Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2019 i Survivor's Edge

MOST OF US wake up at a specific time in the morning. We sit in the same chair for breakfast, drive the same route to work and return home just as predictably. We follow well-worn paths, and we like them. Human beings enjoy consistency, certainty and the pleasing results of the status quo. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Change, to many, has a negative connotation that threatens to cut our safety nets, as most people feel that change will have an adverse effect on their lives. It’s the unknown, the darkness in the abyss, the unseen, unpredictable terrain firmly outside of our comfort zones—but life is about change. Change is inevitable. It is thrust upon us. Being born is the first change that we could not control, and…

When traveling upward throughout mountainous terrain, one factor that must be taken into consideration is altitude sickness. This condition occurs when the body reacts to the decreased levels of oxygen in the blood. This can begin to happen to hikers at levels of between 5,000 and 8, 000 feet above sea level. While the percentage of oxygen in the air at high altitudes is the same as at sea level, the air molecules are more dispersed and thus deliver less oxygen with each gulp of air a climber or hiker takes. This number could be as high as 50-percent less than normal, and that causes a variety of issues. Increased heart rate, increased breathing and more frequent urination can occur, and the body will become dehydrated faster as moisture evaporates…

In a conflict situation, you can talk calmly, try to diffuse the problem or basically just mind your own business. Sometimes the opposing party has other, more violent plans. When a physical confrontation is unavoidable, it’s time for you to defend yourself Attack the vital areas. Punching or kicking a bigger guy in his overly developed pecs or mega-biceps will have very little effect on him. Instead, attack his vital areas, such as his eyes, throat, groin, ears and nerve endings close to his skin (also known as pressure points). No matter how much iron he pumps in the gym, he can’t develop these areas, so target them relentlessly. Take out his foundation. As clichéd as it may sound, if he can’t walk, he can’t fight or chase you. It’s…

The basic needs of a shelter include what you sleep inside, over and under. Beyond these basics are important considerations when you select where you sleep and how you sleep. SECURITY: From a primal standpoint, you have a survival instinct to protect yourself from threats. Security means placing your shelter where others can’t harm you. The elements and the four-legged creatures that live out there also become considerations to your security. Selecting a location where you can egress and see those entering your area and staying away from attractions all become camp considerations. TEMPERATURE SWINGS: Your shelter may be cozy at night when the temperature drops, but it may become unbearable in the daytime when the sun is high. You must be mindful of the temperature swings you’ll experience in…

SKULLCRUSHER’S Xtreme Blade (SXB) was designed for warrior survivalists, intended to aid in their survival not only in the wild but on the battlefield as well. Extreme situations require an extreme blade, and the SXB meets that demand and then some. Skullcrusher’s Xtreme Sidekick (SXS) is a “small” version of the SXB meant to function alongside it while out in the field. Designer and knife-smith E.J. Snyder considers this blade to be small, but most will classify this as a mid-sized knife. The basic blade shape has remained the same, but the handle has been modified to accommodate some different usage options. The handle features holes in the front and back to provide lanyard and lashing options. The SXS also comes with a Kydex sheath with beta loops designed to…

Of course, there are dozens of items that are useful before, during and after a hurricane comes to town. But these are some that are considered must-haves for everyone in the possible path of nature’s granddaddy of all storms. Fail to secure these absolute necessities and your bad situation will get much, much worse! WATER: Possibly the most important item to secure, fresh drinking water will be in short supply after a direct hit from a major hurricane. Stores will be closed or wiped out of merchandise, and relief trucks will take time to reach your area. Save time, stress and possibly your life by stocking up well before the hurricane season starts. NON-PERISHABLE FOOD: Your freezer and refrigerator are on a countdown timer as soon as the power is…

People living in mobile homes or at mobile home parks and individuals living within a few miles of the coastline are typically ordered to evacuate and find a shelter until the storm passes. Mandatory evacuations should be followed, and planning where you need to go should be done well in advance. However, a shelter is not a four-star hotel, and there are some things you need to know prior to hunkering down and making it your temporary home base. PET FRIENDLY OR NOT? Some shelters are pet friendly, while others will strictly enforce the no-pets policy. Do your homework well in advance to find shelters that accept pets and know the limitations concerning what types and sizes are allowed and any other restrictions. BRING YOUR OWN TOILETRIES. From a toothbrush…

Primitive hunting can be either active or passive. Active hunting means going after the animals: running, hiding, stalking, shooting a bow or throwing a rabbit stick. I prefer passive hunting, in which you set snares or deadfalls. One of my favorite passive methods is the quail trap, which I learned from anthropologist Paul Campbell, who authored Survival Skills of Native California. During our field trips, Campbell would demonstrate the simplicity of this trap. Once all the straight sticks were cut and ready to go, Campbell could have a finished box trap in about five minutes. The trigger might take a few more minutes to construct, and the setup took about a minute. Though this is a bird trap, it does not kill birds—it captures them live. As with all traps,…

At the risk of sounding like my grandparents, “I remember when.22 ammo was just plain ol’.22 ammo.” We were relegated to the standard lead bullet brass-case icon that filled our days on the range and in the woods. Well, flash forward to today and things have changed a lot. The options in.22 LR ammo have grown and CCI ammo is at the forefront of the development. CCI has been in business for 75 years, and it now offers more than 90 flavors of ammo. It utilizes a state-of-the art production facility and a dedicated and highly experienced workforce to create a huge variety of product options that have created serious brand loyalty from millions of shooters and hunters. “We know how committed our customers are to us because of the…

Expanding belly, widening hips, swelling feet—all these changes make dressing during pregnancy tough. That trick of looping a rubber band through the buttonhole of your pants probably won’t even get you to week 20, let alone week 40. This can be most problematic in winter, where multiple layers are needed to stay safe in freezing temps. Fortunately, most pregnant women run hot (you can thank your sped-up metabolism for that), but you’ll still need to make a few adjustments to stay safe when the temperatures drop. Start by swapping out thicker fleeces for more space-efficient merino wool layers underneath your down coat. As you start to size up, “borrow” your husband’s puffer coat or look for inexpensive options like those sold by Uniqlo. As you near the end of your…

Rugged outdoorsman Roy Sullivan spent most of his adult life as a park ranger in the Shenandoah National Park. From 1942 until 1977, he was struck by lightning seven times, earning him the nickname “the Human Lightning Conductor.” One time, the bolt burned a half-inch strip of flesh off of his right leg and left a hole in his shoe. After the fourth strike in 1972, he started carrying a can of water with him in case his hair caught fire. Just a year later, he had to use that can of water after the fifth strike crossed through his body. Sadly, people began to avoid him for fear of getting struck themselves. Miraculously, he survived all of the lightning strikes, but on the morning of September 28, 1983, Sullivan…

Cooler temperatures bring renewed interest in outdoor activities, and with those come challenges and dangers both foreseen and unforeseen. Be prepared for anything autumn brings with these fresh new products! 1. ADVENTURE MEDICAL KITS Trauma Pak III Adventure Medical Kits’ most advanced trauma kit, the Trauma Pak III puts professional supplies in civilian hands, empowering you to take action to stop bleeding as it occurs. The waterproof, resealable trauma bag contains military-style tools and emergency essentials in a package compact and durable enough to keep in your glove box. Inside, you’ll find a pressure trauma dressing (Israeli Bandage), which combines gauze, trauma pad and pressure applicator into one easy-to-use emergency bandage capable of providing up to 40 pounds of direct pressure to stop bleeding fast and control most major bleeds.…

Whenever you venture away from any location where you have access to an abundance of lifesaving supplies, you need to be very selective when you decide what to place inside your backpack. This is because you’ll never be able to survive away from a well-provisioned location for very long with just what you carry in a backpack and on your person. Here are some suggestions to help make these decisions easier. THE ECHO & THE ENVOY Elite Survival Systems has designed a backpack and a messenger bag that fit this survival need quite well. The Echo model is a backpack manufactured from 600-denier nylon that weighs 1.6 pounds empty and measures 19 by 12 by 7 inches in overall dimensions. Included in the design of the Echo is a concealment…

BIG AGNES BATTLE MOUNTAIN 2 TENT A mountaineering tent designed to protect you from the elements as you rest for the night after a full day of trekking upward. Lightweight and featuring durable ripstop material and a fully waterproof outer shell, the Battle Mountain 2 can take the full onslaught of Mother Nature. Perfect for use during all four seasons at base camp, halfway up or on the summit of the largest hills or mountains. MSRP: $700. (bigagnes.com) BLACK DIAMOND 9.4 DRY CLIMBING ROPE Perfect for steady use, this dry climbing rope offers both high-end reliability and highly durable construction. This rope takes the hard-hitting abuse of Mother Nature and comes back for more. Its dry treated core and sheath repels moisture from the inside, preventing mold from forming and…

Don’t ever truly trust what someone says to you. Many times a person’s true objectives are masked by what they’re directly telling you. However, if you tune them out and pay attention to their mannerisms, gestures and posture—in other words, their body language—you can make an assessment of their intentions. Increase in chest size. Someone who’s nearing the point of physical contact will often push out his chest and lift his head upward to appear bigger and try to dominate the other by shear physical size. If you notice these signs, be wary of his next move. Change in stance. If he goes from facing you directly to giving you a half stance with one leg back and the other forward, this may be a sign that he’s about to…

If you have to choose one material to do it all—provide shelter, warmth and protection—then wool is the way to go. Wool garments are growing in popularity and experiencing a resurgence among the bushcraft and hunting communities. One company, Sleeping Indian Wool, is producing jackets, pants, shirts and socks, among other garments for the field and around town. We had the opportunity to test some of their gear in the mountains of Colorado and found that the wool works well to block wind, repel water and insulate. Additionally, the wool garments will literally and figuratively let you rest assured next to open fires, since wool tends to be flame resistant. Sleeping Indian Wool is available in patterned camouflage for hunters and solid colors. Pockets are generously cut to give you…

Depending on the school of thought or the organization, tracking terminology may vary, but for the most part, it’s fairly universal. However, I’ve discovered other tracking vocabulary the deeper I go into this fascinating world. Here are some basic terms or phrases used in tracking. DIRT TIME: Practicing tracking alone, in groups or teams or with random people. Basically, you must practice, practice, practice for the rest your life. Tracking is a lifelong study. I’ve been tracking three quarters of my life, and it never gets old; I only get more excited. Then there’s the stuff to bring if you have the opportunity to do so. GEAR: The items that aid you in the collection and preservation of evidence as well as your efforts to record it. In my track…

The Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating assigned to hurricanes based upon their sustained wind speed. Categories 1 and 2 can produce damage and are still very dangerous. As a hurricane hits Category 3 and greater, it’s considered a major hurricane with intense destructive force and the possibility of a significant loss of life. CATEGORY 1 (74- TO 95-MPH WINDS): Homes and other structures should remain intact but with possible shingle, gutter or siding loss. Branches may snap from trees, while smaller saplings may become uprooted due to wind or excessive rain. Power lines may be down for a few days after the storm. Examples: Abby in 1960, Claudette in 2003 and Leslie in 2018. CATEGORY 2 (96- TO 110-MPH WINDS): Major damage to homes may occur,…

Information is the key to hurricane survival, and knowing more about the situation can only help you make informed, logical decisions. Here are a few sources to trust when a storm is on its way, either online or as a useful app on your smartphone. NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an agency within the Department of Commerce that can keep you updated throughout the duration of a threatening storm. (NOAA.gov) THE WEATHER CHANNEL: If all you do is weather, you can’t go wrong. From forecasts on the hour or the days and weeks ahead, this outlet will help guide you to safety, whether a tropical storm or hurricane is off the coast of Africa or approaching the U.S. seaboard. (weather.com) THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: This website is…

“OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, ELLER DRANK WATER WHEN SHE COULD AND ATE WHAT SHE COULD FIND…” Amanda Eller didn’t think much of leaving her cell phone or water bottle in the car. After all, she was only going for a 3-mile run through the Makawao Forest Reserve in north-central Maui. After a mile and a half, she took a break. “I had my eyes closed,” she said. “I’m just listening to nature.” But when Eller got up to return to the trail, she was disoriented and ended up following the wrong route. “I spent a couple of hours within that same part of the forest trying to find my way back to my car,” she said. “I got disoriented and frustrated and picked a direction to go—it was a…

Bugging out can cause people to flee from their normally safe urban dwellings and travel outward to the surrounding woods. Their journeys (and sometimes their ultimate destinations) will take them over hills, elevated rocks and even immense mountainous landscapes—all areas that add additional dangers to their already treacherous trips. From twisted ankles to falling rocks to the grisly death of plummeting from great heights, the peril of traversing elevated areas is an aspect of survival that’s often overlooked during initial planning stages. But with some basic knowledge of your projected course, picking out some key pieces of equipment in advance and using common sense as you travel, the high grounds can be a safe refuge when the worst scenarios come to your town and drive you out and ultimately upward…

Nature has many constants. Seasons change, the sunrise chases the moon, and if you spend enough time around a campfire, someone is certain to break out a guitar and fail miserably at covering a great classical guitar solo. Regardless of camping in fair weather or foul, overnighting solo or in a group, and camping for pleasure or in an emergency bivouac scenario, you will only need to consider three variables when establishing your shelter. These variables are easily remembered with the acronym “IOU.” This principle has been presented by bushcraft and survival expert Ray Mears and is worth revisiting. From primitive survival skills to traditional bushcraft to military Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) and modern backpacking and camping, a proper shelter includes something to sleep in (I), something to…

THERE ARE certain sounds that elicit a visceral response, such as racking a pump-action shotgun, working the slide on a 1911 or chambering a round in an AK-47. Another sound in this category is the opening of an automatic knife. The mention of a switchblade conjures images of gangsters or other nasty characters, but this response rests more in popular culture than fact. Knowledge of specific situations in terms of knife laws must be self-determined. MICROTECH AUTOMATICS Many in the industry credit Microtech with rejuvenating the entire automatic knife market, especially the out-the-front (OTF) genre. One key focus for Microtech is the commitment to constructing its knives here in the United States with U.S.- sourced materials. Microtech is renowned for maintaining custom-like tolerances, finishes and sharpness even on its production…

Your ability to physically record the evidence that lies before you is essential to your organization and thoroughness within a tracking endeavor, and by this I mean you absolutely must use a sketchpad and notebook as well as a camera or your cell phone for recording visual evidence. To keep my own tracking notebook organized, I use the three-page method when recording tracks. PAGE 1: The eagle’s perspective. This page is dedicated as an aerial map. Like the eagles flying above, I try to see the overall scene as one big picture, so I can map out from a bird’s-eye view the relation of the terrain to the tracks. Don’t forget to include across the top of your page the basic information pertaining to the weather and the quality of…

Tropical storms and their more powerful evolved form, the hurricane, both appear as unstoppable forces that destroy everything in their path, and this is often quite true. However, even with the odds horribly against them, there are people at “ground zero” that bore the brunt of the storm and lived to tell the tale. Pulled from the National Weather Service website here are three stories of courage, hope and the unconquerable human spirit. ISABEL RAMOS QUINONES: Isabel was hunkered down in her South Dade County, Florida, home with seven dogs and several cats when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. As the hurricane battered the area, her house was being taken apart piece by piece, starting with the bathroom window, then the master bedroom window and then pieces of roof. Isabel…

Over the past 30-plus years, there has been a slow erosion of the Second Amendment. It’s now gotten to the point where, in many circles, it’s been relegated to an archaic thought that doesn’t enjoy the same protections as other amendments. The key is our children. Teaching our kids how to shoot, and ultimately how to enjoy it, will create a new generation of Second Amendment advocates. Before you put a firearm in the hands of any person, he or she needs to have the ability to understand what’s going on. While my Red Ryder BB gun was a great training tool, the selection of airsoft-style guns available today is mind-blowing. Many of them are identical in size and feel to regular guns, and these can be a great starting…

Good water is like a good tip at the racetrack: You need to judge the source. In most areas of the United States, finding water isn’t a problem, but finding clean water isn’t very easy. Unless you’re at a mountain spring hundreds of miles from the nearest city, plan on the need for a good water filter. Notice I said “spring.” That’s the point where underground water reaches the surface. Normally, it’s been naturally filtered and hasn’t had the chance to be contaminated. Out of all the potential water sources, that’s your best option for clean water. But springs turn into streams, and streams turn into rivers. The farther away you get from the source, the greater the chance that contaminants have infiltrated your supply. Some contaminants could be caused…

The bandana is a very handy item on the trail. You can purchase one for about a dollar, and you’ll find it to be very valuable in the woods. Boy Scout leader and outdoorsman Francisco Loaiza has compiled a list of a hundred uses for the common bandana so you may want to pack a few. Below is only a partial list. For the full list, visit loaizas.blogspot.com/2011. Emergency bandage Tourniquet Cravat Sling Eye patch Cleaning wounds Binding a splint Ice pack Covering a sunburn Wrapping a sprained ankle Dust mask Marking a trail Sun shade Signal flag Coarse water filter Dish rag Napkin Pot holder Dish towel Carrying food Blowing your nose Protecting sunglasses Polishing fruit Wrapping breakables Personal washcloth Covering food to keep away flies Emergency kindling Emergency…

“How are you feeling?” My husband had asked me this question a lot as of late, especially during outdoor treks. We’d found out only a few weeks earlier that I was pregnant with our first child, and we were both awash with strange and new emotions—and questions. What kind of parents would we be? How would our lives change? Would this child even like the woods? As to how I was feeling: not great. I was constantly tired, to the point of falling asleep as soon as camp was set up, and I would find myself crying over small things—or nothing at all. And yet, I knew I was also getting off easy, as pregnancy symptoms go. The list of complaints in the first trimester is long: morning sickness, intense…

Early pregnancy is a great time to start thinking about how your body’s physical changes might affect your backcountry experience. The biggest change will be your balance—the more your belly grows, the more pitched forward you will be. You can test this out for yourself by standing with your hand on a wall, lifting one leg, letting go of the wall and then closing your eyes. If you find that your balance has become overly compromised, consider picking up a pair of trekking poles or skipping the slick rock on your next outing.…

It turns out that the 5,000-foot elevation my husband and I trekked on that trip wasn’t a cause for concern. Even though I live near sea level most of the year, my body adjusted easily to the higher elevation and I didn’t experience any shortness of breath or lightheadedness—a sign that my body (and the little one along for the ride) was getting plenty of oxygen. However, even higher elevations might have been a concern. The guideline for most pregnant women is to avoid spending more than a couple of days above 8,500 feet (there is some evidence that elevations this high impact fetal development) and to avoid elevations above 12,000 feet altogether—mainly out of prudence and a concern that hospitals are less likely to be accessible at these elevations.…