tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30049878816627136712024-03-13T23:52:56.455-07:00OutdoorSafe with Peter KummerfeldtStaying alive in the outdoors during an emergency can take skill, the proper equipment and training. OutdoorSafe can help you gain all three, so you have a fighting chance in any urban or wilderness survival situation.Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-52740222784166915962013-06-09T14:44:00.000-07:002013-06-09T14:44:59.574-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKITWw9b81Kg6QXf8TQX4nVxx3dxEH9ihnEpnCaGK3hz4GTdNwADXsvnu_85LJRzRZ08F0-4OVEutDxOE4XwpQQhKGbvelVSX_PPtga4d7BDOOm7VusKFRTvbvJ_EBim88-vfX7jpRjMeJ/s1600/OPen+My+Eyes493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKITWw9b81Kg6QXf8TQX4nVxx3dxEH9ihnEpnCaGK3hz4GTdNwADXsvnu_85LJRzRZ08F0-4OVEutDxOE4XwpQQhKGbvelVSX_PPtga4d7BDOOm7VusKFRTvbvJ_EBim88-vfX7jpRjMeJ/s320/OPen+My+Eyes493.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
Brian Webb spent many years working in a number of capacities for the US government. His duties took him to many parts of the world - some friendly and many not so friendly! In the course of his travels, often alone, his safety was totally dependent on what he did to keep himself safe. <i>Open My Eyes </i>captures the lessons he learned while on the road - lessons that kept him safe in some of the worlds most dangerous places.<br />
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Chapters in <i>Open My Eyes </i>include:<br />
- Understanding the dangers<br />
- Perceptions and Intuition <br />
- Pre-Travel Preparation<br />
- Hotel Safety and Security <br />
- Situational Awareness<br />
- Foreign Travel<br />
- Basics of Hostage Survival <br />
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............and many more. <br />
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Brian's concise, personal writing style makes this book "an easy read." If you adopt and practice the advice he gives you will be far less likely to have a problem when next you travel and, should something unpleasant happen, you'll be better equipped to handle it. <br />
It is unfortunate that so many people fall into the trap of believing that nothing bad is ever going to happen to them and if it does, they will be able to muddle through somehow. They believe that if they get in trouble in the US or overseas, someone is always going to come to their assistance. In the "real world" <i>bad things do happen to good people and sometimes no one comes to help</i>. Take responsibility for your own safety - no one cares more about you than you do! <br />
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Brian specializes in conducting training sessions for those people about
to depart on overseas Mission Trips. He can be contacted through his
website <a href="http://www.ihs-training.com/" target="_blank">www.IHS-Training.com</a>.Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-18795679838360746732013-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:002013-05-19T13:48:39.559-07:00When the Grid Goes Down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPsKg7hgHwbBYNW9sYk-A6T09WcPH_sN6oJpA7z_wTR3yMH1ihNjPMImtTQDSFGslsUNEr-SzDELkT-R8qL5tDknkC8vpJHA_j-1NTzCoW47dDc4QHQk0Qf0p71jgpxs950pQK_l786MP/s1600/Grid+Go+Down479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPsKg7hgHwbBYNW9sYk-A6T09WcPH_sN6oJpA7z_wTR3yMH1ihNjPMImtTQDSFGslsUNEr-SzDELkT-R8qL5tDknkC8vpJHA_j-1NTzCoW47dDc4QHQk0Qf0p71jgpxs950pQK_l786MP/s320/Grid+Go+Down479.jpg" width="210" /></a>I have always admired Tony Nester's broad range of survival knowledge. My admiration was reinforced a month ago when I received a copy of his new book "<i>When The Grid Goes Down" </i>published by Diamond Creek Press. This is not Tony's first venture into the disaster preparedness arena having previously published <i>Surviving A Disaster: Evacuation Strategies and Emergency Kits For Staying Alive." </i>and his two DVD series <i>Tony Nester's Practical Urban Survival.</i><br />
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The beauty of Tony's recommendations is that they are "<i>practical."</i> All too often survival books, with rare exception, are not very practical and advocate techniques and procedures that are difficult to learn quickly and even more difficult to employ when needed in a crisis. Tony keeps it simple.<br />
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Here is a list of the topics he covers in the book:<br />
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- How to Create A Self-Reliant Home <br />
- Water Storage and Purification Methods<br />
- Food Recommendations and Storage<br />
- A First Aid Kit That You Can Live With<br />
- Home Security and Personal Defense<br />
- When The Power Goes Out: Heating, Cooling, Lighting and Cooking<br />
- Handling Long-term Sanitation & Hygiene Issues<br />
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This is not a large book, only 77 pages, nor is it an expensive book, only $12.95, but it is a book that strips away the fluff and deals with the practical, no-nonsense issues relative to staying alive when the infrastructure we have come to rely on is not functioning. It is an easy read and if you follow his advice you will be well on your way to being better <i> </i>prepared<i> When the Grid Goes Down</i>.<br />
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Contact Tony at www.apathways.com<br />
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Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-87956567584407811662013-04-09T12:40:00.002-07:002013-04-14T15:31:09.493-07:00New Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHTduZ2p6osiSqSlzX1LXqHCJHv74o6FHp57H_xGEd4MuXGrIaM8Oap0iC4KpN2MgpbAxlwZnKVjLyfzTJS_WXYP9O2fMmlsdcDj6NKZbA1r9xYw2hKtZSiyUfJymGendekAxjjfwPUU_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+5.19.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHTduZ2p6osiSqSlzX1LXqHCJHv74o6FHp57H_xGEd4MuXGrIaM8Oap0iC4KpN2MgpbAxlwZnKVjLyfzTJS_WXYP9O2fMmlsdcDj6NKZbA1r9xYw2hKtZSiyUfJymGendekAxjjfwPUU_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+5.19.33+PM.png" /></a></div>
One of the pleasures of traveling the country as much as I do, is meeting people - and especially those people with new ideas, new ways to solve old problems, new tools to make life a little easier when times are tough - entrepreneurial people.<br />
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<b>Meet Patrish Brady.</b> Patrish is the owner of Shooting Star Nursery LLC located in Washington State. Shooting Star Nursery is a tree farm and tree farms produce lots of tree waste! Looking for a way to make use of the waste produced in the process of farming trees, and to improve the farms financial income, Patrish and her family came up with a novel product - "Sparke!" More than just another aid to starting a fire Sparkes can be used as a "stand-alone" source of heat. <br />
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I first came across them at the Washington Sportsmen's Show in Puyallup, Washington earlier this year when Patrish came by my survival exhibit and asked me what I thought of her product. Never one to jump on the bandwagon I listened to her explanation of the Sparke and how it could be used. It was immediately obvious to me that the ground-up tree debris saturated with wax had potential. <br />
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It wasn't until late March that I had a chance to actually test the Sparke to see if it was all that Patrish and her son said it was. It was - and more! If you were to walk through the camping section of any sporting goods store you would see a multitude of fire starting aids available for sale. Over the years I have tested most of them and, almost without exception, found them wanting! So what makes makes a Sparke so much better?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGxAeZjWIeavJyH9CU1ex28zrChZVIDDw4u6HlqqB_P4PHvKpAKtDhHUVi913RRryBwdGOuBOHtJIvZ08UilmAyAcnNCwuhqczvzVUqTGN-XrH2szFwxfU6tm0EYOQTqjyzKIrj7hy4Id/s1600/e_DSC1500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGxAeZjWIeavJyH9CU1ex28zrChZVIDDw4u6HlqqB_P4PHvKpAKtDhHUVi913RRryBwdGOuBOHtJIvZ08UilmAyAcnNCwuhqczvzVUqTGN-XrH2szFwxfU6tm0EYOQTqjyzKIrj7hy4Id/s320/e_DSC1500.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well to start with, it is easy to light. A wick that can be lit on either end runs the full length of the brick. I placed the Sparke in a ceramic dish to contain the fire and to collect the residue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrpZmhDTeruZg96EIVt1HGCsOQgwLsW-zi0_ux3kvASU621tL_NDRGCQQOBN_bCEmOW2Au3QJFZ2Vgwv3Xv0fnG1bp6x7WSXGUrVMieyDeHeIGVtTqqFIDPk8QB_idRBtyvUKHCxHxirh/s1600/e_DSC1502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrpZmhDTeruZg96EIVt1HGCsOQgwLsW-zi0_ux3kvASU621tL_NDRGCQQOBN_bCEmOW2Au3QJFZ2Vgwv3Xv0fnG1bp6x7WSXGUrVMieyDeHeIGVtTqqFIDPk8QB_idRBtyvUKHCxHxirh/s320/e_DSC1502.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />
I lit the wick on either side of the brick and it quickly igniting the wax and the ground-up tree-farm residue that the brick is made from.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxPoPdYLcr52KeTdJMCaWQrrZvSZASn1QK3yXYg5qw6SQDUv2ojb-HJUNgqrrZ7_Cu7lVS3eIebC7zkjp2YT-tqdEBcB2Yzhx2vQGll_rYZM9bjBuSe17fCsTqtyVYMwRnloD4RNyFLAl/s1600/e_DSC1506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxPoPdYLcr52KeTdJMCaWQrrZvSZASn1QK3yXYg5qw6SQDUv2ojb-HJUNgqrrZ7_Cu7lVS3eIebC7zkjp2YT-tqdEBcB2Yzhx2vQGll_rYZM9bjBuSe17fCsTqtyVYMwRnloD4RNyFLAl/s320/e_DSC1506.jpg" width="320" /></a>Once lit, the combination of wax and vegetable matter burned hot and long! Initially there was a bit of black smoke but as the heat increased the amount of smoke decreased. At this point I noticed that there was a considerable amount of melted wax collecting in the dish. Knowing this I would always recommend placing a fuel source that contains wax or petroleum jelly in a container that will collect the melted fuel. Doing so will increase the burn time of the Sparke.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4POXuFesEIAFcj_n_pmXaL3q9lUzg1_eJAPv87w_ZV_R-Tqoqy0A6mFiNz_kqzGjy2dl7vmtj5bi6b5KyVjlOI2_fsvQRSqegBVDPQ93aN9cDE_7hetLFRA2vT12Nyde128EK03W8xXyi/s1600/e_DSC1513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4POXuFesEIAFcj_n_pmXaL3q9lUzg1_eJAPv87w_ZV_R-Tqoqy0A6mFiNz_kqzGjy2dl7vmtj5bi6b5KyVjlOI2_fsvQRSqegBVDPQ93aN9cDE_7hetLFRA2vT12Nyde128EK03W8xXyi/s320/e_DSC1513.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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As the minutes passed the flame gradually diminished. This photograph was taken 23 minutes after the Sparke was lit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP45ZkDgHSvXxKDGDgcagqd7bqmirP592Oo5gbQN6qfrCZ9KMtZmoqz0SWpJVUSNGhjuGUhTLqeCKxCTmtwBbw9ziZfRxbqifIv116vHRtHV9sTbMV5T7kHnHtShBCqhyphenhyphenFedq9UdNMIP8/s1600/e_DSC1517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP45ZkDgHSvXxKDGDgcagqd7bqmirP592Oo5gbQN6qfrCZ9KMtZmoqz0SWpJVUSNGhjuGUhTLqeCKxCTmtwBbw9ziZfRxbqifIv116vHRtHV9sTbMV5T7kHnHtShBCqhyphenhyphenFedq9UdNMIP8/s320/e_DSC1517.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Before the flame burned out I took a stick and stirred the remains breaking it apart whereupon the flames flared again for a few more minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s-WmjQQUpEOm5IITaKKO-fb7cTLqzo02HJYbX8Wa1mGLn3k1JufpskdS2wcoB7lp5-p0icBvCGaiO1vFBZbrq_vPXfRN2LoMogDLIMIivy3O2-FPko2wGvQZIgxsVsrCBnbgIIPtA0wf/s1600/e_DSC1520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s-WmjQQUpEOm5IITaKKO-fb7cTLqzo02HJYbX8Wa1mGLn3k1JufpskdS2wcoB7lp5-p0icBvCGaiO1vFBZbrq_vPXfRN2LoMogDLIMIivy3O2-FPko2wGvQZIgxsVsrCBnbgIIPtA0wf/s320/e_DSC1520.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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When it finally burned out all that was left was ash - and not much of that!<br />
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The Sparke that I used was one of four contained in a package of four bricks. The weight of the bricks varied from 2.9oz to 4.1ozs The Sparke that I tested weighed 2.9ozs and burned for twenty-seven minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd8VsdTMW-xq5mjRO0JnCNZPPJimBB8Ko87T-bm2itlkdqqXUVcj1QBhjTTmme-3_lrn6fEKibZCRrtDX9w-3mjdT5H3KOlcvt_ZQO0k4uJhpg7GN8dP4flwTynZ93KzI4viZM4pOrkCk/s1600/Sparke_DSC1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd8VsdTMW-xq5mjRO0JnCNZPPJimBB8Ko87T-bm2itlkdqqXUVcj1QBhjTTmme-3_lrn6fEKibZCRrtDX9w-3mjdT5H3KOlcvt_ZQO0k4uJhpg7GN8dP4flwTynZ93KzI4viZM4pOrkCk/s320/Sparke_DSC1689.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I also burned a Sparke during the blizzard that swept through Colorado Springs on the 9th of April. The temperature that morning was 15 degrees F. with winds gusting between 30 and 40 mph and light snow. This Sparke weighed 3.7 oz. and burned for 38 minutes before burning out. At the height of the burn, using an infrared heat measuring device, I measured the temperature of the flame at 541.9 degrees F. <br />
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The only difficulty I experienced was lighting the wick. Because of the high winds it took two matches to get this done. Once alight it remained lit despite the very gusty winds. I made no particular effort to protect the Sparke. <br />
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<b>CONCLUSIONS:</b> None of the fire starting products that are currently available in the retail stores that cater to those who recreate or work in the outdoors are as good as the Sparke <a href="http://www.sparke.com/" target="_blank"></a> - by a huge margin! <a href="http://www.sparkefire.com/" target="_blank">www.sparkefire.com</a> (Note to you readers - the Sparke website is still being developed so please be patient until it comes online.) In the meantime give Patrish a call and place an order (509-465-5685)<br />
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The larger Sparke will be very useful for home owners who enjoy their wood burning fireplaces and to those who still rely on wood burning furnaces to heat their homes. It should also appeal to the car camping community and others who use some form of vehicle to get themselves into the back-country. The smaller size Sparke is ideally suited to back-packers who need a reliable way to get a fire going. The smaller size would also be a good addition to an emergency kit. In short, a Sparke would be useful to anyone who wants to start a fire quickly and reliably, particularly when weather conditions make it difficult to do so.<br />
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I will continue to evaluate both the large and the small Sparke throughout the rest of the year and if anything new shows up I will share it with you. In the meantime check them out yourself and let me know what you think of them.<br />
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Emergency Kit - $5.00<br />
Mini- 2-pack - $6.00<br />
4-pack - $12.00<br />
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<b>DISCLAIMER</b>: OutdoorSafe Inc accepts no money from any manufacturer to promote their products. The opinions expressed are mine and are based on my independent testing under field conditions. <br />
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<br />Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-42085611893611245252013-01-22T17:23:00.000-08:002013-01-22T17:34:56.791-08:00SURVIVAL TRUTHS<b>Number One. </b>You have to accept the fact that, as good an outdoors-man or women as you may be, sometimes things happen that precipitate you into a crisis when you least expect it and you’d better be ready to cope with, what will be one of the most difficult challenges to your life that you have ever faced.<br />
<b>Number Two. </b>Never say <i>“I am just……”</i> Saying <i>“I am just going to….”</i> (You fill in the blank) is a denial of the possibility that anything will go wrong and a denial of the need to carry an emergency kit or protective clothing with you. After all <i>“what could possibility go wrong?” </i>A lot can go wrong, it can go wrong quickly and you can die!<br />
<a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Plastic-Bag-Shelter2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-723" height="320" src="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Plastic-Bag-Shelter2-150x150.jpg" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" width="320" /></a><b>Number Three</b>. Always carry the means to shelter yourself, to start a fire and to attract the attention of people who are looking for you and, perhaps more importantly, people who are <i>not </i>looking for you but might be in your vicinity. To that end your emergency gear should include a waterproof, windproof shelter that you can crawl into or crawl under. If you expect to be able to construct a shelter from natural materials as advocated by many outdoor writers you will be sadly disappointed. To build such a shelters take skill, time, resources and an able-bodied person. Save yourself the trouble – carry a l<a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Blue-Plastic-Bag-Emergency-Shelter-38x65-4-mil-thick-Blue-Plastic-Bag-Shelter.htm">arge orange or royal blue plastic bag</a> to crawl into when you need protection.<br />
Carry a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Metal-match-with-handle-Metal-match-with-handle.htm">metal ma</a><a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Metal-match-with-handle-Metal-match-with-handle.htm">tch</a> and a supply of cotton balls saturated with Vaseline. This mixture is the most reliable combination of fire starting aids available to you. Practice building a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/New-Up-Dated-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor.htm">fire</a><br />
Carry a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Whistle-Whistle.htm">whistle</a> and purposefully made glass <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Signal-mirror-glass-2-x-3-Signal-Mirror.htm">signal mirror.</a> You can blow a whistle as long as you can breath. With a mirror, given that you have sunlight, you can bounce a beam of sunlight to a passing airplane, boat or person on a distant hillside many miles away.<br />
<b>Number Four. </b>Prepare for the five scenarios that commonly result in a person having to spend a night out:<br />
1. Becoming lost<br />
2. Not making it back to camp or vehicle before the sun sets.<br />
3. Becoming stranded when the vehicle that took you into the back country malfunctions.<br />
4. Becoming ill or injured to the point that you are unable to make your own way out.<br />
5. When weather makes it dangerous to continue traveling.<br />
In each situation finding the safest campsite possible and then using your emergency equipment and survival skills to defend your body temperature is your best course of action.<br />
<b>Number Five. </b>Don’t let the concerns of others and what they might be thinking affect your decision-making. Don’t let the promises or the commitments you made to others drive you to continue trying to make it back in the face of darkness, rough terrain or inclement weather. Do what is in your best interest and survive.<br />
<b>Number Six. </b>Always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back. Better still leave a trip plan with two people who you have briefed on what to do in the event you do not return. Remember that having left a trip plan you are obligated to stick to the plan. If you fail to leave a trip plan, or don’t update the plan, days may pass before an active search begins in your location.<br />
<b>Number Seven</b>. Be ready to deal with fear and the panic that usually results when you are confronted with a crisis. It is ludicrous to say “don’t panic!” Everybody is going to panic. Even the most experienced outdoorsman or woman will experience a momentary twinge of discomfort when faced with a potentially life threatening situation. But, unlike the novice, an experienced person will recognize the discomfort for what it is – a warning that things aren’t right! A warning to back away and reconsider the situation. Remember the “get-off-your-feet, have drink of water, stay put for at least thirty minutes” routine described earlier.<br />
<b>Number Eight. </b>Keep faith. In yourself and your ability to survive based on your preparations. Keep faith in the search and rescue system and the ability of the searchers to find you. Keep faith in your family. The strongest catalyst you have to keep you going, when everything appears to be against you, is your desire to be reunited with your family and friends. Carry something to reinforce that desire – a photograph works.<br />
The time is sure to come when you will have spend an unplanned night out. When that times comes it’s not important <i>“what Peter would do</i>” but what is important is “<i>what you will do</i>!” Your life depends on it<br />
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Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-6279102496315419822013-01-22T17:16:00.000-08:002013-01-22T17:32:13.439-08:00Survival & Navigation Class June 13-17 2013 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I2_YPawniwz9FDtm1exDK-4txWqzvqrtY-GbcWo_caL-VlQRjgha29mOSema9sIfFdIcmfxCcS-MACNSOzGi9KFT2jbe1THxzQwdU67ovyrsC0ndzi2XHfgU9wKLcZY0vkDovv5dPEPC/s1600/ep-blizzardvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I2_YPawniwz9FDtm1exDK-4txWqzvqrtY-GbcWo_caL-VlQRjgha29mOSema9sIfFdIcmfxCcS-MACNSOzGi9KFT2jbe1THxzQwdU67ovyrsC0ndzi2XHfgU9wKLcZY0vkDovv5dPEPC/s320/ep-blizzardvest.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'd like to put in a pitch for the outdoor safety class that Ralph Wilfong and I teach for the US Forest Service each year at the Nine Mile Heritage Center, Huson, Montana. This is the only class I teach where I set the date and invite others to attend. Normally I go wherever I am invited to speak, present the class and then go back to Colorado.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEd9G_PhF_qXOPKU1PyRO5ROhvBQzixuaQVgZwUMvd_t0C1SfiT09MqpuAX6W4Cy7FMCXmHOljiIW7bj7Bh1phBApinRZ1T_i5hGvU-h3piqkVs32-v7_E8MZFoyFrXAN4ioHhW8oha3j/s1600/Signal+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEd9G_PhF_qXOPKU1PyRO5ROhvBQzixuaQVgZwUMvd_t0C1SfiT09MqpuAX6W4Cy7FMCXmHOljiIW7bj7Bh1phBApinRZ1T_i5hGvU-h3piqkVs32-v7_E8MZFoyFrXAN4ioHhW8oha3j/s320/Signal+mirror.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
The class is five days long. Two and half days of survival training followed by two and a half days of of map, compass and GPS training. I lead the survival phase and Ralph leads the navigation phase. It is a very comprehensive program and, by the time you graduate, you will have a very solid foundation in those skills you need to survive an unplanned night out and the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the back country.<br />
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You can take either the survival training or the navigation training - or both. You save yourself $50 if you take both! The cost for each phase is $250 but again if you stay for the full five days it will only cost you $450.<br />
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The program is designed to prepare you to spend a night out with a minimum of gear
- but the right gear! We do not teach aboriginal skills (rubbing
sticks together to start a fire) but focus on quick shelters, effective
fire building techniques, signaling techniques that work and the steps you need to take to keep yourself warm and hydrated.<br />
<br />
In order to keep the costs down Ralph and I camp out at the Heritage Center and invite those who attend to do likewise. You can also stay at one of the local B&Bs or motels if you wish.<br />
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If you are interested give Ralph or me a call. If you want to sign up give the US Forest Service a call. Also keep in mind that we only accept twelve people in the class so it tends to fill quickly<br />
<br />
Peter Kummerfeldt - 719-650-8925<br />
Ralph Wilfong - 509-993-0092<br />
Nine Mile Heritage Center - 406-626-5403Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-28545491328645015352013-01-22T16:27:00.003-08:002013-01-22T16:27:39.946-08:00Follow-up on Battery Leakage ProblemIt is always a pleasure to have someone respond to my blog or other piece of writing with a constructive comment or addition to whatever topic I was writing about. I received an email several weeks ago from Andrea Hill who had read a blog entry I wrote about leaky batteries. Andrea had solved the problem! She wrote<i> "I found a great trick to keeping batteries in the actual device</i> <i>but keeping leaking from happening over long periods of inactivity. I cut a small round of thin plastic (the cheap tupperware you get with lunch meat is a good thickness) and place it in between the battery and the connector to stop the phantom flow of electricity that circulates even when you aren't using the device. Just remove the plastic piece when you are ready to turn it on! I haven't had an issue since starting this."</i> Thank you Andrea. I'm sure this suggestion will save a lot of battery powered electrical devices.<br />
<br />
I am sure many of you who read this blog also have other great ideas regarding making our equipment work when we need it to work - and to work well especially when our lives are on the line. Please feel free to send them my way. I won't promise I will publish them all but will make others aware of your suggestions if they have broad application. Sharp, well exposed photographs would be welcome too.Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-8563827017409911042013-01-11T14:34:00.000-08:002013-01-22T17:36:56.931-08:00Stay With Your Car<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJerhDi8aCEdUU7Kf7ZGTEkhvXBvcqYwbAkV4GqQP8NDEhehRmRLnLcfR4rs3iO1GZrIO9Nf0RwTg7YD7u9hLMv048x4tC3OarsyNUYtLll0Pfs2tOPLw_t1QyIbTCUXQG0iNKuIjTD-jh/s1600/caraccident.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJerhDi8aCEdUU7Kf7ZGTEkhvXBvcqYwbAkV4GqQP8NDEhehRmRLnLcfR4rs3iO1GZrIO9Nf0RwTg7YD7u9hLMv048x4tC3OarsyNUYtLll0Pfs2tOPLw_t1QyIbTCUXQG0iNKuIjTD-jh/s320/caraccident.jpg" width="320" /></a>It’s officially winter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you given any thought to what it might be like to spend
a night in your car stuck in a ditch somewhere?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s news broadcast reports on the search for a woman who
walked away from her car after it slid of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I write this she is still missing and presumed to be
dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m would hazard a guess
that more people each year end up in survival situations after a car accident
than do in the backwoods of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To continue that thought a step further I would also
guess that those people that end “surviving” after a car accident are less
prepared than those on a backpacking trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have complete faith in our vehicles ability to get us from
one place to the next without incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Few people “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dress to survive” </i>they
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“dress to arrive.!</i> </div>
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Here’s what I think you should have in your car:</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cellular phone with a charger</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4 - quart water bottles</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dehydrated meal with heating element (Military MREs)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carbohydrate food bars</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Toilet paper</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Wipes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tools (jacket, lug wrench, shovel. windshield ice scraper, multipurpose tool)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Road flares</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tow strap</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Booster cables</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Blankets or sleeping bags</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Chemical warmers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Light sticks</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Matches</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Metal cup</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Basic first aid kit</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Knife</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Additional warm clothing to include warm gloves and work gloves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Winter footwear</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Two empty #10 cans (one for melting snow and one for sanitary purposes)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sack of cat litter (to improve tire traction)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Personal Emergency Beacon</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Spare personal critical medications</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Flashlight and spare batteries</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Portable radio with spare batteries</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ski goggles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Duct tape or Gorilla Tape</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Book to read</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">50 feet of cord</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">GPS receiver (provides latitude and longitude coordinates)</span></div>
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<b>If you're stuck in your car</b> <b>stay with your car</b>! Alert someone. Bring all of your supplies into the car where you can easily access them. Stay warm. Be patient. Help will come! </div>
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Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-69718142039965034002012-10-31T13:14:00.001-07:002012-10-31T18:39:47.530-07:00You Can't Do Without It!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzcDQ-TjRtPZ517vlDG7UYcPpEh4l9TgsX0QCwJP0KvTt7omIsPZebRj-l1NWBnsQ7BRxBj7R9nEgchsn9MnLDKN1PoFBDEm-bxPmOYFGG83K93TjMHOiQ0dI9lJt7ZhoGyF3ca3ogId0/s1600/_DSC6669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzcDQ-TjRtPZ517vlDG7UYcPpEh4l9TgsX0QCwJP0KvTt7omIsPZebRj-l1NWBnsQ7BRxBj7R9nEgchsn9MnLDKN1PoFBDEm-bxPmOYFGG83K93TjMHOiQ0dI9lJt7ZhoGyF3ca3ogId0/s320/_DSC6669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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550 cord, paraline, paracord, parachute line, call it what you will, 150 feet of mil-spec parachute line should be a part of your gear.<br />
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As I think back over nearly 46 years of teaching survival skills and about the same amount of time beating about the bush, I don't think I have ever been without some parachute cord. I have used to to build shelters, catch fish, weave nets, make stronger rope, for emergency dental floss, as sewing thread, to retrieve water when I was cliff-bound and yes, parachute line has lowered me to the ground when I jumped out of an airplane while I was in the Air Force. Simply put it can truly be a life saver!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJAMxBoIMrQFqquTW9J74-VB3qfRD2ZCsChlCiykagWhh29M9Bp9p0tPZDKhtXJOsHbMkqqWBLLHt2oKahy6I_P4bzZc6kfeU-jzM-p1HPU7REOkm-zE_MwOGULHphFNnz-vdLmjOlPy6/s1600/_DSC6661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJAMxBoIMrQFqquTW9J74-VB3qfRD2ZCsChlCiykagWhh29M9Bp9p0tPZDKhtXJOsHbMkqqWBLLHt2oKahy6I_P4bzZc6kfeU-jzM-p1HPU7REOkm-zE_MwOGULHphFNnz-vdLmjOlPy6/s200/_DSC6661.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
What is parachute line? Parachute line is made up of a tubular case containing seven pieces of thinner, nylon threads each of which can be further separated into three even finer threads.<br />
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The tensile strength of a piece of line is 550 lbs. The tensile strength of one piece of the inner thread is about 35 lbs. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKsvD1KYeqIFWqyA3RNn9QpYv_8BWgdibJHzZbf2d8Ue9l4QhlF8Yrhqo-mGZJNXCMHWE1AUnZS4uxa_wMo2pNalyxIab2OxB74wOCQdWRe49IDb6m8MHQN9LjERHpIUTBvUxkGbvkC09/s1600/_DSC6676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKsvD1KYeqIFWqyA3RNn9QpYv_8BWgdibJHzZbf2d8Ue9l4QhlF8Yrhqo-mGZJNXCMHWE1AUnZS4uxa_wMo2pNalyxIab2OxB74wOCQdWRe49IDb6m8MHQN9LjERHpIUTBvUxkGbvkC09/s200/_DSC6676.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I don't know what the tensile strength of the very smallest fibers is - probably around 8 or 9 lbs. At this point the material is useful as a dental floss substitute, sewing thread, fishing line and even suture material.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTxik0if1pWIKnpbnKmRUrTjq8c_tt3myCri2N89O21DTeIoFEl06SY_OUiH9ghsxQGRlwz0NOuIQ0MhwmfSgijKcCtk8k2R5RoWlm4vYvAStd9od2oWxyxdEOP5IKI0HUZnDhgjkPw84/s1600/_DSC6664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTxik0if1pWIKnpbnKmRUrTjq8c_tt3myCri2N89O21DTeIoFEl06SY_OUiH9ghsxQGRlwz0NOuIQ0MhwmfSgijKcCtk8k2R5RoWlm4vYvAStd9od2oWxyxdEOP5IKI0HUZnDhgjkPw84/s200/_DSC6664.jpg" width="200" /></a>You can buy parachute line in just about any color from many internet vendors or sporting goods stores. Or you can go to your local military surplus store where the predominant colors are white or OD green. I recommend buying white cord and then dying it bright red or orange so that you can find it if you drop the line on the ground or worse still, on snow. RIT fabric dye works well. Make a concentrated solution and then drop your parachute line into it and leave it there until you are happy with the color. Before you remove it from the dye pour in a cup of vinegar to set the dye and let it sit some more - a couple of days. If you don't do this, since nylon doesn't take up dye very well, the dye will come off in your hands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47HElkgr7G3U7DtDPRrirk8X0fRnwdlYw_WlBGDZJvUC8VPJYcYXNuCu_Yja8F1a_ZddlNheTgMQz-KPcU0UeRUJn2hf7NtAUF04FdXQTOn1toUuMzySEpuDvTUB_KctcV1KinlTaw3oE/s1600/_DSC6681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47HElkgr7G3U7DtDPRrirk8X0fRnwdlYw_WlBGDZJvUC8VPJYcYXNuCu_Yja8F1a_ZddlNheTgMQz-KPcU0UeRUJn2hf7NtAUF04FdXQTOn1toUuMzySEpuDvTUB_KctcV1KinlTaw3oE/s200/_DSC6681.jpg" width="200" /></a>Stronger rope can be made from parachute line by either twisting two ropes together or by braiding three or more pieces together. <br />
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As I said in the beginning, 150 feet in 25 foot lengths, should be included in your gear. There's no way to improvise a line from natural resources that comes close to the strength, utility and usefulness of parachute line. Check out <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Parachute-Line-Parachute-Line.htm" target="_blank">http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Parachute-Line-Parachute-Line.htm</a><br />
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Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-58089751460200123142012-10-18T20:31:00.000-07:002012-10-18T20:31:22.950-07:00Battery Problems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVxiS_uv6e6ISELMTS9UgEhTzTmvWisaO6WhuJiLm2d31PH6jaZ-brqW7tXQaFq-QOPrPvvliqw9TPwBfalI0IdNWx9rkYRMR6f3yn16B6pUcHH-tPbjfRI-0NfqtKxcKBm8b4Ij7GQKp/s1600/flashlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVxiS_uv6e6ISELMTS9UgEhTzTmvWisaO6WhuJiLm2d31PH6jaZ-brqW7tXQaFq-QOPrPvvliqw9TPwBfalI0IdNWx9rkYRMR6f3yn16B6pUcHH-tPbjfRI-0NfqtKxcKBm8b4Ij7GQKp/s320/flashlights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I had the occasion recently to need a flashlight. The one that was most available was the Maglite that I keep under my bed where I can easily reach it if it's needed in a hurry. Retrieving the flashlight I pushed the on/off switch and nothing happened! Removing the end cap I peered into the battery chamber and was disgusted to see a large accumulation of corrosion. It was so bad that I couldn't even get the batteries out! The Maglite was ruined. Well, this got me started on a search for all of my other lights to check them out before I ruined any more. By the time I was done I found two others that were in bad shape.<br />
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And then I got thinking about all of the other electronic equipment that I own that is powered by one sort of battery or another - cameras, GPS receivers, compasses and headlamps for example. What kind of condition were they in? What started as a need for a light turned into an all-day campaigned to checkout all of my gear. Like a lot of people I suspect, I had fallen out of the habit of removing the batteries from my electronic equipment when I wasn't going to be using it for a while. In the end I ended up damaging three flashlights, one point-and-shoot camera that I hadn't used in a couple of years and a calculator!<br />
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Looking into the "leaky battery" syndrome a bit further I found out that it's not a good idea to mix brands of batteries. It doesn't appear that one brand is any less likely to leak than another. Leave them in a flashlight long enough and eventually they all leak. Following that thread a bit further the manufactures recommend not mixing batteries with unknown charges remaining in them. Despite spending several hours rummaging around on the internet I could not find any practical way to clean the battery compartment well enough to completely eliminate the corrosion problem. This is especially true of most flashlights - it is impossible to clean the bulb end of the battery tube. <br />
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The moral of the story? TAKE THE BATTERIES OUT OF ANY ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING IT. Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-60954846551064577022012-09-17T05:24:00.000-07:002012-09-17T05:24:48.300-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Questions I Get Asked</b></div>
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Every week I receive emails from people asking my advice on a particular subject. Questions that relate most commonly to equipment or procedures that the writer come across and are unsure of. </div>
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Here's a sampling of this past week's questions:</div>
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<b>Question</b>. I have a compass but I have been in situations where a compass is not dependable (high magnetite deposit areas and the like). I wondered if can find where north is on a cloudy day and had no compass? I do know of the moss thing but that is not always dependable for the north east in this age of acid rains. <br /><br /><b> Answer</b>. I know of no improvised, reliable ways of determining north under the conditions you describe. On a sunny day find a thin 18" stick and drive one end into the ground while pointing the other end directly at the sun. Position the stick in such a manner that there is no shadow. Wait for 30 minutes and then you will find a shadow leading away from the base of the stick. This shadow always points east.<br /><b> </b></div>
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<b>Question. </b>I wondered about the water issue. what is the best way to clean water? <br /><br /><b>Answer. </b>The most <i>effective</i> way to disinfect water is to boil it but boiling requires a container and a heat source. The most <i>practical</i> way to disinfect water is to add chlorine dioxide tablets NOT iodine tablets or drops to water. Check out Katadyn MP-1 tablets <a href="http://www.katadyn.com/" target="_blank">http://www.katadyn.com. </a> Should you decide to boil water all you have to do is bring it to a boil, regardless of altitude, and you have killed all of the harmful pathogens you are likely to find in the water. Boiling it further wastes fuel and evaporates the water!</div>
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<b>Question. </b>What's the quick way to get rescued?</div>
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<b>Answer. </b>Always leave a trip plan and having left a trip plan stick to it. Even with a trip plan it may take hours for people to find you. You can die in hours so a trip plan is a good start but you need more. In this day and age you should carry either a SPOT personal messenger, a Delorme In Reach beacon or a 406MHz Personal Locator beacon. There's no excuse not to carry one of these devices and in the event that you do need help in a hurry all you have to do is activate the device and an emergency signal, with your latitude and longitude. embedded, is being transmitted to the authorities. You still have to survive until they get there but getting rescued is going to be a lot quicker because they know exactly where you are.</div>
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<b>Question. </b>I never seen (other than in a dictionary) the word "survival" defined - what is your definition? </div>
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<b>Answer. </b>At the most fundamental level survival means being able to defend your body temperature - i.e. maintaining 98.6 degrees F. for as long as possible! That means having a shelter of some sort with you - something you can crawl into or under to protect yourself from the wind and precipitation. I recommend a heavy duty blue, 55 gallon, 4 mil thick trash bag. I categorically DO NOT recommend Space Blankets or Bags or anything that looks like them! I also recommend a silicone impregnated tarp as long as you take the time to seam-seal the tie-off tabs where they are attached to the fabric. If you don't they may leak. A tarp can be erected in many ways and an 8'x10' tarp will provide a lot of protection. <br />
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<b>Question. </b>Well what about fire? Isn't a fire necessary for survival?<br />
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<b>Answer. </b>It depends on the situation. In some some scenarios (cold, wet and windy) it could be crucial. Surviving also means being able to get a fire going. To that end I carry a metal match (also known as a fire steel or ferro cerium rod) and two match cases filled with cotton balls that you have saturated with Vaseline. A maxi sized cotton ball that is heavily soaked in Vaseline will burn for about ten minutes in very wet, very wind conditions. I don't know of a better tinder. To study further on the art and science of building a fire I recommend going to my website <a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/" target="_blank">http://outdoorsafe.com</a>and ordering my book<i> "Surviving a WIlderness Emergency"</i> and while you're also there consider ordering my eBook<i> A Better Way to Build a Fire.</i> These two sources will help you a lot.<br />
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Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-4478181860921199492012-05-22T20:05:00.001-07:002012-05-22T20:05:18.375-07:00Emergency Shelters<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5czkkDYR-WAu-wCKdv48VsV8XORLzbInGeIFsuY2uA7zOAmKB7ByZmX1n9K1P3eC1CFFzsc8cdzKqFgqT_gH_ukqJjizmvZUXHeGu7CGfnbxcgdcfq_3utyaP4TyLLnixzQEmO6zZ7SWX/s1600/Emergency+Shelters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5czkkDYR-WAu-wCKdv48VsV8XORLzbInGeIFsuY2uA7zOAmKB7ByZmX1n9K1P3eC1CFFzsc8cdzKqFgqT_gH_ukqJjizmvZUXHeGu7CGfnbxcgdcfq_3utyaP4TyLLnixzQEmO6zZ7SWX/s200/Emergency+Shelters.jpg" width="200" /></a>There may come a time when you have to spend a night out that you
hadn’t planned on. It may be because of weather, darkness, injury or
more commonly, getting lost! Regardless of the cause you are now faced
with nine or ten hours of discomfort at best and, at worst, the loss of
your life because of your lack of preparedness for the event.<br />
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No
one wants to spend a cold, wet, hungry, lonely night out away from
family and friends - but it happens! And it happens all to frequently.
It happens to both to the experienced and the novice – none are immune
from the possibility of having to survive cold temperatures, high winds
and precipitation sitting out under a tree somewhere waiting for the sun to come up the next morning. It is more
likely that the experienced person will be better equipped and ready for
a night out. It is also true that more experienced people, based on
their know-how and past successes are prone to over-estimating their
skills and abilities to spend a night out and tend to underestimate the impact
of the environment and the weather on their ability to survive. On
the other hand, novices, ignorant of the hazards they might face,
venture of into the wilderness blissfully ignorant of the dangers that
they are exposing themselves to. And, when confronted with the setting
sun and the realization of a long, cold night ahead, are terrified by
both real and imagined dangers.<br />
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Protection from the environment
begins with the choices you make at home before you depart. The
selection of both the clothing you will wear and have available and the
selection of the equipment you will have with you. Your clothing must
keep you dry and warm when you are inactive! The equipment you carry
must include a means to shelters yourself from the weather conditions
and other environmental hazards (insects) that could threaten your life.<br />
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For
those of you that believe that you will be able to find a cave or other
protected nook to take refuge in or that you can build some form of
improvised shelter from natural materials that will keep you warm and
dry you had better think again! Let me set the record straight.
Survival experiences often begin at the end of the day, as the sun is
setting. The need for additional shelter only becomes apparent when it
is already snowing or raining. It takes time, skill and natural
resources to build a shelter using whatever natural materials are
available. It also takes a fully ambulatory person to be able to erect
the kinds of survival shelters that are advocated in most survival books
and articles. These are criteria that are hard, if not impossible to
meet and it is because of these criteria that I encourage all outdoor
people to carry with them waterproof, wind proof sheltering material
that they can either crawl into for protection or crawl under. <a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/2012/05/23/emergency-shelters" target="_blank">To read more click here</a>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-54456527934013179272012-04-27T16:10:00.000-07:002013-01-22T17:38:51.587-08:00Spring Has Sprung - are you ready<style>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spring has sprung – are you ready?</b></div>
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Spring is here and summer is right around the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snowline here in Colorado is
retreating up the mountainsides and things are beginning to green-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hearing rumbles about it being time
to head for the outdoors to hike, fish, photograph or whatever else takes you
out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spring fever is upon
us!</div>
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That being the case it might be time to drag out all of your
gear and give it good once-over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t assume that just because it was working fine when you stashed it in
a basement closet last fall that it’s ready to go today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Get your daypack, fanny pack or whatever it is that you
carry your equipment in, and dump the contents out onto the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check the condition of the pack
carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the zippers
work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any holes in the
fabric that need to be repaired?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do all of the plastic buckles still work properly? Check for any <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“residents”</i> that might have converted
your daypack to a winter home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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If you need some serious sewing done or a zipper replaced find
out who repairs luggage for the airlines in your town?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare the cost of repairs against the
cost of a new daypack –maybe buying a new daypack is a better choice.</div>
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Check the condition and function of each piece of equipment
you carry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure that
everything is there that should be there – sometimes a piece of equipment is
borrowed from your emergency kit and doesn’t get put back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is a good time to repair or replace
the equipment that you might depend on for protection if you had to spend the
night out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is also a good time
to refresh your memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you
remember how each piece of equipment works?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out your cutting tools – knives, saws and shears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sharpen your knives and take your
saws and shears to a professional sharpener.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing like a good edge to make a cutting tool work
better – and it’s safer to!</div>
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Like most skills, survival skills are perishable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get rusty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a day in the field<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Build a fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Build a fire while limiting yourself to the use of one arm –
your non-dominant arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice
putting up a tarp shelter - quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t wait for good weather - practice in your backyard when
the weather is really nasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Practice using
a signal mirror to attract attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you remember how your GPS receiver works or perhaps your emergency
beacon? Have you replaced the batteries in them recently? Test yourself and your gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is better to find out that something
doesn’t work in your backyard than it would be in the mountains when your
life’s on the line!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Practice, practice and then practice some more – then maybe you’ll
be ready!</div>
Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-62170876608221339852012-03-31T11:19:00.001-07:002012-03-31T11:23:56.323-07:00Book Review - Show Me How To Survive<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzfjr3oTgB9kQ3-Uc7-_3YNTVZf2fuD3FXRlTd84GGK6tMDuomSmi8nrfX2z-oS8pYGrqzolCEeCYJjmXcXxdGISniEdYkuUdGb3N4E0zu5dlY9WDDY79MwwF5q9wDK8rFpHNOe5576lA/s1600/OutdoorLife+Survival432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzfjr3oTgB9kQ3-Uc7-_3YNTVZf2fuD3FXRlTd84GGK6tMDuomSmi8nrfX2z-oS8pYGrqzolCEeCYJjmXcXxdGISniEdYkuUdGb3N4E0zu5dlY9WDDY79MwwF5q9wDK8rFpHNOe5576lA/s320/OutdoorLife+Survival432.jpg" width="309" /></a>I’m a sucker for a new how-to-survive book and can’t resist the urge to buy it when I see one that isn’t already in my library. So when I came across <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Show Me How to Survive” </i>by Joseph Pred and the editors of OutdoorLife magazine I ordered it in hopes that maybe, just maybe, there might be something worthwhile in it. My hopes were dashed yesterday when the book arrived in the mail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first thing I am always interested in when I pick up a new survival book is the author’s credentials. As printed on the back cover of the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr. Pred is a trained EMT, firefighter, and disaster-management specialist whose expertise also encompasses public health, outdoor survival, and fire arms safety. He is the head of all public safety and emergency services for the annual Burning Man festival, and lives in San Francisco. </i>I didn’t know what the “Burning Man” festival is so Googled it and found out that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance.” </i>Sounded like “Woodstock West” to me! I’m not sure how this qualifies Mr. Pred to provide recommendations on how to survive a backcountry emergency?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With these credentials Mr. Pred has written a 175-page book that is broken into three categories – Protect, Help and Prevail. I will leave it to others more knowledgeable than I to comment on the advice given in the Protect and Help sections but will share a few thoughts on Mr. Pred’s recommendations on how to “Prevail” in the outdoors.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Recommendation #121 – light a fire with chocolate.</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unwrap a chocolate bar. Rub onto soda can bottom. Focus sunlight onto tinder. Use tinder to light fire.</i> So let’s think about this for a minute. You are being asked to polish the concave bottom of a soda can into a highly reflective mini-parabolic reflector using chocolate as a grinding compound. And then use the reflector to focus sunlight into a point sharp enough to ignite tinder with which to light larger fuel. It takes hours of polishing to brighten the surface enough to reflect sunlight. And even then it is not bright enough, except under ideal conditions, a hot sunny July day for exam, and a lots of luck, to light tinder. You don’t need a fire on a hot sunny day! You need one in November when, at the end of the day, you find yourself faced with a night out. You better have something with you better than a soda can and a chocolate bar to get your fire going!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Recommendations #122 and #123 - fire drill and a fire plank.</b> Put these in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“too hard to do”</i> category for the average untrained, unpracticed person. Any of the fire-by-friction techniques of fire building require years of practice for you to become reasonably proficient. Those people who can routinely produce the needed coal to start a fire are people who have spent a life-time practicing - people who carry the components for a fire-drill in their day-packs much as you or I would carry a cigarette lighter or better still a metal-match in our emergency gear.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Recommendation #127 – get water in the desert</b>. Commonly referred to as a “solar still” this process does not work except in those rare conditions when the desert soil is saturated with water – after a thunderstorm for example. In order for this process to work there must be moisture in the soil. Typically, desert soil contains no water regardless of how deep you dig. The work involved with digging the hole in the hard packed desert soil, covering that hole with plastic, weighting down the edges of the plastic with rocks and more soil, is not repaid in water! It is most likely that you will loose more water sweating while digging the hole than you will recover from the apparatus! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Recommendation #146 – impale an elk</b>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dig an elk-sized pit and add thick pointed sticks to the bottom. Cover the pit’s mouth with branches and leaves.</i> Presumably the elk is dumb enough to step on the materials covering the pit and fall into the hole skewering itself on the pointed sticks! I don’t think so! How much earth has to be excavated to produce a hole deep enough and wide enough to contain a six hundred to a one thousand pound elk? What is the survivor going to dig this hole with?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Recommendation #152 – remove a botfly with bacon.</b> In a jungle survival situation, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Note botfly larva (</i>infestation site<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">). Wrap area in bacon. After three days the botfly will burrow out. Remove bacon. </i>OK. I give up. Where is the bacon going to come from?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I could go on but I won’t. This book is going back to the publishers on Monday. It is one more in a long line of similar books that are full of totally inappropriate, impractical advice. Most of the recommendations are based on the skills that aboriginal people develop over a lifetime - skills that a survivor would not be able to develop just by reading this book! As with most how-to-survive books the assumption is made that the survivor is able-bodied. Surviving is tough enough when you are fully functional but becomes very much more difficult when you are injured. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Show Me How To Survive</i>, like so many other books, makes the assumption that the survivor is not going to have any tools to work with and therefore must live-of-the-land and improvise the equipment that is needed. Wouldn’t it be better to have the equipment you need and then spend an inconvenient night out rather than a life threatening one because you couldn’t get a fire going by rubbing sticks together or because your debris hut leaked?</div>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-49782813459912776502012-03-13T09:43:00.000-07:002012-03-13T09:43:01.124-07:00Eight Steps to Surviving a Wilderness Emergency<strong>Number One. </strong>You have to accept the fact that, as good an outdoors-man or women as you may be, sometimes things happen that precipitate you into a crisis when you least expect it and you’d better be ready to cope with, what will be one of the most difficult challenges to your life that you have ever faced.<br />
<strong>Number Two. </strong>Never say <em>“I am just……”</em> Saying <em>“I am just going to….”</em> (You fill in the blank) is a denial of the possibility that anything will go wrong and a denial of the need to carry an emergency kit or protective clothing with you. After all <em>“what could possibility go wrong?” </em>A lot can go wrong, it can go wrong quickly and you can die!<br />
<a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Plastic-Bag-Shelter2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-723" height="150" src="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Plastic-Bag-Shelter2-150x150.jpg" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" width="150" /></a><strong>Number Three</strong>. Always carry the means to shelter yourself, to start a fire and to attract the attention of people who are looking for you and, perhaps more importantly, people who are <em>not </em>looking for you but might be in your vicinity. To that end your emergency gear should include a waterproof, windproof shelter that you can crawl into or crawl under. If you expect to be able to construct a shelter from natural materials as advocated by many outdoor writers you will be sadly disappointed. To build such a shelters take skill, time, resources and an able-bodied person. Save yourself the trouble – carry a l<a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Blue-Plastic-Bag-Emergency-Shelter-38x65-4-mil-thick-Blue-Plastic-Bag-Shelter.htm">arge orange or royal blue plastic bag</a> to crawl into when you need protection.<br />
Carry a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Metal-match-with-handle-Metal-match-with-handle.htm">metal ma</a><a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Metal-match-with-handle-Metal-match-with-handle.htm">tch</a> and a supply of cotton balls saturated with Vaseline. This mixture is the most reliable combination of fire starting aids available to you. Practice building a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/New-Up-Dated-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor.htm">fire</a><br />
Carry a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Whistle-Whistle.htm">whistle</a> and purposefully made glass <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Signal-mirror-glass-2-x-3-Signal-Mirror.htm">signal mirror.</a> You can blow a whistle as long as you can breath. With a mirror, given that you have sunlight, you can bounce a beam of sunlight to a passing airplane, boat or person on a distant hillside many miles away.<br />
<strong>Number Four. </strong>Prepare for the five scenarios that commonly result in a person having to spend a night out:<br />
1. Becoming lost<br />
2. Not making it back to camp or vehicle before the sun sets.<br />
3. Becoming stranded when the vehicle that took you into the back country malfunctions.<br />
4. Becoming ill or injured to the point that you are unable to make your own way out.<br />
5. When weather makes it dangerous to continue traveling.<br />
In each situation finding the safest campsite possible and then using your emergency equipment and survival skills to defend your body temperature is your best course of action.<br />
<strong>Number Five. </strong>Don’t let the concerns of others and what they might be thinking affect your decision-making. Don’t let the promises or the commitments you made to others drive you to continue trying to make it back in the face of darkness, rough terrain or inclement weather. Do what is in your best interest and survive.<br />
<strong>Number Six. </strong>Always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back. Better still leave a trip plan with two people who you have briefed on what to do in the event you do not return. Remember that having left a trip plan you are obligated to stick to the plan. If you fail to leave a trip plan, or don’t update the plan, days may pass before an active search begins in your location.<br />
<strong>Number Seven</strong>. Be ready to deal with fear and the panic that usually results when you are confronted with a crisis. It is ludicrous to say “don’t panic!” Everybody is going to panic. Even the most experienced outdoorsman or woman will experience a momentary twinge of discomfort when faced with a potentially life threatening situation. But, unlike the novice, an experienced person will recognize the discomfort for what it is – a warning that things aren’t right! A warning to back away and reconsider the situation. Remember the “get-off-your-feet, have drink of water, stay put for at least thirty minutes” routine described earlier.<br />
<strong>Number Eight. </strong>Keep faith. In yourself and your ability to survive based on your preparations. Keep faith in the search and rescue system and the ability of the searchers to find you. Keep faith in your family. The strongest catalyst you have to keep you going, when everything appears to be against you, is your desire to be reunited with your family and friends. Carry something to reinforce that desire – a photograph works.<br />
<br />
The time is sure to come when you will have spend an unplanned night out. When that times comes it’s not important <em>“what I would do</em>” but what is important is “<em>what you will do</em>!” Your life depends on it!Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-71409678316606066982012-03-09T07:47:00.002-08:002012-03-10T21:07:39.591-08:00Water Bottles - the good, the bad and the ugly!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5cm881F82BdVOs8_uDv6x18zj0O7HEAWpZkYKK3bYbXcfGuTjORx_cuxE5SnEBpZ0G_fUxFHnaIssNv8Oe4wsDlGmDcg5gMSzX1QVOV6Sn0atHU9tRCtUH2_mTy78EiztX4ebILdye3D/s1600/BPA_DSC1454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0v3KWPC8p8oZQrDrWYYp-YYjxIgcAeTugxdmCreux1_m3khXfkH69bah2SpXeJ9w-jwm6gho896QslbLB4VovLvFD5fHGs4k45C8LGcdJxyH8FdkOxMZ3cKLaOEouoybtKZl6Wy-8QGr4/s1600/REI+Bottle_DSC3889_1476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0v3KWPC8p8oZQrDrWYYp-YYjxIgcAeTugxdmCreux1_m3khXfkH69bah2SpXeJ9w-jwm6gho896QslbLB4VovLvFD5fHGs4k45C8LGcdJxyH8FdkOxMZ3cKLaOEouoybtKZl6Wy-8QGr4/s200/REI+Bottle_DSC3889_1476.jpg" width="134" /></a>It wasn't until recently that I gave much thought to the containers that I carried my water in when I'm out and about in the outdoors. Over the years I have used British and US military water bottles, bottles made from aluminum, plastic and now stainless steel. Does it make a difference? You bet it does! My first awareness that there might be a problem occurred a couple of years ago when I walked into REI <a href="http://www.rei.com/%20" target="_blank">(www.rei.com</a>) to replace a water bottle that I had lost. (Hate it when that happens!) As I wandered through the isles I paused in front of a rack of Nalgene water bottles and noticed a sign that stated "BPA Free!" What I wondered was "BPA?" Come to find out BPA is a health endangering chemical that interferes with the body's endocrine system. BPA leaches from your plastic water bottle into the water you consume - especially if you put hot water into your water bottle. This problem has been largely resolved with the production of BPA free plastic but what is not clear is how many other harmful chemicals contained in the plastic remain to be identified! If you are going to use a plastic water bottle at least make sure it is certified BPA free.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycpWkOHtJ-ubIm_2pyT4Z_C_9IG388KzY2CIX1keZF35QVg9D3sbhQR05vVyZbutQcDEICRU6YPNoRdbSbpC91829XRxlv7Hi4mFkgBu77wtyTnUx5hOYSJlXFEjRExUjtZD4xPP4eL8u/s1600/BPAFreeBottle_DSC3900_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycpWkOHtJ-ubIm_2pyT4Z_C_9IG388KzY2CIX1keZF35QVg9D3sbhQR05vVyZbutQcDEICRU6YPNoRdbSbpC91829XRxlv7Hi4mFkgBu77wtyTnUx5hOYSJlXFEjRExUjtZD4xPP4eL8u/s200/BPAFreeBottle_DSC3900_1487.jpg" width="134" /></a><br />
Aluminum water bottles, both lined and unlined, are also available but once again you run into potential health problems. Aluminum, in minute amounts, is released into the water you drink and has been linked to the early onset of Alzheimer's disease. The water bottle manufactures have attempted to fix this problem by lining the interiors of the bottles with plastic or resin but once again you have plastics of unknown quality in contact with the water you are drinking. Resins have been known to crack and are damaged if heat is applied to the bottle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlpK2ldLhU3ucmDsywYFafKePA9ZbwlmfxPyE6JBoFWP1aVnD-1AxnBbyxRXqrgvcY1UQxbcPymzmd4Bsafd4j2SK7Nd7PEI0La3bAqC1jThpkpwVIIUC1WgWHRtUpLBifYIAvjEVL8NI/s1600/KK_DSC1443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlpK2ldLhU3ucmDsywYFafKePA9ZbwlmfxPyE6JBoFWP1aVnD-1AxnBbyxRXqrgvcY1UQxbcPymzmd4Bsafd4j2SK7Nd7PEI0La3bAqC1jThpkpwVIIUC1WgWHRtUpLBifYIAvjEVL8NI/s1600/KK_DSC1443.jpg" /></a>Which brings me to water bottles made from stainless steel. Such bottles are widely available on the internet and from some of the better outdoor retailers. I recommend them. I particularly like the Klean Kanteen brand. <a href="http://www.kleankanteen.com/" target="_blank">(www.KleanKanteen.com)</a> Bottles made from 18/8 food grade stainless steel should be apart of your gear. 18/8 grade stainless steel is completely inert and is easy to clean. Unlike plastic, a stainless steel water bottle can be used to melt snow and ice or heat water if the need arises. Granted they are a bit heavier but in my opinion this disadvantage is far outweighed by the peace of mind I get knowing that I am not slowly poisoning myself.Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-23873036598649932362012-02-28T11:02:00.001-08:002012-02-29T05:48:42.755-08:00Building Fires in the Rain<div style="text-align: left;"><style>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggre0T77h8HLTfaGzGirdqfD1lg7yn-xn9MtXQPqRkG5gi5nrYXqiRri_BXXkx9z6x5g8NsjZPaOd9ssWtQYXwnzsBFfS10K85pUHAkbV7qBy0EpIiK9_RaDKCLq1afF4Mhyphenhyphenv1yr0Crh5N/s1600/DSCN0921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggre0T77h8HLTfaGzGirdqfD1lg7yn-xn9MtXQPqRkG5gi5nrYXqiRri_BXXkx9z6x5g8NsjZPaOd9ssWtQYXwnzsBFfS10K85pUHAkbV7qBy0EpIiK9_RaDKCLq1afF4Mhyphenhyphenv1yr0Crh5N/s200/DSCN0921.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">There's no better time or place to test your fire building skills than in Oregon's Coast Range, in February, in the rain! These were the conditions that eighteen Search and Rescue team members experienced recently. The SAR team-members and I gathered one wet Friday afternoon to brush up their survival skills and to test the effectiveness of their clothing and the equipment they carried. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Intuitively I think we understand the difference between building a fire on a hot July day and building one in February when it's bucketing rain, you're cold and wet, your fingers have lost their dexterity and their strength, you need a fire to help protect the victim of an accident and you need it now! But sometimes we need a reminder on just how difficult building a fire can be. Friday afternoon was just such a reminder! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For those of you who have yet to try to find yourself in similar situation here are some of the lessons they re-learned that afternoon:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtFR9jpn8-5Gd5BaS6-0R_TayGT57DcMMbb6XiA4PWnasyhvAxxdphH74485AnRNokYholhQ9ITNgbHRjG1Fa7o8b-7fdZHclKwkqU-kXH5v9nDSiqYYsekt_ug1vMVEwk_REJ0CDQWur/s1600/DSCN0913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtFR9jpn8-5Gd5BaS6-0R_TayGT57DcMMbb6XiA4PWnasyhvAxxdphH74485AnRNokYholhQ9ITNgbHRjG1Fa7o8b-7fdZHclKwkqU-kXH5v9nDSiqYYsekt_ug1vMVEwk_REJ0CDQWur/s200/DSCN0913.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If it's coming down hard the first thing you must do is erect a rain-fly over the area where you hope to build your fire. Lacking a tarp find some natural protection from the precipitation by selecting a fire site that is under the over-hanging branches of a tree - preferably an evergreen. Regardless of how good your tinder is or how skilled you are at fire building, if it is pouring down your chances of success are not very good. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Under wet conditions you must have good tinder. By my definition "a good tinder" is one that you have brought with you – one that works under all conditions. Good tinder should be easy to ignite under difficult conditions. It should be long burning in wet, windy weather and ideally should also be waterproof. It is very unlikely that you will be able to find such tinder on-site. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoJ86oftPMXg8p-7AOWNrFnU1_fx5rHq_wLVgPDp5NscsSdw1PoCWp9zoe6crbf_ojd-Rv045TBIAow06_YUdvFeoJQW8RAAqpOxxPhujfPz2VtriYUJhNfuhJOjEvuJXJ7OERsOHViRF/s1600/DSCN0910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoJ86oftPMXg8p-7AOWNrFnU1_fx5rHq_wLVgPDp5NscsSdw1PoCWp9zoe6crbf_ojd-Rv045TBIAow06_YUdvFeoJQW8RAAqpOxxPhujfPz2VtriYUJhNfuhJOjEvuJXJ7OERsOHViRF/s200/DSCN0910.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Of all of the commercially available products nothing beats a cotton ball saturated with Vaseline (petroleum jelly) for starting a fire under difficult conditions. Having said that, several of the students had trouble using this usually effective fire starting aid. The difficulties they experienced were a direct result of the amount of Vaseline they had used to saturate the cotton ball. More is not necessarily better! Too much Vaseline saturates the cotton to the point that, when the cotton ball is “fluffed-up,” no fine fibers are created. It is these exposed fibers that catch the spark from a <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Metal-match-with-handle-Metal-match-with-handle.htm" target="_blank">metal match</a> (or other heat source) and are ignited and then, in turn, provide a wick to burn the Vaseline. Coating just the outside of a cotton ball with Vaseline is also not good enough. While this produces a lot of fiber to light, the limited amount of Vaseline shortens the burn time – there’s not enough fuel! A cotton ball with just the outside surface coated in Vaseline is also not waterproof. Liquefying a container of Vaseline by heating it in a microwave and then dunking cotton balls in the melted petroleum jelly is also not a good idea. This procedure supersaturates the cotton again making it difficult to light.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So how much is enough? There’s no precise answer to the question but here’s how I make mine.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Start with the largest cotton ball you can buy. I like “Johnson & Johnson maxi size.” Tease the cotton fiber into the largest thinnest disc you can without tearing into pieces. Coat the fiber with Vaseline until there is no dry cotton left but without adding so much Vaseline that the fibers collapse into a soggy, gooey mess. This is the part that takes a bit of experience. You have it just right when, after adding the Vaseline, long fibers are created when the cotton ball is pulled into two pieces. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca4Q4bZrpe8NR-tRLWmo85geiulD1Ku-TwCgdhK7E_S9M0pGaX8rGBRW2XVnZELsJlsxKwGRVqdtv-tayYU3RvffJuPNul5XHbSgbpf6wGODWKA7Dcm1ujKXYAaVZoac4KhhHLZskFjMf/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca4Q4bZrpe8NR-tRLWmo85geiulD1Ku-TwCgdhK7E_S9M0pGaX8rGBRW2XVnZELsJlsxKwGRVqdtv-tayYU3RvffJuPNul5XHbSgbpf6wGODWKA7Dcm1ujKXYAaVZoac4KhhHLZskFjMf/s200/Untitled-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> After being stored, don’t forget to pull the cotton ball into two pieces once again and then place the compacted lower halves together retaining all of the “feathers” that are created. It is these feathers that will catch the spark and cause the Vaseline to burn.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Here’s another tip that comes to mind regarding the storage and use of the cotton ball-Vaseline mixture. If you work or recreate outdoors in cold weather keep your cotton ball container warm or warm it before you try to remove the fire starter. A frozen, saturated cotton ball can be very difficult to remove from the container and will also be difficult to light.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJSX7lQ0loqTtGG89RRkJME1bbPTSe282qFL4P8hpq8Zz0TLKb3bhWvHpSUKEy0QT3t7nra62jX6mkW3JbvDDLo3RcPNATG3rDiS9lHb104uk9pwgR8z1VvsSFQHEbes9mZVuBj7-tCy5/s1600/squaw+wood-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJSX7lQ0loqTtGG89RRkJME1bbPTSe282qFL4P8hpq8Zz0TLKb3bhWvHpSUKEy0QT3t7nra62jX6mkW3JbvDDLo3RcPNATG3rDiS9lHb104uk9pwgR8z1VvsSFQHEbes9mZVuBj7-tCy5/s200/squaw+wood-1.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Locating fuel for the first stages of your fire is also a very important step. Even in wet weather, it is usually possible to find thin, dry twigs (match stick thick up to pencil thickness) under the overhanging branches of larger trees – especially evergreen trees such as fir and spruce. When small, dry fuel is not available collect what you can and then scrape off every scrap of wet bark and moss from the wood. With larger dimension wood split it into thinner and thinner pieces until you end up with a pile of wood splinters that are long and thin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And finally, your fire building success will depend on not only the reliability of your heat source, the quality of your tinder, the process you use to build the fire but also the time you take to get everything ready before you apply the heat source to your tinder. If you take short-cuts you are doomed to fail!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">For more information on building a fire check out the DVD "<a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/New-Up-Dated-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor-DVD-Skills-of-the-Survivor.htm" target="_blank">Skills of a Survivor" </a>and the downloadable eBook <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/NEW-eBook-A-Better-Way-to-Build-a-Fire-ebook-Build-a-Fire.htm" target="_blank">"A Better Way to Build a Fire" </a></span></div></div>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-55704085953837853542012-02-18T11:18:00.000-08:002012-02-18T17:52:09.316-08:00Preparedness and the Will-to-Survive<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdINCbOb79EDYO9O_k2FZkbVTo1oOVMWc9Isfk3cj0bHlWvtRHDiS_24LYDE0QWLoNObQMkoIhT-8O4IC9V6216TOaGlJpNNruytWemmD7-yY57kdIrRDBd92F2TKaJ8FPvpGRjij_B6QG/s1600/survivor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdINCbOb79EDYO9O_k2FZkbVTo1oOVMWc9Isfk3cj0bHlWvtRHDiS_24LYDE0QWLoNObQMkoIhT-8O4IC9V6216TOaGlJpNNruytWemmD7-yY57kdIrRDBd92F2TKaJ8FPvpGRjij_B6QG/s320/survivor.jpg" width="320" /></a>From my very earliest involvement in survival training nearly forty-five years ago <i>"the will-to-survive"</i> has been promoted as the key to living through some catastrophic event. But is it really? The more I speak with people who have found themselves in trouble the more I have come to believe that a person's tenacity to live becomes important in varying degrees depending on their level of preparedness for a life threatening event. In other words the more prepared you are the less you will have to call on your will-to-survive! Conversely, those people who have never consider the possibility of finding themselves in a life threatening event, and are now faced with dying in the outdoors, (or anywhere else for that matter), have only their tenacity to live, their will-to-survive, their determination to make it through a tough situation to facilitate their survival. Sometimes their will-to-survive is enough and sometimes it isn't! Sometimes you can have all the will-to-survive in the world but Mother Nature still overwhelms you! It is also true that being skilled and well equipped is not a guarantee that you will live to tell the tale - but it is a good start! <br />
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Survival is both a psychological and a physiological test. Psychologically you must accept the possibility that at some point in the future you may find yourself in a crisis where, weather you live or die, depends on your level of readiness for the event. Denying that such an event will ever occur or believing that there will always be someone nearby to provide you the help you need sets you up for failure and in this case "failure" could very well mean you die! Accepting the possibility that you might find yourself in trouble is the first step in getting ready for a situation which you hope will never occur but might happen the next time you leave your home for work, start up the mountain on foot or board a plane. Or any one of a thousand other scenarios that result in people being precipitated into a crisis unexpectedly. <br />
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Physiologically, to survive you must be able to defend your body temperature. When you strip away all of the smoke and mirrors survival is nothing more than being able to maintain your body temperature within three or four degrees of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as possible. Doing so requires both skill and having the tools you need to survive. Those who believe that they will be able to manufacture the tools needed to live-off-the-land and then survive for long periods of time are deluding themselves.<br />
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<i>"Don't let your ability to survive be affected by your lack of preparedness. Those who are prepared may never have their will-to-survive called into question!"</i>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-81208562461270588172012-01-23T13:09:00.000-08:002012-01-23T13:09:55.119-08:00Near MissesThere have been many times in my life, and I suspect in yours, that something has happened where your life was placed in danger but you managed to avoid a catastrophe by sheer luck. Perhaps, just in the nick of time, you realized what was about to happen and you stepped back from the brink of disaster. Or, more commonly, someone else recognized what was about to happened and intervened. These are the “near-misses” in our lives that we all experience from time-to-time. When an accident happens, especially a serious accident where people are injured and sometimes killed, an investigation usually follows. An accident investigation board is convened. Witnesses are called. Experts testify as to how the accident happened and how it could have been prevented. Then recommendations are published hoping that a similar situation can be avoided in the future. Seldom does the same train of events take place following a “near-miss!” But it should! <a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/2012/01/23/near-misses/" target="_blank">Read more</a>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-87043446921713680592012-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:002012-01-19T18:33:51.636-08:00Finding North to Help You Stay FoundIt is easy to find yourself a bit disoriented and, lacking a compass or other navigational equipment, being unable to figure out which way to travel to go home! One of the fundamental skills that an experienced outdoors man or women relies on is the ability to determine the cardinal directions (North, East, West and South) from the sun or from Polaris - the North Star. Blake Miller of Outdoor Quest has done a great job of showing you how to use Polaris to determine North and then based on knowing where North is, determine East, West and South. Check out his<a href="http://outdoorquest.blogspot.com/2012/01/star-to-guide-us.html" target="_blank"> blog </a> But what about during the daytime when you can't see Polaris? What can be done then to help you determine your way back to your truck?<br />
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It easy assuming you have a clear sky and can see the sun. Cut yourself a thin stick, 1/4 inch works well, 15 inches in length and sharpen one end to a point. Find an area in the sun and clear away any debris from a circle about 18 inches in diameter. Drive the stick into the ground while pointing the opposite end of the stick directly at the sun in such a way that the stick casts no shadow.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErTH3bmpiKLdAyJIyLYBUwbx_k79PQ4n8pdNJIzzE1UrA7_JNm6XbqZyPWG5nY2JwB0jli9-KQMnrFc1E5VmiuNYVz8qK4fQ7MxLlgDhLY-5zX5ccup7n2Iy8kFSu9AkiyLP8r_OzFk0e/s1600/CBP+-+Ok+City_2812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErTH3bmpiKLdAyJIyLYBUwbx_k79PQ4n8pdNJIzzE1UrA7_JNm6XbqZyPWG5nY2JwB0jli9-KQMnrFc1E5VmiuNYVz8qK4fQ7MxLlgDhLY-5zX5ccup7n2Iy8kFSu9AkiyLP8r_OzFk0e/s320/CBP+-+Ok+City_2812.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />
Let twenty - thirty minutes go by and then observe the shadow that the stick now casts. Regardless of latitude, the time of day or the hemisphere you happen to be in, the shadow that is cast points East. Depending on the time of year it may not point exactly east but it is accurate enough to give you a general easterly heading and again, knowing where east is you can determine the other cardinal directions.<br />
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So how does this help you. For the sake of argument let's say you parked your truck on a generally North-South road and walked away from the truck to the west to spend the day hunting. Let's say that you didn't pay as much attention as you should have and you find yourself "a little disoriented" when it was time to return to your truck. Lacking any landmarks to guide your way you have no idea which direction to go but you do know that you are west of the road. If you just had a way to figure out which way east was you could at the very least get back to the road on which you left your truck.<br />
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Find a sunny spot, cut the twig, drive one end into the ground and wait for the shadow to develop. Since it is difficult, lacking a compass, to maintain a straight line when walking through the woods it may be necessary to repeat this process several times before you reach the road. You probably haven't navigated right back to your vehicle but you are at least on the road where you parked it!<br />
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So you now have two tools to use to help yourself "stay found" when next you become, as Danial Boone is supposed to have experienced <i>"a mite befuddled!"</i>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-77111302200589360202012-01-01T10:31:00.000-08:002012-01-07T18:51:50.792-08:00My Top Twenty Favorite Survival Books<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7oq5a6OnnJo/TwCaTgOe23I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/E6Qt25zeTiI/s1600/bookshelf_DSC0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7oq5a6OnnJo/TwCaTgOe23I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/E6Qt25zeTiI/s320/bookshelf_DSC0327.jpg" width="225" /></a>Winter is a good time to do some reading and if you are interested in expanding your knowledge of survival and surviving here's a list of some of my favorite books. These are books that I go back to time and time again. They are my references for much of what I teach in my seminars. Some are of the<i> "been there, done that"</i> variety. Some are of the <i>"here's what you need to be able to do in a survival situation"</i> genre and others are scientific studies of the psychology and physiology of humans in extreme conditions - survival conditions.<br />
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In previous times the survival literature was based on the anecdotal accounts of those unfortunate souls who had been in a survival event and returned to tell about it. <i>"They survived therefore what they did must be correct!" </i> Not necessarily so! Some people survived in spite of what they did! Fortunately, scholars, many in the medical community, have in recent years studied why some people survive and yet others, under similar conditions die, and have written some very good books on the subject. Read widely. Compare the advice given. Test the recommendations and find out what works for you.<br />
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Survival Psychology - John Leach<br />
Deep Survival - Laurence Gonzales <br />
Everyday Survival - Laurence Gonzales<br />
Life at the Extremes - Frances Ashcroft<br />
Surviving Extremes - Kenneth Kamler<br />
The Survivors Club - Ben Sherwood<br />
Alone - Richard Logan<br />
Last Breath - Peter Stark<br />
The Unthinkable - Amanda Ripley<br />
102 Minutes - Dwyer & Flynn<br />
The Essentials of Sea Survival - Golden & Tipton<br />
Desert Survival Skills - David Alloway <br />
Out of Captivity - Gonsalves, Stansell & Howes<br />
Touching the Void - Joe Simpson<br />
Survive - Peter Deleo<br />
Wilderness Medicine 6th Edition - Paul Auerbach <i>et al</i><br />
Endurance:Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing<br />
Northern Bushcraft - Mors Kochanski<br />
Staying Found - June Flemming<br />
Angels in the Wilderness - Amy Racina<br />
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Humbly, I might add my own book <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Books-and-DVDs_c5.htm" target="_blank"><i>"Surviving a Wilderness Emergency" </i></a>to the above list.<br />
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Notice there aren't any books on this list that are titled <i>"The Complete Book of.........."</i> because they never are! Nor are there any books titled <i>"The Encyclopedia of..............</i>" because once again they never are! The other titles that are noticeably missing are books based on military survival training, both the American and the British military. Skills taught to the military, regardless of nationality, do not necessarily cross over into the civilian world. I measure the value of a potential survival reference book by whether or not the book recommends the use of space blankets, a bow and drill for fire starting, solar stills and living-off-the-land! If they do I conclude that the author has not done his homework! Remember, when reading, there's a big difference between the skills needed to survive an inconvenient night out and bush craft skills needed to live in the back-country for prolonged periods of time. Granted there is some cross-over but more typically you need to know how to survive a night or two out until you are found.Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-6059474038806588552011-12-20T16:28:00.000-08:002011-12-20T16:28:29.692-08:00Teaching Children What to DO When They Get Lost<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyOUnAaobP-TbNGFwqxDuR7xZlnoZ4Q5FMc8onLw22Y2jzf9oCOrWOwhVUZnCY-4fukt5Ei5zYrmKxs4COROmvO3_qY10B3ln0yW4KfJKfHIr8jzW8PAq9RzLlRe2UNhZnopU3QwZpUGd/s1600/JAce+gets+lost431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyOUnAaobP-TbNGFwqxDuR7xZlnoZ4Q5FMc8onLw22Y2jzf9oCOrWOwhVUZnCY-4fukt5Ei5zYrmKxs4COROmvO3_qY10B3ln0yW4KfJKfHIr8jzW8PAq9RzLlRe2UNhZnopU3QwZpUGd/s320/JAce+gets+lost431.jpg" width="260" /></a>There's not a lot of reliable guidance around for parents to refer to when teaching their children what to do if they were to get lost. Gaye Grabill's book <i>Jace Gets Lost </i>goes a long way towards providing parents of younger children the knowledge they need. The fifty-five page book begins with the story of Jace's experience when he walked away from his home and got lost. The story, written at a young child's level of comprehension, with accompanying pictures, is a story that every parent should read to their children. The story serves as a springboard for further discussion with your children on what they should do in the event that they ever become separated from family members on a outing. Grabill even provides a list of topics to cover. I recommend this book. It is the only one of its kind that I know of. <br />
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As Gaye says on her website "<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I decided to write my first book “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jace Gets Lost”</b> when I looked for a safety book for little children telling them what they should do if they get lost in the woods - and could not find one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the generous help of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">North Oregon Regional Search and Rescue – <a href="http://www.norsar911.org/">NORSAR</a></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clackamas County Sheriff</b> I put together <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jace Gets Lost. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><b> </b></span><br />
As parents we hope that we will never be faced with a situation where one of our children is missing but it would be comforting to know that, if this were to happen, the child has been taught what to do. Go one step further than just reading Gaye's book and talking about what to do. Take your children to the woods and have them practice <i>building a nest.</i> Make sure they understand the concept of <i>staying in one place. </i>Take them out at night, a dark night, and sit under a tree with them. Let them hear the "night sounds" and then explain those sounds to them. There's nothing more terrifying than a sound in the dark that can't be identified! It is also a good idea to provide each child their own <a href="http://www.shop.outdoorsafe.com/Survival-Kits_c3.htm" target="_blank">survival kit</a>. Parents should take heart in the fact that kids are a lot tougher than we sometimes give them credit for. Spend some time with them now before a crisis happens and then, if it should happen, the outcome of the event can be a happy reunion. <br />
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For a copy of <i>Jace Gets Lost</i> and other books in the <i>Jace </i>series<i> </i>contact Gaye Grabill at <a href="http://www.gayegrabill.com/" target="_blank">www.gayegrabill.com</a>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-37325917328419986362011-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:002011-12-16T13:24:14.355-08:00Fire under survival conditions may save your life by Leon Pantenburg<h1>Review: Peter Kummerfeldt’s ‘A Better Way to Build a Fire’</h1><div class="meta">Posted on November 13th, 2011 by Leon in <a href="http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/category/make-a-fire/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Make a Fire">Make a Fire</a>, <a href="http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/category/survival-tips-from-peter-kummerfeldt/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Peter Kummerfeldt: Tips">Peter Kummerfeldt: Tips</a>, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPqYOOczxFR8dH7Z9j9JfU_AXPinab7jwQncbXOxlU2IUobGg-c30MzOkqj3QewDdGZS_HI_brDIWdEKxKPcpYO5utQCsudEzmXbECribgDa-ndwCo9qD-wBj3fPlF6RI9tsulizjNIgn/s1600/Fire_DSC1216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPqYOOczxFR8dH7Z9j9JfU_AXPinab7jwQncbXOxlU2IUobGg-c30MzOkqj3QewDdGZS_HI_brDIWdEKxKPcpYO5utQCsudEzmXbECribgDa-ndwCo9qD-wBj3fPlF6RI9tsulizjNIgn/s320/Fire_DSC1216.jpg" width="320" /></a>I met Peter Kummerfeldt several years ago at the Deschutes County Sportsmans Show, in Redmond, OR after I dropped in during his “Myths of Survival” presentation. With no idea of who this guy was, or his abilities, I sat in on the seminar out of curiosity. (After all, I had a survival kit, and had been knocking around the backcountry for decades while backpacking, hunting and fishing. I knew what I was doing…I thought!) At the end of the hour-long session, and numerous “ah-ha” moments, I followed Peter back to his booth and plied him with questions.<br />
Later, Peter became an expert source for a winter survival guide I wrote for the Bend, OR “Bulletin.” Since then, Peter have become my friend, mentor, guest contributor for SurvivalCommonSense.com and my main go-to source for any question about wilderness survival. Peter is also on the short list of people I like to hang around with. <a href="http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/2011/11/13/kummerfeldts-fire-dvdfeed/" target="_blank"> Read more</a><br />
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</i>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-66067182469400614412011-12-11T12:56:00.000-08:002011-12-11T12:56:20.469-08:00Getting Yourself Rescued/<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEfj0fa8kMMzFrIusk22Kr9K3q6UIhcv7bS7IBEQr8GFe9M6UdqWLJoqjl8G9uwPEslhniGLoeOmh7c6kKNpmxoBQNrg-GqGP2BB3wfBljsgiBbkgMDCt9Zy_KKx64iC_CStCTzbvNdLE/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-12-11+at+1.47.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEfj0fa8kMMzFrIusk22Kr9K3q6UIhcv7bS7IBEQr8GFe9M6UdqWLJoqjl8G9uwPEslhniGLoeOmh7c6kKNpmxoBQNrg-GqGP2BB3wfBljsgiBbkgMDCt9Zy_KKx64iC_CStCTzbvNdLE/s320/Screen+shot+2011-12-11+at+1.47.35+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>This morning I listened to the hospital interview of an elderly man who had just been rescued after spending five days stranded in his car in the Arizona mountains. He survived – his wife did not! The couple, both in their eighties, had become stranded when their car broke down while taking a short-cut on their way home between Chandler, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The road, a US Forest Service Road that is not maintained in the winter, is seldom traveled at this time of year. They stayed with the car until it ran out of fuel and then, after five days, decided to walk out. Mrs. Davis collapsed and died shortly after leaving the car. <strong>With the electronic equipment that is currently available Mrs. Davis’s death could have been prevented</strong>. If they had had a SPOT ™ beacon or one of the other brands of beacons that are easy to use and very effective for alerting family members, or the authorities that they were in trouble they would have been found quickly and rescued. <a href="http://outdoorsafe.com/read/2011/12/11/getting-yourself-rescued/" target="_blank">Read more</a>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-5065022227911813552011-12-01T04:58:00.000-08:002011-12-01T04:58:28.074-08:00Surviving Lions and Beetles<style>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBJI8UodFsYpsfXCX2KJ2Yh9FQlN9QfEWX2XhE0XWRN_IFjJFEMulOoW1Lrsn0q716VQ_MiihHXAJP2QW13nSrJ3O8r6cWDe8BU6z0fIC7FSBjXOfnG72p9Uwr83Is9sEOmF63FTksOXS/s1600/lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBJI8UodFsYpsfXCX2KJ2Yh9FQlN9QfEWX2XhE0XWRN_IFjJFEMulOoW1Lrsn0q716VQ_MiihHXAJP2QW13nSrJ3O8r6cWDe8BU6z0fIC7FSBjXOfnG72p9Uwr83Is9sEOmF63FTksOXS/s320/lion.jpg" width="320" /></a>My wife and I spent the past month in South Africa and Zambia participating in a photography safari. Had a wonderful time. Also had a few "interesting times" too. One of which is describe below. Typically, when you are on one of these photo-safaris, you go on two "game-drives" each day. One in the morning, often leaving before sun-up, and then returning for a late brunch. And then one in the late afternoon that extends into the night. After the sun sets one of the guides, "the spotter" brings out a large spotlight and, as you travel slowly down the road, he searches for the eyes of any nocturnal animals that might be out and about. When he sees the reflections the vehicle stops and for a few moments you watch the nighttime activities of whatever animal you have discovered. A good spotter, once he has detected the animal never shines the light in the animal's eyes again but illuminates it using the edge of the beam of light - plenty to see the animal without disturbing it. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;">It was on one of these evening drives that the following happened: </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The evening started rather unspectacularly with not much being seen except a few impala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long after dark the spotter saw some eyes that turned out to be two, and then three lions about fifty yards away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When turning off the road to get closer the driver didn’t see a very large warthog hole into which the front end of the Land Cruiser disappeared!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lions came closer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver got out to see what could be done about the situation while the spotter tried to keep tabs on the lions and at the same time illuminate the hole so that the driver could see what needed to be done. What was hilarious was watching the antics of the two staff trying pay attention to the whereabouts of the cats while at the same time fend off the insects which were attracted to the headlights and the spot light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had rained earlier in the day - the flying ants were swarming and the air was thick with beetles and other assorted insects that crawled all over the driver and his helper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got so bad they had to cease their efforts to get us unstuck and go into the dark and strip off their clothing to rid themselves of the insects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the four of photographers sitting in the back of a completely open vehicle in the dark it was both scary and hilarious at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Because we were mostly in the dark the bugs didn't bother us as much as the others.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">After finding out that digging with a jack handle (no shovel was available) wasn’t going to cut it and that the small bottle jack (that might have allowed a tire to be changed but I’m doubtful) wasn’t going to work we came to a standstill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile the three lions, two male and a female were even closer and now lying under a bush watching the goings-on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long story short – Mark and I eventually got out of the vehicle and, assisted by the spotter, grasped the bumper bar and lifted the front-end out of the hole!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the lions were disappointed!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">We watched the lions for about another thirty minutes and then made our way back to camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By now we were late for dinner and the camp staff were wondering where we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The four hyenas and the porcupine we ran into along the way made us even later for dinner!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">It is the unexpected situations like this that make our annual trips to southern Africa memorable. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3004987881662713671.post-79738436414489689522011-10-10T16:55:00.000-07:002011-10-11T16:11:31.609-07:00Iodine or Chlorine?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX0_AzMyp-pTNiXoctOrJ7AyFis2u4r2-t72jZIvbGUeyzNAsmQaOd-YjNyQlaofnvWbozMyBkje6qiBNWZCLiuGT_5rIl9Hn0-6cvJ2tUfhJuuQBvCD66-26LOUEB0kz_AtuzOQjYMuZ/s1600/chlorine+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX0_AzMyp-pTNiXoctOrJ7AyFis2u4r2-t72jZIvbGUeyzNAsmQaOd-YjNyQlaofnvWbozMyBkje6qiBNWZCLiuGT_5rIl9Hn0-6cvJ2tUfhJuuQBvCD66-26LOUEB0kz_AtuzOQjYMuZ/s320/chlorine+%25232.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
There are still far too many people using iodine tablets to disinfect their water when there is a much better product on the market - chlorine dioxide. There are also too many people drinking water that has not been disinfected simply because they don't like the taste of iodine not knowing that there is a new product on the market that doesn't leave an after taste. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIk_Jn1vPSOt8T37ABkHMyVqTrLBZRBYbnZMDDo4uUDv29yDuVDzn4zRrVSgnfFQxnILCwW_0GvzDA8qEWCrGzyv8CplPHPVovcUp2XvMzU5fenKqOoehd13QsJFWO4wfQwK9aFgthyphenhyphenI2H/s1600/Potable+Aqua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Chlorine dioxide tablets made available by the Katadyn Company and also by Potable Aqua have been around for several years now but have not been embraced enthusiastically by those who recreate or work in the outdoors. Old habits die hard I guess. Or perhaps it's just ignorance! Either way you are putting your health at risk by drinking water that has not been disinfected.<br />
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If for no other reason you should consider using tablets that release chlorine dioxide because of its effectiveness in killing cryptosporidium, an organism commonly found in water - something that iodine was never able to do effectively.<br />
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Regardless of the manufacturer the tablets are individually packaged in sheets of ten tablets per sheet and are sold in containers of twenty or thirty tablets for $10 - $13.<br />
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Disinfecting your water is easy. Simply drop a tablet into a quart or liter of water and the chemical will destroy viruses, bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium leaving no chlorine after taste.<br />
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For more information on Micropur tablets go to <a href="http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-micropur/">Katadyn. </a>Peter Kummerfeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11310385425279077066noreply@blogger.com0