wilderness

Building An #Igloo Alone: “Survive In Ice and Snow”

May 30, 2016 by mac slavo

OK, I know it isn’t anywhere near winter, and there aren’t many people reading this site who live in or even visit the remote tundras of the extreme north and south of this planet.

However, I find it fascinating how people have figured out how to survive and thrive with next to nothing.

Shaping an igloo out of blocks of ice cut from the snow covered surface is a great example, and has many survivalist and SHTF applications for those who find themselves in extreme climates. Besides that, it is just cool.

This man shows how it can be done by anyone – even alone:

YouTube channel: Overthehill Outdoors

Traditional development of igloos by Inuit tribes migrating across a vast frozen wasteland no doubt followed a formative conversation sometime early on addressing how desolate was their setting, and how little there was to work with.

“But we have nothing but snow and ice.”

“Then we shall build with ice and snow.”

And so the idea occurred to someone that with nothing else around, the ice itself offered a valuable resource as protection against the blinding winds and extreme conditions of the area. Clearly, it was born out of necessity, but became beautifully mastered over time.

Surrounded by little else, the stuff itself offered insulation, warmth and shelter. And with it, a way of surviving for people in harsh environments.

How the careful crafting of this snow and ice turns around into a secure yet temporary, and if desired, long-term location is no small wonder. Nature had to be reverse engineered.

The principles of construction are as solid as any other building material, and the practical use by man with only limited tools is nothing short of miraculous.

If nothing can be simply and skillfully transformed into life supporting stuff there, then it can be done anywhere.

Here’s a video showing it in timelapse:

Youtube channel: Daniel Kessler

Has anyone here actually tried to build one?

Are You Prepared to Survive in the Wilderness Alone? “Natural Shelter, Blend In”

“Simple Offers Freedom”: Building a $500 Cabin Without a Permit

Living Free Without Permission: “Building Without a Permit, Driving Without a License”

shtfplan.com

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

6 #Prepper Laws You Should Never Break: “Things You Need To Have Ready”

May 28, 2016 by mac slavo

Prepping? You should be thinking about what you might need.

But focusing all your time and energy on the wrong priorities can leave you just as ill-prepared as if you had done nothing at all.

City Prepping shares his top 6 priorities for being ready – starting with the most obvious necessities and working towards an expanded plan for survival in case of the worst.

Whether or not you agree with his specific order of operations, starting with a solid foundation and working towards the more extravagant possibilities is a good way to plan and develop skills.

Becoming fully prepared is an ongoing process and will undoubtedly require a lot of effort on your part, but starting here will make sure you can survive most situations, as further steps will cover the less likely “what ifs.”

Check out the video:

Water is an absolute necessity, and drinking unsanitary water will make you sick. Make sure you have plan to have enough clean water. Store it, treat it, purify it, have access to it. How much water do you need? 1 gallon per person per day for drinking, cooking, sanitation and the like. Water preservative can help keep it long term, and make sure it doesn’t become contaminated.
Storable Food. Extra food can be built up gradually a few cans at a time, and rotated out. Get items that you would actually eat, and balance your needs between protein, fats and carbs. Many canned foods have lots of extra sodium, which requires more water to balance out. In the event of a power outage or other emergency, eat the perishable foods you have on hand first, since they will of course go bad soonest.
1. -How will you cook your food? Keep extra fuel and useful stoves, grills, etc. on hand that aren’t reliant on the electric grid, or far away resources that would take a lot of effort to gather or obtain.
2. -Where to store food an water? Basements, closets, under stair storage space, etc. to keep it cool and away from sunlight.
Medical care preps, supplies, equipment and, of course, skills. First aid kits and basic medical skills, including C.P.R., are essential. Know how to handle major and minor cuts, stop bleeding and keep wounds from becoming infected. Learn how to clear an airway, when and how to use a tourniquet and take classes from your local medical authorities if you can. Know how to treat shock, since it is very common during stressful situations – and basically anything that falls under SHTF.
Having cash on hands. If/when the grid goes down, credit cards and online payment systems will be out altogether.
Securing your home. The widespread instability will leave countless people desperate and willing to invade your home and/or attack your family or group. Avoid conflict when possible, but have firearms and other weapons to defend your family, your preps and your property. What type of gun is best for you is a matter of preference, training and the amount you are willing to invest; however, ideally you would want a rifle or shotgun as well as a handgun, among other options. Train and continue to train as much as possible.
Prepare to bug out (but don’t leave unless it becomes necessary). Bugging out early and without need could put you in greater danger of exposure to the elements or bad circumstances, and your home may be the best place to stay. Nevertheless, you should have your bug out bag and plan ready to go, and execute when the time is right. It should provide all your vital needs for 72 hours, and will be different for each person and geographic area.

Tailor this list to your own specific needs, and do your due diligence to be ready for whatever may come.

Stay vigilant and protect those that you love.

How to Start Prepping Without Breaking the Bank: “All About Self-Reliance”

“All The Prepping In The World Is Immaterial If You Don’t Survive Long Enough For Your Supplies & Planning To Matter”

10 Prepping Mistakes That Could Get You Killed (And How To Avoid Them)

shtfplan.com

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

This #Survival Capsule Could Insulate You Against Any Disaster: “More Control Than Safe Houses”

May 27, 2016 by mac slavo

Depending on your outlook, this could be the ultimate in survival gear.

In the wake of an extreme threat – such as a tsunami or earthquake – this capsule could be the best place to withstand the impact, no matter what.

It is water-tight. It is extremely durable. It floats, and it can withstand against the impact of super-strong winds, crashes, heat and many other factors.

For the right price, it could hold between two and ten people, protecting them from literally just about anything that could come your way.

As the London Guardian reports:

The Survival Capsule – a personal safety system in the form of a giant ball – has been designed to combat this issue.

This capsule, which features two small porthole windows so the occupants can see what is going on around them, was created to give individual groups and families more control of their survival in emergency situation than traditional ‘safe houses.’

It is designed to float so it will never be inundated by water levels rising too high, as they do in tsunami situations.

[…]

The sphere is designed to withstand the initial impact of a natural disaster, as well as sharp object penetration, heat exposure, blunt object impact, and rapid deceleration.

Occupants are strapped in to the seats with crash-test proof seat belts and can expect to survive in spite of rampant destruction and perhaps unsurvivable conditions.

It appears that the unfortunate loss of life and vast property destruction that took place during some of the most recent tsunamis inspired the ball’s inventors to hedge against all possibilities.

Since earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes and other extreme weather events seem to be increasing right now, particularly surrounding the Ring of Fire, that could be a good thing.

Watch the video:

The test model is bright red and would be easily spotted by rescue crews once they arrive for clean-up after the event, though it could be camouflaged for those who also want to stay off the radar after a SHTF situation in which the political situation may be part of the threat.

The Ultimate Prepper Bug Out Home

Elite Bunker Down in “Secure, Safe Rooms Hidden in Plain Sight”… And You Can, Too

The Safest Areas in America: An Expanded Western Relocation Zone

Nukes and Fallout: How to Survive When Others Won’t

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

#SHTF In #Movies: “Lost, Wrecked and Left Alone to Survive”

May 20, 2016 by mac slavo

When it comes to prepping for a truly serious SHTF, experience is the best teacher.

Planning, preparation and learning from experts is also critical.

But can cinema also be a good teacher?

Obviously there are plenty of things in the average Hollywood flick that are ridiculous and far from accurate when it comes to real-life disaster scenarios.

But others have gone to great lengths to be as realistic as possible, and seeing these situations play out on the big screen, before the real stuff happens, can be a great way to start thinking about what you would do in a similar situation, if you ever found yourself in it.

Many of them are pure survival films after being lost in the wilderness, others are prepper-minded but all are thought provoking and depict the kind of desperate scenarios that may well occur someday.

(in alphabetical order)
All is Lost (starring Robert Redford)
Cast Away (starring Tom Hanks)
Goodbye World
Panic Room (starring Jodie Foster)
Red Dawn (starring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen)
The Edge (starring Anthony Hopkins)
The Road (starring Viggo Mortenson)
The Snow Walker
The Way Back (starring Ed Harris)
Wrecked(Starring Adrian Brody)

Obviously there are many, many other great films with these themes of lost, wrecked and left alone to survive.

What do you think are the best films with a survival, prepping or SHTF mentality as a major part of the plotline?

Preparing For Worst Case Scenarios: Using Pop Culture Media as a Forecasting and Training Tool

The Prepper Movie: When Survival Is All That’s Left

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

How to Start #Prepping Without Breaking the #Bank: “All About Self-Reliance”

April 21, 2016 by mac slavo

You don’t necessarily have to pull out your wallet, and pay big bucks for storable food, emergency camping equipment, ammo and fatigues… though you can if you want.

Instead, if you are just starting to prep, check out these essential items and focus most of all on the mindset of being ready for anything.

This video by the Dynamic Prepper gives some good insight into doing what counts – instead of what costs.

The Dynamic Prepper writes:

Top Ten things to get to start your prepping. Have you wanted to prep but don’t know where to start because of too much info and too many big prepping companies telling you to buy expensive “starting packages”. Tell those prepping corps. to take a hike!!! Start this list today. With a little money and weekends worth of shopping you will be well on your way to keeping yourself and your family fed and safe in extreme times.

In many cases you can make your own kits – for first aid, bug out bags and more – and perhaps you should.

Not only could it save money, but it will ensure that you are thinking about the use and purpose of every item you intend to carry or use.

5 Mistakes Every New Prepper Makes

How Horrific Will It Be For The Non-Prepper?

29 Essential Tips for the New Prepper: “Start Small. Develop Your Skills. Create a Plan”

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

This 72 Year Old Survived 9 Days in #Arizona Wilderness: “Lost, With No Gas and No Cell Reception”

April 13, 2016 by mac slavo

Image: Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Running out of gas. Lost on a remote back road. No cellphone signal, unreliable GPS. Maybe an accident.

It could happen to anyone, but not everyone would handle this desperate situation as well as this 72 year old woman managed to do.

Indeed, her resourcefulness and determination in keeping herself alive, along with her dog, after being “lost, with no gas and no cellphone reception” for 9 days in the remote Arizona wilderness is down right incredible.

via AZ Central:

A 72-year-old woman and her dog survived in the Gila County wilderness for nine days before being rescued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety on Saturday.

Ann Rodgers and her dog survived by drinking creek water and eating berries and plants, according to reports by law-enforcement officials. A weeklong multiagency search ended with a helicopter crew rounding a bend in a canyon to find her waving at them from below.

Rodgers had done her best to guide searchers: She had spelled out “HELP” in sticks and rocks on a canyon floor, hoping to gain attention.

According to the report, Ann Rodgers was running low and got lost while exiting for a fuel station, and then got stranded for more than a week in the vast national forest area between Phoenix and Show Low, Arizona.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office released this statement:

On April 3, 2016, at approximately 8:00 p.m., the Gila County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the White Mountain Apache Rangers to assist with a missing person. The Gila County Sheriff’s Office, Gila County Search and Rescue, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, along with the Arizona Department of Public Safety Helicopter responded to assist the White Mountain officials in attempts to locate the victim.

On April 9, 2016, at approximately 5:45 p.m. Ann Charon Rodgers, 72 years old, was located in the Canyon Creek Area. The Arizona Department of Public Safety Helicopter was able to get assistance to her and transport her to a local Hospital to be evaluated.

Image: Gila County Sheriff’s Office

Though the search rescue team worked diligently to find her, it took them a week, and everyday in the harsh wilderness made the challenge for Rodgers that much more difficult.

She found water, and made fire for warm and to attract attention from search crews. She left signs, like the word “Help” spelled out in sticks; she attempted, in vain, to find a ranch she saw, and she attempted to find a spot with a working cell phone signal.

But most importantly, she continued on, in spite of these setbacks.

How did she do it? She had taken a survival training course, and had cultivated skills. As the AP reported:

An Arizona woman lost in the wilderness for nine days says she became desperate but stayed alive because of her survival skills.

[S]he slept in her car the first night and wore several layers of clothing to keep warm […]

She says she survived on plants, pond water and at one point, a turtle. Rodgers says she took a survival course and studied techniques for years.

There a lots of things that could have improved her condition if those supplies and tools had been with her…

But this wasn’t just theoretical, it was real world survival, making do with the environment around you when there is no one else to turn to.

And this woman made it; hopefully you can, too, if and when the situation arises.

Of course, it also offers us some lessons for being prepared for anything.

Here are some links to develop ideas about what to focus on next… and what it might take to survive in a wilderness scenario alone for an extended period:

7 Tips to Keep You Alive and Found in the Wilderness

Survival Skills: How to Find Water In the Wild

The Prepper’s Blueprint: Step-by-Step Guide to Survive Any Disaster

The Number One Knife Skill for Wilderness Survival and Self-Reliance

Teaching Kids How to Survive in the Forest

Wilderness Survival: Preventative Measures and Off Grid Treatment for Deadly Bugs

The One Thing You Need To Survive: “Everything Else Is Just Talking and Wishful Thinking”

Are You Prepared to Survive in the Wilderness Alone? “Natural Shelter, Blend In”

12 Bad Strategies That Will Get Preppers Killed

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

#SHTF Skills Every American Needs: “Improvise With What You Have”

April 8, 2016 by mac slavo

Does the future hold prolonged economic collapse? Electric outages? Food shortage? Civil unrest? EMP attacks? Looting and the general descent into madness?

Whatever may come, you and your family will be extremely vulnerable unless you have prepared for continuity and self-reliance without the aid of society. The vast majority have made no attempt to prepare, or decrease their dependence upon government agencies for basic needs. In an emergency, they will have no one else to turn to either.

But you will be ready.

Every American who values his/her independence, and hopes to survive and thrive in an after-math economy that will be very different needs to develop and hone their SHTF skills.

There are too many to list in one article, and most of the basics are well known to this audience, but here is a good resource for starting your prepping, and expanding to cover all important areas.

But it is equally important to tailor your plans around your actual situation in a way that will give you the optimal support in a crisis, and fit around the freedom lifestyle you actually want to lead.

Reallybigmonkey1 is a great example of unique prepping. He has invented devices around his needs – and improvised with what he has one hand.

In this video, he explains a homemade stove that is also designed to store & boil water, as well as cook without the need to use a pot or pan. It might be the best solution in a bug out situation.

His inventions make prepping, camping and surviving a fine art of creativity and style, and prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get ready:

“If you do have to leave your house and bug out, this is the kind of things that happen. You need to have the ability to make things… and improvise and make do with what you have.

He also addresses the top items he carries that aren’t in the bug out bag of others.

After the basics, this guy has included a host of homemade and improvised devices that serve his potential SHTF needs and will make his chance of survival better than the average suburbanite.

What do you carry in bag, and what have you figured out on your own to make off grid living even better?

95 Survival Tips For When the SHTF: “Carry These. Do This. And Don’t Ever…”

The Six Laws of Survival: Strategies For Beating the Worst Case Scenario

12 Bad Strategies That Will Get Preppers Killed

SHTFplan and Mac Slavo www.shtfplan.com

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