A Survival Thread

[Ahabstar]

Been a long time since i did just a back to the basics type of survival thread. And this is something that is in my wheelhouse so why not start a thread a see where it goes. Maybe I will do it as one stop quasi blog of a thread rather than doing a separate thread for every little topic. 

Rather than start with Rules of Three or whats the best bits of gear for EDC. The first thing to do is to take stock of your situation. 

Take a breath. This is the chance to calm down and eliminate anxiety. By all means use your adrenaline to get out of immediate danger. But stop and focus as soon as you can to get yourself under control and not act in a panicked state. 

Take stock. You have items in your pockets or very close nearby. You may not have a piece of "traditional" gear. But do you have pocket change? You can cold forge a coin into a makeshift thumb knife using a couple rocks. 

Know things. You may have to look at the world around you with a scavenger's eye. Don't have paracord in your stock? Better know how to make cordage out of natural materials. Thinking out of the box requires a working knowledge of how things work or are made. 

Walking. If you was to ask me what is the number one thing you can do to start prepping or become a Bushcrafter or Survivalist. That would be walking to rebuild your endurance. if you think back to being a child, running and playing all day, climbing trees, etc...those days are gone typically by 35-40. Walking, hiking, walking tours...whatever you do, rebuild that endurance. Done for the day isn't helpful after only moving for 30 minutes. Yes it is rough. but you can do it. 

While you are walking, learn things like identifying edible and medicinal plants in your area. Knowing where cattails are in your area is like knowing where Walmart is as the list of what cattails can provide is amazing.

[kdog]

Thank you for starting this thread. 

I think a good start to survival is situational awareness. 

Evaluate what is going on and what you have to work with. Like you said, try to be somewhat prepared for anything, but be able to adapt quickly.

[guohua]

@"Ahabstar" 
I think that is a good idea.
A thread is easier for me to follow than a Blog, YUP, I don't understand that either 

But we do have a Blogging area at R-N.  Here Blogging link

[Lumenari]

You caught me going out to a party I'm hosting so I'll give you a better post tomorrow (if I survive tonight!)

I am lucky that the back of my property is LOLO National Forest.

So the way I do it is to walk out there dressed for work for the day.

And stay out for a week or two.

You'd be amazed at what you can learn...

[guohua]

You caught me going out to a party I'm hosting so I'll give you a better post tomorrow (if I survive tonight!)

I am lucky that the back of my property is LOLO National Forest.

So the way I do it is to walk out there dressed for work for the day.

And stay out for a week or two.

You'd be amazed at what you can learn...

Love It! My husband and I often take off for a week or 10 days camping and fishing.

[Wallfire]

I shall watch how this develops

[Ahabstar]

NEW TOPIC: The Rule of Three

It may be too "basic" but as this can become a very long thread, I feel it best to detail just what I just spoke about before delving deeper into more advanced subjects since I don't know the audience's level of experience and refreshers never hurt as you can see the synchronicity and synergies among concepts.  I will try to remember to preface a post with a topic change to make it easier to sort random commentary from a different concepts. Moving on doesn't mean an older topic is done. I suspect there will always be questions about various traps long after discussing them. But that is way ahead of myself right now. 

The Rule of Three 
3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
3 months without companionship

Will you die breaking these rules? No, that would make them laws and not rules. Can you die before time is up? Yes. I can't hold my breath three minutes in toxic smoke environment or on a deep dive underwater. And I have heard 3 seconds on the surface of the sun, but honestly you would probably burn up long before hitting the heliosphere.  

But the reasons while these rules (of thumb) are good to know is that it helps you prioritize while taking stock of your situation. Fire is shelter, because dying of hypothermia will happen long before dehydration in most cases. And boiling water before drinking it is going to require a fire. Which I know you all get, but maybe haven't been forced to think in such order of priorities. 

But surely I am pulling your leg on the last one. Isolation and cabin fever impact everyone, including my own self. In Cast Away, Tom Hanks depended on Wilson so much that he contemplated swimming away from the raft to search for him. That whole relationship was so Tom Hanks had dialogue but also to address that last point. 

I can also tell you that a much higher number people than you would expect also suffer from that final point. That they limit their deeper connections with other human beings digitally. It shows when dealing with them if you know what to look for. Seen it quite a bit over the years and decades online...and not only where you might be thinking, but all over. In fact it was quite common in IRC and ICQ back in the day.

[guohua]

@"Ahabstar" 

NEW TOPIC: The Rule of Three

Just brilliant, nicely done. 

[Ahabstar]

New Topic: Okay Seriously, What Gear Do I Really Need?

Seriously, if you are knowledgeable enough, are not in a bad situation immediately and have luck on your side; you can survive as naked as the day you were born. But that is a big old “if” right there. Gear is either tools to make things easier or items needed that you save time and effort by carrying them rather than making them. 

Cordage can be made. Far easier to carry some paracord or bank line. Far better to have a pack to store things that you have to carry than to weave a quick basket. A tent goes up so much faster than building a good lean-to or debris hut. And very portable unlike the debris hut. 

You eventually start evaluating weight versus worth. Which is where you start shifting from car camping (and glamping) to actually getting into hiking and survival subjects. The kits you have or make is situational dependent. Ideally, you should never be without a decent pocket knife minimum, but a full tang fixed blade is preferred. The reason being, is less points of failure.

[senona]

Being as I have been alone for the past year since my husband is no longer here with me (in nursing home due to dementia), being isolated has become the norm for me.

Which has made the shutdown for the past 3 months easy for me to handle more so than the majority of people.

 

Now I give credit to my sister and brother in law, as to being preppers to an extent.
And giving me hints here and there, some of which Jim and I are familiar with.


Recently, I went out of town for a few days and threw my clothes in a plastic bag, which was easier than digging out my luggage that Jim and I only used when we would go to Vegas.


My sister, @"CottonGinWaste" , told me they use backpacks when they go anywhere, easy to throw in the car and grab,  plus it is their prepper bag.

So I got to thinking about it and bought me a backpack to use next time I go out of town, and I've slowly added simple survival tools that may be needed in a SHTF scenario. (rope, knife, matches, lighter etc etc)




I'm still learning, so please keep posting 

[Ahabstar]

Being as I have been alone for the past year since my husband is no longer here with me (in nursing home due to dementia), being isolated has become the norm for me.

Which has made the shutdown for the past 3 months easy for me to handle more so than the majority of people.

 

Now I give credit to my sister and brother in law, as to being preppers to an extent.
And giving me hints here and there, some of which Jim and I are familiar with.


Recently, I went out of town for a few days and threw my clothes in a plastic bag, which was easier than digging out my luggage that Jim and I only used when we would go to Vegas.


My sister, @"CottonGinWaste" , told me they use backpacks when they go anywhere, easy to throw in the car and grab,  plus it is their prepper bag.

So I got to thinking about it and bought me a backpack to use next time I go out of town, and I've slowly added simple survival tools that may be needed in a SHTF scenario. (rope, knife, matches, lighter etc etc)




I'm still learning, so please keep posting 

The experts will say have a couple ways to make fire, and to know as many ways as you can. And you will hear everything under the sun as THE things to carry. My number one is a good old Bic lighter. They literally last for months of daily use and you still have the flint and steel wheel long after the butane is gone. My number two method is fire steel rod into char cloth. 

You will see article after article about survival kit in an Altoids tin....snore fest other that practicing thinking outside the box to reduce space and weight in my opinion. That tin is best used for making char cloth which can be 100% cotton (or since this is about living off the land if need be) use gathered up cattail fluff.

[Bally002]

Love It! My husband and I often take off for a week or 10 days camping and fishing.

That's the spice in life.  'True Love' and I do the same.  Not often. Nothing like unwinding while camping and fishing.  We share with our dogs of course.  Pretty cramped in the tent but warm.

Kind regards,

Bally.

[hutch622]

Love It! My husband and I often take off for a week or 10 days camping and fishing.

That's the spice in life.  'True Love' and I do the same.  Not often. Nothing like unwinding while camping and fishing.  We share with our dogs of course.  Pretty cramped in the tent but warm.

Kind regards,

Bally.

Up where you are most nights would only be a two dog night wouldn't they . Not sure if some would understand that . lol

[hutch622]

Pretty sure i agree with most that has been said so far . My first thought was you really need to know where you are . Learn how to find north , its not hard , or south as it turns out when i went to the US . And the same rules apply at night time .  Its alway east to west . Small magnifying glass if your prepping , bics run out after a while and making fire the traditional way is pretty hard . Simple utility knife like a leatherman would be a must as well . Weighs next to nothing but can do so many things . Last would be a real of fishing line , 500 meters of 30 pound line will bring the total weight up to about 1-2 pounds at most . Keep it light . Oh and something you never see in disaster movies , a bike .

[TheRedneck]

New Topic: Okay Seriously, What Gear Do I Really Need?

Seriously, if you are knowledgeable enough, are not in a bad situation immediately and have luck on your side; you can survive as naked as the day you were born. But that is a big old “if” right there. Gear is either tools to make things easier or items needed that you save time and effort by carrying them rather than making them. 

Cordage can be made. Far easier to carry some paracord or bank line. Far better to have a pack to store things that you have to carry than to weave a quick basket. A tent goes up so much faster than building a good lean-to or debris hut. And very portable unlike the debris hut. 

You eventually start evaluating weight versus worth. Which is where you start shifting from car camping (and glamping) to actually getting into hiking and survival subjects. The kits you have or make is situational dependent. Ideally, you should never be without a decent pocket knife minimum, but a full tang fixed blade is preferred. The reason being, is less points of failure.

One thing I always take into account is to make sure I am looking at what I have, not what I don't have.

I think it is human nature to wish for things. I see people do it all the time: "If I had this, I could do that." My thinking is different: "I need to do that; what do I have to work with?" All it takes is some practice, and you'll soon realize there are so many possibilities that are overlooked. We as a society throw away far more than we use, and much of that is simply scattered around the countryside. Need a way to catch fish? A rod and reel would be wonderful, but all you really need is a little line, a piece of dry wood for a float, a long stick for a rod, and a rusty spring for a hook (I recommend you take the time to clean it up a bit before using it). Bait is a dragonfly or, if you like catfish around here, anything that is dead or dying.

If you can't find an old spring off of something mechanical, you can actually whittle one... just make a  barb on a small stick of wood. The fish don't care if it's shiny or not... they're not rednecks.

Look around the side of a road... people throw out lighters all the time. Some are out of fluid; others are out of flint or the flint broke. Use one of each together and you have a two-handed Bic lighter.

Need a torch? I'd bet you can find some styrofoam someone threw away. Just set it on fire and as it melts, twist it on the end of a stick. After a few minutes, you'll have a nice torch that will stay burning for a couple hours. Can't find styrofoam? 2-liter bottles work well too, just cut them into strips and wrap them tightly around the stick and melt the strip together.

Here's a good one: assume it has just finished raining and you need a fire. All the tinder is wet. How to dry it out quickly? Find a strip of old cloth and let it dry... that usually consists of nothing more than hanging it over something and letting the air dry it out over the space of an hour or two. Now get the least-wet tinder you can find and pile it on a raised area. The cloth will catch fire pretty easily and will burn HOT... that will dry out the tinder and you can build a nice, roaring fire from damp surroundings. Add some cedar shavings  and needles to that tinder and you'll speed it up even more... even wet, cedar needles burn well once lit. They tend to exude a flammable gas when heated.

Just a few examples of how things others will walk by without noticing can be useful in themselves.

TheRedneck

[senona]

Down in the South, here in the U.S. where we live, mold is forever present on old homes --well any home actually.

But the owners of many older homes are less likely to really worry about it, as are home owners in Suburbia being as they have to deal with HOA rules and regulations.


Having said that, mold grows mostly on the northside of houses/buildings due to moisture and lack of light.
(it will grow everywhere but more dominate on the North side)



Little signs like that can help one maintain direction.

As well as using cemeteries, being as most graves are facing Eastward.

[Ahabstar]

Down in the South, here in the U.S. where we live, mold is forever present on old homes --well any home actually.

But the owners of many older homes are less likely to really worry about it, as are home owners in Suburbia being as they have to deal with HOA rules and regulations.


Having said that, mold grows mostly on the northside of houses/buildings due to moisture and lack of light.
(it will grow everywhere but more dominate on the North side)



Little signs like that can help one maintain direction.

As well as using cemeteries, being as most graves are facing Eastward.

Moss growing on the north side makes for a nice rule of thumb as the sun keeps more towards the south than the north. But moss grows on the shadiest side. Deep forests or areas within deep ravines can skew that rule of thumb. Available water can change that as well as not all bogs and wetlands are what you would consider swampy.

[Mystic Wanderer]

Bumping this thread to inform people of "chatter" about communications going down, and needing to prepare a backup plan with your family if that happens.

Could the CCP be planning on hitting us with an EMP?
Will the internet go down while high-level arrests are being made?

Just today, people woke up to find You Tube, DLive, GMail, Rumble, and Google were down.  I don't know if they are back up.

When Code Monkey (Ron) tells us to get prepared, I pay attention.

[/url]

Ron
@CodeMonkeyZ
[url=https://twitter.com/CodeMonkeyZ]
Friendly reminder to make sure you have a backup communication plan between your friends and family prepared for the coming weeks.
9:04 AM · Dec 14, 2020·Twitter Web App

Ron is a high-level tech guy who has been helping/sending Sidney Powell analysis on the Dominion voting machines. He knows his stuff. Did he find something while "snooping" around the dark net? 
Ron was also the tech guy that operated 8Chan and 8Kun. I think he probably has some inside knowledge on certain things going on in the background.

If President Trump calls for Marital Law soon, we could be locked down for some time, so get your groceries, meds, and pet food ready. Have a backup means for heat and communication if the power goes off. And if you see the military in your streets during this time, don't freak out. They are there to keep you safe from Antifa/BLM and all the bad guys.

[guohua]

My husband just bought a new CB for our truck, the other old one stopped working after 15 years.

 It is a Road King 4Watt unit.

You really have to be patient to contact anyone on the CB anymore, the Older truckers still listen and respond.

Yes, people need to learn the use of Ham Radios and CB's again, The Shit May Hit The Fan!

[Mystic Wanderer]

My husband just bought a new CB for our truck, the other old one stopped working after 15 years.

 It is a Road King 4Watt unit.

You really have to be patient to contact anyone on the CB anymore, the Older truckers still listen and respond.

Yes, people need to learn the use of Ham Radios and CB's again, The Shit May Hit The Fan!

I bought 4 of those hand-held radios back in 1999 when people thought the grid was going to go down at midnight before 2000. I still have them packed away somewhere. Question is... Where?  I'm going to have to dig them out. I know I gave one to my daughter, and one to my sister. Still have two here packed up for me and hubby.