Be Yourself

While surfing, I found this blog and one of the first things he says is Be Yourself, don't try to be me.


http://ghostskamo.blogspot.com/


I like that because in the end each person has different needs, although they do boil down to the four basics he describes as food, water, shelter and rest.

Many times we don't think of rest as a need, but without it, we loose strength, health and the ability to reason.

One of his posts deal with the 12 Cs of survival. Ghost also has many videos on youtube, a great resource, especially in the winter when getting out is much more difficult due to roads and work.

Of course, practice your skills, don't just read and watch. The mark of a true survivalist is patience and adaptability. The more you know and are exposed to intellectually, the greater your field of reference becomes, should you ever get in one of those tough spots.

Survivalist or Prepper?

My life partner has told me many times Never defend a fixed position against a superior force. He added that the inevitable result of defensive warfare is surrender. If you find yourself in a fair fight your tactics suck.

All of this sounds pretty bleak to civilized folk, but that's actually sound military strategy, used for thousands of years. Think about a siege being laid to your homestead and how long you could hold out. Evasion and guerrilla warfare actually gives a weaker force the advantage. Mobility and skills will aid the survivalist.

I asked him once about that as I go walking every morning, armed with bear spray, what if I should meet a pack of dogs. I know not to run. Climb a tree, fight with my hiking sticks, and scream like hell.
Wouldn't I be defending a fixed position? I asked. He said just don't let them be the superior force.
Bottom Line, I am a survivalist. I would do whatever it takes to make it.
I read another blog posing the question: What is the difference between a prepper and a survivalist? and which one are you?

I thought about this and decided my first reaction to the word Prepper is it sounds like the word preppie. Way too yuppie. I'm told the media responds better to the word Prepper. The word survivalist scares them.
Since I'm not trying to impress the media, or talk anyone into prepping, I don't care.

And, what is prepping? Storing tons of goods in a fixed position? I am storing up some stuff, true, but more as a hedge against the incredible food inflation we're seeing now. With all the drought, heat waves and fuel price disasters, we know food prices will get much higher.

Survival, on the other hand is more about learning everything you can to supply your needs, in whatever situation you may find yourself. Urban survival is scarier to me than wilderness survival. Humans are capable of such violence, often unpredictable, and usually unreasonable.

But back to this post. I am into survival studies and skills. I prepare for disaster, but have no plan to go down with any ships, be part of any hunger strikes, go off the cliff with Thelma and Louise.

Survivalists would be finding a wooden table on the Titanic when it was discovered there were not enough life rafts to go around. They will eat food to stay strong for fight or flight. They would bail out of the convertible before it went into the Grand Canyon. Sorry girls, I'll just hide out at the bottom, alive.

Most likely civilization will continue in some form, but there are no certainties if it will have power, transportation unless by foot, or communications unless written and delivered by hand. There is no telling how much freedom we may be required to give up in order to participate in it.
Just a few thoughts here while I enjoy the luxuries of electricity, a full belly and bottle of clean cold water.

The Hobo Survival Lamp

Today I made the hobo lamp. Its a quick and easy project.

Fill a tin can to within one inch of the rim with dry dirt. I used a clayish soil.

Next, find a twig about as thick as your pinkie, long enough to push into the soil the length of the can, plus about 4-5 inches above the can. We're talking about 7 inches, give or take.

Now, find an old scrap of cotton fabric. I used an old bandanna and tore off a strip measuring 2 inches wide by 26 inches long. This will be the wick, so, be sure its substantial enough or it will burn up too quickly.

Now, with the twig firmly planted in the middle of the can, wrap the cloth around the twig, leaving a decent amount at the top to receive the oil and lighting.

Next, chose some type of liquid fat, grease or oil, and pour this over the wick, filling the can to within half inch of the top rim.

If you have a room temperature solid fat, heat until its liquid so that it will saturate the fabric and flow into and on top the soil.

Let this set up awhile, so that the oil soaks into the cloth wick.

Your lamp is now ready to light. Follow all normal safety procedures.

The Survival Shelter

I'm really into survival and wilderness stuff.

Lately I'm thinking survival in this economy is going to take some skills too.

Things like sewing, cooking, gardening, making do with what we have, trading for what we need.

So why not blog about it? A way to share, get comments, brainstorm new ideas.
Why not?

The survival shelter I built above is very small, but adequate. It'd get you through a cold night, shed most rain falls, and be snug as a bug.
I started with a log which had landed all by itself in the crotch of another tree.
Then, placing branches, leaves and natural debris in a lean-t0 formation, I continued to shape a Bivy -type shelter for sleeping. It will hold in my own body heat because the layers of dry leaves, beneath me and above me, are great insulation.

No vegetation was harmed in the making of this shelter. No live plants were cut or distroyed.