Post by elkchsr on Sept 30, 2008 12:32:35 GMT 12.75
Sorry for the absence...
I'll be better from now on...
Had a lot on my plate for the last few years, maybe I'll tell a few stories and post some pics of my adventures...
I'll start one about survival again, since that's what this forum is for...
Hope you all enjoy, I've come a long way in my survival techniques since I was last here...
To start at the basics and keep it simple to start with
Seeing as attitude is the number one survival mode and every one who is going to make it is assumed to be there already, we will start with the actual beginnings of techniques and ideas to keep you alive if things go wrong, or you put yourself into a predicament on purpose
The simple science of survival usually runs in threes
1. Three Minutes with out air
2. Three Days with out water
3. Three Weeks with out food
There are many other trains of thought out there including 3 hours with out shelter (even though this is important, it is just dealt with in an appropriate and timely manor dictated by the elements at hand)
While the rules of three have a bearing on many situations, they as with "EVERY THING ELSE" isn't written in stone
Native Americans for example practice what is called "Vision Quests", these entail 4 days with out food and water (which shoots the 3's out of the water)
Every thing mentioned in survival really boils down to rules of thumb and what works for the person at the time with nothing being 100% steadfast
AIR (Oxygen)
If dropped in the water, some sort of accident takes place which cuts off the air flow, or your heart stops, three minutes is about all one has to keep either brain damage or death from occurring
It is imperative air be resupplied ASAP when extenuating circumstances cut it off from an individual
There are other times when air can be unwittingly cut off , snow shelters for one and small caves along coastal regions which get covered over by tidal action to name a couple
In the region I'm from, snow caves would offer this scenario
Snow caves are one of nature’s wonderful insulated structures, becoming air tight when the entrance is covered over, even by more snow falling and closing off the entrance
It's important, even if a little drafty, to keep a small air hole poked to the outside
Water
Water is one of those things we all take for granted when there is plenty around and crave more than any thing when it has been removed from our diet
While three days is the normal idea of having problems with that lack of water, extenuating circumstances will dictate exactly how long your body can do with out it
When in a desert situation, 3 hours may be all you can handle under extreme heat and sun situations, while in areas with a high relative humidity content may make it possible to last for a number of days beyond the three
When in a survival situation you’re left to drinking tainted water and your sure you will be helped inside of a week
Don't worry too much about catching Cryptosporidium or Giardia or similar pathogens
These creepy cruds usually don't manifest themselves for at least a week, usually two
It is better to be sick later than to die now from fear of ingesting these pathogens
If the water is tainted with bad chemicals, I would find it elsewhere as the repercussions could be almost instant and/or last the rest of your life
There is water present almost on every surface every day in the world, some doesn't last long and may only help you make it thru a few more days, but this may be the few more days it takes to make it out alive
One of the biggies you don't do when it comes to water and that's drink salt water, even in small quantities
The repercussions of doing so far out weigh the temporary relief you get by ingesting it
Food
This is the easiest to deal with out of the three
Seeing as it takes three weeks to starve to death (contrary to what your teen agers would lead you to believe), it doesn't take much to keep you going until help arrives
There are only two food sources I actively teach every one when it comes to edible plants
The reason is these two plants are every where on the Northern continent and are found generally world wide
I'll make it a game down the road when we get to this portion of the lessons on what these two plants are
I'll be better from now on...
Had a lot on my plate for the last few years, maybe I'll tell a few stories and post some pics of my adventures...
I'll start one about survival again, since that's what this forum is for...
Hope you all enjoy, I've come a long way in my survival techniques since I was last here...
To start at the basics and keep it simple to start with
Seeing as attitude is the number one survival mode and every one who is going to make it is assumed to be there already, we will start with the actual beginnings of techniques and ideas to keep you alive if things go wrong, or you put yourself into a predicament on purpose
The simple science of survival usually runs in threes
1. Three Minutes with out air
2. Three Days with out water
3. Three Weeks with out food
There are many other trains of thought out there including 3 hours with out shelter (even though this is important, it is just dealt with in an appropriate and timely manor dictated by the elements at hand)
While the rules of three have a bearing on many situations, they as with "EVERY THING ELSE" isn't written in stone
Native Americans for example practice what is called "Vision Quests", these entail 4 days with out food and water (which shoots the 3's out of the water)
Every thing mentioned in survival really boils down to rules of thumb and what works for the person at the time with nothing being 100% steadfast
AIR (Oxygen)
If dropped in the water, some sort of accident takes place which cuts off the air flow, or your heart stops, three minutes is about all one has to keep either brain damage or death from occurring
It is imperative air be resupplied ASAP when extenuating circumstances cut it off from an individual
There are other times when air can be unwittingly cut off , snow shelters for one and small caves along coastal regions which get covered over by tidal action to name a couple
In the region I'm from, snow caves would offer this scenario
Snow caves are one of nature’s wonderful insulated structures, becoming air tight when the entrance is covered over, even by more snow falling and closing off the entrance
It's important, even if a little drafty, to keep a small air hole poked to the outside
Water
Water is one of those things we all take for granted when there is plenty around and crave more than any thing when it has been removed from our diet
While three days is the normal idea of having problems with that lack of water, extenuating circumstances will dictate exactly how long your body can do with out it
When in a desert situation, 3 hours may be all you can handle under extreme heat and sun situations, while in areas with a high relative humidity content may make it possible to last for a number of days beyond the three
When in a survival situation you’re left to drinking tainted water and your sure you will be helped inside of a week
Don't worry too much about catching Cryptosporidium or Giardia or similar pathogens
These creepy cruds usually don't manifest themselves for at least a week, usually two
It is better to be sick later than to die now from fear of ingesting these pathogens
If the water is tainted with bad chemicals, I would find it elsewhere as the repercussions could be almost instant and/or last the rest of your life
There is water present almost on every surface every day in the world, some doesn't last long and may only help you make it thru a few more days, but this may be the few more days it takes to make it out alive
One of the biggies you don't do when it comes to water and that's drink salt water, even in small quantities
The repercussions of doing so far out weigh the temporary relief you get by ingesting it
Food
This is the easiest to deal with out of the three
Seeing as it takes three weeks to starve to death (contrary to what your teen agers would lead you to believe), it doesn't take much to keep you going until help arrives
There are only two food sources I actively teach every one when it comes to edible plants
The reason is these two plants are every where on the Northern continent and are found generally world wide
I'll make it a game down the road when we get to this portion of the lessons on what these two plants are