Today, most of us have been blessed with many things that make or existance effortless. Everyday items such as a simple stove, a microwave, and packaged goods make the process of consuming food available even to small children. But, what if all of a sudden there was no electricity?... What if your country's currency suddenly dropped to be worth near zero and you couldn't buy produce or canned food? What would you do? You would be forced to survive from the land or die. If you were lucky enough to make it through the initial disaster, many people, (if not most) would not live for more than a week. And, honestly, these events are not that far fetched if you think about it. With the current state of the U.S. and World ecconomies the smallest event could send the dollar into a non-stop downward spiral. Our world is at war with each other as well as with nature. This very moment we are fighting disease virtually everywhere. Despite all of our efforts, it would certainly be possible for a disease on a much larger scale than the Swine Flu to quickly errupt and wipe out most of our country and maybe the world. If that happened who would run the power plants? There goes the electricity! You need to be prepared. You need to have the basic skills,tools, and knowlege to obtain and prepare food and water as well as build a basic shelter while you hone your natural survival skills.
This article was made to suggest some basic tools that will aid a novice outdoorsman while they sharpen their natural survival skills if they were thrown into a survival situation. Remember that even if you do have certain tools, you should try to do all tasks with hand made tools using natural materials and use the modern tools only to get you going or if you are in a pinch. If you were forced to spend the rest of your life in the wild you would (hopefully) outlive any of your basic tools and eventually be forced to survive soley from the land. That is why knowlege is the most important tool you could ever have and the only tool that any person would ever really need.
First, the most basic and essential item a person should have is a well constructed knife. Something that is made of high quality stainless steel. The blade should continue through the handle as one solid piece with a comfortable handle constructed around the tang. The fixed blade of the knife should be 6 to 8 inches in length. Ideally it would have a drop point on the tip of the blade because too sharp and narrow of a tip could break easier under rough conditions. It is often debated, but I reccommend a non-serrated blade because a smooth blade is easier to re-sharpen in the wilderness. In a perfect world you would also have a smaller folding lock blade knife for handling the tasks that require a more nibble blade. And as long as you are adding knives, a folding serrated lock blade is never a bad addition. After your knife (or ideally knives), then a well made hatchet or axe would come next on the list of blades. If needed , though, your well made larger knife could be used for chopping or splitting wood. This often requires having to place the blade in the desired position and hitting it with a small log in a hammering manner. Keep in mind that this act risks damage to your knife as well as yourself and either circumstance could prove fatal in a survival situation. Survival is certainly possible without any tools, however, the more basic tools you have; the easier your life will be. And if your survival skills are limited, a real emergency is not the best time to try and make a knife by flint napping rocks together like a caveman. But if the situation were to come about, you could certainly do it!
Another good thing to have is a small fishing kit. Even 25' of fishing line and some various hooks and weights would be helpful. Remember to choose smaller hooks over larger ones, because while you can catch larger fish with larger hooks, you can catch smaller and larger fish with small hooks. Obviously, anything you can obtain more than the basics will make your life that much easier. And again, if you find yourself without these tools, you can find them in the wilderness if you have the knowlege. For example, fishing hooks can be made from shaping animal bone with your knife and fishing line (though, certainly not as effective) can be made from plant fibers and certain vines. Virtually every survival tool can be found in nature. There are vast resources in the wild you just have to know where to look. Which is why I reccomend my next item. An in-depth survival book.
A good survival book, kept in a strong ziplock type bag could surely be a life saver. Any of the popular ones out there are better than nothing, to the outdoor novice. I like the different military wilderness survival manuals personally. Try to find one that has instructions on different traps and snares (snare wire is always a good item to have) as well as a basic plant guide and first aid. It should have a thorough tool making section as well. Keep in mind that it will not last forever, so be sure to consume all of the knowlege from it that you can, while you have the book. I'm not out to advertise anything, so if in question, go to your largest local outdoor store. They will often have small survival classes as well, usually only consisting of an hour or two. It would be time well spent if the need ever came for the knowlege.
Next on our list is a first aid kit. When it comes to first aid supplies (as with most things) the more you have the better off you will be. After you purchase your first aid kit, be sure to go through it and become familiar with all of the componets and add any essential or specialty medications needed by you or your family. Multi-vitamins are never a bad idea to add either. And be sure to keep everything current and fully stocked for when the time comes that you need it. Again, remember that if you survival situation overextends the life of your first aid kit you will be forced to use natural remedies, so be sure to learn everything you can about them. As for people that are dependant on certain prescription medication, the only advice I can give, would be to ration it out as thin as possible and try to aquire more by what ever means you can and make every effort to resolve you situation as quickly as possible. It would be worth researching to see if there are other natural alternatives or remedies that can either replace the medication or at least lessen the amount required which would prolong the need to obtain more.
One item that I suggest only if you are very familliar with it, is a small rifle and appropriate ammo. They even make a "survival rifle" that folds up. If only used for hunting small game; a .22 long rifle or magnum is perfect. Obiously, the larger the bullet the larger the game that can be successfully killed with it. Never shoot at something that your rifle cannot efficiently kill or point it in a direction that you wouldn't want it to shoot in. The other scenario where a rifle is useful is if you are in an area that contains predators that could attack you. In this instance you would want a sufficient caliber of rifle (usually much larger than a .22) to ensure that in the case of an attack you can kill the attacker. Especially in bear country! But also keep in mind, that if a disaster were to occur, even desperate people can be dangerous. Just be sure to take a hunters safety course and shooting lessons if you are not very familliar with guns. Also be sure to work on natural hunting, trapping, and fishing skills without your gun to be sure that you can obtain food without it. Only use it as an aid while learning these skills.
Food preparation is very important. A simple flint and striker can save you a lot of time and a lot of blisters when trying to start a fire. Adding some nice dry kindling material is always a plus too. If you have room, it would be wise to bring a small "backpack style" stove with some fuel to at least get you going or to use in case of emergency. Also, if it were raining too much to start a fire with wood, it could buy you some time to get through a storm. But ration your fuel out. I would advise bringing at least one metal drinking vessel and at least on medium sized metal bowl per person. Heavy gauge alluminum or stainless steel would be a good choice because it dosen't rust (as easily anyway) and is easier to clean than others. At least one medium sized pot with a lid would be a useful item as well. And bring some medium to large sized containers made of plastic or rubber for trasporting and storing water with. The amount of water gathering and storage vessels can vary depending on your location. In hot arid regions it would be wiser to have more containers because water may be harder to come by, and when you find it, you want to store as much as possible. As a rule of thumb, boil all water for at least ten minutes and let cool before drinking or placing it in a sanatized container. And, if you do not know what something is (especially in plants and fungi) do NOT eat it! Many plants and fungi can kill you rapidly if consumed without (and sometimes even with) proper and immeadiate medical care.
Clothing is another critical factor. Too much will prevent easy trasportation; too little can leave you unprepared for certain weather. Many people will not take cotton clothing even on a small hiking adventure, let alone for survival. One problem with cotton (usually a bigger problem in cold climates) is that when it gets wet, it looses most of its insulation properties. It also takes longer to dry out. So, many
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