MOUNTAINEER'S 12 ESSENTIALS recommended by experts of all types:
1) AT LEAST ONE COMPLETE CHANGE OF CLOTHING including extra for such
contingencies as rain & cold weather.
2) EXTRA FOOD. Include extra rations in your minimum. This is your
insurance policy in case something goes really wrong.
3) SUNGLASSES. Every time you set out for a strange area it's good to
have a pair along.
If you are planning on desert, alpine or winter camping, it's a rare occasion
that you will not need them. Even Eskimos worry about snow blindness.
4) A KNIFE. A substantial pocket-knife is the order of the day. No need
for Bowie knife and the big sheath knife for those who are out to tackle
bears with bare hands. A good Swiss army knife is excellent or a Buck for
bigger job.
5) FIRE STARTERS; jelly, ribbon, tablets or impregnated peat bricks.
There are emergencies where a fire is both necessary and difficult to
start. Every kit MUST include a supply of starters of one kind or another.
6) EMERGENCY MATCHES. Fire starters alone don't a fire make. You need
matches. Long wooden ones are best & soaked in wax to make them weather
proof and keep them in a waterproof container.
7) A FIRST AID KIT. See the proper chapter on how to build one.
8) A FLASHLIGHT. Everyone should carry his own and add extra batteries
& bulbs just in case.
9) MAPS. You should have a map when going to all but the most familiar
places. It's not only a safety factor but can add a lot of enjoyment to your
trip, helping you to find the best spots and sights.
10) A GOOD QUALITY COMPASS even two might help in case the first one
goes berserk.
11) A SPACE BLANKET. It did not exist in the first writing up of this list.
Today it's an invaluable safety precaution. Weighing only 2 ounces it opens
up to a full 56"X84".
It reflects up to 90% of a sleeper's body heat while at the same time
keeping out rain, rain and snow.
Not to be used as camping blanket but ESSENTIAL as emergency gear for all
kinds of use including signalization
12) THIS BOOK! THIS BOOK!
P/S DO NOT FORGET YOUR PONCHO. MR. VILLA!
HOW TO BREATH PROPERLY:
It sounds strange but we have to learn to breath properly. Meaning that
one MUST Exhale Completely; if one wants to use its Maximum Strength.
A breathing control is aimed towards our ways to Exhale and Not about
inhaling.
One rebuilds his strength much better by Exhaling properly than by trying
to force his air intake.
IF YOU DO ANY HARD WORK, OR WALK FAST OR YOU ARE DIGGING YOUR OUTPUT
INCREASES BY 50%;
IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF BY SLOWLY!!! EXHALING BY PUSHING ALL THE AIR OUT OF
YOUR LUNGS.
Opera singers, swimmers and runners know this t"Rick". For example if you
get into a cold shower, you have the tendency to breath faster and to
tense your muscles which only aggravates your torture.
If on the other hand you try to exhale slowly and regularly you will be much
surprised to notice the Little effect that this cold water has upon you.
6 DEEP EXHALATIONS!
This is because a Slow Exhalation helps your body to adapt itself to this
change.
STRESS CONTROL & BREATHING:
An attentive control on your respiration & especially of your timing
contributes to your stress control in any moments of Tension, Stress or
constraint. Most of us breath only 1/2 way.
We breath incorrectly since we don't have much choice but where we make
the mistake is; when we do not exhale properly. Meaning; that we do not do it
- Deeply Enough -.
Thus we often sigh which is a sign warning us of a Need for a Deep
Exhalation! AHHH!
A sigh is a natural mean used by our body to exhale completely; once we
have OOPS neglected to do so under STRESS.
Just remember in your past when there was a Deep Stress & after that
moment was over you felt the dear need for a full exhalation. AHHH!!! MMM!!!
So one MUST learn to sigh methodically. Any blockage brought to your
breathing system provokes deep pains!
So any amelioration will be beneficial to your body & mind.
The more one exhale air the more one is able to inhale. So the increasing of
your capacity is the goal of any respiratory discipline.
To take a conscious hold of your exhalation is the # 1 factor. What we MUST
strive for is to make it a habit.
BREATHING BEFORE ANY TASK!
Exhale Deeply Before undertaking Any Task. You will thus facilitate the
climbing of long stairs. Exercise yourself to breath IN during 2 steps, & to
exhale during the next 2 steps. 2 IN & 2 OUT DEEPLY!
But you MUST Exhale Completely BEFORE climbing the First step!
BREATHING TO FIGHT COLD!: ***
6 DEEP EXHALATIONS will also SUSTAIN and INCREASE your RESISTANCE when
you will have to fight against a "Deep 6!" Winter Wind!
In any Harsh or Boring circumstances where STRESS puts a grip on you;
Exhale Slowly thus you will Recharge your Nervous System. HUMMM! AHHH!
BREATHING CONTROL EXERCISES:
To help you along in this new technique, try reading out loud is a good
exercise.
Take an article and read on 1 breath as much as you can without effort.
Do this a dozen time the first day. Count the words and start over the next
day, this way you can measure your improvement.
Another exercise is to count. Sit down comfortably, your back straight,
inhale slowly and regularly counting to 4, pause for 1 second, then exhale
till you reach 12, the next time; inhale till 5 and exhale till 15.
Keep it up this way; and measure your progress. Once you have reached 21
you will notice that the fact of humming a song will help you Enormously in
limiting the quantity of air you exhale.
These exercises will bring MUCH GOOD to your OVERALL WELL BEING and will
change many of your regular habits.
A conscious breathing also brings a conscious acting or behaving. You will
notice that it is impossible to slump in a couch and still breath
effectively.
All one has to do is to get his shoulder blades as close together as
possible, to feel your lungs getting to work at their best. MMM!
After a while these exercises will become second nature for an overall
better well being. It could even help you cutting down on smoking by
reducing the stress overall! Just remember: " DEEP 6 "
1 MAIN LAW OF SURVIVAL:
THE MORE YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND AN ENVIRONMENT and THE LESS YOU TRY TO
FIGHT IT, THE KINDER IT WILL BE TO YOU.
PSYCHOLOGY #?:
While it is true and vital that energy MUST be conserved it is equally
important that the mind MUST BE KEPT BUSY.
ENDURANCE IS NOT ENOUGH:
This has been proven over & over again. 1 needs training.
One MUST know what to do. One MUST equip himself, mentally and physically.
If you want to survive you most likely will. If not; then you wont!
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY:
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY IS ESSENTIAL TO SURVIVAL UNDER ANY PRIMITIVE
CONDITIONS.
IF LOST RELAX: !!!
1) CONSERVE STRENGTH, FLUID, heat, by moving: AS little as
possible and SLOWLY!
2) PREPARE EMERGENCY SIGNALS, make shelter, inventory supplies,
ration all food.
3) GUARD against Infections, intestinal disorders.
4) DON'T TRAVEL in adverse weather, if injured or confused
Eventually someone will find you.
5) STAY WITH DOWN AIRCRAFT, easily spotted. Determine your
location, scout immediate area.
6) DECIDE IF BEST TO TRAVEL OR STAY. Don't separate parties; mark your
path, leave messages behind, keep a log.
7) KEEP knife, spare food, first/aid, signal equipment ON YOU at ALL TIME!
DOWNHILL TRAVEL:
Travel along watersheds may triple distance, lead to marshes, thickets etc.
STRAIGHT LINE travel may be best.
TEST for EXHAUSTION:
Look up at sky, if it appears to be receding get some sleep.
FOOD:
ALL HEALTHY MAMMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS == EDIBLE!
Yet beware of city & water and radiation contamination and pollution!
SHELTER:
AVOID Wind, high-water lines, poor drainage. Vent to AVOID carbon monoxide.
NATURAL SHELTER =:
Caves; overhangs; between rocks; snow banks; under tree with tops tied
together; sand burrow; hollow tree; hole in snow around tree;
LEAN-TO:
Tarp or bark, snow blocks cut with knife or stick from trench. Build sleep
platform inside, drain, vents. Candle heat about 32 Fahrenheit.
WATER:
To SURVIVE 10 days on no water at 50F. one NEEDS 3-4 pints /day and most
can come from food. Look uphill for pollutants.
BOIL & THEN, Test taste water, boil 10 minutes. To be safe or USE WATER
TABLETS (Iodine pills).
ANIMALS:
Trails usually intersect at angle toward water, follow downhill. Birds fly
to water early morning & evening. Nervousness indicates water nearby.
VINES:
Tree roots, thin branches, high-water content; stand sections on end to
drain in a trough. AVOID MILKY SAP.
WATER FROM URINE:
URINE salts like sea water = OK distilled, better to freeze it.- First
crystals to form are pure water.
SNOW-ICE:
50% less fuel needed to melt ice. Melt snow in hand or packed in can over
fire. Eating raw snow causes dehydration. Ice is best.
OCEAN ICE:
1 year or more old looses salt, is fresh (bluish). Find in high-places where
summer has thawed. Icebergs = salt free.
OCEAN BEACHES:
Dig hole below hi-tide line or behind dunes, use first water seeping in-
deeper water is salty.
WATER AT SEA:
Use solar still. OK to add a little salt water to distilled or rain water for
minerals. Salt water kills 1 or 2 days faster than no water at all.
Salt water MUST be drunk as soon as possible up to 900 ML / daily then use
fresh water if any, from dew, fish juice etc. To balance it out.
ALL EDIBLE SALT & FRESH WATER FISH HAVE SAFE WATER IN MEAT, CHEW OR WRING
IT OUT IN A CLOTH.
RAINWATER:
Collect all. Dew-wring out of blankets etc. laid open. Mop from grass, rock,
cacti or other surfaces.
SWAMP / TROPICS:
Standing water usually unfit, streams muddy. Dig hole 9 feet from shore, let
the waters filter in, strain, purify. (Halazone, Chlorine pills are Unreliable.
ARID LANDS: & DESERT:
AVOID water holes where green vegetation doesn't thrive = (poison).
Look for water around vegetation. Especially Willows, Cottonwood**
Low laces in outside bend or dry creeks (dig holes wait 2 hours) base of
cliffs, hills mountains, canyon heads.*
*Mineral stained rock; rainwater "potholes" in rocky places; low places
between dunes. Muddy water = OK let silt settle.
CACTI:
ALL CACTI IN WORLD ARE SAFE.
Mash core, extract liquid, taste varies. Small Barrel (Fishhook) Cactus &
Yucca best.
PURIFY ALL ARID LAND WATER:
Because of pollution purify ALL water near any town, villages etc. (Boil 10
minutes).
Alkali, mineral flavours nearly always present. OK in small quantities,
bleach through bag of sand; add charcoal or boil.
SOLAR STILL: *pix to get**
In open, damp place use a 6'x6' clear plastic sheet over hole, sealed edges,
rock centre weight, bucket collects water evaporated from ground, add
vegetation pieces, urine. Collect 1 quart in 2 hours.
PURIFICATION:
Boil 20 minutes. Strain. Boil with charcoal removes bad taste. Tincture
iodine 5 drops to 1 qart. Shake it. For Iodine tabs follow directions.
Bleach 2 drops to 1 qt stir, stand 30 min. Chlorine Tbs. to 8 qts stand 30
min. Increase formula if water is dirty.
DAYS EXPECTED SURVIVAL IN DESERT; NO WALKING:
Shade/max. qts: 01 2
120F 2/1 2/2
90F 7/5 8/5.5
60F 10/8 11/8.5
WALKING NIGHT ONLY:
(Days/ Nights)**
4 10 12
2/2 2.5/2.5 3/3
9/5.5 10/6.5 15/8
12/9 14/11 21/14
ORIENTING: BY WATCH: *
Hold watch level, point hour hand at sun. South is mid way between hour hand
and #12 in the smallest angle. South of Equator: read with face down, mid
line points North.
By SHADOW: chk rptt**
Put long stick in ground, mark tip of shadow; 1 hour later mark tip again,
line from first to second mark point East, N/S line is at right angle.
BY STARS:
Stars rise in East, fall West. Plot movement of an overhead star by sighting
across 2 fixed sticks (ex; if star on your right is rising (East) you are
facing North).
North star and Southern Cross remain relatively stationary above each
pole. (See picture later*)
TRUE NORTH:
Geographic North pole is "up" on most map.
MAGNETIC NORTH = :
Magnetic pole = that compass points to world-wide (approximately 1000
miles south of North Pole north of Hudson's Bay).
Magnetic Declination:
The difference between True & Magnetic North, in degrees East or West of
True North.
SOME MAGNETIC DECLINATION*** READINGS: (Approx) * = Degrees
US-Canada /10*= East, Adak, AK / 21* E = Anchorage / 30*E = Fort Yukon,
Whitehorse, NWT/ 10*E = The Pas, MB/22* E= Banf, North Cascades.
20*E = Glacier, MT, Bend, OR 13* E = Yosemite, Yellowstone 15*E = Los
Angeles, Grand Canyon.
14*E = Cortez,CO / 13*E = Tucson AZ, Black Hills, SD / 10*E = Big Bend,
Texas, Liberal, Kansas. 5* E = Ozarks / 3*E = Ely, Minesota
0* = Churchill, MB, Indianapolis.
Everglades / 1*W = Smokies/ 6*W/ Shenandoah USA/ 10*W=Hearst, Ont./ 14*W=
Adirondacks
21*W= Upper Maine / 30*W= ST.John Newf. Schefferville, Labrador/ Mexico /
6*E= Yucatan 8*E= Mexico City / 9*E= E.Montery / 10* E = Mazatlan / 11*E =
Canyon del Cobre.
WORLD /10*W = London, Gibraltar/ 3*W = Mt.Kilimanjaro / 5* W = Zurich, Chad
/2* E = Istanboul.
2*E= Kabul, Afg./ 1*W= Mt.Everest 1*W = Honk-Kong/ 7*W = Tokyo / 1*E =
Djkarta / 0* = Guam/ 11* E= Hawaii / 10*E=Sidney,Aust.
15*E = Eastern IS.,Cape Horn / 13*W= Brazilia / 7*W = Manaus, Brazil/ 0*=
LaPaz, Bol.
/ 10* W = Trinidad / 4*E= Panama.
FIRE SOURCE:
Build away from grass, trees, overhead snow. Clear duff to mineral soil.
FLINT/STEEL =: quartz, jasper, agate, any glassy stone.
FIRE FROM AMMUNITION:
Remove projectile, pour 1/2 powder onto tinder, reload shell with rag wad,
fire in air, put blazing rag on tinder
GAS/OIL:
With sand in can or in hole.
BATTERY: Spark from wire to each terminal.
BURNING GLASS:
Any convex lens; binocular, glasses, bottle bottom, bottle filled with water,
maybe carved ice piece: in bright sun, beam onto tinder.
ANIMAL:
Bones burn, fat makes good lamp, warming fire.
TINDER:
Shaved twigs, dry leaves & needles, heart of wet wood, plastic, dung, dry
roots, pitch knots in old logs.
OVERNIGHT FIRE KEPT:
Cover coals with ashes, dry earth, will smoulder till morning.
TORCH:
Wrap bark cylinder or burn Pine knots. 24 hours Torch = fray end of 1"
diameter. Stick pitch coat, dry, repeat 1-2 times (pictures from card
here**)
KEEPING WARM AND DRY:
Build small fire, sit closer, keep warmer. Sit between fire & reflecting
surface. Sleep with feet toward fire. Fire is not essential in sub-zero
temperature if one is properly insulated.
CLOTHES / BOOTS:
Keep loose for better insulation, ventilation, circulation.
Perspiration = damp clothes frost; puff out air at collar & cuffs. Beat
frost out of clothes with a stick. Mittens are warmest.
Melted fat helps waterproof boots. Bark pieces = good inner soles.
Persistently damp shoes, socks can cause "trench foot" = gangrene,
infections. Insulate clothes with grass, moss, hay, leaves, feathers, etc.
FALL THROUGH ICE: =
Can kill in seconds; quickly roll in snow to blot up moisture & for warmth,
remove clothes, let freeze beat ice out, then build drying fire.
SLEEPING WARNING & TIPS:
Sleeping in clothes holds moisture, chills body. You will not freeze to death
in your sleep; cold awakens you.
SNOW TRAVEL:
Burns 5-10 times more energy than staying put.
FAST FOOD: (Macdonals?)
ALL HEALTHY MAMMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS ARE EDIBLE; yet beware of pollution.
chk rptt*
BEST SURVIVAL WEAPON IS FAT:
UNBLED, LEAN MEAT, PROVIDES ALL BASIC ESSENTIALS.
FORAGING = CAUTION:
Can burn more energy than gained, upset digestion.
INNER BARK FOOD:
Of Birch, Aspen, Poplar, most Pines, Slippery Elm, Cottonwood, Willow, Red
Maple, good Raw, cooked, tea. Store dried strips.
SAP:
Very nourishing, Cherry, Maple, Aspen, Birch, Hickory you can live on this
alone for many weeks. Drink Raw: Tap from hole into inner bark, 2 gal. in 24
hours. Ingest via straw into mouth while sleeping. Plug tap after use.
PINE:****
(Find all seeds and roots that are rich in fat and protein and have them
first in the list of survival plants..) ****
ALL SEEDS IN "CONES" = RICH IN FAT, PROTEIN:
Acorn, Nuts, Pecans all good Raw, roasted, meal. If bitter leach (grind, soak)
out tannic acid. Evergreen needles raw, tea, hi-vitamin C.
AVOID: Buckeye: *
EGGS:
BIRD OR TURTLE (WHITES WON'T HARD BOIL) ALL GOOD TO EAT.
JACKING:
Use light to hypnotise frogs, game on trail, water-hole, den.
BURROWS:
Fan smoke or pour water in, wait with club or snares.
SLOW ANIMALS EASY TO CLUB:
Opossum, Porcupine, Armadillo, Marmot?*, Groundhog, roosting birds,
moulting Ducks, Lizards, others.
FEEDING ON ANIMALS:
Drive away, steal their meat.
FUNGI:
AVOID ALL MUSHROOMS, PUFFBALLS, ETC.
AVOID:
Snails (parasite), Toads (toxic skin), Worms (grit, = NO food value).
INSECTS:
Moth, Mayflies, Cicadas, Crickets Dragonflies, Termites = Very Good.
GRUBS:
Wood-Beetle, Larvae in logs. Grasshoppers: Remove legs, wings = GOOD!
LIZARD, FROGS, SALAMANDERS, SNAKES = GOOD to EAT:
Remove head, viscera, skin; roast, fry.
FISH:
Club or drive to shallows, barricade. Crayfish: Boil tails.
TURTLE:
Decapitate, bleed well, boil to puff off skin; split under shell in + pattern,
declaw, disembowel. Wash all meat in & outside, boil 25 min. more. When flesh
pulls of easy cut up and add to stew.
LEATHER:
Untanned: Good, protein-chew, swallow.
MARINE LIFE:
ALL SEAWEED (NOT THREADLIKE) BELOW WATER ARE EDIBLE, cooked; eat slowly.
AVOID if wilted, slimy or odorous.
ALSO EDIBLE:
Sea Cucumbers, Urchins, Abalone, Scallops, Octopus, Aquid, Limpets, Chiton,
Periwinkles, Mussels, Shrimp, Oysters, Eels, (no scale) Crabs, non-Arctic
Shark, white meat of salt water Clams.
FISHES NOT TO EAT:
Black Mussels, sea Snakes (scales) Rays, Jellyfish, Portuguese Man of war,
fishes without scales, with irregular scales, tiny mouth, sunken eyes, slimy
gills, flabby flesh, bad odour, box shape, bright colours, or that puff up
with air.
SAFEST FISH:
Lie in deep water beyond reefs. PLANKTON-green slime under boats, logs,
rocks, EDIBLE Raw, dried. Party lived on this alone for 115 days.
DON'T EAT:
Plants stranded or growing on beaches.
ARCTIC FOOD:
Nearly ALL VEGETABLE = EDIBLE but! DON'T EAT:
Fungi, Baneberry, Lupine, Buttercup, Death Camus, False Hellebore,
Larkspur, Monkshood, Vetch, (Locoweed) Waterhemlock. If eaten induce
vomiting. 2 CHK real English name
ON ALL PLANTS OR FOOD STUFF*****
ROCK TRIPE LICHEN = GOOD:
Raw, soup, tea. Leathery dark lettuce leaf up to 3" wide, around rock. Grows
into south US. Reindeer Moss Lichen also in US. Low green grey plants, eat
Raw, boiled.
ALL LICHEN IN FAR NORTH ARE EDIBLE, STEAM OR BOIL FOR SAFETY.
SWEET VETCH or Licorice Root, commonest root; in clumps on sandy soil
shores. Cooked better taste than carrot. chk rptt**
ALL BERRIES IN ARCTIC ARE EDIBLE, EXCEPT BANEBERRY.**
SHARK:
Shark meat poison in Arctic only.
DESERT:
Apache warriors lived just on Salamanders, Mesquite Beans, Cactus water.
ALL CACTI FRUITS & FLESHY PARTS = GOOD; RAW, FRIED ETC. REMOVE SPINES,
SKINS.
SEEDS that ARE EDIBLE:
*Pynion Pine, desert Serviceberry, Gamble Oak, Ironwood, Jojoba, desert
Gourd seeds, flowers. Mesquite = large shrub, small tree.
Straight spines & bean pods, fern like leaves, yellow flowers. Seeds, pods =
Raw, or cooked. Manzanita = large shrub, crooked branches. Brownish-pink
berries = Raw cooked, ground; acorn like.
Tumbleweed or Russian Thistle, young plant boiled. Joshua Tree = flower
buds roasted. Yuccas = flowers Raw or toasted.
Agaves (Mescal) = stalk heart like Asparagus, roasted. Fan Palm ripe
berries roasted, hangs in huge clumps off ends of branches.
PLANT EDIBILITY TEST =:
Limit diet to plants positively identifiable or seen eaten by rabbit,
rodents, beavers, squirrels, raccoons, monkeys and bears.
Birds are not reliable. Place very small amount inside lower lip, taste for
soapy, bitter, acid, burning taste for 5 minutes.
Increase dose every 6-10 hours. If no ill effect in 24 hours it is probably
safe, but continue caution.
AVOID:
Those with MILKY SAP, (toxic) black spurs on grain (diseased) or that look
sickly. Cook if in doubt.
SOME EDIBLE PLANTS AMONG THE MORE NUTRITIOUS & COMMON IN TEMPERATE
ZONES:
MOST PLANTS HAVE EDIBLE PARTS. Taste test succulent parts of appealing
plants.
CAUTION:
Water plants absorb Pollutants. Starchy parts more nutritious when boiled.
(See photo**)
ABBREVIATIONS: WH= Water habitat, / * = very nutritious / y = young.
THIS IS A BIT CONFUSING GET A BETTER SHEET SPREAD OF IT*******
PL= entire plant / SE= seeds / G= grains / B= buds / FL= flowers / FR=
fruits / L= leaves / SH= shoots /
STE= stems / STA= stalks / R= roots / T= tubers / r= raw / c= cooked / b=
boiled / p= pealed / d= dried / g= ground (dried, meal); / t= tea./
GRASSES:
Blades with common base or stalk; be careful, high cellulose content leaves
are stomach abrasive.
NO KNOWN GRASS IS POISONOUS:
Eg; Wheat, Barley, Rice, Reeds, Rushes, Red Top, Millet, Oats, Sedges, Foxtail,
Crabgrass, Nutgrass, Johnson grass, Buffalo grass, Canary grass, others:
BERRIES GOOD TO EAT: *
Fruit & tea leaves = Blackberry / Raspberry / Salmonberry/ Dewberry /
Cloudberry / Strawberry / Thimbleberry.
Wintergreen: Fruit = Mulberry / Gooseberry / Elderberry / Bunchberry /
Whortleberry / Huckleberry/ Hackberry / Currants, others.
HUNTING:
Look for dens, runways, feeding & watering places.
Best in early morning & evening hours. Stalk silently, slowly, against or
across wind, or lay in waiting.
AIM! WHERE?:
Deer, Elk, Moose = back of head, lower neck, behind front shoulder (if you
hit, don't run wait 10 min, till it bleeds dead).
Seal = behind eye; / Musk-Ox = neck or shoulder; Bear = Behind ear, upper
neck, behind front shoulder;/ Small game = head.
SNARES: (see*photo**)
Place snares, traps among natural obstacles; minimize human scent by
smoking your snares. Many small nooses-tie to limbs near nests, roots.
Drawstring bag-squirrel bait inside; pull cord. Pole with nose on end for
nesting birds, fish.
BOLA:
Stones on end of strings, spun overhead and thrown at flocks of birds, small
animals.
FISHING HOOKS:
Pins, nails, bones etc. Flies, Shoestring, hair, Milkweed, feathers.
BAIT: = worms, grubs, shellfish, insect, meat.
NIGHT-LINE: = String of baited hooks across stream.
DRUGS:
Crushed leaves & stalk of *Mullein, Road of Soap plant, Green Buckeye
seeds, thrown into water will daze fish, who will float to surface; you can
eat at once. Also: Burn coral or sea shells to make lime.
TRAPS:
Build funnel trap or construct stake corral in shallow water facing into
current or toward high tide line. (*photo**)
DRESSING GAMES:
ALWAYS cook food well for safety. Protect meat from egg-laying flies
(maggots).
SAVE ALL FAT: To cook with meat.
STEW GIVE THE MOST FOOD VALUE!
BIRDS:
Bleed, pluck at once, singe & remove pin feather. Boil carrion-eating birds
25 minutes to kill parasites.
SMALL GAME:
Cut skin around mid body, peel off to head and tail, remove feet, head. Open
belly from anus to chin.
Cut through pelvic, break open. Cut open rib cage; remove anus, genitals,
guts in one piece. Wash well.
BIG GAME: (Dinosaur?)
Cut jugular, bleed (hunting people do not bleed meat); much Vitamin C,
prevents Scurvy.
Remove leg scent glands on Deer. Skin-midline cut from anus to jaw, from
midline out to hocks (rear) and ankles (front), cut around each leg & head
behind ears. Remove organs soon, don't rupture intestine, gall and urine
bladders (spoil meat).
Hang carcass for cooling before butchering. Halve between 2 & 3 ribs from
rear. Remove from place of killing.
ALL PARTS large, small animal = EDIBLE. (AVOID Polar Bear and Seal liver =
poison, too high vitamin A.)
RABBIT ONLY DIET DANGER:
No fat will induce diarrhoea, starvation. Don't handle uncooked animal in
bare hand, danger of tularaemia (rabbit fever). Discard all rodent skins.
BONE-MARROW-BLOOD =:
Nourishing in healthy animals. Calcium-chew bones ends.
WOOD KNIFE: =
Elm, Hickory bark, shape. Soak overnight, fast dry over fire. Sharpen on
rock. Repeat many times. Gets hard as soft steel. Good for skinning & light
chore.
EQUIPMENT SKINS:
Scrape of all fat, flesh. Smoke dry over tripod over low fire. Good bedding,
etc. fur side out. Save bird pelts.
RAWHIDE: chk rptt**
(Presoak if skin is dry) stake out, scrape skin side perfectly clean. Wash
(water or urine) clean, leave staked in sun to dry 1-2 days.
Turn over, re-stage, scrape off fur (easier if soaked overnight in wood-ash
solution) On soft backing pound dry hide with blunt hammer to break grain,
till white & soft.
TANNING:
Same soaking & scraping as rawhide (Deer, Elk don't require pounding). When
dry rub with warmed brains, finely mashed until saturated.
Roll up overnight. Next day re-stage & scrape off all brain tissue. Work
back and forth through a rope loop; friction dries & completes tanning.
If used for clothing smoke over smudge fire until light brown (will dry soft
if it gets wet).
DRYING MEAT:
Any lean meat; remove all visible fat-will or go rancid quickly. Dry in the
sun or 4 feet over hot coals (Use green hardwood never resinous.)
DO NOT COOK. Keep from moisture at all times. Brush with salt before drying
aids preservation; pepper keeps flies away. Properly dried keeps months.
Hang high from animals covered from egg-laying flies. Wash mouldy spots
(harmless) before cooking to eat.
JERKY: *
Preferably beef or deer flank. Cut 1 1/2x1/4" strips, any length. Dry same
process until shoe-leather brittle (12 hours to 2 days) Will keep year or
more in cool dry place.
PEMMICAN: *
Powdered jerky, mixed 50/50 with paste of dried berry (any) or fruit pulp &
melted suet rolled into balls.
Store in watertight material or dip in more suet for extra coating. Will keep
years; highly nutritious classic survival food.
FISH-DRYING: *
Split down back or fillet; sun dry on rocks. Grind bones, meat, add to stew,
patties, etc. Don't eat raw. (Parasites!)
SMALL GAME, BIRDS:
Dry whole, on rocks in sun; prop ribs open with stick. When dry; crush bones,
dry extra day dries marrow.
ROASTING TUBERS, FISH ETC.:
Pack in mud, clay; put in coals. Scales peel off with mud.
SOUP HOLE / BATH WATER:
Dig hole, line with waterproof material. Put in layer of rocks, then red-hot
rocks. (Warning! Water inside rock will explode if heated) .
STEAM PIT:
Dig hole, put in red hot rocks, 2" layer of grass (green) then food, more
grass; fill up with damp soil/sand. Poke hole to bottom of pit to add
steaming water. Many hours to cook.
RAFTS: **photo *
3 long logs, STANDING dead wood (test float BEFORE)! (Bundled plants, limbs
OK!) Notch to fit or lash. Square raft will spin. Listen ahead for rapids.
ROUND BOAT:
Stretch waterproof material over domed frame of Willow sticks.
RAFT AUTO PILOT:
Rock or pail trailing on short rope from front centre, keeps raft in main
channel.
PUMP DRILL: (*PHOTO)
For stone, wood, bone, hard stone bit, jasper, agate. Use fine quartz sand
for abrasive. Or make simple drill by spinning stick between hands.
SNOWSHOES: (*PHOTO) chk rpt*
Lift line tied to front centre of each shoes aids walking or straps on
Evergreen boughs.
SNOW GOGGLES: *
Bark, clothe, etc., wrap around. Smear soot around eyes.
COOLING FOOD: (*photo)
Evaporator; works best in sun, wind. Pot holds water cloth stays wet, open
weave shelves circulate air or dig hole line with rock, cover slab rock and
sand.
FISH-NET: (*photo)
Gill net, hammock, unravel socks, sweater, tie 2" loop; join many nets.
PRESSURE FLAKING:
Strike blade piece off large stone, hold padded blade, use blunt object to
flake chips off with the needed piece & with twisting pressure into edge of
blade.** AXE heat slender willow and tie with shoots etc.
POTTERY:
Find particularly river bank clay; coil or slab wall, even thickness.
Hardwood fire in 2 feet deep pit, built on & around pottery. Remove when
orange-red (4-6 hours); slow cool.
CORDAGE: ** ROPE
Nettle; dry stalk fibbers; pound stalk, clean fibbers by hand. Good yarn,
string, snares, nets, rope, bowstrings, woven fabrics. Milkweed; silky
fibbers in dry stalk.
Dogbane (best in West) silky stalk fibbers. Hawthorn, Willow, Elm, Spruce
root, Rose; inner white bark good cordage, strongest when wet.
SINEW: *
Long leg or back tendons. Scrape, sun dry till hard; pound it till soft but
fluffy will split apart.
KNOTS: MOST USEFUL ONES: * (*PHOTO)
Chair knot, Prussic knot, Eye knot or Fisherman knot, Log Hitch, Square
knot, 2 Half Hitches, Bowline, Sheep-Shank, Bow-Line knot = (non-slip).
PACKING: *
Suspend weight from hip belt or forehead; heavy items on top, near body or
pull along tied onto forked limb.
AIR RESCUE PICK/UP: **
One string with one end done with a Bow-line while the other rope has a
Bow-line knot around your waist & also around the rope hooked to your
foot, so they don't spread apart.
F/AID: *
GENERAL DESERT: *
Day-night temperatures extremes. Usually adequate Vegetation. Great
visual range flash signal mirror even if no target; large fire at night. Keep
fully covered from ultra-violet rays, dehydration. Slow easy does it.
TRAVEL by NIGHT, SHADE BY DAY
Brief storm flash-flood dry creeks, canyons. Anticipate dead-end canyons,
drop off.
WATER:
Base of hills /mountains/ solar still/cacti / dig hole. To prevent sun stroke
take 1-10 salt tabs daily with water.
FOOD:
Mesquite, Beans, Palm, Cacti, Nuts, Seeds, Herbs, Salamanders, Insects, Small
game, Deer, Antelope. Snakes, Spiders, Scorpions in shaded places, crevices.
ALL are active at night but avoid man. Check shoes, clothes, bedding.
GENERAL TUNDRA:
Arctic plain, beyond forest line. Moss & Lichen. June & Aug driest months.
Short 50F summer. Marshy-water can't penetrate permafrost streams flood
rapidly.
Brownish surface water drinkable. Abundant lakes, ponds, meandering
streams, rivers. THIN ICE everywhere. Game, vegetation, shelter, fuel at
dangerous minimum.
Severe blizzards, wind chill factor. SWARMS of black flies, mosquitoes, deer-
flies, midges in summer but carry no diseases.
QUICKSAND AT STREAM JUNCTURES:
Foot Travel = Risky, exhausting, useless! Travel by raft no matter, how long
it takes to build. Mirages no prominent landmarks. Most towns are on river.
GENERAL TROPICS: (WORLDWIDE):
RAIN FOREST: Dense aerial canopy, signalling = useless, little sunlight
sound deadened, radio waves blocked.
TRAVEL: During day only. Follow streams, adjacent ridge-line trails.
TINDER:
Inside large termite nests, dead wings in trees.
TROPICS DANGERS: = *
Piranha freshwater fish (20") in calm waters, devour everything. Build
shelter above ground.
MUCH POISON OAK, IVY, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING UNLESS YOU HAVE TO.
Large cats, poisonous snakes uncommon.
WATER BOIL ALL!:
Streams, springs, pools. Common liana vines full of water, cut section, drink
as is. Grapevine, Bamboo similar water. AVOID IF MILKY.
Water in tree crotches; "cups" in large aerial leaves, strain. Unripe
Coconut milk = good. Hollowed out banana stumps fill with good water.
FOOD & TROPICS:
Vary with season, locale. Best along streams, shores, swamps, clearings,
thickets. Sparse food in dense rain forest, cloud forest.
ALL birds, animals, lizards, crocodiles, snakes,
alligators, freshwater clams, shrimp, turtle, fish ARE EDIBLE
AVOID FROGS & COOK ALL FLESH!
(Parasite)
SEARCH CLEARING FOR:
Pigs, deer, coati squirrel, monkey, Iguana lizard (1-5 feet) good as chicken
in Central South America. Bait for land Crabs with open Coconut.
PLANT FOOD WARNING:
Be cautious of plants with RED in any part.
Abandoned native gardens in clearings = good, berries resembling
strawberry, raspberry, blackberry are good as are wild figs of any colour.
AVOID MILKY SAPS, except in Figs, Mangoes, Papaya, Breadfruit. Spit out
seeds of ALL fruits may be poisonous.
DON'T EAT:
Corral Bean, Physic Nut, Dumb Cane, Manchineel.**
PALM ETC.:
All Palm Succulent parts EDIBLE. Peanuts below ground good Raw, cooked.
Bananas: Raw, cooked, also shoots & buds.
Plantains like raw bananas, roasted or boiled. Sugar Cane-chew inner stalk.
ALL WILD SWEET POTATOES, YAMS, WILD TOMATOES = GOOD.
Cooked leaves or Purslane, Pokeweed. Cassava (sweet type) root raw,
boiled.
ANY VINE:
Like Morning Glory* HAS EDIBLE ROOTS, shoots, leaves if cooked.
ALL FERNS:
Young curled shoots = GOOD.
BAMBOO = GOOD TO EAT:
Common, young shoots best, like Asparagus.
BREADFRUIT TREE: *PIX NEED
(30-40 feet.) large leathery leaves; cook fruit 6" thick, rough yellow-green
hung at end of branches. Remove seeds mash pulp. Staple for natives.
Arrowroot 2-3 feet tall, large coarse herb; 1-3 feet leaves; green & purple
flowers, white in tropical America. 2 lb. tuber good cooked.
SAVANNAS TROPICAL GRASSLANDS
Nearly impenetrable thickets. Large cats, snake uncommon. Insects bad,
wasp, spiders, centipedes, scorpion most are poisonous but rarely fatal,
except black widows.
FOOD:
Little variety in plant life. Streams much fish. Turtle bird eggs, fledglings
= fast food.
ALL GRASSES, SEEDS, NUTS, FRUITS = EDIBLE. Roots tubers tend to be
poisonous when raw. Squeeze out juice, cook pulp.
WEATHER PREDICTION:
Certain rules good to REMEMBER about this:
Sky Brilliant yellow at sunset = wind / Pale yellow = rain / Clear far away
sighting = rain past or to come./ Light cloud with indefinite edges = nice
weather.
Thick clouds with well-shaped edges = wind.
If the birds fly low = will rain and wind.
Brilliant stars = nice weather coming. Night frogs #croassement# = nice day
tomorrow! OLEY!
When rain comes first without wind then = a long period of bad weather with
high wind and heavy rain.
But when wind comes first and is followed immediately by rain then fine
weather will follow at short notice.
ANOTHER INFALLIBLE WEATHER signal is the appearance of Cumulus Nimbus
cloud, a foreteller of thunderstorm. While a greenish light in the sky
preceding a thunderstorm is almost certain sign of heavy hail.
CLOUDS & THEIR READING: *photo 125
CIRRUS = this is the mare's tail sky of the landsman, shows as long threads
or wisps of cloud.
This is the highest of all cloud formations and is a sign of a high
barometric pressure which means fine weather.
NOTE HIGH PRESSURE = FINE WEATHER:
However in cold regions where they gather in strong concentration this
would mean a snow storm. (RATTTSSS!)
CIRRO-STRATUS & CIRRO CUMULUS:
In these clouds the former is a long wispy cloud and in the latter rounded
small cloud the typical "mackerel" sky. Both = a high barometric pressure =
FINE weather!
CUMULUS & CUMULUS NIMBUS:
They are the high white piled-up masses of cloud seen in summer. When
streaked with horizontal bands it is Cumulus Nimbus or thunder cloud, a sign
of coming storms which may be of a short duration, or may indicate a change
in weather generally.
If they add up on top of one another in shape of heads they will tell that a
storm is coming. Black and in shape of #enclume#* then a big storm is on its
way.
STRATUS & NIMBUS:
Clouds are dense and dark & low in the sky = rain & mist
CIRROCUMULUS:
They are #pommelees#* clouds which look like fish scales = rain coming in
the next 12 to 15 hours.
SUN CIRCLE: (Halo! LIKE AN ANGEL!)
A small circle around the sun = rains in the next 36 hours / A large circle
around the sun = rains .... 24 hours MOON CIRCLE = RAIN!
WIND DIRECTION:
To find the direction when the wind is very light, just throw some dust in
the air or let it fall slowly, or small grass or suck your thumb and let the
wind blow on it to tell you which side is colder = wind side.
The wind direction will help you to find what kind of weather to expect. Wind
that changes quickly in their direction will tell that weather will soon
change.
SMOKE:
From your campfire smoke going up in a thin vertical column = nice if the
smoke is going down toward the ground then = RainNN!
DRY GRASS:
If in the morning the grass is dry = rain coming before night.
BIRDS AND INSECTS:
When the air is humid and heavy the birds fly low and the insects fly even
lower than usual = soon rain coming in same day even hour.
The insects are more active before the storm but the bees are more active
when comes the nice weather.
LOW FRONT PRESSURE:
A front of low pressure often warned by light winds and hardly noticeable
while the air becomes heavy with humidity.
These conditions mean that the bad weather will last several days. A low
pressure is something you can "smell and hear". The damp air stays low and
then spread its wild smell, the sounds carry farther and the sounds are
sharper.
SIGNS OF NICE WEATHER:
When the wind during a storm changes direction = nice. When the fog in
morning disappears in the 2 hours after sunrise / When the moon is brilliant
& its edges are sharp.
When the sun is a red ball at sunset / When there is a rainbow at night
warning then end of rain. When there is a good Dew on the ground.
When the clouds are isolated & high. When a slight breeze blows from West or
N/West / When the #nebulosity# diminish after 3 or 4pm.
When there are heat lightning at night / When it rains with an East wind and
that the wind turns slowly to North East then North = nice but cool.
Brilliant stars = nice weather coming / When the sky is rose, pink, or orange
or pale blue at night.
REMEMBER a quick storm will leave as quickly.
BAD WEATHER SIGNS: (Ratttss!)
When the air is real echo? When the night temperature is higher than usual.
When clouds move in opposite directions at high altitude.
When there is fog in mountains = rain in the day. / When thin white clouds
(cirrus) at high altitude gather. / When there is a circle around the moon or
sun.
When the clouds become dark in the afternoon. / When stormy clouds (Nimbo-
Stratus & Cumulus) gather in West wind.
When after a nice weather period the wind changes direction. / When the
Cumulus quickly form at the start of the afternoon. / When there is no Dew.
/ When the winds blow East or South East.
When the sun and the morning are grey and dull (beurrrk!) / When the moon is
pale, foggy and with a halo. / When the smoke rises slowly & tends to stick
to the ground.
When dark clouds gather at the horizon and to the side where the wind comes
from. When the clouds are slow to form and that the rain starts slowly then
the rain will last many hours. (Ratttsss!)
If the stars are real bright and numerous, the temperature will drop down
much during the night except if the wind is strong but it will not rain.
When the sun sets in dark sombre clouds. When the moon rises red it will
wind./ If the stars shine little and are shadowed = rain coming.
If the stars are real bright weather will change./ Lightning from the South
warns of rain.
SNOW:
A Cree Indian saying: Snow like meal = snow a great deal.
NATURAL #BAROMETER#:*
Make your own: Take a piece of #sapin# *trunk about 3/4" in diameter with a
branch.
Remove all bark, easier when the sap flows then you nail it outside. When
the branch goes up = nice but when the branch tips down = rainNNN!
REMEMBER: 2 rpt in ** shelter
Tent should face East to profit from shade in afternoon and also to avoid
rain and snow storm which ALWAYS comes from North and West.
This applies to North America but * elsewhere?
In the East it is opposite! Far East is Far Out!
Far Away & FAR-WEST RAMBOZO!
WEATHER AND INFORMATION:
CLOUDY SKIES: *pix 252-253
REMEMBER this old sailor's chant: Mackerel scales and mare's tails, make tall
ships carry low sails. These (cirrocumulus and cirrus clouds) are
indications of stormy weather ahead.
Cirrocumulus do indeed look like the sky's covered with mackerel scales etc.
If the sky is full of both, rain within 24 hours or less is almost certain.
SHEEP OR FLEECE CLOUDS:
Those white picture calendar puffballs or cumulus are camper's delight
fairly guaranteeing a beautiful day ahead except when they decide to
merge, forming bigger and bigger tall top-heavy clouds, or thunder-heads,
sinking visibly under their own weight.
When they start pressing down from the sky, they will bring with them rain,
lightning and possibly hail.
Usually they will darken at the bottom as they build up and the rain they
bring will be scattered in localized summer showers or squalls under the
dark areas.
The faster they change from white to black sheep, the shorter the storm.
Conversely if it's all day a coming, it will be around for a while.
STRATUS CLOUDS:
Long ploughed furrows of white that go from horizon to horizon, bring
either rain or snow if they build up enough. If not, why, it'll still be clear
the next day.
The only way you'll know which to expect is to have watched them, and the
results that followed many times. Keep your eye on them, you'll learn to
gauge the future of the weather.
NIMBUS CLOUDS:
Are a sure bet it will rain or snow. Unfortunately by the time they arrived
on the scene it's usually already in inclement weather.
They are low-hanging grey, shapeless mass, a misty dark overcast. The trick
is to be able to spot the beginnings of this low mist.
The first sign of its pulling itself together usually means prolonged
drizzly weather ahead. Low clouds in general bring bad weather.
THE WINDS THAT BLOW: (My mind?!)
GONE WITH THE WIND?
Wind brings the clouds and the weather. In many regions it's the best
indication that a change is imminent. If there's no wind, there'll be no
change in the weather.
Before we go any further, which way does a West wind blow? It blows from
the West. Here is some weather calling wind rhyme to help along:
When the wind is in the North / The skilful fisher goes not forth. When the
wind is in the East / This is good neither for man nor beast.
When the wind is in the South / It blows the bait in the fish's mouth. When
the wind is in the West = There is the Very Best.
FOLK SIGNS:
A ring around the moon at night or around the sun (in their house) ALWAYS
means it will rain or snow the next day. A small circle 36 hours and a big one
within 24 hours.
HERE IS MOST CONSISTENTLY CORRECT VERSE FORECAST PARTICULARLY IN
OCEAN, LAKE OR RIVER REGION:
Red sun in the morning / Sailor takes warning. Red sun at night / Sailors
delight. / When the dew is on the grass / Rain will NEVER come to pass.
It's true that humidity at ground level has a strong relationship to that
higher up in the atmosphere. When you see a heavy dew or frost in the
morning, you can usually count on a good day.
If it's dry in the morning you can almost ALWAYS count on the sky feeling
the ground need to be moistened a bit.
While you're sitting by a camp fire watch the smoke. If the smoke rises
straight, the weather will stay clear.
If the smoke just spills over & hangs heavily around the ground, rain is
almost certain.
The prevailing wind in the region is a good omen. Look at the leaves on the
trees around you. They naturally lie so they won't be ruffled by the wind.
Wind from a different direction than usual, however blows the leavežs
underside up. Bad weather ahead.
ANIMAL SIGNS:
Wild things are much more sensitive than we to the changes in atmospheric
pressure and their behaviour reflects it, in many cases turning them into
living barometers.
Probably the best long range weather forecaster is the Elk. Out West come
fall, when the Elk decides to descend from their mountain pastures. You
know then that winter's only a couple days away.
Deer in the Northern do the same but are not as reliable. Migrating birds
are another sign to get your winter camping gear ready. If the geese come
early, be prepared for a long cold season.
BIRDS SIGNS:
If the ducks overhead are high, the weather will be good, if they are low
they'll be taking shelter soon.
In general birds will snuggle up close to a tree trunk rather than sit far
out or high if rain is coming. They will also stop signing, rain not being much
to sing about when you're living in a tree.
ESSENTIAL TO KNOW: *33 SAS
Although basic survival strategy and techniques are applicable anywhere,
conditions vary widely around the world.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KNOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT CONDITIONS IN ANY
REGIONS IN WHICH ONE EXPECTS TO TRAVEL.
A general knowledge of what you may expect in different climates will
greatly increase your ability to handle a situation of survival, if accident
throws you into totally unfamiliar territory like the jungle of New York?
CLIMATE ZONES:
See photo *34 &35 via shading of particular regions and include them in
this chapter as in SAS book if poss. have them in colours.***
People often view an alien environment as an enemy and feel they MUST fight
it. WRONG!
THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO SURVIVE.
FIGHT IT AND YOU WILL LOOSE!
There are dangers against which precautions MUST be taken but nature is
neutral. Learn to live with each climate and to use whatever locations
within a continent are equally important.
DECIDUOUS FOREST: *
As the climate gets warmer and winters less severe, deciduous forest
replaces the conifers. Oak, beech, maple and hickory are the main species in
America. Oak, Beech, Chestnut & Lime in Eurasia. Soil rich in humus supports
many plants and fungi.
Survival is not difficult except at very high altitudes where tundra or
snow-field conditions appear. Many of these areas have been cleared by
man.
TEMPERATE GRASSLAND: *
Mainly central continental areas with hot summers, cold winters and
moderate rainfall, these have become the world's great food producing
areas- grain is grown and cattle reared. Water can be a problem in summer a
shelter in winter.
MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS: *
The lands bordering on the Mediterranean are semi-arid areas with long hot
summers and short dry winters. There is sunshine most of the year and
drying winds. At one time this region was forested with oaks.
When these were cut down, the soil erodes, much of the area became covered
with evergreen shrub. The Chaparral of California is very similar. Trees
are few and water is a problem at high altitudes other conditions prevail.
FIRE MAKING:
MAKES THE KING WARM!
YOU MUST LEARN TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER ANY CONDITIONS ANYWHERE, FAST & ANY
TIME.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW ALL THE METHODS YOU HAVE TO BE EXPERT AT THEM.
FIRST ESSENTIAL ABILITY:
THE ABILITY TO LIGHT FIRE UNDER ALL KIND OF CONDITIONS IS ONE OF THE FIRST
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE IN SURVIVAL.
THUS YOUR ABILITY TO DO SO WILL GIVE YOU GREATER CONFIDENCE IN YOUR
ABILITY TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES IN ALL AVENUES OF LIFE AND SPECIALLY IN
SURVIVAL.
PREPARATION:
First MAKE SURE that you have sufficient quantities of tinder, kindling &
fuel. Then prepare a fireplace, so that you can control the fire. Used
carelessly fire can get out of hand and bring disaster.
THE FIREPLACE: *136 SAS Pix #*
It needs to be prepared carefully. Choose a site that is sheltered,
especially during high winds. Except for signal purposes or exceptionally to
warm a temporary bough or a snowhole shelter.
Do not light a fire at the base of a tree or a stump. Clear away leaves,
twigs, moss and dry grass from a circle at least 2m (6feet) across & scrape
everything away until you have a surface of bare earth.
If the ground is wet or covered with snow, the fire MUST be built on a
platform.
Make this from a layer of green logs covered with a layer of earth or a
layer of stones. If land is swampy or the snow deep a raised platform is
needed, known as a temple fire.
TEMPLE FIRE:
This hearth consist of a raised platform, built of green timber. Four
uprights support cross-pieces in their forks.
Across them place a layer of green logs and cover this with several inches
of earth. Light the fire on top of this. A pole across upper forks on
diagonally opposite uprights can support cooking pots.
IN WINDY CONDITIONS:
If there are particularly strong winds, dig a trench and light your fire in
it.
Also good for windy conditions: encircle your fire with rocks to retain heat
and conserve fuel.
Use them to support cooking utensils. Their heat, as well as that from the
fire will keep things warm and you can use the rocks themselves as bed
warmer.
WARNING ! WARNING!:
Avoid placing wet or porous rocks and stones near fires, especially rocks
which have been submerged in water.
They may explode when heated. Avoid slates and softer rocks and test
others by banging them together.
Do not use any that crack, sound hollow or are flaky. If they contain
moisture it will expand faster than the stone and can make it explode,
producing dangerous flying fragments which could take out an eye if you
are close to the fire.
LIGHTING FIRE FROM A COAL:*
Sometimes only a small red coal may be available to start a fire and unless
you know how, you will NEVER GET THE COAL TO CATCH ONTO TINDER AND SO TO
GIVE YOU FLAME.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! TO KNOW! HOW TO MAKE A FIRE FROM A SINGLE TINY
COAL, NO BIGGER THAN THE PINCHED OUT SPARKS OF A CIGARETTE!
To light a fire from a coal, collect a bundle of dry tinder, softly tease a
large piece and place the coal in the centre, fold the rest of the tinder
over the coal and with the tinder ball held very loosely between the
widespread fingers.
Now whirl the ball round and round at arms'lenght or if there is a strong
wind blowing, hold the ball in the air, allowing the wind to blow between the
fingers.
The ball will start to smoke as the tinder catches. When there is a dense
flow of smoke, blow into the ball, loosening it in your hand.
These few last puffs will convert the smouldering mass to flame thus fire
from coal at last.
ANOTHER TRICK: is to attach a pierced can to a 4 foot rope, put the coal &
tinder in it, & let it swirl till it smokes & flames.
FIRE STARTING:
Select fire area, out of the wind, protected from rain & snow. Secure fuel,
build fire before darkness. Gather adequate supply of fuel first, so that
fire can be fed immediately as it grows.
FIRE ERRORS:
First error of the novice, green horn is to try to cook their food on a
strong fire, result is burning the food, now one learns fast that for
boiling, frying or sizzling all one needs is a good bed of red charcoal.
Some of those things written seem evident but REMEMBER that many a reader
has NEVER set foot in the wild.
FIRE STARTING MOST COMMON ERRORS:
1) Choosing badly the tinder as well as the burning material.
2) Forget protecting the match from the wind as you strike it.
(Oooppsss!)
3) Lighting the fire under the wind instead of windward.
4) Smother the fire you just started by adding combustible before the
proper time. Choking the fire.
5) Not having dry matches or fire starter which will work.
KEEP YOUR FIRE BURNING ALL NIGHT:
TO KEEP YOUR FIRE BURNING ALL NIGHT; COVER IT UP WITH A PILE OF ASHES:
The fire will keep burning underneath it, and will be ready for you in the
morning! All you have to do is to blow on it to see it coming alive.
FIRE GOLDEN T"RICK":
HERE'S A TRICK WORTH HIS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
Before going to bed place near you head a small amount of dry moss or dry
twigs or wood chips and when you wake up you just have to throw them in
the fireplace, strike a match and the interior of the tent will quickly warm
up.
PRINCIPLES OF FIRE:
There is no single way to built a fire camp but basic principles remain:
1) Fuel inflammable enough
2) To give off gas sufficiently combustible.
3) To be lit by the heat we are able to concentrate on it. This burning
kindling in turn MUST be amply hot and long lived to release and inflame more
and more gas from progressively larger amounts of fuel.
All that can be done with a match and proper fuel to get the fire going, but
there are other ways.
TINDER ARE NUMEROUS:
Tinder is highly combustible substance in which a spark can be blown into
flame & innumerable materials of this sort can be found, and carried in
special containers such as tinderboxes etc.
Tinder principal is that it MUST be readily combustible and finely fibred. A
simple test MUST be made to find out.
Take a loosely teased handful of the material and blow. If the fire from the
coal extends to the tinder then its good tinder. Natural tinder are
generally found in dry, beaten grass, finely teased bark and palm fibres.
Most of these coarse tinder are improved in their ability to take and hold a
spark by: being beaten and pounded until the fibres are fine and soft.
Natural fire-catching properties of tinder can be improves by the addition
of a light dusting of very finely ground charcoal or better still by being
thoroughly scorched.
If saltpetre (not saltpeter) is available a little may be mixed with the
charcoal before it is added to the tinder or the tinder itself can be soaked
in a solution of saltpetre and water and allowed to dry out before use.
Tinder impregnated with a solution of saltpetre and later dried MUST be
carried in an airtight container.
If carried otherwise the saltpetre will become damp with moisture from the
air. With this or other prepared tinder you ALWAYS have an emergency means
of getting fire going wild ?
OLD COTTON OR LINEN RAG, SCORCHED BLACK AND TEASED IS AMONG THE BEST OF
ALL TINDER.
A pinch of this placed where the sparks will fall is certain to take the
spark and quickly become a glowing coal. So the spark to a coal (tinder) to a
flame.
FIRE STARTER EVERGREEN:
Very often the lack of paper to start a fire is a problem but if there are
evergreen then you have the problem licked.
Just take a branch of evergreen and pick up the needles, once they are dry
they make excellent tinder. Pine needles on the floor would be good,
providing that they are really dry.
MAKING AND USING FUZZ-STICKS:
Many bushmen start all fires, indoors and out, with them. Although in terms
of initial effort they are often more bother than a handful of dry pine
twigs, this shortcoming they counteract with the ingratiating
characteristic of dependability.
FUZZ-STICK are a solution certainly in that most trying of weather
conditions when every bit of fuel in the forest is covered with ice. You may
have to go to the extra effort of splitting or breaking out firewood under
such circumstances also.
Fuzz-stick is merely the name for a piece of wood to which a contrived
cluster of attached shaving clings.
One is easily made by shaving a straight-grained stick of dry preferably
split softwood with single knife strokes until one end is a mass of wooden
curls.
The usual procedure is to bunch no less than 3 such fuzz-sticks so that the
flames will be able to eat into the shavings, toss on any stray whittlings,
light the mass and then go through the usual procedure of adding
progressively larger firewood. ALWAYS ALLOWING FOR DRAFT.
SLOW MATCH:
You will discover that some of the soft inner barks teased & spun into cord
will smoulder slowly when lighted. Its called: Slow Match.
Its worth while to discover which plants whose barks have this property.
Lengths of cord made from such a bark can be used to maintain a "coal" for a
length of time and so save your precious matches.
A slow match is a length of rope or cord which hangs smouldering to give
fire when wanted. It is used as a means of preserving fire and also as a
mean of carrying it from place to place.
It can be made by making a length of cord or thin rope from 1/4" 1/2" in
diameter, from suitable barks or palm fibres.
Most of the silky soft fibred barks are ideal. When one end is put in fire or
against a glowing coal it will take hold of the spark, smouldering slowly.
A slow match is a safe way when having no match or fire-lighting material to
preserve the vital spark for further use after you have doused your fire
and left camp for an hour or 2.
For such a use, the slow match should be hung from a branch and exposed to
the currants of air.
TINDER ADD ON:
Birch bark can be detached in the thinnest of layers and these shredded to
make tinder. Bark of some cedars is also good.
Piece of your shirt or pants, dry moss, lichens, dead evergreen needles dry
hay are among the numerous substances that can be pulverized for tinder,
even bird nests.
Dry fuzz from pussy willows is a well known tinder, so is a dry wood which
has dry rotted and can be rubbed to a powder.
A number of mushrooms and other fungi are dehydrated for such a
purpose.Down from milkweed, fireweed and like vegetation.
A handful of very dry pine needles often works, you can also use the fluff
of the so-called cotton grass, that of the cattails and the downy heads of
such flower as mature Goldenrod.
Divers dry vegetable fibres serve as tinder and the down found in some
nest or underneath parts of some birds.
TINDER: jm** (Not timber nor tend-her!)
It is any kind of material that takes the minimum of heat to make it catch
alight. Good tinder needs only a spark to ignite it.
TYPES OF TINDER:
Birch bark, dried grasses, fine wood shavings, bird down, waxed paper and
cotton fluff from clothing all make good tinder. So do pulverized fire Cones,
Pine Needles and the inner bark from Cedar trees.
Dried Fungi are excellent, if finely powdered and scorched or charred
cotton or linen especially grounded finely, are also among the best.
Where insects such as wood wasp have been boring into trees the fine dust
they produce is good tinder and powdery bird and bat droppings can also be
used.
The inside of birds'nests are usually lined with down feathers and ignite
easily, dry fieldmouse nests are also usable.
Whatever Tinder you use MUST be dry. It is a good idea to carry tinder with
you in a waterproof container. ALWAYS keep 1 eye open for tinder to collect
KINDLING:
It is the wood used to raise the flames from the tinder so that larger and
less combustible materials can be burned. The best kindling consist of small
dry twigs and the softer woods are preferable because they flare up
quickly.
Those that contain resins burn readily and make fire lighting a snip. The
drawbacks of soft woods are that they tend to produce sparks and burn
very fast. You may need more to get the main fuel going and they are soon
consumed if they form the main fuel themselves.
DON'T COLLECT KINDLING STRAIGHT FROM THE EARTH, IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS DAMP.
Take it from Standing Deadwood. If the outside is damp, shave until the dry
middle is reached.
MAKE FIRE STICKS: Shave sticks with shallow cuts to feather them.
Preparing kindling in this way: makes it catch light more freely and
establishes a fire quickly.
FUEL:
Use dry wood from standing trees to get the fire going. Once it is
established you can used greener wood or dry out damp wood. *
As a general rule, the heavier the wood the more heat it will give, this
applies to both dead and green wood. Mixing green & dry wood makes a long
lasting fire, which is especially useful at night.
HARD WOODS:
Hickory, Beech or Oak for instance burn well, give off great heat and last
for a long time as hot coals, they keep a fire going through the night.
SOFT WOODS: *
Tend to burn too fast and give off sparks. The worst spark-makers are:
Cedar, Alder, Hemlock, Spruce, Pine, Chestnut and Willow.
REMEMBER that damp wood is sometimes advantageous producing smoke to
keep off flies: Midges and Mosquitoes and burning longer, so that it keeps
the fire in.
HOW TO DRY WOOD:
REST LOG AGAINST A POT RAIL TO DRY!
Put them across 2 supports above a fire, not so close that it is set alight.
Lay green log at an angle beside a fire, tapering away from the wind to
speed combustion of a sluggish fire while drying them. *137 pix #* sas**
BUILD A WOOD SHED ESSENTIAL IN WET WEATHER:
Set it close to the fire so that the fire's warmth will help dry the wood,
but not so close that a spark could ignite it. Build two bays and use wood
from one while the other batch dries.
WOOD-SHED:
You really should make one to prepare against a spell of wet weather, only
then will there be a supply of dry kindling and wood after a heavy rain.
The ground dimensions of it should be 3' by 4' and 3' high at the front. It
MUST be windward of your fireplace so that windblown sparks will not fall on
it.
ALWAYS cut an ample supply of firewood, you NEVER know when you will get a
spell of rain or snow. 3 days is best provision.
FIREWOOD AND FIRE IN THE RAIN:
Firewood gathered from the ground is useless for fire. It is far wiser to
pull down dead branches standing on trees for your storage since this wood
even after rain is reasonably dry.
WOOD BIN SURVIVAL: *signals
A STACK OF DRY WOOD MUST ALWAYS BE READY WHENEVER POSSIBLE, since
sickness or injuries can strike at any time.
MAKE SURE that you do get one stack ready also you will need 4 mores for
your signals should one pile refuse to light up the extra one will do it.
STAR FIRE: jm *138
Logs are fed in lengthways. When not required to produce strong heat they
can be drawn apart leaving glowing embers and ash for cooking in the
centre.
TO RESURRECT THE FIRE PUSH THEM TOGETHER & THEY SOON TAKE FLAME AGAIN.
This type of fire is used mainly to conserve fuel but also saves chopping
wood thus ENERGY!
FIRE LIGHTING: *139 *jm
Make a bed of tinder and form a wigwam of kindling around it. In a strong
wind lean the kindling against a log on the #leeside#. Ignite the tinder.
Once the kindling has caught add larger sticks. Or take a bundle of dry
twigs, no thicker than a match, light them first and place them in the
wigwam.
STARTING A FIRE WITH A DROP OF WATER:
Irony yes, yet true. You make a small hole in any paper sheet, even from
this book, you spit in this hole or you put a clear water drop which you
present to the sun rays as a magnifying glass and you wait with tinder
underneath for the desiring results. This method ask for patience for it is
a very slow method, but with patience one can achieve nearly everything,
even this book.
This method was found by natives who discovered a bush fire while it was a
very dry season and that some perforated leaves had received some drop of
water on them and were exposed and traversed by sun rays causing a bush
fire. Try it out.
FIRES FOR WARMTH & REFLECTORS:*
With a single fire outdoors only surfaces facing it are warmed. With two
fires you can sit between them but that would use a lot of fuel and no
matter which way the wind is blowing you are bound to be covered in smoke.
Build one fire and use a reflector.
A good reflector, close to the fire, not only reflect the heat back to you
but also helps to make the smoke go upwards, drawn by hot current of air,
instead of getting into your beautiful eyes. Use a reflector to direct heat
into a sleeping shelter.*142
The inexperienced often build a fire up against a tree stump or a rock.
DON'T, BUT build the fire away from it and do sit between the two; so that
the rock reflects the heat and warms your back.
Add a reflector. If there is no ready-made reflector build one-and build
another reflector on the other side of the fire to reflect as much as
possible of its heat back to you.
SNAKE HOLE FIRE: (SMOKING MEAT)
This is a shielded fire that produces a good draught and burns almost
anything once lit. In the side of a firm earth bank excavate a chamber about
45cm (18in) deep.
From above drive a stick down into the chamber, manoeuvre it about a little
to make a chimney, removing the spoil that falls below. Build the fire in the
chamber.
Good for burning rubbish and for SMOKE PRESERVING MEAT AND FISH. The
snake hole fire entrance is best sited downwind in windy conditions.
TRENCH FIRE: *143 (Not French fire)
This fire is sheltered from strong wind by being below ground level. Dig a
trench about 30X90 cm (12X36 in) and about 30 cm (12in) deep plus the depth
of a layer of rocks with which you now line the bottom.
Build the fire on top of the rocks. Even when it has died down they will
remain hot and make an excellent grill. A split placed across the embers is
excellent for roasting .*143
IN AN OPEN SPOT, A TRENCH FIREPLACE IS VERY ECONOMICAL ON FUEL AND SAFER
THAN AN ABOVE THE GROUND ON A WINDY DAY.
Dig it just wide enough to fit your pots about a foot deep and 2 or 3 feet
long, widen the windward end to catch the wind for good draft, funnel like.
COMMON MISTAKES IN FIRE MAKING:
In building a campfire is to make pigsty construction with heavy logs on the
outside and then pack the inside with light brushwood. Such a fire are
rarely a success.
The light inside wood burns out in a quick blaze of glory but the heavy
outer logs lack sufficient heat to get them properly alight and also having
only small points of contact with each other at the corners do not burn
well nor do such fires give out a good radiation of heat.
If the pigsty method is to be used the top of the 2 layers should be
completely across the top, one layer going in one direction and the other
layer crossing it.
These 2 top layers when alight get plenty of air from underneath after the
brushwood has burnt out and the heat generated will be reflected
downwards giving better radiation than with a simple pigsty construction.
A good camp fire is built if the wood is standing end up and the fire is built
like a pyramid or cone.
The centre is fired and as the core burns away the outside logs fall
inwards, constantly feeding the heart of the fire. This type of fire gives
good radiation and even when wet wood burns well.
CAMP KITCHENS: NOT KITTENS!?!
It MUST be sited so that the breeze will not blow the smoke into the cooks'
face! This is quite easy when you know which direction the winds Blow Both
in the Morning and Evening.
The Morning breeze blow Up the valley, because the warm air of the valley
floor rises, and the Evening breeze blow Down the valley.
Therefore set your kitchen so that the cook will face neither up or down
the valley from the fire but sideways //.
Thus the smoke will blow past him/her and he can cook in comfort! The
kitchen MUST be sited on a slight rise, so that during rain, it will not be
flooded.
The fireplace in badly drained ground MUST be built up a few inches above
ground level. (Use your head?!?).
COOKING METHODS FIREPLACES: 4 METHODS: **p57
If stones are available, build a wall to enclose the fire. This wall of Berlin
should be about 9 or 10" high and the opening MUST be Parallel to the
valley.
DON'T TAKE STONES FROM WATERCOURSE. THEY EXPLODE!
POT SUSPENDER:
To suspend your pots, use the most simple trick, a stick across the end
walls. A trench fireplace is an efficient cooking place but Only suitable in
clay soil and if no flooding expected.
3RD METHOD:
Is a single stick, lying over one of the end stones and with its farther end
held down either under a hooked stake or by a heavy stone.
2 simply erected tripods of interlocking forked sticks at either end with a
cross stick is another way of suspending your pots over the fire.
This latter has the advantage that by changing the base of the tripods, the
height of the pots above the flame can be varied.
4TH METHOD:
To suspend your pot is by an overhead stick supported by 2 forked stakes
driven into the ground at either end of the stone wall.
THE BEST METHOD OF ALL: p57*
In a permanent camp call for a single straight stake driven into the ground
at one side of the fireplace, and from this single stake a swinging gantry is
hung.
The height of the gauntry (pot) on the upright stake can be adjusted to any
height above the fire. It will swung free from the flame and the pots can be
removed without burning your fingers. Although it will take 5 minutes to
make, it will save burnt fingers & spilled or spoiled meals.
CRISSCROSS FIRE LAY: (COOKING)
This is the best method when you need a bed of coals for Broiling and
Baking.
Place 2 pieces of wood about as thick as your wrist and about a foot long
on the ground parallel to one another about a foot length apart.
Lay a number of thin kindling sticks crosswise on top of this base leaving
space between each stick.
Continue building up cross layers increasing the thickness of the wood from
layer to layer but ALWAYS placing the pieces a distance apart.
This allows the flames and the draft to come upward. About 8 layers is
enough. Light the tinder near the ground from the windward side.
When properly laid, the cris cross fie will flare up with a blaze then quickly
turn into a bed of hot embers.
STAR FIRE-NO FLAME-NO SMOKE HARDLY:
Once you have your fire going good and that you dispose of 3 big logs, put
them on the ground in a star shape as spokes of a wheel.
SUCH A FIRE LAST INDEFINITELY, as the logs are burning you push them
forward in the fire, so as to produce ALWAYS fresh embers. It makes a good
cooking fire.
Another advantage is that it does not reveal your presence to the enemy,
for it produces little flames and hardly any smoke.
TRAVELLING BY RAFT IS THE BEST WHEN POSSIBLE NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES
TO BUILT THE ARC! NOAH! AHHHH!:
BRION! CROCODILE RAFT UNSINKABLE: (Not like the Titanic) *p153
This raft is good for 2 to 5 persons but the logs MUST measure at least
0.40m in diameter and from 3 to 4 meters long. *Fig:1
1) Take 2 big logs and cut them with 2 sharp points at bow "V" cut 4
#meplats# "Mž in the same perpendicular way as V
2) Couple or joined by 2 crossed bars "F" the logs being parallel and
separated from one another at 1.50m from #axial to axial#
3) Split in two another log to get pieces "A" fig: 2 & "B" fig:1
4) Join "B" in "MM" at rear (stern) using 2 stakes " H H "
5) Using 2 forked branches "G" make in middle of "B" a #tollet# to use an
oar steering.
6) Pierce 2 holes in crosswise at each end of "A" and use a saw to cut 2
notches(slot) "E E" fig: 2*
7) Fix "A" on "M M" forward using 4 stakes in X to avoid any tear.
8) Pierce the vertical hole "Z" for the mast.
9) Nail the board "N" just under with a hole in its centre right under the
hole of "Z" this will hold the mast real fine.
10) Fix in the 2 stakes "U U"
11) Nail a plank platform "S S" fig: 3 on 2 poles "P P"
12) Nail and tie using #brelage# "L L" the poles "P" on half log C.
13) Pierce 2 holes "T" connecting to the spread of the stake U.
14) Join as seen of fig 5, the photo of fig 4 can show best.
15) Raise the mast in the hole "Z"
16) The sail will be a square tarp stretch on the mast by "K" using a
#stretcher# "Y Q" moored to a stake "U"*.
17) Make the stakes "U" high enough so that you can fix 2 oars should the
wind die down & you have to row the boat.
ADDED NOTES:
REMEMBER between each beam it's 5 feet wide and from "M" to the "V" end its
2 feet long and fairly sharp to cut water.
The mast spar is 10 to 12 feet high and will not need brace or stays you
could use a 20 foot spar or mast but then you would need braces made of
rope or wires and a bigger sail thus lot more work for not that much more
speed.
The 2 main logs with 10 inch diameter are good enough (heavy). On a 12 feet
mast you leave 1 foot clear at top and bottom to hitch the sail which is 10
feet high by 9 feet wide at the top and 11 feet at the bottom if you can,
otherwise try 10 X 10.
Your sail is riveted or attached every 6 inches apart. You can use any
strong material and even fibreglass material for garage. The rudder is
about 1 1/2 feet in the water.
And you should make about 5 to 7 knots/hour. Depending of the wind of
course. The length of the crocodile is 12 to 13 feet from bow to stern.
INDIAN RAFT: P153 **
To use only on small lake or flat calm waters, not across an ocean. You cut
3 dry log 15 feet long and about 9 inches in diameter.
Place them in a fan shape and throw across about 15 tall spruce branches
to use as a platform then using a pole of about 12 feet you can push this
raft to cross a small lake or to reach a beaver which you have shot and the
floats away.
No need to tie anything down since your weight and the water pressure will
hold everything together nicely it is called the Kinetic force.
RIVER CROSSING:
One of the principal hazard in cross-country travel is river crossing. If
the walker is a swimmer the pack can be wrapped in a ground-sheet which has
its corners and loose-folds tied together.
This will support the traveller who holds the pack in his hands and by
kicking with his legs he can cross safely with his pack. It is advisable to
tie a short length of rope to the wrist so that if the pack slips from the
hands it can be recovered.
It is inadvisable to try swimming a river with your walking boots. Take them
off and place them in the pack in the ground-sheet.
If a party of 4 or more are crossing, tie 2 or 3 packs together after each
has been put in its ground-sheet. One party stands by on the bank while the
other party crosses.
ALWAYS place a layer of fern or grass or small brush beneath your pack
before folding the ground sheet on it.
If your ground sheet leaks slightly, this precaution will give your pack an
inch or two clearance and keep it dry. *
With a frame rucksack, lay your frame uppermost, with a swag, place your
swag roll and dilly bag side by side before folding the ground-sheet.
BOLSTER RAFTING: *139b
Small bolsters made of ground sheets can be rolled up and lashed together
if there is a party travelling together.This makes an excellent raft, stable
& buoyant for ferrying the party along the river or to crossing the river.
TESTING FLOATABILITY ALWAYS:*
BEFORE ANYTHING ONE MUST TEST THE FLOATABILITY OF THE TRUNK OR OF RAFT.
It is Very important point to check, especially under the Tropics* since
many trees don't float specially the Palm tree** which does not float even
when dry.
RAFTING:*
Raft stays one of the oldest way to travel on water and is the safest and
most rapid way to cross a river or to travel in most places.
However it is a long tiring job even with the proper equipment to do so in
survival conditions, but if raft becomes indispensable go for it, this may be
your most salutary decision & wisest move.
The Spruce wood of polar and sub-polar regions makes the Best Raft
although any dry wood will do as well as the bamboo from the Tropics. Each
trunk going to built the raft MUST be first roll into the water to assure
its floatability.
One can construct a raft without nail nor ropes when one has an axe and a
knife. 3 men are quite comfortable on a 12X 6 feet raft with some equipment
NOTCHES CONSTRUCTION RAFT: *p147
1) Construct the raft on 2 sleigh-logs which are bevelled so that you
can slide them on the beach. One log is easy to handle but a full raft is a
lot harder to move.
Level the 2 main logs with the axe so that the other logs forming the plat-
form will adjust themselves uniformly.
2) Near the ends of each log, cut a notch on the superior and inferior
face, while MAKING SURE that those notches are NOT facing one another, the
bottom of those notches MUST be wider than its opening.
3) To join together all raft logs, trust in every notch a 3 faces piece of
wood which length will exceed by 30cm the width of the raft. Start on one
side then end by the other.
4) To each end of the raft attach each one of the 2 three faces piece of
wood so as to consolidate the whole thing. When the raft is put to float,
those pieces will swell and will tighten the entire construction.
5) If those pieces don't tighten strongly enough, jam them with small thin
piece of wood which will swell when wetting.
PRESSURE BAR RAFT:*
Easier to built than above; and faster as well. Take 4 main logs align them
over and under the platform logs (7 of them).
Make notches into the 4 main supporting logs so that the platform ones will
fit snugly with them, you can also to make it tighter fit, axe notches to the
platform log. (Not a necessity).
Once both sides are well fitted just rope together the pressure bars logs
which extend about 1 to 1/2 feet past the platform dig a notch in each
opposite face which will be used to anchor your rope & act as pressure bar.
OTHER RAFT:*
Using a tarp or 1/2 a tent or any other waterproof material, one can make
an excellent raft which carpentry will be made of brushes insuring its
floatability.
ICE RAFT:
During winter in northern regions when the middle of a river doesn't ice up
because of the strength of the current, one can cross this river by
improvising a raft with an ice block using an axe.
If there is a split in the ice, one can detach a great surface using a pole.
This improvised raft MUST measured 2 by 3 meters and at least 30cm in
thickness. The pole is also used to push the ice raft in the wanted
direction
FORDING WITH A RAFT:*147
One can cross in a raft over a river which is deep, cold and fast raging
while using the perpendicularly movement which animates the surface
waters in the river curbs.
This method is useful when there are many persons to cross over but you
MUST fill those following requirements.
1) The raft MUST be maintained to a certain angle in report to current
direction (see photo*)
2) The cable length starting from its attaching point MUST be equal to 7
to 8 times the width of the river.
3) The attach to raft cable MUST be adjustable so that it MUST be
possible to change the angle of the raft in report to the current direction,
so that it can return back to the starting point shore.
RAFTS:
3 long logs, STANDING dead wood (test float BEFORE!) (Bundled plants, limbs
ok!) Notch to fit or lash. Square raft will spin. Listen ahead for rapids.
RAFT AUTO PILOT:
Rock or pail trailing on short rope from front centre, keeps raft in main
channel.
ROUND BOAT:
Stretch waterproof material over domed frame of Willow sticks.
INDIAN RAFTING:*
With trappers it has been seen an astonishing one. An Indian having killed a
beaver at 300 feet from the shore, had to go and get it while it still
floated. It was fall and the water was too icy for him.
He then cut 3 dry logs about 15 feet long and 9 inches in diameter and place
them in a fan shape in the water, upon which he just threw about 15 big
spruce branches across his 3 logs as a platform.
At about 1/3 of the way at back to 1/2 half depending of weight and amount
or type of branches at times.
He then took a 12 foot pole and pushes his raft toward the open water to
get his beaver safely and back while he threw a fishing net for added work.
He came back some 15 minutes later with its beaver.
It may surprise you how while using no rope or tie whatsoever it could still
remain together the branches and logs. But why any ties, since there is no
need.
The Indian own weight on the floor mat of branches and the opposite
pressure coming from underneath, (the one making the logs to float) is more
than enough to retain all the raft together without any other support.
But try it only on calm water lake or slow river unless you really have to.
The reason 3 long logs can be used so satisfactorily for such a job is that
it can be readily paddled or pole depending of the water.
DRIFTING:
It can be steered with a long oar, sweep or some other rudder arrangement.
A shore square raft on the other hand has too much tendency to spin. You
can decide to lash it with rope, vine, roots, spikes or even by burning out
the necessary openings.
NOTCHING LOG RAFT #2:*
Lay the 3 logs in position near the water, assure their floatability before
of course.
You will then need 2 substantial crosspieces across the top, one near each
end. A couple of tough rugged poles will do. Set these in places and mark on
the logs beneath where each pole is to go.
Then cut 6 notches so that each is narrow at the top widening as it goes
deeper into the log.
When the 2 crossing pieces are finally driven through each series of 3
notches the fit should be snug. Once the raft has been allowed to soak, it
will then be more firmly interlocked.
SOME RULES OF RAFTING:
You will be only prudent if you take every possible precaution when using
such a raft particularly under the stress and uncertainty of emergency
condition.
Keep listening and watching as far ahead as possible for some notable
patches of bad water which often give NO Warning until one rapid is almost
on you.
For this reason it is good to scout ahead whenever this is at all feasible.
If you have a rope you may be able to line the raft through rapids while
walking safely along or near the shore.
Otherwise you will probably do better to let the raft go with the idea of
retrieving it later if that is possible.
You will have to provide as well as you can for the safety of any outfit you
may have along in 2 ways:
Either by tying it to the raft or, packing it in as waterproof a bundle as
you can manage with some provision, such as the inclusion of a chunk of
light dry wood under so that it floats.
MAKE YOUR OWN AUTOMATIC PILOT?:
One day you may find yourself on Brion, floating alone on such a raft or
down a broad sluggish river like many in the North.
A rock or pail or any old container plastic or metal which is hung beneath
the conveyance by a short line affixed to the front centre of the latter
will automatically tend to keep your carrier in a main channel.
Besides thus acting as a guide, this arrangement can also conserve a lot of
energy spent needlessly in boooooring dreary hours of steering.
FINDING AN OUTLET?:
Old sourdoughs stunt need to locate the outlet of a quiet bayou body of
water is to float bannocks crumbs or bits of some other light substances
and to observe which way they drift, to the BAR?
WAVES:
In connection with water there is one special precaution that any one
venturing along a rocky open sea coast MUST HEED. That is to hold fast at
the first feasible spot upon the approach of a BIG wave.
Deliberately choosing to get wet rather than taking the chance of running
across uncertain footing and thus risking in many exposed area the Very
Real PERIL of being INJURED and even to be swept away and drowned.
VISIBILITY:*
Visibility is sometimes so deceptively restricted in dangerous terrain,
that it is foolhardy to keep going. Seek shelter & Wait.
RAFTING PART 2 OR 3:
Construction wood MUST ALWAYS be dry & able to float.
And that the density of wood being average 0.8%. In other word 100kg of
wood well dry gathered as raft could only carry 20kg.
You MUST then add floaters such as wood barrel or metal or boosters*
(grass or fern and bush wrapped up in waterproof ground-sheet tent
material and tied together with or without wood underneath, and some wood
or fern or grass inside in case of some leakage).
PLASTIC FLOATERS:
Rubber mattress or tire tubes, or javel plastic bottle container type with
CAP on, of course will act well as floaters and easy to lash to a log in
single or double file all along will act as new space age survival 2001.
Also 4 to 6 to 8 put in pairs and under each underarm even in the crotch
could be well used as life jacket of sea survivors.
Lot of deserted beaches, now have a lot of pollution ropes, & plastic
containers of all kind for many purposes.
PLASTIC ROPE & SUPER HOT FIRE:
Found on beaches gives a strong and quick fire, throw it in a fire going
already and see the temperature rise fast.
RUBBER RAFTING:
Made of 5 car or trucks air tube linked by a light frame stick of wood or
aluminium or plastic tubes (5) and cover over by a light floor, (brush or
water proof material in bundles). Use the floor mats as sails.
REED BAMBOO RAFTS: *156
The reeds have about 1.5cm diameter at the big end and 2 meter long. Cut
them at the closest of its root and make tight "boot" rolls of about 50 to
60 to 80cm in circumference with strings or rope or root or fibrous bark
etc. linking them at each end.
Make 2 frames with your walking stick or a pole of 20cm less than one of
your tight "boot" roll in size and put it together.
UBAS?: Qu'es-aco? Mah Radash? Is it fattening? Check rpt***
Here are the plans of the military SECRET of these primitive Karajas
Indians of South America, oh well we learn from all.
If you camp near a river or near the sea, you will certainly find an old tree
trunk yet big enough to carry your weight.
To each end of the trunk attach a lattice across. To each of the ends of
lattice fix a small log piece & or tie a series of plastic containers.
This will make 4 floaters which will prevent the trunk to overturn and
insure your stability. Safety caution comes, first.
At the centre and on each side of the trunk attach a small log which will be
used as foot rest.
For the shape of this raft and speed bevelled the ends of the logs. Shape
wise it looks like a fine square or rectangle crossed by a heavy log dead
centre underneath.
NEWEST MINI SURVIVAL 3 DEC 95
REPLACING THE OLD ONES TO DEL. ASAP. THIS ONE IS MUCH BETTER!
(
geocities.com/mark_l_anderson)