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Survival Skills: Be Prepared To Come Back Alive !!
Part of being a good hunter and marksman is having the survival skills of a good woodsman. To be a good woodsman one must
"be prepared" for mishaps. Catastrophe and disaster can happen to anyone, at anytime, by many different means. The problem
is, MOST PEOPLE, DON’T THINK THAT DISASTER CAN HAPPEN TO THEM !! An earthquake, or other type of natural disaster can wipe out and reduce greatly our standard of living (comfort) in one day. Help from the agencies can be slow or even late getting to you. This was painfully obvious during Hurricanes Katrina, and Andrew. Just driving in a desert region or during winter months and breaking down can mean serious trouble for the unprepared. Few people ever plan for getting lost or being in an outdoor mishap. That is why these survival skills are provided to you, the serious Hunter, Hiker, Traveler, Outdoor Enthusiast.
Think of the acronym, 'PLAN ' (Provide Locations/Life-sustaining essentials And Necessary (Itinerary/contact info) for EVERY
outing, or distant trip. Always carry a survival kit. A supply of food, water and tools will allow you to survive for a
PRE-determined amount of time.
If you find yourself having to spend the night, stay calm, assess the situation. Get started on a shelter (lean-to, snow
cave, debris hut), and a small controllable fire, have much wood around if available. Build your shelter early, 4 to 5 hours
before the sun sets. This is important in a winter emergency setting.
Review Field and Stream article on Shelter Building
You Tube Video on Shelter Building
Be prepared to burn tires on your vehicle if
necessary, let air out, and start with the spare. Take a tire off car as needed. Use a small amount of gasoline and a match,
light paper or larger material, or battery / jumper cables (sparks). A tire will burn for 12+ hours putting out heat and
black smoke (signal). Or you can use this survival tip.
SURVIVAL TIP: The Coffee Can/Toilet Paper Car Heater Using an empty coffee can, plastic lid, bottle of rubbing alcohol,
roll of toilet paper. Take cardboard roll out of the toilet paper, squeeze the paper tight, place into coffee can. Pour one
bottle of rubbing alcohol into the can, soaking the toilet paper. Light top of the toilet paper. The fire produced will
burn with a clean, almost invisible flame, and not burn the toilet paper. Set can in a safe place in the car and monitor
the flame to prevent an accident. Crack windows in the front and back of car to circulate air and prevent Carbon Monoxide gas from building up. You can tell the alcohol is burning out when the toilet paper starts to burn. Blow out the flame, let the can cool, add another bottle of alcohol and re-light. The fuel will burn about ten hours straight use, or close to 24 hours intermittent use. Keep lid on Coffee Can/Toilet Paper Heater when not in use to save the alcohol from evaporating. Keep 2 or 3 rolls of toilet paper and 3 or 4 bottles of rubbing alcohol in your vehicle’s survival kit. Just burning a candle can keep the car warm!
HERE IS AN IMPORTANT VIDEO ON MAKING AN INEXPENSIVE, BUT EFFECTIVE ALCOHOL BURNING MINI-STOVE!!
HOW TO MAKE AN ALCOHOL MINI STOVE
If you decide to leave the car, (which you shouldn't, because you left contact information with a responsible person).
Strip the car of materials, (foam from seats to make warm snow shoes, gas in container to make fire/signals), anything you
can think of. Carry in backpack or an improvised sled/drag. Use your map capable-portable GPS. Go to nearest road, point of
interest (water-hole, building, etc.) Mark starting point on the GPS before you head out. Remember the PLB device as a
viable option.
Search the Internet and study the subject of Emergency Survival Skills. Take notes and Keep Notes with your Survival Kit.
PRINT THIS PAGE, KEEP WITH EACH OF THE SURVIVAL SKILLS KITS.
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