Being a survivor means thinking about everything. This chapter will show you how to make sure that you have all the kinds of equipment necessary for any of the expeditions you are about to embark on. I recommend that you carry a boxed pouch to hold a few carefully selected tools and items that are so critical to your survival in the wilderness that you must have them with you at all times. A knife is your most important survival tool and must be carefully selected and maintained. Your personal state of mind is also very important. You must be in good physical and mental condition to cope with stress and danger. You must have a thorough understanding of your survival needs, especially salt and fresh water - and you must know how to get them.
[The Way to Survive]
Human beings are at home in almost every corner of the planet. Even in those barren places, humans have managed to exploit the resources there - hunting or panning for gold. At the same time, we have built up our ability to conquer nature through constant frustration. Nature provides the necessities of life almost everywhere, but some areas are generous and others are stingy. Enabling oneself to benefit from available resources requires personal knowledge, discernment, resourcefulness and, more importantly, a thirst for survival. Men and women have proven that they can survive in extremely harsh environments. They have survived because they had the courage to live. Without that courage, all the tips and knowledge offered in this book would be meaningless.
Survival is the art of sustaining life. In an emergency, all the equipment you have should be considered a gift from heaven. If rescue is not in sight, you must know how to get as much as you can from nature and how to make the best use of it, how to attract the attention of rescuers so that you can be rescued at an early stage, how to choose the right route when crossing uncharted territories so that you can get back to civilization, and so on, on your long journey with no map and no compass. You must be familiar with how to maintain a healthy state of physical fitness and how to try to recover if you become ill or injured. At the same time you must have the ability to be optimistic for yourself as well as for your fellow **** sufferers.
Lack of equipment does not mean that you are helpless. From this book you will be able to gain survival skills and experience, but these should not be wasted over time, let alone used as dogma, and you must always be prepared to expand your knowledge.
We have always been accustomed to surviving on our home lands - even though we don't feel it ourselves yet - but the true survivor must learn how to survive far away from the familiar environments in which he lives, or when those environments are drastically altered by natural or manmade destruction. No matter what stage of life an old man or a young man is in, he will find that he can survive if he acquires these survival skills and knowledge. As more and more people fly around the earth, boat on rivers or sail into the sea, travel far into the mountains or climb to the peaks, or take vacations in distant tropical countries, the spaces and environments in which human beings can venture have become more diverse. But survival skills aren't just about extreme events like airplane crashes, shipwrecks or broken down vehicles in the deep desert. When you tighten your seatbelt in a car, you give yourself a better chance of survival. Looking left and right before crossing the street or checking for fire hazards before going to bed is essentially you instinctively performing a survival skill. Like survival skills, these are habits that must be developed.
[Be prepared]
It's important to visualize as many situations as possible in order to prepare your skills and equipment. Preparation is all about survival, and this should be the basic realization. Carry appropriate equipment and plan as carefully as possible.
How you equip yourself may already determine whether you succeed or fail. When backpacking many people initially overload themselves and end up suffering, a nauseating experience that shows them how it should be done, when in fact it could have been avoided in the first place. It's not so funny when you're struggling to carry a huge, bulky backpack filled with excess items, only to fantasize about how much better it would have been if you had brought a flashlight or a bottle opener. It's not so easy to choose items wisely.
*Gear Checklist
Make a gear checklist before embarking on any trip or adventure, while asking yourself the following questions: □ How long will I be gone? How much food will I need during this time? Do I need to bring water? □ Will the clothes I bring be appropriate for the appropriate climate? Will a pair of boots be enough? □ Should I bring a spare pair of boots, considering the conditions of the road and the distance I will be walking? □ What special type of equipment do I need to carry for the terrain? □ What kind of medical supplies would be best to bring?
Confirm that you are capable of doing everything in the plan. The better shape you are in, the easier it will be to accomplish the plan and the better you will feel. For example, if you are going hiking, you should do some regular training before you go, and don't forget to wear your hiking boots when you go. You should also work on your walking ability and train with a backpack full of sand to get your muscles into shape! Physical fitness is another type of determining factor outside of equipment. Are you sure you are fit for the task? Are you fully prepared for it? Have the necessary equipment to accomplish the task? Eliminate any annoying baggage and pack light before you go.
Prepare a contingency plan in case something goes wrong. Things don't always go as planned, and they rarely go exactly as planned. What do you do when your goal is blocked? What do you do if your vehicle breaks down? What if the weather or road conditions are more severe than expected? How do you revitalize a party that's about to fall apart? What if someone suddenly falls ill? All of this should be prepared in advance.
*Health care and checkups
A thorough checkup before your trip confirms that you have all the injections you must carry to ensure that you can travel through the region as planned. Inoculations protect against the following diseases: yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, smallpox, polio, diphtheria and tuberculosis, and anti-tetanus injections should also be available. Vaccination requires plenty of time - full protection against typhoid requires 3 consecutive injections over a 6 month period. If traveling through a malaria-endemic area, take care to take anti-malarial tablets, which must be taken two weeks before the start of your trip so that resistance is in place before you arrive in the endemic area; they need to be continued for one month after your return.
Remember to visit your dentist once before you leave. Even healthy, undamaged teeth can ache when exposed to intense cold in bitterly cold regions. At the very least, make sure you have healthy teeth before you leave.
Bring a medical kit with you, it will cover any needs you may have. When traveling with a group, it should be able to meet everyone's medical needs. If a member of the team is no longer fit to travel with the team, should he be expelled before you leave? It is difficult to make such a decision among friends, but it is necessary because it is the only option in the long run. It is also important to consider that each member has a different ability to withstand trials and react differently when faced with challenges. Stress can often bring out a side of an individual that is not well known. In planning any team-based adventure, some elimination is necessary in determining the members of the team.
*Pre-Planning Research
The more information you have and know about the place you are going, the better. Make contact with friends who know the place well and study maps in detail while reading more about it. Always carry a reliable map with you. Study the habits and characteristics of the locals. Find out if they are hostile or friendly to outsiders, and learn as much as you can about local customs and taboos.
The more you learn about the details and habits of people's lives in the places you pass through - especially in far less civilized societies, where people's way of life is more firmly bound to the land of their own existence - the more survival skills and knowledge you'll have when you need them. Only with careful research can you gain a deeper understanding of how to build a house, get a fire for a picnic, gather medicine and water in the local context.
Study your map carefully and get a sense of the land before you see it. Do your best to know as much as you can about the geography of the time: the course and flow of the river, the drop and speed of the water and the presence of dangerous beaches; how high are the mountains and what are their slopes? What kind of vegetation is there? What are the types and distribution of trees? What is the temperature and what is the difference between day and night? When does it get light and when does it get dark? When is the moon full or full? When does the tide rise and fall? What is the wind direction? Will there be good weather?
*Post-research planning
For team expeditions, members should meet frequently to discuss what you want to accomplish. There should be someone in charge of the following: medical, interpreters, cooking, special equipment and vehicles, driving, and guides, among others. Each member should be familiar with his or her own equipment and tasks. It is important to bring all types of supplies, especially batteries, fuel and light bulbs.
The whole operation process can be divided into three phases: pre-operation preparation period, operation execution period and recovery period. Clearly define the tasks and objectives of each stage, and at the same time set out the process table. There is also a need to be prepared for unforeseen events, such as vehicle breakdowns, disease epidemics and evacuation of casualties.
Estimate the approximate progress and allow plenty of time when trekking on foot. There's no harm in being cautious, and it's certainly worth being happy to do better.
An overly ambitious program that goes beyond capacity can cause all sorts of stress. Not only will the executives be psychologically overstressed and physically exhausted, but it will also lead to poor judgment and unnecessary risk-taking, the latter of which is often the cause of mistakes and trouble. You cannot take all the necessary water with you, but you must ensure that it is constantly replenished during the trip. Regardless of the course of action you take, water must be a primary consideration in the planning process. Once a course of action has been drawn up and adopted, it should be made known to those who are not involved in the action or those who have stayed behind. This way you will still have the hope of being rescued if something goes wrong. If climbing on foot, the local police and Mountain Rescue Center should be informed of the details of the plan of action, including the time of departure and expected completion of the plan. If traveling by car, you should notify the appropriate transportation authorities of your travel schedule and route. If sailing at sea, you should be monitored and inspected by the Coastal Self-Defense Force and the port and shipping authorities.
Remember: Make sure someone knows what you are planning to do and when to start. You should keep in touch with them in the pre-preparation phase, so that a break in contact itself means ringing the alarm bell. The schedules of ships and airplanes are tightly controlled so that if there is a delay and the reason for it is not known, the search team will be on the move, checking the course of action so that an effective rescue can take place. Get in the habit of telling people where you are going and how your schedule is organized.
*Equipment
Based on the results of the previous research and planning, you can choose equipment that fits your objective needs. Protection of your feet should be prioritized for long treks. New shoes should be tried on until they fit two weeks before departure.
Carefully select appropriate clothing that you can wear without getting hot and that provides good protection. Clothes should fit well without interfering with free movement, and they should be made to be breathable as well as warm and waterproof. Some types of textiles are both waterproof and help to dissipate excess heat. Extra layers of clothing should be worn in severe cold weather. In temperate continental areas, walkers are pretty much fine with just an undershirt, shirt and windproof jacket. You'll have to add a sweatshirt when it's cold and a raincoat when it rains. You also need a change of clothes and a set of clothes that you can add warmth to when you are resting.
1, sleeping bag
Sleeping bags are usually made of two materials: a man-made fabric vacuum cotton; and a more expensive one, down. Down sleeping bags are quite lightweight and insulate well, but only if they are kept dry. Once the down sleeping bag is wet, not only will lose the insulation effect, and to dry is also quite difficult. So a synthetic fabric vacuum cotton sleeping bag may be a better choice when the environmental conditions are humid. You can also opt for a camping bag made of breathable material which is also quite good. Camping bags can replace some of the functions of a tent. But in the long run, you can't live without a tent because it also serves as a place for cooking and daily activities.
2. Bags
You'll need a backpack that's comfortable to carry and sturdy enough to carry clothing and essential gear. Choose the best quality possible within the limits of what you can afford. The material used to make the bag should be strong enough to safely carry the load of the backpack, and it should be resistant to wear and tear. A backpack that is not sturdy enough will leave you in a sorry state along the way. The secret of a backpack's load is that it distributes most of its weight on the hips - the body's most resilient and hardy fulcrum - rather than on the shoulders or back, which are easily fatigued and overwhelmed. That's why backpacks should have strong, comfortable belts.
Do you want an external or internal frame for your pack? Internal frames are lighter, and the bag is easier to store. But an external frame is stronger and solves more annoying loading problems, and can be more useful for carrying bulky items, even the sick and wounded, in an emergency. A good external frame should allow the weight of the pack to be carried over the entire body, with less relative weight on the hips and shoulders, and should be designed so that there is a layer of easily sweatable space between the pack and the back. Additional frames add weight and make it easier to trip over obstacles or branches, making bushwhacking more arduous. But on the plus side, something is better than nothing.
Finally, it's important to emphasize that bags should be made of strong, waterproof fabrics. It is best if the main bag has a lining, both to prevent water from seeping in and to prevent the contents from leaking. Side pockets are also useful, but choose a secure zipper rather than a clasp or something like that, otherwise it's easy to lose things.
*LOADING
For convenience, it's a good idea to keep everything in a variety of clear polyethylene bags, which makes it easy to know where each item is, and ensures that the items you want to use first don't end up at the bottom. Your sleeping bag can go at the bottom and your tent should go at the top. Bulky items such as radios should also be placed in the top section to make them easier to carry. If you have to deal with hurricane force winds, then try not to make your bag too high, as you will have trouble balancing in the wind and will use up more physical energy at the same time.
Put your stove and various cooking utensils in side pockets so that they can be easily removed when you come down temporarily. You should bring food that is easy to cook, while salt must be kept in a suitable container. In case of warm weather, you can bring food that can be eaten cold, just make sure you can get enough hot drinks. In case of severe cold weather, bring more high-fat foods and sugars. The exact proportions of food can be determined by your own tastes, but be sure to ensure a good level dilution between the various types of nutrients as well as an adequate supply of each. These nutrients include proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements. Carefully consider your ability to survive while away from land, and bring enough of all the essential nutrients that are not readily available locally.
Communication equipment
Radio communication equipment should be a must for a remote expedition. Pre-arranged signals and means of morning and evening contact between the expedition team and the base will make communication between the two sides easy. It is important to make sure that the frequency you choose will pick up and drop off in the area of the expedition. There should be at least two members of the expedition team who can skillfully maneuver these devices to make contact.
Use the radio in the evening to report to headquarters the position of the expedition and what has been accomplished and what is intended to follow. In the morning attention should be paid to receiving updates on weather conditions, standard time, and other information and instructions sent to the expedition from the base.
In order to be prepared for possible accidents during the expedition, you should arrange for the base to be able to receive additional call signals from you in the event of an accident. This way, you will be able to call for help in an emergency and receive an immediate response at the same time.
Contingency plans should be implemented immediately when radio communications between the two locations are disrupted. This is because when you cannot continue to maintain normal contact with the base, even if all is well, the base will consider that an accident has occurred. The expedition must return or remain at the last reported location and wait for contact. If you do have an accident, the base will know the location of your last contact and your planned destination so that the rescue plan can be easily implemented.
*Transportation
Vehicles*
Vehicles need to be specially modified and reinforced to cope with the lack of oxygen in the plateau or all kinds of extreme environments. The vehicle should be overhauled before traveling to ensure that everything is in order. It should also be equipped with spare fuel and water tanks, as well as other spare parts and repair equipment. (See also the Vehicles section in the Climate and Terrain section.)
*Ships and Aircraft*
Whether you're traveling privately or on business, you should be aware of emergency measures. Maritime authorities have documented the right of travelers to be notified in advance of emergencies. Keeping this in mind may help to save the day. When traveling on an airplane, the crew will tell you where the emergency outlets are and how to open them in case of an emergency. When sailing you can take part in life-saving drills to learn how to maneuver a lifeboat and what to do if you have to abandon ship.
The safest place on an airplane is near the tail. The tail tends to break off when a plane crashes, and most survivors sit in this position. If you're traveling in a light aircraft, ask the pilot a lot of questions about the trip, but of course you shouldn't interfere too much with his maneuvers. You can ask questions such as how long the journey is and where the plane is flying below. Pay attention to the details - they often work very well in an emergency.
*The Lifesaver's Box
How can you prepare for the unexpected? Perhaps preparing for all sorts of foreseeable difficulties and dangers already makes things difficult for you, how do you equip yourself for the completely unpredictable accident? Such accidents are entirely possible, such as a ship sinking, an airplane crashing into a mountain, or having to make a forced landing in unknown territory.
This book will inform you how to face the unexpected and how to solve it. You have probably read many articles on mountaineering, sailing, exploring, desert survival, and trekking in dense forests. These articles may have helped you in one way or another to acquire the appropriate survival skills. But what is more important is to familiarize yourself with the various survival skills that can be applied to all critical situations and to learn the mindset of how to seek solutions to certain types of emergencies under these conditions. This is the best preparation you can make for the unknown. But that's not all. You should also equip yourself with several gadgets, which will be listed later, that can help you multiply your chances of surviving. You should preferably keep them in a locket so that they are easy to carry around. They are your treasure box of lifesavers. In case of an accident, you will be glad that they are always around. For home life, always carrying knives and these gadgets with you might annoy you. But for the traveler on the go, they are quite small and easy to carry around. You may still be able to make do without them in case of an accident, but taking them with you will be a great convenience. Sometimes they are crucial to a successful survival.
I call the locket that contains these critical gadgets the Lifesaver's Locket. Of course, you could also call it a treasure bag or something like that. Because these essential gadgets can all fit in a small box, such as a 20-cigarette hard tin cigarette case, and be carried almost completely unnoticed in a coat pocket. Get into the habit of carrying it with you. In order to make yourself emotionally happy to carry it, do not choose one of those over-sized tin-type containers, as you will often find that you are about to use it without it. Many cigarette smokers carry such containers, and the one I suggest you carry will not only not harm your health, but may save your life at a critical moment.
Shine your case so that it shines like a mirror, and then seal it. For waterproofing it should also be tightly sealed with narrow tape so that it is also easy to carry and relocate. Never forget that the most important thing is to carry it with you. Regularly check all kinds of small items in your cigarette case and replace them as soon as you notice which one is not working anymore (such as matches and pills). All medicines should be labeled with usage, dosage and expiration date. The remaining space in the box should be stuffed with absorbent cotton, which has two advantages: it can be used to light a fire in case of emergency, and it can also prevent all kinds of small things from bumping into each other and making noises. Fire is essential for survival, and there are four types of small items in the box for starting a fire: matches, candles, flint and a magnifying glass.
Inside the box1
1. Matches
Waterproof matches are more useful than regular matches, but at the same time are much larger. Ordinary matches are flammable and not very safe, possibly melted candle oil wrapped around the match head solves this problem. To save space, the second half of each matchstick should be removed.
It is certainly easier to light a fire with matches than by any other method, but remember not to be wasteful, and use this gem only when other methods fail. When taking matches from the tin box you should take one at a time and keep the lid closed as you go. At no time should you leave the tin box open or just throw it on the floor.
2, candles
Candles can be used both to make fire and as a source of light, and are invaluable for survival in unexpected situations. Candles should be cut into strips so that they can be easily placed. Candles made of tallow can also be eaten or used as cooking oil in an emergency, but only if they are genuine. Candles made of paraffin or other waxes should never be eaten. But tallow candles are not easy to store in hot weather
3. Flint
Flint can work even when wet. It helps you keep the fire going after you've used up all the matches, and refined flint is the fire to watch.
4, magnifying glass
The magnifying glass can focus light directly on the fire, but it is also useful for pulling out and piercing needles.
5, needle and thread
There should be several types of needles. There should be at least one large one with an eye that can pass through surgical suture tendon thread or coarse cotton gauze. Choose a tough, abrasion-resistant thread and wind it around the needle.
6. Hooks and Line
Carefully select hooks and place them in a small paper bag or pouch. Remember that small size hooks can catch both big and small fish, while large size hooks can only hook big fish. Remember to bring as long a fishing line as possible; it may also come to catch birds.
7. Compass
Prepare a button sized compass with a clear scale. Some miniature compass scales can be confusing, so check beforehand. The liquid-filled type is the best, and should be checked to make sure there are no leaks, and there must be no air bubbles inside. Be sure the needle turns freely on the shaft as it tends to rust.
8. Beta Lamp
The beta lamp is a crystal luminescent body, the size of a coin, but ideal for reading maps at night, and an excellent lure for night fishing - expensive but durable.
9, traps and snares
First, fine copper wire about 60-90 centimeters long, used to set traps or snares, but also solves many survival problems.
10, flexible saw blades
Saw blades usually have two large rings at each end as handles. As the handle is very space-occupying can not. To be used when you can use a wooden bolt buckle or something like that instead. A layer of grease on the outside of the blade prevents it from rusting. Flexible saw blade can cut very thick trees
11, medical vials
You can choose a few thin cylindrical vials. What medicines are in the vials depends on your needs.
□ Analgesics This type of medicine relieves pain and eases suffering. Codeine phosphate is ideal for toothache, earache and headache. Dosage: one tablet every 6 hours as needed. Side effects are that it can cause constipation, so it may also be helpful in treating diarrhea. It is important to note that it is contraindicated for children, asthmatics or those who live an irregular life.
□ Intestinal tranquilizers Can be used to treat acute or chronic diarrhea. Dosage: two capsules initially, then one capsule after each bowel movement.
□ Antibiotics Can be used to treat common bacterial infections. Tetracycline may be used for those allergic to penicillin. Dose: 250 mg per tablet, four times a day for five to seven days. Take enough for one course of treatment. Avoid drinking milk or taking calcium and iron preparations and other aluminum hydroxide drugs at the same time. □ Antihistamines can be used to treat all kinds of allergies, mosquito bites and poisonous insect chelating, etc. They can also be used to treat patients who have had a malignant reaction to a certain type of medicine. Of course, don't push too hard to take medicines or drink alcohol while taking medicines.
□ Bleach powder When you suspect that the water source is not clean and you can not boil the water to sterilize it, you can use bleach powder, and refer to the production instructions for specific usage. □ Anti-malarial medicines These medicines are necessary in malaria endemic areas. There are several types of anti-malarial medicines, and one tablet per day is sufficient.
□ Potassium permanganate Potassium permanganate has many uses. When it is added to water and stirred, the aqueous solution is disinfected when it is light red, sterilized when it reaches a deep red color, and used to treat fungal diseases such as foot fungus when it reaches a purplish red color.
12, surgical blades
At least two different types of blades should be brought. You can make your own wooden handle when you need it.
13, bow tie
Used to fix the injured part, promote wound healing.
14, plasters
Types of various, the best waterproof, before use should ensure that the wound to get clean. They can also be torn into a bow-like structure for ease of use. (See the "Health" section, "Wound closure."
15, condoms
Can be used as a good water bag - at least 2 pints of water.
*LIFE SAVING KIT
Don't keep all types of life-saving items separate when traveling in a car, on a boat, or flying. You can keep them all in one life preserver box. Lifesaving boxes are larger and not as easy to carry as a Lifesaving Treasure Box, but they can be placed where you can get to them quickly in an emergency. You can attach it to your belt when trekking in the wilderness. Put fuel, food, life pack and signal box all in one lunch box. The lunchbox can cook and serve you in the field when you need it. Items consumed through use in the lifebox during ordinary travel should be replenished as soon as possible, and it will give you the assurance of survival in times of emergency.
Must be made of waterproof material and big enough to hold a stainless steel lunch box. It has a bolt hook on the front to keep the mouth of the bag closed and a sturdy loop on the back to allow it to be worn on a belt. Remember, the kit can contain survival items -- matches, congealed grease, flashing beacons, etc. -- so it should be stored carefully and gently.
1, lunch box
Aluminum lunch box is lightweight and durable, it is a good cooking utensil, but also can hold all kinds of life-saving items.
2. Fuel
It is a good idea to carry solidified fuel blocks of the type found in folding stoves. They should only be used in emergencies when it is inconvenient to get a fire with firewood. They work great for getting a fire going. Simply wiggle open the stove casing to create a nifty little pot stove in which the fuel can burn fully.
3, flashlight
A miniature flashlight takes up very little space. Batteries are placed inside the tube, but the head and tail should be reversed so that even if the switch is touched on by chance, the batteries will not be consumed. Lithium batteries are a natural choice for their high power and long life.