Survival Gear

Being able to think logically and use observation skills are key elements to survival, whether we’re talking about walking down a street in a dodgy neighborhood or working through a post-collapse scenario.

Some years ago, I bought a board game called Mindtrap. The entire game consists of logic puzzles. To solve them properly, one needs to think things through carefully and consider all the angles. I thought I’d share a few of these puzzles with you today. Feel free to post your answers in the comments below. I’ll share the correct responses tomorrow.

1) Barney Dribble left the Soul-Ace Hotel and walked toward the parking lot. Without the benefit of moonlight or any artificial light source, he was able to spot his black car 100 yards away. How was this possible?

2) Shadow discovered Sandy lying on her side in a puddle of water and broken glass. When the doctor arrived he pronounced her dead. Since Sandy had no cuts on her body, how did she die?

3) Scheming Sally stood before her teacher and said, “I was on my way to school and I cut through the park like I always do. Since I was early, I sat down on a bench to rest. I put my essay in my lunch bag, and set it beside me. Just then I noticed a black squirrel run past and scamper up a nearby tree. He was halfway up the tree when he suddenly froze and slowly backed down the tree trunk before taking off. I was curious to see what had frightened him so I looked up the tree and saw a red scarf. I climbed up to get it and just then a big dog grabbed my lunch bag with my essay in it and ran off.” How does the teacher know Sally is lying?

Many if not the majority of my readers here are fans of end of the world fiction, right? I mean, c’mon, who DOESN’T love a good post-apocalyptic story! With the rapid rise of interest in prepping, there has also been a dramatic increase in this sub-genre of fiction.

Permuted Press is one publisher who has made quite a name for themselves with regards to these sorts of stories. I’ve read several of their books and most of them were pretty darn good. I’m told they are (finally!) moving a bit away from zombies and into other sorts of disasters.

They aren’t the main focus of my post today though. That honor, dubious as it may be, belongs to Undead Press and the man behind the company, Anthony Giangregorio. Mandy De Geit is just one of his latest victims. You can read the whole sordid story here but, in a nutshell, Mandy is an author who submitted a story to Undead Press. They liked the story and wanted to include it in an anthology. After an agreement was reached, things took a turn. Giangregorio basically took her story, bent it over a table, and had his way with it. He went so far beyond just editing the story that it would be laughable if it weren’t so incredulous.

Then, when he’s called onto the carpet about it, he turns into a complete and utter ass. And Mandy is far from his only victim. There are entire blogs out there detailing this guy’s shady business practices.

I’m bringing this to your attention because there are an awful lot of post-apocalyptic books out there with Giangregorio’s name on them. Almost all of them are self-published. I would highly encourage anyone thinking of purchasing a book by him to think twice, then think again one more time. He truly doesn’t deserve a nickel of your money.

UPDATE: The saga of Anthony Giangregorio gets more interesting. Apparently he’s taken umbrage at the information being shared by his victims and has now threatened one of them. Details here: http://nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com/1763027.html

Hypothetical scenario: It is three weeks since “The Event.” Society has collapsed and it isn’t coming back any time soon. While you are all set on food and water for quite some time to come, you’ve decided to head into what remains of town to see what might still be salvageable. Obviously, food, water, and basic first aid supplies will probably be long gone. Would you recognize the value in some of the items folks will probably have left behind?

Aluminum foil: Hundreds of uses, from cooking to building a Kearny Fallout Meter.

Crayons: Not too bad to use for making candles.

Dental floss: Like the foil, tons of uses in addition to keeping your gums healthy.

Toothbrushes, toothpaste: If your local police department isn’t taking calls anymore, you really think your dentist is lining up appointments?

Tarps: Expedient tents as well as other uses.

Plastic sheeting: Great for making hoop houses and small greenhouses.

Zip ties: Great for everything from securing wrists to fencing.

Shoes: How many pair do you have for each person at home right now?

Potting soil and soil amendments: In most parts of the country, these are of course seasonal items. But, should you need to expand your gardens, these may come in handy.

Pool shock: For water purification.

Charcoal briquettes: Sure, you can cook without them but nice to have, just in case.

What else?

Cooking with sticks is probably the most popular way to cook outdoors. Simple, easy, very little cleanup. Many of the recipes are very doable in an emergency as well. The following recipes were taken from Roughing It Easy by Dian Thomas, a book I highly recommend.

Egg on a Stick

Use a pin or the point of a sharp knife to poke a small hole in both ends of an egg. Using a stick you’ve whittled down to about 3/16″ thickness, slide the stick into and through the egg using the holes you made. Balance the stick on a rock near the fire so the egg sits about six inches from hot coals. Turn the egg in about 10-15 minutes, should be fully cooked in 30 minutes.

Meatloaf on a Stick

Mix together the following:
1 cup cornflakes (crushed)
1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion (chopped)
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp mustard

Wrap a small quantity of this mixture around the end of a stick. Make it long rather than round like a ball. Wrap aluminum foil around the meat and down onto the stick to keep it all in place. Place over a bed of hot coals, turning it slowly to cook evenly. The mixture should make about seven of these.

New and Improved S’Mores

Using a sharp knife, cut four slits in the flat sides of two marshmallows. Insert into these slits milk chocolate chips, sliding them in pointy side first. Slide the marshmallows onto the stick, with the chocolate chip sides touching each other. Roast over your fire until the marshmallows are golden brown, then slide off onto graham crackers like you’d normally do. This method ensures the chocolate is fully melted and everything is full of gooey goodness.

Depending upon the nature of the disaster, you may end up with long stretches of down time on your hands. For example, if you have quarantined your family during a pandemic crisis, you and your family will quickly be going stir crazy. It is a good idea to plan ahead for this potential scenario.

While most families probably have a handful of board games and such, odds are you’ve played them hundreds of times already. Further, if you have kids, there is a good chance they’ll have outgrown those games by the time they are truly needed. While you might get away with a round of Chutes and Ladders with your teenager, just for nostalgia, that would be truly an ideal situation. More likely, you’ll be subjected to assault by eye-rolling at the mere suggestion of it.

Here are a few suggestions of things to stock up on for family entertainment.

Books: Personally, our family has enough books on hand right now to last us probably at least a few years of steady reading. But, that’s because I’m a rabid bibliophile who has never met a used bookstore he didn’t like. One great place to find books very cheap is thrift stores. Even better prices are usually found at rummage sales.

Games: Used board games can be found very cheap but you’ll want to make sure you have all the necessary pieces. In fact, I’d bet if you posted to your local Freecycle group that you’re looking for old board games, you’ll end up with more than you need. Don’t forget things like decks of cards too.

Craft supplies: Kids generally love crafts. Colored pencils, crayons, blank paper, and glue will all go far. In fact, toss a pair of dice in the mix and let them create their own board games!

Music: While you may not have access to electricity and thus cd and mp3 players might not be working, your family could work on making their own music. Pick up some instruments at rummage sales and set them aside for later. Consider adding some instruction books as well as sheet music.

Movies: If electricity is still working, you could set up movie marathons to pass the time. While new releases are still sort of pricey, you can find older stuff on DVD for under $5 each if you shop around. Pick up a couple here and there and you’ll be all set for later.

Remember, in a long term power outage in the dead of winter, you’ll be warmer if everyone stays in the same room. Close off doors to help keep body heat from drifting away. It will be easier to keep everyone together if there are things you are doing as a family.

In case you haven’t looked at a calendar lately, Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. With that in mind, here are a few gift ideas for Moms who might have at least a bit of prepper in them.

–Heirloom seeds: This works best if you include a coupon for labor towards planting said seeds. If your Mom or wife is a gardener, or perhaps is looking to start a garden for the first time, pick up several packets of heirloom seeds. Pay close attention to the different varieties so you purchase seeds that will grow in your area.

–Fruit trees: These aren’t too pricey at local garden stores. Make sure you get either self-pollinating varieties or get a mix that will pollinate each other. Again, include the labor necessary to plant them.

–Multi-tool: I’d avoid the heftier ones and focus on a good quality multi-tool that would be small enough to fit easily in her hands and yet have enough functions to get the job done. This is truly an item that most people, once they have one, wonder how they ever got through life without it.

–Survival Mom book: Written by Lisa Bedford (The Survival Mom), in my opinion this is THE book to give to people who are either just starting out with prepping or are folks who you want to become more interested with preps.

–Altoids tin survival kit: Easily small enough to fit into a purse or pocket, these DIY survival kits are great gift ideas. Remember how excited your Mom got when you were a kid and gave her a handmade card? Mom’s LOVE when their children make them something. So, put one of these kits together for her.

–Flashlight: Spend a couple bucks and get a high quality LED flashlight for her. I wouldn’t get her the 4 D cell Maglite though. Stick to something fairly small but sturdy.

–Magazine subscription: Backwoods Home, Countryside, Mother Earth News, Back Home; all are great titles and sure to be appreciated.

Take it from someone who lost their Mom a few years back, do whatever it takes to spend some time with your Mom this Sunday. Give her a hug, tell her you love her and that you appreciate all she’s done for you.

There may well come a time when you’ll want to build a small fire for cooking and want it to be as invisible as possible. Here is how some of the Plains Indians used to do it.

Start by digging a hole about a foot across and a foot deep. Next, dig a smaller hole a foot to a foot and a half away from it, angling it down to tunnel into the bottom of the first hole. Ideally, place this second hole toward the prevailing wind currents. The hole/tunnel should be four or five inches across.

Build your fire at the bottom of the main hole. It shouldn’t be all that large, maybe six inches high or so. The secondary hole will funnel air right to the bottom of the fire, making it very hot.

The hotter a fire is, the less smoke it will generate. If you build your fire under a tree, the branches will help disburse any remaining smoke.

You can adjust the heat somewhat by partially covering the vent hole with a large branch or a couple rocks. A cooking surface can be improvised by laying green sticks across the top of the fire hole, allowing you to place a pot or pan on them.

I came across this tip a few days ago and thought it was pretty nifty. Should you be in a situation where you are needing to cook over a campfire, here is a simple way you can make popcorn without needing oil. Use a flour sifter!

You’ll need a metal flour sifter, popcorn kernels, something to elevate the sifter above the campfire coals, aluminum foil, and a heat-proof glove of some sort. Pour a couple tablespoons of popcorn into the sifter and cover the top with the foil. Elevate the bottom of the sifter three or four inches from the coals. You can use a backpacker rack or just a triangle of rocks.

As the popcorn heats up, shake the sifter back and forth so it heats evenly. This is why you’ll need a heat-proof glove, pad, or thick towel as the sifter is going to get plenty warm.

Oil is not needed. The reason we normally use oil when popping popcorn is it helps to heat the kernels so they pop. Using this method, the kernels get hot enough without the oil.

Give it a shot next time you’re enjoying a campfire and see how well it works for you. In a shelter in place emergency where you’ll not be able to use your oven or microwave, this is a great way to make some comfort food for everyone.

I received an email from one of my regular readers asking me to discuss everyday carry (EDC) items. These are things you carry with you wherever you go, just in case.

For some of us, one of our EDC items is a firearm. I cannot stress enough the importance of obtaining and maintaining the proper licenses for carrying a firearm. It makes no sense to me to risk having your firearm taken from you, as well as incurring fines and other unpleasantness. If nothing else, Murphy’s Law should tell you that the day you get stopped for a minor traffic offense and wind up having your firearm confiscated because you lack the proper permit, that will be the day something happens when you’d truly need the weapon.

Another very common EDC item is a knife. Most of us probably carry at least some sort of blade, typically either a pocketknife or a multi-tool. It goes without saying how incredibly useful a sharp blade can be in day-to-day life, let alone in a survival situation.

Some method of lighting a fire is also recommended. Even if you’re not a smoker, consider carrying a lighter with you. While some folks will carry a magnesium striker in their pocket, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a cheap disposable butane lighter.

Personally, in this day and age, I think a cell phone should also be considered for EDC. I’m not one for getting the latest and greatest smartphones but being able to make a quick call or send a text in an emergency can be life-saving.

An Altoids tin survival kit easily fits into a pocket. While each one is different, there are some generalities as to contents.

–Razor blades
–Adhesive bandages
–Antibacterial ointment
–Compass
–Paracord or other cordage
–Strike anywhere matches
–Fire straws
–Small whistle
–Fishing line and hooks
–Pain reliever like ibuprofen
–Space blanket
–Duct tape
–Water purification tablets

In my day job, I’m often called upon to visit courthouses and other government buildings. I’m unable to carry many of the above items inside these locations as they are prohibited. But, I always have my EDC items in my car and replace them in my pockets once I get back out of the building.

What do you carry for your EDC gear?

Survivalists and preppers love to theorize about what it could be like when the wheels finally do fall off and all Hell breaks loose. We talk endlessly about what barter items will have value, how we’ll go about obtaining food and medical supplies. Some of us look toward historical accounts of what life was like during the Great Depression for some insight. But, that was quite some time ago and, let’s face it, I think we can agree that those who lived through the Depression were cut from a different cloth than folks today.

Today’s email brought me a link to this article posted on SHTFPlan.com. The gist is there is an individual going by the name of Selco on a survivalist message board. He lived through the Bosnia collapse in 1992 and was gracious enough to share his experiences of surviving through utter chaos. While English is not his primary language, he gets his point across fairly well. Selco writes:

I am from Bosnia, and as some of you may know it was hell here from 92-95, anyway, for 1 whole year i lived and survived in a city of 50 000- 60 000 residents WITHOUT: electricity, fuel,running water,real food distribution, or distribution of any goods, or any kind of organized law or government.The city was surrounded for 1 year and in that city actually it was SHTF situation.

I would encourage all of you to take the time to read through this lengthy article. I personally found it very interesting and informative.

Here are a few of the high points:

1) He stresses several times the importance of hygiene. This is something we’ve discussed here on the blog several times. Being able to keep reasonably clean prevents illness and infection. During a total collapse, things like diarrhea can kill.

2) When you are relying upon wood fires to keep warm and do all your cooking, firewood goes quickly. It didn’t take long for Selco and his family to resort to burning furniture and even planks from wood floors.

3) Having a good skill can keep your belly full. He talks about a friend who had come up with a way to produce oil for makeshift lamps. Selco also mentions he had devised a way to refill butane lighters, which became very valuable.

4) Alcohol and ammunition were among the most valuable trade commodities available. Personally, I’m still on the fence about the idea of trading bullets to someone I don’t know. Salt, something that many of us are stocking up for possible barter, had much less value than coffee or alcohol.

5) You can never have too much ammunition.

6) He stresses several times how important it is to have family to rely upon during the collapse. A single person won’t last long.

One last thing he said that really made an impact to me:

You don’t want to be hero, you want to survive with your family.