Random Survival Tips

One of the most common problems with drinking unfiltered water is Giardia. It is caused by small protozoa's and results in chronic diarrhea. In an emergency or survival situation Giardia can be cured with garlic. I know of people who have dine this and it does indeed work. Garlic is also a great antobiotic and can be used to keep cuts from being infected or used to cure atheletes foot. Here are two articles on the benefits of garlic, and garlic as a cure for Giardia:

Infection Benefits from Garlic

Micro Biology Abstract on using Garlic as a cure for Giardia

yes I finally get to post something usfull in this thread.

Vacume pack everything cloth in you pack. you make almost twice the room that way. and itl stay dry.

Vacuum packing works great to reduce size, up until you open it. Then, if you are on the trail or away from your vacuum pac machine, it is just more stuff to contend with. They do make plastic compression sacks that work in a similar way as vacuum packing. A roll-up storage bag is more versatile than one which requires a mechanical vacuum.

Here is an example made by Coleman: Roll-up Space Bags

I have used similar models on extended over seas travel and they work well. Easy to use. Water tight seal, and quite reusable.

here's an interesting tip, that all of you herein are actually using...thinking.

Here's my useful tip. In a survival situation whether in the desert or the arctic or whereever...don't panic, sit your lost butt down and think all your alternatives through. Don't do something just to be doing something.

I am pretty sure that most of you already know this but Les Stroud has a very informative show called survivorman where he strands himself in various remote locations for a week with only a couple of cameras and whatever he has on him at the time. Check out his website here

i love les, and his show.... i suggest watching his show, and do not watch man vs wild just a lame rip off

I think les stroud seems like a great guy but like anyone of us he still makes mistakes. though survivor man may be interesting and entertaining, be careful, Things like building fires in you shelters (Which atleast one occasion in the canadaian episode, his shelter caught fire, and in arizona a rock explode throwing embers into his shelter) and eating mushrooms is realy sketchy.

A note on mushrooms... There are more edible mushrooms than poisonous ones. Poisonous mushrooms grow quite abundantly. Many poisonous mushrooms look almost exactly like edible ones except for some very small differences hard to spot except by a well, trained individual. Some poisonous mushrooms will only make you sick, while others will kill you. Observing the local wildlife eat mushrooms is NOT a safe method of finding edible mushrooms. Squirrels and other animals can and do eat mushrooms that would kill a human. Using a guide book is no substitute for a solid knowledge of mycology as there are far too many "look alike" poisonous mushrooms.

Unless you know absolutely what you are doing and have a solid understanding of the mycology of the area in which you find yourself, it is not worth risking eating mushrooms for the little nutritional value they have.

Having said all that as a warning, I thoroughly enjoy eating wild mushrooms. Ever had Grifola frondosa, or "hen of the woods?" LOL yes folks, there is indeed a fungus that tastes like chicken. Hen of the Woods And please folks, don't look at that web page and then think you are an expert in finding edible fungus. The risks don't outweigh the benefits.

Mushrooms arn't even worth the time eating because they are saprophites. This means the only fead on dead organisms, wich also means that mushrooms have almost no nutrients making them a waste of time.

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. 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.

Great advice! Whenever I move somewhere new, I buy a map of the area and study it until I can memorize the the major and minor highways, and other roads.

Try and keep an idea in your head as to what direction roads lead, and if you can't get somewhere on one route, remember where another alternate route might go, or get you to some other route.

If you can't remember anything else from the map, learn to orientate youreself with a major high/waterway if possible. For example around here there is a east-west highway that defines the southern edge of the town. Because i use it like a compass i can 99.99% of the times tell people where north or south is, and even in woods that kind of things help.

Ps. That comes with 15 years of competition orienteering experience

If you have a bowl or plate that wont melt, shatter or otherwise break you can build a basic oil lamp. Ceramics and stone work well.

Find some oil, vegetable oil works great!

Pour some oil onto your bowl/plate.. you do not need alot maybe 1-2 tsps. Use common sense.

Next you need cotton, any will do, if you have cotton balls or toilet paper use those if u can spare a bit.

Roll your cotton up tight to form a wick.

Soak the wick except for the very tip where you need to light. I usually pinch the top ".25" and turn to a 90 degree angle. That way it sits up a bit from the oil and I get a nice sized flame.

After the wicks tip is on fire lay the wick in the oil. Make sure you dont set the flame completely in the oil and extinguish it!

Have fun & remember fire safety.

I have some ceramic coasters I confiscated from the wife during a power outage. They worked great! Just adding 5-6 oil lamps really made a difference. My wife has since bought some very nice looking setups for power outages or when she feels like being romantic.




- NSBiz







[edit on 4/1/2007 by NSBiz]

[edit on 4/1/2007 by NSBiz]

Hate to break it to you guys but i have three items that are guarenteed to save yourlife in any situation:

1. A Good 2 Days worth of Food.
2. Satellite Phone.
3. A Spare Battery for the Satellite Phone.

Thank You....Ill be here all night..

I can think of several situations where that alone would be quite insufficient. Sat Phones are not 100% effective. Having food is good, but sometimes you need shelter from the elements. A full belly wont do you any good when you are stuck outside at 40º below 0 without the proper clothing. How about a capsized boat, at sea, in a storm. Nuke attack and your phone is dead due to EMP. Flood and the water shorted out your phone. There are tons of scenarios. Phones also break quite easily. Technology is good, but not good enough to rely on when your life is at stake.

Originally posted by seagull
Here's my useful tip. In a survival situation whether in the desert or the arctic or whereever...don't panic, sit your lost butt down and think all your alternatives through. Don't do something just to be doing something.

This is the best advice I have seen on this thread.

I gave you a WATS vote.

Why thank you kind sir. I wish I could claim credit, but it was my dad and his father who taught me that. Careful thought before action is what will get you out of the poopy pile. All the fancy gear in the world means nothing if you can't, or won't, think.

Along with "hugging a tree" as we were taught, it is also importan to tell people where you are goin so if somthing does happen they know where to find me, I even go as far as to leave my rout plotted out on my comp.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, moss grows denser on the northern side of trees. This is because moss grows better in the shade, and the northern side of the tree gets less sun throughout the year. Reverse is true for Southern Hemisphere.

Birthday cake candles make decent kindling because they burn slowly and steadily. Get the "trick candles" that are difficult to blow out.

All modern cell phones have GPS build into them, even if you don't have GPS maps as a feature on the phone. So just because you don't know where you are doesn't mean rescuers won't be able to find you. As a side note, if you're on the run from the government, the FBI is able to track you through that GPS system and even listen in on your conversations, EVEN IF YOUR PHONE IS TURNED OFF. If you're trying NOT to be found, ditch the phone or take the battery out.

Many people think water is your first priority in a survival scenario. It is not. Shelter is your first priority. You can last 3 days or sometimes longer without water. You can die of hypothermia or heat stroke the very first day.

Don't ration food. If you're hungry, eat. Starving slowly is still starving. Don't eat unless you can drink. Most food will increase your thirst, and thirst will kill you faster.

Do NOT drink beer, soda, or any other junk beverage. It will dehydrate you faster. Same goes for salty and sugary snacks.

Snow can be used for a water supply, IF YOU CAN MELT IT AND WARM IT. Not with your hands! You can also make a "snow cave," otherwise known as an igloo, if you need shelter.

If you have a long, plastic or metal tube that is opened on one end and a long object that fits inside it, you can start fires by putting tinder in it and quickly ramming the long object into the tube and pulling it out. The compression of the air is what generates the heat.

Ive been bow drilling for sometime now, and Ive found the best woods to be sycamore on sycamore, willow on sycamore/willow (willow on willow with a solid technique is a 5 second coal) and Ive personally never used it but everyone I know who has says it is incredible, sage on sage
good luck to all

Don't rely on digital items such as GPS and iPhone. Analog rules! And penicilin, anti-biotics, bandages.

Because when you run, you dont look. When you dont look, you get in trouble. And hospital will be swamped with zombies or infected patients.