The Dark Knight Rises Wallpaper

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

With the opening of The Dark Knight Rises in theaters starting tonight at midnight, July, 20th 2012, the web is a buzz with the possibilities of Nolan's epic conclusion to his Batman trilogy. Here at Survival Preppers, we have many reasons to be excited for this summer blockbuster, not the least of which is the re-imaging of the classic characters, Catwoman, who apparently is not referred to by name throughout the film, and Bane. From what we know so far, Catwoman seen next to an empty safe, will have at least a hint of the classic cat burglar persona and Bane, a muscle bound warrior, looking like a tactical nightmare with his combat boots, tactical vest and his own camouflage Tumbler, looks to bring Batman and Gotham City to its knees. 

Bane standing atop a camouflage tumbler

We can only speculate as to why Bane has his own camouflage tumbler or why Catwoman can be seen driving Batman's motorcycle. Looks like the Batman misplaced his keys. One thing I do know is Bane has quite the army behind him and it all screams tactical.

On a survival site, tactical preparedness, referring to military tactics,  is one of those fun topics we get to talk about because while it's a more extreme type of preparing involving having military training, weapons and gear it is not completely unrealistic to anticipate needing such preparations. Military training is based on a survival mentality, and involves basic survival skills along side military tactics. 

The entertainment industry has made tactical preparedness look, for lack of another word, glamorous. Movies like Batman, Resident Evil, Book of Eli, Terminator and Battle Los Angeles depict apocalyptic worlds being tamed by survival minded, overtly tactical "badass" characters. These characters have the best weapons and fun gear and of course they can survive anything and that is what makes it so fun.

Stay Tuned: Hundreds of topics to cover, including tactical gear reviews, best survival movies and much much more.

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Theft Prevention: The Drop Wallet

The Drop Wallet.

The drop wallet is an anti theft measure you can implement to help protect yourself from criminals, muggers and pickpockets. This tactic mainly applies to those who carry wallets in their pockets or in their purses. The concept involves obtaining a cheap, though not necessarily crappy, wallet and using it as a decoy or throw away wallet. This trick is especially great for travelers and urban city dwellers.

First, obtain a cheap wallet. A cheap velcro wallet will work fine. I prefer to use a chain wallet. Even though the wallet is expendable, the chain may make a criminal think that there is something there he/she may really want, plus I don't like losing my wallet, even if it is a throw away.

       
Drop Wallet

Second, Fill the wallet with some business cards, maybe a dollar, and return wallet to your pocket or purse. Now if you are ever mugged or pick pocketed, you simply hand over the decoy or drop wallet and then get away. Now, if you are in situation were your life is threatened, the drop wallet may give you an extra second to formulate a plan, be it, self-defense or running. Usually, the robber will only want the wallet and will run away himself after they have relieved it from you. Make sure you do not put anything valuable in the wallet, including ID's with your address on it, also be sure to get a good description of the suspect for the police.

   
 Real Wallet

Personally, instead of keeping my drop wallet relatively empty, I have put together a small first aid kit inside instead. Just some gloves, some sterile wipes, band aids, ointment, a CPR mouth guard and some emergency medications. It's nice to have for small emergencies and it doesn't feel like I'm carrying around a waste of space. The first aid kit isn't worth much so if a criminal gets his hands on it, who cares. Maybe he can use for the emergency he's going to have if I ever see him again.

Lastly, I recommend keeping your valuables on a lanyard around your neck. It is easily concealed  here, making it difficult to steal. Neck wallets are great, or even just an ID holder should fit your ID, credit cards and some cash. Remember to be discrete when pulling anything out from your now concealed wallet and make sure the lanyard material or chain is sturdy enough to take some pulling and tugging, so it does not fall off.   

Don't let petty theft get you down, protect yourself from burglars.

Disaster: Colorado Wildfire 2012

Here at Survival Preppers, we are happy to report that the Waldo Canyon Wildfire is now 100% contained. If you have been following this National news, you may know that the fire burned around 18500 acres, destroyed 350 homes and killed 2 people. A horrible disaster. Our thoughts go out to all those in the Colorado Springs area who have lost homes, lost jobs and were evacuated for a prolonged period of time. We also celebrate the hard work and cooperation of the many forest service workers and firemen who helped save their community.

For many the affects of the fire are still felt. Soot and black ash have poured into the local waterways and recent rain storms have created mudslides and flooding around the area. Major populations of wildlife have been displaced creating an increase in wildlife encounters, especially bears. It will take years for growth to return to the area and anchor the loose soil. Not to mention that over 30 homes were looted and robbed during the tragedy.

Here is a link to the Huffington Post Article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/11/waldo-canyon-fire-contained_n_1664372.html

June 26, 2012.

Would you have been prepared? What would you have done to prepare for a mass evacuation and wildfire?

Water: Homemade Water Filter

How to Make a Homemade Water Filter.

You will need:

1. A washed out 2 liter bottle.

2. Sand/Rocks.

3. Charcoal.

4. Cheesecloth or handkerchief (See 100 uses for a handkerchief.)

                          Instructions: (See fig 1.)

Water: How to Make a Solar Still

How to Make a Solar Still.

A Solar Still is a great way to get water in the wild. You will need three items:

1. A water collecting container. Nalgene Tritan Widemouth 1 Quart Bottle - Blue

2. A piece of plastic or tarp. 16 ft. x 20 ft. Ripstop Woven Polyethylene Tarp

3. Something to dig with (optional) if you can dig with your hands or other tool.

U-Dig-It Trowel Shovel or Gerber Blades 22-41578 Gorge Folding Shovel.

 Instructions:  (See fig 1.)

 1. Start by digging a hole, size determined by the size of the tarp.

 2. Place leaves into the bottom of the hole.
 3. Place the water collecting apparatus into the hole.

 4. Place the tarp over the hole and secure at the sides.

 5. Place a small rock directly above the water bottle.

   Moisture from the leaves should condense under the tarp and slide down the underside of the tarp toward the rock and drip into the water bottle. Just one way to collect water in the great outdoors.

 fig 1.

Basic Survival: Water

Basic Survival: Water.

After discussing Maslow's hierarchy yesterday, I decided to start talking about basic survival need #1, Air. Here is a quick exercise. Take a deep breath, now exhale slowly,  there all done. That was easy. Hopefully you were able to complete that basic exercise easily, if not seek medical advice. Now on to basic survival need #2. Some will say shelter is your number two basic need, and in some circumstances that may be true. You certainly could hypothetically, die of exposure or hypothermia before water become a survival issue for you, but for the sake of this excerpt we are going with water. (Shelter will be discussed in a later post.) Here are some quick facts about water:

•  Earth supports water in three forms; solid, liquid and gas. 
• ~70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
• ~70% of an adult’s body is made up of water. 
•  Pure water (H2O) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.  
• The average person in the U.S. uses 80-100 gallons of water per day.  
• ~85% of U.S. residents receive their water from public water facilities. The remaining 15% supply their own water from private wells or other sources.  
• It is recommended that you have one gallon per person per day minimum in a survival scenario. A gallon being about 3.78 Liters. For drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene.

 In an emergency, being without water can be extremely dangerous. Ask yourself, how long can I survive if I don’t have access to water? How long will I be without water? What can I do to make sure I have water in an emergency? Here are some options:

• Buy two cases of bottled water from the store, cost $5-10 a (12) case, remember to rotate through your water, while keeping at least a case on hand. 
• While we haven't yet discussed evacuation scenarios or "Bugging Out" (See future post) you may need water on the go. Use a hydration bladder or a Camelbak and some water bottles, a Nalgene Tritan Widemouth 1 Quart Bottle - Blue and a metal bottle (for boiling water in)
• Use a water cooler service. Store a few 5 gallon bottles. Cost around $120 a year. Primo 3-Temp Water Cooler - Water Dispensers
• Rain collecting: Use large plastic rain barrel "Rain Wizard 50 - 50-Gallon Rain Barrel", as allowed and/or collect rain and dew with tarps. Texsport Camping 17430 10 ft. x 12 ft. Reinforced Rip-Stop Polyethylene Tarps - Blue. 
Water Colletion: How to Make a Solar Still

• Live near a fresh water source and have a hand pump well.
• Learn how to make a homemade water filter, 
• Use coffee filters, a Handkerchief or store bought filter systems or filter straws. Mcnett 117576 Frontier Emergency Water Filter
•  Learn how to Purify water. 
• 1. Boiling. (5 minutes +1 minute for every 1000 feet you are above sea level.) (See Survival need: Fire) 
• 2. Purifying tablets. Wisconsin Pharmaceutical Emergency Germicidal Drinking Water Tablets
• 3. Iodine. (great for wound care, nuclear radiation sickness). 
• 4. Bleach. Ultra Clorox Germicidal Bleach, 1/96 oz Bottle - Bleach & Starch (12 drops per gallon of Plain Bleach, 1/8 teaspoon or 8 drops per gallon lasts 11-12 months stored in a cool dry place.) Remember to filter, aerate or use powdered drink mix if taste is objectionable. Crystal Light On-the-Go Pack, Lemonade

FYI: In an emergency you may be able to fill your bathtub up with water or use water from the back of your toilet or even your water heater.

Don't be without water in an emergency, The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and other government agencies won't always be able to provide water to you, protect yourselves. 

A quick note about this blog entry. You may notice (see future post) next to some topics, these will eventually become links to future entries, so Stay Tuned. Also, you will notice links to gear on Amazon.com, these links are here as recommendations to products that are being discussed. I personally love Amazon.com and use its services frequently and feel like they offer a lot of items relative to this blog. Don't feel pressured to purchase any item on a whim. Read the reviews, compare prices and make informed choices.