Water Bottle Modifications for Wilderness Survival

Water Bottle Modifications for Wilderness Survival
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Survival Clothing For Outdoor Emergencies - free article courtesy ...

Maybe you don't need to learn about survival clothing. Maybe you always hike with a spare jacket. Perhaps you never go out into the wilderness overnight, but just for day hikes. Or you bring lots of warm clothing when you do go backpacking.

Nonetheless, hundreds of people die or come close to dying every year from exposure. They thought they were prepared. They didn't expect their clothes to get wet from falling in a stream, they didn't think they'd be out there for the night, or they get lost for days.

Coming down from Mount Whitney I met several young men in t-shirts on their way up, determined to get to the top. They had no gear, and not enough time, but they probably made it there by sunset anyhow. They also certainly didn't make it the eleven miles back to their car before dark. It was below freezing that night, so I imagine they were uncomfortable at best.


Quick survival Clothing

What survival clothing could they have made in that situation? One of them did have a light jacket. He could have used his t-shirt as a hat (a lot of heat is lost through the head) and filled his jacket with the fluff from the cattail seedheads for insulation. (Cattail down was once used to fill those old orange life preservers.)

Insulation is the important principle here. You can stuff a jacket, shirt, sweater or pants with dry leaves, milkweed down, bracken ferns or almost anything that creates a lot of "dead air space." It's better if you have two layers to sandwich it between, but being itchy is better than being frozen in any case.

In a jam, you can also use the flat leaves of cattail plants to weave a vest that will block the wind and some rain. Two bread bags full of milkweed down or other silky plant fibers make warm mittens (tie them at the wrists). A plastic bag full of the same could be tied onto your head as a hat.

Usually, you'll do better to look first at what you have, before looking to kill animals for their skins, or weave grass skirts. If you have a sleeping bag, it can double as a coat - just wrap it around you. Socks can be mittens, and garbage bags can be made into snow pants.

A garbage bag can also be a raincoat. Otherwise, tie bunches of grass tightly together along a string or strip of cloth, and then wrap it around your shoulders. This will repel a light rain. You can fashion a rain hood of birchbark as well.

In the desert you can make a sun-hat of large leaves, like those from a fan palm. String some together to wrap around your shoulders to prevent sunburn.

You'll probably never have to use animal skins for survival clothing. You might never lose your shoes and need to glue tree bark to your feet with pine sap, for hiking. Still, knowing how to improvise a few basic pieces of survival clothing can make you more comfortable, and possibly save your life.


Homeland Survival Guide - Learn to survive a disaster and protect your family!

Family Emergency Preparedness by Hugh Simpson

A lot of people say that emergency preparedness is not the most important item on their radar for the new year.  They couldn't be more WRONG!
This is the time of year that you need to prepare your family for any and all types of natural and man-made disasters.

So what can you do?

Visit  http://www.usprepared.com and get your FR** Emergency Preparedness Guide and make sure to sit down with the family and read through it. After you have read through it then begin to take ACTION now!

Make sure that you have at least a week but preferably more of the items suggested on hand for every member of the family. And remember your pets are important for emergency preparedness!

Start by buying one or two emergency supply items a week while you do your normal grocery and department store shopping.  This will allow you to accumulate what you need without having to spend a lot all at once.


We are strongly encouraging every family to purchase one particular item this year - a family tent!

Why a family tent? Family tents usually have two or three room allowing for privacy.

Remember those poor souls that had driven away from Hurricane Katrina and Rita only to find the motels already booked to capacity and the stuffy concrete floors of the shelters packed like sardines?

Would it not be a heck of a lot more comfortable to find a state park or national park where you could set up your family tent without the added stress of hundreds of people crammed together?

During Katrina state parks in Arkansas were utilized. That is a step in the right direction. Most state parks have bathrooms, showers and even electric outlets.

So tell your friends about preparedness and why it's to better utilize our state and national parks for emergencies and go get prepared NOW!

Backpack Bug-Out-Bag: Survival Must-Have by Phil Washington

Unlike other types of travel bags, the backpack bug-out-bag leaves the user's hands and arms free, so it's easier to move around, climb, or carry other things. This makes it the top bag of choice for adventurists and travelers thanks to its strong, sturdy design that allows it to withstand heavy loads.

The backpack bug-out-bag

The backpack bug-out-bag is a convertible backpack. It can be expanded and turned into a basic travel bag or it can be zipped up and made compact to turn it into a backpack. The main compartment of the bug-out-bag is expandable, allowing for a larger amount of gear and supplies to be packed.

The backpack bug-out-bag is built for strength and is often made of fabric such as canvas. To avoid tearing, the bag often features reinforced stitching on common stress points. It is also designed with several inner and outer compartments to provide extra storage for small items and easy access to commonly used equipment.

The backpack bug-out-bag is a popular choice among military personnel, adventure travelers, sports enthusiasts, those whose jobs require long exposure to the outdoors, and most survivalists.

Advantages of the backpack bug-out-bag

Probably the best reason the backpack bug-out-bag is a bestseller is its expandability. Because the bag can be expanded, it offers more room for storage, making packing a breeze. The bug-out-bag is an excellent choice for backpackers, travelers and adventurists who like to bring along a lot of stuff and pack them in just one bag. It's also an excellent alternative for people who travel for extended periods of time but do not wish to pack more than one bag.

If you are an adventurist, hiker or camper, it is the perfect survival bag to use because it's roomy enough for many types of gear and equipment, but handy enough to make traveling on foot easier.

The backpack bug-out-bag is also excellent for long distance travels, even if it means keeping the bag hanging from your back for long periods of time. The bug-out-bag has been carefully designed to ensure that the weight of the bag is distributed over the user's center. This makes walking, climbing, and running relatively easier because the weight of the bag will not threaten the user's sense of balance, regardless of how heavy the load is.

In terms of comfort, the backpack bug-out-bag is designed with padded straps and body to provide a buffer zone between the user's back and any hard or sharp contents of the bag. This also makes transport of heavy or numerous items more efficient.



Maxpedition Falcon 2: Survival Gear Review

Pet First Aid Kits and Emergency Supplies by Eric Holm

Pet first aid kits are an essential part of the survival of pets during emergencies. The importance of preparing for calamities, not only for yourself and family, but also for your pets has been underscored after a lot of dead pets were found in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit several areas in the southern parts of the United States. A lot of dogs, cats and even other exotic animals were left in the streets on their own as humans evacuated because of the said hurricane. It was a sad story but truly, you and your animal will have a better chance of surviving big disasters and emergencies only if you plan ahead.

Assembling your pet first aid kit is one of the first things you should do to help ensure the survival and happiness of your pet during emergency situations. Remember that pets are more sensitive than humans when it comes to feeling catastrophes or natural disasters, so there is a big possibility that they will react violently or restlessly before, during and even after the calamity. Because of this, you need to include pet safety products such as lighted collars, possible motion activated dog tags, and even pet carriers. Of course, you also need to provide emergency survival pet food and water for your precious pooches, cats, or birds. It is important that you check the food and water supply of your pets regularly to ensure that they are good when disaster strikes. We would recommend that you keep at least a three day supply of emergency food and water for your pet, just like is recommended for your emergency kit.

Apart from food and water, your pet first aid kits should also contain blankets, chew sticks, and even playthings to help them cope during emergency situations. If you will be staying in evacuation centers, it is a good idea to bring along poop bags and/or WAG bags to maintain the sanitation of the place. In case your evacuation place does not allow animals inside for sanitary reasons, you need to make a back-up plan about where your animal can stay. An alternative shelter and/or pet carrier for your pet is essential for its survival, so do not forget about it.

A good pet first aid kit and a three day supply of food and water are really important if you treat your pet as a member of your family. You will be glad you prepared in advance.



A Survivalist Survival Food Storage Stockpile For When SHTF - Updated

Survival Prep is as easy as it sounds.  You prep to survive.  The following information will help you prepare for survival of natural and man-made disasters.

1.  Have a plan for each type of situation.  Go over the plans with your family members so each person knows what to do in each situation.  In this plan be sure to specify a meeting place, outside of the expected disaster area, where you can meet up if you get separated. 

2.  Prepare your disaster supply kit.  Your supply kit should include enough food and water for each member of your family for 7 days, at least.  Don't forget specialty diet foods for medical reasons and medications.  Additionally, include pet foods and medications for your furry family member or members.

3. Your disaster kit should also include the following:  a manual can opener, a flashlight for each family member, extra batteries, a crank radio, space blankets, board games and coloring books/crayons (especially if you have young children), toilet tissue, and some comfort foods - such as candy bars and cookies.  Additionally, every disaster kit should include a well-stocked first-aid kit.

4. Additional things that could be included in a disaster survival kit, depending on the type of disaster anticipated, could be the following:  fishing line and hooks, sleeping bags, tent, camp stove and propane, charcoal, wire hand saw, shovel, axe, rope, tarps, duck tape, maps, books identifying edible plants and insects, and how-to books on everything from creating your own electricity to converting a vehicle to run on alternate fuel. 

5.  Some of your supplies can be kept in watertight tubs with lids or in new trash cans. 

6.  Make sure to check the shelf life on your food supply several times a year and rotate out the expiring food with fresh non-perishable food.  If you buy one or two things a shopping trip then the cost isn't as overwhelming and you can better keep an eye on what will be expiring in the near future.  If you can afford it, it never hurts to have a few cases of MRE's on hand also...they store longer and most come with their own heat sources so you can have a hot meal even without electricity, propane, charcoal, or a campfire.

13 Things Every First Aid Kit Should Have - free article courtesy ...

Everyone should have a home first aid kit ready to go in case an emergency should arise. If you have small children, being prepared with an up-to-date first aid kit becomes even more important. Keeping a first aid kit within easy reach will provide you with considerable peace of mind. Here’s a handy checklist of the items that your first aid kit should, at a minimum, contain:

1. An Antiseptic (such as Bactine): Cleaning scrapes or wounds is important for preventing infection. If soap and water are not on hand, using an antiseptic will help flush out debris and provide a mild pain relief. Antiseptics may come in cream or spray form. Many, such as bactine, also provide pain relief.

2. Bandaids and gauze pads. Bandaids help treat injuries of all sizes. Your best bet is to buy a large package that comes with a variety of sizes.

For gauze pads, buying larger sizes works best, because you can always cut them down to the size you need. Gauze pads work well for more serious injuries.

3. Scissors. Speaking of cutting, scissors are often overlooked in many first aid kits. Scissors come in handy not just for cutting gauze pads, but for cutting clothing, adhesive tape, and anything other materials or obstructions that may present themselves in an emergency.

4. Ace Bandages. Ace bandages come in handy in a variety of situations, such as sprains and breakages.

5. Instant Cold and Hot Pack. These packs are for one-time use only, so it’s a good idea to stock up your first aid kit with them. They can be applied on sprains, bruises, and bumps to reduce swelling.

6. Adhesive Tape. Adhesive tape can be used to form splits, tape gauze, and secure any other bandages.

7. Tweezers. Like scissors, tweezers are often overlooked, but come often come in handy. They can be used to remove stingers, ingrown hairs, splinters, and hang nails.

8. Latex Gloves. Latex gloves are a helpful addition to any first aid kit. Latex gloves will provide a clean and sanitary way to protect you against bacteria, blood, bodily fluids, and other potential contaminants that you may encounter in an emergency situation.

9. Analgesic. An analgesic is a pain reliever. Include a small bottle of aspirin or ibuprofen to combat headaches, migraines, or pain due to injury.

10. Antibiotic Ointment. A small tube of antibiotic ointment can go a long way. Antibiotic ointment can be used on scrapes, cuts, wounds, and other injuries to prevent infection.

11. Rubbing alcohol and disinfectant. These are helpful for cleaning insect sting bites or for cleaning wounds. Alcohol wipes are particularly convenient to have in your first aid kit because they don’t take up much space.

12. Antihistamine. In the case that someone may suffer from severe allergies, having some sort of antihistamine on hand is a good idea.

13. A list of emergency phone numbers. Keep an index card with the numbers of your doctor, the national poison center, and all other emergency contacts. Also, it’s a good idea to write down the name of members of your family who have allergies, and any medication they take on a regular basis.

Click here for more information What\'s in Your Bugout Bag? Wranglerstar\'s 72 Hour BOB Survival Kit