5 Lifesaving Items for Emergencies

Seemingly every year about winter time, preparedness sites focus on life saving items to keep on your nightstand, or items you should keep near you at night. And it makes sense, as many emergencies can occur in winter time, including ice and snow storms, fires and break-ins. So here’s our take on the age-old question.

Source of Light can be a LifeSaving Item (Flashlight/Headlamp)

Emergencies can come at any hour. but not being able to see during the emergency makes things all that much more dangerous, not to mention scary. Keeping a flashlight handy can save your life or at least make you much safer.

There are several approaches to having light sources available. Personally I suggest keeping a high lumen handheld flashlight like this one.

These types in particular allow you to focus the beam very far away or broaden the focus to light up an entire room, or even a backyard.

Many of these models of flashlights have safety loops you can wrap around your wrist when using them. And that loop can be used to hang the light close to your bedside.

In addition, it’s highly recommended you consider including a headlamp that can be used to free up your hands in a disaster situation.

Imagine needing to quickly grab items, like bug out bags, or weapons, and having to fumble around with a flashlight while doing so. Using a headlamp allows you to avoid this exact scenario. Be careful to try a few different types. Some can be pretty heavy and not very effective for long term use.

Another aspect of headlamps that can be important, not necessarily in emergency situations, is the ability to change the amount of light and even applying a red filter. Changing the amount of light allows you to save on battery life. And, of course, the red light is better for keeping your eyes’ natural night vision.

Cell Phone or Mobile Device

There is no doubt, the cell phone is one of the best tools we can have available to us in emergency situations. Emergency services can be called. Quick information lookups can be made – for instance in the case of poisoning.

Of course if your light sources above are just out of reach, you can still use most cell phones these days to light up an area as needed.

Most modern smartphones also have cameras, many of very high quality. Of course that means you can take pictures of damages done during storms or accidents, or get quick snapshots of criminals while in the act if you deem it safe to do so.

We’ll talk about it a bit more below, but don’t forget to plug that phone into its charger each night. Nothing more frustrating or dangerous to get into a challenging situation, just to realize your phone has only got 6 percent power remaining.

Power Supply for Any Electronic LifeSaving Item

We’ve alluded to it already. It becomes very important to keep all your electronics properly charged. You’re doing nothing else with them overnight, so plug them in to be better prepared.

One caveat here, keep in mind some electronic devices (primarily flashlights) still use the older style NiMH batteries, which will eventually lose their charge capacity. So if you do have that style, it might be important to put them on more of a schedule of allowing the device battery to run completely dead occasionally. And then completely recharge it.

If your device uses standard batteries such as AA or AAA, then consider adding a little case to carry it along with a few backup batteries.

Finally, consider having a small power pack, like this Mophie power station.

These can be used to charge your phone, and if you happen to have a rechargeable headlamp or flashlight, it can be used there too. These are so important to have available in everyday life and in possible emergency scenarios.

Security Device/ Self Defense Items

For security, if you’re a second amendment advocate, you likely already have a weapon of choice. And it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, get trained and regularly practice shooting with your platform.

It may seem the natural choice is to go with a smaller package to “keep in your nightstand”. However, do some research and consider the possibility that a shotgun or pistol caliber carbine might be better suited for your personal needs. I won’t go too much in depth in this guide on the advantages and disadvantages of each. Just know that there are many options and considerations must be given for each. I’ll say It again, get trained on your platform, and practice.

If you’re not much of a firearms fan, there are many options you can still use to protect yourself and your family. Consider non- lethal items such as:

Fast-Strike Tactical Whip

https://www.faststrikedefense.com/fast-strike-whip

Sabre Pepper Gel Canisters

https://www.sabrered.com/pepper-spray-and-personal-safety-products

And it may seem drastic, but keeping a large knife (like a hunting knife or machete in its sheath) can be a great deterrent if someone sees you wielding it. Again, just be knowledgeable on how to use it. And willing to use it if the time comes. If you don’t think that’s your style, then stick to the other non-lethals.

Last but not least, it’s great to have a dog! Dogs can be our best friends. They can go on runs with us to keep us healthy. They can show you kindness and distract you when you’re feeling low. But throughout history, domesticated dogs have also been used as protection from danger.

It is true that even just having a smaller dog able to bark a warning when danger is near is a great first line of defense. But it becomes even more important to have a well trained dog that knows you and your family. A dog can be treated as part of a family, but don’t skip out on proper training for the main commands.

Eye Glasses/ Reading Glasses

Speaking from a position of years of experience, don’t forget the glasses. Yes there are many who are not afflicted by near or far-sighted struggles. But, if you’re coming from anywhere near the GenX perspective, reading glasses become so important to a normal way of life. Definitely consider getting the Multi-focus lenses as well. They are great for everyday use.

So, just trust us, this is important to somebody out there!

LifeSaving Honorable Mentions

fire extinguisher – at the very least, have several positioned purposefully throughout the house and know how to use them
vehicle keys – at the very least, know where your keys are at all times. Have a default place where they are kept and always leave them there
wallet/purse – same as keys. Have a specific location preferably the same as your keys, and always keep them there
Shoes – it seems silly to say, but think of a scenario in which a breakin or storm happens, with broken glass and you’ve got to move fast in the dark. You will want to be able to move quickly without fear of cutting your feet
And just for the long-locks ladies out there, possibly a hair-band. In emergencies having those beautiful locks tied up and out of your face will allow you to function much more smoothly

Thanks for joining us on this one. But we’d really love to hear your feedback to help us grow and communicate new ideas to the audience.

Until next time, this is @genxtalkin signing off…

January 11, 2022February 2, 2022

Ed (aka Wilksie) Goes to NYC and Gets Covid But Gets Home Safe – GenXTalkin On Being Prepared

Storytime by GenXTalkin

A lot of people who basically live outside of huge cities such as New York City probably wonder how the COVID situation is going. Well, here’s my firsthand experience from travel to the area a week before Christmas, 2021 (we got home safe…).

My wife and her youngest daughter are NY Giants fans. I could write a book on this tragedy alone, but I digress.

For a Christmas present to both, we arranged a trip for the two to see them play against the Dallas Cowboys in Metlife Stadium 12/19/21. I paid for the flight and hotel. The hotel was on the Jersey City, NJ side of the Hudson with an unrivaled view looking east at the Lower Manhattan skyline. Nicia paid for the game tickets. I accompanied basically just to travel, because travel is partially life and freedom to me. I just keep forgetting what a hassle the NYC area is.

Departure out of DFW and arrival in Newark International went fine. Arriving in Newark isn’t too bad. It’s departing out of it that can be like a whole other chapter of The Odyssey. I dare speculate that Odysseus himself, if he were confronted with departing out of Newark International Airport as part of his journey back home after 10 years of fighting in the Trojan War, would have looked to the heavens and wailed in grief to Zeus, “Why?!?”

On the Jersey side, almost no one walking on the streets outside are wearing masks. Inside businesses it was about 50/50. Most businesses had signs “recommending” the wearing of masks.

Being Prepared for NYC and Manhattan

Here is where it gets fun – New York City! You can take a nice ferry or subway ride from Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ and either way be at One World Trade area in Lower Manhattan in about 8 minutes. The ferry offers a nice view and a smooth ride for about $8/passenger. There were three ferries running – two supposedly owned by Goldman Sachs – and they are back and forth every 7 minutes. Masks are required on the ferry.

The subway is via PATH. Everything is literally right next to Hyatt Regency Jersey City on The Hudson. One way tickets on the subway are $2.75. Masks are required inside the subway areas and on all the trains. Unlike Texas where everyone would disregard that, everyone masks up inside subways and other places in Jersey City and NYC, and for good reason.

It’s strangely surreal, though. On the subways, I felt like I got the idea – the subways can be very crowded and it’s not like an airline that can have sanitizing ventilation sweeping through all the time, plus it’s in constant use – there is no respite on the subways.

But, once you get out on the streets on NYC, almost no one is wearing a mask, and in some places it’s even more crowded.

For example, when you walk anywhere around the several blocks near Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza, it’s wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder, A-to-B crowds by probably the tens of thousands. Everyone wants to see the Christmas Tree, Times Square, and other sites. If you haven’t been there, it’s like a huge mall and cityscape museum of sorts, and it draws crowds more than The Vatican or Louvre! It’s the insane amount of crowds you’d expect from seeing any TV or movie depicting NYC street level crowds. And, no one was wearing masks.

Your sense of reasoning and rationalizing the situation becomes askew and disjointed and you start to ask yourself questions. Fortunately, navigating Manhattan is relatively easy, so you shouldn’t have to worry about getting lost. Almost all streets run north and south or east and west, and rivers on both sides are north to south, so you should have your cardinal directions OK and your dead reckoning of major sites down even without a cell phone.

If you’d like to walk the streets on the surface from One WTC to Central Park, it’s 4.2 miles mostly along 6^th/7^th Ave, it will take about 90 minutes, and you’re going to practically brush shoulders with people most of the way. If you want to take the subway, it’s $2.75 one way, you’ll have to learn how to navigate that system and avoid scammers and kids wanting you to donate to their “school sports team”, and you’re likely on the 123/ABC which can be quite crowded. Subway travel time from One WTC area to Central Park is still going to be about 25 minutes.

The crowds on the subway can be quite astonishing – like, standing room only; like, do I even want to try to get on this train? Once aboard, you’ll meet just about every Sesame Street character in real life, sober and otherwise. NYC has all kinds of mentally ill people just wandering around bothering folks all day, every day, everywhere. The more an outsider is in New York City, the more likely that person will probably just want to wear not only a mask, but a full bio-chemical protective suit all the time.

The whole area, even those “posher” financial center areas nearby One WTC, is disgusting. There’s trash all over the place piling up on the streets until the disposal trucks get around to hauling it off. Everywhere you go outside, you’re met with the numerous urban cesspool-like odors. NYC’s finest are masked up and directing traffic at intersections everywhere. People are rushing. People are honking. It’s just a disturbing chaotic buzz. I’ve visited Manhattan five times now and I can’t understand what makes people stay there.

If you’d like to retreat to some safe haven or boon to the weary traveler, most bars and restaurants check your photo ID along with both vaccination cards. This is the same for most stores near Times Square, and I don’t know for certain from experience this time, but I’d imagine all Broadway shows are checking ID and vax cards.

Ultimately, there’s the conundrum for me: Inside, you have to wear a mask or get ID’d and vax card checked. Outside it’s vastly more crowded and no one is wearing a mask. So, here we go, walking several miles in the Manhattan area. And, when I walk like this I like to keep a pace, a pace count for a rough understanding of my distance, and I like to walk-workout breath, taking in longer deeper breaths.

We departed the ferry on the Manhattan side and my wife and her daughter ice skated while waiting for friends from upstate. Once the friends arrived and I met them all and we chatted a bit, we started walking from One WTC towards Central Park. Shortly after starting our walk I started getting into my hiking rhythm and my breathing was a bit deeper and slower and it hit me – there ain’t no way I’m not catching COVID like this, even if I’m wearing a mask. We tried to keep as much social distance as possible from the denizens of the deep, but to no avail.

Getting Home Safe

A few days later after getting hom safe to Dallas, I felt like I had sniffles and sneezes, and I tested positive for COVID.

For those who haven’t experienced the rapid testing yet (I had not until this moment), they stick a long q-tip looking swab about three or more full inches up your nostril and for me it’s very uncomfortable. They then use a solution and a testing card process, and lines appear (or do not appear) very much like a pregnancy test. It’s like you’re waiting to see if you killed the rabbit.

For the “rapid” test, one can get results sometimes within about three minutes. My first test took less than two minutes for there to be two solid lines and my wife said, “Wow! You’re definitely positive and that’s the fastest I’ve seen it come back so clear!” I re-tested negative less than one week later and I never felt like I had more than a bit of a stuffy sinus issue, so we’re pretty skeptical about the accuracy of the rapid test.

Through COVID so far, my wife and I have travelled to Las Vegas (twice for me); Tulsa, OK; Joplin, MO; Biloxi, MS and Orange Beach, FL; and Miami and Key West, FL, and we’ve never gotten sick. And, for the most part, most folks in all those areas have not been wearing masks from the beginning.

But, now, after one trip to NYC almost two years into a seemingly waning pandemic, I tested positive. THIS opened up a whole myriad of other concerns, the anxiety of which you can’t escape. Where did I get it – from whom? Who else may I have exposed? Now, I’ve got to quarantine from work for probably 2 weeks. Are my wife and her daughter OK? The daughter had already returned to her home and visited our grand-children! These thoughts all kept me awake at night.

My wife and her daughter tested negative, thank God! My sniffles grew to feeling a bit more like a full head cold the next day. But, ultimately, I was feeling better within about 72 hours of testing positive. As previously noted, we remain skeptical.

Ed (aka Wilksie) @genxtalkin

December 1, 2021February 2, 2022

GenXTalkin Presents… Storytime: Florida Hurricane

For our imagination, training and planning today, let me introduce you to a married couple, Daniel and Elsie Gardner. Now Daniel and Elsie, for most of their lives, have lived in some western and some Mid-Atlantic states in the US. They have three great kids in their teenage years. After some long planning and hard work, it’s paid off, and they’ve bought their place at the end of a long road in Florida, just outside Orlando. Very private…. And quiet!

Daniel grew up most of his life in a preparedness minded home. The pantry was well stocked, a small supply of water was properly stored, and there were secondary ways to get power and purify water if needed. His parents taught him from a young age that the way of the Scout was to “be prepared”!

Elsie was always a city girl and grew up knowing the power would always be there and thought there was a fine line between prepping and hoarding. To Elsie, Keeping a significant amount of food and water stored was pretty wasteful when you could just as easily go down to the market and pick up fresh food. And besides, it’s so much healthier as well.

Preparedness had always been a minor point of contention in the household and the kids felt it whenever Dad would attempt to build any stock of food, water, or take part in any other of these types of activities. Mom would get frustrated.

Daniel and Elsie have now lived in Florida for about 6 months. Although they’ve heard of hurricanes in Florida, they’ve never experienced the real threat. In fact the only real experience they’ve had is when they lived in Maryland and one Superstorm skirted the area causing some wind damage, and minor flooding but nothing major. Back in Maryland, anytime any type of storm (super or not) would come up, about two days before the storm, everyone would race to the store to stock up. And often the shelves would be left empty until after the storm.

Well, August rolls around and seemingly out of the blue, the news starts reporting about Hurricane Itan heading their way. As reported the storm is still about a week out, so Daniel and Elsie continue their work. Coworkers seem to be only slightly alarmed, but enough to make Daniel start thinking back to some of his upbringing. On a whim, he decides to stop and pick up 10 of the gallon sized bottles of Crystal Geyser water, and a couple of cases of smaller water bottles. Heck while he’s at it, he goes ahead and picks up some rice, and a few extra cans of soup, just in case. He just keeps them in his car for now.

A couple more days go by and the reports are getting worse. The strength of the storm intensifies. By landfall, it’s expected to be at least category 3 and possibly even category 4. Looking at the projected path of the storm only frustrates Daniel and Elsie as they try to decipher what it could mean for their small family. Some news broadcasts are indeed calling for evacuation of areas to the south and east of their home, but not necessarily their area. Confusion sets in, and after some time, the couple starts to argue about how they should prepare.

Two days out from the storm, and Daniel thinks they should go buy a generator. Elsie argues that it’s overkill. But as they see their neighbors start applying their hurricane shutters on their windows, Daniel starts to ask around for recommendations on how to prepare.

They start to ask if the house they purchased has premade shutters for your windows?
you can often find them shoved into an attic or basement somewhere
Or you might still be able to pick up some plywood and clips at the hardware store before the storm
Might want to get those up well before the storm.
Do you have a generator? That will be important.
Extra gas and gas cans?
How much food and water do you have?
Last big storm took us out for about 5 days!

5 days!? We better get moving! With this info, Elsie was convinced. They needed to get out and pick up some of these things.

The next day, Luckily they found the house did indeed have some fitted plywood sheets already cut to their window sizes… Thank God! Next, Daniel decided to take a trip into town to look for a generator. As he passed through town he noticed that ALL buildings had metal shutters installed and locked into place. The town looked like the set of walking dead.

Grocery stores, shuttered!

Post office, shuttered!

Two places remained open.

The gas station, but the line to get there was over a block long.

And the hardware store!

He pulled into the parking lot and walked into the store. As with the grocery store several days prior, many of the shelves were bare. The only generator available still was a little 1200 watt unit that might power a couple of lights and a charger. Daniel bought it, and remembered he still had some oil he could use back at home.

On his way home Daniel parked in the line to get gas. He waited for 2 hours listening to his podcasts. When he got to the point to fill up his car, it was running on fumes.

He asked the attendant if they had any gas cans he could buy. “Nope, and we wouldn’t let you fill them up anyway. Just your car!” Daniel filled up the car’s tank and headed home.

As he pulled up to the house, Elsie ran out to meet him, crying.

“It’s picked up power off the coast. It’s a category 5 and headed our way!”

Now less than twenty four hours from the storm hitting the coast, Daniel and Elsie, and their young family have limited supplies, equipment they’ve never used, and the threat of an impending storm. They feel woefully unprepared, but reports indicate the evacuation routes are clogged with last minute travelers trying to get away.

What challenging times have you had in discussing preparedness with spouse?

What are some things Daniel and Elsie could have done to better prepare ahead of time?

What were some good things they did leading up to the storm?

How early before a storm hits would be best to start preparing?

What are some activities they could do with the family to prepare themselves better?

Click Here to hear how Ed and Matt consider the questions themselves in our latest Podcast at Podcast.genxtalkin.com

@genxtalkin

November 18, 2021February 2, 2022

Discover The “5 Cs” of Survivability

In today’s blog post I’d like to start first with defining the difference between survivability and preparedness. Prepping or preparedness is generally a process and overall frame of mind toward being ready to respond in challenging times. This can mean preparing the home, your office, your car for most likely challenging situations that could occur.

In contrast, and as the name implies, survival or survivability is the likelihood of a person or group to survive those challenging times.

“Survivability can be defined as the ability to remain alive or continue to exist.”

Let’s consider the “Five Cs” of survivability within this context then. They typically imply a person is in these challenging times already, and with the presence, and proper knowledge of the use of these items, survivability can be greatly improved.

One more note before we launch into each of the “Five Cs”. Very often the “Five Cs” are discussed within the context of wilderness survival. Although necessary to understand this value, I’m going to challenge myself by adding in a few additional concepts around survival in more urban type environments as well…. Here we go…

Cutting Tools

Yes, a knife! But not just any old knife. There are many different purposes for knives; and depending on the challenge ahead, different knives might be recommended.

Those who like to fish, know that the proper knife can make the process of cutting line or cleaning the fish much more (or less) pleasant.

Many feel that a simple multi-tool will do the job, such as this one from Gerber, or Leatherman. A multi-tool added to a go-bag or get home kit is an absolute must. However, if you’re striking a magnesium stick to start a fire, a straight, fixed blade might be a better option.

Of course, I couldn’t discuss knives without at least touching on their value as a security tool. Having a small multi-tool with a fold out blade is not a very good answer when needing quick access for self defense. Again a good quality straight edge would be a better option. And in some areas and some purposes, even Bowie or machete-type blades have their values. Ed did a quick review of the SOG Seal Pup Knife at the following:

So, starting off, really consider what purposes you might have for a cutting tool and augment your bag(s) with the appropriate tools.

Combustion Device

Next, let’s talk about fire! It gives heat and light and within the right framework brings great comfort and happiness. But living within a city? Aside from a home fireplace, Is there really a need?

To answer the question simply, yes. But first let’s just talk from the perspective of history and skill. To have the ability, by multiple means, to start a fire, is a great feeling! Imagine yourself as Tom Hanks’ character in Castaway, standing up with arms spears wide, yelling out, “I have made… FIRE!”

It’s so much fun to learn the different ways to start it and keep it going.

Now, onto the actual ways to start a fire. Of course, there’s the ok standby, a lighter (or multiple lighters to be safe). This is always a good idea to have some lighters around and available. But they do run out of fuel, and often at the most inopportune times. One side note here, I recommend those with longer handles to reach into a kindle pile for lighting.

Another very popular way to start fires are Ferro Rod (possibly along with a magnesium block) with Striker, such as this one from Uberleben

Matt did an Unboxed Prepping Review of this little tool. Check it out here:

These are great, and with the proper experience, a person can start a fire just as quickly as a lighter and almost never risk running out of fuel. As with most other fire starting cases, it’s also important to have some fire starter material such as dry tinder, cotton balls in petroleum jelly, dryer lint, or those pre-made fire ropes (like this one).

Definitely consider adding these to your go bags.

To learn more about the difference between Ferro and Magnesium, check out this article

Ferro Rod vs. Magnesium: The Pros, the Cons & our Top Pick!

There’s another tool, called the piston fire starter that’s similar to the ferro rod solution. Only it requires a couple of pretty specific items first before it will work effectively. Namely, the char-cloth in the tip of the piston allows pressure to create a spark with the premade char cloth. It’s quite ingenious and actually pretty fun to test your fire making skills. I would not necessarily recommend it for a go-bag mainly because you would likely have a limited amount of char cloth, and a fairly limited number of opportunities for fire.

I’ll conclude this section with the more dramatic fire starter skill, the bow drill. Although there are plenty of videos of people (I suspect highly trained people) using a bow drill to start a fire in a matter of seconds. I also highly suspect this is in ideal conditions with dry wood, no wind, and an expert at the helm. Unless you practice this specific set of skills regularly, I would not recommend this being a part of any go-bag.

Cover

Next let’s discuss cover, aka shelter, aka tarp, aka tent… so many different ways to provide protection from the elements. If out in nature or even your backyard, a simple tarp, pole and stakes will do the trick to keep a person protected. If you read anything about thru hikers (eg Appalachian Trail), the tarp is often the best option for shelter. It’s cheap, compactable and stands up to just about any weather. However I would caution a user to try many different ways of setting it up in different conditions (wet ground, cold, extreme heat, rocky ground) to be better prepared when difficult times arise.

In emergency cases something as simple as an emergency poncho or bivvy (bivouac) sack might be good lightweight options. Both of these options are single person and not intended for the long term, or for protecting anything other than the person (meaning there’s no room for items you may have with you, like a backpack).

This leads us to some other more common options, the tent and hammock/fly combinations. The tent is seemingly as old as time. If you’ve got a good tent and rain fly you can be prepared for just about any type of experience. Of course consideration should be made to the number of people that would be housed in the tent. As well, weight can be an issue, especially if the disaster experience could cause any significant travel by foot. That’s said nothing beats a good quality lightweight tent for shelter in difficult times. With some of the newer cloth tech used in hammock, these are quickly becoming valuable, lightweight alternatives to tents. It’s very important to have available a rain fly along with the tent to keep it considered as an effective shelter.

In the most typical disaster situations, a person’s home is the best shelter available. So keeping up solid maintenance on the home is very important no matter the type of abode. And of course in certain areas of the country, special consideration should be given for protection of the home itself. Ideas to consider might include hurricane windows in those areas, lockdown devices on cabinetry and other items in earthquake prone areas, and bunkers for tornado areas. As well it might also be important to consider potential for civil unrest and how one might protect their homes.

Container

Next, let’s talk about containers. Containers come in many shapes and forms (e.g. backpack, canteen, water bladder, fanny pack, tote back, compression sack, and more). Depending on the potential scenarios, different types of containers may be needed. Survival in the wilderness would need some form of water holding device like a canteen, water bottle, or bowl. And water really is one of the most important aspects of survival. I certainly like the dromedary-type bags from MSR

These are super tough and with a bit more planning a sipping hose can be attached to allow you to hold your water in your backpack while still having access.

But keeping it simple, one can simply find a 1 liter Smart Water bottle and refill it while trekking from one spot to the next.

Aside from water containers, there are two additional areas of high importance. Backpack, or other carrying container, and cooking containers. For carrying containers, look for a solid backpack that’s lightweight and anywhere from 40-50 liters capacity. This will allow for relatively easy travel. These are great options for a backpack if you’re looking:

But even picking one up from a goodwill or a flea market can get the job done without breaking the bank.

If you’re stationary, or have access to a reliable vehicle (with fuel), then larger plastic bins work very nice for keeping items organized and moveable. These types of bins (sealable, with snap-shut features) are readily available at large chain resellers.

Now, for cooking containers, there are too many options to name here, but, I really would recommend one of these little kits you can get, like this one from Esbit:

Cookset with alcohol burner (pots without non-stick coating) CS985HA | pots made of aluminum (without non-stick)

This one in particular is helpful as it has two separate containers in one (cooking pot and drinking cup), as well as a stand and little brass burner, that accepts liquid or solid fuel. You can try to get by with just a metal cup and perhaps a little rocket stove, but nothing beats the comfort of one of these little premade kits.

Cordage

Finally, we get into cordage. Like containers, cordage can mean different things and serve many purposes. When in the wild, like being on a hike, it’s important to bring along an extra bit of cordage so you can hang any food up high in a bear bag, or tie additional items to your backpack. A nice roll of 550 paracord works quite well for most purposes, even a couple of hundred feet makes for a pretty lightweight and smaller package that fits nicely into any carrying container.

Recently, I’ve also found a number of interesting SpiderNet type cordage that makes it much easier to attach items to loops on your backpack. Begin that they are often composed of interwoven 550-type cordage, they can be hooked to just about anywhere on your pack with simple carabiner. Here’s an interesting one from Pack-Rabbit:

As well as those more traditional purposes for cordage, there are also some more obscure purposes. In first aid being able to tie a broken limb to a splint can be an important life-saving purpose. And for protection, if you’ve caught an unwanted individual hanging around your property, cordage can be used to subdue them until authorities can arrive.

One important knowledge base item that should be considered along with cordage is the skill of knot-tying. Here’s a really neat site that can help with training. It’s got great little animated images for many different types of knots:

Home

And in case you don’t have an opportunity to study on a regular basis it might also be helpful to to throw a little waterproof, knot-tying guide or cards into your bag (something like the Pro-Knot Outdoor Knots Book Ring would really be a good addition).

To wrap up to discussion, I hope this review of the “Five Cs” of Survivability will help our audience to become more familiar with and simplify the concepts around survivability. If you have any further comments, please leave a message in the comments section below.

And always remember to be learning better ways to respond well and recover faster.

@genxtalkin