Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
ya’really gotta’ careful with this one.....
BOIL TWICE and DISCARD the FIRST WATER.
DON’T USE THE BERRIES TO COLOR HOMEMADE WINE.
Thank you, that is what I remembered reading.
I know some say that the poke greens are good, but if they are boiled twice, there can’t be a lot of good minerals left in them, it all went down the drain the first time the water was drained.
Of course, as something to eat for bulk, at that point, one would not be thinking of minerals.
I think a dye for wool can be made of the berries.
Thanks so much for getting it all on the thread.
http://www.kurtsaxon.com/foods010.htm
The Survival Foods And Gardening Section
THE FANTASTIC FLY!
by Kurt Saxon
From THE SURVIVOR; Volume Six: Issue 12
You’ve probably never given it a thought but the common house-fly is a potential asset to anyone with chickens to feed. The following ideas will enable you to cut your feed bills to zero and even give you feed to sell. (See also THE SURVIVOR Vol. 1, pages 12, 39 and 110).
The common house-fly and the larger blue and green thoraxes flies are wildly prolific. Estimates have been made that if one pair of flies should be allowed to breed with no deaths, in one year they would weigh as much as the Earth itself.
flies1.jpg (22005 bytes)
Consider, one fly weighs about a grain with 1500 grains to the ounce. A female will lay about 120 eggs. I don’t know the ratio of females to males but let’s say half, or 60 females. The cycle from egg to egg-laying female is 10 days to two weeks.
Say you captured a male and female hung together in the act of mating. Put them in a cloth covered box with a moist slice of baloney and keep it in a warm place. In a few hours the female will lay her 120 eggs. Soon thereafter the eggs will hatch into maggots. After eating the constantly moistened baloney for a few days the maggots will pupate and soon again, adult flies will emerge from the pupa cases and commence to mate and eat, eat and mate, and just lay oodles more eggs. (No need to capture a pair of flies in the act of mating. Just get three or four flies and one or more of them will certainly be females)
continued.....with plans on site for this idea.
Never will anyone be able to say I come up with strange things, maybe, but not like this one.....
granny.
P.S. maybe he is right.
I am pretty dense for someone who has gardened for 70 years and loved it even as a child. Can you describe your 10X100 foot bed? How many rows-material-built up how much? Think it would work for beans and corn. Do you make furrows to place the seeds in? My Mrs. John Deere and a garden cart can be used to haul compost and manure. My soil is full of clay-hard to work up so this sounds good. The advantage of clay is that my garden doesn’t require as much watering as sandy soil would.
I have several hugh piles of loam from a building project a couple years ago. Should I add some of this or would it just encourage weeds?
THANKS THANKS.
Keep up the good work.
i guess it all depends on how
desperate one would be in foraging.
i can send you site on cheesemaking,tho.
Be very careful about those bee stings!! Usually the allergic reaction gets more severe with each sting. Most people with this allegy carry a kit to counteract any seizure.
A good survival tactic if living in the couuntry would be to search for wild bee hives and remove the honey. Hubby and I have done this in our younger years. Watch bees working and take note of the direction they go in. If you’re lucky they will have their hive closeby and you can go in the direction that they are flying and keep watching for them until you find the honey. Good bartering material in a survival situation.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatTheWeeds.Com/EatTheWeeds.com/EatTheWeeds.com.html
12/12/18
If you see a video you want to watch, click on the title above, go to the page and select a video. That link will take you to You Tube.
Video name, # order of production
Acorns #50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28yYMb_RwBo
Amaranth #17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcrZ5XYcbvk
American Beautyberry #40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igKeqZjxPYQ
American Lotus #25
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzPXA7y1gZY
Apios Americana, Mic-Mac, Hopniss #47
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAudL109GOg
Bananas...
Read more... |
Go to archive
Hundreds of edible wild plants. Click on Go To Archives to see indexes or enter the common or scientific name in the Q search field.
Even more videos on making vinegar, herbs and wild foods.
[a small snippet of the page]
This same rule applies to garlic and onions. If it looks like a garlic and smells like a garlic it is a garlic. If it looks like and onion and smells like an onion it is an onion. But both elements must be present. Here in Florida we have a plant which before blossoming looks just like a garlic, even has a bulb, but NO garlic odor. It can make you very sick if not kill you.
The fourth guideline you’ll learn in this blog is that almost all plants with white sap are NOT edible. There are some exceptions and you will learn those along the way. White sap is a huge warning sign a plant is not edible. As for white berries, 99.9999 percent of those are indeed toxic. Don’t eat them. I know of one exception and it is geographically very isolated.
The fifth rule is real short: All mustards are edible. Some taste better than others, or are more digestible than others, but all mustards are edible.
continued.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatTheWeeds.Com/EatTheWeeds.com/Archive.html
Index of edible wild plants
Cattails.
You are welcome and always welcome here.
LOL, I keep trying, may get it right some day.
Yes , please, there have been several who want to make cheese.
Everyone should keep goats, so they would have the milk to make cheese with.
Foraging here, is wild mustard and cactus.
Spearing fish can be a challenge and fun. To successfully spear one it depends on the width + depth of the water + the size of the fish you’re trying to spear + the type of spear head + your patience & throwing skills = a fish meal.
But first let me tell you a story about a fella who goes by the name of “Buckshot.” He once sent me a video showing how he uses “snare wire” to catch fish. Yep, you read right, a wire snare. And in his video he shows how he attaches the wire snare to the end of a stick and then goes walking through some water at night with a flashlight.
And yep, he sure did catch a bucket load of fish with his wire snare and stick and it was pretty impressive too. But the fish he was catching looked like they were either spawning upstream, trapped in creek or at some fish farm. Hell, there were so many fish in the water he didn’t need his stick & snare wire he could have caught’em with his bare hands. They were every where!
Now there’s no way in hell you could use his technique in a real world outdoor survival situation unless under similar conditions. If anything, I did find ol’Buckshot’s video amusing and entertaining.
Anyway, getting back to how to spear fish...have ya ever tried it, to spear a fish in a creek or pond? What pisses me off is the way some of these other survival sites and handbooks make it sound so easy to do. And what makes matters worse is they don’t even teach you any techniques in how to practice and become proficient at it. Well let me first tell you what you need. Yep, you need a straight sturdy stick, one that is not too thick, not too thin and then you need to sharpen one end of the stick to a point. But don’t make it too pointed & thin or it’ll break almost every time you throw it. In which then you’ll be spending most of your time re-sharpening it than trying to spear fish with it.
continued and lots of photos.
DETERMINING DIRECTIONS WITHOUT A COMPASS
SUN & STICK METHOD
(Sunlight required)
Steps 1, 2, & 3
Steps 4 & 5
Steps 6 & 7
Step 1: Try to find some flat level area with very little or no vegetation at all.
Step 2: Place a straight stick upright into the ground and find the stick’s shadow.
Step 3: Now place your 1st rock at the tip of the stick’s shadow, this is your “West”mark.
Step 4: Wait approximately 15, 20 or 30 minutes for the stick’s shadow to move a few inches.
Step 5: Now place another rock at the tip of this other stick’s shadow, this is your “East” mark.
Step 6: Now draw a straight line or place a straight stick from your “East” rock to your “West” rock.
Step 7: And now draw another straight line or place another straight stick across your “East-to-West”
line/stick and this is now your “North-South” line/stick.
Note: The instructions listed above is for the Northern hemisphere, for the Southern hemisphere the only difference is that North and South are reversed, East and West remain the same.
[photos and other methods are here]
>>>>ya’really gotta’ careful with this one.....
BOIL TWICE and DISCARD the FIRST WATER.<<<<
Almost like when cooking ‘Skunk Cabbage’ except that never quite got the smell out for me...
>>>>DON’T USE THE BERRIES TO COLOR HOMEMADE WINE.
<<<<
LOL - When they are ripe, we get bird droppings in a crimson/purple color all over the place... As kids we made our own ink with them, and stained a lot of good clothes... Today, I guess the kids would use it for temporary tattoos - but then most kids today don’t want to get their hands dirty.
WHAT TO DO IF LOST & STRANDED
Do you know the difference between “lost” and “stranded?” Lost is not knowing where you are nor which way you should go. Stranded is [usually] knowing where you are but no one else seems to know where you are. Now according to most survival books, websites and search & rescue (SAR) teams...
RULE # 1 - Before you take off and go anywhere you should tell someone (a) where you are going and (b) what time you will be back or be arriving at your final destination. Just in case you don’t make it back or to your final destination within a certain time a search and rescue (SAR) party will know where to start looking for you.
RULE #2 - Should you become lost or stranded in a disabled vehicle or you’re a survivor of a plane crash, it’s best to remain with the vehicle or plane. As it will be easier for a SAR party to find you in a stationery position than to look for a moving person or a group of people who have no idea where they are going.
But if there’s no vehicle or plane and you are on foot and you have no idea where in the hell you are or which way you should go. Then again, it’s best to stay where you are as it will be easier for a SAR party to find you in a stationery position then to try to look for you wandering around aimlessly not knowing where in the hell you are going.
But if you broke RULE # 1 - Failed to tell someone where you are going before you took off.. Then you can skip RULE # 2 and proceed directly to RULE # 3 - DON’T PANIC & LOSE YOUR HEAD, S.T.O.P! Stop moving, sit down and relax, Think where you may have screwed up, Observe your surroundings and try back tracking a little bit to see if you can recognize the terrain. And if you don’t, sit down, take a deep breath and admit to yourself... “Well it looks like I’m lost, what should I Plan to do next?”
Well for starters you should listen up for signs of civilization. Such as listening for sounds of vehicles, trains, church bells, factory noise, etc that will give you a general sense of direction as to which way is civilization. But if you don’t hear anything, then look around and proceed to the nearest and highest piece of ground and from there look for buildings, towns, church steeples, roads, railroad tracks, fences, power lines, telephone lines, etc that will lead you back to civilization. If there’s no high ground then climb the nearest and tallest tree.
But again if you don’t see or hear any signs of civilization but you see a stream, creek or river, then follow that instead. As it will not only provide you a source of water for drinking but will most likely lead you back to civilization or to some trails or roads that will get you back to civilization.
But should you be on the move and you don’t see or hear anything that can help guide you back to civilization and the weather starts to change, the temperture begins to drop and or darkness is quickly approaching. Then it’s best to stop and stay where you are for the night and begin building a shelter and getting a fire going before it’s too late than to risk getting wet, cold and not seeing where you’re going. And as you read on you will not only learn from me how to build a shelter and start a fire but to survive, thrive and to teach others how to do it too.
http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips%20Tricks/29%20hot%20desert%20tips/29%20hot%20desert%20tips.htm
DESERT
SURVIVAL TIPS
There are three kinds of deserts; mountainous, rocky and sandy. And the reason why they’re called deserts is simple... NO ONE LIVES THERE, IT’S DESERTED LAND! And the reason why it’s deserted is because there is no water, and where you find no water you find no vegetation growing, and where there is no vegetation, no animals will want to live there. And if there’s no water, no vegetation and no animals, then no humans can survive there. How’s that for a definition of a desert? Pretty good, huh?
Mountain Desert - Turkey
Sandy Desert - 29 Palms, CA
Rocky Desert - Ft. Irwin, CA
Deserts are normally very hot and bright during the day and very cold and clear at night. And it will usually take the average person about 10 (+/-) days to fully adapt and adjust to a desert environment which you’ll spend most of your time fighting the scorching sun and heat during the day, the cold tempertures at night, constant thirst and always in search of water, shade and avoiding danger reptiles.
In a deserts heat comes from several directions, from the sun, off the ground and sometimes from the wind too. Without water and shade you can only live for so long before collapsing from heat and dehydration. And because your body is made up of about 75% water, whatever is lost thru sweat, urination, etc, it must be replaced so your body temperture, kidneys and brain will function properly. And so wthout water the first thing that will malfuction will be your kidneys, and after this starts to malfunction it will cause everything else in your body to break down and collapse.
The average person needs about 4 quarter / 6 - 8 glasses of water a day in a non-desert environment. But the taller & heavier you are and the hotter it is the more water you’ll need to drink to maintain your health. To reduce thirst and dehydration in a desert, you need to keep out of the sun during the day by staying in the shade and try doing most of your traveling at night or just as the sun is coming up or going down. And most important, if you don’t have any or very little water, don’t eat anything because it will make you even more thirsty and dehydrated. To keep your mind off not having any water, try the old cowboy trick of sucking on a small stone or a piece of grass.
Should you encounter any critters like desert spiders, scorpions and centipedes, very few of them are really poisonous but they can still give you a very nasty painful bite.
While almost all desert snakes are poisonous, the good news is they spend most of their time hiding during the day to avoid the hot sun by staying under rocks and rock ledges. And the only time they crawl out is when the sun is down to look for food like mice & rodents. But then when it starts to get a little bit too cool…they will start to look for a warm place to stay like back around rocks, rock ledges or inside somebody’s sleeping gear.
Should you become a survivor of a disable vehicle or down aircraft, stay with it as it will be easier for a SAR (search and rescure) party to spot it then to try to find someone wandering around aimlessly in a desert. But during the day stay out of the vehicle or aircraft to avoid being “baked liked a patato” and instead find or set up some type of shade away from it and only return back to it after the sun has gone down for warmth and protection.
Should you decide to leave a disabled vehicle or crash site, always grab a few useful things that will provide you shade during the day, warmth at night and something that will hold water should you locate any.
To avoid roaming aimlessly and in circles, pick a direction, any damn direction and stay on that course until you see signs of civilization or water, and only then should you change your direction of travel.
And no matter how hot it gets during the day, never remove and discard any of your clothing. You clothes will not only protect you from being scorched & burnt during the day but provide you warmth & protection at night when the temperture drops rapidly.
Should you find yourself in a sandstorm and you can’t find any shelter, lie down on the ground, stomach & head down in the opposite direction of the wind. And if you don’t have anything to place over your head, pull up your shirt, a little bit of protection is better than no protection at all.
These are just a few of the many facts & tips that I’ve learned and practiced in a desert, and I’m certain they will help you too. Check out my US Army Ranger desert survival training photos below.
To learn more “outside the box” survival tips like these order my Ranger Digests!
[PHOTOS AND CHARTS ON SITE]
Fall asleep in the snow and this is what will happen to you too. You’ll freeze your @ss off!
digest_logo_label.gif (4437 bytes)
COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL TIPS
See these photos below, this is where I once worked up in the Northern Italian Alps at a place called “Cortina.” Yep, it’s the same place where they filmed the movie “Cliff Hanger” with Sylvestor Stallone, and I was working there when they were filming it too. Which the Italians in Cortina nick-named ol’Sly “Rambino.” Which means in Italian “little Rambo” because he’s not as tall in real life as he is in the movies, he’s much shorter.
Now I’ve never been to Alaska but people who have been to both, Alaska and Cortina tell me in the winter time Cortina is “just like Alaska.” So man, would I love to visit Alaska. And so to all of you who live in Alaska, you are all so lucky to live there. And if any of you ever want to invite me to come over and visit ya, just drop me an invitation and I just might show up at your door step. Or I can make ya a deal, I’ll swap you 2-4 weeks in Alaska for 2-4 weeks here in Italy, anybody interested? If so, let me know. Moving on...
Now these following car survival tips are dedicated to “Mr. James Kim” who died of exposure and hypothermia while trying to go for help for his family after becoming stranded in their vehicle in the Oregons wilderness back in December 2006. Originally I sent this article and tips to a well known online survival magazine called “Modern Survival.” But the website editor basically “blew me off” because he didn’t think my car tips were a good idea. And so I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you think he was right or wrong.
Should you find yourself stranded in a remote area in your vehicle and you are not sure where you are, which way to go or where the nearest house or town is located. It’s usually best to stay with your vehicle and wait for help to come to you than to wander off looking for HELP. But after waiting 24 hours or so and no one has yet come to your rescue, then here’s what you can do to help increase your chances of being rescued.
(a) Just as James Kim did, start burning one rubber tire per day starting at day break so that the “black smoke” can be seen during daylight hours. But should your car tire burn out before night fall, don’t burn another tire wait until the next day. And in the mean time build three separate wood fires about 100 feet apart from each other either in a straight line or a triangle as this means HELP IS NEEDED and will increase your chances of being spotted from the air.
(b) Like with a whistle and gunshots, three blasts of a car horn and then a pause between the 3 x beeps also means HELP IS NEEDED. But don’t keep blasting the car horn until your battery goes weak, just every so often. And if your car engine still works, start it every so often to recharge the battery so it won’t go completely dead and kaput.
(c) If it’s a sunny day, remove the rear view mirror or one of vehicle’s side view mirrors and go to the nearest and highest terrain feature and use it to signal for help. Either in the direction where you see civilization or where you think civilization is located. If there is no nearby high ground or hill, then climb the nearest and tallest tree.
Should you hear or see any aircraft a loooong ways off, don’t give up and think it’s too far away, still make every effort to try to signal it anyway. Because even if it’s not an aircraft out searching for you but instead just someone out joy riding, they may still see your flashes, fire and smoke and think it’s nothing.
But then maybe the next day or so the pilot will be reading a newspaper, listening to the radio or see on the television a news report about someone being lost in a remote area where he flew over the other day and he just might say to himself... “Hmmm, I flew over/near that area the other day, I wonder if that smoke and flashes was from that person they’re looking for...” Makes sense, don’t ya think?
(d) Just before sun down while it’s still light out, remove the car battery, one headlight and some wires that don’t have anything to do with the car’s ignition system. Like the wires located in the truck section of the car. And then carry these items to the highest and nearest mountain or hill, build yourself a nice warm fire and then hook up the car headlight to the battery with the set of wires. Then start blinking the headlight in the direction of wherever you see lights and civilization, three blinks and a then pause, three blinks and then a pause over and over again which means HELP IS NEEDED. If you don’t see any lights or civilization anywhere, then blink the light in all the directions.
But don’t continue doing this all night long, just for an hour or two. As most people who live in remote areas, including hunters, campers and hikers usually hit the sack and go to bed around 10 pm or so. So it’s better to only keep trying to signal someone for help no later than 11 pm. Plus you don’t want to kill the battery as you will need to use it to restart your vehicle so you can recharge it and use it for another night(s). That is...if you still have some fuel remaining in your vehicle and the engine is still operational.
(e) Another option is to start a small forest fire. Though this could backfire and become more hazarous and dangerous, not only to yourself but to others if you’re not careful. But if it’s winter and there’s snow on the gound and the trees around you don’t have any leaves, then you might want to start a small forest fire as it might be the only way to get help. As a last resort, of course.
Mr. James Kim did everything possible to try to help keep his family warm and alive, but after waiting several days and no help came, he had no choice but to go for help. Though he made the right decision to leave his family behind with the vehicle, the only bad decision he made was to venture off the snow covered road which would have eventually lead him back to civilization. Yes, a sad and tragic story that could have ended differently if he had maybe used some of these car survival tips and or stayed on the snow covered road to civilization.
Therefore I have a favor to ask of all you, if you think my car survival battery & headlight tip is a pretty good idea, I’d appreciate you contacting the editor of Modern Survival at www.modernsurvival.net to let him know what you think. Just a short message saying ‘Dear Editor, I just read Ranger Rick’s car survival tips on his website at: www.therangerdigest.com and I think you made a mistake in not accepting and publishing his tips. I personally found them to be ...(fill in with your own words). Thanks, appreciate it.
Moving on….
Do you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter time? Are you hunter, trapper, cross country skier or snowmobiler? Do you sometimes cross over frozen creeks, rivers or lakes? Would you be prepared and know what to do if you plunged through the ice?
If you do, did you know that as soon as your body hits the freezing water it takes your breath away and will lower your body temperture 30 x times faster than if you were standing naked in the wind? That your mind will go blank for a few seconds and your first reaction is to PANIC! And if you don’t get out of the freezing water within 2 - 4 minutes your body will start to curl up, you’ll lose muscle control and begin to shiver uncontrollably? Followed by unconsciousness and a slow freezing death within the next 15 - 20 minutes? Did you know all this? I’ll bet ya didn’t, did you?
The only thing you can do to save youself is to try to keep on resisting and take violent actions to get yourself out of water as quickly as possible. And so if you’re in water over your head and you can’t break the ice to the nearest shore line because it’s too far away and you don’t have anything you can use to grab onto the ice to pull yourself out, the bottom line is..YOU’RE GONNA DIE!
And so if you know you have to sometimes cross over frozen water and you’re not prepared to take a freezing plunge…well then it’s your own freaken fault and you deserve to die, DUMBASS! Well here’s an easy way to be prepared and you only need a few nails and two pieces of wood. When you’re ready to cross over some ice, what you should do to be better prepared is tie some parachute cord from one ice pick to the other by running the paracord through your jacket sleeves, like so.
2 nails in 2 pieces of wood..
attach some cord, run it..
through your sleeves and..
use it like so.
This way should you fall through the ice you’ll have the ice picks at your finger tips and you’ll be ready to pull yourself up & out of the water. And once you’re out of the freezing water you immediately have to (a) roll in the snow so it will blot & absorb the water and maintain whatever body heat you have remaining or (b) you need to get out of your clothes immediately and start doing some vigorous exercises to generate loss body heat and or (c) run immedately to the nearest house or vehicle for warmth or (d) immediately get a fire going ASAP!
When packing & carrying these ice picks you can tie a bunch of 550 paracord to them so in the event you see “someone else take a plunge thru the ice,” you can keep tossing and retrieving them over and over again until they are in the hands of the person. Is this a good idea or what? You betcha it is!
Another item that comes in handy out in the snow country is a compact snow shovel just in case you have to build yourself a snow shelter, (see my “Expedient Shelter” page). But depending on what kind of a snow shovel you buy, they can be quite expensive and a bit of hassel to pack & carry. The more compact and lighter they are, the more costly they are. And the more bulky and heavier they are, the cheaper they are.
Well of course compact & light is better than bulky & heavy, duh? But if you’re like me and you don’t wanna spend a lot of money on a shovel, here’s what you can purchase.
I bought this plastic snow shovel for less than $5.00 and modified it myself by cutting out the two handholds, weighs very little and it works great too. You can use it with or without a wooden handle which can be cut from any old tree branch provided it fits inside the shovel’s handle hole.
Some other items that come in handy out in snow country are snow shoes. Though the really good ones are pretty expensive, but if you don’t spend a lot of time in the outdoors you can get away with buying and using a set of these snowshoes.
Wham-o Plastic Snow Shoes
Cost: $25.00 - Order from: www.snowspeeders.com/snowshoes.html
Personally, I own two different sets of snow shoes, a set of expensive heavy duty snow shoes and these orange Whamo Snow Shoes. And whenever I take off and go skiing up into the Italian Alps, I always keep these orange pair of snowshoes in my camper just in case I need’em. I like them because they don’t cost much, they’re made out of a strong flexible plastic and they’re bright orange too. Which makes’em easy to see and find when you lay’em down in the snow, not to mention they can be used for signaling too.
If you’re an outdoor winter enthusiast who likes to ski, hunt, snowmobile and ice fish, listen up because this next tip just might save your @ss someday. And the recommended items that I suggest you purchase and carry in a small pouch attached to your belt are not only essential, but very lightweight too.
For a few lousy $$$ you can buy a new or used military nylon first aid/compass pouch and keep insideof it the following minimum cold weather emergency items:
ITEMS
QUANTITY
WHAT IT’S USED FOR
Multipurpose Pocket Knife 1 field craft needs, preparing shelters, game, etc.
Small Compact Mirror 1 signaling rescue parties during sunny daylight hours.
Mini AA/AAA Flashlight 1 light source adn for signaling rescue.
Wire Commando Saw 1 cutting wood for fires, shelters & other field craft needs.
Thermal Blanket 1 maintaining body warmth, to make shelter, protection against weather.
550 Parachute Cord 50 ft. building shelters, making animal traps & snares, fishing line, etc.
Waterproof matches/lighter 1 starting fires
Candles 1 starting fires and as a light source.
Some other cold weather items you may want to consider packing & carrying...
ITEMS
QUANTITY
WHAT IT’S USED FOR
Florescent Orange Cloth 1 for signaling rescue parties, especially during cloudy days
8-12 Hour Light Stick 1 for use as a light source for signaling rescure parties
Hand/feet Warmers 1 for warming feet/hands during extreme cold weather conditions.
I’m sure you’ve heard or read stories about lost skiers, hikers, hunters and stranded motorists freezing to death due to prolong exposure to severe cold weather conditions. Or if they did survive their ordeal, they either had to have their fingers, hands, feet or toes amputated due to severe frostbite.
With all these high-speed commercial products on the market today, especially the easy to pack & carry in your pocket stuff. It’s hard to believe why so many outdoor “winter enthusiasts” don’t better prepare themselves before venturing out in the cold. I mean… Duh? Hello? Don’t ya know it can get pretty damn cold outside?
Regardless if you’re only going away for a few hours or for the entire day. If you’re gonna be off the main roads, trails and or away from civilization you should at least carry in your pocket or in a small pouch a few basic “winter survival items. Such as a small signaling mirro, small compass, small florescent orange cloth, etc. And if nothing else, at least some matches a candle and a compact pocket size emergency space blanket. (See photos/drawings on how to use.)
Check this out! This is all you need.
And a modification you might want to consider doing to the thermal pocket blanket (when you purchase it) is to place some pieces of “duct tape” on the corners and also along the sides. Then make somm nice round small holes where you placed these pieces of duct tape so it won’t tear the blanket when you attach some nylon string (which you’ll also need too) to the corners and sides for use as an emergency shelter.
Another modification you should make is to place two (2) 12-15 inch long pieces of duct tape “one-over-the-other” directly in the center of the thermal blanket and repeat this same procedure on the reverse side. Then if you should ever need to use it as a rain or cold weather poncho. All ya gotta do is remove one layer of duct tape from both sides, take your knife and make a slit down the center of the “second layer” of tape (but not the entire length) and then try it on for size. When you’re finished using it, reattach the two layers of duct tape that you removed to close up this slit/hole so you can use it again as an emergency blanket or shelter.
This is how it’s done guys! The real thing!
When it comes to cold weather survival, though there are many things you need to know, learn and practice. These are the most common overlooked rules when you have no means of starting a fire…
#1 - When on the move to reduce sweat, take your time and open up your jacket otherwise your clothes will become soaked and be hard to dry out and you won’t be able to generate enough body heat to keep yourself warm when you do stop moving.
#2 - When you stop and rest, always place something between you and the cold ground or snow otherwise it will zap all the body warmth out of you.
#3 - If you’re cold it’s mostly due to not wearing the proper clothing and generating enough body heat, most likely due to sweat and or not having enough [food] calories to burn. No food, no fire, then you’ll have to keep on moving or you could succumb to hypothermia and die.
#4 - Avoid eating snow and sucking on ice quench your thirst. If you’re thirsty, first keep the snow or ice in your mouth until it melts entirely and it’s lukewarm or you’ll risk cooling the inner core part of your body that generates heat to keep the rest of the body warm. It’s better to be a bit cold on the outside than to lose the inner core body heat or it will cause the entire body to freeze up and shut down entirely.
#5 - Always wear a hat or something on your head as that’s where most of the body heat is lost and escapes. Think of your body like it’s a bottle of water, if there’s no cap on top to keep the water inside of it when you walk and move what will happen to the water? It will spill out of it, right? Well that’s what will happen to your body heat when you walk and move without a hat on too. Makes sense, don’t it? Sure does.
Now I’m sure you’ve read somewhere how to make a pair of snowshoes like these out of some tree branches and parachute cord, haven’t you? Yea, I’m sure you have as almost all survival books and websites teach you how to make them. But what they don’t tell you about these paracord snowshoes is that you have to repeatedly stop to tighten, retighten, adjust, readjust and sometimes re-string them over and over again. Why? Because when parachute cord gets wet it stretches, that’s why. How much does it stretch? According to the manufacturer it will stretch about 1/3 or 33% more in length when it’s wet.
Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t make a pair of improvised snowshoes out of some tree branches and parachute cord especially if all you’ve got in a life or death cold weather survival situation is just a knife and some parachute cord. All I’m saying is if you want to pack and carry something else a bit more useful so you can make a decent pair of improvised snowshoes, you might want to think about making a set of these snowshoes instead. And all you need is some wire fencing and some self locking plastic tie-downs.
Then all you gotta do is (a) find yourself a nice set of curvy tree brances like these in the photos, (b) lay out the sticks, trim’em up a bit if you need then (c) lash’em securely together at the top and bottom portion with the self locking plastic tie-downs then (d) lay your wire fencing on top, (e) bend in and secure the excess wire around the sticks, (f) place a couple of wooden sticks across the center portion, (g) lash them down in place with some more plastic tie-downs and then (h) attach some parachute cord so you can fasten them to your boots.
FINDING, FILTERING & PURIFYING WATER
Depending on where you are located and stranded in the world, looking for water will be your No#1 top priority.
Water can be usually found in low laying vegetated areas...
along the base of mountains & cliffs trapped in between rocks...
and in deserts wherever you see green it means water is below it.
Without water you can’t survive very long, some survival books & sites claim from a few days to a week and as much as several weeks. But it all depends on the environment you’re stranded in and the temperture, especially if you’re in a hot scorching desert.
Just so you understand how important water is, an average person drinks about 4 quarts or liters of water a day to replace lost body fluids through perspiration, sweat, urinating and heavy breathing. And as time goes on and you fail to replace these lost body fluids, that’s when your troubles will begin like dehydration, exhaustion, fatigue, hypothermia, brain lock, etc, which can and most likely lead to death.
And so if there’s two important things you need to remember when it comes to not having any water to drink and that is;
DON’T eat because in order to digest food properly you need water, lots of it.
DON’T drink any suspected contaminated, discolored and or smelly water without first filtering and purifying it or it could give you diarrhea and or make you vomit thus speeding up your dehydration and death too.
So what should you do if you’re dying of thirst and come across some water that you’re not sure if it’s safe to drink or not? Well it’s entirely up to you and depends on how desperate you are for water. But if you’ve been wandering around for days without any water and you’re starting to feel weak, delirious, and downright desperate for something to drink. You got a choice, (a) you can either die from dehydration or (b) die from drinking unsafe contaminated water. The choice is entirely yours, as only you know your own limitation when it comes to how long you can go on without water.
Now personally if I was wondering around for days without any water and suddenly came across some. Provided it wasn’t discolored and didn’t have any strange odor, I would drink it. Why? I’d rather risk drinking unsafe water and hope it would give me enough strength to continue on a little bit further than to give up, lie down and die right there of dehydration.
After all, whether you become ill after drinking any suspected contaminated water or not, if it gives you the strength to place one-foot-in-front-of-the-other and move on. Your chances of surviving and being rescued is far greater than quiting, giving up and dying right there on the spot where you found the water. Don’t ya think? Sure it is!
No doubt you would prefer to have some nice, clean, safe, purified water to drink, right? Sure, everybody would, but sometimes it’s just not possible to find. And although there are many ways in how to find and acquire water, here are the most common overlooked techniques that requires none to very little filtering and no purification. And the only thing you need is a plastic bag, an empty bottle and a couple of handkerchiefs. And the more of these items you have - the more water you’ll be able to produce. And so always pack a few of these in your survival kit, except a bottle, of course.
I can’t tell if Billy Bonehead is alive and drinking it or if he’s dead from drinking it.
Because a tree holds an enormous amount of water, if you tie a clear plastic bag over and around a leafy green branch, you’ll be able to produce water through condensation. Important: Make sure the bag is tightly sealed over and around the branch or it won’t produce any condensation water at all.
No matter where you go today, plastic and glass bottles can be found littered almost everywhere, even in some of the most remote and isolated places of the world. Really! (Well maybe not everywhere…) And if you take a “green” leafy branch and place it inside a bottle and seal it close, by the end of a hot sunny day it’ll produce about 1/3 cup of water or more. And so the more bottles or plastic bags you use, the more water you’ll be able to produce. Figure it out bubba, it’s in the math.
And of course, the best time to acquire clean drinking water is when it rains too. And the fastest and easiest way to gather it is by laying out sheets of plastic such as from trash bags. But if you don’t have anything to carry the water in, then it’s probably best to just roll up the sides of a trash bag and allow mother nature to slowly fill it and then close when it’s full or stops raining.
And lastly, in the early mornings and sometimes late at night. If you tie a couple of handkerchiefs or rags around your ankles or around the end of a stick and walk through some tall grass...you’ll be able to soak up quite a bit of moisture. And then all you gotta do is wring it out into something. Yep, a crude and slow method, but it works!
Now let’s talk about how to filter & purify water.
When it comes to filtering & purifying water, you can’t screw around and take shortcuts. And so you either do it right or you’regonna risk becoming ill or worse.. you could die from improperly treated water. So what’s the difference between filtering and purifying water?
Filtering is the removal of all “visual” particles and matter from the water such as dirt, leaves, insects, etc so it can be properly purified and then safely consumed.
Purifying is the removal of all “invisible” bacteria, germs and other harmful elements from the water so it can be safely consumed.
You got it? In other words.. before you can consume untreated water, you’ve got to purify it, and before you can purify it, you’ve got to filter it first.
Untreated Water + Filtered + Purified = Safe To Drink.
Got it? Now lets move along and I’ll show you how to make some water filter. And believe it or not, my techniques are much more simpler than what other survival sites and books teach ya. And if you don’t think so, then feel free to send me a nasty e-mail.
This first one is called a “35mm Film Container Water Filter.” And yep, as you can guess by the name, it’s made out of a 35mm plastic film container. Which you’ll need 2 x plastic water bottle caps and either some “white”disposable coffee filters, cotton or a piece of white cloth.
Once you have these items, then take a razor blade or a sharp knife and carefully make a circular hole in the bottom of the plastic film container, not too small and not too big. Then take one of the plastic water bottle caps and with either an electric drill, a hot nail or a very pointed knife make a bunch of small holes in it and place it inside the film container. Then take either a disposable coffee filter, some cotton or a piece of white clothe and place it inside the film container and you’re now ready to start filtering water.
Now I’ll bet you’re wondering, “What’s the second bottle cap for?” It’s for squeezing out the last few remaining drops of water inside the filter. And also for covering the hole after you have removed the other bottle cap from the bottom of the film container so you can keep it clean when you’re not using it.
When should you replace the coffee filters, cotton or white cloth? When either (a) the water is starting to drip very slowly through the filter, (b) no water will run through the filter anymore or (c) no matter how many times you run the dirty water through the filtered it keeps looking discolored and not very clear. Which means it’s time to change the filter.
Did you like this water filter tip? Well here’s another one you can make with a plastic water bottle. And two different types, a simple and a fancy water bottle filter. Why would you want to make a fancy water bottle filter instead of a simple one?
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Maybe not all of your water will come from a very good source such as a moving creek or stream but instead from a stagnant and smelly ol’pond, puddle or swamp. And not only is it important to properly filter this particular type of water but to rid it of any foul and bad odor & taste. Which is why it’s good to know how to make a simple and a fancy water filter.
And to make one, all you need is an empty plastic water bottle and three socks. No socks? Then use three handkerchiefs or pieces of cut up clothe, preferably white. Then all you gotta do is cut the bottle in half, roll up tightly each sock, turn the top half of the bottle upside down and …
a)
Place the first sock inside the bottle and on top of it place some “black” pieces of burnt wood charcoal from a fire making sure it contains absolutely “no white ashes” at all. NONE! Or it will further contaminate the water.
b)
Then place the second sock inside the bottle and on top of it place some non-salty sand from stream, creek or river. IMPORTANT: Never use any sand from a beach, it’s too salty, you must use only non-salty sand from non-salty water.
c)
And then place the third sock inside the bottle and place either green moss or grass inside of it. The purpose of this filter system is to remove any foul odor or taste from the water. It does NOT purify the water, it just filters and removes bad the odor/taste.
Ranger Rick’s Water Filter System
Here’s what goes inside these two water filter systems...
What survival books teach you.
arrow-left.gif (96 bytes) 1st Sock Green Grass/Moss 1st Hanky arrow-right.gif (82 bytes)
arrow-left.gif (96 bytes) 2nd Sock Non-Salty Sand 2nd Hanky arrow-right.gif (82 bytes)
arrow-left.gif (96 bytes) 3rd Sock Burnt wood/charcoal 3rd Hanky arrow-right.gif (82 bytes)
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As you can see the most important part of this filter system is the socks, they should be rolled up very tight. And when placed inside the plastic water bottle they should fit snug & tight inside.
WARNING: When pouring water through this type of filter system, look closely at the water to make sure it’s clear. And if it isn’t, then run the water back through it again. If necessary again and again and again until it looks filtered and clear.
Ok, this was my fancy water filter system for nasty smelling and discolored water. Now here’s my simple water filter system for somewhat clear and odorless water. And so all you need for this system is an empty plastic water bottle, a clean “white” sock and then look closely at these photos below to see how easy it is to make. No matter which filter system you decide to make and use, they work better if you can find a”white” sock, cloth, cotton or coffee filter so you can see when it’s dirty and needs to be washed out, changed and replaced. Makes sense, don’t ya think?
Now there is another way you can filter dirty water, though it’s a bit time consuming, it works great. What you’ll need is two containers, one to hold the dirty water and the other will be used to catch the clear filtered water. You’ll also need a piece of clothe, “cotton” and NOT some sythetic material or this water filter system won’t work. Then what you do next is place the two containers side-by-side and make sure the container “holding the dirty water” sits up higher than the empty container. Then take your piece of cotton clothe (ripped from your t-shirt, handkerchief, sock, etc) and place one end in the container holding the dirty water and the other end just barely inside the empty container. Now here’s what will happen...
Place a piece of clothe..
between 2 containers... hours later filtered water.
As the cotton clothe gets saturated and wet with water it will follow the cotton fibers up one end (from the dirty water container) and then down into the empty container. And as it moves through the clothe the dirt will get filtered out and you’ll find nothing but “clear water” in the other container. But for this method to work properly, both ends of the clothe must be “roughly cut” so the water can be able to flow freely through the cotton fibers. Now if you should notice the water has stopped flowing, that means the end of the clothe, the one in the dirty water is cloggged. To unclog just trim the bottom portion of the [dirty] cloth to get the water flowing again. Again, though this method is quite slow and time consuming, the more pieces of clothe you use the faster it works. Makes sense, don’t it?
Now let’s talk about how to “purify water” and boy are there some expensive water filters and purification gadgets on the market today. And the only ones who can really afford to buy them are those who are rich & wealthy. And so if you’re one of those who are not so rich or you’re a tightwad money saver like me, then you’ll probably want to purify your water either by boiling it, bleaching it or by using some water purification tablets instead.
TO BOIL IT – You’ll need a fire and a metal pot or can, and once you have this pour the “filtered water” inside the pot or can, place it over the fire and then sit back and wait until it starts to boil. Sound simple enough to do? It is if you know the difference between “simmering” and “boiling.”
This is “cool” water...
this is “simmering” water...
and this is “boiling” water.
Simmering - is when the water releases visual vapors because it’s starting to get hot, but there’s no sound or bubbles coming from the pot/can.
Boiling - is when the water releases visual vapors and you can hear sounds coming from the pot/can and when you look inside you can see bubbles on the surface of the water.
Now once it starts to boil, to make sure all the germs, bacteria and other invisible harmful suckers are killed you need to let the water boil for a minimum of 7 minutes. Don’t worry about over boiling it, it’s better to boil it more than 7 minutes than to risk not killing all those harmful micro-organisms and other nasty critters. And then once you’ve done this all ya gotta do now is sit back and wait until it cools before you can drink it.
TO BLEACH IT – According to the Clorox Bleach manufacturer, it takes four (4) drops of regular Bleach, NOT the scented, lime or other type of bleach for every 1 x quart or liter of clear water before you can safely drink and consume it. But if the water doesn’t have a slight bleach odor to it after you have waited 30 minutes, repeat the process again.
IMPORTANT: To confirm this dosage is still current today read what it says on a bottle of “regular” Clorox Bleach or call their consumer hotline to verify the dosage at 1-800-292-2200.
I know what you’re think…”How in the hell am I suppose carry some of this Clorox bleach with me or in my survival kit? What you’ll need are some plastic drinking straws, silicone, a piece of paper and a bottle of Clorox “Regular” Bleach.
WARNING: Use strictly Clorox “Regular” Bleach and never the scented, lime or other type of bleach or it could be harmful or fatal to your health.
Then take a drinking straw, cut it into several 1 inch long pieces, place a few drops of silicone on the cardboard and then place these 1 inch pieces of straws in the silicone and wait about a day for the silicone to dry.
When they’re dry, grab another straw and dip one end into the Clorox Bleach and place your finger over the other end to trap the liquid inside. Then very carefully lift it out and over the top of the 1 inch pieces of straws and allow only 5 - 6 drops to drip inside each straw. Then take some silicone and seal these straws close without silicone touching the bleach inside of it.
Why 5 - 6 drops of Clorox Bleach and not 4? When you go to open and use it to purify your water, you’re going to lose about a drop or so. So it’s better to add an extra drop or two so you won’t short yourself of any Clorox Bleach. Makes sense, don’t it?
Once the silicone is dry you can then peel and remove the straws from the paper and place them inside your survival kit until you need to use’em. But if you don’t use’em for a long time, because I don’t really know how long the Clorox Bleach will stay good inside these straws. Then I suggest you open one up every 3 - 6 months to see if it still has a strong bleach odor, and if it doesn’t and or the liquid looks kinda strange…replace’em.
CAN URINE and SALT WATER BE MADE INTO SAFE DRINKING WATER? Every so often someone asks me this quesiton and the answer is “yes.” And this here is one way you can do it, (see photo). What you’ll need is 2 x cans + 2 x [can] covers + something made out of metal or aluminum to connect the two cans/covers and of course fire. For this method to work you will need (a) to place the urine or salt water in one can which will go into the fire, (b) place another can on some rocks sitting higher up and away from the fire, (c) cover both cans with a lid and (d) connect the two cans with a metal or aluminum tubing. How does it work? As the fire heats the urine or salt water in the first can it will produce sterile water vapors & steam that will rise and flow through the tubing and into the second can which when cooled can be safely consume. The more urine or salt water you boil the more steam & water vapors you’ll produce.
WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS- You’ll need to buy a bottle of water purification tablets or sometimes referred to as iodine tablets from a military / outdoor supply store. Now the only thing that I don’t like about water purification tablets that come in a “bottle,” once the bottle is open and the seal is broken you gotta use’em all up within 6-12 months or you gotta throw’em away.
Why? Well once the seal is broken and the tablets come in contact with the air they begin to lose their potency to purify water. Not right away but over a period of time, about a year or so depending on how often you keep opening and closing the bottle and exposing the tablets to the air.
How do you use’em? Well it depends on which type you buy, so the best advice I can give is to tell you to read & follow the instruction on the side of the bottle if you don’t wanna get ill.
NOTE: Avoid picking up the tablets with your bare fingers, because due to your natural skin moisture/oils it causes the tablets to change color and quickly deteriorate, use a pair of tweezers to place them inside the straws.
And sold separately but only when ordered with my SOS Survival Kits...
Army Ranger Rick’s “Mini Water Container Kits” - 2 X Types
1 Person/1 Day Water Container Kit
1 x Condom
4 x Aquatabs
1-2 Person/Day Water Container Kit
2 x Condom
8 Aquatabs
NOTE: Aquatabs water purification tablets are manufactured outside the US and manufactured by Medentech Ltd. located in Wexford – Ireland. And as it states on the package: For disinfection of water prior to drinking, washing fruit, vegetables, etc.”
DID YOU KNOW…Water purification tablets that come in small bottles are only good for about 12 months or so once the seal is broken and the tablets are exposed to the air? That’s right, so you have a choice, you can either use’em all up within a few months, throw’em away or risk becoming ill should they lose their water purification potency.
While there are no known water purifiers that will kill 100% all the germs, bacteria and diseases, except when water is boiled for 7 minutes or more. Aquatabs are not FDA nor EPA approved and therefore should only be used in an emergency only when there is no way to boil water for safe consumption. Provided, of course the water is clear, not foggy, dirty, smelly or discolored.
If you’ve never heard of using condoms as water containers… Well believe it or not, condoms [the non-lubricant type] have been around and packed inside military survival kits as far back as 1944. Really, No BS! Not for sexual use but as compact improvised water containers. Though the military was the first to use’em in their survival kits, it wasn’t long before commercial companies and outdoor enthusiasts started carrying and packing them in their survival kits too.
Now every so often someone sends me an email asking... “Hey Ranger Rick, why condoms and not balloons?”
Why? Because condoms are made of “latex” and are a much more stretchable, flexible and durable. Plus they won’t puncture or break so easy like “rubber” balloons. To fill a rubber balloon with water, you gotta force it in with a hose or facet and then quickly tie it off so it won’t squirt or shoot back out. Not so with condoms because they stretch as you fill’em with water and so you don’t have to worry about the water squirting back out even when you drink from them. How do you fill a condom with water?
Believe it or not, I have yet to find a military, outdoor or survival site that explains nor shows you how to fill a condom with water. And so allow me to be the first website to show you how to do it. To fill a condom with water, all ya gotta do is this…
(a) open & hold with one hand...
(b) carefully dip it in the water...
(c) stretch & force the water down...
(d) repeat until it’s full of water.
(e) Drop in water tablets, wait & drink.
Got an extra sock?
BE CAREFUL: When filling condoms don’t ever place them on the ground or allow them to come in contact with tree brances, rocks, pine needles, etc or you could accidentally puncture a hole in them, always handle them with care.
HOW TO USE AQUATABS: As it states on the packaging, “for disinfecting water before drinking, but the water MUST be clear and NOT foggy or dirty. If it is, it needs to be filtered first before proceeding. Then for every 1 x liter or 1 ¾ pints of “clear” water, add 1 x Aquatab purification tablet and then wait 30 minutes or more before consuming. As per further instructions listed on the label... To use for washing fruits & vegetables for safe consumption: add 3 x Aquatabs per each 1 x litre or 1 ¾ pints of water, wait 10 minutes and then use it to wash, rinse, and clean the fruit & vegetables. Contents: Each Aquatab contains 8.5 mg Sodium Dichioroisocyanurate equivalent to 5 mg free available chlorine.”
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: I am selling only the condom & container and NOT the Aquatabs, they come free and are used at your own risk. Though they are produced in conformance with internationally recognized specifications and manufactured to pharmaceutical standards in accordance with EU medical guidelines, they are not [yet] FDA or EPA approved. Failure to follow the Aquatab packaging instructions could be hazardous to your health, so please read carefully before using and check the expiration date too.
NOTE: Upon receipt of my water container kit it is the buyer and user’s responsibility to: (a) inspect the Aquatabs to insure they all arrived sealed in the package, (b) read carefully and follow the Aquatab instructions and (c) insure the Aquatab expiration date has not expired. Should you have any questions about ther Aquatabs, contact the Aquatab manufacturer which the address is listed on the pacakge.
Q & A FACTS ABOUT AQUATABS AS PER THE MANUFACTURER … (Need Photo of Aqua tabs here)
How do AQUATABS® water purification tablets work?
Each AQUATABS® tablet contains a measured dose of Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate, commonly referred to as NaDCC. When added to water AQUATABS® dissolve to release a measured dose of hypochlorous acid (free available chlorine) that is universally recognized as a safe and effective water disinfectant.
Do AQUATABS® water purification tablets colour the water or leave a taste?
No, unlike other water purification treatments such as Iodine or Chlorine Dioxide, AQUATABS® will not colour the water or leave an unpalatable taste. NaDCC works very differently from traditional chlorine, and as such, it is very difficult to taste any chlorine taste. In fact, there is usually less of a chlorine taste in water treated with AQUATABS® than there is in any municipal tap water.
Do AQUATABS® water purification tablets meet any sort of certification?
Yes, the NaDCC used in AQUATABS® is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 60 and has been approved for drinking water treatment by the U.S EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the WHO (World Health Organization)/JECFA. AQUATABS® also conform to WHO Specification (The New Emergency Health Kit (98), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement specification (Code: Type 21.1), UNICEF specification (Codes: S 1588350 / S 158355 / S 0003245) and NATO Stock Number (NSN) 6850-99-225-1833).
Are AQUATABS® water purification tablets made to a certain level of quality?
Yes, AQUATABS® are produced in conformance with internationally recognized specifications, and are manufactured to pharmaceutical standards (certified in accordance with EU Guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practice for medicinal products), which is essential for this type of product.AQUATABS® are manufactured by Medentech Ltd. who are accredited to the international quality standard ISO 9001:2000
Are AQUATABS® water purification tablets safe to handle?
Yes, AQUATABS® are safe to handle and unlike other water purification treatments such as Iodine or Chlorine Dioxide, do not require gloves, protective eyewear, or other protective gear to use. In fact, you can safely dissolve an Aquatabs tablet right in the palm of your hand.
Are AQUATABS® water purification tablets a new product?
Yes and No. AQUATABS® have been around for over 20 years in areas such as Europe and Asia but are new to North America markets.
What precautions are recommended when using AQUATABS® water purification tablets?
The following general precautions are recommended when using AQUATABS®: Keep out of reach of children. Do not swallow tablets. If tablets are swallowed, seek medical advice immediately and show outside packaging. Wash after handling. Do not mix with other products. Store in a cool, dry place.
How long does it take for AQUATABS® water purification tablets to dissolve once placed into water?
AQUATABS® take less than one minute to completely dissolve once placed into water and leave no residue or sediment.
How soon can you drink water after treating with AQUATABS® water purification tablets?
In most situations, water treated with AQUATABS® is safe to drink after 30 minutes. In some temperatures and conditions, 60 minutes might be recommended. Please see the dosage chart included with each product for more information.
Can AQUATABS® water purification tablets be used in cloudy or extremely dirty water with high levels of organic matter and turbidity?
The more sediment and/or organic matter within the water to be treated, the more chances that bacteria, viruses and cysts will be able to “hide” from the chlorine disinfectant. As excessive amounts of disinfectant react with the sediment and/or organic matter, there may not be enough disinfectant to inactivate important contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. All water to be treated with AQUATABS® should be clear. Filtering suspect water through a t-shirt or coffee filter is more than sufficient.
Do AQUATABS® water purification tablets contain Iodine?
No, AQUATABS® do not contain Iodine. Iodine of course have been found to cause a number of side affects and health hazards when used as a water purification agent, notably when used by pregnant women and/or when used on a long term basis.
Can AQUATABS® water purification tablets be used on a long term basis?
Yes, AQUATABS® produce extremely safe levels of free available chlorine that
are comparable to those found in municipal tap water.
Do AQUATABS® water purification tablets have an expiration date or shelf life?
Yes, AQUATABS® left in their original foil packaging and stored in a cool, dry place have a shelf life of 5 years. Please refer to the expiry date printed on each strip of 10 tablets (MM/DD/YY).
Can AQUATABS® water purification tablets be used to wash and/or disinfect fruits and vegetables?
Yes. When using AQUATABS® to make water safe before WASHING fruits, vegetables, spinach and other produce, use Aquatabs for 1 or 20 L. When the desire is to DISINFECT fruits, vegetables, spinach and other produce, use the AQUATABS® Food Safe Plus product and directions.
Are AQUATABS® water purification tablets effective against the cysts Giardia and Cryptosporidium?
AQUATABS® are effective against Giardia when used as directed. Usually a double dose is required in very cold water (5C). AQUATABS® are not however effective against Cryptosporidium. For more information on Cryptosporidium please refer to “Water 101”. If Cryptosporidium is suspected, boil the water for 7-10 minutes depending on the elevation or filter to a level of 1 micron absolute and then treat with AQUATABS® to inactivate remaining bacteria and viruses that filtration does not generally remove.
To learn more “outside the box” survival tips like these order my Ranger Digests!
There are many ways in how you can signal for help in a survival situation...
GOT A WHISTLE, HORN or GUN? Three short whistle tweets, three blasts from a horn or three shots fired from a gun and a pause means...HELP! And two short tweets. two horn blasts or two gunshot blasts back means “Hold on Buddy, I Hear Ya and I’m a Coming For You!”
GOT A MIRROR? A small pocket or vehicle mirror? A flashlight or vehicle light mirrir reflector? Some broken pieced of mirror, glass, a shiny tin can lid, aluminum foil, a CD, emergency thermal space blanket? If it’s a sunny day you can use all these items for signaling.
NOW AVAILABLE - Army Ranger Rick’s 3 x Piece Folding Mirror! Yep, another new product idea from yours truly (me) and you can only find’em here on my website and no where else. Size: 1 x 2 inch and 2 X 3 inches. For more information on this signal mirror just go to “My Store & Stuff” page.
GOT SOME FIRE? Something to ignite and start a fire with like a lighter, matches or some other type of fire starter? If you build three separate fires (100 feet or 30 meters apart) either in a perfect triangle or a straight line, internationally this means HELP! But if you can’t build them in a triangle or straight line because of the terrain, one signal fire is better than no signal fire at all. But try to build your fire(s) somewhere in an open area and as high up as possible so it can be seen better from the air and ground search parties too.
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http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips%20Tricks/19%20fire%20making%20tips/19%20fire%20making%20tips.htm
FIRE MAKING
Out of all the survival skills you need to master, I am a firm believer that “fire making” is the most important survival skill. Why?
A fire will give you warmth when it’s chilly, cold and downright freezing outside.
A fire will provide you light during darkness so you can see to do some other things.
A fire will allow you to cook your meals and boil water so you can consume them safely.
A fire will dry out your clothes when they get wet so you won’t catch a cold and get sick.
A fire will provide you a way to signal for help, both during the day and especially at night.
A fire will help keep all types of critters away, the four-legged, the flying and the “boggy man” too.
So the bottom line is this, by not knowing how to make a fire it could mean the difference between life & death, especially in a cold weather winter wonderland environment. And so allow me to briefly cover what some other survival sites say about fire making...
TO CREATE FIRE... you need three elements - heat, fuel and oxygen, and in certain quantities and ratios too. Because if you use too much of one and not enough of the others, you’ll produce either no fire, too much fire or a smoking fire.
WHEN SELECTING A FIRE SITE... choose a location where there’s plenty of wood nearby so you won’t have to walk far to gather it. And if it’s windy and or raining, you’ll have to select a place that will provide your fire site some protection. And if you can’t find a place, then you’ll have to erect a wind breaker or deflector made out of rocks and or logs.
LOOK ABOVE & BEYOND YOUR FIRE SITE... to make sure there are no tall dead trees around that could catch on fire or fall down on top of you should a storm come along. And the exact spot where you intend to build your fire, clear the ground of any flammable material like dry grass, leaves, pin needles, etc. And either dig a shallow hole or make a circular wall out of rocks to keep the fire under control. If the ground is covered with snow, clear away some of it or make a platform made out of green or wet logs so your fire won’t melt the snow below it, sink and disappear.
PATIENCE & PRACTICE... is the key to successfully learning how to make fires. And if you practice making’em in all types of weather and terrain conditions when your life DOESN’T depend on it, then you will learn how to overcome these fire making challenges shoud you someday find yourself in a real life or death survival situation. And the sooner you do the sooner you will be on your way in becoming a “Fire Master.” Maybe not right away in one day or night, but eventually over time. So the more you practice making fires, the more experience you will become and the easier it gets. Got it?
Now let’s talk about fire starters, have you ever used any of these before? I’ll bet ya have, probably the matches and cigarette lighter, right? Well some of these other fire starters are easy to use and some aren’t, and some of them just don’t make any sense at all to pack and carry in a survival kit.
Why? Well the purpose of all the items that come in a survival kit whether it’s a store purchased kit or one you put together yourself is to save your @ss in a survival situation. And if you pack and carry a fire starter that you have neve used before or it’s one of those that doesn’t work very well in bad weather, what good is it? And so what I’m going to cover here are the pros and cons of some of these fire starters.
QUESTION: Of all these fire starters you see in the photo, which one do you think is an “all weather fire starter?” (Answer will be below.)
Flashlight Fire Starter - According to some survival gurus, you can start a fire by (a) removing the round mirror reflector and inserting where the light bulb goes a “cigarette.” Then by holding the reflector in the direction of the sun like a magnifying glass you’ll be able to ignite the end of the cigarette which then you can use to get a fire going. Another way is (b) by removing the round mirror reflector & light bulb and if you take some “fluffed up” #0000 steel wool and place it on the two metal positive (+) and negative (-) prongs inside the flashlight, it’ll ignite and catch on fire. And another way is by (c) carefully breaking the “glass” light bulb WITHOUT breaking & damaging the tiny small pieces of wire [inside the bulb] and then place something extremely flameable like cotton next to the wire,s it’ll ignite and burst into a flame.
The Problem? No sun - no sunrays - no heat = no fire! Though this method works really well in tropical and desert environments where the sun’s rays are much more plentiful and powerful, it doesn’t work so well in most other places of the world. But it also depends on the type of material you’re trying to ignite and burn too. Yea, a cigarette works great, but if you don’t smoke, where are ya suppose to get a cigarette? And the steel wool? Where are you suppose to get this? Pull it outta your ass? And if your flashlight batteries are weak or they’re dead? Then what are ya suppose to do? Duh?
Magnifying Glass - Once again, this works well in tropical and desert environments and in most other places of the world. But the better quality made magnifying glass like from a pair of binoculars or camera lense, the smaller and sharper you’ll be able to focus the beam of sunlight onto something to get it to ignite and burn.
The Problem? Again, no sun - no sunrays - no heat = no fire! And to ignite something with a magnifying glass the material has to be very dry, very thin and very sensitive to heat or it won’t ignite and burn. Duh?
Magnesium Fire Bar – Ok, so I once stated “…the most overrated, overpriced and hyped up commercial product on the market…” And the reason why I said this was because everytime I tried to scratch off some magnesium shavings from the mag side of the bar it went everywhere except where I wanted them. And I heard it wasn’t just me who had this problem others too. And yes I also said “..the only good thing about a magnesium fire bar was the flint rod that when scraped it will produce thousands of sparks.” Well, see my up-to-date comments below. MAGNESIUM FIRE BAR TIP: Want two Mag bars for the price of one? Grab yourself a hacksaw, cut it in half and presto, you’ll have two. Worked for me. WARNING: Cut outdoors - NOT indoors or FIRE!
The Problem? If you can scrape and keep all the tiny pieces of magnesium shavings together in a nice small little pile on or near what you’re trying to ignite. With just a few well placed sparks you should be able to ignit it. But... it’s hard as hell to try to keep all those tiny magnesium shavings together.
The Solution? I came up with this idea after trying it out with my Magnesium & Steel Fire Rod and it works great. What you need is a half a bamboo stick the same length as your magnesium fire starter or fire rod and drill a hole on one end so you can attach it to your fire starter. To use, just lay down this half of bamboo stick, place your mag bar or rod on top of it and scrape off some shaving. What this bamboo stick does is catch all the mag shavings so you can place’em where you want in a nice tight pile and ignite’em easier too. Works for me, check it out!
Here’s how you make a Mag Bar “magnesium catcher” out of a piece of bamboo and how to use so you can emplace’em where you want’em.
And here’s how I made a smaller version for my “Magnesium Fire Rod,” the same type that comes with all my SOS Survival Kits.
Zippo Lighters - A long time ago I read an article about Zippo Lighters in an old magazine called “The American Survival Guide.” It was written by some survival guru “idiot” who claimed a Zippo lighter makes a great survival [kit] fire starter. Yep, they’re pretty durable all right, easy to use and will start a fire in seconds too.
The Problem? Anyone who has ever owned a Zippo lighter will tell you the lighter fluid doesn’t last very long. And so you either gotta refill it often or carry a can of lighter fluid around with you. Duh? To the writer who wrote that “Zippo article…” don’t take this personal, but I think you’re freakin idiot if you think they make great survival kit fire starters!”
UPDATE: Nope, I didn’t change my mind, I still think the writer of that Zippo article is [still] a freakin idiot. Including another one who recently wrote and complained to me about what I said about the Zippo and this other idiot. And so now there’s two Zippo idiots in my book, to see what he wrote, go to my “Zippo& Spark-lite” page.
Butane Lighters - One of the most commonly used fire starters carried in a survival kit because they’re small, compact, inexpensive and will last a long time too. Though they come in assorted colors, it’s best to pack & carry either an orange or red BIC lighter just in case you accidentally drop it, it’ll be easier to find on the ground. The least preferred colors are white and green because should you drop’em in the snow or some tall grass… they’ll be hard to find.
The Problem? In extreme cold weather the gas/liquid inside butane lighters will freeze up. So to make sure they don’t freeze up and they’ll keep on working it’s best to keep them next to your warm body such as in your pocket and NOT inside your pack or rucksack.
Flint & Steel - What our early ancestors used to get a fire going. No doubt an excellent fire starter back in the old, old, old days and works by carefully striking the flint with a piece of steel thus sending small tiny chips of hot steel onto some dry tinder and then blowing on it to create a flame.
The Problem? Takes lots and lots of practice, patience and skill, not very easy to master and works terrible in bad weather.
Waterproof Match Containers - If you buy the one with the “flint” on the bottom, when your matches run out you can use it as a back up fire starter. But before placing any matches inside the container, cover them with candle wax to further waterproof’em and to make’em burn longer too.
The Problem? Holds about 36 x wooden matches, but if you stuff it full of cotton balls and matches too, when you run out of matches you can use the flint [on the bottom] to ignite the cotton, or vice versa. Or better yet, break the wooden matches in half so you can store inside 72 short matches instead of just 36 long ones but they gotta be “strike-anywhere-matches.”
The Four-Finger-Fire-Starter - The smallest, compact, self-contained, fire starter on the market, developed by yours truly… US Army Ranger Rick!
The Problem? Nothing, works great! That is until I decided to stop making them. The reason? I don’t have time anymore, I’m too damn busy doing other things. But if you go to my “Zippo & Spark-lite” page you’ll be shown how to make’em yourself out of a BIC lighter.
ANSWER to my question as to which of these fire starters is an all weather fire starter? The magnesium & flint fire bar and my magnesium & flint fire rod that come with all my SOS Survival Kits. Should your tinder become damp or wet, all you have to do is just scrape a few magnesium shavings from the mag side, place the flint side down near the shaving and then run your knife vigorously across the flint to produce a shower of sparks and presto – you’ve got FIRE!
Now let’s move on and talk about how to start and create fire...
TINDER - This is the primary fire starting material needed to get a fire going and it needs to be made out of some very fine, thin, dry, hairy material that is very sensitive to heat so all it takes is a single spark to ignite it. Such as some very fine, thin, dry grass, pine needles, shredded bark, and any plants that contain something similar to “cotton” like these plants below that will ignite and burst into a flame very easily.
And as Army Ranger George W. Jasper describes in his book called Six Ways In & Twelve Ways Out “…in order to get a fire going you need to make a tinder ball, which is nothing more then twisting, ripping and fluffing up your tinder with your hands until it’s about the size of a tennis ball and will only take a spark or two to ignite and burst into a flame.”
What I like to do is make my own “mini tinder balls” out of cotton balls and Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly and then carry them inside a small plastic 35mm film container. They’re extremely flamable and easy to make, all you gotta do is stretch, fluff & spread out a cotton ball, add a little bit of Vaseline/PG to it and then roll it back up and squeeze out the excess.
When you’re ready to use’em, all you gotta do is “stretch, spread & fluff’em up” and then all it takes is a spark to ignite’em and they’ll burn for about 3 minutes. Note: If you can’t get them to ignite, the reason is (a) you didn’t stretch, spread & fluff’em up it enough and or (b) you didn’t squeeze out all the excess Vaseline/PG.
If you’re lazy and rich you can buy pre-made tinder or fuel tabs from almost any military, camping & outdoor supply store. Or if you wanna save some $$$ just buy yourself a package of “Magic Candles” that you can’t blow out once they’re lite. Once they’re lite they work great in getting a fire going and you don’t have to worry about the wind blowing’em out either, very inexpensive too.
KINDLING - Are thin, narrow, short pieces of wood that must be placed on or above the tinder according to it’s thickness & size so they’ll ignite and burn more easily and rapidly. Which you must first start with toothpick size, then pencil size, then magic marker size, then broom handle size and so on.
FUEL- Once the kindling starts to burn, then you’re ready to start tossing in wrist, arm, and leg size fire wood. But be careful not to place too much wood on the fire or you could choke off the oxygen and it’ll start to smothering and smoking. And if it does do this, then you’ll need to remove some of the wood and then gently blow on the hot coals to get it to stop smoking and start burning again. Then gradually place some more wood on it until you have the size of fire you want. Remember: The smaller the fire - the less wood it takes to keep it going. The bigger the fire - the more wood and more work you’ll have to do to keep it going.
I once read in someone’s book “...the difference between a cowboy fire and an [American] indian fire is that cowboys like to build big ol’camp fires and spend all their time gathering wood trying to keep it going. While indians like to gather all their wood first and then a build small camp fire so their fire wood will last them throughout the whole day or night.” Makes sense, don’t you think? Sure does! Now we’re ready to discuss the different types of “fire layouts,” here’s what some of them look like and how to make’em.
THE TEEPEE FIRE - First place your tinder ball on the ground and then carefully construct a cone shape teepee around it starting with toothpicks and then pencil size sticks. But make sure you leave a doorway open so you can get in and ignite the tinder in the center.
Once the teepee fire is going, you can either continue to keep it burning like a teepee by adding more wood to it in a cone shape pattern, or you can change it into another layout such as these fires below...
THE STAR - This layout works great when you’ve got some long, thick, wood to burn but no way to cut them. And so what you do is place them in a star shape pattern and burn’em starting at the ends. And as they burn up, you push them further into the fire to keep it going.
THE PYRAMID - A long, lasting fire requiring very little attention once it’s constructed and starts to burn. Must be built in layers with the bottom being the thickest & longest to the top being the thinnest & shortest. Must be ignited at the very top so the fire will burn downward in stages.
Got A Question About Fire Making? No problem, my fire master buddy “Bow” Beauchamp will be happy to help ya out. Contact him at: allansue@cyberbeach.net
http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips%20Tricks/18%20expedient%20shelters/18%20expedient%20shelters.htm
EXPEDIENT SHELTERS
What’s a shelter? A shelter is something that protects you from the weather, temperature, and surrounding terrain. Such as by using it to keep warm, dry, cool, reduce thirst, retain body heat, and get a good night sleep too. And for starters, there are two types of trees that can be used as natural shelters and I like to call’em “rain drop deflectors” and “snow flake catchers.” And here’s what they look like…
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