Civil Articles
I’m a keen camper, but I’m certainly not as hardy as the likes of Ray Mears or Bear Grylls. For me it’s fair weather all the way.
But a few of my tougher camping buddies were discussing what they would need, as a minimum, in order to spend a few nights outdoors at this time of year in the UK (its springtime and still very cold at night).
The conclusion was: shelter, warmth and some way to make fire and get some food and water. So the outcome of the beer fuelled conversation has been the challenge for us to spend two days and nights surviving and sleeping outdoors.
We will take some tents, a warm sleeping bag each, a knife and some water, as well as warm clothes and stout footwear. But that is all.
We’re not allowed to take any lighters or matches (but I shall definitely be taking my firesteel) and we’re not going to take any food. This will mean foraging for nuts and berries, at a time of year when there isn’t much available, and possibly trapping and eating rabbits, if we can.
This reminds me of a one night survival challenge that I undertook when in the boy scouts. On that occasion we were allowed to take a little food, but no shelter and no means of starting a fire. We had to build a bivouac and start a fire by means of friction. I remember that this was a lot of fun, but hard work.
The most useful thing that each of us took with us that time was our knives. You may have noticed how this is the key survival essential that Bear Grylls always has with him when he parachutes into a wilderness somewhere. Armed with a good quality knife you’re able to cut wood for fire or a shelter. You can skin and prepare a rabbit for cooking and make the snare needed to trap the rabbit in the first place.
So I hope that you will wish me luck on my forthcoming survival challenge weekend. One essential item that I will be taking is my mobile phone, so if necessary I can always order a pizza!
Tags: bear grylls, Camping, ray mears, survival, tents
Posted in Camping · April 18th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Should this question have been asked 1000 years ago, a choir of voices may have said – something to make fire, as man could not survive without fire? Food had to be cooked and water boiled to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Fire also protected man against cold and wild animals, so the best survival equipment could be fire.
Fire still stays as important to stranded people for pretty much the same of all of the above reasons. But the way we produce fire nowadays certainly has changed a lot. Out of all the methods, one seems to be the only one that will always work and this is using a flint.
Strike the flint against any metal and a spark is produced which is strong enough to set fire to light materials like fine grass, cotton or paper. Use this new small flame to light your pre packed fire stack. Flint can get soaking wet without ever loosing its ability too spark. Compare this to a box of matches or your butane lighter and you will soon see the sense in carrying flint with you.
Modern people think they can never end up in a difficult position as they have brilliant communication devices with them like a GPS and mobile phone. But what happens if you get stuck in areas that have no coverage or signal? Worse case scenario, you can get a signal but the battery of your phone simply dies after a couple of hours.
Man has forgotten how to survive like our ancestors and live in a dream world where nothing bad ever happens. The problem is, bad things do happen and when they do, victims are so stunned they simply cannot think clearly or think at all.
To think that you may never get caught in trouble may just be the biggest mistake you will ever make. A car can leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere with no help options, or your yacht may sink and leave you hanging onto bottle in the middle of the Atlantic. Surviving could prove difficult.
The ability to think clearly will prove to be the best survival tool you will ever invest in. Get over the initial shock as quickly as you can then start thinking like a survivor and not a victim. Always try and make your way to where you last saw people, but do spare a moment to mark the spot from where you left, showing in which direction you walked. This will make the trackers job much easier.
Line your route with markers as well, so that people following your walk may see where you went next. To find your bearings, climb into a tall tree and have a look at the lie of the land before you walk into troublesome areas like cliffs or rivers.
In the case that you are injured and cannot move far, rather set up a place where you can stay safe, then let others know where you are. Again your choice of tools includes fire. Make a fire and the put some green material on it to create thick white smoke. People will come and look for a signal, which may be seen from far away.
Thinking clearly may prove to be your most trusted piece of survival equipment. Always seek out options that will see you do better and not fall into desperation. Survivors all share a common mindset – that of positive thinking.
Purchasing your survival equipment is a huge thing. If you don’t get prepared correctly it could be your life that is at risk. Head to http://www.1800prepare.com now, and find the best equipment. Get high quality and dependable equipment.
Tags: advice, disaster, emergency, equipment, Family, first-aid, gear, outdoor, Outdoors, prepare, protection, safety, Security, survival, Tips
Posted in Outdoors · November 18th, 2009 · Comments (0)