People die from the heat every summer. If you’re out in the wilderness, in some survival situation, you need to take some extra precautions to stay safe. There are two key safety areas you need to keep in mind: protection from direct sunlight and hydration.

Protection From Sunlight

Sunburns hurt. The longer you are out in the sun unprotected, the more you can get hurt. Burn enough and you won’t be able to move without some fairly severe pain. In addition to that, direct sun exposure can lead to an increased risk of heat exhaustion.

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to protect yourself from an excessive amount of sun. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Find or make some shade to rest under when the sun is at its peak (midday).
• Wear clothes. This might make you a bit warm, but it’s important to find a balance between skin exposure and overheating. Unless you’re working on a tan, try to keep your skin protected.
• Use sunscreen if you have it.
• Lip balm protects your lips from becoming dry and cracked (which is very uncomfortable).
• Wear a hat. This is a good way to keep your head in the shade even if the rest of your body isn’t.

Hydration

Keeping properly hydrated takes care of two necessary bodily functions. It will keep your cells working properly and act as a coolant system fuel for your body. Without sufficient hydration, you won’t last long in the heat.

Your body’s natural coolant system is sweat. As you probably know, sweat is mostly water. It acts by cooling down your body from the outside, and “catching the wind” to increase the cooling. The more you sweat, the more your body uses water. If you are sweating a lot, you will need to drink more water to make up for it.

You won’t last very long without water in your day to day life, but that timeframe shrinks when you are in the heat, exerting yourself. To stay hydrated, simple steps will do:

• Keep water or some type of sports drink with you.
• Keep enough water for your planned journey.
• Have a refillable container, so you can refill your water supply when necessary. It’s also a good idea to have some type of water purification system in your pack, too.
• Stay cool. The less you sweat, the less water your body will use (thus the less you have to drink).

Surviving the heat is not a problem if you take some simple precautions and use your head. Plan ahead, get your necessary gear and protective wear together, and you shouldn’t run into any serious problems.

The key points to keep in mind are to protect yourself from direct sunlight, and to keep yourself hydrated. Do those two things, and you can make it through even the hottest days. If the desert tribes of the Middle East have been doing it for hundreds of years (or more), you can too.

Want to learn more about preparing yourself for an emergency situation? Learn about disaster preparation, survival, and bugging out with The Bug Out Bag Book – How to build a personalized emergency gear kit.

If you want to earn some extra cash on the side, why not try promoting The Bug Out Bag Book? It’s a partner of this site, and you can earn 50% commission for each sale you generate.

Got a blog or other website? We have brand new banners just uploaded today, professionally designed, that you can use to promote the book and earn some cash. Check them out here:

Bug Out Bag Book Marketing Banners

Be sure and read that entire page, because it details how you can earn some money promoting the book. The page has general advice, how to sign up to earn commissions, banners you can use freely to promote the book and drive traffic, and even sample email marketing copy if you have your own opt-in email list.

So check it out today and earn some extra cash. Who doesn’t need extra money these days?

Bug Out Bag Book Marketing Banners

Soap is something that should be in every personal emergency kit, but it’s one item that is often overlooked. Why is soap so important? Because it cleans stuff. Seriously, it does.

Keeping things clean might be a lower priority for you during an emergency, but it’s something you really need to think about. You need to think about it on a personal comfort level, and on a first aid level. Soap can keep infections away, and help you feel more comfortable. Both are important.

We can die from a simple infection. I know that it’s largely unheard of in developed society, but when it all hits the fan, we might not have the simple stuff that modern life gives us. We might not have any medical care available, clean facilities, or even a disinfectant. In cases like this, cleaning a wound with soap and water might keep you healthy enough to go on.

Even if you’re not injured, soap can go a long way to feeling comfortable. If you don’t have the opportunity to bathe, you might start to feel icky. And if you live in a humid area, you might start to grow fungus in some uncomfortable spots. I’m talking about your feet and your crotch region. You don’t want anything growing there. A simple quick wash with some soap and water can help keep that fungus at bay. For people who grew up in a dry climate, but then find themselves bugging out during the summer in a humid climate, this can be a problem.

Keep soap in your bug out bag so that you can enjoy a bit of comfort, and maybe keep a wound from getting a dangerous infection.

Water is a vital necessity. Without it, we won’t last beyond a few short days. Unfortunately, water is heavy, so putting a bunch in your bug out bag can hurt as much as it helps. If your bag is too heavy, you’ll move slowly, tire more easily, and use up more of the water in your body than you need to.

So how do you find some middle ground? How do you carry enough water so that you aren’t weighed down too much? The easy solution is to carry water and a water purification system. That way, you have some water to drink right away, and you have something to make most found water drinkable.

Natural water sources, such as lakes, streams, and rivers contain bacteria that you don’t want in your system. You know, the bottom fall out of your world and the world falling out of your bottom type of stuff — best to avoid that. Once you finish up the water you brought with you, you’ll need to sterilize or filter (or do both) water so you can drink it without making yourself sick.

I recommend carrying some type of water bottle (extra, beyond the couple of store-bought sealed bottles of water or Gatorade that you packed in your BOB). This can be a military canteen, a Naglene bottle, or anything similar. Then, have some type of purification process and supplies packed in your bag, too. I’m not going to go into the specifics of that here, but you can find a wide variety of camping-oriented water purification systems on the market. Any sporting goods store should have something you can use.

By carrying water or a sports drink that you can access right away, you won’t have to stop to purify water if you are in the middle of bugging out. Once you get to a safe place, you can collect and purify more water for drinking and cooking. Using this type of system, you’ll be able to keep your pack weight down while still addressing your basic survival needs.

Backpacking Safety Tips
By Natasha Fatale

The most important thing to think about when going on a backpacking adventure is to be prepared for anything. As the saying goes, if it can happen it will happen. These tips will help you avoid any misadventures and enjoy your backpacking trip to the fullest.

Keep Hydrated

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to keep yourself hydrated no matter what type of a backpacking trip you are on. The best way to do this of course is through the drinking of large amounts of water. You of course do not want to drink it all at once, but spread it out over the course of the day. Making sure that there is plenty of purified drinking water that is available for you and your entire group will lead to many happy campers.

It is important to note, that it does not matter what type of weather or what the temperatures that you are in when going on the trip, you will need to be hydrated. It may not be as obvious that you are losing fluids while on your trip in colder weather, but it is occurring nonetheless.

Dress for the Occasion

One of the most important pieces of clothing to a backpacker is their sleeping bag. This is the item that most do not think of as clothing, but in essence it is the clothes that you sleep in. Make sure that it has the proper ratings for the weather you will be encountering while on your trip.

Make sure to dress in layers as well so as to be able to put clothes on and off to adjust body temperature as necessary. Use your clothes as a thermostat regulator to prevent overheating and overexposure on the trip. Sun poisoning, heatstroke and hypothermia are all things to avoid.

Of course, you are going to want to take care of your feet as well while on your expedition. Make sure to wear hiking shoes or boots that will give you the necessary support so as to avoid twisted and sprained ankles. Do not forget to wear proper socks and sock liners so to prevent blisters and rubbing of the feet.

First Aid

Having an adequate first aid kit is one of the most essential pieces of equipment that you will need to carry on your trip. Make sure to of course have the bare essentials in the kit such as an ace bandage, band aids, burn cream and all other minimum items. Also, keep items to aid in rehydration if someone is dehydrated, such as a powdered electrolyte drink mix.

Make sure to keep things handy and to be ready for any type of danger encountered such as a snakebite kit, or emergency ice packs.

Food Safety

When you are going on a trip, food is always a good thing. Keeping it away from animals as well as safe for you are the two most important things to look at when going on a trip. Perishable items are never a good idea on any backpacking trip. This is because of the inability to keep them at the optimum temperature to preserve food quality.

When preparing food on a trip be sure to follow instructions and to use proper sanitation in order to limit the possibility of illness from poor preparation or cleanliness. The last thing that anyone wants is to be sick because someone did not clean the dishes properly. Wash, rinse and sanitize to ensure the safest practices. This goes for dishes and people as well.

Know the best food storage practices of the camp or area you are in. It could be hanging your food in a tree to avoid bears, or using provided lock boxes. Either way, you want to keep yourself and the animals safe by not allowing the food to fall into the wrong hands.

Know the Trek

Make yourself familiar with where you are going. Know what type of terrain you will encounter as well as the environment you will be in. These factors will go a long way in clothing, food and time decisions for your trip. These will also put you in better shape when it comes to being safe for your trip.

As always, be ready for anything and have a good idea of what you will encounter before heading out.

Just Roughin It offers backpacking adventure trips to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. Our experienced guides are well-trained and safety conscious, and your adventure trip package includes all your gear, so all you have to do is enjoy yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natasha_Fatale
Backpacking Safety Tips

Hiking Tip – How to Find Water in the Wilderness
By Pauline Go

Hiking is an adventurous outdoor activity which involves walking and trekking day and night. Getting lost or stranded in the wilderness is something that could happen to just about anyone. When you are trapped in the wilderness the single most important thing you need to survive is water. An adult can survive without food for many days but only a few days without water.

Finding water is, therefore, one of the most important wilderness survival skills otherwise dehydration will inevitably occur. Here are some techniques to find water in the wilderness whether you are in desert or in forest:

• First look for surface water such as streams, rivers and lakes. If you are not familiar with the area, then check the map for blue squiggly marks. Those marks indicate presence of streams and creeks. Animals and birds always know where the water is. So, be on the lookout for wildlife or animals tracks and birds flight paths. Lush green vegetation is also a sign that the water is nearby.

• Search beneath the surface of gravel washes and dry creek beds, even in the desert. These are the places where you can get water. Dig down a few feet.

• Rain and dew: Rain and dew water is safe for drinking and only needs collection. You can collect morning dew by soaking a cloth in long, wet grass. When the cloth is soaked squeeze it out directly into your mouth or container.

• Look for large tress and bushes or thick vegetation. This indicates seep nearby or beneath them. Dig down a few feet to get water.

• Transpiration technique: You can also collect potable water from tree and plants roots through the transpiration technique. Tie a plastic bag over a growing branch, which is exposed to the sun. Be careful not to puncture the bag. Keep a corner of the bag hanging low to collect water. Evaporation from leaves will produce condensation in the bag. This is an easy way to get pure drinking water.

In most part of the world, surface water is seldom pure. After finding surface water always purify it before drinking to avoid parasitic infestation. However, water collected from rainfall, ground, or from plants has enormous advantage of always being pure. Apart from this carry fruits like watermelon, coconut or pineapple when you are on hike these fruits will not only provide water but also necessary vitamins and minerals.

About Author:

Pauline Go is an online leading expert in medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like :

Importance of Aerobic Exercise, Hiking With Family

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go
Hiking Tip – How to Find Water in the Wilderness

Living in the wilderness for any length of time — even just a few days — takes some preparation. There’s more to it than just heading out in the wild and eating berries. You’ll need to tend to things like shelter, water, and fire.

I found this article about living and surviving in the wilderness. Read it…it’s full of great tips.

How to Live in the Wilderness

It’s important to keep rations in your house, and it’s pretty easy to do, too. There’s a lot of talk going around about creating a bug out bag and stocking it with MREs or similar foods. I know, because I do a lot of that talking. Today, however, I want to talk about rations in your home.

It’s important to be ready to bug out and leave town in the event of some disasters, like an approaching hurricane. There are some times, however, that you may need to just stay at home. If you live in areas with heavy winters, you might get snowed in, or be without power for a while. Life can be interrupted yet still allow you to — or make you — stay at home. In these cases, you still need to eat, and your microwave might not be working. What do you do?

It’s simple. Keep food that is relatively non-perishable and can be prepared with nothing more than water, a pot, and fire (or just eaten an room temperature). In my experience, so many people store just enough food in their pantry to get through the coming week. Then they go to the store and buy some more. I suggest having some items that you just keep for months at a time, in storage, in case you need it.

In large quantities, you could keep:

• Rice
• Beans
• Bottled water
• Canned fruit
• Canned vegetables
• Canned Soups

These are all easy to prepare, and will keep you fed and healthy enough until life returns to normal.

Keep all of these in a box in your pantry or garage (sealed up somehow, so no mice or other nasties get in there). Once every few months, go buy some more, and bring your current supply in the house for eating. Rotating your rations out means you’ll always have fresh, edible food in the event that you need it. Hopefully you never will, but it’s good to be prepared.

Remember to store rations in quantities that you will need to feed your family…and then add a little bit more on top of that. Keeping rations in your home is a simple security measure you can take, similar to locking your deadbolt or keeping a firearm near your bed. You may never have the need, but if you do, you’ll be glad you prepared.

I’m not sure if it’s the price of gas over the last couple of years, or just the economy in general, but MREs are more expensive than they used to be. While unfortunate, things like this are just going to happen. It seems like everything is more expensive than it was a few years ago.

But don’t worry. You can still pick up MREs at reasonable rates. I’m a firm believer in MREs — keeping them around for your bug out bag, bug-in disasters, or just to take with you when you head into the wild for some outdoor fun.

Here are the current prices on MREs at BDR Gear.

MRE Case – 12 Pack – No Heater: $88.75 ($7.40 per meal)

MRE Case – 12 Pack – WIth Heater: $92.99 ($7.75 per meal)

On a per-meal basis, they cost about the same as a fast-food meal for one. These, however, provide a lot more nutritional value and have a much longer shelf life. Perfect for bugging out (or in), and affordable, too.

Grab a case and divide it up amongst your family’s bug out bags, or just keep the meals where you need them. I’m going to have a video review of these meals soon, so you’ll be able to see exactly what comes in each one, and how big it is. The size is important for determining how many you will put in a bug out bag, get home bag, or even a purse (if you carry one).

Subscribe to the newsletter for notice of that post.

Rabbits are plentiful in many regions, so learning how to clean and prepare them could help you out in a survival situation. The article below comes complete with images, instructions, and a how-to video. In my opinion, the video is more informative than the article, but you can judge for yourself.

How to Eat Wild Rabbit

It’s been a while since I posted anything, hasn’t it. Listen for the details.

Download it here: OSI Special Announcement

In this episode, I talk about bug out bags. This information is introductory, but I think you should still listen if you already have a bug out bag. Learn stuff like:

• The Bag
• Best Practices
• Basic Content Guidelines

If you want more detailed information, here is the site I mention in the episode:

The Bug Out Bag Book

Download this episode here: OSI #4: The Bug Out Bag

You might have the warmest jacket around, but if you don’t layer your clothes, it may not be enough. Stacking your clothes in layers around your body is the best way to retain body heat when you are out in the elements.

As body heat escapes, your layers act as barriers to that escape. One layer will only retain so much body heat (the amount of retention varies), and the rest will escape. If you have two layers, the first will capture some of the heat and the rest will pass through. But that heat isn’t all going to get away from you. Another portion of it will be retained by your second layer, increasing your total percentage of heat retention. The more layers you add, the higher your retention will be.

There is something else to consider, too. Since your layers let some heat out, they are also capable of letting the cold in. You have to wear enough layers to not only retain body heat, but also to fight against the invading cold. An easy way to do this is to make sure your outer layer is thick and solid.

Many materials will work, but you need to make sure it is solid. Your grandmother’s knitted shawl might be pretty, but it won’t be very effective keeping out the biting wind. All those holes knitted in for looks will let the cold straight through!

Everyone is different, and everyone has varying levels of cold tolerance. For example, my wife says it’s freezing when I think it’s comfortable. Some people are just different. Take what you know about yourself and create a layer system that works for you. It can get really cold in some parts of the world, and you need to be prepared to deal with whatever weather nature throws at you.

Layer up and stay warm!

What is the most important survival tool? What does everyone need to have in their survival pack? In this episode of the OSI Podcast, I answer those questions and discuss the hows and the whys.

Download the episode here: OSI Podcast #3.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter so you can get announcements about new episodes as they come out!

Winter Backpacking Survival Tips
By Steven Gillman

Why do you need survival tips for winter backpacking? Because even with the most careful planning there is always a greater risk with winter camping. Of course, getting lost or having an accident is always a possibility, but cold weather makes either of these a more serious matter.

Winter Survival Tip Number One

Stay warm! This is obvious. Hypothermia is the single biggest danger for backpackers, killing far more people than accidents or wild animals. What isn’t always so obvious is how poor planning and not thinking on the trail leads to getting cold.

One cold autumn day, a friend of mine fell in a stream while we were backpacking. He was soon chilled pretty severely. He naturally thought this was just an accident, but looking back on it now, it is clear that we didn’t have a proper survival mind set.

Streams have to be crossed, of course, but we were crossing this one as evening approached. A better plan would have been to get the hiking done earlier in the day. Why? Because it leaves time to deal with accidents like this. It may have been sunny enough to get his clothes dried before nightfall, and it is always easier to find fuel for a fire in the daylight.

In addition, we knew the rocks were slippery, yet we crossed as we were. Seeing the potential for a fall, we could have removed our coats and put them in a plastic bag until we were across. Had we taken this simple precaution, my friend would have at least had a dry coat to put on later.

Had this happened in colder weather (it was above freezing) it could have been very serious. You have to stay warm to survive. To stay warm it helps to stay dry. To stay dry, you have to think.

Insulation

Staying warm is about staying insulated. The value of insulation is determined by the thickness of the air around you that isn’t moving. This is the air trapped in your down coat, and between layers of clothing. Always think in terms of insulation thickness. In planning, this means you need more “loft”in your sleeping bag in winter, and more (or thicker) layers of clothing.

In a survival situation, this means you should immediately look for a way to create more insulation. This can mean setting your sleeping bag on a pile of leaves, or sleeping under a pile of dried grass. You might even stuff your jacket (if it is loose) with the fluff from cattail or milkweed plants, in order to increase the insulation value.

More Winter Backpacking Survival Tips

- Check the weather report before you go, and plan accordingly.

- Be careful when it is near or just above freezing. It is easier to get wet than when it is really cold.

- Drink enough fluids. Dehydration can cause a drop in body temperature.

- Down coats are great – if you can keep them dry. They are almost worthless when wet.

- Avoid sweating, to avoid getting chilled from the moisture later.

- Don’t use cotton clothes in winter, because they get wet easily and then don’t insulate well.

- Have more than one way to start a fire (matches, lighter, fire starter, skills).

- Learn to make a fire in cold wet conditions, and practice.

In 2006, I was trying to climb Crestone Peak here in Colorado, after an early snow. I gave up at about 13,000 in four feet of snow. I was in running shoes, and was soaked from the knees down. It would be below freezing that night, and I had just a tarp and 17-ounce sleeping bag. Does that sound risky? I was actually well prepared.

First of all, it was clear and sunny, and forecast to remain so for days. Back down near the lakes the snow was patchy, with many areas of dry grass. I quickly made a thick mattress of dry grass and thistle stalks to sleep on. I had quit early, so I had many hours to dry my shoes, socks and pants in the sun. They were completely dry long before dark.

As a back-up plan, I had a small fire laid, with a piece of bark covering it in case of rain or snow (I never needed to light it). I drank plenty of water and had fatty foods, which create heat as they digest. I also had more dry socks, and other necessary supplies, despite my 11-pound total pack weight. As you can see, survival when winter backpacking is as much about planning and thinking as it is about good gear.

Copyright Steve Gillman. To get the ebook “Ultralight Backpacking Secrets (And Wilderness Survival Tips)” for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Winter Backpacking Survival Tips

If you are in the market for a new multi-tool, check out the Gerber 600. I’ve got one and it’s pretty good. Here’s a little video review of it — more of a run-down of it’s details, really.

Interested? You can pick one up at BDR Gear: Gerber Multi-Plier 600

It’s important to think of “Sustainable Living” as a valuable survival skill. Think of it more like a self-sustaining lifestyle. These skills can help you both survive a crisis and improve your day to day life.

In this episode, I talk about why sustainable living skills are important, and then talk about which ones I think are the most important. If you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment with your ideas.

You can either listen to the episode below, or download it to listen whenever you want.

Download: OSI #2: Sustainable Living

Don’t worry, the next episode of the OSI Podcast is going online in a day or two. It’s been a pretty busy week. Keep in mind that I haven’t decided on a production schedule yet, so it’s not actually late.

The ducks are coming! According to the recent satellite tracking, the ducks are finally starting to make it down from the North. Maybe I’ll be able to get a few this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for the Podcast!

In this episode of the OSI Podcast, I talk about the importance of the “survival mindset.” I also go on to give you tips for maintaining the proper mindset during a crisis. This is practical information that should benefit everyone.

Download the episode here: OSI Episode 1

I went duck hunting this morning — opening day here in Arkansas. Apparently, not enough ducks have made it down from the North yet…because I only saw one flock anywhere near shooting range. Well, they were out of shooting range by just a bit, and they flat out refused to be called in.

I might have been the only one out there who was “unlucky.” Apparenlty, if I had a boat, I would have been shooting a lot. I heard a bunch of shots in the distance, over toward the main lake in the Wildlife Management Area I was on — Henry Gray Hurricane Lake outside of Bald Knob, AR. Someone was getting some ducks. There just weren’t any in my area.

When I got back, I checked the Mallard Satellite Tracking Program, and it looks like there are still a lot of ducks in the North. Hopefully they’ll hurry down.

On a related note, I got some waders so that I don’t get hypothermia and die. No boat, but I can walk in the water. I didn’t get the neoprene-style waders, mainly because I needed two pairs (one for me and one for my oldest kid), and my wife would have chewed me out for spending $200 on waders. So I spent $80 and got two pairs of Hodgman’s heavy-duty rubber chest waders. These are the kind that have the steel-shank boots on them. Picked up mine at Wal-Mart. Here’s what they look like: Rubber Chest Waders.

If you get these, or something like them, make sure that you wear enough warm stuff. These waders are not insulated at all. I had on thermal underwear, bdu pants, a pair of running socks, and then my thermal boot socks. My legs were OK, but my toes got cold. Of course, I was standing in ice water. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try putting one of those pocket warmers in the toe of each boot. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Keep an eye out for those ducks! And I need to get a boat…

Since it’s deer season, I was skimming over the venison section of my copy of Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game, by By John Mettler, Jr., DVM. If you are interested in sustainable living, hunting, or ranch life, you need to read this book.

It covers killing, skinning, quartering, and butchering of several popular livestock and game animals. It does this with detailed instructions and illustrations. Here are some of the meats you can learn to butcher from this book:

• Beef
• Veal
• Pork
• Lamb
• Poultry
• Venison

There’s even a section for less popular (in America) meats such as goat, and over 30 recipes at the end of the book. Basically, this book walks you through taking the animal from the field to the table. This book is a must-have reference for anyone looking to take care of their own meat.

Pick up a copy at Amazon.com:

Don’t get enough outdoor and survival content from the blog alone? Your wait and your searching will soon be at an end!

OK, enough with the melodrama. I’m going to be putting together an outdoor and survival themed podcast. If you are a newsletter subscriber, you already know this. If not…now you know. Keep an eye on site (or just subscribe to the newsletter — on the left) to find out when the first episode is launched.

If you want to learn how to create a bug out bag that meets your needs, I’ve got a resource for you.

It’s The Bug Out Bag Book, and it’s packed full of bug out bag how-to. This book is all about building a bug out bag, from the bag all the way to optional accessories.

Not only will you get gear selection tips, but you’ll also get the “why” for everything that goes into your bag. You’ll know what to pack and why you packed it.

You’ll even get some “additional considerations” about how to customize the bag to your individual needs. Since people have different needs, it’s great to have a guide that discusses meeting those needs with your bug out bag.

Don’t wait around for some natural disaster to hit too close to home. Build a bug out bag now. Get the book, get your gear, and be prepared for whatever might come your way.

It’s always going to be worth the time and effort to prepare. You wear a seatbelt, don’t you? You keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire, right? Build a bug out bag and be ready in the event that disaster hits home.

Check it out here: The Bug Out Bag Book.

I went to the range yesterday and got my rifle basically where it needs to be. I’ve got a 100 yard indoor rifle range here, which is nice. I had bore sighted the rifle using a laser bore sighter, but I still had to work a bit to get the rounds to land where they needed.

After a while I got it working really good. Now let’s see if I can find some deer!

If you install a scope on your Marlin 336 rifle, you will probably need to install the included hammer spur. The Marlin 336 comes with a hammer spur, and it’s really easy to install. If your Marlin rifle didn’t come with one, or if you lost your spur, just contact your local gun shop to order one for you.

Here is what came with my rifle:

See the little red thing on the end of the allen wrench? That’s the screw that will hold your hammer spur in place. It does an OK job, but if you work the hammer a lot, you might need to re-tighten it. To install, you just slide the spur on the hammer as far as it will go. There are two little grooves on the side of hammer, so the spur will stop when it gets there. Do this next:

Just tighten it up nice and snug, and then remove the allen wrench. Simple. Make sure it’s tight, but not so tight that you break the allen wrench. Here’s what you get when you’re done:

Some things to keep in mind: You might not need it, and you might need to tighten it from time to time.

Remember, this spur might come loose. Just keep the allen wrench handy for re-tightening, or contact your gunsmith for some kind of firearm adhesive (locktite or similar…talk to a professional).

When I say that you might not need it, you’ll just have to look at you and your setup to see if you can do without it. I have a 50mm scope, so I have the tall scope mounts for the clearance. I also have average-sized thumbs. So there’s plenty of room to work the hammer without the spur. I’ve tried it several times, and it just works out. If there is any question about your ability to work the hammer, stick with the hammer spur. Don’t risk an accident!

The installation only takes a few second, so go ahead and put it on there. Besides it’s obvious benefit for scopes, the hammer spur will also help out when removing the action for cleaning. But I won’t show you that here. Next time I’ll write a little how-to article for stripping your Marlin 336 for cleaning. Don’t worry, that’s easy, too. Subscribe to the RSS feed or the email newsletter to get notice of it.

Here is a how-to great article about recycling an old circular saw blade into a nice guthook knife. Use it for hunting, toss it your bug out bag… Read the article here:

How to Make a Guthook Knife from an Old Saw Blade

I’ve got my scope mounted on my weaver base, and I’m ready to bore sight. I think I’ll pick up a laser bore sighter and use that to get the scope set up initially. Then I’ll work on zeroing it.

I’m really looking forward to some pin-point accuracy with such a fun and functional rifle. I’ll need to do this all within the next few weeks, as modern gun deer season starts soon. I’m going to scout some in the woods this weekend while squirrel hunting. Hopefully I’ll see some good deer sign. Maybe they haven’t moved very far from where they were last year.

I hope that this season is better than last year. The weather was so screwed up, I don’t think the deer knew what to do with themselves. It would be a shame if I didn’t even get to test this rifle out in the field because everything is screwy again this year. Here’s to hoping for the best…

Desert Survival – Water and Terrain Tactics
By Mac Ward

You must prepare and understand the environment your facing in order to survive an arid or desert climate. You’ll need to determine your equipment needs, the tactics you’ll be using, and how the environment will effect your equipment and tactics. Your survival will depend on your knowledge of terrain, basic climate elements, your ability to cope with these elements, and your will to survive.

Terrain

Most desert areas have several types of terrain.

• Mountainous
• Rocky plateau
• Sand dunes
• Salt marshes
• Broken, dissected terrain

Desert terrain makes movement complex and demanding. Land navigation will be extremely complex as there are very few landmarks.

Water

A key factor in desert survival is understanding the connection between physical activity, air temperature, and water consumption. The body requires a specific amount of water for a certain level of activity at a certain temperature. For example, a person performing hard work in the sun at 43 degrees C requires 19 liters of water a day. Lack of the required amount of water causes a quick decline in an individual’s ability to make decisions and to perform tasks efficiently. Your typical body temperature is 36.9 degrees C (98.6 degrees F). Your body gets rid of excess heat by sweating. The hotter your body becomes the more you sweat. The more you sweat the more water you lose. Sweating is the principal cause of water loss. If a person stops sweating during periods of high air temperature and heavy work or exercise, he or she will quickly develop heat stroke. This is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

Make the most of your water supply!

• Find shade and get out of the sun
• Place something between you and the hot ground
• Limit your movements
• Conserve your sweat by wearing a full outfit. This will protect you from hot-blowing winds and direct rays form the sun, also your clothes will absorb your sweat wich will in turn help you stay cool longer.
• If water is scarce try to limit food intake. Food requires water for digestion.
• At temperatures below 38 degrees C. drink half a liter of water an hour.
• At temperatures above 38 degrees C, drink 1 liter of water every hour.

Check out my site! and another one of my articles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mac_Ward
Desert Survival – Water and Terrain Tactics

Outdoor Survival Tips – Ten Uncommon Ones
By Steven Gillman

The outdoor survival tips you’ll find here are not the usual fare. They come from the unusual techniques that myself and others have experimented with. Keep them in mind in case the day comes when you are lost in the wilderness.

Outdoor Survival Tips – Fire Making

1. Pull a piece of pack rat nest loose to use for tinder. These are usually found under rock ledges and in small caves, so they are dry even when it is raining. They are commonly full of plant fuzz, dry grass and other flammable materials.

2. Polish the bottom of an aluminum pop or beer can, and you can use it to focus the sun’s rays to start a fire. Chocolate has been used to do the polishing, but you can also experiment with various natural substances. This is not easy, and probably not possible if the sun is too low, or the can not shiny enough, but I have seen it work. Point the can-bottom at the sun and focus the rays to a small point of light on a piece of natural tinder or paper (a dollar bill works well).

3. Another good source of dry tinder is from old milkweed pods. These often cling to the stalks all winter, and some of them usually have silky seed fuzz still in them, which can be dry even during pouring rain. Any source of flame, or even a spark will ignite this.

4. Bottles and other glass can be used like a magnifying glass to start a fire. Ever since the first forest fire investigator traced the cause of a fire back to a discarded pop bottle, we have known that in bright sunlight, various types of glass can focus the rays to start a fire. You might want to try your own eyeglasses as well, especially if they are a thick prescription.

5. Another source of dry tinder during wet weather is under things. Specifically, look under leaves for dry leaves, or under large logs for anything dry and flammable.

More Outdoor Survival Tips

6. Keep batteries against your body, or at least in your clothing during cold weather. They lose their power more quickly if they are cold, and depending on what they are for, they may be crucial to your survival.

7. To cross a stream on a slippery log, throw some sand, grainy dirt or gravel on it. It will provide some traction. Using any stick for balance helps as well.

8. Lost in the desert, but still have your tent? Use it to collect water. Let the rain fly drape over it, directly against it, so moisture won’t escape as it is normally supposed to. The resulting condensation may collect in small puddles on the tent floor. Scoop it up or drink it directly. You can also mop up moisture on the walls with a small piece of cloth and then wring out the water to drink it. This works especially well on cold nights.

9. Need food? Trout often hang out where faster water dumps into pools, so look there first. You can sometimes chase them into shallows and catch them by hand, which usually means scooping them up quickly and throwing them onto the shore. As a child, I regularly caught fish of several types by hand.

10. No shoes? Losing or destroying your footwear is always a possibility in a survival situation. If it happens, find pine trees that are oozing sap. Scrape it off with a piece of bark or wood. Spread it thickly on the soles of your feet, using it to glue strips of a soft bark to them. Cedar bark works well. It will provide some protection while you are walking. In cold weather, you may also want to cover your feet with plastic bags full of cattail seed fluff, to keep them warm.

Copyright Steve Gillman. See the Wilderness Survival Guide for more tips, and get a free backpacking and outdoor survival book, as well as photos, and gear recommendations, at: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com/wilderness-survival-guide.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Outdoor Survival Tips – Ten Uncommon Ones

Here’s a little slide show video I put together of my scope base project:

Rifle: Marlin 336

Hardware: Weaver two-piece scope base for Marlin 336

Tools: 2 flat head screwdrivers – one tiny, one regular

I’ve decided to put a scope on my beloved Marlin 336 .30-30 lever action rifle. It’s such a great rifle, but I want to improve my chances of filling the freezer with venison this year. Here’s how I did it.

First off, Marlin 336 comes drilled and tapped for a scope. But there isn’t a base and there aren’t any rings. So you’ll have to buy them if you want to mount a scope. And, of course, you’ll have to buy a scope, too.

First, locate the screws:

The screws are small, so you’ll need a small flat-head screwdriver. I used the largest one in my little jewelry-type driver set.

Here are the removed screws:

Now we can see the mount points clearly. They go all the way through the receiver. If you are going to use some type of screw adhesive, do it very carefully! You don’t want to get any in the action.

Here is the two-part base I’m going to mount on the rifle. It’s a Weaver base made for the Marlin 336 and similar rifles. The package lists all compatible rifles on the back. Here are the mounts:

I just used a standard small-ish flat-head driver to mount the bases. It was super easy. They line up just right, and I can still use the iron sights if there is no scope mounted. Here are a couple of shots of the completed job:

and

The job took only a couple of minutes total, and that includes stopping to take some photos. Now I just need to decide what scope I want on it. I’m on a budget this year, so it will have to be an inexpensive model. I guess it’s back to Wal-Mart after I get paid again!

Maxpedition gear is now available at BDR Gear. Here’s the page with all the current products: Maxpedition Gear. Based on all of the reports and reviews I’ve seen so far, the Maxpedition line is top notch. I’m talking gear suited for both every day use and while working in hostile conditions.

I’ve been carrying all of my daily gear around in a messenger bag, but after seen the Maxpedition gear, I think I’m going to have to upgrade. Even though it’s big, I’m going to go for the Maxpedition Colossus Versipack. That should have plenty of room to carry my gear…and then some.

Sure, I’ll have a man-purse, also known as a “murse,” but who cares? I usually have to wear something with cargo pockets every day, just so I can fit all of my gear. If I start carrying around a gear bag everywhere, then that means less junk for my pockets. And that means two things: 1) I’ll be more comfortable while carrying my gear around, and 2) I’ll have more style choices when choosing my pants.

On top of all that, this bag will probably make a really good get home bag. Well, I guess that’s what it will end up being if I use it as an EDC (every day carry) bag.

When I get it, I’ll take some pictures and write up a review. I might even get adventurous and video the review for you. In the mean time, head over there and take a look. Who knows… you might find something you’ve gotta have.

If you haven’t already, head over to the Survival Video page and check it out. Learn how to make shelters and see a bunch of other outdoor and survival oriented videos.

The video content is updated regularly, so check it out and see what’s there!

Notice the last Outdoor Survival Info newsletter? I’ve changed the subject line a little bit so that you can more quickly see what’s in the issue.

“Outdoor Survival Info” takes up a lot of space. So I’ve changed the format. From now on, the subject line will read “[OSI] – main article subject.” I think this will help you guys out a bit. You will be able to, at a glance, decide if the article is something you want to read now, later, or not at all.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Survival Kits. Bug out bags. Disaster prep kits. They are all the same basic thing: Gear you may need in an emergency. A large disaster will likely require all of the gear in your kit, but other times you just may need one or two things. Being prepared is the smart thing to do.

A survival kit is basically a bag (usually a backpack) that is filled with emergency items. Some of these items would be food, water, first aid supplies, a knife, a poncho, and similar. The actual contents of any emergency kit should meet your particular needs, but there are some staple items common among all emergency gear kits — which would be what I named a moment ago.

At the very least, each person should have a bag packed and ready to go that contains food, water, and something for warmth. Fortunately, there are some pre-made solutions out there — emergency gear packs with the gear already packed in them. All you do is add some customizations to meet your particular needs, and you’re good to go. There’s no need to spend a bundle of money and a lot of time buying all the gear individually, unless you just want to.

Emergencies happen all the time, but not everywhere at the same time. Even something as simple as a tornado warning is cause enough to grab your gear bag. The world doesn’t have to be at war for you to be ready to take care of yourself if you ever need to.

You can see some ready-made survival kits at BDR Gear.

Tips For Buying a Rifle Scope
By Brady Ritsema

When you are considering buying a rifle scope, you’ll soon come up against more choices than you know what to do with! If you last bought a scope several years ago, or you have never owned one at all, the variety of scopes can leave you a little bit concerned about which one is the best choice for you. When you are thinking about getting a scope, you’ll find that your choice can be much simpler if you only keep a few things in mind. Remember that the best scope is not necessarily the most expensive one; it will be the one that suits you the best.

The first thing to think about is what conditions you will be hunting in. Some people only hunt in fair to good conditions, while others take a real pride in going out regardless of the weather. Take some time to read the fine print, and figure out what conditions your rifle scope can deal with. For instance, you’ll find that Bushnell rifle scopes are known for their water-repellent lens coating, making them a natural choice in rain, sleet or even snow.

Also, you’ll find that you will want a rifle scope where the size of the forward lens, also known as the objective lens is one that is comfortable for you. The larger this lens is, the brighter the view will be. If you often hunt in low-light conditions, like daybreak or dusk, you’ll find that the more clearly it will show you your target. Make sure that you test out these lenses if at all possible. Keep in mind that there is a drawback in that the larger the forward lens is, the further forward it will need to be mounted on the gun and the less natural your sighting process will be. Make sure that you are comfortable with the amount of adjustment that you need to do.

You’ll also find that some lenses are known for their all-purpose durability. For instance, the Nikon rifle scopes are known for their endurance no matter what the condition, and many have praised it’s crystal clear edge-to-edge view. You’ll find that these lenses have also be coated with several layers of anti-reflective compounds, thus improving your vision will preventing you from spooking your prey with a tell-tale glint.

As always, whenever you are thinking about purchasing something that carries an impressive price tag, remember that you will want to get a warranty with it. No matter how reliable the company, and Bushnell rifescopes and Nikon riflescopes are known for their reliability, it is still possible that there is a problem with the product. If you have a warranty, you can make sure that you recoup your money and get a replacement if there is some sort of factory defect. Similarly, make sure that the rifle scope has a great deal of adjustment available to you; some hunters will refuse to buy rifle scopes that don’t have at least 60 inches of adjustment available.

Take some time to figure out what you really need from your rifle scope, and then look around and make sure that you get it it!

Find Bushnell Riflescopes and Nikon Riflescopes along with a large selection of Binoculars at http://scopesbinoculars.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brady_Ritsema
Tips For Buying a Rifle Scope

Remember when I said I was growing tomatoes as a part of my own education regarding sustainable living? Well, they’re not as hard to grow as some people make them out to be, and they are quite tasty, too.

So far, I’ve had three tomatoes come off of my little container plants. And they were much better tasting than any I’ve bought at a store in recent years. In addition to the food, I learned about care of a tomato plant and how to rid it of leaf fungus. Trials and tribulations indeed.

I’ve been keeping the two plants in good health and they are producing many more tomatoes. A few of them will be ready for harvest in a few days. This gardening thing is kind of fun. From a survival perspective, I now have another sustainable living skill in my toolbox.

You should try it out. You might like it.

Survival Shelters – What Works Best?
By Steven Gillman

All the various types of survival shelters serve one basic purpose, and it isn’t to have an attractive home for your night in the woods. Of course there might be some psychological value to certain styles. There may occasionally be a need for protection from animals as well. But the primary purpose of a survival shelter is to keep your body temperature up.

It is hypothermia – loss of body heat – that causes most deaths in survival situations. A good shelter prevents this in the following ways:

1. It keeps out the wind.

2. It keeps out the rain or snow.

3. It creates space that can be heated by your body, or with a fire and other means.

People with no skills will sometimes survive in circumstances where others with survival knowledge have died. Why is this? It can be their knowledge or intuition of the principles involved in survival. Knowing how to build a lean-to shelter using natural materials is great, but a lost hiker with no skills might be more likely to survive by burying himself for the night in a pile of dry leaves and grass. Perhaps he simply recognizes that it’s easier for his body to heat the space under those leaves than a larger space in a lean-to shelter.

Sometimes a little understanding of the principles involved and a willingness to think is more important than specific skills. Of course, even better would be thinking, understanding and having the specific knowledge and skills to build various survival shelters.

Survival Shelters

Look at what is available, and consider how you can use it. A rock to get behind might block the wind. A large downed tree might work too. A snow cave is also good for keeping out the wind. Even if you have a tent, a wall of snow blocks can help keep the wind out. Setting up camp in the right place makes all the difference in how much wind you are exposed to.

When rain or snow are likely, a shelter that can keep you dry becomes crucial. Again, look around. How can anything and everything be used? A broken canoe might be worthless for getting you down the river, but it still could be used as a shelter, or as part of a roof. Plastic garbage bags and any other plastic in your backpack might be used for roofing. A cave or overhanging ledge can be a great way to get out of the rain and snow.

Consider the materials around you in terms of how waterproof they are, and how you can use them. Pieces of birch bark can be pulled from rotten logs, for example, and layered over a lean-to like shingles to keep the rain out. Other tree barks may work for this. Cardboard, pieces of a wrecked plane, and large leaves can be used as roofing materials as well.

You can get wet from below as well. For example, a snow cave or shelter made of snow blocks will keep the snow from falling on you, but you can get soaked from the snow underneath you. When the ground is wet, make a floor of plastic or evergreen branches or grass. If materials are limited, try sleep sitting up to decrease the amount of your body that is exposed to the wet and cold ground.

How much space you create with your survival shelter is crucial if it is cold. Make it too big and the temperature inside will be almost the same as outside. You need a small enough space that your body heat or candle or small fire will be able to heat it. A pile of dry grass with a plastic sheet spread over it (crawl inside), for example, is more likely to keep you warm than a large lean-to with a fire in front.

Mix and match the various styles of shelters. Get creative. The snow might not be suitable for an igloo, for example, but a lean-to of evergreen boughs could be covered with crusty pieces of snow for extra insulation. A pile of dry grass or small brush shelter inside a cave would give you rain protection while reducing the space that has to be heated. The ultimate in survival shelters? Whatever works for your situation.

Copyright Steve Gillman. See the page “Survival Shelters” for more on specific shelters, including illustrations: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com/survival-shelters.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Survival Shelters – What Works Best?

What to Look For When Purchasing a Rifle Scope
By Joshua McNiel

Here, you will be introduced to what to look for when purchasing a rifle scope. As a result of my experience in law enforcement in the past, I can honestly say that this device is essential if you are working the streets as an officer, other areas in the criminal justice field, or working in the capacity of military positions. Many individuals who engage in target practice, or engage in hunting may also find that this is an essential element to the standard rifle that is used.

As you observe your rifle, you will notice that it has many unique characteristics. In addition to this, rifles all shoot in their own way. The basis of the actual firing characteristics is dependent upon many different factors.

First, the grains of the ammunition that you use will play a large role in the way that the weapon fires and the accuracy of that weapon. Secondly, the manufacturer of the ammunition may affect this function. The length and width of the rifle, as well as the weight of the gun will also play a role in determining the overall accuracy of the weapon. Having a rifle scope is an effective strategy behind exact accuracy.

There are a number of benefits of accuracy when shooting a rifle. The following details some of these advantages:

1. By having an accurate shot with your rifle, you can actually engage in shooting that is long range. This means that you can aim at any target, near or far, and have precision accuracy with little to no complications.

2. By using a scope on your rifle, you can enjoy the benefit of recovering more quickly after each shot.

3. By using a rifle scope, you can get a detailed estimation of the space between your weapon and your target.

4. To ensure that you hit the designated target, the scope that can be attached to your weapon can assist you in the area of properly identifying the target that your rifle is bearing down on. This is especially helpful in careers, such as law enforcement and those positions in the military.

When purchasing a rifle scope, it is important that you consider the following:

1. The first thing that you should consider when it comes to purchasing this component for your rifle is the amount of money that you have that can be budgeted to the purchase. There are many scopes out there that can cost as much as over $1000! You want to be certain that you know exactly how much you have to spend, and the most that you can spend on this product.

2. The second thing that you will want to think about is the overall size of the lens that you prefer for your rifle scope. If you select a large lens, you will be able to have a higher level of power than if you select a small lens. In addition to this, larger lens on rifle scoops permit for a larger viewing area.

3. The next thing that you should consider is the overall power setting that comes in included with the scope that you are considering. If you need to see your target in a distinct manner, then it is important to have a large power setting. This way, you can properly identify your target – with no questions whatsoever.

There are many benefits to having a scope on your rifle. Here, you have been introduced to many different advantages associated with rifle scopes, as well as some main points to consider when it comes to actually purchasing your scope. If you are thinking about a scope for your weapon, let this article serve as a guide to assist you in your purchasing decision.

Visit our website to shop for rifle scopes, and tactical rifle scopes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_McNiel
What to Look For When Purchasing a Rifle Scope

This summer is turning out to be a bit on the warm side. I shouldn’t be surprised. Summer is supposed to be hot after all.

Want to beat the heat? There’s one simple solution: Hydrate. That’s right. Drink plenty of water and you’ll feel better about being in the heat. Just be sure to take in enough sodium with that water so you don’t accidentally flush the salt from your organs and die. Mix in a few sports drinks and you’ll be fine.

I’ve found, through my own experience, that you can do a lot in the heat so long as you are properly hydrated. Just because it’s hot doesn’t mean you can’t get out and enjoy your summer. Stay hydrated, keep enough salt in your system, and you’ll be able to do more and feel energetic. Just don’t overdo it.

How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival – Tactics For Hiking and Camping
By Mo Plante

The outdoors is a beautiful place in which nature is at its best. While the places you may spend your time in at the wilderness seem very safe, there are certain precautions that every person, even the seasoned hiker or camper needs to take. A first aid kit is absolutely essential on even the shortest outdoor excursions. A simple collection of antiseptic, bandages, and hydrocortisone cream should meet the needs of most minor injuries. For more serious injuries a cellular phone will prove to be very valuable or know the locations of the nearest phones that provide service to ranger stations.

Aside from having your first aid kit and way to communicate, the best way to protect you from perils of the outdoors is to know the area in which you are camping or hiking. You would not want to be dropped off in the middle of a huge city that you were not familiar with and the woods should be treated with same respect. By knowing your area, the climate for that particular time of year is very crucial. Not having the appropriate clothing to withstand the weather could cause great harm to you and your family. Remember that a lot of areas temperature range can vary by as much as 40 to 50 degrees between daylight and nighttime hours. To help combat temperature changes the proper equipment can make life out on the terrain a little easier. There are tents and sleeping bags designed for particular temperature ranges that will help keep your body temperature at a safe level. Hypothermia and heat exhaustion are two serious concerns that happen readily to unprepared campers and hikers.

The next point of interest is food and water. Your body will require water to survive. At least 2 liters of water needs to be available daily to sustain your body need for water. While this can be obtained from streams, wells, and other natural resources, it is always a good idea to add some bottled water to your pack. Dried foods can also be packed which are typically light such as MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), and dried fruits and vegetables. A little research can also provide you with naturally occurring food sources for the area you plan on scouting. Do not eat anything that you have not thoroughly researched, as many fruits and plants can look absolutely delicious but prove to be poisonous. Wild game can also be captured for those with knowledge of trapping or hunting. An important thing to remember when eating wild game is that you risk infection of diseases but will help keep the pack weight down and provide you with the variety of diet that you need for longer excursions.

For those skilled and experienced campers and hikers, creating a fire may not be that difficult. However, depending on climate and amount of materials available to start a fire could prove a hard task for the more inexperienced hikers or campers. To make life out in the wild a little easier, waterproof matches would help start a fire easily. Two blocks of flint could also be used and of course if all else fails two dry sticks can give you that little amber you need to start your cooking fire. Pine straw and other dried vegetation are ideal for getting a fire started, but you will also need to locate larger wood sources to keep your fire going for an extended period of time. When you go out venturing for wood, do not travel alone. When possible, always try to travel with a friend in case danger does arise.

Navigation can make or break an experience in the wild. The surroundings are all typically the same no matter what direction you walk in. Landmarks are few and far in between. A compass is highly suggested along with a small map of the area in which you will be staying. Long sleeves and pants will help keep you from being injured from briars and other hazards as well as limit fresh skin available for insects. If you get completely lost this attire should be able to get through the night in many terrains, and leave items that are not needed as landmarks to help others track you or to let you know if you have been walking in circles. When all else fails, a flare gun should have been a part of your survival kit. This should then be fire when times are getting hard. Once the flare has been fired you need to stay at that location.

Some of the more common insects and animals that could pose a problem in the wild are leeches, mosquitoes, and bears. If for any reason you pick up a few leeches on your skin, it is important not to remove them without use of salt or alcohol. This is due to the jaws being left in the skin which can then become infected. Bug spray and netting should be used to prevent an abundance of mosquito and other insect bites as they are prone to diseases and infections. For addressing bears, all food needs to be kept in sealable containers to prevent the scent traveling and inviting a bear into your campsite. This is only a few of the many dangers that the wild possesses. It is important to research the natural inhabitants of any new area you plan to visit.

Another primary concern is animal bites such as spiders, snakes, and scorpions. Many breeds of these animals come packed with a toxic bite. Whether it be a black widow spider, rattlesnake, or other animal you need to know how to handle yourself. The vital part to helping a fellow camper or hiker that has been bitten is to clean the infected area well, and tie a piece of material or belt above the wound. This will help prevent infection and slow the movement of the poison throughout the body. Emergency officials need to be reached immediately if the bite is determined to come from a poisonous animal. An easy way to tell with snake bites are if a row of teeth appears it is typically a non-venomous snake, while if two distinct puncture marks are shown with or without the row of other teeth, it is a good assumption that the snake was poisonous. The next step is to assure that someone is monitoring the bitten person for changes in status. It often takes some time for symptoms to begin to appear. Treat the symptoms as best as possible with your first aid kits and seek help. The myth of sucking out venom is simply that and not suggested.

Now that we have covered the basics of outdoor survival, it is up to you to educate yourself on the specific surroundings that you will be camping or hiking. Knowledge is what will keep you alive out there, while ignorance does not have a pleasant ending.

Get outdoor survival kits and packs , we have the tools to help you survive in the outdoors

SurvivalPacks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mo_Plante
How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival Tactics For Hiking and Camping

I’m writing a book all about the Bug out Bag. It’s a handy thing, yet many people know little or nothing about them, how to construct them, or why it’s a good idea to have one in your home.

The book will be an eBook, so it will be available for instant download. I don’t have an ETA yet, but it won’t be long. Two or three years, tops. Kidding. I’m kidding. I’ll let you guys know more as I figure it all out.

I’ll be selling the book, but a few of you will be able to get your hands on it for free. So keep an eye out for more details, a page about the book, teaser samples, and more.

Fishing is such a great survival skill to have. After all, if you can’t eat, it’s hard to survive. Beyond the possibility of being stuck in a survival situation, you must keep in mind that fishing is just plain fun.

Largemouth bass are quite popular, and mastering the bass takes years of practice and nearly endless patience. You can, however, cut a few corners. Bass fishing is a skill like any other, and it’s best to learn by doing. But you don’t have to spend years and years honing your skills if you just take a little time out to learn some tips and tricks.

Here’s a Largemouth Bass fishing techniques book you can use to get a jump on the fish and take your game to a higher level. Learn to catch some fish.

Dangerous Australian Wildlife – How To Avoid Getting In Trouble
By Rita Amend

Australia is well known for its unique wildlife. Everyone loves koalas and kangaroos. Unfortunately, there are other species which can really hurt, or even kill you. I don’t want to scare you, far from it! Know what to find there, and you’ll be right.

Crocodiles, Box Jellyfishes (Sea Wasps) and Stonefishes

Australia’s beautiful beaches and coastal areas inhabit some of the most dangerous Australian animals.

• The Box Jellyfish or Sea Wasp causes more deaths than snakes, salt water crocodiles and sharks together. It is abundant along the northern tropical coastlines during the Australian summer. Sea Wasps fire an extremely powerful venom when you come in contact with them.
• Saltwater Crocodiles or Estuarine Crocodiles live in rivers and freshwater swamps along the coastline in northern Australia. Salties grow up to 5 m, some exemplars get even a bit bigger. They have powerful jaws that won’t give you any chance to escape once they have grabbed you. Salties are the world’s largest reptiles. They are protected in Australia.
• The Stonefish can be found among rocks in shallow waters on beaches and islands north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Its venomous spines release a toxin that causes severe pain and shock.

How to avoid trouble and first aid

1. Obey the signs that warn you about Saltwater Crocodiles and the Box Jellyfish along rivers and beaches.
2. Wear shows while walking in water on stony beaches and coral islands.
3. Vinegar inactivates the stinging cells of the Box Jellyfish and should be poured over the tentacles before you remove them from a victim.
4. Bath the stung area of Stonefish stings in hot water to reduce the pain.

Transport victims to hospital as soon as possible. Antivenom for Stonefish and Box Jellyfish is available.

Australian snakes and spiders

Snakes and spiders are found all over Australia, in the cities and the Outback. There are a few snakes species supposed to be the most venomous in the world. Unless feeling trapped, snakes and spiders won’t “attack” humans. Leave them alone, and they won’t do you any harm.

How to prevent snake bites?

• Most snake bites happen due to silly behaviour. Don’t provoke them, don’t try to catch or kill a snake.
• Wear socks and boots when walking in high grass.
• Don’t lift large rocks and dead wood.
• When you see a snake, stamp your feet and let is slither away.

First aid for snake bites

• Don’t cut the wound, don’t wash it either.
• Don’t put ice on the wound.
• Immediately apply a pressure immobilisation bandage as you would do to treat a sprained ankle. The bandage slows down the movement of the venom. But don’t make it too firm. The bandage shouldn’t stop the blood flow, and should stay in place until a doctor looks after the victim.

First aid for spider bites

• Spider bites by big black spiders should be treated as funnel web bites. Apply a pressure immobilization bandage. Seek medical advice as soon as possible. Antivenom is available.
• Redback spider bites are painful. Apply an ice pack to relieve the pain. Antivenom is available but only given if the pain consists, and/or symptoms like headache and nausea develop.

Now that you know a little about the dangerous Australian wildlife, do you feel better prepared? I really hope so. Please do never forget, the risk of getting hurt in a car accident is much higher than being hurt by any Australian animal. Be careful, but don’t worry too much.

Enjoy Australia’s unique wildlife.

Rita Amend loves traveling, especially to Australia. Her trips to Australia covered more that 30,000 km of rough and bumpy Outback roads, and lonely highways in the central and eastern Outback.

Rita Amend is the author and owner of Rita’s Outback Guide. The Guide aims at independent travelers, and covers extensive tips on Outback driving, track descriptions, and a section about Australian animals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rita_Amend
Dangerous Australian Wildlife – How To Avoid Getting In Trouble

Here are two pictures of my growing tomatoes. These pictures are a few days old (maybe 4 or 5), and the tomatoes have grown a lot since then.

And here is a picture with my hand up to it so you can get some size perspective.

Those in the picture have grown so much since I snapped these photos. I’ll take more pictures once they start to turn red. I have no idea when that will be, but at the rate they are growing, it will be soon. The two plants in that planter have doubled in size since I bought them. At last count, I had six tomatoes growing. Besides that, I have many flowers getting ready to bloom.

And since the flowers are where the tomatoes are going to show up, I’m looking to have a great yield. Which is good because tomatoes are very healthy.

The Bit of Archery History
By Linda Thompson

The history of archery is an interesting one, by following the evolution of archery we also follow the history of mankind which is so closely linked.

Throughout the world we have found evidence of ancient archery, even in places where in the past it was thought that the bow and arrow was not used, such as Australia.

It is thought that archery most likely dates back to around 20,000 BC which is in the Stone Age, but the ancient Egyptians are credited as being the oldest known people to have used the bow and arrow. Archery was adopted by the ancient Egyptians at least 5000 years ago for the purpose of both hunting and warfare.

In 1200 BC the Hittites, an ancient people who lived in what is what is now known as Turkey and northern Syria, used the bow and arrow from fast, light chariots that enabled them to become dreaded opponents in Middle Eastern battles.

Their neighbours known as the Assyrians, who originated in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria also used archery extensively. They reshaped the bow to a recurve shape that was shorter and much more powerful enabling them to be handled at lot easier by an archer on horseback. They also used several different types of material to build bows including horn, tendon and wood.

In China archery can be traced back to the Shang dynasty which was between 1766 and 1027 BC when war chariots carried a three man team consisting of a driver, lancer and archer.

It was during the ensuing Zhou dynasty between 1027-256 BC that the Chinese nobles at court liked to attend archery sporting tournaments that were accompanied by music and much fanfare.

The Chinese introduced civil archery to Japan around the six century and it had an overriding influence on later techniques and etiquette. One of Japan’s martial arts now known as kyudo (way of the bow) continues to be taught in Japan in the traditional manner. A bow over 2 metres long and made of bamboo, wood and laminated strips is used for shooting a target set in a roofed over bank of sand.

During the Geco-Roman period, the bow was utilized more for personal exploits or hunting than it was for warfare, Archery is frequently depicted on pottery dating to that time.

The Romans are not believed to have been very good archers, more than likely because up until the 5th century the bows they used were shot by drawing the string back to the chest rather than the face which gives the arrow far more accuracy.

Enemies such as the Parthians had far better skills; they were accomplished horsemen who were able to shoot backwards by swivelling around in the saddle often at full speed.

The superiority of the archery equipment and techniques used by the people of the Middle East continued for centuries. Attila the Hun and his Mongols, using Bows similar to those of the Parthians and Assyrians, conquered much of Asia and Europe and the Crusaders were thrown back by Turkish archers.

The bow was a means of survival during the days of English and later American colonization and still is in some countries on the African continent

The popularity of archery has also been reflected in many songs and folklore, probably the most famous being Robin Hood, but archery is also often referenced in Greek mythology.

The first known organized archery competition included 3000 participants and was held at Finsbury, England in 1583.

By the time of the European 30 Years War between 1618 and 1648 because of the introduction of the gun, it had become clear that the bow and arrow as a weapon belonged in the past.

Since that time, archery is has become extremely popular as a recreational sport.

Linda Thompson is webmaster of http:Discount Archery Shop where you can get all your discount archery needs from bows,arrows and accessories to targets. We have a full range of bows and arrows. Check our prices!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Thompson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Bit-of-Archery-History&id=1152483

Well, my tomatoes are starting to grow!! I’ve got three little tomatoes sprouting from my plants (2 plants). I’m pretty excited about them. You see, I love tomatoes, and it seems I’ve got a bit of a green thumb, too. Yes, it is probably too early to make such a bold claim, but I’m going to throw it out there any way.

If I think of it tomorrow, I’ll take a few pictures of it and post them here.

Not much of a gardener? Don’t worry, I’m not either. But that’s not going to stop me! I have — just this afternoon — planted two tomato plants. We love tomatoes at this house, so that’s what I planted. I just took two tomato plants that I bought from Lowes (”patio” tomatoes), and put them in a self-watering container filled with organic potting soil.

Why vegetables? The answer is simple. We need vegetables to be healthy. Even though we get key amino acids from meats, it’s entirely possible to live off of nothing but fresh veggies and water. The survival implications here should be obvious: Gardening should be a skill you have if you are at all interested in survival, homesteading, sustainable living, or anything in between.

This is not my first gardening experience. Two years ago I successfully grew some fresh herbs in my kitchen for cooking. They were great. Now I’m trying my hand at tomatoes to prepare me for having an actual garden in the earth on the land we’re going to acquire sometime this year.

I’ll post pictures of my tomato plant’s progress through life.

Here’s a good article about getting started in fishing.

Easy Steps to Taking Up Angling
By Bill Bailey

If you have ever thought about taking up Angling but don’t know where to start, then you are not alone.

There are many ‘would be’ Anglers out there who never had the benefit or the opportunity to learn how to fish.

Most Anglers began to learn their craft as children – as is the more ‘traditional’ route into the sport – the knowledge having been passed from a senior family member, or gained by trial and error as a child with school-friends.

For those of you unfortunate enough not to have been inducted into angling as a youngster, finding out where to begin in later life can seem like a daunting prospect.

If you are thinking about taking up the sport just for yourself, or maybe you are looking for a leisure activity that you and your children can participate together, there are a number of ways to gain access into the world of angling.

Firstly, you will need to decide what branch of angling you want to take up. This will more than likely depend on local opportunities. For example, if you live close to the sea, you may want to take up fishing from the beach. If you have a river, canal or lake near to your home then chances are that you may decide to learn to fish at those locations. Of course there are variations on any theme, which may mean you opt for fly-fishing on the local reservoir or lake.

Whatever ‘discipline’ you choose then you should try to gain some experience of fishing first-hand, before you invest in relatively expensive fishing tackle and equipment.

There are many Angling Clubs and Associations that offer ‘taster sessions’ for beginners. Finding your local club and contact will be straight-forward, by searching the internet. If you have no luck on the net, phone your local tackle dealer for advice.

Generally ‘taster sessions’ put on by local Angling Clubs are staffed by very keen and enthusiastic members, blessed with infinite patience – something you will need to be an Angler – and very likely go out of their way to provide you with useful advice and assistance.

If you feel that you want to progress from the ‘taster session’, the easiest way to gain knowledge and experience is to invest in a starter session or two with local Angling coach. You can use the same process to locate a professional coach as you used to find your local Angling Club. If you choose to use a professional coach, they will also advise you on the tackle and equipment you need to get you going.

If you prefer to learn under your ‘own steam’ rather than invest in lessons, then the next step is to gain ‘local’ information on suitable venue to learn to fish. You can obtain this vital piece of information from your local tackle dealer.

Walking into a tackle shop and plucking up the courage to ask for help and advice is not an easy step to make, particularly if the store is busy with anglers browsing the shelves and racks, and with other anglers standing at the counter in conversation with the staff about their recent fishing exploits. Try and choose a day and a time during the week when the shop is not too busy. This will allow the staff to spend more time assisting you, rather than trying to have a conversation between serving customers.

When you have identified your local tackle dealer, give them a call and find out when is their least busy time. Once you have found out the best time to visit, ask for the name of the person you should speak to about getting advice on taking up angling. In effect you are making an appointment, which will not be of ‘one-way’ benefit as the tackle dealer will be investing their time, hoping to retain you as a customer for the future.

If you have used a professional coach to gain some knowledge, you should go to the local tackle dealer equipped with a list of things you need for your first venture into the world of angling. If you used the ‘taster session’ with your local club, and decide not to use coach, make sure you write down a list of what you need to get you started before you leave.

Remember that the vast array of rods, reels, line, floats, weights, hooks, bait, nets etc on display in the store are there to catch Anglers, rather than fish!

Most Anglers like to ‘collect’, without even realising it. They are like kids in a sweetshop really. Any spare cash will likely be spent on the myriad of fishing tackle on display, and the chances are most of it will never get used ‘in anger’!

When you venture into the tackle store, be sure to stick to the list you have carefully prepared. Don’t invest in the most expensive option available, or the cheapest. Don’t fall into the trap of buying ‘on-line’ at auction either, as there is an awful lot of poor quality fishing tackle sold to the unwary over the internet.

Ask your dealer for advice on good quality, reliable tackle, suitable for beginner. If you look after it, you can always pass it on to someone else when you graduate to more sophisticated, higher quality tackle in the future.

Now you are fully equipped and ready to go. By now you should have received a little experience and knowledge before venturing out to your chosen fishing location. So what next?

Remember to check with your local tackle dealer if you require license to fish. This will depend on the country you live in, or the type of fishing you intend to start off with.

Make sure you think about safety. If you are going fishing alone, ensure someone knows where you are fishing and when you are due back.

You are now ready to go fishing. As Anglers say, “tight lines”!

Bill Bailey is a freelance writer and contributor to the Anglers Social Network site http://www.anglingbook.com and http://www.schnafflehound.com Bill is a keen all round leisure angler.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Bailey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Steps-to-Taking-Up-Angling&id=1149573

The pair of boots I have now are uncomfortable, and without sufficient insulation to deal with cold weather. So I think I’ll get some new boots this year. But I might actually have to get two pairs. You see, it’s going to be all warm, sometimes wet, and usually snakey. Then the winter is going to come on and the ground is going to freeze through the sole of my boots while I stand in one place for three hours.

Should I try to find one middle-ground boot that is warm enough for the cold, but not too warm for the warm? Should I get a pair of light snake boots and then some waterproofed, gore-tex, thinsulate, space station boots for the winter? I don’t know. I have some experience with combat boots, but not so much with hunting boots.

Buy for your climate, you say. Well, yes, that’s why I’m considering two pairs. But I’m going to be honest with you, I’m cheap. I need some new archery gear this year, too. If I get two pairs of boots, then my wife is just going to scowl at me when I go to buy the bow or crossbow (I haven’t decided yet). What to do…what to do?

Right now I’m looking at some snake boots, and also some boots with heavy insulation, waterproofed, and all that jazz. Do any of you who are more experienced with hunting boots have any advice for me? Maybe I should just get some desert tan combat boots for the warmer weather, but that won’t help me with the snakes. I guess I just don’t need to step on the snakes, but I’m trying to be cautious here.

Survival Preparedness – Survival Skills and Emergency Kits
By Chuck McIntyre

Most of us would agree that at any moment we could find ourselves in a disaster or other emergency situation. Even if this fact is only lurking in the back of the mind just below consciousness, the statement is no less true. Anyone can suddenly be thrust into an emergency situation or have a disaster land squarely upon them quite unexpectedly. How well one survives or IF one survives may be a matter of luck. Far better to invest some time and effort in survival preparedness.

Survival preparedness for the purpose of this article is not a call to be constantly fearful of impending doom and disaster skulking around every corner, or to hoard great caches of dried beans, MREs, bullets, and gold then hunker down with your stash in some remote area.

More realistically, survival preparedness is the act of obtaining knowledge of and practicing basic survival skills, gathering survival gear, food and water together into emergency survival kits. These kits can then be placed at easily accessible points in the home, car, office, etc., or on your person.

Think ahead to anticipate what sort of situation might arise and what survival skills, gear, and supplies would be useful to successfully see you through to the end of it. Some excellent items on the list of basic survival skills to learn (and practice!) would be:

• how to build a fire with or without matches
• how to build a simple emergency shelter
• how to obtain food and water
• how to use a map and compass
• how to signal for help
• how to use the survival gear you have chosen

The size of the emergency kits and the items they contain will be determined by the scenario for which they are intended to be used; lost in the wilderness, stranded in your vehicle on a lonely back road, recovering from the aftermath of a tornado or other disaster.

Always include fire starting items, items to build an emergency shelter, survival tools, a medical kit, signaling device, emergency lighting, containers of water, and rations. There are many helpful web sites that describe complete lists of items to include in emergency survival kits of all sizes.

In any emergency situation strive to remain calm. Use your mind. It’s one of your best survival tools.

Initiative belongs to the individual. Make the time and effort for prudent preparations toward your own survival and that of others. Do not risk suffering the consequences of taking no action at all.

Survival after all is being alive at the end of an ordeal.

Chuck McIntyre is active in helping others learn basic survival skills. He offers reviews and recommendations of survival gear and emergency kits at MySurvivalPro.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_McIntyre
Survival-Preparedness—Survival-Skills-and-Emergency-Kits

By Brian Carter

Outdoor survival skills can mean the difference between escape/rescue and tragedy. Fortunately, most survival skills are simple and easy to learn. Here are the top ten things to do in a survival situation, in order:

1. Don’t panic. Breathe. Relax.

2. Give yourself first aid if needed.

3. Inventory your survival items.

4. Assess any imminent weather dangers.

5. Find an open area where you can be seen from the air.

6. Create appropriate shelter.

7. Drink lots of water.

8. Make fire, but safely! Learn how to build fire in a variety of ways and how not to start a wilderness blaze in your quest for survival.

9. Signal for help.

10. Eat the wildlife, including insects, but nothing with more than 6 legs and no plants you aren’t totally sure of.

Ten Essential Survival Skills & Qualities:

Survival isn’t just about skills, but also attitude and mindset. Desire to survive, determination, persistence, willingness to plan, and learning survival skills ahead of time all increase your chances of survival. The best time to learn survival skills is before you need them.

- Will to survive

- Calm, poise, focus

- Make shelter

- Make fire

- Find and purify water

- Find food, hunt, trip

- Signal for help

- Navigate without map or compass

- Basic first-aid

- Weather prediction

The Most Valuable Survival Items:

We could probably debate this list endlessly, but I guarantee you’d much rather have these items with you than need them and not have them.

- Knife

- Poncho

- String/rope

- First aid kit

- Flint, tinder

- Water purifying tablets

- Whistle, mirror

- Wire saw

- Fishing kit

- Emergency blanket

Once you get into a survival situation, it’s too late to prepare and to learn the skills. Now is the best time to prepare to survive. Get your survival gear and get into a survival training class!

Brian Carter is an outdoor enthusiast, and a major fan of survivorman. He reminds you that once you get into a survival situation, it’s too late to prepare- learn the skills now. Now is the best time to prepare to survive. Get your survival gear and get into a survival training class!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Carter

Article

Well, spring is upon us in full swing it seems. The cold weather has finally abated, and it seems the tornadoes aren’t coming back right now. So, it’s time to fish! I might go fishing this afternoon at a catfish-filled stream a few miles away.

But I’ve got to check on my gear first. It’s been out in the storage room off the carport, so who knows what it’s under. My wife is always in and out of there moving junk around, but I never go into the place. I’m sure everything is alright. I am looking forward to some fishing, but I would really like a boat to help out with that.

A boat would be nice.

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here. I’ve been really busy working on projects — working too much. I’m looking at some new themes for this site, too. So if you see it change a bit here and there, drastically or just barely, don’t be alarmed.

Just keep reading and subscribe to the RSS feed.

I took my Marlin 336W .30-30 out to the range this past weekend. I love shooting that rifle. This was the first time I fired some of my LeveRevolution ammo by Hornady. It’s good stuff. Feels smoother than the Power Shok rounds I had from Wal-Mart. Though it still kicked like a miniature mule. My shoulder was a bit sore after firing 40 rounds.

I shot some freehand, standing, and then sat down on the bench for my longer shots. I’ve never been much of a rifleman — preferring pistols to rifles — but I think that’s gonna change. Since I’ve started deer hunting, becoming proficient with a rifle is a must. And for a beginner, I think I did pretty well. I had decent groups at 25 – 75 yards, both freehand and with support. I even hit the target when it was at 100 yards. A fair accomplishment, since I was using the stock iron sights on the rifle. No scope or glowing sights of any kind. But at 100 yards the front sight post covered up the entire target.

Still, I think I’ll keep that rifle without scope. It’s short and easy to move with through rough woods. I’ll just have to get a nice bolt action rifle with scope to hunt deer in the large open areas. Once I find some large, open areas, that is…

By Caleb Rogers

When disaster strikes, where will you be and how will you get to your family? Will you have supplies with you if you’re out and around town? The purpose of this article is to discuss what is known as the “get home bag,” and differentiate it from a bug out bag.

A get home bag, though it goes by many names, is a basic emergency kit one usually keeps in their car. The purpose of this kit is to keep you, and whoever is typically with you, safe and fed until you can get to a more secure location or more long-term gear. A bug out bag, on the other hand, should be designed to hold enough gear to completely sustain you – and any family with you – for 72 hours or more. Depending on the size of your family, you might need a few bug out bags.

While bug out bags should typically be large enough to carry a lot of gear, a get home bag only needs to carry enough to get you home or to a similarly safe location. The bag you use for a get home bag should have two basic characteristics. First, it should be small enough that you can carry it around comfortably. A common backpack or shoulder bag designed for school books should be sufficient. What you don’t want to do is use a large military-style rucksack. They are bulky and won’t help you out if you need to get out in a hurry.

The other characteristic is inconspicuousness. Drawing attention to yourself in a disaster isn’t a good thing. If the situation is bad enough, people will beat you and possibly kill you for your food and water. If you are trying to get to a secure location, your journey should be as smooth as possible. Keep a low profile by using a small, common backpack or shoulder bag. You’ll look like everyone else, so chances are you won’t be singled out by unsavory characters as a target.

I like to think of a get home bag as a mini bug out bag. Like a bug out bag, the get home bag should be filled with gear that you personally will need. Customize it to suit your individual needs. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Food: I like to use MREs for this. MREs are military rations designed to keep you going and do so from a small package. You can fit two or three in a backpack and still have room for plenty of other gear.
• Water: This one is tricky because water is heavy. Two or three water bottles will probably be what you need, but that will add a lot of weight. You will just have to judge your own personal circumstances and needs to determine the right amount of water to carry. It might be a good idea to carry a little water, and then some type of water purification system.
• Foul Weather Gear: Depending on your area, you might need something to protect you from rain, snow, or hard desert heat. Ponchos, anoraks, wool sweaters, gloves, headwear, and such will fit the bill, but you have to pack according to your needs.
• Knife: Carry a pocket knife or multi-tool in your pack. It’s the most versatile tool around and it’s a staple of any survival pack.
• Rope: Carry a length of rope or paracord in your pack. You can use it string together a quick shelter made of branches or a tarp, lash on a splint, or make a tourniquet.
• Flashlight: It gets dark every day, so be sure to have a way to see in the dark, along with batteries to keep that flashlight going.

When packing your get home bag, there are two things you need to keep in mind: Your individual gear needs and your local laws. Aside from dying, the last thing you want to do is get arrested in a disaster. Whatever type of personal security equipment you put in your bag (including your pocket knife), you need to make sure you follow local and state ordinances. Even though you may be in the midst of a disaster, police officers will still be around and they still have a job to do. Take care of yourself, but don’t run afoul of the law.

Keeping a get home bag in your car is a simple way to keep gear close to you when you might need it. Getting home in an emergency is important, and it’s a lot easier to do if you already have equipment on-hand to aid and support you.

I haven’t written anything here in a while, and there’s a pretty good reason for that. I’ve been busy working on a complete rewrite of my career education directory. I’ve been coding and designing non-stop for a few weeks now and it’s about to drive me insane.

So I’m taking a break. I hit a development goal late last night, so now I’m taking a break. Lots more to do, of course, but I can do that at a nice and easy pace.

Part of having a survival plan is figuring out how you are going to sustain yourself once the rations run out. If there is some disaster that has the potential to cut you off from civilization, or if it collapses entirely, then you need a plan.

Check out this article on How To Grow Your Own Food. It’s pretty good as a general overview, and from it you can find links to explore the details more. You need to have some kind of plan for when your survival rations run out. If you live in an area where you can have a garden, then consider growing your own food. We humans run pretty well on veggies, after all.

If you have been wondering if the site looks different than it did before, that’s because it IS different. The short version is that I needed to do some stuff to the theme, but I didn’t have the time at the moment. So I opted for a slightly modified version of the default theme that ships with WordPress. I’ll get something nice and neat up here at some point.

Over the next few years, I’ll be building a house. It won’t take me years to build (I hope), but I won’t have the necessary funds to start the build for at least another year.

I plan on building a house that is as self-sustaining as possible. Water from a well and cistern type of system, and electricity provided by some type of natural resource. That one is going to be tricky, but after spending thousands of dollars on electricity over the years, I’ve had enough. That’s an expense I would rather do without, especially since there are viable alternatives should one be so inclined. It’ll be tough, but I can do it.

I plan for the house to be situated on some land that I will find and purchase. That land will also serve a sustaining purpose. I plan for it to provide meat and veggies for my family. It’s homesteading, I guess…but it’s not going to be very far from civilization. For the most part, I like civilization. And I like technology (thus the need for electricity).

I’ll post updates here as they come in. Stay tuned, because there may be very valuable survival information along the way.

I love my .30-30. I got it for my birthday, early for use with the modern gun deer season. It’s a Marlin 336W, unscoped and slinged. The rifle is light, comfortable, and very easy to handle in the woods. This might be one of the best basic utility rifles around, and would be perfect for bugging out, bugging in, and hunting.

I’ll post some pics of it this week, because everybody loves some good gun porn. If I forget, then I’ll post them next week. Just keep checking back everyday until you see the pics. And I’ll write a review soon, too. Not too soon, though, because I need to use it more to get a real grip on it, its use and its function.

It’s frustrating to go out into the woods and see nothing. Likewise, it’s also frustrating to have hunters walking all over the deer path you know the deer would travel were it not for the intruding humans.

Man, I need to buy some land so I don’t have to deal with other hunters on the land I’m hunting.

No deer! I haven’t seen any deer yet. I think I might have heard one crossing the creek behind the brush line, but I can’t be sure. It could have been some loud ducks.

Weekend number two of modern gun deer season is looking rather dismal. Maybe it’s this ridiculous heat. I had to wear a t-shirt hunting this afternoon. It was 70 degrees!

Maybe It will cool off next weekend and I can bag some animal.

I’ve been adding more and more products to my bug out gear supply shop. And I’m going to add more and more. So go check it out and buy some gear. If you don’t see anything you want or need right now, sign up as a customer so you will receive the BDR Gear newsletter, which will be filled with product and site updates.

It’s important to stay warm when out and about during the winter, and with winter coming right around the corner, I thought I would tell you guys about a new category at my gear shop. The new category is Cold Weather Gear, and it contains only two items right now. But those two items are important to keeping you warm. And who knows? By the time you read this, I might have more products in that category.

Check out my cold weather gear and buy some to stay warm.

I hold the personal belief that the knife is the single most useful thing ever invented by man. I also am of the mind that one should have a particular knife for a particular job. Now, sure, there are some great “utility” knives out there, suitable for a wide variety of purposes. That’s how I look at my CRKT pocket folder. It’s tough and it’s handy.

But it’s not really going to cut it (pun shamelessly intended) when I gut a deer. So I bought a new knife today. I bought a Gerber fixed blade hunting knife with gut hook. It’s nothing fancy, and wasn’t expensive. But it’s something I needed, and I’ve already taken it out in the field. Of course, it didn’t get any use, but it will.

I’ll give a full review with pictures after I have the chance to use it. Well, I might just snap some photos of it tomorrow and post them so you can see what it looks like. Preview: Full tang construction with a grip-friendly hard-rubber…grip. The blade is 4 inches long and coated with titanium. It’s sharp enough, it seems, and the gut hook is a nice feature that doesn’t stick out too much. The knife also came with a basic nylon sheath. It’s a nice knife, especially considering how much I paid for it ($22 at Wal-Mart). I’ll see how it holds up to some real use and abuse — I demand serious performace from my gear, which my wife says is just being too hard on it all.

Since my bow broke, and I haven’t been able to acquire a new one, it looks like I’ll just be hunting deer this year with modern firearms. Further, my budget isn’t going to allow for me to buy a rifle (unless I find some mystery money), so I’ll just be hunting with my shotgun… and XD if I’m in the mood for some handgun hunting. Though, the XD is just a 9mm, so I would have to keep my shots really close for the rounds to be effective.

So…what do I need to get for my shotgun to make into a world-class deer slayer? I took down a nice 8 point buck with it last year, but I was presented with quite a fortunate shot. I might not get such a shot this year. My setup right now is this: Maverick 88 Field 12 gauge shotgun, firing slugs. That’s it. the shotgun is stock, with a modified choke. I’ll be using rifled slugs.

One thing I really need is a sling. As I learned last duck season, hiking long distances with it is a pain. So I’ll be getting a sling and I will also have to get a swivel kit for it. I think Uncle Mike’s makes one for my shotgun. I think they make a universal kit. I’ve seen it before, and I’m not going to look it up now… Just look at Wal-Mart or Bass Pro or Cabela’s and you’ll find it.

There’s one (two) accessory(ies), what else do I need? I’m just using the stock bead sights on it, but I was thinking of getting some iron sight attachments that affix to the barrel ribbing. They might make my accuracy just a bit better. But I really don’t know. I haven’t been out to a marked range with a bunch of 12 gauge rifled slugs to see just how far I can reliably hit a 4 inch circle with the bead sights.

I plan on keeping my shots all within 50 yards, but if I can squeeze out a little bit more with better sights and maybe a different choke, I will. That’s something I’ll need to research — chokes. I might need to invest in just a little bit of choke to squeeze a little bit more range and accuracy out of my slugs. But, I don’t know much about shotgun chokes so I’ll just have to do some reading.

Any other thoughts, opinion, or advice would be appreciated.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. But don’t worry, I’m still here.

I think I’m going to have to just stick to gun hunting this year, with modern weapons. My budget is totally shot, and since my bow broke, I’ve got nothing for archery season. I don’t have the money right now to buy another bow, and I don’t feel comfortable spending money on a muzzleloader, either. So, it looks like I’ll be using my shotgun to hunt deer again this year. And only during any Arkansas modern gun season.

There’s some public land not too far from here that has a modern gun season, so I’ll have to do some scouting out there soon. Then there is also some private land I may be able to hunt on. Hopefully my son and I will both be able to get a couple. Of course, then I would have to invest in a chest freezer to store all that meat.

Everyone needs a bug out bag. Why, you ask? The answer is simple. You never know when you might need it. Emergencies are emergencies because people don’t see them coming. The disasters strike suddenly and with great force. Then, all of a sudden, you are surrounded by crisis.

Having some gear ready in the event of a crisis can help you keep a clear head. If you don’t have to worry about your next meal, or what you’re going to use for shelter, you can spend your energies focused on the actual crisis. Ideally, this gear should be in a single bag — something with which you can just grab and go.

Later on, I’ll write up a little piece about what you should put in your bug out bag, but for now you can just take a look at this bug out supply shop and pick up a few pieces. Those pieces may save your life, or, less dramatically, make a bad situation a little easier.

Squirrels are not as easy to hunt as I thought. I have been out to the woods twice, and I still haven’t even seen one where I was. I have seen squirrels out in the woods before, but never while hunting them. They aren’t like city squirrels…these suckers hide from you.

I parked myself at a hickory tree for twenty minutes and didn’t see or hear anything. So I moved to another hickory tree and waited. Still nothing. I repeated this for two hours. This tells me that either a) I wasn’t waiting long enough, b) there weren’t any squirrels in that area, or c) I suck at squirrel hunting.

I’m leaning toward a combination of a and c, but maybe with some b thrown into the mix.

Maybe I’ll have better luck next Saturday.

Face it, squirrels are everywhere. When stuck in the woods somewhere, you’ll need to eat. The food you carry with you will only last so long. You may need to find another source of food to get you through to safety.

It seems that eating squirrel has a certain stigma to it. But I don’t care about any negative reputation. Plently of people around here love to hunt the little furballs, and enjoy eating them. I’ve personally never killed or eaten squirrel, but I plan to in a few short days. Since squirrels are such a readily available animal, I thought I would learn how to hunt them and prepare them for eating, in case I need to eat them in an emergency. Having previous experience with the animal may mean I won’t have to work as hard to win a meal.

Besides the survival training aspect of squirrel hunting, I think it will just be fun. Think about it. I’ll be out in the woods with my shotgun (I don’t currently have a .22). I’ll practice my marksmanship, my woodland navigation skills, and learn about squirrels. Those are some very useful survival skills that are also fun to practice. And as my wife will tell anyone, I need A LOT of practice with my navigation.

I’ll post a report with pictures after I go out. The season starts this Saturday, September 8th.

There I was, getting ready to practice with my bow when the unthinkable happened. I pulled back, released my arrow, and heard a loud and very strange twang. I looked at my used Browning Ballistic Mirage compound bow and noticed one of the cables dangling. This may be a repairable issue, but I just don’t trust it any more.

I guess I’m going to just have to buy something different. The trick will be to get it either A) without my wife knowing until it’s all said and done, or B) something my wife agrees to. My wife worries about money, and so do I. But this is just about a necessity. I’ll figure out a way to make it work, but if I could avoid a woman’s scorn, I will.

I might try to get something used, just to get through this season, but I’ll just have to see what’s out there. I’m going to try to make some extra money, but I need to get whatever I’m getting really soon. Archery of any kind takes practice! And if I get a longbow or recurve, I’ll need a lot of practice.

While camping this weekend, I learned a valuable lesson. It’s good to have a padded sleeping mat when camping. I learned this the hard way, quite literally, by sleeping on the hard, rocky ground. Not only will one of these pads make sleeping all nice and comfy, but it can be a vital part of your bug out gear, too.

When you are bugging out, there’s an emergency going on somewhere in your region. During times like this, rest is critical. With yourself better rested, you’ll have more energy and be able to make more sound decisions. Both of which are vital to survival during a disaster. Not only are they good for you, but if you have to care for an injured person, putting them on your padded mat can help facilitate a quicker recovery. No, it won’t actually help heal a broken leg or take a fever down to safe levels. What it will do is make your charge more comfortable. And comfort aids in healing.

The pads are light, and they don’t take up much space on a pack. If you don’t have one, I suggest you get one. I’m going to.

I’ve survived the weekend camping trip, with only a large area of my body sunburned. The only survival skill that I practiced over the weekend was sleeping on a hard, rocky surface while in a tent that was about 20 degrees too hot for sleeping.

Naturally, this made my sunburn even more uncomfortable.

Even though we were situated on a public camping ground with a large lake 120 yards from us, I still brought some basic survival gear along. I also taught my two year old daughter some basic swimming techniques, which will aid in her survival while she is in the water.

There’s a new forum out there focused on the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, camping, and basically anything else. Now, I know a lot of you guys already have a favorite forum, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give another one a try.

This outdoor forum is called Hardwood Hollow. It’s new, and there aren’t many members yet, so get over there and help shape the tone of the board. The forum is definitely outdoor-based, but there’s always room for survival topics to be discussed.

If you like what you see, join in the discusssions. You might learn something, or you might teach someone. It’s Win-Win!

Go click that link and check it out.

I’m going camping this weekend at a lake. Greers Ferry Lake in Central/Northern-ish Arkansas. It’s a fun place with plenty of camping and water adventures.

This is a family camping trip, complete with in-laws and little kids. So it’s really more like moteling, or RVing, than camping. But I guess that will have to do.

The survival skills I will be practicing are tent-work and fishing. I’ll be catching food, preparing it, and cooking it right there in camp. I’ll also experiment with some fire-building techniques. Nothing too primitive. I’ve yet to play with my magnesium firestarter, and this should be the perfect time to try it out.

It will be good to get away from civilization for a while, even if it’s only for two days.

A little trick I learned from my Marine OSO Captain was to pack plenty of zipper-locked sandwich and freezer bags with your gear. Books, maps, and electronics don’t like water very much. No matter how water-resistant your pack is, the rain will penetrate eventually. Not to mention streams and lakes you might fall into while hiking.

Keep zipper bags and baggies in your gear and put your water-sensitive items in them. You will be thankful that you did. This also protect against sweat. If you are keeping a little navigation notebook, journal, or paper map in your pocket while hiking, there’s a pretty good chance that it will get soaked with your sweat. Keep in the the plastic bag and it will be fine.

Don’t forget about any ammo you’re carrying, either. Put that in a bag so it stays as dry as possible.

While browsing various AR parts dealers online, I see that I have a lot to choose from. Not only are there several configuration variations for the AR platform (A2, M4, A3, etc.), but there are a wide variety of calibers available.

The first thing I have to do is decide on what kind of rifle I want to build. Do I want a general defensive rifle, that will take the very easy to find 5.56mm/.223 cartridge, or do I want a heavier-hitting .308? Likewise, I could opt for a 9mm carbine or the slow but heavy .450 Hornady.

Money doesn’t grow on trees in my yard, so it would probably make sense to get something that could be considered all-purpose. The .223 AR is a leading candidate for that. The problem with that round is that I hunt deer. While a .223 can kill a 150 – 200 pound animal, there’s little room for error. A more powerful cartridge would be better.

If I go up to a .308 or larger, the ammo starts to get more expensive. So practice with the rifle would be pricey. However, the .308 is a great all-around cartridge, suitable for a wide array of uses.

If I move up to the 6.8 SPC, I’ll get plenty of deer-hunting power, and have a rifle chambered in a round that is picking up popularity fast. So what do I do? 5.56mm, 6.8 SPC, .308, or one of the other chamberings? I could always buy a complete rifle and then buy different uppers and magazines, each one suitable to a particular purpose. But I don’t know if that’s what I really want to do.

The question is whether I want a rifle I can use for anything, or if I want to purchase rifles that were designed for a particular task. Should I build a 5.56/.223 AR for a defensive weapon and buy a rifle designed for hunting, or should I get one weapon for all seasons?

I need to decide that before I decide exactly what I want to build. I do plan on buying hunting-specific rifles, but having something all-purpose really appeals to me.

When you need to get out of town to avoid getting caught up in some disaster, you’ll need supplies. Bug Out Bags are not really meant to be a replacement to your life, but rather to get you through the first tough couple of days of a disaster. Once the initial shock is done, emergency services and supplies may start to trickle in.

Whether you are bugging in (staying put and waiting out the storm) or you you are bugging out, you’ll need some basic supplies. I found a good online resource for getting some bug out kits ready made. These 72-Hour kits are meant to get you through the initial stage of the disaster. You may have to travel to another state, or walk 100 miles. Or maybe you’re just snowed in for a couple of days. Take a look at this site:

Not only do they have ready-made 72-Hour kits to get you through a hurricane, earthquake, or some other disaster (massive riots, for example), but they also have supplies you can use to create your own. The kits range in price from $20 to $180, and they seem to cover the basic areas of food, water, and emergency gear.

Take a look at them and see what they have to offer. Having an emergency kit is like wearing your seatbelt. Sure, you don’t need it every day, but if you get in a car accident, you’ll be glad you were wearing it. Likewise, if there’s a disaster in your area, you’ll be glad you have some emergency supplies in a grab-and-go bag. Click on the banner, see what they have to offer, and buy your emergency supplies today.

Survival situations can include driving your car. You might be evading an aggressor, or you could be trying to get to the Emergency Room with a wounded family member in the car. Regardless of what is pushing you to drive like a stunt man, you need to have the skills necessary to get where you need to go without crashing your car.

I came across this interesting article about one particular facet of hard driving: Braking. Take a look:

Brake and Stop a Car in the Shortest Distance

Guns are expensive. That’s the plain and simple truth. A quality firearm will cost you anywhere from $500 to $3000. Not exactly pocket change, I know. A lot of people I know don’t own any guns at all because they feel that they just don’t have the money to afford one.

Whether you are looking for a hunting tool, a defensive weapon, or just something that will give you hours of fun at the range, you don’t have to save paycheck after paycheck to get it. What you can do is buy the Maverick Model 88 Field. I bought one almost two years ago, and it’s a great little shotgun. Maverick is an offshoot of Mossberg, and the 88 is basically a bare bones version of the Mossberg 500. Barrels and chokes are interchangeable. Brand new, after taxes, I spent less that $160 on mine.

I know what you’re thinking… “What a cheap gun!” Well, cheap as far as money is concerned. Sure, there aren’t any bells or whistles on this shotgun, but thing works. It’s simple, and it works. I took a 200 lbs. buck with it last season, so I know it’s effective. This hunting season, I’ll be using it on squirrel, dove, deer, and duck. Based on its past performance, I am confident that it will get the job done.

The Maverick 88 is a 12 gauge shotgun, with a smooth-bore barrel that comes with a modified choke Accu-Choke installed. It is chambered to take 2 ¾” or 3” shells. The stock is black synthetic, which feels nice and keeps the gun light. I’ve taken a few pictures so you can see what it looks like. Now, I don’t have a proper photography studio setup, so the pics are kind of amateurish. I’ll get better with time. Anyway…

Here is the shotgun (most of it, anyway).

The barrel has standard ribbing to which you can attach clip-on sighting systems.

The integral recoil pad makes this a breeze to shoot. That pad will come in handy on a long day of shooting squirrels or doves.

If you don’t have much money to spend on a firearm, take a serious look at a Maverick Model 88 Field. It’s inexpensive, durable, and gets the job done. Head to your local gun shop and take a look at one.

If you don’t know how to fish, take the time to learn the basics. It may save your life one day. That’s important, isn’t it? Fishing is fun and relaxing, but besides that, it’s a way to fill your belly when there’s not much else to eat.

When in a survival situation, you’ll need to find three things: Shelter, water, and food. Shelter you can build, water you can find and collect, but what will you eat? Twigs aren’t really fit for human consumption, regardless of how many there are lying around. Hunting is a great source of meat, but in an emergency, animals can be scarce and hard to pin down. But fish seem to be everywhere. Anything from a small pond up to the ocean is a fine place to find fish.

Now, if you’re stuck in an urban environment, you probably won’t have anywhere to get fish. But if you’re in that kind of environment, there’s probably other food sources available. If, however, you are anywhere on the outskirts of the city, head to the hills for refuge. Unless the hills are on fire, of course.

You should keep many things in your emergency supply kit. Among those items should be some simple and portable fishing tools. You don’t need fancy equipment, but you do need some basic skills. You should know the types of fish you can find in your area, what they typically like to eat, and where they usually hang out in the water. This basic knowledge and gear can help you snag a fish to eat when you would otherwise go hungry.

Get some gear and put it in your pack.

I have finally made my decision about a hunting rifle. Now, I know that in the past I said I was going to get a surplus Mosin-Nagant to hunt with, but I don’t think I will now. I think I would rather have something a little more modern. Modern…ha.

I’ve chosen the lever action .30-30. New or used is fine, as long as it works, and is in good condition. I would, of course, prefer a new one. I chose this particular rifle (looking for a Marlin 336W, but I’ll take a Winchester 94) because it has a strong reputation for being an effective rifle for hunting Arkansas deer. The weight of the bullet and the muzzle energy is great for these hardwoods, where you rarely get a shot past 200 yards.

Like I could hit something 200 yards away…

Whatever particular rifle I end up with, I’m going with iron sights. No scope for me. My reasoning is based purely in practicality. I want to be a good marksman. And I’m going to become a good marksman by learning to manage stock iron sights. Only after I can regularly bullseye a target at 100 yards (and get really close to a regular bullseye at 150 – 200 yards) will I progress to a scoped rifle.

Not only will I have a reputed and proven rifle platform, I’ll have something with class. The lever action .30-30 has long been an American favorite. And though I embrace change, I also embrace and preserve tradition.

When I get my rifle — which could be months from now — I’ll post pictures of it here. I’ll also critique it, write an article about breaking down and cleaning it, and give a range report. I’m going to try out that LEVERevolution ammunition from Hornady, too. I’ll let you know how that goes in my reports.

I read an article today that made a pretty decent case for the .270 as an ideal deer hunting cartridge. The article was in the current issue of Peterson’s Hunting (August 2007). Technically, the piece was written from the angle of getting rid of (well, not hunting with) some too-weak, too-strong, or generally ill-suited-for-deer cartridges.

Once the “herd was culled,” as the writer put it, there were a few good old chamberings left. The writer touted the .270 as the best all-around deer cartridge. Apparently, it’s versatile enough to be effective against a wide variety of deer, and in a wide variety of locales.

I still haven’t bought my rifle for this next deer season, and this article was persuasive enough that my mind may be swaying. We’ll see how it turns out. And, of course, you’ll get some pictures when I get my rifle.

It is with a sad heart that I must announce the closure of my online shop, BDR Gear. It was a good run, but it’s time to close down. Fear not!

I will have some gear shop recommendations for you. So, if you don’t already have a favorite shop you use for your bug out and tactical gear, just keep tabs on this site. Subscribe to the feed, too.

The first shop I’m throwing your way is Nitro-Pak. It’s an online shop that seems similar to mine, but with a lot more stuff. I haven’t purchased anything from them, so I’m not exactly vouching for them. I’m saying check them out. I’m going to order a few things from them, and I’ll let you know how it goes.

I’m particularly interested in their MREs, since they are a different brand than what I sell (for just a bit longer). Speaking of which, if you want to get anything from my shop, order it now. I’m closing the doors to it on June 30, 2007. So check out Nitro-Pak, and make one last purchase from BDR Gear.

More gear sources will be coming soon!

I’m sure there are some of you out there who bought a pistol, but don’t really know how to properly maintain it. Don’t be ashamed, you never know something until you learn it. Check out this helpful little article for some pistol cleaning basics:

How to maintain a handgun

Here’s a little article about surviving a shark attack:

How To Survive a Shark Attack

Naturally, use this article at your own risk…

Have you heard of the new Sig Sauer pistol? A few days ago I picked up the new issue of Guns and Ammo and there was a new Sig pistol exhibited as the cover story. Well, it looks pretty, and, according to the article, should be quite a pistol.

It’s the Sig P250, currently chambered for the 9mm. This pistol is so new that the article didn’t even list a price. Though it does say that other chamberings will be coming soon. I’m intrigued by this new Sig, and I’m going to learn more about it. I’ll write about what I learn, so you don’t have to do the reading yourself…

As summer starts to hit hard, making me sweat in the strangest places, I begin to think about this approaching hunting season. The way summers have gone for my entire life, fall will be here before I know it. Therefore, I need to start preparing now, lest I only bag one deer like last year.

This time, I want my son and I to take our limit of deer. Maybe duck, too. Today I came up with a short list of gear that I need to get before the fall.

• New archery target — got to get those arrows hitting the mark
• Arrows
• Slings for my and my son’s shotguns
• A Rifle suitable for taking deer at 100 – 200 yards
• Guthook knife for ease of field dressing
• Large cooler to age and drain of blood the quartered deer
• A Food Saver kit (those vacuum pack bags)
• Tanning supplies (not for me, for the buck skin)
• Duck call DVD so I can learn how to do it properly
• Waders, since I don’t have a boat and need some way of retrieving the ducks

I’m sure that I’ll need more than that, but it’s a decent list.

I’ve got to get a Sig Sauer. I’m thinking the P220. Any thoughts?

As the temperature rises, so should your water consumption. You’re going to be a bit warmer than you were in the winter, and as a result, you’ll need more water. Just walking down the street is likely to produce a nice sweat. Sweating out that water means you’ll need to put more into it to make up the difference.

Staying hydrated this summer is very important. I’ve seen people pass out from the heat and receive emergency medical treatment so they don’t die from heat stroke. Keeping your body’s natural cooling system full of coolant (water) will keep the passing out at bay. Not only will you most likely stay conscious, but you’ll have more energy, too.

If you’re camping, jogging, or just mowing the lawn, drink plenty of water. If you are stuck out in the wilderness and don’t have any water (not too bright, by the way, but sometimes unavoidable), then your first task should be finding water. This is, of course, less important if there is a more pressing matter at hand — like bears, for example.

Hydrate yourself.

The Hurricane season is now here. If you are in a danger zone, you need to prepare yourself. If you haven’t already done so, buy some MREs, bottled water, emergency blankets, a good pocket knife, a good flashlight, and a good pair of boots. Put all that gear (including whatever else you might need) in a rugged bug out bag and pay attention to the weather.

Just be prepared. If you are faced with disaster, it will go much smoother if you have some gear ready to go. Your equipment doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to work when you need it.

To many, emergency preparation means getting ready to bug out. These individuals have their bug out bags and their bug out plans. When disaster strikes, they are ready to go and they execute their plan. But, I wonder, is this really the best course of action?

Another option that some merely glaze over is the concept of bugging in. Bugging in is similar to bugging out, but you just stay at home. Sometimes, you bug out to a cabin, then bug in for a long, rough time. This is something that I have found is overlooked far too often.

What do I mean by bugging in? Well, simply, have enough provisions at your place to last a week to a month. These times are used as examples, and may or may not fit your particular emergency situation. Wherever you are going to ride out the storm, be ready to function without running water, electricity, road access, and friendly neighbors. If you have a family, you must prepare accordingly.

This is really something that should be given a lot of attention, because regular seasonal disasters can leave you stranded in your home for a few days. And if you have paid attention to the news over the last few years, you would have noticed that some of the largest cities can be left without power for long periods of time. Not only must you prepare for a break down of society, but also for natural and man-made disasters.

What do you do in a situation like that? Staying at home may be the safest, most plausible course of action. But that won’t do you any good if you don’t have supplies. Canned green beans only last so long — your family may need more substatial food. Along the same lines, if you are stuck in a blizzard, you might get cold. Your electricity might falter, and, though I have no particular experience with this, I’m sure natural gas used for heating can be interrupted as well. Sweaters, blankets, and a warm fire can help out with that, but only if you have enough.

Chances are that you will experience a few emergencies in your life — some small and others big. No matter what happens, it’s best to be prepared, and ready to get out of town, or to just sit tight until the storm clears.

If you don’t have one already, you should probably add an M-65 Field Jacket to your wardrobe. It’s tough, versatile, and does an excellent job of protecting you from all but the harshest cold weather.

Being a military jacket, it was designed to protect soldiers from the elements while allowing them to move freely in combat. So here is a jacket that does it’s job as a jacket, but doesn’t confine you or restrict movement — something that is very important if you are out in the wilderness trying to build a shelter in a storm.

If you don’t already have a great jacket for your Bug Out Bag, you should really consider one of these. Not only do they handle rain and wind well, they have a removable quilted liner. This extends its usability to most of the year. If you just need something to keep the wind or a light rain off of you, but it’s not cold, take out the liner and put it in your pack. If it’s cold, button in the liner and you’re good to go. Throw on a wool sweater underneath that and you can be comfy in a some really cold places.

Strength, usability, and pure function are offered by the M-65 Field Jacket. Get one and add it to your emergency supplies.

The AR platform has been a most-endeared rifle in this country over the past few decades. It’s success does not lie exclusivley in the realm of military and law enforcement, however. Sportsman and defensive-minded citizens have taken the Black Rifle to heart.

I would like to have one, but I’m not sure which one. Sure, there are several different styles of rifle, but there are also different calibers from which to choose. Assuming that I decide upon the 20 inch model, I still have a lot of choices. I could have a fixed or detachable handle, fold-down iron sights, optics, and all kinds of other options.

Regarding the caliber, I can choose the standard .223/5.56mm or go all the way up to the new and intriguing .450 “thumper” by Hornady. Since I am currently looking for a hunting rifle, the .450 sounds particularly interesting. It may be a bit excessive for the deer around here, but I still haven’t seen the ballistics on it.

I know a bit about this rifle, but not everything (I’m sure I probably won’t ever know everything). As I research the platform and learn more, I’ll chronicle the details here for you. So check back often.

There is no tool more essential to your survival than a knife. In my opinion, it is the greatest and most useful invention of man, surpassing even the wheel. After all, man could not make the wheel without something to cut the stone. Nor could he skin his game so that his family would have shelter and clothing. The uses of knives throughout history are numerous. I would even go so far as to say that pretty much all households across the globe have a knife.

In a survival or outdoor situation, a knife’s usefulness is vast. Need a small section of rope to tie something down? Cut your rope into manageable lengths. What if you are caught in a storm and need to fashion some shelter? A knife can cut small branches and cord so you can make a crude shelter. If you need food, a knife can be lashed to a pole, creating a spear, which is an historically-proven hunting weapon.

CRKT makes some great pocket knives. I recommend that you carry one around all day long (be sure to check local and state laws, of course, as I will not be responsible for you breaking them). Think of the knife as just part of what you put in your pockets: Keys, cell phone, etc.

The particular knife pictured above is one tough little pocket knife. CRKT has come up with a safety for their liner lock knives, which basically turns them into fixed blades. You don’t have to worry about accidentally slipping and unlocking the blade, closing it on your fingers. To close the knife, you must make two deliberate — and quite awkward at first — movements.

The blade is sharp, the steel is tough, and the knife is light. After carrying one of these CRKT blades around for over about a year, I would have to see that the only reason not to have one would be if you just don’t like the way it looks.

Blades are a handy thing to have around, and you never know when you might need one.

This week’s featured gear is the Springfield XD Service Pistol. If you don’t have one, go run out and buy one, because I really think that you’ll be pleased with the purchase. I have owned a Springfield XD 9 Service for over a year, and it is one magnificent pistol.

It’s light, tough, has a good capacity for ammunition, and is really easy to shoot. Just point it and you should hit your target. The ergonomics are such that pointing it is very natural, whether you shoot with both hands, one hand, or use your weak hand.

One thing that really stood out to me, and ultimately made the purchasing decision for me, was the narrow grip. It just felt so comfortable in my hand. Despite having a standard-sized double stack magazine, the pistol’s grip is quite narrow. That means that people like me, who don’t have large hands, will be able to comfortably hold the XD.

The XD has three different barrel lengths, but I can only speak for one of them. I have the service model, which comes with a 4 inch barrel. Some of the other features of this fine weapon are: Polymer frame and grip, 16 round magazine, trigger safety, grip safety, chamber-loaded indicator, accessory rail, and a few different color choices (I got the OD frame with black slide).

I wish I had more time and money to put into practicing with my XD, because it’s such a joy to shoot. If you’re in the market for a high-quality pistol, I would encourage you to check out the XD. There are different sizes and calibers available, so I’m sure you can find something you like.

I came across a useful article that I wanted to share. It’s got some pretty good survival information in it, so read it and remember the advice offered.

How to get out of a car that is hanging over a cliff.

A decent firearm should be a staple in most people’s disaster kits. Why a firearm? Well, simply, you never know when you’re going to need one. In a disaster, everything is chaotic, and you might need some way to defend yourself, your family, your food source, or you home. Or, you can use a firearm to hunt and feed your family.

In a society-crushing disaster, or even a prolonged ecological disaster, having a tool for food and protection is a must. Even if you “don’t like guns,” you need to have one and know how to operate it. It’s better to have one and never need it, than to need it and be empty handed.

Here’s a great resource for browsing and purchasing firearms for what is typically much less than retail pricing: Gun Broker.

Click this link, sign up, and start shopping around for a decent rifle, pistol, or shotgun. Some of the descriptions are the bare minimum, but most contain detail pictures and lots of information on that particular firearm.

Be safe, secure, and confident. Click the link and check them out.

I went to the range yesterday, and I was horrible. I took my Springfield XD9, and my lack of practice was evident. My shots were all high, high and to the right, or just all over the place.

I hadn’t been to the range for nearly a year — eleven months, I believe. That’s far too long to sustain any real skill. Even though I’ve been shooting various firearms throughout my life, I’ve never been really good. The practice I did get was sporadic, and I’ve never had any actual professional marksmanship instruction.

Out of practice, and just learning as I go has produced some horrible results. So, I’m going to need to shoot more often. The more you shoot the better you get, I’ve heard. Well, since I can’t afford to pay for a class or a weekend workshop right now, I’m going to just have to learn as I go.

I’ll be visiting the range more often. I want to improve my skills from decent to really good. I think I’ll buy a book on pistol marksmanship. Time to head to Amazon.

Starting next week, I’m going to have a “Featured Gear” column that will feature some particular item that may be useful in a survival situation.

I plan on making this a weekly thing, but don’t get angry if I’m late one week. I’m a busy man. Anyway, I’ll highlight the gear item and note some potential uses, so you can weigh it and decide if you need to make said item part of your emergency plan.

I haven’t decided on a particular day of the week yet, so stay tuned!

The B.O.B., or Bug Out Bag, is probably the most important piece of equipment you need in case of an emergency. Though it is made up of several parts, it’s one grab and go item that you will be glad you have should disaster strike.

Even though this piece of equipment has “Bug Out” in the name, you don’t necessarily need to be wilderness bound to use one. One can bug in just as easily as bug out. For example, say that you are in Northern Montana, in a rented ski cabin, and a gigantic blizzard pours snow on you, trapping you in for days. With a well-stocked bug out bag, you can just bug in and wait for the roads to clear up.

When putting together a bug out bag, the first thing you need is a bag. Now, this is supposed to be something that you can grab and head out with, so a backpack would be ideal. When selecting a pack, make sure it’s a good one, because if you’re having to muscle your way through angry crowds or run through some thick woods, you don’t want your pack to fall apart.

If you need a regular-sized backpack, why not get a military-style 3-Day assault pack? If you need a large pack, capable of sustaining two people, or if you will need to travel for a while to get to a safe location, try a larger back, like the CFP-90. Those packs are large, tough, and pretty comfortable, too.

In another post, I talked about the value of having food in an emergency. When building a bug out bag, keep in mind that it may very well sit in your closet for years without seeing the light of day. So, you should pack military rations in it, since they are designed to last for years without going bad. I recommend SurePak MREs, which are nearly identical to the government issue military rations. These complete meals are packed in a bag that fits nicely into BDU cargo pockets. So, putting a few of these in your bug out bag won’t take up much room, and will solve the food problem. Keep in mind that they are meals only, and don’t come with water. So you’ll have to pack some of that, too.

These suggestions of mine are just the very basic necessities. There are many other things that you may need to add, and still other things that I think are a must. A good knife, for example, is a must for any BOB. You never know when you’re going to have to cut some rope or divide up some badnages. Flashlights and extra batteries, along with some type of warmth and shelter system are also musts for a bug out bag. I have a polypro tarp and some paracord in my bag, so that I can construct a basic tent or put a covering on a lean-to shelter.

Whatever you decide to put in your bug out bag is up to you. Just make sure that you have one. The last time I grabbed mine was when a tornado hit a block behind my house. That was quite and exciting night! I grabbed my bug out bag, and got my family into some protective shelter and waited out the storm. If we had been dislodged by furious winds, we would have had flashlights, water, protien bars, and emergency mylar blankets.

Take this basic information and expand upon it so that it meets your needs.

Now go make a BOB.

With hurricane season right around the corner — June 1, I believe — everyone in the danger zone needs to make sure that they are prepared for disaster. Hurricane Katrina taught me that we always need to be prepared for what we don’t see coming.

Sure, that region is used to hurricanes, but many were not prepared for what happened when the waters rushed into New Orleans. My advice is to be ready for some displacement. What better way to get ready than to make sure you have some basic supplies on hand to get you through the tough times.

I think the most important thing you can have in an emergency pack is food. I know that’s quite a debateable point, but food gives comfort and strength, and strength can aid you greatly when times are tough.

The best food you can have, in my opinion, for hurricane disaster preparation is the MRE. You can find some here. These MREs are civilian versions of the government contracted military rations.

MRE stands for Meal Ready to Eat, and that’s what it is. Inside the plastic pouch is a complete meal: Main entree, side dish, desert, some type of beverage powder (sports drink, cocoa, etc.), and even some condiments and a spoon. It’s a whole meal inside a bag, free of preservatives and carrying enough nutrients to get you through the day.

The packs are small enough so that you can fit several in a backpack. If you have a family, for example, you can give three meals to each person, and they won’t feel weighed down by it.

The only thing these MREs don’t have is water. So if you don’t want to dehydrate, you’ll need to pack some of that, too.

Next time, I’ll discuss the concept of the Bug Out Bag, or B.O.B., and give some advice on the contents. Emergency preparation might be a chore, but if you get caught in a hurricane, having a full meal can do wonders for your strength and your morale.

I set out to find a hunting rifle, with the intent that it be somewhat utilitarian. I wasn’t just after a hunting rifle…I wanted a firearm that could serve multiple purposes if needed. Sure, if it’s decent and everything, it probably won’t be really good at one particular thing, like hunting, but in my search I was prepared to make that sacrifice.

While searching, I saw many great rifles, read some good reviews of weapons and one interesting critical analysis of the .30-06 cartridge. My decision is for the Mosin Nagant. That might seem like an odd choice for a hunting rifle. At close range, there might not be much venison left for me to eat, since I’ve heard that those rifles pack quite a punch.

My reasoning is based in pure practicality. Right now, I don’t make a lot of money, so I need to purchase a rifle that won’t put undue financial strain on the family. I can also get these rifles at quite a discounted rate once I get my C&R firearms license. That’s right, I’ve decided to go ahead and start my collection of old arms.

It’s been something which has held my interest since I was a child. Now, as deer season approaches, I see the opportunity to get some great rifles for the collection and also have some decent hunting rifles. Sure, they may not be ideally suited for deer slaying, but most of these rifles I will buy will have already proven themselves. Some may have been used in actual battles. So I’ll have a little piece of history.

I’m not going to get my license right away, because I will be moving soon. It would be kind of pointless to get something that is directly related to my physical address, and then move a couple of months later. So, I’ll wait until my wife and I pick out a house to buy, and then I’ll get the license and start buying Mosins. Now…do I want the carbine, or the sniper model?

While researching various long guns for this rifle search, I have learned that this isn’t going to be an easy decision. Simply put, I want them all. There are so many fine rifles out there, it’s going to be hard to choose.

I have looked at all sorts of rifles — semi-auto, bolt-action, lever guns, old war horses, and modern combat weapons. There’s clearly a lot to choose from, so how do I narrow it down? I could shop by pure economy, purchasing the cheapest rifle I can find that has sufficient power. On the other end of that spectrum, I could go for a really nice, high-end rifle in use by troops and police officers worldwide. Taking a different approach, I could shop based on task-specific criteria, such as buying a rifle that has been fully designed as a deer hunting rifle. You see where I’m going with this? How do I decide?

If I base my decision on pure utility, options both expensive and inexpensive come to mind. For example, the Springfield M1A Scout rifle would be an excellent all-around weapon with a history of reliability. Unfortunately, those are terribly expensive. An inexpensive option would be to purchase a mauser, mosin, or sks. Those rifles have proved themselves throughout history, but they don’t cost a lot.

Which brings me to a recent discovery. Well, I didn’t really discover it recently, but I did learn details about it recently. I could always get a Curio and Relics federal firearms license and just buy some of these historically proven and still serviceable rifles online and have the shipped to my door. These licenses are cheaper than I thought, and since I’m a good citizen, I’ll qualify for one. If I do go this route, not only will I be able to get some great deals on some field rifles, I’ll be able to have a collection of these historical weapons–something that has been an interest of mine since childhood.

Regardless of what I choose, I still want them all. Right now, based on my family’s financial stature, I think that I’ll need to go with a more economical firearm. But that still leaves the question of utility vs. specific purpose. Do I want to get an older rifle that is really cheap (inexpensive, not shoddy craftsmanship), or save a bit more and get a task-specific rifle? I don’t know, but I imagine that my continued shopping and research will lead me to the answer.

As you can see by the post right below this one, something is amiss. I did not write the post with those huge spaces in it, nor did I assign any style or formatting to it.

I’m using a slightly old version of WordPress, so I guess I need to update to the newest version. The software is great, but this version I’m using does have a few flaws. Maybe upgrading to the newest version will help.

Anyway, don’t be alarmed if the site looks a bit different…because it will.

Choosing a rifle that would be suitable as a basic all-around utility weapon is my goal. I mean that I am looking for a rifle that is both field-ready for hunting large game and also battle-ready for defending my family. I’ve come up with some basic criteria that I will use when shopping for a rifle. I don’t just want some bullet-slinger, but rather something with a bit of elegance.

Here are some of my basic criteria:

• Reliability
• Availability of ammunition
• Ease of carry and handling
• Accuracy
• Stopping power
• Availability of spare or expansion parts

I am looking for a round with enough stopping power to take down a whitetail deer without too much of a risk of merely wounding it. That pretty much rules out the .223. I know that many deer have been killed wih a .223, but in the thick hardwoods that I hunt, I’m afraid that it’s just not enough bullet to be a reliable slayer of deer. Prove me wrong if you can, because I would love to buy an AR-15.

I would like to get a rifle that is somewhat common, that way I can get spare parts and accessories at most gun shops, instead of having to search around for them. However, this isn’t really such a big deal since one can find just about anything online. Still, it’s a consideration of mine.

Since I am looking for more of a utility rifle, meaning that it will plausibly serve more than one purpose, I may not go with the standard bolt-action hunting rifle. In a defensive situation, when my pistol is not near or ready, a bolt action rifle would be cumbersome. Even so, this is just a minor consideration, since my shotgun would also make a fine defensive weapon.

Cost is something else that I must unfortunately consider. This is really too bad since there are some amazing and well-reputed rifles that cost over twelve hundred dollars. I would not be able to disclose such a figure to my wife, no matter how well off we are at the time of purchase.

Check back for part 2 of this series, where I will have a few rifle considerations, and why I am looking at them.

I am searching for a hunting rifle right now, and I’m not sure what I am going to get. So, I have decided that I will chronicle my search here for you. When I finally make a purchase, I’ll explain my reasoning, and maybe that insight will help another decide on what they want to buy.

Keep an eye out for the first article in this series!

Being aware is important to your survival, whether you’re just out for a hike, or if you’re in an emergency situation. What do I mean by being aware? I mean paying attention to your surroundings all the time, at least on some level. Even being minutely aware of the mean-looking clouds in the distance, or some strange sound in the forest, can mean the difference between comfort and disaster.

The idea of being aware does not only apply to literally being out in the wilderness and paying attention. It also means that you need to plan. You should be aware of some possibilities and plan for them. For example, if you are going hunting in the afternoon, it might be a good idea to bring along some type of shelter, like a tarp, just in case you get stuck over night due to something outside of your control.

If you are the type that doesn’t really pay attention, start. You don’t have to pay attention like you are in some stark classroom, but you do need to be aware of what’s going on around you. And if you think you just can’t pay attention, that you are somehow designed to just be out of it all the time, you’re wrong. Paying attention is something that can be learned. Just ask any Marine recruit.

To illustrate the necessity of this, picture a man walking down a busy street. He’s on the sidewalk, reading or daydreaming, or whatever, when he suddenly realizes he’s at a crosswalk. Instead of being aware of what’s going on around him, he walks out into the street without a care and gets squashed by some garbage truck flying by at 60 miles per hour.

This may seem like an extreme case, but similar things happen all the time. Go to work in an ER for a while and you’ll see what I mean.

Be aware of your surroundings and what goes on around you. It could mean the difference between comfort and discomfort, or the difference between life and death.

Without sounding too ridiculous, I will say that survival is simply a matter of surviving. Brilliant deduction, isn’t it? The key to survival is preparation coupled with awareness. Without those two items working in concert, you may not live through the night. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that. A true matter of survival is a matter of life or death, and should be treated with all seriousness.

There are some situations, however, that are emergencies that do not bring an instant threat of death. Take an earthquake or hurricane, for example. They might not kill you when they strike, but the aftermath can be quite an ordeal. Being prepared for such ordeals is what survival is all about. Survival is about staying alive, but it’s also about staying healthy and taking care of your loved ones during a time of crisis.

Step one is to be prepared, and step two is to be aware. I suppose one could argue that they are part of the same chore, but I will discuss them individually. I feel each concept deserves its own piece. Stay tuned for more!

Within these pages you will find information and articles on a wide variety of topics. Survival, outdoor sports, personal security, and more will be found in this site.