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

Outdoor Survival Skills

Outdoor survival skills can mean the difference between escape/rescue and tragedy. Fortunately, most survival skills are simple and easy to learn.

Here are the top ten things to do in a survival situation, in order:

1. Don’t panic. Breathe. Relax.

2. Give yourself first aid if needed.

3. Inventory your survival items.

4. Assess any imminent weather dangers.

5. Find an open area where you can be seen from the air.

6. Create appropriate shelter.

7. Drink lots of water.

8. Make fire, but safely! Learn how to build fire in a variety of ways and how not to start a wilderness blaze in your quest for survival.

9. Signal for help.

10. Eat the wildlife, including insects, but nothing with more than 6 legs and no plants you aren’t totally sure of.

Ten Essential survival skills

Cheap and Free Items for Bug Out Bag or Emergency Survival Kit / Everyday Carry

72 Hour Kits – A Must Have to Face Emergencies by Andi Murfy

One important thing that people have realized over the past few years is the importance of survival kits. So many disastrous events that have taken place in last few years showed how the entire world can be turned upside down in just a matter of few seconds. Floods, hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, terrorist attacks are just to name the few events that can come on the way of your normal life and leave you with nothing to do except for hoping to survive. Having a 72 hour kit ready can help you save your life as well as that of your family members. It is the handiest thing to have ready in case of a sudden emergency.

Unlike what is popularly believed, survival kits are not always expensive. In most cases, a 72 hour kit can be prepared by items that can be found by combining items that are found in local grocery or hardware stores. However , it is important to understand that 72 hour kits contain just the bare minimum items that are needed to survive till the help arrives. In some cases, help even takes longer to arrive and in such scenarios the usage of survival items should be planned in a way to sustain them till the help arrives.

The basic elements that should be included in all 72 hour kits are food, water, medicines, shelter, and first aid supplies. Water is the most crucial thing that is a must for survival. Proper care should be taken to make sure that the stored water does not get contaminated during disasters. While you can manage without food for few days, still food is needed to give you strength to keep you going till the services reach you. A set of dry clothing, winter wear, tent, sleeping bags, radio, flashlights, knife, diapers for babies, etc are some other items that can be included in a 72 hour kit.

A 72 hour kit can really act as a live savior for you and your family during emergencies. With proper preparation and planning, you can always be ready to deal with emergencies.

survivalist tips and emergency fishing kit

Camping Tents - What The Tent Ratings Mean

Been shopping for a new camping tent? Wonder what 3-season or 4-season means? Confused about what a family tent or convertible tent classification means? Let’s try to cut through all the marketing lingo and get down to what you should really look for when you see camping tent ratings or classifications.
When you get right down to it, you should think of a camping tent as either 3-season or 4-season. So what’s in a name?
Generally speaking your average 3-season tent is built to hold up well in light to moderate weather conditions. They are built to be comfortable in Spring, Summer and Fall in most any location, hence the name 3-season.
Three-season tents are generally more affordable than 4-season. You will find a vast range of 3-season tent quality from the cheap units found in big retail stores to expensive models found in specialty camping stores.
The downside of 3-season tents? These tents do not hold up well in high winds, torrential rain and heavy snowfall. 3-season tents are generally not the tent of choice for backcountry expeditions through Alaska in January.
The best 3-season tents generally come with a waterproof rain fly and a breathable canopy. Ideally you want to find a three season tent with a waterproof floor. The rugged "bathtub" floor is generally reserved for the more expensive four season tent (but not always).
Four season tents are great for just about any weather condition that you may encounter, assuming its winter. The 4-season rating really should be classified as 1-season. Why? Because a quality 4-season tent performs great in winter conditions but may suffer from over-insulation in the summer months.
Structurally 4-season tents generally have at least four aluminum poles for strength (the more the better) to withstand sleet and snow. They are aerodynamic in design and typically they are dark colored in order to absorb heat. And they are generally much lighter.
The roof lines on four season tents are fully defined and very strong so water and snow cannot collect on top of the tent. Most four season tents can be utilized free standing in the event there is no place to pound stakes into the ground such as on the side of a mountain or in frozen terrain.
Four season tents have a fully encompassing rainfly to combat the elements. They also have excellent waterproof floors that are called "bathtubs" as they come up to about six inches on the side of the tent. Additionally the seams are very hardy and strong throughout the tent.
The downside to the 4-season tent? Price. You can end up paying a hefty sum for the technology built in to keep you protected.
Also, as I alluded to above, if you are camping in the middle of summer you will want air movement through your tent to keep things cooler. 4-season tents are generally made to inhibit the elements from cutting through the camping tent, which is great in the winter and not so great in balmy summer.
So where does a family tent fit into these ratings? A family tent is simply a 3-season tent.
What’s going on with a convertible 3-4 season tent? This kind of tent generally has some sort of built in airflow ventilator. I would not take this type tent into the backcountry where survival was important. If the ventilator malfunctioned and it would not close, you could become an unhappy camper pretty fast.
Bottom line: The 3-season tent is the recommended choice for the majority of campers. It is the most cost effective tent and will allow the user to camp in a variety of conditions up to, but not including, severe winter weather conditions.
If you camp from Spring, Summer and Fall, a 3-season camping tent will fill your needs. If you camp where severe winter weather is possible then you should be getting a 4-season camping tent.
A father of two daughters, Chris loves the outdoors and counts camping, skiing and bicycling as his favorite pursuits. Chris is the owner of http://www.camping-tent-guide.com, a website for camping tent information, camping tips and outdoor adventure discussion.

TV Shows For Backpackers

Not many television shows are produced with backpackers in mind. Still, there are some tv shows that can be appreciated especially by backpackers. They may even contain some useful lessons. Here are some examples of the best.

The Classic National Geographic Specials

Specials produced by the National Geographic Society are great viewing when you want to get motivated for new backpacking trips. The older ones are some of the best for this, like the thirty-year-old episode where four guys built a raft and floated down the Yukon River. You can find many of these on DVD now in public libraries, as well as in some video rental stores. You can se newer episodes on the National Geographic Network and occasionally on PBS.

Les Stroud's Survivorman

This television program is all about wilderness survival. You'll find it on the Discovery Channel, the Science Channel, and possibly others. It's about one man against the elements. The man in this case is Les Stroud, who is put in various environments to survive for seven days while filming himself.

One great feature of Survivorman is that each show has a "theme. " The Canadian arctic episode, for example , has Stroud left with a broken-down snowmobile. He cannibalizes this various useful items, including the seat cushion, which he uses for a insulating sleeping pad. The Sonoran desert episode has him in the middle of a desert with a broken dirt bike, and he uses wires from this to weave a blanket of grass.

The show is creative and entertaining, but is a survival program useful for backpackers? I think so. There are specific techniques of survival that Stroud shows us and, more importantly, the inspiration the show provides. Survivorman lets you know that you can survive - and it gets you in the habit of thinking about how to use everything around you. This is knowledge that not only makes the wilderness more interesting, but could also save your life someday.

I Shouldn't Be Alive

It's a pure survival story show - all true stories of people that have survived some of the most horrible circumstances in every type of wilderness. In one episode the story is told of a couple who were stranded for nine days in the middle of winter in the Sierra Nevadas - with a baby. They really shouldn't be alive, but they are.

This is the point of watching a show like this. It is inspiring. Watch the episode where the man crashes his plane in the African desert and breaks his spine, then faces killer elephants, ants, thorns, hyenas and more. If you are ever lost in the wilderness, just recall a few of these shows and you'll know that people have survived worse situations than yours. You won't give up hope too easily.

The various "reality shows, " like survivor, are mostly drama and more about political survival than wilderness experience, but there are other things for backpackers to watch on television. These include movies that get us motivated, like the "White Wolf, " series. Movies like these may not be full of great acting, but they always put teenage hikers in beautiful setting that make us want to get the pack out and start making plans.

One final recomendation. If you can catch it on television or rent it from the video store, watch "The Edge, " with Anthony Hopkins. It is an inspirational survival story for starters. It also has some of the most beautiful scenery you'll see in a movie. You'll want to start planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies before the movie is even over. This one is my kind of backpacker television.

Wilderness Survival Books

Survival Skills Bug-out Bags 101

Survival Skills Bug-out Bags 101

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4 Basic Wild Survival Foods

In my last survival article I discussed the Sacred Order; shelter, water, fire, food. When you have your shelter, water source and fire you will begin to think about eating. In this article I will discuss 4 basic wild edibles that can be easily found almost everywhere.

First, I would like to touch upon an important spiritual aspect of gathering from Earth Mother. It is important to remember to ask permission to take from Earth Mother and then give thanks, express gratitude. Give something back. A tobacco offering is appropriate if you have it. Collect what you need with a “caretaker” attitude, which means gather in a way that will leave the area healthier and better able to grow and replenish. Ponder the effect your taking will have on the next 7 generations, remember, we did not inherit the land from our forefathers, we are borrowing it from our children and grandchildren. Leave plenty for them!

Correct identification of plants is of extreme importance! Your life may depend on it! Be certain of the identification of plants before eating as some plants are poisonous. I suggest you obtain a field guide and start learning to identify edible plants in your area as well as poisonous plants to stay away from.

Pine: Pinaceae Family, Pinus Genus.

Pines are evergreens with needles that grow in clusters of 2-5.

Pine is edible year round, however you must eat from a living tree or a very freshly downed tree. Parts to eat: needles, inner bark, buds, young green cones, pollen, nuts.

Needles: Pull bundle cap off, chop needles and make tea. Steep in hot water until needles sink to bottom.

Inner Bark: This is the cambium layer. It is white in color and is edible year round. The inner bark is high in nutrients, vitamin C and sugar.

You can eat the inner bark raw, boil it like noodles or dry it and pound it into flour.

Pine Buds: Eat the bright green new ones in the spring. You can eat raw or boil them and sweeten with honey or sugar.

Pollen: Gather by shaking into a bag. Eat raw, in stew, or mix with your pine bark flour. The pollen is very high in protein.

Young Green Cones: In summer you can gather the newly forming cones and boil for a few minutes and eat.

Pine Nuts: In autumn gather the nuts from pine cones and eat raw or grind into pine nut butter.

Oak: Quercus genus.

Part eaten: Acorns

Oak is very high in tannic acid so more preparation is needed before eating.

After gathering your acorns you will want to dry them for several weeks for storage. If you are going to use them right away you don’t have to dry them.

First you will shell them. Then winnow them using a shallow bowl or basket, toss up and down to remove the husks.

You must leech acorns before using! To leech chop them into quarters and put into already boiling water for 5 minutes. Pour the water off and repeat this process 5-6 times. This process removes the tannic acid and makes the acorns edible.

Eat acorns or pound into flour. Acorn flour can be used just like regular flour. The flour loses about half it’s nutrients in 2-3 days so don’t pound into flour until you are ready to use it. Store your acorns in a cool, dry, dark place, keeps for several months.

Acorns are high in protein and fat.

Grass: Graminaceae (14, 000 species)

Parts eaten: roots, leaves, seeds.

You can eat the roots of grasses year round either raw or cooked. Eat the leaves raw or dry and pound (grind) to add to other flour. Don’t grind until you are ready to use it.

Seeds are ready when they turn are brownish in color and fall off into your hand. You can boil and eat like hot cereal or pound them into flour. The flour makes yummy breads and cakes.

High in vitamins.

Caution! Be aware of Ergot Fungus! Ergot fungus grows in the place of seed, it is enlarged, purple or black in color. Is most common in domestic rye, but can be found in grasses. Ergot Fungus prefers moist areas. Do your research and make sure you can identify Ergot Fungus!

Cattail: Typha genus

Parts eaten: new shoots in spring, flower head, leaves, pollen, rhizome (root), corms.

Shoots: Gather in spring or early summer. Always cook the shoots (bake, boil) and eat the core.

Flower head: Steam or boil and eat like corn on the cob.

Pollen: Eat raw or use for flour.

Leaves: Eat the leaves the same as grasses.

Rhizome (root): Make flour with the roots. Wash the root, split it in half, dig out the white part into a container of water. Let it settle, then pour off the water. The flour will be in the bottom. You can dry the flour for later use or use it right away to make cakes, breads, etc . Nutrients: starch and protein.

Corms: Corms are found along the roots. Feel for a hard knot and collect the hard knot. Prepare and eat like a potato. High in vitamins and other nutrients.

These are the basic wild edible foods that can keep you alive and healthy for a long period of time in a survival situation. Having a spiritual connection with our Earth Mother is the most important skill of all. Learn her voice and how to communicate with her and instead of surviving, you will flourish.

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New prepping supplies. SHTF Preps and survival supplies.

Catastrophe Survival Tips for You, Your Family and Your Business

Whether it is a natural disaster like hurricane Katrina or an unnatural catastrophe like an upwind industrial chemical explosion, what you do now to protect yourself and your family can make the difference between life and death. After you survive, rebuilding your life and business quickly becomes critical.

Please, do not for one moment think that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is going to be able to get to you in time, unless you have already taken these steps to rescue yourself. Tragically, even 10 days after post-Katrina rescue efforts began, there were still people starving to death in New Orleans.

It can happen anywhere (here), and it is not if, it is when it will happen. No one can predict the future, but you can take measures now so you know that you have done what you can to prepare.

Check out these Catastrophe survival tips for You and Your Family" at www.ORGANIZE.com that you can use to buy yourself and your family more time. Time is the second most important factor in surviving a catastrophe. Water is number one, so our first tip is:

1) Without water you lose your ability to make clear decisions within 24 hours. Thirst kills you faster than famine. At Work: Keep a backpack at work with as much bottled water as you can carry. Plus, put in dried fruit, power bars, your daily medications or vitamins and a small first aid kit. Keep a Family Emergency Numbers List inside too.

At Home: Put at least enough water in sealed containers so that your family will have one gallon per day for two weeks. I just bought shrink-wrapped cases of quart-sized plastic water bottles and stacked them under the backyard picnic table. Even if some of it is compromised you will still have other bottles intact. Swap water out every six months - put a reminder in your calendar.

2) Create a Catastrophe Kit on your property outside your house and garage (in a back corner of your yard, for instance). It is as easy as getting a plastic 55-gallon trash bin with clips on the lid to hold it shut. Or use a small plastic/metal garden 'shed' in your yard.

3) Clean out your closets and put in layered clothing AND tough shoes for each family member. You need a complete change of dry clothing that you can be warm enough in to sleep while dressed.

4) Clean out the camping gear you are not using: this is the perfect place for it. Tents, Tarps, Ponchos, Sleeping bags or Wool blankets (wool will keep you warmer even when wet), cooking gear, Lighters, Utensils, Can-openers and a pan to boil water.

5) Make a separate sealed container with food in it. Canned goods as complete meals are ideal. Dried foods will use precious water to reconstitute. Instant coffee keeps withdrawal headaches away. If you smoke, put a carton of cigarettes in to prevent withdrawal sickness. Concentrate on meals (e. g. beef stew, spaghetti) and carbohydrate foods like cereal bars and dried fruit leathers for energy.

6) If you eat a protein drink (or power bar) regularly, throw in a big container (or a 12-pack of cans/bars) and enough liquid to mix it up. This is a good concentrated food source.

7) Include another plastic sealed container with all of the basic medicines or vitamins you and your family must have. Some doctors will give you double prescriptions once if you ask. Clean out your bathroom cabinets and make sure to pack first aid remedies like ibuprofen, tylenol, aspirin, bandages, anti-bacterial ointment, etc . You can get cost-effective home emergency kits at Costco.

8) Important: a battery radio for emergency broadcasts; ideally a CB radio or Nextel-type network phone; your Family List with names, essential medical and contact information, as well as local emergency numbers. Call friends/family outside your state to leave update info. Local phone access is often turned off or destroyed during emergencies.

9) Maintain a Catastrophe mini-Kit for your car(s). Always have a blanket, food (e. g., power bars) and water in sealed containers. You can buy quality car emergency kits at Costco, too.

Create regular backups of your personal and business computer systems. I use Norton Ghost to image copy my entire drive onto an external hard drive and store it in the trunk of my car parked in my driveway. You probably won't be thinking about your business in the middle of a disaster, but when you survive you will need to rebuild your life and business as soon as possible.

It's more fun hassling re-creating your working drive than it is to go out of business. You can also do regular backups to remote sites on the web. I highly recommend my backup 'guru' Sallie Goetsch's weekly Backup Reminder ezine. For essential backup tips visit the FileSlinger(tm) Backup Blog www.fileslinger.com/blog

"May you and yours be safe and well. " But , do your family's Catastrophe Kits this weekend anyway, OK? Organizing cannot stop a catastrophe, but after you survive it will help you and your family in recovering quickly.

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"How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" Tips by Eve Abbott

Bug Out Bag Emergency Survival Kit Off Grid Books

December 21, 2012: A Dream Age Begins!

The Folktale

In the early winter of December in the year 2012, the Mayans and many other ancient cultures of antiquity have predicted the 'return of the gods' in their literature and other records. This return is actually the return of a consciousness that humans have not seen in tens of thousands of years, going back to when we were humans in spirit form. 'the fall of man' is what it is now called that we lost many eons ago. In a nutshell 'the fall of man' was a series of events that caused human beings in the spirit to become desirous for themselves and thus become human beings 'in the flesh' which was the 'fall' part. Our selfishness (desire to seek for the self alone) separated us from God and so we then manifested physical bodies in the physical world and still reside in these physical bodies today.

This means, in simple terms that the frequency that our consciousness operated on was lowered because of our lack of sharing, and it was lowered to a point that we could not maintain our spiritual bodies (today known as the light-body) and as a result we became physical creatures with physical creature issues, like needing to eat and getting rid of bodily waste as well as the need to breathe air to survive. We lacked enough of Gods divine essence flowing through us and so we needed to live like the physical creatures that we become. The problem with this is obvious in that if you have all of these physical needs and symptoms that make you selfish, how can you get back to the spiritual body where none of these physical issues exist.

The Cycle

When the 'fall of man' occurred, it happened to us as a collective. This meant that everyone experienced this fall together as a race of beings. In December of 2012, we as a collective will experience the raising of our consciousness through a raise in our collective frequency that our nervous systems operate on and this raise in frequency will be the 'return of the gods' that the Mayans and other ancient cultures spoke of. This will happen to us as a result of a shift of our solar system and galaxy that occurs every thirteen thousand years.

Our planet takes a year to go around our sun one time, and our sun takes twenty-six thousand of our years to go around the center of our galaxy one time. High energy particles escape from the series of black holes in the center of our galaxy shooting out cosmic material in only one direction (instead of all directions) in a way that divides our galaxy in half with one half (equaling the first thirteen-thousand years) getting a constant fresh supply of new matter, and the other half of our galaxy getting no constant fresh supply of direct new matter material (equaling the second thirteen-thousand years). We need twenty-six thousand years to make one full revolution of one half fresh new cosmic energy and the other half no fresh new cosmic energy.

When we are in the thirteen-thousand years with no fresh new cosmic energy we experience a lack of sufficient 'light' and as a result we become selfish and desirous to ourselves instead of sharing. When we are in the thirteen-thousand years where we get constant fresh new cosmic energy, we have an increase of light from our galactic center which increases the frequency that our nervous system operates on and as a result we experience an increase in our consciousness and the desire to share everything and help each other ceaselessly. This happens to us every twenty-six thousand years. Half of our solar systems revolution around our galactic center is happy and positive (the girl cycle) and the other half of our solar systems revolution around our galactic center is sad and negative (the boy cycle). We are at the point that we can become divine again when we are going through the girl cycle. This is what Jesus explained to his apostles and others during his time among us. As we go around our galactic center we experience either one or the other of these two states throughout history.

It is unfortunate that most people have been brainwashed to believe that humanity has only been around for a mere sixty-five hundred years or so. They have been deprived of a great revelation!

The Result

What does this have to do with December of 2012?

In December of 2012 we will officially enter 'the girl cycle' of our revolution around our galactic center and that is what the Mayans and others meant when they said that their gods would return. This will be the start of thirteen thousand years of happiness, peace and positive energy. Many early cultures spoke of this cycle like the ancient Mayans, the Hopi, the Essene community and The Cathars of early France, as well as many great souls that have counseled us over the centuries like Buddha and Jesus. We have not been openly taught of this cycle, how and why it happens and have been deprived of its secrets, the greatest of which is that the girl cycle (divine feminine) it is coming again in December of 2012 and we can regain our divinity again when this happens.

We have been led to believe that we are not worthy of Heaven or of God but this is false and misleading. We are simply going through 'the boy cycle' and it is not our fault that we are like this. In December of 2012, there will come great difficulties with this coming change. Those in power will not give up all that they have without a fight and that fight will be an attack on you and I. An attack on our consciousness!

They are responsible for the horrible things that will happen leading up to December of 2012 including the natural disasters, intentional famine and spread of manufactured diseases as well as general negativity in our society mostly through the news media. These people will make us fight each other and call it 'competition' and claim that it is good for us when they are fully aware of the devastating effects that it has on us as a collective.

Oddly enough, their efforts will fail miserably and the new era will start as scheduled. In the few years that we have left in this era, we had better brace ourselves for some very difficult times ahead. It would be prudent and smart to find out what is being said about 2012 and how to prepare for it whether it be good or bad. It is always wise to be prepared instead of sorry, especially if you have kids to care for.

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Long Term Food Storage - Urban Survival

The Dangers Of The Outdoors

If you ever decide to go hiking, even for a short period of time, I can't express how important it is to be smart, and know that no matter how short of a time you plan on spending out there, anything can happen to you.

It's the really small things that people don't even think about that gets them into trouble. I am a very good example of this. I decided to go trail running a few years back, and I was feeling really energetic that particular day. Of course I planned on running in, and running out before the sun went down. So the sun started to go down, and I decided it was time to run back. Now the trail markers crossed at grey and blue and consequently, they looked exactly the same, with just a little less sunlight. I was lost until the next morning because before I knew it, there was no sun, and no moon what so ever.

I was lucky in fact. What I didn't know was that in any direction it was only a matter of miles in any direction to find a way out. I didn't know that of course and i went in circles a bit, but imagine if it was a large park, and I could have been lost for weeks. That's potential death for many reasons I can name and all i needed... was a flashlight and it would never have happened.

Stupid right? Well its really not, in all honesty, its something so simple, especially with my background, I figured it couldn't happen to me. And it happens to a lot of people and some aren't so lucky. You need to be educated at least a little bit before you go out there, and bring some emergency supplies just in case.

Every time I tell people that moose are dangerous they look at me funny like "wha"? Those are people that may try and pet the creature that can trample you to death. Or they think because they are packing a knife, they're going to fend off a bear. The chances are slim I hate to say. In fact in almost all cases people run from bears, and then what good is that knife? But if you knew that running downhill is your best chance against a bear you'd come out unscathed (most people think playing dead is best).

Just don't make the mistake of thinking that accidents, and unfortunate incidents can't happen to you. If you do your research, and bring the essential, you can always be assured that you'll have nothing but a fun, safe time.


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Survival Gear

Camping Made Easy with an ATV Cargo Rack and Bag

Taking your ATV for an overnight camping trip is a great way to get away from it all. With your all-terrain vehicle, you can avoid the crowded campgrounds and find hard-to-access camping sites that offer one-of-a-kind views and a total escape from civilization. With an ATV drop rack and bag, you can do just that.

The best way to pack your utility quad for a camping trip is to use ATV front and rear racks and a rack pack. Tailgate style or drop racks make for easy loading and unloading and give you extra space to stash your cargo. An ATV luggage bag fits nicely on the front or rear of your quad and helps keep your cargo clean and dry. Make sure your rack bag is waterproof to seal out rain, water, mud, sand, and dirt.

Pack items that are as lightweight as possible. The following list will give you a basic idea of what to pack. Depending on how much you like to rough it, you may want to leave some of these items behind.

• Lighting (flashlight and batteries or lantern and fuel)
• Shelter (tarp or tent and sleeping bag)
• Emergency supplies (first aid kit)
• Repair kit for your ATV (tire repair kit, basic tool kit, etc . )
• Shovel
• Recovery gear
• Extra fuel
• Cell phone
• Maps and GPS unit
• Food and water (including a water purification system for emergencies)
• Cooking supplies
• Matches or fire starter
• Clothing and toiletries
• Rain gear
• Garbage bags

Pack heavier items towards the bottom of the ATV rack as a base; then pile lighter items on top. Lightweight, bulky items (like sleeping bags) you can strap down on top of the load with bungee cords, but seal them in a plastic garbage bag first in case of rain. Try to include items that can serve more than one purpose in order to cut down on extra luggage and weight. Also, keep items that you need to access frequently at the top of your ATV bag.

Balance the load out from the front rack to the rear rack and from side to side. Check your owner's manual for the manufacturer's rated load capacity. In some ATV models, the rear capacity is double the capacity for the front of your quad. Check the load capacity of your ATV racks as well. Try not to stack the load too high. You want to keep the center of gravity as low as possible.

Place the rear cargo as far forward as possible on your ATV drop rack, and keep the front cargo clear of the handlebars. Leave enough room to easily turn the handlebars. With a heavier load, your ATV may handle differently, so drive with caution until you get a good feel for what your quad can handle under load. Avoid steep grades and uneven terrain that could cause your quad to tip.

With an adequate amount of planning ahead, you'll be able to relax and enjoy your trip in the backcountry. Remember to pack out what you pack in, and leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.



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Prepping for women

Survival Food: Emergency Item Your Survival Kit Should Contain

Surviving an emergency has nothing to do with luck. In fact , if luck plays any part at all, it's probably too small for most people to actually benefit from. The best way to survive an emergency – any emergency – is to be prepared, aware and know what to do. Having the right resources is also advantageous, particularly if these are exactly what you need to survive. If you're planning on buying a survival kit or putting one together yourself, here are the types of emergency food you should consider:

Dehydrated food

Dehydrated food is excellent as emergency food for your survival kit because they come in small , compact portions. They are convenient to pack and easy to prepare. You will need to heat them up with water, though. They are a good choice as part of your survival kit if you are ever in an emergency situation where you need warm food.

Dehydrated food includes meat, vegetables, fruits and flavored meals. Information on the number of calories included in a serving is usually included, so pack enough to meet your most basic calorie needs on a per day basis.

Canned food

Do not use raw food that still needs to be cooked for your survival kit. Emergency food has to be convenient to store, prepare and eat. Besides, raw food will rot. Canned food is a better choice for emergency food because they can keep for several months to a few years.

Canned food also provides plenty of choices – meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. They can also be eaten straight out of the container. Probably the only preparation you might have to do is to heat them for more comfort and flavor.

Consider packed meals as well. Not only do they keep well, they are also very flavorful. They come in single serves which make it easy to keep track of the number of meals you have. Make sure to choose those that can be stored outside the freezer. If the emergency food requires freezing, make sure you have the facility to do this.

Drink

Water is the best choice for all emergency situations and as such, should be a major component of your survival kit. Regardless of the season or location, the ideal amount of water you should pack should be 1 gallon for each person per day. If you're storing emergency food at home, consider keeping enough to supply your need for fluids for at least 10 to 14 days.

Other excellent choices for emergency food for your survival kit are drink mixes, particularly the ready-to-drink or pre-mixed varieties. Drink mixes not only contain pleasant flavoring (quite helpful in stressful situations such as emergencies), there are many made available in the market that are formulated with vitamins and minerals. These drink mixes are especially helpful in combating the first signs of dehydration and can replenish important nutrients that may be lost due to the lack of proper food.

A disadvantage to drink mixes is that they cannot be used to cook food. Your priority should be pure water and then simply supplement what you have with drink mixes. If you're unsure about the purity of the water you've stored in quite a while, keep a bottle of water purification tablets. You can treat the water with these to ensure its safety.



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Prepare Natural Disaster Survival

Survival Skills

Survival skills just for backpacking? Why not? For ultralight backpackers like myself, skills replace gear, and therefore weight. If you spend any time in the wilderness, it also just feels good to know you can deal with whatever comes up.

Survival means staying warm and dry, hydrated, uninjured, and finding your way out of the wilderness. Of course, eating is nice too, but not crucial if the situation is just for a few days. Here are some survival skills you can learn easily.

Easy survival skills

1. Put dried moss or milkweed fuzz in your pocket as you walk, so you'll have dry tinder to start a fire, just in case it's raining later. Cattail fuzz works well too, and you can experiment with different materials.

2. If it looks and tastes like a blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry - it is. There is no berry in North America that looks like a blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry, and can hurt you from one taste. Take a taste, and just spit it out completely if it doesn't taste right.

3. Make a pile of dry leaves and dead grass to keep warm in an emergency. I have slept warmly without a blanket, in below-freezing weather, in a pile of dry grass.

4. Put a stick upright in the ground, and mark the tip of the shadow. Mark it again fifteen minutes later. Scratch a line between the first and second marks, and it will be pointing east. Techniques like this can save you when your compass is lost.

5. Clouds form in the Rocky Mountains just before the afternoon storms in summer. Hikers are regularly killed by lightning in Colorado. Birds often fly lower before storms. Learning to read the sky and the behavior of animals can keep you out of trouble.

6. The biggest wilderness killer is hypothermia, and getting wet is the biggest cause. Get in the habit of watching for ledges or large fir trees to stand under when you think that rain may be coming. Learning to stay dry is one of the more important survival skills.

7. To stay warmer, sleep with your head slightly downhill. It takes some getting used to, but it works.

8. Get in the habit of filling water bottles every chance you get, and you won't have such a hard time with any long dry stretches of trail. Drink up the last of your water right before you fill the bottles too.

9. Break a "blister" on the trunk of a small spruce or fir tree, and you can use the sap that oozes out as an good antiseptic dressing for small cuts. It also can be used to start a fire, and will burn when wet.

10. Bark from a white birch tree will usually light even when wet. In a jam, you can also use it as a paper substitute if you need to leave a note in an emergency.

The above are just a few tips and techniques you can easily learn. There are many more, and they can make backpacking not only safer, but more interesting. Why not practice one or two of these survival skills?

Survival Gardening 9

10 Lifesaving Tips for Surviving an Impending Bird Flu Pandemic

"An influenza pandemic of even moderate impact will result in the biggest single human disaster ever - far greater than AIDS, 9/11, all wars in the 20th century and the recent tsunami combined. It has the potential to redirect world history as the Black Death redirected European history in the 14th century." -- Michael T. Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota

A new killer flu virus is on its way. Ducks and geese carrying this virus are now winging their way across the globe, spreading the disease wherever they go. Started in Asia, it has now spread to Europe. Soon it will be in North and South America.

So far it has only killed a few dozen humans. It is, after all, a virus that’s passed from bird to bird. Or from bird to animals. So far it can’t be transmitted from human to human. But flu viruses are crafty. They have the ability to change. This is what happened in 1918 when the Spanish Flu Pandemic swept over a war weary planet killing 50 – 100 million people – far more than were killed in the war.

This time it will be much worse. After all, we now have 4 times the number of people living on the planet. And most of them live in cities. Large, crowded cities. The five largest cities in the world have over 100 million people living in them. A killer virus that can be passed from human to human, let loose in our major cities where people are living elbow to elbow, would have a catastrophic effect.

And consider this…back in 1918 it was a much bigger world. It took weeks to get from one side of the world to the other. It took days to get from one side of the continent to the next. Today it takes hours. Last year more than 46 million international visitors came to the United States. If only one infected visitor passes on the virus to 2 others, who pass it on to 2 others, and so on, by the end of a month everyone in the US could be infected.

I don’t even want to consider the implications if this idea ever occurs to muslim terrorists who are only too happy to blow themselves to bits in order to take out a few infidels.

So what can we do?

Fortunately it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some very specific steps you can take to minimize the dangers and protect yourself and your loved ones.

1. Draw up a Plan. Outline the steps you and your family need to take, both pre-pandemic and during. Identify responsibilities for each family member. Make lists of supplies required. Find appropriate sources. Develop a realistic timeline. By establishing a plan now, you will avoid becoming a victim of the panic that will grip the general population, resulting in civil chaos and pandemonium.

2. Keep Informed. If and when the virus mutates so that it is being spread from human to human, it is likely to start in Southeast Asia. Pay attention to the news. When you hear that this has taken place, it's time to act. We might only have weeks before the pandemic reaches North America, but with international travel so fast and easy it could be much sooner. Sign up for free newsletter notifications at http://www.survivetheflu.com.

3. Prepare Your Child for Home Schooling. Most flu outbreaks get their start at schools. You can be certain that the schools will be closed. And if they're not, you should give very serious thought to keeping your children at home.

4. Minimize Contact with Others. The H5N1 avian flu virus can be transmitted for two days before a person is showing any symptoms and for a week after symptoms have disappeared. You never know who isn't and who might be infected. If possible you should stay home. Every time you go into an area where there are people you are at risk.

5. Wash Your Hands Often. Sneeze particles can travel across a room at 600 miles per hour. If the person sneezing has the flu, everything in that room is covered with flu virus. And when you touch anything, the virus is transmitted to your hand. Eventually it will be transmitted to your mouth. Your only protection is to wash your hands, well and often. Each washing should involve vigorous scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds.

6. Stock up on Food
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