Show Notes
I begin this week
with the Blizzard Survival 20% discount Offer, My Light Anywhere Tinder Idea Urban Survival
Skills for Surviving Disaster, Support these companies, Vegetarians and
Prepping, Ribzwear 30% discount Offer, Preparing for a Disaster,
Wilderness121’s 10% Discount Offer, Preparing for a Disaster, Using a Map and
compass, Buggrub’s 10% Discount Offer, More companies to support, Nettle tea, Hunters-Knives
10%Discount Offer, Survival Hygiene,
Further companies to support, My Homemade MRE, Trapping and Snaring for Food,
Getting started, Michael Mills, THE WILDERNESS GATHERING 2014 14th
to the 17th August.
I want to thank you for listening and for making my show the
UK’s premier preppers and survivalist radio show.
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.
Have you booked your ticket for the Wilderness Gathering?
You can get full details at www.wildernessgathering.co.uk or call 0845 8387062
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My Light Anywhere Tinder Idea
Firstly it is waterproof, it easily takes a spark and flame,
and it burns in the wind and rain.
It is so simple to make, in fact it’s just cotton balls and
Vaseline dipped in melted paraffin wax or candle wax.
Most of you have probably heard of cotton balls and Vaseline
as an effective tinder and I have to agree, cotton balls mixed with Vaseline do
make great tinder. The only issue is, if it got dropped in water or soaked from
the rain, it will not light.
But this version will.
Step 1: Combine cotton balls and Vaseline. This step
is the same process you would do if you were making standard
cotton-ball/Vaseline tinder. Just take the Vaseline and knead it into the
cotton ball.
Step 2: Melt the wax on the stove. You can use old
candles or paraffin wax. Do this over low heat as the wax can ignite at high
temperatures.
Step 3: Dip the cotton balls in the melted wax. Be
sure that the cotton ball is completely submerged in the melted wax. This will
ensure that it is completely waterproof.
Step 3: Place on tin foil and put in freezer.
Although this step isn’t necessary, I like to place it immediately in the
freezer since it cools very quickly. The foil just keeps it from sticking when
it hardens.
Now you may be
thinking, “why should I bother with the Vaseline, can’t I just dip dry cotton
balls in the wax?” The purpose of the Vaseline is to prevent the wax from being
completely soaked up by the cotton. If you skip the first step, the cotton will
get completely saturated by the wax such that when it dries you’ll never be
able to fluff it up enough to allow it to catch a spark and burst
into flame.
Using your tinder
is a simple process, for the best results, the following steps should
be taken:
Step 1:
Cut/Break the tinder in half.
By breaking the tinder in half, you expose the Vaseline mixed cotton
inside.
Step 2: Fluff up
the tinder. Break up the
tinder in your hands and repeatedly pull the tinder apart, trying to create a
fluffy mass. The more “fluffy” it is, the easier it will take a spark or flame.
Step 3: Light
the tinder. Using
flint/steel or some other spark creating tool (of course a lighter or match
would be fine as well), light the tinder bundle.
And a cup of tea is
on the way.
Urban Survival Skills for Surviving Disaster
Making disaster survival preparations has never been more important
than they are today. How soon we forget, but it was only a century ago (less in
many cases) that people had to do daily what is now considered
"prepping" in order to live from day to day.
Surviving disaster has now brought the past back to the future for many
concerned citizens as the "what if" list seems to grow daily. These
basic urban survival skills are once again necessary, because...
Political, social and economic instability have never been greater.
Tack on the growing number of, and very powerful, natural disasters happening
around the globe and prepping for disaster survival is no longer a fringe
craze, but a necessity in your life.
Disasters can come in many shapes and sizes and aren't always as
extreme as the Indian Ocean tsunami (death toll 250,000+) or the tsunami in
Japan (death toll over 19,300), the earthquake in Haiti (death toll between
46,000 and 85,000), attacks of September 11th (death toll near 3,000), but they
can be much closer to home.
Although hardly newsworthy certain events can take a devastating toll
on you and your family. What if...
Long Term Job Loss
Major Medical Issue
Fire Destroys Your Home
Major Bread Winner Passes Away
What would you do? Would you be able to feed yourself, your kids or
your pets if you didn't have an income for the next 6 months, a year, maybe
longer?
Would relying on government hand-outs be your plan for surviving
disaster whether large or small? Sorry to say, but our government is bankrupt
by all definitions. When the UK has to borrow money each and every month to pay
its bills we're broke.
Sure they can always print more money, but each time that printing
press is fired up each one of our pound coins is worth less and less and
less...Until the pound is worthless!
Most legitimate economists feel that the only way out of this massive
debt - our trusty politicians have created for us - is hyper-inflation. What
does that mean? You can say triple or quadruple costs for bread, milk, gas and
the list goes on and on. Thanks Osborne.
I don't know about you, but my disaster survival plans don't include
trusting a government to remain solvent that has us TRILLIONS of pounds in debt
and spends our money like there is no tomorrow.
It's not all gloom and doom however...Surviving disaster is all about
preparation and the more prepared you are before one strikes the greater your
likelihood of success getting through the tough times.
"Never put
off until tomorrow what could and SHOULD be done today!"
So let’s do a quick comparison of disaster survival preparedness to car
insurance. If you have a car accident and then try to buy coverage it's going
to be too late and you'll be stuck (fortunately for you it's only a financial
loss).
The only way to cover yourself is to buy car insurance
"before" there is an accident. You may never have an accident, but
the coverage was there to protect you if you had.
This couldn't be any truer with regards to preparing for some sort of
disaster. It's too late to prepare after the disaster and you stand to lose
much more than some money.
In fact, you get more value preparing for disaster survival and one
never happening than you would buying car insurance and never having an
accident.
With car insurance it's simply money that is shelled out each month and
you get no return on your investment. On the other hand, preparing for surviving
disaster will teach you extremely valuable skills and you'll be stocking up on
supplies that can be used whether or not disaster ever arises.
Assuming it doesn't spoil, can you ever have "too much" food?
Can you have "too much" water? Of course not! In fact, for most
people, not a day goes by where you're not eating or drinking.
How is investing in something you use daily and is quite necessary for
you to live a bad investment? Answer: It's not!
So What Can You
Do?
First off, you want to educate yourself. I hope this show and my blog
are a very valuable resource for you and I will constantly be updating it with
new inform on surviving disaster.
It is time to make a firm commitment to start preparing for disaster
survival. Tomorrow is a good time, but right now is a great time...There's no
time like the present!
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:
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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
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Multi lite Multi-tool
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Day Ration Pack
Vango Storm Shelter 400
myFC PowerTrekk
It runs on water, it really does
The Paper Shower
The Life Straw
Purinize is a 100% all-natural solution of concentrated
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Is a solar powered
phone charger really useful in the UK?
Recharge via mains
usb, PC, Car usb and in addition, Solar
Hold charge for
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Any direct sunlight
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Get more charges per
given capacity and very useful in an emergency
Vegetarians and Prepping
I was talking to a supplier the other day who asked me how would a
vegetarian prep to survive.
You know that is a question that I could not answer straight off as, as
a meat eater I have not thought of this question as I am not bothered.
Well I was not bothered until he asked that question it then occurred
to me that there will be thousands of vegetarian preppers and survivalists out
there who need to know what to do just as much as we meat eaters do.
The question I asked myself was can vegetarians get complete nutrition
if they never eat meat?
Well is seems that they can and all it takes are two simple, timeless
ingredients.
Muscles, blood, and bones are built from basic elements found in
protein. These elements are called amino acids, and there are 22 of them that
the human body needs to keep the factory in business.
The body can make many of these building blocks for itself. There are
nine essential amino acids, though, that only come from food.
Meat is a complete protein. Like a bookshelf from Ikea, it has all the
parts in one neat kit.
There is no single non-animal food that packs in all nine
essential aminos. Lucky for vegetarians, protein comes from many sources. You
don’t need an all-in-one kit to build a bookshelf.
Beans and rice, diet staples since the first people learned how to
farm, each have their own share of amino acids. It’s a mix and match.
Eat them together in one meal, and they combine to make complete
proteins.
Dozens of types of beans are grown across the globe.
Here is a short
list of the most common and healthiest:
Black beans
Pinto beans
Navy beans
Kidney beans
Lima (butter) beans
Don’t hesitate to stockpile beans. Tinned varieties have a shelf life
that can stretch as long as five years, under the right conditions.
That is, the standard Cool Dry Place. Dry beans can be stored even
longer; sealed in an airtight container and kept out of the light, they can
survive for an amazing twenty years or more, without losing any of their
nutritional benefits.
Tinned beans are much quicker to prepare than dry. The downside of
precooked beans is a higher level of sodium, added when tinned.
Also, since they are cooked in the can, there is no way for the complex
sugars in the beans to escape.
Rinse tinned beans very well before using them to wash away as
much of the residual sodium and sugars as possible.
Plan far ahead to cook dry beans.
They need to soak overnight to soften. The soak time can be shortened
by briefly boiling the beans first, but there is a risk of food poisoning
because they still need to sit for several hours.
The elevated temperature is a better environment for bacteria than cool
water.
You’ll notice foaminess forming on the top of the water; this is
the sugar escaping. Dry beans cause less gas than canned beans.
Sugar is water soluble, and the more you rinse away, the less there is
to ferment after you eat it.
Instant rice is not a special variety. It’s merely rice that has been
precooked, then dehydrated. It’s popular because it is quick and very easy to
cook.
It’s unpopular
because it is bland and chewy.
Cooking conventional rice is not as difficult as it seems; just plan
ahead for it. Instant rice is better than none at all, but if you do the
easy prep work and cook up some real rice, you’ll see a major improvement in
texture and flavour.
There are thousands of varieties of rice. Here are the basics:
Long grain rice cooks up fluffy. After it is cooked, the grains don’t
stick together.
This type of rice is best for side dishes and stir frys.
Medium grain rice is moist and tender, also good for side dishes, and
for soups.
Short grain rice is used to make sushi, rice balls, and risotto. It is
very sticky, and has a good strong flavour.
Brown rice and white rice are not separate varieties; they are just
milled differently. Whole grain brown rice gets its colour from a layer of
vitamin rich bran, which is ground off to produce white rice.
While brown has more nutrition and better flavour, it takes longer to
cook and must be refrigerated so the oils in the layer of bran don’t get
rancid.
White has a much longer shelf life - 25 to 30 years, when stored
properly. To compensate for the loss of the healthy bran layer during milling,
white rice is often fortified.
For great
results, follow these steps:
Wash away excess starch and any possible residue pesticides. Use a
large pot; ideally, you want three times as much water as rice while you’re
rinsing it.
Get right in there with your hands and really work it. Drain the rinse
water, and repeat. If the water is not running clear after the second
rinse, go ahead and do it a third time.
Let it sit in fresh water before you cook it up. The grain will relax,
and the rice will need less time on the stove. Soaking is the key to cooking
rice with the best texture.
Thirty minutes is a good start for regular white rice, but it can go as
long as 10 hours.
Once the prep work is done, cook the rice in a heavy pot. Use a little
less water than the standard 2:1 ratio, so it won’t get mushy and soggy.
Don’t boil the water before you add the rice, and no peeking - if you
lift the lid, the steam will escape before the job is done.
Beans and rice have been fuelling us since the days of the first
farmers.
Every major culture has a variation of this simple mix of staple ingredients. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, a meal of beans and rice is incredibly healthy.
Every major culture has a variation of this simple mix of staple ingredients. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, a meal of beans and rice is incredibly healthy.
If you’ve looked at purchasing food storage from any number of
companies, you’ve probably encountered TVP.
But what is TVP? And do I need
any of it in my food storage?
TVP is an acronym for Textured Vegetable Protein. It is also sometimes called Textured Soy
Protein (TSP), or soy meat. It is a
non-meat product that provides a comparable percentage of protein per serving
when reconstituted as meat.
It is high in fibre and low in fat.
TVP is made from soy flour after the soy oil has been extracted. The flour is mixed with water, then cooked
under pressure and squirted out of a machine to dry.
Because of the pressure, the TVP fluffs with air pockets when it comes
out of the extruder, giving it a texture and mouth feel similar
to meat.
TVP can be dried in various forms like strips, flakes, and crumbles
depending on what the final product will be used for.
TVP is also a great protein source for vegetarian’s as it is soy based
and has no meat products in it.
In its natural state, TVP is tasteless, so most food storage TVP has
flavour added. There is chicken, ham,
beef, and bacon flavours of TVP.
Why would you want TVP in your food storage when there are perfectly
good freeze dried meats and canned meats available? One good reason is the cost.
TVP is quite a bit less expensive per serving than freeze dried or
commercially canned meats. Because of
the cost savings, TVP is an enticing alternative that can be used alone or as a
meat extender to add protein to a variety of meals.
Some people actually prefer TVP to regular meats. I’m not a huge fan of it personally, but it’s
not bad as an extender or occasional pie filler.
To rehydrate TVP, either add boiling water to it, or boil it in water
until it is reconstituted.
Usually it is about 3/4 cup water to 1 cup TVP, but can vary depending
on the variety of TVP you’re cooking–check your product label for more specific
instructions.
I hope that this has given the vegetarians among us some idea on what
to prep, the usual rules on storage still apply and only your lack of
imagination will limit your recipe choices.
You are listening to
the UK preppers Radio network on KPRNDB-UK I’m your host Tom Linden
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A front pack is a pack or bag that allows for access of
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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
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Backpacking is a sport where in many situations it is
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Preparing for a Disaster
Emergency
preparedness can be OTT. So here's some basic advice for everyone. It won't
protect you from hoards of hungry zombies, but it will keep you comfortable,
warm and safe.
Unlike other parts
of the world we do not suffer from massive tornado’s, tsunamis and earth quakes
etc. but we do have our moments I can tell you, but you know it does not take a
massive natural disaster for basic utilities to breakdown and emergency service
response times to grind to a halt.
Taking some basic
precautions against these scenarios can be an easy and cheap way to save you
and your family some discomfort or even their lives. The theory here is to
prepare for the worst, so the worst doesn't happen, as you hope for the best
Let’s look at the
basics, bugging- in preparations you can make to keep you and your family
comfortable and safe there.
This isn't the
place to scare you with tales of civil unrest, economic collapse, EMP attacks
etc. I want to look at what we should have at home to cope with the next snow
storm, flood or even just a power cut.
The Shelter, Water,
Fire, Food survival priorities remain just the same in a home with no power as
they do out in the wilderness. Let's address each one and show you how you can
prepare for it effectively, without spending a ton of money.
Storage: Before you log on and start buying online,
think about where and how you're going to securely store all this stuff.
I have just about
managed to fit all my preps into a built-in wardrobe in my bedroom, much to the
annoyance of my other half.
I've seen other
people pack this stuff under a big bed or even into a big, secure tool locker
in their back yard. The important thing is that your stuff needs to remain
accessible post-disaster and should be sheltered from the weather, sun and
secured against both theft and animals. You want it to be there and be in good
condition if you need it.
Communication: We've all seen how quickly mobile phone
networks can be over loaded.
Even if an
emergency situation doesn't damage communications infrastructure, a simple
spike in call volume could prevent you from being able to contact your loved
ones.
So, the best
communication in an emergency is communication that's taken place before.
Create a basic action plan with your family now: come home, we'll come get you.
Whatever it is, keep it simple and memorable.
My family knows
that, if a disaster strikes, they have to make their way to my home as quickly
as possible. This is also a good reason for keeping a landline in your house.
Sometimes they'll work even after power's gone out.
Shelter: Hopefully your house will be fine, but you
should prepare for it not to be.
This is very
location-dependent. I live in rural North Yorkshire, so even if my house is
made uninhabitable I could easily sleep in my garden or the surrounding fields.
But, it does get cold and sometimes very wet, so shelter is vital.
I have a big tarp
that'll provide good shade and a few hundred feet of paracord enabling me to
hang it in virtually any circumstance. It could also patch a hole in a roof if
needed.
Shelter is also
clothing. If you live somewhere with cold winters, you'll know how important it
is to keep warm and likely already have the clothing to handle that. An easy
solution is just to rotate old jackets or whatever into a storage box kept with
other stuff as you buy new things. A 10-year old pair of boots may no longer
look good enough for everyday wear, but they could protect your feet in an
emergency.
Make sure you have
full, head-to-toe outfits for the whole family that include good footwear.
Keeping this setup separate and dedicated means it'll be there if you need it,
not at the office or school or in the boot of your car that's now 10 feet under
water. You don't want to be stuck wearing high heels.
One note about cold
conditions: being comfortable during a quick dog walk or while sledding for
half an hour is very, very different from remaining comfortable in real cold
for prolonged periods. Inexperienced people that come camping with me in even
mild conditions are often caught off guard by how cold 40 degrees can feel when
you have to spend an entire night in it.
If you live
somewhere cold, you'll also want a post-disaster heat source. That may be as
simple as your fireplace, just make sure you keep extra wood on-hand just in
case, then don't be tempted to dip into that cache for other uses.
If your home is
damaged by a disaster or you suspect it may have been, immediately turn off the
gas and electrical supplies. You'll need a wrench for the gas and just switch
off the mail fuse for the house.
Water: At a minimum, you need one gallon of water
per person, per day. I would say you need to have enough on-hand for 72 hours,
I actually have a month's supply.
You can also get a
ton of water out of your hot water heater. Know how to drain it and have
appropriate containers ahead of time.
You'll also want to
store a gallon or so of plain old bleach. A quarter teaspoon per gallon of
water will kill any bugs, but it will taste a little like a swimming pool.
Fire: Bic lighters are the best lighters, just
make sure they're the real deal and not cheap knockoffs. I like to keep a few
different methods of starting a fire to hand, like matches, a pack of lighters
and a flint and steel.
Old dryer lint
makes great tinder, just keep a container in your laundry room and add too it
every time you clean the trap, then move that container to your storage area
when it's full.
You want fire for
warmth, but also to cook food and boil water. Those last two things are better
performed by a camp stove.
Food: Freeze dried backpacking food or MREs are
pricey and…not great eating. You'll likely have enough food around the house
already to comfortably pass that government-suggested 72-hour period and, if
the power's out, you may even need to have a barbecue to use it all.
It's also a good
idea to keep ice packs or just a big bowl of frozen water in your freezer.
Those will help it stay cooler for longer after the power goes out, turning it
into a cooler. If the power goes out, stick perishables in the freezer, then
minimize the amount of time the freezer door is open.
If you or a family
member have special dietary requirements (or medical needs!), you have kids
that need baby food or pets, figure out what foodstuffs that are capable of
long-term storage will work for them, and store some of that too.
You won't starve to
death for a few weeks, so food isn't a huge priority. You'll be way more
comfortable with it though and, if you have to put in some labour repairing
your home or walking somewhere far away, you'll need the calories.
Gadgets: There's all manner of bullshit gadgetry
sold around survival. Most of it is absolute garbage. Here's a few things that
actually will be useful:
Flashlight/Torch Forget the hand-operated ones or those
things that double as radios. Just pick up a quality, LED flashlight that runs
on common batteries. Buy a few and keep them around the house, in your car and
at the office.
AM/FM Radio: You'll want to be able to get information
from the authorities and keep abreast of developments. A simple, battery
operated am/fm radio will achieve that easily, but most people don't have those
around anymore; and it's stored with the other stuff in its original,
weather-proof blister packaging.
Batteries: Whatever gadgets you buy, make sure they operate on the same type of
battery. I'd suggest AA, just because it's so common. Then, buy a few packs of
lithium batteries of that type. Their shelf-life is 10 years and your
electronics will work better for longer with lithium.
Sanitation: This is the least discussed, but one of
the most critical elements of preparing for an emergency. If water is off,
where are you going to poop? A family of four is going to produce quite a bit
of that over a three day period and, if you don't have anywhere to put it,
it'll spread disease, attract bugs and make you sick.
The solution is to
make a basic toilet out of a five-gallon bucket and rubbish bags. Make sure the
bucket has a top which seals good, then keep that lid on when it's not in use.
When the bag is full, double it up and tie it off before carefully disposing of
it somewhere. A large bottle of alcohol hand sanitizer is going to be a big
help here too.
And that's about
it. Lock your doors, pretend you're not home if any zombies show up and play
some cards. You did pack away a deck of cards, right?
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Pine Needle Tea
Pine needles are a
wonderful source of Vitamin C. Using pine needles in the form of tea, you can
get 4 times as much Vitamin C as you can from orange juice. Pine needles also
have an elevated Vitamin A content and cannot only be used as an
expectorant/decongestant, but it can also as an antiseptic wash.
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!
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 park, positively identify your
pine trees, bring back some needles and give this one a try!
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 easily
pull 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.
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!
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.)
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!
And since Pine is best used fresh, it's a perfect excuse to get out & enjoy the change of seasons!
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Managing Director Paul listeners visiting Field Leisure - The
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Using a Map and Compass
OK so everyone
knows a few fundamentals of navigation- north is always up, the sun rises in
the east, and compasses usually point towards magnetic north. But at some point
in time, prepper bugging-out, survivalist or just out for a walk in the
wilderness you’ll want to be able to find out where you are, and where you need
to go.
The map is you’re
most important tool, as you can always get by without a compass, this I do not
recommend.
Essentially, be sure your map- Covers the entire hike. Has a
map scale or datum that you are comfortable with and includes features like
roads, boundaries and streams.
The compass is your second most important navigation tool,
but it is also the most important to get exactly right. Unfortunately, there’s
not much room for DIY here.
Your compass should have specific features, and they’re
absolutely worth a bit extra.
It should have.
1. A clear base plate- To see underneath the compass.
2. A sighting mirror- To sight objects at eye-level.
3. A rotating bezel, marked with 360 degrees in 2 degree increments.
4. Meridian lines- For map use.
5. Declination Adjustment and arrow- to correct for the difference between magnetic and true north.
It should have.
1. A clear base plate- To see underneath the compass.
2. A sighting mirror- To sight objects at eye-level.
3. A rotating bezel, marked with 360 degrees in 2 degree increments.
4. Meridian lines- For map use.
5. Declination Adjustment and arrow- to correct for the difference between magnetic and true north.
Taking a bearing.
This step is pretty simple. When doing any map work, be sure
you ignore your compass needle and declination arrow. They are only helpful
when you’re using the compass in relation to the world around you. For now,
consider it more of a protractor.
This is the simplest of the exercises. Imagine you’re on a
mountain and you can see another mountain, what heading is it?
1. Open the Compass, and lay it flat on the map.
2. Move the compass so that the base is along point A (where you are), and the mirror is along point B (the other mountain).
3. Rotate the bezel until North matches the maps north, and the meridian lines line up with a north south line (lat/ long lines).
4. Read the bearing at the top of the compass.
1. Open the Compass, and lay it flat on the map.
2. Move the compass so that the base is along point A (where you are), and the mirror is along point B (the other mountain).
3. Rotate the bezel until North matches the maps north, and the meridian lines line up with a north south line (lat/ long lines).
4. Read the bearing at the top of the compass.
The edge of the map is the ideal line. Any lines that
parallel it will work too.
On the bottom of the compass, 180 degrees around, is the bearing from Point B to Point A.
On the bottom of the compass, 180 degrees around, is the bearing from Point B to Point A.
Follow a Specific Bearing on a Map
Alright, you’re on a mission. You know that there’s a cave
filled with treasure, unmarked on your map, it’s 308NW of your position.
1. Open the compass and turn the bezel to 308NW
2. Orient the compass with the clear part along your current position.
3. Turn the whole compass, keeping one edge along your position, until the compass matches the maps north, and the meridian lines match North/South lines on the map.
4. The destination is somewhere along the line created by the base of your compass.
2. Orient the compass with the clear part along your current position.
3. Turn the whole compass, keeping one edge along your position, until the compass matches the maps north, and the meridian lines match North/South lines on the map.
4. The destination is somewhere along the line created by the base of your compass.
Taking a Bearing on a Real Object
Before we use your
compass, we’ll have to set the declination.
First, find the declination in your area in the UK by logging onto this site http://magnetic-declination.com/ then, follow the directions that came with your compass to set the declination properly.
First, find the declination in your area in the UK by logging onto this site http://magnetic-declination.com/ then, follow the directions that came with your compass to set the declination properly.
Now you can take a
bearing on a real object.
1. Choose an object to take a bearing to. Ideally this is something you can do, then reference on a map. But you can practice with objects that are a minimum of twenty feet away.
2. Stand well clear of your computer. Large, metal objects usually mess up compass readings.
3. Tilt your mirror ~45 degrees in relation to the base.
4. Hold the compass outward, level, relaxed, and at eye level.
5. Close your non-dominant eye.
6. Match the object up in the compass sights. Be sure its level!
7. Turn the bezel until the north (red) needle is in the declination arrow.
8. Read the heading from the bezel.
9. Give the bezel a spin, rinse, repeat.
1. Choose an object to take a bearing to. Ideally this is something you can do, then reference on a map. But you can practice with objects that are a minimum of twenty feet away.
2. Stand well clear of your computer. Large, metal objects usually mess up compass readings.
3. Tilt your mirror ~45 degrees in relation to the base.
4. Hold the compass outward, level, relaxed, and at eye level.
5. Close your non-dominant eye.
6. Match the object up in the compass sights. Be sure its level!
7. Turn the bezel until the north (red) needle is in the declination arrow.
8. Read the heading from the bezel.
9. Give the bezel a spin, rinse, repeat.
Step 6: Following a Bearing in Real-Life
You know your
campsite is only a mile away, at heading 40NE. But how do you translate the
heading into an actual direction?
1. Dial the bearing
in on your compass.
2. Set the sight mirror at ~45degrees, hold it level, and bring it to eye-level.
3. Close your non-dominant eye.
4. Turn your body until the north needle is within the declination arrow or box.
5. Take note of an object on that heading. Choose a peculiar tree, peak, or anything else in your direction of travel.
6. Head to that object, then take your bearing.
2. Set the sight mirror at ~45degrees, hold it level, and bring it to eye-level.
3. Close your non-dominant eye.
4. Turn your body until the north needle is within the declination arrow or box.
5. Take note of an object on that heading. Choose a peculiar tree, peak, or anything else in your direction of travel.
6. Head to that object, then take your bearing.
Method 2
Take the bearing, then have a partner travel in that direction until he’s just at the edge of your sight distance. Once he’s there, tell him to move left or right to get him aligned. Move to your partner, then repeat. It’s a great method if you need to be super accurate
Take the bearing, then have a partner travel in that direction until he’s just at the edge of your sight distance. Once he’s there, tell him to move left or right to get him aligned. Move to your partner, then repeat. It’s a great method if you need to be super accurate
Step 7: Conclusion
Hopefully you just
learned four new skills. I’m not an expert, but this advice is I hope enough to
keep most people out of trouble.
The easiest place to
practice is around home… it may be worth finding a partner to check on your
work. If you head out to the wilderness, find a spot where you can pick loads
of landmarks. Then take a bearing with the compass, then compare your bearings
to the actual bearings on the map.
Remember the best way to avoid getting lost is to stay
found. Have fun!
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Nettle Tea
Milarepa, the
Tibetan saint, was said to have lived on nothing but nettles for decades of
meditation. Yet another weed that most of us pull and throw out, like
dandelions, nettle is a wonderful health-boosting herb that should never be
dowsed with weed-killer, but plucked and dried to make into an herbal panacea
that could make the local pharmacy go bankrupt.
Here are 29 Nettle Tea Benefits
To give you an idea
of just how powerful this singular plant is, nettle has the potential to
treat the following ailments:
- Nettle stimulates the lymph system to boost immunity
- Nettle relieves arthritis symptoms
- Nettle promotes a release from uric acid from joints
- Helps to support the adrenals
- It helps with diabetes mellitus
- Strengthens the foetus in pregnant women
- Promotes milk production in lactating women
- Relieves menopausal symptoms
- Helps with menstrual cramps and bloating
- Helps break down kidney stones
- Reduces hypertension
- Helps with respiratory tract disease
- Supports the kidneys
- Helps asthma sufferers
- Stops bleeding
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces incident of prostate cancer
- Minimizes skin problems
- Eliminates allergic rhinitis
- Lessens nausea
- Cures the common cold
- Helps with osteoarthritis
- Alleviates diarrhoea
- Helps with gastrointestinal disease, IBS, and constipation
- Reduces gingivitis and prevents plaque when used as a mouth wash.
- Has been shown to be helpful to in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
- Relieves neurological disorders like MS, ALS and sciatica
- Destroys intestinal worms or parasites
- Supports the endocrine health by helping the thyroid, spleen and pancreas
You can brew
stinging nettle leaves in almost boiling water and drink daily as a curative to
all these ailments. Just be sure to check with your doctor since nettle can
interfere with certain pharmaceuticals. Enjoy nettle tea benefits today!
How to Make Stinging Nettle Tea
Stinging nettle tea
is really easy to make and can be made using fresh or dried nettle. If using
fresh nettle then carefully collect some from an area away from car traffic,
pesticides and animal waste.
Boil four cups of
filtered water and remove from the heat
Finely chop four
heaped teaspoons of fresh nettle
Add the nettle to
the water and steep for 20 minutes with the lid on
Drink hot or cold.
If you can’t find
your own fresh nettle then you can purchase a bag of dried nettle leaf from
many companies across the globe but here is one based in the UK http://buynettletea.co.uk/contact.php or you can always try Amazon.
Nigel at www.hunters-knives.co.uk has offered
you dear listener 10% on all his products simply by
Survival
Hygiene
Hygiene and
survival, are you really serious? Absolutely! Your best line of defence for
disease and other simple, but debilitating conditions, is following good
hygiene habits and procedures, religiously.
If your idea of
being a survivor is being a “mountain man”, with a big bushy beard, wiping your
mouth off on your sleeve and bathing “every so often” you’re in for a
potentially life threatening surprise.
If you’ve ever had
bum-crack-rot, fat thigh rash, cracked toes with gooey toe-jam funk and other
cleanliness related issues you have experienced what in today’s world are minor
issues. You can just go take a bath in hot, steaming water and use plenty of
soap and some “Lotrimin” (available on Ebay and Amazon) you are “healed”.
Not so in a survival situation.
In a survival
situation you have to strive to avoid developing the problems in the first
place. Your first line of defence against disease and functional debilitation is
just plain, simple cleanliness.
If you are in your
“bug out place” and you have reasonable water supplies then by all means bathe
every day, without fail. At least have a sponge bath and stay clean. If you are
hoofing it, you need to take a “cat’s bath”, cleaning under your arms, your
crotch, and between your toes at least once a day.
Baby wipes are a
good portable solution, just don’t use “kitchen counter” disinfectant wipes as
they will cause irritation and actually cause problems.
Preventively, use Lotrimin
or some other anti-fungal on your feet, and talc or some other powder on your
privates, thighs, bum crack and under the arms.
If you’ve ever had
cracked toes with itchy, gooey, toe-jam, funk and it gets really bad, walking
becomes a problem and if you are walking, guess what?
You could be in real
trouble if you have to lie up for a few days to get better or can’t move at
all. If you are in place, this should never be an issue.
Get prepared
properly and have what you need at home or in your BOB to avoid this and
maintain your foot and other body health needs.
In either case,
unless you are being chased you should stop and let a significant problem get
healed before hiking off or starting back to work on the homestead. Also if on
the hoof you can change your clothes and turn your dirty ones inside out and
lay them in the sun or hang them on the outside of your pack.
This will kill
odours, and this is almost as good as washing them.
If you have any
problem areas, such as acne or hypersensitivity to plants or other tactile
contaminants you must keep them clean as well. If you are in place it is much
easier to meet these needs and shave as well.
Unless you have a
bona fide hypersensitivity to shaving you should shave every other day at
least.
Being clean-shaven
prevents odour, dirty skin, boils and reduces lice and other infestations. If
you are on the trail try and shave as much as you can, but remember, the
heavier your beard the shorter the lifespan of your razor.
The most probable
way of making yourself sick is with your hands, either by hand to
mouth/nose/face/eye contact or by damaging a very dirty hand or extremity. Hand
washing is THE number one disease prevention hygiene habit.
Most illnesses are
acquired by touching someone else (hand to hand) or something they touched, and
then touching your face/mouth/nose/eyes. Develop the habit of NOT touching your
face/nose/mouth/eyes and keeping your hands washed and/or use hand sanitizer,
religiously.
When using tools or
engaging in other hand and arm activities, keep your extremities clean. If you
skin your knuckles, scratch your arm or have a really bad looking hangnail, be
proactive and trim it/clean it up and rinse it with alcohol and put antibiotic
on it and a plaster.
If you can manage it
the well-prepared survivor should also have on hand tetracycline (Doxycycline),
Cipro (or some form of methicillin analogs) and some sulfa drugs. These have
different uses depending on what illness/injury you have.
Some of these drugs
can be found on veterinary sites and ordered OTC without a script and used on
humans (check this out, thoroughly on your own before using these, and only use
them in a dire emergency where medical care is not available but ONLY IF YOU
CHOOSE TO DO SO).
To recap, keep clean
and address open wounds immediately. Being on the move is no excuse for not
being clean. If you are in place then cleanliness should never be an issue.
Stay clean-shaven, cut your hair, clip your fingernails, bathe, wear clean
clothes, clean shoes and socks, and wash your hands.
Make sure you have a
supply of disinfecting materials, plasters, and antibiotics. Also if you can
find one get a Combat LifeSaver (CLS, Army manual) and find a trained
individual to train you in it.
These few simple
things can prevent you from surviving TSHTF and then dying from something
simple like a boil or skinned knuckles.
Be safe and survive well!
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EDC steel tools
Highlander Trojan Hydration Pack – Multicam
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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
Gerber Mini Remix -
Drop Point, Fine Edge
The Mule Light
The BodyGard is the
Rolls-Royce of keychain emergency tools. Its two essential (and life-saving)
tools are its seat belt cutter and door glass breaker.
The BodyGard also includes a sonic alarm (to attract attention and ward-off a would-be attacker), LED flashlight, and distress flasher (a bright red flashing light).
The BodyGard is compact and smartly attaches to your keychain so it's within reach during an emergency. You owe it to yourself and to your family to carry a BodyGard.
The BodyGard also includes a sonic alarm (to attract attention and ward-off a would-be attacker), LED flashlight, and distress flasher (a bright red flashing light).
The BodyGard is compact and smartly attaches to your keychain so it's within reach during an emergency. You owe it to yourself and to your family to carry a BodyGard.
The powermonkey
explorer is not just for adventure travellers.
Compatible with the majority of smartphones including iPhone and
BlackBerry, mobile phones, iPods, MP3 / MP4, PDAs and portable games consoles,
the powermonkey explorer is a portable charger for your 5V devices - giving you
96 hours of standby on your mobile, 40 hours on your iPod, 5 hours on your
games console, 48 hours on your PDA and 6 hours on MP3/MP4 players.
My Homemade MRE
I have been looking
at the high prices of British Army MRE Ration Packs (About £10+ along with
postage!) and I decided to opt for making my own for my bug out bag.
All of these items I
bought from Asda recently so these are current prices. I would recommend using a
vacuum sealer or Mylar bags with o2 absorbers to make these feasible, otherwise
the shelf life I predict is probably not going to be reached due to the nature
of some of the items.
Anyway, let’s begin,
please note that the numbers after names are Calories, then price!
Breakfast
8 x Belvita Biscuits
445 £0.76
Coffee Sachet 75
£0.14
Lunch
Cup a Soup 90 £0.10
Dinner
Mugshot Pasta 307
£0.68
Lemon + Black pepper
tuna tins x 2 340 £1.10
Snacks
Boost bar 305 £0.25
Kendal mint cake 85g
350 £0.88
Pumpkin seeds 566
£0.55
Straberry lances 300
£0.33
Coffee sachet 75
£0.14
So this leads to a total cost of £4.93 and a whopping
2853 calories!
I have also got
three vacuum sealed bags of peanuts, raisins and chocolate drops which I would
also chuck into the bug out bag, these contain a staggering 1750 calories for
only £0.99 and will last for ages in the vacuum seal
I'll add as well, my
MRE weighs about 870g, where as a normal British Army one weighs 1750g and also
it’s technically not an MRE as it requires water and minimal heating, but that
of course is nothing to worry about really!
So it makes the
meals even cheaper for now, however it would make long term sense to obtain my
own at some point.
This is a very basic
but very tasty MRE option and I am sure as I experiment further that it will
develop and become more season friendly with both a range of hot and cold
meals.
Trapping and
Snaring for Food
Having spent well
over 30 years studying survival skills I have had first-hand experience of the
many processes that each learner will go through to finally achieve each
element of natural wilderness survival.
As we all know food is the LAST thing you should worry
about. Shelter, fire, water and signalling for help are far more important.
Remember the rule of
3's... You can die from exposure to the elements in 3 hours,
You can die from
lack of water in 3 days,
But it takes 3 WEEKS
or more to die of starvation.
3 weeks is a long
time, so plan for your essentials first. If you have your other bases covered,
then you can start planning for food. Snaring and fishing are your best bets,
as they allow for you to
"Set and forget", which means that you conserve
energy.
All hunting should
be done with as little energy expenditure as possible. Find a comfortable spot
and wait for dinner to come to you. Rabbits, being very common worldwide, are a
good wild game food.
They can typically
be found grazing in fields and clearings where grasses and other low lying
plants are found. Watch to see where they enter and exit these areas to provide
the locations for snares.
Some people have
been known to add impassable brush and wooden stakes along both sides of the
path leading to the trap creating a funnel effect.
They can then drive
rabbits or other small game in the direction of the trap and be relatively sure
that the game will head straight into the snare.
The Rabbit Snare can
be used for many types of small game depending on how and where you deploy it.
It consists of a noose loosely draped over twigs, brush, or any low-lying
points where you can drape it.
The noose is smooth
cord that can easily slide through the small metal ring it is tied to (small
key rings work very well for this).
The key to this
snare is the bowed branch overhead, and the catch or trigger mechanism. A
simple trigger consists of a very simple stake that is wedged at an angle very
close to that of the line to the branch.
It is also sharpened
and sits on a smooth rock so that any movement at all will free it.
A rabbit is not very smart, and assumes that the string
across its path is simply grass, and typically does not slow down.
The looseness and
breadth of the noose allows the game to proceed a couple feet before it tugs
the branch and releases the catch.
You must remove all
human scent and two good ways that I use are firstly to place the complete
snare over a fire and let the smoke do its work (remember smoke is a natural
smell) or secondly to place the complete snare into fresh cow dung don’t worry
it is only digested grass.
Fishing
Survival fishing is
quite different than normal fishing. Survival fishing is often done without you
even being there. It's more akin to trapping and snaring than it is to conventional
fishing. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished.
Absentee Fishing
If you have
fishhooks and line (in a survival kit), then you're way ahead of the game. You
can bait a whole bunch of hooks, string them on a line across the waterway, and
then walk away. This is "absentee fishing".
Be careful that the line you string across the waterway
is strong (10 – 15 lb line).
Tie it between a
couple trees a couple feet above the water, and then you can either rely on the
water flow to keep the bait near the surface, or simply put just enough line
down to your hooks to not allow them to sink.
If the water is
moving, your bait will be dancing to entice the fish. If there's little or no
movement, you can tie some leaf covered branches to the paracord to catch the
wind, which also makes your bait look lively.
While waiting for a
catch, you can keep yourself busy with important things like fire and shelter,
and simply check your lines every few hours.
Fish Fences
If you don't have
any hooks and line, then I recommend a "fish fence". A "fish
fence" is just what it sounds like. It's a fence that you make out of
sticks that will corral the fish for you.
The fence should be
dense in fact the denser the better, as long as water can flow through, and
fish cannot! This is built on land in sections, and then inserted in a likely
waterway by pushing the posts into the mud at the bottom.
There are several
versions of this... it really depends on the waterway. If it's a pond, and
there's no flowing water, then you'll just make a corral in a shallow area with
only one opening that funnels fish in.
Once they're trapped in the small area, they can be
speared or grabbed more easily.
If you're working
with a stream, then it's important to determine the direction of flow. Observe
whether fish are moving upstream, downstream, or both.
If the fish are
moving in one direction then a basic fence placed diagonally across the stream
will concentrate the fish in a small area making it easier to spear one.
If the fish are
moving in both directions, you may want to make a "corral" that will
catch in both directions.
If you have built
your fencing in sections, it's easier to try different configurations to see
which works best for you.
Getting Started
In this article I
will be talking about food and water needs in your Bug out Bag as well as other
items everyone should have handy for bugging out.
Everyone knows food
and water are two essentials that you need to survive. However, if you are
really packing a 72 hour Bug out Bag, skip the "food" and opt for
high value cereal bars.
This will allow you
to save some room in your bag while still maintaining nutritional value. In
regards to water, I would suggest carrying at a minimum 3 bottles for each day,
each bottle being a minimum of 8oz.
Depending upon your
geographic location, your health status and the type of emergency you
encounter, this may need to change. To allow this flexibility, I pack the
minimum amount stated above in my bag and store additional water with the bag.
If I feel that the situation warrants it, I will grab the extra water on my way
out.
Better still buy a Purificup, watertogo Bottle, Life
straw or some Purinize which will allow you to purify water on the move.
Now is where the real work begins.
When an event
occurs, or before an event sometimes, you will be forced to decide whether you
are bugging in or bugging out. No matter what your decision, you will need to
have plans in place to successfully weather the storm.
Bugging In -
If you decide to Bug
In you will need to have enough supplies on hand for yourself and anyone
bugging in with you. If you have small children, elderly family members or
pets, you will need to consider their needs as well.
General concerns
should be: food, water, sanitation, medical supplies, first aid and protection.
Also consider a deck of cards or some other small game to help pass the time.
Bugging Out -
Bugging out is
altogether different. If you are not bugging out in a vehicle, you will need to
work your pack to a weight that is comfortable for you to carry to potentially
be able to move quickly and quietly.
If you are bugging
out on foot, consider dropping a little of the food weight in order to carry
more water. The bug out bag is meant to only support you for about 72 hours, so
get to your destination as quickly as possible.
You will need to
develop routes for your bug out plan that will steer you towards your objective
without placing yourself in danger from other people or the elements any more
than is necessary.
Ensure that you
understand the topography of your routes, including elevation changes. Bugging
Out in a major rainstorm would be rough if your route took you through
low-lying areas, for example.
If your destination
is further than three hours away (by whatever travel method you have in place)
from your home, consider an overnight location between the two sites. This
should be some type of facility where you can secure and store equipment, as
well as supplies, that you can access 24/7.
If possible, store a
cot or sleeping bag in case you need to lay low or rest for a while. Failing to
do this could result in being overly tired and committing errors in your
judgment that could cost you dearly.
In regards to the
placement of your PSS (Primary Shelter Site) location, I highly suggest that
the site be no more than 3 days walk, or half a tank of fuel in your primary
vehicle.
Your PSS does not
have to be a bunker in the woods. You may be planning to go to a family
member's home away from the city, a vacation home or a campground you like to
visit.
Your PSS is simply a
place other than your residence that you can go to in case of any emergency.
So let's review our two days of work and look at where we
will need to go on Day 3;
In your Bug out Bag
(BoB)
Torch with Batteries
Cash (You should try
to keep £100 in there)
Copies of important
papers (Insurance, Medical cards, etc.)
Water (6-12 bottles)
Fire-starting
materials
First Aid Kit
Duct Tape
Knife
Food / cereal Bars
Relevant maps and a
compass
At this point you
should also have a designated location that you plan to Bug Out to, known as
your PSS (Primary Shelter Site).
You should consider
developing multiple routes, at least 2 or 3, to get from your common locations
(work, home, school) to your PSS.
Ensure these routes
avoid locations that would become overly congested in an emergency situation or
take you through areas prone to flooding.
It may take several
days, weeks, or even months to get these plans and items in order. Take your
time and make wise decisions that will not impede your everyday life. Prepping
can consume great amounts of time, effort and financial resources.
Trying to move too quickly will only make it harder to
complete your prep.
So "Day 2"
of your prep is now complete and if something were to happen today, you would
have a source of supplies readily available, a safe place to go to and several
routes to get you there. Congrats! You are on your way!
Bugging out-Minimum Impact Fires
A fire means heat,
light, and life. To many people, a campsite with no fire is just not camping. A
campfire means self-sufficiency, survival, and comfort. Our view of campfires
is built on centuries of tradition and historic need. Fortunately, there are
many places to camp where a fire is completely appropriate, safe, and welcome.
The ability to enjoy
an outdoor adventure with alternate heat and light sources greatly expands your
opportunities and allows a more self-sufficient experience. The development of
lightweight, very efficient camp stoves has eliminated the real need for a fire
in most circumstances so it is now a choice to use a fire or a stove.
Why Have a Fire?
A fire warms you on
a cold camping trip, but there are much better ways to stay warm. Bringing
appropriate clothing and having healthy food means less need for fire. Campfire
heat is useful for drying clothing and warming water to put in a bottle in your
sleeping bag to make it more comfortable.
Cooking - whether it
is boiling water or cooking meat, a fire is used to prepare food for
consumption.
Entertainment -
watching the flames is relaxing and telling stories around a fire is a great
way to complete a strenuous day in the woods.
On any outdoor
adventure, a source of heat for emergencies is required. You should always be
prepared to start a fire in a survival situation. But, a backpacking stove is a
great alternate source of heat from the campfire. Stoves have many benefits
over fires:
Stoves have nearly
instant, ready-to-cook heat. No waiting for the fire. They also extinguish
immediately.
Stoves have no smoke
and leave no ash or partially-burned wood. They do not create soot on pots.
They are Safe - the
risk of wildfire is nearly eliminated with stoves.
They are consistent
- stoves work at nearly any elevation or temperature.
Before heading out
on a wilderness adventure, it is a good idea to decide whether campfires or
stoves will be used for each day of the trip.
It may be decided to
have campfires some days and stoves on others. Some things to consider when
making the decision include:
Fire Danger - what
will the wind conditions, humidity, and vegetation dryness be like for the
location and season?
Fire Restrictions -
contact the local land managers to find out what types of fires are allowed in
the area.
In some moorland
areas in the North Yorkshire Dales National Park fire lighting is banned during
dry spells.
Fuel Availability -
is there adequate fuel so fires will not deplete or impact the resource?
Group Skills - is
everyone in the group able to safely build and tend fires?
Menu - will the food
the group takes cook better over a stove or fire
Leave No Trace Campfires
Once the decision is
made to have a fire, the expertise of minimizing its impact comes into play.
There will be an impact to the area from any fire, but there are many ways to
reduce and disguise the impact.
Use existing fire
rings - in an established campsite, use the fire ring if there is no fire ring,
do not make one. Instead, build a mound fire.
Build small fires -
create a fire just large enough to cook the food. Feed it fuel as needed.
Burn all wood to ash
- stop adding fuel to the fire well before bed-time or departure time so it has
time to burn itself out. This prevents having chunks of partially burned wood
to disperse.
Gather firewood carefully:
Use wood that is
down. Leave limbs on standing trees, even if they are dead limbs.
Leave larger logs
and limbs for habitat and to decompose into the soil.
Take a hike out away
from camp to gather wood. Leave close-in wood so it can decompose into the
soil. Or to be used by you in a medical emergency for example.
Clean up after the fire:
Scatter unused wood
as naturally as possible.
Push unburned ends
of wood into the fire as it burns down so it is all consumed.
When the coals have
burned to ash, soak well with water and make sure it is completely out. Use
water rather than dirt to put out the fire.
Michael Mills
My name is Michael Mills, and I'm a Ph.D. candidate and Assistant
Lecturer in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at
University of Kent (England).
I am in the middle of conducting 3 years of research on the
preparedness community in America and Britain, which will form my doctoral
thesis and hopefully be channelled into several academic and media articles
(and other publications - possibly books).
Aware of the several misconceptions that exist around the preparedness
community and those within it - most obviously influenced by National
Geographic shows and various other media products - my research is an attempt
to conduct a more open-minded piece of research on the 21st century
preparedness community in Britain and America.
In particular, I am keen to learn about the reasons that people engage
in prepping, how it relates to their assessment of local and national and
international politics, and where prepping fits within a wider community and
social life for most preppers.
These are each issues that are misunderstood by the wider public in
relation to prepping.
In order to conduct this research - which has the potential to reform
the public image of prepping and have the effect of correcting
misrepresentative stereotypes - and make it worthwhile, I obviously need
to talk to preppers themselves who are willing to anonymously speak about their
motivations for prepping and several issues related to these behaviours.
I am therefore looking to conduct face-to-face interviews with as many preppers
in America and Britain as I possibly can.
British interviews can be done at any time, and I will be America
between early September and late November 2014 with the sole aim of talking to
as many preppers as I possibly can. Anyone who is even curious about
participating in these interviews should email me at mm645@kent.ac.uk
It can be immensely hard finding preppers willing to engage with me in
this, and I'm very grateful to anyone who expresses an interest in contributing
to the research.
All respondents are guaranteed anonymity - you do not need to inform me
of your real name or location, and if you did these would not be shared with
anyone else. Interviews can take place at a location of your choosing.
Needless to say, any interviews would be incredibly valuable to the
research and I'd be immensely grateful to anyone who is willing to come forward
and join the other interviewees in providing a realistic impression of the
preparedness movement and the broad range of people involved in these
activities.
I'm also conducting an online survey (which is much more convenient
than any interviews) to be directed to this survey, again, people should email
me at mm645@kent.ac.uk
THE WILDERNESS
GATHERING 2014 14th to the 17th August
The Wilderness
Gathering has over the years become a firm date in the diaries of those who
enjoy bushcraft, nature and wilderness survival skills. The previous ten years
have seen this event grow from a small event in one field with some traders and
schools sharing bushcraft skills and knowledge to a festival of wilderness
living skills encompassing bushcraft/survival and woodland crafts.
The show has grown
into an event with something for all the family with stories and music by the
campfire in the evenings and skills workshops and activities throughout the
three whole days of the festival.
The Wilderness
Gathering has without a doubt become the premier family event for all those
interested in bush crafts and the great outdoors.
The show has
bushcraft clubs for all age groups of children to get involved in plus more
activities for all including den building and wilderness skills classes for
all.
There are hands on
demonstrations of game preparation, knife sharpening, basha boat building,
bowmaking, greenwood working, archery and axe throwing and primitive fire
lighting to name just a few. There are talks on survival phycology, classes on
falconry and wilderness survival fishing. All of these skills are there for
everybody and anybody to participate in.
You can probably
pick up information on nearly all the skills needed to live in the wilderness
and prosper at The Wilderness Gathering.
There is a wealth of
good quality trade stands that are carefully selected to be in theme for the
show selling everything from custom knives to tipis and outdoor clothing to
primitive tools. The organisers have even laid on a free service bring and buy
stall where you can bring along your used and unwanted kit and they’ll sell it
for you.
There are local
scout and explorer group’s onsite promoting the World Wide Scouting Movement as
well helping out with some of the classes and site logistics.
The catering is
within the theme of the event with venison and game featuring on the menus plus
organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and open field camping facilities (with
hot showers) giving you the option to visit for the whole weekend or just to
attend as a day visitor.
