Survival kits come in all shapes and sizes, from the junk contained in the handles of those 80s “survival knives” (if you’re old enough to remember them definitely check out that video…or even if you’re not) to Altoids-tin kits to backpacks full of stuff. My last article on wilderness survival covered a very strong survival kit. Today I am going to discuss the bare minimum “stuff” I would want in the woods.
Long-Term Preparedness Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling in the absence of “the grid” is a subject that seems to get addressed only rarely in preparedness literature. Most of the recommendations are short-term in nature, anyway. This posts is going to cover the most important parts of my long-term heating and cooling system, in hopes that you can learn something and make yourself more resilient on what I feel is an overlooked topic.
Wilderness Survival Basics
I was recently asked to teach a wilderness survival class. Though not specifically in my lane of expertise, I jumped at the chance. No guidance was provided other than “wilderness survival basics” and I was given a three-hour block. This article is what I decided to teach. I am making the full content available here to my readers, and to serve as a resource for my students afterward.
The Instructor’s Burden
Lately I have been seriously thinking about the instructor’s burden: the duty an instructor of life-and-death topics has to his or her students.
EMT vs. Paramedic: What’s the Difference?
I recently had lunch with fellow gun blogger (videographer?) and all-around good guy, Chris Baker. Chris and I were catching up after not having seen each other in quite a long time. I mentioned my EMT/Paramedic training track and at some point he asked, “are EMT and paramedic different things?” This is a really common question I get from people outside emergency services, so I thought I’d quickly run down some quantifiable differences for you.
Hiking Emergency & Recovery Protocols
Last weekend we did a very difficult hike. Actually, to be honest we didn’t complete it. Despite hiking every week, and rucking on our road at least a couple days a week, we were turned back after four miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and some extremely rugged terrain. On our walk back we began talking about what we would do if one of us was injured. We also talked about some emergency protocols we had already put into place.
Beyond the IFAK: Home Medical Gear
The IFAK (individual first aid kit) has become extremely popular. A number of companies sell purpose-built, military-style IFAKs for civilian use. Many more sell IFAK components. Numerous methods of carry, including wallet kits and ankle rigs have proliferated. I think that’s fantastic. Unfortunately I think the twin Gospels of the Tourniquet and the IFAK aren’t the end of the story as far as first aid for the well-prepared is concerned.
Waterproofing a Backpack
After a recent SAR call-out I decided that I needed to waterproof my All Purpose EDC pack. We were deployed two hours away from home. We stepped into the woods at 2200 and walked three miles into the woods in pitch darkness. After a Blackhawk helicopter had hoisted the patient and the rescue was over, we walked back out. After about 12 hours total I got home around 0730. It wasn’t the rain that made me realize the need for waterpoofing, it was the river crossing.
Preparedness Part III: Be Financially Prepared
In my last two posts on preparedness I have discussed preparing your body and preparing your mind. Today I am going to talk about yet another unpopular preparedness topic: financial preparedness. This is a very simple, two-step process: reduce expenses and increase reserves but don’t worry – I’ll go into a bit more detail.
Know a Knot: Bowline on a Bight
This weekend I was considering what knot to run this week. I dug back through the previous knots and was a little surprised I hadn’t mentioned the Bowline-on-a-Bight. It’s an interesting knot, and a really easy one to tie.