SURVIVAL KITS

One of my favourite books to take along on a camping trip is the US Army Survival Manual. It has lots of great tips and pictures of survival situation that I like to try out in the wild. It has lots of examples of edible plants, poisonous plants, dangerous insects, poisonous snakes and lizards. It gives an in-depth description on weather and how to read clouds.

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Here is an example of some tips in the manual:

The environment is the key to the types of items you will need in your survival kit. How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried in a vehicle. Always layer your survival kit, keeping the most important items on your body. For example, your map and compass should always be on your body. Carry less important items on your load-bearing equipment. Place bulky items in the rucksack.

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In preparing your survival kit, select items you can use for more than one purpose. If you have two items that will serve the same function, pick the one you can use for another function. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit’s size and weight.

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Your survival kit need not be elaborate. You need only functional items that will meet your needs and a case to hold the items. For the case, you might want to use a Band-Aid box, a first aid case, an ammunition pouch, or another suitable case.

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This case should be:
- Water repellent or waterproof.
- Easy to carry or attach to your body.
- Suitable to accept various sized components.
- Durable.

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In your survival kit, you should have:
- First aid items.
- Water purification tablets or drops.
- Fire starting equipment.
- Signaling items.
- Food procurement items.
- Shelter items.

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Some examples of these items are:
- Lighter, metal match, waterproof matches.
- Snare wire.
- Signaling mirror.
- Wrist or full size compass.
- Fishing line.
- Fishhooks.
- Candle.
- Small hand lens.
- Oxytetracycline tablets (diarrhea or infection).
- Water purification tablets.
- Solar blanket.
- Surgical blades.
- Butterfly sutures.
- Chap Stick.
- Needle and thread.
- Knife.
- Hand sanitizer

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Be Always Prepared

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Cougar – the silent stalker

 

A decade back, I was fishing with a few friends, in an area on Vancouver Island where we had some good steelhead fishing. We arrived at a trail that led down to a deep canyon filled with dead-fall, all the way to the canyon pool. We split up and decided to take separate trails down to the river. I worked my way through the trees and was surprised after a while to see the trail getting darker, even though it was mid day and sunny out.

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The further down the canyon I went, the more uncomfortable I became. After about a half-hour or so, I decided I did not like the feeling I had, turned around to begin the walk back up to the truck. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. As I turned around, I spotted a mountain lion about six to eight meters away crouched in a stalk position. It surprised me so much that I jumped back. As I jumped back the cat jumped back as well and ran to the side of me about 5 meters away. I quickly evaluated my options and decided I would first try to back away slowly. As I took my first step back, the large cat turned and quartered towards me. I decided then that my options were limited. I slowly raised my hands and yelled loudly to scare it. I took one more step back and the cat again slowly started to turn towards me. I thrashed the tree limbs with my rod in hopes of scaring it off again, which it did.

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He jumped straight up in the air and tore down the canyon. I heard crashing for a few seconds and then it became silent. I waited 20 minutes or so and yelled to my friends. They came and found me a nervous wreck. They asked what happened, and when I told them, they did not believe it. They did not hear a thing. It was beginning to get dark so we decided to wait until morning to come back to the trail.We went back to the motel that we stayed at, and talked about the experience. I felt lucky to turn around when I did. I could not believe the cat had moved so close to me. I never heard a thing as I walked down that canyon trail.

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In another incident a friend was changing a flat tire on the highway. It was almost dark, and he realized he had no spare tire in the trunk, so he decided to hitch a ride to the next town. After about a minute he realized he was not alone, and that he was being stalked by cougar that had crept up on him in a ditch alongside the highway. As he saw a car coming he jumped out in the middle of the road and stopped the car. The driver was annoyed at him, until the person told him there was a cougar stalking him along the highway. So he jumped in the car and got a ride to town. I guess the moral of this story is always have someone with you when you are in the outdoors.

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Be aware!

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A great day out for sturgeon

Last year, a couple of friends and I headed out to the Fraser River for some  sturgeon fishing. I never seen the river this calm. Big sturgeon were jumping all around us and a few guides had clients into some monsters.

After a couple of hours of small ones in the 3 ft. range and a couple of bumps, I did manage a small one. This one put up a pretty good fight for its size. Mind you, I was using a heavy weight to keep the bait down on the bottom.

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Small one from the Fraser River

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Later on in the afternoon we pulled anchor and drifted down river to set up in another spot. After a couple of misses and a few more small ones, I did manage a better sized one of around 4.5 ft.

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Here is a short video of that day:

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Sturgeon Fishing

Stay Safe When Adventuring With a Well Packed First Aid Kit

Nobody likes to think that when they go out camping or for a hike or even for hunting, that something bad will happen. But often the best way to avoid anything really terrible happening is, as the Cub Scout motto goes: Be Prepared! There are many things that could happen to you which can easily be avoided by staying clear of restricted areas, not approaching wild animals, being fit and healthy before you start and above all, being careful. In the event of an accident it is best to have a first aid kit in your pack. Here is a rundown of what it should include:

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Gauze and Bandages

These are completely essential. Gauze is what you need for covering scrapes and cuts with porous sanitary material which will protect your skin and help stop the bleeding. Bandages are what you need for protecting and supporting broken or dislocated limbs, protecting damaged skin and holding a splint in place. Several palm sized bits of gauze, a long thin bandage and a tea towel shaped bandage should have you covered. If expecting lion attacks, maybe take more gauze.

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Tape and Safety Pins

Pretty straight forward: tape for sticking gauze to your body and to wrap up particularly large splints. Safety pins are good for when putting together a sling for supporting an injured arm as tape will not be strong enough in this capacity. One roll of tape and a small pack of large safety pins should suffice.

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Aspirin and Ibuprofen

Both are good pain killers and should be used for headaches and migraines if they occur (spending all day in a hide net can give anyone a headache!). However, they can also be used to relieve pain after breaking or straining a limb. Pack of each should be enough.

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 Scissors and Tweezers

Scissors are obviously good for cutting bandages and gauze to size while they are also essential for removing any clothing after an accident, making new bandages from clothing or removing clothing after a bad burn. Tweezers can be used to remove splinters or in extreme circumstances: porcupine spines or bullets. Knowledge of survival bushcraft would also be a huge benefit here.

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Antibiotic Wipes and Antiseptic Cream

Wipes are handy for cleaning a wound before applying a dressing or bandage. This protects you from infection and helps clean away blood and other debris. Antiseptic cream again is good for disinfecting a wound or applying to a graze or deep cut. Both are the hidden essential to protect you from infections.

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Sun Cream and Burn Ointment

If you are going hiking in hot weather both of these can be lifesavers. Sun cream before and as you travel, burn ointment for if you forget to put on the sun cream or if you get burn by a campfire or flamethrower.

By no means is this a complete list, but it is a list of the essentials that you should try not to be without.

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Related articles

• First Aid Kit (p2prepared.wordpress.com)

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Top Tips For Camping

It’s what people have done for years and one of the best ways to get the family together away from TV’s and computer games. Families have been going camping together for generations as it is so simple, inexpensive and can be a real bonding experience. Of course, it’s not always easy to get everything together and get going as there is always a lot to organize. Inevitably you will always end up forgetting something important, but here are a few tips on what you should always consider before a camping trip.

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Take a Good Knife

One of the most vital things to any camping trip is a good knife. Not just for cooking but also cutting and opening things. A knife is infinitely useful on a camping trip and you will always find yourself in a place where you will need one.

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Take a Portable Gas Hob

Yeah I know everyone wants to build their own fire and do thing s the natural way, but you can’t always account for the weather and you might find that it is too damp to get a fire started. You don’t want to be in a place where you can’t cook anything so you’ll be thankful of a portable gas hob in the long run.

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Bug Spray

Without it, you’ll be driven nuts I guarantee it.

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Pack Light

Whether it’s getting to or from the campsite you don’t want to be carrying a large amount of extra weight. Besides, it kind of defeats the purpose of camping, if you’ve brought everything but the kitchen sink. Only take the essentials as this means less to carry and less that you can lose at the end of the day. The only thing you need plenty of is food and water.

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Anti-Bacterial Wipes

Good for sanitizing cooking implements and cleaning cuts and scrapes.

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More Than One Flashlight and Extra Batteries

You’ll often find yourself needing to use the bathroom at night and you don’t want to be stumbling around in the dark. Lamp equipment is vital and a head torch is very useful as it leaves your hands free, which is useful for obvious reasons. We’re not all masters of survival bushcraft so these little bits and pieces can be very useful.

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Use a Checklist

Finally, a checklist will make sure that you don’t forget any of these important bits and pieces as well as the other important things that are important to a camping trip. You don’t want to forget bacon and sausages for the morning.

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Purifying water before use

With the disaster in Japan March 2011, I thought I would reprint the article I wrote on my website on water purification.

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When drinking water from an unknown source in the outdoors, make sure to boil it first for at least two minutes, or if your above 2,500 ft. in elevation, three minutes minimum. Only boiled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruit and vegetables, and rinsing eating utensils. Boiling water for tea and coffee and for cooking, you should boil first and then use a filtration system, if it is murky.

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Portable filters are convenient for treating outdoor water. In most cases, a small hand pump is used to pass water through filters that remove organic contamination. Most filters use either activated charcoal or extremely fine ceramic mesh, some with iodine, to remove viruses. For most waters, to remove any micro-organism present, filters should have a pore size of 0.5 microns or smaller. To make sure the highest degree of removal when choosing a filter, look for an absolute style, as opposed to a nominal one. You can make your own filter by constructing one from “homemade filter”.

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Use carbon-cored ceramic filter systems to treat water while on trips. Your choice of model should be based on ease of use, reliability, durability, and the ability to process large quantities of water in a short time. One of the favourite hand pump filters is the one made by “Katadyn”. You can find this type of filter in Canada at any “MEC” under the hiking/camping section and look for water purification.

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Whatever system is used, boiling or filtration, having a spare with a backup filter and/or chemical treatment is important. A knowledge of the system and how to clean, maintain, and repair is important.

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Water is a necessity of life, you cannot survive long without it. To make sure you have a fun-filled and virus-free time in the great outdoors, practice healthy routines when drinking, swimming, and washing up.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homemade_waterfilter.jpg “Homemade waterfilter”

http://www.katadyn.com “Best water filter”

http://www.mec.ca under hiking/camping/water purification place to find.

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Stay Safe

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Related articles

• Purify Water in 6hrs without Chemicals or Filters (czarto.com)

 

Tread lightly while on the trails

Get out and ride ATV trails

People that just read the news or view it on TV, just see the tragedies in riding and probably don’t own an ATV! Why would anyone watching, want to sit on an ATV when they could be risking their life by riding ATV trails?

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Well, when it comes to viewing the great outdoors, their just isn’t a better way other than to do it. Close your eyes and imagine yourself on an ATV, high on a mountain top looking down into a scenic valley. Feel the cool breeze, and the sun on your face. The air is so fresh it feels like it will lift you off the mountain. Your ATV can take you to just such a place.

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British Columbia has a multitude of terrific ATV trails, each Region offers their own unique scenic vista to enjoy. Would you like to view wildlife in their natural state the way they have roamed for hundreds of years?

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ATV riding is an activity you can do as a single rider or as a group. It is also a great way to get the family involved in outdoor recreation. A trip to the local dealer to see their line up of new models is all it takes. If you are considering used, a search on the buy/sell publications, would get you started for less money. Just a warning there are scams online, so if you cannot sit or ride one, don’t fall for those to good to be true deals. They are probably a scam.

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Most ATVs are fairly simple machines. You can do simple maintenance like oil changes and tune ups in a weekend. This will guarantee a long durable riding experience, and a problem free machine.

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Riding an ATV can be a challenge, but if done with care and following safety rules, your ride will be more enjoyable. Just use common sense.

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The sport of ATV grows bigger every year, and new ATV trails are being opened all the time. A great adventure awaits you when you own an ATV. Now does that not make you want to get out and ride?

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Keep the rubber side down.

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Riding ATV Responsibly

If you are out and about riding on your ATV, you want to be sure that you do everything in your power to respect the land and property that surround you. The last few years have brought some bad press against riders of ATVs. A few riders that did not respect the boundaries of private property wound up letting cattle out by leaving fences open and trashing the land through bad riding tactics. This made it tough on all riders to use private land.

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Asking permission to ride private property is the first rule. You should always have permission before you roll across someone’s land. Usually, leave the property better than how you found it. Pick up trash and if a gate was open, leave it open.

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Digging up the land is purely bad riding etiquette when you are out on your ATV. You can avoid this by not riding through some areas with softer terrain such as meadows, streams and certain steep hills. You should also be careful if you are riding on populated dirt roads. If you end up damaging roads such as this and get caught, it could cost you a bit of money to fix them.

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The trails are very important and all ATV riders should take special precaution when they travel along through wooded areas. If you end up running over small plant life, such as new trees and shrubs, they can be damaged to the point of being killed. Along with this goes the wildlife. You always need to respect the animals that live in the wild and should take care when you meet them out on the trails. If an area is marked off, you should obey the signs. Paying attention to these things will show people that you are a cautious and respectful ATV rider.

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Safety is the most important thing to consider when riding an ATV. Roaming around in your ATV is an extremely fun and exciting experience, But if you do not follow safety rules and ride responsibly, you are likely to get hurt, or worse.Here are some helpful safety advice so you can avoid any accidents with your ATV. Some of these tips will probably seem like trivial, but they are things that can always use a little repeating.

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First, always wear all the proper gear necessary when you ride. Never show off or mess around while on your ATV. Be responsible, both by yourself and around others. There is nothing wrong with a group of friends riding together, but do not try to do any stunts that you know you are not capable of. Do not try to ride on any terrain that is not in your ability. People tend to act tough around their friends, but in situations like this it is simply irresponsible to do so, and it could mean your health.

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Some more essential advice: never ride your ATV under the influence of alcohol or any other drugs. When you do drugs, your motor skills and ability to judge distance are impaired, and these are essential to riding, and driving vehicles in general.

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Remember to respect the land and wildlife wherever you ride. If enough ATV enthusiasts abuse the trails, they will eventually no longer exist. Set a good example for other riders and do the simple things like don’t litter. If you bring it in with you, bring it out and always stay on the designated trails.

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If you don’t have a group of ATV riders nearby, consider taking a safety course for riding and you may just meet a group of like-minded people you can go riding with.

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Tread Lightly – Stay Safe

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Upgrading my Backyard Smoker

Winter months are long gone, and spring is in the air, time to refurbish my smoker. Since I have a spare Weber performer lid, due to replacing my present smoker, I used the old one to replace my UDS lid.

I started by straightening the lip of the old lid, and rolling a piece of 10 Ga x 1 in. metal to match the outer diameter of the lid. With my home garage welder, I tacked the piece of rolled metal to the lid. Since the two metals are different thickness, great care and patience are needed.

Using the same techniques as car bodywork, tack in a random pattern all around the lid. After a long time of tack welding, the lid is ground smooth and ready for a coat of high-heat paint.

A few pictures of the project:

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The whole process took half a day and it looks like a pro built smoker you buy, but half the cost. I did a quick time-lapse video of the welding process to show the tacking procedure. Due to the ultra violet light and sparks I placed the camera far away, but you get the concept of the random tacking all around the lid.

Capture your outdoor activities in HD

I was thinking of recording more video of activities, while out camping, fishing or any outdoor activity.

One thing that is getting great reviews now are the small HD cameras that are wearable, waterproof and shoot some incredible video. I searched the internet for such a camera and came across one that I have recently purchased. It is the GoPro Hero

Here is a short video that shows how small this HD camera is and the incredible video you can shoot.

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Two important items to carry in a survival kit

Watching CNN there was a story a while back that said, the government recommends that every resident should have in their home or in their car, a 72 Hour Survival Kit. Two of the items listed in that kit are a flashlight and a knife.

Flashlight:

I have used flashlights for camping, which had alkaline batteries in them. The problem with that is batteries drain fairly quickly. Now you could buy LED type flashlights for a reasonable price. So why should you consider replacing your common flashlights with LED flashlights? The reasons range from better light to longer battery life.

One day while I entered a liquidation store, I stumbled across a hand squeeze rechargeable LED light that can be used without batteries. To view what the flashlight looks like check the link:

Uni grip lightI carry one in the truck and a couple in my gear bag. I also have a LED headlamp in my hunting bag. It is very bright while coming back in the dark from a hunt.

Knife:

Most survival experts recommend a fixed blade knife that can be used for skinning, cleaning, knife hunting, notching, cutting, sawing and many other uses. I like to carry my kit in a small container, therefore most of the items must be compact. I like the folding lock blade, with a serrated edge. One feature the knife must have is an easy to open thumb hole or stud, that can be opened with one hand. Gerber knives are a great product that I like and use and affordable.

Stay Safe

Tying Flies During Winter Months

As the weather outside turns cold and miserable, I look to ways to make my time productive. One thing I have done in the past was to replenish my depleted flybox.

When I started tying flies, I researched everything I could get my hands on, including magazines, books, and videos. At that time there was no internet. I had to find my information at the library. With the internet, now you can search for articles on the subject, and with You Tube there is a lot of videos to choose from.

The best way to learn fast is to take a fly tying course. Your local tackle shops usually have tying classes in the winter time. Some have tying seminars at outdoor shows that are free or for a small fee. Joining a club is another way to learn and has a lot of benefits. Some clubs hold fly tying night once a month. This is a great way to learn from some of the clubs experienced members.

Searching the internet for forums on fly tying, is a good way to meet other people who have the same interest. A few friends get together at a different home each month, and learn a specific pattern. We practice the pattern till we have it down.

After you learn the basics, you could start a fly swap at every tying session. Bring a couple of pattern for each person attending. This will stock your fly box quickly, without doing all the work. The advantage to this, assortment of flies tied by other anglers.

Tie one on.

Related articles

• Fly-tying can create lasting memories (jsonline.com)

Creative Photography To Inspire.

A few weeks back I  experimented with my new camera, the GoPro and my digital SLR. The first thing in my search for great photography and a great shot is having the best equipment possible.

The first camera is a Nikon DSLR, which I’ve had for a while. It gives you a lot of flexibility when I want to make a specific shot with great special effects. The first time I worked with a digital camera, I had the settings on auto, and it took great shots. As I got comfortable with the auto preset, I started to experiment with the other presets, and the different exposure and speed settings.

Well, what do some of the terms mean in respect to the camera?

ISO is equivalent to film speed (ASA) in the day when I had a film camera. The low-end is for bright sunny days, and the higher end is for lower light or faster capture, anything that is fast-moving. The downside of a high ISO is the photos are prone to digital noise, which gives the shot a grainy effect. The next is shutter speed, which is how long the shutter opens and closes. A lower shutter speed captures motion blur, a faster speed freezes the shot. If the speed is slow, it is best to use a tripod. Third of the terms which is as important as the last is aperture. This controls what’s in focus or depth of field (DOF). A low f-stop is a shallow depth of field (I use the example low number, shallow end of the pool, higher number deeper end of the pool) which captures just the focused area, a high f-stop focuses to the front and back of what you captured. In low light conditions, I use the example of my eye, when it is dark my pupils are open, when it is bright they are small.

Tips that have helped me with my camera:

- low light use lower f-stop and/ or longer shutter speed.
- longer shutter speed is better with a tripod.
- high ISO add noise (grain effect).

More on that at a later blog.

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My recent camera is known as a POV (point of view) camera, and probably the best on the market. That is because of advertising. You probably seen the Superbowl commercial with the infant (Charlie Ray) being thrown into the air while wearing the camera, shown in slow motion. I experimented with all the settings and there is a feature that I really like, that is the time-lapse. You can set the camera to take an x-number of photos at x-number of intervals til the card is full.

Most high-end DSLR cameras have that feature, except your limited to the number of shots you can shoot. The GoPro will take photos til either the card is full or the battery goes dead, which ever comes first. In most cases it will be the battery that will expire.

Here is a test time-lapse video I did with a GoPro on a tri-pod:

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Enjoy!

Outdoor recreation during the winter

As the football season comes to an end with the Superbowl. There are plenty of activities you can do when it comes to outdoor recreation during winter.

Depending on where you live, winters in the North usually results in cold and snow. The elevation has an effect on the temperature. Lower elevation coastal region, has a higher temperature which is wet and cold. The interior, which is higher in elevation is drier and colder.

Living close to mountains on the coast, a lot of people take part in skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing. People that live away from the big city, can do those and a few more activities including cross-country skiing, snowmobile and ATV riding. If you are fortunate to live close to a lake, the outdoor activity that I like is ice hockey on a frozen lake. It has been a while since I have had a trip to the interior to take part in a friendly game with friends.

My favorite winter memory as a boy was constructing a snow shelter. The snow would be piled high as a person’s height, and left for a few days to harden in the sub-zero temperature. With a small shovel, we would start removing snow to create an entrance, working our way toward the other end. Approximately center, the area was widened and cleared out so you could sit up. Placing a rubber mat on the snow inside made it comfortable to sit. I was surprised how reasonably warm it was inside the shelter. To this day I laugh at our attempts at a survival scenario.

Enjoying a day out in the cold could be risky if you are not dressed for the conditions. Clothing is an important part of staying warm. Layering your clothes and using the best material that you can afford will be beneficial. Gore-Tex outer wear is a necessity to help draw out perspiration. In addition, a toque and gloves are important, since you lose most of your body heat through your head and hands. Playing sports out in the cold can keep your blood circulating which will keep you warm, but it can lead to hypothermia if you do not stay dry.

When I am out having a good time. I rarely think about taking liquids to hydrate. As you perspire, you have to replenish those liquids. On sunny days it is also necessary to wear sunglasses and sunscreen. The snow reflects the light, which can lead to discomfort.

A great source for surviving cold weather and a great survival references is the “wilderness survival”. Use the search at the top or bottom of the page, select search the web and enter the quoted text above. I found the PDF version and printed it so I can keep it with me in a camper for reading material.

Keep warm and dry

 

Meteorite explodes over Russia

Here is what it looked like today.

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Cool Gadgets: BioLite CampStove

Is it a camp stove or a USB charger or both. You can also get a Portable Grill attachment so you can grill. Small,  portable for light camping or trekking.

http://www.biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/

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Which Superbowl Commercial was your favorite?

Being from Canada we did not get to see all the Superbowl commercials from this weekend. I want to see what others thought of their favorite ads. Vote or add your favorite in the poll, so I can check them out for myself. Add the link to the comment section.

How Much Fun Is A New Camera?

Well like the title says, I am having a great time exploring all the possible uses for my new GoPro. The camera takes great pictures if it is on a stable platform or a stand, not so good if you hold it in your hand. It is small enough to fit in your pocket, and with the waterproof case, it makes a durable camera.

Another great feature this camera has is 1080p HD video above ground, and in the waterproof case, it does a great job under water to 190 feet. A must have for anyone downloading their videos to YouTube.

Related articles

• World’s newest billionaire is a camera maker, not yet 40 (warmsouthernbreeze.wordpress.com)

I liked “Char Cloth (Homemade Fire Starter)” on YouTube

View this video on how to make burnt cloth or cotton to use for a fire starter.