Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (6 page)

Opinions about survival gear and bug-out bag (BOB) contents (see item 11) are as varied as political views these days. Everybody has his or her own version of the right and wrong stuff to carry.

But what about the weird stuff—those bizarre items that you might not think to carry? Most people don’t spend much time on the unusual things that could be (or should be) in your survival kits and BOBs. Here are my top five “under the radar” essentials:

CONCENTRATED ENERGY DRINK
If you are a caffeine addict, then these little bottles of nectar will go down smoother than spinach in Popeye’s throat when coffee isn’t an option. When you’re running out of steam, knock back an energy drink and keep plugging away. It also helps to stave off caffeine-withdrawal headaches.

CIGARETTES
Even if you don’t smoke, think of all the smokers out there who would instantly become your best friend if you had spare smokes to hand out. They also make for good, lightweight tinder.

VODKA
One of those little airline-size bottles can serve as a wee nip to swallow for courage or as a disinfectant used with your medical gear. For more ways vodka can help out in a pinch, see item 57.

CANDY
Vodka won’t solve everything. Keep some hard candy in your survival pack. Sugar is great short-term fuel, and a few sweets can lift the morale of both grown-ups and kids in a group.

NOTEPAD AND PENCIL
Communicate or signal for help. Keep a journal. Take handy notes for your survival situation. Use the paper as tinder. The list goes on.

Fire building is one of those skills that can make or break you in a survival situation. With so much riding on your ability to produce flame, it makes a lot of sense to plan for your own success by building a dedicated fire-starting kit. It’s easy and fun to do, and you probably already have all the stuff lying around the house.

The three basic parts of this kit are the container, the heat/ignition sources, and the fuels. Note that the last two are plural—you’re going to want some extra insurance in the form of multiple fire-starting implements and several fuels.

CONTAINER
The container can be anything that's watertight and easily transported. This can range from a small Pelican case or similar waterproof box to a small, wide-mouth plastic bottle or even a zip-top freezer bag.

IGNITION
At a minimum, your kit should include a lighter, a box of matches, and a spark rod. The lighter is the best of the bunch for most fire-building situations. The open flame can be used to dry out damp tinder and kindling, catching it ablaze without much trouble. There really isn’t a situation in which matches are a better ignition source than a lighter, but I like the matchbox for redundancy and for the fact that those matchsticks can double as kindling. Lastly, the spark rod will serve as an indestructible backup ignition source. It won’t light the variety of materials that matches and lighters will, but it will work when the lighter and matches have failed.

FUEL
Dry cotton balls, dryer lint, or gauze can take the role of tinder (your initial fuel for fire). I also like a candle nub and a tube of petroleum jelly.

The candle can be lit and used as a fire starter by itself, or the wax can be dripped onto the tinder or kindling for a wet-weather fire boost. The petroleum jelly can be smeared into the cotton balls to make long-burning fire starters, plus the jelly is helpful for a number of first-aid and survival chores.

You could pre-assemble the petroleum jelly cotton balls, but the summertime heat can cause the jelly to melt and seep through all but the most watertight containers. Melted jelly has ruined enough boxes of matches for me that I now carry the tightly sealed tube and the cotton balls separately.

You can buy waterproof matches, but they’re going to cost you—and they’re not the kind of thing you want to waste if you need to toast a marshmallow and can’t find the regular matches. But the good news is that you can turn everyday matches into waterproof ones with a few easy techniques.

TURPENTINE
The easiest and most foolproof way to waterproof matches is with turpentine. Soak them for 5 minutes in enough fluid to cover them, then put them on newspaper to dry for 30 minutes. You’ll have a set of waterproofs that will last 3–6 months.

NAIL POLISH
If you or your loved ones happen to have some clear nail polish lying around, dip the head of the match and part of the stick into the polish. Let dry on the end of a counter so the head hangs off and won’t stick to anything.

CANDLE WAX
Let a candle burn until a small pool of wax forms around the wick. Blow it out, and dip the head of your match in the melted wax until the wax is about 1/3 inch (8.5 mm) of the way up the matchstick. Remove the match instantly and blow on it to cool the wax, or it will soak too deeply.

Residential fires are a far greater danger than, say, home invasions, and more likely as well. Have you thought about preventing and fighting fires in your home? Here are some things to consider.

GET ARRESTED
If you have a fireplace, be sure you’ve got a spark arrester installed. In addition, inspect your chimney regularly, and keep it clean—chimney fires are common in older homes.

BE READY
Kitchens are typically where home fires begin. Keep a fire extinguisher in plain sight, so that anyone can use it in the event of a fire. It’s also wise to keep a fire extinguisher in a secondary location—perhaps one that would be fire-prone as well, such as a room with a fireplace or a home workshop.

GEAR UP
Smoke hoods can also be a smart investment. These breathing filters fit over your whole head and protect your lungs from dangerous smoke. Keep one at the bedside of each family member, and practice using them so that you’ll be ready to escape quickly and safely if they’re ever needed.

SCREEN IT
If you live in forest fire country (or anywhere, really—can’t be too careful), cover any external vents with a fine metal screen to keep sparks from an external fire from entering your home.

If you have a fire in your home or garage, you’ll obviously want it put out pronto. But not all fires are created equal, and so there are a variety of fire extinguishers to choose from. Be sure you get the right one for the “right” fire. Various extinguishers often have a rating for the size of the fire (based on the extinguisher’s size and contents), and its type, denoted by a colored geometric symbol.

	CLASS A Marked with a green triangle, these extinguishers are for fires fueled by ordinary flammable materials: wood, paper, and some plastics.
	CLASS B Extinguishers for this class, involving combustible liquids like gasoline or oil, and some gases (like acetylene or butane), bear a red square symbol.
	CLASS C Electrical equipment, wiring, outlets, and appliances are the source of this class of fire. A blue circle is found on Class C fire extinguishers.
	CLASS D Usually found in chemical laboratories or machine shops where combustible metals are used (like magnesium and sodium), this type of extinguisher is marked with a yellow star.
	CLASS K You’ll find a black hexagon on fire extinguishers for this type of fire, which includes kitchen fires that involve cooking oils or fats.

Class A extinguishers just use water—they won’t stop some fires and may make them worse. Combined B/C-class extinguishers use carbon dioxide or a dry chemical powder. You can also find multipurpose foam or dry chemical extinguishers for class A, B, and C fires. Class D fires require special dry agents, and class K fires use dry powders or CO2. Another, rare fire type is class E, involving radioactive materials, which should be handled by skilled hazmat personnel.