Survival Hygiene – Wilderness Wash-Up

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Warning!
The following story is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as a medical advice. Seek training from a reputable instructor or consultation from a licensed medical professional.

There you are, surrounded on all sides. You can't see them, but you know they're there. Countless invaders are feasting on your body, multiplying at an exponential rate and crawling everywhere. Sound like a scene from a horror movie? Would you guess that it's actually taking place on your skin … right this second? Granted, most of these skin florae are either beneficial or harmless. Yet, when skin is damaged or conditions alter in favor of overgrowth, some of these little guys can wreak havoc on your system.

Maintaining your hygiene is an important — almost automatic — habit in the civilized world. In the wilderness? It's up to you. But proper hygiene in the backcountry isn't just a luxury; it's necessary for the prevention of bacterial and fungal infections.

Sadly, it's also used as a terrible excuse for why women should remain indoors. You may have heard this condescending talk before, “Women aren't cut out for austere environments. They have too many issues — especially down there.”

After you finish rolling your eyes, let's get real for a second. There's a lot of misinformation out there regarding wilderness hygiene in general, let alone female-specific issues. Whether you're a female survivalist looking to add to your skillset or a male prepper who needs to be educated for his family members or survival group, you should know best practices for hygiene when SHTF.

Therefore, let's discuss some common myths associated with being in the wilderness and look at a few techniques and tips that enable everyone — men and women — to thrive in all environments.

Myth #1: You're Always Dirty

Fact: Being dirty in the woods is a choice. Some people use being in the wilderness as an excuse to embrace their stink. These folks may not last long before contracting an infection. Wash your hands to prevent fecal matter from getting on food or in your mouth. Wash your armpits, skin folds, in between your toes, and your genitals to prevent fungal infections and the spread of bacteria. The following is what you need to stay clean.

When Water is Plentiful: Pack biodegradable soap in your kit. You can find this in outfitter or recreation stores in liquid or bar form. Some reliable brands include Campsuds, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash, All Terrain Wonder Wash, and Dr. Bronner's Castile Liquid Soap.

When Water is a Commodity: If you're in a bug-out situation or have gotten lost in the backwoods without a reliable source of water, consider the following items:

  • Wet wipes — Look for wipes that are no-rinse or don't require water. Find wipes that are pH-balanced for skin to avoid irritation. For trail-minded travelers, some wipes are compostable and don't require being packed out. Try these: Comfort Bath Cleansing Washcloths, Good Wipes, and Sea To Summit Wilderness Wipes.
  • Waterless hand sanitizer — These small bottles are easy to find in any supermarket or gas station. While they're effective on 99 percent of germs, use only as directed. Your body has a natural balance of good bacteria. Overusing hand sanitizer — and in areas not recommended — can lead to fungus overgrowth and other complications.

When You Need to Improvise: Sometimes having a store-bought cleaner just isn't possible. Or maybe you've used it up in a long-term survival situation. That's when you'll need to rely on previous training:

  • Plant soap — Use saponin-rich plants such as yucca, soapwort, or Amole lily as a body wash. Depending on the plant, crushing, boiling, or rubbing the leaves or root of these plants results in a nice lather as soap, laundry detergent, or shampoo. Be sure to research the right plants common or native to your area to ensure accurate identification if SHTF. Misidentification can lead to serious health issues, possibly even death.
  • Homemade soap — In homestead situations, making your own soap using lye is a useful skill. If you have the required supplies and tools, homemade soaps are a great alternative to stocking up on store-bought supplies.
Wet wipes can help keep you clean in the wild if water is at a premium or scarce.

Wet wipes can help keep you clean in the wild if water is at a premium or scarce.

Myth #2: Never Brush Your Teeth

Fact: Brushing your teeth prevents cavities, mouth sores, and paint-peeling bad breath. Bacteria from an abscessed tooth could spread to the sinuses, blood, and brain. A tube of toothpaste doesn't require much room in your get-out-of-dodge bag; it's a small price to pay for your health. If that's not enough to convince you to brush your teeth, think of the alternative in a SHTF scenario — tooth extraction in the wilderness with no anesthesia and a rusty pair of pliers.

When the World Still Turns: Be sure to pack the following items in each of your emergency kits, whether it's your get-home pack or your vehicle kit:

  • Toothpaste and toothbrush — Look for a toothbrush with a cover to protect the bristles from dirt. Be sure to wash the cover periodically to prevent mold.
  • Floss — Flossing removes the sticky bacteria that leads to tartar and cavities. Your toothpaste and toothbrush will clean three of the five sides of a tooth; you need floss to clean the other two.

When You Need a Backup: Whether you've run out of the above items, lost them, or had to barter them in a post-apocalyptic scenario, you're not at a total loss when it comes to dental care. Consider the following alternatives:

  • Baking soda — Baking soda paste offers an antimicrobial, alkaline toothpaste substitute. It's also inexpensive and can be used for a variety of other life hacks.
  • Salt-water rinse — In case of a mouth sore, salt-water rinses increase the pH balance of your mouth, making it difficult for bacteria to survive.

When You Need to Improvise: In a truly dire situation, you might have consumed all of your primary and backup dental care products. Time to adapt:

  • Improvised toothpaste — In worst-case scenarios, you can combine wood ash and water to form rudimentary toothpaste. A few warnings though: wood ash is very caustic in its natural state and must be washed multiple times with hot water before use. Also, ensure no chemicals were used in the ash — including firestarters, pesticides, herbicides, or paint. Be sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly to prevent gum irritation.
  • Improvised toothbrush — The chew stick. Due to the chemical composition of some trees, chewing 6-inch twigs can be an effective form of oral hygiene. Twigs from trees such as the hazelnut, dogwood, birch, or orange are antimicrobial; chewing the frayed end of these sticks scrubs the surface of the teeth, removing plaque.
  • Improvised toothpicks — Use thorns from wild roses or hawthorn plants as substitute toothpicks when floss isn't available.

Myth #3: Bad Hair Day, Every Day

Fact: Hair care is your personal choice. Sure, there may be times, after a weeklong trek through backcountry, when you take full advantage of those rinse-and-repeat directions on your shampoo and conditioner bottles. Or maybe, with some planning and extra gear to lug around, you decide to wash your hair as often as you want. It's your choice.

But do you really need to wash your hair? Yes, Oily McFerguson, you need to wash your hair. The “no ‘poo” craze in this country is great for that city girl who never sweats or gets dirty. However, out in the wilderness, excess oil combined with dead skin cell accumulation leads to clogged hair follicles, inflammation, and even an overgrowth of yeast. So wash your hair; your scalp will thank you.

When Water Is Plentiful: With the right gear, showering in the great outdoors shouldn't be a chore.

  • Shampoo/conditioner — Biodegradable, eco-friendly shampoos and conditioners are available at your local recreation and outfitter store. Try these: Sea to Summit Trek & Travel Shampoo with Conditioner and Stream2Sea Sulfate Free Conditioning Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioner.
  • Water container/portable shower — Just because your hair products are biodegradable doesn't mean you should use them in streams, lakes, or other natural water sources. Portable showers are getting smaller every year. If you don't want to shell out the money for a shower kit, utilize the water container used for your body washing. Try these: Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower and Advanced Elements Summer Shower.

When Water is a Commodity: If you need to conserve water, consider these products:

  • Dry shampoo/no-rinse shampoo — These options are great when you want to soak up the extra oil on your scalp. It's not a long-term solution, however, because you still want to rinse the dead skin cells, dirt, and other debris off your scalp. Try these: Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo, Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, and Batiste Dry Shampoo.
  • Hat/bandana/hair ties — Sometimes a braid and a hat are good enough. Again, not a long-term solution, but an easy bridge in between washes.

When You Need to Improvise: Sometimes life hands you lemons. Here's how to make lemonade when it comes to hair care:

  • Plant soap — Like the body wash soap previously mentioned, saponin plant lather can be used on your hair. Yucca lather tends to be the most popular substitute for shampoo.
  • Scissors — It's just hair. And it's a lot easier running that cloth or sponge over your entire body than the separate effort of washing all that hair. Especially if it's long. Besides, it'll grow back.

Myth #4: Peeing in the Woods Causes UTI

Fact: Not peeing in the woods causes urinary tract infections. While this is a concern mostly for women and uncommon among men, it can happen to guys who are 50 and older. Holding in your urine creates a breeding ground of bacteria in the bladder. Subsequently, people who hold in their pee also don't want to drink more water. Instead of flushing the system and staying hydrated, they create the perfect storm for infections. Below are some considerations.

When Water is Plentiful: For most gents in the backcountry, it's just a matter of finding a tree, standing with feet shoulder-width apart, and draining the lizard (not that you needed a detailed explanation). But for ladies, it's not so simple. Thankfully, women can now pee standing up, too! Female urination devices are funnel-like items that are held flush against your body for quick evacuation. There are a few devices on the market to choose from, including a hardened funnel with removable tube, or a softer, flexible silicone device. They are hygienic, small, and easy to use. After use, rinse water through the funnel. Wash with soap and water daily. Try these brands: Freshette or Go Girl.

When Water is a Commodity: If you don't have enough water to wash up consistently, consider a pee rag. Having a bandana or small rag clipped to your pack is a convenient way to hygienically wipe yourself without the trouble of carrying a roll of toilet paper around. Sounds gross, but urine is sterile except in the case of bacterial UTIs. Keeping the rag on your pack allows it to dry out before its next use, while ultraviolet rays from the sun disinfectant it.

When You Need to Improvise: If you're a woman and have no pee device and no rag, well, just pee normally. Unless you have a bacterial UTI, urine is sterile. Yes, it may be annoying to search for that perfect fallen tree or huge rock for privacy, but the key is to empty your bladder whenever necessary.

survival-hygiene-urination-device

For female survivalists, packing a urination device or pee rag can help keep things hygienic when indoor plumbing isn't available anymore.

For female survivalists, packing a urination device or pee rag can help keep things hygienic when indoor plumbing...

Myth #5: Menstruation Prevents Women From Functioning Outdoors

Fact: A period is an inconvenience, but so is lack of electricity. For women in the wilderness, it shouldn't hold them back. Follow the same principles as being on your period in civilization: change your product when required and keep things clean. And, guys, your loved one's menstruation might spark some cringing at home or plenty of Shark Week euphemisms in the locker room, but don't overlook this section. The more knowledgeable you are of the issues facing your better half, the more apt you are to win her over to the prepper cause when it's time to stock up on survival supplies or practice your emergency plans.

When the World Still Turns: Obviously, packing the following feminine hygiene products prior to a disaster is key:

  • Tampons and pads — In hiking and camping situations, you'll have to pack out what you bring in. Keeping plastic bags, or buying feminine hygiene-specific bags at your local outdoors store, will assist in this endeavor.
  • Menstrual cups — These devices are reusable and can be worn up to 12 hours. However, they fit differently, so it's advised to try multiple brands before taking them on the trail. Also, they should be cleaned with mild (not antibacterial) soap and water after each use. For those without access to soap and water, wipe the cup with a dry or damp tissue, then clean completely at the next convenient time (refer to the specific manufacturer's instructions). Just ensure hands are clean before insertion and removal. Try these: Lunette Menstrual Cup, MeLuna, Lena, and DivaCup
Menstrual cups can keep female outdoorswomen mobile and clean.

Menstrual cups can keep female outdoorswomen mobile and clean.

When You Need a Backup: If you run out of the above items, consider these alternatives:

  • Period underwear — Companies now make underwear that can hold the equivalent of multiple tampons. Wash in cold water after use. Try these: Thinx, Knixwear, and Lunapanties
  • Hormonal birth control — For women on birth control, you always have the option to not have your period. Every woman is different; talk to your doctor about your options, the risks associated with hormonal birth control, and whether menstrual suppression is right for you.

When You Need to Improvise: Create your own pad. Many women used cloth before the invention of disposable pads; they're reusable and better for the environment. Outer pads can be made from old blankets or flannel shirts. Inner pads can be made by stitching together multiple layers of cloth, cotton, or any absorbent material, including weed fluff or peat moss.

In post-disaster scenarios, weed fluff and peat moss can be used as absorbent material in improvised menstrual pads.

In post-disaster scenarios, weed fluff and peat moss can be used as absorbent material in improvised menstrual pads.

Conclusion

When the sky starts to fall, hygiene shouldn't be an option; it's imperative to your success. Like food, water, and shelter, hygiene concerns are an essential element of your preparation. Bacterial and fungal infections are difficult to treat in the wilderness. Luckily, with proper hygiene, they're easy to prevent. Therefore, the next time you get your pack together, make sure you save room for your favorite soap … lest you want your backwoods adventure to turn into your very own microscopic horror movie.

About the Author

Eryn Chase is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran trained in identifying sources of instability in foreign countries. Proficient at navigating the complex civil-military terrain of foreign policy, she has advised and advocated for military and civilian leaders from multiple partner nations. Chase is currently the co-owner of TEAM TORN, a weapons and survival school based out of Nevada that trains both civilians and members of the U.S. military and government. She specializes in survivalism, combatives, and firearms training for women.
www.teamtorn.com

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Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Primitive Technology: How to Make Sandals

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If you can't move, you can't survive on your own — it's that simple. Mobility is essential, especially during intense survival scenarios. Most of us are well aware that a broken leg, dislocated hip, or even a twisted ankle can be disastrous in an emergency situation. But there's one part of our anatomy that we often overlook: the soles of our feet.

Primitive Technology sandals foot shoes boots footwear DIY 1

Anyone who has walked barefoot on hot asphalt or stepped on a sharp object knows how an injury to the bottom of the foot can be crippling. Suffering one of these painful injuries while attempting to survive in the forest is far worse. It's important to prepare yourself by selecting appropriate bug-out footwear, but you should also have a backup plan in case your boots are lost or damaged.

Primitive Technology sandals foot shoes boots footwear DIY 4

In the following video, the host of Primitive Technology shows how to make sandals from natural materials he found in the forest. The soles are made from a type of flexible cane found in his home country of Australia, but he says that these sandals can be woven from almost any type of natural cordage — leaves, bark, grass, vines, or roots. He states in the video description that the material was cut to 6 times the length of his foot, or about 5 feet (1.5 meters).

As a die-hard primitive survivalist, the host of the Primitive Technology channel writes, “I personally don't like wearing footwear in the forest as bare feet give better grip, especially on inclines. But for heavy work or when my feet are injured I'll wear these.” While we respect his commitment, we'll stick to wearing some form of shoes, boots, or sandals whenever we can. We'd recommend you do the same.

Strength and Conditioning for Survival Swimming

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Warning
The exercises and content expressed in this column are for illustrative purposes only. Consult a medical professional before trying any physical activity or nutritional plan.

With the summer heat in full swing, being fit enough to wear your bathing suit is probably on your mind. But let's get out of the “beach body” mentality and think more about preparation. Swimming, much like running, is a skill you need to be able to do without much thought when the apocalypse hits. After all, not all emergencies happen on dry land.

In 2010, 52 percent of the U.S. population lived across 673 coastal counties, so you should seriously consider adding swim training to your physical preparation plan due to big storms, tsunamis, hurricanes, and a rise in the sea level. In 2016, floods killed 126 people in the USA, according to the National Weather Service. And we're just talking about natural disasters, much less man-made emergencies like pool drowning deaths or boating accidents.

In a crisis, you'll never know how far you may need to swim to safety or how long you might need to tread water before help arrives. We can't prevent these disasters, but we can prepare you in the best way possible: improving your ability to swim for longer periods of time. And we're not just talking about hitting the local pool — you can use resistance training to get in shape as well.

Resistance training is an important aspect of dry-land training for swimming, but we also put a premium on your conditioning. This aspect of your physical preparation is often overlooked in lieu of just “hitting the gym.” There are usually a few reasons why this is, but most commonly because it's uncomfortable. Sometimes, it can be downright grueling, as many effective conditioning programs tend to be. The good news is we'll be pretty specific by targeting the energy systems that have the most bang for your buck. When training for a specific event or goal, the more specific you can get, within reason, the better.

With regard to swimming, getting in the pool is obviously key. You'll never improve your swimming if you don't actually perform the activity. Outside of that, though, there's a place for strength and conditioning.

The latter aspect is important to allow you to swim for longer periods of time without gassing out. We'll accomplish this by simply completing freestyle swims of increasing duration. This is the most basic form of conditioning that many of us are used to, like going for a run or using the elliptical at the gym. Through this type of training, you can increase the amount of blood your heart is able to pump at each beat.

Next, we'll focus on upper and lower body conditioning through resistance training in two different ways. The first helps target the aerobic system by increasing the amount of oxygen your muscles can use. The second focuses on just the lower body and its ability to produce power for long periods of time. Kicking through the water quickly requires this exact type of movement. Enough talk; let's get into the specifics and outline a plan for you to start using.

Get Wet

Getting in the pool is your most basic form of training. The initial goal is to freestyle swim for 30 minutes at a lower intensity. You can do this a few different ways. The best way to determine the intensity is to use a heart-rate monitor. Your goal is to reach and maintain between 130 and 150 beats per minute for a half-hour.

If you don't have a heart-rate monitor, just set an easy pace and don't allow yourself to move any quicker than you can maintain without taking a break. This may be slow at first, but that's entirely OK. Just shoot for consistency without pausing. At first, you may need to take a break regardless, so set a goal of taking a three- to five-minute break halfway through your 30-minute session.

Progressively, you'll work for longer periods of time. The maximum amount of time to complete this type of training is 90 minutes, but 45 to 60 minutes will work for the general purposes of physical preparation.

Not So Fast

This next method focuses more on the working muscles, so it'll be a completely different feeling. Choose an exercise and complete it for three to five sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.

The major difference is how each repetition is performed. Move slowly at a two-seconds-up and two-seconds-down tempo without pausing or locking out the joint. This means there will be constant tension throughout the whole set. For the purposes of swim performance, do three sets each of the squat, pull-down, and push-up with the tempo described above.

Kettlebell Sumo Squat

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-kettlebell-sumo-squat-01

1.Begin by holding a kettlebell at arms-length between your legs.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-kettlebell-sumo-squat-02

2.Keeping your chest up, slowly squat between your knees.

3.With your weight on your heels, slowly push into the floor and return to the starting position. Be sure to stop just shy of your legs locking out.

4.Make sure your back stays flat at the bottom of the squat. There should be no rounding at all.

5.Immediately descend back down into the squat. Remember, no pausing!

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-kettlebell-sumo-squat-01

6.Maintain this tempo for 8 to 10 repetitions.

Pulldown

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pulldown-01

1. Start in a seated position while gripping a bar in an overhand or underhand position. The underhand position will be a little easier.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pulldown-02

2. While staying tall, slowly pull the bar down to your upper chest. You should feel your back and arms working.

3. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just shy of your arms locking out.

4. Begin pulling back down toward your chest.

5. Your lower back shouldn't arch at all throughout the movement.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pulldown-01

6. Maintain this tempo for eight to 10 repetitions.

Pushup

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pushup-01

1. Begin in standard pushup position: your hands slightly outside shoulder width and hips in-line with your shoulders and ankles.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pushup-02

2. While holding a light brace in your abs, slowly lower yourself toward the floor. Your arms should be at roughly 45 degrees to your body.

3. Without pausing at all, slowly begin to push yourself away from the floor.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-pushup-01

4. Stop just shy of locking your arms out, then begin to lower yourself again.

5. Maintain this tempo for eight to 10 repetitions.

Up the Intensity and the Duration

At first, the idea of doing something for a longer period of time that's also high-intensity may seem impossible. Generally, the higher the intensity, the shorter the duration. The difference with this method of training is that the resistance is high, not the speed. This makes it possible to do the exercises at higher volume. You'll just be moving slower.

The advantage of this type of training is that it increases the endurance of your muscles. Specifically, it works the more strength-oriented type of muscle fibers, which aren't usually attributed to their endurance capabilities. We pick the walking lunge because it's a great exercise to work the major muscles of the lower body in a single-leg fashion. Moving uphill just makes it a little more challenging.

Walking Lunge Uphill

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-01

1. Begin with your feet together, with either a weight vest or dumbbells in your hands.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-02

2. Take a large step forward, making sure your back knee is slightly behind your hips.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-01

3. Drive through your heel and step forward.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-03

4. Pause for two to three seconds, then complete the same thing on the other side.

5. Continue to do this for two sets lasting 7 to 10 minutes each. Rest five minutes between sets.

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-04

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-05

strength-and-conditioning-for-survival-swimming-walking-llunge-uphill-04

Conclusion

Building yourself into a paddling machine will pay dividends down the road. Adding specialized swimming training will help you move through water with ease and get to safety faster. Depending on where you live, this might just be the physical preparation plan you need to ensure your safety in a future crisis.

About the Author

Ryne Gioviano holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He's the owner of Achieve Personal Training & Lifestyle Design located in Naperville, Illinois. You can find him at @rgioviano on Twitter and Instagram. For more information, please visit www.Achieve-PersonalTraining.com.

Sources

Ultimate MMA Conditioning
8WeeksOut Media
www.8weeksout.com

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
www.noaa.gov

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Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Op-Ed: Six Reasons You Should Wear a Watch

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This op-ed article was written by Jake Bush and originally published by our friends at Breach Bang Clear. It appears here in its entirety with their permission.

You should wear a watch. Cell phones as timepieces aren’t for people who do stuff. Dig in your pocket, pull out a phone and turn it on to check the time, and I’ll assume you can’t change a tire. Maybe you can… if you can find a YouTube video to show you how.

Wrist watch clock timepiece time EDC tool 4

Dive watches are a great every-day-carry option for the following reasons:

1. Dive watches are tough, water proof, glow well enough to see at night, can have a day/date function and a second hand. All you need to know.

2. The dive timer is a heck of a tool. From timing how long you have been stuck alone in the woods at night with a corpse holding down a crime scene in the dark, or how long you have been waiting for a wrecker, to timing how long til you pick up pizza for the shift, once you know how to use it you’ll wonder how you ever did without.

Wrist watch clock timepiece time EDC tool 1

3. Seiko makes quality dive watches that can be had from $100 to $30K. In fact, a $100 second hand Seiko SKX007 is so awesome Stormin’ Norman Swartzkoff wore one on one wrist and a Rolex on the other when he was kicking ass and taking over whole countries.

That said Resco, Rolex, Sinn, Casio, and Citizen also make kick-ass watches.

Wrist watch clock timepiece time EDC tool 2

4. An automatic winding mechanical Seiko isn’t gonna die on you because a battery went dead. How many times have you had a watch croak a few months after you bought it because it sat ticking on the shelf for three years before you bought it. Not saying there aren’t good options in the kinetic (electric driven, charged by motion), or solar, just saying batteries die. When a mechanical watch goes bad it gets fast or slow and usually you notice well before it screws you over.

5. It’s analog. Ever notice nurses, medics and some doctors wear analog watches? There’s a reason for that. The idea is when you are taking a pulse (count the beats over fifteen seconds and multiply times four), reading a digital watch and counting at the same time are two tasks that utilize the same part of the brain, making it easier to make a mistake. Which can be bad.

Don’t think so? Ever try to remember a number or count money when your buddy thinks its funny to yell out random numbers? Yeah… me too. I use mine for drug testing (Romberg), a lot. Works like a charm.

Wrist watch clock timepiece time EDC tool 3

6. Slap it on a bracelet, NATO/ZULU strap, or rubber band and add a compass (Suunto Clipper or Prometheus Design Werx) and you have a tool that will help you master your world. Plus, you’ll look a little more like James Bond and a little less like the the hipster kid down the street who can’t change the tire on his Prius.

Editor's Note: What's your opinion about EDC timepieces? Let us know in the poll below.

Acorns: An Often-Overlooked Survival Food

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An acorn is a nut that can be found in abundance in many regions, and can be a potential food source. Food provides calories, and calories provide the energy to keep your mind sharp and your muscles moving. If your supplies of food dwindle too far, your entire plan for survival can be derailed, so it's essential to have backup calorie sources to rely on. If hunting, trapping, fishing, and gardening don't produce enough food, foraging for wild edibles can provide a much-needed supplement to your diet.

Acorns aren't just food for squirrels.

Above: Acorns aren't just food for squirrels, but you won't want to eat them raw like this little guy is.

When we think of foraging for food in the woods, we often think of easy pickings like berries, roots, flowers, and mushrooms (although you'll need to be careful with those). But there's one food source that's often overlooked — in fact, you've probably walked all over it without even noticing.

Acorn survival food tree vegetable nut 5

Why Acorns?

Acorns are an excellent survival food, as long as you know how to prepare them. Scientific American writes, “In general, acorns appear to be higher in caloric content per unit weight than cereal grains, a reliable source of vitamin C and starch, and high in magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.”

Acorn survival food tree vegetable nut 4

With a few exceptions, most acorns are not edible in raw form due to high tannin content. Tannins are chemicals which taste extremely bitter and can cause indigestion, so you'll need to extract them from any acorns you gather through a process called leaching. Before leaching, it's best to make sure your acorns are ripe and brown, not green. Also make sure the acorns have no holes or deformities, as this could mean they've been damaged by insects or animals. Fortunately, these ripe acorns can be collected easily from the ground beneath oak trees, especially in the fall.

Avoid under-ripe green acorns, as ripe brown acorns will taste better.

Above: Avoid under-ripe green acorns, as ripe brown acorns will taste better and be easier to process.

Dry the acorns in the sun to remove moisture if necessary, then shuck them by striking them with with a hammer or rock. Peel off the cap and skin, and set aside the inner meat. Once the acorns have been shucked, leaching can begin.

Tannins can be leached from acorns by soaking the acorns in cold water, and repeatedly changing the water until it remains clear. This usually takes several days. Hot water is even more effective for leaching, and will require less time to extract the tannins. At this stage, the acorns are edible, so you can:

  • Eat them raw (after leaching)
  • Add them to a soup, stew, or any other recipe that calls for nuts
  • Roast them in a pan over a campfire
  • Dry them and pound them into flour
  • Roast, grind, and use the resulting powder to make acorn coffee

You can also make acorn butter, pancakes, cookies, and more —

For an in depth video tutorial, check out the video below:

https://youtu.be/qLo3UWh-BN4

More on Survival Food

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Innova Kayak’s Inflatable Halibut Review

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Photos by Dik Pfaff

Using our double-bladed kayak paddle as a hiking staff, spider-web sweeper, and snake stick, we skirted thick coastal lowlands in Florida to strike a brackish creek flowing with the outgoing tide into a shallow bay. Halting to get his bearings, our hiker leaned forward on the paddle shaft in human tripod mode, shrugging the weight of his 50-pound backpack and speeding blood flow to his arms for awaiting mosquitoes.

No white lab coats and clipboards here. When launching into the wild with an inflatable kayak, why let crash-test dummies have all the fun?

Our aim: Test the Innova Halibut, a rugged fishing kayak designed for angling and adventure in remote, hard-to-reach, pack-in, paddle-out locations. Our eye was focused on its “wilderness worthiness” for emergency response scenarios and how an inflatable craft compares to a conventional canoe or kayak.

Staging Area

After hiking in a ways after parking our Suburban 4×4, we found an unmarked opening in the mangrove shoreline that shimmered like an oasis. This put-in spot was rife with barnacle-encrusted mangrove tree roots, submerged oyster bars sharp as broken glass beneath the surface glare, and toothy creatures upstream and down.

Based in Burlington, Washington, the folks at Innova supply each boat with a patch kit — although we weren't looking to intentionally abuse the Halibut's extremely stout, handsome gray-on-green rubberized fabric (called Nitrilon, similar to that used on inflatable runabouts and yacht tenders). But at the same time, we wouldn't change our intended bug-out-by-water route for this review.

Each boat will last years with proper care, Innova says of its Czech-made boats. Touting the natural rubber-based elasticity of the boat material as preventing punctures, Innova advised that the material can absorb snags and snap back in place without tearing like lesser non-stretch poly materials. The Halibut was smooth to the touch and easily washed or wiped clean.

The Setup

Setting aside our gear and rod, we dropped the roll-top Halibut pack. Opening the small set of instructions made us wonder why we didn't try it at home first. Unrolling the 12-foot-3-inch kayak immediately struck us as a somewhat more daunting task than simply shoving a canoe through the mangrove roots after a traditional Southeast portage.

Innova-Halibut-Paddle

We needed to lay out, organize, orient, partially inflate, and assemble the inflatable seat, not to mention set up the tracking fin and floorboards for standing. There was also the orientation of deck fittings; we secured two evenly spaced fore and aft deck boards for attaching a rod holder or optional navigational electronics.

Innova-Halibut-Storage-Bag

Though we didn't keep count, setup took longer than we expected. However, with a little pre-rigging, a practiced paddler with a pump could probably knock this out in 20 minutes. Something to consider if you plan to use this as a bug-out ‘yak.

Innova-Halibut-Air-Hose

Air Superiority

The open cockpit kayak hull consisted of three inflatable air chambers, reinforced by chemically bonded, vulcanized seams. Air chamber No. 1 was a ribbed series of parallel tubes forming the deck. Air chambers two and three were the port and starboard kayak sides. Each air chamber inflated via a pop-up, spring-loaded locking air valve located inboard and close within the stern. When locked down, the air valves were capped flush with the inner surface of the kayak, preventing accidental loss of pressure or snagging while underway.

The boat featured a stern drainage opening for when you take on a little water or following a downpour. One separate removable, inflatable folding kayak seat was supplied with back support straps and rod holder tubes nicely fitted behind the paddler.

The Ride

The inflatable seat supported our butt and was surprisingly comfortable and high riding, thanks to a cross plank beneath the seat securely fastened to the port and starboard grommets by thumb-screwed fasteners. The cross plank suspended high enough above the kayak deck that we were able to stow our Pelican camera case beneath the seat bottom, with room fore or aft for the author's favorite Watershed dry storage bags.

The paddler's heels rested on the floorboards or decking planks, preventing abrasion of the kayak's rubberized deck surface when wearing sandy dive booties. We attached a cross plank well forward of the paddler, providing a decent foot brace for each stroke.

The Czech List

Maneuverability: Pivot maneuverability in tight quarters was a blast, from 180 to 360.

Even with the modest profile-tracking fin, she spun easily with forward and reverse sweep strokes, stopping and reversing just as quickly. Side-to-side draw strokes moved the boat easily.

Capacity: The 441-pound carrying capacity easily accommodated our 200-pound paddler, rivaling the capacity of similar size rigid hull kayaks. Naturally, extra weight will slow the boat.

Stability: Initial and secondary stability checks from the seated position felt safe and fairly predictable once firmly inflated. Even with winds gusting above 25 knots, the boat wasn't tender and felt steady. Standing on the decking to route-scout or sight cast required care in the winds.

Seaworthiness: The roar of pounding surf tempted us to half drag, half carry the kayak over a sand dune to the Gulf of Mexico. We obliged. The inflatable hung tough, though.

Showing no worse-for-wear signs, the ‘yak had no loss of air pressure before we retreated into the protective mangroves to fish during the last light of day. With the upswept bow, the inflatable appeared capable of modest river currents for a hike-in, paddle-out trip. Still, our tidal currents didn't remotely extend to Deliverance-level conditions.

Innova-Halibut-02

The Verdict

Pros: Workmanship, quality materials, and a capable cockpit layout combine to inspire confidence in remote locations. Testing under rough conditions reveals a surprisingly resilient, capable, and buoyant vessel with excellent detail. When properly set up and fully inflated, the boat carries a solid load, with emphasis on trimming load and seat position for paddler weight and load distribution.

Cons: Our main complaint is the lack of a padded hip belt for bearing the load of this 50-pound package. A weight transfer to the hips could save some shoulder and spine stress and aid in paddling ability when under way, or allow for another 25 pounds of required secondary gear, including paddles, a pump, and some camp gear. If one can carry the kayak pack and another tote pack with supplies, a two-person team could make good use of this kayak for waterside camping or survival.

Overall: In an emergency situation, and allowing for inflation and setup time, the Halibut would serve any solo survivalist with kayaking experience when transportation and space storage requirements make it the best, or only, choice.

Make & Model
Innova Halibut

Overall Length
13 feet, 3 inches

Width
38 inches

Dimensions (Packed)
28 by 28 by 12 inches

Carry Capacity
441 pounds

Seat(s)
One

MSRP
$1,499

URL
www.innovakayak.com

About the Author

Innova-Halibut-Fishing

David H. Martin — a Southwest Florida-based fishing guide and NRA training counselor — first appeared in RECOIL OFFGRID's Fall 2014 issue with a feature on using kayaks as bug-out transportation. He has since written about a range of water-related topics, from flooding and hurricane cover stories to a high-water military surplus vehicle and a two-wheel-drive floating motorcycle. Contact him at davidhmartin@me.com.

More From Issue 21

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 22

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Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Making a DIY Knife with Denim Handle Scales

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If you've read some of our previous knife reviews, such as the TOPS Hazen Legion 6.0 and the White River Firecraft FC5, you'll probably recognize the word micarta. This term refers to a composite material that's often used on knife handles and gun grips. Some types of micarta have a marbled appearance with light and dark layers, while others appear as a single solid color. Micarta is also known for its ability to absorb moisture, so it can provide a secure grip even if your hands are wet or sweaty. So, what exactly is this material?

Denim micarta knife scale handle blade DIY 2

Micarta is technically a brand name and registered trademark of Norplex-Micarta, but much like Kleenex tissues and the Thermos insulated water bottle, it has sometimes been used in a generic sense to describe a category of composites. These composites are formed from densely-packed layers of fabric suspended in thermosetting plastic (a.k.a. resin or epoxy). Micarta can be made from linen, canvas, denim, paper, carbon fiber, or just about any other fabric by stacking multiple layers and using pressure to impregnate these layers with resin.

Denim micarta knife scale handle blade DIY 3

In the following video, YouTube channel M.N. Projects shows how to make a DIY fixed-blade knife with denim micarta handle scales. The scales are literally just a pair of old blue jeans, cut into rectangles, brushed with epoxy, and pressed into a wood form using a bench vise and C-clamps. These scales are then pinned onto the knife, and sanded down using a dremel and sandpaper. If you've got a workshop at home and some basic power tools, this is something that wouldn't be too hard to accomplish — these scales could give your old knife a new look and improve grip in wet conditions.

The Myth of Water Rationing While Stranded in the Desert

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The thirst is all-consuming as you lurch forward through the parched sand and loose rock of the desert canyon. You're lost, having ventured off the hiking trail miles ago. You have only half of a bottle of water left. Stopping under the unmerciful sun, you examine the bottle as if you were studying some precious jewel. Your body knows what it needs. But your mind says, “No! I have to save it!” You're not sure why, but somehow it seems too precious to waste, too valuable to use right now. So, you put the bottle back into your bag and continue stumbling forward, hoping to magically find a flowing stream in this barren land.

The Myth: We're often told that if we're out on a strenuous hike, holed up at home because of a storm, or stranded in the middle of nowhere, we should ration our water. But does that strategy hold water when you're in a sweltering desert?

The Reality: Human beings are adaptable creatures. We're capable of surviving on a lot less than you might expect, and there are plenty of examples of this. In 1981, a young sailor survived for 76 days in a small life raft in the Atlantic. During the final month of his ordeal, he carefully rationed his collected rain water — just one pint a day. He made it, surviving to tell his tale. And perhaps it's because of stories like this one — tales that linger in the pop culture consciousness — that the notion of rationing water in all types of emergencies is so widespread.

But the physical needs of a sedentary sailor lying in a damp rubber raft and someone walking through a waterless desert are quite different indeed.

In comfortable surroundings, an inactive adult usually needs about 2 quarts a day. In a dry climate emergency that includes exertion, the need may jump from quarts to gallons. High heat, low humidity, and dry winds can steal the water from your body quickly and in a way you won't really notice — until things get serious.

Dehydration can lead to diminished strength and motor skills, sluggish cognitive abilities, extreme tiredness, and ultimately death. We may need to be at peak performance to accomplish the tasks of survival in tough desert conditions, and we simply can't afford to work at a diminished capacity. Take a lesson from the humble yet ornery camel. In these harsh situations, the best place to store your water is in your body, not in your canteen.

Alternative Uses: You may not be able to get more drinking water in a survival situation, but you can always take steps to limit your water loss. Consider these other techniques:

  • Dress the Part: When traveling through hot climates, wear light-colored shirts with long sleeves, long pants, and a wide hat. It might seem counterintuitive considering the heat, but keep as much skin covered as possible, even your face. This limits your skin exposure to the sun, keeping you cooler — and it helps to hold in moisture. Ideally, you should wear cotton clothing in the day time, as cotton fibers will hold your sweat longer than other fabrics and help to preserve any perspiration and the moisture in your skin. Just make sure you have a dry change of clothes for nighttime, as the temperature can plummet in the desert at night (and wet clothing can chill you).
  • Go With the Flow: If possible, limit or avoid activity at the hottest part of the day. Walk, climb, or work in the early morning or late evening (or at night, if you have a light source), and rest in a shady place during the heat of the day.
  • Get Radical: Save water early and often. Don't wait until you're almost dead from dehydration to start implementing water-saving survival techniques. Breathe only through your nose, since mouth breathing causes unnecessary water loss. And when things get really dire, pee on your clothing to cool yourself down and keep your skin hydrated. Don't suck on buttons or stones to keep your mouth moist. There's no water in them — duh! — and they represent a choking hazard if you lose consciousness.

More From Issue 21

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 22

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 20

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Krav Maga Tactical Survival: Personal Safety in Action

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The Premise: Want to learn how to defend yourself in unarmed combat? If this is the case, Krav Maga Tactical Survival: Personal Safety in Action might just be what the doctor ordered. This comprehensive volume delivers knowledge on surviving many violent situations — from barroom brawls to parking lot beat-downs (and many others in-between).

The 411: The author, Gershon Ben Keren, is a fifth-degree black belt in Krav Maga and a second-degree black belt in judo. He also holds a master's degree in psychology and has performed academic research on violence against women. He currently runs Krav Maga Yashir Boston, a training facility in Massachusetts' capital.

What's Krav Maga? Is that what you dip into your hummus? Nope, it's the official combatives system for the Israel Defense Forces. The techniques and concepts of this system have been pressure-tested again and again, on battlefields and in urban environments. Krav Maga (which translates to “contact combat”) was founded by Imi Lichtenfeld in the late '30s. Today, Krav Maga incorporates elements of boxing, Thai boxing, jujutsu, aikido, judo, and good ol' fashioned street fighting.

Krav Maga Tactical Survival is Keren's second book. It's broken down into four parts: strikes and blocks; weapons defense — namely against firearms and knives; unarmed assaults; and throws and takedowns. He promises no crossover techniques from his first book, Krav Maga: Real World Solutions to Real World Violence.

The Verdict: The pages are thick and the pictures colorful and clear. Unlike many martial arts how-to books photographed in a dojo, the pictures are staged at real locations, highlighting the gravity of close-quarter conflicts.

An exhaustive quantity of violent situations are covered. You could get into a fight every week for the rest of your life and still not encounter all the scenarios described.

Situational awareness is analyzed throughout the book. Awareness of your surroundings belongs in every personal protection manual because that skill, more than anything else, will save your hide. Improvised weapons are also examined, such as smashing a ceramic plate and using the jagged edges for cutting.

Another unique feature rarely seen in other self-defense books is how to employ situational awareness to spoil the assailant's weapon draw. Why wait for the weapon to come out? Well Keren doesn't. Instead he shows the steps to dish out punishment while keeping the attacker's weapon sheathed.

Krav Maga Tactical Survival is first-class in its genre, so the following critiques are relatively minor.

As mentioned, the book presents numerous techniques, making it difficult for beginners to sort out common attacks from the less-likely assaults. As you train for self-defense, consider spending the majority of training time on common attack scenarios. For example, it doesn't make sense to dedicate an equal amount of time drilling a common right haymaker attack as you would with an uncommon knife-threat-from-behind abduction scenario.

Also, many of the savage strikes shown in the first section are never seen again. The hammer fist, elbow strikes, cradle throat strike, and the humble bite are all proven techniques in street fights. Yet, they receive little page real estate during the force-on-force scenarios.

Despite the minor criticisms, Krav Maga Tactical Survival is hard to beat (pun intended). It represents a solid combatives manual and undoubtedly stands alone in a crowded genre. We bet reading Keren's first book, along with this sequel, will give you more (self-defense) tools than your local Home Depot.

krav-maga-tactical-survival-personal-safety-in-action

Krav Maga Tactical Survival: Personal Safety in Action
AuthorGershon Ben Keren
PublisherTuttle Publishing
MSRP$18
URLwww.tuttlepublishing.com
Pages224
RatingThrive

More From Issue 21

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 22

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 20

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Trailer: “Jungle” with Daniel Radcliffe

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The Amazon rainforest is well-known as one of the last bastions of unexplored wilderness on earth. There are still regions of its deep jungle which harbor native tribes who have had little to no contact with the modern world. It's also an incredibly difficult environment to survive in — millions of square miles of dense vegetation, harsh terrain, constant moisture, and countless poisonous or venomous species. Even for experienced survivalists, overcoming the Amazon is a serious challenge.

Jungle Daniel Radcliffe amazon survival story movie 1

A new movie, Jungle with Daniel Radcliffe, tells the true story of four men who entered the Bolivian rainforest, only to learn firsthand how difficult it can be to survive there. The men remained in the jungle for three weeks with only basic supplies, and tragically, some of them never made it out.

Jungle Daniel Radcliffe amazon survival story movie 3

Radcliffe plays the role of Yossi Ghinsberg, a 21-year-old adventurer who had decided to travel the world after serving in the Israeli military. The film is based on the book Ghinsberg wrote to tell how he escaped alive, Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival. Check out the trailer for Jungle below:

If you're interested in hearing more about this true survival story, watch the video below to hear it in Ghinsberg's own words: