Some Points to Ponder, page 1

A few other points to ponder, and feel free to add to the thread. I wanted it to be about things you don't generally think about but should probably put in writing so people with less sense in a certain arena might use it one day... it's survival after all... *If it's simplistic and idiotic for you, it may not be for other people... I'll give you a few examples...*

1. The human body is probably the most resilient machine on the face of the planet. Compare it to a car. A car can only use certain types of fuel, your body can create fuel out of damn near anything. If you wreck your car, it doesn't heal itself. Your body does. A car won't tell you every little thing that's wrong with it. Your body does. A car won't develop a bigger or smaller engine depending on your situation and environment. Your body will.

The human body can adapt to nearly anything. What your body can't do, your mind can. While your body can adjust to the desert (or the wetlands depending on what you're used to) by regulating water flow, perspiration and chemical content of sweat to assist in evaporative cooling of the skin and body), it can't adjust to sub-zero temperatures. But your mind can make the adjustment for you and let you know to build shelter, get in the warmth, etc... If you get cut, you heal. If you get sick, you have a built-in defense system. If you get a concussion or other head injury, your body will find ways to compensate. Your body IS a machine and it's a very very efficient one. Pay attention to it. Trust it.

2. If there is life, there is water. Somewhere. The more life you see the more likely you are close to water. If stranded in Nature, pay attn to the life around you *location of vegetation, rabbits, deer, etc...*. Water rolls downhill and always seeks the path of least resistance to flow to the ocean or large body of water *even in a thick forest you can see the slope of the ground. Walk around hills and you'll usually find a stream at some point*. Water is rarely silent. If you are listening for it you can usually hear it. Most plants contain water and you can get it out of them if you use your head. You can get water by eating things that have water IN them. But be careful not to eat something poisonous. Basically, unless you're in the desert you should be able to find water fairly easily by using the above information.

3. Military BDU's (Camouflage) serve a higher function than simply covering the anatomy. They contain pockets EVERYWHERE. You can use them as packs, flotation devices, and water bags (Yes, they will do all of this) with proper thought. BDU's only come in long-sleeve for a reason. They protect your skin from burns and help contain your body's moisture. They are VERY good at dispersing body heat. "Blousing" the act of tucking the slacks into the boots or using 'blousing straps' to roll the legs under, just above the boot is NOT for decoration. It is to protect your legs from bug-bites, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, poison ivy/oak, stingers, etc... All that stuff can get in unbloused trouser legs, but not bloused trousers... The belts the military wears with their BDU's are not to keep their pants up, but a tool to be used if necessary. On the sides of BDU slacks are draw-bands that can be snugged up to fit the waist appropriately. The belt has zero function while on the body, but can be used as a tourniquette, latch-sling, rope, harness, grapnel, bag-sinch, WEAPON, personal restraint, and binder *as in binding two pieces of wood together*, among other things. Bootlaces also have many MANY functions. I'd recommend getting you a set of BDU's from your local army-surplus if you don't already have some. They are invaluable for camping or survivalism. But use common sense. Don't get desert-cammies if you're going to be using them in the lush forest. THe point of the camo pattern on BDU's is to break up the human form into the background to make you hard to see. Jet-black at night wills stand out on night-vision or even with the human eye. The camo pattern was carefully chosen for it's ability to blend you into the background. Pick a pattern that's closest to the scenery where you'll be using it.

4. Don't ever think an idea is stupid. It might be for the task at hand, but your idea might also be perfect for another purpose. For example, jumping around with your pack on on a camping trip. Doesn't serve much purpose on a camping trip, but if you were hunting or being hunted, if you took a moment to jump around, you can hear tingling and ringing from things on your body rattling, banging or clinking together. Take a moment to secure them to your body and you're on your way to silent movement. This is why soldiers frequently wear 'silencers' on their dog tags. One black rubber gasket that goes around one tag to prevent it from banging into the other and clinking, thus giving away their position.

5. Red light will not affect your night-vision. You know when you turn off your bedroom light and you have to stand there a minute for your eyes to adjust? Or you get up in the middle of the night to go to the kitchen for that last bite of steak, so you just flash the light on and off again to mark out your path avoiding the obstacles? If you had a flashlight with a red-lense, you could turn it on, walk around, etc, and when you turn it off, your eyes do not have to readjust. An interesting side effect is that red light doesn't register on most people's peripheral vision. Which means if you're in the woods and you stop to read your map with a red-lense light, unless someone's looking in your general direction already, the light usually won't draw their attention. Then when you flick it off you can still see in the forest.

6. Animals have an uncanny sense of 'where to go'. You don't normally hear of a dog 'accidently' running into a fire. If you are standing in the forest and you see everything bolt in the same direction at once, it's probably a good idea to follow. Pay attn to the animals, especially dogs. They can sense earthquakes ten to fifteen minutes before they happen. They can smell cancer, they can sense heart-attacks, and strokes. A good rule of thumb: If your dog won't do it, you shouldn't either. If your dog acts strange, you better pay attention.

YOUR TURN I'm damn interested to see what you guys write.