THE MORE YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND AN ENVIRONMENT AND THE LESS YOU TRY TO FIGHT IT, THE KINDER IT WILL BE TO YOU.
PSYCHOLOGY:
WHILE IT IS TRUE AND VITAL THAT ENERGY MUST BE CONSERVED!
IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE MIND MUST BE KEPT BUSY.
Experiment with new ideas and new principles. Although emergency packs are most helpful it is of qual importance to know how to use all the equipment along with what nature has provided.
ENDURANCE IS NOT ENOUGH:
This has been proven over and over again. One needs training and if at all possible one MUST have his S/Kit on him. One can not defeat cold, hunger, isolation etc by sitting on his hands!
One must know what to do, he must equip himself, mentally & physically. There are perhaps still a few realists. No Rambo!
ACCIDENTS WANTED!:
An unhealthy proportion of accidents occur because deep down underneath, someone wants them to happen. A mishap may be a face-saving excuses for some failure.
VERY OFTEN IT IS DELIBERATELY WILLED BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVES HE OR SHE SHOULD BE PUNISHED.
Now and then an accident offers the simplest excuse to escape responsibility. Some use a misadventure as the easiest way to attract attention.
But once someone definitely realize that he cannot afford an accident, the percentage line up heavily against the probability of one overtaking him.
IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE YOU MOST LIKELY WILL IF NOT; THEN YOU WONT!
This is why it has been seen that people will deliberately destroy good equipment whereas other will improvise to survive and help others.
CONSERVATION OF HEAT & ENERGY:
CONSERVATION OF HEAT & ENERGY IS ESSENTIAL TO SURVIVAL UNDER PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS.
The task of supplying oneself with food and water, constructing shelter and needed utensils is a full time exhausting job under the best of conditions.
Hard work requires adequate fuel for the body and in the primitive life the attainment of food and water is tiring. It is a vicious circle that NEVER relents.
The "lazy" native has by necessities learned to satisfy his basic needs in what appears to be an easy going way.
BURN 1/2 BOOK AS TINDER!:
In case of survival 1/2 this book could be used to start a fire as tinder material, when one is lost in the desert, the jungle or artic chapter are mostly useless, so go for it.
FIRST RULE OF SURVIVAL IS:
TO TAKE IT EASY and MAKE TASK LIGHT. (Even Budd lite?!?)
SURVIVAL PRINCIPLES:
YOU COULD RESUME THEM INTO 1 SIMPLE QUESTION:
WHAT DO I NEED MOST AND HOW TO GO ABOUT GETTING IT?
Of course one MUST realise the relative utility of each thing and its value.
Experiences will teach you this & REMEMBER that it is not important to succeed over a trial so much as what lesson you get from it.
For instance one MUST know by now that
with enough water one can easily survive 1 month in the forest even without food.
Theory is 1 thing and practice quite another.
After a while either the hunger occupies all your thought or it becomes irrelevant, or of no importance at all.
You will discover that after the second day it is easier and easier to fast till you come to the point that you realise that only death can stop the fasting.
By trial and experience you will find your limit of your power and will as well as you physical endurance and limitations.
Once you have conquered your fear and its ghost then you can survive, most of the time it is not the danger but the fear that paralyse most of us from doing any survival actions.
HOW TO BREATH PROPERLY:
It sounds strange but we have to learn to breath properly.
MEANING THAT ONE MUST EXHALE COMPLETELY! IF ONE WANTS TO USE ITS MAXIMUM STRENGTH.
A breathing control is aimed towards our ways to Exhale and Not about inhaling.
ONE REBUILDS HIS STRENGTH MUCH BETTER BY EXHALING PROPERLY THAN BY TRYING TO FORCE HIS AIR INTAKE.
IF YOU DO ANY HARD WORK, OR WALK FAST OR YOU ARE DIGGING?
YOUR OUTPUT WILL INCREASE BY 50%, IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF BY SLOWLY, EXHALING; BY PUSHING ALL THE AIR OUT OF YOUR LUNGS.
Opera singers, swimmers and runners know this trick. For example if you get into a cold shower, you have the tendency to breath faster and to tense your muscles which only aggravates your torture.
If on the other hand you try to exhale slowly and regularly you will be much surprised to notice the Little effect that this cold water has upon you. Ahhh Riiight!
This is because a Slow Exhalation helps your body to adapt itself to this change.
STRESS CONTROL and BREATHING:
A attentive control on your respiration and especially of your timing contributes to your stress control in any moments of tension, stress or #contrainte#. Most of us breath only half way.
We breath incorrectly since we don't have much choice but where we make the mistake is we don't exhale properly, meaning that we don't do it deeply enough. Thus we often sigh which is a sign warning us of a Need for a Deep Exhalation.
A sigh is a natural mean used by our body to exhale completely once we have neglected to do so under stress. A sigh is a natural mean used by our body to exhale completely once we have neglected to do so under Stress.
Just REMEMBER in your past when there was a deep stress and after that moment was over you felt the deer need for a full exhalation.
So one MUST learn to sigh methodically. Any blockage brought to your breathing system provokes deep pains! So any amelioration will be beneficial to your body and mind.
The more one exhale air the more one is able to inhale. So the increasing of your capacity is the goal of any respiratory discipline.
To take a conscious hold of your exhalation is the # 1 factor. What we MUST strive for is to make it an habit.
BREATHING BEFORE ANY TASK!
EXHALE DEEPLY BEFORE!!! UNDERTAKING ANY TASK.
You will thus facilitate the climbing of a long stairs. Exercise yourself to breath in during 2 steps and to exhale during the next 2 steps.
2 IN and 2 OUT DEEPLY.
BUT YOU MUST EXHALE COMPLETELY BEFORE! CLIMBING THE FIRST STEP.
BREATHING TO FIGHT COLD!:
6 DEEP EXHALATIONS WILL SUSTAIN AND INCREASE YOUR RESISTANCE BY 50% AT LEAST WHEN YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST A WINTER WIND!
STRESS CONTROL:
In any Harsh or Boring circumstances where Stress puts a grip on you, Exhale Slowly thus you will Recharge your Nervous System. Hummm!
BREATHING CONTROL EXERCISES:
To help you along in this new technique, try reading out loud is a good exercise. Take an article and read on one breath as much as you can without effort.
Do this a dozen time the first day. Count the words and start over the next day, this way you can measure your improvement.
Another exercise is to count. Sit down comfortably, your back straight, inhale slowly and regularly counting to 4, pause for 1 seconde then exhale till you reach 12, the next time inhale till 5 and exhale till 15.
Keep it up this way and measure your progress. Once you have reached 21 you will notice that the fact of humming a song will help you enormously in limiting the quantity of air you exhale.
These exercise will bring much good to your overall well being and will change many of your regular habits.
A conscious breathing also brings a conscious acting or behaving. You will notice that it is impossible to slump in a coach and still breath effectively.
All one has to do is to get his shoulder blades as close together as possible to feel your lungs getting to work at their best.
After a while these exercise will become second nature for an overall better well being. It could even help you cutting down on smoking by reducing the stess overhall!
Just REMEMBER: " DEEP 6 "
1 MAIN LAW OF SURVIVAL:
THE MORE YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND AN ENVIRONMENT and THE LESS YOU TRY TO FIGHT IT, THE KINDER IT WILL BE TO YOU.
PSYCHOLOGY #?:
While it is true and vital that energy MUST be conserved it is equally important that the mind MUST BE KEPT BUSY.
ENDURANCE IS NOT ENOUGH:
This has been proven over & over again. 1 needs training.
One MUST know what to do. One MUST equip himself, mentally and physically. If you want to survive you most likely will. If not; then you wont!
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY:
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY IS ESSENTIAL TO SURVIVAL UNDER ANY PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS.
IF LOST RELAX: !!!
1) CONSERVE STRENGTH, FLUID, heat, by moving as little as possible and SLOWLY!
2) PREPARE EMERGENCY SIGNALS make shelter, inventory supplies, ration all food.
3) GUARD against Infections, intestinal disorders.
4) DON'T TRAVEL in adverse weather, if injured or confused. Eventually someone will find you.
5) STAY WITH DOWN AIRCRAFT, easily spotted. Determine your location, scout immediate area.
6) DECIDE IF BEST TO TRAVEL OR STAY. Don't separate parties; mark your path, leave messages behind, keep a log.
7) KEEP knife, spare food, first/aid, signal equipment ON YOU at ALL TIME!
DOWNHILL TRAVEL:
Travel along watersheds may triple distance, lead to marshes, thickets etc. STRAIGHT LINE travel may be best.
TEST for EXHAUSTION:
Look up at sky, if it appears to be receding get some sleep.
ATTITUDE FOR SURVIVAL:
A perron's chance of having a proper attitude to survive are attained by:
TRAINING & DRILLING FOR SURVIVAL:
The mental attitude that: It can't happen to meee! is dangerous in that the individual will not accept the situation as it exists and is blind to reality. (Ostrich way).
A great number of incidents have been recorded which indicate that previous rehearsal both mental and actual of emergency procedures usually result in automatic action on the part of the individual when crisis occurs.
Failure to have an attitude of survival may result in panic, even in person who usually are calm, and appear collected
7 ENEMIES OF SURVIVAL:
PAIN, COLD, THIRST, FATIGUE, BOREDOM and LONELINESS!
We all have experienced these but few have known them, to the extent where our survival has been threatened.
DANGERS EVALUATION VARY ACCORDING TO:
Individuals, Experiences, Conditions etc. and Training. Ex: To a citizen traffic zigzag is nothing but to a native it is very dangerous.
DANGER EXIST MOST OFTEN IN THE CONCEPTION OF IT: RATHER THAN THE REALITY ITSELF.
The Question of survival in one case or the other is a question of: ADAPTATION!
So for the citizen he has to feel at home in the bush, then his survival is assured.
Hunters lost in forest have noticed that fear and loneliness start on them as soon as the sun goes down.
As long as the sun or daylite is up they are less worried but comes darkness his tension goes up, they rush, run and get all tired.
THIS PANIC KILLS MORE THAN 90% OF ALL LOST PERSONS.
So we MUST adapt physically and mentally to this new situation. If we succeed to get a certain physical comfort then the moral security will follow.
FEAR IS MADE OF IGNORANCE:
Knowledge of the wood and its mysteries can get rid of this fear of survival. This is what we try to show you in all different situations.
KNOWLEDGE and FORETHOUGHT COMBINED are your BEST SURVIVAL TOOL: FOR YOU AND LOVED ONES.
FIRST RULE OF SURVIVAL IS:
TO TAKE IT EASY and MAKE TASK LIGHT.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SURVIVAL:
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL NECESSITY FOR SURVIVAL IS:
THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT IMMEDIATELY THE REALITY OF THE CRITICAL SITUATION WE ARE IN & TO REACT ACCORDINGLY! DEADLY TO DO THE OSTRICH!
Fear can kill or better your chances of survival. Yet no Rambo - Zorro stuff! Prudence and patience pays!
NO USE TO TRY TO WIPE OUT FEAR
BY NEGATING THE DANGER! NO!!!
ONE CAN ALWAYS BETTER UP THE SITUATION HE FINDS HIMSELF INTO.
Accepting fear as a normal reaction in front of danger will bring you to react methodically rather then impulsively thus:
WILL INCREASE ENORMOUSLY!
YOUR SURVIVAL CHANCES.
THE WAY A MAN REACT TO FEAR?!?
DEPENDS MORE OF HIMSELF!
THEN SITUATION ITSELF!
It is not ALWAYS the physically strongest men nor the aggressive one nor the careless ones who react best to fear.
Shy or fearsome people can react more calmly and surely under this tension of fear and have better survival chances.
ONE MUST ADMIT FEAR, LIVE WITH IT AND IF POSSIBLE USE IT TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
All true soldiers will tell you they have known fear even JESUS! Even satan.
FEAR:
IS NOT TO BE ASHAMED OF, IT IS NOT A FAULT!
BUT NATURAL REACTION TO THE UNKNOWN. EVEN JESUS CHRIST
KNEW FEAR BUT HE CONQUORED IT.
ONE WAY TO FIGHT FEAR IS:
TO ACCEPT IT AND LIVE WITH IT, JUST LIKE A BAD COLD - DDD!
FACTORS which will INCREASE FEAR =:
POWERLESSNESS and DESPAIR.
However it was found that:
FACTORS WHICH DECREASE FEAR WERE:
1) The fact to have faith in the individual equipment.
2) The faith in the technical knowledge of the immediate superior.
3) Concentration on the task to do..
4) TRUST IN PROVIDENCE / GOD
ONE MAY WONDER WHAT TRUST IN GOD HAS TO DO WITH SURVIVAL YET IT IS A TRUE FACT THAT IT DID & DOES HELPS GREATLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THIS TRUST.
PANIC and FEAR:
FEAR OF UNKNOWN, OF PAIN, OF WORRIES OF YOUR OWN INABILITIES ETC.
FEAR IS NORMAL UNDER CRISIS BUT ALSO SALUTARY.
IT SHARPENS YOUR INTUITION AND PREPARE YOUR INSTINCT TO REACT
IF FEAR IS NOT PROPERLY CHANNELLED IT LEADS TO PANIC &
TO DESPAIR, TO A BREAK DOWN OF YOUR WILL TO SURVIVE & TO ADDED SUFFERINGS EVEN DEATH.
MANY POSITIVE WAYS CAN BE TAKEN TO MAKE FEAR AN ALLY! AND ANNIHL PANIC.:
As mentioned above, the psychological preparation and technical knowledge to survival will increase your faith in yourself and in the environment.
Also, it is of FIRST IMPORTANCE TO IMMEDIATELY ATTACH YOUR MIND TO STUDY THE SITUATION and OF THE ACTIONS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN IN THAT CRISIS. (No ostrich attitude /no Rambo stuff!)
The more you concentrate on doing a task the more you minimise fear and danger of panic.
WHAT TO DO:
1) Study the situation. Am I hurt or others? What measures of first-aid can be taken?
What is the gravity of the wounds? What are the immediate dangers? Am I close to water and food supply?
What is the weather? Conditions of the terrain? What could I find around to help me survive.
2) No use to Rush! Don't go in haste without goals nor reflection, until you are fully conscious of your situation.
IT IS CAPITAL TO SAVE YOUR ENERGIES, & STRENGTH:
In survival energy is infinitely precious and time unless medical emergency is much less important.
Don't get physically tired unless you have a well thought of plan & a specific task to do (fire etc.)
Think first, act later. To rush in vain can bring an impression of inability which BRINGS TO PANIC INVARIABLY.
3) Retracing your starting point.
Most likely you will have to search, examine and get away from your drop point.
To get familiar with your new environment will give you security.
Nothing is more demoralising in survival then to lose yourself again from your drop point & not being able to go back to camp.
So examine well the surrounding, the topography and specially keep well in memory even write if you can, your discoveries, when you leave "camp" or starting point, drop along the way, guiding-marks, (easy to see), which will help your coming back.
Whatever your distress and isolation feelings, you MUST know where you are,
Even if it is only to take conscience of your environment. By doing so you will increase your chances to be rescued.
4) HOW TO CONQUER FEAR & PANIC.
BY KNOWING THE EFFECT OF FEAR AND PANIC YOU WILL DIMINISH THE DANGER.
Test it and analyse the results.
5) IMPROVISE!
No, matter where you are, you will ALWAYS discover inside your immediate surrounding of activities many means to Help you survive.
The more you will be creative, imaginative, the more you will feel recomforted and encouraged.
You MUST then modify your reference system. A tree is no more a tree but a possible food and fire source, it can also become a shelter even clothing.
Get familiar with your surrounding and miraculously your spirit will transform nature in all kinds of survival instruments.
6) VALUE LIFE!
In survival your will to survive will be stressed severely. When this will disappear all the technical know how becomes useless.
SO DON'T TAKE USELESS RISKS! BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY KEY TO YOUR SURVIVAL! (Ooopppsss!)
To take unnecessary risk could bring you injuries and others etc. which would reduce your efficiency.
7) REACT AS NATIVE.
Even in the farthest regions, it is possible to find peoples. You MUST however approach them with prudence and courtesy. (Prudent as a snake and gentle as dove!)
They know the land and can show you where you can find water, food, shelter and roads to civilization. DO not to offend them nor displease them. They can save your life!
FEAR; OUR GREATEST ENNEMY !
AND BEST FRIEND!: (part 2 ?!?)
YOUR GREATEST ENEMY IS NOT:
COLD, HUNGER, CLIMATE, TERRAIN
BUT FEAR!
Which can paralyse you into passive acceptance of your fate or it can shock you into panic.
HOWEVER IT WILL DO NEITHER IF YOU REMEMBER THESE PRINCIPLES OF SURVIVALS:
FACE THE FACTS--MAKE A PLAN "BAD PLAN IS BETTER THEN NO PLAN!
GOOD PLANS COME FROM TRAINING" KEEP BUSY AND KEEP TRYING.
IN SHORT YOUR # 1 DEPENDABLE ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY OR FEAR
WILL BE; PURPOSEFUL ACTIVITY.
While I prepared this book from many other people experiences and tragedies who got caught in earthquake, snowstorm, floods etc. I realised that the:
5 MAIN CAUSES OF DEATH WERE =:
CARELESSNESS, FAULTY & INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT, PANIC AND COMPLETELY WRONG BEHAVIOUR!
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER:
This why knowledge and training helps so much. So be realist, learn ahead and enjoy it. There still maybe a few realists out there!
We have prepared this book for you to have fun while learning and should you or your love ones be caught in a jam, well you will through all those informations be able to better ALL your chances.
Don't forget GOD, He is there also to help you along. (FEAR NOT SAID JESUS I HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD)
NEVER TO GIVE UP HOPE!
SURVIVAL IS AN ALL OR NONE PROPOSITION!:
The alternative is death. The success is here as elsewhere, lies in having good equipment, knowing how to use it and proper mental attitude. (Some are tempermental others mostly mentals?!?)
NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. As the bible says: "TRUST IN THE LORD!"
7 ENEMIES OF SURVIVAL:
The more you know of your enemies, better are your chances to conquer them rather then being dominated by them. (1 LAW OF WAR)
PAIN:
Nature use pain to warn you of a problem, but nature also has means to remove pain. This occur when one is to busy on doing things to have time to put attention on your wounds. Pain can nearly go away if your mind is occupied in fighting for survival.
On the other hand when you draw attention on your pain it will weaken your will to survive.
If one does not keep guard the pain will eventually kill your resistance, even if the pain is not serious nor long lasting.
COLD:
Cold is a greater enemy then it appears. Not only does cold diminish your intellectual capacities, but also undermine your will to the point you only think of getting warm.
Cold is a insidious enemy which creeps on your body and spirit and weakens your will of survival.
Having difficulties to move and that you want to sleep in order to forget your main goal = SURVIVAL.
As for pain and cold, one can nearly forget thirst if one if sufficiently determined to survive.
THIRST:
Another enemy which even when not too grand will weaken your thoughts. It is also important to REMEMBER not to deprive yourself of water without necessity.
One can dehydrate himself dangerously in his struggle for survival, even when water is abundant.
The need to drink applies also in the cold temperature even though one may think he does not need it as much as the desert.
HUNGER:
It has danger on your reasoning, hunger weakens a person faculty of thinking rationally. Thirst and hunger will diminish your resistance to cold, pain and fear.
FATIGUE:
Even when moderate, it can sensibly reduce your mental capacities. Fatigue can make you neglectful, you become more and more indifferent. It is one of the most serious danger for your struggle of survival.
TEST for EXHAUSTION:
Look up at sky, if it appears to be receding get some sleep.
IT IS A FALSE IDEA THAT FATIGUE IS ONLY CAUSED BY PHYSICAL EFFORT.
Sure there is a real danger from over exhaustion, but it is equally true that fatigue can be caused by:
Despair, lack of determination, insatisfaction, frustration or boredom.
FATIGUE:
Can be used as a mean to escape a situation which has become too painful.
Once you have determine the dangers of a situation one can nearly ALWAYS gather his strength and keep on fighting.
LONELINESS & BOREDOM:
Represent 2 of the most dangerous enemies for survival. They are dangerous because they suddenly appear without warning.
When nothing is happening, when you hope and nothing comes along, when you MUST stay put, calm, tranquil and alone, then those feelings creep in.
This is why one MUST also use his faith and prayers to help him fight these feelings, which if not fought can bring death by despair.
LONELINESS AND BOREDOM ARE 1/2 BROTHER OF FEAR AND PANIC.
They creep slowly on you, specially after the first tasks are done and that the basic satisfaction for food, water, fire, shelter are assured.
They bring you to depression and weaken your will to survive. They require the same ANTIDOTE: define your priorities, and accomplish the needed tasks.
Many purposefull activities and plenty of talk to see how to best do it, to save energy and to be efficient.
Two head are better than 1 and cooperation is essential if you are dealing with others. "UNITED WE STAND!"
Hope for the Best but be ready for the worst if it comes. To prepare a program, a plan secures and occupy the mind. Think time!
Start upon big project such as construction of a "permanent" shelter, ( Pyramid ) Start a series of daily tasks, even plan long ones, but be busy in mind and body, mostly in mind to start with. Of course this means you have already assumed your survival for food, water, etc.
OSTRICH ATTITUDE #2:
Your chances of survival can be greatly compromised when you say to yourself: This can not happen to ME. "eee!"
Such thought will hide the reality of the situation and in front of the danger.
IT WILL PUT YOU IN THE IMPOSSIBILITY TO REACT PROPERLY!
LEARN FROM OTHERS!:
This book is made from over 50 authors & 1001 persons, and from 2001 years BC- to 2001 AD of experiences in SURVIVAL.
We know of many past experience showing that a previous preparation mentally or physically on what to do in case of emergency can condition man to react instinctively in case of need.
The fact to be unprepared mentally to survival provokes panic even on people who seem calm on normal conditions.
Knowledge and repeated practice of the measure to adopt in case of emergency give not only faith in yourself and the feeling to be prepared in case of survival, but they can also act automatically when the victim is in a half conscious state in critical state.
PRAYERS: ???????
Many castaways have found help and comfort from prayer. Believers of course would pray to God from the first day of their ordeal but even some sceptics admit that the attempt to pray fortified them at the last moment and restored their mental balance.
Admiral Byrd noted in his snow hole that: "The human race then is not alone in the universe. Tough I am cut off from the human race, I am not alone". Belief in, its the one point where all the religion agree. It's been called various name. Many call it God. (There is but One God!)
WILL TO SURVIVE:
It has often been seen that after having been rescued and treated from all kind of sufferings some people would let themselves slowly die in hospital beds.
Those people had lost the taste and will to survive. Experiences from 100ds of soldiers in second world war, Corea, Vietnam etc.
PROVE US THAT SURVIVAL IS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE AN ATTITUDE WAY OF LIFE:
In those crisis, wether you are alone or in group you will know problems of all kind: emotional from fear, despair loneliness and boredom beside wounds, pain, fatigue, hunger, thirst which will diminish your will to survive.
If you are not mentally prepared to overcome all obstacles and to face the possible worst to come, your chances to get out alive in those crisis are greatly reduce.
IT IS A STATE OF MIND AFFAIR:
After having interviewed thousands of concentrations camps survivors from the second WW, experts came to face the astonishing capacity to bounce back that the human organism carry in himself, when the spirit takes the override on charge.
Our bodies are infinitely complex machines and even under the harshest and most degrading conditions.
It can maintain itself in function by its desire to live. After a certain while the energy needs that the body fills with food are practically reduce to zero.
Concentrations camps survivors were saying that; for them even under the most abject, vile and inhuman circumstances, life was worth living. Many have survived ONLY because they had this state of mind.
RESCUE:
It is when you believe that you will be rescued that your will and resistance will be stressed even more.
For exemple you see, the boat or plane that is coming and that they don't see you, you will be then, fill with despair.
Don't fall into despair, it is sure that other ships or planes will be coming. If the planes are flying in circles, it means they are looking for you.
It is then that you MUST put all your efforts together and put all your survival technic (signals) in the only goal, to be seen, when the plane or ship reappears. Reassure yourself, they will be back.
SURVIVAL MEANS: NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. TRY & TRY AGAIN & AGAIN.
NO PRIMA DONA ON EXPEDITIONS:
If ever you find yourself in the position of leading an expedition your first rule should be that all members are equal and equally responsible for looking after themselves.
There is no room for prima donnas on an expedition. Here we don't talk about the sick or dying or wounded but the well fit even if hungry.
Human nature being what it is, many in good health will use any or make up excuses to become lazy or to play prima donna.
When people are tired, uncomfortable and a bit frightened by their strange surroundings, they will suddenly become petulant and demanding of their fellows and behave worst than children even in a way they would NEVER dream of at home.
This of course has a dreadful effect on morale so that everyone ends up screaming at each other or at the cook or camp-master.
It is a well known fact that when there is no chief, the mob turns ugly & in riot.
The crowd will ALWAYS prefer a dictator rather then anarchy. A smart dictator know that and he will create anarchy so that he can take over quickly as a saviour of the people, hitler did just that, we saw the result.
So kick ass and make them work, not as a dictator so much but as a leader who if he is not taking charge and make them cooperate and behave correctly,it will be the end of the survival group entirely
This may sound harsh but it is the result of known behaviour from survivors and other experts in the field of group behaviour.
GROUP BEHAVIOUR IN SURVIVAL:
A CREW'S CHANCES OF SURVIVAL ARE LARGELY DUE TO THE ABILITY TO ORGANISE ACTIONS.
While an emergency might be expected to weld a group together, in most cases; " United we stand and divided we fall."
UNLESS a Leader attempts to plan, examine the situation, gets information and helps from his mates, then organise TOGETHER, otherwise: Panic takes over.
So, stop! Sit down! Think?? See, smell, hear, feel your new environement. Then: Start a plan on how? To act best, safely, efficiently ? 5 W's = What / where / when / how / why of any situations?
MOST LAZY WAY, TO SAVE ENERGY = THE BEST in SURVIVAL.
GROUP BEHAVIOUR IN THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL: # 2
Chances for group survival depends greatly in the men's aptitude to keep busy. Danger does not contribute to unify the team but the reverse.
The more a situation is difficult and confused the greater the problems for the team. It is generally what occurs when comes a common danger. Fear tends to provoke panic rather then concentration of efforts in a common goal.
GROUP MORAL:
When team members have a strong bond rather then act as individuals and that they are proud of their team then their moral is way up. This factor has great advantages:
A) The man feels supported & protected, because he knows that his survival depends of people whom he trust.
B) In case of defeat, the team can face up the situation with more tenacity.
C) The team can fix goals to help one another and face tomorrow.
It is not only external pressures which MUST create a high moral but also the togetherness feeling in the group.
In some occasion the mood and state of mind of some persons can become very contagious.
We can often stop panic by acting with determination, with the help of organisation and well established.
Organisation, which foresees the delegation of authorities and sharing of responsibilities. In order to get that, all team members MUST have faith in the team and recognise:
The ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO
COOPERATE. TOGETHER WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE FALL.
IMPORTANT FACTORS TO OBTAIN IN GROUP SURVIVAL: *
THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO COOPERATE CAN NOT BE OVER EMPHASIZE. "Divided we fall"
Goals Organisation; methodical action comes when the team members know what to do and when to do it, in normal and emergency time.
To achieve this, 1 of the most important mean is:
A) To keep the team well informed.
B) Use of Competences: In good groups, to do the right job you need the right man. To each his own specialty helps alot.
C) To know how to accept suggestions and critics. Even if the leader has the final decision he MUST also take in consideration the suggestions and critics of his men.
D) Decision spirit: Hundreds of past stories show that we have rarely all the needed time wanted to take decisions.
The success of survival operation is usually due to on the spot decisions and to put into actions immediately!
E) Equipment Verification: In more cases then we can imagine the fact of not having checked the equipment led to failure in survival operation.
F) Situation appraisal: Generally we admit that to solve a problem we MUST study it beforehand.
It is often what we ignore that we fear most. Situation appraisal permits to eliminate those unknown and prepare our strength to adapt to it.
G) Knowledge and aptitudes in matter of survival will greatly increase our faith in our capacities to survive.
H) Quick reflexes: It is important to know ahead the type of reflex of the men. This knowledge permits the group to react fast in critical situations.
I) Principal goal of training a team in survival is to give you this occasion to know and understand the reflex of the persons which they have to acquire as a team acting as one man show. (To get the winning edge)
GROUP SURVIVAL:
Small groups of men showed least tendency of giving up hope and (think of suicide) because a close human contact between them had grown up in the first days of their common ordeal.
In larger groups thought of suicide may be almost as common as with isolated individuals, for individuals can feel just as lonely in a motley crowd thrown together by fate.
Pills for influencing emotions might possibly help castaways for instance over the worst of all psychological torments = Loneliness.
THE COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED TO EVERY KIND OF ORDEAL IN LABORATORIES ARE UNANIMOUS THAT THE ISOLATION TEST IS THE WORST OF ALL.
DISCIPLINE IS A MUST:
If there is no discipline among a group of castaways; MORAL SINKS ABRUPTLY & WITH IT THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL.
When everybody does as he likes and simply lives aimlessly for the day, energy is squandered with the same work being done 2 or 3 times over because there has been no planning first.
Precious articles of equipment are destroyed by malice or carelessness.
On occasions the complete disorganisation of an undisciplined crowd may cost lives and even lead to murder.
Psychological factors contributing to the survival of groups or individuals castaways are now being studied as intensively as what these men ate or drank. ( ie: this books has 25 pages on pysho-survival alone)
For instance it has been found that chances of survival were fairly good in all groups when someone in the group (perhaps an officer) took command, drew up work schedule and told everybody what his job was.
Instead of inactive sitting and waiting for rescue, everyone now had a function to fulfil, there was less time for brooding.
Most people would rather obey then command, rather be led then lead!
So they are usually glad when someone else assumes this responsibility and are quite ready to fall in with his orders.
It may be one of the weakest members of a group who suddenly takes charge, driven by some inner power inexplicable even to himself.
They have instinctively realised that castaways MUST be occupied and MUST do something, instead of just going sitting about in the boat, apathetic, shivering, frightened and ready to die.
GROUP SURVIVAL:
A group can be a help just as a risk. The strength of a chain depends upon the strength of the weakest link.
1 DESTRUCTIVE FACTOR IN A GROUP =
DISSENSION WHICH YOU MUST AVOID THIS AT ALL COST!
Maybe one way is to walk away if you can. it is better to back off at time too. No place for pride; when life is at stake!
In crisis, reactions of the group or the individual become automatic. Groups who can unite their efforts and give themselves good leaders increase their chances. Divided we fall! United we stand!
IF THERE IS NO CHIEF; ELECT ONE:
In groups of 10 then 100 then 1,000. In order to gain a good control the group MUST do this:
1) Organise activities in function of the group survival. 2) Elect a chief 3) Create a climate of unity. (United we stand!)
WE ALL NEED ONE ANOTHER!
1) Whenever possible take decision under the chief direction and in collaboration with him.
2) In other cases, whatever is the situation.
THE CHIEF DECIDES HIS ORDERS
ARE NEVER NEVER DISCUSSED.
YES$S BOS$S!
PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARIES TO SURVIVAL:
Survival can depend more of the personality then of the danger itself, or of the weather conditions or of the terrain or even the type of critical situation
It is ALWAYS one's personality which will make him resist or fail to fatigue; also permits him to take the necessary measures for survival, even to make him move his feet.
1) He MUST be a man who can make up his mind, decide and act.
2) He MUST be inventive, smart, using imagination. (Images-in-Nations!?!)
3) He MUST be able to stay alone. Certain person can not stay by themselves, they need to be together.
4) He can adapt to a situation. Certain person refuse to change no matter whatever price to pay for their stubbornness.
5) He MUST keep a cool head, stay calm and master himself.
6) He hopes all will get better, but prepare for the worst.
7) He is patient. Some want to act immediately, others know to wait for a better occasion to rise up.
8) He has endurance. Few people know all that they can really put up with in reality, but when you expect a difficult situation, we are better ready to face the worst that can happen.
9) He can evaluate others. Some can displease everybody, others can be liked by all.
This comes from the attitude of taking in consideration of the mood and feelings of others.
This attitude to understand others and to foresee their reactions is of great importance in group survival.
10) He knows where his fears and worries come from, some from his past some from the situation he faces, or the future, thus he can better overcome it when he know its origin.
Ex: Fears from childhood. As soon as a survivor decides to better his state and conditions he reenforce his moral and will to survive.
OFTEN THE DANGER EXIST IN THE IMAGINATION OF MEN ONLY!?!
SOME PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SURVIVAL: (It helps!)
The personality of a person will have more to do with survival than danger, weather, terrain, conditions, nature of the emergency, the following qualities are important:
THE ABILITY TO:
1) Make up his Mind.
2) Improvise, imaginations,
3) Live up alone and others
4) Adapt to a situation.
5) Keep cool and Edit Calm, Collected, Strength, Gentle!
6) Hope for the Best, and Prepare for the Worst!
7) Ability to take it!
8) Have patience and Faith in GOD!
9) Figure out the other man's thoughts.
10) To have compassion to realise where special fears and worries come from how they could suppressed or dodge.
11) Some prayers might and would help to calm down and ease the pains.
12)NEVER UNDERESTIMATE, THE POWER, LOVE, MERCY OF GOD! "TRUST IN THE LORD"
SURVIVAL PREPARATION:
Beside psychological preparation, you MUST also face the fact that we are heading for some very hard time.
So help yourselves and others by having with you, in your car, home, plane or boat this survival bible along with a Survival Kit.
Read it and try to memorise as much as possible instead of TV wasting time. Get your family along and practice different things in this book, it will be an excellent mean to learn and to get your family together.
NATIVE HELP:
Here are some tips to help you gain their help
1) Let the native establish first contact, exchange with the one who seem to be the chief.
2) Be friendly.courteous, patient, do not show fear, nor weapons.
3) Respect their ways of life.
4) Respect all their personal belonging (NO steal? No breaking!)
5) In most tribes it is men who are BOSS?!? As much as possible avoid all direct contacts or communications with women.
6) Natives can give you precious advice for boats and how to get food and water. Listen well and act as such, thus better your own chances for survival in their regions.
7) Avoid all sudden and impulsive physical contacts.
8) Money is of no value to them, however they are interested in change, matches, tobacco, salt, razor blades, empty containers, etc. you can use in a barter system.
9) Leave a good impression, others after you may need it.
10) Study the basic know how. It is by doing this book not just reading it. The more you will use it the better you'll know.
SLEEPING NOTE:
IT IS SAID; THAT THE SLEEPING HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT COUNT FOR DOUBLE TIME. IT IS ABSOLUTELY EXACT.
Not because those hours have any magical properties but because those who go to bed late add to the normal fatigue, this is what doctors call over fatigue.
LOG BOOK VITAL BOOK:
A Log Book of all your observations, time, readings, measurements, and look out points MUST be carefully kept, it is a vital and necessary book to keep in order to successfully be a survivor.
FIRE AND SHELTER:
3 ELEMENTS ARE ABSOLUTELY VITALS FOR SURVIVAL:
FIRST SHELTER THEN WATER THEN FOOD.
Once can easily go without water for a few days or food for a week or more but the cold, the rain, snow or wind can get you down and out in one night.
In critical situation you MUST then either find or construct a shelter and make fire then you will worry about finding water then food.
Look for natural shelters which at night will form a shield against prevailing winds.
The ideal being: a shallow cavity in a rocky slope facing South thus retaining longer the sun's heat.
Build your fire in front of the rock but not too close since you will instal yourself between the fire and the rock in order to collect the thermal effect produce by the fire and its reflection on the rock.
In other places use the shrubs or tall trees near by to shelter you or build a shelter with what you see around you and MAKE SURE that you have your shelter shut on 3 sides and open to the fire.
IMAGINATION IS ONE OF YOUR BEST WEAPON TO IMPROVISE & SURVIVE.
Once you have secure yourself a shelter and fire and maybe have found water; think of signalization then food.
CABIN FEVER:
When it is storming out what do you do after you've slept yourself silly? You talk for a while, a long time even, but then sooner or later, cabin fever sets in.
That strange psychological malady of confined quarters that has turned genteel trappers into murderers, peaceful loving couples into fighting minks.
It turns solitary campers into strangers to themselves, who convinced they're on a tropical island, shed their clothes in the snow and decide to go for a stroll on the beach.
So, for lengthy winter camping or if there's any chance you'll be weathered in bring a chess or checker set, some cards and a thick book or two like the bible and a book on plants etc.
MILARD CENTRE FOLD:
Other uses of this book; the international orange cover makes a highly signalling device.
The Milard centre fold can also be used for signalling and as an emergency close-up mirror. Placed behind a candle or a small fire, the mylard will intensify the lite.
The cover is wax-impregnated to serve as a fire starter and half of that book is only good for good tinder!
BURN 1/2 this BOOK AS TINDER !
PREPARING FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE:
You MUST ALWAYS carry a survival kit appropriate to the occasion this means this book as well.
A) That before going afield you will inform a responsible person as to where you're going.
B) When you will return? Unless most extreme conditions this book will give you the fundamentals facts for survival until help reaches you.
If you fail to return or report in within a reasonable time, help will be on the way within 24 hours.
In the majority of cases, lost or injured persons are found within 72 hrs.
You can survive for 3 or 4 days, in fact much longer, even under very adverse conditions.
NOTE:
3 or 4 days without food or water is not deadly although veryyy booooring. Before your next outdoor trip do the following:
1) PLAN:
Know where you are going and the time and distance and terrain involved. Allow ample time for unhurried trip.
Know what ESSENTIAL equipment is required. Plan for adequate food, water and clothing.
Plan for anticipated needs. Know what weather is expected and prepare for the worst.
Choose companions of comparable mental attitude, physical condition and ability.
ALWAYS let a responsible person know where you are going and when you will return.
2) BE ALERT:
Know the potential danger of such trip. Turn back when adverse weather conditions set in or when you can't handle the terrain.
Evaluate all potential dangers. Watch for signs of physical and mental problems in yourself or others.
React to danger warning signals immediately, not later. Be observant.
3) BE PREPARED:
Physically and mentally for your trip. For changes of weather. For emergency situations.
Carry extra food and clothes. Carry a survival kit including this book. Know your first aid and carry a kit.
4) CARRY THIS BOOK ON YOU AT ALL TIMES.
SELF-RELIANCE IS SURVIVAL!
LOST!:
STOP IMMEDIATELY! SIT DOWN!
FORCE yourself to breathe Deeply, (Deep 6) Slowly. Conserve and save your physical and mental resources you have.
Lean back against a tree a boulder and relax. Keep warm and dry and insulate yourself from ground. Be assured that in these first few minutes;
YOU NOW HAVE INCREASED YOUR SURVIVAL CHANCES by OVER 50%
THINK??? If you know you can follow your back trail you are not lost. But if in doubt stay put, at least for the time being.
Carefully read all the sections of this book which apply to your situation. Do as much of the following as possible BEFORE DARK.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY STUDY!:
Good planning and preparation enable the survivor to confront difficulties and dangers that pose a serious threat to survival. They become contingencies for which you are equipped.
But you can not anticipate everything. You MUST be ready to respond rapidly to the unexpected danger and to deal with potential disaster rationally & realistically.
You must overcome the tendency to panic with such conditions so easily engender and take the action appropriate to the situation.
Sometimes a collision or other accident occurs with no warning of any kind, but in most instances there is a moment of realisation that something is going to happen and it is at that moment that instinctive reaction can save lives even yours.
In many situations there is a considerable time in which an awareness of potential disaster can develop and that is when the panic reaction is probably most dangerous.
As mist closes in on a hill side reducing visibility to almost nothing and making it easy to lose any sense of direction, most people would begin to panic at the thought that they are going to be trapped.
They begin to do foolish things and increase their dangers;whereas they should already be assessing the possibilities and looking for some suitable shelter in which to wait until conditions become safe to continue.
Keeping calm, in the knowledge that you have the ability to handle the situation will not only enable you to see it through but also to see other solutions that may present themselves.
Some situations are predictable and knowledge of the techniques for handling them will minimize the risks.
Learn them, they may save your life.. They make take considerable nerve-like waiting for the right moment to escape from a car that is sinking under water-but they are based on experience and sound principles.
The answer to most general survival problems, however will often lie in inspired improvisation drawing on those skills appropriate to the situation.
Disaster may involve you in a contained situation which you MUST handle alone or you may find yourself one of hundreds of people in a large scale disaster over which there can be no control at all.
There is an enormous difference between coping with motoring accidents and dealing with an air disaster.
As these extremes will show whatever the scale the same resourcefulness and ability to call on a variety of knowledge and skill will apply.
BOTH ARE MATTERS OF LIFE and DEATH, however many people involved.
REMEMBER THAT FAITH! CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS ! PRAYERS TOO !
SAS ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL PSYCHOLOGY:
The following pages are from a book written by John Wiseman who is a teacher and specialist in survival in the SAS British army. He was for 26 years a professional soldier and became SAS survival instructor.
The following methods were field tested so they are sure to help you as it help others.
Since survival problems are the same for both soldier and civilian it is good to listen to their knowledge.
The only difference is that the soldier has one more worry which is that he MUST hide himself whereas the civilian will want to attract attention to effect his rescue
Everyone wants to be a survivor but the fitter you are and the more knowledge you have the greater your chances will be.
Accidents often create survival situations so you MUST be prepared to deal with crashes, collisions and natural disasters.
You MUST know how to deal with injuries, how to keep fit and healthy and how to help others less fortunate than yourself. Water, food, fire and shelter are basic needs. You MUST know how to obtain them.
Laying out signals will attract a search and lead to rescue, but if not found, you MUST be able to navigate to safety and know how to negotiate rivers and mountain ranges.
You could be isolated anywhere in the world, from the Arctic ice to a desert etc. Each environment calls for special survival techniques.
Mountains, jungles, open plains and swamps can also seem hazardous to the survivor, but each offers some form of support & can be exploited for food,fuel, water and shelter if you know how. The effect of climate is also very important.
You MUST know how to cope with intense cold and how to survive in searing heat. They challenge the survivor in different ways.
Survival depends upon applying basic principles and adapting them to the circumstances.
Of course the reader MUST use his own judgement in the application of the methods shown in this book.
The tests for plant foods for instances are the only sure way of being certain whether a particular fruit or leaf is safe or poisonous for you.
The average person is unlikely to come to any harm if they follow the method carefully but there is risk involved since individual response to poison varies.
Even small quantities of toxic substances can be very dangerous to some people.
Some of the traps described are deadly and should NEVER be left unsupervised where other people may come to harm and they could inflict self-injury if handled carelessly.
REMEMBER once more that these methods have helped saved many SAS lives and others and they will help you to be a survivor too.
REMEMBER also that:
ALMOST EVERYWHERE NATURE PROVIDES THE NECESSITIES FOR SURVIVAL.
AND ALSO EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS THE WILL TO SURVIVE.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT:
Is a personal preparedness, so that you are both physically and psychologically equipped to deal with the stresses and hazards of survival conditions.
You MUST have a clear understanding of survival needs, especially of the need for and ways of obtaining water and salt.
The human species has established itself in almost every corner of the Earth and:
ALMOST EVERYWHERE NATURE PROVIDES THE NESSESITIES FOR HIS SURVIVAL.
(I know I repeat but its vital!)
In some places the provision is abundant, in others very meagre and it takes common sense, knowledge and ingenuity to take advantage of the resources available.
Even more important is the will to survive. No will = no way out and REMEMBER that with God all things are possible.
Men and women have shown that they can survive in the most adverse situations, but they have done so because of their determinations to do so.
Without that the knowledge and skills in this book will be of little use if you find yourself in trouble.
Survival is the art of staying alive. Any equipment you have MUST be considered a bonus. You MUST know how to take everything possible from nature and use it to the full.
How to attract attention to yourself so that the rescuers may find you? How to make your way to civilization, if hope of rescue is not on the cards, even navigation without map or compass etc.
You MUST know how to maintain a healthy physical and mental condition, or if sick or wounded, how to heal yourself and others.
You MUST be able to maintain your morale and that of others who share your situation, this is where prayers becomes extremely useful specially for those who haven't done so for a long time.
Lack of equipment should not mean that you are unequipped for you will carry skills and experience with you but those skills as a knife MUST not be allowed to get rusty and you MUST extend your knowledge all the time.
Anyone, young or old from whatever kind of life can find him or herself in a survival situation.
Survival skills are not only concerned with the extremes of the air crashes on a mountain peak or a shipwreck in the tropics or a vehicle breakdown in the middle of nowhere or desert.
Every time you fasten your seat belt in a car you are giving yourself a greater chance of survival.
Checking each way before crossing a road or ensuring that an open fire is safe before going to bed are survival technique as well. Safe habits that you MUST develop as much as acquiring skills.
BE PREPARED:
The Boy Scouts' motto is the right one. Anyone setting out on a journey or planning an expedition should follow it by discovering as much as possible about the situations likely to be faced and the skills & equipment called for.
IT IS THE MOST BASIC COMMON SENSE TO PREPARE YOURSELF.
To take appropriate gear and to plan as carefully as possible.
Your kit could make the difference between failure and success, even life and death. Especially when back-packing.
Many people and me included take too much along, & have to learn from bitter experience what they really need and what we could have done without. (VCR?)
Getting the right balance is not easy. This is why we try to help you by giving these information.
FACING DISASTER:
When facing a disaster it is easy to let yourself go, to collapse and be consumed in self-pity. But it is no use giving up or burying your head in the sand and hoping that this a bad dream that will soon pass.
It won't, and with that kind of attitude it will rapidly become much worse. Only positive action can save you!
A healthy, well nourished person can physically tolerate a great deal, provided that he or she has self-confidence.
Even if sick or injured, a determined person can win through and recover from seemingly impossible situations. To do so there are many stresses that MUST be overcome.
SURVIVAL STRESSES:
The survival situation will put you under pressure both physically and mentally even morally. You will have to overcome some or all the following stresses. (Ratssss!)
Fear and anxiety. Pain, illness and injury. Cold and or heat. Thirst, hunger and fatigue
Sleep deprivation. Boredom,loneliness, isolation. Lack of teddy-bear as well. Can you cope? You have to! (See how nice we are!)
SELF-CONFIDENCE IS A PRODUCT OF GOOD TRAINING & SOUND KNOWLEDGE:
THESE MUST BE ACQUIRED BEFORE YOU HAVE TO FACE UP TO A SURVIVAL CONDITION.
The fact that you are reading this book is an indication that you have the seeds of the determination to equip yourself and that is the real starting-point.
Confidence will enable you to overcome fear, boredom, isolation and loneliness. Physical fitness plays an important part. The fitter you are the better you will survive.
Initially you may have to go without sleep to ensure that you are in a safe location, or make a long march in dangerous condition.
Do not wait until you are forced to go without sleep to see whether you are capable of doing so.
Prove it to yourself now by getting into training. Develop the resources to cope with fatigue and loss of sleep.
You will be working hard to procure food and water. They will relive hunger and thirst.
But finding them will tire you and you will need adequate shelter to enable you to rest and recover from your efforts.
DON'T OVERDO IT. REST FREQUENTLY AND ASSESS THE SITUATION.
Pain and fever are warning signals that call attention to an injury or physical condition.
They are not in themselves dangerous, however distressing and discomforting. Pain can be controlled and overcome.
Its biological function is to protect and injured part to prevent you using it, but this warning may have to be ignored to avoid the risk of further injury or death.
Injured people with multiple fractures, who would certainly have died if they had just lain where they were, hoping for help, have been know to crawl long distances (12 miles in one case) from isolated regions to reach assistance.
Concentration and intense effort can actually stop and reduce feelings of pain for a time, though it is important to treat any injury as soon as possible.
REMEMBER that ignoring even a small sore or blister could lead to serious problems later, especially in the Tropics.
PSYCHO SURVIVAL # 4 :
This survival psycho file is taken from an exert of R.Digest called Survival at Hoa Lo. It may help some of us in the future.
TAPPING CODE; NUMBER ROW THEN COLUMN Roll Call:
New man can you hear? It was Reiner! " I hear you Colonel. Its me, Lieutenant Coffee." "Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel, Jerry.
Try not to talk so loud. Communication is forbidden. The man in cell one is watching under his door for the guard's shadow. If you hear a single cough or thump on the wall, stop talking immediately."
Talking is very dangerous. You MUST learn to communicate by tapping on the walls. Its called TAP CODE.
The code is the only link we have. Look for a square of letters comprising the alphabet, except we use C for K and numeral running along the top and one side. To get the letter you want simply tap!
THE NUMBER OF THE ROW, THEN THE NUMBER OF THE COLUMN.
1 2 3 4 5
1 A B C D E
2 F G H I J
3 L M N O P
4 Q R S T U
5 V W X Y Z
THE UNEXPECTED:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying.
Take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Robert Heinlein"
SOME LOOSE THEIR LIFE BY SHEER PRIDE! TOO COWARD TO BE AFRAID & BACK OFF OR FIND OTHER WAYS AROUND THE PROBLEM.
HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED & AVOID OSTRICH!:
Preparing for expected difficulties an dangers is difficult enough, but what chance have you of equipping yourself for the totally unknown disaster?
Yet these are the disaster that immediately spring to people's minds. The shipwreck & the plane crash or forced landing in unfamiliar & difficult terrain or in a war starting while visiting a country. Ooopss!
This is the reason for this book's existence!
There are specialised books on mountaining, sailing or pot-holing in the desert and the jungle and the polar wastes and reading them will be part of the preparatory research before taking up these activities or travelling in these areas.
Even more important, however is to know about a whole range of skills which can be applied and adapted to all kinds of situations and to develop a way of thinking that enables you to draw upon them to find the solutions to particular problems. This is the preparation U can make for the unexpected. But its not all.
You can equip yourself with a few small items which will increase your chances many times over by helping you with some of the basic necessities of survival. This can tip the balance between failure and success.
They will fit in a small container slipped into a pocket of bag and can be carried anywhere. They are your survival kit.
IF & WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU ALWAYS? CARRY IT. (oooppsss!)
More bulky and therefore likely to be left at home, but still compact enough to carry on a belt whenever you are travelling, are a knife and the items which will fit in your survival pouch.
Without the basics these 2 kits provide, you can still improvise but they will give you a head start.
DON'T FORGET THIS BOOK.
COPING WITH NEW SITUATION:
Wether in a Survival situation or in any other met at some time by everyone, either world problems or personal which crowed in upon us and suddenly we feel we can not cope?
A GOOD ADVICE IS THIS ONE:
Don't try to find the answer to everything at once; go step by step, and remember that life by the yard is hard and by the inch it's a cinch.
WARNING:
The survival techniques described in this book are for use in dire circumstances where the safety of individuals is at risk.
Accordingly the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any prosecutions or proceeding brought or instituted against any person or body as a result of the use or misuse of any techniques described or any loss, injury or damaged caused thereby.
In practising and perfecting these survival techniques the rights of landowners and all relevant laws protecting certain species of animals and plants and controlling the use of firearms and other weapons must be regarded as paramount.
M. ASHER ESCAPE BELT:
FROM ENGLISH SAS TECHICS.
ESSENTIAL PART OF THE SAS TRAINING ALWAYS WORE THEM ON YOU & WITH THIS BOOK . OOOPSSS!
It contains enough food and equipment to sustain you if you ever have to abandon your Bergen bag it consist of:
SUGAR, TEA, RATIONS SUCH AS OXO CUBES, CHOCOLATE AND SOUP, BLOCK OF HEXAMINE FOR FUEL, FISHING LINE!
(best all around = 300 feet, 150lbs) + 12 HOOKS (best all around is Mackerel #14 & #10, SNARES, A SMALL KNIFE,
SPOON, WATERPROOF MATCHES, A MUG,TORCH / CANDLE, A BUTTON COMPASS AND A SMALL SCALE MAP OF THE AREA & 1 SPACE BLANKET!
IT MUST BE SMALL, COMPACT, capable of being carried in a belt and provide sustenance for 2 days after that your combat survival skills come in or you are dead zero Zorro!
3 MORE SURVIVAL KIT: (CARSON?)
Here are 3 added kits from survival experts. May you never need them but if so, here it is:
MOUNTAINEER'S 12 ESSENTIALS:
RECOMMENDED BY EXPERTS OF ALL TYPES:
1) AT LEAST ONE COMPLETE CHANGE OF CLOTHING including extra for such contingencies as rain & cold weather. A cheap lite nylon coat & pants to cut the wind is also A MUST.
2) EXTRA FOOD. Include extra rations in your minimum. This is your insurance policy in case something goes really wrong.
3) SUNGLASSES. Every time you set out for a strange area it's good to have a pair along. If you are planning on desert, alpine or winter camping, it's a rare occasion that you will not need them. Even Eskimos worry about snow blindness.
4) A KNIFE. A substantial pocketknife is the order of the day. No need for bowie knife and the big sheath knife for those who are out to tackle bears with bare hands. A good swiss army knife is excellent or a Buck for bigger job.
5) FIRE STARTERS, jelly, ribbon, tablets or impregnated peat bricks. There are emergencies where a fire is both necessary and difficult to start. Every kit should include a supply of starters of one kind or another.
CANDLES ARE 1 OF THE BEST!
6) EMERGENCY MATCHES. Fire starters alone don't a fire make. You need matches. Long wooden ones are best and soaked in wax to make them weather proof and keep them in a waterproof container.
"PERRON-ELLE" NOTE: Fire start-her!
"BIC TYPE OF LIGHTHERS ARE A NEW ADDITION TO FIRE STARTERS IT IS VERY GOOD TO HAVE 4 or 5 OF THEM ON YOU AND IN YOUR S/KITS. A Zippo fluid lighter is also very good type!
7) A FIRST AID KIT.
8) A FLASHLIGHT. Everyone should carry his own and add extra batteries & bulbs just in case.
DON'T FORGET BATTERIES!
9) MAPS. You should have a map when going to all but the most familiar places. It's not only a safety factor but can add a lot of enjoyment to your trip, helping you to find the best spots and sights.
10) A GOOD QUALITY COMPASS even 2 might help in case the first one goes berserk. (OOOPPPSSS!)
11) A SPACE BLANKET. It did not exist in the first writing up of this list.
TODAY IT IS AN INVALUABLE SAFETY PRECAUTION.
Weighing only 2 ounces it opens up to a full 56"X84". IT REFLECTS UP TO 90%
OF A SLEEPER'S BODY HEAT! mM!
While at the same time keeping out rain, rain and snow. NEVER to be used BUT FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!
ESSENTIAL AS EMERGENCY GEAR FOR ALL KIND OF USES INCLUDING SIGNALIZATION & FIRST AID QUICK WARM "MMM!) UP BLANKET.!
12) THIS BOOK! THIS BOOK!
PERRONALLY I WOULD ADD: 12B:
1 Fishing line best all around is 300ft/150lbs = fishing, snaring, wick, string. 6 Fishhooks: (best is Mackerel #14 / and 6 #10) fishing, catching birds. Snare wire: 1oz. Setting snares & other uses.
HUDSON BAY"S SURVIVAL KIT:
Drawing upon nearly 300 years of experience in the wild places has prepared a watertight emergency kit particularly for use on the trading concern's aircraft.
This 11 pounds outfit which is capable of floating measures 12 X 11 X 3 1/2" + 1 SURVIVAL BOOK! "ES-PERRON-LE! "
The content have been assembled with a view of maintaining:
1 INDIVIDUAL NORMALLY FOR 1 WEEK, IF THE USER CUT DOWN ON EXERTION TO A MAXIMUM AND HARDSHIP TO A MINIMUM. THINK? A LOT B4 ACTING
REMEMBER!!!:
BREATHS "6" DEEPLY BEFORE!!!
ANY HARD TASKS or STRESS TIME!
And with conservative characteristic estimates that the sustenance can be stretched about 4 times as far. Here's what they include dear Rambo, ZORRO & JANE!
ITEMS: QUANTITY PURPOSE:
28 Tea bags: Make tea / (Tea quenches not coffee, + good in f/aid too) 50 Vitamin Pills: Make up diet deficiency Pilot Bread 30oz food
Butter (margarine) 16oz food / Strawberry jam 14 1/2oz.:food/ Klik (spam etc) 12oz. food / Condensed milk 14oz. food /Chocolate bars 10 of 5oz. food
Matches:(wood) 100 Light fire & 2 Bic lighter/ Swiss Knife: 1 multi purpose / 1 Spoon for : eating, fish bait, scoop, shovel, / Whistle: signalling./1 Double face mirror signalling. (Heliograph)( Very very useful./
1 Fishing line best all around is 300ft/150lbs = fishing, snaring, wick, string. 6 Fishhooks: (best is Mackerel #14 / and 6 #10) fishing, catching birds. Snare wire: 1oz. Setting snares & other uses. 1 Space Blanket.
2 Candles: cooking, light, etc Kleenex: 1 package multi purposes Camphor: 1 small jar mosquito bites, cuts, chap lips.
Remember to use wooden matches and to have them waterproof by dipping them in hot wax before going out in the bushes.
FIRE STARTERS:
"PERRON-ELLE" NOTE:
"BIC TYPES OF LIGHTHERS ARE A NEW ADDITION TO FIRE STARTERS IT IS CRUCIAL TO HAVE SEVERAL OF THEM ON YOU AND IN YOUR S/KITS AT ALL TIME AND EVERYWHERE.
ARMY CANTEEN: (Special container!)
If you don't have the Hudson Bay Kit then use an army kit canteen which is rectangular and fits one into the other easily and easy to make watertight as well & has collapsible handle.
AGAIN, AND AGAIN; BRING THIS SURVIVAL BOOK IN YOUR COAT POCKET AT ALL TIME. (Ooopppsss?!?)
SURVIVAL SAS KIT:
A few items can make all the difference in the fight for survival. Collect the things listed below.
They can all be fitted into a small container, such as a 2 oz tobacco tin, that will hardly be noticeable when slipped into an anorak pocket.
MAKE A HABIT OF ALWAYS HAVING IT WITH YOU.
Do not choose something bigger. You may find it inconvenient to carry and leave it out on the one occasion you actually need it.
Many people who roll their own cigarettes carry such a tin. But this one is much more useful. It may save your life. The smoker is speeding up the end of his.
Experience has proved that each items earns its place, though some are more use in some situation that in others: fish hooks for instance may be invaluable in the jungle but useless in a desert.
Polish the inside of the lid to make a mirror like reflecting surface and seal it, to be waterproof with a strip of adhesive tape which can be easily removed and replaced. Don't just forget the tin.
Regularly check the contents, changing any which deteriorate such as matches, medicine tablets.
Mark all drug containers with use and dosage and a run-out date when they should be replaced. Pack spare space in the tin with cotton wool which will keep the contents from rattling and can be used for fire lighting.
FIRE IS VITAL TO SURVIVAL.
4 items are for making it.
1) MATCHES:
Waterproof matches are useful but bulkier than ordinary non-safety, strike anywhere matches, which can be made shower-proof by dipping the heads in melted candle fat. To save space, snap off half of each match stick.
It is much easier to use matches than to make fire by other methods but don't waste them, use only when improvised method fail.
Take them one at a time from the tin and replace the lid. NEVER leave the container open or lying on the ground.
2) CANDLE:
Invaluable for starting a fire as well as a light source. Shave square for packing. If made of tallow it is also fat to eat in an emergency or to use for frying. Bring 2 at least!
But be sure it is tallow; paraffin wax and some other candles are inedible. Yet Tallow does not store well, especially in hot climates.
3) FLINT: (Fred?)
Flint will work when wet and they will go on striking along after you run out of matches.
Invest a processed flint with a saw striker. Recently on the market you can buy a magnesium flint fire starter which is great on all occasion.
4) MAGNIFYING GLASS:
Can start a fire from direct sunshine and be useful for searching for splinter and stings and to replace lost reading glasses. One of the advantage of the top of the line swiss knife is that it has a magnifying glass incorporated within.
5) NEEDLES AND THREAD:
Several needles, including at least one with a very large eye that can be threaded with sinew and coarse threads. Choose strong thread and wrap it around the needles.
6) FISH/BIRDS HOOKS AND LINE:
A selection of different hooks in a small tin or packet. Add a few split lead weight.
The best all around line for all kind of fish /birds is 150lbs test nylon 300 feet and the best all hook is the mackerel #14 and its smaller one #10, take 6 of each at least.
Remember that a small hook will catch both and large fish but a large hook will only catch big ones. Include as much line as possible, it will also be useful for catching birds.
7) COMPASS:
A luminous button compass. But MAKE SURE you know how to read it as some compass can be confusing and remember NEVER MAKE A READING CLOSE TO ANY METALLIC SURFACE.
A liquid type is the best but also MAKE SURE that it does not leak, has no bubble in it & is fully serviceable. The pointer is prone to rust. MAKE SURE it is on a pivot and swings freely.
8) BETA LIGHT:
A light-emitting crystal, only the size of a small coin but ideal for reading a mag at night and useful fishing lure -expensive but just about everlasting and well worth to buy.
9) SNARE WIRE:
Preferably brass-wire 60-90cm (2-3ft) should do. Save for snares, but could solve many survival problems.
10) FLEXIBLE SAW:
These usually come with large rings at the ends as handles. These take up too much room, so remove them, they can be replace by wooden toggle when you need to use it.
To protect from rust and breakage cover it in a film of grease. Flexible saws can be used to cut even quite large trees, but be slow when cutting. (Where's the rush John?)
11) MEDICAL KIT:
What you include depends upon your own skill in using it. Pack medicines in airtight containers with cotton wool to prevent rattling. The following items will cover most ailments but they are only a guide.
ANALGESIC: A pain reliever for mild and moderate pain. Codeine phosphate is ideal for tooth-ear and headaches.
DOSE = One tablet every 6 hours as needed but they can cause constipation as side effect so will help in case of loose bowels. Not to be taken by children, asthmatics or people with liver disorders.
INTESTINAL SEDATIVE:
For treating acute and chronic diarrhoea. Immodium is usually favoured. DOSE= 2 tablets initially, then one each time a loose stool is passed. (Shiiittt!)
ANTIBIOTIC:
For general infections. Tetracycline can be used even by people hypersensitive to penicillin. DOSE= One 250mg tablet 4 times daily, repeated 5 to 7 days. Carry enough for a full course.
If taking them avoid milk, calcium and iron preparations or other drugs containing aluminum hydroxide.
ANTIESTAMINE:
For allergies, insect bites and stings and may also help in case of bad reaction to a drug.
Piriton is recommended in Britain and Benadryl in USA. Sleepiness is a side-effect of Piriton, so useful as mild sleeping pill. Do not exceed recommended dosages or take with alcohol.
WATER STERILISING TABLETS:
WARNING:
(REMEMBER JUST 1 DROP, OR JUST MOISTENING YOUR LIPS ON BAD WATER CAN MAKE YOU ULTRA SICK EVEN KILL YOU!)
For use where water is suspect and you can not boil. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Water near any city is dangerous and in most cities in South America as well.
ANTI-MALARIA TABLETS:
Essential in areas where Malaria is present. There are types which require only one tablet taken monthly.
POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE:
Has several uses. Add to water and mix until water becomes bright pink to sterilise it, deeper pink to make an antiseptic and to a full red to treat fungal diseases such as athlete's foot.
12) SURGICAL BLADES:
At least 2 scalpel blades of different sizes. A handle can be made from wood when required.
13) BUTTERFLY SUTURES:
Use to hold the hedges of wounds together.
14) BAND-AIDS:
Assorted sizes, preferably waterproof for minor abrasions and keeping cuts clean. They can be cut and be used as butterfly sutures.
Use the new burn type 90% MADE OF WATER. It doubles up in its uses for burns and cuts.
15) CONDOM:
Beside fun this can make a good water bag (1 litre).
16) 1 TAMPAX: ???
Beside its feminine use, it can be used to start a fire and as well as blood cloth when you cut deeply. (Ouch!)
17: PLATE SURVIVAL KNIFE:
WONDER KNIFE!
Hard to find but well worth it, this new survival knife is the size of your plastic money card, but made of high grade steel.
IT HAS 12 FUNCTIONS: wood saw blade, screw driver, normal blade, ruler, bottle opener, file, can opener, heliograph from its mirror polished side etc. Only $10.00 The trick is to find it, there is a cheap imitation around but its size is much wider and bulkier.
The one I mention is the exact size of your plastic card and fits well into a wallet. This knife should be in your wallet even a spare one into your kit.
AFTER MUCH RESEARCHES I HAVE NEVER FOUND A KNIFE WITH SO MANY USES but for the big Swiss knife! DO YOUR VERY BEST TO FIND IT!
LIGHTER FLUID: (SPECIAL NOTE!)
A small can of it can BE EXTREMELY USEFUL TO QUICK FIRE START AND WARM UP AND MUST BE BROUGHT ALONG WHENEVER POSSIBLE!
This is one of the RAMBO T"RICKS" used by modern soldiers to light fire. IT SHOULD BE KEPT ALWAYS ON YOU, in a side pocket for emergency warm up & uses.
NOTE ON FOOD:
FAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD:
For survival in the cold weather.
Remember that fat in calories is the most concentrated food yet the sustenance the most difficult to find while living off the land.
If you can not get it from animals revert to insects, such as larva, grubs, and what you may dig or find by burning a small grass area.
Bear live on grubs yet they are fat enough Think insects if no games. After all St. John lived on locust and honey for many years to prove the point. Insects are very fat in protein
FOOD: (Special add notes)
ALL HEALTHY MAMMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS = EDIBLE!
ALL GRASSES, SEEDS, NUTS, FRUITS = EDIBLE
REMEMBER:
STEW GIVE THE MOST FOOD VALUE ALL EDIBLE SALT & FRESH WATER FISHES HAVE SAFE WATER IN MEAT. Just chew or wring it.
MARINE LIFE:
ALL SEAWEED (not threadlike) below water ARE EDIBLE, cooked; eat slowly.
ARCTIC: Nearly ALL VEGETABLE = EDIBLE. ALL LICHEN IN FAR NORTH ARE EDIBLE, STEAM OR BOIL THEM FOR SAFETY.
NO KNOWN GRASS IS POISONOUS.
PLANT EDIBILITY TEST =:
Limit diet to plants positively identifiable or seen eaten by rabbit, rodents, beavers, squirrels, raccoons, monkeys and bears.
Birds are not reliable. Place very small amount inside lower lip, taste for soapy, bitter, acid, burning taste for 5 minutes.
Increase dose every 6-10 hours. If no ill effect in 24 hours it is probably safe, but continue caution.
AVOID:
Those with MILKY SAP, (toxic) or of red colour, black spurs on grain (diseased) or that look sickly. Cook if in doubt.
4 LAST NOTES ABOUT COLD:
PREVENT COLD BY COVERING YOUR HEAD WHICH LOOSES 1/3 OF YOUR BODY HEAT. COVER ALSO YOUR NOSE WHICH LOOSES 50% OF YOUR HEAT AT THE LEVEL OF THE HEAD OF COURSE.
PREVENT COLD FEET BY PUTTING HAY OR NEWSPAPER AS SOLE. DAMPNESS IS WHAT CAUSES COLD.
IF YOUR FEET ARE WARM THE REST OF THE BODY IS ALSO WARM. MAKE SURE YOUR SHOES ARE NOT TO TIGHT AND THAT THE NEWSPAPER SHEET IS FOLDED 4 TIMES, 1/2 A SHEET SHOULD DO IT.
CUT THE EXCESS FROM THE HEEL, & CHANGE OR REPLACE EVERY NIGHT
(or as often as needed).
YOU COULD EVEN USE IT AS A FIRE STARTER IN EMERGENCY.
BACKPACK SURVIVAL:
FROM: DUNCAN LONG
There's a lot of confusion about what survival means. To some, it's setting through the aftermath of an airplane wreck in a desolate area. It can mean knowing when to avoid walking in radioactive wastes.
Or, it can mean knowing how to barter with troops in the aftermath of riots, war, and looting.
To others, survival has to do with avoiding danger and knowing how to deal with it when it breaks into your home in the dead of night.
Survival ideas abound and there are as many definitions and strategies as there are survivalists. Some have good ideas for survival and some have unsound tactics.
Bad ideas can mean extra work or trouble in everyday life; bad ideas during a survival situation get you killed. On-the-job training doesn't work when you're dealing with poison and gunfights, or survival.
ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS IDEAS--AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED--IS THAT OF "BACKPACK SURVIVAL."
A "back-pack survivalist" is a survivalist that plans on leaving his home ahead of a disaster and taking to the woods with only what he can carry out with him.
He plans to survive through a strategy that is a sort of cross between the Boy-Scout-in-the-woods and Robinson Crusoe.
The backpack survivalist plans on outrunning danger with a four-wheel drive or a motorcycle and hopes to travel light with a survival kit of everything he might need to cope with the unexpected.
He hasn't cached anything in the area he's headed for because, chances are, he doesn't know where he's headed.
Somehow, he hopes to overcome all odds with a minimum of supplies and a maximum of smarts. Certainly it is a noble cause; but it seems like one destined to failure. And that's not survival.
(Let's back up a minute. Backpack fever--or bug-outosis--does make sense when you're facing a localized disaster like a derailed train with overturned poisonous gas cars.
A potential nuclear meltdown, an impending hurricane, or similar disasters where there is a safe place to run to.
During such a time, it makes perfect sense to retreat and come back when things settle down.
Likewise, some people have to work in dangerous areas. For them, donning a backpack and heading for a retreat that they've prepared before hand is a viable survival strategy. These people aren't backpack survivalists.)
Let me make a confession. Yes, I once was a closet backpack survivalist. I had an ALICE pack and had it packed with all I could carry. As I learned more about how to survive, I realized I needed to carry more.
Soon I discovered that, just for my family to survive for a very few days, I would need a pack mule and/or a hernia operation... Something as very wrong.
Probably most survivalists start out the same way. Things are bad, so let's bug out. Backpack survivalism is an effort to deal with the possibility of a major disaster.
As backpack survivalists, we make elaborate plans centered around the idea of "bugging out" of the area we live in.
We hope to travel to an area that is safer than the one we're in and plan on living off the land or on some survival supplies we have hidden in the area.
On the home front, we carefully prepare a stock of supplies that we can quickly cart off in a car or van when things start to look bad.
As more and more plans are made and as ever more survival gear is purchased, the survivalist realizes just how much he needs to cope with in order to survive.
If he is any sort of realist, he soon amasses enough gears to warrant a truck or--more likely--a moving van just for carrying the survival equipment. (Don't laugh, there are survivalists who have large trucks for just such use.)
Some brave souls continue to make more elaborate plans and some of these survivalists may be able to pull off their plans.
Those who have really thought things out and have spared no expenses may manage to survive with a bug-out strategy.
But I think there are more logical--and less expensive--ways to survive a large crisis.
Forget all your preconceived notions for a minute.
Imagine that there is a national emergency and you are an outside observer? What happens if a nuclear attack is eminent, an economic collapse has occurred, or a dictator has taken over and is ready to round up all malcontents (with survivalists at the top of the list)?
Situations change with time. The survivalist movement--and backpack fever--first started up when gas guzzler cars were about all that anyone drove.
That meant that a survivalist with some spare gasoline could outdistance his unprepared peers and get to a retreat that was far from the maddening crowd, as it were.
(Read some of Mel Tappan's early writing on survival retreats. His ideas are good but many have been undone with the new, fuel-efficient cars.)
With cars getting 30 or even 40 miles per gallon, it isn't rare for a car to be able to travel half way across a state on less than a tank of gasoline.
The exodus from cities or trouble spots will be more limited by traffic snarls than lack of gasoline even if the gas stations are completely devoid of their liquid fuel.
Too, there are a lot of people thinking about what to do if the time for fleeing comes. A lot of people will be headed for the same spots. (Don't laugh that off, either.
In my area, every eighth person has confided his secret retreat spot to me. And about half of them are all headed for the same spot: an old missile silo devoid of water and food. I suspect that the battle at the gates of the old missile base will rival the Little Big Horn.)
No matter how out-of-the-way their destination, most survivalists are kidding themselves if they think others will not be headed for their hideaway spot along with them. There are few places in the US which aren't accessible to anyone with a little driving skill and a good map.
Too, there are few places which aren't in grave danger during a nuclear war or national social unrest.
Though most nuclear war survival books can give you a nice little map showing likely targets, they don't tell you some essential information. Like what the purpose of the attack will be.
The enemy may not be aiming for military targets that day; a blackmail threat might begin by hitting the heart of the farmland or a number of cities before demanding the surrender of the country being attacked. The target areas on the maps might be quite safe.
And the maps show where the missiles land IF they all enjoy 100 % accuracy and reliability. Anyone knows of such conditions in war? With Soviet machinery? Targets may be relatively safe places to be in.
Added to this is the fact that some areas can be heavily contaminated or completely free of contamination depending on the wind directions in the upper atmosphere. Crystal ball in your survival gear?
But let's ignore all the facts thus far for a few moments and assume that a backpack survivalist has found an ideal retreat and is planning to go there in the event of a national disaster... What next?
His first concern should be that he will have a hard time taking the supplies he needs with him. A nuclear war might mean that it will be impossible to grow food for at least a year and foraging is out as well since animals and plants may be contaminated extensively.
An economical collapse wouldn't be much better. It might discourage the raising of crops; no money, no sales except for the barter to keep a small farm family going.
With large corporations doing much of our farming these days, it is not unreasonable to expect a major famine coming on the heals of an economic collapse. Raising food would be a good way to attract starving looters from miles around.
Ever try to pack a year's supply of food for a family into a small van or car? There is not much room left over. But the backpack survivalist needs more than just food.
If he lives in a cold climate (or thinks there might be something to the nuclear winter theory) then he will need some heavy clothing.
Rifles, medicine, ammunition, tools, and other supplies will also increase what he'll need to be taking or which he will have to hide away at his retreat site.
Shelter? Building a place to live (in any style other than early American caveman) takes time.
If he builds a cabin beforehand, he may find it vandalized or occupied when he gets to his retreat; if he doesn't build it beforehand, he may have to live in his vehicle or a primitive shelter of some sort.
Thus, a major problem is to get a large enough vehicle to carry every thing he needs as well as to live in.
History has shown that cities empty themselves without official evacuation orders when things look bad. It happened in WW II and has even happened in the US during approaching hurricanes, large urban fires, & nuclear reactor problems.
So there is a major problem of timing which the backpack survivalist must contend with. He has to be packed and ready to go with all members of his family at the precise moment he learns of the disaster!
The warning he gets that warrants evacuating an area will have to be acted on quickly if he is to get out ahead of the major traffic snarls that will quickly develop.
A spouse at work or shopping or kids across town at school means he will either have to leave them behind or be trapped in the area he is in. A choice not worth having to make.
Unless he is gotten a hot-line from the White House, the backpack survivalist will not hear the bad news much ahead of everyone else.
If he doesn't act immediately, he will be trapped out on the road and get a first-hand idea of what grid-lock is like if he is in an urban area.
Even out on the open road, far away from a city, an interstate can become hectic following a ballgame...
Imagine what it would be like if everyone were driving for their lives, some cars were running out of fuel (& the occupants trying to stop someone for a ride), and the traffic laws were being totally ignored while the highway patrol tried to escape along with everyone else. Just trying to get off or on major highways might become impossible.
If things bog down, how long can the backpack survivalist keep those around from helping to unload his truck-load of supplies that they will be in bad need of?
Telling them they should have prepared ahead of time will not get many sympathetic words.
Even on lightly traveled roadways, how safe would it be to drive around in a vehicle loaded with supplies? Our backpack survivalist will need to defend himself.
But let's suppose that he's thought all this out. He has a large van, had the supplies loaded in it, managed to round every member of his family up beforehand, somehow got out of his area ahead of the mob, is armed to the teeth, and doesn't need to take an interstate route.
When he reaches his destination, his troubles are far from over. The gridlock and traffic snarls will not stop everyone. People will slowly be coming out of heavily populated areas and most of them will have few supplies.
They will have weapons (guns are one of the first things people grab in a crisis according to civil defense studies) and the evacuees will be desperate. How many pitched battles will the survivalist's family be able to endure?
How much work--or even sleep--can he get when he is constantly on the lookout to repel those who may be trying to get a share of his supplies?
This assumes that he gets to where he is going ahead of everyone else. He might not though. If he has to travel for long, he may discover squatters on his land or find that some local person has staked out his retreat area for their own.
There won't be any law to help out; what happens next? Since (according to military strategists) our backpack survivalist needs about three times as many people to take an area as to defend it.
He will need to have some numbers with him and expect to suffer some casualties. Does that sound like a good way to survive?
What about the local people that don't try to take over his retreat before he gets there? Will they be glad to see another stranger move into the area to tax their limited supplies? Or will they be setting up roadblocks to turn people like the backpack survivalist away?
But let's just imagine that somehow he has discovered a place that does not have a local population and where those fleeing cities are not able to get to.
What happens when he gets to his retreat? How good does he need to be at hunting and fishing?
One reason mankind went into farming was that hunting and fishing don't supply enough food for a very large population nor do they work during times of drought or climatic disruption. What does he do when he runs out of ammunition or game?
What happens if the streams become so contaminated that he cannot safely eat what he catches? Can he stake out a large enough area to guarantee that he won't deplete it of game so that the next year is not barren of animals?
Farming? Unless he finds some unclaimed farm machinery and a handy storage tank of gasoline at his retreat, he will hardly get off first base.
Even primitive crop production requires a plow and work animals (or a lot of manpower) to pull the blade. No plow, no food for him or domestic animals.
And domestic animals don't grow on trees. Again, unless he just happens to find some cows waiting for him at his retreat, he'll be out of luck. (No one has packaged freeze-dried cows or chickens--at least, not in a form you can reconstitute into living things).
Intensive gardening? Maybe. But even that takes a lot of special tools, seeds, know-how, and good weather. Can he carry what he needs and have all the skills that can be developed only through experience?
Even if he did, he might not have any food to eat. Pestilence goes hand in hand with disasters. Our modern age has forgotten this.
But during a time when chemical factories are not churning out the insecticides and pest poisons we've come to rely on, our backpack survivalist should be prepared for waves of insects flooding into any garden he may create.
How good is he at making insecticides? Even if he carries out a large quantity of chemicals to his retreat, how many growing seasons will they last?
Did he truck out a lot of gasoline and an electrical generator with him? No? Do you REALLY think he can create an alcohol still from scratch in the middle of no-where without tools or grain?
Then he would better to write off communications, lighting, and all the niceties of the 20th Century after his year's supply of batteries wear out and his vehicle's supply of gasoline conks out.
I am afraid we have only scratched the surface though. Thus far things have been going pretty well. What happens when things get really bad?
How good is he at removing his spouse's appendix--without electric lights, pain killers, or antiseptic conditions? Campfire dental work, anyone?
How good is he at making ammunition? Clothing? Shoes? I think you'll have to agree that this hardly seems like survival in style.
Even if our backpack survivalist is able to live in the most Spartan of conditions & has the know-how to create plenty out of the few scraps around him, he will never have much of a life ahead of him.
Camping out is fun for a few days. Living in rags like a hunted animal doesn't sound like an existence to be aimed for.
The bottom line with backpack fever is that, with any major disaster that isn't extremely localized, running is a panic reaction not a survival strategy.
Running scared is seldom a good survival technique and backpack fever during any but a localized disaster (like a flood or chemical spill) looks like it would be a terminal disease with few, rare exceptions.
So what is the alternative?
A number of writers, from Kurt Saxon to Howard Ruff, have already suggested it but I think that it bears a retelling.
What they've said is this: get yourself situated in a small community that could get by without outside help if things came unglued nationally or internationally.
Find a spot that allows you to live in the life-style you've grown accustomed to (and a community that allows you to carry on your livelihood) but which has the ability to grow its own food and protect its people from the unprepared (or looters) that might drift in from surrounding cities during a crisis.
This spot has the ability to carry on trade within its borders and has a number of people who can supply specialized products or professional skills.
An area with two thousand to five thousand people in it along with a surrounding farm community would be ideal but sizes can vary a lot according to the climate and city.
Ideally such a town would have its own power plant with a few small industries along with the usual smattering of doctors, dentists, and other professionals.
This type of community isn't rare in the US. It's quite common in almost every state. You could probably even take a little risk and commute into a city if you must keep your current job. (In such a case a reverse backpack survival strategy just might work-you'd be bugging out to your home.)