The Survival Weekly Dispatch - Volume 10, Issue 24
Getting old isn't for wimps
Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. When we last left our hero, he was headed off to the hospital for kidney stone surgery. Unfortunately, the procedure was unsuccessful and I’m going to have to go back next week for another attempt. Very frustrating. The recovery from the surgery attempt hasn’t been a lot of fun, and I get to do it all over again in another week. I’m currently accepting prayers, positive thoughts, smoke, small animal sacrifices, whatever you’re willing to do.
That last bit is a joke, please don’t set PETA after me.
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I don't know for sure how many articles I've written for Knives Illustrated, but they've put a bunch of them on their website over the years. You can read 'em all here for free.
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Over on my Patreon, here are some of the topics we’ve discussed over the last couple of weeks.
Source for free firewood
Making pemmican
Choosing a home safe
Comfort foods
Making compost
Defense weapons for non-permissive environments
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My good friend Craig Caudill posted something on Facebook today that’s worth mentioning. In doing some research for an article he’s writing, he found statistics that indicate Americans spend close to 90% of their time indoors. Honestly, I find that both alarming and sad. I’ll admit that I spend far too much time in front of a keyboard, and I have plans of changing that once I’m through this kidney stone nonsense.
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Not a lot to report on the work front. Submissions are coming in from our writers for the next couple of issues of Prepper and Backwoods. I’ll be getting those edited and sent over to the layout designer later this week. I also have some articles due to Knives Illustrated soon.
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In a wilderness survival situation, particularly one where you likely aren’t going to be found in the immediate future, locating a source of water can be critical. Sure, having the means to filter and disinfect it is important, too, but you have to find it first, right?
Here are a few tips on finding natural sources of water.
1. First, if there are animals in the area, and there are almost always critters around, they need water just as much as you do. Let them do the work for you. Follow game trails, if you can find them, as they will almost surely lead to a water source. Generally speaking, trails that lead downhill and/or seem to converge with other trails will lead you to water.
Watch our feathered friends. They will often visit a water source in the morning and in the evening. Keep an eye out for them flying overhead and follow in that direction. Birds heading to a water source tend to fly in a straight line and rather fast. After visiting the water source, they may fly in a more meandering type of way.
2. Keep in mind that water doesn’t run uphill very well. You’ll have much better luck looking in low spots like valleys than you will by going to the top of a ridge (unless it is just for a higher vantage point).
3. Look for dry riverbeds and dig down in spots where the river takes a sharp bend, concentrating your efforts on the outside bank of the bend.
4. You’ll get more bang for your buck, so to speak, by melting ice instead of snow if you have the choice. There is an awful lot of airspace in snow and what seems like a lot in the pot ends up being not so much. Either way, avoid just popping the frozen water into your mouth and letting it melt. Doing so cools down your core temperature, which isn’t a good thing. Instead, put the ice or snow into a plastic bag or other container and keep it under your coat, letting your body heat melt it first.
5. Collect dew in the early morning by tying bandanas or other cloths to your legs and walking through high grass. Pause regularly to wring out the water into a container. If you’re stuck near a vehicle or something along those lines, you can wipe the dew off with a cloth and wring it out, too. You might not get a ton of water with dew collection but every little bit adds up.
6. If you have a garbage bag or other large plastic bag, tie it over the end of a leafy branch, tossing a small rock into the bag first. The rock will weigh down a corner of the bag. Over the course of several hours, water will condense out from the leaves and drip to the bottom of the bag. To access the water, either remove the bag, being careful to not spill any of the water, or cut off the corner to drain it, and then tie a knot in the bag to keep it working for you.
7. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, solar stills aren’t usually worth the effort. A solar still consists of a large hole dug in the ground with a plastic sheet stretched over the top. A rock is placed at the center of the plastic and a container placed in the hole directly underneath. Some instructions say to add leafy plants to the hole. Over time, water will condense on the bottom of the plastic and drip down into the container. It is a lot of work to dig that hole and the water you’ll get for your efforts is often minimal. But, it is something to consider if you’ve run out of all other options.
Water is a critical element of survival. While our bodies could last up to a few days without hydration, you really don’t want to be a test case. Any time you’re out in the wild, make note of water sources as you travel.
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Because of my current condition, our hike this week was short and sweet, just a quick walk through a local park. I’m hoping that in a couple of weeks, we’ll be able to start getting out for some longer walks.
Survival Tip – Fight or Flight
It’s late at night and you’ve just left the last store on your shopping list. You’re scanning the parking lot for threats as you walk to your car, but all seems clear. Just as you’re reaching for the door handle, a voice from behind you tells you not to move. Somehow, some way, you missed seeing him.
Your heart leaps into your throat. Your pulse skyrockets into the stratosphere. What do you do?
The human body is an amazing machine. Incredibly efficient, it can react faster than conscious thought. It is also amazingly adaptable, able to respond to a range of stimuli in order to keep you healthy, safe, and alive.
Most people have heard of the “fight or flight” response that is hardwired into us. But, not many truly understand how it works and what happens within our bodies during these sorts of high-stress situations.
Let’s run through what actually happens when we are confronted with a dangerous situation and then discuss how you can use these physical and biochemical reactions to your benefit.
And So It Begins….
Your eyes, ears or other senses detect a threat. Could be a car that just came screeching around the corner, or perhaps you wake up in the middle of the night and catch a whiff of something burning. This information is sent to the amygdala in your brain. It interprets the sights, sound, and other stimuli and decides danger is present.
The amygdala sends a signal to the hypothalamus that something is amiss. Among other things, the hypothalamus controls the autonomic nervous system. That system includes things like breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, and other involuntary functions. The hypothalamus activates the alarm, so to speak, and tells the adrenal glands to get to work. They, in turn, start dumping adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) into the bloodstream.
Everything Speeds Up
The adrenaline brings on many changes in your body. Your heart begins to beat much more rapidly, which delivers more blood to your muscles and organs. This also increases your blood pressure. Airways in the lungs dilate, opening up to increase the amount of oxygen they can absorb from the heavy breathing that starts. This extra oxygen serves to help your senses, as well as your brain, be sharper and work faster and more efficiently.
On top of all that, the adrenaline causes fats and glucose to be released from where it is stored in the body, giving you energy for what’s to come, whatever that might be.
As all of this happens, your face might appear flushed while your hands and feet go cold. This is because the body’s stress response is redirecting blood flow in some areas. More blood going to the head means less blood available elsewhere. Your pupils dilate to bring in more visual data to the brain.
Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. All of this happens so fast, you’re not aware it is happening. Before conscious thought registers that the speeding truck is bearing down on you, you’re able to move out of the way. That’s the plan, at least.
Hormones are the Key
If the threat continues to be present, maybe you think you’re being followed by someone who has ill intent, your body changes things up a bit. The hypothalamus releases a hormone that travels to the pituitary gland, which itself releases a different hormone. This tells the adrenal glands to start producing cortisol.
This is known as the primary stress hormone. Cortisol further increases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, giving your body more energy. It also suppresses non-essential systems, from digestive to reproductive, the idea being to prioritize energy. Anything not needed to deal with the threat at hand is set aside for the time being.
What Happens Next
There are a couple of possible outcomes from the fight or flight response. In this case, we’ll suppose the threat is a person in front of you who wishes to do you harm. Maybe he’s a mugger or perhaps someone who’s had one too many at the tavern and has somehow decided you, and only you, are the cause of every bad thing that has ever happened in their life.
Flight
Discretion is the better part of valor. You make a hasty retreat and hope you’re able to get away from the aggressor. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this response. The ultimate goal in any dangerous encounter is to survive to see the next day. Worth noting here is the use of less-than-lethal weapons such as pepper spray or a stun gun. The idea behind these devices is to disable your attacker sufficiently to allow you to get away.
Fight
You stand up for yourself and confront the attacker, physically, verbally, or both. In some cases, merely standing your ground will be enough. In other cases, you may be required to put hands on your attacker and disable the threat. Hopefully, the adrenaline dump combined with the cortisol will help you by increasing your speed and strength, allowing you to prevail in the fight. If the confrontation goes this route, remember that there is no such thing as a fair fight. There is a winner and a loser. Do everything and anything it takes to land on the winning side.
Stress Response Drawbacks
As incredible as the body’s reactions can be to danger, if you write out all of the pros and cons, there are a few checkmarks on the right side of the list.
One of the most common side effects of the adrenaline and other hormones racing through the body is a loss of fine motor dexterity. You’re going to experience trembling and shaking in your hands, arms, and legs. Intricate maneuvers aren’t likely to work out well. Instead, stick to gross body movements. Detailed, complicated strategies won’t be successful, at least not without a large amount of practice to hone defense skills.
It can also be difficult to make complex decisions when you’re under stress. Thankfully, few muggers are probably to ask you to solve some sort of complex math equation while under the gun.
The fight or flight response is hard-wired into us. Once you have a solid understanding of how it works, you can begin to anticipate the effects and use them to your advantage.
Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide
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