Backup Water Source

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Let’s say there’s a natural disaster, riot, or other form of SHTF-style unrest that forces you to stay at home. If you’re adequately prepared and in a survival mindset, you’ve probably got some drinking water and other basic resources stored in a closet, cupboard, garage, or shed. However, if you’re stuck for a week, two weeks, or more without running water, your supplies may run out. Fortunately, there’s a large water source already in your home you may not have thought of using—your water heater.

Water heater

An ordinary home water heater generally has a capacity of 30-80 gallons, but some may exceed even this amount. Since it’s sealed in a metal container and refilled regularly as you use the hot water tap, this water should be relatively clean if your heater is in good working order.  Then again, it’s always best to be on the safe side and filter, boil, and/or purify this water before drinking it. This is highly recommended if your heater has been inactive for an extended period, since residual heat can provide an environment for bacteria growth. Also, water straight from the heater may not taste great, due to the precipitation of minerals from hard water and possible sediment in the tank. However, drinking from the water heater certainly better than dehydration if you’re out of other water sources.

Water heater 2

Here are the basic steps to drain your water heater:

  • At the first sign of a disaster, TURN OFF the electrical power, gas, and pilot light on the heater. Close the cold water inlet or fill valve to avoid floodwater and other contamination entering the tank.
  • When you need water, connect a clean hose to the water heater drain, and run it into a bucket, pot, or other container. Open the drain valve.
  • Open the pressure relief valve on the tank, and collect the water you need. Then shut both the drain and pressure relief valve until you need more water.
  • Filter, boil, or purify the water as needed.

Knots to Know: Bowline Knot

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Whether you’re rigging up a hammock, securing a snare line, or tying your boat down at the shore, it’s extremely important to know how to tie a knot that won’t slip or give way under tension. The bowline knot fits this task perfectly, and it’s a strong contender for the most important knot to know in survival scenarios. There’s a good reason the bowline has been called the king of all knots—it’s even said to date back as far as ancient Egypt.

The bowline is essentially a way to attach a free end of rope or cord to a solid object. The process for tying a bowline has been simplified as “into the hole, around the tree, then back out the hole again” and is demonstrated well in this video from HowCast:

If you try this method a few times, and remember the saying “into the hole, around the tree, then back out the hole again” you’ll have the technique down in no time. Tie the bowline around a post or tree, then give it a hard yank—if you’ve tied the knot correctly, it will tighten instead of slipping. This is extremely useful for setting up a hammock, stringing up a bear bag, or a number of other tasks.

CCI Low-Noise 22 LR HP Ammo

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In a survival situation, the last thing you want to do is scare off the game you’re hunting with the crack of a muzzle report, since it could make the difference between a hearty meal and an empty dinner table. However, it’s equally important to have enough stopping power to bring down said game, otherwise you might as well be using a slingshot—silent, but not nearly as effective. CCI Ammunition has achieved a happy medium between these two goals, with their Quiet-22 Segmented Hollow-Points.

The CCI Quiet-22 ammo considerably reduces muzzle noise, with up to 75% less perceived noise than a regular 22 LR round. However, it also retains excellent power, with a segmented bullet that splits into three pieces on impact. This creates three wound channels, and brings down small game with ease. You might be thinking there’s a trade-off here, but CCI says the new round retains the excellent accuracy and reliability you’d expect from standard 22 LR ammunition. However, because it’s a low-velocity round, you may have to cycle your weapon manually if you use it in a semi-automatic rifle. Still, with a 75% noise reduction, it’s something worth considering.

Here’s a quick video of the Quiet-22’s sound level compared to standard 22 LR and CCI 22 Short:

For more information on the CCI Quiet-22 Ammunition, visit http://www.cci-ammunition.com/

Browning X-Bolt Varmint Stalker Rifle

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Although we’ve previously sung the praises of a reliable .22 LR rifle for survival purposes, sometimes you need something with a little more oomph. Browning recently launched a new variant in their X-Bolt line of rifles, the Varmint Stalker, and it fits this task nicely. It’s available in 204 Ruger, 223 Rem., 243 Win., and 308 Win. calibers with a 24″ barrel length, as well as 22-250 Rem. in a 26” barrel length.

Browning Varmint Stalker

On top of these versatile caliber choices, it has Mossy Oak® Brush® camouflage and a heavy sporter contour barrel in non-reflective matte blued finish. If you’re trying to stay concealed in the woods, both those items could come in handy. Other standard features found on all X-Bolt rifles include a detachable rotary magazine, adjustable Feather Trigger, 60° bolt lift, bolt unlock button and Inflex Technology recoil pad.

If you’re looking for a flexible bolt-action rifle to add to your survival kit, visit http://www.browning.com/ for more information on the new X-Bolt Varmint Hunter.

Understanding the Risks of Mountaineering

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Ever climbed a precarious mountain or hung unsupported from a rock face? Even if you haven’t, it’s easy to see that there’s plenty of danger involved in this activity—without any danger, it probably wouldn’t be much fun. However, examining the danger behind more extreme versions of mountaineering can help those of us who prefer mild hiking and climbing to avoid injury. After all, if you know when, where, and how most advanced climbers get hurt, you can better avoid those situations while surviving in mountainous terrain.

Experienced climber Steph Abegg has compiled a series of charts to show mountain climbing injury rates, locations and more. Below, we’ll be breaking them down and explaining what an average survivalist or outdoorsman can learn from the data.

Mountaineering

First, we see that over the last 60 years, mountaineering deaths have been declining steadily, but injuries have remained fairly constant. Even with the improvements in technology, gear, and communications since the 1950s, climbers are still getting hurt.

Mountaineering

Next, we learn that falling or slipping on rock, snow, or ice is the most common cause of injury. This one is mostly common sense, but it’s also surprising that nearly half of the injuries were caused by other rarer factors like falling rocks and lightning strikes.

Mountaineering

Also surprisingly, injuries were spread almost equally throughout experience levels. You might expect a veteran mountain climber to be more adept at avoiding danger, but at the same time, they tend to take on much more difficult terrain and conditions because they think they can handle it.

Mountaineering

Here’s an analysis of the most common injuries, most of which are to be expected. However, if you know how to apply a splint and treat lacerations in the field before you go mountaineering, you’ll greatly improve your odds of making it home safe.

Mountaineering

Finally, we learn that you’re almost as likely to get hurt descending a mountain as you are ascending it. Apparently the phrase “all downhill from here” doesn’t necessarily mean safety for mountain climbers. This is also important from a mindset standpoint—when you’re on the way down the mountain, there’s a tendency to get complacent and make dangerous mistakes.

If you spend a lot of time in mountainous terrain, or you may need to do so to survive in the future, it’s worth thinking about these mountaineering facts. Although climbing accidents are rare in the grand scheme of things, if you bear in mind it can happen to anyone, and prepare to handle injuries that may occur, you’ll be much safer out there.

100-Function Multi-Tool

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We’ve all heard the phrase “too much of a good thing”, and every man knows that tools are a very good thing. Plus, any multi-tool owner can tell you that combining many tools into a single package is a great idea. So, what happens when you take it too far? This incredible 100-function “mother of all Swiss Army knives” is what happens.

Originally made in Germany way back in 1880 as a display piece for J.S. Holler & Co’s cutlery store in New York, this insane amalgamation of tools actually predates the Swiss Army Knife by 11 years. Not only that, but it contains just about every tool imaginable, including a cheese fork, piano tuner, butter knife, mechanical pencil, cigar cutter, and even a fully functional .22-cailber pistol. See what we mean by excess?

Sure, this tool wasn’t meant to be used or carried around in a pocket, but it did set the stage for the Schweizer Offiziersmesser (Swiss Officer’s Knife) and multi-tool of today. It’s also a great example of why sometimes, there is such a thing as too many tools.

Home-Made Bug Out Truck

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We’ve always liked expedition vehicles, since they’re pretty much the ultimate survival assets on four (or six) wheels. They can overcome almost any kind of terrain, they’re built to be tough and highly reliable, and they are often jam-packed with supplies and tools for the road ahead. If you’re looking for an expedition vehicle, you can pay six figures to have one made to order, or—if you’re mechanically inclined—you can start with a common truck platform and build the rest yourself.

Land Rover expedition vehicle

After considering these two options, Expedition Portal forum user Taurunum chose the latter, and built his 1988 Land Rover Discovery into a proper home on wheels. The 4×4 turbo-diesel Land Rover itself is a seriously capable machine, seeing widespread use by the U.K.’s military and other organizations worldwide. On top of this, Mr. Taurunum added a utility box, numerous locking compartments, armored bumpers, a winch, auxiliary lights, and a pop-up rooftop tent.

You can read more about this expedition vehicle setup here on Bring a Trailer, or click here to see a gallery with more photos of this cool rig.

Land Rover Discovery home made bugout truck

So, what would your ultimate bug out truck look like? If you’ve already built one, or are working on a project, post it in the comments below.

Infographic: Body Weight Exercises

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Working out in a survival scenario is beneficial in a number of ways. First, although it burns valuable calories, if you’re in peak physical shape, you’ll have more endurance for future tasks. Second, it makes for a good way to occupy time and maintain a positive mental attitude. It even improves your physical defenses in case you’re attacked by hostiles.

However, when most of us think about working out, we think about dumbbells, weight benches, and other equipment you might find at the gym. Unless you’re planning to hunker down in your basement or garage, you probably won’t have access to these items. So what do you do to stay in shape? Use the weight you always have with you—your body weight.

These body weight exercises from fitness trainer Neila Rey provide a good index for how to tone various muscle groups. Some are obvious, like push-ups and sit-ups, but others are more obscure. Try integrating some of these into your next workout, and if you’re feeling ambitious, make it a tic-tac-toe-style game to complete one exercise from each category.

Body Weight Exercises

For more workouts and fitness tips, check out www.neilarey.com

Celestial Navigation

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Although modern technology has benefited our society, some might argue that our reliance on this technology has become an Achilles heel. If the grid shuts down, electronics cease to function, and we’re left to fend for ourselves, would we know what to do? This is a question that the United States Naval Academy recently addressed. Due to the growing risk of cyber warfare interfering with our GPS navigation devices, the Naval Academy has turned to more traditional methods of charting a course at sea—celestial navigation.

Celestial navigation

These techniques make use of the moon and stars, and have been in use since man first ventured into the ocean. Later on, ancient navigators made use of sextants and other instruments to approximate their position and stay on course. It’s not an exact science—even the best crew can only get within 1.5 miles of a target using celestial navigation—but it’s a tried and true method that doesn’t require any form of electronics.

Celestial navigation 2

Celestial navigation was originally phased out in the 1990s at the Naval Academy. However, it’s slowly making a comeback starting this fall semester, and while celestial navigation is certainly not as easy as learning to use GPS, it may be necessary in the near future. In an interview with The Capital Gazette, Captain Terry Caraway stated, “In the event that we had to go into a national emergency, we would probably have to shut the GPS down because it can be used by potential enemies.” When it really comes down to it, celestial navigation can get you where you need to go, and if you plan to spend time at sea in the future, you might look into learning this ancient skill.

To read more about the Naval Academy’s choice to reinstate celestial navigation, check out the Capital Gazette’s article here.

Survival at Sea

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Few survival situations are more imposing than being stranded alone at sea, since there are virtually no available resources. You can’t just start a fire to boil water, build a shelter, set a snare, or even forage for food. Even the sea around you seems to mock your odds of survival—perhaps you recall the famous line from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, “water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” It’s something most of us wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy.

survival at sea

The SS Ben Lomond in 1906.

Poon Lim

Poon Lim received a warm welcome back to Britain after his ordeal.

However, there was one man who beat the odds, and survived an astonishing 133 days alone in the South Atlantic on a life raft: Poon Lim. This 24-year-old Chinese man was working aboard British merchant ship SS Ben Lomond during World War II, when it was sunk by a German U-boat on November 23, 1942. Tragically, 53 of the 54 crew members were killed as the ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic, but Lim lived on. After floating in the frigid water for hours, he found a remaining life raft from the ship, and climbed aboard.

survival at sea

U-boat sinking a troop transport ship, painting by Willy Stöwer, 1917.

The life raft contained a few limited provisions, such as canned biscuits, 9 gallons of water, some chocolate bars and sugar lump candy, signal flares, and a flashlight. Although Lim rationed the items for as long as he could, they eventually ran out, and he ended up fishing using a wire from the flashlight as a hook and hemp rope as line. He also gathered rainwater, caught seabirds, and tied himself to the raft during storms—since he barely knew how to swim. After over four months at sea, he drifted near land, and was rescued by Brazilian fishermen. To this day, Lim’s 133 days of survival at sea remain the longest anyone has lived alone on a life raft in the ocean.

survival at sea

Poon Lim sitting on a reconstruction of his raft, built at the request of the U.S. Navy and President Truman.

Returning to Britain after his ordeal, Lim was honored by King George VI with a British Empire Medal, and his story went on to be incorporated into the Royal Navy’s survival manuals. Lim eventually moved to the United States, where he was granted special dispensation for citizenship, and lived to the age of 72 in Brooklyn, New York. His courageous determination to survive should be an inspiration to us all.

You can read more about Poon Lim in this May 1943 archived article from the Chicago Daily Tribune.