Riverwalker's Knife Pics - Bear Grylls Survival Knife

Survival Knife

Got blade?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Tools - The Ultimate Water-proof Container

Sometimes the best survival tools are the simplest and the least expensive. There are many situations where having a moisture resistant or water-proof container comes in very handy. Thankfully, you don’t have to go out and buy an expensive water-proof container when you’ve probably have dozens of them already sitting in the kitchen drawer.

That ultimate water-proof container is the plastic zip-lock storage bag. Strong, compact and lightweight they offer excellent affordability for water resistant containers. Need to keep that spare pair of socks dry? Just bag ‘em up in a zip-lock plastic bag and they’ll be ready if you get wet feet. Want to keep that piece of gear or food item dry? Just bag it!

They are so handy that carrying a few extra in your kit won’t be a burden but you’ll be glad you did if the need arises to protect your gear or other items. They even make great portable water containers. So if you want to keep your gear protected and safe…just bag it! Throw a few extra bags in your kit and you’ll be ready to go.

Available in a myriad of sizes they are the ultimate water-proof container!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Signals - Cold Smoke

One of the most important things you will need to be able to do in a survival situation is to signal for help. Chances are you will only have a few minutes to respond to rescuers when you are lost. You will need to react quickly so that you will have a better chance of being seen and ultimately rescued. A simple way to do this is by using cold smoke!

First of all you will need a good first aid kit. Having a first aid kit handy can help in more ways than you might think. One of the items usually found in a good first aid kit is an instant cold pack. You simply squeeze it and break the inner container of water and this creates a chemical reaction that turns it cold. This makes it easy to apply a cold compress to a sprain even when you don’t have ice available. That instant cold pack also has another use in an emergency.

When the coldness decreases or stops you can still use that instant cold pack to make cold smoke for use as an emergency signal. Nothing gets someone’s attention like a little smoke. The water and chemical (ammonium nitrate crystals) inside the majority of instant cold packs can be used to make an excellent signaling device. It’s simple and easy to do!

Since neither RW, Jr. or myself had a sprained ankle, we opened a perfectly good instant cold pack from one of our first aid kits for use in this demonstration. Simply soak several sheets of newspaper, paper towels, coffee filters or any type of paper you can find in the solution of water and chemical. No water? No problem! There is sufficient water in the instant cold pack to make the solution. You can even use the bag it came in as a container. After soaking it, allow the paper to dry completely and then roll it into a tube sort of like a roman candle. Then when you hear that rescue chopper or airplane getting close, light the end and you’ve got instant smoke signal. Depending upon how much paper you had available for use, your smoke signal tube should last 3 to 5 minutes.

Got cold smoke?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Gear - Gerber STL 2.0

About the size of a car or truck key (5 1/4" long) and weighing slightly more than one ounce, the Gerber STL 2.0 ( which stands for Strong, Thin, and Light) is a great little knife that you can carry easily in your pocket (3 inches closed) without the bulk. My pockets generally have enough in them without adding anything else but the Gerber STL 2.0 will be the exception to that rule. This is due to the fact that it doesn’t have a significant amount of weight or size. It also has a cut out in the blade which makes it easy to open one-handed, although it does take some time and a little practice to master. The stainless steel handle, which has a titanium coating, includes a lanyard hole and the knife features a unique frame lock for added personal safety. The blade also has a titanium coating. The picture above shows it next to my van keys and my iTP Eos 3 flashlight.

Straight out of the package this is a razor sharp knife which has a drop point blade made from 440A stainless steel. The blade is only 2 1/4" long but easily handles the work of a much larger knife. It is also an extremely thin knife being slightly less than 1/4” in width and doesn’t give your pocket that tell-tale bulge you get from a larger pocket folder. The unique "frame" lock mechanism is very solid and holds the blade fixed in place with no blade movement or blade wiggle. It has the comfort and feel of a fixed blade which I find very nice in a small pocket folder. It also feels very comfortable in my hand and appears to be extremely sturdy for a knife of this size. With its low cost ($10-$12), compact size and light weight, this is going to be a great edition to my EDC because of these factors. I still have and maintain some larger blades but many of them aren't very practical for EDC. I now carry this Gerber STL 2.0 and don't even realize it's there.

I’ve added a lanyard to this knife and now carry it as a small neck knife to cut down on the clutter in my pockets. It also would fit easily on a keychain if you’d prefer that option. If I should ever manage to break or lose this knife, I wouldn't hesitate to replace it with another one.

Got blade?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Be Prepared for Christmas Package

Solar ovens are becoming increasingly accepted as a preparedness item and many people might want to add a solar oven to their Christmas list. Stealth Survival is teaming up with Sun Ovens International to offer a special value for everyone this Christmas. We are offering a Be Prepared For Christmas Package which offers a savings of $83 on a Sun Oven and a complete set of preparedness cooking necessities. (See details below)

To add even more value to this offer for my readers, you can save an additional $25 on this package if you order by phone at (800) 408-7919 or on line at: http://www.sunoven.com/christmas-package and use the discount code: Stealth. The combined savings is $108, which makes this an outstanding value.

Many families who are into food storage and preparedness are concerned about the issues associated with storing fuel to cook their food in the event of a long term emergency. Solar ovens can be used to bake, boil, and steam foods with the power of the sun and they are a preparedness item which will pay for itself by reducing utility costs for cooking. They can also be used to boil and pasteurize water for drinking and to heat water for doing dishes or bathing.

Be Prepared For Christmas Package

1 GLOBAL SUN OVEN^â (Retail Price $299)

2 Stackable Black Covered Round 3-qt Pots (Retail Price $10.50 each)

1 Set of Two Loaf Pans (Retail Price $11.35)

1 Set of Two Cookie Sheet/Brownie Pans (Retail Price $12.85)

1 Water Pasteurization Indicator - WAPI (Retail Price $8.00)

Free Shipping within Continental U.S. (a $29.85 value)

A CD with over 80 SUN OVEN^â recipes, cooking tips, FAQs, written & video operating instructions, a video on how the SUN OVEN^â works and emergency preparedness tips.

You can save $83 and the total package cost is only $299.

The Be Prepared for Christmas Package is only $274 with Discount Code: Stealth

This discount offer for readers of Stealth Survival will be in effect through December 30, 2010.

Sun Ovens International is involved in solar cooking programs around the world and is committed to decreasing the world's dependence on wood as a primary cooking fuel. This benefits the environment, raises the standard of living, and improves the health of people worldwide. Sun Ovens purchased in the US help to fund their work around the world.

If you have any questions or if there is any additional information you may need, you can contact Paul Munsen at Sun Ovens International.

Contact Information:

Paul M. Munsen

SUN OVENS International, Inc.
39W835 Midan Drive
Elburn, IL 60119
Web site: www.sunoven.com
E-mail: info@sunoven.com
Blog: www.solarcook.net
Phone: 630-208-7273
800-408-7919
Fax: 630-208-7386

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Surviving with Limited Technology

In our everyday lives we have become very dependent upon technology. Many times that technology is based primarily on providing instantly for our needs. We flip a switch when we need light, turn a knob or press a button to cook our food or turn a key to start the motor for our means of transportation. We instantly have solved our problem and need look no further for a solution. The problem is solved and we move on the next item on our agenda. Surviving without technology will be a lot harder than most people can imagine.

We often seek ways to limit our dependence on technology by substituting even more technology and not less. A prime example of this is solar power. This is a great way to limit your dependence on the grid and give you a little more freedom and independence but it is still replacing one form of technology with another. If you don’t think so, try building a solar cell or a battery from scratch. You can probably make a hoe but you would probably have a difficult time making a tiller. Providing of course you could find the fuel to power it. No matter what form it takes, technology is woven into the very fabric of our society and our existence. The level or limits of the technology available will simply make our lives easier or a whole lot harder than we can imagine.

It’s easier to cook our food, travel from one place to another quickly and easily or communicate with others no matter where they are located. Technology makes our lives much simpler and easier but it is in the absence of technology where we will have the real problem. The materials and skills needed to replicate much of our technology are well beyond those of the average person.

In the true absence of technology, our lives will become much harder. Your options for obtaining the minimum needs for your survival will become severely limited and be dependent upon your skills and abilities. At some level, we will always require a certain amount of technology to survive. With limited technology, your survival will depend upon the level of technology that you can live with and how much you can live without.

Remember, it’s a lot easier to make a candle than it is to build a flashlight.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Blending in Naturally with Color

The ability to blend in naturally to your environment sometimes requires the use of color. Sometimes the use of color may be used in an opposite manner to make sure you are seen when the situation may require it for safety or other purposes.

Got color?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Attitudes for Survival - The Rescue Response

In a typical disaster, there are usually three types of people that are present. There are those that have already become victims or soon will be; those that have survived and those that will be the rescuers. The rescue response is an important manner in which to handle a disaster that will increase your chances and the chances of others to survive.

In my work supervising emergency drills, there seems to be a great deal of difference in how people handle and respond to emergencies. These range from outright denial of the situation to an almost hysterical level of panic. There are also those who exhibit the rescue response.

Rather than becoming a victim and creating a bigger problem than is already present, they readily step up to the plate and start swinging like they intend on hitting a home run. They immediately go into a “rescue response” mode that changes their role from victim to rescuer. This changes their status drastically and with surprising results. Their attention becomes more focused as they give help and instructions to others that may be present. It also lends purpose to their actions and helps organize their thoughts with a known result. They know that their actions will ultimately help someone else survive.

While some victims of a disaster will struggle to survive until help arrives, it seems that those who immediately seek to give assistance to others may be increasing their own rate of survival as well. Feelings of anxiety, depression and panic have no place in a situation where your survival is at stake. Feeling good about yourself or your actions can help you combat these feelings of depression or panic. Having a goal of helping others can help focus your physical and mental efforts and give a greater purpose to your actions. Helping others always has a tendency to make a person feel better about themselves and their situation.

When you learn to become a rescuer and not a victim, you will unknowingly have created a purpose and a focus for your efforts that will increase your chances for survival.

Got rescue response?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Tips - Plan B

Developing a proper plan of action is vital in any survival scenario. The problem that usually comes along and that endangers your survival is a lack of “Plan B”. Even the best of plans can go wrong or fail to work properly and this is where “Plan B” is most important.

Don’t be afraid to go to “Plan B” if your first one doesn’t work out. While your first plan may have seemed the ideal solution at the time, it simply may not be practical or you may be unable to implement it. Enter “Plan B”, the choice of survivors!

“Plan B” should address the issues that were not covered by your first plan. The additional thought processes you use to create a “Plan B” may help you survive. Issues that were not covered by your initial plan can sometimes be solved by using “Plan B”.

Got Plan B?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Senses - Proprioception

Our survival senses are normally divided into two basic groups and are commonly referred to as our external senses and our internal senses. Our external senses allow us to respond to physical events and happenings in our environment that can affect our bodies. These include our senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Our internal senses include things like hunger, thirst, pain, balance, location and fatigue. Proprioception is one of our most important internal senses. This is quite simply our internal sense of balance.

Proprioception is what gives us the ability to walk in the dark or to move without having to look at our feet. If you’ve ever suffered an inner ear infection, you may have unknowingly experienced a lack of proprioception (balance). Your sense of balance may have even been disrupted by a temporary spell of dizziness. In cases such as these, your sense of proprioception can be helped or restored through the use of your external senses. Grabbing on to an object to help steady yourself or the simple act of keeping your eyes open can help to restore your sense of proprioception.

Most importantly, proprioception is what helps us keep a level head. Our internal sense of balance allows us to keep from walking around with our heads rolling around on our shoulders. Proprioception allows us to hold objects in a steady position so that they may be used effectively and efficiently. It also allows us to move or position our bodies in a relatively safe and comfortable manner. It allows you to lean back in a chair without falling over backwards (usually!). It allows you to step over an object or recover when you may stumble over an object or to fall with a minimum of injury as your body seeks to restore its sense of balance. It allows you to stand on one leg without falling over or to climb a ladder or a tree. A proper sense of balance is a survival necessity.

Maintaining a good sense of balance is important for your survival. A lack of balance can lead to injury, accidents or an inability to respond to changes in your environment. There are many things which can impair your sense of balance. Illness is one the most common causes of a loss of balance and can affect almost anyone. A lack of proper rest, insufficient nourishment or hydration, and the improper use of drugs and alcohol are all factors which can affect your sense of balance. Staying healthy, getting proper rest and nourishment and limiting the use of those things which can impair your balance will help you prevent a lack of balance that could endanger your survival.

Got proprioception?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Surviving Your Fears - A Walk in the Dark

Darkness creates a fear that is unique. It seems that we always fear that which we cannot see and when it is hidden by darkness our fear grows even more. Many people seldom experience true darkness but it can be discomforting all the same. With the darkness can come danger, many of these dangers are real and some are merely products of our own imagination. The darkness can also be your friend.

The darkness signals the end of the day and the beginning of a time for rest so that our bodies can renew their energy. It can also come in the form of shade that protects us from the harsh light of the sun. It can also hide us from unwanted attention and allow us to remain unseen and undetected when the need arises. There is a quiet comfort that can be found in the darkness, darkness which is a part of nature and one that is often misunderstood.

Our natural instincts make us seek a source of light almost immediately when the darkness suddenly comes upon us. We don’t see very well in the dark and will quickly seek any source of light available to banish that darkness. A candle, a flashlight or the simple flip of a switch is used to turn the darkness into light. Yet many times we fail to realize our own unique abilities. We have a very unique ability when deprived of one of our senses.

There are a lot of people known as “night owls” who seem to thrive and are often most comfortable at night. They seem to prefer the darkness of night and find it a more comfortable place for them. They embrace the darkness as a part of nature and have become comfortable with its presence. While some people stumble around in the dark, others will quietly move through the darkness as if it were a walk in the park.

Our other senses will begin to compensate for that which we lack. What we cannot see can often be heard or smelled as our other senses becomes more acute so that we can banish the darkness and overcome our fear.

The next time the power goes out or you can’t find your flashlight try taking a walk in the dark.

Got dark?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Surviving the Daily Grind - Instant Coffee for Survival

Americans are among the largest coffee drinking people in the world. Our early history doesn’t really say much about how coffee arrived in America but it probably ranked well down the list on what was important. Survival was probably their primary concern. Nowadays many people can’t survive the day without their morning cup of coffee.

Coffee is an important part of most everyone’s life and surviving without coffee can be tough. Being a big coffee drinker myself, makes having plenty of coffee available a real necessity for my survival. One of the easiest ways to make sure I have plenty on hand is to keep a large supply of dehydrated coffee (a.k.a., instant). I also keep quite a bit of ground coffee available also but for really long term storage the dehydrated version makes sure that there will always be plenty of coffee available regardless of what happens.

Now the coffee beans (Robusta) normally used to make instant coffee are generally of lesser quality and this makes for a usually inferior and often quite bitter tasting coffee. Even some traditionally brewed ground coffees can suffer the same fate if made from lesser quality beans (Aribica). There is a simple solution that can fix this problem and is one of those tricks that many people use but don’t often talk about.

What’s the solution? Simply use the universal flavor enhancer that has been around for a long time and used by everyone, salt. A pinch of salt added to your instant cup of coffee will help to reduce the bitterness and smooth out the flavor. This will also help enhance the flavor of brewed coffee. Salt has a way of improving the flavor of many of the things we consume and works well when enhancing the flavor of your coffee. Many people in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden use this method to enhance the flavor of their coffee. Some people also eat dried meat with their coffee to help improve the taste but the flavor enhancement is probably due to the salt used in the preparation of the dried meat.

So the next time you find yourself staring at a cup of instant coffee, add a pinch of salt to help you survive the daily grind.

Got salt?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Training and More Training

Been extremely busy with training for work. Having three jobs makes it pretty difficult to squeeze in all the necessary training. Most of the training is a job requirement and there's really no way around it. As a result, there's been little time to do much more than sleep and eat an occasional meal. My apologies for not posting more regularly but there just hasn't been much time available for anything extra. Hopefully, things will get a little closer to normal now.

I did have a little time to make a big fire.

Thanks everyone!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Surviving Winter - Boosting Your Body's Immunity

As the winter season approaches, our body’s immune system needs to be healthy and strong enough for us to fight off the germs and viruses that can make us sick. A proper diet of foods that contain the necessary nutrients will help to boost your immunity during winter weather and keep you healthier as a result. A bad cold or the flu can easily sneak up on you if you fail to maintain a healthy diet. Eating healthy is the best way to maintain your immune system and thwart the germs and viruses encountered during the fall and winter seasons. A healthy immune system is your body’s best defense against the viruses and bacteria that can make you sick.

There are numerous foods that can boost your immunity and should be a part of your regular meals each day. There are numerous foods that can help you avoid the illnesses that can ruin your day. Here are just a few of the foods that can help you boost your immunity to the germs of winter.

1.) Fish which is high in Omega 3 is a great way to boost your immunity. Try to include servings of things like tuna, salmon or sardines in your diet.

2.) Foods that are rich in the mineral zinc can also help to boost your immune system. Try to include whole grain cereals such as oatmeal, along with nuts and seeds. Pumpkins seeds are a great source of zinc to help boost your immune system.

3.) Citrus foods such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes are great sources of vitamin C and will help to boost your body’s immune system.

4.) Onions and garlic are also helpful in giving your immune system a boost and always add flavor to your meal. You can also use red or green chili peppers in your meal plans.

5.) Yellow vegetables such as squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes are also great foods to help boost your immune system and keep you healthy.

6.) Don’t forget the broccoli. Broccoli is an important vegetable in helping you maintain a healthy immune system.

Take some time to make sure you eat a proper diet and you’ll be able to survive the winter and avoid a bad cold or the flu in the process.

Broccoli….gotta love it!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

The Survival Mindset - Instincts and Skills

Learn to trust your instincts and to rely upon your skills. These have the ability and the capacity to change your life from merely surviving to actually thriving in a survival scenario. Many people lose touch with their basic survival instincts when they become too comfortable and complacent in their daily lives. Staying connected to your basic instincts and being able to depend upon your skills and abilities when needed are important factors of the survival mindset.

Everyone has a similar desire and need to feel safe and comfortable. Feeling safe and protected is a common goal we all seek. When this feeling of being safe and protected is achieved, we can then begin to thrive and not merely survive. It is the fulfillment of these needs and desires that quite often contributes the most to our feelings of being alive. A proper survival mindset, when combined with your skills and abilities, will allow you to achieve this basic need to feel safe and protected.

All the basics items necessary for our survival contribute to our feelings of being safe and protected. Shelter can protect us from the elements of nature and fire can give us both light and warmth. Food and water can protect us from hunger and thirst. The survival mindset will kick in when these qualities are absent. Your instincts will cause you to seek out the necessary environment that will allow you to restore your feelings of being safe and protected. Your abilities will allow you to achieve them.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker