Life and death on the mountain

Image from NASA. Source: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=85710&src=eorss-iotd

Last year (2014) on the 18th of April, a large piece of a hanging glacier broke off and triggered an avalanche on the south face of Mount Everest. The avalanche overtook a group of guides, killing sixteen. There had never been a day before with that many deaths on the mountain. Now, a year later, climbers are facing the challenge of Mount Everest again. Of the climbers now in the Himalaya, two are fellow Colorado mountain enthusiasts: Alan Arnette [alanarnette.com] and Jon Kedrowski [jonkeverest.org].

Alan and I enjoy hiking in the same areas of Northern Colorado, often unexpectedly running across each other on some local trail. Jon Kedrowski is a resident in the heart of the Colorado mountains. I don't think Jon has an "off season", there is never a shortage of beautiful photos and wild adventures coming from him. I am always guaranteed a healthy dose of inspiration and a yearning for the mountains whenever I see a post from either of these two.

The fact that both Alan and Jon are adventuring in the Himalaya on this dark day for Everest is both unsurprising and unnerving. It's unsurprising because the window of opportunity is open and it's only open a little while. It's unnerving because the reality of potential disaster is more personal than a sobering headline in climbing news. However, tragedy isn't an end-all. My recent review of "Supersurvivors" touched on the concept of "bouncing forward".

Climbers of Everest have bounced forward after the tragedy on Everest last year. Safer routes, more precautions, better planning, and more. (I encourage you to read Alan's article [alanarnette.com] on the events of the tragedy and the Everest community's recovery from it.) I've also made recent adjustments to my adventuring as well. After the death of my friend Chris, I reevaluated my approach to local hikes and have established some extra precautions in the case of an emergency while on any mountain -- not just "the big ones", as I'd thought previously.

Today, I invite you to join my friends Alan and Jon digitally in the Himalaya by reading their words as they take the next steps in their adventures. Additionally, technology has made what was impossible now possible:
- Use Satellite trackers to follow Alan [alanarnette.com] and Jon [findmespot.com] as they climb
- Climb to Everest Base Camp [google.com] with Google Streetview
- Explore the route up Everest itself [everestavalanchetragedy.com] with Discovery's Everest Tragedy explorer

Whatever your adventure and however you pursue it, I hope you appreciate the good experiences and learn from the bad ones. Today, we look back and remember those who have died. Tomorrow, we honor their memory by building a better future.

Review: Supersurvivors

Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success by David B. Feldman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was fascinated and impressed with Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success. This book was laid out beautifully, reviewing points when necessary and tying together ideas cohesively. The use of statistics and studies were perfectly balanced; the authors didn't exhaust readers with an abundance of unexplained data nor did they make baseless conjectures. It would have been easy for this book to have become an empty shell of feel-good "you can do it" mumbo-jumbo, but it wasn't. The book is a coherent explanation of the ways that some individuals might "bounce forward" after trauma and tragedy.

I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about a balanced perspective on human perseverance and the adaptation of mind. This is a refreshing look at concrete commonalities seen in individuals that have turned tragedies into triumphs and/or triumphed after tragedies. Touching on cancer, violence, and even genocide, the book covers a wide area of subject matter and specifically looks at how one might model behaviors and perspectives based on the data.

The authors did a wonderful job of summarizing the overall message I got from this book, so I'll leave you with their final words:
"From each, we learn that it is possible to brave life's trials with a deep sense of hope. And that, rooted in the act of confronting the entanglements of life, every one of us has the capacity to be super."

View all my reviews

Indy's YouTube Channel

I've previously mentioned my enjoyment of certain YouTube channels; especially in how I think that many things can be both fun and educational, "edutainment", as I said in that article. Every now and then, I've captured something entertaining or educational on video. Sometimes, those videos have prompted people to say that I should "put that on YouTube". Up until recently, I've hesitated to do so; I've always thought that YouTube, like many things, has so much content that it would be a silly misuse of time to try and add something that might already exist. However, I guess we are all unique individuals with many unique life experiences and, sometimes, an uncommon idea happens in an uncommon situation.

In recent months, I've had the opportunity to offer my help and skills for the benefit of a local wolf sanctuary. WOLF (Wolves Offered Life & Friendship) has been helping "to improve the quality of life for all wolves and wolf dogs" for nearly 10 years. WOLF is not open to the general public, but I encourage you to lend your voice in the support of proper care and education about wolves and wolf-dogs. Visit the WOLF website, follow WOLF on Facebook, and/or subscribe to WOLF on YouTube. It's important that we share our understanding and love for these animals and encourage others to do the same. For most of my life, I have loved, studied, respected, and admired wolves. So, I am more than happy to be a supporting member and an able volunteer of WOLF.

During one of my recent trips to work at the sanctuary, after all of the days tasks had been completed, we took a few of the animals for a walk. Now, a "walk" for a wolf is a little different than what you might imagine; these animals are amazingly strong and energetic. So, after doing my best to take photos while enjoying a walk (translation: run) with one pair, another volunteer had the idea to use my GoPro chest harness on one of the wolves. Thus, an uncommon idea (GoPro on a wolf) occurred in an uncommon situation (a wolf sanctuary). The result was a dizzying video of a wolf running with us in the mountains of Colorado. And that result, I think, is a unique idea with which to open my YouTube channel.

I intend my channel to be largely for infrequent "that was cool" moments. I've been asked to turn some of my survival guides into videos as well, but that has already been done by others on YouTube and, therefore, I may not pursue that request. I don't intend my YouTube videos to be well-produced or well-presented. My only hope is that they will be something fun, fascinating, or informative and give a smile to anyone that decides to watch.

Water is necessary

What do you need? What is essential to every day of your life? In the world of instant gratification, global communication, and relative safety, you might find yourself thinking that you "need" more than truly necessary: Food, Water, Shelter.

When I wrote the survival series, it was about educating people whose basic needs are met in their daily lives. My hope continues to be that those articles can be a helpful resource and provide the knowledge which could save lives in unexpected situations. However, today is Earth Day and I'd like to take a more globally aware view.


URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D-P005_Kein_Trinkwasser.svg

There are far more people in this world who live in a state of basic survival need everyday than those whose needs are met. People lacking proper nutrition, basic safety/security, and the most basic life need: water. In my articles about the human population reaching 7 billion, I mentioned some statistics about water and sanitation.

Lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion): 17.74%
and/or
Lack access to basic sanitation (2.6 billion): 41.93%

Years ago, I briefly shared a video from charity:water about their projects to bring clean drinking water to people around the world. Two years ago, I saw another video from them that I've been thinking about since.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCHhwxvQqxg

The necessity of water to life is unmistakable, so too are the detrimental effects on the people and communities lacking clean water. Now and again, some people in the developed world are shocked into a life without basic needs (e.g. New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, New England after Hurricane Sandy, the disastrous Carnival Triumph cruise ship). It's in those situations that basic survival skills become the focus of every moment; imagine living always in that state. As the video notes, the time spent trying to meet our basic needs is time that can't be spent on developing ourselves and our community.

Not everyone has the resources, desire, or freedom to lend to the needs of others, but we all feel stress when our needs are being threatened. By keeping an awareness and empathy about that stress, maybe we can each make an effort to recognize and connect with others, helping to improve the overall human condition with the simplest kindness.

A midsummer's hike

Ten minutes after this article publishes, the June solstice of 2012 will occur (2012-06-20@23:10 UTC). As written in my "Survive in extreme temperatures" article published at the last solstice (December):

During a solstice, the "tilt" of the Earth is at its greatest angle in relation to its orbit around the Sun.

For astronomers, today's solstice marks the start of Summer in the Northern hemisphere. As much as I love astronomy, I prefer to view the seasons as we do our days: When the Sun is at its peak during the day, we say it is midday. In the same way, when the Sun appears at its Northern most in the sky, it is midsummer.

This midsummer marks the start of my primary hiking season. In fact, by the time this (automatically) publishes, my girlfriend and I should be well on our way to the location of our hike. We are both avid hikers year-round, but I've found that I most enjoy tackling larger summits during the warmer months.

During this hike, I am hoping to try something new. I have a tendency to push myself to find and maintain a constant pace while hiking; essentially, forcing myself to march up mountains. This time, I'm going to experiment with strategically changing the pace based on incline.

If we encounter a flat area, I hope to push myself slightly beyond a comfortable pace. When we encounter an incline I hope to slow myself to a pace below my comfort. I'm curious to observe the results on my overall performance. My goal is to keep the focus on comfort, not time or destination.

I love finding new and exciting experiences throughout the world, but I sometimes find myself pushing physically so hard toward some goal that I ignore what I'm feeling about the experience of getting there. I certainly enjoy the external aspects of the experience (e.g. beautiful views, incredible company, wondrous wildlife). I hope that this new approach to my pace will help me to be mindful of the internal experience as well.

How to estimate wind speed and direction

Today is Flag Day in the United States of America. Many countries have these "Flag Day" public holidays, during which the adoption of the national flag or a specific event is recognized. Flags can be found, in some form, throughout history, but their usefulness extends beyond identification, patriotism, and decoration. How? Well, the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.


Source: "Palace of the Four Winds" - Wikipedia

It's easy to become so accustomed to our environment that we miss the nuanced information we can collect from it. I previously presented how to predict the weather using observations of your environment in my Survival Guide Series. Today, I would like to detail how you can use similar awareness to discern wind speed and direction, another useful survival skill.

There have been a small collection of measurement systems for estimating wind speed, effects, and direction developed throughout history; one of which is the Beaufort wind force scale [Wikipedia]. Initially used to qualitatively evaluate wind effects, the Beaufort scale was eventually made into a more useful measure of wind conditions.

The Wikipedia article on the Beaufort scale has a wonderfully comprehensive table of the measures and effects of wind at each stage of the scale. I’ve chosen to select specific qualities and quantities from that table to ease memorization. For example, you’ll find that I list specific easy-to-remember speeds approximately within each Beaufort scale, rather than just throw a bunch of data at you. After all, my goal with this article is to make this information easy for you to use without technology or calculation. I want to empower you to look at the world around you and instantly discern the information you desire.

I’ve divided my groupings into three types of observations: flags, land, and sea. The effects described for the flag, are based on a common midsize flag (2:3 ratio, about 1 m ≈ 3 ft on its shortest side). For land, I made sure to include observations of the trees; do keep in mind that other factors can also affect tree movement, such as weather and fauna (e.g. rain may make leaves move, snow may hinder branch motion, squirrels may shake small branches).

CALM
Beaufort 0 - Less than 2 km/h (≈ 1.25 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is at rest.
Land: Smoke rises gradually straight up, with very little drifting.
Sea: The water’s surface will appear smooth and reflections will be clearly recognizable.

LIGHT AIR
Beaufort 1 - 5 km/h (≈ 3 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag moves slightly in the wind, the bottom corner of the flag will hang.
Land: Smoke will drift with the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water will show some rippling.

LIGHT BREEZE
Beaufort 2 - 10 km/h (≈ 6 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag extends in the wind, the top corner may flap and curl.
Land: Tree leaves begin to rustle.
Sea: Small waves begin forming. No curling or cresting.

GENTLE BREEZE
Beaufort 3 - 20 km/h (≈ 12 mi/hr)

Flag: Waves move across the fabric when the flag is extended in the wind.
Land: Leaves and small twigs will be constantly moving.
Sea: “Wavelets” form, crests begin to form and break.

MODERATE BREEZE
Beaufort 4 - 30 km/h (≈ 20 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is in constant motion, flapping quickly in the wind.
Land: Small tree branches begin to move. Dust and debris will be carried by the wind.
Sea: Small waves (up to 1 m high) begin to make longer curls. Crests become more numerous and easily visible.

FRESH BREEZE
Beaufort 5 - 40 km/h (≈ 25 mi/hr)

Flag: Ripples move quickly across the fabric.
Land: Small trees with leaves will begin to sway.
Sea: Moderate waves (1-2 m high) form. Many crests are visible, some surface spray is carried by the wind.

STRONG BREEZE
Beaufort 6 - 50 km/h (≈ 30 mi/hr)

Flag: The flag will “snap” and “pop” as it waves, flaps, and ripples. Damage to the flag will begin to occur.
Land: Larger tree branches will begin moving.
Sea: Large waves (2-4 m high) form. More spray is carried in the wind.

NEAR GALE
Beaufort 7 - 60 km/h (≈ 35 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag will begin to tear, possibly detaching from its hoist.
Land: Large trees begin to move and sway. Most people will feel some resistance when walking against the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water begins to heave. Sea heaps up, waves about 5 meters in height will form. Crests will spread down the waves from where the wave breaks.

GALE
Beaufort 8 - 75 km/h (≈ 45 mi/hr)

Flag: What flag? If not already torn from its hoist, there will be little left of the flag to respond to the wind.
Land: Loose leaves and small twigs break free of tree branches. Most people will have difficulty standing and/or staying balanced in the wind.
Sea: Moderately high waves (5-7 m) form. Spray from crests drifts (aka “spindrift”) across the surface with the wind.

STRONG GALE
Beaufort 9 - 88 km/h (≈ 55 mi/hr)

Land: Large tree branches may break. Some damage to buildings.
Sea: High waves (7-10 m) form. The whole surface begins to roll. Foam streaks across the surface. Spray carried in the wind notably fills the air.

STORM
Beaufort 10 - 100 km/h (≈ 65 mi/hr)

Land: Tree trunks may break and/or whole trees will uproot. Significant damage to buildings. (Wind of this speed is a rare occurrence on land.)
Sea: Very high waves (10-12 m) with large crests. The surface is dense with foam and rolls deeply. Visibility is hindered more by spray in the air.

VIOLENT STORM
Beaufort 11 - 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: Waves nearly 15 meters in height. The surface of the water is mostly foam.

HURRICANE
Beaufort 12 - Greater than 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: The air is now filled with foam and spray. Waves are over 15 meters high and the surface of the water is completely white with foam and spray.

I know this list of observations seems long, but it can be fun to focus most on those qualities most commonly relevant to your daily life (Beaufort 2 - 8). In the days writing this article, I have found myself frequently looking out a window to observe, estimate, and check the wind speed.

It’s easy to miss the wonders of the world around us, if we don’t first make an effort to look for them. I hope that the information within these guides inspires your enjoyment of our planet and makes the external environment feel more personally relevant.

Survive in extreme temperatures

Six months ago, at the June solstice, I wrote "a series of Survival Guides in an attempt to educate and inform readers of wilderness survival techniques". Today, on the day of the December solstice, I would like to revisit the subject of survival.

Photo from telegraph.co.uk [found via Universe Today]

During a solstice, the "tilt" of the Earth is at its greatest angle in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Meaning, the Northern hemisphere is in the depths of Winter and the Southern hemisphere is at the peak of Summer. The solstice is a time of astronomical extremes and so are the conditions on our planet. Inspired by these extremes, I want to give you some guidance in today's article on surviving extreme temperatures.

Whether freezing cold or scorching heat, extreme temperatures stress the human body to death. Though apparent opposites, heat and cold cause similar problems. The human body is a system run at a consistent core temperature, any environment outside the usual comfort limits to this system causes the body to have to work harder to maintain its core temperature.

We have at least three options when it comes to our process of temperature maintenance:

1. Change our environment/location to bring it within our comfort limit.
2. Provide our bodies with the resources necessary to continue to operate under the demands of increased work.
3. Do nothing, risking the possibility that our body will fail to meet the new demands. Said simply: Death.

Regardless of the temperature, we need to address these basic components: shelter, water, and first-aid. Shelter allows us to insulate ourselves against the extremes (option 1). Water is a necessity for maintaining our internal system (option 2). First-aid allows us to treat any damage the environment may have caused to our bodies, injury and illness puts our body at greater risk, stressing it further.


SHELTER
Finding shelter is important in both heat and cold. In times of heat, it will shield you from the Sun and help you keep a little cooler. In times of cold, shelter will help stay warm and protect you from rain or snow.

"Shelter" is not only physical standing structures, shelter can refer to clothing as well. It's all about environmental comfort. When keeping warm, remember the COLD acronym:

CLEAN - Dirt weighs down clothing, decreasing the amount of air between one layer and the next. Air is essential to insulate the body and keep in the heat.
OVERHEATING - If you overheat your body, you'll begin to sweat. The moisture will cool you faster, not a good thing when trying to stay warm. Keep things comfortable, not hot.
LAYERS - Keep your layers loose. It's important to keep your blood flowing easily. It will help to circulate your core temperature and keep your extremities warm.
DRY - Any moisture, including sweat, cools the skin and collapses the layers of clothing.

Clothing is important for keeping cool as well. If trying to stay cool, clothing will help slow the evaporation of sweat. Additionally, clothing will protect your skin from the direct sunlight. Beware not to wear too much clothing though; cover what you are able, but don't overheat yourself further.


WATER
As I said in my article about Finding Water:

You should drink about two liters of water per day (2 L ≈ .5 gal) under normal circumstances. In more strenuous situations, you should intake four to six liters per day; "strenuous" describes anything outside tolerable temperatures (21°C ≈ 70°F) or stress levels (physical or mental). Basically, drink 2 liters when you're feeling average; more if you're not feeling average.

Staying hydrated is one of the most important steps to ensuring your survival. In addition to what I've already addressed in my related article, here are some other guidelines:

- Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol; those drinks will take more moisture from you than they offer.
- Do not eat/drink frozen water (e.g. snow or ice). If you do consume frozen water, you'll decrease your core body temperature, which your body then has to fight to restore. So, melt first!
- If trying to stay warm, avoid getting your clothes and skin wet when finding or consuming water.

FIRST-AID
Frost bite, sun burn, and exhaustion are a few of the dangers you face in extreme environmental conditions. I wrote about common ailments in my Wilderness First Aid article, be sure to supplement that knowledge with the following tips:

- Be careful with your skin. Both frost bite and sun burn are similar in their effect on the body.
- Don't ever rub damaged skin, you'll cause even more damage.
- Wear loose clothing so that you don't restrict blood flow.
- When trying to rewarm frost-bite, do NOT use hot water. Ideally, use water between 38°C (≈100°F) to 41°C (≈106°F).

Please take care in all times of year, especially when facing environmental extremes. Always try to stay informed of possible changes in weather and always plan/pack for the worst-case scenario whenever you leave your home (even if only a "quick trip").

Survival Guide series synopsis

Every four days for forty days (beginning the 21st of June and ending the 31st of July), I published a series of Survival Guides in an attempt to educate and inform readers of wilderness survival techniques.

Today, on the cross-quarter day signifying the beginning of traditional autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere), I am going to summarize those eleven (11) articles.

SURVIVAL GUIDE SERIES

01: Tell time using the Sun or Moon - Estimating the time of day (or night) using only the most visible orbs in the sky.
02: Find North - A variety of techniques for determining which direction is North, no matter where you are in the world.
03: Tell time using the stars - Estimating the time using only the stars and a bit of math.
04: Predict the weather - Some tips in attempting to predict the weather using only what you can sense in your surroundings.
05: Find shelter - Methods for building or locating a place to keep yourself warm/cool and safe.
06: Find water - A sampling of ideas for gathering the most essential resource in the world: water.
07: Wilderness first-aid - Suggestions in how to treat injuries and illness in the wilderness.
08: How to build a fire - Techniques for starting and maintaining a fire.
09: How to test what you eat - An edibility test based on "using your senses".
10: Find food - Suggestions and guides in gathering food to help maintain your energy while in a life-threatening situation.
11: Rescue - A short listing of suggestions and best practices for getting rescued.

It's possible that I will write more articles around the subject of survival. You can find the original "Survival Guide series" and any future articles using the "survival" INDY Blog label.

May you greet the adventures of Life well, knowing that you are prepared for any challenges you may face.

Survival Guide: Rescue

In the last few articles, I have given you some suggestions in how to stay alive, maybe even comfortable, in the wilderness. Today's article contains a few tips in how to hopefully reach the most important stage in wilderness survival: rescue.

There are many ways to signal distress. Most important is that your signal is unusual for the surroundings. Here are some ways to signal for help:

- Three whistle blows. Repeated with a pause between each set.
- Three rock piles arranged in a triangle, visible to your intended viewer (e.g. in a clearing for viewing from above, on a mountain side for viewing from below).
- Three fires arranged in a triangle. (Please make sure you clear an amble area so as not to start the surroundings afire.)
- Hold your arms up in a "Y" visible to passing aircraft.
- Place a large bright object on a dark surface (e.g. an orange blanket on green grass).
- Place a large dark object on a light surface (e.g. a black canvas on white snow).
- Use a mirror (as described below).

If you move away from a signal area, don't forget to indicate your direction in some way (e.g. a large arrow pointed where you're headed, marked trees, etc.).

The method I prefer for getting rescue attention is the "signal mirror". I carry one with me whenever I travel, whether in a populated area or not.

HOW TO USE A SIGNAL MIRROR

STEP 1: Face your intended target. For example, an approaching plane, distant hikers, or a moving vehicle.
STEP 2: Hold the mirror in one hand, reflective-side facing toward the target.
STEP 3: Extend your free hand (the one not holding the mirror) out between you and your target.
STEP 4: Turn your free hand's palm toward you.
STEP 5: Adjust the mirror at diagonal angles between the sun and your free hand until the light is reflected on to your palm.
STEP 6: Lift your free hand out of the way between the mirror and your target. The reflected light will hit your target. (Remember, to "aim for the eyes"; you want your target to notice you.)
STEP 7: Block the light with your free hand again.
STEP 8: Repeat STEP 6 and STEP 7 in a pattern of three.

It is important to get the attention of possible rescuers, but you also need to take care to conserve your energy. Try not to exhaust yourself through yelling or large gestures until you can clearly hear or see possible rescuers (and not just their vehicles).

When rescue does come, remember to stay calm and follow the instructions of your rescuers. Do everything you can to resist your instincts to panic, as that may endanger you further or endanger your rescuers.

Survival Guide: Find food

In any survival situation, it is important to stay calm and well-hydrated. In situations which become more long-term, one must find shelter and possibly build a fire for warmth. When the length of time before rescue is too long, food becomes a major priority.

In today's article, I'm going to go over some tips for finding food in the wilderness. I've divided this article into two sections: plants and animals. Plants provide an excellent, easy to access, source of energy (in the form of carbohydrates). Animals, meanwhile, can be a source of protein and fat, which can be essential to your body's needs in a long-term survival situation. However, some people choose not to consume other creatures. As I have stated in previous articles, I think knowledge is essential to survival and I encourage you to learn what skills may be necessary for your survival, but out of respect for the life-choices of others, I have clearly indicated the division between the two sections.

PLANTS
When consuming plants, it is always important to "use your senses" and follow the edibility test which I presented in the previous article. That said, I will not focus on that in this article. Instead, I am going to present some general points to remember when for foraging for plants which may be safe to eat (after testing).

- Do NOT eat any plant with milky sap.
- Do NOT eat any plant with white berries.
- Do NOT eat any mushrooms. No mushrooms. If you choose poorly, you will die; you will not simply fall ill, you will drop dead.
- Do NOT eat any plant that looks spoiled, rotten, or with fungus.
- Avoid any plants which smell like almonds.
- Avoid plants near roads and man-made structures. They may be contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals.
- Boiling plants can help lessen any bitter taste.
- Boiling also kills any parasites.
- Do NOT touch or eat any plant with a three-leaf arrangement.
- Watch what other animals eat. Those plants may also be edible to humans.
- Watermelon, papaya, and celery are some of the most moisture-rich fruits and vegetables in the world. Look for these and similar plants for a quick hydration boost.
- Cacti, and other succulents, contain a lot of moisture, but not all are safe to consume.
- Try to select abundant plants, so as to hopefully find a reliable source of energy.

I would highly recommend learning in advance about the edible plants in the area. Furthermore, you may want to pack a small booklet of common edible plants into your pack for faster identification.

---

WARNING: If taking another creature's life to sustain yourself causes you discomfort, even in the gravest of situations, stop reading now.

Please know that I greatly value the life of every creature. I understand the balance of natural survival and hope that the information I present here will not be mistaken nor misrepresent the respect I have for the creatures which could possibly become prey.

---

It is entirely possible to subsist on a diet of only plants. However, there are circumstances in which the continuance of your life may depend on taking the life of another creature. Originally, I had planned to present everything necessary for the capture, killing, preparing, cooking, and eating of animals in this article. However, during my own research, I came across a site which provided an impressive assortment of survival articles. That site is Wilderness-Survival.net and it has an especially well-presented section on using animals for food.

I am going to summarize certain animal types and briefly touch on their preparation as food, while I cite the detailed articles found on the Wilderness Survival site. (NOTE: If that site ever becomes unavailable, I will certainly revisit this article and increase its detail.)

ANIMALS
(See the Wilderness Survival: "Animals for Food" page for more details. NOTE: My opinion may differ from that article in some areas.)

INVERTEBRATES

- Insects and other arthropods are a great source of protein.
- Insect larvae, sometimes called "grubs", can be found in cool, damp places like in rotten logs and under rocks. These can be eaten raw, but may be more palatable when cooked.
- Grasshoppers and crickets, to put it simply, are delicious. Look for them in fields. I recommend roasting them before eating; also, remove the legs.
- Collect ants using a stick, dip the stick into a container of water, then boil. Drink as a "tea".
- Earthworms can (and I think should) be eaten raw. Drown them first, they'll clean themselves out of any foreign material as they die; called "purging".
- Slugs and snails can be eaten raw, but are probably better cooked. You may also want to "purge" them before cooking and eating.
- Cooked crustaceans (crab, lobster, crayfish) are edible.
- Do NOT eat these: mollusks (oysters, clams, etc.), disease carriers (flies, mosquitoes, ticks, etc.), and poison predators (centipedes, scorpions, and spiders).
- Easy rule to follow: If it has eight or more legs (and it's not a crustacean), do NOT eat it.

FISH

- Freshwater fish are safe, they are not poisonous.
- I recommend that you cook all fish before eating. It will kill any parasites (in freshwater fish) and lessen the chance of "fish poisoning" (in saltwater fish).
- Watch out for defensive barbs on catfish.
- Saltwater fish should be carefully put through edibility testing.
- Do NOT eat spoiled fish. Only eat them fresh.

AMPHIBIANS

- I think you should simply avoid eating amphibians (frogs, salamanders, toads, etc.), however some can be safely eaten.
- NEVER touch or eat any brightly colored frog, especially those with an "X" on their back.
- Do NOT eat toads. Many secrete poison which will make you very ill.

REPTILES

- Catching some reptiles may be more dangerous (crocodiles, vipers, etc.) than others, but most are good sources of protein and can be quite abundant where other sources of food are scarce.
- Do NOT eat turtles. Some carry toxins in their skin. Better safe, than dead.
- Before preparing a snake for eating, remove the head and at least 15 cm (6 in) of its neck. Bury the head and neck.
- Roast reptiles over a fire on a spit (stick) to give the meat better flavor.

BIRDS

- All birds are edible.
- Try to catch birds as they fly from nest to water/feeding areas.
- When preparing birds, choose plucking over skinning. The skin is very nutritious.

MAMMALS

- The bigger the animal, the bigger the fight. Be careful how much energy and danger you put yourself in.
- As a general rule, avoid eating liver. Some creatures' livers contain deadly levels of Vitamin A.
- Avoid eating scavengers, as they may carry diseases.

KILLING
Again, please do not read further if the subject disturbs you. Honestly, I think it should feel unsettling. This is the act of taking another creature's life in order to sustain your own. Respect and honor your prey.

- Killing should be as quick as possible to minimize the creature's suffering.
- For vertebrates, decapitation or severing the spinal column are fastest. If using a blade, cut between neck vertebrae at the base of the head.
- As disgusting as it is, breaking a neck is not as portrayed in movies, the head must be twisted almost entirely around (even off) before the spinal column is cut. This may be very difficult if attempted on larger animals with strong neck muscles.
- Cutting open the throat and/or jugular (arteries supplying blood to the brain) will kill the animal in under a minute.
- Blunt force to the head may kill smaller creatures and stun larger ones. Sever the spinal column if unsure that the creature is dead.
- Suffocation, strangulation, and drowning will be effective for all creatures. (Please understand that, in my opinion, this is the worst way to die. I implore you to use another means to kill the creature or choose smaller prey, such as insects, fish, or birds.)

PREPARATION
For further details about the preparation of animals as food, see the Wilderness Survival: "Preparation of fish and game for cooking and storage" page.

- The larger the animal, the more preparation necessary before consumption.
- Some animals will need to be bled before preparation.
- Some animals will need to be skinned.
- It may be possible to prepare the meat of some animals in a way to preserve it's edibility for a longer duration.

Survival Guide: How to test what you eat

Before describing techniques on building a fire, I made sure to go over basic wilderness first-aid. With the same care, I would like to first present my version of the "Universal Edibility Test" before I discuss finding food in future articles.

Some experts criticize the use of edibility tests. Some say it is too strict in that it eliminates potential foods or is an unnecessary waste of energy and resources in a life-threatening situation. Others say that it creates a false sense of safety in eating unknown materials, opting instead to teach people to fast and focus on finding water and rescue.

It's good to know the pros and cons in order to make an educated decision in a time of need, but it's also important to understand the skill in the first place. It is better to know too much than too little.

Almost all edibility tests use the same process of separate, test, and wait. My version uses the same methods, but I stress the senses and digestive systems you are evaluating with each step.

UNIVERSAL EDIBILITY TEST
Separate the possible food into parts (e.g. roots, stems, leaves, fruit, flowers). Before beginning the test, do not eat for at least 8 hours. During the suggested wait periods pay close attention to your mind and body, sensing for any reactions to potential poisons.

STEP 1: Select a specific food part.
STEP 2: Wash and prepare (cook, boil, etc.) a very small portion (a "pinch"), as you would to eat.
STEP 3: Smell the possible food. Wait 1 minute. "Bad" smells may be questionable, but anything "nauseating" should definitely be avoided.
STEP 4: Touch the food against the soft skin of your wrist or inner-elbow. Wait 15 minutes.
STEP 5: Touch the food against the skin of your lip for 2 minutes. Wait 15 minutes.
STEP 6: Taste the food for 15 minutes. (Meaning, rest the food on your tongue.) Do NOT swallow.
STEP 7: Chew the food, without swallowing for 15 minutes. Again, do NOT swallow.
STEP 8: Swallow the chewed food. Wait 6 hours.
STEP 9: Prepare a larger portion (about a handful) of the same food part, if no adverse reactions have occurred.
STEP 10: Test once more using the larger portion.

If all is well after this testing, it is probably safe to assume that specific food part is safe.

Remember to use extreme caution when ingesting unknown items; everything you prepare and eat could possibly contain a poison or bacteria which might kill you. When fasting (going without food) until rescue isn't an option due to time or distance, you may find edibility tests a necessary risk, but I leave that choice to you.

Survival Guide: How to build a fire

Having provided instructions in finding water and having presented basic wilderness first-aid information, I think it's now safe(r) to discuss some methods of building and starting a fire in the wilderness.

As with building a shelter, one of the most important decisions in building a fire is choosing its location.

- Pick a location at least somewhat protected from the weather (wind, rain, etc.).
- Try to pick a location near -- not next-to -- a good supply of fuel for your fire.
- Clear away any debris next-to the spot where you will build your fire.

Once you have chosen a suitable location, it's time to gather the necessary materials for building your fire.

STEP 1: Gather tinder. This is small, light, and dry material which can easily ignite. (e.g. dry leaves, dead pine needles, paper, bark shavings, cotton cloth, etc.)
STEP 2: Gather kindling. Slightly larger than tinder, kindling is fuel which take a bit more heat to ignite. (e.g. thick bark, small twigs, etc.)
STEP 3: Gather medium fuel. For example, sticks which are at least the width of two fingers. You'll only need about an armful.
STEP 4: Gather heavy fuel. One or two thigh-sized log sections would do.
STEP 5: Arrange your fuel by size near your fire's location: tinder, kindling, medium, heavy.

Once you have gathered all of your materials, you can begin building a fire. There are many ways to build a fire, I am going to provide you with only one: the pit tepee.

BUILDING A PIT TEPEE FIRE

STEP 1: Scoop out a shallow pit in the center of your well-chosen location.
STEP 2: Gently lay some tinder in the center of the pit. Fluff it up to make air space.
STEP 3: Carefully place kindling on and around your tinder. Be sure to leave an "door" open downwind (away from the wind) through which you can access the tinder.
STEP 4: Lean medium fuel in a cone-shaped "tepee" over the kindling. Still keep that "door" open.
STEP 5: Ignite the tinder through the open door. (I'll go over that next.) The tinder will light the kindling, which will light the medium fuel.
STEP 6: Add one piece of heavy fuel to the fire. Be careful not to put out the fire when you do.
STEP 7: Add more medium fuel as needed to start the heavy fuel burning.
STEP 8: Repeat steps 6 and 7 as necessary to keep the fire going.

Keeping the fire going is one thing, lighting it is the more difficult task. I kept it simple in step 5 above "Ignite the tinder", but it would be best to present you with a few options in how to actually start a fire.

- Pack matches or a lighter in a sealed plastic bag, preferably kept on you at all times.
- Strike flint and steel to create a spark to ignite tinder.
- Use friction methods to create enough heat to ignite tinder. For example, the "plow" (detailed below) or "bow and drill" (described here [NatureSkills]) methods.
- Create a hot-spot on tinder using glass (especially lens) with the sun.

PLOW FIRESTARTER
This is my favorite way to start a fire. I can "feel" the energy building into making the flame.

STEP 1: Split a groove part way into a stick about three fingers wide.
STEP 2: Place tinder at the open end of the groove.
STEP 3: Rub the tip of another smaller stick up and down the groove. The rubbing creates heat through friction. Small particles of wood will ignite with the friction.
STEP 4: The stick will push the particles into the tinder causing a small glow and some smoke.
STEP 5: Gently blow on your the tinder until you get a flame.

Fire can be used to provide warmth, cook food, boil water, signal for help, and so much more. Treat this versatile tool with the respect it deserves.

Survival Guide: Wilderness first-aid

It is my primary intention with these "Survival" Guides to provide readers with the knowledge, skills, and techniques which can be of significant benefit in life-threatening wilderness circumstances. As I have stated previously, most of my knowledge on these subjects comes from my experiences with the Boy Scouts of America and a lifetime of curiosity and practice. That said, I do NOT consider myself an expert and I am certainly not a professional. So, please, use your own brain, a proper degree of caution, and seek the advice of appropriate officials.

Why the disclaimer?
Looking at the sky, building shelters, and even safe drinking water are relatively mundane. Starting today, though, I am going to get into some serious stuff. Beginning with Wilderness first-aid.

Things can always go wrong. Even more so when you're under stress, like being lost or stranded. When things go wrong, the chance of injury increases. In this article, I hope to give you some simple pointers on the basic treatment of medical circumstances in the wilderness.

BLISTERS

A blister is a pocket of skin filled with fluid, such as blood (red/purple), plasma (clear), or pus (green/white from infection).
- Plasma helps with the growth of new tissue in the damaged area, so draining it should be avoided if possible.
- Sometimes it's necessary to drain even a plasma blister as it may not be possible to allow a it to heal naturally without impeding necessary function (such as employing survival skills).
- Blood blisters and infected blisters can be drained to relieve pressure. However...
- Blisters should always be drained using the most clean supplies.
- If you must drain a blister, use the following steps:

STEP 1: Carefully clean the area over and surrounding the blister.
STEP 2: Puncture the blister with a clean (preferably sterile) needle.
STEP 3: Use gauze or a clean cloth to apply pressure to the blister and drain the fluid.
STEP 4: Apply ointments to fight infection (such as antibacterial).
STEP 5: Lightly bandage (or band-aid) the affected area.

- Find out what caused the pressure. Try to reduce the friction and/or moisture in that area.

MUSCLE PAIN

- Cramps can be caused a few things; most commonly lack of oxygen, water, or salt for your muscles/body.
- To relieve a cramp:

STEP 1: Stretch the muscle while taking very deep breaths (to increase the oxygen in your bloodstream).
STEP 2: Slowly drink water. Allow the water time to enter your system before continuing activity.
STEP 3: Eat salty foods to replenish your body's reserves, as they may be depleted through perspiration and other bodily processes.

- Do NOT massage or punch the sore muscle, it will only make the aching worse as it increases the flow of blood and lactic acid to the muscle.

BITES, SCRATCHES, STINGS

- Bites should always be treated as if they could source infection.
- Beware of Rabies, if bitten by a carnivore. Did the animal exhibit an of the common signs of the virus? (e.g. foaming mouth, self-mutilation, growling, jerky behavior, red eyes)
- If you suspect the animal to be venomous, look for green or purple coloration around the bite.
- Do NOT attempt to suck out the venom.
- Do NOT attempt to expose the bite to heat or cold.
- If the victim of a venomous bite cannot reach medical:

STEP 1: Sit the victim up. (Raising the heart.)
STEP 2: Keep the bite lowered and away from the heart.
STEP 3: Remove any constrictive accessories/clothing (e.g. jewelry) on or around the swelling.
STEP 4: Tie a bandage, loose enough to fit a finger under, about 7 cm (3 in) above (toward the heart) the bite.
STEP 5: Get the victim professional medical attention as soon as possible.

- Some venom can paralyze the heart and/or lungs. Be prepared to administer CPR.
- Anaphylactic shock "anaphylaxis" is a severe bodily reaction to an allergen (e.g. insect bites or stings). Anaphylaxis causes rapid swelling which can close the victim's airway. Quickly administer epinephrine and antihistamine.

EXPOSURE

- Exposure (or "hypothermia"), according to the Wikipedia article on the subject, is when a person's core temperature drops below 35°C (95°F).
- Symptoms may include uncontrollable shivering, stiffness and confusion.
- Warm the victim slowly as sudden warming may cause heart failure.

HEAT ILLNESS

- Heat illness occurs when a person's core temperature rises above 40°C (104°F).
- Symptoms may include fainting, weakness, confusion, convulsions. (The latter two symtoms indicate a sever heat illness.)
- Treatment:

STEP 1: CLay the victim down, raise the legs.
STEP 2: Cool the victim. (e.g. fanning, applying damp cloths).
STEP 3: Slowly hydrate the victim and give them salty foods.
STEP 4: Massage the victims limps to help move cooled blood through the bloodstream.

- Heat illness can cause major damage to the body's organs.

WOUNDS

- Treating most wounds:

STEP 1: Quickly remove foreign material from the wound.
STEP 2: Apply pressure. No, really, apply pressure! Your goal is to try to stop the bleeding.
STEP 3: Keep your pressure on the wound for 15 minutes.
STEP 4: Check if the bleeding has stopped.
STEP 5: Wash the wound when bleeding is under control.

- Avoid use of tourniquet unless blood loss cannot be slowed using the above steps. Remember, tourniquets may lead to the loss of a limb.

BREAKS

- Split the break with two straight sticks tied around the extremity, if applicable.
- Try not to move the victim as it may cause more injuries.
- If the skin is broken, see above for treating a wound.

HEART ATTACK

- Symptoms may include nausea, sweating, discomfort in the center of the chest, and difficulty breathing. There may also be pain in the shoulder or arm, sometimes even the jaw; usually on the left side.
- Assisting someone having a heart attack:

STEP 1: Lay the victim down comfortably. (They may sit slightly, if having trouble breathing.)
STEP 2: Have the victim take slow deep breaths.
STEP 3: Give the victim aspirin, if available.
STEP 4: Help calm the victim and keep the comfortably warm.
STEP 5: Allow the victim to rest for eight hours before allowing them to move without assistance.

- You can also attempt to follow the same steps, if treating yourself during a heart attack.

Prepare yourself for any medical emergency. Knowledge is the first step, action is what is necessary. If something goes wrong when you're away from immediate medical assistance, remain calm and confident.

Survival Guide: Find water

Water is everything. Staying hydrated should always be your first priority; this is true whether you're stranded in the middle of the wilderness or standing in line at the grocery store.

In favorable conditions, a human can live without water for three to five days. In fact, that time frame is the reason I chose to stagger the publishing of these survival guides by four days.

You should drink about two liters of water per day (2 L ≈ .5 gal) under normal circumstances. In more strenuous situations, you should intake four to six liters per day; "strenuous" describes anything outside tolerable temperatures (21°C ≈ 70°F) or stress levels (physical or mental). Basically, drink 2 liters when you're feeling average; more if you're not feeling average.

Situations threatening our survival are among the most stressful situations we can face. Those would generally be the very same situations in which finding water to consume would be challenging at best. In this article I will present a variety of means you can attempt when trying to locate water in the wilderness.

STREAMS, RIVERS, AND LAKES

- Water flows down. Find streams and rivers in valleys and flood plains.
- Collect flowing water, as opposed to stagnant water. Not too fast, though, as that stirs up sediment.
- Look for reeds, like cattails, which grow in marshy conditions.
- Watch for birds at dawn and dusk. They tend to hunt around bodies of water during those times.

ICE AND SNOW

- Collect undisturbed ice and snow from your surroundings.
- Snow-melt and glaciers are common sources of water flow. Follow upstream to look for these sources.
- Avoid consuming water while it is still frozen.

GROUNDWATER

- Trees with thick roots tend to grow near good sources of groundwater. (e.g. willows, cottonwoods, and many other deciduous trees).
- Moisture is easier to find at the base of cliffs or beneath rocks.
- Once you find damp soil, dig into it with a stick or rock. Dig deep to where water begins to fill the hole. (The surrounding soil acts as a basic filter.)
- There may be underground water next to stagnant pools. Avoid the pool itself, using "filtered" water around it. (See "filtration" below.)
- Gather water using the "distillation" process below.

RAINWATER AND DEW

- Collect moisture from the air and foliage with (or wearing) absorbent cloth like cotton.
- Use leaves and water resistant materials to funnel rainwater into a centralized location.

Once you think you've gathered enough water, you can attempt to purify it using the methods below. It's important that you purify the water before consumption.

BOILING

STEP 1: Enclose (but don't seal) your water within a container.
STEP 2: Heat the water to a "rolling boil". (Meaning, big wavy air bubbles.)
STEP 3: Allow the water to boil for a minimum of 5 minutes, 10 minutes is safer.
STEP 4: Let the water cool and condense in the container.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT

There are many chemical treatments available for purchase (such as iodine). If you have no other options, you can even use a very tiny dose of bleach as a chemical treatment. In my opinion, no chemical treatment (aka poison) should be consumed regularly.

STEP 1: Carefully drop a single dose of the chemical into your water container.
STEP 2: Tightly seal your container.
STEP 3: Shake well.
STEP 4: Wait at least 20 minutes.
STEP 5: Carefully unseal your container; avoid dropping any foreign material (or untreated water) into it.

FILTRATION

If you don't have access to consumer available filters, you may have to make your own using the method below. Filtration is an essential step in the treatment of water and, therefore, I encourage you to use all or some of these steps no matter how you gathered your water.

STEP 1: Layer cloth, sand, and pebbles over (or between two) container(s).
STEP 2: Pour the water repeatedly through the layers until it runs clear.

DISTILLATION

STEP 1: Dig a hole that is about 25 cm (10 in) deep. It needs to be as wide as your collection container. (The hole should fit two containers, if distilling already collected water.)
STEP 2: Place your empty container in the hole right-side-up. (If distilling collected water, also place the container containing the water in the hole right-side-up alongside the other.)
STEP 3: Open the container(s).
STEP 4: Cover the hole with thin flexible plastic, like plastic wrap or a bit of trash bag.
STEP 5: Seal the edges around the hole by weighing down the plastic.
STEP 6: Make a small puncture in the plastic above the empty container.
STEP 7: Place a small rock nearly atop the hole, making the plastic stretch into a funnel shape.
STEP 8: The sun will evaporate the water. It will then condense on the plastic and run down the funnel and into the collection container. (This process can take hours.)

My personal purification preference is to combine the methods above when necessary and possible:
GATHER, FILTER, DISTILL, BOIL, TREAT.

Sometimes, even after purification, the water may not be as clear as you are accustomed. This is due to the sediments in the water (aka "hard water"). Your body will be most accustomed to consuming the water in your primary region, so you may notice some discomfort as any remaining bacteria or sediment in the water may not be what your body normally processes.

Remember, staying hydrated should always be your first priority!

Survival Guide: Find shelter

In the Survival Guide about finding North, I touched on the importance of finding shelter. In other previous articles I've also mentioned how weather conditions interfering with those techniques are most likely conditions in which your focus should be on finding refuge in the immediate area. Today I will present some thoughts and techniques in finding and/or building shelter for yourself in a variety of conditions. Almost all of what I've written here comes from the knowledge I gained in the Boy Scouts of America, especially the Wilderness Survival merit badge.

The most important thing about shelter is it's location. Said a different way for emphasis, the place in which you are going to try to stay safe needs to already be safe.

- Avoid natural disasters. Consider what types of issues may occur in your region. For example, if you're sheltering yourself from rain, it would be wise to stay out of areas where flooding may occur. If on a mountain, you would want to avoid areas of avalanche or rock slides. Also, remember that heat rises; if you're trying to stay warm, stay out of the valleys.
- Avoid harm and injury. Don't place yourself under trees which look like they may fall. Take care and caution as you move materials. Don't take shelter in or near plants which may be poisonous.
- Do not wander. Pick a location quickly, preferably one where you can find building materials (if needed) in the immediate area. As I've said previously, you risk injury and death, decrease the odds of rescue, and increase your panic when you are lost.
- Try to use the shelter of your natural surroundings first. Only build a shelter if environmental conditions threaten your survival.
- Avoid wildlife. Don't make your shelter on or near the home of creatures, especially ants. Don't claim another creature's home as your own. (Meaning, check for vacancy before you occupy.) Don't make your shelter along a "game trail" or anywhere predators may be hunting (e.g. near a body of water, grazing areas, etc.).
- Don't build a trap for yourself. Use sturdy building materials, but only items which you can lift alone. Make a safe haven NOT a death trap.

Making sure to follow those guidelines, let's look at some options for shelters presented by environmental conditions.

SNOW OR SAND

STEP 1: Decide if you want to make a cave or a trench. Trenches take less work to dig, but require more materials to make cover. (NOTE: You may not be able to dig a cave in loose sand or snow and, therefore, should choose to dig a trench.)
STEP 2: Gather your materials. You will need dry leaves and debris for insulation. You should also find a large stick or branch for digging, rather than your hands and risk frostbite or blistering. If building a trench, you will need to find branches (or canvas) to place over the trench for cover.
STEP 3: Dig a tight fit. Make only enough room for yourself and a bit of insulation.
STEP 4: If digging a cave, dig your entrance at a very small incline before digging parallel to the ground for the remainder of the space. If making a trench place branches over the trench and anchor them down (on the sides) with snow or sand.
STEP 5: Poke an air hole diagonally down into your shelter; a few centimeters in diameter. Keep it open, but not blocked, with sticks if you can.
STEP 6: Insulate. Stuff as much insulation as you can find into your trench or cave. Stuff some in between your clothing layers as well. (You are wearing layers, right?)
STEP 7: Burrow feet-first into your shelter.

FOREST OR JUNGLE

STEP 1: Firmly lean (and secure) a large branch against a log, stump, or rock. The branch must be longer than you are tall. This is called the "ridge pole" of the structure we are building, you should lean it so that one end is on the ground and the other is against the prop.
STEP 2: Lean sticks and branches around the ridge pole (called the ribbing), extending diagonally from the ground to the ridge pole. Make sure you have just enough room inside for yourself and some insulation; no more, no less.
STEP 3: Place and weave smaller sticks and branches over the ribbing.
STEP 4: Cover the weave with leaves and debris. Place additional material over the debris if you need to anchor it to your shelter.
STEP 5: Insulate. As the instructions above, stuff as much dry insulation as you can find into your shelter. Stuff some in between your clothing layers as well. (You are wearing layers, right?)
STEP 6: Burrow feet-first into your shelter from the tall side.

IN A VEHICLE

STEP 1: Crack a window on the side facing away from the wind.
STEP 2: Start your car for only brief periods to provide heat (or cooling). 10 minutes for every hour is a good guideline. Do NOT sleep while the engine is running.
STEP 3: Keep your light on when the engine is running. (For the possibility of rescue.)
STEP 4: Check your tailpipe occasionally to ensure that it is clear of obstructions.
STEP 5: Keep your blood flowing by moving around, if trying to stay warm. Stretch out and spread your limbs, if trying to stay cool.

Please keep in mind that there are many ways to make shelters in the wilderness; those listed here are only a small selection. Any option you consider in finding shelter for yourself should protect you from the elements and keep you safe from injury and illness for at least one night (or day).

Survival Guide: Predict the weather

In previous Survival Guides, I've mentioned the importance of finding shelter when weather conditions are not in a state allowing you to employ other survival techniques. In this article I'm going to present some ideas on how to try to predict the weather using only an observation of your surroundings. Much of the information I present below is found in a WikiHow article on "How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast". I will attempt to summarize some of the information presented there, but I encourage you to read the original article.

OBSERVE THE PLANTS

- Take a deep breath. Plants release more particle matter in low pressure, which means that their scent is stronger. (e.g. flowers smell better, trees are more pungent, etc.) Low pressure systems indicate the approach of moisture soon.
- Look for signs of humidity. Leaves will curl and pine cones will be closed in high humidity. Humidity tends to precede heavy rain.

NOTE THE COLOR OF THE SKY

- "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning." Fronts tend to move West to East, so a red sky at sunset (looking West) indicates dry air moving toward you. Therefore, a red sky at sunrise (looking East) would indicate dry air moving away (moist air moving in).
- Look for a rainbow at sunrise or sunset. A rainbow might indicate the location of moisture. A rainbow in the West at sunrise likely means moisture is on the way (remember, West to East). A rainbow in the East at sunset means moisture is moving away from you.

FEEL THE WIND AND WATCH THE CLOUDS
This area of observation might take some preparatory study. (More information on "Forecasting the Weather using the Clouds" [WikiHow])

- Feel which way the wind is blowing. Winds pulling in from the East may indicate an approaching low pressure system coming from the West. Winds pushing out from the West may indicate a low pressure system moving away toward the East.
- Clouds going in different directions show signs of circular air currents which might produce hail.
- Towering fluffy clouds (Cumulonimbus) play a significant role in severe weather. Watch for their development and location in the sky.
- Streamers in the high sky (Cirrus) indicate bad weather within the next 2 days.
- Scaly clouds (Altocumulus) also indicate bad weather within the next 2 days.
- Heavy cloud cover on a Winter night keeps in the heat, so you can expect warm weather the next day.

OBSERVE THE OTHER ANIMALS
Some animals change their behavior with the weather. Here are some of the most notable.

- How high are the birds flying? If they're staying close to the ground, it could indicate a storm is coming.
- Bees and butterflies take refuge when foul weather is approaching.
- Ants like to reinforce their hills before a rain.
- Livestock (e.g. cows, sheep, etc.) tends to huddle together before severe weather.
- Frogs get louder as rain is coming into the area.

It is important for your survival that you ALWAYS be wary of your surroundings. Find shelter as soon as possible, when you suspect bad weather. A bad situation will only get worse, even life-threatening, if you "get caught in the rain".

Survival Guide: Tell time using the stars

Whenever technology is not immediately available, I try to tell time using the stars. When I say stars I mean either the one closest to us (aka the Sun) or those further away. In today's survival guide, I'm going to show you how to estimate the time using only the stars and a bit of math.

(As I have mentioned in previous Survival Guides, if you are unable to use the techniques below due to weather conditions, I strongly suggest that you be less concerned with the current time and focus instead on quickly finding shelter nearby.)

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

STEP 1: Find the star Polaris (North Star) and the constellation Ursa Major (Big Dipper). [help]
STEP 2: Imagine a straight line from Polaris drawn through the two stars of Ursa Major which are furthest away from its tail.
STEP 3: Imagine that the line is the hour hand of a clock with Polaris at its center. Estimate what time the hand falls on. For example:

If the line to the two stars is perfectly level to the right, that would be 3:00.
If the line is midway between the bottom and level at right, that would be roughly 4:30.

STEP 4: Add an hour for every month that has passed since March 7th and the current month's 7th. Or subtract an hour for each month between this month's 7th and the approaching Marth 7th.
(For additional accuracy you can add or subtract two minutes for each day before or after the seventh of each month.)

Some examples:
- At midnight on March 7th, our hour hand is also at midnight. So, this is our zero date (in the Northern Hemisphere).
- November 7th is eight months after March 7th, so 8 hours are added to our STEP 3 time.
- January 2nd is two months and five days before our zero date, so we subtract two hours and ten (5*2) minutes from our STEP 3 time.
- March 10th is three days after March 7th so we add six (3*2) minutes to the STEP 3 time.

STEP 5: Double the STEP 4 time. (e.g. 3:00 * 2 = 6:00, 4:30 * 2 = 9:00, 7:45 * 2 = 15:30)
STEP 6: Subtract the STEP 5 time from 24. (Subtract it from 48, if it is initially larger than 24.)
STEP 7: This is the estimated current time. You may choose to make local adjustments (e.g. AM/PM, daylight saving time, timezones, etc.)

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

STEP 1: Find the Southern Cross constellation and the pole (imaginary southern point). [help]
STEP 2: Imagine a straight line from the pole drawn through the two stars of the long bar of the Southern Cross.
STEP 3: Imagine that the line is the hour hand of a clock with the pole at its center. Estimate what time the hand falls on. For example:

If the line to the two stars is perfectly level to the right, that would be 3:00.
If the line is midway between the bottom and level at right, that would be roughly 4:30.

STEP 4: Add two hours for every month that has passed since March 29th and the current month's 29th. Or subtract two hours for each month between this month's 29th and the approaching Marth 29th.
(For additional accuracy you can add or subtract four minutes for each day before or after the twenty-ninth of each month.)

Some examples:
- At midnight on March 29th, our hour hand is also at midnight. So, this is our zero date (in the Southern Hemisphere).
- March 19th is ten days before March 29th, so we subtract forty (10*4) minutes from the STEP 3 time.

- June 29th is three months after March 29th, so we add six (3*2) hours to the STEP 3 time.
STEP 5: Double the STEP 4 time. (e.g. 3:00 * 2 = 6:00, 4:30 * 2 = 9:00, 7:45 * 2 = 15:30)
STEP 6: Subtract the STEP 5 time from 24. (Subtract it from 48, if it is initially larger than 24.)
STEP 7: This is the estimated current time. You may choose to make local adjustments (e.g. AM/PM, daylight saving time, timezones, etc.)

Discerning the time from the stars can be a useful skill in non-emergency situations, though it may not be of high importance in circumstances where your survival is threatened. However, it can be a welcomed distraction when needed to keep yourself calm while facing a mentally stressful situation while trying to survive in the wild.

Survival Guide: Find North

Regardless of whether your life is in immediate danger, it's important to always know where you are, at least in relation to where you came from or where you're going. One of the easiest ways to sense your relational location, is to know how to find North (and South and East and West).

There are a few ways we can find North, but environmental conditions will affect which ones you can use in any given situation. (As will also be true with future guides, if you can't use any of the methods listed below for whatever reason -- especially weather conditions. Find shelter nearby and stay there. Seriously.)

Once you're facing North, remember: South is behind you, East is on your right, and West is on your left.

["Cardinal direction" - Wikipedia]

DAY-TIME, SHADOWS CLEARLY VISIBLE

STEP 1: Stab a stick into the ground so it's pointing straight up.
STEP 2: Mark the tip of its shadow with a small distinguishable object.
STEP 3: Wait a bit.
STEP 4: Mark the tip of the shadow with another small distinguishable object.
STEP 5: Stand with your left foot at the first object and your right foot at the second object. (Not enough room to do that with both feet? Repeat Steps 3 and 4.)
STEP 6: Look straight ahead. That's North.

NIGHT-TIME, SHADOWS CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM A BRIGHT MOON

(Use the same method as described above for the Sun.)

NIGHT-TIME, STARS CLEARLY VISIBLE

STEP 1: Find this constellation...

Northern Hemisphere: Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) [Wikipedia]
Equator: Orion [Wikipedia]
Southern Hemisphere: Southern Cross [Wikipedia]

STEP 2: Locate a specific area in the sky...

Northern Hemisphere: The tip of Ursa Minor's tail (the end of the Dipper handle) is Polaris (the North star).
Equator: Find Orion's raised arm, belt, and his legs.
Southern Hemisphere: Imagine a line from the long end of the cross about four times the long width. Imagine a point at the end of that line.

STEP 3: Position yourself.

Northern Hemisphere: Face Polaris.
Equator: Position yourself so Orion's feet are "behind" you and his raised arm is "forward".
Southern Hemisphere: Face directly away from that imaginary point.

STEP 4: Look straight ahead. That's North.

SUNRISE OR MOONRISE

STEP 1: Position yourself so that the rise is at your right.
STEP 2: Look straight ahead. That's mostly North.

SUNSET OR MOONSET

STEP 1: Position yourself so that the set is at your left.
STEP 2: Look straight ahead. That's mostly North.

COOL, MOIST CLIMATE

STEP 1: Find a tree or rock which is -- or usually is -- casting a large shadow.
STEP 2: Locate the side with the most moss, moisture, or snow.
STEP 3: Position yourself...

Northern Hemisphere: Face away from the located side.
Southern Hemisphere: Face the located side.

STEP 4: Look straight ahead. That's mostly North.

ANYTIME, CLOUDY WITH SOME WIND

STEP 1: Watch the cloud movement. Fronts generally move West to East.
STEP 2: Position yourself so that clouds are coming toward your left and away from your right.
STEP 3: Look straight ahead. That's probably North.

As I stated briefly before listing these techniques, it is very important that you find shelter in the immediate area and not wander. I will try to discuss this more in a future survival guide, so to keep it simple here: you risk injury and death, decrease the odds of rescue, and increase your panic when you are lost. So, if you don't know where you need to go, stay put until you do or until you're found.

Survival Guide: Tell time using the Sun or Moon

The June solstice occurred today (2011-06-21) at 17:16 UTC. A solstice is when "the Sun's apparent position in the sky reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes" ["Solstice" - Wikipedia]. For the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, that means it is the middle of traditional Summer. For the Southern Hemisphere, the middle of traditional Winter. Knowledge of today's solstice will be useful in the first of the survival guide series when "telling time using only the Sun or Moon".

CAUTION: Daylight saving time can cause confusion in some of the calculations, so I recommend ignoring DST entirely until you have the final times you are seeking. Only then should you try to adjust it according to the strange daylight "saving" time system or make any adjustments based on your preferences or location.

ESTIMATE DAY LENGTH

The length of the day depends almost entirely on Latitude. (Your location North or South of the Equator.)
- At the Equator, the day is always twelve (12) hours and the night is also twelve.
- During the equinox (mid-Spring and mid-Autumn), the day is roughly twelve (12) hours, regardless of Latitude.
- During the solstice (mid-Summer and mid-Winter), the day is roughly fourteen (14) hours (Summer) or ten (10) hours (Winter) at the "midpoint" between the equator and a pole.
- During the solstice, the day is either all hours (Summer) or non-existent (Winter) at the poles.

I try to remember those as the "10, 12, 14 facts" - 10 in the Winter, 12 in the Spring, 14 in the Summer.

You can roughly guess how long the day is at your location using the "10, 12, 14 facts" I listed above and a rough guess at your Latitude. (Keep in mind the days are longer closer to the pole in Summer and shorter closer to the pole in Winter. Also, remember the "10, 12, 14 facts" apply best at the approximate "midpoint" between a pole and the equator.)

CALCULATE TIME OF SUNRISE AND SUNSET

STEP 1: Find your estimated day length.
STEP 2: Divide the STEP 1 result by 2.
STEP 3: Subtract the STEP 2 result from 12 to get the time of sunrise (in hours). Add the STEP 2 result to 12 to get the time of sunset.
STEP 4 (optional): Convert to AM/PM, if you must. Personally, I think the 24hr clock is cleaner.

(Do not adjust for daylight saving time, if you intend to use these times in other calculations.)

NOTE: Knowing how to roughly estimate the sunrise and sunset times can be helpful even if you have a clock. Sometimes it's just nice to know how much time you might have remaining in your day or night.

ESTIMATE THE TIME OF MOONRISE AND MOONSET USING EARTH'S SHADOW
(We use the Earth's shadow on the Moon to estimate the Moon's rise and set times based on sunset and sunrise. Since a full Moon has no shadow on it, it needs no adjustments; a full Moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise.)

STEP 1: "Read" the Moon from its right edge to its left. The right edge is sunset, the left is sunrise.
STEP 2: Imagine that the moon is divided (from top to bottom) into a number of segments equal to the number of hours in the night.
STEP 3: Estimate how many of those segments are covered in the Earth's shadow.
STEP 4: Look at where the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. Is the shadow to the left or the right of the light?

- If the shadow's on the right, add the STEP 3 result to the time of sunset to get the time of moonrise.
- If the shadow's on the left, subtract the STEP 3 result from the time of sunrise to get the time of moonset.

STEP 5: The moon transits the sky in approximately 12 hours.

- If you know the Moon's rise time, add 12 hours to estimate the set time.
- If you know the Moon's set time, subtract 12 hours to estimate the rise time.

ESTIMATE THE TIME USING THE SUN OR MOON

STEP 1: Pick an "orb" that you can see. Sun or Moon?
STEP 2: Imagine the path of the orb across the sky. (Remember, depending on your location and the season, the orb may not ever pass directly overhead; it may only arch in some portion of the sky.)
STEP 3: Divide the path of the orb into segments of the same number as the hours of its transit. (For the Sun, this is day length in hours. For the Moon, this is 12 hours.)
STEP 4: Note the segment which the orb is currently in, counting from left (rise) to right (set).
STEP 5: Add the STEP 4 result to the rise time of the orb.
STEP 6: This is the estimated current time.

Knowing how soon dawn or dusk will occur is something which I consider a necessary life-or-death survival skill. (We'll discuss this further in future guides.) Beyond that essential skill, knowing how to tell time using only the natural environment is, at the least, a trick which can entertain a few interested friends.

Survival Guide series

I am launching a new series of blog entries intended to guide readers in a variety of survival techniques. This, so called, "Survival Guide" series is my attempt at providing readers with the type of knowledge I think is fundamental to the survival of the independent human animal when facing "extreme" situations.

Beginning tomorrow (the day of the June solstice), I will publish a new "Survival Guide" on the INDY Blog every four days until July 31st, the day before the cross-quarter day of Northern Hemisphere Autumn (Southern Hemisphere Spring). The subjects covered will range from interesting "tricks" useful anywhere to skills necessary in obtaining basic needs in challenging situations.

My knowledge of these subjects has come from various sources. I credit the most impact to my lifelong involvement with the Boy Scouts of America (from Tiger Cub all the way through to Eagle Scout and Venture Scouts). I've also always been interested in testing the limits of the human body and mind; a study of the basic needs is essential to that understanding. I will be cross-checking my techniques in the various manuals I have and with some internet resources, if I find any that offer good visuals or more detail I'll be sure to link to them in the related article.

At the least, I hope you will tuck these tips away in the back of your mind, so that you can have them should you need them.