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!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
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/
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Saturday, February 2, 2013
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.
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.
Friday, February 1, 2013
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!!!
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!!!
Trash is King
What if I told you that all the fancy gear that you have in your BOB,GHB,INCH, etc was just a waste of space and a huge burden? With a little ingenuity and some basic tools some of may be able to lighten our loads. Sounds great right? The down side for some is the fact that I'm talking about using trash to do this. I know, I know that's gross but when it is down to brass tacks which would you rather have a bunch of weight to burden you or pick up some things along the way?Lets look at how we can make this happen.
Have you ever been on a nice family outing be it a hike, off roading, boating? You are out there enjoying the great outdoors only there is trash everywhere! Modern man has seemingly polluted every square inch of the globe. (No I am not a tree hugger) While this may be bad for the endangered dreaded pig snake, it is a plus for anyone who finds themselves in a survival/bugout situation. I say this because if we use our imagination one can craft all types of tools and equipment from trash.
Lets start with the most important thing, water. Next time you are out and about be it in town or in a rural area take a look around and the odds are you will find a plethora of containers. Granted these might not be the cleanest things around but beggars can't be choosers. Clear soda bottles can be used to sanitize water utilizing the sodis method(more info on that here http://www.sodis.ch/methode/index_EN), glass and cans can be used to boil or pasteurize water. Plastic bags can be used to transport water if you are going a short distance or can find multiple ones. You can use them to store your water also. Plastic bags can be used to collect rainfall and also wrapped over plants in the morning to collect moisture that is released throughout the day. Plastic bags can also be used in the construction of a solar still. The uses of these items are only limited to your ingenuity. Next we will look at food preparation.
Food prep is an important part of survival. The parasites and diseases that wild animals harbor alone are enough to kill someone. We counter this threat with food prep. How will trash help us? We can use the ubiquitous tin can or beer/soda can to make a stove or a container to make a stew. This will allow us to eat wild game without fear of infection. With a stove and pot we can also make teas, and par boil certain plants that must be boiled before eating. Using a stove is also advantageous where a fire could give away your position. It is important to note that when using found containers for this purpose it is important to have a good idea of what was in them before you found them. It would make for a bad day to use a container that had poison in it to cook a meal in, so if you are unsure about it find another one. Now that we have water and food, how will trash help provide us shelter against the elements?
The way that you use trash for shelter will depend on the area and climate that you are operating in. I live in a desert environment, so for me I will want protection from the sun. Depending on the time of year I would also need warmth at night as well. This can be done in many ways. A trash bag could make an effective sun shade that is easily transportable, cardboard boxes, abandon vehicles, can all be used also. For warmth a trash bag stuffed with brush and paper can provide decent insulation. Things like plywood can be used to build a lean to, or to provide insulation to mitigate losing body heat into the ground. Being able to exploit every resource available to you is the most important skill to have in your tool box.
As you can see there are unlimited uses for the things that you can find laying around. I'm not saying that these items are direct replacement for the items in your kit but in pinch you could use them to address your basic needs. With the right mindset and basic tools that you can and should EDC. For me that entails a good folding knife, and a leatherman. With simple tools u can make life a lot better in a bad situation.
Have you ever been on a nice family outing be it a hike, off roading, boating? You are out there enjoying the great outdoors only there is trash everywhere! Modern man has seemingly polluted every square inch of the globe. (No I am not a tree hugger) While this may be bad for the endangered dreaded pig snake, it is a plus for anyone who finds themselves in a survival/bugout situation. I say this because if we use our imagination one can craft all types of tools and equipment from trash.
Lets start with the most important thing, water. Next time you are out and about be it in town or in a rural area take a look around and the odds are you will find a plethora of containers. Granted these might not be the cleanest things around but beggars can't be choosers. Clear soda bottles can be used to sanitize water utilizing the sodis method(more info on that here http://www.sodis.ch/methode/index_EN), glass and cans can be used to boil or pasteurize water. Plastic bags can be used to transport water if you are going a short distance or can find multiple ones. You can use them to store your water also. Plastic bags can be used to collect rainfall and also wrapped over plants in the morning to collect moisture that is released throughout the day. Plastic bags can also be used in the construction of a solar still. The uses of these items are only limited to your ingenuity. Next we will look at food preparation.
Food prep is an important part of survival. The parasites and diseases that wild animals harbor alone are enough to kill someone. We counter this threat with food prep. How will trash help us? We can use the ubiquitous tin can or beer/soda can to make a stove or a container to make a stew. This will allow us to eat wild game without fear of infection. With a stove and pot we can also make teas, and par boil certain plants that must be boiled before eating. Using a stove is also advantageous where a fire could give away your position. It is important to note that when using found containers for this purpose it is important to have a good idea of what was in them before you found them. It would make for a bad day to use a container that had poison in it to cook a meal in, so if you are unsure about it find another one. Now that we have water and food, how will trash help provide us shelter against the elements?
The way that you use trash for shelter will depend on the area and climate that you are operating in. I live in a desert environment, so for me I will want protection from the sun. Depending on the time of year I would also need warmth at night as well. This can be done in many ways. A trash bag could make an effective sun shade that is easily transportable, cardboard boxes, abandon vehicles, can all be used also. For warmth a trash bag stuffed with brush and paper can provide decent insulation. Things like plywood can be used to build a lean to, or to provide insulation to mitigate losing body heat into the ground. Being able to exploit every resource available to you is the most important skill to have in your tool box.
As you can see there are unlimited uses for the things that you can find laying around. I'm not saying that these items are direct replacement for the items in your kit but in pinch you could use them to address your basic needs. With the right mindset and basic tools that you can and should EDC. For me that entails a good folding knife, and a leatherman. With simple tools u can make life a lot better in a bad situation.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)