Firestarting: A Lost Art

Fire Starting Kit I=ve built and maintained a fire starting kit for many years. I=m a proponent of using the simplest way possible to start a cooking or camp fire. Usually that is the traditional tinder, kindling, fuel fire started with a lighter. But after many years I=ve learned that redundancy of one of the most important survival tools and is wise. (Two is one and one is none) Here is a list of what I keep in my kit. It has changed throughout the years as I learn or find new methods. Tinder: Cotton balls soaked in Vaseline or alcohol and let dry Commercial starting sticks Homemade fire starter (dryer lint in toilet paper rolls, cut to disks, covered in paraffin) Newspaper (3 inch strips rolled tightly, tied with cotton string, dipped in paraffin) Or folded newspaper Magic Indian Water (lighter fluid or alcohol in small squeeze container) I told my Scouts it was magic water Hand Sanitizer Cedar chips (hamster bedding)/sawdust and dryer lint Kerosene lantern wick Char cloth Steel Wool (#0000 or #000 super fine grade from hardware stores) Starters Magnifying glass Flint and steel ( I use a shortened file for my steel) Magnesium bar and striker Matches (strike anywhere) in weather proof container 2 Lighters (Bic store longer) Sparker and scraper (there are many brands, I use Fire Steel) Trioxane tablets(Trioxane is a solid fuel that has been in use by the US Military for many decades to heat individual rations or start fires in the field.) Fire keepers Birthday and tub candles Pre-made Abirdsnests@ Small alcohol stove Hacksaw blade (to cut tinder, kindling, and as a second scraper) Singleside razor (to shave mag bar, to feather sticks, cut tinder) This kit represents a large variety of ways to start a fire. Firebuilding is another skill that has all but vanished. Our kids grew up in a home with a wood stove so they had ample oportunities to learn to build a fire. Try this in a fire pit in your back yard, or on a grill. It's not as easy as it sounds.Remember the basics of fire: Tinder, Kindling, Fuel. Also, fire needs 3 things: Oxygen, Spark, and Fuel. Take one away and you won't have fire. Finding several ways to start a camp fire is something that may save your life one day. Fire can be used for warmth, cooking, boiling water, and of course light. If you want some great training, find a Boy Scout (Scouting) Troop near you that will give you some basic training. Firebuilding has become a lost art but like painting, you can learn and practice. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Being Prepared For Violence

 Many years ago, I found myself in combat.  It was my first experience with someone shooting at me and me trying to kill someone.  Before then, I was always curious how I would respond in that type of pressure.  I did OK but after that first battle, I had an adrenaline crash.  It happened to me again but by the 3^rd firefight I was accustomed to the terror and didn’t have the same crash.  I watched some guy’s completely fold.  They were non-functioning until they too were acclimated to the feelings, sounds, and smells of battle.  I found that training had a lot to do with how you react. 

I’d like to share some of what I learned so you can be better prepared for a life-threatening situation.

First is training.  You don’t want to have to really think about gripping your gun, drawing, extending, aiming, and pressing the trigger.  Most of these things should be like breathing.  You should be able to draw and make ready your weapon without really knowing that it’s happening.  Even if that weapon is a non-lethal weapon.  You should be so familiar with it that it is quite natural.

Understanding fear and how to use it to your advantage, is a skill very few bothers to learn.  Most people have the normalcy bias and think nothing will ever happen to them.  This is the attitude many had in 1941.  World War II was raging in Europe and the Pacific.  Some said that was someone else’s war and too far away to matter to us.  Because of this isolationist view we were caught unaware at Pearl Harbor.  Over 2400 casualties and over 1100 wounded was the human cost of that miscalculation.  Hundreds of ships were either sunk or damaged along with over 100 aircraft shot down or damaged.  The United States had the same normalcy bias of many now who think that bad things won’t happen to them.  I’m not advocating living in fear but remaining vigilant is my suggestion.  Read more about using fear in the book “The Gift of Fear: Survival signals that protect us” by Gavin de Becker.  I highly recommend it.

If you are faced with violence, you should have run scenarios in your mind of how you would react to violence.  It’s part of preparedness and training.  Obviously, you can’t go through every scenario.

First, admit to yourself you are afraid, then move on. Concentrate your mental energies on the task at hand, not on your fear of death, injury, or loss of ego.

Avoid dwelling on the chance of failure. Concentrate on finding a way to win.  Be willing to do anything to win.  Winning means life.  Something you may think is deplorable you should do if it means you live or get out of the violence that has found you.

Take control of yourself. Calmed breathing and concentration.  Tactical breathing is something that does really work.  When my wife was having our first child, we attended a class called Lamaze.  This was a technique used to prepare women and their husbands for childbirth.  It taught women to be able to better prepare their minds and bodies for the difficulty of childbirth.  A big part of this training was breathing and counting through labor instead of drugs but working through the pain.  It worked very well but I also learned that tactical breathing is very similar.  Tactical breathing is basically controlled and deliberate focus and breathing.  It helps you through pain and stress.  I’ve used it often but in that combat experience it saved me.  The more oxygen you have the easier it is to move and think.  It helps in focusing on getting the job done.

Have a Plan B. Always, always, always, expect Plan A to fail. Expect your gun to malfunction. Expect the bad guy to stay up after being hit solidly. Expect to be injured. If any of these things occur, have a pre-planned option to continue. Have a Plan B.  This also points back to training.  Being prepared means being ready for failure.

Turn anger into a motivator. Who does this clown think he is? What makes him think he has the right to (rob/rape/kill/pick on) me?  Remember the importance of controlling your emotions like anger and fear.

Accept an element of fate in every situation. You can get hurt by accident after doing everything right. Control everything you CAN control (selection of equipment, getting adequate training and practice, being alert, thinking tactically) so there are fewer things you CANNOT control. Stack the odds in your favor, and then what happens is a lot less impact.

Courage under fire is not a matter of being without fear. It is a matter of being able to control fear and accomplish your mission, which is to stay alive. Only fools are fearless.

Finally, be a man of God.  “What the heck does being of God have to do with enacting violence on evil?” You may ask.  Being righteous doesn’t mean you’re weak or so timid you cannot defend.  We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We hold the priesthood of God.  We are blessed to have access to the Spirit in ways that those who only have the Light of Christ don’t have.  As I was being fired upon in combat, I heard the Spirit tell me to do things that I would not have normally done.  Some of those things I saw a direct protection of myself and others.  When we are in a bad situation our Heavenly Father will help us, sometimes immediately, or at least when needed.  That does not mean we won’t be taken or injured, it means that His will, is going to happen.  I have a few minor scars from that experience.  I have a friend who was with me who is a great, faithful member of the Church. He has a gunshot wound from that same experience.  He was shot but not killed.  He went on to have a great career as an FBI agent and to protect Apostles and Prophets in Church Security.  He is now a Stake President in Utah.  The Lord had a work for him to do as He has for each of us.  He will protect those that need it.

You guys that work law enforcement are put into harm’s way more often than most of us. But you too have been trained.  I used to train guys like you and one thing I saw that was a weakness of law enforcement was, lack of situational awareness.  That and you don’t practice shooting enough… But that’s a different discussion! Sometimes, you’re so caught up in dealing with the task at hand that you can miss what is coming at you.  I wrote and taught a situational awareness course in the Air Force years ago.  You can practice this skill.  You can even practice this skill with your family.  In Boy Scouting there is an old game called “Kim’s Game”.  By playing this you and your family will learn valuable skills of observance and awareness.  And as always watch their hands!

Being ready for violence is as important as reacting to violence.

Stay safe brothers and sisters.  May we all never need the skills we’ve been blessed with and the training we’ve received.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

 

 

Concentric Circles of Security

 I made a statement the other day to a friend of mine who is a Border Patrol agent.  He questioned what I meant and it occurred to me others may benefit from the answer.

We were talking about home security and I mentioned that I had concentric rings of security at my home.  He asked what that was and I explained.

We have a six foot perimeter fence around our property.  The weak areas are augmented with barbed wire.  The front gate is unclimbable and there is a way to fortify it so that a vehicle will not be able to get through it.  Then there is a 2^nd gate that creates a kill zone.  After the second gate there is a fighting position hidden behind a fortified object that is defensible.  There are kill zones at various places on the perimeter with several alerting devices all around the perimeter.  Between the gate and the house there are many obstacles to a walking man or a vehicle.  Finally there is the house.  The doors are fortified beyond a standard door.  The windows also.  Inside the house is a safe room with a fortified door.  Inside the room is a phone, and guns and ammo. 

Concentric security is really layers of security.  They overlap and as you pass from one ring to another the security level increases.  I think the last ring should always involve a firearm.  Regardless of the size of the family member or their strength, a firearm is an equalizer.  So by this logic it tends to reason that all family members should be trained in how to use a gun.

The first ring is usually the weakest and made to slow down an attacker.

 

For the average homeowner, the second concentric ring is the exterior of your home. Do you have security cameras? Do you have lights or motion-sensors? Do you have an alarm sign in your front yard? Do you have an alarm sign sticker on your sliding glass door into your home from your deck?

Continuing with the second ring, is your front door locked? Do you have a solid deadbolt? Do you close your garage door even when you’re at home? Are all of your windows locked?

The third ring of security for your home is your “safe room.” In other words, if someone jumps your fence and kicks down your front door, where do you go with your family?

Do you have a room that everyone can huddle in that has a cell phone to call police and, more importantly, has a firearm that can be used to protect your family?

Remember, as a criminal passes through each ring of security it’s supposed to get tougher on them to accomplish their task (whatever task that might be.)

So, if their task is a home invasion and they’ve jumped the fence, kicked in your front door, and are about to kick in the bedroom where you and your family are hiding, then in that room you need to be prepared to meet them with force.

After all, if they bash down the bedroom door and your wife and kids are there but you’re unprepared, you may have just let your whole family get murdered. (It may sound harsh, but it’s true.)

This is why, in my opinion, the final ring of security should always include a firearm. The firearm is the great equalizer and it’s the only thing that gives the 18-year-old girl a chance against the 32-year-old, 200-pound, knife-wielding rapist.

Of course, the final ring of security can also include a solid wood door for your safe room to help you avoid having to use a firearm in self-defense, which should be everyone’s goal, (ADD-avoid, deter, de-escalate)

Avoid if you can, but be prepared to fight back if you have no choice.

So, if you’ve never given thought to the concentric rings of security and how it applies to your own home, give it some thought today. Think about how many layers of defense you have, and how you plan to stop a criminal if, heaven forbid, they make it through every single layer and are standing in front of you and your loved ones.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Moroni Security

I train a lot. But I must balance my physical security fortification with spiritual fortifying. As I was thinking of more spiritual things I was reading today in Alma. I love the war chapters. I think we can learn much about personal and family security from Moroni. I'd like to review for you Alma 48:11-16 and see how it relates to us today. Let's go a verse at a time. 11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Most of us joy in liberty and freedom. We should not "delight in bloodshed" but regret having to defend yourself with lethal force. 12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people. We should always be grateful to our Heavenly Father for the freedom and liberty we have. We should do our best to be involved in peacefully keeping our country free. We should work within the law to keep our gun rights as much as possible. In my opinion joining the NRA is the least we can do. They don't always make me happy, but the NRA makes a difference in gun rights. 13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. Moroni was not a follower of Christ in name only. He was firm in his faith. Those of us who have taken an oath to defend our country should abide by that oath whether you are serving active duty, reserve, or civilian. We should remain firm in our faith because the safety we enjoy from no war or crime in our lives comes from our Heavenly Father. 14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives. Next time a pacifist tells you it isn=t necessary to defend yourself, tell them the Nephites were taught that they should. Never start it but you can finish it. Train hard. 15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; If you live worthy of the Spirit you will know what to do to defend yourself or your family. God will help you after all you can do. 16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity. Where does your glory lie? Are you doing your best to live right, keep covenants and commandments, and resist iniquity? Are you being a good neighbor, husband/wife, church member, and good citizen? Moroni did not fall into this understanding of his faith. He worked at it through building his belief and testimony of Christ. He also did not just magically become a warrior. He prepared, trained, and then answered the call to lead. He was not wishy-washy in his training and preparation, he worked at that too. He was ready to go into battle, are you? Do you understand the enemy whether it be the enemy of good or human evil? Do you know what needs to be done to defend your life and the lives of others? Do you practice this? I think Moroni was resolute in faith and in his warriorship. If you can answer all these questions, and if the above describes you, then you are living Moroni security. A recap: 1.Delight in freedom and liberty, not bloodshed 2.Being grateful for our liberty 3.Be firm in your faith and resolute in your defense 4.Do you understand the importance of training and knowing when to walk away (or NOT to draw your weapon)? 5.Learn how the Spirit works in your life and live worthy of that Spirit 6.Faith is more important than fear. Having faith and the Spirit will cap off your defense training. By these principles we too can be like unto Moroni. We can live by Moroni security. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug-Out-Bag (Part 3-Shelter)

Bug Out Bag-Shelter SWB (size, weight, bulk) ounces count! Watch your ounces! POU: emergency Sleeping bags 3 key factors for buying a bag Temperature rating: Choose a bag rated for the coldest temperature you expect to encounter. The rating is often part of the product name, such as the Men's REI Lumen +25 bag (rated to a minimum temperature of +25°F). Weight vs. roominess: When backpacking, you want to keep weight low without jeopardizing comfort or safety. For some, low weight overrides all other concerns (comfort, durability, convenience, price). For others, weight is less important than having a roomy bag for a good night's sleep. Most bags try to strike a balance between these extremes. Type of insulation: Your main purchasing decision is between the types of fill: down, synthetic and the new DriDown™. Goose-down fills are very light, compressible, durable and breathable. While initially more expensive, they offer great long-term value. Synthetic fills excel in damp, cold conditions and have less sticker shock up front. They are slightly heavier and less compressible than down. DriDown is goose down treated to resist moisture, the Achilles heel of regular down. What else affects warmth? Sleeping pad: This insulates the space beneath your bag as well as adding cushioning. On some bags, the pad replaces the need for insulation on the bottom side of the bag. If sleeping on snow or frozen ground, we recommend using 2 pads. Tent: Using a tent or bivy sack traps a layer of dead air around you, warming it by up to 10°F. Metabolism: You might be a "cold sleeper" who prefers extra insulation when sleeping. Or maybe you are a "warm sleeper" who kicks off the covers at home. Gender: Women generally prefer slightly warmer bags than men. Clothing: What you wear inside the bag makes a difference. Long underwear and clean socks (it’s a good idea to change clothes to sleep in) helps insulate you while also keeping body oils off of your bag. A cap and neck gaiter help retain body heat. For colder-than-expected nights, a fleece jacket and pants can help. Hood: Sleeping bags with hoods can be cinched up on cold nights to retain warmth. Hydration: Staying hydrated increases your likelihood of sleeping warm. A warm drink before bed is a popular tip. Bag Type Temperature Rating (°F) Summer Season +35° and higher 3-Season Bag +10° to +35° Cold Weather -10° to +10° Winter/Extreme -10° and lower Bag Length Men's Women's Short: For people up to 5'6" Regular: For women up to 5'6" Regular: For people 5'7" to 6'0" Long: For women 5'7" to 6'0" Long: For people 6'1" to 6'6" Note: The North Face offers a few X-Long bags for campers up to 6'8". Sleeping Bag Liners A sleeping bag liner is primarily used to help keep your mummy bag clean and thus make it last longer. (Note: Rectangular sleeping bag liners are commonly called "travel sheets.") A bag liner also adds anywhere from 5° to 15°F of extra warmth to your sleeping bag, depending on the liner material. In hot climates, you can use a bag liner or travel sheet by itself and forgo the sleeping bag. You typically have a variety of bag-liner material choices: • Silk: Very lightweight (about 5 oz.). Silk helps insulate in cold weather but is absorbent and breathable in warm weather. Price: moderate to expensive. • Cotton: Strong, durable and absorbent, but not the lightest or most compact. Price: economical. • Fleece and microfleece: Warmer (adds up to 12°F) and a bit heavier choices. Fleece is soft, moisture-wicking and quick-drying, but the mid- and heavyweight varieties tend to be bulky. Price: moderate. • Synthetics (CoolMax and MTS): Moisture-wicking and breathable, which makes these great for humid conditions. Has a bit of stretch, too. Price: moderate. • Insulated (Thermolite Reactor Extreme): This adds up to a claimed 25°F of warmth thanks to its hollow-core fiber insulation. It also dries 50% faster than cotton. Price: moderate to expensive. Tents Double wall – Tent with rain fly. These are the most common, most are 2 or 3 season Single wall – No fly Most are 3 or 4 season Minimal: Poncho, Tarp, Tube tent, Bivy Tent Types - Tent Classifications Tents come in every imaginable size, shape, and color making it hard to clearly define categories. However, there are some widely agreed upon Tent Characteristics that can be used to classify tents. Knowing these characteristics will help you in finding what you are looking for. Tent Structures In general, Tents consist of poles which form a skeleton and over this skeleton, the tent fabric or skin is laid out to create an inner pocket. These are the basic Tent Structures: Avian Tents One or two straight poles with the Tent cover spread out create a covered ground area. They are mostly used for quick shelter and generally light weather conditions. Pyramid Tents One central pole and the Tent cover pulled tight and spread out around the center pole form a pyramid shaped pocket. Pyramid Tents are rare in Hiking as the center pole effectively divides the Tent in multiple smaller compartments. Traditional A-Frame Tents Two-legged frames at the outer ends of the Tent with the Tent cover form a triangular pocket. Old backpacking tents were often A-frame Tents. The increased roominess of hoop tents and domes has replaced most A-frame tents. Modified A-Frame Tents Add a ridgepole and a center hoop to the traditional A-Frame to create a larger volume version of the traditional A-frame pocket. Modified A-Frame tents are also becoming rare in Hiking. Hoop Tents Use one to three hoops with the Tent cover to form a tubular pocket. The curved walls give a bigger volume with the same ground surface. Hoop Tents are surprisingly strong as they divide pressure over the full length of the hoops. Wedge Tents Two intersecting hoops with the Tent cover form a square to round pocket. These tents are very popular in Hiking as they combine great strength in combination with the least use of material and weight. Dome Tents Three or more intersecting hoops with the Tent cover form a multi-faceted ground floor with a dome. The added hoops give this tent increased strength in comparison to Wedge Tents. However, they are mostly pretty difficult to erect. Most 4-Season tents are domes with four intersecting hoops. Besides these Basic Tent Structures, there are a lot of Hybrid Tents which combine any of the above structural features to come up with other tent structures. The combinations often try to mix the strengths of each of the structures used and thus come up with a stronger construction. The structures that the poles build derive their strength from the way the pressure is placed on the poles. In the case of the A-Frame structure, most of the pressure is directed to the length of the poles where it is strongest. In dome structures where the poles are curved, the pressure is equally directed to all sides of the curve. Freestanding vs. Fixed Tents The strength of a tent is based on the combination of the compression members (the tent poles) and the tension members (the tent fabric and the possible guy lines). Guy lines are lines used to stretch the tent fabric by staking them to the surface. Tents that do not need guy lines are freestanding. Freestanding Tents offer a couple of advantages: • You can move them to another location without having to take down and rebuild the tent. • You can easily drain and dry a freestanding tent by picking it up and hanging it upside down. However, all tents including the freestanding type derive a lot of their strength from being anchored down by stakes and guy lines. Protection Level: Number of Supported Seasons There are a couple of ways of categorizing tents by their functions. One of the most defining ones is the number of seasons that the tent supports: • 4-Season Tents are meant for year round use and they are capable of withstanding the heaviest snowstorms. • 3-Season Tents will protect you from the worst summer, spring, and autumn can throw at you. However, they will not be able to protect you in heavy winter conditions. Some 3-Season Tents are convertible into 4-Season Tents by adding extra sections or tent parts to the tent. • 2-Season Tents will serve you perfectly well from late spring to early fall but they are not designed for rougher conditions. Capacity: Number of Persons Nowadays, many Tent manufacturers give an estimated or exact number of people that the tent can accommodate (for instance: 1-person, 2-person, 4-person, etc.). Other often used expressions are solo, duo, trio, etc. Make sure not to just take the manufacturer's word for it. Often their definition of capacity means x smaller persons packed close together. In reality, you will often find a 2-person tent having room for just one person. In bad weather, you may want to take your backpack inside your tent or do your cooking inside. Some manufacturers have taken this into account and call their tents 2-person plus or 3-person plus, signifying that there is some extra space. In general, when finding a tent, simply go for a tent meant for more people than the group size you are actually going to accommodate. At least go by this rule: Whatever size the manufacturer size minus 1. If they say it is a 1 person tent be careful! Hiking Tents are an essential component of Camping. Make sure that you have a Tent which is appropriate to what you need. Knowing the various Tent Types or Tent Classifications can greatly help you in narrowing down your selection. Determine your requirements and get familiar with the essentials of Hiking Tents before purchasing one. Buying tents out of season, fall and winter, are often the best deals Color: Choose low impact colors for security. Blending with the outdoors is usually what you would want in a Bug-out situation. The clips-versus-sleeves debate is an interesting one. Clip-only tents have better ventilation between the tent fly and body, and will generally set up more tautly because the clips establish tension lines between each attachment point. They also set up very quickly, although some clip-based tents do present you with a confusing muddle of clips and no clear idea of where to start (note: two minutes spent setting up a tent in a warm, dry garage as practice will eliminate any difficulties when setting it up in the dark, rainy woods). Pole sleeves seem to make for a sturdier tent as they put a continuous line of stitching across a pole line, reducing the stress at any single point. But, sleeves add some weight, and can be a little trickier to set up (although the sleeves also suggest where the pole goes). These days, a lot of tents use both. Most brand name tents have seams that will not leak. Some do not. That is something you should check before investing in a tent. There are usually two types of sealed seams: Sealed, or glued, and taped. The glue will eventually start to peal and so will the tape. Neither react well to heat and age. That sounds like neither is any good. Well neither will last, but if maintained, can last for decades. Resealing and/or re-taping will be needed at some point. I have only seen a sewn and taped tent seam that was made from canvas that may hold up better than most. It was a military tent and even areas where the tape came off did the tent not leak. These are walled tents. They are very expensive and heavy, not for bugging out. I would recommend a rest with a fly that covers the whole tent and has tie-outs that will keep rain out, but air vents or windows open to circulate air in and out of the tent. Poles (aluminum or fiberglass) I like the strength of aluminum and the weight of fiberglass. Stakes. I’ve never had a stake that came with a tent that I cared for. Except an expensive, heavy, walled tent. The smaller tent makers seem to think heavy gage wire, not much more than a wire clothes hanger, bent over are good tent stakes. I usually replace them with longer, heavier duty, plastic stakes. Field shelters I have camped for several decades. As a Dad and a Boy Scout leader I camped with each of my Eagle Scout sons. I also have done my fair share of hunting. Most of my camping experiences were in forests or mountains. But I’ve camped in snow and grew up in the Arizona desert. So I’ve learned to improvise shelters in most environments. I did not get to go to Jungle School in the military but have some experience in jungles. I think I could improvise shelter in any type of terrain and weather. Getting some experience in field shelters, especially in the area you live, is a good idea. From snow caves, to tarp based shelter, to lean-to’s there are a large variety of field shelters. A Debris Hut is only one of many that you should learn and practice. Even if it’s just an evening in your back yard with your kids, this experience is priceless. I only choose a Debris Hut as an example. The Debris Hut The Debris Hut shelter is a very basic shelter to make if you have access to a lot of branches and leaves. The frame is basically just a pole leaned against a tree (or stump, rock, etc). Branches or deadwood are leaned against the pole to form a sloped roof. The shelter is then thatched with leaves, grass, sod, pine boughs, or anything else you can come up with. Whatever you are using, remember to pile it on thicker than you think you need to waterproof it. Remember... if you are using either dead branches, leaves, or any other flammable material to build the shelter, you will have to be VERY careful where and how you build your fire. Fire is connected to shelter under certain (cold) conditions. That will be covered in a future post. Semp Paratus Check 6 Burn

Building Your Bug-Out-Bag (Part 2-Air)

72 Hour Kit-Bug Out Bag Air Bandana/Shemagh to cover mouth and nose The Shemagh The keffieh, or keffiyeh, is a traditional, elegant, comfortable, square-shaped, cotton or wool Arab headdress worn mostly by men, especially in the Levant--Northern Egypt, Palestine-Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and parts of Iraq-- and North Africa to protect against the sun or against dust. Although the keffiyeh is woven in many styles and colors, one type in particular--checkered red and white or black and white--became ufairly and stereotypically identified in the 1970s with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) whose fedaiyeen militants and terrorists commonly wore it (as did their leader, Yasser Arafat). Some people wore the keffiyeh in solidarity with the PLO. By the 1990s and later, the keffiyeh was as much fashion statement in the West as it was useful clothing in the Mideast. The keffieh, in brief, is as old as the sands of Sudan and Saudi Arabia. The keffiyeh was so ubiquitous in the 19th century in lands colonized or coveted by the French or the British that colonists took to wearing it for its comforts and distinctive look, just as students in coldish France and England, who couldn’t care less about its political threads, these days wear it for its warmth and fashion. For British soldiers in the Middle East, who refer to the keffiyeh as shemaghs, the headdress became standard issue during World War II, and remains so for British soldiers who served in Iraq or for soldiers serving in Afghanistan. American soldiers in both places have taken to wearing the shemagh as well. Shemagh Uses • Dust Protection. Cover your face on motorcycles, trucks, and chicken buses. • Sun Protection. Great for when you’re stranded in mid-day heat without shade. • Towel. Small, lightweight, fast drying, but thick enough to get the job done. • Ground Cloth. Keep your butt clean & dry when sitting on the ground. • Warmth. Wrap it around your neck as a scarf to keep warm. • Bag. Put stuff in middle, tie corners together. Instant hobo sack. • Sarong. Wrap around your waist for modesty. Shorter than a normal one. • Sweat Rag. Great for hiking, running, or other sweat-inducing activities. • Arm Sling. Sprain a wrist or break an arm? Temporary immobilization. • Emergency Bandage. Help stop bleeding & protect the wound. • Pillow. Thick & soft enough to ball up & use for bus rides/camping trips. • Weapon. Twist big rock up in the middle. Swing away. Instant self-defense tool! • Concealment. Often used to hide my camera in questionable neighborhoods. • Rope. Long enough to be rolled up to tie things together. • Water Filter. Fold multiple times & filter debris out of water before boiling. • Pot Holder. Take that boiling water you just filtered off the fire. • Keeping Cool. Soak in cold water and wrap around your neck. • Signal Flag. Large enough to wave and get someone’s attention. • Blanket. Decent for covering your upper or lower body. • Eye Mask. Sleep during the day or in a hostel when lights are on. These are only a few of the Shemagh’s many applications. This simple piece of cloth is so practical that Australian, British, Irish, Thai, and even US Special Forces all issue the Shemagh to their troops! Generally these colors apply to different areas of the world. Red= Iraqi Green= Lebanese Black= Afghanese/Egyptian Brown= Saudi White= Jordanian OD and CB= American I’ve liked the shemagh for years. But I also live in the hot southwest. The shemagh is very useful in hot climates. I like the versatility of the scarf. There are those that connect terrorism to them and bring disdain on the historical and traditional significance. I hope we can look at the usefulness and versatility of the shemagh and see it for the great piece of survival gear that it is and has been for centuries. This is something that would assist in masking in smoke or bad air. M-79 Masks Since COVID-19 masks are more numerous than they have ever been. They are light and many of them fold away nicely. Having some good masks available is affordable and practical. Gas Masks These are more expensive and involve training to use correctly and effectively. Using a gas mask incorrectly can kill you if you believe you are using it right. These masks can be used for more than just biological contamination. They can be used for NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protection. Being trained for use in different environments is necessary to be confident of personal safety. Surviving in water is a different set of equipment. Learning to SCUBA (self-contained underwater apparatus) dive and being certified is a skill that everyone should have experience in. You don’t have to invest in the equipment if you won’t be participating in SCUBA as a sport, but being certified and have the experience and skill is like any other skill. It is priceless. And it can be fun. Learning to swim is something I feel everyone should know. It could save your life one day. Having some training in NBC and how to protect against these in weapons and other forms is time well spent. There are others things you can do in the way of filters for buildings or rooms that in certain situations would be an advantage. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn