Show Contents 6th April 2015

Show Notes

I start this week with the Blizzard Survival 20% Discount Offer then Water Security, the Ribzwear 30% Discount Offer, The Bug out Week end is coming, Remember its Called Angling Not Catching, the Wilderness121 10% Discount Offer, THE TWELTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2015 13th to 16th August, The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3), Lyme Disease, How much do you know? The Fiedlleisure 10% Discount Offer, When the Brown Stuff Hits the Fan, Cute and Cuddly but-deadly? Hunters-Knives 10% Discount Offer, A Chlorine Gas Attack on the UK, Organizing your every Day Carry, The Deadly Enemies to Your Survival, The office preppers GHB.

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Water Security

Second only to air, water is one of our most basic human needs. In fact we are made up of 72.8% water.

Nonetheless, most people who have grown up and lived in the Western world have come to take clean water for granted. They turn the tal and clean water comes pouring out as if by magic.

At the same time, 3.575 million people die each year from water-related diseases. Most of these people live in places where there is no tap water or the tap water cannot be trusted to be clean.

Ask yourself two questions:

Should I trust my tap water now?

Will I be able to trust my tap water in the future?

Your tap water is prepared and delivered by the water company's and I would ask have you ever had an independent test of your water quality? Has anyone in your community? Clean water is critical to health and yet few of us pay more than passing attention to it, in fact I would say we take it for granted.

Next consider the future. The economy is crashing or about to and this is negatively affecting tax revenue not only for the government, but also for local councils.

That means cost-cutting will be necessary, which means that these water company workers could be made redundant. The question is will you be able to trust your water supply when the infrastructure starts falling apart and there are insufficient staff left to maintain it?

Then you must consider purposeful damage to the water supply, either by ex-employees or by terrorist organizations. The public water system has very little protection against the introduction of toxins for example.

Bottled Water

Bottled water can be stored for quite some time to provide for a backup water supply in the event supply fails or has it’s purity compromised.

Distilling

Purchasing a home water filter to enableto create 100% pure trustworthy clean water — if you have power to operate the still.

Private Wells

In some areas, it is possible to drill your own well to reach reasonably safe water. You will need to research the water table in your area to determine if this is feasible.

Portable Water Filters

Small water filters are available which can provide safe drinking water in manageable quantity from very impure sources. These are not long-term scalable solutions for personal hygiene, but they can certainly help to keep you alive in an emergency.

Tap water Filters

Larger water filters can filter water coming out of a single tap. These tend to be less effective than the portable water filters at producing clean drinking water.

Summary

A water security plan should consider all potential threats to your water supply and the chances of each threat occurring. The right solution for you might be purchasing a few chlorine tablets, or it might be installing a whole house water filter and buying a home distilling system.

Survival Hunting

There are many different kinds of traps you can set if you’re looking to hunt land based animals for food

Some are more elaborate than others and need to be carefully designed if they’re going to be successful.

However even though the initial effort can be painstakingly slow when you’re putting traps together, once they’re up and running, they can keep working for you round the clock.

It is, however, important that you check the traps regularly to minimise any suffering to the animal. I would say that rabbits are your best target.

The larger the prey, the greater the degree of skill needed so birds are ideal in a survival situation where you may not have the time to make a more sophisticated kind of trap.

Locating Your Trap

The best way to position your trap is to go out onto any trail and look for footprints. Often, they’ll not be too far from water where an animal will be looking to drink.

You’ll be able to ascertain the direction the animal was heading, its approximate size and if you’ve done your homework, you may even be able to recognise what animal it is by its footprints. It’s these kinds of areas where you need to be setting your traps.

Avoiding Animal Suspicions

When out setting a trap, you should try to avoid disturbing the area in which you’re setting it as much as possible. Your scent will be the biggest giveaway to animals so wear gloves when you handle the trap.

Another way of disguising any scent on the trap is to hold it over smoke for a few minutes before positioning it.

Box Traps

A box or drop trap is a useful device for catching birds and small animals. You can make a box out of sticks, twigs and branches – in fact, any material that you have available.

There are 2 ways of trapping here. You place the bait in the box and then have a piece of wood or stick propping up the box on one side. Simply by having a piece of cord attached to the stick will allow you to pull on the cord once your prey is inside taking the bait.

Then the box will simply fall, leaving the prey caught inside. However, because of your presence near the trap and with you physically having to wait until the right opportunity presents itself, a far better method is to design a trigger mechanism so that when the animal steps onto the area holding the bait, the box automatically falls trapping the prey without you having to be there.

Snare Traps

Snare traps are more effective for slightly larger game animals that might be more suspicious to fall for a box trap or may be more dangerous to kill if cornered in a box. You can make a snare using cord, wire in fact almost any cordage.

When locating a snare trap, you should once again look for trails where small game animals might look for food and water sources.

Animals are creatures of habit so if you see footprints or any other signs that an animal has been passing through a particular area, .e.g. animal droppings are an obvious example, then you can be sure that they’ll return time after time.

Places that may offer shelter and safety to small animals from other larger predators are also a natural location in which to set a snare.

How a Snare Works

The loop in the cordage make sure snare is designed to tighten and hold the animal as it walks through it.

The loop should be free moving which means it will tighten naturally as the animal walks through it or struggles once it moves forward into it.

Remember, the loop must be big enough for the animal it’s designed to catch and far enough above the ground to match the level of its head.

Therefore, it’s not an exact science and it can take many attempts and re-adjustments before you’re successful but constant practice and patience is the key.

Setting Your Snare

A normal holding snare simply holds the animal at ground level and may or may not kill it through strangulation.

For the holding snare, once you think you’ve placed the loop at the right height, you then need to secure the other end to a bush or some other kind of stake or tree trunk which you’re sure cannot be pulled away by the animal.

Then you should move some brush or logs to force the animal to walk in a particular direction so that it has no alternative but to enter the loop.

If it’s set up on a regular trail this shouldn’t present a problem as the animal will follow its usual path anyway so as it enters the loop and continues trying to move forward, the loop will tighten and become smaller until the animal can go no further.

It’s then trapped. It’s important to remember that snaring should only be used in a real emergency survival situation. In some countries it’s illegal and in the UK, snares need to be free running so that it relaxes once the animal stops struggling.

After the Prey is Caught

To many people faced with a survival situation, the thought of killing an animal for food is often quite difficult to come to terms with.

Sometimes the animal may be dead already but if it’s still alive, it can still be dangerous and can bite, claw or scratch you severely which will not only be painful but can carry the risk of disease.

A rock or some kind of heavy implement in order to kill it quickly by hitting it on the head is necessary.

For the uninitiated, this can obviously be a very traumatic experience but in a survival situation, you may have little choice. Food from animals and birds will provide you with the necessary fats and proteins that will prolong your life and killing and eating small animals, fish, birds, insects and plants might mean the difference between life and death.

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The Bug out Week end is coming.

The Community of UK Preppers on FB are having a (Bug out weekend)
So why not join them on the 2nd to the 4th may 2015 to share and learn ideas with other like-minded people

Location
The location is Winteringham Lane, West Halton. DN15 9AX

Available Spaces
All spaces are designated specific areas of the Bug Out Weekend location that are suitable for that type of bugging out system as the location is a wild managed area and has a range of different types of ground.

All the places listed here are for the tree covered areas of the location.

1. Hammocks: ---------------------15 spaces.

2. Tarps and tents----------------10 Places

3. 4x4 and off road vehicles----20 places.

4. Campervans and trailers----15 places

There is a large open ground area of the location for the Bug Out Weekend to use whatever system you choose, but I will be limiting these spaces to 40 spaces.

Admission Fee
£20.00 for adult over 16 years

£10.00 for child under 16 years

Free for child under 10 years

Traders and promoters are welcome for no extra cost to the entrance fee

Anyone who says they are going to the event must pay a non-refundable £5.00 deposit per person to secure their place.
How to make deposit payment.
Only if you wish to attend say you are going and I will message you and give you the Paypal address with a payment reference number.

Once payment has been made i will send you your payment receipt reference number. This number is to be presented on entry to the Bug out Weekend where the deposit will be deducted from the admission cost.

Arrangements
Please arrange any train Tickets to Scunthorpe as soon as possible (ASAP) as this will save you money and could be cheaper than your own car.
We can arrange to pick you up from Scunthorpe Train Station and drop you back off for a fee of £3.00. Please let me know as soon as possible if you require this service.
Facilities

There will be a toilet facility in place.

There will be ranges for Archery, Crossbow, Air rifle, live round rifles and shotgun too.

There will be a solar Shower available with hot water available if needed..

There will be a Marquee set up in case of any wet weather so it won't stop people who want to do a bit of socialising

There will be a BBQ for anyone who wants to have a good old meat feast at the cost of £5.00 per head

UK Firearms Licensing Act

For anyone who wishes to bring along a gun or rifle that requires to be licensed under the UK Firearms licensing act 1968.

It is every owner’s responsibility to ensure they are covered under the Uk Firearms licensing act and proof of cover for any such firearms must be shown before you are allowed entry to the Bug out Weekend meeting.

The organisers or associates will not be held responsible for any transportation of unlicensed Firearms to or from the Bug Out Weekend.

See the link belowhttps://www.gov.uk/firearms-licensing-police-guidance
Ranges

Strict safety rules and timing guidelines at the range points must be followed at all times.
Disclaimer

All guidelines and disclaimers will be presented on entry to the Bug Out Weekend meeting by security staff.

All guidelines and disclaimers must be read and understood before entry to the Bug out Weekend.

To be sure of a place go to FB and find The bug out weekend “CUP”

Remember its Called Angling Not Catching

In a survival situation, once you have found shelter, built a fire and collected water, your next task will be to find food resources.

And whilst it is perfectly possible to exist without food for a few weeks and live off edible wild plants and berries, you’ll no doubt be glad of a hearty meal. Therefore, it’s very useful to learn some fishing skills and here are some tips; assuming that you have no fishing gear with you.

Fishing for Survival

If you’re near water, the first thing you must do if you’re looking to catch fish is to spend a bit of time observing how the fish behave each day.

Like you, they’ll also be looking for their next meal, so you’ll need to establish their habits – when they’re active, where in the water they head for etc.

An additional tip, however, is to consider the temperature if you’re not sure where to look. In hot weather where the water is low, you’ll probably find them in deeper shaded water and when it’s cooler, you’ll find them in shallower areas where the sun warms the water up.

Using Hook and Line

Some type of cord should always form part of your survival kit anyway and if you haven’t included a proper fishing hook too, you can always improvise and craft one out of a piece of bone, thorn, wood or a safety pin works just as well.

Remember the inner strands of 550 paracord are ideal for fishing.

For bait, it’s useful to try to gain an idea of what the fish in the area are eating. Insects, a piece of bread, some raw meat, if you can find any, or worms are all good sources of bait.

Survival fishing isn’t an exact science though. The more hooks you have in the water and your willingness to be patient and to experiment are going to be your biggest allies. Bad weather approaching is always a good time to go fishing as well as just after dawn and just before dusk.

Spear Fishing

If you are handy using your knife to carve out a piece of wood, making a spear to fish with in shallow water is another alternative but if you see fish swimming around in shallow water, it’s a useful skill to learn even though it takes an extreme amount of skill, quick reactions and patience. A forked spear which can trap the fish between its prongs works best.

As for a net, you can fashion one out of using some kind of shirt or T-shirt tied onto a Y shaped branch.

Fish Traps

Only your imagination can limit you to the kinds of fish traps you can engineer. One of the simplest methods is to use the effects of the tide. On a beach or area with tidal waters, build a circle of rocks and use small pebbles to plug any gaps. When the tide comes in, it will bring small fish in with it. Simply return to the rock circle later and see what you’ve caught.

Most fish found in freshwater is edible although some will taste better than others. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not a matter of taste but a matter of survival. Once caught, cut the throat and gut it by slitting it from its anal passage to its throat removing the offal as you go. Remove the head, tail and fins then smoke, grill or boil it.

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THE TWELTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2015 13th to 16th 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 eleven 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 camp-fire 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 physiology, 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 groups on site promoting the World Wide Scouting Movement as well helping out with some of the classes and site logistics.

The catering is within the theme of the event with venison and game featuring on the menus plus organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and open field camping facilities (with hot showers) giving you the option to visit for the whole weekend or just to attend as a day visitor.
Check out www.wildernessgathering.co.uk or call 0845 8387062 you really won’t regret it.

The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3)

The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3) will be holding their 3rd year event on June the 27th.

It is an event for preppers and people like minded to get together over the air through CB and PMR for a weekend.

They have chosen CB and PMR as they are license free and simple to work and legal for anyone to use in the UK.

All people taking part get listed on a google map on line and giving a call sign for the weekend.

There will also be a time table so people can find each other over the 2 days and the night.

Most people take part and BUG OUT for the weekend but some just join in from a parked car on a hill or from home if they are not able to get out and about.

On their Face Book page you can see past events at Uk shtf preppers and all so one or two uploaded to you tube.

The idea is as follows.

It’s a SHTF scenario of your choice.... zombie attack, a world war or a flood has took out your town/city and all land lines, mobile networks and the internet is down due to whatever you are prepping for and you need to make a call for whatever reason...

So what do you do????

Grab your BUG OUT BAG and head for the hills!!!!!! Radios normally work better from high ground so the plan would be to bug out to high ground and see who you can find on the radio.

More information will be handed out closer to the weekend.

But there are a few rules......

If you bug out please make sure you have permission to be on that land.

After the weekend please clean up your location before going home (LNT)

The radios used are open for anyone to use in the UK so please be polite and respectful to ALL other operators.

Make sure you are safe, you do not want to call out for help for real.

BREAK

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 of their great renge of survival related products by using the code Midi10 so check out www.midimax.co.uk

Lyme Disease

Every year I warn of the threat of contracting Lyme disease because it tends to be something that most people do not consider when they plan a trip into the wilderness.

It is however something that you must consider as it can affect you for many years, in fact ray Mears had Lyme disease for nine years.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread to humans by infected ticks. Ticks are small, spider shaped insects that feed on the blood of mammals including humans.

The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a red skin rash that looks similar to the bull’s eye on a dartboard. However, if Lyme disease is left untreated, further symptoms can follow, including:

A high temperature (fever) 38C or over.

Muscle pain.

Joint pain and swelling.

Neurological symptoms, such as temporary paralysis of the facial muscles.

A person with Lyme disease is not contagious because the infection can only be spread by the ticks.

Lyme disease is an uncommon infection. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) estimates that there are between 1,000 – 2,000 cases of Lyme disease in the UK each year.

The ticks that cause Lyme disease are commonly found in woodland and heath land areas. This is because these types of habitat have high numbers of tick-carrying animals, such as deer and mice. Parts of the UK that are known to have a particularly high population of ticks include:

Exmoor.

The New Forest in Hampshire.

The South Downs.

Parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire.

Thetford forest in Norfolk.

The Lake District.

The “Yorkshire Moors”.

The Scottish Highlands.

Due to their breeding patterns the tick population is at its highest during late spring and early summer.

Ticks can also be found in rural areas of many other countries including:

France.

Germany.

United States of America.

Austria.

Sweden

Russia

There is a widely held misconception that the outlook for Lyme disease is poor, and that the condition cannot be treated. However, this is not the case.

If Lyme disease is diagnosed in its early stages, it can be treated with antibiotics, and the outlook for the condition is excellent. Most people will make a full recovery within a couple of days.

Even if more serious symptoms develop, they can usually be cured with antibiotics, although a longer course will be required.

A vaccination for Lyme disease was introduced in 1998, but it has since been withdrawn by the manufacturer due to controversies over alleged side effects.

The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to take sensible precautions when you are in areas that are known to have a high tick population, such as:

Wear a long sleeved shirt.

Wear long trousers and tuck the legs into your socks.

Why not wear gaiters?

Wear insect repellent.

Inspect your skin for ticks, particularly at the end of the day, including your head, neck, armpits, groin and waistband.

How much do you know?

As a PREPPER you will need to be 100% self-sufficient as it may be that you are isolated from other survivors for years.

Here are some ideas for you to consider.

HOW many of you are constantly learning new skills?

How many are involving your children in this process?

Remember that children’s brains are like a sponge so they will absorb much more than you and at a faster rate.

How many people have a large collection of HOW TO Books? Have you got any of these books?

Books on hunting

Books on Survival

Books on growing food

Books on soil

Books on building from wood to steel

Books on how to make steel, iron, tools etc.

Books on tinctures

Books on cooking

Books on plants and trees

Books on herbal medicines

Books on human body physiology

Books on fasting

Books on Poisonous Snakes and insects and HOW to do First Aid the list goes on and on ...

How many people have done a First Aid course?

How many people know what CPR is and how to perform it?

How many people know HOW to treat a snake bite?

How many people "KNOW" how to do the following?

Woodworking

Building log cabins

Metal working

Constructing underground tunnels

Extracting Oil from plants

Making bows and arrows

Making natural glue

Make flour from different plants (not just wheat)

Make tinctures

Extracting birch tree oil

Make charcoal

How many people have several of the following?

Axes

Knives

Round wood saws

Single and double person wood saws

Many files for sharpening the above

Manually powered Wood lathe IF possible

How many people have prepared the land around their bunker or home for growing organic food?

Adding organic matter (cow manure etc.) into the soil.

Adding powdered rock dust (AKA: minerals) at least 2 + yards down into the soil.

How many people have created natural defences around their home (or know how to) using things like 2 or 3 layers of different trees with Passive Normal Trees on the outside and then a second layer inside made up of Attack Trees which are made up of plants with thorns, spines and prickles.

Then inside this layer you can run a barbed wire this way when someone runs into this at night, you will certainly know about it.

How many people have studied NATURAL medicine and this includes HERBAL medicine and pressure points?

How many people know what herbal medicine is?

How many people know that PINE Trees have natural Vitamin C and that Pine Bark is also abundant with Vitamin C.?

Did you know that Vitamin C deficiency has been one of the biggest killers of humans through our known history and yet in most cases where people had access to Pine Trees, almost no one utilized this powerful disease fighting natural medicine?

How many people KNOW that just by standing out in the sun for approx. 40 minutes a day you can get all the Vitamin D you need to stop over 90% of cancers and sickness (and it is FREE), Plus it also has been said to stop babies being born with rickets.

How many people know that by drinking RAW unprocessed cow’s milk, you can rebuild your teeth and bones? How many people have a milking cow or 3 on their land? How many actually have some land?

How many people have several EXIT tunnels from their bunker? How many even have bunkers?

There are 101 things I could list here but I hope that you get the picture.

Whatever you think you know now is NOT enough.

FINALLY:

How many of you have actually spent a FAMILY WEEK living next to a river or stream and surviving off the land so that you can make a list of all of the things you will need WHEN you really do need to KNOW implicitly how to do these things.

When the Brown Stuff Hits the Fan

Many people nowadays are quite aware that the world they live in is going to the toilet. Aside from the geophysical part that “seems” to be going haywire and could be nothing other than the planet’s cycles, there are plenty of man-made catastrophes that loom on the horizon.

Never has the planet had as many people as now and the more people there are the more competition there is for resources. More countries seek nuclear devices than ever before and with advancements in technology this is a much easier process than at any time before.

Biological and chemical weapons are also much easier to manufacture because of leaps in technology in regards to computers. Oil markets are much tighter because of the countries of China and India and their increasing need of energy to fuel their booming economies, and new finds of oil fields cannot keep up with the demand.

The debacle of the world economies needs no introduction. In short, bad times, really bad times could and probably will be coming to a neighbourhood near you.

Unless you and your family take quite seriously this possibility, if and when something extremely horrible happens, you could very well end up one of the large number of statistics.

Many survival sites have informative and excellent advice on survival that can help you make it through a limited amount of time when everyday life is totally disrupted.

However, what exactly does a person do IF the society that almost all of us have become way too dependent on, fails to recover for an extended period of time, if ever again?

What IF civilization implodes and only begins to recuperate after centuries have gone by? If you watch some of the ideas people have on survival being interviewed on television, you have to wonder what exactly these people are thinking.

The people that have prepared for problems with the world are woefully ready for any disaster lasting for more than a few days at best. One lady thought having a torch was being prepared.

Even those that have invested in a years’ worth of food and supplies, there are some basic survival skills that need to be learned and understood to better increase one’s chance of making it through a possible long-term survival situation.

Here are some suggestions on those survival skills that will likely be needed after a nightmare has hit human civilization with a vengeance. Each of these skills can fill an entire article on learning and teaching of it.

So only a brief overlay of each of these will be discussed to long descriptions. Further information can be obtained through many survival books and the many articles on each subject.

Situations and personal handling of SHTF situations will differ widely, but the foundation will likely be there for almost everyone. The main objective is to get people into learning and practicing these survival skills so when something cataclysmic does happen, they can better deal with and make it through intense human tragedy.

Prepare for the worst. Individuals can still hope for the best, but something lacking with many preppers is that they still cannot even think about something really awful happening.

Too many of those that do ready themselves for disasters cannot find within themselves to even discuss with their families and friends a calamity that is horrid and what to do if it should manifest itself.

This denial I think leads to a failure of preparing enough beyond usually a couple of weeks or so. To them, there is still that government or other safety net waiting for them when their preparation runs out.

Learn and train your mind to expect the totally unexpected.

The bizarre often happens, and there are events that are going to freak out even some of the better prepared survivalists. A lot of people will prepare and practice all sorts of drills for various horrors, which is wonderful training.

There still lurks the possibility of something so strange and weird that it shocks practically everyone. By addressing this possibility in your thoughts before it actually happens, you have conditioned your mind to at least accept this.

Training for something strange can be done through other individuals within your circle of allies coming up with sudden scenarios that only their imaginations can fathom.

Learn to live meagre. This is practising for when times become lean for everyone. If a person wants to avoid the shock of living well to living under a rationed way of life, now is the time to get used to it.

We all take so much for granted – the modern conveniences – it becomes an automated habit to turn on a light switch, flip on the internet, TV, mobile phone, without even considering this could be wiped out within an instant.

We open the refrigerator and there is food, or put food already pre-cooked into the microwave to warm it. We go to the supermarket and get what we need. We have entertainment at our fingertips.

If this is all gone, how will people handle it? Horribly I think if they have not gotten used to going without it for at least part of their lives. A “time out” each day from what we so rely on that could disappear is quite helpful to being ready for if it does go away suddenly.

Find personal motivators to continue on. When it looks hopeless after a mega SHTF episode, having some concrete reason to fight and continue on is an absolute necessity to avoid giving up.

Many people will feel, “what’s the point?”, and just stop trying to survive.

Someone’s child sitting next to them, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, someone that means something to you can be that inspiration to continue on. It can be just someone’s desire for life that helps them over the hump. Finding that personal reason to survive and fight on is so important.

Understand the world and potential disasters that await. When you can better expect what could happen, you are less likely to be caught off guard. Timing is everything.

An individual that can bug out before something hits is going to be way ahead of the pack. While predicting the future is probably going to be unlikely, seeing a situation developing and acting on it before it occurs can be a life saver.

By monitoring the news of the world with vigilance you can see something others don’t. By becoming more informed about earth science if you live in an area prone to geophysical disaster can make a great difference.

The old adage about knowledge is power is very true, but knowledge is also part of survival and the more you have the more likely it is that you will survive.

Make plans and stick to them. After a disaster your mind is going to be racing around like a car on a race track. Pre-planning and having a written down set of measures to take will make someone’s life go much smoother when SHTF.

Your own personal plan is ONLY what best fits what you are going to do during and after a disaster. People should also have back-up plans, PLAN B and C and D at least because nothing ever seems to go as planned. Haphazard approaches to the aftermaths of catastrophes are kind of like a chicken running around without a head.

Understand how you’ll react. Some people just cannot handle stress, they freeze up and panic overwhelms them.

Everyone reacts to stress and fear in different ways, and even the most calm in control person can go ballistic or paralysed with fright. Addressing this issue before something happens and attempting to come to grips with it is essential.

People have remarkable levels of tolerance for bad times and most can dig down and come up mentally with what is necessary to survive. Any phobia or fear is usually better dealt with before being put to the test.

A first step is to admit to oneself that these disasters can and do happen and then thinking over, even writing down how one will handle it. Talking this over with another is invaluable.

Understand the psychology of desperate people. This is a difficult one. After a SHTF event people are just going to go crazy I think.

That neighbour that was in control during many minor emergencies may be the one pounding on your door with whacked out eyes demanding what you have because they did not prepare for anything.

Someone in your own survival group may just blank out in a zombie-like stare. Unexpected times brings out the worst in people and people should prepare for this possibility.

You yourself could lose it. Again, preparing for this will help should it occur. You always hope that disasters will bring out the best in your fellow person, but often this is not the case.

Be clever and inventive. When the world falls apart around someone, there is likely not going to be anyone there to repair what you have or somewhere to replace it. You will either have to go without, repair it yourself, or jerry rig up some contraption that will function for you.

Much can be learned by practising going without your power tools and fixing things using only hand tools and what you can find in spare parts laying around. Using junk to come up with unique devices that work for you will become a necessary skill you will need to master, should society fail to come back.

Learn and condition yourself into a survival mentality. Homeless people become experts at seeing what others consider pure trash as survival tools. The fine art of scrounging around will become a chore that people will have to do to find what they need.

That bottle on the ground after a disaster can be used for many purposes including collecting something you can use.

People must first try to see in their minds what use certain items can have for them. Homeless people have become quite good at this during stable times, everyone will have to learn this skill after times become nightmare-like.

Know where you are going. Whether someone is going to bug in or bug out to somewhere safer, they need to know where they plan to make a stand and stay. Transportation is a very important issue to consider and how much of what they have can be moved to where they are planning to go.

Fuel will be a huge consideration as the lack of it prohibits how far someone can go. Something else everyone should understand is how to read maps. You will likely not have any GPS system to guide you and the good old fashioned paper map may be the only way to show you where you are going.

Understanding topographic maps is also key here.

Learn how to maintain light at night. One of the most depressing situations is to spend night in near to total darkness. Besides this, not being able to see at night is dangerous. Learning how to make candles and wicks should be a skill to consider learning.

Fats and other oils will burn and can be obtained throughout nature and the outdoors. Long term solar battery rechargers for torches and LED battery powered lanterns are another option.

Learn how to hide. There will almost certainly come a time after a bad disaster that you will want to avoid being noticed at all.

Learning how to camouflage yourself is a good start. Avoiding detection is concealing yourself from sight, sound, and smell from others. Any activity that a person engages in can be magnified many times when the normal sounds of a busy city or town are now quiet.

Much careful consideration must go into taking this into account if a person wants to remain unbeknownst to others that mean them harm.

Remaining inconspicuous can be difficult in some cases, but it can be done.

Maintain proper hygiene. This is one of the top priorities within the armed forces because disease and sickness can and do take down the toughest of soldiers.

People must realize that after a terrible disaster it is not like someone that goes camping, comes back dirty, and takes a nice long shower or a hot bath. After SHTF the water to the taps, as well the hot water heater, may not work.

Bathing on at least a semi-regular basis is necessary to avoid all sorts of bacteria from building up on the skin and causing a variety of health concerning ailments that will then have to be treated. People should plan on just how they will keep themselves clean, even thinking about sponge baths as an option.

How to dispose of waste and proper sanitation. In third world countries and the pre-flush toilet era one of the leading causes of illness and death was and is waste not properly discarded. If the toilets won’t flush because there is no water to make them work, human waste is going to be a huge whopping problem for people trying to survive.

Even improperly burying human excrement can lead to disease. Portable toilets, toilet paper and disinfection (bleach for one) should be one of the top items in any survival kit, lots of it. Also disposal of other trash is an issue that can bring hungry dangerous animals around drawn to the stench.

Burning of your rubbish can be a choice of some, while plastic rubbish bags and the means to find some place to dump them is another alternative.

Learn to control pest and other vermin. This is a problem that led to about half of Europe dying several hundred years ago with the Black Death.

Fleas and ticks carry some terrible diseases.

Even people that stay inside their own homes will have to deal with this problem. People outside will have to contend with the fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, mice, rats, etc., etc., etc.

There are many repellents in nature that can help a lot such as citronella, even the smell of garlic that most vermin do not like much at all. Stocking up on insect and other commercial repellents is always an excellent idea. It only takes one bite to make a person deathly sick.

Understand radiation and fallout and how to protect yourself.

This is one of the least understood of the survival precautions taken. There are hundreds of nuclear power plants that could fail after the world goes to the toilet. There are still tens of thousands of nuclear weapons available for war should countries decide to use them.

Fallout is something that you might not even see and until you are sick might not even know you have been contaminated. Purchase of a radiation detector that is protected against EMP is a wise idea. Understanding about radiation accumulation dosage RAD’s and how to shield oneself against it is paramount.

Learn how to forecast the weather. Without knowledge of what to look at before a storm system comes in, someone could be trapped and die when they are buried under snow or a wall of water from a flash flood.

Even one of those pocket weather forecasters that can be purchased at most sporting goods stores is a good start. Other weather forecasting books are available to help someone get a better idea on what the future weather holds for an area that they are in.

Weather is still one of the deadliest killers in the modern age. It will become magnitudes worst when people cannot get weather warnings over a radio or other source. People will have to forecast it themselves.

Learn first aid. Treating yourself and or others will probably be the only thing someone can do as medical professionals are going to be few and far between. Many places offer free classes on first aid because they want people in the community to be prepared.

A good first aid book along with a first aid kit is something every household should have before, during, and after a disaster. Primitive conditions should be expected when anyone is helping someone after a catastrophe. A stockpile of antibiotics are always a good idea.

Learn about nutrition. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are nothing to fool around with.

Just look what scurvy, the lack of Vitamin C, can do to someone. Many survivalists and preppers make the critical mistake of only being concerned about calories to keep them going. Vitamins; A, B1 through B12, C. D, E, K, Minerals; Calcium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc, and trace minerals are necessary to keep a body going.

Many survival foods have some of what your body needs, but sadly lack in others. Each person needs different amounts and any survival food supply should make this need as important as the food itself.

Vitamin and mineral supplements should be stocked with food if someone is unsure about what they are getting.

Learn to keep body temperature uniform. The Goldilocks analogy here, not too hot, nor too cold, but just right. Your physical body should remain as near to what your body has been used to as possible.

It is not only uncomfortable being freezing cold or roasting to death, it puts a lot of stress on the body making someone more susceptible to becoming sick. Trying to stay cool uses up a lot of water, and trying to stay warm uses up more calories. Plan ahead with good warm clothes and blankets for the cold.

Find places that are cooler during hot weather. Keeping out the elements where you are is essential and should be given much thought. If living outside, having a good shelter is beyond important. is something everyone should become more familiar with.

How to start and maintain a fire. This is for everyone. Having a fire and keeping it going when you need to has been the essence to the very first people on the planet surviving.

Fire cooks, heats water, keeps you warm, sterilizes items, and gives light. Having a lighter, matches, any starter is one thing, but actually keeping the fire going is another.

Making sure the fire does not cause damage to your home or shelter is something not everyone thinks about. Burning of toxic wood or other material is something to remember never to do.

Keeping a fire not too noticeable to others is something everyone should remember because normally a fire means FOOD to a hungry person. While most everyone thinks that using a fire is rudimentary, there is much more to it.

Obtain water and purify it. This is one of the most rehashed subjects of survival but probably the most important one. Most people just assume the taps will continue to flow and water will be there.

Preppers that take water as extremely urgent often forget just how heavy water is and the hauling of water back and forth from a source such as a stream can be difficult as well as hazardous if it is wiser to stay inside for whatever reason.

People need to know that unless water is from a spring it will likely need to be purified and this means some reliable filters or boiling it which requires heat from a fire, along with pots to boil it in.

Aside from drinking, water is also needed to rehydrate food, make milk from powder, and of course cleaning yourself with. We all have to have a certain amount of liquid a day, and juice and other sources will suffice, but water is something that everyone still needs in order to keep their bodies healthy and functioning, as well as to remove toxins in the body.

Water need and how much water will be used is something that is often vastly underestimated by many.

Learn how to grow food and or find it. People’s supplies will only last so long, and eventually self-sufficiency with acquiring food will become necessary.

Many people are into seed storing, and in many cases growing your own food will feed the family.

However growing food has many drawbacks that people need to look at. Water is an issue in dry areas as irrigation is very manpower or animal power dependent. The growing season is a huge consideration.

Pest problems are enormous as pest control, pesticides both natural herbicides and chemical, are not going to be readily available. One of the gravest things to contemplate about is actually guarding your yield, as two legged problems could be a bigger issue to your crops than some beetle infestation.

Hungry people will see food growing and take it, 24 hours a day. No one can grow enough food to feed all those seeking food. From a practical sense, it might be a better idea for some to go the hunter and gathering approach.

Learn how to defend yourself and be willing to do it. This almost certainly means owning a firearm and knowing how to use it and be willing to use it to protect yourself or others. Many TV survival documentaries show have people that feel they can defend themselves with knives, clubs, whatever, but in reality against someone else with a firearm they are going to lose 95%+ of the time.

A firearm is an extension of a weapon that has speed and force behind it. Even the humble .22 calibre can stop any person. Many people think that they cannot use a firearm against another person, but this feeling changes abruptly when they see one of their family members at risk.

Some people still cannot use a firearm, and in this case should consider some form of self-defence such as the non-lethal devices including stun batons, pepper sprays, TASERS, even baseball bats.

NO ONE should ever consider themselves to be safe after a SHTF event, NEVER. People can feel that everyone will come together and rebuild society, many good people will, but there are plenty of bad people in this world.

It may come down to you or them. Everyone needs to practice and practice with any self-defence armament they have, so there is no hesitation when it comes to saving one’s life from someone that is willing to take yours.

These are suggestions that people need to address now, before trying to survive the aftermath of a horrible event that sends the normalcy that everyone has become accustomed to down the drain for extended periods of time.

People that prepare have to realize that when civilization stops functioning, so does everything that most of us depend on.

There may never be that safety net there for us to fall into WHEN our stocked up survival supplies run dry. Much of survival is having supplies, as well as backups for when food, water, and other necessities cannot be found.

The other part is being ready for everything our new life could throw in our way. For this we all need to learn survival skills. At least think about it and then hopefully act upon it.

When someone thinks about their personal needs, an individual can probably add many more survival skills to. They should become quite proficient with the skills they personally need and can use NOW, before SHTF so they have a better chance of surviving some nightmare series of events that “seem” like an inevitability in the not too near distant future.

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Cute and Cuddly but-deadly?

A new generation of killer diseases set to hit mankind could come from cats and dogs, a study has found.

Scientists say human beings will soon be infecting serious illnesses which have spread from their domestic pets.

A report found the risk to humans from animal-based 'emerging diseases' has increased as pets have moved 'out of the barn' and into homes.

Researchers say that domestic pets such as this Afghan Hound could be the source of the next major diseases to jump between animals and humans.

People are becoming more and more at risk because pets are increasingly part of their owner's lives - including sleeping in their bedrooms.

The report says diseases in humans started by animals will be increasingly virulent - like canine rabies which kills around 55,000 people in Africa and Asia each year.

It calls for global monitoring of these 'zoonotic' diseases - spreads from animals to humans - so medicines and vaccines can be developed.

The study was led by Michael Day, Professor of Veterinary Pathology in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases,

He says cats and dogs are a 'large potential source' of the new generation of diseases set to hit mankind.

Professor Day said: 'The number of small companion animals is significant.

For example there are an estimated eight to ten million dogs living in up to 31 per cent of UK homes and in the USA, 72 million dogs in 37 per cent of homes.

In developed countries the relationship between man and dogs and cats has deepened, with these animals now closely sharing the human indoor environment.

The benefits of pet ownership on human health, well-being and development are unquestionable, but as dogs and cats have moved from the barn, to the house, to the bedroom, the potential for disease spread to humans increases.

Researchers say the increased number of owners who sleep with their pets has increased the risk of diseases spreading from them to their owners

The report was backed by The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), One Health Committee, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report said international health agencies largely monitor diseases spread by livestock - not domestic pets.

Professor Day added: 'For example, the WHO monitors human influenza virus infection through a network of 111 centres in 83 countries.

In contrast, there is no such monitoring for the infections that may be transmitted between small companion animals and man.

If you're feeling bad and think you're sick as a dog, you might have put your finger on the cause, researchers say.

There are more than 200 diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans, and even man's best friend can be unfriendly when it comes to staying healthy.

Almost every animal is capable of passing some type of disease or sickness to humans.

Dr Leon Russell, a veterinarian in Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine who teaches a course on the subject, says ailments range from near harmless to downright deadly. The technical term for such a transfer is zoonosis, which means any disease that is communicable from animals to humans.

Most of those 200 or so diseases that can be passed to humans are fairly rare and don't occur much in the United States. But there are a few dozen that are very common and can be even be killers.

One of the worst is salmonella which we have all heard of.

Salmonella

Is a bacterial disease found in poultry and eggs and uncooked meat. Worldwide, it kills thousands of people every year but can be one of the most preventable.

Its bacterial cousin -- campylobacter -- can also be acquired from poultry, but young puppies have been known to pass the disease.

If you cut up chicken and then use the same knife to cut the bread or salad, you're asking for trouble. And it's best to clean off a cutting board you're using, too. Just one drop can make a person very sick.

You must wash your hands after handling raw meat or poultry to prevent transfer of these bacteria to other food items." Snakes and other reptiles are capable of passing salmonella, too, he says. "If a youngster has handled a snake or other reptile and then eats without washing his hands, it gives salmonella an open door to invade the body," he says.

Toxoplasmosis

Being pregnant is not the best time to be cleaning out the cat's litter box, either. Russell says toxoplasmosis is sometimes passed from cats to humans and can harm a woman's fetus during pregnancy, possibly leading to birth defects.

It's best to let someone else change the cat litter if you're pregnant, he advises.

Eating uncooked meat, such as pork, mutton or beef, is another way of transmitting toxoplasmosis," Russell believes. Cows -- and dogs -- can pass along leptospirosis to their owners.

It affects the liver and kidneys and can become very serious. It can be similar to infectious viral hepatitis in humans, Russell points out.

Animals urinating in surface water such as ponds, tanks or even small puddles is a hazard, he says

Brucellosis

Brucellosis can also be passed from cattle to humans, and although it is not as common in the United States as it used to be, other countries still are dealing with the problem.

It often comes from impure raw milk and can cause a high fever and affect bone development.

Roundworms/hookworms

Children who ingest dirt that is used with dogs who have roundworms can get roundworms and can get ill, and hookworms from an uncovered cat's sand box cause skin lesions on humans.

Cat Scratch Fever

Cat Scratch Fever is not a myth -- it's real and when kitty's claws come into contact with skin and blood, it can result in flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph glands.

Nationally, about 1 per cent of all emergency room hospital admissions are due to animal bites or scratches that figure may sound low, but it adds up to between 1 and 2 million people a year."

Rabies

The dreaded disease of rabies has been around for hundreds of years, and skunks and solitary bats are the most frequent carriers, the best advice: Use common sense and stay away from wild animals, and if you see a bat on the ground or a wall, leave it alone.

And remember that rabies is transmitted by animal bites, not by skunk scent or flying bats."

Histoplasmosis

If you're a bird lover, watch out for histoplasmosis. It comes from bird droppings that are often seen on the footpath or on cars, and if you inhale it long enough, it causes conditions that resemble tuberculosis and can become very serious.

Psittacosis

Parakeets can give humans Psittacosis, commonly called Parrot Fever, which can cause flu-like illness and eventually may affect the heart and lungs.

Tularemia

The Easter bunny can be soft and cuddly, but if it is a wild rabbit it is capable of passing along Tularemia, which causes skin lesions, high fever and swollen lymph nodes Lyme disease/Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Ticks on animals can make them sick and the results can be transferred to humans in the form of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, both of which can be deadly. Lyme disease starts out as a skin rash, evolves into conditions resembling arthritis and in its final form, can cause serious neurological problems.

Deer ticks have been known to pass along Lyme disease and dog ticks spread Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to humans.

Encephalitis

Horses can develop Equine Encephalitis and the same mosquitoes can pass it to their owners. Although horses and humans can be victims of mosquito transmitted Encephalitis, horses do not directly transmit the disease to humans.

Ringworms

Most moms know a young kitten or dog can have ringworms, a skin ailment that while not usually serious, can be extremely unpleasant.

Ferrets can be cute and playful, but some have a nasty habit of biting small children which can cause various types of infection.

And what about the reverse? Can animals get diseases from humans?

Tuberculosis can be passed both ways -- from animals to humans and vice versa. If people use common sense, they should not have much to worry about when it comes to animal diseases.

Washing your hands after handling animals and pets, not kissing dogs or cats near their mouths, treating bites effectively, keeping clean litter boxes and bird cages -- all of these things can go a very long way in easing any worries an animal or pet owner might have.

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A Chlorine Gas Attack on the UK

According to Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon Islamic State terrorists could launch a chlorine gas attack on Britain, chlorine gas used to kill thousands of British troops in the First World War trenches.

He also believes that every ISIS fighter from Britain will have been given chemical weapons training in the hope they will come back to launch an attack.

The retired head of chemical and biological weapons for the Army believes the Tube or sporting events could be the target.

Scotland Yard said that last year five muslim extremist a week were heading to Syria and an estimated 500 of them may have returned to Britain.

Colonel de Bretton-Gordon, who is now managing director of Avon Protection, believes that ISIS terrorists returning to the UK are 'highly likely' to use the gas, because it is easier to get hold of than weapons like guns and explosives.

He has spoken out to warn the public what to do if there is an attack on UK soil and believes that it would be 'very survivable and a lot less dangerous than bombs and bullets'.

He said 'I am convinced that IS fighters are all being given training in chemical weapons and the ones from Britain who are likely to be more educated, will all be targeted in the hope they may return to the UK.

'They will have a reasonable idea on how to use chlorine and other toxic chemicals as a terror weapon.

'This could happen on a train or tube or even at a big football match. Acquiring weapons and ammunition is very difficult in the UK but you can get up to 90 tonnes of chlorine without any licence.

'The authorities must keep a close eye on those fighters returning to the UK, especially if they have a background in chemistry, and in particular anybody buying toxic chemicals'.

Chlorine was used 100 years ago during the 2nd Battle of Ypres in April 1915, where the gas was vapourised into a cloud.

Chlorine gas is classified as a 'choking agent', burning the lungs when inhaled in large quantities. But it is nowhere near as dangerous as nerve gases like sarin.

Mr de Bretton-Gordon says that chlorine is being used on an 'industrial scale' in Syria and Iraq but that taking simple steps would help people survive an attack.

Chlorine is readily available in Britain, used in swimming pools and for decontamination in industry.

So I hope I have not scared the pants off you. Remember surviving a Chlorine gas attack possible by following simple rules.

Firstly chlorine is not very toxic and the green and yellow clouds are easy to see and avoid. It is very non-persistent only lasting for a few minutes. It was used in the First World War but dropped because it did not work very well.

ISIS must not get the advantage of an unexpected chemical attack in the UK. If you can hold your breath for 30 seconds and run in the opposite direction you will be okay. If outside you should aim to climb or reach higher ground.

You can also urinate on a cloth or T-shirt for example and hold it to your mouth this will help because urine kills chlorine.

If the attack was on the Tube, chlorine is heavier than air, so it would quickly drop to the tracks. I think the real problem would be the panic that the attack would create in the thousands of commuters way underground. Chlorine attacks are very survivable and a lot less dangerous than bombs and bullets, if you use simple procedures.

I think it is fair to say that it is the real fear of toxic chemicals and chemical weapons that is the killer and not the toxicity of the agents.

For those of you old to remember it is 20 years since the sarin attack on the Tokyo underground, but it took three years and $10m dollars to create 1kg of sarin and I think it is highly unlikely that ISIS or anyone else has the capability to do that in Britain'.

However ther have been crude roadside bombs filled with toxic chlorine gas that are now being used by Islamic State terrorists, it has been claimed.

Used in roadside bombs here in the UK, in other words in the open air, it would disperse reasonably quickly and I think it would be intended to cause panic rather than serious harm.

This would not be un-similar to a Dirty Bomb in effects as it too would create panic in the general panic.

We as preppers just need to keep ahead of the game and learn how to counter these potential threats.

Organizing your every Day Carry

Having a proper every day carry (EDC) set-up is one of the most important things you can do to be prepared, well, every day.

While you can get separated from your bug out bag and might not be able to get home quickly, your everyday carry is always on you to help you survive and get things done.

I have covered some basics on the best every day carry setup before, but that’s really only useful if you’re starting from scratch.

If you just want to fine-tune your EDC however, there isn’t a lot out there to help. So I have compiled a list of ways to fine-tune your EDC set-up so it’s more useful and always at hand.

When starting out with every day carry items, it’s common to start with things that go in your pockets. This is great until you run out of room and your EDC makes you uncomfortable.

Once you’ve got some EDC experience, try moving to other locations on your body for keeping items. The most common upgrade is moving to your belt.

By keeping your knife or multi-tool on your belt along with other small items, you can free up space in your pockets while keeping everything you need on you.

You don’t have to go crazy here and have a belt that would rival an SAS Trooper, but simply keeping your knife, fire starter, and multi tool on your belt can give you a lot more space than you had before.

Moving past your belt, think about your trousers and shirts with additional pockets that can hold items, too.

By spreading your EDC out over your entire body, you ease the burden and make it far more comfortable.

Weight vs. Usefulness

If you’ve had an EDC set-up for some time now you probably realize that not everything that you think is vitally important really is. It’s easy to go overboard and fill your pockets with things you MIGHT use at some point.

If you’re feeling weighed down by your EDC it might be time to take inventory of what you’re carrying and see if the weight of each item is really worth it.

For example, you might carry a small water filter straw with you in a cargo pocket, but you could lighten the load by using a small pill container with some water purification tablets in it.

Another weight-saving idea is the use of a small LED light instead of a standard torch/flashlight.

While the torch/flashlight is better, the keychain light can free up space for other more important items.

KISS

If you only follow one tip then please make it this one, KISS stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don’t overthink your EDC set-up by trying to plan for every possible scenario. Your EDC is meant to give you a leg up on everyone else, not to be a mini bug out bag.

Keep things simple and don’t stress out about it. Keep the essentials like a source of fire, a knife, a multi-tool, watch, and a weapon if you’re able to.

Beyond this just include items that make you feel safe and comfortable without trying to plan out scenarios. Trust me, even the most basic EDC set-up is far more than the average person has.

Less is Sometimes More

Having an elaborate every day carry set-up is great, until it’s so elaborate that you stop using it. The idea of an EDC is to have it with you every day.

If it takes 15 minutes to load yourself up chances are you’ll leave the house from time to time without it, and that’s not good at all.

It’s often better to have less items with you that you carry all the time than a lot of items that you only carry every now and then.

Think about what you need and ask yourself what would happen if the SHTF and you didn’t have the item in question? Would it make a difference? If not, ditch it and free that space up for something else.

The less items you have the less chance you have at forgetting something or losing something, and that means the pieces you do use are more valuable and overall better.

Trial and Error

Finally, don’t be afraid to change things. I have talked about changing your EDC for colder or warmer weather, but you can make changes to it every day if that suits you.

Try items out and if they don’t work, ditch them and find something new. Don’t put up with pieces in your EDC that you’re not in love with.

These are things you have with you 24/7, so you better love them or else you’ll hate carrying them.

Try a few set-ups out to see how they work and if you like them or not. Try your knife in a front pocket, back pocket, belt…try it all.

You won’t know what you really like unless you try a few different ways.

The Deadly Enemies to Your Survival

When putting together survival kits, there are 8 enemies of survival to consider – no matter whether the kit is for someone going into the bush, or if the kit is being made for a teotwawki situation. Taking care of these eight issues by stocking up your kit well will go a long way to ensuring your survival in just about any survival situation.

Fear:

Fear often leads to panic and panic does no one any good…in fact it often kills. The best way to temper fear is by preparing with proper survival skills and survival gear.

Survival skills help reduce fear because you know that you can take care of yourself in a survival situation. Without those survival skills people who are lost are often so scared they don’t know what to do. They’re scared of the animals, scared of the dark, scared of being without all of the comforts of civilization.

Survival gear helps combat fear because it gives you the tools that makes surviving easier.

Complacency:

Complacency is a bane of modern life. Complacency is dangerous because it lulls you into believing everything is alright and causes you to ignore clear signs of danger. A good way to combat complacency is by practicing the art of relaxed awareness.

Relaxed awareness is similar to the art of meditation….it is achieved by being fully immersed and aware of your surroundings. A good example of relaxed awareness is when you are practicing defensive driving. After you practice defensive driving, you remember the entire drive because your mind was fully engaged and active the entire trip. Unfortunately relaxed awareness isn’t something you can pack in a bag, but you can practice it constantly to help ensure your survival.

Hunger:

Hunger can nag at you, slow you down, and eventually kill you. Combat hunger by learning primitive hunting and fishing skills. Make sure that you have snare wire, survival knives, paracord, a fishing kit and anything else you can think of that will help you find and secure game and fish. Also, learn what wild plant in the area are edible.

Thirst

You will die in only a few days without water. Depending on your activity level and the environment, you will need at least a gallon of water a day. Knowing how to locate, store and decontaminate water is essential. Always carry a way to store and decontaminate water.

98.6 degrees Fahrenheit

If you can’t keep the core temperature of your body at 98.6 degrees, you are in a world of hurt. Cody Lundin of “Dual Survival” fame covers this reality very well in his book “98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive“.

You need to be able to protect your body from both heat and the cold. Always have a way to make a quick emergency shelter in your survival kit. Bivy bags are lightweight and take up very little room. You also need several ways to start a fire in your kit. Also, always have clothing in your survival kit that is rugged and made for the weather of the season that you are in.

Pain

Avoid pain at all costs. It can cripple or at the very least slow you down to the point that you are in imminent danger of losing your life. If possible, carry medications to deal with it. Injuries are more likely when one panics or is fatigued.

Fatigue

Getting overly tired or fatigued makes the chances of injury greater and increases the dangers of exposure. One important thing to understand is that fatigue affects your mind just as much as it does your body.

Arctic explorers discovered that if you sleep when you need to rather than pushing on, you will wake up when you become cold. If you push on till you collapse from exhaustion you’ll freeze to death instead of waking up.

Boredom

Boredom is like a cancer that slowly eats away at morale. It is always a good idea to keep a way to entertain you in your survival kit. Something as simple as a deck of cards can do wonders for fighting boredom. To this one you can add loneliness…if you are alone. Loneliness can be devastating.

As you can see, these enemies of survival can all make surviving an emergency much more difficult…if not impossible. By understanding them you will have a much better chance of getting out of your next survival situation/emergency alive.

The office preppers GHB

The recent extreme weather in the UK made me think about what it would mean for people at work, or commuting to work, if a disaster were to occur in an inner city area.

Businessmen often meet with clients in unfamiliar buildings as well as strange cities.

I don’t want to be an alarmist, and while the chances that anything like this will happen are probably small, they aren’t zero.

Most businesses tend to think of business continuity in terms of employees watching the weather report and deciding to work from home, rather than situations where lives are endangered — commuters being caught in a flash flood and having to abandon their cars, or office workers escaping a burning high-rise tower in the midst of a power cut.

There were reports during Hurricane Sandy that New Yorkers were ditching their laptops and briefcases after they realized these items were just making it more difficult to get back home.

So, maybe a small “every-day-carry” (EDC) survival kit for office workers isn’t such a crazy idea. It might make the difference between struggling and not being able to cope with an emergency.

You can keep a few things in a desk drawer or, if you are often out and about, in your briefcase. That means your kit has to be small and light.

The purpose of my kit, my “get home bag” is help get me out of a building or city and back home, and it is that simple.

That could involve going back to the car and driving (or taking a taxi), taking public transportation, or even walking home if the roads can’t be used.

Plan B is to stay somewhere safe until help arrives. It’s a sensible idea to keep an emergency kit in your car, and you could pick up some supplies from the car even if you can’t drive home.

Of course, I always have my phone, charger, a Swiss Army knife and a protein bar in my normal EDC. But I believe that everybody should keep a pair of sensible shoes at work (old ones are fine and you won’t miss them).

Here’s what I came up with for my EDC that supplements these items.

Many experts recommend a backpack or pouch so you can carry your EDC kit, I like the Maxpedition Jumbo EDC from Black Cat Survival.

My Items

A small, bright, durable LED Torch/flashlight. Check the batteries at least monthly.

A pair of light-weight leather work gloves in case you need to clear a path by moving something sharp or hot.

A space blanket to keep warm and dry, block the sun, or use the reflective surface to signal.

A whistle to attract first responders. Whistles are louder than your voice and won’t wear out.

A disposable surgical mask; these filter out 95% of bacteria, ash and perhaps larger smoke particles.

A chemical light stick. These typically last for 12 hours, weight less than a spare set of batteries for the torch/flashlight, and can be used for marking a location or signaling for help. Their shelf life is a couple of years.

About £10 in loose change; enough for drinks and food from a vending machine, calls from a pay phone, and bus fare for you and a friend (want to bet your bank card won’t work in an emergency?).

A city map to plot a course home get one that covers the entire city, shows bus routes and — unlike a GPS or smart phone — doesn’t need batteries. Don’t forget to get a local map when travelling to another city, and if your journey home involves you taking a rural route then include an OS map.

A packet of hand sanitizer, or wet wipes.

A camper’s towel, one of the compressed cylindrical ones formed about 4 cm wide and 1 cm high. Can also be used for first aid or tinder.

A package of pocket Kleenex; in a pinch, it can double as toilet paper.

A travel tube of aspirin, with something like Bendryl tossed in for allergic reactions.

Two 4×4-inch gauze bandages to stop bleeding from cuts.

A laminated business card.

A disposable lighter in a water-proof container. I strongly recommend that you NEVER START A FIRE INDOORS but fire can be used for light, heat, and to boil water (you’ll need a metal container to boil water).

A thin, flat, miniature ice scrapper in case the car is iced up, some people say credit cards work fine. Try to use an expired one!

Consider your specific needs. You might not need all of these items, or want to add more (medication? first aid? water bottle? spare mobile battery? hard copy of emergency contact numbers?).