LEARN TO BE FLEXIBLE NOW FOR LONG-TERM SURVIVAL

After a disaster or social upheaval, life will be much-changed from what we are used to. The best way to ensure long-term survival is to not only be prepared with supplies and food on hand, but to also be mentally and physically flexible in order to adapt to the changed living situation.

One of the biggest areas that we will have to adapt to is our diet. Most--if not all--of our survival foods are prepacked, processed foods; either canned, retort-paced, boxed, or bagged. If you are not eating such foods even minimally already, you--and your body--are in from some rude awakenings in a survival situation.

I can only imagine that in my own situation that I would tire quickly of canned, processed foods. However, I DO eat them occasionally or have at least tried samples of everything I have stored so there will be no surprises later.

Folks that have rigid diets or very strict eating regimens are going to have a very hard time of it. Survival situations require your to be flexible in all things, as things can change rapidly and unexpected events unfold. Those that can adapt quickly and easily will be more likely to survive a long-term survival situation.

SURVIVING DISASTER

Spike TV has a great new series called "Surviving Disaster." It is hosted by a former Navy SEAL, and is set in hypothetical scenarios where you might find yourself confronted by such disasters or emergency situations as a plane hijacking, home invasion, mall shooting, or high rise fire.

It is very well done and highly recommended to all who want to surivive the various things that potentially threaten us every day.

Here's a link to the Spike TV website, which has some full episodes available for viewing:

http://www.spike.com/show/33200

Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie

Haven't posted in a while, but that doesn't mean I've gone to sleep. I continue to keep up on my preparedness, as well as survival and outdoor skills. Lately I've been wanting a large cutting tool for around camp, but didn't really want to go the axe route (nor was one really going to fill my needs).

When I am going to plunk down my hard-earned wages for product, I do a LOT of research beforehand. I watch YouTube video reviews and also read online reviews if I can find them (which I usually can). This way I can decide if something I am thinking about buying is really right for me and will do what I need it to.

Once I make up my mind, I then spend quite a bit of time finding the best price for it online. I rarely buy anything anymore in a regular store. Sure, I've probably spent a lot of money over the years on shipping, but I haven't had to drive my car or mingle with human beings that annoy me (such as the average teenager or screaming infant). Or cranky salespeople for that matter. Anyway, I buy almost exclusively online.

In the case of my new Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie, I did all of the above. I first saw it in this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m10-6mvXn4k

These guys also have a couple videos of themselves using the Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie to hack up a small tree for firewood. This all looked good to me.

My hard work paid off, and I found the knife for $41.10 at trophyhuntinggear.com (they are currently backordered now, as I apprently got the last one of their recent shipment. Theyse knives are getting very popular, and getting harder to find cheap. Some websites are charging way more for them, and of course have plenty in stock (the old motto, "price it low, watch it go" seems to have eluded most vendors).

I am now awaiting its arrival in the post (got the shipping notification today), so once I have the blade in hand, I will put it through its paces and write up a review. However, I don't expect to be disappointed in this knife--Ka-Bar makes excellent knives at a good price-point.

Sentinel, out.

UH-OH--HERE WE GO AGAIN...

"The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether strict local and state gun control laws violate the Second Amendment..."

It comes on the heels of McDonald v. Chicago, which was ultimately granted a writ of certiorari (that basically means the high court deems it worthy enough to examine more closely).

And it is sure to spark heated debate on both sides of the argument.

I am reminded of the old adage, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." Seems a good time to really take that into consideration. Whenever gun control rears its ugly head, you can be sure some bleeding heart has been reading stories of violent crime involving a firearm, usually a handgun. They seem to lose all common sense and instantly want to shoot all the dogs because one of them has fleas.

Do some people use guns in the perpetration of a crime? Hell yes, they do. The operative word is 'some.' But the small fraction of gun crimes outweighs the reality, and they look through a glass darkly.

Now, I'm a firm Constitutionalist and I believe strongly in the right of the people to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. Knowing full well that I will likely enter into some lively debate with friends on this issue, I proceeded this morning to 'arm' myself with the facts of the case.

For a layman, looking at court documents can be quite daunting, but I am determined to understand them as well as I can, 'armed' also with a Black's Law Dictionary.

Of course I foresee the usual watered-down, weak-kneed, liberal Supreme Court response to this dilemma; yet this matter has only one true outcome that should be handed down: that the people's right to keep and bear arms should not be infringed upon. The only ruling that should be handed down is that henceforth, the federal and state's governments shall forever keep their minds and their mitts off this Constitutional right.

Stay tuned...

EDC PART 3 - MESH POCKET FOR ACCESSORIES

I had this mesh pocket laying around and thought I would use it for a little additional stuff. It's about 8" x 6" and holds quite a bit, with the advantage of being able to see what's inside to reduce searching time.


Inside I have (3) floppy disk cases filled with more water purification tabs; some extra first aid cleansing pads (antibaterial, iodine); salt, pepper, coffee creamer. Some spare Esbit tabs, a Fallkniven DC4 2-sided sharpening stone (with four small nails inside the pouch for securing to a log or piece of wood when sharpening), 25' of paracord, extra cleasning wipes, knot tying cards, TP from MREs, a carabiner, two pens, and a folding cup with my Black Diamond Gizmo headlamp tucked inside (which I have since shifted to my daypack outside pocket.).

One item I plan to add is a few plain Alka Seltzer tablets, recommended by Cody Lundin. He claims that carbonated water is more easily absorbed, and in a real crises where hydration is critical, I think this is a smart thing to have, especially if you happen to be ill.

That said, it's also worth noting that keeping yourself healthy and in even reasonably good physical shape will be of great benefit in an emergency or crises. The body will be pumping adreniline like crazy and the stress level will probably be off the charts, so you will need to have the added advantage of general good health in the first place. The last thing you need when the SHTF is to go down due to minor injuries or illness.

There's a bit more to this kit that I will post tomorrow. Again, it may seem excessive to some, but believe me, when it's packed up it's not much. The weight is negligible and just serves as a constant reminder that I have the stuff I need to survive.

THE EDC SURVIVAL KIT - PART 2

Continuing with my survival items that are always with me, here are three items I keep in my pocket on a length of paracord: a Rescue Howler Whistle, a Maglite 'Solitaire' flashlight (1 AAA), a Spyderco 'Delica' Mini (this thing is from the mid-80s).


Gerber Compact Sport 400 MultiTool. It has the usual basic items, including a nice sharp blade. All tools lock in position. The pliers slide in and out, making a nice compact carry.


These items are in my daypack: Kershaw folding saw (light as a feather), glow stick (12-hr. yellow), emergency blanket, 50' of paracord, bandana, leather gloves, Mora 'Clipper' carbon steel knife.

These are items I feel might be needed if I had to either hunker down somewhere for a while or perhaps find some bush somewhere and use evasion tactics.


I also have a fleece cap and a small emergency radio that picks up AM/FM/SW. Runs on 2 AA. I put in lithium batteries and carry spares. The radio stays in the small cardboard box it came in, folded inside the fleece hat in the bottom of my daypack.

There's a bit more to this EDC, which I will cover in the next two posts. It may seem like a lot, but when you see it packed up, it's nothing, and weighs in at only a little under 10 lbs. Carrying it everyday has built up my strength, too--and added survival bonus.

BUG OUT / GET HOME BAG

I spent a lot of time thinking about and then researching what I thought I would want to have in an emergency situation if I had to leave my house quick or get home from work after a disaster. I don't work far from home (about 8 miles), but if things were really messed up, it could take me hours to get there. I might even have to hunker down for 24 hours or more.

So I started with the basics and piled it into this little bag I picked up at a surplus store for $7.95. It's about 7" x 4" x 2", but crammed it looks a bit bigger. It has belt loops on the back, but i probably would never carry it like that. I added a piece of climbing accessory rope to one zipper so I could locate the zipper quickly and get it open easier.

I lined the inside with a gallon Ziploc bag with the zipper par cut off.

Inside I put various items inside smaller zip bags:

Tea bags & instant coffee sachets

Sugar and beverage whitener

Electrolyte drink mix

Basic First Add (plasters, various OTC meds, ointments, etc.)

Individual eyedrops

Firesteel & striker

Box of waterproof matches and TP packet from MRE (for tinder)

Esbit Pocket Stove w/ 4 fuel tabs

Water purification tablets

Small roll of duct tape wound around index card. Inside is stashed 2 large needles, thread, and about 4' of small guage brass wire.

Pocket saw

Pocket Magnifyer

Extra Ziploc bags

2 Gu energy gels

Here's a little closer shot of some of the items.

I have to say that just having this made me feel very empowered. Once I put all the other items together (described in new posts to come), I find I am less fearful in general during my everyday life. It is very comforting to know I have everything I need to survive a few days outside my normal comfort zone if need be.

There are two other bags that make up the total kit, but this bag is the one that goes literally everywhere with me these days.

If you haven't put one of these small kits together for yourself, don't put it off. Do it now while it is easy to do and you can find and buy everything you need. Don't wait until it's already a disaster and then try to gather it while millions of other people are doing it and freaking out.

GREAT EDC KNIFE - SOG FLASH 1

I've been looking for the 'perfect' EDC knife and finally found what I was looking for: The SOG Flash 1 with SOG Assisted technology--like a switchblade, but not. It allows one to open the knife very fast if needed in an emergency situation.

It took a bit of practice to get it to open smoothly (and I think the spring might have been a bit stiff as well), and the tumb stud really digs in (on my thumb anyway), but I have the hang of it now--so watch out! It weights nearly nothing, clips securely and hangs low in the pocket. And it is razor sharp out of the box.

Here's the description & specs for those interested:

"The new Sog Flash has the new SAT opening (SOG Assisted Technology). This mechanism helps propel the blade open once the operator has initiated the one-handed opening action. They're fast as lightning, safe, and provide an extremely strong blade lock. The bolt action lock is easily released with a sliding button. SOG also had the foresight to incorporate an additional safety lock that gives added security when the blade is closed. The handles of the Flash are molded from glass reinforced Zytel and are contoured with a new ergonomic sensibility that makes the knife a pleasure to use. SOG has also incorporated a new ambidextrous clip device that is easily interchanged. This bayonet-mounted clip extends from the end of the hand for the lowest discreet carry possible. Specifications: Blade length 2 1/2", Overall length 6", AUS 6 Stainless Steel with a RC of 56-57."

The coolest little knife I've ever owned!

QUOTE WORTH CONSIDERING

"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffusd and Virtue is preservd. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauchd in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." --Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 1775

Highly relevant to today's society I'd say. We are driving ourselves into the ground morally, spiritually, and financially. Once we have thoroughly f'ed things up, all that remains is for some other country to step right in and take over. Sadly, I think old Sam had it dead on.

Why is it...

IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR, BUT IF YOU CROSS THE USA BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET A DRIVERS LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, AND FREE HEALTH CARE?