First I have to give kudos to Kelly over at Psycho Carnival ( It's in my link section to the right ) go check it out it's very twisted and funny as hell.
In our present world were allowed the luxury of trust. We generally don't feel threatened or need to be on guard when dealing with others in our day to day lives. Fast forward to the post apocalypse and it's a different story, where if you’re not on your guard at all times you could be dead. This becomes even more paramount when you encounter other survivors who appear friendly and even offer to help you. So what should you do in the event you encounter other survivors who appear friendly who might not be.
1.Stay armed
The survivors you encounter might look like normal decent people, they cold even look like your grandparents, regardless always have a weapon on your person and be ready to use it at all times. This weapon you want to keep concealed keeping the upper hand if things get ugly.
2. Sleep with one eye open
If you’re alone and encounter another survivor don't let yourself sleep too soundly as they might use this opportunity to attack. Keep your weapon ready to use in a place where you can grab it quickly such as under your pillow or in your sleeve.
3. Keep them in front not behind
If you’re on the move keep them in front of you as much as possible, especially later on in the day if you’re walking. You will be more tired as the day passes and your guard may begin to lower. If their behind you they might take this as an opportunity to attack you when you least expect it.
4. Don't fall for what they say
Over time you will start to talk to these other survivors, were social creatures after all and communication is a primary part of that. Just because they might be friendly and easy going they could be using that to lure you in. Think of used car salesmen for example, their trained to communicate a certain way to make the potential buyer feel at ease and more comfortable in buying a car. A really good one may even convince you to buy a car you initially didn't want or was more then what you were willing to pay at first. The same applies in the post apocalypse, a really smooth talker can easily wear your guard down. You may start to think their alright and befriend them, and that is when they strike.
5. Go with your gut
If all else fails go with your instincts. Even if they seem okay and are friendly and offer to help you with whatever you need, if your instincts are telling you not to trust them believe your gut. Nine times out of ten your gut won't lie.
Remember the post apocalypse will be a desperate world; be on your toes at all times.
4/27/2010
4/22/2010
Searching For Food
You’re supplies are only going to last so long until you need to find food, if you are in an urban environment in the post apocalypse this means one thing, you’re going to have to forage for it. Foraging is a fancy way of saying stealing or looting, but since those original owners will be gone or worse, their supplies are up for grabs. This doesn’t mean however that you can just bash in any door you want and wander around like you own the place. There will be other survivors doing the same thing, some of them may be living in those places you’re considering looting. Here are some guidelines to help you find supplies while staying alive.
1. Observe
Before you go into any location looking for food, take the time to scout it out first. You obviously don’t want to wander into a location that’s already inhabited unless you’re planning on making contact with them. From a safe location and under some cover to avoid detection look for visible signs of human life. These will include but won’t be limited to
- Recently moved items
- cleaned up debris and repairs
- Vehicle traffic
- Sounds (generators, voices, gunshots etc)
2. Stealth And Speed
These are you’re two best friends in the post apocalypse world. With no background noise coming from traffic or construction sound will travel farther, so smashing in the front door will be heard over a greater distance. Keep as concealed as possible, stay along the edges of buildings, and in shadows as much as possible. When it comes time to move do it fast and move from cover to cover staying as low as possible. If you’re cover is separated by some distance zig zag when you run, meaning move to the left and right rapidly. This will make it harder for a shooter to get a fix on you.
3. Entering
Now that you’re beside the building you want to enter you have to figure out how to get inside. Instead of trying to pry open the front door look for an alternative such as going through a window or another available entrance. Remember to treat each location as if it’s being defended, doors and windows may be rigged to traps.
4. Once Inside
Now that you are inside the building or home, the same rules for outside apply indoors, keep a low profile and move as quietly as possible. If you have a flashlight use it sparingly as light will make you visible. One way to help get around that is to have a red lens as this will reduce how far the light travels, but will make red letters invisible. Remember once inside to allow you’re eyes to adjust to the darkness before you start to move, this will take approximately a minute, this will also give you time to listen for movement to indicate if you’ve been detected or not.
5. Be Quick
Don’t screw around once inside move from room to room as quietly and quickly as possible to avoid detection. Be cautious around blind corners and when entering rooms as there could be additional traps or a potential ambush waiting to happen.
6. Signs Of People Means Get Out
Things such as lit candles, fresh food, are just a couple signs of recent human activity. If you see something that looks like people are still there GET OUT ASAP (As fast as possible). The choice is up to you whether or not you keep any items you grabbed or drop them on the spot. Personally I would keep them and get out fast, because if they catch you they will probably treat you the same regardless if you have anything of there’s or not so you might as well take the chance.
1. Observe
Before you go into any location looking for food, take the time to scout it out first. You obviously don’t want to wander into a location that’s already inhabited unless you’re planning on making contact with them. From a safe location and under some cover to avoid detection look for visible signs of human life. These will include but won’t be limited to
- Recently moved items
- cleaned up debris and repairs
- Vehicle traffic
- Sounds (generators, voices, gunshots etc)
2. Stealth And Speed
These are you’re two best friends in the post apocalypse world. With no background noise coming from traffic or construction sound will travel farther, so smashing in the front door will be heard over a greater distance. Keep as concealed as possible, stay along the edges of buildings, and in shadows as much as possible. When it comes time to move do it fast and move from cover to cover staying as low as possible. If you’re cover is separated by some distance zig zag when you run, meaning move to the left and right rapidly. This will make it harder for a shooter to get a fix on you.
3. Entering
Now that you’re beside the building you want to enter you have to figure out how to get inside. Instead of trying to pry open the front door look for an alternative such as going through a window or another available entrance. Remember to treat each location as if it’s being defended, doors and windows may be rigged to traps.
4. Once Inside
Now that you are inside the building or home, the same rules for outside apply indoors, keep a low profile and move as quietly as possible. If you have a flashlight use it sparingly as light will make you visible. One way to help get around that is to have a red lens as this will reduce how far the light travels, but will make red letters invisible. Remember once inside to allow you’re eyes to adjust to the darkness before you start to move, this will take approximately a minute, this will also give you time to listen for movement to indicate if you’ve been detected or not.
5. Be Quick
Don’t screw around once inside move from room to room as quietly and quickly as possible to avoid detection. Be cautious around blind corners and when entering rooms as there could be additional traps or a potential ambush waiting to happen.
6. Signs Of People Means Get Out
Things such as lit candles, fresh food, are just a couple signs of recent human activity. If you see something that looks like people are still there GET OUT ASAP (As fast as possible). The choice is up to you whether or not you keep any items you grabbed or drop them on the spot. Personally I would keep them and get out fast, because if they catch you they will probably treat you the same regardless if you have anything of there’s or not so you might as well take the chance.
4/17/2010
Quest For Fire
Fire, it’s one of the key ingredients for your survival after a disaster or the post apocalypse. The obvious way to start a fire is with matches or a lighter, possibly some gas or another combustible liquid as well. But what happens if you have none of these, how do you get a fire started? Fortunately there are many ways to get a fire started without every striking a match, here are a few that I’ve used in the past that work.
An important note to remember when starting any fire is that no matter what method you choose to use you should have all your fuel ready to go before you try to get a fire going. You might only have one chance so don’t waste it by having to run around looking for fuel. Also you need an escalation in the fuel you use, what this means is that once you have fire start with small fuel such as dry leaves and twigs, then as this burns start adding larger sources of fuel until the fire is hot and large enough to burn regular sized wood.
Another important note is that many of these techniques require something called a “bird’s nest” this is simply a bundle of dry easily burnable fuel such as grass, bits of paper, small twigs, or whatever you can find that you bundle together to resemble a bird’s nest. To keep this material dry you should always pack it in your bug out bag in a plastic bag to keep it separated from your other kit.
1. Magnesium Fire Starter
If you’re using a magnesium fire starter you won’t need to necessarily make a bird’s nest, but there are a couple extra things to consider when using one. First find a flat piece of cardboard, bark, or other easily burnable material, this is what you will use to place your filings on, don‘t just have the filings fall into the dirt because they will get buried in there and become ineffective. Using a saw blade or file not a knife blade (This will quickly dull your knife unless you have no other choice) starts shaving the flat side of the fire starter. Make sure to avoid injury that the saw blade is moving away from your fingers not towards it. Continue this motion until you have a pile of filings a little larger then a quarter (Loonie if you’re Canadian), of course you can also go a little bigger if you feel that isn’t large enough. Remember to keep those filings together, what your essentially doing with them is creating kindling, magnesium burns very hot and fast (About 5000 degrees), and keeping them together will allow them to burn longer.
Now using the flint side of the fire starter scrap, don’t strike the flint. The filings will go up very quickly so remember to have your kindling very close by. Once its lit start adding your kindling, don’t heap it on top all at once but add a piece at a time allowing the fire to start burning each piece. Throwing everything on all at once is a good way to kill your fire before it has a chance to catch.
2. Magnifying Glass
Another way to get a fire going is with a magnifying glass. I recommend using a smaller one as this will take up less space when travelling, and many of the smaller versions come with their own protective cases built in to protect the lens from scratches. To use a magnifying glass to start a fire, first build your bird’s nest using dry grass, paper, whatever you can find. Then placing the bird’s nest on the ground align your magnifying glass to the sun. The glass will concentrate the sun’s rays into a much smaller focal point causing that area to heat up very quickly. Once you see smoke starting gently blow on the bird’s nest until you see fire, then start adding you’re kindling on top.
3. Beer Can
In the post apocalypse world discarded pop or beer cans should be very easy to find. To use this you’re going to need a can, something to polish the bottom of the can with, a small piece of flammable material such as paper or cloth, and a roach clip or small object to hold the paper or cloth such as a small twig. First you need to polish the bottom of the can, it’s important that it’s not scratched as this will act as a mirror to collect the sun’s heat. One way to polish it is to use tooth paste and some toilet paper since neither one is abrasive enough to really scratch up the can. After polishing the can for about 45 minutes to an hour you then want to align the can so that the sun’s rays are running parallel and will allow it to collect heat. To ensure its parallel you want the shadow of the can to be as small as possible, the smaller the more in line to the suns rays it will be.
Once your can is aligned you want to find the focal point, or where the sun’s rays will be most concentrated on the can, you can check this by moving your finger a couple of inches above the can until you find the hottest point. Then take your flammable material (paper, cloth, etc) place it on your twig or small stick and position it at the focal point, remember that you want the twig, roach clip or whatever you decide to use as small as possible to reduce the amount of shadow cast onto the can, obviously the more shadow means the less heat will be collected. If this is done right your flammable object should start to smoke fairly quickly, once it does place it into your bird’s nest (Which you should have made already) and gently blow until it catches fire.
4. Steel wool and a 9 volt battery
One of the easiest ways to start a fire is with a 9 volt battery and steel wool. I’ve used different brands of steel wool such as S.O.S pads, but the generic brand I found works the best because it doesn’t have the added cleaning agent in it. To do this simply take a piece of steel wool and start opening it up, the goal is to turn it into a bowl like shape. Once this is done fill that bowl with easily burnable material such as dry grass, leaves, paper etc. Now taking the 9 volt battery touch the top end of the battery (The end with the positive and negative ends) to the steel wool. Very quickly the wool will catch on fire, allow a couple seconds for the fire to spread and start to burn the dry kindling before you add more, again adding too much will choke the fire causing large amounts of smoke and possibly killing your fire before it starts.
There are lots of ways to get a fire started, these are just a few of them. Like many things in the post apocalypse world you need to think on your feet and use what you have around you and don't be afraid to experiement, you never know what will happen.
An important note to remember when starting any fire is that no matter what method you choose to use you should have all your fuel ready to go before you try to get a fire going. You might only have one chance so don’t waste it by having to run around looking for fuel. Also you need an escalation in the fuel you use, what this means is that once you have fire start with small fuel such as dry leaves and twigs, then as this burns start adding larger sources of fuel until the fire is hot and large enough to burn regular sized wood.
Another important note is that many of these techniques require something called a “bird’s nest” this is simply a bundle of dry easily burnable fuel such as grass, bits of paper, small twigs, or whatever you can find that you bundle together to resemble a bird’s nest. To keep this material dry you should always pack it in your bug out bag in a plastic bag to keep it separated from your other kit.
1. Magnesium Fire Starter
If you’re using a magnesium fire starter you won’t need to necessarily make a bird’s nest, but there are a couple extra things to consider when using one. First find a flat piece of cardboard, bark, or other easily burnable material, this is what you will use to place your filings on, don‘t just have the filings fall into the dirt because they will get buried in there and become ineffective. Using a saw blade or file not a knife blade (This will quickly dull your knife unless you have no other choice) starts shaving the flat side of the fire starter. Make sure to avoid injury that the saw blade is moving away from your fingers not towards it. Continue this motion until you have a pile of filings a little larger then a quarter (Loonie if you’re Canadian), of course you can also go a little bigger if you feel that isn’t large enough. Remember to keep those filings together, what your essentially doing with them is creating kindling, magnesium burns very hot and fast (About 5000 degrees), and keeping them together will allow them to burn longer.
Now using the flint side of the fire starter scrap, don’t strike the flint. The filings will go up very quickly so remember to have your kindling very close by. Once its lit start adding your kindling, don’t heap it on top all at once but add a piece at a time allowing the fire to start burning each piece. Throwing everything on all at once is a good way to kill your fire before it has a chance to catch.
2. Magnifying Glass
Another way to get a fire going is with a magnifying glass. I recommend using a smaller one as this will take up less space when travelling, and many of the smaller versions come with their own protective cases built in to protect the lens from scratches. To use a magnifying glass to start a fire, first build your bird’s nest using dry grass, paper, whatever you can find. Then placing the bird’s nest on the ground align your magnifying glass to the sun. The glass will concentrate the sun’s rays into a much smaller focal point causing that area to heat up very quickly. Once you see smoke starting gently blow on the bird’s nest until you see fire, then start adding you’re kindling on top.
3. Beer Can
In the post apocalypse world discarded pop or beer cans should be very easy to find. To use this you’re going to need a can, something to polish the bottom of the can with, a small piece of flammable material such as paper or cloth, and a roach clip or small object to hold the paper or cloth such as a small twig. First you need to polish the bottom of the can, it’s important that it’s not scratched as this will act as a mirror to collect the sun’s heat. One way to polish it is to use tooth paste and some toilet paper since neither one is abrasive enough to really scratch up the can. After polishing the can for about 45 minutes to an hour you then want to align the can so that the sun’s rays are running parallel and will allow it to collect heat. To ensure its parallel you want the shadow of the can to be as small as possible, the smaller the more in line to the suns rays it will be.
Once your can is aligned you want to find the focal point, or where the sun’s rays will be most concentrated on the can, you can check this by moving your finger a couple of inches above the can until you find the hottest point. Then take your flammable material (paper, cloth, etc) place it on your twig or small stick and position it at the focal point, remember that you want the twig, roach clip or whatever you decide to use as small as possible to reduce the amount of shadow cast onto the can, obviously the more shadow means the less heat will be collected. If this is done right your flammable object should start to smoke fairly quickly, once it does place it into your bird’s nest (Which you should have made already) and gently blow until it catches fire.
4. Steel wool and a 9 volt battery
One of the easiest ways to start a fire is with a 9 volt battery and steel wool. I’ve used different brands of steel wool such as S.O.S pads, but the generic brand I found works the best because it doesn’t have the added cleaning agent in it. To do this simply take a piece of steel wool and start opening it up, the goal is to turn it into a bowl like shape. Once this is done fill that bowl with easily burnable material such as dry grass, leaves, paper etc. Now taking the 9 volt battery touch the top end of the battery (The end with the positive and negative ends) to the steel wool. Very quickly the wool will catch on fire, allow a couple seconds for the fire to spread and start to burn the dry kindling before you add more, again adding too much will choke the fire causing large amounts of smoke and possibly killing your fire before it starts.
There are lots of ways to get a fire started, these are just a few of them. Like many things in the post apocalypse world you need to think on your feet and use what you have around you and don't be afraid to experiement, you never know what will happen.
And The Award Goes To……..Me!
A couple days ago I was given the beautiful blogger award from Jessica over at Ghost Stories And Haunted Places ( http://ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/). First I want to say a big thank you, this is the first time I’ve ever received any award for a blog of mine so this is very cool. The second is that if you haven’t visited this blog before go check it out you’re going to find a lot of interesting and informative posts on the subject of ghosts and the paranormal.
4/13/2010
How Much Radiation Can You Take
We all know radiation is dangerous and can have severe effects on the body; we only need to look at the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster or the atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see their horrific effects. But how much radiation can a body take? Can you recover? And what are the signs and symptoms of radiation poisoning?
The first thing you have to understand about radiation is you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. The only time it will be visible is the fallout after a nuclear blast. This dust will have the appearance of dusty snow. Apart from that you won’t have any idea your in a radioactive zone without proper detection equipment.
So just how much radiation can the human body withstand? Here is a list giving you a basic idea of what to expect at what levels. All measurements here are calculated in RADS which is short for radiation absorbed dose.
5 RADS and under - No visible symptoms
5 to 50 RADS - Temporarily decreased red blood cell count (you’ll survive but will fee pretty ill)
50 to 100 RADS - Decreased production of immunity cells, you will be susceptible to infections, nausea, headache, and vomiting are common. With treatment you will survive.
150 to 300 RADS - Up to 35 percent of those who are exposed to radiation up to this level will die within 30 days. They will suffer nausea, vomiting and will lose all their hair
300 to 400 RADS - At this point your chances drop to 50/50 fatality rate after 30 days. Like the last level all the same symptoms will happen but with the addition of uncontrollable bleeding in the mouth, under the skin, and the kidneys
400 to 600 RADS - You have a 60 percent fatality rate after 30 days, symptoms like those at the 150 to 300 level starts to become visible in a couple hours after exposure
600 to 1000 RADS - Almost 100 percent fatality rate after 14 days. Your intestinal tissue will be severely damaged and almost all bone marrow will be destroyed
1200 to 2000 RADS - 100 percent fatality with immediate symptoms after exposure
2000 RADS and over - Symptoms set in instantly upon contact then will cease for several days, giving the victim a “false hope” that they are recovering. Suddenly gastrointestinal cells are destroyed and death will begin with delirium since the brain can’t function normally and starts to shut down.
If your interested in learning more about radiation poisoning I found this documentary on YouTube made by the BBC about the Chernobyl disaster and the following cover up the Soviet government used to try to try and down play the disaster.
The first thing you have to understand about radiation is you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. The only time it will be visible is the fallout after a nuclear blast. This dust will have the appearance of dusty snow. Apart from that you won’t have any idea your in a radioactive zone without proper detection equipment.
So just how much radiation can the human body withstand? Here is a list giving you a basic idea of what to expect at what levels. All measurements here are calculated in RADS which is short for radiation absorbed dose.
5 RADS and under - No visible symptoms
5 to 50 RADS - Temporarily decreased red blood cell count (you’ll survive but will fee pretty ill)
50 to 100 RADS - Decreased production of immunity cells, you will be susceptible to infections, nausea, headache, and vomiting are common. With treatment you will survive.
150 to 300 RADS - Up to 35 percent of those who are exposed to radiation up to this level will die within 30 days. They will suffer nausea, vomiting and will lose all their hair
300 to 400 RADS - At this point your chances drop to 50/50 fatality rate after 30 days. Like the last level all the same symptoms will happen but with the addition of uncontrollable bleeding in the mouth, under the skin, and the kidneys
400 to 600 RADS - You have a 60 percent fatality rate after 30 days, symptoms like those at the 150 to 300 level starts to become visible in a couple hours after exposure
600 to 1000 RADS - Almost 100 percent fatality rate after 14 days. Your intestinal tissue will be severely damaged and almost all bone marrow will be destroyed
1200 to 2000 RADS - 100 percent fatality with immediate symptoms after exposure
2000 RADS and over - Symptoms set in instantly upon contact then will cease for several days, giving the victim a “false hope” that they are recovering. Suddenly gastrointestinal cells are destroyed and death will begin with delirium since the brain can’t function normally and starts to shut down.
If your interested in learning more about radiation poisoning I found this documentary on YouTube made by the BBC about the Chernobyl disaster and the following cover up the Soviet government used to try to try and down play the disaster.
4/10/2010
Tips For Taking Care Of Your Feet In Post Apocalyptia
In the post apocalypse world your feet are going to be your primary mode of transportation. I cannot stress enough how important taking care of your feet is going to be, if you go down with a foot injury your mobility is compromised, your ability to gather and find the resources you need to survive is hampered. And your life is put in danger not just from other survivors but from animals and other dangers. However taking care of your feet is a relatively simple task, by following these simple tips you can avoid unnecessary injury.
1. Proper Footwear
One of the easiest ways to avoid injury is to ensure your footwear fits properly to your feet. Regardless of if it’s a pair of running shoes or hiking boots your toes should not rub or feel “pinched” at the front. Your footwear should feel comfortable and supportive especially around the ankle to avoid twists and sprains. As important as the shoes fit is the treads which should allow as much grip as possible. Remember to pay attention to the wear pattern on your shoes to determine what kind of insoles you’ll need.
2. Change Your Socks
In your bug out bag you should always keep a few pairs of socks which should be placed in a sealable plastic bag (Ziploc) to keep dry. Changing your socks on a regular basis with clean ones helps keep moisture and bacteria away from your feet which can lead in injuries or infections. You can never have enough socks and they weigh virtually nothing so pack lots in your bug out bag. They also serve a secondary purpose of insulating more breakable items in your kit bag.
3. Keep Your Feet Dry
While this is not always possible you should dry out your shoes and feet as often as possible. Your situation in the post apocalypse will determine where and when you can do this. The longer you go with wet feet however the better your chances are of developing trench foot. In milder cases the skin on your feet will crack and bleed. In severe cases the entire sole of your feet can rot off leaving the flesh underneath exposed and extremely sensitive, meaning you won’t be able to walk at all. This also leaves you exposed to infection which can result in gangrene, at that point amputation will be required or you’ll die it’s a simple as that. And with the lack of medicine and trained medical professionals a very real possibility.
Mild Trench Foot Severe Trench Foot
4. Air Them Out
When you have downtime you should always remove your foot wear and socks and let your feet breath. This will allow them to dry out. Use this time as to inspect your feet for any blisters, cuts, or infections.
5. Keep Them Clean
This is common sense, but too often then not common sense is forgotten in times of extreme stress such will be the case in the post apocalypse. Use whatever resources you have available to keep your feet as clean as possible as this will help eliminate harmful bacteria and prevent cuts and blisters from becoming infected. If soap and water isn’t available wet wipes or anti-bacterial hand sanitizer will work as well.
6. Blisters
Blisters can be extremely painful to walk on, especially when you’re not accustomed to walking for long distances. The best way to avoid blisters is to condition your feet before the collapse. Make sure your footwear is broken in so it doesn’t rub your skin raw and feels comfortable. As well spend some time going on long distance, runs, walks, or hikes as these will help develop clauses on your feet and get you in better shape at the same time.
If you develop blisters while on the move there are two methods you can use to treat them. One is to invest in something called “second skin” which is a cool gel bandage that cushions the blister allowing you to walk almost pain free. They can also be cut to size so you don’t waste any for later. The second is to pop the blister and drain it. I highly recommend if you do this to cover the blister in a bandage to prevent the skin from being worn off. Also use some anti-bacterial cream to keep the blister from getting infected. I only recommend popping the blister if it’s compromising your mobility, you’ll have to judge for yourself what works best.
7. Spare Shoes
If you have the space in your bug out bag or a place outside your bag that you can securely attach another pair of shoes I recommend you do it. First having a spare pair of footwear will allow you to switch up shoes if one pair is soaked. Second this will reduce wear and tear on both pairs and extend the life of both shoes. And third switching up your footwear on a regular basis will help air out your shoes preventing bacteria from setting in.
Remember in the post apocalypse you are your own doctor; take care of yourself as best as you can given the situation.
1. Proper Footwear
One of the easiest ways to avoid injury is to ensure your footwear fits properly to your feet. Regardless of if it’s a pair of running shoes or hiking boots your toes should not rub or feel “pinched” at the front. Your footwear should feel comfortable and supportive especially around the ankle to avoid twists and sprains. As important as the shoes fit is the treads which should allow as much grip as possible. Remember to pay attention to the wear pattern on your shoes to determine what kind of insoles you’ll need.
2. Change Your Socks
In your bug out bag you should always keep a few pairs of socks which should be placed in a sealable plastic bag (Ziploc) to keep dry. Changing your socks on a regular basis with clean ones helps keep moisture and bacteria away from your feet which can lead in injuries or infections. You can never have enough socks and they weigh virtually nothing so pack lots in your bug out bag. They also serve a secondary purpose of insulating more breakable items in your kit bag.
3. Keep Your Feet Dry
While this is not always possible you should dry out your shoes and feet as often as possible. Your situation in the post apocalypse will determine where and when you can do this. The longer you go with wet feet however the better your chances are of developing trench foot. In milder cases the skin on your feet will crack and bleed. In severe cases the entire sole of your feet can rot off leaving the flesh underneath exposed and extremely sensitive, meaning you won’t be able to walk at all. This also leaves you exposed to infection which can result in gangrene, at that point amputation will be required or you’ll die it’s a simple as that. And with the lack of medicine and trained medical professionals a very real possibility.
Mild Trench Foot Severe Trench Foot
4. Air Them Out
When you have downtime you should always remove your foot wear and socks and let your feet breath. This will allow them to dry out. Use this time as to inspect your feet for any blisters, cuts, or infections.
5. Keep Them Clean
This is common sense, but too often then not common sense is forgotten in times of extreme stress such will be the case in the post apocalypse. Use whatever resources you have available to keep your feet as clean as possible as this will help eliminate harmful bacteria and prevent cuts and blisters from becoming infected. If soap and water isn’t available wet wipes or anti-bacterial hand sanitizer will work as well.
6. Blisters
Blisters can be extremely painful to walk on, especially when you’re not accustomed to walking for long distances. The best way to avoid blisters is to condition your feet before the collapse. Make sure your footwear is broken in so it doesn’t rub your skin raw and feels comfortable. As well spend some time going on long distance, runs, walks, or hikes as these will help develop clauses on your feet and get you in better shape at the same time.
If you develop blisters while on the move there are two methods you can use to treat them. One is to invest in something called “second skin” which is a cool gel bandage that cushions the blister allowing you to walk almost pain free. They can also be cut to size so you don’t waste any for later. The second is to pop the blister and drain it. I highly recommend if you do this to cover the blister in a bandage to prevent the skin from being worn off. Also use some anti-bacterial cream to keep the blister from getting infected. I only recommend popping the blister if it’s compromising your mobility, you’ll have to judge for yourself what works best.
7. Spare Shoes
If you have the space in your bug out bag or a place outside your bag that you can securely attach another pair of shoes I recommend you do it. First having a spare pair of footwear will allow you to switch up shoes if one pair is soaked. Second this will reduce wear and tear on both pairs and extend the life of both shoes. And third switching up your footwear on a regular basis will help air out your shoes preventing bacteria from setting in.
Remember in the post apocalypse you are your own doctor; take care of yourself as best as you can given the situation.
4/09/2010
10 Signs Of The Post Apocalypse
Here's a funny pic I found when surfing the net I thought I would share
4/06/2010
Canned, Rationed, Or Dried
For your bug out bag one of the most important items you need is food. But what type of food should you pack? The choices you have when packing your bug out bag are canned and rationed food, you can also go with dried food, but which is the best for you? All three are excellent choices and can be used together to help keep you alive after the apocalypse.
Canned Food
This is probably the most easily accessible type of food to find, not only in your home but anywhere where you need to loot for food. Canned foods can range from soups, to meat, and fruits. The benefit of canned food is two fold, one is the food packaged itself which can last for years. The second is the water used to keep that food moist, which can be drunk to help keep yourself hydrated.
When choosing canned food there are two things you have to keep in mind. First many canned goods such as soup contain high levels of salt; this is to give the food flavour and to help preserve it. Consuming food high in salt will result in you becoming dehydrated, and unless you have access to water this could prove fatal in the wasteland.
The next thing you have to remember is to check the cans themselves for signs of air leakage or contamination. Obviously you want to avoid cans that are rusted as those foods will be contaminated, but what won’t be as obvious is cans that have an air leak. They may look fine right up till the point you crack them open only to find your dinner covered in mold. So how do you check for an air leak, simply push down on the top of the can. If the cans lid is firm and doesn’t move then no air has penetrated inside, if the cans top feels flimsy and can move easily then it’s compromised and should be left alone.
Rations
Rations like the ones I had while in the military are excellent for survival and can last for years. While these aren’t as accessible as canned food they have a couple advantages over them. The first is their size; a ration meal can be broken down into its separate components. The rations I had in the military contained two meals (One the meal, a second as a desert), bread, gum or a chocolate bar, and fruit drink crystals. All these items can be taken out of their original packages and placed in something like a clear plastic bag. This will allow you to store far more food then you can with canned food, a pouch in your bug out bag may be able to hold 4 or 5 cans, but can hold 2 or 3 times that of rations.
They have two disadvantages compared to canned goods and that’s the packaging itself. While it does allow you store more food if you break them down the packages themselves can be punctured much easier, resulting in food getting everywhere unless their placed in a plastic bag, I recommend a clear bag to check for any leaks without having to actually tear through everything. The second is constipation, in my experience the rations I ate caused many people to become constipated usually for a few days at a time. This can become an extremely painful condition, so make sure you drink lots of water when you can when consuming rations.
Dried Food
Another route is dried food; this is excellent for snacks in-between meals to keep your strength up. Foods such as dried fruit or granola bars are both excellent choices when it comes to dried food. Another option is jerky which can be made from every type of meat imaginable. Again be careful in regards to salt content as this will cause you to dehydrate faster.
Foods To Avoid
Gum - Chewing gum though it will keep your mouth busy when you can’t eat or find food will mask some of the tell tale signs of dehydration
Junk Food - Realistically you might not have any choice in the post apocalypse and food is scarce. Keep in mind though that food like chips are empty calories that will leave you feeling hungry.
Pop - For every can of pop you drink you need the same amount of water to keep from getting dehydrated. In the post apocalypse while pop can give you a quick boost of energy it will drain you faster. Also the high amounts of sugar can attract insects which only adds to your problems.
Remember like anything involving the post apocalypse use your head, stupid moves will result in things happening to you that you don’t want to happen.
Canned Food
This is probably the most easily accessible type of food to find, not only in your home but anywhere where you need to loot for food. Canned foods can range from soups, to meat, and fruits. The benefit of canned food is two fold, one is the food packaged itself which can last for years. The second is the water used to keep that food moist, which can be drunk to help keep yourself hydrated.
When choosing canned food there are two things you have to keep in mind. First many canned goods such as soup contain high levels of salt; this is to give the food flavour and to help preserve it. Consuming food high in salt will result in you becoming dehydrated, and unless you have access to water this could prove fatal in the wasteland.
The next thing you have to remember is to check the cans themselves for signs of air leakage or contamination. Obviously you want to avoid cans that are rusted as those foods will be contaminated, but what won’t be as obvious is cans that have an air leak. They may look fine right up till the point you crack them open only to find your dinner covered in mold. So how do you check for an air leak, simply push down on the top of the can. If the cans lid is firm and doesn’t move then no air has penetrated inside, if the cans top feels flimsy and can move easily then it’s compromised and should be left alone.
Rations
Rations like the ones I had while in the military are excellent for survival and can last for years. While these aren’t as accessible as canned food they have a couple advantages over them. The first is their size; a ration meal can be broken down into its separate components. The rations I had in the military contained two meals (One the meal, a second as a desert), bread, gum or a chocolate bar, and fruit drink crystals. All these items can be taken out of their original packages and placed in something like a clear plastic bag. This will allow you to store far more food then you can with canned food, a pouch in your bug out bag may be able to hold 4 or 5 cans, but can hold 2 or 3 times that of rations.
They have two disadvantages compared to canned goods and that’s the packaging itself. While it does allow you store more food if you break them down the packages themselves can be punctured much easier, resulting in food getting everywhere unless their placed in a plastic bag, I recommend a clear bag to check for any leaks without having to actually tear through everything. The second is constipation, in my experience the rations I ate caused many people to become constipated usually for a few days at a time. This can become an extremely painful condition, so make sure you drink lots of water when you can when consuming rations.
Dried Food
Another route is dried food; this is excellent for snacks in-between meals to keep your strength up. Foods such as dried fruit or granola bars are both excellent choices when it comes to dried food. Another option is jerky which can be made from every type of meat imaginable. Again be careful in regards to salt content as this will cause you to dehydrate faster.
Foods To Avoid
Gum - Chewing gum though it will keep your mouth busy when you can’t eat or find food will mask some of the tell tale signs of dehydration
Junk Food - Realistically you might not have any choice in the post apocalypse and food is scarce. Keep in mind though that food like chips are empty calories that will leave you feeling hungry.
Pop - For every can of pop you drink you need the same amount of water to keep from getting dehydrated. In the post apocalypse while pop can give you a quick boost of energy it will drain you faster. Also the high amounts of sugar can attract insects which only adds to your problems.
Remember like anything involving the post apocalypse use your head, stupid moves will result in things happening to you that you don’t want to happen.
How To Use A Compass
While a GPS is a pretty cool device that can tell you within a few feet what your position is, these devices won’t do you much good after the apocalypse. These devices require batteries or a charger to power them. And with no signals from ground control the satellites those GPS require to locate their position will start to drop out of orbit. So how do you navigate without a GPS, in the post apocalypse you’re going to have to go old school and that means using a compass for navigation. Pictured below is a typical orienteering compass and a list of it's parts. It's important to understand what each of these parts does to help aid you with your navigation.
Baseplate - can be used as a ruler to measure distance on a map
Scales - each compass has 2 different rulers for the two main scale measurements used on maps
Direction Of Travel Arrow - this is what you point in the direction you want to travel
Index Pointer - opposite end of direction of travel arrow and where you take degree readings
Dial - the ring around the housing that has degree markings engraved
Declination Marks - used to orientate the compass in an area with known declination
Orienting Lines - parallel lines marked on the floor of the housing and on the base plate
Needle - magnetized piece of metal that is painted red on one end to indicate North, unless the compass is damaged it will always point magnetic North
Housing - the main part of the compass, it is filled with liquid and contains the needle
Bubble - an air bubble is added to the housing to allow the user to know the compass is level
Mirror - lets the user see the compass face objects while navigating and can be used for emergency signalling
Sight - allows the user to aim the compass at distant objects
Basic Compass Reading
No matter the compass, one end of the needle always points north. Almost every compass made has the magnetic end of the needle colored red, but it’s always a good idea to check to ensure you know what end of the needle points to magnetic North.For example if you are north of the equator, sun around whichever end of the needle points towards the sun is south and the end that points at you is north.
If you're in a location such as Australia, the North end points towards the sun and the South end points at you.
To read your compass, hold it steadily in your hand so the baseplate is level and the direction of travel arrow is pointing straight away from you.
Keep it at about half the distance between your face and wrist so you can see the compass dial and the point your trying to navigate to.
Turn while keeping the compass in front of you.You'll see that as the compass rotates, the needle stays pointing the same direction (Magnetic North). Keep turning until the needle points in the direction you wish to travel.
(Tip) A common mistake many make is that if the needle is pointing east for example that you must be facing east. Remember to find your direction, you must turn the compass dial until the North mark and the "Orienting Arrow" is lined up with the North end of the needle. Then you can read the heading that is at the Index Pointer spot (the butt of the direction-of-travel arrow).
Since the Orienting Arrow is usually two parallel lines on the floor of the compass housing, a good thing to memorize is:
Take a Bearing
By moving your compass with your body and using the North, South, East, and West markings, you can get a pretty good idea which way you're going. This is often all you need, but, you'll probably notice on your compass, there are numbers and lines. These numbers and lines represent the 360 degrees in a circle that surrounds you no matter your position (Think of it like a clock and your in the center). When you need to find your way from one location, you need to use these numbers to find your bearing to that location. The direction you are going is called your heading. Heading and Bearing are pretty much the same thing. The image above is a heading of about 250 degrees.
Using your compass, take a few bearings. Move your body until the direction of travel arrow points at the following items and then turn the dial until the needle is in the arrow marker.Then read the bearing at the Index Pointer
Determining the bearing is like finding your heading, you turn to face the object, pick an object in the distance and one that stands out from the rest of the terrain. Remember this is the post apocalypse so you’re going to be tired and dehydrated so you want something as simple and obvious as possible to avoid confusion.
It’s important to keep a feel for general directions in your mind. If it's early morning and the sun is in your face, you are heading east with north on your left and south on your right. Remember, right and left are relative to your current heading. If you're in the northern hemisphere and the sun is at your back, you are heading in some northerly direction. In the southern hemisphere, the sun at your back means you are facing southerly.
This gives you a basic idea of how to use a compass, like all things this will take practice to master. Try taking some simple bearings on your next hiking or camping trip to get a feel for how it works. When travelling the wasteland remember to take several bearings as you travel to your destination as many of us have a heavy left or right foot which will lead us off course.
Baseplate - can be used as a ruler to measure distance on a map
Scales - each compass has 2 different rulers for the two main scale measurements used on maps
Direction Of Travel Arrow - this is what you point in the direction you want to travel
Index Pointer - opposite end of direction of travel arrow and where you take degree readings
Dial - the ring around the housing that has degree markings engraved
Declination Marks - used to orientate the compass in an area with known declination
Orienting Lines - parallel lines marked on the floor of the housing and on the base plate
Needle - magnetized piece of metal that is painted red on one end to indicate North, unless the compass is damaged it will always point magnetic North
Housing - the main part of the compass, it is filled with liquid and contains the needle
Bubble - an air bubble is added to the housing to allow the user to know the compass is level
Mirror - lets the user see the compass face objects while navigating and can be used for emergency signalling
Sight - allows the user to aim the compass at distant objects
Basic Compass Reading
No matter the compass, one end of the needle always points north. Almost every compass made has the magnetic end of the needle colored red, but it’s always a good idea to check to ensure you know what end of the needle points to magnetic North.For example if you are north of the equator, sun around whichever end of the needle points towards the sun is south and the end that points at you is north.
If you're in a location such as Australia, the North end points towards the sun and the South end points at you.
To read your compass, hold it steadily in your hand so the baseplate is level and the direction of travel arrow is pointing straight away from you.
Keep it at about half the distance between your face and wrist so you can see the compass dial and the point your trying to navigate to.
Turn while keeping the compass in front of you.You'll see that as the compass rotates, the needle stays pointing the same direction (Magnetic North). Keep turning until the needle points in the direction you wish to travel.
(Tip) A common mistake many make is that if the needle is pointing east for example that you must be facing east. Remember to find your direction, you must turn the compass dial until the North mark and the "Orienting Arrow" is lined up with the North end of the needle. Then you can read the heading that is at the Index Pointer spot (the butt of the direction-of-travel arrow).
Since the Orienting Arrow is usually two parallel lines on the floor of the compass housing, a good thing to memorize is:
Take a Bearing
By moving your compass with your body and using the North, South, East, and West markings, you can get a pretty good idea which way you're going. This is often all you need, but, you'll probably notice on your compass, there are numbers and lines. These numbers and lines represent the 360 degrees in a circle that surrounds you no matter your position (Think of it like a clock and your in the center). When you need to find your way from one location, you need to use these numbers to find your bearing to that location. The direction you are going is called your heading. Heading and Bearing are pretty much the same thing. The image above is a heading of about 250 degrees.
Using your compass, take a few bearings. Move your body until the direction of travel arrow points at the following items and then turn the dial until the needle is in the arrow marker.Then read the bearing at the Index Pointer
Determining the bearing is like finding your heading, you turn to face the object, pick an object in the distance and one that stands out from the rest of the terrain. Remember this is the post apocalypse so you’re going to be tired and dehydrated so you want something as simple and obvious as possible to avoid confusion.
It’s important to keep a feel for general directions in your mind. If it's early morning and the sun is in your face, you are heading east with north on your left and south on your right. Remember, right and left are relative to your current heading. If you're in the northern hemisphere and the sun is at your back, you are heading in some northerly direction. In the southern hemisphere, the sun at your back means you are facing southerly.
This gives you a basic idea of how to use a compass, like all things this will take practice to master. Try taking some simple bearings on your next hiking or camping trip to get a feel for how it works. When travelling the wasteland remember to take several bearings as you travel to your destination as many of us have a heavy left or right foot which will lead us off course.
4/04/2010
The Rosetta Project
For centuries the written language of ancient Egypt was lost, their hieroglyphics which consist of shapes, pictures and designs was untranslatable due to no comparison being available to translate. That all changed after the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, a stone tablet dated back to the Ptolemaic era (about 190 B.C). This tablet contained three languages two are Egyptian languages hieroglyphics and demotic the other classical Greek. This stone provided enough information to allow scholars to translate the long dead Egyptian hieroglyphics to understand how the ancient Egyptians lived worshipped their gods, and their history.
After the apocalypse our collective knowledge will be lost, everything from how to build an airplane, to our language could be lost to the descendants of those who survive. One way to help preserve our language and knowledge as well as languages that are nearly extinct is the Rosetta project’s mission. Their goal is to create a library of languages that can survive the apocalypse and be passed down to future generations. To do this they’ve created disks containing 1500 languages, many of which are nearly extinct and over 13,000 pages of language documentation.
The disk is meant to be a physical archive, it requires no computer to turn on or upload, many of the words can be seen with the naked eye the rest can be seen with a magnifier, something that a much less advanced civilization could easily accomplish.
What is written on the disk is a collection of phrases such as the UN declaration of human rights and the beginning chapters of the book of genesis. The disk also contains information on the individual languages themselves, including the location on the planet, information on their writing systems and literacy, and grammatical information which includes a description of the sounds of the language to properly speak it.
This disc could be a key factor for our descendants learning lost technology from being able to translate and read surviving books and instruction manuals, though I doubt it will help them better understand how to program a DVD player.
After the apocalypse our collective knowledge will be lost, everything from how to build an airplane, to our language could be lost to the descendants of those who survive. One way to help preserve our language and knowledge as well as languages that are nearly extinct is the Rosetta project’s mission. Their goal is to create a library of languages that can survive the apocalypse and be passed down to future generations. To do this they’ve created disks containing 1500 languages, many of which are nearly extinct and over 13,000 pages of language documentation.
The disk is meant to be a physical archive, it requires no computer to turn on or upload, many of the words can be seen with the naked eye the rest can be seen with a magnifier, something that a much less advanced civilization could easily accomplish.
What is written on the disk is a collection of phrases such as the UN declaration of human rights and the beginning chapters of the book of genesis. The disk also contains information on the individual languages themselves, including the location on the planet, information on their writing systems and literacy, and grammatical information which includes a description of the sounds of the language to properly speak it.
This disc could be a key factor for our descendants learning lost technology from being able to translate and read surviving books and instruction manuals, though I doubt it will help them better understand how to program a DVD player.
The Rosetta Disk (Top)
4/03/2010
Should You Stay Or Should You Go
I recently watched a video on YouTube from some guy who lives on the east coast. The guy was apparently pissed about how people seem to be bug out crazy, and that those people are preparing to fail. Needless to say it got me thinking on the subject, and while I still hold true to my stance that everyone should have one in case of the unexpected, it did make me think that there are times when staying put at home may be a better option for you. Here are some examples why boarding up the windows instead of hitting the road will be a better option.
Well Water
If your home has its own separate well system, meaning it’s not connected to a city then you have a constant supply of water even if the power goes out, provided you can keep the well running. You might need a generator to do this but as long as theirs ground water you will have all the water you need.
Government Response
When you look at some of the worst disasters in history there have been times when the government has fallen on it’s face in regards to helping it’s citizens promptly (Think hurricane Katrina for example) In a global disaster the government will be all but absolutely useless to help. Going to a government shelter may put you in a far worse situation then what you want to be in.
Isolation
If you live in a rural area then staying put makes sense as the area you live in probably won’t get a lot of visitors and leaving you safer from marauding gangs of thugs and looters.
Food Supply
A bug out bag may hold a few days worth of food, but your home may hold weeks or months of food depending on how much you prepared in advance.
You Know The Terrain
Unless you just moved in and the apocalypse happens, chances are you know the area very well. This will make it a lot harder for a would be attacker to sneak up on you, and a whole lot easier for you to set up traps and ambush points for those attackers. This also means you know what resources you can use to survive. For example you might have a trail nearby that leads to a river to catch fish, or an abandoned shed that can be used a storage facility.
Less Trauma
What I mean by this is that staying at home will give you a certain degree of comfort when things go to hell. The radio and power will go out for sure, but being at home will give you some sense of comfort because it’s familiar.
More Resources
Like food and water there will be other things you can use from home to survive. Chances are you’ll have access to tools, a garage, a car as an escape vehicle (If it runs), flammables to start fires, and scrap materials to build traps and weapons to defend yourself.
So what would you do? Would you decide to stay at home, or do you feel your residence is too vulnerable you feel you need to leave it when the apocalypse happens?
Well Water
If your home has its own separate well system, meaning it’s not connected to a city then you have a constant supply of water even if the power goes out, provided you can keep the well running. You might need a generator to do this but as long as theirs ground water you will have all the water you need.
Government Response
When you look at some of the worst disasters in history there have been times when the government has fallen on it’s face in regards to helping it’s citizens promptly (Think hurricane Katrina for example) In a global disaster the government will be all but absolutely useless to help. Going to a government shelter may put you in a far worse situation then what you want to be in.
Isolation
If you live in a rural area then staying put makes sense as the area you live in probably won’t get a lot of visitors and leaving you safer from marauding gangs of thugs and looters.
Food Supply
A bug out bag may hold a few days worth of food, but your home may hold weeks or months of food depending on how much you prepared in advance.
You Know The Terrain
Unless you just moved in and the apocalypse happens, chances are you know the area very well. This will make it a lot harder for a would be attacker to sneak up on you, and a whole lot easier for you to set up traps and ambush points for those attackers. This also means you know what resources you can use to survive. For example you might have a trail nearby that leads to a river to catch fish, or an abandoned shed that can be used a storage facility.
Less Trauma
What I mean by this is that staying at home will give you a certain degree of comfort when things go to hell. The radio and power will go out for sure, but being at home will give you some sense of comfort because it’s familiar.
More Resources
Like food and water there will be other things you can use from home to survive. Chances are you’ll have access to tools, a garage, a car as an escape vehicle (If it runs), flammables to start fires, and scrap materials to build traps and weapons to defend yourself.
So what would you do? Would you decide to stay at home, or do you feel your residence is too vulnerable you feel you need to leave it when the apocalypse happens?
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