Improvising for Survival - Thinking in the Survival Mode

Self-Imposed limits on your ability to survive can be a real threat to your survival. One of the ways many people create problems of this nature is with their dependence on gear. Our society has evolved to the point where we live in an environment where “throw it away” and “replace it” has become a dominant part of our thinking. This type of thinking can actually get you into a lot of trouble when something goes wrong. It’s important to remember that in a survival situation, the “replace it” option may not be available.

Now there’s nothing wrong with having ready-made survival gear handy just in case. Unfortunately, gear more often than not gets lost, breaks or simply wears out. When this happens, you will need to be able to improvise a solution or devise a replacement of some sort. If you find yourself where a needed item is not part of your gear or is not available, your survival may depend upon your ability to improvise.

Improvising requires a change in the thought process we normally use. This can be accomplished quite easily by using a couple of simple tips to put your thinking on the right track. Here are just a couple of the ways that can be used to put your thinking into the “survival mode” and increase your ability to improvise.

1. Use your past experiences to come up with alternate solutions. One of the things most often required in a survival situation is the ability to cut something. If you find yourself lacking a knife, you only need think in terms of your past experiences. How many times in the past have you cut yourself with something other than a knife? Probably a lot more often than you care to admit, including myself. It may have been one of those cheap disposable razors, a tin can lid or a broken piece of glass. Any or all of these items could serve as replacement.

2. Think in terms of the basic function of the item needed.  One thing that serves a useful purpose in a survival situation is a container. Now you might have a need to carry anything from water to an injured person. The basic function is the same in either case and only the need is different. You could use anything from a balloon to a plastic baggie to carry water if necessary. Most often as not, if it’s water-proof, it can be used as a container to carry water. If you need to carry items of a different nature (like an injured person), you could use anything from a piece of netting to a blanket to create a make-shift litter.

Improvising for survival will require innovative thinking on your part to make sure you are able to get into the proper frame of mind to get into the “survival mode”. So the next time you look at a rock, think "hammer".

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Gun Pics - Custom Mosin Nagant with Bipod

Custom Mosin Nagant with Bipod

With the addition of an ATI synthetic stock and a Rock Solid bipod this has turned out to be one of my better investments in a rifle. The stock has reduced the recoil to tolerable levels, the addition of the bipod has helped with steadying the longer barrel and with a hard case that was picked up at a yard sale for only $5 it stays well  protected. Total cost = $200 (not including ammo). 

Just need to get mounts for a scope that will be added. 

Got Mosin Nagant?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Meals - Straight from the Can

It is always important to conserve time, energy and resources during a crisis. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to think in simple terms when it comes to preparing meals. One of the simplest ways to prepare a meal is straight from the can.

Many canned foods are pre-cooked and can be eaten straight from the can. All you need is a can opener and an eating utensil (fork or a spoon). Now eating a cold meal may not be the best way to enjoy a meal but if you’re hungry enough you probably won’t notice it as much. If you do have a heat source, the canned food item could be heated directly or indirectly. Even exposed to some direct sunlight will warm it up a bit if it’s absolutely necessary.

There are also many canned food items that have “pop tops” that make them easy to open without a can opener. There is also a wide variety of foods that allow for a change in the menu without having to give it much thought and takes very little additional effort. As a bonus, the liquid used in the canned food can help conserve your water sources or be used to supplement them.

This is not a new idea by any means. Most anyone that’s been on a camping, hunting or fishing trip has probably eaten their share of pork-n-beans and peach slices straight from the can. This is also a fairly simple way to manage your food inventory. Even younger family members or those lacking culinary skills can prepare a simple meal in this manner.

Keeping things simple and avoiding as many complicated activities as possible will always be a great way to conserve your time, energy and resources. Routine and mundane tasks such as meal preparation can consume a lot of your time and efforts. Keeping your survival meals simple will avoid this problem. After all, who needs more problems during a crisis?

Got can opener?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Hidden Signs of Economic Collapse - Part One - The True Rate of Unemployment

Being prepared requires an understanding of the signs to watch for when things may be headed in the wrong direction. This is true in most any crisis. There are even signs that will help you to see the coming danger and be prepared for an economic collapse prior to an actual economic collapse occurring.

The reality of economic collapse in almost any economy can be seen in several different areas. It doesn’t take a “rocket scientist” to figure out that the real state of our economy is not going to be reported in order to prevent civil unrest by the people affected most by this situation. The civil unrest in many countries that have suffered an economic collapse is witness to this fact. In fact, we are seeing some of the early signs of civil unrest in this country due to the weak economy.  One of the major signs to watch in order to realize the actual health of our economy is the true rate of unemployment in this country.

The Bureau of Labor reports statistics on employment on several different levels that range from the U1 unemployment rate to the U6 unemployment rate. The unemployment rate that is normally reported in the media is the U3 (official) unemployment rate. This rate (U3) doesn’t include a lot of the people who are unemployed but represents a more politically acceptable level of unemployment data when reported.

Many people are also unaware of just how many people aren’t included in the workforce as a matter of routine. Our workforce is primarily based on the civilian population 16 years old and over (many of which are still attending school). Persons who are in places such as nursing homes, correctional institutions or prisons, and members of our military on active duty aren’t included as part of the workforce in these statistics. It also doesn’t include retirees. That’s a lot of people who are simply not included.

If you are concerned about the implications of a possible economic collapse as something to prepare for, it helps to know what to look for in advance. Knowing and being aware of the true rate of unemployment is just one of these factors.

Disclaimer: This is merely an opinion of this writer and should not be considered professional advice of any kind.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

  

Riverwalker's Gear - RW's Springer - Holiday Plinking

After stuffing myself with turkey and dressing, it was time to do some holiday plinking. Using my B3 series air gun which uses 4.5 mm (.177 caliber) pellets which only cost a few dollars for a box of around 200 rounds, it was time to ventilate some cans.

Here's a pic of the 4.5 mm pellets that were used to do a little holiday plinking. It's rated at 850 fps but is probably closer to 700 fps from my own experience. It's a tack driver at distances of 100 to 120 feet using just the iron sights.

It has a hooded front sight that has to be manually adjusted. Once it was set properly and aligned there's not much more that needs to be done to the front sight.

It also has an adjustable rear sight that fits in the dovetail mounts. Although it doesn't have an adjustment for windage, it's still a pretty decent rear sight. It's also tapped for a scope mount. If you look closely at the above picture you can see one of the scope ring mounting holes. The other one is covered up by the rear sight.

This air gun has an under the barrel cocking lever (see pic above) with a barrel clamp to hold it in place. It takes about 30 pounds of force to cock the lever and can be somewhat difficult to cock for smaller persons. Lil' RW (who's only 6 years old) tried to cock it but just couldn't manage to get it done. This is a single shot model and all the rounds have to loaded by hand. Just make sure the pellets are seated firmly in the barrel.


CAUTION: Be careful to maintain a firm grip on the lever once it has been cocked. Even if it has a safety mechanism, don't rely on it because If it releases suddenly it can cause a severe injury to your fingers.


While not the best air gun available, it's still a pretty decent air gun even if the stock is an ugly shade of yellowish-orange. Probably need to refinish the stock to make it a little prettier. Not much room to complain since it only cost $20 (which included a scope).The best part of plinking with this air gun is putting rounds through the same hole time after time.




Got springer?


Staying above the water line!


Riverwalker

Simple Survival Tips - The Extra BOB

                 

Even though you may have a well designed plan in place to handle a crisis or disaster, there will be times when you will need  excess capacity to cover your needs and those of your family. Having excess capacity can help you avoid serious shortages during a crisis. This will also allow you to cover all your needs without creating additional problems during the early stages of a crisis.

It is unfortunate that we can’t always predict when an emergency situation will happen. In fact, a crisis will usually occur with very little notice or chance for you to prepare. It may also come at a time when you have additional family members present or you suddenly find yourself with a need for additional items. This is where having a little extra capacity factored into your survival planning will help the most. One of the simplest ways to achieve this goal is with an extra BOB (bug-out-bag).

An extra BOB will give you excess capacity that can be accessed quickly and will be available if needed in a crisis. If you suddenly find yourself with extra family members present or needing additional items for you or your family, this excess capacity will come in handy to help prevent shortages. This extra BOB could contain additional backups for items of gear that may get lost or broken, extra clothing and additional food or items that may be relevant to your particular needs or situation.

Got extra BOB?                                                    

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Meals - The Advantages of Sandwiches for Survival

Due to their simplicity and familiarity in the eating habits of most people, sandwiches are often overlooked as a simple survival meal. They are a unique creation that can solve a number of problems that arise during a crisis or a disaster. Here are just a few of the advantages of sandwiches for survival.

The Advantages of Sandwiches for Survival

1. Sandwiches are quick and easy to make - They require little if any skill to make and creating a sandwich is limited only by your available ingredients and your imagination. This will also help you save time in your food cooking, preparation and cleanup.

2. Sandwiches can be made with just a few basic ingredients - This will help you conserve your food resources. Bread, biscuits or crackers can be easily converted into a sandwich with the addition of a few basic ingredients.

3. Sandwiches don’t require utensils - You don’t need a plate to eat a sandwich and can conserve your water resources by having less utensils to clean.

4. Sandwiches can be easily adjusted to fit the calories needed to survive - All you need to do is adjust the contents of your sandwich accordingly or simply make an additional sandwich. This enables you manage your food inventory more completely.

5. Sandwiches help conserve fuel resources - They can be eaten hot, cold or at room temperature. Can you say “no cook meal”?

6. Sandwiches are extremely portable - They able to be contained and carried in anything from a napkin, a plastic baggie or a simple piece of tin foil.

7. Sandwiches can be used to eliminate wasted food - Many leftover food items can be converted into sandwich ingredients to help utilize your food inventory in a more efficient manner.

8. Sandwiches can be used to complement other simple survival meals - A sandwich when combined with a bowl of soup goes a long way to satisfy a hungry person.

9. Sandwiches can also add variety to your survival menu - A simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich makes a quick and easy snack that works well to keep everyone in your group in good spirits.

10. Sandwiches can easily meet the needs for feeding a large group  - They can be cut in half, made with a single slice of bread or in a number of ways that will allow you to stretch your food resources.

When it comes down to making simple survival meals, don’t overlook the advantages of sandwiches for survival.

Got PBJ’s?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker