'Preppers' ready for the end of the world – Sacramento Bee

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Preppers‘ ready for the end of the world
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento’s Action Military Surplus is also benefiting from the increased focus on disaster preparedness. Nick Nordman, a salesman at the store, said preppers are coming out from hiding. He said more and more people are willing to say they’re a prepper.

and more »

Video: The Iceman’s Belt – gear lessons learned from a prehistoric survivalist

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In 1991,  The Iceman was discovered in the Otztal Alps, the location giving him his now famous name: Otzi. His preserved body and equipment have provided a wealth of information about the time in which he lived. His survival gear provides a lesson we can benefit from.

by Leon Pantenburg

He died and was buried in glacial ice 5,300 years ago, but the remains of his body and equipment contain a great

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example of what you should include in your personal, pocket-sized survival gear.

The is a recreation of what the Iceman might have looked like at the time of his death. (Photo

This recreation shows what the Iceman might have looked like at the time of his death.

I learned about the Iceman soon after he was discovered, and am fascinated with the whole story anyway. But of particular interest to me is the personal survival kit Ozi carried in a leather pouch on his belt.

The belt and contents were designed to be convenient and useful. The belt was found wrapped around his waist, underneath his clothing, and the obvious intent was to have some survival gear always available.

The contents, according to “The Iceman’s Belt” by Chuck Kritzen included three flint tools, a bone awl and a lump of Fomes fomentarius or, true tinder fungus.
 
The Iceman and I agree: You must have survival gear on your person, even if you have a complete set of survival tools and gear in your backpack, canoe or saddlebags. You never know when you could be separated from your main, core equipment.

My choices, obviously, for my pocket survival gear are much different than the Iceman’s, but both of us pack the most efficient, compact, convenient and useful tools available!

Read the Iceman’s complete story and more about his belt.  

Check out the documentary video below.

 

 

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Survival gear: Three more tips to get your GPS ready to navigate.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

You can’t guarantee a GPS won’t go weird on you sometimes, for no apparent reason. Here are some tips from survival instructor and GPS expert Blake Miller for getting that transmitter squared away for you take off from the trailhead.

I’m always coming up with story ideas for Blake after I’ve made mistakes or something hasn’t worked like it should. Recently, my GPS acted really strange while I was on a hike in the Oregon Badlands. This let to a bunch of questions. Blake, experienced (and patient) teacher that he is, responded. – Leon

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by Blake Miller

There are a few other techniques that I use to get ready to navigate with my GPS receiver.

Garmin Oregon 450

Every GPS receiver can act strangely on occasion. Take some precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen to you in the field.

While driving to camp, turn on the receiver and place it on the dashboard. If the GPS hasn’t been used for several months or if the user has traveled a great distance since last use, the unit needs to initialize and update satellite data received from the GPS constellation. If that is not possible, allow the receiver to process satellite data for 10-15 minutes in an area where the sky view is open and not blocked by terrain or forest canopy.

Second, give your receiver the time to do its job, especially with older receivers. For example, with an older GPS (my 10 year old Garmin 12CX) before marking a waypoint I will ensure that at least 4 satellites are being tracked and that the horizon isn’t completely obstructed by canopy. While my friends might have been able to mark waypoints considerably faster, I am going to give mine the time to accomplish the task. I will evaluate the estimated position error and if the value is getting smaller I will just wait until it steadies up.

Third, I tend to navigate through the backcountry with my GPS powered up, all day, during a day hike. This allows me to record a track and keeps my position data current. Should I be hiking the length of the Pacific Crest Trail, battery consumption would be a concern. That said, for my long day jaunts, battery conservation isn’t really an issue.

Older models, and those without an electronic compass, require motion to develop heading and bearing data.  For example, when returning to a waypoint/destination, take a few steps and observe the display changes and adjust as necessary.  Once the GPS has settled on the correct bearing to the waypoint, use your compass to back up your navigation. (And always carry a map and compass along, even if you’re using a GPS!)

Remember to calibrate the electronic compass each time batteries are replaced.

Blake Miller: Navigation and GPS expert

Blake Miller

Blake Miller has made a career out of staying found and knowing where he is at all times. His formal navigation training began when he joined the U.S. Navy in 1973. He served as an officer aboard several Navy ships over his twenty-year career; many of those tours included the duty of Navigator. Blake began working with satellite navigation systems at sea in 1976, culminating with the then-new Global Positioning Systems aboard the Battleship WISCONSIN in early 1990.

In 1998 Blake started Outdoor Quest, a business dedicated to backcountry navigation and wilderness survival. Blake has taught classes to wild land firefighters, state agency staffs, Search and Rescue team members, hunters, hikers, skiers, fishermen and equestrians. He regularly teaches classes through the Community Education programs at Central Oregon (Bend) and Chemeketa (Salem, OR) Community Colleges.

As a volunteer, Blake teaches navigation and survival classes, to students in the local school district and conservation groups. He is a member of a Search and Rescue team.

Contact Information :

Website: www.outdoorquest.biz;

Phone: 541 280 0573;

Email: outdrquest@aol.com

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Practical Preppers LLC Talks 'Doomsday Preppers' Scoring Changes [Interview] – The Inquisitr

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Practical Preppers LLC Talks ‘Doomsday Preppers‘ Scoring Changes [Interview]
The Inquisitr
Gauging how prepared you are for a man-made or natural disaster is not an easy task. Many preppers believe that having backup for your backup is a must, but knowing when food shelves are full enough is an important question to have answered. Food and

Check out the weekly SurvivalCommonSense email update: Tarp tips, Five things to avoid in a survival knife, and GPS accuracy info

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Tarp shelters can make all the difference when you’re camping and Mother Nature turns nasty. Here are some tips on constructing some effective shelters using paracord and a simple, cheap blue tarp.

by Leon Pantenburg

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Here is the May 7, 2013 SurvivalCommonSense.com email update – please take a look and if you like what you see, subscribe. It’s free and you can unsubscribe by hitting a button. Thanks for checking it out!

Camping means using tarps IMO, and a couple of strategically-located tarps can help make a rainy day fun, or protect you from the sun.

snow trench tarp shelter
Snow trench tarp shelter

But you can’t just randomly drape a tarp over a tree or rock and call it good. You readers have asked for specific info on tarp shelters, so that’s what’s coming up – Tarp Shelters 101.
The first two videos in this series were published this week, and judging from viewer response, this is what you had in mind.
I’m working on the followups, so let me know if there are some specific topics you’d like covered.
Pun intended.

Other things you can read/view in this week’s edition include a review of the Les Stroud SK Arctic survival knife, what to do when your GPS goes weird in the field, and five things to avoid when choosing a survival knife.

Click on May 7 SurvivalCommonSense.com update to read the latest.

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Ten top gift choices for the prepared mom on Mother’s Day

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She gave you life. So you’re going to get her a scarf on Mother’s Day? Well, maybe that’s exactly what she wants!  But here are some other choices for that prepper/survivalist mom that will help her be even more prepared. Or, if mom is a beginner in the emergency preparedness field, these tools will help her get started.

by Leon Pantenburg

Here’s a chance to support American small businesses (like mine)  while getting mom a gift she’ll really appreciate and use.

I developed and sell some of these products; I regularly use, and highly recommend, all of them:

Survival Mom: Written by Lisa Bedford, author of the wildly-successful TheSurvivalMom.com website, the book gives readers an I-can-do-this approach to getting a family prepared. (Disclaimer: I am mentioned in the expert sources credits.) If you want a good, entertaining read, as well as a book chock-full of information, give this book on Mothers Day. 

A great Mothers Day gift is survival firestarter

The SurvivalCommonSense firestarter is completely waterproof and will burn on snow, or when the weather is wet and nasty.

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Firemaking tools: The idea for credit card-sized firestarter came years ago, when I worked on a news  story about several lost snowmobilers. They had no survival equipment or training, and ended up trying to start a fire using credit cards, money, and a snowmobile title. A small piece of firestarter would have made the difference between an uncomfortable night huddled around a campfire, or risking hypothermia without a fire.  If you can carry a piece of survival equipment conveniently, you probably will.

 Order your firestarter directly from the SurvivalCommonSense.com store. Check out Scott B. Williams’ firestarter review in “Bug Out Survival.”

You might also consider a ferro rod firestarting kit for emergency firemaking.

Soap from Heart of Iowa Soapworks: Karla Moore is a professional soaper and instructor of all things regarding homesteading. Today, she sells specialty soap products over the world. I’ve been using her products since Karla established Heart of Iowa Soapworks about a decade ago.

Karla was featured in “The Book of Dream Jobs” by Martha McCarty, and specializes in custom, non-allergic soaps and shampoos. Check out her website at Heart of Iowa Soapworks.

“Surviving a Wilderness Emergency:“  This book, by wilderness survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt, is my go-to book for basic common sense wilderness survival.

I met Peter several years ago at the Deschutes (OR) County Sportsman’s Expo after attending one of his seminars. My motivation for attending was more curiosity than anything else. Afterward, we chatted at his booth, and I bought a copy of  “Surviving a Wilderness Emergency.”   Give the gift of information with this book.

Key Chain survival kit: This kit has a Swiss Army Knife Classic, a Boy Scout Hot spark ferro rod, LED light with an on-off switch, whistle and fingernail clippers on a ring, with a carabiner  for easy attachment to a belt, backpack or another keyring. This handy collection of survival tools is small, compact and easy to carry, so Mom might include it with her everyday carry items.

A 100-percent cotton bandana: Here’s that scarf I mentioned, but with a twist. A bandana can be used for a multitude of tasks, but here is a free promotion for a good cause. 

Let your bandana color show your support for cancer treatment and victims. (My standard carry bandana is lavender, with grey and dark blue making frequent appearances.) Then, for whatever purpose the bandana is used for, you help raise awareness.

Know  the colors, and the variety of cancer  they represent:

colored bandanas show cancer awareness

Here are a few of my bandanas that show support of cancer victims. (Pantenburg photo)

Pink: Breast Cancer
Light Blue: Prostate Cancer
Teal: Ovarian/Uterine Cancer
Gold: Childhood Cancers
Grey: Brain Cancer
Green: Kidney Cancer
Dark Blue: Colon Cancer
Yellow: Liver Cancer

You can get bandanas anywhere for about a buck.

Swiss Army Classic: This is the smallest, and one of the most useful, Swiss Army Knives imaginable. I’ve carried one constantly on my keychain for at least 20 years, and it gets used virtually every day.

Swiss Army knife classic  pocket knife

The Swiss Army Classic is incredibly useful.

The knife features a small blade, scissors , toothpick, fingernail file and screwdriver tip.  Most importantly, it has the best tweezers in the world for pulling splinters out of kids’ fingers. First impressions of: “What good is that tiny thing?” will soon change to: “How did I get along without it!” You can also get special colors in the handle.

Small, Keychain LED light: This will be one of the most-used items on your keychain. But make sure you get one that has an on-off switch. Otherwise, you’ll get really tired of pinching the light to keep it going!

BIC Lighter wrapped with duct tape and attached pop top: I don’t smoke, but I always have a small BIC lighter, wrapped with a couple feet of duct tape, and with a can pop top attached, in my pocket. In a survival situation, I hope to “Flick My BIC,” and take care of any firemaking needs. Duct tape is useful for everything, and makes a pretty decent firestarter. A  pop top to the lighter attached allows you to secure it to a lanyard or piece of cord, so it doesn’t get lost.  You can make this gift for Mom at a cost of under a dollar. Here’s how to Pimp Your BIC.

Small laminated photograph of  family and/or note in gear: I opened my duffel bag at elk camp in the middle of nowhere, Idaho, several years ago to find little notes from my 10-year old daughter stuck in pockets, rolled-up socks, and in my book.

I put all those notes in my survival gear before heading out into the backcountry. Sentiments such as “I love you, Dad” and “Dad! Come home safe!” reminded me to be safe, and how much I had to lose if I got lost or  injured  in the backcountry.

These little reminders may keep you from giving up, and may be the deciding factor in any survival situation. The cost: virtually nothing. Value: priceless.

 

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What are "preppers" really preparing for? – WBTV

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What are “preppers” really preparing for?
WBTV
Some people imagine those who call themselves “preppers” are sitting around in tin foil hats waiting for the alien invasion. Or perhaps they think of people living in rural areas building underground bunkers to hide from the end of the world as we know it.

Survival skills video: How to tie three basic knots for emergency tarp shelter construction

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Knots are survival tools. Here are three that can help you quickly set up a tarp shelter.

by Leon Pantenburg

When  bad weather hits, you may only have a few minutes to make a shelter where you may end up hunkering down for several hours.

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The timber hitch is a friction knot that is easy to tie and untie (Pantenburg photo)

The timber hitch is a friction knot that is easy to tie and untie (Pantenburg photo)

That happened to me on an Idaho elk hunt several years ago. The day started out raining and the weather just got worse. I hunted all morning and got wet in the waist-high brush. Then the  bank of fog that had hung over Dworshak Reservoir all night moved uphill.

In a few minutes, visibility went to almost zero. Hunting was a waste a time until I could see, so I stretched my small tarp between two trees, built a small cooking fire, and brewed some instant coffee. 

It was actually pleasant under the tarp. About half an hour later Phil Walker, my hunting partner and another friend found me. They were happy to join me under the tarp while we discussed out next move. They were really happy I had extra coffee packets.

Three survival knots: the timber hitch, trucker’s hitch and bowline, are generally all you need to quickly set up a tarp shelter. Here’s how to tie them.

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Video: How to keep your tarp corner grommets from tearing out

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If you’re a tarp camper, you’ve probably had a situation where the wind blew hard enough to rip out the grommet at the corner.  Here’s a rope trick to stop that from happening.

by Leon Pantenburg

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The wind comes up unexpectedly, and for a moment the tarp shelter turns into a huge sail. All the power of the wind in focused on one spot, the corner of the tarp.  It may rip out the corner grommet. Then, how will you tie that corner next time?

Death Valley, CA 1977: We camped in this “forest” and later moved when it started to rain. Tarp shelters can be improvised in most places. (John Nerness photo)

This tip came from my friend Bob Patterson, of Mankato, Minn. Bob is a retired firefighter and emergency responder, and knots, ropes and lashings are his thing. We’ve used tarps for shelters on many outings.

The idea here is to disperse that stress and strain from the wind among three grommets on the corner. Here’s how to do it.

You’ll need:

  • Several feet of of paracord or light rope (six to 10 feet depending on the size of the tarp).
  • A carabiner

Here’s what you do:

  • Run the cord through three grommets, creating two loops that will stretch out to about two feet.
  • Tie the ends of the cord to each outside grommet.
  • Gather the two loops to the midpoint, and attach the carabiner so it moves freely.
  • Attach your corner rope to the carabiner.

Now the corner rope will disperse all the force among the three points. If the tarp is moved in any direction, there will be enough flex so the material can move with the wind.

 

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Video survival knife review: The Les Stroud S.K. Arctic

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I bought this knife, received no compensation for doing this review, and am not associated in any form with “Survivorman.”

Here is a review of the Les Stroud Arctic Survival Knife.

by Leon Pantenburg

When it comes to survival shows, it seems like viewers all have a favorite. While I appreciate a good adventure tale as much as the next person, I

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don’t care for Hollywood sensationalization passed off as valid survival techniques. Subsequently, I don’t regularly watch any of the survival productions.

Les Stroud Arctic survival knife

Les Stroud S.K. Arctic survival knife

But I get questions about the gear. People want info before  investing in products, particularly  those based, in part, on an actor’s celebrity.
 
Recently, the market has been flooded with survival gear endorsed by Bear Grylls, Les Stroud and Mykel Hawke. The quality ranges from good to junk.
 
Check out the S.K. Arctic review video below
 
Les Stroud is  “Survivorman,” one of  the original survival show stars. He goes into the wilderness alone, apparently without a support team, for a week at a time, and gets by as best he can using odds and ends he salvages. Stroud  is the author of several books on wilderness survival. Peter Kummerfeldt, a bone fide survival expert, reviewed one of those books, and was not impressed.
 
The Les Stroud Signature Series is made by Camillus and are advertised to be  “incomparably tough and built to withstand the impossible task of your next challenge.”
 
I liked the looks of the S.K. Arctic model and decided to check it out.  Here are the criteria I use to test a knife, and some of the things I look for.
 
Start with the specs:
 
Camillus Les Stroud S.K. Arctic Fixed Sport Knife with Fire Starter and Nylon Sheath:

  • Knife with fire starter and ballistic nylon sheath
  • Blade length: 4.5″, overall length: 9.25″
  • Titanium-bonded 440 stainless steel, non-stick drop point blade
  • Includes storage compartment and trail map mesh pocket
  • Knurled steel pommel

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It comes with a survival guide that fits nicely in the back of the sheath.

My first impression of the knife was that it is a sturdy, well-designed piece of equipment. I used it for a couple of weeks, for every task I would normally use a knife for. This includes use in the kitchen for food preparation, and in the field as an all-around knife. Uses will range from slicing potatoes and meat to whittling weiner sticks and fuzz-sticks for firemaking. I don’t baton wood as a knife test, or purposely abuse a knife as part of  testing.

A particularly challenging set of knife tasks was associated with my spring yardwork. Because it was there on my belt,  I used the Arctic for cutting drip irrigation lines, trimming and pruning, and some digging associated with lawn irrigation. (I never dig with a knife because of the risk of damage, but in this case, that was part of the needed tasks.)  The edge dulled, as would be expected, but it only took a few swipes with a butcher steel to restore the razor edge. The steel is 440 stainless, and it seems to hold an edge well and is easy to sharpen.

Here’s the good stuff:

  • The guide is great. It is full of good advice, such as the whole idea of staying put to get found. Rather that including a guide full of  myths (like building a solar still) and esoteric misinformation, the guide has sound mindset directions. These can be used to help calm a lost person, and enable them to make positive steps toward their rescue.
  • The drop-point blade is one of my favorite designs and the length is just about right for my tastes. The drop point is just right for skinning big game animals, and it will easily handle most outdoor tasks. The Arctic is not designed for filleting fish or general camp use, but it’ll do. It works fine in the kitchen for slicing meat and vegetables, but  is not a good choice for peeling potatoes.
  • The sheath is functional and works well to protect the blade and the carrier. The knife is held securely by a locking internal mechanism, which is reenforced by a velcro strap around the handle. The knife is easy to access.
  • The full-tang blade ends with a hammer-style pommel. I hit a few nails with it, just to say I had. It worked fine. But in the real world, I have yet to need a hammer pommel on a knife, and only the most dire circumstances could force me to use  a knife as a hammer. Use a rock or stick.
  • The handle is good-sized, to reduce hand fatigue over long use, and non-slip. It is designed so there isn’t a potential for your hand sliding from the handle onto the blade.
  • The handle has a hole for lanyard attachment. I like lanyards on handles, particularly during a messy field dressing job. You don’t want to create a survival situation when your hand slips and gets cut on the blade.
  • There is no way to make a spear out of the knife. I have never needed to make a spear, and can’t anticipate how this would be valuable in a survival situation. Rambo used his survival knife as part of a spear, but if you believe that, you can believe a lot of other Hollywood survival tips.

I like these aspects less:

  • The ferrocerium rod is good quality and throws sparks readily. A notch is in the back of the blade for the purpose of using as a scraper. On any ferro rod, make sure the finish is removed from the rod and scraper so the combination will spark when needed.
  • The location of the ferro rod on the middle of the sheath is not the best. While it’s handy,  it is also in the way. A better location would be on one side or the other. The ferro rod was hard to remove from its holder, but it will probably loosen up after some use.
  • I generally carry my knife inside my pack, and don’t see the need for a fast draw option. However, I put  D-ring in the belt loop of any sheath knife I carry. This allows attaching the knife to a belt clip or the outside of a pack.

Impressions:

Overall, I like the Arctic. Despite the marketing hype and promotion, the Arctic is a sound, no-frills knife that is a practical over-all knife choice.

  •  The Arctic retailed for about $40 here in Bend, OR, about a third less than the Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival knife, which was priced right at $60. . The Arctic is a good value.
  • The steel in the Arctic’s blade is standard 440 stainless steel, which places it about in the middle of quality as far as blade steel goes. That means it should hold up well under most conditions.  There is nothing superfluous about the knife, and except for a few minor cosmetic tweaks,  there is little I could think of to improve the knife.
  • I was impressed with the survival guide. Generally, if you must take a techniques guide with you, you are unprepared and need more practice. But the reinforcement of the survival mindset and survival psychology skills could be invaluable. 

So will I start carrying an Arctic as my go-to field knife?

Nope. My cold Steel SRK and I have bonded over 20 years of hard hunting and outdoors experiences. The knife has processed at least 50 deer and several elk to my complete satisfaction. While the blade is worn from constant sharpening, and the sheath shows some hard use, there is no replacement in sight. 

But if I couldn’t take my SRK into the backcountry, I wouldn’t be overly concerned if I ended up with an Arctic as a replacement. And, IMO, that is high praise for any knife.

But Stroud’s survival books and show – still a no-go.

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