iSurvival

Into The Wild Blue Yonder?

2009-07-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, perhaps not the wild blue, but definately yonder. That's right, it's time for this blog to go into full production. I would like to point out that it was not the failing of society as a whole that has caused the proverbial shit to hit the fan, no the real poo flinger was a single individual. No zombies, no economic collapse, just one asshole whose inconsiderate actions has caused my life to completely change. It just goes to show how incredibly fragile ones life can be.

It's not all bad though. I don't have every surviving soul after my stash, not to say there won't be a few. Yes indeed, self defense tactics will most likely be necessary, more on that later. The Societal Structure is still intact, therefore, I have a support structure I can lean on, and I intend to use all resources available to me for the duration. I have a partner, and the two of us have a better chance for survival than either of us by ourselves.

That being said, we're not ready. At least, not as ready as we would like to be. Although I have no doubt that she and I, even seperate and with no gear to speak of, could easily make it alone in a city; even one we are completely unfamiliar with as the situation will be. Currently, we will have clothes, water, eating utensils, and a few odds and ends. Luckily, by happenstance, we do have a ride to our destination, and concequent proving grounds. This is good because we will be at least 1500 miles from our home town. That's where the line ends, however.

After careful consideration, we have decided that the test for our urban survival skills will be the Los Angeles Metropolis. Although I wouldn't want to be caught dead there (no pun intended) during a zombie invasion, it does present a few conveniences, and many more challenges, that we think will be a solid test of our skill, while still providing enough of a comfort zone that we are confident of our survival.

The test itself is simple. We arive in L.A. with a backpack and a bicyle. Spend at least one month homeless. After that, we scrounge up enough cash to find a place to stay, most likely with someone who is already established, find jobs, and rebuild. Once settled as such, our next target is a sail boat, though is not necessarily part of the test.

There is a time limit however, and failure to compete our task in a reasonable amount of time will result in the inevitable loss of a large collection of our personal effects. The time limit is not a set amount of time, but upon ariving, we will be storing any belongings not absolutely, or even remotely, necessary to our survival and daily function. Of course this implies a monthly fee, and with no real income, will be difficult to sustain.

There are other competitors in this survival challenge as well, namely the entire homeless population of L.A. It's a no holds barred race to the finish line, and perhaps away from it for our competitors, and I have no doubt that a good majority of them intend to make our race as difficult as possible.

After we arrive, and settle our storage situation, our first stop is the beach, of course. Perhaps not the best place to spange for food and cigarettes, it does give us a good, safe wall to put our backs to and observe our surroundings. Likelyhood is we will not be sleeping on the beach. It provides little if any visual cover, no shelter, and many potential risks, but there are several resources there that will help us in our journey.

One of the biggest issues in any survival situation is hygene. Ask any survivalist the most important necessities, and they will tell you "Food, Clothing, and Shelter." Perhaps in the woods, 100+ miles from any civilization, they would be right. Urban survival necessitates different basic needs, however, Hygene being the first. You have to remember that in an urban environment, social interaction will be your biggest challenge and source of income. Be that income Food, Money, Cigarettes, New Gear, or Repairs, unless you can manifest these things spontaniously you are going to have to aquire them through social interaction, and Hygene is the biggest obstical you will face. Most public beaches have showers, however, and if none are available, there are many stores nearby which have bathrooms. Beach houses in an urbanized area are very uncommon, and unless on the outskirts of town, most of this realestate is reserved for businesses by city planning, so an urbanized beach is ideal for keeping yourself clean.

The second issue, of course, is self defense. The beach location provides few, though significant, advantages. Firstly, it is a wide open space, providing visibility at great distances, thus giving defenders time to prepare. Second, they are heavily populated, and in an urban environment, you are less likely to be attacked as the amount of potential witnesses increases. Also, many beaches will have temporary storage lockers. Although generally relatively small, it provides a great place to secure a few items you do not wish to carry around, and they are relatively cheap. Lastly, the beach is not flamable, which is important, because I intend to take a flamethrower for self defense.

Yes, you heard right, a flamethrower.

It's not a "Real" flame thrower, by any stretch of the imagination, it will really throw flames, however. Enough to scare off most crackheads with a warning shot, and enough to injure, disable, and even kill wouldbe attackers. The idea is simple, take a squirt gun, such as a supersoaker, and cover the orange tip with aluminum foil, but leaving enough of the spickette exposed to maintain a solid stream. Then, attach an electronic lighter to the end such that the flame will cross the trajectory of the stream. Once you have your flame properly calibrated, you will need a triggering device for the lighter. I find guitar strings to work well in this regard, strong enough to maintain structural integrity, and flexible enough to provide easy trigger action. I should note that you want to trigger the ignition seperately from the load ejection trigger. This will provide flexibility that I will cover in more depth later, but I'm sure you can use your imagination. Finally, you want to prevent damage to yourself and the weapon. This can be accomplished by affixing an aluminum coke can around both the nozzle and the lighter, and cut in half to ensure ventilation so the fire can ignite.

After it is built, you simply need to fill it with a charge. Isopropyl or Rubbing Alcohol should be an excellent choice. Firstly, there is less risk of explosion, as the alcohol is less volatile than most flamable chemicals. Its also a very thin liquid, preventing weapon jams. It is vaporous, thus being easy to ignite, and providing the ability to as a pepper spray. That's right. The recipe is easy, simply mix alcohol, salt, and ground red pepper in a container, stir vigorously until all salt is disolved, and there are no clumps of red pepper. Close container and let sit for several hours to several days. The longer the better, so long as it is sealed air tight. When ready, strain through a cloth to remove ground red pepper. The Capsicum resin, I. E. the hot stuff, will remain in the alcohol. This way, you can pepper spray your opponents first, thus proving an attempt to apply non-lethal force, and then, if the assailant persues, you can set them on fire. Be sure that if you go this route, that the alcohol is still flamible before you put it in your squirt gun. Too many dilutants, such as the salt and pepper, or too much exposure to open air, or improper sealing of the storage container can all lead to loss of combustability.

Disclaimer: Have I built one of these? No, but I intend to. It may very well blow up in my face, or yours if you attempt to build one. It may not function when you need to rely on it for self defense. The alcohol may not ignite, the pepper spray may not burn, you may find yourself in a bad situation. It may not be legal. You may get your weapon confiscated, or be arrested, or worse. This is my stance on the matter: DO NOT MAKE ONE!!! This is an untested theoretical device that could potentially be dangerous or lethal even if it is created properly. If you build this device, you take all physical and legal responsibilities, to both yourself and others. I have a tendancy to be a dumbass. If you are a dumbass too, it's not my fault.

Still, it should work. Rubbing Alcohol, Squirt Guns, lighters, guitar strings, and aluminum were not illegal to possess last I checked. Then again, I'm not a cop.

Now that we've covered self defense, the last major issue of urban survival is mobility. Staying in one place for too long draws attention. We have miles of beach at our disposal, and therefore can change locations if one particular place becomes too hot. Further, we can go from relative wilderness to an urban, concreted environment, rich with resources not available in the "Wild" by simply crossing the street. We can select populated sections of the beach and relatively deserted sections of the beach as well. Travel, by foot or by bicycle, is difficult in the sand, but there are streets nearby to make things easier. Further the road directly in front of the beach is a major North/South state highway that can take us to just about every major metropolis in California if we were so inclined.

So that's the game plan. Hygene, Self Defense, Mobility. I'll also be blogging about our experiences there, and possibly interviewing other friendly urban survivalists that we meet, and posting video blogs from time to time as well. Stay tuned. We leave on the 31st!

Mobile Survival

2009-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

One thing I have noticed in my studies, much to my frustration, is that survival tactics are generally divided into two categories, Mobile for Extraction and Stationary for Extended Stay. The first, of course, being geared towards those who happen to find themselves in a survival situation through act of god, or fate. The second of course, reffers to advice given by the kind of people who have 2 tons of beans in 5 gallon bags under their beads, each labeled by month and year. The first of which, being primarily wilderness survival. The later usually requires a large plot of land, and significant monitary investment.

There is a definite lacking in survival study for those with low income preparation, urban, and in the case of todays topic, Mobile survival. Hopefully, today, I will be able to shed some light on the necessity for these studies. I do not wish to invalidate either of the other categories affore mentioned. Both are necessary to know. However, if wild fires are spreading across the coast of California and you have to make it to the desert on foot before you are devoured in flames, it's not going to matter how many beans you have buried in your back yard, and I don't think you will be terribly worried about how to build a lean-to.

One of my favorite techniques for any kind of Mobile Survival is "On-the-Move Foraging". The basic idea is you collect edible food while heading towards your destination. This will limit the scope of food you can collect, for example you won't be setting any snares/deadfalls or doing much fishing, but it will keep you fed, and you will arive at you destination much more quickly. Another issue, is this only works while on foot. It's hard to pick plants at 60mph. Also, you have to be able to recognize the plants readily and easily, so if you are not familiar with the edible plants of the area you are in, you will also need refference materials. For these refference materials, you want something small, lightweight, and easily acessable and weather proof. Enter Edible Wild Plants Identification Playin Cards. Multipurpose playing cards/Plant Identification flash cards, you can flip through these whilest trapsing your way to wherever you want to go. By stopping to collect wild plants, you are getting your rest breaks while doing something constructive, and saving energy because you don't have to wander around looking for the food you need.

Another thing to take into consideration is with Mobile Survivability is navigation. I can't stress enough the necessity for a Portable GPS system. Prefferably a rechargable one. Making a wrong turn could add hours or days to your trip, or if worst comes to worst, you could even miss that all important next gas stop and find yourself in a much more serious situation. You're going to want something that does both topographical and street maps, and does not require that it be connected to the vehicle if you have to ditch it and head out on foot.

Choice of transportation is also important. For short term survival situations, the Airwalk Express and a 3-day-BOB will probably suffice, but if you expect to be in a bad place for an extended period of time, you're going to want better transportation than that. Bicycles are great. They are completely silent, light weight, and require no fuel. You can take them almost anywhere on almost any surface. Horses also make for excellent transportation, though do require fuel, and can't be taken on many surfaces. You can however, carry a lot more on a horse than a bicycle.

Though they do require fuel, a motor vehicle has one distinctive advantage over a non-motor vehicle. Motor Vehicles generate electricity which can be stored and harnessed for purposes other than transportation. And there are several distinct types of vehicles that are custom tailored to many different purposes. For example, You can carry a lot more stuff in a truck, but a car can sleep more people. A van beats both classes in both categories, but is far less fuel efficient. Depending on your needs, you can select a vehicle that will extend your survivability rating emensely, and also help keep you more comfortable on your journey to your next destination.

When surviving with motor vehicles, fuel is still your primary concern. The key here is flexibility. If our recent gas crunch isn't concern enough, wait til the dollar crashes. Because fuel is an international product, it's based on international averages. When the dollar fails, fuel will soar to previously unimaginable prices, and most families will be limited to transportation that requires no fuel at all. Ethanol, however, because it can not only be completely locally produced in every area of the US, and even at home, should remain relitively stable. And simply the ability to use more than one type of fuel gives you many more options. FlexTek and FFI both provide reputable E85 conversion kits that can be used on most major vehicles. Ethanol stills can be manufactured from scrap, and even be made to be portable. When TEOTWAWKI comes, if you know how to make fuel, you have a very powerful bartering chip, and a marketable skill set when civilization begins to rebuild. What's more, the Ethanol you make can be used for a lot of other things as well. It can be applied to wounds as a local Anticeptic, you can use it in a multi-fuel stove, or even drink it and get drunk! (Though I don't recommend this last one, you could go blind. Also, this only works with home made ethanol, as the storebought kind has finishing addatives to remove excess water, and probably to prevent people from drinking it.)

These are just a few of the things that need to be taken into consideration when planning for mobile survivability, and you are not going to find them in any survival handbook. As I find more problems and solutions, I will continue this thread.

Better than Never

2009-01-29T20:03:00.001-08:00

Here is a prime example of why I plan for urban survival, rather than your standard survivalist. This is my expectation of the next survival situation short of an act of god. Granted, this is published by a Republican Christian who probably has an agenda and expects the failure of Obama's plan. I have high hopes for our future. I hope our president succeeds. That being said, any failure at all will probably have catastrophic effects on the economy and do twice the damage of the Bush Regime. This doesn't make the actions our president is taking any less necessary.

The second half of the video I don't necessarily agree with. Most of the items mentioned can be found or made, and are too heavy to really carry around. Half of the items are already found in an ordinary household, and volume vs. nutritional value of military rations is poor. Your mileage may vary pending his suggestions, but I hope at least you will see the necessity to begin preparing. If my monetary situation were any better that what it is now, i would have begun long ago, but I still have some pretty big buys ahead of me.

Good luck. God save us all.

Stoves and Things.

2008-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

I figure it's about time I actually posted something about actual survival, more specifically in a wilderness setting. The first thing that comes to mind outside fo the obvious Food/Clothing/Shelter necessities, which I pretty much already have narrowed down, and is probably the first thing any real experienced backpacker is going to look into is a camp stove. 5 minutes on google, and man have I found the big one. Check it out:

http://www.rei.com/product/752658

Yeah, The Optimus Nova Multi-Fuel Stove. This thing will run on anything liquid that burns. From the gas in your car to that bottle of 151 that you've been saving, and everything in between. I imagine it will run on ethanol as well, which is the important part, because I think that's going to be the most prevalant, or at least renewable, form of fuel left when SHTF.

It's a little price, and a little bulky, but it's rugged and flexible, and will see you through 3-5 years at least of the worst case cenario you can think of.

I'm also looking into some non-lethal means of protection I can carry around with me legally. The most effective looking item I've come across are the Blast Knuckles. Just google'em. Essentially thick plastic knuckles, like brass knuckles, but not metal, with a stun gun attatched. From what I've seen, they should be legal in any stat that allows stun guns, but check your local statutes to be sure. Can you imagine the sheer volition you could inflict whilst wearing two of these? Combined with a pair of combat gloves, they would be outright deadly.

That's all for now.

Ethanol for Fun and Profit!

2008-12-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

Aha! Someone finally made ethanol distillation easy!

http://www.efuel100.com/t-technology.aspx

Plugs in like a washing machine, and makes 35 gallons a week. What's more, converting to ethanol is easy. All you need is a simple device that hooks to your fuel injector and your ready to go. Don't listen to all of the naysayers who want you to believe it's going to corrode your car. Every pump in the US is putting out 10% ethanol in every gallon of gas they sell. It's a federal mandate.

Although this machine is easy, it's still 10k out of pocket. You can get cheaper kits that require a little more hands on work from this location:

http://www.fueldistillation.com/
The nice thing about this, is you can use any kind of starchy vegetable for your mash. Even cattails. Did I ever mention how useful cattails are? Well, do some research It's startling. It's also reasonably small. I wound say, torn down, it would fit into the trunk of a car with room to spare if you got the 7.5 gallon still. As for converting your vehicle to ethanol:

http://www.change2e85.com

Has all the info you need. It's easy to install, and not terribly expensive. What's more, you're not locked into ethanol with this kit. You are making no changes to your engine. It will still run on gasoline.

I'm actually riding a friends moped at the moment and considering getting one for myself, or maybe something a little larger. This little thing gets 130 miles to the gallon. I'm sure, converted to ethanol, it'd probably only get 100 miles to the gallon, but that's 100 miles to the gallon that I don't have to go to the gas station to get. To be able to run it off of leftover potatoes is an added bonus.

You do have to have a license to produce ethanol. (Just a legal warning so you don't get fined. Of course, it won't matter after TEOTWAWKI)

Grid? What Grid?

2008-12-05T14:20:00.001-08:00

Been a little while since I posted, what with the holidays and all, but I haven't abandoned my quest. I read a delightful little article today on off-grid living. The numbers are a little off, as you can see from the comments, but the meat of the article is solid.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026851.600-how-to-unplug-from-the-grid.html?full=true

It got me to thinking, most of this stuff is actually portable. I'm not saying that you're going to be backpacking it through the rockies, or carting it on the back of a biodiesel dirtbike. Those of you who live in the city are well aware of the situation with the housing market, however, and know that no home is permenant these days. Why invest in a 25,000$ off grid system just to move?

Well, there are actually many portable solar panels on the market, most of them can even be folded up and stored. I am actually considering using a folding system as a curtain in my living room, as we have huge 7 foot windows. Now, it might not take me totally off the grid, but it should run TV, computer, light (Swirly Bulb, of course) and charge my cell phone. That's about all the electricity I use besides AC, water heating, and cooking. And considering the amount of cooking I do, probably also surmises the bulk of my electric usage as well.

I'm also fairly high up, and a stiff crossbreeze usually runs past the corner of my loft. I expect a wind turbine of smaller size, like the ones used on sailboats, would suppliment the system nicely, and might provide enough power to sustain battery power through the evening.

Something else that I have put heavy consideration into is solar-thermal heating. I've not done any research into it, but if we could cut down the air conditioner, even though the HVAC core is on the landlords grid, it could provide some extra sustainable comfortability.

In the end, spreading the offgrid energy supply into multiple renewable sources should provide enough versatility to stay afloat, and as long as I hand pick the systems and install them myself, tear down shouldn't be a problem, and I can keep them small enough that I can move them to my next location when my time at this one is finished. I know, it's not true off grid living, but if the power did go out, which it has before, I would be much more comfortable than my neighbors.

TmoBile G1

2008-11-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

So you may be wondering what the new G1 has to do with survival, well it's a little hard to explain, but I think I can make it make sense.

You see, the Android operating system, is actually a version of the Linux operating system. The new G1 has a lot of the features of linux locked out or removed, but there is an underground movement working towards unlocking all of those features and using the Gphones to their ultimate potential. You remember the library of survival guides I am working on compiling? Yes, theoretically, you can view them from a Gphone. You also have built in wifi, incase civilization hasn't totally crumbled in your flavor of TEOTWAWKI. The Gphone also has a built in GPS receiver. The gps system still needs software in order to use it to its full potential, but I am sure that it is under way.

The main concern as far as survival off the grid is that it does not use AA batteries. That being said, it can be charged via USB so most solar chargers that can charge AA batteries can also charge a G1. Essentially, what this all boils down to is that the G1, or future flavors of Gphones can all be modded out into mini laptops with more features than most computers. Sure they lack video cards, and are a little slow. You won't be able to use them to play major video games, but do you really need them in a survival situation anyway?

Oh yea, did i mention you can call people on it, just like a cell phone? Oh wait, it is a cell phone.

Day 5, Blip

2008-11-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Filtering through water removes 99 percent of radiation. Imagine that.

Picked up that handy bit of info from an excellent multiservice military issue survival guide. One of the few guides that approaches survival from the standpoint of both combat and non-combat perspectives. Probably my favorite survival guide I have ever read.

The Guide.

Day 5 Compound Bows

2008-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was walking through walmart the other day and I saw a bow that was about a foot and a half long, and couldn't help but think to myself, man, that would be awesome for my pack. It's small and light weight, It's all but silent, and you can collect your ammo back up when you are done. Granted it's not very heavy, maybe 10-25lb or 20-50lb, but it's heavy enough to hunt small game like squirrels, birds and rabbits. You don't need a lot of range to hunt those, either.

Another nice thing about bow hunting, is you can gather food silently, conserving ammunition and not compromising your location. Since you will be hunting mostly small game with it, You can switch your arrow tips out to something like this. They also make Bowfishing Kits, although this one looks cheap. With a little practice, and decent aim, you'd be able to catch just about any animal under a hundred pounds. Oh, and never shoot a squirrel in a tree. You'll lose your arrow, or if you have the fishing kit, you'll tangle your line.

Another option you might look into is a wrist rocket. The marksman model they sell at wal-mart is strong enough to kill squirrels and pidgeons, but you'll want the metal shot if you want any level of reliability. So you are faced with the ammo issue. The nice thing about a wrist rocket though, is that there is a low learning curve.

Any larger game, use a gun. The amount of food you'll get for for the bullet you expend will be well worth it. Just never fire more than one shot. Any more, and anyone looking for you can triangulate your position.

Day 3, More Communications and More!

2008-11-16T13:21:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note, I've been flipping through the FMs on GlobalSecurity.org and ran across this jewel: FM 24-12 - Communications in a 'Come-As-You-Are' War.

It's exactly what it says, and it should be required reading for every survivalist.

Eventually I plan to gather all of the most relavent and useful FMs and other useful info into a downloadable zip file for storage in a pen drive or eReader. Hard copies are nice, but you can fit so much more information into an electronic device. I will include both practical survival and tactical information for the seasoned survivor, and information on sustainability for those who have found secure locations and groups who are colonizing a location.

Day 3 SINCGARS

2008-11-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

SINCGARS - Single Channel Ground and Airborn Radio System

This is where I like to imagine I have a level of expertise. The SINCGARS radio is a highly modular, though heavy and power hungry, communications device. It is capable of communicating from 20 miles on a standard whip antennae (Omnidirectional) to hundreds of miles with Line Of Sight. 2 units in a standard hummer can be used as a mobile rebroadcast station with relative ease. They are capable of channel hopping at a rate of about 100Hz. This is relatively slow now, but should provide enough security for most applications. This channel hopping can be programmed directly from the interface. These devices are also capable of digital encryption. Most of the SINCGARS I was exposed to in the Army were the older model which required external encryption fills. This encryption is done through a device called a KY-57. It's a little black box that opens like a laptop. It has a keypad, and I believe 6 extra buttons which are labeled with 3 character abreviations, though it may have 8. it's been some years since I looked at one. They are labled KY-57 on the device, however. There is also a dumb key called a fill device. I forget its exact military designation, but it distinctly resembles a claymore plunger with a microphone plug attatchment. These devices are plugged into the front of the SINCGARS radio while the knob is set to fill. For exact operations guidelines on encryption filling, see FM 11-1 as well as other operating procedures. If you find a Fill Device, likelyhood is it will already have a key in it. You cannot, however, change the key on the fill without another device. The key can be filled through a SINCGARS that has not been zero'd or through the KY-57. They KY-57 is capable of creating a key by itself, as well as programming channelhopping and other useful things. If you find one of these, it's black gold. The device is highly classified and the only people who have them are communications brigades, 1 per brigade, and they will usually be at Battalion Command.

If you are lucky enough to find a newer SINCGARS in the US, these actually have all of the functionality of the KY-57 built in. For security purposes, you will want a fill device to transfer keys, but all SINCGARS are capable of syncing across the air, so it's not necessary. Just keep in mind that the key could be intercepted.

The reason why I bring this up, in the case of TEOTWAWKI, the government will try to make a last stand. This means abandoned Hummers will be laying around all over the place. In the event of societal collapse, this is perhaps the most useful device you will find in a militar vehicle, and almost every single one will have at least one.

Day 3 Saltpeter

2008-11-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Saltpeter, or Potassium Nitrate, is an easily made accelerant. Though the process can take several months, depending on the yeild desired, it can be easily produced even in times of crisis. Production methods vary, but many are covered here: http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/lecontesalt/leconte.html

This is perhaps the first thing you should consider producing once you get stabilized. Saltpeter is the main accelerant in gunpowder, useful for many reasons. This is a mixture of saltpeter, charcoal, and optionally wood chips (makes the formula more stable). You can also mix it with sugar to make an extremely effective smoke bomb. In the end, bullets will only last for as many rounds as you have stored, and depending on the situation, you could easily burn through a thousand rounds in a month. How many rounds do you think you can carry on you with your BOB at the same time?

The reason I bring up the creation of saltpeter is because a couple of smoke grenades are something I feel every BOB should have. They give you a tactical advantage for defending a location, they can clear a defensed location of unprepared individuals safely, and without harm, and they provide cover for both assault and escape.

Making a smoke bomb is really quite simple. The standard formula is 60% Potasium Nitrate to 40% Sugar. More sugar for a slower burn, more potasium for a faster one. Remember, the amount of sugar in the mixture is the equivalent of how much smoke you have. Once you have your mixture, add only enough water to make a paste, stirring slowly, and find something to shape it in.

As far shaping the charge, your best bet is to put it into a paper tube, either paper towel, or toilet roll sized, the ends sealed in wax. Bury a fuse in one end, and let it dry somewhere dark and dry. I can't estimate shelf life, because this composition is considered an explosive device, and is highly flamable. You should never store explosives in your home.

For more information on smoke and it's tactical uses, read FM 3-50.

(Disclaimer: I in no way condone the making of saltpeter, gunpowder, or smoke bombs in any way shape or form until after societal colapse and all form of government has long since vanished from the face of the earth, or in the event of zombie outbreak, when the government may potentially remain intact, and then only for purposes of making an escape. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!! I take no liability for any damage, bodily or otherwise, or legal action taken against persons as a result of using this information in any way. The purpose of this and future blog posts is purely for informational purposes only, and I can not promise you that any of the information on this website is 100% accurate in any way.)

Day 2, thoughts.

2008-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

I live in a loft Down Town. There aren't a lot of grocery stores around, and in the event of TEOTWAWKI, Those grocery stores will be looted with quickness. Further, this down town, and I imagine most others are surrounded by low income housing districts. Another thing to take into consideration, line of sight is severly limited in most directions, so it may not be safe to leave for a good amount of time after disaster strikes.

This means you could be severely limited on food ration supplies in short order. Yes, sure, you could stock up on beans/rice/flower, and other staples, but most, myself included, have in the pantry roughly a couple weeks worth of rations at best. Most won't have room/funds for much more than that, either. This led me to consider alternate food sources in the city.

Pidgeons, my friend. Chicken of the Street! They're easy to catch. I'm assuming they have lots of fat, so they should provide a lot of calories. Most large cities have plenty of them. Further more, they are a renewable food source if you can get them to breed. The eggs are small, but it's better than nothing, and provides a different source of nutrition.

Cooking them, I think, will be the largest hurdle. I've looked into solar cooking a little, but it seems an unreliable way to cook. However, if I remember correctly, you can make a still out of a hot water heater. The alcohol produced could be used not only recreationally, but also as fuel. I'm not finding any plans on google right now, but I know they're out there somewhere. Making alcohol requires some form of carb containing vegitable. Potatoes I would imagine are fairly efficient, neutral in flavor, and easy to grow. Coincidentally, if you live near a wet land area, you can make alcohol from cat tails. I can't imagine you would want to drink it, but it's supposed to be one of the most efficient sources of alcohol out there. All this is theory mind you, but it should be fairly renewable once working properly, and the only thing I am truely unsure about is the still.

Another potential issue is soil to grow in. Recycle, recycle, recycle, I say. Seperate feces from urine and save it for compost, along with any organic material. It's going to be hard to gather soil in the city, but between dumpsters, planters, and what you have around the house, you should be able to make some decent growing soil in short order, and at least a few pots worth with what you have laying around the pad if you find yourself immediately trapped downtown with no safe ground level access.

On cattails, they are an easy to grow, and excellent source of nutrition. http://www.edibleplants.com/month/cattail.htm Has some good information. A few aspects that this site leaves out are that the roots can also make for a good potato substitute. The seeds are also eaten in some cultures. Once a cattail turns brown, late in the season, the tail itself is less than palpatable. (Sp?) But set it on fire and all that's left are the seeds, pre-roasted, and ready to be eaten. Though not necessarily accessable in the city, good info to know.

Day 2

2008-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

So I got home and catalogued all of my gear that was worth a damn. There's not much there, but it's a good start. I actually took pictures of all my gear. You can see the full album here: http://www.photobucket.com/isurvival

The most useful thing I own, and also perhaps the cheapest is my handy dandy hobo tool. $3.88 in the hunting section at Wal-Mart, it has everything I will ever need to eat anything I come across. Cooking it, on the other hand could be a problem.

Item two has got to be the big oilskin jacket. It's warm, totally water proof, and I got it from Cabela's for $100. It's well worth it. Buy two.

I hate the cold. One of my favorite items that I have left over from the army is the modular sleeping bag they gave me. It's awesome. It's rated to somewhere below zero when everything is put on it, and most importantly, there is a gortex liner that comes with it. With this sleeping bag, you don't even need a tent.

I've got a soft frame backpack left over from god knows where. It's really an awesome bag. I've been carrying it around for years, and aside from some fraying on the draw strings, It's still in like-new condition.

Camelbak, good condition.

Leather gloves, a bit worse for wear.

Old ruck sack, servicable.

Polypropelyne underwear.

Military issue webgear. Missing the belt. I never liked these in the army. I don't know why I've still got it now.

BDU's

Field Jacket

Gortex Suit, obsolete , in my opinion, thanks to the Oil Skin Jacket. It does have a waterproof hood, though.

Kevlar, the actual brain bucket I wore in the army.

Chemical warfare suit. The charcoal lined chem suit they use in MOPP training. This one is actually in pretty good shape. It's still got most of the charcoal in it. I wouldn't roll around in anthrax while wearing it, but it's better than nothing. Comes with rubber gloves, rubber boots, pants and a jacket. I don't have a gas mask, yet.

So a lot of this is useless in most given situations, and a good portion of it is redundant. I don't need the field jacket. I don't need the gortex suit. Probably won't need the kevlar. Rucksack, I've got a great pack, I don't need the ruck.

My goal is to get one totally self sufficient bug out bag. I've lived for over a month on 1 pack that I put together in a couple hours. I wasn't in the wilderness by any means though. Still, with some time, I could get it down to the bare essentials that are enough to survive for an extended period of time, and small enough I can walk 20+ miles a day with it.

iSurvival, Day 1

2008-11-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

I've always been a 'city slicker'. I'm young, arrogant, and hard headed just like every other 25 year old out here, but there's one thing that I have over the rest of the herd. I've got experience. I was a Boy Scout all the way through the Life rank. I wish I had stayed in long enough to get that Eagle rank, but that wasn't my choice. I've spent time on the road with a good buddy of mine, and learned many lessons on those trips. I've even spent some time without a place to truely call home, even if I wasn't without shelter during that year. I've learned a lot of things. Now I've got a handle on my life, and I'm realizing that in the process of domesticating myself, I'm not nearly as prepared as I was long ago. I would like to personally thank http://theurbansurvivalist.blogspot.com/ for helping me come to this realize this. When I first turned my browser to this blog, I read straight from November 2008 to march of the same year, and intend to finish reading the entire blog Monday.

I'm no expert, nor do I intend to exhibit myself as such. What I will do, however, is give a detailed and accurate account of going from a 3rd generation quasi-professional to a (hopefully) 1st rate survivalist while still holding down a decent job and living a normal life. Much of what The Urban Survivalist points out is that the perhaps larger majority of survivalists, and concequently the public opinion of survivalists, find themselves living in a backwoods abandoned missile silo, or 100 acre plot of land, clutching their shotgun and rocking back and forth on the porch talking gibberish to their dog. (No insult intended.) This approach is widely unnecessary, and hopefully I will be able to show you exactly why in the process. If nothing else, I may be able to come up with some tricks that may benefit you, or give you some ideas of your own.

Now, most of my professional background is in computers, and there will be a strong technology focus in a lot of my content. I think in todays society, technology is more than a convenience, it is an asset. Even if TEOTWAWKI comes tomorrow, and instantly obliterates the grid, technology will still be around. Though I do not feel that you should rely heavily on it, it will still be useful for a minimum of 5 years, and in all likelyhood, will stick around for at least 20 more after that.

Like The Urban Survivalist, I did my term in the military. I joined November 6th 2001, and completed my term November 7th 2007. I joined as a network specialist, not to be in the rear with the gear, but because it was what I was good at, and was the greatest service I could do for my country.

Again, this is to be an account of my transition from city slicker to seasoned survivalist, and as my full time job currently pays me near poverty level wages, it may take a little while to get everything started, but I will get my survival setup back into shape, even if it is one piece at a time. If you would like to come along, I'd love to have you.

-DataPhreak