Metropolitan Dexterity

  What the heck is metropolitan dexterity? It is the ability to collect and use items that are found in an urban setting to survive. Calling it urban bushcraft really doesn't make sense now does it? You may have read about this before and this is just my spin. 

  As the world becomes more and more populated and those populating it continue to gravitate to cities the likely hood of you being in a sub-urban environment when the shtf increases. So why not get familiar with ways to use all of the objects we are surrounded by everyday. There are entire forums dedicated to wilderness survival, but far fewer for urban survival. It makes me wonder how much is out there that we don't know. The likely hood that all the alternative uses for items or ways to manipulate an urban environment have been discovered. I think that it is important to open up a dialogue about these skills. 

  I like to take an object, and sit down with it. If I can take it apart without destroying it I do, then I sit and look at each piece. I try to come up with as many ways to use that object as possible. If it is old or broken I will actually try and make my ideas come to life. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but now I know. It's a fun mental exercise that you should try, it helps you to see things in a different way. These are the things that I am talking about when I say metropolitan dexterity.  Intimate knowledge of your surroundings. 

  This is just a start on this subject, and I plan to revisit it. I just wanted to get these thoughts down and the idea out there. I hope that you found this interesting or at least had a good laugh. Thanks for reading. 

VGB

Gerber Multi-Plier 600

Up for review today we have the Gerber Multi-Plier 600. It comes in a black oxide finish, with a tan sheath. The sheath uses tac ties as a belt loop. Included is a small torx wrench for changing or rotating the carbide cutters.

Compared to many other multi-tools on the market the Gerber is very simple. It has only the basic functions. Such as Phillips/flathead screwdrivers, can and bottle opener, and plain/serrated knife blades. It also has an awl and a lanyard eye.

My favorite feature of the Gerber is the lanyard eye. The only downfall of this feature is that when the lanyard eye is in use the multi-tool doesn't fit into the provided pouch. A small notch in the flap of the pouch would fix this. Another feature I like is the tac tie use as a belt loop. It is large enough to accommodate almost any belt width, and makes it easy to transfer the pouch to anything with PALS webbing.

My least favorite thing about the Gerber is the lack of a real saw blade. This is a feature that I frequently use. It has a serrated blade but this doesn't do the job of a real saw blade. I would like to see the serrated blade replaced with a real saw blade. Another thing that I have noticed is that pliers don't withstand a twisting motion very well. They exhibit a lot of flex when used in a twisting motion. Lastly are the carbide cutters, I have shattered these on other Gerber models. I prefer just a solid sharpened steel cutting edge. These hold up better and can be sharpened.

Overall I think the Gerber Multi-Plier 600 is a quality tool. In my opinion it would make a good back up multi-tool. The things that I said I don't like may be because I am hard on tools. If you are looking for a simple multi-tool the Gerber fits the bill.

Your Mental Toolbox

What is the most important thing that you can possess in a bug out/survival/shtf situation that weighs nothing? I will answer that for you; skills. Skill to me means having the knowledge and know how about methods to achieve your goals. Whether your goal is to start a fire or grow a garden. Having a skill and maintaining it can be the difference between life and death or success and failure. Where do we acquire these skills? Read on and find out.

Our skills are the practical application of possessed knowledge. So in order to have or develope a skill we need knowledge. There are many places to find information. My favorite place is inside books. I talked about the importance of books in my previous post Endangered Knowledge.

Next on the list is getting information from people. People that do whatever task/skill you want to learn on a regular basis. A lot of the time these can be obtained for free depending on your interests. There is a lot of good training offered at volunteer fire departments, volunteer sheriff deputy, search and rescue, and the forest service. Many times this training is free, all you have to do is show up!

Don't overlook the wealth of information that our elders have either. In parts of the country there are still people alive that lived large portions of there life without electricity, indoor plumbing, and having to make the things that they needed themselves. I'm sure that they would love the company as much as you would love the stories.

Another option is attending workshops or schools. The classes these institutions offer are another fantastic way to fill your mental toolbox. Again it all depends on what you are looking for. Home Depot offers free classes on gardening and various forms of home improvement, and they have these a couple times a month. There are also colleges and survival specific schools out there. These can be expensive which can make them less attainable. Keep in mind all the local clubs out there. There are amateur radio clubs, orienteering clubs, blacksmithing clubs, and more! Do a quick google search in your area and the results might surprise you.

Now which skill is more important? Ultimately this is up to you. Here are my personal top three. First off for me is medical. The reason this is at the top of my list because it can be the most critical skill you are missing when things don't go as planned. It is also something that can give you piece of mind, knowing that you have the ability to care for a loved one when they need it most is a good feeling.

Next up is fire starting or firecraft. This sounds easy right? Just whip out my trusty zippo, and light some twigs on fire. What happens if you're out of fluid or your lighter is soaking wet? It's something that you don't think of until you're in that situation. It's important to be familiar and practice all the methods you can find. Do it in all the conditions available to you, bad and good. Learn about the materials in your area. Which ones have the lowest ignition point? Experiment with different kinds of tinder and arrangements. The list goes on, but I think you get the point.

Lastly is gardening/foraging. Now is the time to learn how to grow/find your own food. Not when your life depends on it. For gardening learn what grows well in your area, find out what region you are in, learn about cold frames and other methods to extend your growing season. There are a multitude of places to learn about gardening. Foraging on the other hand can be extremely dangerous. I recommend going to a region specific survival school to learn more on this subject.

So once you become proficient in any me of these skills you can just stop doing it, and still be good at it in six months, right? WRONG!!! Your skills need to be practiced! Always strive for that next level of mastery. There is always room for improvement be it methods or material. I challenge you to be the best you can be at whatever it is you do!

Do you want 42,000 free books?

Check out this website. They have multiple different formats available for download and they are all FREE!!!!

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Chocolate+Soda Can=Fire?

So I was perusing the net today and came across an interesting article about firecraft. The article talked about using a chocolate bar and a soda can to start a fire. Stay with me on this I'm not messing with you.

So in order to start a fire using this method here is what you want to do. Take the chocolate bar in one hand, and the soda can in the other. Next hold them about 12 inches apart then hit them together as hard as you- I'm joking!!! Seriously, here are the steps. Take your soda can and turn it over and look at the bottom. This is the side we will be working on. It should be raw aluminum, and free of dents and deep scratches. If your chocolate bar is hard place it in your pocket for a couple of minutes to soften it up. The reason we do this is because we will be using the chocolate as a paste. When it is softened up smear enough on the can bottom to cover it. Now take a cloth and begin to rub the can bottom, reapplying the chocolate as needed. After awhile you should have a nice shiny can bottom.

Now we can use this can bottom as a make shift parabolic reflector to concentrate sunlight, and create a fire! I thought this was really cool, and I really want to try this for myself. I guess junk food can help after all.

Endangered Knowledge

How much value do you place on books, aside from how much you paid for them? To me they are priceless. They hold so much knowledge. We all know the saying "knowledge is power". Power over what? To me it is the power to not only survive but to thrive.

I don't know about you but I can't remember everything that I read. That is why I love books, you can go back and refresh your memory about things that you had forgotten. They were once the holding place for all the knowledge of the earth. What would happen if tomorrow there was no more Internet, no more google. Where would you find the information that you needed? In books!!

I like to refer to my book collection as my survival library. I encourage everyone to start building their own. A broad collection of books is a good collection. Everything from your typical survival guide up to books that cover performing surgery. Don't overlook subjects like electricity, plumbing, and general building practices. I suggest buying two copies of each book. One to read and keep around the house, and another to store.

When storing them I recommend doing so in a fashion similar to food. In a clearly labeled vacuum or just regularly sealed bags, even ziplock bags with an oxygen absorber and a desiccant packet. When placing them in whatever container you choose to store them in be sure to place them in spine down, and be careful not to place them in a way that will deform the spine. This will make them very difficult to straighten. Then put some moth balls in the box and seal it up. Store the box in a cool dry place. As with most important things I would store all my books in the same place.

I can foresee books having a great value in a post collapse society. If I knew nothing about survival I would be willing to trade anything for a book on the subject. So consider by some cheaper ones on sale or even used, and keep them around for barter tools. Another use for books when bartering is determining an objects worth. That way you will know if a deal is fair or not.

As you can see books are very important to us and our society. I hope that you will consider adding books to your preps. Remember knowledge is power!!!

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."
-Winston Churchill