Here is a random tip:
Most cities, towns and urban areas have an emergency plan that includes Evacuation Routes. Study that route well, then ignore it. When the fit hits the shan, every idiot and his brother will jam that route up faster than a tampon in a toilet. During Katrina, loads of goons in their fancy SUV's tried to jump around traffic and ended up causing accidents, getting stuck, and generally mucking things up even worse. Better that you study the map, learn the layout, and find your own alternative route out of harms way. Don't follow the sheep or the wolves will get ya.

SUV... I always thought that it stood for Stupid Urban Vehicle.

Keep a few tampons in your survival kit, the fine cotton wool is one of the best tinders out there and is obviously very compact so lots to use.

CX.

Originally posted by DezertSkies
Dryer lint will catch a spark from an empty lighter, try it at home, get a dead lighter and hit a lump of lint with spark. I got it to work.

Yeah, lint works great! I got it to catch a flame many times with just a little spark.

A 4' x 4' or so sheet of plastic sheet, black or translucent works well as an emergency water still.
Carry 2-3 of them.

You'll also need a container.

Dig a hole 12" - 24" deep.

Set the container in the middle.

Lay the sheet over the hole.

Bank dirt over the outer edges of the sheet so the sheet is sealed to the hole.

Weight down the center of the sheet with a small rock, just something that will make it sag into cone shape.

The lowest point of the sheet needs to be over the container.

About 4-6 hours should get you a soda can full of water in most areas.

It doesn't work well in extremely dry areas.

Where it does work well is on sandy beaches next to the ocean where there's a lot moisture present.

The heat from the sun condenses moisture onto the underneath side of the plastic where it runs to the lowest spot and drips off into the cup.

You can probably Google up some additional info by searching for, "Solar Water Stills."


(Edited to include a missing step.)

[edit on 16-12-2006 by Desert Dawg]

Those fishing vests with multiple small pockets for hooks, etc. are better than backpacks, imho. I can put everything I REALLY need in those and live for a week in the woods with nothing else. Warning: paring down to that extent is truly "roughing it" but if I want all the comforts of home, I'll stay home. Also, I've found it extremely useful to have everything waterproofed or in some waterproof container.

I've got lots of suggestions, but will save time and space by limiting to absolutes. These can all fit in a small tin or box - prepare ahead of time.

- A tiny bottle of water purification tablets is indispensible and can save your life and perhaps your loved ones.

- Redundant fire-starters; a few water-proofed matches, disposable lighters, flint, magnifying glass. A small candle or two.

- a couple of mylar blankets to stay warm/dry.

- Redundant signaling devices; unbreakable mirror, whistle, etc.

- Small, self-charging flashlight (no batteries).

- Small, light strong cord (dental floss, fishing line). Include a few hooks.

- Small folding knife. Small swiss-army-type knife.

- A wire saw.

- small first-aid kit (a few bandaids, ointment, snake-bite kit, aspirin, any essential meds).

- small compass.

- A few small plastic bags (for refuse, carrying gear, etc).

There are quite a few more items you can include, of course, but if your car breaks down in a remote area, etc., this will get you through a few days or longer until you work your way out or until help arrives.

Good luck...

For gathering water, you can put a mass of vegetation in a plastic bag (leaving plenty of room left in the bag, and leave it outside in the sun. Leave one corner of the bag empty, and hanging down at a point lower than the rest. The sun will cause water in the vegetation to evaporate, it will then gather at the top of the bag in the form of condensation, and finally run down into the empy corner. You can poke a tiny hole in that corner to allow the water to run out, or you can insert a tube there to drink from.

To the untrained eye, this just looks like a bag of trash, and won't give away your position. Of course, if someone who knows what it is sees it, they will know someone is living in the area. It's for this reason I would probably not leave a drinking tube inserted if I was trying to conceal my presence. Without the drinking tube giving away the nature of the bag, it's just a bag with some leaves in it.

Take this method one step farther, you can tie a large plastic bag around a cluster of branches that are still attached to a living tree, and anchor one corner down near the ground. The water evaporates, produces condensation, and collects in the corner near the ground.

This doesn't work in the winter, for obvious reasons (no vegetation).

Another random tip is a way to light a cigarette without matches. If you have a flashlight reflector, remove the bulb, insert the 'lighting' end of the cigarette in the little hole, sticking out in place of where the bulb used to be, hold it up to the sun, and in no time it will be smoking. Puff on it a bit, and you've got it. I never used to think this was feasible, until I tried it. The same principle can be used to light tinder. It's as good a reason as any to carry a flashlight with a proper detachable reflector. Additionally, if you get a flashlight with a ground glass cover, you can use it to start fires by focusing sunlight. I'm not sure if this works with plastic lenses/covers, I doubt it though.

If you get a good waterproof flashlight, it doubles as a handy storage cannister for an extra fire kit, if you leave the batteries out (which you should do anyway, if you don't want them to drain out before you need them). If the flashlight is intended for emergency use, it would be better to have it ready to go, batteries in place and all. So maybe the solution is to carry two. One waterproof, with no batteries, storing a firekit, and another intact, for emergency use.

kerosene can be added to diesel fuel before the advent of winter weather, to keep it from jellying. Farmers in winter frequently run tractors nearly empty of diesel, and then add some kerosene before leaving the machine outside all winter. Just because a fuel dealer says he's out of diesel doesn't mean he is out of Kerosene; any diesel engine will run on it. Kerosene is frequently called fuel oil #1

Keep an eye out at garage sales for older camping stoves, which were often sold with a kit to run on gasoline as well as propane. In an emergency, it could be easier to locate a limited supply of gasoline, than to find propane, for which supplies run low during crises. Almost every home in America has a car with gas in the tank, and a lawn mower with its own gas can.

dr_strangecraft
Out here they sell "winter grade" Diesel so kerosene/antifreeze trick is not needed everywhere. But an older NA-Diesel Engine will run with just about any flammable liquid.

As for new trick:
- During Mid-winter Birch tree generates a natural antifreeze into it, so it burns like it's soaked with gazoline.

- One of the best "fuels" for a camp fire are the lowest dried branches of a fir tree, they usually light up even if everything else in the forrest is soaked by rain.

Good tips all!!!

Wyrde, i like the bagged tree idea, that's one i haven't heard before. Along those lines, a bag could be a good way to gather dew off trees, bag a wet limb, shake it , and catch the drops inside the bag. I'd imagine a few good wet boughs shaken in a bag would get you a drink with little effort. I'll have to try it next time i'm out.

Who has actually built a solar still? I hear a lot about 'em, but it seems like a helluva lot of work for a little bit of water. It seems like the amount of water you'd get wouldn't make up for what you lose digging a hole.

Although i don't have one in there now, i'm going to add a sponge to my bag the next chance i get to pick one up, and use it to see how much water i can collect.

When I was a kid I had a reflector lighter, it looked like a shiny lil spoon and a wire arch where you clip your smoke or a bunch of tinder and point it at the sun.

And another tip, if you carry a pepsi can stove, polish the bottom into a reflector, and the stove will have a built in lighter. Get some tinder going, flip the stove over, fuel it up and use the tinder to light the alcohol (asuming you have fuel but no fire) I haven't tried the soda can reflector fire method yet, but i've used similar sized reflectors and have no reason to believe it won't work. It worked for mythbusters.

Kinda OT but another firestarter is the computer or tv screen enlargers. It's basically a screen that goes in front of a tv or omonitor and makes it a few inches bigger. I had one that came off a 19" tv, put it in the sun, and could get a hotspot hot enough to melt pavement and would ignite tinder or paper instantly. Acorns would vent out the burn hole as the core heated and act like rocket thrusters, spinnning it around. You probably won't have one of these in your pocket when you're 50 miles from nowhere, but soemthing that may also work is one of those RV rear window magnifiers. I don't know how you'd acquire one in a survival situation but if you did, you'd have a pretty powerful firestarter.

Keep the tips coming!

Adding to outrageo's list...

for fire starters, the manesium block/flint fire starter is cheap, durable and well worth having.

Mylar ('space') blankets are a great idea. You can buy a 'sleeping bag' version for around $10.

A great signalling device is a CD. Use the hole to point at your target and rock the CD slightly.

WyrdeOne's suggestion about the 'vegetation still' is a good one. Be prepared for some funky-tasting water but in a pinch, water is water. The concern for concealment, however, was inconsistent with his next tip for a flashlight reflector cigarette lighter. The smell of tobacco smoke carries a good distance and is a dead giveaway that someone is in the area.

Originally posted by Terapin
Here is a random tip:
Most cities, towns and urban areas have an emergency plan that includes Evacuation Routes. Study that route well, then ignore it. When the fit hits the shan, every idiot and his brother will jam that route up faster than a tampon in a toilet. During Katrina, loads of goons in their fancy SUV's tried to jump around traffic and ended up causing accidents, getting stuck, and generally mucking things up even worse. Better that you study the map, learn the layout, and find your own alternative route out of harms way. Don't follow the sheep or the wolves will get ya.

SUV... I always thought that it stood for Stupid Urban Vehicle.

SUV=Super Urber Vehicle

Anyhow I agree about finding the best route out like back alleys even, as car traffic chaos would and should be happening if disaster, for people trying too escape!

jtma

WyrdeOne's suggestion about the 'vegetation still' is a good one. Be prepared for some funky-tasting water but in a pinch, water is water.

Yeah, it sure is funky.

The concern for concealment, however, was inconsistent with his next tip for a flashlight reflector cigarette lighter. The smell of tobacco smoke carries a good distance and is a dead giveaway that someone is in the area.

Would you believe I hadn't even thought of that!? I've been smoking for so long I don't even notice the smell anymore, but I suppose it is rather pungent, and it does hang around a good long time because it's so oily.



Well, I feel like a dumbass. I still love to smoke, and in most situations it's not a problem. If you're actively evading pursuit though, and trying to conceal your presence, it would be wise not to smoke. You make a good point.

DezertSkies
I've never built a solar still, probably for the same reason you never have. I know how, but it seems like a waste of energy, and there are usually simpler methods of getting water.

It is handy to know how though, in case you ever find yourself needing to build one.

It's so much easier to tie a bag around a tree limb, and that method can net you a gallon or more per day, 2+ days in a row, then you move the bag and start all over again.

Here are a few at random:

Never eat a polar bears liver. NEVER. Always fully cook polar bear meat, never eat it raw or undercooked. (Someone smart tell me why Polar bears never eat Penguins and you win a cookie)

When in snow country, pause every now and then and bang your feet together, This will knock the snow off your feet and prevent it from melting and wetting your shoes.
Always choose a coat with TWO closure methods such as zipper AND buttons. If one fails, you have a back up.
Butane lighters perform poorly in extreme cold.
Eating snow when you are thirsty is a bad idea. It chills down your core and actually requires your body to use more water/fuel to re-warm. Net result, it increases your thirst.

If you choose to use the Bagged plant material method for gathering drinking water, as mentioned above, Make sure you know what kind of plant you are using. Many plants give off bio-toxins and you could end up doing more harm than good much like the fool who uses poison ivy for toilet paper.

Take care of your teeth. Getting a tooth ache when no dentist is available can become a serious problem.

Originally posted by Terapin

Eating snow when you are thirsty is a bad idea. It chills down your core and actually requires your body to use more water/fuel to re-warm. Net result, it increases your thirst.

You can it snow though, if you are working or walking. It's not good to eat it if you are going to sleep or resting.

Originally posted by Terapin
(Someone smart tell me why Polar bears never eat Penguins and you win a cookie)

Coz they'd have to travel a long way for dinner! Different ends of the earth.....do i get a cookie?

Or for the UK members, polar bears don't eat penguins because thier big paws can't get the wrappers off! (For the non-UKers here, Penguins are the name of a chocolate bar here in the UK).

CX.

CK wins a cookie, Yep Polar bears live in the Arctic circle and Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Polar bears store Vitamin A in their livers, enough to be toxic to humans. Also Polar bear meat when eaten under cooked is a great way to get Trichinosis, so always cook it well. It is generally cooked in a stew.

A lot of these tips have been for situation in cold/snowy areas. Here's some that are helpful in warm/desert climates that I picked up from watching the Bush Tucker Man as a kid:

- Water. This is your number 1 necessity. You wont last 6 hours in the sun without it. Conserve your body's hydration by resting in shade during the day, and traveling at dusk/dawn.

- Collecting water with the still method works well, but in the desert there is little ground water, so you must place vegetation in the still. The water tastes bad, but may be your only option. Also, digging a hole for the still can dehydrate you quickly. Best to do it at night or morning.

- Don't drink your vehicle's coolant. You will get real sick and die.

- If there is wildlife around, you can be sure there will be water close by. Animals need it too, so they generally wont stray too far from it. Flocks of birds are a good sign of water that may be hidden.

- Don't take risks. If you have the option of a dangerous short cut or the safe long route, take the long one. An incapacitating injury can certainly mean death.

- Never leave your vehicle. It can provide you with shade and protection, plus is a lot easier to spot from a plane. It also contains flammable liquids that can be used to create a campfire for signaling and warmth at night.

- The mirrors of your car can be used are reflectors for signaling and someone also mentioned CDs too.

- Lighting a fire is essential for signaling and keep warm at night. If you are stupid and don't have matches/lighter/flint etc, use the sun to your advantage and use a magnifying glass. If you don't have one of those try any concave piece of glass, like a soda bottle. Only try rubbing sticks as a last resort, because getting fire that way requires a lot of energy and time and you will probably just exhaust yourself.

- Be very careful around waterholes and lakes. In the Aussie outback, crocs will lay in wait for an unsuspecting animal to drink from the waters edge. Then before they can react, chomp!

These tips have been provided for the unprepared adventurer. Obviously you would carry much more equipment if you were planing on traveling in such an arid region.