational bushcraft event of the year.
The show provides an
all-inclusive experience that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world…
Why? We have Massai
Warriors from the Rift Valley Kenya who will entertain and teach you some of
their Massai ways; from cultural dancing to native beadwork, find out if you
have what it takes to be a Massai Warrior. CODY LUNDIN, co-host of Discovery
Channel’s television series Dual Survival and author of 98.6 Degrees and When
All Hell Breaks Loose is coming from the USA to teach his skills in a hands-on
practical manner. Also coming over from the USA is DAVID SCOTT-DONELAN who is
regarded as one of the world’s most effective and capable tracking instructors,
sharing knowledge and experience gained over almost 50 years.
Very few people have
the skills to match JOHAN SKULLMAN’S outdoor knowledge. As an officer in the
Swedish Armed Forces, he has spent over 30 years in nature’s most unpredictable
environments.
He is the author of
classic books such as, Soldat I fält (Soldiers in the Field) and Vintersoldaten
(Winter Soldier) that are still used in the Swedish Armed Forces. Today he
works at Fjällräven as an equipment expert and test manager and he will be
sharing his skills and expertise at the show.
John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman,
author of The SAS Survival Handbook, says he wouldn’t miss coming to the
Bushcraft Show for
the fourth year running! This survival expert led numerous operations including
the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team that ended the Iranian Embassy siege in London
and brought the SAS into the media spotlight, he also ran the SAS Survival
School and trained the first members of the US
Green Berets who
returned to the USA to form the famous Delta Force (US Special Forces).
We have the author
and living legend of British canoeing RAY GOODWIN teaching you how-to pack a
boat and the art of portage, hear his personal accounts of bushcraft on his
inspirational canoe trips and wilderness journeys and you can even take a
tuition session with him! Tracking Expert PERRY MCGEE, son of the late Eddie
McGee author of No Need to Die, will be teaching you essential tracking skills
on a variety of terrains. In addition, there are many leading bushcraft,
wildlife, woodland craft and survival experts on hand at the show.
If that’s not enough
you can experience numerous activities, demonstrations, talks and see a host of
trade stands, specialist instructors, expert speakers and so much more... all
in a wonderful setting, with like-minded folk. Whether you’re a bushcraft
enthusiast, love the outdoors or simply want to learn more about this
fascinating topic, there is something for everyone!
There’s plenty for
the children to do - Stories from the Wild Man of the Woods, Birds of Prey,
Craft
Activities, Woodland
Games, Low Ropes Course, Weaving and Whittling, Knife Safety classes and much
more...
You will be able to
track animals in the woodland and find their prints and signs without
disturbing the animals, learn about all types of plants and wildlife with one of
the many bushcraft experts, see a wonder of nature as a Land Rover is pulled by
blades of grass! There are activities running throughout the whole weekend and
with most of them included in the price of your ticket, it really is great
value for money!
Hold the world’s most
extreme animals in your hands, cuddle a cockroach, snuggle up to a snake and
tame a tarantula, there’s Open Canoeing, Archery, Axe Throwing, Campfire
Cookery,
Tracking, Fire
lighting, Star Gazing and Storytelling. And, that’s not all 4X4, Raku Pottery
Firing,
Whittling Sessions,
Campfire Music, Wilderness First Aid, Bushcraft Career Advice, Expedition
Preparation,
Competitions, Rifle Shooting, Flint Knapping, Game Preparation, Woodland Crafts
and so much more! Add to this delicious locally sourced food, local ales,
evening entertainment in the Tipi’s and an evening campfire surrounded by
newfound friends.
“We just can’t wait!”
says Simon Ellar show organiser, "We have created a show that cannot be
experienced anywhere else, with such talented and skilled outdoors people
gathered together in one place to learn from one another and most importantly,
have fun!
We specifically
placed the show in the half-term week to open up the event to families. As a
father of four, it is important to me that the show includes as many children’s
activities as possible to encourage children to learn new bushcraft skills and
increase their love of the outdoors, moving them away from indoor activities
which usually involve technology."
The Bushcraft Show
this year has a new location at the stunning and privately owned Catton Hall
Estate, ideally
situated in the centre of England, in Walton upon Trent, Derbyshire. The 250
acre Estate has been owned by the same family for over 600 years and is
perfectly laid out for The Bushcraft Show 2014, having a 10 hectare Showground
and Campsite surrounded by a lovely deciduous woodland with the River Mease to
one side and exclusive access to an exquisite lake and the River Trent.
The show is sponsored
by a select number of outdoor companies whose support helps to make the show a
great success, our thanks to this year’s sponsors; Woodland Ways, 1948 Original
Equipment,
Nordic Outdoor, BG
Craghoppers and Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine.
With only three days
to try all the activities at the show, it is set to be a fun-filled weekend
full of adventure and discovery!
Information about The
Bushcraft Show – including: tickets, prices, timetables, accommodation, the
full entertainment programme and details of the wonderful location are
available at:
www.TheBushcraftShow.co.uk
or call 0333 4567 123 (option 2)
3. The Bushcraft Show
is run by Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine www.bushcraftmagazine.com
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 wherever 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.
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.com
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
Day Ration Pack
Vango Storm Shelter 400
myFC PowerTrekk
It runs on water, it really does
The Paper Shower
The Life Straw
Edible Bugs
You are listening to
the UK preppers Radio network on KPRNDB-UK I’m your host Tom Linden
Ken at
MidiMax.co.uk is offering 10% off any product by using the code Midi10 they
offer all types of great knives, survival gear, camping equipment, torches and
loads, loads more check out www.midimax.co.uk
THE ultimate Emergency Survival Fishing Kit
I have a great letter to read to you from Mal Vango the
General Manager at Survival Supplies UK.
He writes:- A few years of angling when I was younger told
me that I’d be lucky to catch anything with most of the fishing kits on the
market unless I was very lucky or plopped my hook and line into a particularly
rich source of fish.
“I talked to friends who were very keen anglers, I planned,
purchased and built the best kit I could build at the most reasonable price I
could. It was no mean feat to negotiate the best prices, but I eventually put
together a kit for under twenty quid that I felt would catch fish. I tested it
and, sure enough, it caught me enough fish that I could live on.
I gave my experimental kits to angler friends who also
managed to catch fish with the gear. The final test was to give kits to friends
who had never fished in their lives … and they caught fish. I was satisfied and
launched the kit on EBAY. The lit sold and the feedback was great (just take a
look at the genuine comments on THE ultimate Emergency Survival Fishing Kit).
One or two people made suggestions about how it could be
improved and I incorporated them. The kit contains equipment you won’t find in
any other fishing kit … yet! No other kit contains a Trot Line or as many
weights hooks and extras.”
I have to say Mal that this really is one hell of a kit, it
is not only very comprehensive in its contents, it is very well constructed
with its eleven individually sealable compartments full of everything that you
need to catch fish, but on the box there are very useful hints and tips front
and back. Attached to the kit in a 100% water proof pouch is an A4 folded sheet
containing Equipment notes, The best places to look for fish, Bait information,
Examples of how to tie fishing knots, How to build a Trot Line, How to gut and
clean fish, Cooking fish and much more.
For this sort of money I expected a kit with a few of the
usual fishing items, you know line, hooks, and weights perhaps a float and not
much more.
In fact I was initially totally taken aback with this kits
quality and I can clearly see that it was designed with a great deal of thought
and effort by someone who wants to provide only the very best products he can.
Mal mentions in his letter that the kit contains equipment
you won’t find in other kits well I agree Mal, as I have never seen such a
range of artificial baits and lures in any kit let alone one of this size.
But you have cracked it mate with the inclusion of a fishing
net, and key ring led, snare wire, light anywhere matches, button compass,
light sticks, eye hooks, disgorger, and more, and more, and more very well
thought out items.
Although I have not yet fished with this kit I really felt
that you should know about it first. I will soon be reviewing the THE ultimate
Emergency Survival Fishing Kit and I can’t wait to catch my tea.
You can get one for yourself at www.survival-supplies.co.uk
30% DISCOUNT FROM
RIBZ
A front pack is a pack or bag that allows for access of
equipment from the persons chest. Front packs first and foremost allow for easy
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 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.
In all there are unlimited uses for the front pack. Front
packs are the best compliment to any outdoorsman’s gear when accessibility,
functionality, mobility and simplicity are required. From horseback riding,
long distance biking, motorcycling and kayaking.
All activities where fast and easy access of gear is
essential, a front pack is your best solution and as you can imagine it is
going down a storm within the prepping and survivalist community. Your summer
code is "TRAILBLAZE" and can
be used in the coupon section within the Store. http://www.ribzwear.com
UK Cross Bows
It is an offence for a person under 18 years of age to have
in their possession
A crossbow which is capable of discharging a missile, Or
Parts of a crossbow which together (and without any other parts) can be
assembled to form a crossbow capable of discharging a missile
UNLESS the person is under supervision of someone who is who
is 21 years of age or older.
This is an ancient weapon whose origins date back to the
ancient Greeks in the 4th century BC.
The modern crossbow is the UK's fastest projectile firing
weapon without the need for a licence, is deadly accurate at 40 yards and is
popular for target shooting.
In York it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a
crossbow upon seeing one, except for on Sundays. However any Scotsman caught
drunk or with a weapon can still be shot on a Sunday, except with a bow and
arrow.
Similarly in Chester it is legal to shoot a Welsh person
with a crossbow, as long as it is within the city walls and is done after
midnight.
I have the 175lb Jaguar Crossbow Rifle from http://www.hunters-knives.co.uk/camo-recurve-crossbow-175lb.html
With 175lb draw weight this bow will launch a bolt at a
blistering 245 FPS and is the most powerful recurve crossbow in their range.
Draw Weight: 175 lbs
Limb: Compression Moulded Fibreglass
Barrel : Aluminium Alloy
Stock : Camo Wood
Velocity : 245 fps
Limb: Compression Moulded Fibreglass
Barrel : Aluminium Alloy
Stock : Camo Wood
Velocity : 245 fps
Included with the crossbow
- 4 x 17" bolts
- Stringing aid
- Bow wax
- Open sights
- Foot stirrup
- All tools required for assembly
The bow is supplied with open sights but optical sights
(scope or red dot) can be fitted to the 20mm weaver rail.
Due to the high power of this crossbow they only
recommend using 16" bolts or longer.
A hard hitting crossbow that's real value for money
Armex crossbows have a reputation for producing
unbeatable crossbows at prices that provide real value for money, quality and
reliability.
This superb Armex 'Jaguar' recurve crossbow is ideal for hunting and comes complete with everything you require for a great day crossbow hunting this advanced starter set includes four aluminium 17" Armex Trueflight bolts, bolt quiver, weaver rail and padded back sling.
This superb Armex 'Jaguar' recurve crossbow is ideal for hunting and comes complete with everything you require for a great day crossbow hunting this advanced starter set includes four aluminium 17" Armex Trueflight bolts, bolt quiver, weaver rail and padded back sling.
Loading is made easier with an integral foot pull making
loading quick and efficient.
It is important to remember that with a 175lb draw weight this crossbow is very powerful and not for the faint hearted and as with all Armex crossbows the attention to detail ensures outstanding results at an entry level price.
To ensure you get the best out of your crossbow experience this 175lb recurve has an aluminium body making it light, strong, powerful and extremely comfortable to hold. At 175lbs it delivers quite a punch and bolts can reach up to 245 feet per second with an impressive accuracy of up to 85 yards.
Features:
4 Aluminium Bolts, 210/245 FPS, 12" Power Stroke, 4.84lb Weight, 35.25" Length, 26" Axle-Axle, Durable Fiberglass Limb, Aluminium Barrel.
How to use a crossbow
Crossbows are powerful weapons that have been used for centuries. Using a crossbow is considered simpler than using a bow since the crossbow mechanism allows the weapon to be aimed much like a rifle. Learning to use a crossbow does require simple preparation whilst observing safety precautions.
General guidelines
To start using the crossbow, first draw the string up until it is locked in to the firing position. Larger crossbows use a cocking rope or a cocking mechanism since the string requires a great deal of force to pull back. A pistol-style one handed crossbow can be cocked more easily as some models have cocking levers integrated within the design.
Once the crossbow has been cocked, check the locking mechanism to be certain the string is secure. Remember, a cocked crossbow has a great deal of force, even unloaded. Crossbows do not use arrows; they use bolts and each bolt must be seated properly for safety and to fly true.
Although a crossbow can shoot a bolt over 100 yards it is more common for shots to be taken within a distance of 20 yards. Aiming a crossbow is the same as sighting techniques used to aim a rifle whilst compensating for wind, distance and general conditions.
Try not to pull on the trigger harshly; simply squeeze the trigger gently whilst maintaining a steady breathing rhythm, this may take some time to perform correctly. The bolt leaves the crossbow at incredible speeds and with great force, so be certain of the shot before taking it and try to avoid areas where the bolt maybe lost.
We recommend using a straight tip bolt for target practice and pointed tips for hunting, bolts with extreme hunting tips may penetrate the target too deeply.
It is important to remember that with a 175lb draw weight this crossbow is very powerful and not for the faint hearted and as with all Armex crossbows the attention to detail ensures outstanding results at an entry level price.
To ensure you get the best out of your crossbow experience this 175lb recurve has an aluminium body making it light, strong, powerful and extremely comfortable to hold. At 175lbs it delivers quite a punch and bolts can reach up to 245 feet per second with an impressive accuracy of up to 85 yards.
Features:
4 Aluminium Bolts, 210/245 FPS, 12" Power Stroke, 4.84lb Weight, 35.25" Length, 26" Axle-Axle, Durable Fiberglass Limb, Aluminium Barrel.
How to use a crossbow
Crossbows are powerful weapons that have been used for centuries. Using a crossbow is considered simpler than using a bow since the crossbow mechanism allows the weapon to be aimed much like a rifle. Learning to use a crossbow does require simple preparation whilst observing safety precautions.
General guidelines
To start using the crossbow, first draw the string up until it is locked in to the firing position. Larger crossbows use a cocking rope or a cocking mechanism since the string requires a great deal of force to pull back. A pistol-style one handed crossbow can be cocked more easily as some models have cocking levers integrated within the design.
Once the crossbow has been cocked, check the locking mechanism to be certain the string is secure. Remember, a cocked crossbow has a great deal of force, even unloaded. Crossbows do not use arrows; they use bolts and each bolt must be seated properly for safety and to fly true.
Although a crossbow can shoot a bolt over 100 yards it is more common for shots to be taken within a distance of 20 yards. Aiming a crossbow is the same as sighting techniques used to aim a rifle whilst compensating for wind, distance and general conditions.
Try not to pull on the trigger harshly; simply squeeze the trigger gently whilst maintaining a steady breathing rhythm, this may take some time to perform correctly. The bolt leaves the crossbow at incredible speeds and with great force, so be certain of the shot before taking it and try to avoid areas where the bolt maybe lost.
We recommend using a straight tip bolt for target practice and pointed tips for hunting, bolts with extreme hunting tips may penetrate the target too deeply.
Wilderness121’s
10% discount
The new supplier of Purificup to the UK is Wilderness121 and
they really mean business, having spoken to the director Rob Williams he has
agreed to offer you dear listener a 10% discount just by putting the letters
UKPRN into the code box it is that simple.
Now pop along to www.wilderness121.co.uk
and check out their great range of survival related products.
Prepping for Beginners
As humans, we are naturally aware of possible threats around
us, and often the way a person neutralizes that threat is to create a story of
the worst case scenario and begin to prep around that.
Becoming a person who preps for disasters begins with a
level of awareness. A prepper knows that
there are possible threats, and it only makes sense to be as prepared as
possible beginning with the basic disaster items to sustain basic needs (food,
water, clothing and shelter) and then adding more preparedness layers onto it.
Basic disaster items are intended to sustain a person and
their family for 3-5 days. However, many
decide to expand their disaster supplies to encompass a longer duration in the
case that emergency response is delayed.
This is why preppers believe in having “back-ups for their back-ups.”
Getting Started
When preparing for a disaster, it is essential to have
provisions in place to secure your needs.
That being said, beginning a food supply must begin with research. Finding out how many calories a person needs
per day in order to survive, and knowing how much food to store is essential
when beginning to prepare.
Additionally, going to survival/prepping forums to read
about what others are doing is another way of finding more research. Preppers are very open to helping others who
want to prepare. We have all been at the
beginning stage of preparing, and it can be overwhelming at first, but the overall
goal is to get people prepared.
When beginning to get preparations in place, concentrate of
the basic needs of survival: water, food, shelter, clothing and move on from
there. Below are some basic suggestions
on items that would be ideal to have in the home:
Water
It is suggested to have 1 gallon of water per person/per
day. Having a 3 day supply of water on
hand is a great place to start. However,
many preppers like to be as thorough as possible in their prepping.
Therefore, I suggest playing it safe and double the amount
of water needed. The extra water can be
used for other purposes. Extra water that is stored can also be used if family
members such as children or the elderly become dehydrated and need more water.
Additionally, having an alternative source for water such as
a water filter, frozen water in the freezer, and 5 gallon water containers is
suggested. In a disaster situation, a
person does not want to run out of water.
Lakes and streams can also be a way to find water, but the water needs
to be treated.
In the case that someone is not near any running streams or
lakes, there are places in nature where one can find alternative water sources.
Food
Comparative shopping at the large volume supermarkets
typically has better deals than at smaller shops.
Finding local ads from the large supermarket websites can
save on fuel money as well as on shopping time. Even Pound shops sell canned
goods and food products that would be good for short term/long term food
supplies.
Look for sales all the time and buy as much of the item as
your budget will allow.
Using a food storage calculator will help determine how much
food is necessary. There are some
considerations to keep in mind before purchasing the food items:
Expiration Dates – It’s best to find items that have
expiration dates that are 1-2 years away from expiring, unless that item is
used frequently in the home, and can be rotated frequently.
Try to always go for
the deals and special offers
Typically, there are deals that are advertised in the
newspaper. You do not have to break the
bank to get food items. Just get a
little each time you shop. In season vegetables are typically cheaper. Larger tins of foods generally have better
deals.
Don’t forget to consider the amount of people in the
household and remember that a wide variety of food will help stopping you
getting bored with your food and you should also think about the serving size in
the food. Finally plan for a vitamin content in the food and any special health
considerations for family members.
Medical Supplies
Medical emergencies can occur at the drop of a hat, and
having the necessary supplies can mean the difference between life and
death. When an emergency situation
arises, one must act calming and decisively.
In the case of a severe injury where there is a lot of blood
loss, there must be supplies that can stop bleeding, cut the pain threshold and
calm the patient if necessary.
Find websites online that deal with first aid care and go
through each injury to see what medical instruments and items are needed. Download
a free First Aid manual at www.ukprn.blogspot.co.uk
Moreover, check in your community and see if the St. Johns
Ambulance, Red Cross or Medical Centres offer classes to assist in medical
emergencies. Make a list for supplies
that can be added to the disaster medical supplies.
72 Hour Bags
In the case that a person has to evacuate, having a prepared
72 hour kit or bug out bag will expedite the process of leaving as well as
keeping things running as smoothly as possible.
A 72 hour bag should have all items necessary to survive for 3
days.
When preparing a bag keep the main surviving points is mind
(water, food, shelter, clothing). Having
a separate bug out bag for the vehicle will also come in handy in the event
that someone has to leave their home immediately.
Tools
Tools are a valuable commodity when it comes to
survival. Their usefulness for hunting,
digging, cutting, communicating and for navigational purposes are all essential
items to have on hand.
Knives (to cut large machete type and a smaller hunter)
Multi-tool
Camping shovels
Candles
Hammer or hatchet
Collapsible fishing rod with hooks, line, bobbers, etc.
Flares
Maps, compass or GPS devices (Having extra compasses ensures
that navigation is accurate).
Rope (paracord),
Knife sharpening stone,
Torch/s with extra batteries
Written Survival
Notes
In a high stress situation that some are not used to,
forgetfulness plays a part from dealing with all the changes that are
occurring. Having some manuals to look
upon for survival information or for spiritual information to lift the morale
is a good idea and does not take up much space in a pack.
Survival Manuals
First Aid Manuals
Survival e-books
Understanding how to survive in different scenarios requires
one to constantly be learning in order to be as prepared as possible.
Prepping is a passion for some.
For others it is simply to keep their family as safe as
possible.
Whatever the reasoning is behind why you have decided to
prep, you will be better off in the long run.
Buggrub 10%
discount
Peter at buggrub is not only sponsoring the competition on
my website he is also offering a 10% discount on all his products. So have you
got the gonads, can you walk the walk, dare you, I dear you to buy some buggrub
and then eat it, go on I dare you. Peter’s website is www.buggrub.co.uk
Prepared for Disaster
Are you prepared for a disaster that could affect the daily
function of your life or the lives of your family members? Or do you even
believe a disaster will ever affect you?
Blizzards, floods, power cuts, and who knows what else
happens all the time. Still, most of us ignore the warnings. "It can't
happen here," some say. "The government will take care of me if it
does," others think.
But not only do they happen, they can happen to you. And
when they do, you will be on your own. The recent UK flooding events have
proved this. Look at the total disruption of transportation when it snows for
example.
This was followed by the immediate and complete paralysis of
air transportation at major international airports. Thousands were stranded for
days on their own in strange cities.
As serious as these events were, they pale in comparison to
the possibilities. Consider a major biological or nuclear attack or accident.
Hundreds of thousands of casualties are predicted in some scenarios.
These disasters or attacks would overwhelm local, regional,
and national emergency resources and cause widespread panic. Transportation
would stop, markets would be stripped of food within hours, essential emergency
services would be overwhelmed, and food, medical supplies, and emergency
service workers would be sent to the disaster area, leaving critical shortages
in local areas.
Are you prepared?
Now, more than ever, you need to prepare for the possibility
of disasters or attacks on a scale and type never before imagined. It is your
duty to yourself, your family, and your country to be prepared.
Some of us need to be prepared for being at "ground
zero." Certain areas are the most likely direct targets of terrorists or
natural disasters. All of us need to be prepared to be indirect targets, those
affected by the temporary collapse of our nation's infrastructure.
In short, we all need to be able to live
self-sufficiently for a period of time.
What to prepare for will depend on your geographical area.
Natural disasters and the risk of major terrorist attacks vary by where you
live. The first thing you need to do is make a list of the possible disasters
for which you need to prepare.
Some of the things you will want to consider include natural
disasters, such as blizzards, floods, and even wild fires, as well as
technological disasters, such as nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attacks,
and hazardous material accidents.
Don't forget cyber-attacks, the possibility that an enemy
could attack our computer systems, shutting down electrical, gas,
communications, transportation, and emergency and medical services. What about
attacks on our farms and agricultural processing plants? While they would
likely affect only a small number of people directly, they would completely
shut down food production and distribution systems.
While there are many things to plan for, your response to
all of them is one of two things: stay at home or evacuate. For blizzards,
earthquakes, cyber-attacks, nuclear fallout, quarantine after biological
attacks, and collapse of the infrastructure, you will want to stay at
home.
For floods, hurricanes, or with some advance notice of NBC
attacks, evacuation may be your course of action.
Whenever possible, staying at home in your own environment
and with your own emergency supplies is the best choice.
When you evacuate, you are essentially a refugee at the
mercy of government evacuation centres or the compassion of the local
population.
In a major disaster, don't expect to be welcomed by the
locals who are struggling with their own survival.
In all situations, you will need to be able to think for
yourself. Confusion always accompanies a major disaster and initial information
and instructions may be conflicting and incorrect.
So, monitor the radio and television for official
instructions on what to do, such as whether to evacuate or not, but don't
assume they are correct. Make your own decisions based on your plans and
preparation.
Riding it out at home
Key to your survival is preparing a disaster supplies kit,
essentially the stockpiling of all materials that you would need to live on if
you are cut off from outside utilities, water, and supplies. Once a disaster
occurs, there won't be time and materials may not be available.
How long you will need to be self-sufficient is hard to say.
My advice would be that everyone store enough food, water, and supplies to take
care of their family for three days.
Preparing a "72-hour kit" is a good idea. It can
be used for immediate evacuation and part of your overall disaster supply kit.
Place items in a portable, easy-to-carry container, such as a large plastic box
or duffel bag, ready to grab at a moment's notice.
But, is it enough? A blizzard, earthquake, quarantine, or
nuclear fallout could confine you for much longer. You need to be able to take
care of all the needs for your family for a period of at least two weeks and
possibly longer.
Having supplies for one to three months is not all that
unreasonable or hard to accomplish.
There are six basics that should be part of your home
disaster supplies kit: water, food, first aid supplies, tools and emergency
supplies, clothing and bedding, and special needs items.
Tools and emergency supplies Tools and emergency supplies
should include such things as battery-operated radio and flashlights with extra
batteries, cups/plates/utensils, non-electric can opener, matches, lantern,
fire extinguisher, hand tools for repairs and to turn off household water and
gas, a whistle, and plastic sheeting.
For sanitation, include toilet paper, soap, toothpaste,
personal hygiene items, disinfectant, and household chlorine bleach. Many more
items can be added.
Think through the things you use on a daily basis.
Clothing and bedding Clothing and bedding would include a
change of clothing and footwear for everyone in the household, rain gear, cold
weather clothes, hat and gloves, and blankets or sleeping bags. Remember, a
house or car can get very cold without heat.
Prepare for the worst weather that you might encounter.
Store your disaster supply kit in a convenient place that is
known to all family members and make sure they know your family's disaster
plan. Evaluate your kit once a year and update it according to family needs.
Evacuation
You may not have much time to prepare when you need to
evacuate. A hazardous materials spill could mean instant evacuation, so always
have a smaller version of your home disaster supply kit in the boot of your
car.
When you have advance warning of an evacuation, bring your
portable "72-hour" disaster supply kit, along with additional food,
water, and clothing. Keep important family documents in a waterproof, portable
container, ready to bring with you in an evacuation.
These may include your will, insurance policies, contracts,
deeds, stocks and bonds, passports, social security card, bank and credit
account numbers, family documents (birth, marriage, and death certificates),
inventory of valuable household items, and important telephone numbers.
It would be a good idea to always keep some cash in this
container, so you have it for an emergency. If there is time, valuable family
heirlooms or photographs can be added.
Now that you have a basic plan for any emergency, let's
consider plans for some specific risks.
Nuclear
attack/accident
A nuclear disaster could result from an accident at a
nuclear power plant, a detonation of a nuclear device by terrorists or a rogue
nation, or an explosion of a "dirty" bomb, an explosive surrounded by
radioactive material. Individuals at "ground zero" will have little
chance of survival.
The risk for others is the exposure to radiation.
Radiation is dangerous because of harmful effects on the
body. In large amounts, radiation can cause radiation sickness, thyroid and
other cancers, and death.
These effects are greater the longer a person is exposed to
the radiation and the closer the person is to the source. If radiation is
released into the atmosphere, it can travel for thousands of miles,
contaminating the ground and living organisms as it settles back to earth on
dust or rain.
This is called fallout radiation.
Time, distance, and shielding are the factors that minimize
exposure to nuclear radiation. Most radiation loses its strength fairly
rapidly, but it is important to limit the amount of time spent near the
radiation source.
The farther away an individual is from the radiation source,
the less exposure. Shielding is a barrier between an individual and the
radiation.
Concrete, earth, and structures are good shields. Depending
on the distance from the source, the best protection from radiation fallout may
be to remain indoors.
After a nuclear disaster you may be advised to evacuate. If
so, remain calm, pack your evacuation survival kit in your vehicle, and follow
the evacuation routes out of the area. If there is time before leaving, close
and lock windows of your house, close fireplace dampers, turn off air
conditioning, vents, fans, and furnace.
Doing these things will make your house safer when you
return by minimizing exposure to the inside of your house to fallout.
If you are advised to remain at home, bring pets inside,
secure your house from fallout by closing and locking doors and windows,
closing fireplace dampers, turning off air conditioning, vents and fans.
If your emergency supplies are stored in a garage or barn,
bring them inside and, if there is time, store additional water in tubs, sinks,
and available containers. Inside the house, the safest area is a basement or
underground area, followed by an interior room with no windows.
Stay inside until authorities say it is safe to go outside.
When coming in from the outdoors after exposure to fallout, shower and change
clothes and shoes. Put the contaminated items that were worn outside in a
plastic bag and seal it.
Open water sources (streams, creeks and lakes), fruits and
vegetables from outdoor gardens, and livestock will all be contaminated. Do not
eat or drink products from these until you know it is safe.
Bioterrorism
Very few people were actually infected in the anthrax
attacks in the USA after 911 because it took direct physical contact with the
bacteria to develop the disease. Other biological agents are contagious (passed
from person to person), however, and are much more dangerous.
Biological agents are microorganisms (bacteria or viruses)
or toxins that produce diseases in humans. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
lists 17 biological agents that may be used as weapons, including anthrax,
smallpox, plague, and botulism. They are not immediately detectable, may take
days to grow and spread, and it is impossible to know when an attack occurs.
While preparations are being made for defence against such attacks, nobody
really knows what to expect.
Fortunately, most of these biological agents are hard to
make into weapons. Worst-case scenarios, such as suicide terrorists infected
with smallpox traveling through metropolitan areas, are staggering, however.
Thousands of victims would overwhelm medical services and
die.
Likely? Hopefully not, but who knows? Those at "ground
zero" who are infected will need professional medical help.
With air travel, people will spread the disease all over the
country before we even know an attack occurred. The rest of the country
will shut down as soon as authorities realize what happened.
Expect widespread closure of the country and mandatory
quarantines. Transportation, food, and vital services will stop. Plan to stay
at home if advised or ordered and avoid exposure with outsiders who may carry
disease.
Your stockpile of food and supplies should get you through
this disaster. You may want to have some medical-type masks and gloves on hand.
Should you stockpile antibiotics in preparation for such
attacks? Authorities say no and this may be practical advice.
A large number of different types and amounts of antibiotics
would need to be stored to protect your family against all likely biological
weapons.
Many of the diseases are viruses, not treatable with
antibiotics, and those treatable by antibiotics might be altered to make them
resistant to available antibiotics. Besides, you will need professional medical
care if you are exposed.
Chemical terrorism
and hazardous spills
Chemical agents are gases, liquids, or solids that are
poisonous to humans. Depending on the type and amount of the material, exposure
to chemical agents can cause illness or be fatal.
Chemical agents include chlorine or ammonia gases that are
transported on trains daily, other hazardous industrial chemicals, and chemical
warfare agents, such as nerve agents, blister agents, blood poisons, and
others.
The CDC lists 58 known chemical warfare agents.
Some nerve agents, such as Sarin, used in the attack in
Japan, kill quickly. If you are at "ground zero" in such situations
your only chance is to evacuate immediately.
A hazardous materials spill is probably more likely than a
terrorist chemical attack. For gases and other chemicals that spread in the
air, evacuation to avoid exposure is critical.
Leave the area as soon as you are aware of the incident.
Full face respirators (gas masks) may be useful for escape in such situations.
Buy good quality, new masks designed for industrial or rescue use, not army
surplus masks.
Natural disasters
Natural disasters are somewhat easier to prepare for—you
either get out of their way (evacuate) or you protect yourself indoors.
In floods Sandbag doors and windows, move furniture and
other items to higher ground, and evacuate if necessary. Do not drive or walk
through flood waters and stay off bridges when they are covered with water.
Be prepared
Bad weather Preparation should include boarding up windows
and flood-proofing your home. Bring in outside furniture, bicycles, and rubbish
bins. Listen to recommendations of emergency officials and evacuate if advised.
If not advised to evacuate, stay indoors and away from windows.
Blizzards Stay indoors and use the telephone only for
life-threatening emergencies. Use fires safely and properly ventilate. It there
is no heat, cover windows, close off un-needed rooms, and stuff towels in
cracks under doors.
Wear layers of warm clothing. Eat and drink plenty. Food
generates body heat and water helps circulation to keep the skin warm.
It is important to know what to do and have a plan before a
disaster strikes. The internet can provide additional information for preparing
for and dealing with natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Consider your risks, develop a plan, prepare your disaster
supplies kit, and discuss with your family what to do in case of an emergency.
Remember, the future belongs to those who prepare. You
must be ready before disaster strikes.
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Signal Crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans related to lobsters, and
there are two main species in UK - the native white-clawed crayfish and the
non-native American signal crayfish which was introduced to Britain in the
1970s via crayfish farms, and subsequently escaped.
There are a few other introduced species of crayfish, but
they are not very widespread. They are called signal crayfish because the
underside of their claws are bright red, making them easy to identify.
Signal crayfish can be up to 25cm long with claws extended.
If you're not sure whether what you're looking at is a signal crayfish or a
native crayfish, look for the red claws - a sure sign that you're looking at a
signal crayfish.
Trapping crayfish for food in the UK only involves the
signal crayfish. The native crayfish is now becoming rare.
They live on the beds of streams and rivers and are
carnivorous, eating mainly dead creatures.
The signal crayfish can walk overland to establish itself in new waterways, and is now widespread throughout Britain.
The signal crayfish can walk overland to establish itself in new waterways, and is now widespread throughout Britain.
So what are the
benefits?
First - getting food from the wild is always a good idea
from an environmental perspective (unless we deplete the resource – but this
isn't an issue here.
Wild food requires no pesticides, fertilisers, hormones or
genetic modification - in fact, no ecological interference at all.
The second benefit is in reducing their numbers. The
American crayfish is causing problems for both the native crayfish and for
British waterways. Signal crayfish outcompete native crayfish because they are
bigger, their eggs hatch earlier in the year, females lay up to 500 eggs (the
native crayfish lays around 200), and they are less fussy about what they eat.
Also, the signal crayfish carries a fungal disease commonly
called the crayfish plague that kills the native crayfish (it’s not at all
harmful to humans though).
Also, American crayfish burrow into the banks of rivers and streams to build their homes, causing erosion of the river banks.
Also, American crayfish burrow into the banks of rivers and streams to build their homes, causing erosion of the river banks.
So what can I do?
Well you need a licence to keep or catch crayfish in this
country - see the DEFRA website - in case they escape into the wild. If you're
thinking of farming crayfish, ponds now have to be indoors and escape-proof.
However I am assuming that you're not going to keep them,
you're just going to catch them from the wild. Don't put any crayfish you've
caught into ponds or other bodies of water temporarily, as they could escape
and colonise an area that doesn't have them.
So what about trapping crayfish
There are bylaws covering the trapping of crayfish, and what you can do depends on local circumstances - especially if there are native crayfish in your area. Contact the Environment Agency to ask about your local circumstances, or you can get a crayfish trapping advice pack from the National Fisheries Laboratory on 01480 483968. You will need Environment Agency tags on your trap for it to be legal.
There are bylaws covering the trapping of crayfish, and what you can do depends on local circumstances - especially if there are native crayfish in your area. Contact the Environment Agency to ask about your local circumstances, or you can get a crayfish trapping advice pack from the National Fisheries Laboratory on 01480 483968. You will need Environment Agency tags on your trap for it to be legal.
The Environment Agency's concerns are that if people are
allowed to catch crayfish for food, they will be sold to the restaurant trade,
and because there is money to be made, some people might 'seed' rivers and
streams that don't have signal crayfish, so that they can be harvested in the
future.
Depending on whether the Environment Agency allow it in your area, you can make your own trap. You can make a cylinder with chicken wire, up to a metre long, and bend the ends over to form a cone that crayfish can climb into but not out of. You can do the same with willow (see photo). Trapping crayfish is a summer activity, of course. In winter, they will be hibernating in the river banks.
The trap shouldn't have an entrance of more than 95mm,
because if there are otters in the area, they could get caught.
Bait the trap with something tasty for crayfish (like a
fish-head), plus a brick to weigh it down, then put it into a stream you
suspect has crayfish.
Check the next day. Anything other than signal crayfish, let
go, and don't leave a trap in a watercourse for more than 24 hours, in case something
other than a crayfish gets trapped in it. Let any native crayfish go if you've
caught any.
But if you catch small signal crayfish, don’t put them back
(in fact it is illegal to put them back, once caught). Signal crayfish are
cannibals, and if you remove only big ones, there will be nothing to keep the
numbers of small ones down.
The Environment Agency in Scotland have urged fishermen to
kill signal crayfish on sight.
Take them out of the trap (keep fingers away from their
pincers), and keep them in tubs of tap water for a couple of days to purge them
of any food in their intestines.
The best bit is cooking crayfish
Boil a large pan of water and tip them in - they are killed instantly.
Simmer for around 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave in the water for another 2 minutes.
Boil a large pan of water and tip them in - they are killed instantly.
Simmer for around 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave in the water for another 2 minutes.
They turn pink when they are cooked, and look like
mini-lobsters (which they are).
The edible parts are the tail and the claws.
The edible parts are the tail and the claws.
Pull and separate the head and tail. Pull off the legs, then
grab the end of the flesh sticking out of the tail casing and pull. Sometimes
there will be pink eggs - you can eat those too. But give it a bit of a rinse
to get rid of all traces of intestines and food.
Then put the claws on a hard surface and hit sharply with
the back of a knife to crack them open. Grab the end of the flesh and pull it
out of the claw.
You can serve with rice, toast, mayonnaise and/or any number
of sauces. It looks and tastes a bit like prawn. There are plenty of recipes
out there.
For a meal for one person, you'd probably need the meat of 5
crayfish. If the crayfish are present in that stretch of water, you can easily
catch 10 in a trap each time.
The Humble Bandana
There are many items we find on bug out bag lists and
survival gear lists.
As preppers and survivalists, we must insure that we have
more than just one use for an item when it comes to our survival. So what can a
bandana be used for? Well you can of course use it to cover your head, however
there are loads of uses for the humble bandana.
1. A Dust Mask
2. Sweat Rag
3. Add Water to Use as a Cooling Cloth
4. Self Defence (just roll up a rock or roll of coins in it)
5. Signal Flag (a bright colour is preferable)
6. Crude Water Filter
7. Pot Holder for Cooking
8. Dish Cloth
9. Collection Basket for Wild Edibles
10. Sun protection for exposed skin
11. Scarf for Cold Water
12. Bandage
13. Tourniquet
14. Handkerchief
15. Sling (for broken bones)
16. Sling (as a weapon)
17. Cordage (through tearing into strips)
18. Pouch or Small Bag
19. Cleaning Patches for a Firearm
20. Gun Wipe Cloth
21. Bullet Patches for a Muzzleloader
22. Char Cloth
23. Emergency Toilet Paper
24. Nappy
25. Dish cloth
26. Eye patch
27. Blindfold
28. Restraint
29. to Tie Things in Place
30. Napkin
31. Hot or Cold Compress
32. Food Cover
33. Coffee Filter
34. Trail Marker
35. Fire Tinder (through shredding or by picking the lint
off)
So I suggest that you get yourself a bandana as, you can see
that it can do loads more than just covering your head.
The Will to Survive - The Mental Challenge
Will: The mental
faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action.
The single most important survival skill is the will to
survive. If you find yourself in a survival situation, you must make up your
mind that you are going to survive! Attitude and determination are your allies,
doubt is your enemy!
According to the US Army Field Manual, the two greatest
dangers to survival are the desire for comfort, and a passive outlook.
Desire for comfort:
You must change the way you think of comfort. Compare your current situation
with a far worst situation, and realize that your current discomfort is only
temporary. Knowing how much discomfort you can handle, and understanding your
need for comfort can help you through your survival situation. Remember,
comfort is not essential to your survival!!!
A Passive Outlook:
(Passive: Accepting one's fate without objection or resistance.) We all have
the basic will to survive, but the overwhelming stress caused by our situation
can lead to a passive outlook. The best way to ovoid a passive outlook is to
understand the physical and mental stress that can cause it.
Climate
Cold:
Cold weather slows down your blood flow, and reduces your
ability to think clearly. The cold can also make you sleepy, week, and reduce
your will to survive. Hypothermia can set in, even in warm climates if you get
cold by being wet. If you are cold, immediately find shelter, and start a
fire!!! Heat:
Heat can also
weaken your will to survive. Hot temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion and
even heat stroke. Try not to exert yourself during the hottest part of the day.
Protect yourself from direct sunlight. If you are not accustomed to the higher
temperatures take extra caution. Your body will start getting accustomed to the
higher temperatures after a few days.
Dehydration
Once you start getting thirsty it can weaken your ability to
think clearly. Dehydration is one of the most common problems associated with
extreme survival situations. Dehydration can weaken, and kill! Lack of water
affects your body’s ability to keep warm, and cool. Drink plenty of water when
it is available and ovoid eating too much food when water is not available.
Hunger
Hunger can affect your will to survive, and morale. The
hardest thing for most people is overcoming the Yuk Factor. When it comes to
survival you may have to eat things that you normally would consider disgusting
to even look at.
Physical Pain and
Fatigue:
Pain: is your body’s way of telling you that something is
wrong. The sensation of pain itself is not harmful, but it can seam unbearable.
The best way to deal with pain is:
Know its source (treat the cause if possible).
Understand that it must be tolerated.
Concentrate on surviving (keep mentally & physical
busy).
Think tuff, and take pride in your ability to take the pain.
Physical Fatigue: can be caused by over exertion, and can
often be relieved by resting. You should ovoid repetitive activities that can
lead to soreness, and strained muscles.
Mental Fatigue
The best way to overcome mental fatigue is to get rest,
change your activities, mild exercise, have a conversation, play a game, and
use your imagination (fantasizing).
Boredom &
Loneliness
Boredom is usually experienced in long term survival
situations, were loneliness and repetitive activities are keeping the human
mind from being challenged. The best method for dealing with boredom is to keep
busy, and remember that even your smallest activity is playing a part in your
overall survival goal.
Loneliness can often leave you with a feeling of despair; it
can make you want to just give up and die. In order to deal with loneliness you
must first accept your current situation, and understand that by keeping busy
and focusing on your goal you can survive.
Rely on your skills, and on your ability to get through your
situation and ultimately reach your goal of survival. Talk with God!
Fear
Fear is our body’s way of avoiding dangerous situations that
can cause use physical and mental harm. As long as the fear is founded on
tangible facts, it can be very useful. Fear can keep our actions in check, and
it can trigger our natural “fight or flight” response. Fear that is unfounded
in facts can impair our ability to make rational decisions, and it can
jeopardize our ability to survive.
Worry is a type of fear that can be based on facts, but is
usually something that has not, and may not ever happen. Don’t be fearful of
the unknown; don’t worry about that which you cannot control. Instead keep your
mind on the task at hand; Survival!!!
When you find
yourself in a survival situation always remember to S.T.O.P.
Stop
Think
Observe
Plan
The US Army uses the
acronym S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L. to help soldiers’ remember how to survive.
Size up the situation.
Undue haste makes waste.
Remember were you are.
Vanquish fear and panic.
Improvise.
Value living.
Act like the natives.
Live by your wits.
Be Prepared
Being prepared ahead of time will give you confidence and
the skills you need to survive. Always assess your situation, and prioritize
your current survival needs (water, shelter, fire, food, first aid, and signals
[order changes depending on your current survival needs).
Finding Food
As humans we can survive for weeks without food, but the
lack of food can sap your strength, and affect your will to survive, having no
food can also make you ill and even bring on hypothermia as well.
I thought that I would take a look at the basics of finding
food from hunting and foraging to preparing and eating what you have caught or
foraged.
Insects & Snails
Insects are one of the best survival foods available; they
are easy to find & catch, and are high in protein and fat. In a life or
death survival situation you need to get over the yuk-factor and do what it
takes to survive.
Slugs, snails, grubs, earthworms, mealworms, ants, termites,
locust, grasshoppers, and crickets are some examples of creatures that can be
eaten. Insects can usually be eaten raw (grasshoppers, locus, and crickets
should be cooked to kill parasites), but will taste better if fried, roasted,
or boiled.
You can find insects inside of rotted logs, and under tree
limbs. There are always insects to be found around water, and under leaves, and
don’t forget www.buggrub.co.uk
Plants
If you don’t know what you’re eating, don’t eat it! Watching
what animals eat proves nothing; some animals can ingest toxins that are
harmful to humans. Choosing plants for food is beyond this basic survival
guide, for an advanced plant gathering guide check out our “Advanced Gathering”
survival guide.
Mushrooms
Don’t eat mushrooms unless you are 100% sure that it is
safe!!! Mushrooms can kill the untrained.
Water Wildlife
Fish, are the next easiest to catch food source. Turtles,
frogs, snakes, newts, salamanders, lizards, molluscs, crustaceans, shrimp, and
ells are some of the available food that can be found near fresh & salt
water, and in fresh water, fish crayfish, and even fresh water mussels.
Fishing
The best times to fish is before dawn, and after dusk.
Use bait (small fish, worms, etc.), or create a lure out of
a shiny piece of metal to attract fish.
You can make fish hooks out of natural or man-made materials
You can make fishing line from plant or cloth fibres. Some
materials that work well for fishing line are the inner bark of trees, hemp,
nettle, milkweed, yucca, and reeds.
Gather the fibres together and tie one end together.
Tie the strands onto something solid (tree branch, etc.).
Separate into two separate strands.
Twist each strand clockwise.
Wrap the strands together in a counter clockwise motion.
Tie the lose end together.
You can also set out trot lines, and check them every hour.
You can also make a fishing spear out of many man-made &
natural materials.
You can make a fish net for catching smaller fish, or
pulling large fish to shore.
You can also make several handy types of traps for catching
fish.
You can even poison fish by dumping a lot of lime into the
water. Heat coral, or shells till brittle, and beat into a powder to create
lime (or use lime stone). And don’t forget the Ultimate Emergency Survival
Fishing Kit from www.survival-supplies.co.uk
Hunting
I will only mention a few types of traps here
Noosing Wand
A noosing wand can be used for catching a variety of animals
including lizards and nesting birds.
Squirrel Pole
Ground Snares
Dead Falls
Survival - Dead Fall
Trap
Preparing Food
Here are some of my recommended methods for cooking various
foods.
Insects
Fry, boil, or eat raw (grasshoppers, locus, and crickets
should be cooked to kill parasites).
Frogs
Skin, cook, and eat the whole body.
Salamanders
Skin, gut, and eat.
Snakes
Cut of the head, gut, skin, cook, and eat.
Lizards
Skin, gut, cook, and eat. Small lizards can be skewed and
cooked whole; meat is done once skin bubbles and cracks.
Birds
Pluck feathers, gut, cook, and eat.
Mammals
Skin, gut, cook, and eat.
Tip: You can skew
small animals, and burn off the hair; this will help to kill parities, ticks,
and fleas that may carry diseases.
Fish
Gut, remove scales, and cook. (You can fillet the fish, but
cook and eat all of the remains.).
Cooking
One of the fastest ways to cook something is by skewing it,
and cooking over open flames. You can boil many foods to remove unsavoury
flavours, and to retain many of their vitamins and minerals.
Boiling
Depending on where you are in the world if you don’t have a
pot available for boiling, you can use natural and man-made materials.
Sea Shell
Rock Method for Boiling
For non-fireproof pots, you can heat rocks and place in your
water. Keep replacing cooled rocks with hot rocks until your food has been adequately
boiled.
Warning: Porous
rocks, water logged river rocks, and concrete may explode when heated.
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
The LUCI light
Fire Dragon Gel
TBS Boar Folding
Pocket Knife
Live Fire Emergency Fire Starter
THE ultimate Emergency Survival Fishing Kit
How to Prep Cost-Effectively
Recent TV shows, show TEOTWAWKI events and suggest that to
survive we must buy hundreds of pounds of prepping supplies, tools and
equipment. If you are like most of us and do not have hundreds of pounds spare
to spend on prepping etc. then like me you should look at cheaper but not
inferior options.
Plan when shopping to buy an extra tin of beans. Then simply
place the extra tin in with your other preps. Then as I say “be a mate of
rotate” and rotate the food as you need it. This way in say, six months you
will have built up quite a stock pile.
A good option is the pound shop. Now don’t laugh, as until I
looked around one I probably would not have thought of it either. My local has
great prices on first aid kit also sells food.
Items like plasters, pain killers, antiseptic wipes and even
vitamins are of course very cheap. In fact beat this 4 Bic lighters for 79p (a
life time’s survival fire lighting I would say).
You can also buy vitamins, paper, hygienic items, water,
drinks, disinfectants, tools etc. etc.
So if you are on a tight budget and want really good value
food, toiletries, cleaning products, snacks and loads more I suggest that you
check out http://www.approvedfood.co.uk
Approved Food & Drink is the biggest online seller of
clearance food and drink and they deliver to your door across the UK.
So you are on a budget so what shop around and you can still
prep.
4 Reasons to Add a Pellet Air Gun to Your Survival Gun Arsenal
You heard me correctly, I said Pellet Gun. Yes, the kind
powered by air I have a good quality Pellet Air Gun and it’s not just because I
still have it from when I was a kid.
I INTENTIONALLY have added this gun to my survival kit for
very specific reasons…which I have detailed below. If you’ve never considered a Pellet Gun as a
survival rifle option, you might change your mind after reading this post.
As a student and instructor of survival living, I take my
gun choices very seriously I recommend a “Break Barrel” rifle as it will never
run out of air.
Below are 4 reasons (in no particular order) why a Pellet
Gun deserves to be including in your Survival Rifle selection:
A pellet gun is an excellent Small Game Hunter especially
.22 calibre, is a great weapon to take down small game. While people have taken larger game such as
wild boars with air guns, they are best suited for small game. Hunting small game is perfect for any
survivalist. Rabbit, squirrel, dove,
quail, duck and the like are excellent food sources and are readily available
in most of the country.
With practice,
hunting small game with a pellet gun is absolutely no problem.
I have taken many small game animals with my .22 cal pellet
gun. It requires better stalking skills,
but that is a good skill to learn anyway.
It requires better shooting skills, but that is also a good skill to
practice. Hunting with a pellet gun will
force you to be a “Better” hunter and it will also put dinner on the table.
Secondly the
Pellet Gun’s ammo is one of the more convincing reasons to have one on
hand. Pellets, no matter the calibre,
are very cheap.
You can buy 100s of pellets for just a few pounds. Spend £30 and you’ve got enough to last a
lifetime of small game hunting. If all
hell breaks loose, traditional ammunition will become increasingly difficult to
get your hands on.
Not to mention that it will be ridiculously expensive. If the world we live in ever gets this way,
why waste your traditional ammo on hunting squirrel or other small game? That would be wasteful and careless if there
was a smarter way. There is – pellets.
1000’s of Pellets Fit into Small Spaces
Not only are pellets “Dirt Cheap”, they are very small. You can carry 1000s and not even know they
are there. You can store 10s of 1000s in
just 1 shoe box. To top it off, pellets
have a shelf life of pretty much forever!
Traditional ammunition can go bad over time. Especially with the talks of giving
ammunition an expiration date, stocking a few 1000 pellets isn’t a bad idea.
Thirdly an air
weapon is a silent shooter so forget the earplugs. These guns are silent. In many survival scenarios, a silent weapon
is a good thing. Not only can you hunt
without drawing attention to yourself or your family, but shooting a silent
weapon often means you can get off more than 1 shot if there are multiple
targets. Both of these are
positive. People pay 1000’s of £££’s to
make their guns silent. No extra charge
for the pellet gun.
Lastly they are
powered by air and you don’t have to buy air.
And, it’s never going to be out of stock. For this reason, I prefer either a MULTI-PUMP
or BREAK-BARREL Pellet Air Gun. I will
in future sell my CO2 powered air gun, and buy a break barrel. Needing to refill canisters or tanks doesn’t
make any sense in a survival situation.
You want to keep it as old fashioned as possible. It’s hand pump all the way for this
survivalist.
There are tons of options when it comes to Hand Pump or
Break Barrel guns. They both come in
.177 and .22 calibres. The fps varies
depending on the gun.
So there you have it,
4 solid reasons why you should keep a Pellet Gun in your survival arsenal.
Fire Starting with Cotton Wool and Vaseline
One day you could find yourself in a situation where you
need to make fire and quickly. Think
about it, you could be caught in heavy rain on an open hillside or you have
tripped and twisted your ankle
You’re soaking wet, there’s a strong wind blowing and you
need to get that fire going before get hyper thermic.
Because any of the above or worse can happen I always carry
a small zip lock bag full of cotton wool which has been rubbed with a little
Vaseline. This makes a perfect fire starter. It will catch extremely easily from
a spark and will burn quite long enough to ignite your kindling.
You don’t need loads of Vaseline. Take a piece of cotton
wool about the size of a golf ball. Then simply rub a little Vaseline into it
with your fingertips. Make as many of these as you wish to carry and store them
in a plastic bag, or just buy readymade cotton wool balls in the first place.
I use a zip lock bag (the type you can get in any
supermarket), they can be resealed easily once you have opened them and taken
out what you want.
You don’t need a huge lump of this cotton wool to start a
fire as the Vaseline allows it to burn for quite a while, possibly 2 to 3
minutes.
Break off a piece about the size of a large grape and tease
the fibres apart. This will spread the cotton wool ball out into quite a large
circumference. Then simply strike a spark onto it or light it with a match or
lighter, Make sure you’ve got your kindling ready though eh!
Another way to carry your cotton wool and Vaseline mix and
keep it totally dry is to buy some plastic drinks straws and fill them with the
mix. Firstly by using a multi-tool or a pair of plier’s heat one end with a
lighter then crimp the end together forming a water proof seal.
It is really easy to do, I use a chop stick but any thin
piece of wood will act as a plunger fill the straw with the mix, once full
simply repeat the process of sealing the other end as before.
To start a fire using these filled straws either cut the
straw in half and tease out cotton wool from each open half and then ignite.
My tip here is to cut the straw into equal parts, say four
parts per straw and seal all ends, this way the straw will last longer and
light even more fires.
One other great method of fire lighting in the wilderness
that you can plan for is lint tinder.
Take the lint out of your clothes dryer and place it into
the 6 compartments of a ½ dozen cardboard egg box and then drip melted candle
wax over each compartment individually.
When set all you have to do is break off a compartment to
use in starting your fire it should burn for around 4 minutes plus.
By simply closing the lid on the egg box you keep everything
dry and also provide more tinder to use in the box lid.
Wild Garlic
Duncan in
Falkirk wants to know when wild garlic is ready. Duncan you should Schedule
your harvest effort for between early spring and mid-summer, adjusting the
schedule for local climate. If you are in the North set out to harvest the
garlic later in the season, as the garlic will mature later.
Identify
the wild garlic plants. They have long, green, hollow blade-like leaves that
bear some resemblance to chives. When wild garlic is in bloom, the plant's
leaves are topped by white flowers.
Kneel or
squat in front of the patch of wild garlic and cut the individual leaves from
the plant as close to the ground as possible. If the wild garlic has blossomed,
keep the flowers as well as the green leaves and blades.
Place the
wild garlic in a collecting bag or basket. Once you have taken the wild garlic
home, store it in a cool, dark place until you are ready to use it.
You will be
able to identify it easily by the smell but you must wash all collected leaves
and plants properly before using.
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