The Survival Weekly Dispatch - Volume 10, Issue 27
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated....
Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. As many of you noted, there wasn’t a newsletter last week. Here’s what happened. Late in the afternoon on Sunday, July 2nd, I was working on some knife photos for a few upcoming projects when I was suddenly wracked with chills. I went from feeling fine to shaking so bad I could hardly speak in just a few minutes. The thermometer said my temp was 100.7F, then 101.7F just a few minutes later. My wife and I headed off to the emergency room as something was definitely not right.
I was eventually admitted to the hospital and spent a few nights there receiving IV antibiotics and some other meds. I was suffering from a massive infection that was either septic or borderline septic, depending upon who you asked. My temp hit as high as 103.1F and my blood pressure as low as 87/45. It was not a fun time, to say the least. I’ll readily admit that it was pretty damn scary.
[It could have been even worse, though. As some of you may recall, I’d been scheduled to lead some classes that weekend at the Minnesota Prepper Expo. It was scary enough going through it near home, I can’t imagine landing in a hospital hundreds of miles from home without any family nearby.]
I’ve been home a few days now and have been slowly recovering. I’m writing this on Monday afternoon and this is the first I’ve been at the keyboard in over a week. It feels good to be working again as I sort through various deadlines and start diving into the massive pile of emails waiting for me. At the same time, I’ve committed to a few lifestyle changes to ensure I never go through all of that again, one of which is to ease off the throttle a bit when it comes to work. I’ve been running pedal to the metal for a little over ten years now and it’s time to slow down and start enjoying the fruits of all that labor.
If you’ve sent me anything in the last couple of weeks, please be patient as I’m still working my way through my inbox. Feel free to resend, if you’d like, so I can be sure not to miss it.
* * *
Finished DROWNING by TJ Newman a bit ago. I thought it was incredible and, like her previous book FALLING, it lived up to the hype.
Shortly after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. As the plane is evacuated, an explosion occurs and twelve passengers are trapped inside as the plane sinks beneath the waves. There is a large air bubble that keeps them alive, but the clock is ticking. Will Kent is an engineer who knows a thing or two and is able to use his knowledge to keep everyone alive, including his 11-year-old daughter Shannon. Their only hope rests in an elite rescue team led by professional diver Chris Kent, Will’s soon to be ex-wife and Shannon’s mother.
I found some parts of the story very moving and it was one of those books you never want to put down. The thing is, it is a pretty simple story. By that, I mean there aren’t dozens of side quests and plot threads you need to try to follow. It is just full steam ahead from start to finish. I enjoyed the book immensely and can’t wait to see what TJ Newman comes up with next.
* * *
Here’s a lesser-known film that some of you might get into. Born American came out in 1986, directed by Renny Harlin. It starred Mike Norris, son of Chuck Norris (if memory serves, Chuck was originally going to star, but backed out and nominated his son for the role). He’s one of three vacationing college students who are traveling through Finland. They come upon the border with the USSR and decide to venture over it, more for bragging rights than anything else. They’re caught and believed to be American spies, owing to their camera equipment and hunting gear.
They are imprisoned and things get bad really fast. While the US is made aware of them and diplomats are allegedly working to get them released, things are ugly on the inside and eventually an escape is attempted. There’s a lot that happens in this film, and a lot of it is brutal.
This isn’t a feel-good film, but it is pretty action-packed. I remember renting it from the video store at least a few times way back when.
It is currently available for streaming on Tubi and Freevee.
* * *
Prepper Survival Guide 19 has shipped out from the printer. This should start showing up in stores in 2-3 weeks. Among the topics you'll find inside:
Dealing with special-needs diets
Proper use of antibiotics
Using improvised reflectors with your campfire
Handling floods
Community survival planning
Wildfires
Supply organization
You should be able to find this issue just about anywhere magazines are sold.
* * *
While I don’t think the two events are directly related, the morning of the day I landed in the hospital, I managed to get outside for a walk with my wife. It was a short hike, but I still called it a win as it was the first hike I’d been on in a few weeks.
Survival Tip – Fire Extinguisher Basics
While most homes these days have smoke detectors, I’d be willing to bet that many are lacking fire extinguishers. Those that do have them, I have to wonder if the homeowner knows how to use them properly, or if they even know which type of extinguisher they have or where it is located.
With that in mind, let’s go over just a few of the basics.
There are various types of extinguishers available. They’re rated based on the materials they are suitable for use on.
Class A = wood, paper, cloth, rubber, and plastic materials
Class B = flammable liquids and oils
Class C = electrical equipment
Class D = combustible metals like magnesium
Class K = cooking appliances like oil fryers
Many extinguishers have multiple ratings, such as ABC. For most homes, that’s sufficient.
While we think of fires most commonly starting in the kitchen or maybe the garage/workshop, give serious thought as to where you should keep extinguishers for use in those areas. If a fire is happening in the kitchen, you might not be able to reach the extinguisher you store in that same room. Instead, think about keeping it in an adjacent room, so it is close at hand but not as likely to be obstructed by a potential fire.
When using a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS:
P = pull the pin
A = aim the nozzle
S = squeeze the handle
S = sweep the nozzle back and forth
You want to aim at the base of the fire, as that’s where the actual burning is taking place. Even if the flames are a couple of feet high, you need to extinguish where the fire is truly burning.
Extinguishers are either disposable or rechargeable. Disposable ones become inoperable after 10-12 years from the date of manufacture. I recommend making sure they are clearly marked with a date about 9 years from the date of manufacture, just to give you a cushion to replace them before they go bad. Rechargeable ones should be inspected and recharged every six years.
Inspect your extinguishers every six months. It only takes a minute to examine the hose and nozzle for cracks, make sure the handle is secure, and the pin isn’t missing.
Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide
For those new to my little corner of the Internet, I am the Editor in Chief for both Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide magazines. Here are the covers for the current issues that are available in stores right now.
You can find them just about anywhere magazines are sold, including:
Walmart
Sam's Club
Costco
Publix
Walgreens
Rite Aid
CVS
Tractor Supply
Fleet Farm
Barnes & Noble
At this time, there are no subscriptions available. Both magazines are newsstand only and print only, no electronic editions.
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Concerns?
I am always just an email away - jim@survivalweekly.com.