The next time you see someone bring their Apple iPod on a hiking/camping trip or cross-country run, don’t be so quick to laugh. Aside from giving you the ability to carry and enjoy many hours of music and video, the iPod could also save your life. Rescue workers in western Oregon managed to find a man lost in the middle of thick underbrush by the light of his iPod.
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In an urban survival scenario, being able to trap animals for food is probably less important than being able to get through locked doors. Next to carrying around a prybar (or the more practical Prybaby), the best thing would be to learn how to pick locks. Locksport International has published a simple, visual guide to lock picking. Beginners should find this useful in learning the basic skills of picking pin tumbler locks. Obviously you’ll need lots of practice to be good at it!
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Two of the new TV shows this season are centred around major disasters. In Jericho, the survival of a small town in rural Kansas is spotlighted in the aftermath of multiple nuclear bomb detonations across the US. In the more fiction-ny Heroes, New York City blows up. Both shows have been a hit with viewers. According to WorldNetDaily, the success of the shows have also raised awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness.
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Benchmade is one of the better-known knife makers. They pair up with several well-known master designers. Their knife product line is quite extensive, and is divided into four lines :
- GOLD CLASS : for collectors. High end, semi-custom knives
- BLUE CLASS : regular high quality production knives
- BLACK CLASS : for professional, law enforcement & military use
- RED CLASS : for the value-concious buyer. Designed in the US and mostly made in Taiwan.
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Winter is already here. If you get stuck outdoors during this season, will you know what to do? Gerber, the company that produces knives, multitools, flashlights and other outdoor gear, has a free Cold Weather Survival Guide. This 25-page guide is made available in PDF format, and includes useful information such as SOS signals, how to build snow shelters, fire building tips and more.
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It’s good to see more coverage of emergency preparedness and survival issues in the mainstream media. The New York Times Escapes section has a well-written article on setting out in the Arizona wilderness with only a knife and a survival kit. The author and two others went on a 24-hour course with an instructor from Ancient Pathways, an outdoor survival school.
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Knots are very useful — there’s probably one for every situation you can think of. The challenge is learning how to tie knots properly. There are many books and websites available that will show you now to tie just about every knot. However, it’s not always easy to follow static instructions. Animated Knots solves that problem. This free website shows you how to tie many types of knots — for different activities such as boating, scouting, search & rescue and much more.
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Hand-crank generators, radios and flashlights are quite common nowadays. One of the leading manufacturers of hand-cranked gadgets is Freeplay, which pioneered the field with their Freeplay radios. In case your arms get tired, now you can generate power with your legs as well – thanks to the Freeplay Freecharge Weza.
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