Knowledge - A Recipe for Survival

Knowledge that is supported by the proper skills and practical experience can save your life. This is an essential aspect of any survival situation. The fear and confusion that arises during a time of crisis often leaves people wondering what to do next. As a result of this type of thinking, there are many who do absolutely nothing and allow their fear and confusion to cloud their thought processes. In a survival situation, your thinking needs to be clear and directed at your immediate problems in order to get you moving in the right direction. Your survival may depend on your knowledge.

There is a simple truth in the statement that knowledge is power. Knowledge can give you the power to overcome disasters, both small and large, that can affect your daily life. While knowledge is a key ingredient, it is only a part of the recipe for survival. Knowledge requires additional ingredients to support it in order to achieve a successful outcome.

Skills that involve the practical application of your knowledge will provide the necessary backup to insure the implementation of your knowledge in the most practical and efficient manner possible. This will give you the edge that may mean the difference in your survival.

Don’t discount the value of your experience. Experience is a hard teacher and teaches us what will work and what doesn’t. These are often lessons that are learned the hard way. Experience is simply the knowledge of our previous actions. It is often a harsh reminder of how we have failed to properly apply our knowledge in a wide variety of circumstances.

Knowledge alone won’t save you. It needs the support of a good set of skills and a decent amount of experience to help you survive what comes your way.

Knowledge + Skills + Experience = A Recipe for Survival

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Basics - Water Filtration and Purification

Water Source

Preparing water for human consumption when the quality of that water is unknown or considered unsafe generally requires two basic steps. It should first be filtered and then it will need to be purified by either a physical or a chemical means. This will insure that you have the safest and best quality water for consumption in order to avoid any possible contamination that could cause harmful effects or disease.

Filtering Water

Filtering your water can be done in any one of several different ways and by using a wide variety of materials. Cloth, mesh screens, sand filters and carbon filters are all decent materials that can be used to make a water filter. The main purpose of filtering is to remove suspended particles, some chemical contaminants, heavy metals and certain microbes. Always filter first and then purify your water.

Physical Purification

After completing the process of filtering your water, your water will still need to be purified to make sure it is as safe as possible before consumption. Unless you have used a filter of at least 0.2 microns or smaller that will remove possible bacterial contaminants like Cryptosporidium and Giardia, your water will still need to undergo a purification process. If your water is cloudy, you will need to allow it to settle for at least 30 minutes. The clear water can then be siphoned off for proper filtering. This will also extend the life of your filters. If needed, you can perform additional filtering until your water becomes clearer.

Boiling your water is the safest, easiest and most widely recommended purification technique that will effectively kill disease causing organisms. You will need to boil your water for at least 5 to 10 minutes and then allow it cool before use. If you are at a higher altitude, you will need to boil your water for several additional minutes.

Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) is also another accepted form of water purification but will require strong sunlight. Placing your water into clear plastic PET bottles and exposing it to direct sunlight for at least 6 hours has been shown to be an effective method of purifying clear water. Cloudy water will not be purified and must be further filtered until it is clear and no longer turbid. Unless all the water has been exposed to the ultra-violet light from the sun, it will not be purified and may be unsafe for consumption.

Distillation is also considered a very safe process to use in purifying water and can be done with either a solar still or a stove top still. Both of these items can be easily made from common household items.

Chemical Purification

Chemical purification of your water means using different chemicals to purify your water. The most popular chemicals used are chlorine bleach, calcium hypochlorite and iodine.

Chlorine Bleach

Disinfecting with household bleach (plain and unscented) kills some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms. Chlorine bleach is ineffective against Cryptosporidium but is partially effective against Giardia. After adding the proper amount of bleach solution to your water, stir well and let the water stand for at least 30 minutes. Double the amount of chlorine if the water is cloudy, murky or the water is extremely cold. After sitting covered to prevent further contamination for at least 30 minutes, the water should have a slight chlorine odor otherwise you will need to repeat the dosage and let the water sit for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Here are the currently accepted treatment amounts required when using bleach to purify your water. The amount needed will depend upon the percentage of chlorine available in your bleach which comes in varying strengths.

Percentage of Available Chlorine Number of Drops per Gallon

1% 40 Drops

4-6% 8 Drops (1/8 Teaspoon)

7-10% 4 Drops

Calcium Hypochlorite

Calcium hypochlorite is also another accepted chemical that can be used for water purification. This is also known more widely as “pool shock” and will need to be the plain variety that doesn’t contain additional chemicals for the treatment of algae or fungus. Due to it stronger concentration, you will need to make a purifying solution first. Simply dissolve one level teaspoon of granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately 1/8 ounce) in one gallon of water to make a disinfecting solution that will be roughly equivalent to a gallon of bleach.

Iodine

Add 5 drops of 2% iodine to every quart of clear water; add 10 drops if the water is cloudy. Let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.

Water will be a necessity in any survival situation or crisis and knowing how to properly treat your water to make it safe for consumption is essential. During a disaster or crisis situation you should automatically regard all water sources as contaminated. Never assume the water is safe because this could create even more problems than you may already be facing. It is also best to avoid using any water if its appearance is bad or it is extremely foul smelling. Look for a better source of water. Remember, it’s best to always filter and purify any water that will be used for consumption.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Sanitation - Part Two - Doing the Laundry Naturally

Nature's Washing Machine

Good hygiene is an important part of dealing with a crisis or disaster and being able to keep your clothes clean could become an essential skill during a crisis. Your clothes can become “dirty” very quickly if they become contaminated by flood waters, smoke or chemicals or quite possibly due to an illness or injury. They can even look clean but be "dirty" from sweat, perspiration, or natural body oils. Wearing dirty clothes can also lead to minor health problems such as chafed skin areas or rashes on your body that could develop into serious problems. This isn’t a very pleasant or healthy prospect to look forward to if unnecessary. If you do have sufficient clothing available, you could always burn or bury your dirty clothes but this is an expedient solution that is not very cost effective or practical except in the case of extreme contamination such as injuries or wounds where there is a loss of blood or a bacterial infection is present. So what are some of the alternatives that can help you when doing the laundry naturally?

Modern day techniques for washing and cleaning require three major items that may be in seriously short supply during a disaster or in a crisis situation. These three main items are lots of water, electricity which may not be available and soap or detergent which may be in short supply or non-existent. Here are some alternative solutions!

If you do get lucky enough to have lots of water available, an extremely effective way of cleaning your laundry without detergent or electricity is to use plain old baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, in the water being used to wash your clothes. This is also a very low cost method. This method works best with water that has been heated. Even water that has been warmed by the sun can make this an effective method to help keep your clothes clean. Another advantage of using baking soda is that you can avoid the use of harsh soaps or chemicals that may cause skin irritations or allergic reactions in some people.

So what do you do if you don’t have a decent water supply like a pond, stream or river? It becomes time to let nature help you do the laundry naturally! A little “shake and bake” becomes the trick of the day as you do a “Nature Wash”!

Ultra-violet rays from the sun can be used to help keep your clothes clean. Simply place your clothes out in the heat of the sun for several hours. You will also need to expose all areas of your clothes to the sun by turning if necessary or hanging on a line. Then, after sufficient exposure, shake your clothes vigorously in a manner like you would a rug. Then leave your clothing out overnight to expose them to the morning dew. In the morning simply wring them out and re-hang to dry. Simple, easy and very low cost!

If you have a river or stream handy, you could always beat your clothes on a rock by the riverbank. This will require a great deal of effort on your part or you might get lucky and it will rain on laundry day.

Got Nature Wash?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Storm on the Mountain

Storm on the Mountain

Afternoon thunderstorms are quite prevalent in the mountains. Always remember to exercise a little caution when hiking, camping or traveling in the mountains or nature will sneak up on you very quickly with some really nasty weather.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Sanitation - Part One - Taking Out the Trash

In a survival situation, a buildup of garbage or trash can become a hazard of its own that could lead to a significant health problem, problems with pests or quite possibly a fire. Most short term survival situations can be easily handled by simply bagging your trash or garbage. This may not be a viable solution during a long term crisis. There are several different alternatives that can be used during an extended crisis to avoid potential problems.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to eliminate garbage and waste is by burning. While it is a common practice in rural areas (except when “burn bans” are in place), this may not be an option in more suburban areas. When using the burning method to help control the buildup of garbage a number of safety factors will need to be followed. Avoid burning on windy days, make sure your burn pit, barrel, etc. has sufficient ventilation and make an effort to burn your trash completely. Incompletely burned piles of refuse can become breeding grounds for rodents (rats, mice) and other pests (flies, etc.). If you do plan to burn your trash, make sure to keep your garbage dry as this will allow it to burn more efficiently.

If you can’t burn your trash, the next viable option that can be implemented is burying your garbage. When using this option, it is important to remember that your trash will need to be buried deep enough to prevent animals from digging up the waste materials. It should also be done in a location that will not contaminate any ground or surface water (rivers, lakes, streams, etc.). This will require a great deal of effort on your part to do properly.

Food wastes should be kept separate from dry waste and then added to your compost pile. If you don’t have a compost pile, it will be a good time to start one. If possible, rinse empty containers and cans to prevent rodent and insect problems. This will require an adequate supply of water available for this purpose. If an adequate supply of water isn’t available this step will need to be skipped. Boxes and cans can be flattened to save space and always keep all waste securely stored in bags or buckets that can be securely sealed. Store your trash in an area safe from animals, rodents or insects and away from any living areas until it can be properly disposed of in the necessary manner.

One final item you need to remember. Be careful about the items you throw away. Some things may be able to be used at a later date. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and realize you buried it with the rest of the trash.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Mountain Birds - White-Breasted Nuthatch

White-Breasted Nuthatch

A pan of birdseed brought a lot of visitors to the cabin up in the mountains. The number and variety of birds that were present was quite impressive.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Stealth Security - Light and Shadows

Exposed by the Light

Hidden by the Shadows

Nature can teach everyone valuable lessons if you simply take the time to study the creatures that live in our world. They can teach you about seeing the signs of danger from all manner of things. While basking in the light may give you a warm and pleasant feeling, it can also leave you very exposed. Sometimes remaining in the shadows is a safer course of action.

Take the lowly chipmunk as an example. On a cold mountain morning it must have felt very good to bask in the sunlight for a while but upon sensing a possible threat it quickly retreated into the shadows. Realizing it was vulnerable it immediately sought a safe place in the shadows where it was easier to see than be seen.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker